In "Heart of Midlothian" Scott set himself to draw his own people
at their best. The real heroine of the book is Jeanie Deans, whose
character was drawn from that of Helen Walker, the daughter of a farmer
in Scotland. With a few variations Jeanie's story was hers.
Effie Deans, the sister of Jeanie, was doomed to death for child
murder. Jeanie might have saved her on the witness stand by lying; but
this she could not do even to save her sister. However, she showed the
depth of her love by going on foot all the way to London and getting a
pardon from the king.
Effie was released; but even before Jeanie reached home, she eloped
with her betrayer, George Staunton, who married her and took her to
London with him. There they lived as Lord and Lady Staunton, for George
succeeded to the title of his father.
Jeanie married a Presbyterian minister, and by a combination of
circumstances, learned that Effie's son had never really been killed,
but had been given to the care of Meg Murdockson, whose daughter Madge
had also been betrayed by Staunton, or Geordie Robertson, as he was
known in Scotland.
When Sir George Staunton learned this, he was anxious to discover the
whereabouts of his son. He traced him to a certain band of vagabonds,
of which Black Donald was the chief. Staunton attempted to arrest the
leader, but in the affray was shot by a young lad called the Whistler.
This lad later proved to be his long lost son.
Effie, who was now Lady Staunton, overcome with grief, attempted to
drown her sorrows in the gayeties of the fashionable world. But this
was in vain. She could not forget her grief, and finally she retired to
a convent in France, where she remained until her death.
Jeanie and her husband were given a good parish by the Duke of Argyle,
and through Effie's influence the children of her sister were helped
greatly.
"Heart of Midlothian" was first published anonymously in 1818. It
takes its name from the Tolbooth, or old jail of Edinburgh, where Scott
imagined Effie to have been in prison. This book has fewer characters
than any other of Scott's novels. It has also a smaller variety of
incidents, and less description of scenery. One of the most touching
scenes in all fiction is that in which Jeanie visits her sister in the
prison under the eyes of the jailor, Ratcliffe.
"Ratcliffe marshalled her the way to the apartment where Effie was
confined.
"Shame, fear, and grief, had contended for mastery in the poor
prisoner's bosom during the whole morning, while she had looked forward
to this meeting; but when the door opened, all gave way to a confused
and strange feeling that had a tinge of joy in it, as, throwing herself
on her sister's neck, she ejaculated: 'My dear Jeanie!--my dear Jeanie!
It's lang since I hae seen ye.' Jeanie returned the embrace with an
earnestness that partook almost of rapture, but it was only a flitting
emotion, like a sunbeam unexpectedly penetrating betwixt the clouds
of a tempest, and obscured almost as soon as visible. The sisters
walked together to the side of the pallet bed, and sat down side by
side, took hold of each other's hands, and looked each other in the
face, but without speaking a word. In this posture they remained for
a minute, while the gleam of joy gradually faded from their features,
and gave way to the most intense expression, first of melancholy, and
then of agony, till, throwing themselves again into each other's arms,
they, to use the language of Scripture, lifted up their voices and wept
bitterly.
"Even the hard-hearted turnkey, who had spent his life in scenes
calculated to stifle both conscience and feeling, could not witness
this scene without a touch of human sympathy. It was shown in a
trifling action, but which had more delicacy in it than seemed to
belong to Ratcliffe's character and station. The unglazed window of the
miserable chamber was open and the beams of a bright sun fell right
upon the bed where the sufferers were seated. With a gentleness that
had something of reverence in it, Ratcliffe partly closed the shutter,
and seemed thus to throw a veil over a scene so sorrowful."
[Illustration: THE BLACK KNIGHT AT THE HERMITAGE--"IVANHOE"
COURTESY, THE PAGE COMPANY
FROM A DRAWING BY AD. LALAUZE]