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
In truth, not only had the felled trees been removed, but, their
stumps being grubbed up and the earth round them levelled and sown
with grass, every mark of devastation, unless to an eye intimately
acquainted with the spot, was already totally obliterated. There
was a similar reformation in the outward man of Davie Gellatley,
who met them, every now and then stopping to admire the new suit
which graced his person, in the same colours as formerly, but
bedizened fine enough to have served Touchstone himself. He danced
up with his usual ungainly frolics, first to the Baron and then to
Rose, passing his hands over his clothes, crying, 'Bra', bra'
Davie,' and scarce able to sing a bar to an end of his thousand-
and-one songs for the breathless extravagance of his joy. The dogs
also acknowledged their old master with a thousand gambols. 'Upon
my conscience, Rose,' ejaculated the Baron, 'the gratitude o' thae
dumb brutes and of that puir innocent brings the tears into my
auld een, while that schellum Malcolm--but I'm obliged to Colonel
Talbot for putting my hounds into such good condition, and
likewise for puir Davie. But, Rose, my dear, we must not permit
them to be a life-rent burden upon the estate.'
As he spoke, Lady Emily, leaning upon the arm of her husband, met
the party at the lower gate with a thousand welcomes. After the
ceremony of introduction had been gone through, much abridged by
the ease and excellent breeding of Lady Emily, she apologised for
having used a little art to wile them back to a place which might
awaken some painful reflections--'But as it was to change masters,
we were very desirous that the Baron--'
'Mr. Bradwardine, madam, if you please,' said the old gentleman.
'--Mr. Bradwardine, then, and Mr. Waverley should see what we have
done towards restoring the mansion of your fathers to its former
state.'
The Baron answered with a low bow. Indeed, when he entered the
court, excepting that the heavy stables, which had been burnt
down, were replaced by buildings of a lighter and more picturesque
appearance, all seemed as much as possible restored to the state
in which he had left it when he assumed arms some months before.
The pigeon-house was replenished; the fountain played with its
usual activity, and not only the bear who predominated over its
basin, but all the other bears whatsoever, were replaced on their
several stations, and renewed or repaired with so much care that
they bore no tokens of the violence which had so lately descended
upon them. While these minutiae had been so needfully attended to,
it is scarce necessary to add that the house itself had been
thoroughly repaired, as well as the gardens, with the strictest
attention to maintain the original character of both, and to
remove as far as possible all appearance of the ravage they had
sustained. The Baron gazed in silent wonder; at length he
addressed Colonel Talbot--
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