She and I had
a quarrel about her not appearing to take leave of you. I am unwilling to
renew it by soliciting her to receive you this morning; and perhaps my
doing so might not only be ineffectual, but prevent your meeting this
evening.'
While thus conversing, Waverley heard in the court, before the windows of
the parlour, a well-known voice. 'I aver to you, my worthy friend,' said
the speaker, 'that it is a total dereliction of military discipline; and
were you not as it were a tyro, your purpose would deserve strong
reprobation. For a prisoner of war is on no account to be coerced with
fetters, or debinded in ergastulo, as would have been the case had you
put this gentleman into the pit of the peel-house at Balmawhapple. I
grant, indeed, that such a prisoner may for security be coerced in
carcere, that is, in a public prison.'
The growling voice of Balmawhapple was heard as taking leave in
displeasure, but the word 'land-louper' alone was distinctly audible. He
had disappeared before Waverley reached the house in order to greet the
worthy Baron of Bradwardine. The uniform in which he was now attired, a
blue coat, namely, with gold lace, a scarlet waistcoat and breeches, and
immense jack-boots, seemed to have added fresh stiffness and rigidity to
his tall, perpendicular figure; and the consciousness of military command
and authority had increased, in the same proportion, the self-importance
of his demeanour and the dogmatism of his conversation.
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