CHAPTER LVIII
THE CONFUSION OF KING AGRAMANT'S CAMP
Itwas Waverley's custom sometimes to ride a little apart from the mainbody, to look at any object of curiosity which occurred on the march.They were now in Lancashire, when, attracted by a castellated old hall,he left the squadron for half an hour to take a survey and slightsketch of it. As he returned down the avenue he was met by EnsignMaccombich. This man had contracted a sort of regard for Edward sincethe day of his first seeing him at Tully-Veolan and introducing him tothe Highlands. He seemed to loiter, as if on purpose to meet with ourhero. Yet, as he passed him, he only approached his stirrup andpronounced the single word 'Beware!' and then walked swiftly on,shunning all further communication.
Edward, somewhat surprised at this hint, followed with his eyes thecourse of Evan, who speedily disappeared among the trees. His servant,Alick Polwarth, who was in attendance, also looked after theHighlander, and then riding up close to his master, said,--
'The ne'er be in me, sir, if I think you're safe amang thae Highlandrinthereouts.'
'What do you mean, Alick?' said Waverley.
'The Mac-Ivors, sir, hae gotten it into their heads that ye haeaffronted their young leddy, Miss Flora; and I hae heard mae than anesay, they wadna tak muckle to mak a black-cock o' ye; and ye ken weeleneugh there's mony o' them wadna mind a bawbee the weising a ballthrough the Prince himsell, an the Chief gae them the wink, or whetherhe did or no, if they thought it a thing that would please him when itwas dune.'
Waverley, though confident that Fergus Mac-Ivor was incapable of suchtreachery, was by no means equally sure of the forbearance of hisfollowers. He knew that, where the honour of the Chief or his familywas supposed to be touched, the happiest man would be he that couldfirst avenge the stigma; and he had often heard them quote a proverb,'That the best revenge was the most speedy and most safe.' Couplingthis with the hint of Evan, he judged it most prudent to set spurs tohis horse and ride briskly back to the squadron. Ere he reached the endof the long avenue, however, a ball whistled past him, and the reportof a pistol was heard.
'It was that deevil's buckle, Callum Beg,' said Alick; 'I saw him whiskaway through amang the reises.'
Edward, justly incensed at this act of treachery, galloped out of theavenue, and observed the battalion of Mac-Ivor at some distance movingalong the common in which it terminated. He also saw an individualrunning very fast to join the party; this he concluded was the intendedassassin, who, by leaping an enclosure, might easily make a muchshorter path to the main body than he could find on horseback. Unableto contain himself, he commanded Alick to go to the Baron ofBradwardine, who was at the head of his regiment about half a mile infront, and acquaint him with what had happened. He himself immediatelyrode up to Fergus's regiment. The Chief himself was in the act ofjoining them. He was on horseback, having returned from waiting on thePrince. On perceiving Edward approaching, he put his horse in motiontowards him.
'Colonel Mac-Ivor,' said Waverley, without any farther salutation, 'Ihave to inform you that one of your people has this instant fired at mefrom a lurking-place.'
'As that,' answered Mac-Ivor, 'excepting the circumstance of alurking-place, is a pleasure which I presently propose to myself, Ishould be glad to know which of my clansmen dared to anticipate me.'
'I shall certainly be at your command whenever you please; thegentleman who took your office upon himself is your page there, CallumBeg.'
'Stand forth from the ranks, Callum! Did you fire at Mr. Waverley?'
'No,' answered the unblushing Callum.
'You did,' said Alick Polwarth, who was already returned, having met atrooper by whom he despatched an account of what was going forward tothe Baron of Bradwardine, while he himself returned to his master atfull gallop, neither sparing the rowels of his spurs nor the sides ofhis horse. 'You did; I saw you as plainly as I ever saw the auld kirkat Coudingham.'
'You lie,' replied Callum, with his usual impenetrable obstinacy. Thecombat between the knights would certainly, as in the days of chivalry,have been preceded by an encounter between the squires (for Alick was astout-hearted Merseman, and feared the bow of Cupid far more than aHighlander's dirk or claymore), but Fergus, with his usual tone ofdecision, demanded Callum's pistol. The cock was down, the pan andmuzzle were black with the smoke; it had been that instant fired.
