THE MYSTERY BEGINS TO BE CLEARED UP
'How do you like him?' was Fergus's first question, as they descended
the large stone staircase.
'A prince to live and die under' was Waverley's enthusiastic answer.
'I knew you would think so when you saw him, and I intended you should
have met earlier, but was prevented by your sprain. And yet he has his
foibles, or rather he has difficult cards to play, and his Irish
officers, [Footnote: See Note 5.] who are much about him, are but sorry
advisers: they cannot discriminate among the numerous pretensions that
are set up. Would you think it--I have been obliged for the present to
suppress an earl's patent, granted for services rendered ten years ago,
for fear of exciting the jealousy, forsooth, of C---- and M----? But
you were very right, Edward, to refuse the situation of aide-de-camp.
There are two vacant, indeed, but Clanronald and Lochiel, and almost
all of us, have requested one for young Aberchallader, and the
Lowlanders and the Irish party are equally desirous to have the other
for the master of F--. Now, if either of these candidates were to be
superseded in your favour, you would make enemies. And then I am
surprised that the Prince should have offered you a majority, when he
knows very well that nothing short of lieutenant-colonel will satisfy
others, who cannot bring one hundred and fifty men to the field. "But
patience, cousin, and shuffle the cards!" It is all very well for the
present, and we must have you properly equipped for the evening in your
new costume; for, to say truth, your outward man is scarce fit for a
court.'
'Why,' said Waverley, looking at his soiled dress,'my shooting jacket
has seen service since we parted; but that probably you, my friend,
know as well or better than I.'
'You do my second-sight too much honour,' said Fergus. 'We were so
busy, first with the scheme of giving battle to Cope, and afterwards
with our operations in the Lowlands, that I could only give general
directions to such of our people as were left in Perthshire to respect
and protect you, should you come in their way. But let me hear the full
story of your adventures, for they have reached us in a very partial
and mutilated manner.'
Waverley then detailed at length the circumstances with which the
reader is already acquainted, to which Fergus listened with great
attention. By this time they had reached the door of his quarters,
which he had taken up in a small paved court, retiring from the street
called the Canongate, at the house of a buxom widow of forty, who
seemed to smile very graciously upon the handsome young Chief, she
being a person with whom good looks and good-humour were sure to secure
an interest, whatever might be the party's "political opinions". Here
Callum Beg received them with a smile of recognition. 'Callum,' said
the Chief, 'call Shemus an Snachad' (James of the Needle). This was the
hereditary tailor of Vich lan Vohr. 'Shemus, Mr. Waverley is to wear
the cath dath (battle colour, or tartan); his trews must be ready in
four hours. You know the measure of a well-made man--two double nails
to the small of the leg--'
'Eleven from haunch to heel, seven round the waist. I give your honour
leave to hang Shemus, if there's a pair of sheers in the Highlands that
has a baulder sneck than her's ain at the cumadh an truais' (shape of
the trews).
'Get a plaid of Mac-Ivor tartan and sash,' continued the Chieftain,
'and a blue bonnet of the Prince's pattern, at Mr. Mouat's in the
Crames. My short green coat, with silver lace and silver buttons, will
fit him exactly, and I have never worn it. Tell Ensign Maccombich to
pick out a handsome target from among mine. The Prince has given Mr.
Waverley broadsword and pistols, I will furnish him with a dirk and
purse; add but a pair of low-heeled shoes, and then, my dear Edward
(turning to him), you will be a complete son of Ivor.'
These necessary directions given, the Chieftain resumed the subject of
Waverley's adventures. 'It is plain,' he said,'that you have been in
the custody of Donald Bean Lean. You must know that, when I marched
away my clan to join the Prince, I laid my injunctions on that worthy
member of society to perform a certain piece of service, which done, he
was to join me with all the force he could muster. But, instead of
doing so, the gentleman, finding the coast clear, thought it better to
make war on his own account, and has scoured the country, plundering, I
believe, both friend and foe, under pretence of levying blackmail,
sometimes as if by my authority, and sometimes (and be cursed to his
consummate impudence) in his own great name! Upon my honour, if I live
to see the cairn of Benmore again, I shall be tempted to hang that
fellow! I recognise his hand particularly in the mode of your rescue
from that canting rascal Gilfillan, and I have little doubt that Donald
himself played the part of the pedlar on that occasion; but how he
should not have plundered you, or put you to ransom, or availed himself
in some way or other of your captivity for his own advantage, passes my
judgment.'
