her from the state of drooping melancholy in which he appears first upon the scene, to the ecstatic state in which he exclaims

"Good now, Miss Mac-Ivor," said a young lady of quality, 'do you mean to cheat us out of our prerogative? will you ersuade us love cannot subsist without hope, or that the over must become fickle if the lady is cruel? O fie! I did ot expect such an unsentimental conclusion."

"A lover, my dear Lady Betty," said Flora, “may, I coneive, persevere in his suit under very discouraging circumtances. Affection can (now and then) withstand very severe torms of rigour, but not a long polar frost of downright inlifference. Don't, even with your attractions, try the experinent upon any lover whose faith you value. Love will subsist n wonderfully little hope, but not altogether without it."

"It will be just like Duncan Mac-Girdie's mare," said Evan, 'if your ladyships please; he wanted to use her by degrees to ive without meat, and just as he had put her on a straw a-day, he poor thing died!"

Evan's illustration set the company a-laughing, and the discourse took a different turn. Shortly afterwards the party roke up, and Edward returned home, musing on what Flora ad said. "I will love my Rosalind no more," said he; "she as given me a broad enough hint for that; and I will speak o her brother, and resign my suit. But for a Juliet-would it be handsome to interfere with Fergus's pretensions ?-though t is impossible they can ever succeed and should they miscarry, what then?-why then alors comme alors." And with this resolution, of being guided by circumstances, did our hero commit himself to repose.

CHAPTER LV

A BRAVE MAN IN SORROW

If my fair readers should be of opinion that my hero's levity in love is altogether unpardonable, I must remind them, that all his griefs and difficulties did not arise from that sentimental source. Even the lyric poet, who complains so feelingly of the pains of love, could not forget, that, at the

same time, he was "in debt and in drink," which, doubtless, were great aggravations of his distress. There were, indeed, whole days in which Waverley thought neither of Flora nor Rose Bradwardine, but which were spent in melancholy con jectures on the probable state of matters at Waverley-Honour, and the dubious issue of the civil contest in which he was pledged. Colonel Talbot often engaged him in discussions upon the justice of the cause he had espoused. "Not," he said, "that it is possible for you to quit it at this present moment, for, come what will, you must stand by your rash engagement. But I wish you to be aware that the right is not with you; that you are fighting against the real interests of your country; and that you ought, as an Englishman and a patriot, to take the first opportunity to leave this unhappy expedition before the snow-ball melts."

In such political disputes, Waverley usually opposed the common arguments of his party, with which it is unnecessary to trouble the reader. But he had little to say when the Colonel urged him to compare the strength by which they had undertaken to overthrow the government, with that which was now assembling very rapidly for its support. To this statement Waverley had but one answer: "If the cause I have undertaken be perilous, there would be the greater disgrace in abandoning it." And in his turn he generally silenced Colonel Talbot, and succeeded in changing the subject.

One night, when, after a long dispute of this nature, the friends had separated, and our hero had retired to bed, he was awakened about midnight by a suppressed groan. He started up and listened; it came from the apartment of Colonel Talbot, which was divided from his own by a wains cotted partition, with a door of communication. Waverley approached this door, and distinctly heard one or two deepdrawn sighs. What could be the matter? The Colonel had parted from him, apparently, in his usual state of spirits. He must have been taken suddenly ill. Under this impression, he opened the door of communication very gently, and perceived the Colonel, in his night-gown, seated by a table, on which lay a letter and picture. He raised his head hastily, as Edward stood uncertain whether to advance or retire, and Waverley perceived that his cheeks were stained with tears.

As if ashamed at being found giving way to such emotion, Colonel Talbot rose with apparent displeasure, and said, with

some sternness, "I think, Mr. Waverley, my own apartment, and the hour, might have secured even a prisoner against

"Do not say intrusion, Colonel Talbot; I heard you breathe hard, and feared you were ill; that alone could only induce me to break in upon you."

"I am well," said the Colonel, "perfectly well."

"But you are distressed," said Edward: "is there any thing can be done?"

"Nothing, Mr. Waverley; I was only thinking of home, and some unpleasant occurrences there."

"Good God, my uncle!" exclaimed Waverley. "No, it is a grief entirely my own. I am ashamed you should have seen it disarm me so much; but it must have its course at times, that it may be at others more decently supported. I would have kept it secret from you; for I think it will grieve you, and yet you can administer no consolation. But you have surprised me,-I see you are surprised yourself, -and I hate mystery. Read that letter."

