首页 >出版文学> WAVERLEY>第50章

第50章

  wadneverhelpmetomysillerforsendingoutnaigsagainsttheGovernment,why,conscience!sir,Ithoughtmybestchanceforpaymentwase’ento_gaeout_mysell;andyemayTo_goout,_or_tohavebeenout,_inScotland,wasaconventionalphrasesimilartothatoftheIrishrespectingamanhavingbeen_up,_bothhavingreferencetoanindividualwhohadbeenengagedininsurrection。Itwasaccountedill-breedinginScotland,aboutfortyyearssince,tousethephrase_rebellion_or_rebel,_whichmightbeinterpretedbysomeofthepartiespresentasapersonalinsult。ItwasalsoesteemedmorepoliteevenforstaunchWhigstodenominateCharlesEdwardtheChevalier,thantospeakofhimasthePretender;andthiskindofaccommodatingcourtesywasusuallyobservedinsocietywhereindividualsofeachpartymixedonfriendlyterms。
  judge,sir,asIhaedealta’mylifeinhalters,Ithinknamickleo’puttingmycraiginperilofaSt。Johnstone’stippet。’’
  _St。Johnstone’sTippet,_literallya_halter。_PerthwasformerlyknownasSt。John’sTown,fromthenameoftheTutelarySaint。InanoldpoembyH。Adamson,1638,thereoccurstheproverbialsaying-
  Andincontempt,whenanyroguetheysee,Theysay,SaintJohnstone’sribbon’smeetforthee。’’
  ThisProverb,saystheeditorofAdamsonin1774,iswellunderstoodinPerthandthroughtheshire。Itisappliedtopeoplewhodeservetobehanged。
  Youarenot,then,byprofessionasoldier?’’saidWaverley。
  Na,na;thankGod,’’answeredthisdoughtypartisan,I
  wasnabredatsaeshortatether;Iwasbroughtuptohackandmanger。Iwasbredahorse-couper,sir;andifImightlivetoseeyouatWhitson-tryst,oratStagshawbank,orthewinterfairatHawick,andyewantedaspankerthatwouldleadthefield,I’sebecautionIwouldserveyeeasy;forJamieJinkerwasne’ertheladtoimposeuponagentleman。Ye’reagentleman,sir,andshouldkenahorse’spoints;yeseethatthroughgaugingthingthatBalmawhapple’son;Iselledher’tillhim。
  ShewasbredoutofLick-the-Ladle,thatwantheking’splateatCaverton-Edge,byDukeHamilton’sWhite-foot,’’etc。etc。etc。
  ButasJinkerwasenteredfullsailuponthepedigreeofBalmawhapple’smare,havingalreadygotasfarasgreat-grand-sireandgreat-grand-dam,andwhileWaverleywaswatchingforanopportunitytoobtainfromhimintelligenceofmoreinterest,thenoblecaptaincheckedhishorseuntiltheycameup,andthen,withoutdirectlyappearingtonoticeEdward,saidsternlytothegenealogist,Ithought,lieutenant,myorderswerepreceese,thatnooneshouldspeaktotheprisoner?’’
  Themetamorphosedhorse-dealerwassilencedofcourse,andslunktotherear,whereheconsoledhimselfbyenteringintoavehementdisputeuponthepriceofhaywithafarmer,whohadreluctantlyfollowedhislairdtothefield,ratherthangiveuphisfarm,whereoftheleasehadjustexpired。Waverleywasthereforeoncemoreconsignedtosilence,foreseeingthatfurtherattemptsatconversationwithanyofthepartywouldonlygiveBalmawhappleawished-foropportunitytodisplaytheinsolenceofauthority,andthesulkyspiteofatempernaturallydogged,andrenderedmoresobyhabitsoflowindulgenceandtheincenseofservileadulation。
  Inabouttwohours’time,thepartywereneartheCastleofStirling,overwhosebattlementstheunionflagwasbrightenedasitwavedintheeveningsun。Toshortenhisjourney,orperhapstodisplayhisimportance,andinsulttheEnglishgarrison,Balmawhapple,incliningtotheright,tookhisroutethroughtheroyalparkwhichreachestoandsurroundstherockuponwhichthefortressissituated。
