The Heart of Mid-Lothian - Penn State University

ing new under the sun—But it was a fair hit of Mrs.
Saddletree, however.”
“And it wad far better become ye, Mr. Saddletree,”
continued his helpmate, “since ye say ye hae skeel o’ the
law, to try if ye can do onything for Effie Deans, puir
thing, that’s lying up in the tolbooth yonder, cauld, and
hungry, and comfortless—A servant lass of ours, Mr.
Butler, and as innocent a lass, to my thinking, and as
usefu’ in the shop—When Mr. Saddletree gangs out,—
and ye’re aware he’s seldom at hame when there’s ony
o’ the plea-houses open,—poor Effie used to help me to
tumble the bundles o’ barkened leather up and down,
and range out the gudes, and suit a’ body’s humours—
And troth, she could aye please the customers wi’ her
answers, for she was aye civil, and a bonnier lass wasna
in Auld Reekie. And when folk were hasty and unreasonable,
she could serve them better than me, that am
no sae young as I hae been, Mr. Butler, and a wee bit
short in the temper into the bargain. For when there’s
ower mony folks crying on me at anes, and nane but ae
tongue to answer them, folk maun speak hastily, or
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they’ll ne’er get through their wark—Sae I miss Effie
daily.”
“De die in diem,” added Saddletree.
“I think,” said Butler, after a good deal of hesitation,
“I have seen the girl in the shop—a modest-looking, fairhaired
girl?”
“Ay, ay, that’s just puir Effie,” said her mistress. “How
she was abandoned to hersell, or whether she was
sackless o’ the sinful deed, God in Heaven knows; but if
she’s been guilty, she’s been sair tempted, and I wad
amaist take my Bible-aith she hasna been hersell at the
time.”
Butler had by this time become much agitated; he fidgeted
up and down the shop, and showed the greatest
agitation that a person of such strict decorum could be
supposed to give way to. “Was not this girl,” he said,
“the daughter of David Deans, that had the parks at
St. Leonard’s taken? and has she not a sister?”
“In troth has she,—puir Jeanie Deans, ten years aulder
than hersell; she was here greeting a wee while syne
about her tittie. And what could I say to her, but that