Waverley; Or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since — Volume 1

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER XXVIII

  A LETTER FROM TULLY-VEOLAN

  In the morning, when Waverley's troubled reflections had for sometime given way to repose, there came music to his dreams, but notthe voice of Selma. He imagined himself transported back to Tully-Veolan, and that he heard Davie Gellatley singing in the courtthose matins which used generally to be the first sounds thatdisturbed his repose while a guest of the Baron of Bradwardine.The notes which suggested this vision continued, and waxed louder,until Edward awoke in earnest. The illusion, however, did not seementirely dispelled. The apartment was in the fortress of lan nanChaistel, but it was still the voice of Davie Gellatley that madethe following lines resound under the window:--

  My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here, My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer; A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe, My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.

  [Footnote: These lines form the burden of an old song to whichBurns wrote additional verses.]

  Curious to know what could have determined Mr. Gellatley on anexcursion of such unwonted extent, Edward began to dress himselfin all haste, during which operation the minstrelsy of Daviechanged its tune more than once:--

  There's nought in the Highlands but syboes and leeks, And lang-leggit callants gaun wanting the breeks, Wanting the breeks, and without hose and shoon, But we'll a'win the breeks when King Jamie comes hame.

  [Footnote: These lines are also ancient, and I believe to the tuneof We'll never hae peace till Jamie comes hame, to whichBurns likewise wrote some verses.]

  By the time Waverley was dressed and had issued forth, David hadassociated himself with two or three of the numerous Highlandloungers who always graced the gates of the castle with theirpresence, and was capering and dancing full merrily in the doublesand full career of a Scotch foursome reel, to the music of his ownwhistling. In this double capacity of dancer and musician hecontinued, until an idle piper, who observed his zeal, obeyed theunanimous call of seid suas (i.e. blow up), and relieved him fromthe latter part of his trouble. Young and old then mingled in thedance as they could find partners. The appearance of Waverley didnot interrupt David's exercise, though he contrived, by grinning,nodding, and throwing one or two inclinations of the body into thegraces with which he performed the Highland fling, to convey toour hero symptoms of recognition. Then, while busily employed insetting, whooping all the while, and snapping his fingers over hishead, he of a sudden prolonged his side-step until it brought himto the place where Edward was standing, and, still keeping time tothe music like Harlequin in a pantomime, he thrust a letter intoour hero's hand, and continued his saltation without pause orintermission. Edward, who perceived that the address was in Rose'shand-writing, retired to peruse it, leaving the faithful bearer tocontinue his exercise until the piper or he should be tired out.

  The contents of the letter greatly surprised him. It hadoriginally commenced with 'Dear Sir'; but these words had beencarefully erased, and the monosyllable 'Sir' substituted in theirplace. The rest of the contents shall be given in Rose's ownlanguage.

  I fear I am using an improper freedom by intruding upon you, yet Icannot trust to any one else to let you know some things whichhave happened here, with which it seems necessary you should beacquainted. Forgive me, if I am wrong in what I am doing; for,alas! Mr. Waverley, I have no better advice than that of my ownfeelings; my dear father is gone from this place, and when he canreturn to my assistance and protection, God alone knows. You haveprobably heard that, in consequence of some troublesome news fromthe Highlands, warrants were sent out for apprehending severalgentlemen in these parts, and, among others, my dear father. Inspite of all my tears and entreaties that he would surrenderhimself to the government, he joined with Mr. Falconer and someother gentlemen, and they have all gone northwards, with a body ofabout forty horsemen. So I am not so anxious concerning hisimmediate safety as about what may follow afterwards, for thesetroubles are only beginning. But all this is nothing to you, Mr.Waverley, only I thought you would be glad to learn that my fatherhas escaped, in case you happen to have heard that he was indanger.

