CHAPTER. XV. Gi'e ower your house, lady, he said,- Edom of Gordon. MORTON had finished the revisal and the making out a fair copy of the paper on which he and Poundtext had agreed to rest as a full statement of the grievances of their party, and the conditions on which the greater part of the insurgents would be contented to lay down their arms; and he was about to betake himself to repose, when there was a knocking at the door of his apartment. "Enter," said Morton; and the round bullet-head of Cuddie Headrigg was thrust into the room. "Come in," said Morton, "and tell me what you want. Is there any alarm?" "Na, sir; but I hae brought ane to speak wi' you." "Who is that, Cuddie?" enquired Mor ton. "Ane o' your auld acquaintance," said Cuddie; and, opening the door more fully, he half led, half dragged in a woman, whose face was muffled in her plaid."Come, come, ye need na be sae bashfu before auld acquaintance, Jenny," said Cuddie, pulling down the veil and discovering to his master the well-remembered countenance of Jenny Dennison. "Tell his honour now there's a braw lass tell him what ye were wanting to say to ord Evandale, mistress." "What was I wanting to say," answered Jenny," to his honour himsel the other morning, when I visited him in captivity, ye muckle hash ?-D'ye think that folk dinna want to see their friends in adversity, ye dour croudy-eater ?" This reply was made with Jenny's usual volubility; but her voice quivered, her cheek was thin and pale, the tears stood in her eyes, her hand trembled, her manner was fluttered, and her whole presence bore marks of recent suffering and privation, as well as of nervous and hysterical agitation. "What is the matter, Jenny ?" said Morton kindly. "You know how much I owe you in many respects, and can hardly make a request that I will not grant, if in my power." 66 Many thanks, Milnwood," said the weeping damsel; "but ye were aye a kind gentleman, though folk sae ye hae become sair changed now." "What do they say of me?" answered Morton. "A' body says that you and the whigs hae made a vow to ding King Charles aff the throne, and that neither he, nor his posteriors from generation to generation, and John Gud . shall sit upon it ony mair; yill says ye're to gi'e a' the church organs to the pipers, and burn the book o' Com mon-prayer by the hands of the common hangman, in revenge of the Covenant that was burnt when the king cam hame.” "My friends at Tillietudlem judge too hastily and too ill of me," answered Morton. "I wish to have free exercise of my own religion, without insulting any other; and, as to your family, I only desire an opportunity to shew them I have the same friendship and kindness as ever.” "Bless your kind heart for saying sae,' said Jenny, bursting into a flood of tears; "and they never needed kindness or friendship mair, for they are famished for lack o' food." "Good God!" replied Morton, "I heard of scarcity, but not of famine! Is it possible? Have the ladies and the Major”— "They hae suffered like the lave o' us," replied Jenny; "for they shared every bit and sup wi' the whole folk in the Castle I'm sure my poor e'en see fifty colours wi' faintness, and my head's sae dizzy wi' the mirligoes that I canna stand my lane." . The thinness of the poor girl's cheek and the sharpness of her features bore witness to the truth of what she said. Morton was greatly shocked. "Sit down," he said, " for God's sake!" forcing her into the only chair the apart ment afforded, while he himself strode up and down the room in horror and impatience. "I knew not of this," he exclaimed, in broken ejaculations." I could not know of it. Cold-blooded, hard-hearted fanatic-deceitful villain!-Cuddie, fetch refreshments-food-wine, if possiblewhatever you can find." "Whisky is gude eneugh for her," muttered Cuddie; "ane wadna hae thought that gude meal was sae scant amang them, when the quean threw sae muckle gude kailbrose scalding het about my lugs." Faint and miserable as Jenny seemed to be, she could not hear the allusion to her exploit during the storm of the Castle, |