Waverley; Or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER LVII

  THE MARCH

  It is not our purpose to intrude upon the province of history. We shalltherefore only remind our readers, that about the beginning of Novemberthe Young Chevalier, at the head of about six thousand men at theutmost, resolved to peril his cause on an attempt to penetrate into thecentre of England, although aware of the mighty preparations which weremade for his reception. They set forward on this crusade in weatherwhich would have rendered any other troops incapable of marching, butwhich in reality gave these active mountaineers advantages over a lesshardy enemy. In defiance of a superior army lying upon the Borders,under Field Marshal Wade, they besieged and took Carlisle, and soonafterwards prosecuted their daring march to the southward.

  As Colonel Mac-Ivor's regiment marched in the van of the clans, he andWaverley, who now equalled any Highlander in the endurance of fatigue,and was become somewhat acquainted with their language, were perpetuallyat its head. They marked the progress of the army, however, with verydifferent eyes. Fergus, all air and fire, and confident against theworld in arms, measured nothing but that every step was a yard nearerLondon. He neither asked, expected, nor desired any aid, except thatof the clans, to place the Stuarts once more on the throne; and when bychance a few adherents joined the standard, he always considered them inthe light of new claimants upon the favours of the future monarch, who,he concluded, must therefore subtract for their gratification so much ofthe bounty which ought to be shared among his Highland followers.

  Edward's views were very different. He could not but observe, that inthose towns in which they proclaimed James the Third, 'no man cried, Godbless him.' The mob stared and listened, heartless, stupefied, and dull,but gave few signs even of that boisterous spirit which induces themto shout upon all occasions, for the mere exercise of their most sweetvoices. The Jacobites had been taught to believe that the north-westerncounties abounded with wealthy squires and hardy yeomen, devoted to thecause of the White Rose. But of the wealthier Tories they saw little.Some fled from their houses, some feigned themselves sick, somesurrendered themselves to the Government as suspected persons. Of suchas remained, the ignorant gazed with astonishment, mixed with horror andaversion, at the wild appearance, unknown language, and singular garb,of the Scottish clans. And to the more prudent, their scanty numbers,apparent deficiency in discipline; and poverty of equipment, seemedcertain tokens of the calamitous termination of their rash undertaking.Thus the few who joined them were such as bigotry of political principleblinded to consequences, or whose broken fortunes induced them to hazardall on a risk so desperate.

  The Baron of Bradwardine being asked what he thought of these recruits,took a long pinch of snuff, and answered drily, 'that he could not buthave an excellent opinion of them, since they resembled precisely thefollowers who attached themselves to the good King David at the cave ofAdullam; VIDELICET, every one that was in distress, and every one thatwas in debt, and every one that was discontented, which the Vulgaterenders bitter of soul; and doubtless,' he said 'they will prove mightymen of their hands, and there is much need that they should, for I haveseen many a sour look cast upon us.'

  But none of these considerations moved Fergus. He admired the luxuriantbeauty of the country, and the situation of many of the seats which theypassed. 'Is Waverley-Honour like that house, Edward?'

  'It is one half larger.'

  'Is your uncle's park as fine a one as that?'

  'It is three times; as extensive, and rather resembles a forest than amere park.'

  'Flora, will be a happy woman.'

  'I hope Miss Mac-Ivor will have much reason for happiness, unconnectedwith Waverley-Honour.'

  'I hope so too; but, to be mistress of such a place, will be a prettyaddition to the sum total.'

  'An addition, the want of which, I trust, will be amply supplied by someother means.'

  'How,' said Fergus, stopping short, and turning upon Waverley--'How amI to understand that, Mr. Waverley?--Had I the pleasure to hear youaright?'

  'Perfectly right, Fergus.'

  'And I am to understand that you no longer desire my alliance, and mysister's hand?'

  'Your sister has refused mine,' said Waverley, 'both directly, and byall the usual means by which ladies repress undesired attentions.'

  'I have no idea,' answered the Chieftain, 'of a lady dismissing or agentleman withdrawing his suit, after it has been approved of by herlegal guardian, without giving him an opportunity of talking the matterover with the lady. You did not, I suppose, expect my sister to dropinto your mouth like a ripe plum, the first moment you chose to openit?'

  'As to the lady's title to dismiss her lover, Colonel replied Edward,'it is a point which you must argue with her, as I am ignorant of thecustoms of the Highlands in that particular. But as to my title toacquiesce in a rejection from her without an appeal to your interest,I will tell you plainly, without meaning to undervalue Miss Mac-Ivor'sadmitted beauty and accomplishments, that I would not take the hand ofan angel, with an empire for her dowry, if her consent were extorted bythe importunity of friends and guardians, and did not flow from her ownfree inclination.'

  'An angel, with the dowry of an empire,' repeated Fergus, in a toneof bitter irony, 'is not very likely to be pressed upon a--shiresquire.--But sir,' changing his tone, 'if Flora Mac-Ivor have not thedowry of an empire, she is my sister; and that is sufficient at least tosecure her against being treated with anything approaching to levity.'

  She is Flora Mac-Ivor, sir,' said Waverley, with firmness, 'which tome, were I capable of treating any woman with levity, would be a moreeffectual protection.'

  The brow of the Chieftain was now fully clouded, but Edward felt tooindignant at the unreasonable tone which he had adopted, to avert thestorm by the least concession. They both stood still while this shortdialogue passed, and Fergus seemed half disposed to say something moreviolent, but, by a strong effort, suppressed his passion, and, turninghis face forward, walked sullenly on. As they had always hitherto walkedtogether, and almost constantly side by side; Waverley pursued hiscourse silently in the same direction, determined to let the Chief takehis own time in recovering the good humour which he had so unreasonablydiscarded, and firm in his resolution not to bate him an inch ofdignity.

