As for Aunt Rachel, her scheme had not exactly
terminated according to her wishes, but she was under the necessity of
submitting to circumstances; and her mortification was diverted by the
employment she found in fitting out her nephew for the campaign, and
greatly consoled by the prospect of beholding him blaze in complete
uniform. Edward Waverley himself received with animated and undefined
surprise this most unexpected intelligence. It was, as a fine old poem
expresses it, 'like a fire to heather set,' that covers a solitary hill
with smoke, and illumines it at the same time with dusky fire. His tutor,
or, I should say, Mr. Pembroke, for he scarce assumed the name of tutor,
picked up about Edward's room some fragments of irregular verse, which he
appeared to have composed under the influence of the agitating feelings
occasioned by this sudden page being turned up to him in the book of
life. The doctor, who was a believer in all poetry which was composed by
his friends, and written out in fair straight lines, with a capital at
the beginning of each, communicated this treasure to Aunt Rachel, who,
with her spectacles dimmed with tears, transferred them to her
commonplace book, among choice receipts for cookery and medicine,
favourite texts, and portions from High-Church divines, and a few songs,
amatory and Jacobitical, which she had carolled in her younger days, from
whence her nephew's poetical tentamina were extracted when the volume
itself, with other authentic records of the Waverley family, were exposed
to the inspection of the unworthy editor of this memorable history.
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