Waverley; Or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER LXVII

  Happy 's the wooing That's not long a-doing.

  When the first rapturous sensation occasioned by these excellent tidingshad somewhat subsided, Edward proposed instantly to go down to the glento acquaint the Baron with their import. But the cautious Bailie justlyobserved, that if the Baron were to appear instantly in public, thetenantry and villagers might become riotous in expressing their joy,and give offence to 'the powers that be,' a sort of persons for whomthe Bailie always had unlimited respect. He therefore proposed that Mr.Waverley should go to Janet Gellatley's, and bring the Baron up undercloud of night to Little Veolan, where he might once more enjoy theluxury of a good bed. In the meanwhile, he said, he himself would goto Captain Foster, and show him the Baron's protection, and obtain hiscountenance for harbouring him that night,--and he would have horsesready on the morrow to set him on his way to the Duchran along withMr. Stanley, 'whilk denomination, I apprehend, your honour will for thepresent retain,' said the Bailie.

  'Certainly, Mr. Macwheeble; but will you not go down to the glenyourself in the evening to meet your patron?'

  'That I wad wi' a' my heart; and mickle obliged to your honour forputting me in mind o' my bounden duty. But it will be past sunset aforeI get back frae the Captain's, and at these unsonsy hours the glen hasa bad name--there's something no that canny about auld Janet Gellatley.The Laird he'll no believe thae things, but he was aye ower rash andventuresome--and feared neither man nor deevil--and sae's seen o't.But right sure am I Sir George Mackenyie says, that no divine can doubtthere are witches, since the Bible says thou shalt not suffer themto live; and that no lawyer in Scotland can doubt it, since it ispunishable with death by our law. So there's baith law and gospel forit. An his honour winna believe the Leviticus, he might aye believethe Statute-book; but he may tak his ain way o't--it's a' ane to DuncanMacwheeble. However, I shall send to ask up auld Janet this e'en; it 'sbest no to lightly them that have that character--and we'll want Davieto turn the spit, for I'll gar Eppie put down a fat goose to the firefor your honours to your supper.'

  When it was near sunset, Waverley hastened to the hut; and he could notbut allow that superstition had chosen no improper locality, or unfitobject, for the foundation of her fantastic terrors. It resembledexactly the description of Spenser:

  There, in a gloomy hollow glen, she found. A little cottage built of sticks and reeds, In homely wise, and wall'd with sods around, In which a witch did dwell in loathly weeds, And wilful want, all careless of her needs; So choosing solitary to abide Far from all neighbours, that her devilish deeds, And hellish arts, from people she might hide, And hurt far off, unknown, whomsoever she espied.

  He entered the cottage with these verses in his memory. Poor old Janet,bent double with age, and bleared with peat-smoke, was tottering aboutthe hut with a birch broom, muttering to herself as she endeavouredto make her hearth and floor a little clean for the reception of herexpected guests. Waverley's step made her start, look up, and falla-trembling, so much had her nerves been on the rack for her patron'ssafety. With difficulty Waverley made her comprehend that the Baronwas now safe from personal danger; and when her mind had admitted thatjoyful news, it was equally hard to make her believe that he was not toenter again upon possession of his estate. 'It behoved to be,' she said,'he wad get it back again; naebody wad be sae gripple as to tak his gearafter they had gi'en him a pardon: and for that Inch-Grabbit, I couldwhiles wish mysell a witch for his sake, if I werena feared the Enemywad tak me at my word.' Waverley then gave her some money, and promisedthat her fidelity should be rewarded. 'How can I be rewarded, sir, saeweel, as just to see my auld maister and Miss Rose come back and bruiktheir ain?'

  Waverley now took leave of Janet, and soon stood beneath the Baron'sPatmos. At a low whistle, he observed the veteran peeping out toreconnoitre, like an old badger with his head out of his hole. 'Ye haecome rather early, my good lad,' said he, descending; 'I question if thered-coats hae beat the tattoo yet, and we're not safe till then.'

  'Good news cannot be told too soon,' said Waverley; and with infinitejoy communicated to him the happy tidings.

  The old man stood for a moment in silent devotion, then exclaimed,'Praise be to God!--I shall see my bairn again.'

  'And never, I hope, to part with her more,' said Waverley.

  'I trust in God, not, unless it be to win the means of supporting her;for my things are but in a bruckle state;--but what signifies warld'sgear?'

