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Here lifting up his eyes, which had hitherto been fixed in observing how his feet kept time to the tune, he beheld Waverley, and instantly doffed his cap, with many grotesque signals of surprise, respect, and salutation. Edward, though with little hope of receiving an answer to any constant question, requested to know whether Mr Bradwardine were at home, or where he could find any of the domestics. The questioned party replied, and, like the witch of Thalaba, «still his speech was song,»

The Knight's to the mountain

His bugle to wind;

The Lady's to greenwood

Her garland to bind.
The bower of Burd Ellen

Has moss on the floor,

That the step of Lord William

Be silent and sure.

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This conveyed no information, and Edward, repeating his queries, received a rapid answer, in which, from the haste and the peculiarity of the dialect, the word « butler» was alone intelligible. Waverley then requested to see the butler; upon which the fellow, with a knowing look and nod of intelligence, made a signal to Edward to follow, and began to dance and caper down the alley up which he had made his approaches. « A strange guide this,» thought Edward, « and not much unlike one of Shakspeare's roynish clowns. I am not

over prudent to trust to his pilotage; but wiser men have been led by fools.» By this time he reached the bottom of the alley, where, turning short on a little parterre of flowers, shrouded from the east and north by a close yew hedge, he found an old man at work without his coat, whose appearance hovered between that of an upper servant and gardener; his red nose and ruffled shirt belonging to the former profession, his hale and sunburnt visage, with his green apron, appearing to indicate

Old Adam's likeness, set to dress this garden.

The major domo, for such he was, and indisputably the second officer of state in the barony (nay, as chief minister of the interior, superior eve to Baillie Macwheeble, in his own department of the kitchen and cellar)the major domo laid down his spade, slipped on his coat in haste, and, with a wrathful look at Edward's guide, probably excited by his having introduced a stranger while he was engaged in this laborious, and, as he might suppose it, degrading office, requested to know the gentleman's commands. Being informed that he wished to pay his respects to his master, that his iame was Waverley, and so forth, the old man's countenance assumed a great deal of respectful importance. « He could take it upon his conscience to say, his honour

would have exceeding pleasure in seeing him. Would not Mr Waverley chuse some refreshment after his journey? His honour was with the folk who were getting doon the dark hag; the two gardener lads (an emphasis on the word two) had been ordered to attend him; and he had been just amusing himself in the mean time with dressing Miss Rose's flowerbed, that he might be near to receive his honour's orders, if need were: he was very fond of a garden, but had little time for such divertisements.» — «He canna get it wrought in abune twa days in the week, at no rate whatever," said Edward's fantastic conductor. A grim look from the butler chastised his interference, and he commanded him, by the name of Davie Gellatley, in a tone which admitted no discussion, to look for his honour at the dark hag, and tell him there was a gentleman from the south had arrived at the Ha'. this poor fellow deliver a letter?» asked Edward. « With all fidelity, sir, to any one whom he respects. I would hardly trust him with a long message by word of mouth—though he is more knave than fool.»

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Waverley delivered his credentials to Mr Gellatley, who seemed to confirm the butler's last observation, by twisting his features at him, when he was looking another way, into the resemblance of the grotesque face on the bole of a German tobacco-pipe; after which. with an

odd congé to Waverley, he danced off to discharge his errand. « He is an innocent, sir," said the butler; « there is one such in almost every town in the country, but ours is brought far ben. He used to work a day's turn weel eneugh; but he helped Miss Rose when she was flemit with the Laird of Killancureit's new English bull, and since that time we ca' him Davie Do-little; indeed we might ca' him Davie Do-nothing, for since he got that gay clothing, to please his honour and my young mistress (great folks will have their fancies), he has done nothing but dance up and down about the toun, without doing a single turn, unless trimming the laird's fishing-wand or busking his flies, or may be catching a dish of trouts at an overtime. But here comes Miss Rose, who I take burden upon me for her, will be especial glad to see one of the house of Waverley at her father's mansion of Tully-Veolan.»

But Rose Bradwardine deserves better of her unworthy historian, than to be introduced at the end of a chapter.

In the mean while it may be noticed, that Waverley learned two things from this colloquy; that in Scotland a single house was called a town, and a natural fool an innocent.

CHAPTER X.

Rose Bradwardine and her Father.

MISS BRADWARDINE was but seventeen; yet, at the last races of the county town of— , upon her health being proposed among a round of beauties, the Laird of Bumperquaigh, permanent toast-master and croupier of the Bautherwhillery Club, not only said More to the pledge in a pint bumper of Bourdeaux, but, ere pouring forth the libation, denominated the divinity to whom it was dedicated, the « Rose of Tully-Veolan; » upon which festive occasion, three cheers were given by all the sitting members of that respectable society, whose throats the wine had left capable of such exertion. Nay, I am well assured, that the sleeping partners of the company snorted applause, and that although strong bumpers and weak brains had consigned two or three to the floor, yet even these, fallen as they were from their high estate, and weltering—I will carry the parody no further-uttered divers

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