CHAPTER LVII
THE MARCH
It is not our purpose to intrude upon the province of history. We shalltherefore only remind our readers that about the beginning of Novemberthe Young Chevalier, at the head of about six thousand men at theutmost, resolved to peril his cause on an attempt to penetrate into thecentre of England, although aware of the mighty preparations which weremade for his reception. They set forward on this crusade in weatherwhich would have rendered any other troops incapable of marching, butwhich in reality gave these active mountaineers advantages over a lesshardy enemy. In defiance of a superior army lying upon the Borders,under Field-Marshal Wade, they besieged and took Carlisle, and soonafterwards prosecuted their daring march to the southward.
As Colonel Mac-Ivor's regiment marched in the van of the clans, he andWaverley, who now equalled any Highlander in the endurance of fatigue,and was become somewhat acquainted with their language, wereperpetually at its head. They marked the progress of the army, however,with very different eyes. Fergus, all air and fire, and confidentagainst the world in arms, measured nothing but that every step was ayard nearer London. He neither asked, expected, nor desired any aidexcept that of the clans to place the Stuarts once more on the throne;and when by chance a few adherents joined the standard, he alwaysconsidered them in the light of new claimants upon the favours of thefuture monarch, who, he concluded, must therefore subtract for theirgratification so much of the bounty which ought to be shared among hisHighland followers.
Edward's views were very different. He could not but observe that inthose towns in which they proclaimed James the Third, 'no man cried,God bless him.' The mob stared and listened, heartless, stupefied, anddull, but gave few signs even of that boisterous spirit which inducesthem to shout upon all occasions for the mere exercise of their mostsweet voices. The Jacobites had been taught to believe that thenorth-western counties abounded with wealthy squires and hardy yeomen,devoted to the cause of the White Rose. But of the wealthier Toriesthey saw little. Some fled from their houses, some feigned themselvessick, some surrendered themselves to the government as suspectedpersons. Of such as remained, the ignorant gazed with astonishment,mixed with horror and aversion, at the wild appearance, unknownlanguage, and singular garb of the Scottish clans. And to the moreprudent their scanty numbers, apparent deficiency in discipline, andpoverty of equipment seemed certain tokens of the calamitoustermination of their rash undertaking. Thus the few who joined themwere such as bigotry of political principle blinded to consequences, orwhose broken fortunes induced them to hazard all on a risk so desperate.
The Baron of Bradwardine, being asked what he thought of theserecruits, took a long pinch of snuff, and answered drily,'that he couldnot but have an excellent opinion of them, since they resembledprecisely the followers who attached themselves to the good King Davidat the cave of Adullam--videlicet, every one that was in distress, andevery one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, whichthe vulgate renders bitter of soul; and doubtless,' he said, 'they willprove mighty men of their hands, and there is much need that theyshould, for I have seen many a sour look cast upon us.'
But none of these considerations moved Fergus. He admired the luxuriantbeauty of the country, and the situation of many of the seats whichthey passed. 'Is Waverley-Honour like that house, Edward?'
'It is one-half larger.'
'Is your uncle's park as fine a one as that?'
'It is three times as extensive, and rather resembles a forest than amere park.'
'Flora will be a happy woman.'
'I hope Miss Mac-Ivor will have much reason for happiness unconnectedwith Waverley-Honour.'
'I hope so too; but to be mistress of such a place will be a prettyaddition to the sum total.'
'An addition, the want of which, I trust, will be amply supplied bysome other means.'
'How,' said Fergus, stopping short and turning upon Waverley--'how am Ito understand that, Mr. Waverley? Had I the pleasure to hear youaright?'
'Perfectly right, Fergus.'
'And am I to understand that you no longer desire my alliance and mysister's hand?'
'Your sister has refused mine,' said Waverley, 'both directly and byall the usual means by which ladies repress undesired attentions.'
'I have no idea,' answered the Chieftain, 'of a lady dismissing or agentleman withdrawing his suit, after it has been approved of by herlegal guardian, without giving him an opportunity of talking the matterover with the lady. You did not, I suppose, expect my sister to dropinto your mouth like a ripe plum the first moment you chose to open it?'
'As to the lady's title to dismiss her lover, Colonel,' replied Edward,'it is a point which you must argue with her, as I am ignorant of thecustoms of the Highlands in that particular. But as to my title toacquiesce in a rejection from her without an appeal to your interest, Iwill tell you plainly, without meaning to undervalue Miss Mac-Ivor'sadmitted beauty and accomplishments, that I would not take the hand ofan angel, with an empire for her dowry, if her consent were extorted bythe importunity of friends and guardians, and did not flow from her ownfree inclination.'
'An angel, with the dowry of an empire,' repeated Fergus, in a tone ofbitter irony, 'is not very likely to be pressed upon a ----shiresquire. But, sir,' changing his tone, 'if Flora Mac-Ivor have not thedowry of an empire, she is MY sister; and that is sufficient at leastto secure her against being treated with anything approaching tolevity.'
'She is Flora Mac-Ivor, sir,' said Waverley, with firmness, 'which tome, were I capable of treating ANY woman with levity, would be a moreeffectual protection.'
The brow of the Chieftain was now fully clouded; but Edward felt tooindignant at the unreasonable tone which he had adopted to avert thestorm by the least concession. They both stood still while this shortdialogue passed, and Fergus seemed half disposed to say something moreviolent, but, by a strong effort, suppressed his passion, and, turninghis face forward, walked sullenly on. As they had always hithertowalked together, and almost constantly side by side, Waverley pursuedhis course silently in the same direction, determined to let the Chieftake his own time in recovering the good-humour which he had sounreasonably discarded, and firm in his resolution not to bate him aninch of dignity.
