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.

THE FORPTUNES OF NIGEL. 281
" Iout tout, man," said Riehie, "mind where the Stuarts come frae, and
never thirk they would want spears or claymores either; but leaving sic
matters, whilk are perilous to speak on, I say once more, what is your concern in all this matter?"
" What is it?" said Jenkin; "why, have I not fixed on Peg-a!-Pamsay to
be my true love from the day I came to her old father's shop? and have I
not carried her pattens and her chopines for three years, and borne her
prayer-book to church, and brushed the cushion for her to kneel down upon,
and did she ever say me nay?"
" I see no cause she had," said Ri.chie, " if the like of such small services
were all that ye proffered. Ah, man I there are few - very few, either of
fools or of wise men, ken how to guide a -oman."
"Why, did I not serve her at the risk of my freedom, and very nigh at
the risk of my neck? Did she not-no, it was not her neither, but that
accursed beldam whom she caused to work upon me-persuade me like a,fool to turn myself into a waterman to help my lord, and a plague to him,
down to Scotland; and instead of going peaceably down to the ship at
Gravesend, did not he rant and bully, and show his pistols, and make me
land him at Greenwich, where he played some swaggering pranks, that
helped both him and me into the Tower?",Aiha I" said Richie, throwing more than his usual wisdom into his looks;
"so you were the green-jacketed waterman that rowed Lord Glenvarloch
clown the river?"
"The more fool I, that did not souse him in the Thames," said Jenkin;
" and I was the lad that would not confess one word of who or what I was,
though they threatened to make me hug the Duke of Exeter's daughter.":
"V Wha is she, man?" said Richie; " she must be an ill-fashioned piece,
if you're so much afraid of her, and she come of such high kin."
"I mean the rack-the rack, man," said Jenkin. " Where were you
bred that never heard of the Duke of Exeter's daughter? But all the dukes
and duchesses in England could —have got nothing out of me-so the truth
came out some other;way, and I was set free. HIome I ran, thinking myself
one of the cleverest and happiest fellows in the ward. And she-she-she
wanted to pay me with mnoney for all my true service! and she spoke so
sweetly and so coldly' at the same time, I wished myself in the deepest dungeon of the Tower-I wish they had racked me to death before I heard this
Scottishman was to chouse me out of my sweetheart!"
" But are ye sure ye have lost her?" said Richie; "it sounds strange in
my ears that my Lord Glenvarloch should marry the daughter of a dealer,
though there are uncouth marriages made in London, I'll allow that."
" Why, I tell you this lord was no sooner clear of the Tower, than he and
Master George Heriot come to make proposals for her, with the King's
assent, and what not; and fine fair day prospects of Court favor for this
lord, for he hath not an acre of land."
"Well, and what said the. auld watch-maker?' said Richie; "was he not,
as might weel beseem him, ready to loup out of his skin-case for very joy?"
" I-e multiplied six figures progresssively, and reported the product-then
gave his consent."
"And what did you do?"
"I rushed into the streets," said the poor lad, " with a burning heart and
a blood-shot eye-and where did I first find myself, but with that beldam,
Mother Suddlechop-and what did she propose to me, but to take the road!"
" Take the road, man? in what sense?" said Richie.
"Even as a clerk to Saint Nicholas-as a highwayman, like Poins and
Peto, and the good fellows in the play-and who think you was to be my
captain?-for she had the whole out ere I could speak to her-I fancy she
x A particular species of rack, used at the'Toiwer of Londlon, was so called.
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