THE ENGLISH PRISONER.
The first occupation of Waverley, after he departed from the Chieftain, was to go in quest of the officer whose life he had saved.He was guarded, along with his companions in misfortune, who were very numerous, in a gentleman's house near the field of battle.
On entering the room where they stood crowded together, Waverley easily recognised the object of his visit, not only by the peculiar dignity of his appearance, but by the appendage of Dugald Mahony, with his battle-axe, who had stuck to him from the moment of his captivity, as if he had been skewered to his side.This close attendance was, perhaps, for the purpose of securing his promised reward from Edward, but it also operated to save the English gentleman from being plundered in the scene of general confusion; for Dugald sagaciously argued, that the amount of the salvage which he might be allowed, would be regulated by the state of the prisoner, when he should deliver him over to Waverley.He hastened to assure Waverley, therefore, with more words than he usually employed, that he had ``keepit ta _sidier roy_ haill, and that he wasna a plack the waur since the ferry moment when his honour forbad her to gie him a bit clamhewit wi' her Lochaber axe.''
Waverley assured Dugald of a liberal recompense, and, approaching the English officer, expressed his anxiety to do anything which might contribute to his convenience under his present unpleasant circumstances.
``I am not so inexperienced a soldier, sir,'' answered the Englishman, ``as to complain of the fortune of war.I am only grieved to see those scenes acted in our own island, which I have often witnessed elsewhere with comparative indifference.''
``Another such day as this,'' said Waverley, ``and I trust the cause of your regrets will be removed, and all will again return to peace and order.''
The officer smiled and shook his head.``I must not forget my situation so far as to attempt a formal confutation of that opinion; but, notwithstanding your success, and the valour which achieved it, you have undertaken a task to which your strength appears wholly inadequate.''
At this moment Fergus pushed into the press.
``Come, Edward, come along; the Prince has gone to Pinkie-house for the night; and we must follow, or loose the whole ceremony of the _calig<ae>._ Your friend, the Baron, has been guilty of a great piece of cruelty; he has insisted upon dragging Bailie Macwheeble out to the field of battle.Now you must know the Bailie's greatest horror is an armed Highlander, or a loaded gun; and there he stands, listening to the Baron's instructions concerning the protest, ducking his head like a sea-gull at the report of every gun and pistol that our idle boys are firing upon the fields; and undergoing, by way of penance, at every symptom of flinching, a severe rebuke from his patron, who would not admit the discharge of a whole battery of cannon, within point-blank distance, as an apology for neglecting a discourse, in which the honour of his family is interested.''
``But how has Mr.Bradwardine got him to venture so far?''
said Edward.
``Why, he had come as far as Musselburgh, I fancy, in hopes of making some of our wills; and the peremptory commands of the Baron dragged him forward to Preston after the battle was over.He complains of one or two of our ragamuffins having put him in peril of his life, by presenting their pieces at him;but as they limited his ransom to an English penny, I don't think we need trouble the provost-marshal upon that subject.So, come along, Waverley.''
``Waverley!'' said the English officer, with great emotion;``the nephew of Sir Everard Waverley, of ------shire?''
``The same, Sir,'' replied our hero, somewhat surprised at the tone in which he was addressed.
``I am at once happy and grieved,'' said the prisoner, ``to have met with you.''
``I am ignorant, sir,'' answered Waverley, ``how I have deserved so much interest.''
``Did your uncle never mention a friend called Talbot?''
``I have heard him talk with great regard of such a person,''
replied Edward; ``a colonel, I believe, in the army, and the husband of Lady Emily Blandeville; but I thought Colonel Talbot had been abroad.''
``I am just returned,'' answered the officer; ``and being in Scotland, thought it my duty to act where my services promised to be useful.Yes, Mr.Waverley, I am that Colonel Talbot, the husband of the lady you have named; and I am proud to acknowledge that I owe alike my professional rank and my domestic happiness to your generous and noble-minded relative.
Good God! that I should find his nephew in such a dress, and engaged in such a cause!''
``Sir,'' said Fergus, haughtily, ``the dress and cause are those of men of birth and honour.''
``My situation forbids me to dispute your assertion,'' said Colonel Talbot; ``otherwise it were no difficult matter to show, that neither courage nor pride of lineage can gild a bad cause.
But, with Mr.Waverley's permission, and yours, sir, if yours also must be asked, I would willingly speak a few words with him on affairs connected with his own family.''
``Mr.Waverley, sir, regulates his own motions.---You will follow me, I suppose, to Pinkie,'' said Fergus, turning to Edward, ``when you have finished your discourse with this new acquaintance?''
So saying, the Chief of Glennaquoich adjusted his plaid with rather more than his usual air of haughty assumption, and left the apartment.
The interest of Waverley readily procured for Colonel Talbot the freedom of adjourning to a large garden belonging to his place of confinement.They walked a few paces in silence, Colonel Talbot apparently studying how to open what he had to say; at length he addressed Edward.
``Mr.Waverley, you have this day saved my life; and yet Iwould to God that I had lost it, ere I had found you wearing the uniform and cockade of these men.''
