第69章

Ah！itwouldhavebeenataleforpoorFloratohavetoldyou。Or，ifthathillwereBenmore，andthatlongbluelake，whichyouseejustwindingtowardsyonmountainouscountry，wereLochTay，ormyownLochanRi，thetalewouldbebettersuitedwithscenery。However，letussitdownonthisknoll；

evenSaddlebackandUllswaterwillsuitwhatIhavetosaybetterthantheEnglishhedge-rows，enclosures，andfarm-houses。

Youmustknow，then，thatwhenmyancestor，IannanChaistel，wastedNorthumberland，therewasassociatedwithhimintheexpeditionasortofSouthlandChief，orcaptainofabandofLowlanders，calledHalbertHall。IntheirreturnthroughtheCheviots，theyquarrelledaboutthedivisionofthegreatbootytheyhadacquired，andcamefromwordstoblows。TheLowlanderswerecutofftoaman，andtheirchieffellthelast，coveredwithwoundsbytheswordofmyancestors。Sincethattime，hisspirithascrossedtheVichIanVohrofthedaywhenanygreatdisasterwasimpending，butespeciallybeforeapproachingdeath。Myfathersawhimtwice；oncebeforehewasmadeprisoneratSheriffmuir；anothertime，onthemorningofthedayonwhichhedied。’’

Howcanyou，mydearFergus，tellsuchnonsensewithagraveface？’’

Idonotaskyoutobelieveit；butItellyouthetruth，ascertainedbythreehundredyears’experienceatleast，andlastnightbymyowneyes。’’

Theparticulars，forheaven’ssake！’’saidWaverley，witheagerness。

Iwill，onconditionyouwillnotattemptajestonthesubject-

Sincethisunhappyretreatcommenced，Ihavescarceeverbeenabletosleepforthinkingofmyclan，andofthispoorPrince，whomtheyareleadingbacklikeadoginastring，whetherhewillorno，andofthedownfallofmyfamily。LastnightIfeltsofeverishthatIleftmyquarters，andwalkedout，inhopesthekeenfrostyairwouldbracemynerves-IcannottellhowmuchIdislikegoingon，forIknowyouwillhardlybelieveme。However-Icrossedasmallfoot-bridge，andkeptwalkingbackwardsandforwards，whenIobservedwithsurprise，bytheclearmoonlight，atallfigureinagreyplaid，suchasshepherdswearinthesouthofScotland，which，moveatwhatpaceIwould，keptregularlyaboutfouryardsbeforeme。’’

YousawaCumberlandpeasantinhisordinarydress，probably。’’

No：Ithoughtsoatfirst，andwasastonishedattheman’saudacityindaringtodogme。Icalledtohimbutreceivednoanswer。Ifeltananxiousthrobbingatmyheart；andtoascertainwhatIdreaded，Istoodstill，andturnedmyselfonthesamespotsuccessivelytothefourpointsofthecompass-ByHeaven，Edward，turnwhereIwould，thefigurewasinstantlybeforemyeyes，atpreciselythesamedistance？IwasthenconvinceditwastheBodachGlas。Myhairbristled，andmykneesshook。Imannedmyself，however，anddeterminedtoreturntomyquarters。Myghastlyvisitantglidedbeforeme(forIcannotsayhewalked)，untilhereachedthefoot-bridge：

therehestopped，andturnedfullround。Imusteitherwadetheriver，orpasshimascloseasIamtoyou。Adesperatecourage，foundedonthebeliefthatmydeathwasnear，mademeresolvetomakemywayindespiteofhim。Imadethesignofthecross，drewmysword，anduttered，`InthenameofGod，EvilSpirit，giveplace！’`VichIanVohr，’itsaid，inavoicethatmademyverybloodcurdle，`bewareofto-morrow！’

Itseemedatthatmomentnothalfayardfrommysword’spoint；butthewordswerenosoonerspokenthanitwasgone，andnothingappearedfurthertoobstructmypassage。Igothome，andthrewmyselfonmybed，whereIspentafewhoursheavilyenough；andthismorning，asnoenemywasreportedtobenearus，Itookmyhorse，androdeforwardtomakeupmatterswithyou。IwouldnotwillinglyfalluntilIamincharitywithawrongedfriend。’’

Edwardhadlittledoubtthatthisphantomwastheoperationofanexhaustedframeanddepressedspirits，workingonthebeliefcommontoallHighlandersinsuchsuperstitions。

HedidnotthelesspityFergus，forwhom，inhispresentdistress，hefeltallhisformerregardrevive。Withtheviewofdivertinghismindfromthesegloomyimages，heofferedwiththeBaron’spermission，whichheknowhecouldreadilyobtain，toremaininhisquarterstillFergus’scorpsshouldcomeup，andthentomarchwiththemasusual。Thechiefseemedmuchpleased，yethesitatedtoaccepttheoffer。

Weare，youknow，intherear，-thepostofdangerinaretreat。’’

Andthereforethepostofhonour。’’

Well，’’repliedtheChieftain，letAlickhaveyourhorseinreadiness，incaseweshouldbeover-matched，andIshallbedelightedtohaveyourcompanyoncemore。’’

Therearguardwerelateinmakingtheirappearance，havingbeendelayedbyvariousaccidentsandbythebadnessoftheroads。Atlengththeyenteredthehamlet。WhenWaverleyjoinedtheclanMac-Ivor，arminarmwiththeirChieftain，alltheresentmenttheyhadentertainedagainsthimseemedblownoffatonce。EvanDhureceivedhimwithagrinofcongratulation；

andevenCa