  The day after my father went off there came a party of soldiers toTully-Veolan, and behaved very rudely to Bailie Macwheeble; butthe officer was very civil to me, only said his duty obliged himto search for arms and papers. My father had provided against thisby taking away all the arms except the old useless things whichhung in the hall, and he had put all his papers out of the way.But O! Mr. Waverley, how shall I tell you, that they made strictinquiry after you, and asked when you had been at Tully-Veolan,and where you now were. The officer is gone back with his party,but a non-commissioned officer and four men remain as a sort ofgarrison in the house. They have hitherto behaved very well, as weare forced to keep them in good-humour. But these soldiers havehinted as if, on your falling into their hands, you would be ingreat danger; I cannot prevail on myself to write what wickedfalsehoods they said, for I am sure they are falsehoods; but youwill best judge what you ought to do. The party that returnedcarried off your servant prisoner, with your two horses, andeverything that you left at Tully-Veolan. I hope God will protectyou, and that you will get safe home to England, where you used totell me there was no military violence nor fighting among clanspermitted, but everything was done according to an equal law thatprotected all who were harmless and innocent. I hope you willexert your indulgence as to my boldness in writing to you, whereit seems to me, though perhaps erroneously, that your safety andhonour are concerned. I am sure--at least I think, my fatherwould approve of my writing; for Mr. Rubrick is fled to hiscousin's at the Duchran, to to be out of danger from the soldiersand the Whigs, and Bailie Macwheeble does not like to meddle (hesays) in other men's concerns, though I hope what may serve myfather's friend at such a time as this cannot be termed improperinterference. Farewell, Captain Waverley! I shall probaby neversee you more; for it would be very improper to wish you to call atTully-Veolan just now, even if these men were gone; but I willalways remember with gratitude your kindness in assisting so poora scholar as myself, and your attentions to my dear, dear father.

  I remain, your obliged servant,

  ROSE COMYNE BRADWARDINE.

  P.S.--I hope you will send me a line by David Gellatley, just tosay you have received this and that you will take care ofyourself; and forgive me if I entreat you, for your own sake, tojoin none of these unhappy cabals, but escape, as fast aspossible, to your own fortunate country. My compliments to my dearFlora and to Glennaquoich. Is she not as handsome and accomplishedas I have described her?

  Thus concluded the letter of Rose Bradwardine, the contents ofwhich both surprised and affected Waverley. That the Baron shouldfall under the suspicions of government, in consequence of thepresent stir among the partisans of the house of Stuart, seemedonly the natural consequence of his political predilections; buthow HE himself should have been involved in such suspicions,conscious that until yesterday he had been free from harbouring athought against the prosperity of the reigning family, seemedinexplicable. Both at Tully-Veolan and Glennaquoich his hosts hadrespected his engagements with the existing government, and thoughenough passed by accidental innuendo that might induce him toreckon the Baron and the Chief among those disaffected gentlemenwho were still numerous in Scotland, yet until his own connectionwith the army had been broken off by the resumption of hiscommission, he had no reason to suppose that they nourished anyimmediate or hostile attempts against the present establishment.Still he was aware that, unless he meant at once to embrace theproposal of Fergus Mac-Ivor, it would deeply concern him to leavethe suspicious neighbourhood without delay, and repair where hisconduct might undergo a satisfactory examination. Upon this he therather determined, as Flora's advice favoured his doing so, andbecause he felt inexpressible repugnance at the idea of beingaccessary to the plague of civil war. Whatever were the originalrights of the Stuarts, calm reflection told him that, omitting thequestion how far James the Second could forfeit
those of hisposterity, he had, according to the united voice of the wholenation, justly forfeited his own. Since that period four monarchshad reigned in peace and glory over Britain, sustaining andexalting the character of the nation abroad and its liberties athome. Reason asked, was it worth while to disturb a government solong settled and established, and to plunge a kingdom into all themiseries of civil war, for the purpose of replacing upon thethrone the descendants of a monarch by whom it had been wilfullyforfeited? If, on the other hand, his own final conviction of thegoodness of their cause, or the commands of his father or uncle,should recommend to him allegiance to the Stuarts, still it wasnecessary to clear his own character by showing that he had not,as seemed to be falsely insinuated, taken any step to this purposeduring his holding the commission of the reigning monarch,

  The affectionate simplicity of Rose and her anxiety for hissafety, his sense too of her unprotected state, and of the terrorand actual dangers to which she might be exposed, made animpression upon his mind, and he instantly wrote to thank her inthe kindest terms for her solicitude on his account, to expresshis earnest good wishes for her welfare and that of her father,and to assure her of his own safety. The feelings which this taskexcited were speedily lost in the necessity which he now saw ofbidding farewell to Flora Mac-Ivor, perhaps for ever. The pangattending this reflection was inexpressible; for her high-mindedelevation of character, her self-devotion to the cause which shehad embraced, united to her scrupulous rectitude as to the meansof serving it, had vindicated to his judgment the choice adoptedby his passions. But time pressed, calumny was busy with his fame,and every hour's delay increased the power to injure it. Hisdeparture must be instant.

