alternately upon the horrible catastrophe which he had witnessed, and upon the
melancholy, and to him most interesting, news which he had learned at
Saddletree's, we will give the reader to understand who Butler was, and how his
fate was connected with that of Effie Deans, the unfortunate handmaiden of the
careful Mrs. Saddletree.
    Reuben Butler was of English extraction, though born in Scotland. His
grandfather was a trooper in Monk's army, and one of the party of dismounted
dragoons which formed the forlorn hope at the storming of Dundee in 1651.
Stephen Butler (called from his talents in reading and expounding, Scripture
Stephen, and Bible Butler) was a stanch Independent, and received in its fullest
comprehension the promise that the saints should inherit the earth. As hard
knocks were what had chiefly fallen to his share hitherto in the division of
this common property, he lost not the opportunity which the storm and plunder of
a commercial place afforded him, to appropriate as large a share of the better
things of this world as he could possibly compass. It would seem that he had
succeeded indifferently well, for his exterior circumstances appeared, in
consequence of this event, to have been much mended.
    The troop to which he belonged was quartered at the village of Dalkeith, as
forming the body-guard of Monk, who, in the capacity of general for the
Commonwealth, resided in the neighbouring castle. When, on the eve of the
Restoration, the general commenced his march from Scotland, a measure pregnant
with such important consequences, he new-modelled his troops, and more
especially those immediately about his person, in order that they might consist
entirely of individuals devoted to himself. On this occasion Scripture Stephen
was weighed in the balance, and found wanting. It was supposed he felt no call
to any expedition which might endanger the reign of the military sainthood, and
that he did not consider himself as free in conscience to join with any party
which might be likely ultimately to acknowledge the interest of Charles Stuart,
the son of »the last man,« as Charles I. was familiarly and irreverently termed
by them in their common discourse, as well as in their more elaborate
predications and harangues. As the time did not admit of cashiering such
dissidents, Stephen Butler was only advised in a friendly way to give up his
horse and accoutrements to one of Middleton's old troopers who possessed an
accommodating conscience of a military stamp, and which squared itself chiefly
upon those of the colonel and paymaster. As this hint came recommended by a
certain sum of arrears presently payable, Stephen had