was solicited by
his Grace the Duke of Argyle, as one well skilled in country labour, and a' that
appertained to flocks and herds, to superintend a store-farm, whilk his Grace
had taen into his ain hand for the improvement of stock.«
    Jeanie's heart sunk within her at this declaration. »She allowed it was a
goodly and pleasant land, and sloped bonnily to the western sun; and she
doubtedna that the pasture might be very gude, for the grass looked green, for
as drouthy as the weather had been. But it was far frae hame, and she thought
she wad be often thinking on the bonny spots of turf, sae fu' of gowans and
yellow king-cups, amang the Crags at St Leonard's.«
    »Dinna speak on't, Jeanie,« said her father; »I wish never to hear it named
mair - that is, after the rouping is ower, and the bills paid. But I brought a'
the beasts owerby that I thought ye wad like best. There is Gowans, and there's
your ain brockit cow, and the wee hawkit ane, that ye ca'd - I needna tell ye
how ye ca'd it - but I couldna bid them sell the petted creature, though the
sight o' it may sometimes gie us a sair heart - it's no the poor dumb creature's
fault - And ane or twa beasts mair I hae reserved, and I caused them to be
driven before the other beasts, that men might say, as when the son of Jesse
returned from battle, This is David's spoil.«
    Upon more particular inquiry, Jeanie found new occasion to admire the active
beneficence of her friend the Duke of Argyle. While establishing a sort of
experimental farm on the skirts of his immense Highland estates, he had been
somewhat at a loss to find a proper person in whom to vest the charge of it. The
conversation his Grace had upon country matters with Jeanie Deans during their
return from Richmond, had impressed him with a belief that the father, whose
experience and success she so frequently quoted, must be exactly the sort of
person whom he wanted. When the condition annexed to Effie's pardon rendered it
highly probable that David Deans would choose to change his place of residence,
this idea again occurred to the Duke more strongly, and as he was an enthusiast
equally in agriculture and in benevolence, he imagined he was serving the
purposes of both, when he wrote to the gentleman in Edinburgh entrusted with his
affairs, to inquire