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.

538 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
But he was wrong. The shoals on which Jeanie had touched'in this
delicate conversation lay under ground, and were unknown to her; this
rock was above water, and she avoided it.
"' She was confident," she said, " that baith town and country wad rejoice
to see his Majesty taking compassion on a poor unfriended creature."
"His Majesty has not found it so in a late instance," said the Queen;
"but I suppose my Lord Duke would advise him to be guided by the votes
of the rabble themselves, who should be hanged and who spared?"
" No, madam," said the Duke; "but I would advise his Majesty to be
guided by his own feelings, and those of his royal consort; and then, I am
sure, punishment will only attach itself to guilt, and even then with cautious reluctance."
"Well, my Lord," said her Majesty, "all these fine speeches do not convince me of the propriety of so soon showing any mark of favour to your-I
suppose I must not say rebellious?-but, at least, your very disaffected and
intractable metropolis. Why, the whole nation is in a league to screen the
savage and abominable murderers of that unhappy man; otherwise, how
is it possible but that, of so many perpetrators, and engaged in so public
an action for such a length of time, one at least must have been recognised?
Even this wench, for aught I can tell, may be a depository of the secret. —
Hark you, young woman, had you any friends engaged in the Porteous
mob?"
"' No, madam," answered Jeanie, happy that the question was so framed
that she could, with a good conscience, answer it in the negative.
"But I suppose," continued the Queen, " if you were possessed of such a
secret, you would hold it a matter of conscience to keep it to yourself?"
" I would pray to be directed and guided what was the line of duty,
madam," answered Jeanie.
"Yes, and take that which suited your own inclinations," replied her
Majesty.
"If it like you, madam," said Jeanie, " I would hae gaen to the end of
the earth to save the life of John Porteous, or any other unhappy man in
his condition; but I might lawfully doubt how far I am called upon to be
the avenger of his blood, though it may become the civil magistrate to do so.
He is dead and gane to his place, and they that have slain him must answer
for their ain act. But my sister, my puir sister Effie, still lives, though her
days and hours are numbered! She still lives, and a word of the King's
mouth might restore her to a broken-hearted auld man, that never in his
daily and nightly exercise, forgot to pray that his Majesty might be blessed
with a lung and a prosperous reign, and that his throne, and the throne of
his posterity; might be established in righteousness. 0, madam, if ever ye
kend what it was to sorrow for and with a sinning and a suffering creature,
whose mind is sae tossed that she can be neither ca'd fit to live or die,
have some compassion on our misery!- Save an honest house from dishonour, and an unhappy girl, not eighteen years of age, from an early and
dreadful death! Alas! it is not when we sleep soft and wake merrily ourselves that we think on other people's sufferings. Our hearts are waxed
light within us then, and we are for righting our ain wrangs and fighting
our ain battles. But when the hour of trouble comes to the mind or to the
body-and seldom may it visit your Leddyship-and when the hour of
death comes, that comes to high and low-lang and late may it be yours!
-Oh, my Leddy, then it isna what we hae dune for oursells, but what we
hae dune for others, that we think on maist pleasantly. And the thoughts
that ye hae intervened to spare the puir thing's life will be sweeter in that
hour, come when it may, than if a word of your mouth could hang the
haill Porteous mob at the tail of ae tow."
Tear followed tear down Jeanie's cheeks, as, her features glowing and