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

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER LXV

  MORE EXPLANATION

  With the first dawn of day, old Janet was scuttling about thehouse to wake the Baron, who usually slept sound and heavily.

  'I must go back,' he said to Waverley,'to my cove; will you walkdown the glen wi' me?' They went out together, and followed anarrow and entangled foot-path, which the occasional passage ofanglers or wood-cutters had traced by the side of the stream. Ontheir way the Baron explained to Waverley that he would be underno danger in remaining a day or two at Tully-Veolan, and even inbeing seen walking about, if he used the precaution of pretendingthat he was looking at the estate as agent or surveyor for anEnglish gentleman who designed to be purchaser. With this view herecommended to him to visit the Bailie, who still lived at thefactor's house, called Little Veolan, about a mile from thevillage, though he was to remove at next term. Stanley's passportwould be an answer to the officer who commanded the military; andas to any of the country people who might recognise Waverley, theBaron assured him he was in no danger of being betrayed by them.

  'I believe,' said the old man, 'half the people of the barony knowthat their poor auld laird is somewhere hereabout; for I see theydo not suffer a single bairn to come here a bird-nesting; apractice whilk, when I was in full possession of my power asbaron, I was unable totally to inhibit. Nay, I often find bits ofthings in my way, that the poor bodies, God help them! leavethere, because they think they may be useful to me. I hope theywill get a wiser master, and as kind a one as I was.'

  A natural sigh closed the sentence; but the quiet equanimity withwhich the Baron endured his misfortunes had something in itvenerable and even sublime. There was no fruitless repining, noturbid melancholy; he bore his lot, and the hardships which itinvolved, with a good-humored, though serious composure, and usedno violent language against the prevailing party.

  'I did what I thought my duty,' said the good old man, 'andquestionless they are doing what they think theirs. It grieves mesometimes to look upon these blackened walls of the house of myancestors; but doubtless officers cannot always keep the soldier'shand from depredation and spuilzie, and Gustavus Adolphus himself,as ye may read in Colonel Munro his "Expedition with the WorthyScotch Regiment called Mackay's Regiment" did often permit it.Indeed I have myself seen as sad sights as Tully-Veolan now iswhen I served with the Marechal Duke of Berwick. To be sure we maysay with Virgilius Maro, Fuimus Troes--and there's the end of anauld sang. But houses and families and men have a' stood langeneugh when they have stood till they fall with honour; and now Ihae gotten a house that is not unlike a domus ultima'--they werenow standing below a steep rock. 'We poor Jacobites,' continuedthe Baron, looking up, 'are now like the conies in Holy Scripture(which the great traveller Pococke calleth Jerboa), a feeblepeople, that make our abode in the rocks. So, fare you well, mygood lad, till we meet at Janet's in the even; for I must get intomy Patmos, which is no easy matter for my auld stiff limbs.'

  With that he began to ascend the rock, striding, with the help ofhis hands, from one precarious footstep to another, till he gotabout half-way up, where two or three bushes concealed the mouthof a hole, resembling an oven, into which the Baron insinuated,first his head and shoulders, and then, by slow gradation, therest of his l ong body; his legs and feet finally disappearing,coiled up like a huge snake entering his retreat, or a longpedigree introduced with care and difficulty into the narrowpigeon-hole of an old cabinet. Waverley had the curiosity toclamber up and look in upon him in his den, as the lurking-placemight well be termed. Upon the whole, he looked not unlike thatingenious puzzle called 'a reel in a bottle,' the marvel ofchildren (and of some grown people too, myself for one), who canneither comprehend the mysteryhowit has got in or how it is to betaken out. The cave was very narrow, too low in the roof to admitof his standing, or almost of his sitting up, though he made someawkward attempts at the latter posture. His sole amusement was theperusal of his old friend Titus Livius, varied by occasionallyscratching Latin proverbs and texts of Scripture with his knife onthe roof and walls of his fortalice, which were of sandstone. Asthe cave was dry, and filled with clean straw and withered fern,'it made,' as he said, coiling himself up with an air of snugnessand comfort which contrasted strangely with his situation, 'unlesswhen the wind was due north, a very passable gite for an oldsoldier.' Neither, as he observed, was he without sentries for thepurpose of reconnoitring. Davie and his mother were constantly onthe watch to discover and avert danger; and it was singular whatinstances of address seemed dictated by the instinctive attachmentof the poor simpleton when his patron's safety was concerned.

