Title:  Waverley, Volume II

Author:  Sir Walter Scott

Release Date:  January, 2004 [EBook #4965] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 5, 2002]

Edition:  10

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

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[Transcriber’s Note:  I feel that it is important to note that this book is part of the Caledonian series.  The Caledonian series is a group of 50 books comprising all of Sir Walter Scott’s works.]

WAVERLEY

BY SIR WALTER SCOTT

VOLUME II

WAVERLEY

OR ’TIS SIXTY YEARS SINCE

CHAPTER XXXVI

AN INCIDENT

The dinner hour of Scotland Sixty Years Since was two o’clock.  It was therefore about four o’clock of a delightful autumn afternoon that Mr. Gilfillan commenced his march, in hopes, although Stirling was eighteen miles distant, he might be able, by becoming a borrower of the night for an hour or two, to reach it that evening.  He therefore put forth his strength, and marched stoutly along at the head of his followers, eyeing our hero from time to time, as if he longed to enter into controversy with him.  At length, unable to resist the temptation, he slackened his pace till he was alongside of his prisoner’s horse, and after marching a few steps in silence abreast of him, he suddenly asked—­’Can ye say wha the carle was wi’ the black coat and the mousted head, that was wi’ the Laird of Cairnvreckan?’

‘A Presbyterian clergyman,’ answered Waverley.

‘Presbyterian!’ answered Gilfillan contemptuously; ’a wretched Erastian, or rather an obscure Prelatist, a favourer of the black indulgence, ane of thae dumb dogs that canna bark; they tell ower a clash o’ terror and a clatter o’ comfort in their sermons, without ony sense, or savour, or life.  Ye’ve been fed in siccan a fauld, belike?’

‘No; I am of the Church of England,’ said Waverley.

‘And they’re just neighbour-like,’ replied the Covenanter; ’and nae wonder they gree sae weel.  Wha wad hae thought the goodly structure of the Kirk of Scotland, built up by our fathers in 1642, wad hae been defaced by carnal ends and the corruptions of the time;—­ay, wha wad hae thought the carved work of the sanctuary would hae been sae soon cut down!’

To this lamentation, which one or two of the assistants chorussed with a deep groan, our hero thought it unnecessary to make any reply.  Whereupon Mr. Gilfillan, resolving that he should be a hearer at least, if not a disputant, proceeded in his Jeremiade.