Waverley was now considered as a received lover in all the forms. He was
made, by dint of smirking and nodding on the part of the lady of the
house, to sit next Miss Bradwardine at dinner, to be Miss Bradwardine's
partner at cards. If he came into the room, she of the four Miss Rubricks
who chanced to be next Rose was sure to recollect that her thimble or her
scissors were at the other end of the room, in order to leave the seat
nearest to Miss Bradwardine vacant for his occupation. And sometimes, if
papa and mamma were not in the way to keep them on their good behaviour,
the misses would titter a little. The old Laird of Duchran would also
have his occasional jest, and the old lady her remark. Even the Baron
could not refrain; but here Rose escaped every embarrassment but that of
conjecture, for his wit was usually couched in a Latin quotation. The
very footmen sometimes grinned too broadly, the maidservants giggled
mayhap too loud, and a provoking air of intelligence seemed to pervade
the whole family. Alice Bean, the pretty maid of the cavern, who, after
her father's misfortune, as she called it, had attended Rose as
fille-de-chambre, smiled and smirked with the best of them.
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