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
As the guests had left their horses at the small inn, or change-house,
as it was called, of the village, the Baron could not, in politeness,
avoid walking with them up the avenue, and Waverley from the same
motive, and to enjoy after this feverish revel the cool summer evening,
attended the party. But when they arrived at Luckie Macleary's the
Lairds of Balmawhapple and Killancureit declared their determination to
acknowledge their sense of the hospitality of Tully-Veolan by
partaking, with their entertainer and his guest Captain Waverley, what
they technically called deoch an doruis, a stirrup-cup, [Footnote 2:
See Note 10] to the honour of the Baron's roof-tree.
It must be noticed that the Bailie, knowing by experience that the
day's jovialty, which had been hitherto sustained at the expense of his
patron, might terminate partly at his own, had mounted his spavined
grey pony, and, between gaiety of heart and alarm for being hooked into
a reckoning, spurred him into a hobbling canter (a trot was out of the
question), and had already cleared the village. The others entered the
change-house, leading Edward in unresisting submission; for his
landlord whispered him, that to demur to such an overture would be
construed into a high misdemeanour against the leges conviviales, or
regulations of genial compotation. Widow Macleary seemed to have
expected this visit, as well she might, for it was the usual
consummation of merry bouts, not only at Tully-Veolan, but at most
other gentlemen's houses in Scotland, Sixty Years Since. The guests
thereby at once acquitted themselves of their burden of gratitude for
their entertainer's kindness, encouraged the trade of his change-house,
did honour to the place which afforded harbour to their horses, and
indemnified themselves for the previous restraints imposed by private
hospitality, by spending what Falstaff calls the sweet of the night in
the genial license of a tavern.
Accordingly, in full expectation of these distinguished guests, Luckie
Macleary had swept her house for the first time this fortnight,
tempered her turf-fire to such a heat as the season required in her
damp hovel even at Midsummer, set forth her deal table newly washed,
propped its lame foot with a fragment of turf, arranged four or five
stools of huge and clumsy form upon the sites which best suited the
inequalities of her clay floor; and having, moreover, put on her clean
toy, rokelay, and scarlet plaid, gravely awaited the arrival of the
company, in full hope of custom and profit. When they were seated under
the sooty rafters of Luckie Macleary's only apartment, thickly
tapestried with cobwebs, their hostess, who had already taken her cue
from the Laird of Balmawhapple, appeared with a huge pewter
measuring-pot, containing at least three English quarts, familiarly
denominated a Tappit Hen, and which, in the language of the hostess,
reamed (i.e., mantled) with excellent claret just drawn from the cask.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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