"
"I blame all young women," replied she, "who give themselves airs of
unnatural coldness; and then, when the proof comes, behave in a manner
so extraordinary, so indelicately, I must say."
"My Lady Mar!" ejaculated the earl, with an amazed look, "what am I to
think of you from this? How has my daughter behaved indelicately? She
did not lay her head on Sir William Wallace's bosom and weep there till
he replaced her on her natural pillow, mine. Have a care, madam, that
I do not see more in this spleen than would be honorable to you for me
to discover."
Fearing nothing so much as that her husband should really suspect the
passion which possessed her, and so remove her from the side of
Wallace, she presently recalled her former duplicity, and with a
surprised and uncomprehending air replied, "I do not understand what
you mean, Donald." Then turning to Lord Ruthven, who stood uneasily
viewing this scene, "How," cried she, "can my lord discover spleen in
my maternal anxiety respecting the daughter of the husband I love and
honor above all the earth? But men do not properly estimate female
reserve. Any woman would say with me, that to faint at the sight of
Sir William Wallace was declaring an emotion not to be revealed before
so large a company! a something from which men might not draw the most
agreeable inferences.
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