Waverley; Or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since — Volume 2

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER LVI

  EXERTION

  When Colonel Talbot entered the breakfast-parlour next morning, helearned from Waverley's servant that our hero had been abroad atan early hour and was not yet returned. The morning was welladvanced before he again appeared. He arrived out of breath, butwith an air of joy that astonished Colonel Talbot.

  'There,' said he, throwing a paper on the table, 'there is mymorning's work. Alick, pack up the Colonel's clothes. Make haste,make haste.'

  The Colonel examined the paper with astonishment. It was a passfrom the Chevalier to Colonel Talbot, to repair to Leith, or anyother port in possession of his Royal Highness's troops, and thereto embark for England or elsewhere, at his free pleasure; he onlygiving his parole of honour not to bear arms against the house ofStuart for the space of a twelve-month.

  'In the name of God,' said the Colonel, his eyes sparkling witheagerness, 'how did you obtain this?'

  'I was at the Chevalier's levee as soon as he usually rises. Hewas gone to the camp at Duddingston. I pursued him thither, askedand obtained an audience--but I will tell you not a word more,unless I see you begin to pack.'

  'Before I know whether I can avail myself of this passport, or howit was obtained?'

  'O, you can take out the things again, you know. Now I see youbusy, I will go on. When I first mentioned your name, his eyessparkled almost as bright as yours did two minutes since. "Hadyou," he earnestly asked, "shown any sentiments favourable to hiscause?" "Not in the least, nor was there any hope you would doso." His countenance fell. I requested your freedom. "Impossible,"he said; "your importance as a friend and confidant of such andsuch personages made my request altogether extravagant." I toldhim my own story and yours; and asked him to judge what myfeelings must be by his own. He has a heart, and a kind one,Colonel Talbot, you may say what you please. He took a sheet ofpaper and wrote the pass with his own hand. "I will not trustmyself with my council," he said; "they will argue me out of whatis right. I will not endure that a friend, valued as I value you,should be loaded with the painful reflections which must afflictyou in case of further misfortune in Colonel Talbot's family; norwill I keep a brave enemy a prisoner under such circumstances.Besides," said he, "I think I can justify myself to my prudentadvisers by pleading the good effect such lenity will produce onthe minds of the great English families with whom Colonel Talbotis connected."'

  'There the politician peeped out,' said the Colonel.

  'Well, at least he concluded like a king's son: "Take thepassport; I have added a condition for form's sake; but if theColonel objects to it, let him depart without giving any parolewhatever. I come here to war with men, but not to distress orendanger women."'

  'Well, I never thought to have been so much indebted to thePretend--'

  'To the Prince,' said Waverley, smiling.

  'To the Chevalier,' said the Colonel; 'it is a good travellingname, and which we may both freely use. Did he say anything more?'

  'Only asked if there was anything else he could oblige me in; andwhen I replied in the negative, he shook me by the hand, andwished all his followers were as considerate, since some friendsof mine not only asked all he had to bestow, but many things whichwere entirely out of his power, or that of the greatest sovereignupon earth. Indeed, he said, no prince seemed, in the eyes of hisfollowers, so like the Deity as himself, if you were to judge fromthe extravagant requests which they daily preferred to him.'

  'Poor young gentleman,' said the Colonel, 'I suppose he begins tofeel the difficulties of his situation. Well, dear Waverley, thisis more than kind, and shall not be forgotten while Philip Talbotcan remember anything. My life--pshaw--let Emily thank you forthat; this is a favour worth fifty lives. I cannot hesitate ongiving my parole in the circumstances; there it is (he wrote itout in form). And now, how am I to get off?'

  'All that is settled: your baggage is packed, my horses wait, anda boat has been engaged, by the Prince's permission, to put you onboard the Fox frigate. I sent a messenger down to Leith onpurpose.'

  'That will do excellently well. Captain Beaver is my particularfriend; he will put me ashore at Berwick or Shields, from whence Ican ride post to London; and you must entrust me with the packetof papers which you recovered by means of your Miss Bean Lean. Imay have an opportunity of using them to your advantage. But I seeyour Highland friend, Glen ---- what do you call his barbarous name?and his orderly with him; I must not call him his orderly cut-throat any more, I suppose. See how he walks as if the world werehis own, with the bonnet on one side of his head and his plaidpuffed out across his breast! I should like now to meet that youthwhere my hands were not tied: I would tame his pride, or he shouldtame mine.'

  'For shame, Colonel Talbot! you swell at sight of tartan as thebull is said to do at scarlet. You and Mac-Ivor have some pointsnot much unlike, so far as national prejudice is concerned.'

  The latter part of this discourse took place in the street. Theypassed the Chief, the Colonel and he sternly and punctiliouslygreeting each other, like two duellists before they take theirground. It was evident the dislike was mutual. 'I never see thatsurly fellow that dogs his heels,' said the Colonel, after he hadmounted his horse, 'but he reminds me of lines I have somewhereheard--upon the stage, I think:--

  Close behind him Stalks sullen Bertram, like a sorcerer's fiend, Pressing to be employed.

  'I assure you, Colonel,' said Waverley,'that you judge too harshlyof the Highlanders.'

  'Not a whit, not a whit; I cannot spare them a jot; I cannot batethem an ace. Let them stay in their own barren mountains, and puffand swell, and hang their bonnets on the horns of the moon, ifthey have a mind; but what business have they to come where peoplewear breeches, and speak an intelligible language? I meanintelligible in comparison to their gibberish, for even theLowlanders talk a kind of English little better than the Negroesin Jamaica. I could pity the Pr----, I mean the, Chevalierhimself, for having so many desperadoes about him. And they learntheir trade so early. There is a kind of subaltern imp, forexample, a sort of sucking devil, whom your friend Glena----Glenamuck there, has sometimes in his train. To look at him, he isabout fifteen years; but he is a century old in mischief andvillainy. He was playing at quoits the other day in the court; agentleman, a decent-looking person enough, came past, and as aquoit hit his shin, he lifted his cane; but my young bravo whipsout his pistol, like Beau Clincher in the "Trip to the Jubilee,"and had not a scream of Gardez l'eau from an upper window set allparties a-scampering for fear of the inevitable consequences, thepoor gentleman would have lost his life by the hands of thatlittle cockatrice.'

  'A fine character you'll give of Scotland upon your return,Colonel Talbot.'

  'O, Justice Shallow,' said the Colonel, 'will save me the trouble--"Barren, barren, beggars all, beggars all. Marry, good air,"--andthat only when you are fairly out of Edinburgh, and not yet cometo Leith, as is our case at present.'

  In a short time they arrived at the seaport.

  The boat rock'd at the pier of Leith, Full loud the wind blew down the ferry; The ship rode at the Berwick Law.

  'Farewell, Colonel; may you find all as you would wish it! Perhapswe may meet sooner than you expect; they talk of an immediateroute to England.'

  'Tell me nothing of that,' said Talbot; 'I wish to carry no newsof your motions.'

  'Simply, then, adieu. Say, with a thousand kind greetings, allthat is dutiful and affectionate to Sir Everard and Aunt Rachel.Think of me as kindly as you can, speak of me as indulgently asyour conscience will permit, and once more adieu.'

  'And adieu, my dear Waverley; many, many thanks for your kindness.Unplaid yourself on the first opportunity. I shall ever think onyou with gratitude, and the worst of my censure shall be, Quediable alloit-il faire dans cette galere?'

  And thus they parted, Colonel Talbot going on board of the boatand Waverley returning to Edinburgh.