'Take that,' said Fergus, striking the boy upon the head with the heavypistol-butt with his whole force--'take that for acting without orders,and lying to disguise it.' Callum received the blow without appearingto flinch from it, and fell without sign of life. 'Stand still, uponyour lives!' said Fergus to the rest of the clan; 'I blow out thebrains of the first man who interferes between Mr. Waverley and me.'They stood motionless; Evan Dhu alone showed symptoms of vexation andanxiety. Callum lay on the ground bleeding copiously, but no oneventured to give him any assistance. It seemed as if he had gotten hisdeath-blow.
'And now for you, Mr. Waverley; please to turn your horse twenty yardswith me upon the common.' Waverley complied; and Fergus, confrontinghim when they were a little way from the line of march, said, withgreat affected coolness, 'I could not but wonder, sir, at thefickleness of taste which you were pleased to express the other day.But it was not an angel, as you justly observed, who had charms foryou, unless she brought an empire for her fortune. I have now anexcellent commentary upon that obscure text.'
'I am at a loss even to guess at your meaning, Colonel Mac-Ivor, unlessit seems plain that you intend to fasten a quarrel upon me.'
'Your affected ignorance shall not serve you, sir. The Prince--thePrince himself has acquainted me with your manoeuvres. I little thoughtthat your engagements with Miss Bradwardine were the reason of yourbreaking off your intended match with my sister. I suppose theinformation that the Baron had altered the destination of his estatewas quite a sufficient reason for slighting your friend's sister andcarrying off your friend's mistress.'
'Did the Prince tell you I was engaged to Miss Bradwardine?' saidWaverley. 'Impossible.'
'He did, sir,' answered Mac-Ivor; 'so, either draw and defend yourselfor resign your pretensions to the lady.' 'This is absolute madness,'exclaimed Waverley, 'or some strange mistake!'
'O! no evasion! draw your sword!' said the infuriated Chieftain, hisown already unsheathed.
'Must I fight in a madman's quarrel?'
'Then give up now, and forever, all pretensions to Miss Bradwardine'shand.'
'What title have you,' cried Waverley, utterly losing command ofhimself--'what title have you, or any man living, to dictate such termsto me?' And he also drew his sword.
At this moment the Baron of Bradwardine, followed by several of histroop, came up on the spur, some from curiosity, others to take part inthe quarrel which they indistinctly understood had broken out betweenthe Mac-Ivors and their corps. The clan, seeing them approach, putthemselves in motion to support their Chieftain, and a scene ofconfusion commenced which seamed likely to terminate in bloodshed. Ahundred tongues were in motion at once. The Baron lectured, theChieftain stormed, the Highlanders screamed in Gaelic, the horsemencursed and swore in Lowland Scotch. At length matters came to such apass that the Baron threatened to charge the Mac-Ivors unless theyresumed their ranks, and many of them, in return, presented theirfirearms at him and the other troopers. The confusion was privatelyfostered by old Ballenkeiroch, who made no doubt that his own day ofvengeance was arrived, when, behold! a cry arose of 'Room! make way!place a Monseigneur! place a Monseigneur!' This announced the approachof the Prince, who came up with a party of Fitz-James's foreigndragoons that acted as his body-guard. His arrival produced some degreeof order. The Highlanders reassumed their ranks, the cavalry fell inand formed squadron, and the Baron and Chieftain were silent.
The Prince called them and Waverley before him. Having heard theoriginal cause of the quarrel through the villainy of Callum Beg, heordered him into custody of the provost-marshal for immediateexecution, in the event of his surviving the chastisemen
t inflicted byhis Chieftain. Fergus, however, in a tone betwixt claiming a right andasking a favour, requested he might be left to his disposal, andpromised his punishment should be exemplary. To deny this might haveseemed to encroach on the patriarchal authority of the Chieftains, ofwhich they were very jealous, and they were not persons to bedisobliged. Callum was therefore left to the justice of his own tribe.
