Doeshealwaysresideinthatcave?’’
Out,no!it’spasttheskillofmantotellwherehe’stobefoundata’times;there’snotadern,nook,orcove,orcorri,inthewholecountry,thathe’snotacquaintedwith。’’
Anddoothersbesideyourmastershelterhim?’’
Mymaster?-_My_masterisinheaven,’’answeredEvanhaughtily;andthenimmediatelyassuminghisusualcivilityofmanner-ButyoumeanmyChief;-no,hedoesnotshelterDonaldBeanLean,noranythatarelikehim;heonlyallowshimwithasmilewoodandwater。’’
Nogreatboon,Ishouldthink,Evan,whenbothseemtobeveryplenty。’’
Ah!butyedinnaseethroughit。WhenIsaywoodandwater,Imeanthelochandtheland;andIfancyDonaldwouldbeputtill’tifthelairdweretolookforhimwi’threescoremeninthewoodofKailychatyonder;andifourboats,withascoreortwamair,weretocomedownthelochtoUaimhanRi,headedbymysell,oronyotherprettyman。’’
ButsupposeastrongpartycameagainsthimfromtheLowCountry,wouldnotyourChiefdefendhim?’’
Na,hewouldnotwarethesparkofaflintforhim-iftheycamewiththelaw。’’
AndwhatmustDonalddo,then?’’
Hebehovedtoridthiscountryofhimself,andfallback,itmaybe,overthemountuponLetterScriven。’’
Andifhewerepursuedtothatplace?’’
I’sewarranthewouldgotohiscousin’satRannoch。’’
Well,butiftheyfollowedhimtoRannoch?’’
That,’’quothEvan,isbeyondallbelief;and,indeed,totellyouthetruth,theredurstnotaLowlanderinallScotlandfollowthefrayagun-shotbeyondBally-Brough,unlesshehadthehelpofthe_SidierDhu。_’’
Whomdoyoucallso?’’
The_SidierDhu?_theblacksoldier;thatiswhattheycalltheindependentcompaniesthatwereraisedtokeeppeaceandlawintheHighlands。VichIanVohrcommandedoneofthemforfiveyears,andIwassergeantmyself,Ishallwarrantye。Theycallthem_SidierDhu,_becausetheywearthetartans-astheycallyourmen,KingGeorge’smen,_SidierRoy,_orredsoldiers。’’
Well,butwhenyouwereinKingGeorge’spay,Evan,youweresurelyKingGeorge’ssoldiers?’’
Troth,andyoumustaskVichIanVohraboutthat;forweareforhisking,andcarenotmuchwhichofthemitis。
Atanyrate,nobodycansayweareKingGeorge’smennow,whenwehavenotseenhispaythistwelvemonth。’’
Thislastargumentadmittedofnoreply,nordidEdwardattemptany;heratherchosetobringbackthediscoursetoDonaldBeanLean。DoesDonaldconfinehimselftocattle,ordoeshe_lift,_asyoucallit,anythingelsethatcomesinhisway?’’
Troth,he’snaenicebody,andhe’lljusttak’onything,butmostreadilycattle,horse,orliveChristians;forsheepareslowoftravel,andinsideplenishingiscumbroustocarry,andnoteasytoputawayforsillerinthiscountry。’’
Butdoeshecarryoffmenandwomen?’’
Out,ay。Didnotyehearhimspeako’thePerthbailie?
ItcostthatbodyfivehundredmerkserehegottothesouthofBally-Brough。AndanceDonaldplayedaprettysport。ThereNoteI。Caterans。
wastobeablythebridalbetweentheLadyCramfeezer,inthehoweo’theMearnsshewastheauldlaird’swidow,andnosaeyoungasshehadbeenherself,andyoungGilliewhackit,whohadspenthisheirshipandmoveables,likeagentleman,atcock-matches,bull-baitings,horse-races,andthelike。Now,DonaldBeanLeanbeingawarethatthebridegroomwasinrequest,andwantingtocleikthecunziethatis,tohookthesiller,hecannilycarriedoffGilliewhackitaenightwhenhewasriding_dovering_hamewi’themaltratherabunethemeal,andwiththehelpofhisgillieshegathimintothehillswiththespeedoflight,andthefirstplacehewakenedinwasthecoveofUaimhanRi。Sotherewasoldtodoaboutransomingthebridegroom;forDonaldwouldnotlowerafarthingofathousandpunds’’
Thedevil!’’
