."

"It is a falsehood!" said Edith--"a most base calumny! and you are very
bold to dare to repeat it to me. Henry Morton is incapable of such
treachery to his king and country--such cruelty to me--to--to all the
innocent and defenceless victims, I mean, who must suffer in a civil
war--I tell you he is utterly incapable of it, in every sense."

"Dear! dear! Miss Edith," replied Jenny, still constant to her text,
"they maun be better acquainted wi' young men than I am, or ever wish to
be, that can tell preceesely what they're capable or no capable o'. But
there has been Trooper Tam, and another chield, out in bonnets and grey
plaids, like countrymen, to recon--reconnoitre--I think John Gudyill ca'd
it; and they hae been amang the rebels, and brought back word that they
had seen young Milnwood mounted on ane o' the dragoon horses that was
taen at Loudon-hill, armed wi' swords and pistols, like wha but him, and
hand and glove wi' the foremost o' them, and dreeling and commanding the
men; and Cuddie at the heels o' him, in ane o' Sergeant Bothwell's laced
waistcoats, and a cockit hat with a bab o' blue ribbands at it for the
auld cause o' the Covenant, (but Cuddie aye liked a blue ribband,) and a
ruffled sark, like ony lord o' the land--it sets the like o' him,
indeed!"

"Jenny," said her young mistress hastily, "it is impossible these men's
report can be true; my uncle has heard nothing of it at this instant."

"Because Tam Halliday," answered the handmaiden, "came in just five
minutes after Lord Evandale; and when he heard his lordship was in the
Castle, he swore (the profane loon!) he would be d--d ere he would make
the report, as he ca'd it, of his news to Major Bellenden, since there
was an officer of his ain regiment in the garrison. Sae he wad have said
naething till Lord Evandale wakened the next morning; only he tauld me
about it," (here Jenny looked a little down,) "just to vex me about
Cuddie."

"Poh, you silly girl," said Edith, assuming some courage, "it is all a
trick of that fellow to teaze you."

"Na, madam, it canna be that, for John Gudyill took the other dragoon
(he's an auld hard-favoured man, I wotna his name) into the cellar, and
gae him a tass o' brandy to get the news out o' him, and he said just the
same as Tam Halliday, word for word; and Mr Gudyill was in sic a rage,
that he tauld it a' ower again to us, and says the haill rebellion is
owing to the nonsense o' my Leddy and the Major, and Lor