What might Mr. Edward
Waverley's society be at Paris, what at Rome, where all manner of snares
were spread by the Pretender and his sons--these were points for Mr.
Waverley to consider. This he could himself say, that he knew his Majesty
had such a just sense of Mr. Richard Waverley's merits, that, if his son
adopted the army for a few years, a troop, he believed, might be reckoned
upon in one of the dragoon regiments lately returned from Flanders.
A hint thus conveyed and enforced was not to be neglected with impunity;
and Richard Waverley, though with great dread of shocking his brother's
prejudices, deemed he could not avoid accepting the commission thus
offered him for his son. The truth is, he calculated much, and justly,
upon Sir Everard's fondness for Edward, which made him unlikely to resent
any step that he might take in due submission to parental authority. Two
letters announced this determination to the Baronet and his nephew. The
latter barely communicated the fact, and pointed out the necessary
preparations for joining his regiment. To his brother, Richard was more
diffuse and circuitous. He coincided with him, in the most flattering
manner, in the propriety of his son's seeing a little more of the world,
and was even humble in expressions of gratitude for his proposed
assistance; was, however, deeply concerned that it was now,
unfortunately, not in Edward's power exactly to comply with the plan
which had been chalked out by his best friend and benefactor.
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