  'And if,' said Waverley, modestly, 'there were a situation in life whichwould put Miss Bradwardine beyond the uncertainty of fortune, and inthe rank to which she was born, would you object to it, my dear Baron,because it would make one of your friends the happiest man in theworld?' The Baron turned, and looked at him with great earnestness.'Yes,' continued Edward, 'I shall not consider my sentence of banishmentas repealed, unless you will give me permission to accompany you to theDuchran, and--'

  The Baron seemed collecting all his dignity to make a suitable reply towhat, at another time, he would have treated as the propounding a treatyof alliance between the houses of Bradwardine and Waverley. But hisefforts were in vain; the father was too mighty for the Baron; the prideof birth and rank were swept away: in the joyful surprise, a slightconvulsion passed rapidly over his features as he gave way to thefeelings of nature, threw his arms around Waverley's neck, and sobbedout,--'My son! my son!--if I had been to search the world, I would havemade my choice here.' Edward returned the embrace with great sympathy offeeling, and for a little while they both kept silence. At length it wasbroken by Edward. But Miss Bradwardine?'

  'She had never a will but her old father's; besides, you are a likelyyouth, of honest principles and high birth; no, she never had any otherwill than mine, and in my proudest days I could not have wished a maireligible espousal for her than the nephew of my excellent old friend,Sir Everard.--But I hope, young man, ye deal na rashly in this matter?I hope ye hae secured the approbation of your ain friends and allies,particularly of your uncle, who is in LOCO PARENTIS? Ah! we maun takheed o' that.' Edward assured him that Sir Everard would think himselfhighly honoured in the flattering reception his proposal had met with,and that it had his entire approbation; in evidence of which, he putColonel Talbot's letter into the Baron's hand. The Baron read it withgreat attention. 'Sir Everard,' he said, 'always despised wealth incomparison of honour and birth; and indeed he had no occasion to courtthe DIVA PECUNIA. Yet I now wish, since this Malcolm turns out such aparricide, for I can call him no better, as to think of alienating thefamily inheritance-I now wish' (his eyes fixed on a part of the roofwhich was visible above the trees) 'that I could have left Rose theauld hurley-house, and the riggs belanging to it.--And yet,' said he,resuming more cheerfully, 'it's maybe as weel as it is; for, as Baronof Bradwardine, I might have thought it my duty to insist upon certaincompliances respecting name and bearings, whilk now, as a landless lairdwi' a tocherless daughter, no one can blame me for departing from.'

  'Now, Heaven be praised!' thought Edward, 'that Sir Everard does nothear these scruples!--the three ermines passsat and rampant bear wouldcertainly have gone together by the ears.' He then, with all the ardourof a young lover, assured the Baron, that he sought for his happinessonly in Rose's heart and hand, and thought himself as happy in herfather's simple approbation, as if he had settled an earldom upon hisdaughter.

  They now reached Little Veolan. The goose was smoking on the table, andthe Bailie brandished his knife and fork. A joyous greeting took placebetween him and his patron. The kitchen, too, had its company. AuldJanet was established at the ingle-nook; Davie had turned the spitto his immortal honour; and even Ban and Buscar, in the liberality ofMacwheeble's joy, had been stuffed to the throat with food, and now laysnoring on the floor.

  The next day conducted the Baron and his young friend to the Duchran,where the former was expected, in consequence of the success of thenearly unanimous application of the Scottish friends of Governme
nt inhis favour. This had been so general and so powerful, that it was almostthought his estate might have been saved, had it not passed into therapacious hands-of his unworthy kinsman, whose right, arising out of theBaron's attainder, could not be affected by a pardon from the crown.The old gentleman, however, said, with his usual spirit, he wasmore gratified by the hold he possessed in the good opinion of hisneighbours, than he would have been in being 'rehabilitated and restoredIN INTEGRUM, had it been found practicable.'

  We shall not attempt to describe the meeting of the father anddaughter,--loving each other so affectionately, and separated under suchperilous circumstances. Still less shall we attempt to analyse the deepblush of Rose, at receiving the compliments of Waverley, or stop toinquire whether she had any curiosity respecting the particular cause ofhis journey to Scotland at that period. We shall not; even trouble thereader with the humdrum details of a courtship Sixty Years since. It isenough to say, that, under so strict a martinet as the Baron, all thingswere conducted in due form. He took upon himself, the morning aftertheir arrival, the task of announcing the proposal of Waverley to Rose,which she heard with a proper degree of maiden timidity. Fame does,however, say, that Waverley had, the evening before, found five minutesto apprize her of what was coming, while the rest of the company werelooking at three twisted serpents which formed a JET D'EAU in thegarden.

