by Walter Scott
CHAPTER XLI
THE MYSTERY BEGINS TO BE CLEARED UP
'How do you like him?' was Fergus's first question, as theydescended the large stone staircase.
'A prince to live and die under' was Waverley's enthusiasticanswer.
'I knew you would think so when you saw him, and I intended youshould have met earlier, but was prevented by your sprain. And yethe has his foibles, or rather he has difficult cards to play, andhis Irish officers, [Footnote: See Note 5.] who are much abouthim, are but sorry advisers: they cannot discriminate among thenumerous pretensions that are set up. Would you think it--I havebeen obliged for the present to suppress an earl's patent, grantedfor services rendered ten years ago, for fear of exciting thejealousy, forsooth, of C----and M----? But you were very right,Edward, to refuse the situation of aide-de-camp. There are twovacant, indeed, but Clanronald and Lochiel, and almost all of us,have requested one for young Aberchallader, and the Lowlanders andthe Irish party are equally desirous to have the other for themaster of F--. Now, if either of these candidates were to besuperseded in your favour, you would make enemies. And then I amsurprised that the Prince should have offered you a majority, whenhe knows very well that nothing short of lieutenant-colonel willsatisfy others, who cannot bring one hundred and fifty men to thefield. "But patience, cousin, and shuffle the cards!" It is allvery well for the present, and we must have you properly equippedfor the evening in your new costume; for, to say truth, youroutward man is scarce fit for a court.'
'Why,' said Waverley, looking at his soiled dress,'my shootingjacket has seen service since we parted; but that probably you, myfriend, know as well or better than I.'
'You do my second-sight too much honour,' said Fergus. 'We were sobusy, first with the scheme of giving battle to Cope, andafterwards with our operations in the Lowlands, that I could onlygive general directions to such of our people as were left inPerthshire to respect and protect you, should you come in theirway. But let me hear the full story of your adventures, for theyhave reached us in a very partial and mutilated manner.'
Waverley then detailed at length the circumstances with which thereader is already acquainted, to which Fergus listened with greatattention. By this time they had reached the door of his quarters,which he had taken up in a small paved court, retiring from thestreet called the Canongate, at the house of a buxom widow offorty, who seemed to smile very graciously upon the handsome youngChief, she being a person with whom good looks and good-humourwere sure to secure an interest, whatever might be the party's"political opinions". Here Callum Beg received them with a smileof recognition. 'Callum,' said the Chief, 'call Shemus an Snachad'(James of the Needle). This was the hereditary tailor of Vich lanVohr. 'Shemus, Mr. Waverley is to wear the cath dath (battlecolour, or tartan); his trews must be ready in four hours. Youknow the measure of a well-made man--two double nails to the smallof the leg--'
'Eleven from haunch to heel, seven round the waist. I give yourhonour leave to hang Shemus, if there's a pair of sheers in theHighlands that has a baulder sneck than her's ain at the cumadh antruais' (shape of the trews).
'Get a plaid of Mac-Ivor tartan and sash,' continued theChieftain, 'and a blue bonnet of the Prince's pattern, at Mr.Mouat's in the Crames. My short green coat, with silver lace andsilver buttons, will fit him exactly, and I have never worn it.Tell Ensign Maccombich to pick out a handsome target from amongmine. The Prince has given Mr. Waverley broadsword and pistols, Iwill furnish him with a dirk and purse; add but a pair of low-heeled shoes, and then, my dear Edward (turning to him), you willbe a complete son of Ivor.'
These necessary directions given, the Chieftain resumed thesubject of Waverley's adventures. 'It is plain,' he said,'that youhave been in the custody of Donald Bean Lean. You must know that,when I marched away my clan to join the Prince, I laid myinjunctions on that worthy member of society to perform a certainpiece of service, which done, he was to join me with all the forcehe could muster. But, instead of doing so, the gentleman, findingthe coast clear, thought it better to make war on his own account,and has scoured the country, plundering, I believe, both friendand foe, under pretence of levying blackmail, sometimes as if bymy authority, and sometimes (and be cursed to his consummateimpudence) in his own great name! Upon my honour, if I live to seethe cairn of Benmore again, I shall be tempted to hang thatfellow! I recognise his hand particularly in the mode of yourrescue from that canting rascal Gilfillan, and I have little doubtthat Donald himself played the part of the pedlar on thatoccasion; but how he should not have plundered you, or put you toransom, or availed himself in some way or other of your captivityfor his own advantage, passes my judgment.'