PundsScottish,yeshallunderstand。Andtheladyhadnotthesillerifshehadpawnedhergown;andtheyappliedtothegovernoro’StirlingCastle,andtothemajoro’theBlackWatch;andthegovernorsaid,itwasowerfartothenorthward,andoutofhisdistrict;andthemajorsaid,hismenwereganehametotheshearing,andhewouldnotcallthemoutbeforethevictualwasgotinforalltheCramfeezersinChristendom,letalanetheMearns,forthatitwouldprejudicethecountry。AndinthemeanwhileyellnohinderGilliewhackittotakethesmall-pox。TherewasnotthedoctorinPerthorStirlingwouldlooknearthepoorlad;andIcannotblamethem,forDonaldhadbeenmisguggledbyaneofthesedoctorsaboutParis,andhesworehewouldflingthefirstintothelochthathecatchedbeyondthePass。However,somecailliachsthatis,oldwomenthatwereaboutDonald’shand,nursedGilliewhackitsaeweel,thatbetweenthefreeopenairinthecoveandthefreshwhey,deilanhedidnotrecovermaybeasweelasifhehadbeenclosedinaglazedchamberandabedwithcurtains,andfedwithredwineandwhitemeat。AndDonaldwassaevexedaboutit,thatwhenhewasstoutandweel,heevensenthimfreehome,andsaidhewouldbepleasedwithonythingtheywouldliketogiehimfortheplagueandtroublewhich’hehadaboutGilliewhackittoanunkenn’ddegree。AndIcannottellyepreciselyhowtheysorted;buttheyagreedsaerightthatDonaldwasinvitedtodanceattheweddinginhisHighlandtrews,andtheysaidthattherewasneversaemicklesillerclinkedinhispurseeitherbeforeorsince。Andtothebootofallthat,Gilliewhackitsaid,that,betheevidencewhatitliked,ifhehadthelucktobeonDonald’sinquest,hewouldbringhiminguiltyofnothingwhatever,unlessitwerewilfularson,ormurderundertrust。’’
WithsuchbaldanddisjointedchatEvanwenton,illustratingtheexistingstateoftheHighlands,moreperhapstotheamusementofWaverleythanthatofourreaders。Atlength,afterhavingmarchedoverbankandbrae,mossandheather,Edward,thoughnotunacquaintedwiththeScottishliberalityincomputingdistance,begantothinkthatEvan’sfivemileswerenearlydoubled。HisobservationonthelargemeasurewhichtheScottishallowedoftheirland,incomparisontothecomputationoftheirmoney,wasreadilyansweredbyEvan,withthe,oldjest,Thedeiltakethemwhahavetheleastpintstoup。’’
TheScotchareliberalincomputingtheirlandandliquor;theScottishpintcorrespondstotwoEnglishquarts。Asfortheircoin,everyoneknowsthecouplet-
Howcantheroguespretendtosense?
Theirpoundisonlytwentypence。’’
Andnowthereportofagunwasheard,andasportsmanwasseen,withhisdogsandattendant,attheupperendoftheglen。Shough,’’saidDugaldMahony,tat’staChief。’’
Itisnot,’’saidEvanimperiously。DoyouthinkhewouldcometomeetaSassenachDuinh-wasselinsuchawayasthat?’’
Butastheyapproachedalittlenearer,hesaid,withanappearanceofmortification,Anditisevenhe,sureenough;
andhehasnothistailonafterall;-thereisnolivingcreaturewithhimbutCallumBeg。’’
Infact,FergusMac-Ivor,ofwhomaFrenchmanmighthavesaid,astrulyasofanymanintheHighlands,_Qu’ilconnoitbiensesgens,_’’hadnoideaofraisinghimselfintheeyesofanEnglishyoungmanoffortune,byappearingwitharetinueofidleHighlandersdisproportionedtotheoccasion。HewaswellawarethatsuchanunnecessaryattendancewouldseemtoEdwardratherludicrousthanrespectable;andwhilefewmenweremoreattachedtoideasofchieftainshipandfeudalpower,hewas,forthatveryreason,cautiousofexhibitingexternalmarksofdignity,unlessatthetimeandinthemannerwhentheyweremostlikelytoproduceanimposingeffect。Therefore,although,hadhebeentoreceiveabrotherchieftain,hewouldprobablyhavebeenattendedbyallthatretinuewhichEvandescribedwithsomuchunction,hejudgeditmorerespectabletoadvancetomeetWaverleywithasingleattendant,averyhandsomeHighlandboy,whocarriedhismaster’sshooting-pouchandhisbroadsword,withoutwhichheseldomwentabroad。