After they had marched on in this sullen manner about a mile, Fergusresumed the discourse in a different tone. 'I believe I was warm, mydear Edward, but you provoke me with your want of knowledge of theworld. You have taken pet at some of Flora's prudery, or high-flyingnotions of loyalty, and now, like a child, you quarrel with theplaything you have been crying for, and beat me, your faithful keeper,because my arm cannot reach to Edinburgh to hand it to you. I am sure,if I was passionate, the mortification of losing the alliance of such afriend, after your arrangement had been the talk of both Highlands andLowlands, and that without so much as knowing why or wherefore, mightwell provoke calmer blood than mine. I shall write to Edinburgh and putall to rights; that is, if you desire I should do so; as indeed Icannot suppose that your good opinion of Flora, it being such as youhave often expressed to me, can be at once laid aside.'
'Colonel Mac-Ivor,' said Edward, who had no mind to be hurried fartheror faster than he chose in a matter which he had already considered asbroken off, 'I am fully sensible of the value of your good offices; andcertainly, by your zeal on my behalf in such an affair, you do me nosmall honour. But as Miss Mac-Ivor has made her election freely andvoluntarily, and as all my attentions in Edinburgh were received withmore than coldness, I cannot, in justice either to her or myself,consent that she should again be harassed upon this topic. I would havementioned this to you some time since, but you saw the footing uponwhich we stood together, and must have understood it. Had I thoughtotherwise I would have earlier spoken; but I had a natural reluctanceto enter upon a subject so painful to us both.'
'O, very well, Mr. Waverley,' said Fergus, haughtily, 'the thing is atan end. I have no occasion to press my sister upon any man.'
'Nor have I any occasion t
o court repeated rejection from the sameyoung lady,' answered Edward, in the same tone.
'I shall make due inquiry, however,' said the Chieftain, withoutnoticing the interruption, 'and learn what my sister thinks of allthis, we will then see whether it is to end here.'
'Respecting such inquiries, you will of course be guided by your ownjudgment,' said Waverley. 'It is, I am aware, impossible Miss Mac-Ivorcan change her mind; and were such an unsupposable case to happen, itis certain I will not change mine. I only mention this to prevent anypossibility of future misconstruction.'
Gladly at this moment would Mac-Ivor have put their quarrel to apersonal arbitrement, his eye flashed fire, and he measured Edward asif to choose where he might best plant a mortal wound. But although wedo not now quarrel according to the modes and figures of Caranza orVincent Saviola, no one knew better than Fergus that there must be somedecent pretext for a mortal duel. For instance, you may challenge a manfor treading on your corn in a crowd, or for pushing you up to thewall, or for taking your seat in the theatre; but the modern code ofhonour will not permit you to found a quarrel upon your right ofcompelling a man to continue addresses to a female relative which thefair lady has already refused. So that Fergus was compelled to stomachthis supposed affront until the whirligig of time, whose motion hepromised himself he would watch most sedulously, should bring about anopportunity of revenge.
Waverley's servant always led a saddle-horse for him in the rear of thebattalion to which he was attached, though his master seldom rode. Butnow, incensed at the domineering and unreasonable conduct of his latefriend, he fell behind the column and mounted his horse, resolving toseek the Baron of Bradwardine, and request permission to volunteer inhis troop instead of the Mac-Ivor regiment.
'A happy time of it I should have had,' thought he, after he wasmounted, 'to have been so closely allied to this superb specimen ofpride and self-opinion and passion. A colonel! why, he should have beena generalissimo. A petty chief of three or four hundred men! his pridemight suffice for the Cham of Tartary--the Grand Seignior--the GreatMogul! I am well free of him. Were Flora an angel, she would bring withher a second Lucifer of ambition and wrath for a brother-in-law.'
The Baron, whose learning (like Sancho's jests while in the SierraMorena) seemed to grow mouldy for want of exercise, joyfully embracedthe opportunity of Waverley's offering his service in his regiment, tobring it into some exertion. The good-natured old gentleman, however,laboured to effect a reconciliation between the two quondam friends.Fergus turned a cold ear to his remonstrances, though he gave them arespectful hearing; and as for Waverley, he saw no reason why he shouldbe the first in courting a renewal of the intimacy which the Chieftainhad so unreasonably disturbed. The Baron then mentioned the matter tothe Prince, who, anxious to prevent quarrels in his little army,declared he would himself remonstrate with Colonel Mac-Ivor on theunreasonableness of his conduct. But, in the hurry of their march, itwas a day or two before he had an opportunity to exert his influence inthe manner proposed.
In the meanwhile Waverley turned the instructions he had received whilein Gardiner's dragoons to some account, and assisted the Baron in hiscommand as a sort of adjutant. 'Parmi les aveugles un borgne est roi,'says the French proverb; and the cavalry, which consisted chiefly ofLowland gentlemen, their tenants and servants, formed a high opinion ofWaverley's skill and a great attachment to his person. This was indeedpartly owing to the satisfaction which they felt at the distinguishedEnglish volunteer's leaving the Highlanders to rank among them; forthere was a latent grudge between the horse and foot, not only owing tothe difference of the services, but because most of the gentlemen,living near the Highlands, had at one time or other had quarrels withthe tribes in their vicinity, and all of them looked with a jealous eyeon the Highlanders' avowed pretensions to superior valour and utilityin the Prince's service.