Corse-Cleugh has panged it wi' a kemple o' strae amaist, yet when the country's quiet, and the night very cauld, his Honour whiles creeps doun here to get a warm at the ingle, and a sleep among the blankets, and gangs awa in the morning.
And so, ae morning, siccan a fright as I got! Twa unlucky red-coats were up for black-fishing, or some siccan ploy---for the neb o' them's never out o' mischief---and they just got a glisk o' his Honour as he gaed into the wood, and banged aff a gun at him.I out like a jer-falcon, and cried,---`Wad they shoot an honest woman's poor innocent bairn?' And I fleyt at them, and threepit it was my son; and the damned and swuir at me that it was the auld rebel, as the villains ca'd his Honour; and Davie was in the wood, and heard the tuilzie, and he, just out o' his ain head, got up the auld grey mantle that his Honour had flung off him to gang the faster, and he came out o'the very same bit o'the wood, majoring and looking about sae like his Honour, that they were clean beguiled, and thought they had letten aff their gun at crack-brained Sawney, as they ca'd him; and they gae me saxpence, and twa saumon fish, to say naething about it.---Na, na; Davie's no just like other folk, puir fallow; but he's no sae silly as folk tak him for.---But, to be sure, how can we do eneugh for his Honour, when we and ours have lived on his ground this twa hundred years; and when he keepit my puir Jamie at school and college, and even at the Ha'-house, till he gaed to a better place; and when he saved me frae being ta'en to Perth as a witch---Lord forgi'e them that would touch sic a puir silly auld body!---and has maintained puir Davie at heck and manger maist feck o' his life?''
Waverley at length found an opportunity to interrupt Janet's narrative, by an inquiry after Miss Bradwardine.
``She's weel and safe, thank God! at the Duchran,'' answered the Baron.``The laird's distantly related to us, and more nearly to my chaplain, Mr.Rubrick; and, though he be of Whig principles, yet he's not forgetful of auld friendship at this time.The Bailie's doing what he can to save something out of the wreck for puir Rose; but I doubt, I doubt, I shall never see her again, for I maun lay my banes in some far country.''
``Hout na, your Honour,'' said old Janet; ``ye were just as ill aft in the feifteen, and got the bonnie baronie back, an a'.---And now the eggs is ready, and the muir-cock's brandered, and there's ilk ane a trencher and some saut, and the heel o' the white loaf that cam frae the Bailie's; and there's plenty o'
brandy in the greybeard that Luckie Maclearie sent doun; and winna ye be suppered like princes?''
``I wish one Prince, at least, of our acquaintance, may be no worse off,'' said the Baron to Waverley, who joined him in cordial hopes for the safety of the unfortunate Chevalier.
They then began to talk of their future prospects.The Baron's plan was very ******.It was, to escape to France, where, by the interest of his old friends, he hoped to get some military employment, of which he still conceived himself capable.He invited Waverley to go with him, a proposal in which he acquiesced, providing the interest of Colonel Talbot should fail in procuring his pardon.Tacitly he hoped the Baron would sanction his addresses to Rose, and give him a right to assist him in his exile; but he forbore to speak on this subject until his own fate should be decided.They then talked of Glennaquoich, for whom the Baron expressed great anxiety, although, he observed, he was ``the very Achilles of Horatius Flaccus,---Impiger, iracuindus, inexorabilis, acer.
Which,'' he continued, ``has been thus rendered (vernacularly)by Struan Robertson:---
A fiery etter-cap, a fractious chiel, As het as ginger, and as stieve as steel.''
Flora had a large and unqualified share of the good old man's sympathy.
It was now wearing late.Old Janet got into some kind of kennel behind the hallan.Davie had been long asleep and snoring between Ban and Buscar.These dogs had followed him to the hut after the mansion-house was deserted, and there constantly resided; and their ferocity, with the old woman's reputation of being a witch, contributed a good deal to keep visitors from the glen.With this view, Bailie Macwheeble provided Janet underhand with meal for their maintenance, and also with little articles of luxury for their patron's use, in supplying which much precaution was necessarily used.After some compliments, the Baron occupied his usual couch, and Waverley reclined in an easy chair of tattered velvet, which had once garnished the state bed-room of Tully-Veolan (for the furniture of this mansion was now scattered through all the cottages in the vicinity), and went to sleep as comfortably as if he had been in a bed of down.