INTRIGUES OF LOVE AND POLITICS
It is not necessary to record in these pages the triumphant entrance of
the Chevalier into Edinburgh after the decisive affair of Preston. One
circumstance, however, may be noticed, because it illustrates the
high spirit of Flora Mac-Ivor. The Highlanders, by whom the Prince was
surrounded, in the licence and extravagance of this joyful moment,
fired their pieces repeatedly, and one of these having been accidentally
loaded with ball, the bullet grazed the young lady's temple as she waved
her handkerchief from a balcony. [See Note 30.] Fergus, who beheld the
accident, was at her side in an instant; and, on seeing that the wound
was trifling, he drew his broadsword, with the purpose of rushing down
upon the man by whose carelessness she had incurred so much danger,
when, holding him by the plaid, 'Do not harm the poor fellow,' she
cried; 'for Heaven's sake, do not harm him! but thank God with me that
the accident happened to Flora Mac-Ivor; for had it befallen a Whig,
they would have pretended that the shot was fired on purpose.'
Waverley escaped the alarm which this accident would have occasioned
to him, as he was unavoidably delayed by the necessity of accompanying
Colonel Talbot to Edinburgh.
They performed the journey together on horseback, and for some time, as
if to sound each other's feelings and sentiments, they conversed upon
general and ordinary topics.
When Waverley again entered upon the subject which he had most at heart,
the situation, namely, of his father and his uncle, Colonel Talbot
seemed now rather desirous to alleviate than to aggravate his anxiety.
This appeared particularly to be the case when he heard Waverley's
history, which he did not scruple to confide to him.
'And so,' said the Colonel, 'there has been no malice prepense, as
lawyers, I think, term it, in this rash step of yours; and you have been
trepanned into the service of this Italian knight-errant by a few civil
speeches from him, and one or two of his Highland recruiting sergeants?
It is sadly foolish, to be sure, but not nearly so bad as I was led
to expect. However, you cannot desert, even from the Pretender, at the
present moment,--that seems impossible. But I have little doubt that,
in the dissensions incident to this heterogeneous mass of wild and
desperate men, some opportunity may arise, by availing yourself of
which, you may extricate yourself honourably from your rash engagement
before the bubble burst. If this can be managed, I would have you go to
a place of safety in Flanders, which I shall point out. And I think I
can secure your pardon from Government after a few months' residence
abroad.'
'I cannot; permit you, Colonel Talbot,' answered Waverley, 'to speak of
any plan which turns on my deserting an enterprise in which I may have
engaged hastily, but certainly voluntarily, and with the purpose of
abiding the issue.'
'Well,' said Colonel Talbot, smiling, 'leave me my thoughts and hopes
at least at liberty, if not my speech. But have you never examined your
mysterious packet?'
'It is in my baggage,' replied Edward; 'we shall find it in Edinburgh.'
In Edinburgh they soon arrived. Waverley's quarters had been assigned to
him, by the Prince's express orders, in a handsome lodging, where there
was accommodation, for Colonel Talbot. His first business was to
examine his portmanteau, and, after a very short search, out tumbled the
expected packet. Waverley opened it eagerly. Under a blank cover, simply
addressed to E. Waverley, Esq., he found a number of open letters. The
uppermost were two from Colonel Gardiner, addressed to himself. The
earliest in date was a kind and gentle remonstrance for neglect of the
writer's advice respecting the disposal of his time during his leave
of absence, the renewal of which, he reminded Captain Waverley, would
speedily expire. 'Indeed,' the letter proceeded, 'had it been otherwise,
the news from abroad, and my instructions from the War-office, must have
compelled me to recall it, as there is great danger, since the disaster
in Flanders, both of foreign invasion and insurrection among the
disaffected at home. I therefore entreat you will repair, as soon as
possible, to the head-quarters of the regiment; and I am concerned to
add, that this is still the more necessary, as there is some discontent
in your troop, and I postpone inquiry into particulars until I can have
the advantage of your assistance.'
The second letter, dated eight days later, was in such a style as might
have been expected from the Colonel's receiving no answer to the first.
