Held at Dunstaffnage Castle. The relationship between the
heiress of Stratheaarn and that family was very near, her paternal
grandmother having been the daughter of a Lord Badenoch.--(1809.)
Edwin eyed her with astonishment while she spoke. All her late conduct
to his cousin Helen, to his uncle, and to Wallace, was now explained;
and he saw in her flushed cheek, that it was not the patriot who
desired this match, but the enamored woman.
"You do not answer," said she; "have you any apprehension that Sir
William Wallace would reject the hand which would give him a crown?
which would dispense happiness to many thousand people?"
"No," replied he; "I believe that, much as he is devoted to the memory
of her, whom alone he can ever love, could he purchase true happiness
to Scotland by the sacrifice, he would espouse any virtuous woman who
could bring him so blessed a dowry. But in your case, my honored aunt,
I can see no probability of such a consequence. In the first place, I
know, that now the virtuous Earl of Badenoch is no more, he neither
respects nor fears the Cummins; and that he would scorn to purchase a
crown or even the people's happiness, by baseness in himself.
Pages:
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815