troop, as open to temptation. Donald even believed
that Waverley himself was at bottom in the Stuart interest,
which seemed confirmed by his long visit to the Jacobite
Baron of Bradwardine. When, therefore, he came
to his cave with one of Glennaquoich’s attendants,
the robber, who could never appreciate his real motive,
which was mere curiosity, was so sanguine as to hope
that his own talents were to be employed in some intrigue
of consequence, under the auspices of this wealthy
young Englishman. Nor was he undeceived by Waverley’s
neglecting all hints and openings for an explanation.
His conduct passed for prudent reserve, and somewhat
piqued Donald Bean, who, supposing himself left out
of a secret where confidence promised to be advantageous,
determined to have his share in the drama, whether
a regular part were assigned him or not. For this
purpose, during Waverley’s sleep, he possessed,
himself of his seal, as a token to be used to any
of the troopers whom he might discover to be possessed
of the captain’s confidence. His first journey
to Dundee, the town where the regiment was quartered,
undeceived him in his original supposition, but opened
to him a new field of action. He knew there would
be no service so well rewarded by the friends of the
Chevalier, as seducing a part of the regular army
to his standard. For this purpose, he opened
the machinations with which the reader is already acquainted,
and which form a clue to all the intricacies and obscurities
of the narrative previous to Waverley’s leaving
Glennaquoich.
By Colonel Talbot’s advice, Waverley declined
detaining in his service the lad whose evidence had
thrown additional light on these intrigues. He
represented to him that it would be doing the man an
injury to engage him in a desperate undertaking, and
that, whatever should happen, his evidence would go
some length, at least, in explaining the circumstances
under which Waverley himself had embarked in it.
Waverley therefore wrote a short statement of what
had happened, to his uncle and his father, cautioning
them, however, in the present circumstances, not to
attempt to answer his letter. Talbot then gave
the young man a letter to the commander of one of
the English vessels of war cruising in the frith,
requesting him to put the bearer ashore at Berwick,
with a pass to proceed to —shire.
He was then furnished with money to make an expeditious
journey and directed to get on board the ship by means
of bribing a fishing-boat, which, as they afterwards
learned, he easily effected.
Tired of the attendance of Callum Beg, who, he thought,
had some disposition to act as a spy on his motions,
Waverley hired as a servant a simple Edinburgh swain,
who had mounted the white cockade in a fit of spleen
and jealousy, because Jenny Jop had danced a whole
night with Corporal Bullock of the Fusileers.
CHAPTER LII
INTRIGUES OF SOCIETY AND LOVE