avour.

"Yer leddyship's condescension is a great relief to me," resumed
Geordie. "They say Sir Marmaduke's nevey, Brodie o' Birkiehaugh, is in
jail for attempting to rin awa' wi' a young lassie. What he was to do
wi' her, God only kens, but there can be nae doubt that he would get
sma' favour and grace frae yer leddyship to ony attempt on the puir
cratur's life. Na, na--a nobility sae michtie as yer leddyship's, an' a
saftness o' heart whilk far excels that o' the bleatin' ewe for the puir
lambie that lies deein' by its side, couldna patroneeze onything like
the takin' awa o' God's breath frae the nostrils o' innocence."

Geordie, whose cruelty was refined, paused, and fixed his eyes on the
lady, who appeared to be in agony. She rose quickly, and went, as usual,
to her bureau to give him money.

"Stop," said Geordie; "I haena asked ye for't yet. I dinna like awmous.
It's only when I want to favour yer leddyship that I tak siller fra ye,
and naething I hae yet said could warrant yer leddyship in supposing
that I was to confer sic a favour on ye, at least at the particular time
when ye rose to open yer kist; and I dinna need to say, that favours
quickly conferred are sune repented o'. Weel, the bit lassie wham
Birkiehaugh was after, is a young creature, ca'ed Jessie Warriston, wha
lives wi' my mither. Few folk on earth ken meikle about her; but my
mither swears that her mither maun hae been hanged, for she has a ring
round her bonny white craig, like that on the neck o' the turtle doo. I
laugh, an' say to the bonny bairn, that it will stan' in place o' a
coral or cornelian necklace to her.--Ha! ha! I see your leddyship's
inclined to laugh too--eh?"

And Geordie again eyed the lady, who was as far from laughing as the
criminal at the stake.

"Weel," resumed the crucifier, "Birkiehaugh didna succeed--thanks to
Peter Finlayson, honest fallow--and the lassie is safe again; but I hae
made a vow, and I hope sae gude a ane will be regularly recorded whar it
should be, that the first person wha tries to lay sae meikle as a finger
on that bonny bairn's head, or blaw a single breath o' suspicion against
her reputation, will meet wi' the just indignation o' Geordie Willison.
An' noo, my leddy, I will favour ye by accepting, at yer hands, twenty
pund."

Geordie received, and counted the money, as usual, and, with a bow,
retired.

The six months of Birkiehaugh's confinement expired, and, about the same
time, Sir Marmaduke Ma