'When and how did you hear the intelligence of my confinement?' asked
Waverley.
'The Prince himself told me,' said Fergus, 'and inquired very minutely
into your history. He then mentioned your being at that moment in the
power of one of our northern parties--you know I could not ask him to
explain particulars--and requested my opinion about disposing of you. I
recommended that you should be brought here as a prisoner, because I
did not wish to prejudice you farther with the English government, in
case you pursued your purpose of going southward. I knew nothing, you
must recollect, of the charge brought against you of aiding and
abetting high treason, which, I presume, had some share in changing
your original plan. That sullen, good-for-nothing brute, Balmawhapple,
was sent to escort you from Doune, with what he calls his troop of
horse. As to his behaviour, in addition to his natural antipathy to
everything that resembles a gentleman, I presume his adventure with
Bradwardine rankles in his recollection, the rather that I daresay his
mode of telling that story contributed to the evil reports which
reached your quondam regiment.'
'Very likely,' said Waverley; 'but now surely, my dear Fergus, you may
find time to tell me something of Flora.'
'Why,' replied Fergus, 'I can only tell you that she is well, and
residing for the present with a relation in this city. I thought it
better she should come here, as since our success a good many ladies of
rank attend our military court; and I assure you that there is a sort
of consequence annexed to the near relative of such a person as Flora
Mac-Ivor, and where there is such a justling of claims and requests, a
man must use every fair means to enhance his importance.'
There was something in this last sentence which grated on Waverley's
feelings. He could not bear that Flora should be considered as
conducing to her brother's preferment by the admiration which she must
unquestionably attract; and although it was in strict correspondence
with many points of Fergus's character, it shocked him as selfish, and
unworthy of his sister's high mind and his own independent pride.
Fergus, to whom such manoeuvres were familiar, as to one brought up at
the French court, did not observe the unfavourable impression which he
had unwarily made upon his friend's mind, and concluded by saying,'
that they could hardly see Flora before the evening, when she would be
at the concert and ball with which the Prince's party were to be
entertained. She and I had a quarrel about her not appearing to take
leave of you. I am unwilling to renew it by soliciting her to receive
you this morning; and perhaps my doing so might not only be
ineffectual, but prevent your meeting this evening.'
While thus conversing, Waverley heard in the court, before the windows
of the parlour, a well-known voice. 'I aver to you, my worthy friend,'
said the speaker, 'that it is a total dereliction of military
discipline; and were you not as it were a tyro, your purpose would
deserve strong reprobation. For a prisoner of war is on no account to
be coerced with fetters, or debinded in ergastulo, as would have been
the case had you put this gentleman into the pit of the peel-house at
Balmawhapple. I grant, indeed, that such a prisoner may for security be
coerced in carcere, that is, in a public prison.'
The growling voice of Balmawhapple was heard as taking leave in
displeasure, but the word 'land-louper' alone was distinctly audible.
He had disappeared before Waverley reached the house in order to greet
the worthy Baron of Bradwardine. The uniform in which he was now
attired, a blue coat, namely, with gold lace, a scarlet waistcoat and
breeches, and immense jack-boots, seemed to have added fresh stiffness
and rigidity to his tall, perpendicular figure; and the consciousness
of military command and authority had increased, in the same
proportion, the self-importance of his demeanour and the dogmatism of
his conversation.
He received Waverley with his usual kindness, and expressed immediate
anxiety to hear an explanation of the circumstances attending the loss
of his commission in Gardiner's dragoons; 'not,' he said, 'that he had
the least apprehension of his young friend having done aught which
could merit such ungenerous treatment as he had received from
government, but because it was right and seemly that the Baron of
Bradwardine should be, in point of trust and in point of power, fully
able to refute all calumnies against the heir of Waverley-Honour, whom
he had so much right to regard as his own son.'
