This was the more ungenerous, as it was generally known that,
from a romantic idea of not prejudicing this young man's right as
heir-male, the Baron had refrained from settling his estate on his
daughter.
This selfish injustice was resented by the country people, who were
partial to their old master, and irritated against his successor. In the
Baron's own words, 'The matter did not coincide with the feelings of the
commons of Bradwardine, Mr. Waverley; and the tenants were slack and
repugnant in payment of their mails and duties; and when my kinsman came
to the village wi' the new factor, Mr. James Howie, to lift the rents,
some wanchancy person--I suspect John Heatherblutter, the auld
gamekeeper, that was out wi' me in the year fifteen--fired a shot at him
in the gloaming, whereby he was so affrighted, that I may say with
Tullius In Catilinam, "Abiit, evasit, erupit, effugit." He fled, sir, as
one may say, incontinent to Stirling. And now he hath advertised the
estate for sale, being himself the last substitute in the entail. And if
I were to lament about sic matters, this would grieve me mair than its
passing from my immediate possession, whilk, by the course of nature,
must have happened in a few years; whereas now it passes from the lineage
that should have possessed it in scecula saculorum.
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