Unless again, again, my love,
Unless you turn again;
As you with other maidens rove,
I'll smile on other men.
[Footnote: This is a genuine ancient fragment, with some alteration in
the two last lines.]
Here lifting up his eyes, which had hitherto been fixed in observing how
his feet kept time to the tune, he beheld Waverley, and instantly doffed
his cap, with many grotesque signals of surprise, respect, and
salutation. Edward, though with little hope of receiving an answer to any
constant question, requested to know whether Mr. Bradwardine were at
home, or where he could find any of the domestics. The questioned party
replied, and, like the witch of Thalaba, 'still his speech was song,'--
The Knight's to the mountain
His bugle to wind;
The Lady's to greenwood
Her garland to bind.
The bower of Burd Ellen
Has moss on the floor,
That the step of Lord William
Be silent and sure.
This conveyed no information, and Edward, repeating his queries, received
a rapid answer, in which, from the haste and peculiarity of the dialect,
the word 'butler' was alone intelligible. Waverley then requested to see
the butler; upon which the fellow, with a knowing look and nod of
intelligence, made a signal to Edward to follow, and began to dance and
caper down the alley up which he had made his approaches.
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