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
When he arrived in Edinburgh, where his inquiries must necessarily
commence, he felt the full difficulty of his situation. Many
inhabitants of that city had seen and known him as Edward
Waverley; how, then, could he avail himself of a passport as
Francis Stanley? He resolved, therefore, to avoid all company, and
to move northward as soon as possible. He was, however, obliged to
wait a day or two in expectation of a letter from Colonel Talbot,
and he was also to leave his own address, under his feigned
character, at a place agreed upon. With this latter purpose he
sallied out in the dusk through the well-known streets, carefully
shunning observation, but in vain: one of the first persons whom
he met at once recognised him. It was Mrs. Flockhart, Fergus Mac-
Ivor's good-humoured landlady.
'Gude guide us, Mr. Waverley, is this you? na, ye needna be feared
for me. I wad betray nae gentleman in your circumstances. Eh,
lack-a-day! lack-a-day! here's a change o' markets; how merry
Colonel MacIvor and you used to be in our house!' And the good-
natured widow shed a few natural tears. As there was no resisting
her claim of acquaintance, Waverley acknowledged it with a good
grace, as well as the danger of his own situation. 'As it's near
the darkening, sir, wad ye just step in by to our house and tak a
dish o' tea? and I am sure if ye like to sleep in the little room,
I wad tak care ye are no disturbed, and naebody wad ken ye; for
Kate and Matty, the limmers, gaed aff wi' twa o' Hawley's
dragoons, and I hae twa new queans instead o' them.'
Waverley accepted her invitation, and engaged her lodging for a
night or two, satisfied he should be safer in the house of this
simple creature than anywhere else. When he entered the parlour
his heart swelled to see Fergus's bonnet, with the white cockade,
hanging beside the little mirror.
'Ay,' said Mrs. Flockhart, sighing, as she observed the direction
of his eyes, 'the puir Colonel bought a new ane just the day
before they marched, and I winna let them tak that ane doun, but
just to brush it ilka day mysell; and whiles I look at it till I
just think I hear him cry to Callum to bring him his bonnet, as he
used to do when he was ganging out. It's unco silly--the
neighbours ca' me a Jacobite, but they may say their say--I am
sure it's no for that--but he was as kind-hearted a gentleman as
ever lived, and as weel-fa'rd too. Oh, d'ye ken, sir, when he is
to suffer?'
'Suffer! Good heaven! Why, where is he?'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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