WhenFergusandWaverleymet,thelatterwasstruckwiththepeculiargraceanddignityoftheChieftain’sfigure。Abovethemiddlesize,andfinelyproportioned,theHighlanddress,whichheworeinitssimplestmode,setoffhispersontogreatadvantage。Heworethetrews,orclosetrowsers,madeoftartan,chequedscarletandwhite;inotherparticulars,hisdressstrictlyresembledEvan’s,exceptingthathehadnoweaponsaveadirk,veryrichlymountedwithsilver。Hispage,aswehavesaid,carriedhisclaymore;andthefowling-piece,whichheheldinhishand,seemedonlydesignedforsport。Hehadshotinthecourseofhiswalksomeyoungwild-ducks,as,thoughclose-timewasthenunknown,thebroodsofgrousewereyettooyoungforthesportsman。HiscountenancewasdecidedlyScottish,withallthepeculiaritiesofthenorthernphysiognomy,butyethadsolittleofitsharshnessandexaggeration,thatitwouldhavebeenpronouncedinanycountryextremelyhandsome。
Themartialairofthebonnet,withasingleeagle’sfeatherasadistinction,addedmuchtothemanlyappearanceofhishead,whichwasbesidesornamentedwithafarmorenaturalandgracefulclusterofcloseblackcurlsthaneverwereexposedtosaleinBondStreet。
Anairofopennessandaffabilityincreasedthefavourableimpressionderivedfromthishandsomeanddignifiedexterior。
Yetaskilfulphysiognomistwouldhavebeenlesssatisfiedwiththecountenanceonthesecondthanonthefirstview。Theeyebrowandupperlipbespokesomethingofthehabitofperemptorycommandanddecisivesuperiority。Evenhiscourtesy,thoughopen,frank,andunconstrained,seemedtoindicateasenseofpersonalimportance;and,uponanycheckoraccidentalexcitation,asudden,thoughtransient,louroftheeye,showedahasty,haughty,andvindictivetemper,notlesstobedreadedbecauseitseemedmuchunderitsowner’scommand。Inshort,thecountenanceoftheChieftainresembledasmilingsummer,day,inwhich,notwithstanding,wearemadesensiblebycertain,thoughslightsigns,thatitmaythunderandlightenbeforethecloseofevening。
Itwasnot,however,upontheirfirstmeetingthatEdwardhadanopportunityofmakingtheselessfavourableremarks。
TheChiefreceivedhimasafriendoftheBaronofBradwardine,withtheutmostexpressionofkindness,andobligationforthevisit;upbraidedhimgentlywithchoosingsorudeanabodeashehaddonethenightbefore;andenteredintoalivelyconversationwithhimaboutDonaldBean’shousekeeping,butwithouttheleasthintastohispredatoryhabits,ortheimmediateoccasionofWaverley’svisit,atopicwhich,astheChiefdidnotintroduceit,ourheroalsoavoided。WhiletheywalkedmerrilyontowardsthehouseofGlennaquoich,Evan,whonowfellrespectfullyintotherear,followedwithCallumBegandDugaldMahony。
WeshalltaketheopportunitytointroducethereadertosomeparticularsofFergusMac-Ivor’scharacterandhistory,whichwerenotcompletelyknowntoWaverleytillafteraconnection,which,thougharisingfromacircumstancesocasual,hadforalengthoftimethedeepestinfluenceuponhischaracter,actions,andprospects。Butthis,beinganimportantsubject,mustformthe
Theingeniouslicentiate,FranciscodeUbeda,whenhecommencedhishistoryofLaPicaraJustinaDiez,-which,bytheway,isoneofthemostrarebooksofSpanishliterature,-
complainedofhispenhavingcaughtupahair,andforthwithbegins,withmoreeloquencethancommonsense,anaffectionateexpostulationwiththatusefulimplement,upbraidingitwithbeingthequillofagoose,-abirdinconstantbynature,asfrequentingthethreeelementsofwater,earth,andair,indifferently,andbeing,ofcourse,toonethingconstantnever。’’
NowIprotesttothee,gentlereader,thatIentirelydissentfromFranciscodeUbedainthismatter,andholditthemostusefulqualityofmypen,thatitcanspeedilychangefromgravetogay,andfromdescriptionanddialoguetonarrativeandcharacter。Sothat,ifmyquilldisplaynootherpropertiesofitsmother-goosethanhermutability,trulyIshallbewellpleased;andIconceivethatyou,myworthyfriend,willhavenooccasionfordiscontent。Fromthejargon,therefore,oftheHighlandgillies,IpasstothecharacteroftheirChief。Itisanimportantexamination,andtherefore,likeDogberry,wemustsparenowisdom。
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