to Colonel Talbot, was upon a visit of business at Mr. Macwheeble's, and, knowing the state of the country, had sent his passport for Captain Foster's inspection. This produced a polite answer from the officer, with an invitation to Mr. Stanley to dine with him, which was declined (as may easily be supposed) under pretence of business.

Waverley's next request was, that Mr. Macwheeble would dispatch a man and horse to -the post-town at which Colonel Talbot was to address him, with directions to wait there until the post should bring a letter for Mr. Stanley, and then to forward it to Little Veolan with all speed. In a moment the Bailie was in search of his apprentice (or servitor, as he was called Sixty Years since), Jock Scriever, and in not much greater space of time Jock was on the back of the white pony.

"Tak care ye guide him weel, sir, for he's aye been short in the wind since-ahem-Lord be gude to me! [in a low voice], I was gaun to come out wi'-since I rode whip and spur to fetch the Chevalier to redd Mr. Wauverley and Vich Ian Vohr; and an uncanny coup I gat for my pains. Lord forgie your honor! I might hae broken my neck; but troth it was in a venture, mae ways nor ane; but this maks amends for a'. Lady Wauverley! ten thousand a year! Lord be gude unto me !"

"But you forget, Mr. Macwheeble, we want the Baron's consent the lady's

"Never fear, I'se be caution for them; I'se gie you my personal warrandice. Ten thousand a year! it dings Balmawhapple out and out-a year's rent's worth a' Balmawhapple, fee and life-rent! Lord make us thankful!"

To turn the current of his feelings, Edward inquired if he had heard anything lately of the Chieftain of Glennaquoich.

"Not one word," answered Macwheeble, "but that he was still in Carlisle Castle, and was soon to be panelled for his life. I dinna wish the young gentleman ill," he said, "but I hope that they that hae got him will keep him, and no let him back to this Hieland border to plague us wi' blackmail and a' manner o' violent, wrongous, and masterfu' oppression and spoliation, both by himself and others of his causing, sending, and hounding out; and he couldna tak care o' the siller when he had gotten it neither, but flung it a' into yon idle queen's lap at Edinburgh; but light come light gane. For my part, I never wish to see a kilt in the country again, nor a red-coat, nor a gun, for that matter, unless it were to shoot a paitrick; they're a' tarred wi' ae stick. And when they have

done ye wrang, even when ye hae gotten decreet of spuilzie, oppression, and violent profits against them, what better are e? They hae na a plack to pay ye; ye need never extract

ye

it."

With such discourse, and the intervening topics of business, the time passed until dinner, Macwheeble meanwhile promising to devise some mode of introducing Edward at the Duchran, where Rose at present resided, without risk of danger or suspicion; which seemed no very easy task, since the laird was a very zealous friend to government. The poultryyard had been laid under requisition, and cockyleeky and Scotch collops soon reeked in the Bailie's little parlor. The landlord's corkscrew was just introduced into the muzzle of a pint bottle of claret (cribbed possibly from the cellars of Tully-Veolan), when the sight of the gray pony passing the window at full trot induced the Bailie, but with due precaution, to place it aside for the moment. Enter Jock Scriever with a packet for Mr. Stanley; it is Colonel Talbot's seal, and Edward's fingers tremble as he undoes it. Two official papers, folded, signed, and sealed in all formality, drop out. They were hastily picked up by the Bailie, who had a natural respect for everything resembling a deed, and, glancing slyly on their titles, his eyes, or rather spectacles, are greeted with "Protection by his Royal Highness to the person of Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine, Esq., of that ilk, commonly called Baron of Bradwardine, forfeited for his accession to the late rebellion." The other proves to be a protection of the same tenor in favor of Edward Waverley, Esq. Colonel Talbot's letter was in these words:

"MY DEAR EDWARD,

"I am just arrived here, and yet I have finished my business; it has cost me some trouble though, as you shall hear. I waited upon his Royal Highness immediately on my arrival, and found him in no very good humor for my purpose. Three or four Scotch gentlemen were just leaving his levee. After he had expressed himself to me very courteously; 'Would you think it,' he said, 'Talbot, here have been half a dozen of the most respectable gentlemen and best friends to government north of the Forth, Major Melville of Cairnvreckan, Rubrick of Duchran, and others, who have fairly wrung from me, by their downright importunity, a present protection and the promise of a future pardon for that stubborn old rebel whom they call Baron of Bradwardine. They allege that his high personal character, and the clemency which he showed to

such of our people as fell into the rebels' hands, should weigh
in his favor, especially as the loss of his estate is likely to be
a severe enough punishment. Rubrick has undertaken to
keep him at his own house till things are settled in the coun-
try; but it's a little hard to be forced in a manner to pardon
such a mortal enemy to the House of Brunswick.' This was
no favorable moment for opening my business; however, I
said I was rejoiced to learn that his Royal Highness was in the
course of granting such requests, as it emboldened me to
present one of the like nature in my own name.
He was very
angry, but I persisted; I mentioned the uniform support of
our three votes in the house, touched modestly on services
abroad, though valuable only in his Royal Highness's having
been pleased kindly to accept them, and founded pretty
strongly on his own expressions of friendship and good-will.
He was embarrassed, but obstinate. I hinted the policy of
detaching, on all future occasions, the heir of such a fortune
as your uncle's from the machinations of the disaffected. But
I made no impression. I mentioned the obligations which I
lay under to Sir Everard and to you personally, and claimed,
as the sole reward of my services, that he would be pleased to
afford me the means of evincing my gratitude. I perceived
that he still meditated a refusal, and, taking my commission
from my pocket, I said (as a last resource) that, as his Royal
Highness did not, under these pressing circumstances, think
me worthy of a favor which he had not scrupled to grant to
other gentlemen whose services I could hardly judge more im-
portant than my own, I must beg leave to deposit, with all
humility, my commission in his Royal Highness's hands, and
to retire from the service. He was not prepared for this; he
told me to take up my commission, said some handsome things
of my services, and granted my request. You are therefore
once more a free man, and I have promised for you that you
will be a good boy in future, and remember what you owe to
the lenity of government. Thus you see my prince can be as
generous as yours. I do not pretend, indeed, that he confers
a favor with all the foreign graces and compliments of your
Chevalier errant; but he has a plain English manner, and the
evident reluctance with which he grants your request indi-
cates the sacrifice which he makes of his own inclination to
your wishes. My friend, the adjutant-general, has procured
me a duplicate of the Baron's protection (the original being
in Major Melville's possession), which I send to you, as I know
that if you can find him you will have pleasure in being the
first to communicate the joyful intelligence. He will of course