  With Janet, Edward now sought an interview. He had recognised herat first sight as the old woman who had nursed him during hissickness after his delivery from Gifted Gilfillan. The hut also,although a little repaired and somewhat better furnished, wascertainly the place of his confinement; and he now recollected onthe common moor of Tully-Veolan the trunk of a large decayed tree,called the try sting-tree, which he had no doubt was the same atwhich the Highlanders rendezvoused on that memorable night. Allthis he had combined in his imagination the night before; butreasons which may probably occur to the reader prevented him fromcatechising Janet in the presence of the Baron.

  He now commenced the task in good earnest; and the first questionwas, Who was the young lady that visited the hut during hisillness? Janet paused for a little; and then observed, that tokeep the secret now would neither do good nor ill to anybody.

  ' It was just a leddy that hasna her equal in the world--MissRose Bradwardine!'

  'Then Miss Rose was probably also the author of my deliverance,'inferred Waverley, delighted at the confirmation of an idea whichlocal circumstances had already induced him to entertain.

  'I wot weel, Mr. Wauverley, and that was she e'en; but sair, sairangry and affronted wad she hae been, puir thing, if she hadthought ye had been ever to ken a word about the matter; for shegar'd me speak aye Gaelic when ye was in hearing, to mak ye trowwe were in the Hielands. I can speak it weil eneugh, for my motherwas a Hieland woman.'

  A few more questions now brought out the whole mystery respectingWaverley's deliverance from the bondage in which he leftCairnvreckan. Never did music sound sweeter to an amateur than thedrowsy tautology with which old Janet detailed every circumstancethrilled upon the ears of Waverley. But my reader is not a loverand I must spare his patience, by attempting to condense withinreasonable compass the narrative which old Janet spread through aharangue of nearly two hours.

  When Waverley communicated to Fergus the letter he had receivedfrom Rose Bradwardine by Davie Gellatley, giving an account ofTully-Veolan being occupied by a small party of soldiers, thatcircumstance had struck upon the busy and active mind of theChieftain. Eager to distress and narrow the posts of the enemy,desirous to prevent their establishing a garrison so near him, andwilling also to oblige the Baron--for he often had the idea ofmarriage with Rose floating through his brain--he resolved to sendsome of his people to drive out the red-coats and to bring Rose toGlennaquoich. But just as he had ordered Evan with a small partyon this duty, the news of Cope's having marched into theHighlands, to meet and disperse the forces of the Chevalier erethey came to a head, obliged him to join the standard with hiswhole forces.

  He sent to order Donald Bean to attend him; but that cautiousfreebooter, who well understood the value of a separate command,instead of joining, sent various apologies which the pressure ofthe times compelled Fergus to admit as current, though not withoutthe internal resolution of being revenged on him for hisprocrastination, time and place convenient. However, as he couldnot amend the matter, he issued orders to Donald to descend intothe Low Country, drive the soldiers from Tully-Veolan, and, payingall respect to the mansion of the Baron, to take his abodesomewhere near it, for protection of his daughter and family, andto harass and drive away any of the armed volunteers or smallparties of military which he might find moving about the vicinity.As this charge formed a sort of roving commission, which Donaldproposed to interpret in the wa
y most advantageous to himself, ashe was relieved from the immediate terrors of Fergus, and as hehad, from former secret services, some interest in the councils ofthe Chevalier, he resolved to make hay while the sun shone. Heachieved without difficulty the task of driving the soldiers fromTully-Veolan; but, although he did not venture to encroach uponthe interior of the family, or to disturb Miss Rose, beingunwilling to make himself a powerful enemy in the Chevalier'sarmy,