The Prince next demanded to know the new cause of quarrel betweenColonel Mac-Ivor and Waverley. There was a pause. Both gentlemen foundthe presence of the Baron of Bradwardine (for by this time all threehad approached the Chevalier by his command) an insurmountable barrieragainst entering upon a subject where the name of his daughter mustunavoidably be mentioned. They turned their eyes on the ground, withlooks in which shame and embarrassment were mingled with displeasure.The Prince, who had been educated amongst the discontented and mutinousspirits of the court of St. Germains, where feuds of every kind werethe daily subject of solicitude to the dethroned sovereign, had servedhis apprenticeship, as old Frederick of Prussia would have said, to thetrade of royalty. To promote or restore concord among his followers wasindispensable. Accordingly he took his measures.
'Monsieur de Beaujeu!'
'Monseigneur!' said a very handsome French cavalry officer who was inattendance.
'Ayez la bonte d'aligner ces montagnards la, ainsi que la cavalerie,s'il vous plait, et de les remettre a la marche. Vous parlez si bienl'Anglois, cela ne vous donneroit pas beaucoup de peine.'
'Ah! pas du tout, Monseigneur,' replied Mons. le Comte de Beaujeu, hishead bending down to the neck of his little prancing highly-managedcharger. Accordingly he piaffed away, in high spirits and confidence,to the head of Fergus's regiment, although understanding not a word ofGaelic and very little English.
'Messieurs les sauvages Ecossois--dat is, gentilmans savages, have thegoodness d'arranger vous.'
The clan, comprehending the order more from the gesture than the words,and seeing the Prince himself present, hastened to dress their ranks.
'Ah! ver well! dat is fort bien!' said the Count de Beaujeu.'Gentilmans sauvages! mais, tres bien. Eh bien! Qu'est ce que vousappelez visage, Monsieur?' (to a lounging trooper who stood by him).'Ah, oui! face. Je vous remercie, Monsieur. Gentilshommes, have degoodness to make de face to de right par file, dat is, by files. Marsh!Mais, tres bien; encore, Messieurs; il faut vous mettre a la marche.... Marchez done, au nom de Dieu, parceque j'ai oublie le mot Anglois;mais vous etes des braves gens, et me comprenez tres bien.'
The Count next hastened to put the cavalry in motion. 'Gentilmanscavalry, you must fall in. Ah! par ma foi, I did not say fall off! I ama fear de little gross fat gentilman is moche hurt. Ah, mon Dieu! c'estle Commissaire qui nous a apporte les premieres nouvelles de ce mauditfracas. Je suis trop fache, Monsieur!'
But poor Macwheeble, who, with a sword stuck across him, and a whitecockade as large as a pancake, now figured in the character of acommissary, being overturned in the bustle occasioned by the troopershastening to get themselves in order in the Prince's presence, beforehe could rally his galloway, slunk to the rear amid the unrestrainedlaughter of the spectators.
'Eh bien, Messieurs, wheel to de right. Ah! dat is it! Eh, Monsieur deBradwardine, ayez la bonte de vous mettre a la tete de votre regiment,car, par Dieu, je n'en puis plus!'
The Baron of Bradwardine was obliged to go to the assistance ofMonsieur de Beaujeu, after he had fairly expended his few Englishmilitary phrases. One purpose of the Chevalier was thus answered. Theother he proposed was, that in the eagerness to hear and comprehendcommands issued through such an indistinct medium in his own presence,the thoughts of the soldiers in both corps might get a currentdifferent from the angry channel in which they were flowing at the time.
Charles Edward was no sooner left with the Chieftain and Waverley, therest of his attendants being at some distance, than he said, 'If I owedless to your disinterested friendship, I could be most seriously angrywith both of you for this very extraordinary and causeless broil, at amoment when my father's service so decidedly demands the most perfectunanimity. But the worst of my situation is, that my very best friendshold they have liberty to ruin themselves, as well as the cause theyare engaged in, upon the slightest caprice.'
