‘And you, ye doil’d dotard,’ replied his gentle helpmate, her wrath, which had hitherto wandered abroad over the whole assembly, being at once and violently impelled into its natural channel, ’ye stand there hammering dog-heads for fules that will never snap them at a Highlandman, instead, of earning bread for your family, and shoeing this winsome young gentleman’s horse that’s just come frae the north!  I’se warrant him nane of your whingeing King George folk, but a gallant Gordon, at the least o’ him.’

The eyes of the assembly were now turned upon Waverley, who took the opportunity to beg the smith to shoe his guide’s horse with all speed, as he wished to proceed on his journey;—­for he had heard enough to make him sensible that there would be danger in delaying long in this place.  The smith’s eye rested on him with a look of displeasure and suspicion, not lessened by the eagerness with which his wife enforced Waverley’s mandate.  ’D’ye hear what the weel-favoured young gentleman says, ye drunken ne’er-do-good?’

And what may your name be, sir?’ quoth Mucklewrath.

‘It is of no consequence to you, my friend, provided I pay your labour.’

‘But it may be of consequence to the state, sir,’ replied an old farmer, smelling strongly of whisky and peat-smoke; ’and I doubt we maun delay your journey till you have seen the Laird.’

‘You certainly,’ said Waverley, haughtily, ’will find it both difficult and dangerous to detain me, unless you can produce some proper authority.’

There was a pause and a whisper among the crowd—­’Secretary Murray;’ ‘Lord Lewis Gordon;’ ‘Maybe the Chevalier himsell!’ Such were the surmises that passed hurriedly among them, and there was obviously an increased disposition to resist Waverley’s departure.  He attempted to argue mildly with them, but his voluntary ally, Mrs. Mucklewrath, broke in upon and drowned his expostulations, taking his part with an abusive violence, which was all set down to Edward’s account by those on whom it was bestowed.  ‘Ye’ll stop ony gentleman that’s the Prince’s freend?’ for she too, though with other feelings, had adopted the general opinion respecting Waverley.  ‘I daur ye to touch him,’ spreading abroad her long and muscular fingers, garnished with claws which a vulture might have envied.  ‘I’ll set my ten commandments in the face o’ the first loon that lays a finger on him.’

’Gae hame, gudewife, quoth the farmer aforesaid; ’it wad better set you to be nursing the gudeman’s bairns than to be deaving us here.’

‘His bairns!’ retorted the amazon, regarding her husband with a grin of ineffable contempt—­’his bairns!

     O gin ye were dead, gudeman,
     And a green turf on your head, gudeman! 
     Then I would ware my widowhood
     Upon a ranting Highlandman.’

This canticle, which excited a suppressed titter among the younger part of the audience, totally overcame the patience of the taunted man of the anvil.  ‘Deil be in me but I’ll put this het gad down her throat!’ cried he, in an ecstasy of wrath, snatching a bar from the forge; and he might have executed his threat, had he not been withheld by a part of the mob; while the rest endeavoured to force the termagant out of his presence.