Waverley; Or 'Tis Sixty Years Since — Complete by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER LVI

  EXERTION

  When Colonel Talbot entered the breakfast-parlour next morning, helearned from Waverley's servant that our hero had been abroad at anearly hour and was not yet returned. The morning was well advancedbefore he again appeared. He arrived out of breath, but with an air ofjoy that astonished Colonel Talbot.

  'There,' said he, throwing a paper on the table, 'there is my morning'swork. Alick, pack up the Colonel's clothes. Make haste, make haste.'

  The Colonel examined the paper with astonishment. It was a pass fromthe Chevalier to Colonel Talbot, to repair to Leith, or any other portin possession of his Royal Highness's troops, and there to embark forEngland or elsewhere, at his free pleasure; he only giving his paroleof honour not to bear arms against the house of Stuart for the space ofa twelve-month.

  'In the name of God,' said the Colonel, his eyes sparkling witheagerness, 'how did you obtain this?'

  'I was at the Chevalier's levee as soon as he usually rises. He wasgone to the camp at Duddingston. I pursued him thither, asked andobtained an audience--but I will tell you not a word more, unless I seeyou begin to pack.'

  'Before I know whether I can avail myself of this passport, or how itwas obtained?'

  'O, you can take out the things again, you know. Now I see you busy, Iwill go on. When I first mentioned your name, his eyes sparkled almostas bright as yours did two minutes since. "Had you," he earnestlyasked, "shown any sentiments favourable to his cause?" "Not in theleast, nor was there any hope you would do so." His countenance fell. Irequested your freedom. "Impossible," he said; "your importance as afriend and confidant of such and such personages made my requestaltogether extravagant." I told him my own story and yours; and askedhim to judge what my feelings must be by his own. He has a heart, and akind one, Colonel Talbot, you may say what you please. He took a sheetof paper and wrote the pass with his own hand. "I will not trust myselfwith my council," he said; "they will argue me out of what is right. Iwill not endure that a friend, valued as I value you, should be loadedwith the painful reflections which must afflict you in case of furthermisfortune in Colonel Talbot's family; nor will I keep a brave enemy aprisoner under such circumstances. Besides," said he, "I think I canjustify myself to my prudent advisers by pleading the good effect suchlenity will produce on the minds of the great English families withwhom Colonel Talbot is connected."'

  'There the politician peeped out,' said the Colonel.

  'Well, at least he concluded like a king's son: "Take the passport; Ihave added a condition for form's sake; but if the Colonel objects toit, let him depart without giving any parole whatever. I come here towar with men, but not to distress or endanger women."'

  'Well, I never thought to have been so much indebted to the Pretend--'

  'To the Prince,' said Waverley, smiling.

  'To the Chevalier,' said the Colonel; 'it is a good travelling name,and which we may both freely use. Did he say anything more?'

  'Only asked if there was anything else he could oblige me in; and whenI replied in the negative, he shook me by the hand, and wished all hisfollowers were as considerate, since some friends of mine not onlyasked all he had to bestow, but many things which were entirely out ofhis power, or that of the greatest sovereign upon earth. Indeed, hesaid, no prince seemed, in the eyes of his followers, so like the Deityas himself, if you were to judge from the extravagant requests whichthey daily preferred to him.'

  'Poor young gentleman,' said the Colonel, 'I suppose he begins to feelthe difficulties of his situation. Well, dear Waverley, this is morethan kind, and shall not be forgotten while Philip Talbot can rememberanything. My life--pshaw--let Emily thank you for that; this is afavour worth fifty lives. I cannot hesitate on giving my parole in thecircumstances; there it is (he wrote it out in form). And now, how am Ito get off?'

  'All that is settled: your baggage is packed, my horses wait, and aboat has been engaged, by the Prince's permission, to put you on boardthe Fox frigate. I sent a messenger down to Leith on purpose.'

  'That will do excellently well. Captain Beaver is my particular friend;he will put me ashore at Berwick or Shields, from whence I can ridepost to London; and you must entrust me with the packet of papers whichyou recovered by means of your Miss Bean Lean. I may have anopportunity of using them to your advantage. But I see your Highlandfriend, Glen ---- what do you call his barbarous name? and his orderlywith him; I must not call him his orderly cut-throat any more, Isuppose. See how he walks as if the world were his own, with the bonneton one side of his head and his plaid puffed out across his breast! Ishould like now to meet that youth where my hands were not tied: Iwould tame his pride, or he should tame mine.'

  'For shame, Colonel Talbot! you swell at sight of tartan as the bull issaid to do at scarlet. You and Mac-Ivor have some points not muchunlike, so far as national prejudice is concerned.'

  The latter part of this discourse took place in the street. They passedthe Chief, the Colonel and he sternly and punctiliously greeting eachother, like two duellists before they take their ground. It was evidentthe dislike was mutual. 'I never see that surly fellow that dogs hisheels,' said the Colonel, after he had mounted his horse, 'but hereminds me of lines I have somewhere heard--upon the stage, I think:--

  Close behind him Stalks sullen Bertram, like a sorcerer's fiend, Pressing to be employed.

  'I assure you, Colonel,' said Waverley,'that you judge too harshly ofthe Highlanders.'

  'Not a whit, not a whit; I cannot spare them a jot; I cannot bate theman ace. Let them stay in their own barren mountains, and puff andswell, and hang their bonnets on the horns of the moon, if they have amind; but what business have they to come where people wear breeches,and speak an intelligible language? I mean intelligible in comparisonto their gibberish, for even the Lowlanders talk a kind of Englishlittle better than the Negroes in Jamaica. I could pity the Pr----, Imean 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 friendGlena----Glenamuck there, has sometimes in his train. To look at him,he is about fifteen years; but he is a century old in mischief andvillainy. He was playing at quoits the other day in the court; agentleman, a decent-looking person enough, came past, and as a quoithit his shin, he lifted his cane; but my young bravo whips out hispistol, like Beau Clincher in the "Trip to the Jubilee," and had not ascream of Gardez l'eau from an upper window set all partiesa-scampering for fear of the inevitable consequences, the poorgentleman would have lost his life by the hands of that littlecockatrice.'

  'A fine character you'll give of Scotland upon your return, ColonelTalbot.'

  'O, Justice Shallow,' said the Colonel, 'will save me the trouble--"Barren, barren, beggars all, beggars all. Marry, good air,"--andthat only when you are fairly out of Edinburgh, and not yet come toLeith, 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 wemay meet sooner than you expect; they talk of an immediate route toEngland.'

  'Tell me nothing of that,' said Talbot; 'I wish to carry no news ofyour motions.'

  'Simply, then, adieu. Say, with a thousand kind greetings, all that isdutiful and affectionate to Sir Everard and Aunt Rachel. Think of me askindly as you can, speak of me as indulgently as your conscience willpermit, 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 youwith gratitude, and the worst of my censure shall be, Que diablealloit--il faire dans cette galere?'

  And thus they parted, Colonel Talbot going on board of the boat andWaverley returning to Edinburgh.