CHAPTER XXVI
AN ECLAIRCISSEMENT
The hint which the Chieftain had thrown out respecting Flora was notunpremeditated. He had observed with great satisfaction the growingattachment of Waverley to his sister, nor did he see any bar to theirunion, excepting the situation which Waverley's father held in theministry, and Edward's own commission in the army of George II. Theseobstacles were now removed, and in a manner which apparently paved theway for the son's becoming reconciled to another allegiance. In everyother respect the match would be most eligible. The safety, happiness,and honourable provision of his sister, whom he dearly loved, appearedto be ensured by the proposed union; and his heart swelled when heconsidered how his own interest would be exalted in the eyes of theex-monarch to whom he had dedicated his service, by an alliance withone of those ancient, powerful, and wealthy English families of thesteady cavalier faith, to awaken whose decayed attachment to the Stuartfamily was now a matter of such vital importance to the Stuart cause.Nor could Fergus perceive any obstacle to such a scheme. Waverley'sattachment was evident; and as his person was handsome, and his tasteapparently coincided with her own, he anticipated no opposition on thepart of Flora. Indeed, between his ideas of patriarchal power and thosewhich he had acquired in France respecting the disposal of females inmarriage, any opposition from his sister, dear as she was to him, wouldhave been the last obstacle on which he would have calculated, even hadthe union been less eligible.
Influenced by these feelings, the Chief now led Waverley in quest ofMiss Mac-Ivor, not without the hope that the present agitation of hisguest's spirits might give him courage to cut short what Fergus termedthe romance of the courtship. They found Flora, with her faithfulattendants, Una and Cathleen, busied in preparing what appeared toWaverley to be white bridal favours. Disguising as well as he could theagitation of his mind, Waverley asked for what joyful occasion MissMac-Ivor made such ample preparation.
'It is for Fergus's bridal,' she said, smiling.
'Indeed!' said Edward; 'he has kept his secret well. I hope he willallow me to be his bride's-man.'
'That is a man's office, but not yours, as Beatrice says,' retortedFlora.
'And who is the fair lady, may I be permitted to ask, Miss Mac-Ivor?'
'Did not I tell you long since that Fergus wooed no bride but Honour?'answered Flora.
'And am I then incapable of being his assistant and counsellor in thepursuit of honour?' said our hero, colouring deeply. 'Do I rank so lowin your opinion?'
'Far from it, Captain Waverley. I would to God you were of ourdetermination! and made use of the expression which displeased you,solely
Because you are not of our quality, But stand against us as an enemy.'
'That time is past, sister,' said Fergus; 'and you may wish EdwardWaverley (no longer captain) joy of being freed from the slavery to anusurper, implied in that sable and ill-omened emblem.'
'Yes,' said Waverley, undoing the cockade from his hat, 'it has pleasedthe king who bestowed this badge upon me to resume it in a manner whichleaves me little reason to regret his service.'
'Thank God for that!' cried the enthusiast; 'and O that they may beblind enough to treat every man of honour who serves them with the sameindignity, that I may have less to sigh for when the struggleapproaches!'
'And now, sister,' said the Chieftain, 'replace his cockade with one ofa more lively colour. I think it was the fashion of the ladies of yoreto arm and send forth their knights to high achievement.'
'Not,' replied the lady, 'till the knight adventurer had well weighedthe justice and the danger of the cause, Fergus. Mr. Waverley is justnow too much agitated by feelings of recent emotion for me to pressupon him a resolution of consequence.'
Waverley felt half alarmed at the thought of adopting the badge of whatwas by the majority of the kingdom esteemed rebellion, yet he could notdisguise his chagrin at the coldness with which Flora parried herbrother's hint. 'Miss Mac-Ivor, I perceive, thinks the knight unworthyof her encouragement and favour,' said he, somewhat bitterly.
'Not so, Mr. Waverley,' she replied, with great sweetness. 'Why shouldI refuse my brother's valued friend a boon which I am distributing tohis whole clan? Most willingly would I enlist every man of honour inthe cause to which my brother has devoted himself. But Fergus has takenhis measures with his eyes open. His life has been devoted to thiscause from his cradle; with him its call is sacred, were it even asummons to the tomb. But how can I wish you, Mr. Waverley, so new tothe world, so far from every friend who might advise and ought toinfluence you,--in a moment, too, of sudden pique and indignation,--howcan I wish you to plunge yourself at once into so desperate anenterprise?'
