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The Heart of Midlothian: George

Before she reached Scotland again, Effie had eloped with her lover, who was in reality George Staunton, son of an English nobleman. The sisters, who had last met when Effie was sitting on the bench of the condemned, did not meet again for many years, though Lady Staunton wrote sometimes to Jeanie--now Mrs. Butler, wife of Mr. Reuben Butler, pastor of Knocktarlitie. Finally, by chance, Sir George learned that Meg Murdockson, who had attended Effie in her illness, had not murdered the child, as they had always supposed. He traced the boy to a certain troop of vagabonds, of which Black Donald was the chief. In an affray with Black Donald's men, Sir George was shot by a young lad called "the Whistler," who proved to be the lost son. The lad disappeared and escaped to America. Lady Staunton, overcome by the tragedy, after vain efforts to drown her grief in society, retired to a convent in France. Although she took no vows, she remained there until her death. But her influence at court accomplished much for the children of her sister Jeanie, who lived happily on in the good parish with which the bounty of the Duke of Argyle had provided her husband.

The Heart of Midlothian is notable for having rather fewer important characters, a smaller variety of incidents, and less description of scenery than most of Scott's novels. One of the most remarkable scenes in all fiction is the meeting of the two sisters in prison under the eyes of the jailer Ratcliffe. The interview of Jeanie with Queen Caroline is also most noteworthy. There is much humor at the expense of the Cameronian wing of the Presbyterian faith in Scotland. In this work also appears the strange character of Madge Wildfire, daughter of the old crone, Meg Murdockson. Into her mouth is put the famous song, "Proud Maisie is in the wood."