The profession which he followed, the
wilderness in which he dwelt, the wild warrior forms that surrounded him,
were all calculated to inspire terror. From such accompaniments, Waverley
prepared himself to meet a stern, gigantic, ferocious figure, such as
Salvator would have chosen to be the central object of a group of
banditti. [Footnote: See Note 15.]
Donald Bean Lean was the very reverse of all these. He was thin in person
and low in stature, with light sandy-coloured hair, and small pale
features, from which he derived his agnomen of BEAN or white; and
although his form was light, well proportioned and active, he appeared,
on the whole, rather a diminutive and insignificant figure. He had served
in some inferior capacity in the French army, and in order to receive his
English visitor in great form, and probably meaning, in his way, to pay
him a compliment, he had laid aside the Highland dress for the time, to
put on an old blue and red uniform and a feathered hat, in which he was
far from showing to advantage, and indeed looked so incongruous, compared
with all around him, that Waverley would have been tempted to laugh, had
laughter been either civil or safe.
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