  Withamindmoreatease,Waverleycouldnothavefailedtoadmirethemixtureofromanceandbeautywhichrendersinterestingthescenethroughwhichhewasnowpassingthefieldwhichhadbeenthesceneofthetournamentsofold-therockfromwhichtheladiesbeheldthecontest,whileeachmadevowsforthesuccessofsomefavouriteknight-thetowersoftheGothicchurch,wherethesevowsmightbepaid-and,surmountingall,thefortressitself,atonceacastleandpalace,wherevalourreceivedtheprizefromroyalty,andknightsanddamesclosedtheeveningamidtherevelryofthedance,thesong,andthefeast。Allthesewereobjectsfittedtoarouseandinterestaromanticimagination。
  ButWaverleyhadotherobjectsofmeditation,andanincidentsoonoccurredofanaturetodisturbmeditationofanykind。Balmawhapple,intheprideofhisheart,ashewheeledhislittlebodyofcavalryroundthebaseofthecastle,commandedhistrumpettosoundaflourish,andhisstandardtobedisplayed。Thisinsultproducedapparentlysomesensation;
  forwhenthecavalcadewasatsuchdistancefromthesouthernbatteryastoadmitofagunbeingdepressedsoastobearuponthem,aflashoffireissuedfromoneoftheembrasuresupontherock;anderethereportwithwhichitwasattendedcouldbeheard,therushingsoundofacannon-ballpassedoverBalmawhapple’shead,andthebullet,buryingitselfinthegroundatafewyards’distance,coveredhimwiththeearthwhichitdroveup。Therewasnoneedtobidthepartytrudge。Infact,everyman,actingupontheimpulseofthemoment,soonbroughtMr。Jinker’ssteedstoshowtheirmettle,andthecavaliers,retreatingwithmorespeedthanregularity,nevertooktoatrot,asthelieutenantafterwardsobserved,untilaninterveningeminencehadsecuredthemfromanyrepetitionofsoundesirableacomplimentonthepartofStirlingCastle。ImustdoBalmawhapple,however,thejusticetosay,thathenotonlykepttherearofhistroop,andlabouredtomaintainsomeorderamongthem,but,intheheightofhisgallantry,answeredthefireofthecastlebydischargingoneofhishorse-pistolsatthebattlements;
  although,thedistancebeingnearlyhalf-a-mile,Icouldneverlearnthatthismeasureofretaliationwasattendedwithanyparticulareffect。
  ThetravellersnowpassedthememorablefieldofBannockburn,andreachedtheTorwood-aplacegloriousorterribletotherecollectionsoftheScottishpeasant,asthefeatsofWallace,orthecrueltiesofWudeWillieGrime,predominateinhisrecollection。AtFalkirk,atownformerlyfamousinScottishhistory,andsoontobeagaindistinguishedasthesceneofmilitaryeventsofimportance,Balmawhappleproposedtohaltandreposefortheevening。Thiswasperformedwithverylittleregardtomilitarydiscipline,hisworthyquarter-masterbeingchieflysolicitoustodiscoverwherethebestbrandymightbecomeat。Sentinelsweredeemedunnecessary,andtheonlyvigilsperformedwerethoseofsuchofthepartyascouldprocureliquor。Afewresolutemenmighteasilyhavecutoffthedetachment;butoftheinhabitantssomewerefavourable,manyindifferent,andtherestoverawed。Sonothingmemorableoccurredinthecourseoftheevening,exceptthatWaverley’srestwassorelyinterruptedbytherevellershallooingforththeirJacobitesongswithoutremorseormitigationofvoice。
  Earlyinthemorningtheywereagainmounted,andontheroadtoEdinburgh,thoughthepallidvisagesofsomeofthetroopbetrayedthattheyhadspentanightofsleeplessdebauchery。TheyhaltedatLinlithgow,distinguishedbyitsancientpalace,which,SixtyYearssince,wasentireandhabitable,andwhosevenerableruins,_notquiteSixtyYearssince,_
  verynarrowlyescapedtheunworthyfateofbeingconvertedintoabarrackforFrenchprisoners。Mayreposeandblessingsattendtheashesofthepatrioticstatesmanwho,amongsthisLordPresidentBlair。
  lastservicestoScotland,interposedtopreventthisprofanation!