  With this determination he sought out Fergus, and communicated tohim the contents of Rose's letter, with his own resolutioninstantly to go to Edinburgh, and put into the hands of some oneor other of those persons of influence to whom he had letters fromhis father his exculpation from any charge which might bepreferred against him.

  'You run your head into the lion's mouth,' answered Mac-Ivor. 'Youdo not know the severity of a government harassed by justapprehensions, and a consciousness of their own illegality andinsecurity. I shall have to deliver you from some dungeon inStirling or Edinburgh Castle.'

  'My innocence, my rank, my father's intimacy with Lord M--,General G--, etc., will be a sufficient protection,' saidWaverley.

  'You will find the contrary,' replied the Chieftain, 'thesegentlemen will have enough to do about their own matters. Oncemore, will you take the plaid, and stay a little while with usamong the mists and the crows, in the bravest cause ever sword wasdrawn in?'

  [Footnote: A Highland rhyme on Glencairn's Expedition, in 1650,has these lines--

  We'll bide a while amang ta crows, We'll wiske ta sword and bend ta bows]

  'For many reasons, my dear Fergus, you must hold me excused.'

  'Well then,' said Mac-Ivor, 'I shall certainly find you exertingyour poetical talents in elegies upon a prison, or yourantiquarian researches in detecting the Oggam [Footnote: The Oggamis a species of the old Irish character. The idea of thecorrespondence betwixt the Celtic and Punic, founded on a scene inPlautus, was not started till General Vallancey set up his theory,long after the date of Fergus Mac-Ivor] character or some Punichieroglyphic upon the keystones of a vault, curiously arched. Orwhat say you to un petit pendement bien joli? against whichawkward ceremony I don't warrant you, should you meet a body ofthe armed West-Country Whigs.'

  'And why should they use me so?' said Waverley.

  'For a hundred good reasons,' answered Fergus. 'First, you are anEnglishman; secondly, a gentleman; thirdly, a prelatist abjured;and, fourthly, they have not had an opportunity to exercise theirtalents on such a subject this long while. But don't be cast down,beloved; all will be done in the fear of the Lord.'

  'Well, I must run my hazard.'

  'You are determined, then?'

  'I am.'

  'Wilful will do't' said Fergus. 'But you cannot go on foot, and Ishall want no horse, as I must march on foot at the head of thechildren of Ivor; you shall have brown Dermid.'

  'If you will sell him, I shall certainly be much obliged.'

  'If your proud English heart cannot be obliged by a gift or loan,I will not refuse money at the entrance of a campaign: his priceis twenty guineas. [Remember, reader, it was Sixty Years Since.]And when do you propose to depart?'

  'The sooner the better,' answered Waverley.

  'You are right, since go you must, or rather, since go you will. Iwill take Flora's pony and ride with you as far as Bally-Brough.Callum Beg, see that our horses are ready, with a pony foryourself, to attend and carry Mr. Waverley's baggage as far as--(naming a small town), where he can have a horse and guide toEdinburgh. Put on a Lowland dress, Callum, and see you keep yourtongue close, if you would not have me cut it out. Mr. Waverleyrides Dermid.' Then turning to Edward, 'You will take leave of mysister?'

  'Surely--that is, if Miss Mac-Ivor will honour me so far.'

  'Cathleen, let my sister know Mr. Waverley wishes to bid herfarewell before he leaves us. But Rose Bradwardine, her situationmust be thought of; I wish she were here. And why should she not?There are but four red-coats at Tully-Veolan, and their musketswould be very useful to us.'

  To these broken remarks Edward made no answer; his ear indeedreceived them, but his soul was intent upon the expected entranceof Flora. The door opened. It was but Cathleen, with her lady'sexcuse, and wishes for Captain Waverley's health and happiness.