``Punds Scottish, ye shall understand.And the lady had not the siller if she had pawned her gown; and they applied to the governor o' Stirling Castle, and to the major o' the Black Watch; and the governor said, it was ower far to the northward, and out of his district; and the major said, his men were gane hame to the shearing, and he would not call them out before the victual was got in for all the Cramfeezers in Christendom, let alane the Mearns, for that it would prejudice the country.And in the meanwhile yell no hinder Gilliewhackit to take the small-pox.There was not the doctor in Perth or Stirling would look near the poor lad; and I cannot blame them, for Donald had been misguggled by ane of these doctors about Paris, and he swore he would fling the first into the loch that he catched beyond the Pass.However, some cailliachs (that is, old women) that were about Donald's hand, nursed Gilliewhackit sae weel, that between the free open air in the cove and the fresh whey, deil an he did not recover may be as weel as if he had been closed in a glazed chamber and a bed with curtains, and fed with red wine and white meat.And Donald was sae vexed about it, that when he was stout and weel, he even sent him free home, and said he would be pleased with onything they would like to gie him for the plague and trouble which' he had about Gilliewhackit to an unkenn'd degree.And I cannot tell ye precisely how they sorted; but they agreed sae right that Donald was invited to dance at the wedding in his Highland trews, and they said that there was never sae mickle siller clinked in his purse either before or since.And to the boot of all that, Gilliewhackit said, that, be the evidence what it liked, if he had the luck to be on Donald's inquest, he would bring him in guilty of nothing whatever, unless it were wilful arson, or murder under trust.''
With such bald and disjointed chat Evan went on, illustrating the existing state of the Highlands, more perhaps to the amusement of Waverley than that of our readers.At length, after having marched over bank and brae, moss and heather, Edward, though not unacquainted with the Scottish liberality in computing distance, began to think that Evan's five miles were nearly doubled.His observation on the large measure which the Scottish allowed of their land, in comparison to the computation of their money, was readily answered by Evan, with the, old jest, ``The deil take them wha have the least pint stoup.''<*>
* The Scotch are liberal in computing their land and liquor; the Scottish * pint corresponds to two English quarts.As for their coin, every one knows * the couplet---*
* ``How can the rogues pretend to sense?
* Their pound is only twenty pence.''
And now the report of a gun was heard, and a sportsman was seen, with his dogs and attendant, at the upper end of the glen.``Shough,'' said Dugald Mahony, ``tat's ta Chief.''
``It is not,'' said Evan imperiously.``Do you think he would come to meet a Sassenach Duinh<e'>-wassel in such a way as that?''
But as they approached a little nearer, he said, with an appearance of mortification, ``And it is even he, sure enough;and he has not his tail on after all;---there is no living creature with him but Callum Beg.''
In fact, Fergus Mac-Ivor, of whom a Frenchman might have said, as truly as of any man in the Highlands, ``_Qu'il connoit bien ses gens,_'' had no idea of raising himself in the eyes of an English young man of fortune, by appearing with a retinue of idle Highlanders disproportioned to the occasion.He was well aware that such an unnecessary attendance would seem to Edward rather ludicrous than respectable; and while few men were more attached to ideas of chieftainship and feudal power, he was, for that very reason, cautious of exhibiting external marks of dignity, unless at the time and in the manner when they were most likely to produce an imposing effect.Therefore, although, had he been to receive a brother chieftain, he would probably have been attended by all that retinue which Evan described with so much unction, he judged it more respectable to advance to meet Waverley with a single attendant, a very handsome Highland boy, who carried his master's shooting-pouch and his broadsword, without which he seldom went abroad.
When Fergus and Waverley met, the latter was struck with the peculiar grace and dignity of the Chieftain's figure.Above the middle size, and finely proportioned, the Highland dress, which he wore in its simplest mode, set off his person to great advantage.He wore the trews, or close trowsers, made of tartan, chequed scarlet and white; in other particulars, his dress strictly resembled Evan's, excepting that he had no weapon save a dirk, very richly mounted with silver.His page, as we have said, carried his claymore; and the fowling-piece, which he held in his hand, seemed only designed for sport.He had shot in the course of his walk some young wild-ducks, as, though close-time was then unknown, the broods of grouse were yet too young for the sportsman.His countenance was decidedly Scottish, with all the peculiarities of the northern physiognomy, but yet had so little of its harshness and exaggeration, that it would have been pronounced in any country extremely handsome.
The martial air of the bonnet, with a single eagle's feather as a distinction, added much to the manly appearance of his head, which was besides ornamented with a far more natural and graceful cluster of close black curls than ever were exposed to sale in Bond Street.
An air of openness and affability increased the favourable impression derived from this handsome and dignified exterior.
Yet a skilful physiognomist would have been less satisfied with the countenance on the second than on the first view.The eyebrow and upper lip bespoke something of the habit of peremptory command and decisive superiority.Even his courtesy, though open, frank, and unconstrained, seemed to indicate a sense of personal importance; and, upon any check or accidental excitation, a sudden, though transient, lour of the eye, showed a hasty, haughty, and vindictive temper, not less to be dreaded because it seemed much under its owner's command.In short, the countenance of the Chieftain resembled a smiling summer, day, in which, notwithstanding, we are made sensible by certain, though slight signs, that it may thunder and lighten before the close of evening.
It was not, however, upon their first meeting that Edward had an opportunity of making these less favourable remarks.
The Chief received him as a friend of the Baron of Bradwardine, with the utmost expression of kindness, and obligation for the visit; upbraided him gently with choosing so rude an abode as he had done the night before; and entered into a lively conversation with him about Donald Bean's housekeeping, but without the least hint as to his predatory habits, or the immediate occasion of Waverley's visit, a topic which, as the Chief did not introduce it, our hero also avoided.While they walked merrily on towards the house of Glennaquoich, Evan, who now fell respectfully into the rear, followed with Callum Beg and Dugald Mahony.
We shall take the opportunity to introduce the reader to some particulars of Fergus Mac-Ivor's character and history, which were not completely known to Waverley till after a connection, which, though arising from a circumstance so casual, had for a length of time the deepest influence upon his character, actions, and prospects.But this, being an important subject, must form the commencement of a new chapter.
