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"A prince to live and die under," was Waverley's enthusiastic answer.

" I knew you would think so when you saw him, and I intended you should have met earlier, but was prevented by your sprain. And yet he has his foibles, or, rather he has difficult cards to play, and his Irish officers, who are much about him, are but sor. ry advisers-they can not discriminate among the numerous pretensions that are set up. Would you think it-I have been obliged for the present to suppress an earl's patent, granted for services rendered ten years ago, for fear of exciting the jealousy, forsooth, of C and M. But you were very righ, Edward, to refuse the situation of aid-de-camp. There are two vacant, indeed, but Clanronald and Lochiel, and almost all of us, have requested one for young Aberhallader, and the Lowlanders and the Irish party are equally desirous to have the other for the Master of F-, Now, if either of these candidates were to be superseded in your favour, you would make enemies. And then I am surprised that the prince should have offered you a majority, when he knows very well that nothing short of lieutenant colonel will satisfy others, who can not bring one hundred and fifty men to the field. But patience, cousin, and shuffle the cards! It is all very well for the present, and we must have you properly equipped for the evening in your new costume: for, to say truth, your outward man is scarce fit for a court."

" Why my shooting jacket has seen service since we parted; but that probably, you know as well or better than I."

"You do my second sight too much honour. We were so busy, first with the scheme of giving battle to Cope, and afterwards with our operations in the Lowlands, that I could only give general directions to such of our people as were left in Perthshire, to respect and protect you, should you come in their way. But

let me hear the full story of your adventures, for they have reached us in a very partial and mutilated manner."

Waverley then detailed at length the circumstances with which the reader is already acquainted, to which Fergus listened with great attention. By this time they had reached the door of his quarters which he had taken up in a small paved court, retiring from the street, at the house of a buxom widow of forty, who seemed to smile very graciously upon the handsome young chief, being a person with whom good looks and good humour were sure to secure an interest, whatever might be the party's political opinions., Here Callum Beg received them with the smile of recognition. " Callum," said the chief, " call Shemus an Snaht," (James of the Needle.) This was the hereditary tailor of Vich Ian Vohr. " Shemus, Mr. Waverley is to wear the cath d'ath, (battle colour or tartan,) his trews must be ready in four hours. You know the measure of a well made man, two double nails to the small of the leg"

*"Eleven from haunch to heel, seven round the waist-I give your honour leave to hang Shemus, if there's a pair of sheers in the Highlands that has a baulder sneck than hers ain at the cumadh an truais," (shape of the trews.)

"Get a plaid of Mac-Ivor tartan, and sash," continued the chieftain, "and a blue bonnet of the prince's pattern, at Mr. Mouat's the haberdasher. My short green coat, with silver lace, will fit him exactly, and I have never worn it. Tell ensign Maccombich to pick out a handsome target from among mine. The prince has given Mr. Waverley a broadsword and pistols, I will furnish him with a dirk and purse; add but a pair of low heeled shoes, and then my dear Edward, (turning to him,) you will be a complete son of Ivor."

These necessary directions given, the chieftain resumed the subject of Waverley's adventures. "It is

plain," he said, "that you have been in the custody of Donald Bean Lean. You must know that when I marched away my clan to join the prince, I laid my injunctions on that worthy member of society to perform a certain piece of service, which done he was to join me with all the force he could muster. But instead of doing so, the gentleman finding the coast clear thought it better to make war on his own account, and has scoured the country, plundering I believe, both friend and foe, under the pretence of levying blackmail, sometimes as if by my authority, and sometimes (and be cursed to his consummate impudence) in his own great name. Upon my honour, if I live to see the cairn of Benmore again, I shall be tempted to hang that fellow. Now I recognise his hand particularly in the mode of your rescue from that canting rascal Gilfillan, and I have little doubt that Donald himself played the part of the pedlar on that occasion; but how he should not have plundered you or put you to ransom, or availed himself in some way or other of your captivity for his own advantage, passes my judgment."

"When and how did you hear of my confinement?" said Waverley."

"The prince himself told me," said Fergus, "and inquired very minutely into your history. He then mentioned your being at that moment in the power of one of our northern parties-you know I could not ask him to explain particulars-and requested my opinion about disposing of you. I recommended that you should be brought here as a prisoner, because I did not wish to prejudice you farther with the English government, in case you pursued your purpose of going southward. I knew nothing, you must recollect, of the charge brought against you of aiding and abetting high treason, which I presume has some share in changing your original plan. That sullen, good-fornothing brute, Balmawhapple, was sent to escort you from Doune, with what he calls his troop of horse.

As to his behaviour, in addition to his natural antipathy to every thing that resembles a gentleman, I presume his adventure with Bradwardine rankles in his recollection, the rather that I dare say his mode of telling that story contributed to the evil reports which reached your quondam regiment."

" Very likely," said Waverley; "but now, surely, my dear Fergus, you may find time to tell me something of Flora."

"Why, I can only tell you that she is well, and residing for the present with a relation in this city. I thought it better she should come here, as since our success a good many ladies of rank attend our military court; and I assure you, that there is a sort of consequence annexed to the relatives of such a person as Flora Mac-Ivor, and where there is such a justling of claims and requests, a man must use every fair means to enhance his importance."

There was something in this last sentence which grated on Waverley's feelings. He could not bear that Flora should be considered as conducing to her brother's preferment, by the admiration which she must unquestionably attract; and although it was in strict correspondence with many points of Fergus's character, it shocked him as selfish and unworthy of his sister's high mind and his own independent pride. Fergus, to whom such manœuvres were familiar, as to one brought up at the French court, did not observe the unfavourable impression which he had unwarily made upon his friend's mind, and concluded by saying, " that they would hardly see Flora before the evening, when she would be at the concert and ball, with which the prince's party were to be entertained. She and I had a quarrel about her not appearing to take leave of you. I am unwilling to renew it, by soliciting her to receive you this morning; and perhaps my doing so might not only be ineffectual, but prevent your meeting this evening."

While thus conversing, Waverley heard in the court, before the windows of the parlour, a wellknown voice. " I aver to you, my worthy friend," said the speaker, "that it is a total dereliction of military discipline; and were you not as it were a tyro, your purpose would deserve strong reprobation. For a prisoner of war is on no account to be coerced with fetters, or debinded in ergastulo, as would have been the case had you put this gentleman into the pit or peel-house at Balmawhapple. I grant indeed, that such a prisoner may for security be coerced in carcere, that is, in a public prison."

The growling voice of Balmawhapple was heard as taking leave in displeasure, but the word "landlouper" alone was distinctly audible. He had disappeared before Waverley reached the court, in order to greet the worthy baron. The uniform in which he was now attired seemed to have added fresh stiffness and rigidity to his tall, perpendicular figure: and the consciousness of military command and authority had increased, in the same proportion, the self-importance of his demeanour, and dogmatism of his conversation.

He received Waverley with his usual kindness, and expressed immediate anxiety to hear an explanation of the circumstances attending the loss of his commission in G's dragoons; "not" he said, "that he had the least apprehension of his young friend having done aught which could merit such ungenerous treatment as he had received from government, but because it was right and seemly that the Baron of Bradwardine should be, in point of trust, and in point of power, fully able to refute all calumnies against the heir of Waverley-Honour, whom he had so much right to regard as his own son."

Fergus Mac-Ivor, who had now joined them, went hastily over the circumstances of Waverley's story, and concluded with the flattering reception he had met from the young chevalier. The baron listened

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