THINGS MEND A LITTLE
About noon, Mr. Morton returned, and brought an invitation from Major
Melville that Mr. Waverley would honour him with his company to
dinner, notwithstanding the unpleasant affair which detained him at
Cairnvreckan, from which he should heartily rejoice to see Mr. Waverley
completely extricated. The truth was, that Mr. Morton's favourable
report and opinion had somewhat staggered the preconceptions of the
old soldier concerning Edward's supposed accession to the mutiny in
the regiment; and in the unfortunate state of the country, the mere
suspicion of disaffection, or an inclination to join the insurgent
Jacobites, might infer criminality indeed, but certainly not dishonour.
Besides, a person whom the Major trusted had reported to him (though,
as it proved, inaccurately) a contradiction of the agitating news of the
preceding evening. According to this second edition of the intelligence,
the Highlanders had withdrawn from the Lowland frontier with the purpose
of following the army in their march to Inverness. The Major was at a
loss, indeed, to reconcile his information with the well-known abilities
of some of the gentlemen in the Highland army, yet it was the course
which was likely to be most agreeable to others. He remembered the
same policy had detained them in the north in the year 1715, and he
anticipated a similar termination to the insurrection as upon that
occasion.
This news put him in such good humour, that he readily acquiesced in Mr.
Morton's proposal to pay some hospitable attention to his unfortunate
guest, and voluntarily added, he hoped the whole affair would prove a
youthful escapade, which might be easily atoned by a short confinement.
The kind mediator had some trouble to prevail on his young friend to
accept the invitation. He dared not urge to him the real motive, which
was a good-natured wish to secure a favourable report of Waverley's case
from Major Melville to Governor Blakeney. He remarked, from the flashes
of our hero's spirit, that touching upon this topic would be sure to
defeat his purpose. He therefore pleaded, that the invitation argued the
Major's disbelief of any part of the accusation which was inconsistent
with Waverley's conduct as a soldier and a man of honour, and that to
decline his courtesy might be interpreted into a consciousness that it
was unmerited. In short, he so far satisfied Edward that the manly and
proper course was to meet the Major on easy terms, that, suppressing
his strong dislike again to encounter his cold and punctilious civility,
Waverley agreed to be guided by his new friend. The meeting, at first,
was stiff and formal enough. But Edward, having accepted the invitation,
and his mind being really soothed and relieved by the kindness of
Morton, held himself bound to behave with ease, though he could not
affect cordiality. The Major was somewhat of a BON VIVANT, and his wine
was excellent. He told his old campaign stories, and displayed much
knowledge of men and manners. Mr. Morton had an internal fund of placid
and quiet gaiety, which seldom failed to enliven any small party in
which he found himself pleasantly seated. Waverley, whose life was a
dream, gave ready way to the predominating impulse, and became the most
lively of the party. He had at all times remarkable natural powers of
conversation, though easily silenced by discouragement. On the present
occasion, he piqued himself upon leaving on the minds of his companions
a favourable impression of one who, under such disastrous circumstances,
could sustain his misfortunes with ease and gaiety. His spirits, though
not unyielding, were abundantly elastic, and soon seconded his efforts.
The trio were engaged in very lively discourse, apparently delighted
with each other, and the kind host was pressing a third bottle of
Burgundy, when the sound of a drum was heard at some distance. The
Major, who, in the glee of an old soldier, had forgot the duties of a
magistrate, cursed, with a muttered military oath, the circumstances
which recalled him to his official functions. He rose and went towards
the window, which commanded a very near view of the high-road, and he
was followed by his guests.
The drum advanced, beating no measured martial tune, but a kind
of rub-a-dub-dub, like that with which the fire-drum startles the
slumbering artisans of a Scotch burgh. It is the object of this history
to do justice to all men; I must therefore record, in justice to the
drummer, that he protested he could beat any known march or point of
war known in the British army, and had accordingly commenced with
'Dumbarton's Drums,' when he was silenced by Gifted Gilfillan, the
commander of the party, who refused to permit his followers to move to
this profane, and even, as he said, persecuting tune, and commanded the
drummer to beat the 119th Psalm. As this was beyond the capacity of the
drubber of sheepskin, he was fain to have recourse to the inoffensive
row-de-dow, as a harmless substitute for the sacred music which his
instrument or skill were unable to achieve. This may be held a trifling
anecdote, but the drummer in question was no less than town-drummer
of Anderton. I remember his successor in office, a member of that
enlightened body, the British Convention: be his memory, therefore,
treated with due respect.