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.

536 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
"I think your Majesty," replied the Duke, smiling in turn, "will allow
my taste may be a pledge. for me on that score."
"Then, though she has not much the air d'une grande dame, I suppose
she is some thirtieth cousin in the terrible chapter of Scottish genealogy?"
"No, madam," said the Duke; "but I wish some of my nearer relations
had half her worth, honesty, and affection."
"Her name must be Campbell, at least?" said Queen Caroline.
"No, madam; her name is not quite so distinguished, if I may be permitted to say so," answered the Duke.
" Ah! but she comes from Inverary or Argyleshire?" said the Sovereign.
"She has never been farther north in her'life than Edinburgh, madam."
"Then my conjectures are all ended," said the Queen, " and your Grace
must yourself take the trouble to explain the affair of your protegee."
With that precision and easy brevity which is only acquired by habitually conversing in the higher ranks of society, and which is the diametrical
opposite of that protracted style of disquisition,
Which squires call potter, and which men call prose,
the Duke explained the singular law under which Effie Deans had received
sentence of death, and detailed the affectionate exertions which Jeanie had
made in behalf of a sister, for whose sake she was willing to sacrifice all
but truth and conscience.
Queen Caroline listened with attention; she was rather fond, it must be
remembered, of an argument, and soon found matter in what the Duke told
her for raising difficulties to his request.
" It appears to me, my Lord," she replied, "that this is a severe law.
But still it is adopted upon good grounds, I am bound to suppose, as the law
of the country, and the girl has been convicted under it. The very ppresumptions which the law construes into a positive proof of guilt exist in her
case; and all that your Grace has said concerning the possibility of her
innocence may be a very good argument for annulling the Act of Parlia-,
ment, but cannot, while it stands good, be admitted in favour of any individual convicted upon the statute."
The Duke saw and avoided the snare, for he was conscious that, by replying to the argument, he must have been inevitably led to a discussion, in
the course of which the Queen was likely to be hardened in her own opinion,
until she became obliged, out of mere respect to consistency, to let the criminal suffer. "If your Majesty," he said, "would condescend to hear my
poor countrywoman herself, perhaps she may find an advocate in your own
heart, more able than I am, to combat the doubts suggested by your understanding."
The Queen seemed to acquiesce, and the Duke made a signal for Jeanie
to advance from the spot where she had hitherto remained watching countenances, which were too long accustomed to suppress all apparent signs of
emotion, to convey to her any interesting intelligence. Her Majesty could
not help smiling at the awe-struck manner in which the quiet demure figure
of the little Scotchwoman advanced towards her, and yet more at the first
sound of her broad northern accent. But Jeanie had a voice low and
sweetly toned, an admirable thing in woman, and eke besought "her Leddyship to have pity on a poor misguided young creature," in tones so affecting, that, like the notes of some of her native songs, provincial vulgarity
was lost in pathos.
" Stand up, young woman," said the Queen, but in a kind tone, " and tell
me what sort of a barbarous people your countryfolk are, where child-murder
is become so common as to require the restraint of laws like yours?"
" If your Leddyship pleases," answered. Jeanie, " there are mony places
besides Scotland where mothers are unkind to their ain flesh and blood."
It must be observed, that the disputes between George the Second and