  After they had marched on in this sullen manner about a mile, Fergusresumed the discourse in a different tone. 'I believe I was warm, mydear Edward, but you provoke me with your want of knowledge of theworld. You have taken pet at some of Flora's prudery, or high-flyingnotions of loyalty, and now, like a child, you quarrel with theplaything you have been crying for, and beat me, your faithful keeper,because my arm cannot reach to Edinburgh to hand it to you. I am sure,if I was passionate, the mortification of losing the alliance of such afriend, after your arrangement had been the talk of both Highlands andLowlands, and that without so much as knowing why or wherefore, mightwell provoke calmer blood than mine. I shall write to Edinburgh, andput all to rights; that is, if you desire I should do so,--as indeedI cannot suppose that your good opinion of Flora, it being such as youhave often expressed to me, can be at once laid aside.'

  'Colonel Mac-Ivor,' said Edward, who had no mind to be hurried fartheror faster than he chose, in a matter which he had already considered asbroken off, 'I am fully sensible of the value of your good offices; andcertainly, by your zeal on my behalf in such an affair, you do me nosmall honour. But as Miss Mac-Ivor has made her election freely andvoluntarily, and as all my attentions in Edinburgh were received withmore than coldness, I cannot, in justice either to her or myself,consent that she should again be harassed upon this topic. I would havementioned this to you some time since;--but you saw the footing uponwhich we stood together, and must have understood it. Had I thoughtotherwise, I would have earlier spoken; but I had a natural reluctanceto enter upon a subject so painful to us both.'

  'Oh, very well, Mr. Waverley,' said Fergus, haughtily, 'the thing is atan end. I have no occasion to press my sister upon any man.'

  'Nor ha
ve I any occasion to court repeated rejection from the same younglady,' answered Edward, in the same tone.

  'I shall make due inquiry, however,' said the Chieftain, withoutnoticing the interruption, 'and learn what my sister thinks of all this:we will then see whether it is to end here.'

  'Respecting such inquiries, you will of course be guided by your ownjudgement,' said Waverley. 'It is, I am aware, impossible Miss Mac-Ivorcan change her mind; and were such an unsupposable case to happen, itis certain I will not change mine. I only mention this to prevent anypossibility of future misconstruction.'

  Gladly at this moment would Mac-Ivor have put their quarrel to apersonal arbitrament;--his eye flashed fire, and he measured Edward asif to choose where he might best plant a mortal wound. But althoughwe do not now quarrel according to the modes and figures of Caranza orVincent Saviola, no one knew better than Fergus that there must be somedecent pretext for a mortal duel. For instance, you may challenge a manfor treading on your corn in a crowd, or for pushing you up to the wall,or for taking your seat in the theatre; but the modern code of honourwill not permit you to found a quarrel upon your right of compelling aman to continue addresses to a female relative, which the fair lady hasalready refused. So that Fergus was compelled to stomach this supposedaffront, until the whirligig of time, whose motion he promised himselfhe would watch most sedulously, should bring about an opportunity ofrevenge.

  Waverley's servant always led a saddle-horse for him in the rear of thebattalion to which he was attached, though his master seldom rode. Butnow, incensed at the domineering and unreasonable conduct of his latefriend, he fell behind the column, and mounted his horse, resolving toseek the Baron of Bradwardine, and request permission to volunteer inhis troop, instead of the Mac-Ivor regiment.

  'A happy time of it I should have had,' thought he, after he wasmounted, 'to have been so closely allied to this superb specimen ofpride and self-opinion and passion. A colonel! why, he should have beena generalissimo. A petty chief of three or four hundred men!--his pridemight suffice for the Cham of Tartary--the Grand Seignior--the GreatMogul! I am well free of him. Were Flora an angel, she would bring withher a second Lucifer of ambition and wrath for a brother-in-law.

  The Baron, whose learning (like Sancho's jests while in the SierraMorena) seemed to grow mouldy for want of exercise, joyfully embracedthe opportunity of Waverley's offering his service in his regiment, tobring it into some exertion. The good-natured old gentleman, however,laboured to effect a reconciliation between the two quondam friends.Fergus turned a cold ear to his remonstrances, though he gave them arespectful hearing; and as for Waverley, he saw no reason why he shouldbe the first in courting a renewal of the intimacy which the Chieftainhad so unreasonably disturbed. The Baron then mentioned the matterto the Prince, who, anxious to prevent quarrels in his little army,declared he would himself remonstrate with Colonel Mac-Ivor on theunreasonableness of his conduct. But, in the hurry of their march, itwas a day or two before he had an opportunity to exert his influence inthe manner proposed.

  In the meanwhile, Waverley turned the instructions he had received whilein Gardiner's dragoons to some account, and assisted the Baron in hiscommand as a sort of adjutant. 'PARMI LES AVEUGLES UN BORGNE EST ROI,'says the French proverb; and the cavalry, which consisted chiefly ofLowland gentlemen, their tenants and servants, formed a high opinion ofWaverley's skill, and a great attachment to his person. This was indeedpartly owing to the satisfaction which they felt at the distinguishedEnglish volunteer's leaving the Highlanders to rank among them; forthere was a latent grudge between the horse and foot, not only owingto the difference of the services, but because most of the gentlemen,living near the Highlands, had at one time or other had quarrels withthe tribes in their vicinity, and all of them looked with a jealous eyeon the Highlanders' avowed pretensions to superior valour, and utilityin the Prince's service.