The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

PEVERIL OF THE PEAK. 435
Countess had caused to be taught to her in compassion for her forlorn situation, and which she learned with the most surprising quickness. Thus,
for example, she was exquisite in the use of the needle, and so ready and
ingenious a draughtswonman, that, like the ancient Mexicans, she sometimes
made a hasty sketch with her pencil the means of conveying her ideas,
either by direct or emblematical representation. Above all, in theeart of
ornamental writing, much studied at that period, Fenella was so great a
proficient, as to rival the fame of Messrs. Snow, Shelley, and other masters
of the pen, whose copy-books, preserved in the libraries of the curious, still
show the artists smiling on the frontispiece in all the honours of flowing
gowns and full-bottomed wigs, to the eternal glory of caligraphy.
The little maiden had, besides these accomplishments, much ready wit
and acuteness of intellect. With Lady Derby, and with the two young
gentlemen, she was a great favourite, and used much freedom in conversing
with them., by means of a system of signs which had been gradually established amongst them, and which served all ordinary purposes of communication.
But, though happy in the indulgence and favour of her mistress, from
whom indeed she was seldom separate, Fenella was by no means a favourite
with the rest of the household. In fact, it seemed that her temper, exasperated perhaps by a sense of her misfortune, was by no means equal to her
abilities. She was very haughty in her demeanour, even towards the upper
domestics, who in that establishment were of a much higher rank and better
birth, than in the families of the nobility in general. These often complained, not only of her pride and reserve, but of her high and irascible
temper and vindictive disposition. Her passionate propensity had been
indeed idly encouraged by the young men, and particularly by the Earl,
who sometimes amused himself with teazing her, that he might enjoy the
various singular motions and murmurs by which she expressed her resentment. Towards him, these were of course only petulant and whimsical
indications of pettish anger. But when she was angry with others of inferior degree —before whom she did not control herself —the expression of
her passion, unable to display itself in language, had something even frightful, so singular were the tones, contortions, and gestures, to which she had
recourse. The lower domestics, to whom she was liberal almost beyond
her apparent means, observed her with much deference and respect, but
much more from fear than from any real attachment; for the caprices of
her temper displayed themselves even in her gifts; and those who most
frequently shared her bounty, seemed by no means assured of the benevolence of the motives which dictated her liberality.
All these peculiarities led to a conclusion consonant with Manx superstition. Devout believers in all the legends of fairies so dear to the Celtic
tribes, the Manx people held it for certainty that the elves were in the habit
of carrying off mortal children before baptism, and leaving in the cradle
of the new-born babe one of their own brood, which was almost always
imperfect in some one or other of the organs proper to humanity. Such a
being they conceived Fenella to be; and the smallness of her size, her dark
complexion, her long locks of silken hair; the singularity of her manners
and tones, as well as the caprices of her temper, were to their thinking all
attributes of the irritable, fickle, and dangerous race from which they supposed her to be sprung. And it seemed, that although no jest appeared to
offend her more than when Lord Derby called her in sport the Elfin Queen,
or otherwise alluded to her supposed connection with "the pigmy folk,"
yet still her perpetually affecting to wear the colour of green, proper to the
fairies, as well as some other peculiarities, seemed voluntarily assumed by
her, in order to countenance the superstition, perhaps because it gave her
more authority among the lower orders.
Many were the tales circulated respecting the Countess's EQ, as Fenella