poor judgment, neither the one nor the other." Incomparable Flora!" said Edward, taking her hand; "how much do I need such a monitor!" "A better one by far," said Flora, gently withdrawing her hand, "Mr Waverley will always find in his own bosom, when he will give its small still voice leisure to be heard." "No, Miss Mac-Ivor, I dare not hope it; a thousand circumstances of fatal selfindulgence have made me the creature rather of imagination than reason. Durst I but hope-could I but think-that you would deign to be to me that affectionate, that condescending friend, who would strengthen me to redeem my errors, my future life" "Hush, my dear sir! you now carry your joy at escaping the hands of a jacobite recruiting officer to an unparalleled excess of gratitude." "Nay, dear Flora, trifle with me no longer; you cannot mistake the meaning of those feelings which I have almost involuntarily expressed; and, since I have broke the barrier of silence, let me profit by my audacity-Or may I, with your permission, mention to your brother". "Not for the world, Mr Waverley." "What am I to understand? Is there fatal bar has any prepossession" any - "None, sir. I owe it to myself to say, that I never yet saw the person on whom .I thought, with reference to the present subject." "The shortness of our acquaintance perhaps If Miss Mac-Ivor will deign to give me time". "I have not even that excuse. Captain Waverley's character is so open-is, in short, of that nature that it cannot be misconstrued, either in its strength or its weakness." "And for that weakness you despise me ?" Forgive me, Mr Waverley-and remember it is but within this half hour that there existed between us a barrier of a nature to me insurmountable, since I never could think of an officer in the service of the Elector of Hanover in any other light than as a casual acquaintance. Permit me then to arrange my ideas upon so unexpected a topic, and in less than an hour I will be ready to give you such reasons for the resolution I shall express, as may be satisfactory at least, if not pleasing to you." So saying, Flora withdrew, leaving Waverley to meditate upon the manner in which she had received his addresses. Ere he could make up his mind whether his suit had been acceptable or no, Fergus re-entered the apartment. “What, a la mort, Waverley?" he cried. "Come down with me to the court, and you shall see a sight worth all the tirades of your romances. An hundred firelocks, my friend, and as many broad-swords, just arrived from good friends; and two or three hundred stout fellows almost fighting which shall first possess them.—But let me look at you closer-Why, a true Highlander would say you had been blighted by an evil eye.-Or can it be this silly girl that has thus blanked your spirit?Never mind her, dear Edward; the wisest of her sex are fools in what regards the business of life." "Indeed, my good friend," answered Waverley, "all that I can charge against your sister is, that she is too sensible, too reasonable." "If that be all, I insure you for a louisd'or against the mood lasting four-andtwenty hours. No woman was ever steadily sensible for that period; and I will engage, if that will please you, Flora shall be as unreasonable to-morrow as any of her sex. You must learn, my dear Edward, to consider women en mousquetaire." |