'
"This is a strong injunction--This Benjamin Butler was your grandfather,
I suppose?--You seem too young to have been his daughter."
"He was nae akin to me, sir--he was grandfather to ane--to a neighbour's
son--to a sincere weel-wisher of mine, sir," dropping her little courtesy
as she spoke.
"O, I understand," said the Duke--"a true-love affair. He was the
grandsire of one you are engaged to?"
"One I _was_ engaged to, sir," said Jeanie, sighing; "but this unhappy
business of my poor sister"
"What!" said the Duke, hastily--"he has not deserted you on that account,
has he?"
"No, sir; he wad be the last to leave a friend in difficulties," said
Jeanie; "but I maun think for him as weel as for mysell. He is a
clergyman, sir, and it would not beseem him to marry the like of me, wi'
this disgrace on my kindred."
"You are a singular young woman," said the Duke. "You seem to me to think
of every one before yourself. And have you really come up from Edinburgh
on foot, to attempt this hopeless solicitation for your sister's life?"
"It was not a'thegither on foot, sir," answered Jeanie; "for I sometimes
got a cast in a waggon, and I had a horse from Ferrybridge, and then the
coach"
"Well, never mind all that," interrupted the Duke--"What reason have you
for thinking your sister innocent?"
"Because she has not been proved guilty, as will appear from looking at
these papers.
Pages:
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220