  AstheyapproachedthemetropolisofScotland,throughachampaignandcultivatedcountry,thesoundsofwarbegantobeheard。Thedistant,yetdistinctreportofheavycannon,firedatintervals,apprizedWaverleythattheworkofdestructionwasgoingforward。EvenBalmawhappleseemedmovedtotakesomeprecautions,bysendinganadvancedpartyinfrontofhistroop,keepingthemainbodyintolerableorder,andmovingsteadilyforward。
  Marchinginthismannertheyspeedilyreachedaneminence,fromwhichtheycouldviewEdinburghstretchingalongtheridgyhillwhichslopeseastwardfromtheCastle。Thelatter,beinginastateofsiege,orratherofblockade,bythenortherninsurgents,whohadalreadyoccupiedthetownfortwoorthreedays,firedatintervalsuponsuchpartiesofHighlandersasexposedthemselves,eitheronthemainstreet,orelsewhereinthevicinityofthefortress。Themorningbeingcalmandfair,theeffectofthisdroppingfirewastoinvesttheCastleinwreathsofsmoke,theedgesofwhichdissipatedslowlyintheair,whilethecentralveilwasdarkenedeverandanonbyfreshcloudspouredforthfromthebattlements;thewholegiving,bythepartialconcealment,anappearanceofgrandeurandgloom,renderedmoreterrificwhenWaverleyreflectedonthecausebywhichitwasproduced,andthateachexplosionmightringsomebraveman’sknell。
  Eretheyapproachedthecity,thepartialcannonadehadwhollyceased。Balmawhapple,however,havinginhisrecollectiontheunfriendlygreetingwhichhistroophadreceivedfromthebatteryofStirling,hadapparentlynowishtotempttheforbearanceoftheartilleryoftheCastle。Hethereforeleftthedirectroad,andsweepingconsiderablytothesouthward,soastokeepoutoftherangeofthecannon,approachedtheancientpalaceofHolyrood,withouthavingenteredthewallsofthecity。Hethendrewuphismeninfrontofthatvenerablepile,anddeliveredWaverleytothecustodyofaguardofHighlanders,whoseofficerconductedhimintotheinteriorofthebuilding。
  Along,low,andill-proportionedgallery,hungwithpictures,affirmedtobetheportraitsofkings,who,iftheyeverflourishedatall,livedseveralhundredyearsbeforetheinventionofpaintinginoilcolours,servedasasortofguard-chamber,orvestibule,totheapartmentswhichtheadventurousCharlesEdwardnowoccupiedinthepalaceofhisancestors。Officers,bothintheHighlandandLowlandgarb,passedandrepassedinhaste,orloiteredinthehall,asifwaitingfororders。Secretarieswereengagedinmakingoutpasses,musters,andreturns。
  Allseemedbusy,andearnestlyintentuponsomethingofimportance;
  butWaverleywassufferedtoremainseatedintherecessofawindowunnoticedbyanyone,inanxiousreflectionuponthecrisisofhisfate,whichseemednowrapidlyapproaching。
  Whilehewasdeepsunkinhisreverie,therustleoftartanswasheardbehindhim,afriendlyarmclaspedhisshoulders,andafriendlyvoiceexclaimed,SaidtheHighlandprophetsooth?-ormustsecond-sightgofornothing?’’
  Waverleyturned,andwaswarmlyembracedbyFergusMac-Ivor。
  AthousandwelcomestoHolyrood,oncemorepossessedbyherlegitimatesovereign!DidInotsayweshouldprosper,andthatyouwouldfallintothehandsofthePhilistinesifyoupartedfromus?’’
  DearFergus!’’saidWaverley,eagerlyreturninghisgreeting,itislongsinceIhaveheardafriend’svoice。WhereisFlora?’’
  Safe,andatriumphantspectatorofoursuccess。’’
  Inthisplace?’’saidWaverley。
  Ay,inthiscityatleast,’’answeredhisfriend,andyoushallseeher;butfirstyoumustmeetafriendwhomyoulittlethinkof,whohasbeenfrequentinhisinquiriesafteryou。’’
  Thussaying,hedraggedWaverleybythearmoutoftheguard-chamber,and,ereheknewwherehewasconducted,Edwardfoundhimselfinapresence-room,fittedupwithsomeattemptatroyalstate。
  Ayoungman,wearinghisownfairhair,distinguishedbythedignityofhismienandthenobleexpressionofhiswell-formedandregularfeatures,advancedoutofacircleofmilitarygentlemenandHighlandChiefs,bywhomhewassurrounded。
  InhiseasyandgracefulmannersWaverleyafterwardsthoughthecouldhavediscoveredhishighbirthandrank,althoughthestaronhisbreast,andtheembroideredgarterathisknee,hadnotappearedasitsindications。
  LetmepresenttoyourRoyalHighness,’’saidFergus,bowingprofoundly
  ThedescendantofoneofthemostancientandloyalfamiliesinEngland,’’saidtheyoungChevalier,interruptinghim。I
  begyourpardonforinterruptingyou,mydearMac-Ivor;butnomasterofceremoniesisnecessarytopresentaWaverleytoaStuart。’’
  Thussaying,heextendedhishandtoEdwardwiththeutmostcourtesy,whocouldnot,hadhedesiredit,haveavoidedrenderinghimthehomagewhichseemedduetohisrank,andwascertainlytherightofhisbirth。Iamsorrytounderstand,Mr。Waverley,that,owingtocircumstanceswhichhavebeenasyetbutillexplained,youhavesufferedsomerestraintamongmyfollowersinPerthshire,andonyourmarchhere;
  butweareinsuchasituationthatwehardlyknowourfriends,andIamevenatthismomentuncertainwhetherIcanhavethepleasureofconsideringMr。Waverleyasamongmine。’’