She remarked this point in Waverley’s character one day while she sat with Miss Bradwardine.  ‘His genius and elegant taste,’ answered Rose, ’cannot be interested in such trifling discussions.  What is it to him, for example, whether the Chief of the Macindallaghers, who has brought out only fifty men, should be a colonel or a captain? and how could Mr. Waverley be supposed to interest himself in the violent altercation between your brother and young Corrinaschian whether the post of honour is due to the eldest cadet of a clan or the youngest?’

’My dear Rose, if he were the hero you suppose him he would interest himself in these matters, not indeed as important in themselves, but for the purpose of mediating between the ardent spirits who actually do make them the subject of discord.  You saw when Corrinaschian raised his voice in great passion, and laid his hand upon his sword, Waverley lifted his head as if he had just awaked from a dream, and asked with great composure what the matter was.’

’Well, and did not the laughter they fell into at his absence of mind serve better to break off the dispute than anything he could have said to them?’

‘True, my dear,’ answered Flora; ’but not quite so creditably for Waverley as if he had brought them to their senses by force of reason.’

’Would you have him peacemaker general between all the gunpowder Highlanders in the army?  I beg your pardon, Flora, your brother, you know, is out of the question; he has more sense than half of them.  But can you think the fierce, hot, furious spirits of whose brawls we see much and hear more, and who terrify me out of my life every day in the world, are at all to be compared to Waverley?’

’I do not compare him with those uneducated men, my dear Rose.  I only lament that, with his talents and genius, he does not assume that place in society for which they eminently fit him, and that he does not lend their full impulse to the noble cause in which he has enlisted.  Are there not Lochiel, and P—­, and M—­, and G—­, all men of the highest education as well as the first talents,—­ why will he not stoop like them to be alive and useful?  I often believe his zeal is frozen by that proud cold-blooded Englishman whom he now lives with so much.’

’Colonel Talbot? he is a very disagreeable person, to be sure.  He looks as if he thought no Scottish woman worth the trouble of handing her a cup of tea.  But Waverley is so gentle, so well informed—­’

‘Yes,’ said Flora, smiling, ’he can admire the moon and quote a stanza from Tasso.’

‘Besides, you know how he fought,’ added Miss Bradwardine.