  For well he knew the Baron's wrath was deadly;

  yet he set about to raise contributions and exactions upon thetenantry, and otherwise to turn the war to his own advantage.Meanwhile he mounted the white cockade, and waited upon Rose witha pretext of great devotion for the service in which her fatherwas engaged, and many apologies for the freedom he mustnecessarily use for the support of his people. It was at thismoment that Rose learned, by open-mouthed fame, with all sorts ofexaggeration, that Waverley had killed the smith at Cairnvreckan,in an attempt to arrest him; had been cast into a dungeon by MajorMelville of Cairnvreckan, and was to be executed by martial lawwithin three days. In the agony which these tidings excited sheproposed to Donald Bean the rescue of the prisoner. It was thevery sort of service which he was desirous to undertake, judgingit might constitute a merit of such a nature as would make amendsfor any peccadilloes which he might be guilty of in the country.He had the art, however, pleading all the while duty anddiscipline, to hold off, until poor Rose, in the extremity of herdistress, offered to bribe him to the enterprise with somevaluable jewels which had been her mother's.

  Donald Bean, who had served in France, knew, and perhaps over-estimated, the value of these trinkets. But he also perceivedRose's apprehensions of its being discovered that she had partedwith her jewels for Waverley's liberation. Resolved this scrupleshould not part him and the treasure, he voluntarily offered totake an oath that he would never mention Miss Rose's share in thetransaction; and, foreseeing convenience in keeping the oath andno probable advantage in breaking it, he took the engagement--inorder, as he told his lieutenant, to deal handsomely by the younglady--in the only mode and form which, by a mental paction withhimself, he considered as binding: he swore secrecy upon his drawndirk. He was the more especially moved to this act of good faithby some attentions that Miss Bradwardine showed to his daughterAlice, which, while they gained the heart of the mountain damsel,highly gratified the pride of her father. Alice, who could nowspeak a little English, was very communicative in return forRose's kindness, readily confided to her the whole papersrespecting the intrigue with Gardiner's regiment, of which she wasthe depositary, and as readily undertook, at her instance, torestore them to Waverley without her father's knowledge. For 'theymay oblige the bonnie young lady and the handsome younggentleman,' said Alice, 'and what use has my father for a whinbits o' scarted paper?'

  The reader is aware that she took an opportunity of executing thispurpose on the eve of Waverley's leaving the glen.

  How Donald executed his enterprise the reader is aware. But theexpulsion of the military from Tully-Veolan had given alarm, andwhile he was lying in wait for Gilfillan, a strong party, such asDonald did not care to face, was sent to drive back the insurgentsin their turn, to encamp there, and to protect the country. Theofficer, a gentleman and a disciplinarian, neither intrudedhimself on Miss Bradwardine, whose unprotected situation herespected, nor permitted his soldiers to commit any breach ofdiscipline. He formed a little camp upon an eminence near thehouse of Tully-Veolan, and placed proper guards at the passes inthe vicinity. This unwelcome news reached Donald Bean Lean as hewas returning to Tully-Veolan. Determined, however, to obtain theguerdon of his labour, he resolved, since approach to Tully-Veolanwas impossible, to deposit his prisoner in Janet's cottage, aplace the very existence of which could hardly have been suspectedeven by those who had long lived in the vicinity, unless they hadbeen guided thither, and which was utterly unknown to Waverleyhimself. This effected, he claimed and received his reward.Waverley's illness was an event which deranged all theircalculations. Donald was obliged to leave the neighbourhood withhis people, and to seek more free course for his adventureselsewhere. At Rose's entreaty, he left an old man, a herbalist,who was supposed to understand a little of medicine, to attendWaverley during his illness.

  In the meanwhile, new and fearful doubts started in Rose's mind.They were suggested by old Janet, who insisted that, a rewardhaving been offered for the apprehension of Waverley, and his ownpersonal effects being so valuable, there was no saying to whatbreach of faith Donald might be tempted. In an agony of grief andterror, Rose took the daring resolution of explaining to thePrince himself the danger in which Mr. Waverley stood, judgingthat, both as a politician and a man of honour and humanity,Charles Edward would interest himself to prevent his falling intothe hands of the opposite party. This letter she at first thoughtof sending anonymously, but naturally feared it would not in thatcase be credited. She therefore subscribed her name, though withreluctance and terror, and consigned it in charge to a young man,who at leaving his farm to join the Chevalier's army, made it hispetition to her to have some sort of credentials to theadventurer, from whom he hoped to obtain a commission.

