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.

524 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
"No, sir," said Jeanie; "a friend brought me in ane o' their street
caches - a very decent woman," she added, her courage increasing as she
became familiar with the sound of her own voice in such a presence; " your
Lordship's Grace' kens her -it's Mrs. Glass, at the sign o' the Thistle."
" O, my worthy snuff-merchant - I have always a chat with Mrs. Glass
when I purchase my Scots high dried.-Well, but your business, my bonny
woman — time and tide, you know, wait for no one."
"Your honour —I beg your Lordship's pardon -I mean your Grace,"
for it must be noticed, that this matter of addressing the Duke by his appropriate title had been anxiously inculcated upon Jeanie by her friend.Mrs. Glass, in whose eyes it was a matter of such importance, that her last
words, as Jeanie left the coach, were, "Mind to say your Grace;" and
Jeanie, who had scarce ever in her life spoke to a person of higher quality
than the Laird of Dumbiedikes, found great difficulty in arranging her language according to' the rules of ceremony.
The Duke, who saw her embarrassment, said, with his usual affability,
"Never mind my grace, lassie; just speak out a plain tale, and show you
have a Scots tongue in your head."
" Sir, I am muckle obliged-Sir, I am the sister of that poor unfortunate
criminal, Effie Deans, who is ordered for execution at Edinburgh."
"Ah!" said the Duke, " I have heard of that unhappy story, I think —a
case of child-murder, under a special act of parliament -Duncan Forbes
mentioned it at dinner the other day."
"And I was come up frae the north, sir, to see what could be done for'
her in the way of getting a reprieve or pardon, sir, or the like of that."
"Alas! my poor girl," said the Duke, " you have made a long and a sad
journey to very little purpose-Your sister is ordered for execution."
"But I am given to understand that there is law for reprieving her, if it
is in the king's pleasure," said Jeanie.
" Certainly there is," said the Duke; "but that is purely in the king's
breast., The crime has been but too common — the Scots crown-lawyers
think it is right there should be an example. Then the late disorders in
Edinburgh have excited a prejudice in government against the nation at
large, which they think can only be managed by measures of intimidation
and severity. What argument have you, my poor girl, except the warmth
of your sisterly affection, to offer against all this! —What is your interest?
— W~hat friends have you at court?"
"None, excepting God and your Grace," said Jeanie, still keeping her
ground resolutely, however.
" Alas!" said the Duke, " I could almost say with old Ormond, that there
could not be any, whose influence was smaller with kings and ministers. It
is a cruel part of our situation, young woman -I mean of the situation of
men in my circumstances, that the public ascribe to them influence which
they do not possess; and that individuals are led to expect from them assistance which we have no means of rendering. But candour and plain dealing is in the power of every one, and I must not let you imagine you have
resources in my influence, which do not exist, to make your distress the
heavier-I have no means of averting your sister's fate-She must die."
"We must a' die, sir," said Jeanie; "it is our common doom for our
father's transgression; but we shouldna hasten ilk other out o' the world,
that's what your honour kens better than me."
"My good young woman," said the Duke, mildly, "we are all apt to
blame the law under which we immediately suffer; but you seem to have
been well educated in your line of life, and you must know that it is alike
the law of God and man, that the murderer shall surely die."
" But, sir, Effie - that is, my poor sister, sir - canna be proved to be a
murderer; and if she be not, and the law take her life notwithstanding, wha
is it that is the murderer then?"