THE MARCH
It is not our purpose to intrude upon the province of history. We shall
therefore only remind our readers, that about the beginning of November
the Young Chevalier, at the head of about six thousand men at the
utmost, resolved to peril his cause on an attempt to penetrate into the
centre of England, although aware of the mighty preparations which were
made for his reception. They set forward on this crusade in weather
which would have rendered any other troops incapable of marching, but
which in reality gave these active mountaineers advantages over a less
hardy enemy. In defiance of a superior army lying upon the Borders,
under Field Marshal Wade, they besieged and took Carlisle, and soon
afterwards prosecuted their daring march to the southward.
As Colonel Mac-Ivor's regiment marched in the van of the clans, he and
Waverley, who now equalled any Highlander in the endurance of fatigue,
and was become somewhat acquainted with their language, were perpetually
at its head. They marked the progress of the army, however, with very
different eyes. Fergus, all air and fire, and confident against the
world in arms, measured nothing but that every step was a yard nearer
London. He neither asked, expected, nor desired any aid, except that
of the clans, to place the Stuarts once more on the throne; and when by
chance a few adherents joined the standard, he always considered them in
the light of new claimants upon the favours of the future monarch, who,
he concluded, must therefore subtract for their gratification so much of
the bounty which ought to be shared among his Highland followers.
Edward's views were very different. He could not but observe, that in
those towns in which they proclaimed James the Third, 'no man cried, God
bless him.' The mob stared and listened, heartless, stupefied, and dull,
but gave few signs even of that boisterous spirit which induces them
to shout upon all occasions, for the mere exercise of their most sweet
voices. The Jacobites had been taught to believe that the north-western
counties abounded with wealthy squires and hardy yeomen, devoted to the
cause of the White Rose. But of the wealthier Tories they saw little.
Some fled from their houses, some feigned themselves sick, some
surrendered themselves to the Government as suspected persons. Of such
as remained, the ignorant gazed with astonishment, mixed with horror and
aversion, 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, seemed
certain tokens of the calamitous termination of their rash undertaking.
Thus the few who joined them were such as bigotry of political principle
blinded to consequences, or whose broken fortunes induced them to hazard
all 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 but
have an excellent opinion of them, since they resembled precisely the
followers who attached themselves to the good King David at the cave of
Adullam; VIDELICET, every one that was in distress, and every one that
was in debt, and every one that was discontented, which the Vulgate
renders bitter of soul; and doubtless,' he said 'they will prove mighty
men of their hands, and there is much need that they should, for I have
seen many a sour look cast upon us.'
But none of these considerations moved Fergus. He admired the luxuriant
beauty of the country, and the situation of many of the seats which they
passed. '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 a
mere park.'
'Flora, will be a happy woman.'
'I hope Miss Mac-Ivor will have much reason for happiness, unconnected
with Waverley-Honour.'
'I hope so too; but, to be mistress of such a place, will be a pretty
addition to the sum total.'
'An addition, the want of which, I trust, will be amply supplied by some
other means.'
'How,' said Fergus, stopping short, and turning upon Waverley--'How am
I to understand that, Mr. Waverley?--Had I the pleasure to hear you
aright?'
'Perfectly right, Fergus.'
'And I am to understand that you no longer desire my alliance, and my
sister's hand?'
'Your sister has refused mine,' said Waverley, 'both directly, and by
all the usual means by which ladies repress undesired attentions.'
'I have no idea,' answered the Chieftain, 'of a lady dismissing or a
gentleman withdrawing his suit, after it has been approved of by her
legal guardian, without giving him an opportunity of talking the matter
over with the lady. You did not, I suppose, expect my sister to drop
into your mouth like a ripe plum, the first moment you chose to open
it?'
'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 the
customs of the Highlands in that particular. But as to my title to
acquiesce in a rejection from her without an appeal to your interest,
I will tell you plainly, without meaning to undervalue Miss Mac-Ivor's
admitted beauty and accomplishments, that I would not take the hand of
an angel, with an empire for her dowry, if her consent were extorted by
the importunity of friends and guardians, and did not flow from her own
free inclination.'
'An angel, with the dowry of an empire,' repeated Fergus, in a tone
of bitter irony, 'is not very likely to be pressed upon a--shire
squire.--But sir,' changing his tone, 'if Flora Mac-Ivor have not the
dowry of an empire, she is my sister; and that is sufficient at least to
secure her against being treated with anything approaching to levity.'
She is Flora Mac-Ivor, sir,' said Waverley, with firmness, 'which to
me, were I capable of treating any woman with levity, would be a more
effectual protection.'
The brow of the Chieftain was now fully clouded, but Edward felt too
indignant at the unreasonable tone which he had adopted, to avert the
storm by the least concession. They both stood still while this short
dialogue passed, and Fergus seemed half disposed to say something more
violent, but, by a strong effort, suppressed his passion, and, turning
his face forward, walked sullenly on. As they had always hitherto walked
together, and almost constantly side by side; Waverley pursued his
course silently in the same direction, determined to let the Chief take
his own time in recovering the good humour which he had so unreasonably
discarded, and firm in his resolution not to bate him an inch of
dignity.