  My fair readers will judge for themselves; but, for my part, I cannotconceive how so important an affair could be communicated in so short aspace of time;--at least, it certainly took a full hour in the Baron'smode of conveying it.

  Waverley was now considered as a received lover in all the forms. Hewas made, by dint of smirking and nodding on the part of the lady ofthe house, to sit next to Miss Bradwardine at dinner, to be MissBradwardine's partner at cards. If he came into the room, she of thefour Miss Rubricks who chanced to be next Rose, was sure to recollectthat her thimble, or her scissors, were at the other end of the room,in order to leave the seat nearest to Miss Bradwardine vacant for hisoccupation, And sometimes, if papa and mamma were not in the way to keepthem on their good behaviour, the misses would titter a little. The oldlaird of Duchran would also have his occasional jest, and the old ladyher remark. Even the Baron could not refrain; but here Rose escapedevery embarrassment but that of conjecture, for his wit was usuallycouched in a Latin quotation. The very footmen sometimes grinned toobroadly, the maid-servants giggled mayhap too loud, and a provokingair of intelligence seemed to pervade the whole family. Alice Bean, thepretty maid of the cavern, who, after her father's MISFORTUNE, as shecalled it, had attended Rose as fille-de-chambre, smiled and smirkedwith the best of them. Rose and Edward, however, endured all theselittle vexatious circumstances as other folks have done before andsince, and probably contrived to obtain some indemnification, since theyare not supposed, on the whole, to have been particularly unhappy duringWaverley's six days' stay at the Duchran.

  It was finally arranged that Edward should go to Waverley-Honour to makethe necessary arrangements for his marriage, thence to London to takethe proper measures for pleading his pardon, and return as soon aspossible to claim the hand of his plighted bride. He also intended inhis journey to visit Colonel Talbot; but, above all, it was hismost important object to learn the fate of the unfortunate Chief ofGlennaquoich; to visit him at Carlisle, and to try whether anythingcould be done for procuring, if not a pardon, a commutation at least, oralleviation, of the punishment to which he was almost certain of beingcondemned;--and in case of the worst, to offer the miserable Flora anasylum with Rose, or otherwise to assist her views in any mode whichmight seem possible. The fate of Fergus seemed hard to be averted.Edward had already striven to interest his friend Colonel Talbot in hisbehalf; but had been given distinctly to understand, by his reply, thathis credit in matters of that nature was totally exhausted.

  The Colonel was still in Edinburgh, and proposed to wait there for somemonths upon business confided to him by the Duke of Cumberland. He wasto be joined by Lady Emily, to whom easy travelling and goat's wheywere recommended, and who was to journey northward, under the escort ofFrancis Stanley. Edward, therefore, met the Colonel at Edinburgh, whowished him joy in the kindest manner on his approaching happiness, andcheerfully undertook many commissions which our hero was necessarilyobliged to delegate to his charge. But on the subject of Fergus he wasinexorable. He satisfied Edward, indeed, that his interference wouldbe unavailing; but besides, Colonel Talbot owned that he could notconscientiously use any influence in favour of that unfortunategentleman. 'Justice,' he said, 'which demanded some penalty of those whohad wrapped the whole nation in fear and in mourning, could not perhapshave selected a fitter victim, He came to the field with the fullestlight upon the nature of his attempt. He had studied and understood thesubject. His father's fate could not intimidate him; the lenity of thelaws which had restored to him his father's property and rights couldnot melt him. That he was brave, generous, and possessed many goodqualities, only rendered him the more dangerous; that he was enlightenedand accomplished, made his crime the less excusable; that he was anenthusiast in a wrong cause, only made him the more fit to be itsmartyr. Above all, he had been the means of bringing many hundreds ofmen into the field, who, without him, would never have broken the peaceof the country.

  'I repeat it,' said the Colonel, 'though Heaven knows with a heartdistressed for him as an individual, that this young gentleman hasstudied and fully understood the desperate game which he has played.He threw for life or death, a coronet or a coffin; and he cannot now bepermitted, with justice to the country, to draw stakes because the dicehave gone against him.'

  Such was the reasoning of those times, held even by brave and humane mentowards a vanquished enemy. Let us devoutly hope, that, in this respectat least, we shall never see the scenes, or hold the sentiments, thatwere general in Britain Sixty Years since.