CHAPTER LI
INTRIGUES OF LOVE AND POLITICS
It is not necessary to record in these pages the triumphant entrance ofthe Chevalier into Edinburgh after the decisive affair of Preston. Onecircumstance, however, may be noticed, because it illustrates thehigh spirit of Flora Mac-Ivor. The Highlanders, by whom the Prince wassurrounded, in the licence and extravagance of this joyful moment,fired their pieces repeatedly, and one of these having been accidentallyloaded with ball, the bullet grazed the young lady's temple as she wavedher handkerchief from a balcony. [See Note 30.] Fergus, who beheld theaccident, was at her side in an instant; and, on seeing that the woundwas trifling, he drew his broadsword, with the purpose of rushing downupon the man by whose carelessness she had incurred so much danger,when, holding him by the plaid, 'Do not harm the poor fellow,' shecried; 'for Heaven's sake, do not harm him! but thank God with me thatthe accident happened to Flora Mac-Ivor; for had it befallen a Whig,they would have pretended that the shot was fired on purpose.'
Waverley escaped the alarm which this accident would have occasionedto him, as he was unavoidably delayed by the necessity of accompanyingColonel Talbot to Edinburgh.
They performed the journey together on horseback, and for some time, asif to sound each other's feelings and sentiments, they conversed upongeneral and ordinary topics.
When Waverley again entered upon the subject which he had most at heart,the situation, namely, of his father and his uncle, Colonel Talbotseemed now rather desirous to alleviate than to aggravate his anxiety.This appeared particularly to be the case when he heard Waverley'shistory, which he did not scruple to confide to him.
'And so,' said the Colonel, 'there has been no malice prepense, aslawyers, I think, term it, in this rash step of yours; and you have beentrepanned into the service of this Italian knight-errant by a few civilspeeches from him, and one or two of his Highland recruiting sergeants?It is sadly foolish, to be sure, but not nearly so bad as I was ledto expect. However, you cannot desert, even from the Pretender, at thepresent moment,--that seems impossible. But I have little doubt that,in the dissensions incident to this heterogeneous mass of wild anddesperate men, some opportunity may arise, by availing yourself ofwhich, you may extricate yourself honourably from your rash engagementbefore the bubble burst. If this can be managed, I would have you go toa place of safety in Flanders, which I shall point out. And I think Ican secure your pardon from Government after a few months' residenceabroad.'
'I cannot; permit you, Colonel Talbot,' answered Waverley, 'to speak ofany plan which turns on my deserting an enterprise in which I may haveengaged hastily, but certainly voluntarily, and with the purpose ofabiding the issue.'
'Well,' said Colonel Talbot, smiling, 'leave me my thoughts and hopesat least at liberty, if not my speech. But have you never examined yourmysterious packet?'
'It is in my baggage,' replied Edward; 'we shall find it in Edinburgh.'
In Edinburgh they soon arrived. Waverley's quarters had been assigned tohim, by the Prince's express orders, in a handsome lodging, where therewas accommodation, for Colonel Talbot. His first business was toexamine his portmanteau, and, after a very short search, out tumbled theexpected packet. Waverley opened it eagerly. Under a blank cover, simplyaddressed to E. Waverley, Esq., he found a number of open letters. Theuppermost were two from Colonel Gardiner, addressed to himself. Theearliest in date was a kind and gentle remonstrance for neglect of thewriter's advice respecting the disposal of his time during his leaveof absence, the renewal of which, he reminded Captain Waverley, wouldspeedily expire. 'Indeed,' the letter proceeded, 'had it been otherwise,the news from abroad, and my instructions from the War-office, must havecompelled me to recall it, as there is great danger, since the disasterin Flanders, both of foreign invasion and insurrection among thedisaffected at home. I therefore entreat you will repair, as soon aspossible, to the head-quarters of the regiment; and I am concerned toadd, that this is still the more necessary, as there is some discontentin your troop, and I postpone inquiry into particulars until I can havethe advantage of your assistance.'
