stopping in the midst of the
apartment, made in great state the following oration: 'Captain
Waverley--my young and esteemed friend, Mr. Falconer of Balmawhapple, has
craved of my age and experience, as of one not wholly unskilled in the
dependencies and punctilios of the duello or monomachia, to be his
interlocutor in expressing to you the regret with which he calls to
remembrance certain passages of our symposion last night, which could not
but be highly displeasing to you, as serving for the time under this
present existing government. He craves you, sir, to drown in oblivion the
memory of such solecisms against the laws of politeness, as being what
his better reason disavows, and to receive the hand which he offers you
in amity; and I must needs assure you that nothing less than a sense of
being dans son tort, as a gallant French chevalier, Mons. Le Bretailleur,
once said to me on such an occasion, and an opinion also of your peculiar
merit, could have extorted such concessions; for he and all his family
are, and have been, time out of mind, Mavortia pectora, as Buchanan
saith, a bold and warlike sept, or people.'

Edward immediately, and with natural politeness, accepted the hand which
Balmawhapple, or rather the Baron in his character of mediator, extended
towards him. 'It was impossible,' he said, 'for him to remember what a
gentleman expressed his wish he had not uttered; and he willingly imputed
what had passed to the exuberant festivity of the day.'

'That is very handsomely said,' answered the Baron; 'for undoubtedly, if
a man be ebrius, or intoxicated, an incident which on solemn and festive
occasions may and will take place in the life of a man of honour; and if
the same gentleman, being fresh and sober, recants the contumelies which
he hath spoken in his liquor, it must be held vinum locutum est; the
words cease to be his own. Yet would I not find this exculpation relevant
in the case of one who was ebriosus, or an habitual drunkard; because, if
such a person choose to pass the greater part of his time in the
predicament of intoxication, he hath no title to be exeemed from the
obligations of the code of politeness, but should learn to deport himself
peaceably and courteously when under influence of the vinous stimulus.
And now let us proceed to breakfast, and think no more of this daft
business.'

I must confess, whatever inference may be drawn from the circumstance,
that Edward, after so satisfactory an