John Leech and other papers

A Jacobite Family. 107
she would touch the bell, as she conceived, with a
respectful gentleness, but in fact so as to produce a
clatter as if the house had caught fire. My grand-
mother, too blind to perceive the cause of this
startling alarm, would gently remonstrate, " Oh,
Annie, Annie, you make such a noise !" to which
the ancient virgin, who was somewhat short in
temper, seldom hearing what was addressed to her,
generally answered quite at cross purposes, and that
with a most amusing mixture of respect and testiness,
" Yes, meddam, dis yer leddieship never let down a
steek !" My grandmother's memory, although rather
confused as to the later events of her life, was quite
prompt and tenacious in all the details of her early
history, particularly the agitating period of 1745,
the circumstances of their long exile, and in fact
everything seemed clear and distinct down to her
husband's death, which was singularly marked as the
precise point beyond which she herself even seemed
to have no confidence in the accuracy of her recol-
lection. But as the early portion was far the most
interesting, it became the unfailing theme on which
she seemed to have as much pleasure in dilating as
I had in listening to her tales.
' I found it necessary, however, to be cautious of
alluding to the present reigning family, which always
discomposed her, as to the last she vehemently pro-
tested against their title to the throne. I was in the