The second letter, dated eight days later, was in such a style as mighthave been expected from the Colonel's receiving no answer to the first.It reminded Waverley of his duty as a man of honour, an officer, and aBriton; took notice of the increasing dissatisfaction of his men, andthat some of them had been heard to hint that their Captain encouragedand approved of their mutinous behaviour; and, finally, the writerexpressed the utmost regret and surprise that he had not obeyed hiscommands by repairing to head-quarters, reminded him that his leaveof absence had been recalled, and conjured him, in a style in whichpaternal remonstrance was mingled with military authority, to redeemhis error by immediately joining his regiment. 'That I may be certain,'concluded the letter, 'that this actually reaches you, I dispatch it byCorporal Timms, of your troop, with orders to deliver it into your ownhand.'
Upon reading these letters, Waverley, with great bitterness of feeling,was compelled to make the AMENDE HONORABLE to the memory of the braveand excellent writer; for surely, as Colonel Gardiner must have hadevery reason to conclude they had come safely to hand, less could notfollow, on their being neglected, than that third and final summons,which Waverley actually received at Glennaquoich, though too lateto obey it. And his being superseded, in consequence of his apparentneglect of this last command, was so far from being a harsh or severeproceeding, that it was plainly inevitable. The next letter he unfoldedwas from the Major of the regiment, acquainting him that a report, tothe disadvantage of his reputation, was public in the country, stating,that one Mr. Falconer of Ballihopple, or some such name, had proposed,in his presence, a treasonable toast, which he permitted to pass insilence, although it was so gross an affront to the royal family, thata gentleman in company, not remarkable for his zeal for government, hadnevertheless taken the matter up; and that, supposing the account true,Captain Waverley had thus suffered another, comparatively unconcerned,to resent an affront directed against him personally as an officer, andto go out with the person by whom it was offered. The Major concluded,that no one of Captain Waverley's brother officers could believe thisscandalous story, but it was necessarily their joint opinion that hisown honour, equally with that of the regiment, depended upon its beinginstantly contradicted by his authority, &c. &c. &c.
'What do you think of all this?' said Colonel Talbot, to whom Waverleyhanded the letters after he had perused them.
'Think! it renders thought impossible. It is enough to drive me mad.'
'Be calm, my young friend; let us see what are these dirty scrawls thatfollow.'
The first was addressed, 'For Master W. Ruffin These,'--'Dear sur, sumof our yong gulpins will not bite, thof I tuold them you shoed me thesquoire's own seel. But Timms will deliver you the lettrs as desired,and tell ould Addem he gave them to squoir's hond, as to be sure yoursis the same, and shall be ready for signal, and hoy for Hoy Church andSachefrel, as fadur sings at harvest-whome. Yours, deer Sur, H.H.
'Poscriff. Do' e tell squoire we longs to heer from him, and hasdootings about his not writing himself, and Lieftenant Bottler issmoky.'
'This Ruffin, I suppose, then, is your Donald of the Cavern, who hasintercepted your letters, and carried on a correspondence with the poordevil Houghton, as if under your authority?
'It seems too true. But who can Addem be?'
'Possibly Adam, for poor Gardiner, a sort of pun on his name.'
The other letters were to the same purpose, and they soon received yetmore complete light upon Donald Bean's machinations.
John Hedges, one of Waverley's servants, who had remained with theregiment, and had been taken at Preston, now made his appearance. He hadsought out his master, with the purpose of again entering his service.From this fellow they learned, that, some time after Waverley hadgone from the head-quarters of the regiment, a pedlar, called Ruthven,Ruffin, or Rivane, known among the soldiers by the name of Wily Will,had made frequent visits to the town of Dundee. He
appeared to possessplenty of money, sold his commodities very cheap, seemed always willingto treat his friends at the ale-house, and easily ingratiated himselfwith many of Waverley's troop, particularly Sergeant Houghton, andone Timms, also a non-commissioned officer. To these he unfolded, inWaverley's name, a plan for leaving the regiment, and joining him in theHighlands, where report said the clans had already taken arms in greatnumbers. The men, who had been educated as Jacobites, so far as they hadany opinion at all, and who knew their landlord, Sir Everard, had alwaysbeen supposed to hold such tenets, easily fell into the snare.That Waverley was at a distance in the Highlands, was received as asufficient excuse for transmitting his letters through the medium of thepedlar; and the sight of his well-known seal seemed to authenticate thenegotiations in his name, where writing might have been dangerous. Thecabal, however, began to take air, from the premature mutinous languageof those concerned. Wily Will justified his appellative; for, aftersuspicion arose, he was seen no more. When the Gazette appeared, inwhich Waverley was superseded, great part of his troop broke out intoactual mutiny, but were surrounded and disarmed by the rest of theregiment. In consequence of the sentence of a court-martial, Houghtonand Timms were condemned to be shot, but afterwards permitted to castlots for life. Houghton, the survivor, showed much penitence, beingconvinced from the rebukes and explanations of Colonel Gardiner, that hehad really engaged in a very heinous crime. It is remarkable, that, assoon as the poor fellow was satisfied of this, he became also convincedthat the instigator had acted without authority from Edward, saying,'If it was dishonourable and against Old England, the squire couldknow naught about it; he never did, or thought to do, anythingdishonourable,--no more didn't Sir Everard, nor none of them afore him,and in that belief he would live and die that Ruffin had done it all ofhis own head.'
