Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Volume 2Scott, Walter
History
Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Volume 2
Scott, Walter
Historical fiction; Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746 -- Fiction; Scotland -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction
'Not a whit, not a whit; I cannot spare them a jot; I cannot bate
them an ace. Let them stay in their own barren mountains, and puff
and swell, and hang their bonnets on the horns of the moon, if
they have a mind; but what business have they to come where people
wear breeches, and speak an intelligible language? I mean
intelligible in comparison to their gibberish, for even the
Lowlanders talk a kind of English little better than the Negroes
in Jamaica. I could pity the Pr----, I mean the, Chevalier
himself, for having so many desperadoes about him. And they learn
their trade so early. There is a kind of subaltern imp, for
example, a sort of sucking devil, whom your friend Glena----
Glenamuck there, has sometimes in his train. To look at him, he is
about fifteen years; but he is a century old in mischief and
villainy. He was playing at quoits the other day in the court; a
gentleman, a decent-looking person enough, came past, and as a
quoit hit his shin, he lifted his cane; but my young bravo whips
out his pistol, like Beau Clincher in the "Trip to the Jubilee,"
and had not a scream of Gardez l'eau from an upper window set all
parties a-scampering for fear of the inevitable consequences, the
poor gentleman would have lost his life by the hands of that
little cockatrice.'
'A fine character you'll give of Scotland upon your return,
Colonel Talbot.'
'O, Justice Shallow,' said the Colonel, 'will save me the trouble
--"Barren, barren, beggars all, beggars all. Marry, good air,"--and
that only when you are fairly out of Edinburgh, and not yet come
to Leith, as is our case at present.'
In a short time they arrived at the seaport.
The boat rock'd at the pier of Leith,
Full loud the wind blew down the ferry;
The ship rode at the Berwick Law.
'Farewell, Colonel; may you find all as you would wish it! Perhaps
we may meet sooner than you expect; they talk of an immediate
route to England.'
'Tell me nothing of that,' said Talbot; 'I wish to carry no news
of your motions.'
'Simply, then, adieu. Say, with a thousand kind greetings, all
that is dutiful and affectionate to Sir Everard and Aunt Rachel.
Think of me as kindly as you can, speak of me as indulgently as
your conscience will permit, and once more adieu.'
'And adieu, my dear Waverley; many, many thanks for your kindness.
Unplaid yourself on the first opportunity. I shall ever think on
you with gratitude, and the worst of my censure shall be, Que
diable alloit-il faire dans cette galere?'
And thus they parted, Colonel Talbot going on board of the boat
and Waverley returning to Edinburgh.
CHAPTER LVII
THE MARCH
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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