hought, might perish for want of relief. With
an effort, which, in her circumstances, might be termed heroic, she
stooped down, spoke in a soothing tone, and tried to raise up the
forlorn creature. She effected this with difficulty, and as she placed
her against the tree in a sitting posture, she observed with surprise,
that her complexion, usually florid, was now deadly pale, and that her
face was bathed in tears. Notwithstanding her own extreme danger,
Jeanie was affected by the situation of her companion; and the rather
that, through the whole train of her wavering and inconsistent state
of mind and line of conduct, she discerned a general colour of
kindness towards herself, for which she felt gratitude.

"Let me alane!--let me alane!" said the poor young woman, as her
paroxysm of sorrow began to abate. "Let me alane; it does me good to
weep. I canna shed tears but maybe anes or twice a-year, and I aye
come to wet this turf with them, that the flowers may grow fair, and
the grass may be green."

"But what is the matter with you?" said Jeanie. "Why do you weep so
bitterly?"

"There's matter enow," replied the lunatic; "mair than ae puir mind
can bear, I trow. Stay a bit, and I'll tell you a' about it; for I
like ye, Jeanie Deans; a'body spoke weel about ye when we lived in the
Pleasaunts. And I mind aye the drink o' milk ye gae me yon day, when I
had been on Arthur's Seat for four-and-twenty hours, looking for the
ship that somebody was sailing in."

Ed.

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1836.

... thorny ... 1798.]

[Variant 2:

1836.

... it is overgrown. 1798.]

[Variant 3:

1836.

... were ... 1798.]

[Variant 4:

1836.

... had ... 1798.]

[Variant 5:

1820.

I've measured it from side to side:
'Tis three feet long [i] and two feet wide. 1798.]

[Variant 6:

1827.

That's like ... 1798.]

[Variant 7:

1827.

But if you'd ... 1798.]

[Variant 8:

1827.

The heap that's like ... 1798.]

[Variant 9: In the editions 1798 to 1815.

Nay rack your brain--'tis all in vain,
I'll tell you every thing I know;
But to the thorn, and to the pond
Which is a little step beyond,
I wish that you would go:
Perhaps when you are at the place
You