'When and how did you hear the intelligence of my confinement?'asked Waverley.
'The Prince himself told me,' said Fergus, 'and inquired veryminutely into your history. He then mentioned your being at thatmoment in the power of one of our northern parties--you know Icould not ask him to explain particulars--and requested my opinionabout disposing of you. I recommended that you should be broughthere as a prisoner, because I did not wish to prejudice youfarther with the English government, in case you pursued yourpurpose of going southward. I knew nothing, you must recollect, ofthe charge brought against you of aiding and abetting hightreason, which, I presume, had some share in changing youroriginal plan. That sullen, good-for-nothing brute, Balmawhapple,was sent to escort you from Doune, with what he calls his troop ofhorse. As to his behaviour, in addition to his natural antipathyto everything that resembles a gentleman, I presume his adventurewith Bradwardine rankles in his recollection, the rather that Idaresay his mode of telling that story contributed to the evilreports which reached your quondam regiment.'
'Very likely,' said Waverley; 'but now surely, my dear Fergus, youmay find time to tell me something of Flora.'
'Why,' replied Fergus, 'I can only tell you that she is well, andresiding for the present with a relation in this city. I thoughtit better she should come here, as since our success a good manyladies of rank attend our military court; and I assure you thatthere is a sort of consequence annexed to the near relative ofsuch a person as Flora Mac-Ivor, and where there is such ajustling of claims and requests, a man must use every fair meansto enhance his importance.'
There was something in this last sentence which grated onWaverley's feelings. He could not bear that Flora should beconsidered as conducing to her brother's preferment by theadmiration which she must unquestionably attract; and although itwas in strict correspondence with many points of Fergus'scharacter, it shocked him as selfish, and unworthy of his sister'shigh mind and his own independent pride. Fergus, to whom suchmanoeuvres were familiar, as to one brought up at the Frenchcourt, did not observe the unfavourable impression which he hadunwarily made upon his friend's mind, and concluded by saying,'that they could hardly see Flora before the evening, when shewould be at the concert and ball with which the Prince's partywere to be entertained. She and I had a quarrel about her notappearing to take leave of you. I am unwilling to renew it bysoliciting her to receive you this morning; and perhaps my doingso might not only be ineffectual, but prevent your meeting thisevening.'
While thus conversing, Waverley heard in the court, before thewindows of the parlour, a well-known voice. 'I aver to you, myworthy friend,' said the speaker, 'that it is a total derelictionof military discipline; and were you not as it were a tyro, yourpurpose would deserve strong reprobation. For a prisoner of war ison no account to be coerced with fetters, or debinded inergastulo, as would have been the case had you put this gentlemaninto the pit of the peel-house at Balmawhapple. I grant, indeed,that such a prisoner may for security be coerced in carcere, thatis, in a public prison.'
The growling voice of Balmawhapple was heard as taking leave indispleasure, but the word 'land-louper' alone was distinctlyaudible. He had disappeared before Waverley reached the house inorder to greet the worthy Baron of Bradwardine. The uniform inwhich he was now attired, a blue coat, namely, with gold lace, ascarlet waistcoat and breec
hes, and immense jack-boots, seemed tohave added fresh stiffness and rigidity to his tall, perpendicularfigure; and the consciousness of military command and authorityhad increased, in the same proportion, the self-importance of hisdemeanour and the dogmatism of his conversation.
He received Waverley with his usual kindness, and expressedimmediate anxiety to hear an explanation of the circumstancesattending the loss of his commission in Gardiner's dragoons;'not,' he said, 'that he had the least apprehension of his youngfriend having done aught which could merit such ungeneroustreatment as he had received from government, but because it wasright and seemly that the Baron of Bradwardine should be, in pointof trust and in point of power, fully able to refute all calumniesagainst the heir of Waverley-Honour, whom he had so much right toregard as his own son.'
