He sent
multitudinous greetings to the Baron of Bradwardine.
A letter from Aunt Rachel spoke out even more plainly. She considered the
disgrace of brother Richard as the just reward of his forfeiting his
allegiance to a lawful though exiled sovereign, and taking the oaths to
an alien; a concession which her grandfather, Sir Nigel Waverley, refused
to make, either to the Roundhead Parliament or to Cromwell, when his life
and fortune stood in the utmost extremity. She hoped her dear Edward
would follow the footsteps of his ancestors, and as speedily as possible
get rid of the badge of servitude to the usurping family, and regard the
wrongs sustained by his father as an admonition from Heaven that every
desertion of the line of loyalty becomes its own punishment. She also
concluded with her respects to Mr. Bradwardine, and begged Waverley would
inform her whether his daughter, Miss Rose, was old enough to wear a pair
of very handsome ear-rings, which she proposed to send as a token of her
affection. The good lady also desired to be informed whether Mr.
Bradwardine took as much Scotch snuff and danced as unweariedly as he did
when he was at Waverley-Honour about thirty years ago.
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