Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — CompleteScott, Walter
History
Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Complete
Scott, Walter
Historical fiction; Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746 -- Fiction; Scotland -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction
Donald Bean Lean was the very reverse of all these. He was thin in
person and low in stature, with light sandy-coloured hair, and small
pale features, from which he derived his agnomen of BEAN or white; and
although his form was light, well proportioned and active, he appeared,
on the whole, rather a diminutive and insignificant figure. He had
served in some inferior capacity in the French army, and in order to
receive his English visitor in great form, and probably meaning, in his
way, to pay him a compliment, he had laid aside the Highland dress for
the time, to put on an old blue and red uniform and a feathered hat, in
which he was far from showing to advantage, and indeed looked so
incongruous, compared with all around him, that Waverley would have
been tempted to laugh, had laughter been either civil or safe. The
robber received Captain Waverley with a profusion of French politeness
and Scottish hospitality, seemed perfectly to know his name and
connections, and to be particularly acquainted with his uncle's
political principles. On these he bestowed great applause, to which
Waverley judged it prudent to make a very general reply.
Being placed at a convenient distance from the charcoal fire, the heat
of which the season rendered oppressive, a strapping Highland damsel
placed before Waverley, Evan, and Donald Bean three cogues, or wooden
vessels composed of staves and hoops, containing eanaruich, [Footnote:
This was the regale presented by Rob Roy to the Laird of Tullibody.] a
sort of strong soup, made out of a particular part of the inside of the
beeves. After this refreshment, which, though coarse, fatigue and
hunger rendered palatable, steaks, roasted on the coals, were supplied
in liberal abundance, and disappeared before Evan Dhu and their host
with a promptitude that seemed like magic, and astonished Waverley, who
was much puzzled to reconcile their voracity with what he had heard of
the abstemiousness of the Highlanders. He was ignorant that this
abstinence was with the lower ranks wholly compulsory, and that, like
some animals of prey, those who practise it were usually gifted with
the power of indemnifying themselves to good purpose when chance threw
plenty in their way. The whisky came forth in abundance to crown the
cheer. The Highlanders drank it copiously and undiluted; but Edward,
having mixed a little with water, did not find it so palatable as to
invite him to repeat the draught. Their host bewailed himself
exceedingly that he could offer him no wine: 'Had he but known
four-and-twenty hours before, he would have had some, had it been
within the circle of forty miles round him. But no gentleman could do
more to show his sense of the honour of a visit from another than to
offer him the best cheer his house afforded. Where there are no bushes
there can be no nuts, and the way of those you live with is that you
must follow,'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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