, after the Captain had swallowed his morning draught of Athole
brose, and departed in his coach and six, Mrs. Butler anew deliberated upon
communicating to her husband her sister's letter. But she was deterred by the
recollection, that, in doing so, she would unveil to him the whole of a dreadful
secret, of which, perhaps, his public character might render him an unfit
depositary. Butler already had reason to believe that Effie had eloped with that
same Robertson who had been a leader in the Porteous mob, and who lay under
sentence of death for the robbery at Kirkcaldy. But he did not know his identity
with George Staunton, a man of birth and fortune, who had now apparently
reassumed his natural rank in society. Jeanie had respected Staunton's own
confession as sacred, and upon reflection she considered the letter of her
sister as equally so, and resolved to mention the contents to no one.
    On reperusiug the letter, she could not help observing the staggering and
unsatisfactory condition of those who have risen to distinction by undue paths,
and the outworks and bulwarks of fiction and falsehood, by which they are under
the necessity of surrounding and defending their precarious advantages. But she
was not called upon, she thought, to unveil her sister's original history - it
would restore no right to any one, for she was usurping none - it would only
destroy her happiness, and degrade her in the public estimation. Had she been
wise, Jeanie thought she would have chosen seclusion and privacy, in place of
public life and gaiety; but the power of choice might not be hers. The money,
she thought, could not be returned without her seeming haughty and unkind. She
resolved, therefore, upon reconsidering this point, to employ it as occasion
should serve, either in educating her children better than her own means could
compass, or for their future portion. Her sister had enough, was strongly bound
to assist Jeanie by any means in her power, and the arrangement was so natural
and proper, that it ought not to be declined out of fastidious or romantic
delicacy. Jeanie accordingly wrote to her sister, acknowledging her letter, and
requesting to hear from her as often as she could. In entering into her own
little details of news, chiefly respecting domestic affairs, she experienced a
singular vacillation of ideas; for sometimes she apologised for mentioning
things unworthy the notice of a lady of rank, and then recollected that
everything which concerned her should be interesting to Effie. Her letter, under
the cover of Mr. Whiterose, she committed to the post-