  The letter reached Charles Edward on his descent to the Lowlands,and, aware of the political importance of having it supposed thathe was in correspondence with the English Jacobites, he caused themost positive orders to be transmitted to Donald Bean Lean totransmit Waverley, safe and uninjured, in person or effects, tothe governor of Doune Castle. The freebooter durst not disobey,for the army of the Prince was now so near him that punishmentmight have followed; besides, he was a politician as well as arobber, and was unwilling to cancel the interest created throughformer secret services by being refractory on this occasion. Hetherefore made a virtue of necessity, and transmitted orders tohis lieutenant to convey Edward to Doune, which was safelyaccomplished in the mode mentioned in a former chapter. Thegovernor of Doune was directed to send him to Edinburgh as aprisoner, because the Prince was apprehensive that Waverley, ifset at liberty, might have resumed his purpose of returning toEngland, without affording him an opportunity of a personalinterview. In this, indeed, he acted by the advice of theChieftain of Glennaquoich, with whom it may be remembered theChevalier communicated upon the mode of disposing of Edward,though without telling him how he came to learn the place of hisconfinement.

  This, indeed, Charles Edward considered as a lady's secret; foralthough Rose's letter was couched in the most cautious andgeneral terms, and professed to be written merely from motives ofhumanity and zeal for the Prince's service, yet she expressed soanxious a wish that she should not be known to have interfered,that the Chevalier was induced to suspect the deep interest whichshe took in Waverley's safety. This conjecture, which was wellfounded, led, however, to false inferences. For the emotion whichEdward displayed on approaching Flora and Rose at the ball ofHolyrood was placed by the Chevalier to the account of the latter;and he concluded that the Baron's views about the settlement ofhis property, or some such obstacle, thwarted their mutualinclinations. Common fame, it is true, frequently gave Waverley toMiss Mac-Ivor; but the Prince knew that common fame is veryprodigal in such gifts; and, watching attentively the behaviour ofthe ladies towards Waverley, he had no doubt that the youngEnglishman had no interest with Flora, and was beloved by RoseBradwardine. Desirous to bind Waverley to his service, and wishingalso to do a kind and friendly action, the Prince next assailedthe Baron on the subject of settling his estate upon his daughter.Mr. Bradwardine acquiesced; but the consequence was that Ferguswas immediately induced to prefer his double suit for a wife andan earldom, which the Prince rejected in the manner we have seen.The Chevalier, constantly engaged in his own multiplied affairs,had not hitherto sought any explanation with Waverley, thoughoften meaning to do so. But after Fergus's declaration he saw thenecessity of appearing neutral between the rivals, devoutly hopingthat the matter, which now seemed fraught with the seeds ofstrife, might be permitted to lie over till the termination of theexpedition. When
, on the march to Derby, Fergus, being questionedconcerning his quarrel with Waverley, alleged as the cause thatEdward was desirous of retracting the suit he had made to hissister, the Chevalier plainly told him that he had himselfobserved Miss Mac-Ivor's behaviour to Waverley, and that he wasconvinced Fergus was under the influence of a mistake in judgingof Waverley's conduct, who, he had every reason to believe, wasengaged to Miss Bradwardine. The quarrel which ensued betweenEdward and the Chieftain is, I hope, still in the remembrance ofthe reader. These circumstances will serve to explain such pointsof our narrative as, according to the custom of story-tellers, wedeemed it fit to leave unexplained, for the purpose of excitingthe reader's curiosity.

  When Janet had once finished the leading facts of this narrative,Waverley was easily enabled to apply the clue which they affordedto other mazes of the labyrinth in which he had been engaged. ToRose Bradwardine, then, he owed the life which he now thought hecould willingly have laid down to serve her. A little reflectionconvinced him, however, that to live for her sake was moreconvenient and agreeable, and that, being possessed ofindependence, she might share it with him either in foreigncountries or in his own. The pleasure of being allied to a man ofthe Baron's high worth, and who was so much valued by his uncleSir Everard, was also an agreeable consideration, had anythingbeen wanting to recommend the match. His absurdities, which hadappeared grotesquely ludicrous during his prosperity, seemed, inthe sunset of his fortune, to be harmonised and assimilated withthe noble features of his character, so as to add peculiaritywithout exciting ridicule. His mind occupied with such projects offuture happiness, Edward sought Little Veolan, the habitation ofMr. Duncan Macwheeble.