‘Truly,’ said Fergus Mac-Ivor, ’I think it can only be the inspiration of the tartans; for, though Waverley be always a young fellow of sense and honour, I have hitherto often found him a very absent and inattentive companion.’

‘We are the more obliged to him,’ said the Prince, ’for having reserved for this evening qualities which even such intimate friends had not discovered.—­But come, gentlemen, the night advances, and the business of to-morrow must be early thought upon.  Each take charge of his fair partner, and honour a small refreshment with your company.’

He led the way to another suite of apartments, and assumed the seat and canopy at the head of a long range of tables, with an air of dignity mingled with courtesy, which well became his high birth and lofty pretensions.  An hour had hardly flown away when the musicians played the signal for parting, so well known in Scotland.’ [Which is, or was wont to be, the old air of ‘Good-night, and joy be with you a’!’]

’Good-night, then, said the Chevalier, rising; ’Good-night, and joy be with you!—­Good-night, fair ladies, who have so highly honoured a proscribed and banished Prince.—­Good-night, my brave friends;—­may the happiness we have this evening experienced be an omen of our return to these our paternal halls, speedily and in triumph, and of many and many future meetings of mirth and pleasure in the palace of Holyrood!’

When the Baron of Bradwardine afterwards mentioned this adieu of the Chevalier, he never failed to repeat, in a melancholy tone,

     Audiit, et voti Phoebus succedere partem
     Mente dedit; partem volueres dispersit in auras,

‘which,’ as he added, ’is weel rendered into English metre by my friend Bangour: 

     Ae half the prayer, wi’ Phoebus grace did find,
     The t’other half he whistled down the wind.’

CHAPTER XLIV

THE MARCH

The conflicting passions and exhausted feelings of Waverley had resigned him to late but sound repose.  He was dreaming of Glennaquoich, and had transferred to the halls of Ian nan Chaistel the festal train which so lately graced those of Holyrood.  The pibroch too was distinctly heard; and this at least was no delusion, for the ’proud step of the chief piper’ of the ‘chlain Mac-Ivor’ was perambulating the court before the door of his Chieftain’s quarters, and, as Mrs. Flockhart, apparently no friend to his minstrelsy, was pleased to observe, ’garring the very stane-and-lime wa’s dingle wi’ his screeching.’  Of course, it soon became too powerful for Waverley’s dream, with which it had at first rather harmonized.

The sound of Callum’s brogues in his apartment (for Mac-Ivor had again assigned Waverley to his care) was the next note of parting.  ’Winna yere honour bang up?  Vich Ian Vohr and ta Prince are awa to the lang green glen ahint the clachan, tat they ca’ the King’s Park, and mony ane’s on his ain shanks the day, that will be carried on ither folk’s ere night.’ [The main body of the Highland army encamped, or rather bivouacked, in that part of the King’s Park which lies towards the village of Duddingston.]