After they had marched on in this sullen manner about a mile, Fergus
resumed the discourse in a different tone. 'I believe I was warm, my
dear Edward, but you provoke me with your want of knowledge of the
world. You have taken pet at some of Flora's prudery, or high-flying
notions of loyalty, and now, like a child, you quarrel with the
plaything 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 a
friend, after your arrangement had been the talk of both Highlands and
Lowlands, and that without so much as knowing why or wherefore, might
well provoke calmer blood than mine. I shall write to Edinburgh, and
put all to rights; that is, if you desire I should do so,--as indeed
I cannot suppose that your good opinion of Flora, it being such as you
have often expressed to me, can be at once laid aside.'
'Colonel Mac-Ivor,' said Edward, who had no mind to be hurried farther
or faster than he chose, in a matter which he had already considered as
broken off, 'I am fully sensible of the value of your good offices; and
certainly, by your zeal on my behalf in such an affair, you do me no
small honour. But as Miss Mac-Ivor has made her election freely and
voluntarily, and as all my attentions in Edinburgh were received with
more than coldness, I cannot, in justice either to her or myself,
consent that she should again be harassed upon this topic. I would have
mentioned this to you some time since;--but you saw the footing upon
which we stood together, and must have understood it. Had I thought
otherwise, I would have earlier spoken; but I had a natural reluctance
to enter upon a subject so painful to us both.'
'Oh, very well, Mr. Waverley,' said Fergus, haughtily, 'the thing is at
an end. I have no occasion to press my sister upon any man.'
'Nor have I any occasion to court repeated rejection from the same young
lady,' answered Edward, in the same tone.
'I shall make due inquiry, however,' said the Chieftain, without
noticing 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 own
judgement,' said Waverley. 'It is, I am aware, impossible Miss Mac-Ivor
can change her mind; and were such an unsupposable case to happen, it
is certain I will not change mine. I only mention this to prevent any
possibility of future misconstruction.'
Gladly at this moment would Mac-Ivor have put their quarrel to a
personal arbitrament;--his eye flashed fire, and he measured Edward as
if to choose where he might best plant a mortal wound. But although
we do not now quarrel according to the modes and figures of Caranza or
Vincent Saviola, no one knew better than Fergus that there must be some
decent pretext for a mortal duel. For instance, you may challenge a man
for 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 honour
will not permit you to found a quarrel upon your right of compelling a
man to continue addresses to a female relative, which the fair lady has
already refused. So that Fergus was compelled to stomach this supposed
affront, until the whirligig of time, whose motion he promised himself
he would watch most sedulously, should bring about an opportunity of
revenge.
Waverley's servant always led a saddle-horse for him in the rear of the
battalion to which he was attached, though his master seldom rode. But
now, incensed at the domineering and unreasonable conduct of his late
friend, he fell behind the column, and mounted his horse, resolving to
seek the Baron of Bradwardine, and request permission to volunteer in
his troop, instead of the Mac-Ivor regiment.
'A happy time of it I should have had,' thought he, after he was
mounted, 'to have been so closely allied to this superb specimen of
pride and self-opinion and passion. A colonel! why, he should have been
a generalissimo. A petty chief of three or four hundred men!--his pride
might suffice for the Cham of Tartary--the Grand Seignior--the Great
Mogul! I am well free of him. Were Flora an angel, she would bring with
her a second Lucifer of ambition and wrath for a brother-in-law.
The Baron, whose learning (like Sancho's jests while in the Sierra
Morena) seemed to grow mouldy for want of exercise, joyfully embraced
the opportunity of Waverley's offering his service in his regiment, to
bring 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 a
respectful hearing; and as for Waverley, he saw no reason why he should
be the first in courting a renewal of the intimacy which the Chieftain
had so unreasonably disturbed. The Baron then mentioned the matter
to the Prince, who, anxious to prevent quarrels in his little army,
declared he would himself remonstrate with Colonel Mac-Ivor on the
unreasonableness of his conduct. But, in the hurry of their march, it
was a day or two before he had an opportunity to exert his influence in
the manner proposed.
In the meanwhile, Waverley turned the instructions he had received while
in Gardiner's dragoons to some account, and assisted the Baron in his
command as a sort of adjutant. 'PARMI LES AVEUGLES UN BORGNE EST ROI,'
says the French proverb; and the cavalry, which consisted chiefly of
Lowland gentlemen, their tenants and servants, formed a high opinion of
Waverley's skill, and a great attachment to his person. This was indeed
partly owing to the satisfaction which they felt at the distinguished
English volunteer's leaving the Highlanders to rank among them; for
there was a latent grudge between the horse and foot, not only owing
to the difference of the services, but because most of the gentlemen,
living near the Highlands, had at one time or other had quarrels with
the tribes in their vicinity, and all of them looked with a jealous eye
on the Highlanders' avowed pretensions to superior valour, and utility
in the Prince's service.