首页 >出版文学> WAVERLEY>第35章

第35章

  Thenextday,whenhisgoodoldhostappeared,Edwardlearnedthathisfriendhaddepartedwiththedawn,leavingnoneofhisfollowersexceptCallumBeg,thesortoffoot-pagewhousedtoattendhisperson,andwhohaditnowinchargetowaituponWaverley。Onaskinghishost,ifheknewwheretheChieftainwasgone,theoldmanlookedfixedlyathim,withsomethingmysteriousandsadinthesmilewhichwashisonlyreply。Waverleyrepeatedhisquestion,towhichhishostansweredinaproverb,-
  Whatsentthemessengerstohell,Wasaskingwhattheyknewfullwell。
  CorrespondingtotheLowlandsaying,Monyanespeirsthegatetheykenfu’weel。’’
  Hewasabouttoproceed,butCallumBegsaidratherpertly,asEdwardthought,thatTaTighearnach_i。e。,_theChiefdidnotliketaSassenaghDuinh-wasseltobepingledwi’micklespeaking,asshewasnatatweel。’’FromthisWaverleyconcludedheshoulddisobligehisfriendbyinquiringofastrangertheobjectofajourneywhichhehimselfhadnotcommunicated。
  Itisunnecessarytotracetheprogressofourhero’srecovery。
  Thesixthmorninghadarrived,andhewasabletowalkaboutwithastaff,whenFergusreturnedwithaboutascoreofhismen。Heseemedinthehighestspirits,congratulatedWaverleyonhisprogresstowardsrecovery,andfindinghewasabletositonhorseback,proposedtheirimmediatereturntoGlennaquoich。
  Waverleyjoyfullyacceded,fortheformofhisfairmistresshadlivedinhisdreamsduringallthetimeofhisconfinement。
  Nowhehasriddeno’ermoorandmoss,O’erhillandmanyaglen,Fergus,allthewhile,withhismyrmidons,stridingstoutlybyhisside,ordivergingtogetashotataroeoraheathcock。
  Waverley’sbosombeatthickwhentheyapproachedtheoldtowerofIannanChaistel,andcoulddistinguishthefairformofitsmistressadvancingtomeetthem。
  Fergusbeganimmediately,withhisusualhighspirits,toexclaim,Openyourgates,incomparableprincess,tothewoundedMoorAbindarez,whomRodrigodoNarvez,constableofAntiquera,conveystoyourcastle;oropenthem,ifyoulikeitbetter,totherenownedMarquisofMantua,thesadattendantofhishalf-slainfriend,BaldovinosoftheMountain-Ah,longresttothysoul,Cervantes!withoutquotingthyremnants,howshouldIframemylanguagetobefitromanticears!’’
  SeeDonQuixote。
  Floranowadvanced,andwelcomingWaverleywithmuchkindness,expressedherregretforhisaccident,ofwhichshehadalreadyheardtheparticulars,andhersurprisethatherbrothershouldnothavetakenbettercaretoputastrangeronhisguardagainsttheperilsofthesportinwhichheengagedhim。
  EdwardeasilyexculpatedtheChieftain,who,indeed,athisownpersonalrisk,hadprobablysavedhislife。
  Thisgreetingover,FergussaidthreeorfourwordstohissisterinGaelic。Thetearsinstantlysprungtohereyes,buttheyseemedtobetearsofdevotionandjoy,forshelookeduptoHeaven,andfoldedherhandsasinasolemnexpressionofprayerorgratitude。Afterthepauseofaminute,shepresentedtoEdwardsomeletterswhichhadbeenforwardedfromTully-Veolanduringhisabsence,and,atthesametime,deliveredsometoherbrother。Tothelattershelikewisegavethreeorfournumbersofthe_CaledonianMercury,_theonlynewspaperwhichwasthenpublishedtothenorthoftheTweed。
  Bothgentlemenretiredtoexaminetheirdespatches,andEdwardspeedilyfoundthatthosewhichhehadreceivedcontainedmattersofverydeepinterest。
  TheletterswhichWaverleyhadhithertoreceivedfromhisrelationsinEngland,werenotsuchasrequiredanyparticularnoticeinthisnarrative。Hisfatherusuallywrotetohimwiththepompousaffectationofonewhowastoomuchoppressedbypublicaffairstofindleisuretoattendtothoseofhisownfamily。