The strength of conviction with which he expressed himself upon thissubject, as well as his assurances that the letters intended forWaverley had been delivered to Ruthven, made that revolution in ColonelGardiner's opinion which he expressed to Talbot.
The reader has long since understood that Donald Bean Lean played thepart of tempter on this occasion. His motives were shortly these. Of anactive and intriguing spirit, he had been long employed as a subalternagent and spy by those in the confidence of the Chevalier, to an extentbeyond what was suspected even by Fergus Mac-Ivor, whom, though obligedto him for protection, he regarded with fear and dislike. To success inthis political department, he naturally looked for raising himself bysome bold stroke above his present hazardous and precarious state ofrapine. He was particularly employed in learning the strength of theregiments in Scotland, the character of the officers, &c., and had longhad his eye upon Waverley's troop, as open to temptation. Donald evenbelieved that Waverley himself was at bottom in the Stuart interest,which seemed confirmed by his long visit to the Jacobite Baronof Bradwardine. When, therefore, he came to his cave with one ofGlennaquoich's attendants, the robber, who could never appreciate hisreal motive, which was mere curiosity, was so sanguine as to hope thathis own talents were to be employed in some intrigue of consequence,under the auspices of this wealthy young Englishman. Nor was heundeceived by Waverley's neglecting all hints and openings for anexplanation. His conduct passed for prudent reserve, and somewhatpiqued Donald Bean, who, supposing himself left out of a secret whereconfidence promised to be advantageous, determined to have his sharein the drama, whether a regular part were assigned him or not. For thispurpose, during Waverley's sleep, he possessed, himself of his seal, asa token to be used to any of the troopers whom he might discover to bepossessed of the captain's confidence. His first journey to Dundee, thetown where the regiment was quartered, undeceived him in his originalsupposition, but opened to him a new field of action. He knew therewould be no service so well rewarded by the friends of the Chevalier, asseducing a part of the regular army to his standard. For this purpose,he opened the machinations with which the reader is already acquainted,and which form a clue to all the intricacies and obscurities of thenarrative previous to Waverley's leaving Glennaquoich.
By Colonel Talbot's advice, Waverley declined detaining in his servicethe lad whose evidence had thrown additional light on these intrigues.He represented to him that it would be doing the man an injury to engagehim in a desperate undertaking, and that, whatever should happen, hisevidence would go some length, at least, in explaining the circumstancesunder which Waverley himself had embarked in it. Waverley thereforewrote a short statement of what had happened, to his uncle and hisfather, cautioning them, however, in the present circumstances, not toattempt to answer his letter. Talbot then gave the young man a letterto the commander of one of the English vessels of war cruising in thefrith, requesting him to put the bearer ashore at Berwick, with a passto proceed to --shire. He was then furnished with money to make anexpeditious journey and directed to get on board the ship by means ofbribing a fishing-boat, which, as they afterwards learned, he easilyeffected.
Tired of the attendance of Callum Beg, who, he thought, had somedisposition to act as a spy on his motions, Waverley hired as a servanta simple Edinburgh swain, who had mounted the white cockade in a fitof spleen and jealousy, because Jenny Jop had danced a whole night withCorporal Bullock of the Fusileers.