And it canna be done otherwise." "But the fact, sir," argued Butler, "the fact that this poor girl has borne a child; surely the crown lawyers must prove that ?" said Butler.
Saddletree paused a moment, while the visage of Dumbiedikes, which traversed, as if it had been placed on a pivot, from the one spokesman to the other, assumed a more blithe expression.
"Ye--ye--ye--es," said Saddletree, after some grave hesitation; "unquestionably that is a thing to be proved, as the court will more fully declare by an interlocutor of relevancy in common form; but I fancy that job's done already, for she has confessed her guilt." "Confessed the murder ?" exclaimed Jeanie, with a scream that made them all start.
"No, I didna say that," replied Bartoline.

"But she confessed bearing the babe." "And what became of it, then ?" said Jeanie, "for not a word could I get from her but bitter sighs and tears." "She says it was taken away from her by the woman in whose house it was born, and who assisted her at the time." "And who was that woman ?" said Butler.

"Surely by her means the truth might be discovered .-- Who was she?
I will fly to her directly." "I wish," said Dumbiedikes, "I were as young and as supple as you, and had the gift of the gab as weel." "Who is she ?" again reiterated Butler impatiently.--"Who could that woman be ?" "Ay, wha kens that but herself ?" said Saddletree; "she deponed farther, and declined to answer that interrogatory." "Then to herself will I instantly go," said Butler; "farewell, Jeanie;" then coming close up to her--"Take no _rash steps_ till you hear from me.
Farewell!" and he immediately left the cottage.
"I wad gang too," said the landed proprietor, in an anxious, jealous, and repining tone, "but my powny winna for the life o' me gang ony other road than just frae Dumbiedikes to this house-end, and sae straight back again." "Yell do better for them," said Saddletree, as they left the house together, "by sending me the thretty punds." "Thretty punds!" hesitated Dumbiedikes, who was now out of the reach of those eyes which had inflamed his generosity; "I only said _twenty_ punds." "Ay; but," said Saddletree, "that was under protestation to add and eik; and so ye craved leave to amend your libel, and made it thretty." "Did I?
I dinna mind that I did," answered Dumbiedikes.

"But whatever I said I'll stand to." Then bestriding his steed with some difficulty, he added, "Dinna ye think poor Jeanie's een wi' the tears in them glanced like lamour beads, Mr.Saddletree ?" "I kenna muckle about women's een, Laird," replied the insensible Bartoline; "and I care just as little.

I wuss I were as weel free o' their tongues; though few wives," he added, recollecting the necessity of keeping up his character for domestic rule, "are under better command than mine, Laird.