It reminded Waverley of his duty as a man of honour, an officer, and a
Briton; took notice of the increasing dissatisfaction of his men, and
that some of them had been heard to hint that their Captain encouraged
and approved of their mutinous behaviour; and, finally, the writer
expressed the utmost regret and surprise that he had not obeyed his
commands by repairing to head-quarters, reminded him that his leave
of absence had been recalled, and conjured him, in a style in which
paternal remonstrance was mingled with military authority, to redeem
his error by immediately joining his regiment. 'That I may be certain,'
concluded the letter, 'that this actually reaches you, I dispatch it by
Corporal Timms, of your troop, with orders to deliver it into your own
hand.'
Upon reading these letters, Waverley, with great bitterness of feeling,
was compelled to make the AMENDE HONORABLE to the memory of the brave
and excellent writer; for surely, as Colonel Gardiner must have had
every reason to conclude they had come safely to hand, less could not
follow, on their being neglected, than that third and final summons,
which Waverley actually received at Glennaquoich, though too late
to obey it. And his being superseded, in consequence of his apparent
neglect of this last command, was so far from being a harsh or severe
proceeding, that it was plainly inevitable. The next letter he unfolded
was from the Major of the regiment, acquainting him that a report, to
the disadvantage of his reputation, was public in the country, stating,
that one Mr. Falconer of Ballihopple, or some such name, had proposed,
in his presence, a treasonable toast, which he permitted to pass in
silence, although it was so gross an affront to the royal family, that
a gentleman in company, not remarkable for his zeal for government, had
nevertheless taken the matter up; and that, supposing the account true,
Captain Waverley had thus suffered another, comparatively unconcerned,
to resent an affront directed against him personally as an officer, and
to go out with the person by whom it was offered. The Major concluded,
that no one of Captain Waverley's brother officers could believe this
scandalous story, but it was necessarily their joint opinion that his
own honour, equally with that of the regiment, depended upon its being
instantly contradicted by his authority, &c. &c. &c.
'What do you think of all this?' said Colonel Talbot, to whom Waverley
handed the letters after he had perused them.
'Think! it renders thought impossible. It is enough to drive me mad.'
'Be calm, my young friend; let us see what are these dirty scrawls that
follow.'
The first was addressed, 'For Master W. Ruffin These,'--'Dear sur, sum
of our yong gulpins will not bite, thof I tuold them you shoed me the
squoire's own seel. But Timms will deliver you the lettrs as desired,
and tell ould Addem he gave them to squoir's hond, as to be sure yours
is the same, and shall be ready for signal, and hoy for Hoy Church and
Sachefrel, as fadur sings at harvest-whome. Yours, deer Sur, H.H.
'Poscriff. Do' e tell squoire we longs to heer from him, and has
dootings about his not writing himself, and Lieftenant Bottler is
smoky.'
'This Ruffin, I suppose, then, is your Donald of the Cavern, who has
intercepted your letters, and carried on a correspondence with the poor
devil Houghton, as if under your authority?
'It seems too true. But who can Addem be?'
'Possibly Adam, for poor Gardiner, a sort of pun on his name.'
The other letters were to the same purpose, and they soon received yet
more complete light upon Donald Bean's machinations.
John Hedges, one of Waverley's servants, who had remained with the
regiment, and had been taken at Preston, now made his appearance. He had
sought out his master, with the purpose of again entering his service.
From this fellow they learned, that, some time after Waverley had
gone from the head-quarters of the regiment, a pedlar, called Ruthven,
Ruffin, or Rivane, known among the soldiers by the name of Wily Will,
had made frequent visits to the town of Dundee. He appeared to possess
plenty of money, sold his commodities very cheap, seemed always willing
to treat his friends at the ale-house, and easily ingratiated himself
with many of Waverley's troop, particularly Sergeant Houghton, and
one Timms, also a non-commissioned officer. To these he unfolded, in
Waverley's name, a plan for leaving the regiment, and joining him in the
Highlands, where report said the clans had already taken arms in great
numbers. The men, who had been educated as Jacobites, so far as they had
any opinion at all, and who knew their landlord, Sir Everard, had always
been supposed to hold such tenets, easily fell into the snare.
