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.

462 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
sound and accents of which were strange to him, and, which, in particular, ho
knew not to be Portuguese.
Mr. Goodriche, the Catholic priest, demanded access to her upon one
occasion. She at first declined his visit, but afterwards received it, under
the idea, perhaps, that he might have news from Mr. Middlemas, as he
called himself. The interview was a very short one, and the priest left the
lady's apartment in displeasure, which his prudence could scarce disguise
from Mr. Gray. He never returned, although the lady's condition would
have made his attentions and consolations necessary, had she been a member
of the Catholic Church.
Our Doctor began at length to suspect his fair guest was a Jewess, who
lad yielded up her person and affections to one of a different religion; and
the peculiar style of her beautiful countenance went to enforce this opinion.
The circumstance made no difference to Gray, who saw only her distress
and desolation, and endeavoured to remedy both to the utmost of his power.
He was, however, desirous to conceal it from his wife, and the others around
the sick person, whose prudence and liberality of thinking might be more
justly doubted. He therefore so regulated her diet, that she could not be
either offended, or brought under suspicion, by any of the articles forbidden
by the Mosaic law being presented to her. In other respects than what
concerned her health or convenience, he had but little intercourse with her.
The space passed within which the stranger's return to the borough had
been so anxiously expected by his female companion. The disappointment
occasioned by his non-arrival was manifested in the convalescent by inquietude, which was at first mingled with peevishness, and afterwards with doubt
and fear. When two or three days had passed without message or letter of
any kind, Gray himself became anxious, both on his own account and the
poor lady's, lest the stranger should have actually entertained the idea of
deserting this defenceless and probably injured woman. He longed to have
some communication with her, which might enable him to judge what enquiries could be made, or what else was most fitting to be done. But so
imperfect was the poor young woman's knowledge of the French language,
and perhaps so unwilling she herself to throw any light on her situation,
that every attempt of this kind proved abortive. When Gray asked questions concerning any subject which appeared to approach to explanation,
he observed she usually answered him by shaking her head, in token of not
understanding what he said; at other times by silence and with tears, and
sometimes referring him to Monsieur.
For Monsieur's arrival, then, Gray began to become very impatient, as
that which alone could put an end to a disagreeable species of mystery,
which the good company of the borough began now to make the principal
subject of their gossip; some blaming Gray for taking foreign landloupers*
into his house, on the subject of whose morals the most serious doubts
might be entertained; others envying the "bonny hand" the doctor was
like to make of it, by having disposal of the wealthy stranger's travelling
funds; a circumstance which could not be well concealed from the public,
when the honest man's expenditure for trifling articles of luxury came far
to exceed its ordinary bounds.
The conscious probity of the honest Doctor enabled him to despise this
sort of tittle-tattle, though the secret knowledge of its existence could not
be agreeable to him. He went his usual rounds with his usual perseverance,
and waited with patience until time should throw light on the subject and
history of his lodger. It was now the fourth week after her confinement,
and the recovery of the stranger might be considered as perfect, when Gray,
returning from one of his ten-mile visits, saw a post-chaise and four horses
at the door. " This man has returned," he said, "and my suspicions hava
* Strollers.