“I believe I know more of your birth than you do yourself, and to convince you of it, you were educated and known as a natural son of Geraldin Neville, of Neville’s-burg, in Yorkshire.”

“I did believe Mr. Geraldin Neville was my father, but during the war in French Flanders, I found in a convent near where we were quartered, a woman who spoke good English—­a Spaniard.  She discovered who I was, and made herself known to me as the person who had charge of me in my infancy, and intimated that Mr. Geraldin Neville was not my father.  The convent was burned by the enemy, and several nuns perished, among others this woman.  I wrote to Mr. Neville, and on my return implored him to complete the disclosure.  He refused, and, on my importunity, indignantly upbraided me with the favours he had already conferred.  We parted in mutual displeasure.  I renounced the name of Neville, and assumed that of Lovel.  It was at this time, when residing with a friend in the north of England, that I became acquainted with Miss Wardour, and was romantic enough to follow her to Scotland.  When I was at Fairport, I received news of Mr. Neville’s death.  He had made me his heir, but the possession of considerable wealth did not prevent me from remembering Sir Arthur’s strong prejudices against illegitimacy.  Then came my quarrel with Captain M’Intyre, and my compelled departure from Fairport.”

“Well, Major Neville, you must, I believe, exchange both of your aliases for the style and title of the Honourable William Geraldin, commonly called Lord Geraldin.”

The Antiquary then went through the strange and melancholy circumstances concerning his mother’s death.  “And now, my dear sir,” said he, in conclusion, “let me have the pleasure of introducing a son to a father.”

We will not attempt to describe such a meeting.  The proof on all sides was found to be complete, for Mr. Neville had left a distinct account of the whole transaction with his confidential steward in a small packet, which was not to be opened until the death of the old countess.

In the evening of that day, the yeomanry and volunteers of Glenallan drank prosperity to their young master; and a month afterwards, Lord Glenallan was married to Miss Wardour.

Hector is rising rapidly in the army, and rises proportionally high in his uncle’s favour.

* * * * *

Guy Mannering

“Guy Mannering, or, the Astrologer,” the second of the Waverley series, represents the labour of six weeks.  Although the novel was completed in so short a period, neither story—­if one or two instances of evidences of haste is ignored—­nor characterisation has suffered.  For the main theme Scott was indebted to an old legend of the horoscope of a new-born infant.  In common with nearly all his tales, several of the characters in “Guy Mannering” were founded on real persons; Meg Merrilies was the prototype of a gipsy named Jennie Gordon, and many of the personal features of Dominie Sampson were obtained from a clergyman who once acted as tutor at Abbotsford.  The hero was at once recognised by Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd, as a portrait of Scott himself.

I.—­The Astrologer