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.

CHRONICLES OF THE CANONGATE. 353
derived from her native stock much both of its good and evil properties. No
one could say of her that she was the life and spirit of the family, though,
in my mother's time, she directed all family affairs; her look was austere
and gloomy, and when she was not displeased with you, you could only
find it out by her silence. If there was cause for complaint, real or imaginary, Christie was loud enough. She loved my mother with the devoted
attachment of a younger sister, but she was as jealous of her favour to any
one else as if she had been the aged husband of a coquettish wife, and as
severe in her reprehensions as an abbess over her nuns. The command
which she exercised over her, was that, I fear, of a strong and determined
over a feeble and more nervous disposition; and though it was used with
rigour, yet, to the best of Christie Steele's belief, she was urging her mistress to her best and most becoming course, and would have died rather
than have recommended any other. The attachment of this woman was
limited to the family of Croftangry, for she had few relations; and a dissolute cousin, whom late in life she had taken as a husband, had long left her
a widow.
To me she had ever a strong dislike. Even from my early childhood, she
was jealous, strange as it may seem, of my interest in my mother's affections; she saw my foibles and vices with abhorrence, and without a grain
of allowance; nor did she pardon the weakness of maternal affection, even
when, by the death of two brothers, I came to be the only child of a widowed parent. At the time my disorderly conduct induced my mother to
leave Glentanner, and retreat to her jointure house, I always blamed Christie
Steele for having influenced her resentment, and prevented her from listening to my vows of amendment, which at times were real and serious, and
might, perhaps, have accelerated that change of disposition which has since,
I trust, taken place. But Christie regarded me as altogether a doomed and
predestinated child' of perdition, who was sure to hold on my course, and
drag downwards whosoever might attempt to afford me support.
Still, though I knew such had been Christie's prejudices against me in
other days, yet I thought enough of time had since passed away to destroy
all of them. I knew that when, through the disorder of my affairs, my
mother underwent some temporary inconvenience about money matters,
Christie, as a thing of course, stood in the gap, and having sold a small inheritance which had descended to her, brought the purchase-money to her
mistress, with a sense of devotion as deep as that which inspired the Christians of the first age, when they sold all they had, and followed the apostles
of the church. I therefore thought that we might, in old Scottish phrase,
" let byganes be byganes," and begin upon a new account. Yet I resolved,
like a skilful general, to reconnoitre a little before laying down any precise
scheme of proceeding, and in the interim I determined to preserve my incognito.
only wounded and did not kill them. Then Steele violently threw himself down the stairs among them, and
made towards the door to save his life, but lost it upon the spot; for the dragoons who guarded the house
despatched him with their broadswords. I was not with the party when he was killed, being at that time
employed in searching at one of the other houses, but I soon found what had happened, by hearing the noise
of the shot made wi h the blunderbuss;'from whence I returned straight to Lanark, and immediately sent one
of the dragoons express to General Drummond at Edinburgh.-Swift's Works, Vol. XI1. (Memoirs of Captain
John Crezchton,) pages 57-59. Edit. Edinb. 1824.
Wodrow gives a different account of this exploit-' In December this year, (1686), David Steil, in the parish
of Lismahagow, was surprised in the fields by Lieutenant Creichton, and after his surrender of himself or
quarters, he was in a very little time most barbarously shot, and lies buried in the churchyard there."
VOL. X.-23 2E2