Fergus Mac-Ivor, who had now joined them, went hastily over the
circumstances of Waverley's story, and concluded with the flattering
reception he had met from the young Chevalier. The Baron listened in
silence, and at the conclusion shook Waverley heartily by the hand and
congratulated him upon entering the service of his lawful Prince.
'For,' continued he, 'although it has been justly held in all nations a
matter of scandal and dishonour to infringe the sacramentum militare,
and that whether it was taken by each soldier singly, whilk the Romans
denominated per conjurationem, or by one soldier in name of the rest,
yet no one ever doubted that the allegiance so sworn was discharged by
the dimissio, or discharging of a soldier, whose case would be as hard
as that of colliers, salters, and other adscripti glebes, or slaves of
the soil, were it to be accounted otherwise. This is something like the
brocard expressed by the learned Sanchez in his work "De Jure-jurando"
which you have questionless consulted upon this occasion. As for those
who have calumniated you by leasing-making, I protest to Heaven I think
they have justly incurred the penalty of the "Memnonia Lex," also
called "Lex Rhemnia," which is prelected upon by Tullius in his oration
"In Verrem." I should have deemed, however, Mr. Waverley, that before
destining yourself to any special service in the army of the Prince, ye
might have inquired what rank the old Bradwardine held there, and
whether he would not have been peculiarly happy to have had your
services in the regiment of horse which he is now about to levy.'
Edward eluded this reproach by pleading the necessity of giving an
immediate answer to the Prince's proposal, and his uncertainty at the
moment whether his friend the Baron was with the army or engaged upon
service elsewhere.
This punctilio being settled, Waverley made inquiry after Miss
Bradwardine, and was informed she had come to Edinburgh with Flora
Mac-Ivor, under guard of a party of the Chieftain's men. This step was
indeed necessary, Tully-Veolan having become a very unpleasant, and
even dangerous, place of residence for an unprotected young lady, on
account of its vicinity to the Highlands, and also to one or two large
villages which, from aversion as much to the caterans as zeal for
presbytery, had declared themselves on the side of government, and
formed irregular bodies of partizans, who had frequent skirmishes with
the mountaineers, and sometimes attacked the houses of the Jacobite
gentry in the braes, or frontier betwixt the mountain and plain.
'I would propose to you,' continued the Baron,'to walk as far as my
quarters in the Luckenbooths, and to admire in your passage the High
Street, whilk is, beyond a shadow of dubitation, finer than any street
whether in London or Paris. But Rose, poor thing, is sorely discomposed
with the firing of the Castle, though I have proved to her from Blondel
and Coehorn, that it is impossible a bullet can reach these buildings;
and, besides, I have it in charge from his Royal Highness to go to the
camp, or leaguer of our army, to see that the men do condamare vasa,
that is, truss up their bag and baggage for tomorrow's march.'
'That will be easily done by most of us,' said Mac-Ivor, laughing.
'Craving your pardon, Colonel Mac-Ivor, not quite so easily as ye seem
to opine. I grant most of your folk left the Highlands expedited as it
were, and free from the incumbrance of baggage; but it is unspeakable
the quantity of useless sprechery which they have collected on their
march. I saw one fellow of yours (craving your pardon once more) with a
pier-glass upon his back.'
'Ay,' said Fergus, still in good-humour, 'he would have told you, if
you had questioned him, "a ganging foot is aye getting." But come, my
dear Baron, you know as well as I that a hundred Uhlans, or a single
troop of Schmirschitz's Pandours, would make more havoc in a country
than the knight of the mirror and all the rest of our clans put
together.'
'And that is very true likewise,' replied the Baron; 'they are, as the
heathen author says, ferociores in aspectu, mitiores in actu, of a
horrid and grim visage, but more benign in demeanour than their
physiognomy or aspect might infer. But I stand here talking to you two
youngsters when I should be in the King's Park.'
'But you will dine with Waverley and me on your return? I assure you,
Baron, though I can live like a Highlander when needs must, I remember
my Paris education, and understand perfectly faire la meilleure chere.'
'And wha the deil doubts it,' quoth the Baron, laughing, 'when ye bring
only the cookery and the gude toun must furnish the materials? Weel, I
have some business in the toun too; but I'll join you at three, if the
vivers can tarry so long.'
So saying, he took leave of his friends and went to look after the
charge which had been assigned him.