Fergus, who did not understand these delicacies, strode through theapartment biting his lip, and then, with a constrained smile, said,'Well, sister, I leave you to act your new character of mediatorbetween the Elector of Hanover and the subjects of your lawfulsovereign and benefactor,' and left the room.
There was a painful pause, which was at length broken by Miss Mac-Ivor.'My brother is unjust,' she said, 'because he can bear no interruptionthat seems to thwart his loyal zeal.'
'And do you not share his ardour?' asked Waverley,
'Do I not?' answered Flora. 'God knows mine exceeds his, if that bepossible. But I am not, like him, rapt by the bustle of militarypreparation, and the infinite detail necessary to the presentundertaking, beyond consideration of the grand principles of justiceand truth, on which our enterprise is grounded; and these, I amcertain, can only be furthered by measures in themselves true and just.To operate upon your present feelings, my dear Mr. Waverley, to induceyou to an irretrievable step, of which you have not considered eitherthe justice or the danger, is, in my poor judgment, neither the one northe other.'
'Incomparable Flora!' said Edward, taking her hand, 'how much do I needsuch a monitor!'
'A better one by far,' said Flora, gently withdrawing her hand, 'Mr.Waverley will always find in his own bosom, when he will give its smallstill voice leisure to be heard.'
'No, Miss Mac-Ivor, I dare not hope it; a thousand circumstances offatal self-indulgence have made me the creature rather of imaginationthan reason. Durst I but hope--could I but think--that you would deignto be to me that affectionate, that condescending friend, who wouldstrengthen me to redeem my errors, my future life--'
'Hush, my dear sir! now you carry your joy at escaping the hands of aJacobite recruiting officer to an unparalleled excess of gratitude.'
'Nay, dear Flora, trifle with me no longer; you cannot mistake themeaning of those feelings which I have almost involuntarily expressed;and since I have broken the barrier of silence, let me profit by myaudacity. Or may I, with your permission, mention to your brother--'
'Not for the world, Mr. Waverley!'
'What am I to understand?' said Edward. 'Is there any fatal bar--hasany prepossession--'
'None, sir,' answered Flora. 'I owe it to myself to say that I neveryet saw the person on whom I thought with reference to the presentsubject.'
'The shortness of our acquaintance, perhaps--If Miss Mac-Ivor willdeign to give me time--'
'I have not even that excuse. Captain Waverley's character is soopen--is, in short, of that nature that it cannot be misconstrued,either in its strength or its weakness.'
'And for that weakness you despise me?' said Edward.
'Forgive me, Mr. Waverley--and remember it is but within this half hourthat there existed between us a barrier of a nature to meinsurmountable, since I never could think of an officer in the serviceof the Elector of Hanover in any other light than as a casualacquaintance. Permit me then to arrange my ideas upon so unexpected atopic, and in less than an hour I will be ready to give you suchreasons for the resolution I shall express as may be satisfactory atleast, if not pleasing to you.' So saying Flora withdrew, leavingWaverley to meditate upon the manner in which she had received hisaddresses.
Ere he could make up his mind whether to believe his suit had beenacceptable o
r no, Fergus re-entered the apartment. 'What, a la mort,Waverley?' he cried. 'Come down with me to the court, and you shall seea sight worth all the tirades of your romances. An hundred firelocks,my friend, and as many broadswords, just arrived from good friends; andtwo or three hundred stout fellows almost fighting which shall firstpossess them. But let me look at you closer. Why, a true Highlanderwould say you had been blighted by an evil eye. Or can it be this sillygirl that has thus blanked your spirit. Never mind her, dear Edward;the wisest of her sex are fools in what regards the business of life.'
'Indeed, my good friend,' answered Waverley, 'all that I can chargeagainst your sister is, that she is too sensible, too reasonable.'
'If that be all, I ensure you for a louis-d'or against the mood lastingfour-and-twenty hours. No woman was ever steadily sensible for thatperiod; and I will engage, if that will please you, Flora shall be asunreasonable to-morrow as any of her sex. You must learn, my dearEdward, to consider women en mousquetaire.' So saying, he seizedWaverley's arm and dragged him off to review his military preparations.