Fergus Mac-Ivor, who had now joined them, went hastily over thecircumstances of Waverley's story, and concluded with theflattering reception he had met from the young Chevalier. TheBaron listened in silence, and at the conclusion shook Waverleyheartily by the hand and congratulated him upon entering theservice of his lawful Prince. 'For,' continued he, 'although ithas been justly held in all nations a matter of scandal anddishonour to infringe the sacramentum militare, and that whetherit was taken by each soldier singly, whilk the Romans denominatedper conjurationem, or by one soldier in name of the rest, yet noone ever doubted that the allegiance so sworn was discharged bythe dimissio, or discharging of a soldier, whose case would be ashard as that of colliers, salters, and other adscripti glebes, orslaves of the soil, were it to be accounted otherwise. This issomething like the brocard expressed by the learned Sanchez in hiswork "De Jure-jurando" which you have questionless consulted uponthis occasion. As for those who have calumniated you by leasing-making, I protest to Heaven I think they have justly incurred thepenalty of the "Memnonia Lex," also called "Lex Rhemnia," which isprelected upon by Tullius in his oration "In Verrem." I shouldhave deemed, however, Mr. Waverley, that before destining yourselfto any special service in the army of the Prince, ye might haveinquired what rank the old Bradwardine held there, and whether hewould not have been peculiarly happy to have had your services inthe regiment of horse which he is now about to levy.' Edwardeluded this reproach by pleading the necessity of giving animmediate answer to the Prince's proposal, and his uncertainty atthe moment whether his friend the Baron was with the army orengaged upon service elsewhere.
This punctilio being settled, Waverley made inquiry after MissBradwardine, and was informed she had come to Edinburgh with FloraMac-Ivor, under guard of a party of the Chieftain's men. This stepwas indeed necessary, Tully-Veolan having become a veryunpleasant, and even dangerous, place of residence for anunprotected young lady, on account of its vicinity to theHighlands, and also to one or two large villages which, fromaversion as much to the caterans as zeal for presbytery, haddeclared themselves on the side of government, and formedirregular bodies of partizans, who had frequent skirmishes withthe mountaineers, and sometimes attacked the houses of theJacobite gentry in the braes, or frontier betwixt the mountain andplain.
'I would propose to you,' continued the Baron,'to walk as far asmy quarters in the Luckenbooths, and to admire in your passage theHigh Street, whilk is, beyond a shadow of dubitation, finer thanany street whether in London or Paris. But Rose, poor thing, issorely discomposed with the firing of the Castle, though I haveproved to her from Blondel and Coehorn, that it is impossible abullet can reach these buildings; and, besides, I have it incharge from his Royal Highness to go to the camp, or leaguer ofour army, to see that the men do condamare vasa, that is, truss uptheir bag and baggage for tomorrow's march.'
'That will be easily done by most of us,' said Mac-Ivor, laughing.
'Craving your pardon, Colonel Mac-Ivor, not quite so easily as yeseem to opine. I grant most of your folk left the Highlandsexpedited as it were, and free from the incumbrance of baggage;but it is unspeakable the quantity of useless sprechery which theyhave collected on their march. I saw one fellow of yours (cravingyour pardon once more) with a pier-glass upon his back.'
'Ay,' said Fergus, still in good-humour, 'he would have told you,if you had questioned him, "a ganging foot is aye getting." Butcome, my dear Baron, you know as well as I that a hundred Uhlans,or a single troop of Schmirschitz's Pandours, would make morehavoc in a country than the knight of the mirror and all the restof our clans put together.'
'And that is very true likewise,' replied the Baron; 'they are, asthe heathen author says, ferociores in aspectu, mitiores in actu,of a horrid and grim visage, but more benign in demeanour thantheir physiognomy or aspect might infer. But I stand here talkingto you two youngsters when I should be in the King's Park.'
'But you will dine with Waverley and me on your return? I assureyou, Baron, though I can live like a Highlander when needs must, Iremember my Paris education, and understand perfectly faire lameilleure chere.'
'And wha the deil doubts it,' quoth the Baron, laughing, 'when yebring only the cookery and the gude toun must furnish thematerials? Weel, I have some business in the toun too; but I'lljoin you at three, if the vivers can tarry so long.'
So saying, he took leave of his friends and went to look after thecharge which had been assigned him.
