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.

OLD MORTALITY. 577
paroxysm of mental agony. She prudently drew back until he raised his
head, and then showing herself, without seeming to have observed his agitation, informed him that his bed was prepared. The stranger gazed at her
a moment, as if to collect the sense of her words. She repeated them, and
only bending his head, as an indication that he understood her, he entered
the apartment, the door of which she pointed out to him. It was a small
bedchamber, used, as she informed him, by Lord Evandale when a guest at
Fairy-Knowe, connecting, on one side, with a little china-cabinet which
opened to the garden, and on the other with a saloon, fromu which it was
only separated by a thin wainscot partition. Having wished the stranger
better health and good rest, Jenny descended as speedily as she could to
her own mansion.
" 0 Cuddie!" she exclaimed to her helpmate as she entered, "I doubt
we're ruined folk!"
"tHow can that be? What's the matter wi' ye?" returned the imperturbed Cuddie, who was one of those persons who do not easily take alarm
at anything.
" Wha d'ye think yon gentleman is?-0, that ever ye suld hae asked him,
to light here 1" exclaimed Jenny.
"Why, wha the muckle deil d'ye say he is? There's nae law against
harbouring and inter-cominunicating now," said Cuddie; "sae, wlhig or
tory, what need we care wha he be?"
" Ay, but it's ane will ding Lord Evandale's marriage ajee yet, if it's no
the better looked to," said Jenny; "it's Miss Edith's first joe, your ain auld
rnaister, Cuddie."
"The deil, woman!" exclaimed Cuddie, starting up, "trow ye that I'm
blind? I wad hae ken'd Mr. Henry Morton amrang a hunder."
"Ay, but, Cuddie lad," replied Jenny, "though ye are no blind, ye are
no sace notice-taking as I am."
"W Weel, what for needs ye cast that up to me just now? or what did you
see about the nian thaft was like our Maister Harry?"
"I' will tell ye,"' said Jenny. "I jaloused his keeping his face frae us,
and speaking wi' a made-like voice, snae I c'en tried him wi' some tales o'
lailg syne, and when I spoke o' the brose, ye ken, he didna just laugh-he's
ower grave for that now-a-days-but he gae a gledge wi' his ee that I ken'd
he took up what I said. And a' his distress is about Miss Edith's mar:iage,
and I ne'er saw a man mair taen down wi' true love in my days-I might
say man or woman-only I mind how ill Miss Edith was when she first gat
word that him and you (ye muckle graceless loon) were coming against
Tillietudlmr wi' the rebels.- But what's the matter wi' the man now?"
"What's the matter wi' me, indeed!" said Cuddie, who was again hastily
putting on some of the garments he had stripped himself of, " am I no gaun
up this instant to see my maister?"
"Atweel, Cuddie, ye are gaun nae sic gate," said Jenny, coolly and
resolutely.
"The deil's in the wife!" said Cuddie; "d'ye think I am to be John
Tamson's man, and maistered by woman a' the days o' my life?"
" And whase man wad ye be? And wha wad ye hae to maister ye but
me, Cuddie lad?" answered Jenny. " I'll gar ye comprehend in the making
of a hay-band. Naebody kens that this young gentleman is living but oursells, and fra that he keeps himsell up sac close, I am judging that he's purposing, if he fand Miss Edith either married, or just gaun to be married, he
wad just slide awa easy, and gie them nae mair trouble. But if Miss Edith
ken'd that he was living, and if she were standing before the very minister
wi' Lord Evandale when it was tauld to her, I'serarrant she wad sac No
when she suld say Yes."
"Weel," replied Cuddie, " and what's my business wi' that? If Miss
Edith likes - her auld joe better than her new ane, what for suld she no be
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