  NowandthenhementionedpersonsofrankinScotlandtowhomhewishedhissonshouldpaysomeattention;butWaverley,hithertooccupiedbytheamusementswhichhehadfoundatTully-VeolanandGlennaquoich,dispensedwithpayinganyattentiontohintssocoldlythrownout,especiallyasdistance,shortnessofleaveofabsence,andsoforth,furnishedareadyapology。ButlatterlytheburdenofMr。RichardWaverley’spaternalepistlesconsistedincertainmysterioushintsofgreatnessandinfluencewhichhewasspeedilytoattain,andwhichwouldensurehisson’sobtainingthemostrapidpromotion,shouldheremaininthemilitaryservice。SirEverard’sletterswereofadifferenttenor。Theywereshort;forthegoodBaronetwasnoneofyourillimitablecorrespondents,whosemanuscriptoverflowsthefoldsoftheirlargepostpaper,andleavesnoroomfortheseal;buttheywerekindandaffectionate,andseldomconcludedwithoutsomeallusiontoourhero’sstud,somequestionaboutthestateofhispurse,andaspecialinquiryaftersuchofhisrecruitsashadprecededhimfromWaverley-Honour。
  AuntRachelchargedhimtorememberhisprinciplesofreligion,totakecareofhishealth,tobewareofScotchmists,which,shehadheard,wouldwetanEnglishmanthroughandthrough;nevertogooutatnightwithouthisgreat-coat;and,aboveall,towearflannelnexttohisskin。
  Mr。Pembrokeonlywrotetoourherooneletter,butitwasofthebulkofsixepistlesofthesedegeneratedays,containing,inthemoderatecompassoftenfoliopages,closelywritten,aprcisofasupplementaryquartomanuscriptof_addenda,delenda,etcorrigenda,_inreferencetothetwotractswithwhichhehadpresentedWaverley。ThisheconsideredasameresopinthepantostaytheappetiteofEdward’scuriosity,untilheshouldfindanopportunityofsendingdownthevolumeitself,whichwasmuchtooheavyforthepost,andwhichheproposedtoaccompanywithcertaininterestingpamphlets,latelypublishedbyhisfriendinLittleBritain,withwhomhehadkeptupasortofliterarycorrespondence,invirtueofwhichthelibraryshelvesofWaverley-Honourwereloadedwithmuchtrash,andagoodroundbill,seldomsummedinfewerthanthreefigures,wasyearlytransmitted,inwhichSirEverardWaverley,ofWaverley-Honour,Bart。wasmarkedDr。toJonathanGrubbet,booksellerandstationer,LittleBritain。
  SuchhadhithertobeenthestyleoftheletterswhichEdwardhadreceivedfromEngland;butthepacketdeliveredtohimatGlennaquoichwasofadifferentandmoreinterestingcomplexion。
  Itwouldbeimpossibleforthereader,evenwereItoinsertthelettersatfulllength,tocomprehendtherealcauseoftheirbeingwritten,withoutaglanceintotheinterioroftheBritishCabinetattheperiodinquestion。
  TheMinistersofthedayhappenednoverysingularevent
  tobedividedintotwoparties;theweakestofwhich,makingupbyassiduityofintriguetheirinferiorityinrealconsequence,hadoflateacquiredsomenewproselytes,andwiththemthehopeofsupersedingtheirrivalsinthefavouroftheirsovereign,andoverpoweringthemintheHouseofCommons。Amongstothers,theyhadthoughtitworthwhiletopractiseuponRichardWaverley。Thishonestgentleman,byagravemysteriousdemeanour,anattentiontotheetiquetteofbusiness,rathermorethantoitsessence,afacilityinmakinglongdullspeeches,consistingoftruismsandcommon-places,hashedupwithatechnicaljargonofoffice,whichpreventedtheinanityofhisorationsfrombeingdiscovered,hadacquiredacertainnameandcreditinpubliclife,andevenestablished,withmany,thecharacterofaprofoundpolitician;noneofyourshiningorators,indeed,whosetalentsevaporateintropesofrhetoricandflashesofwit,butonepossessedofsteadypartsforbusiness,whichwouldwearwell,astheladiessayinchoosingtheirsilks,andoughtinallreasontobegoodforcommonandevery-dayuse,sincetheywereconfessedlyformedofnoholidaytexture。
  Thisfaithhadbecomesogeneral,thattheinsurgentpartyintheCabinetofwhichwehavemademention,aftersoundingMr。RichardWaverley,weresosatisfiedwithhissentimentsandabilities,astopropose,that,incaseofacertainrevolutionintheministry,heshouldtakeanostensibleplaceintheneworderofthings,notindeedoftheveryfirstrank,butgreatlyhigher,inpointbothofemolumentandinfluence,thanthatwhichhenowenjoyed。Therewasnoresistingsotemptingaproposal,notwithstandingthattheGreatMan,underwhosepatronagehehadenlisted,andbywhosebannerhehadhithertostoodfirm,wastheprincipalobjectoftheproposedattackbythenewallies。Unfortunatelythisfairschemeofambitionwasblightedintheverybud,byaprematuremovement。Alltheofficialgentlemenconcernedinit,whohesitatedtotakethepartofavoluntaryresignation,wereinformedthatthekinghadnofurtheroccasionfortheirservices;and,inRichardWaverley’scase,whichtheMinisterconsideredasaggravatedbyingratitude,dismissalwasaccompaniedbysomethinglikepersonalcontemptandcontumely。Thepublic,andeventhepartyofwhomhesharedthefall,sympathizedlittleinthedisappointmentofthisselfishandinterestedstatesman;andheretiredtothecountryunderthecomfortablereflection,thathehadlost,atthesametime,character,credit,and,-whatheatleastequallydeplored,-emolument。
