第39章

Theyhavehithertobehavedverywell，asweareforcedtokeepthemingoodhumour。Butthesesoldiershavehintedasifonyourfallingintotheirhandsyouwouldbeingreatdanger；

Icannotprevailonmyselftowritewhatwickedfalsehoodstheysaid，forIamsuretheyarefalsehoods；butyouwillbestjudgewhatyououghttodo。Thepartythatreturnedcarriedoffyourservantprisoner，withyourtwohorses，andeverythingthatyouleftatTully-Veolan。IhopeGodwillprotectyou，andthatyouwillgetsafehometoEngland，whereyouusedtotellmetherewasnomilitaryviolencenorfightingamongclanspermitted，buteverythingwasdoneaccordingtoanequallawthatprotectedallwhowereharmlessandinnocent。Ihopeyouwillexertyourindulgenceastomyboldnessinwritingtoyou，whereitseemstome，thoughperhapserroneously，thatyoursafetyandhonourareconcerned。Iamsure-atleastI

think，myfatherwouldapproveofmywriting；forMr。Rubrickisfledtohiscousin’sattheDuchran，tobeoutofdangerfromthesoldiersandtheWhigs，andBailieMacwheebledoesnotliketomeddle(hesays)inothermen’sconcerns，thoughIhopewhatmayservemyfather’sfriendatsuchatimeasthis，cannotbetermedimproperinterference。Farewell，CaptainWaverley！Ishallprobablyneverseeyoumore；foritwouldbeveryimpropertowishyoutocallatTully-Veolanjustnow，evenifthesemenweregone；butIwillalwaysrememberwithgratitudeyourkindnessinassistingsopoorascholarasmyself，andyourattentionstomydear，dearfather。

Iremain，yourobligedservant，RoseComyneBradwardine。’’

P。S-IhopeyouwillsendmealinebyDavidGellatley，justtosayyouhavereceivedthis，andthatyouwilltakecareofyourself；andforgivemeifIentreatyou，foryourownsake，tojoinnoneoftheseunhappycabals，butescape，asfastaspossible，toyourownfortunatecountry。MycomplimentstomydearFlora，andtoGlennaquoich。IsshenotashandsomeandaccomplishedasIhavedescribedher？’’

ThusconcludedtheletterofRoseBradwardine，thecontentsofwhichbothsurprisedandaffectedWaverley。ThattheBaronshouldfallunderthesuspicionsofGovernment，inconsequenceofthepresentstiramongthepartisansofthehouseofStuart，seemedonlythenaturalconsequenceofhispoliticalpredilections；buthow_he_himselfshouldhavebeeninvolvedinsuchsuspicions，consciousthatuntilyesterdayhehadbeenfreefromharbouringathoughtagainsttheprosperityofthereigningfamily，seemedinexplicable。BothatTully-VeolanandGlennaquoich，hishostshadrespectedhisengagementswiththeexistinggovernment，andthoughenoughpassedbyaccidentalinnuendothatmightinducehimtoreckontheBaronandtheChiefamongthosedisaffectedgentlemenwhowerestillnumerousinScotland，yetuntilhisownconnectionwiththearmyhadbeenbrokenoffbytheresumptionofhisCommission，hehadnoreasontosupposethattheynourishedanyimmediateorhostileattemptsagainstthepresentestablishment。StillhewasawarethatunlesshemeantatoncetoembracetheproposalofFergusMac-Ivor，itwoulddeeplyconcernhimtoleavethesuspiciousneighbourhoodwithoutdelay，andrepairwherehisconductmightundergoasatisfactoryexamination。

Uponthishetheratherdetermined，asFlora’sadvicefavouredhisdoingso，andbecausehefeltinexpressiblerepugnanceattheideaofbeingaccessorytotheplagueofcivilwar。WhateverweretheoriginalrightsoftheStuarts，calmreflectiontoldhim，that，omittingthequestionhowfarJamestheSecondcouldforfeitthoseofhisposterity，hehad，accordingtotheunitedvoiceofthewholenation，justlyforfeitedhisown。

Sincethatperiod，fourmonarchshadreignedinpeaceandgloryoverBritain，sustainingandexaltingthecharacterofthenationabroad，anditslibertiesathome。Reasonas