And I have the pleasure to tell you
that whatever progress you can make in her good graces will be highly
agreeable to Sir Everard and Mrs. Rachel, who will never believe your
views and prospects settled, and the three ermines passant in actual
safety, until you present them with a Mrs. Edward Waverley. Now, certain
love-affairs of my own--a good many years since--interrupted some
measures which were then proposed in favour of the three ermines passant;
so I am bound in honour to make them amends. Therefore make good use of
your time, for, when your week is expired, it will be necessary that you
go to London to plead your pardon in the law courts.
'Ever, dear Waverley, yours most truly, 'PHILIP TALBOT.'
CHAPTER XXXVIII
Happy's the wooing
That's not long a doing.
When the first rapturous sensation occasioned by these excellent tidings
had somewhat subsided, Edward proposed instantly to go down to the glen
to acquaint the Baron with their import. But the cautious Bailie justly
observed that, if the Baron were to appear instantly in public, the
tenantry and villagers might become riotous in expressing their joy, and
give offence to 'the powers that be,' a sort of persons for whom the
Bailie always had unlimited respect.
Pages:
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847