  RichardWaverley’slettertohissonuponthisoccasionwasamasterpieceofitskind。Aristideshimselfcouldnothavemadeoutahardercase。Anunjustmonarch,andanungratefulcountry,weretheburdenofeachroundedparagraph。Hespokeoflongservices,andunrequitedsacrifices;thoughtheformerhadbeenoverpaidbyhissalary,andnobodycouldguessinwhatthelatterconsisted,unlessitwereinhisdeserting,notfromconviction,butforthelucreofgain,theToryprinciplesofhisfamily。Intheconclusion,hisresentmentwaswroughttosuchanexcessbytheforceofhisownoratory,thathecouldnotrepresssomethreatsofvengeance,howevervagueandimpotent,andfinallyacquaintedhissonwithhispleasurethatheshouldtestifyhissenseoftheill-treatmenthehadsustained,bythrowinguphiscommissionassoonastheletterreachedhim。This,hesaid,wasalsohisuncle’sdesire,ashewouldhimselfintimateinduecourse。
  Accordingly,thenextletterwhichEdwardopenedwasfromSirEverard。Hisbrother’sdisgraceseemedtohaveremovedfromhiswell-naturedbosomallrecollectionoftheirdifferences,and,remoteashewasfromeverymeansoflearning,thatRichard’sdisgracewasinrealityonlythejust,aswellasnaturalconsequence,ofhisownunsuccessfulintrigues,thegood,butcredulousBaronet,atoncesetitdownasanewandenormousinstanceoftheinjusticeoftheexistingGovernment。Itwastrue,hesaid,andhemustnotdisguiseitevenfromEdward,thathisfathercouldnothavesustainedsuchaninsultaswasnow,forthefirsttime,offeredtooneofhishouse,unlesshehadsubjectedhimselftoitbyacceptingofanemploymentunderthepresentsystem。SirEverardhadnodoubtthathenowbothsawandfeltthemagnitudeofthiserror,anditshouldbehisSirEverard’sbusiness,totakecarethatthecauseofhisregretshouldnotextenditselftopecuniaryconsequences。
  ItwasenoughforaWaverleytohavesustainedthepublicdisgrace;thepatrimonialinjurycouldeasilybeobviatedbytheheadoftheirfamily。ButitwasboththeopinionofMr。RichardWaverleyandhisown,thatEdward,therepresentativeofthefamilyofWaverley-Honour,shouldnotremaininasituationwhichsubjectedhimalsotosuchtreatmentasthatwithwhichhisfatherhadbeenstigmatized。Herequestedhisnephewthereforetotakethefittest,and,atthesametime,themostspeedyopportunity,oftransmittinghisresignationtotheWar-Office,andhinted,moreover,thatlittleceremonywasnecessarywheresolittlehadbeenusedtohisfather。HesentmultitudinousgreetingstotheBaronofBradwardine。
  AletterfromAuntRachelspokeoutevenmoreplainly。SheconsideredthedisgraceofbrotherRichardasthejustrewardofhisforfeitinghisallegiancetoalawful,thoughexiledsovereign,andtakingtheoathstoanalien;aconcessionwhichhergrandfather,SirNigelWaverley,refusedtomake,eithertotheRoundheadParliamentortoCromwell,whenhislifeandfortunestoodintheutmostextremity。ShehopedherdearEdwardwouldfollowthefootstepsofhisancestors,andasspeedilyaspossiblegetridofthebadgeofservitudetotheusurpingfamily,andregardthewrongssustainedbyhisfatherasanadmonitionfromHeaven,thateverydesertionofthelineofloyaltybecomesitsownpunishment。ShealsoconcludedwithherrespectstoMr。Bradwardine,andbeggedWaverleywouldinformherwhetherhisdaughter,MissRose,wasoldenoughtowearapairofveryhandsomeear-rings,whichsheproposedtosendasatokenofheraffection。ThegoodladyalsodesiredtobeinformedwhetherMr。BradwardinetookasmuchScotchsnuff,anddancedasunweariedly,ashedidwhenhewasatWaverley-Honouraboutthirtyyearsago。