‘Did the Prince tell you I was engaged to Miss Bradwardine?’ said Waverley.  ‘Impossible.’

‘He did, sir,’ answered Mac-Ivor; ’so, either draw and defend yourself, or resign your pretensions to the lady.’

‘This is absolute madness,’ exclaimed Waverley, ’or some strange mistake!’

‘Oh! no evasion! draw your sword!’ said the infuriated Chieftain,—­his own already unsheathed.

‘Must I fight in a madman’s quarrel?’

’Then give up now, and for ever, all pretensions to Miss Bradwardine’s hand.’

‘What title have you,’ cried Waverley, utterly losing command of himself,—­’What title have you, or any man living, to dictate such terms to me?’ And he also drew his sword.

At this moment the Baron of Bradwardine, followed by several of his troop, came up on the spur, some from curiosity, others to take part in the quarrel, which they indistinctly understood had broken out between the Mac-Ivors and their corps.  The clan, seeing them approach, put themselves in motion to support their Chieftain, and a scene of confusion commenced, which seemed likely to terminate in bloodshed.  A hundred tongues were in motion at once.  The Baron lectured, the Chieftain stormed, the Highlanders screamed in Gaelic, the horsemen cursed and swore in Lowland Scotch.  At length matters came to such a pass, that the Baron threatened to charge the Mac-Ivors unless they resumed their ranks, and many of them, in return, presented their fire-arms at him and the other troopers.  The confusion was privately fostered by old Ballenkeiroch, who made no doubt that his own day of vengeance was arrived, when, behold! a cry arose of ’Room! make way!—­Place A Monseigneur!  Place A Monseigneur!’ This announced the approach of the Prince, who came up with a party of Fitz-James’s foreign dragoons that acted as his bodyguard.  His arrival produced some degree of order.  The Highlanders re-assumed their ranks, the cavalry fell in and formed squadron, and the Baron and Chieftain were silent.

The Prince called them and Waverley before him.  Having heard the original cause of the quarrel through the villany of Callum Beg, he ordered him into custody of the provost-marshal for immediate execution, in the event of his surviving the chastisement inflicted by his Chieftain.  Fergus, however, in a tone betwixt claiming a right and asking a favour, requested he might be left to his disposal, and promised his punishment should be exemplary.  To deny this, might have seemed to encroach on the patriarchal authority of the Chieftains, of which they were very jealous, and they were not persons to be disobliged.  Callum was therefore left to the justice of his own tribe.