That Waverley was at a distance in the Highlands, was received as a
sufficient excuse for transmitting his letters through the medium of the
pedlar; and the sight of his well-known seal seemed to authenticate the
negotiations in his name, where writing might have been dangerous. The
cabal, however, began to take air, from the premature mutinous language
of those concerned. Wily Will justified his appellative; for, after
suspicion arose, he was seen no more. When the Gazette appeared, in
which Waverley was superseded, great part of his troop broke out into
actual mutiny, but were surrounded and disarmed by the rest of the
regiment. In consequence of the sentence of a court-martial, Houghton
and Timms were condemned to be shot, but afterwards permitted to cast
lots for life. Houghton, the survivor, showed much penitence, being
convinced from the rebukes and explanations of Colonel Gardiner, that he
had really engaged in a very heinous crime. It is remarkable, that, as
soon as the poor fellow was satisfied of this, he became also convinced
that the instigator had acted without authority from Edward, saying,
'If it was dishonourable and against Old England, the squire could
know naught about it; he never did, or thought to do, anything
dishonourable,--no more didn't Sir Everard, nor none of them afore him,
and in that belief he would live and die that Ruffin had done it all of
his own head.'
The strength of conviction with which he expressed himself upon this
subject, as well as his assurances that the letters intended for
Waverley had been delivered to Ruthven, made that revolution in Colonel
Gardiner's opinion which he expressed to Talbot.
The reader has long since understood that Donald Bean Lean played the
part of tempter on this occasion. His motives were shortly these. Of an
active and intriguing spirit, he had been long employed as a subaltern
agent and spy by those in the confidence of the Chevalier, to an extent
beyond what was suspected even by Fergus Mac-Ivor, whom, though obliged
to him for protection, he regarded with fear and dislike. To success in
this political department, he naturally looked for raising himself by
some bold stroke above his present hazardous and precarious state of
rapine. He was particularly employed in learning the strength of the
regiments in Scotland, the character of the officers, &c., and had long
had his eye upon Waverley's troop, as open to temptation. Donald even
believed that Waverley himself was at bottom in the Stuart interest,
which seemed confirmed by his long visit to the Jacobite Baron
of Bradwardine. When, therefore, he came to his cave with one of
Glennaquoich's attendants, the robber, who could never appreciate his
real motive, which was mere curiosity, was so sanguine as to hope that
his own talents were to be employed in some intrigue of consequence,
under the auspices of this wealthy young Englishman. Nor was he
undeceived by Waverley's neglecting all hints and openings for an
explanation. His conduct passed for prudent reserve, and somewhat
piqued Donald Bean, who, supposing himself left out of a secret where
confidence promised to be advantageous, determined to have his share
in the drama, whether a regular part were assigned him or not. For this
purpose, during Waverley's sleep, he possessed, himself of his seal, as
a token to be used to any of the troopers whom he might discover to be
possessed of the captain's confidence. His first journey to Dundee, the
town where the regiment was quartered, undeceived him in his original
supposition, but opened to him a new field of action. He knew there
would be no service so well rewarded by the friends of the Chevalier, as
seducing a part of the regular army to his standard. For this purpose,
he opened the machinations with which the reader is already acquainted,
and which form a clue to all the intricacies and obscurities of the
narrative previous to Waverley's leaving Glennaquoich.
By Colonel Talbot's advice, Waverley declined detaining in his service
the lad whose evidence had thrown additional light on these intrigues.
He represented to him that it would be doing the man an injury to engage
him in a desperate undertaking, and that, whatever should happen, his
evidence would go some length, at least, in explaining the circumstances
under which Waverley himself had embarked in it. Waverley therefore
wrote a short statement of what had happened, to his uncle and his
father, cautioning them, however, in the present circumstances, not to
attempt to answer his letter. Talbot then gave the young man a letter
to the commander of one of the English vessels of war cruising in the
frith, requesting him to put the bearer ashore at Berwick, with a pass
to proceed to --shire. He was then furnished with money to make an
expeditious journey and directed to get on board the ship by means of
bribing a fishing-boat, which, as they afterwards learned, he easily
effected.
Tired of the attendance of Callum Beg, who, he thought, had some
disposition to act as a spy on his motions, Waverley hired as a servant
a simple Edinburgh swain, who had mounted the white cockade in a fit
of spleen and jealousy, because Jenny Jop had danced a whole night with
Corporal Bullock of the Fusileers.