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 am I 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.'
'O, 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 judgment,' 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 arbitrement, 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.