Both the young men protested their resolution to submit everydifference to his arbitration. 'Indeed,' said Edward, 'I hardly know ofwhat I am accused. I sought Colonel Mac-Ivor merely to mention to himthat I had narrowly escaped assassination at the hand of his immediatedependent, a dastardly revenge which I knew him to be incapable ofauthorising. As to the cause for which he is disposed to fasten aquarrel upon me, I am ignorant of it, unless it be that he accuses me,most unjustly, of having engaged the affections of a young lady inprejudice of his pretensions.'
'If there is an error,' said the Chieftain, 'it arises from aconversation which I held this morning with his Royal Highness himself.'
'With me?' said the Chevalier; 'how can Colonel Mac-Ivor have so farmisunderstood me?'
He then led Fergus aside, and, after five minutes' earnestconversation, spurred his horse towards Edward. 'Is it possible--nay,ride up, Colonel, for I desire no secrets--is it possible, Mr.Waverley, that I am mistaken in supposing that you are an acceptedlover of Miss Bradwardine? a fact of which I was by circumstances,though not by communication from you, so absolutely convinced that Ialleged it to Vich Ian Vohr this morning as a reason why, withoutoffence to him, you might not continue to be ambitious of an alliancewhich, to an unengaged person, even though once repulsed, holds out toomany charms to be lightly laid aside.'
'Your Royal Highness,' said Waverley,'must have founded oncircumstances altogether unknown to me, when you did me thedistinguished honour of supposing me an accepted lover of MissBradwardine. I feel the distinction implied in the supposition, but Ihave no title to it. For the rest, my confidence in my own merit is toojustly slight to admit of my hoping for success in any quarter afterpositive rejection.'
The Chevalier was silent for a moment, looking steadily at them both,and then said, 'Upon my word, Mr. Waverley, you are a less happy manthan I conceived I had very good reason to believe you. But now,gentlemen, allow me to be umpire in this matter, not as Prince Regentbut as Charles Stuart, a brother adventurer with you in the samegallant cause. Lay my pretensions to be obeyed by you entirely out ofview, and consider your own honour, and how far it is well or becomingto give our enemies the advantage and our friends the scandal ofshowing that, few as we are, we are not united. And forgive me if Iadd, that the names of the ladies who have been mentioned crave morerespect from us all than to be made themes of discord.'
He took Fergus a little apart and spoke to him very earnestly for twoor three minutes, and then returning to Waverley, said, 'I believe Ihave satisfied Colonel Mac-Ivor that his resentment was founded upon amisconception, to which, indeed, I myself gave rise; and I trust Mr.Waverley is too generous to harbour any recollection of what is pastwhen I assure him that such is the case. You must state this matterproperly to your clan, Vich Ian Vohr, to prevent a recurrence of theirprecipitate violence.' Fergus bowed. 'And now, gentlemen, let me havethe pleasure to see you shake hands.'
They advanced coldly, and with measured steps, each apparentlyreluctant to appear most forward in concession. They did, however,shake hands, and parted, taking a respectful leave of the Chevalier.
Charles Edward [Footnote: See Note 12.] then rode to the head of theMacIvors, threw himself from his horse, begged a drink out of oldBallenkeiroch's cantine, and marched about half a mile along with them,inquiring into the history and connexions of Sliochd nan Ivor, adroitlyusing the few words of Gaelic he possessed, and affecting a greatdesire to learn it more thoroughly. He then mounted his horse oncemore, and galloped to the Baron's cavalry, which was in front, haltedthem, and examined their accoutrements and state of discipline; tooknotice of the principal gentlemen, and even of the cadets; inquiredafter their ladies, and commended their horses; rode about an hour withthe Baron of Bradwardine, and en
dured three long stories aboutField-Marshal the Duke of Berwick.
'Ah, Beaujeu, mon cher ami,' said he, as he returned to his usual placein the line of march, 'que mon metier de prince errant est ennuyant,par fois. Mais, courage! c'est le grand jeu, apres tout.'