The letter was from Colonel Talbot's sister, and in these words:

"I received yours, my dearest brother, by Hodges. Sir E. W. and Mr. R. are still at large, but are not permitted to leave London. I wish to heaven I could give you as good an account of matters in the square. But the news of the unhappy affair at Preston came upon us, with the dreadful addition that you were among the fallen. You know Lady Emily's state of health, when your friendship for Sir E. induced you to leave her. She was much harassed with the sad accounts from Scotland of the rebellion having broken out; but kept up her spirits, as, she said, it became your wife, and for the sake of the future heir, so long hoped for in vain. Alas, my dear brother, these hopes are now ended! Notwithstanding all my watchful care, this unhappy rumour reached her without preparation. She was taken ill immediately; and the poor infant scarce survived its birth. Would to God this were all! But although the contradiction of the horrible report by your own letter has greatly revived her spirits, yet Dr. apprehends, I grieve to say, serious, and even dangerous, consequences to her health, especially from the uncertainty in which she must necessarily remain for some time, aggravated by the ideas she has formed of the ferocity of those with whom you are a prisoner.

"Do therefore, my dear brother, as soon as this reaches you, endeavour to gain your release, by parole, by ransom, or any way that is practicable. I do not exaggerate Lady Emily's state of health; but I must not dare not-suppress the truth Ever, my dear Philip, your most affectionate sister,

"LUCY TALBOT."

Edward stood motionless when he had perused this letter: for the conclusion was inevitable, that, by the Colonel's journey in quest of him, he had incurred this heavy calamity It was severe enough, even in its irremediable part; for Colonel Talbot and Lady Emily, long without a family, had! fondly exulted in the hopes which were now blasted. But th disappointment was nothing to the extent of the threatened evil; and Edward, with horror, regarded himself as the origina cause of both.

Ere he could collect himself sufficiently to speak, Colone Talbot had recovered his usual composure of manner, though his troubled eye denoted his mental agony.

"She is a woman, my young friend, who may justify even a soldier's tears." He reached him the miniature, exhibiting features which fully justified the eulogium; "and yet, God. knows, what you see of her there is the least of the charms she possesses-possessed, I should perhaps say-but God's will be done."

"You must fly-you must fly instantly to her relief. It is not-it shall not be too late."

"Fly? how is it possible? I am a prisoner-upon parole." "I am your keeper-I restore your parole-I am to answer for you."

"You cannot do so consistently with your duty; nor can! accept a discharge from you, with due regard to my own honour-you would be made responsible."

"I will answer it with my head, if necessary," said Waverley impetuously. "I have been the unhappy cause of the loss of your child, make me not the murderer of your wife."

"No, my dear Edward," said Talbot, taking him kindly by the hand, "you are in no respect to blame; and if I concealed this domestic distress for two days, it was lest your sensibility should view it in that light. You could not think of me, hardly knew of my existence, when I left England in quest of you. It is a responsibility, Heaven knows, sufficiently heavy for mortality, that we must answer for the foreseen

and direct result of our actions,—for their indirect and consequential operation, the great and good Being, who alone can foresee the dependence of human events on each other, hath not pronounced his frail creatures liable."

"But that you should have left Lady Emily," said Waverey, with much emotion, "in the situation of all others the nost interesting to a husband, to seek a

"I only did my duty," answered Colonel Talbot, calmly, 'and I do not, ought not, to regret it. If the path of gratitude nd honour were always smooth and easy, there would be ittle merit in following it; but it moves often in contradiction o our interest and passions, and sometimes to our better ffections. These are the trials of life, and this, though not he least bitter," (the tears came unbidden to his eyes,) "is not the first which it has been my fate to encounter-But we will talk of this to-morrow," he said, wringing Waverley's hands. "Good night; strive to forget it for a few hours. It will dawn, I think, by six, and it is now past two. Good night."

Edward retired, without trusting his voice with a reply.

CHAPTER LVI

EXERTION

WHEN Colonel Talbot entered the breakfast-parlour next morning, he learned from Waverley's servant that our hero had been abroad at an early hour, and was not yet returned. The morning was well advanced before he again appeared. He arrived out of breath, but with an air of joy that astonished Colonel Talbot.

"There," said he, throwing a paper on the table, "there is my morning's work.-Alick, pack up the Colonel's clothes. Make haste, make haste."

The Colonel examined the paper with astonishment. It was a pass from the Chevalier to Colonel Talbot, to repair to Leith, or any other port in possession of his Royal Highness's troops, and there to embark for England or elsewhere, at his free pleasure; he only giving his parole of honour not to bear against the house of Stewart for the space of a twelve

arms

month.

In the name of God," said the Colonel, his eyes sparkling with eagerness, "how did you obtain this?"