N of one who becomes first apprehensive of having lost something
of great importance;--then, as if convinced of the reality of her
fears, she turned to the Earl, and demanded, "And how came ye by it
then?--how came ye by it? I thought I had kept it sae securely--what
will
the Countess say?" "You know," said the Earl, "at least you must have
heard,
that my mother is dead." "Dead! are ye no
imposing upon me? has she left a' at last,
lands and lordship and lineages?" "All, all," said the Earl, "as
mortals must leave all human vanities." "I mind now," answered
Elspeth--"I heard of it before but there has been sic distress in our
house since, and my memory is sae muckle impaired-- But ye are sure
your mother, the
Lady Countess, is gane hame?" The Earl again assured her that her
former mistress was no more. "Then," said Elspeth, "it shall burden my
mind nae langer!--When she lived, wha dared to speak what it would
hae displeased her to hae had noised abroad? But she's gane--and I
will confess all."
Then turning to her son and daughter-in-law, she commanded
them imperatively to quit the house, and leave Lord Geraldin (for so
she still called him) alone with her. But Maggie Mucklebackit, her
first burst o
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