第73章

Ay，thattheyca’dtheLadyFlora-weel，she’sawayuptoCarlisletohim，andliveswi’somegrandPapistladythereabouts，tobenearhim。’’

And，’’saidEdward，theotheryounglady？’’

Whilkother？IkenonlyofaesistertheColonelhad。’’

ImeanMissBradwardine，’’saidEdward。

Ouay，thelaird’sdaughter，’’saidhislandlady。She，wasaverybonnylassie，poorthing，butfarshyerthanLadyFlora。’’

Whereisshe，forGod’ssake？’’

Ou，whakenswhereonyo’themisnow？Puirthings，they’resairta’endounfortheirwhitecockadesandtheirwhiteroses；butshegaednorthtoherfather’sinPerthshire，whenthegovernmenttroopscambacktoEdinbro’。Therewassomeprettymenamangthem，andaneMajorWhackerwasquarteredonme，averyceevilgentleman，-butO，Mr。Waverley，hewasnaethingsaeweel-far’dasthepoorColonel。’’

DoyouknowwhatisbecomeofMissBradwardine’sfather？’’

Theauldlaird？-na，naebodykensthat；buttheysayhefoughtveryhardinthatbluidybattleatInverness；andDeaconClank，thewhite-ironsmith，says，thattheGovernmentfolkaresairaganehimforhavingbeen_out_twice；andtrothhemighthaeta’enwarning，-butthere’snaefulelikeanauldfule-thepoorColonelwasonlyoutance。’’

Suchconversationcontainedalmostallthegood-naturedwidowknewofthefateofherlatelodgersandacquaintances；

butitwasenoughtodetermineEdwardatallhazardstoproceedinstantlytoTully-Veolan，whereheconcludedheshouldsee，oratleasthear，somethingofRose。HethereforeleftaletterforColonelTalbotattheplaceagreedupon，signedbyhisassumedname，andgivingforhisaddressthepost-townnexttotheBaron’sresidence。

FromEdinburghtoPerthhetookpost-horses，resolvingtomaketherestofhisjourneyonfoot-amodeoftravellingtowhichhewaspartial，andwhichhadtheadvantageofpermittingadeviationfromtheroadwhenhesawpartiesofmilitaryatadistance。Hiscampaignhadconsiderablystrengthenedhisconstitution，andimprovedhishabitsofenduringfatigue。Hisbaggagehesentbeforehimasopportunityoccurred。

Asheadvancednorthward，thetracesofwarbecamevisible。

Brokencarriages，deadhorses，unroofedcottages，treesfelledforpalisades，andbridgesdestroyed，oronlypartiallyrepaired，-

allindicatedthemovementsofhostilearmies。InthoseplaceswherethegentrywereattachedtotheStuartcause，theirhousesseemeddismantledordeserted，theusualcourseofwhatmaybecalledornamentallabourwastotallyinterrupted，andtheinhabitantswereseenglidingabout，withfear，sorrow，anddejectionontheirfaces。

ItwaseveningwhenheapproachedthevillageofTully-Veolan，withfeelingsandsentiments-howdifferentfromthosewhichattendedhisfirstentrance！Then，lifewassonewtohim，thatadullordisagreeabledaywasoneofthegreatestmisfortuneswhichhisimaginationanticipated，anditseemedtohimthathistimeoughtonlytobeconsecratedtoelegantoramusingstudy，andrelievedbysocialoryouthfulfrolic。Now，howchanged！howsaddened，yethowelevatedwashischaracter，withinthecourseofaveryfewmonths！Dangerandmisfortunearerapid，thoughsevereteachers。Asadderandawiserman，’’hefelt，ininternalconfidenceandmentaldignity，acompensationforthegaydreamswhich，inhiscase，experiencehadsorapidlydissolved。

Asheapproachedthevillage，hesaw，withsurpriseandanxiety，thatapartyofsoldierswerequarterednearit，and，whatwasworse，thattheyseemedstationarythere。ThisheconjecturedfromafewtentswhichhebeheldglimmeringuponwhatwascalledtheCommonMoor。Toavoidtheriskofbeingstoppedandquestionedinaplacewherehewassolikelytoberecognised，hemadealargecircuit，altogetheravoidingthehamlet，andapproachingtheuppergateoftheavenuebyaby-pathwellknowntohim。Asingleglanceannouncedthatgreatchangeshadtakenplace。Onehalfofthegate，entirelydestroyedandsplitupforfirewood，layinpiles，readytobetakenaway；theotherswunguselesslyaboutuponitsloosenedhinges。Thebattlementsabovethegatewerebrokenandthrowndown，andthecarvedBears，whichweresaidtohavedonesentinel’sdutyuponthetopforcenturies，now，hurledfromtheirposts，layamongtherubbish。Theavenuewascruellywasted。Severallargetreeswerefelledandleftlyingacrossthep