e quartered, in order that he might convey such a message to the
Laird of Balmawhapple as the circumstances seemed to demand. He found
Miss Bradwardine presiding over the tea and coffee, the table loaded with
warm bread, both of flour, oatmeal, and barleymeal, in the shape of
loaves, cakes, biscuits, and other varieties, together with eggs,
reindeer ham, mutton and beef ditto, smoked salmon, marmalade, and all
the other delicacies which induced even Johnson himself to extol the
luxury of a Scotch breakfast above that of all other countries. A mess of
oatmeal porridge, flanked by a silver jug, which held an equal mixture of
cream and butter-milk, was placed for the Baron's share of this repast;
but Rose observed, he had walked out early in the morning, after giving
orders that his guest should not be disturbed.

Waverley sat down almost in silence, and with an air of absence and
abstraction which could not give Miss Bradwardine a favourable opinion of
his talents for conversation. He answered at random one or two
observations which she ventured to make upon ordinary topics; so that,
feeling herself almost repulsed in her efforts at entertaining him, and
secretly wondering that a scarlet coat should cover no better breeding,
she left him to his mental amusement of cursing Doctor Doubleit's
favourite constellation of Ursa Major as the cause of all the mischief
which had already happened and was likely to ensue. At once he started,
and his colour heightened, as, looking toward the window, he beheld the
Baron and young Balmawhapple pass arm in arm, apparently in deep
conversation; and he hastily asked, 'Did Mr. Falconer sleep here last
night?' Rose, not much pleased with the abruptness of the first question
which the young stranger had addressed to her, answered drily in the
negative, and the conversation again sunk into silence.

At this moment Mr. Saunderson appeared, with a message from his master,
requesting to speak with Captain Waverley in another apartment. With a
heart which beat a little quicker, not indeed from fear, but from
uncertainty and anxiety, Edward obeyed the summons. He found the two
gentlemen standing together, an air of complacent dignity on the brow of
the Baron, while something like sullenness or shame, or both, blanked the
bold visage of Balmawhapple. The former slipped his arm through that of
the latter, and thus seeming to walk with him, while in reality he led
him, advanced to meet Waverley, and,