stead of the captain's commission which you have lost, to offer you the brevet rank of major in my service, with the advantage of acting as one of my aides-de-camp until you can be attached to a regiment, of which I hope several will be speedily embodied."

"Your Royal Highness will forgive me," answered Waverley, for his recollection turned to Balmawhapple and his scanty troop, "if I decline accepting any rank until the time and place where I may have interest enough to raise a sufficient body of men to make my command useful to your Royal Highness's service. In the mean while I hope for your permission to serve as a volunteer under my friend Fergus Mac-Ivor."

"At least," said the prince, who was obviously pleased with this proposal, "allow me the pleasure of arming you after the Highland fashion." With these words, he unbuckled the broadsword which he wore, the belt of which was plated with silver, and the steel basket-hilt richly and curiously inlaid. "The blade," said the prince, " is a genuine Andrea Ferrara, it has been a sort of heirloom in our family; but I am convinced I put it into better hands than my own, and will add to it pistols of the same workmanship. Colonel Mac-Ivor, you must have much to say to your friend; I will detain you no longer from your private conversation, but remember we expect you both to attend us in the evening. It may be perhaps the last night we may enjoy in these halls, and as we go to the field with a clear conscience, we will spend the eve of battle merrily."

Thus licensed, the chief and Waverley left the presence-chamber.

CHAPTER XII.

THE MYSTERY BEGINS TO BE CLEARED UP.

"How do you like him?" was Fergus's first question as they descended the large stone staircase.

"A prince to live and die under," was Waverley's enthusiastic answer.

"I knew you would think so when you saw him, and I intended you should have met earlier, but was prevented by your sprain. And yet he has his foibles, or rather he has difficult cards to play, and his Irish officers, who are much about him, are but sorry advisers, they cannot discriminate among the numerous pretensions that are set up. Would you think it, I have been obliged for the present to suppress an earl's patent, granted for services. rendered ten years ago, for fear of exciting the jealousy, forsooth, of C and M. But you

1 Divisions early showed themselves in the Chevalier's little army, not only amongst the independent chieftains, who were far too proud to brook subjection to each other, but betwixt the Scotch, and Charles's governor, O'Sullivan, an Irishman by birth, who, with some of his countrymen bred in the Irish Brigade in the service of the king of France, had an influence with the adventurer, much resented by the Highlanders, who were sensible that their own clans made the chief, or rather the only, strength of his enterprise. There was a feud, also, between Lord George Murray and John Murray of Broughton, the prince's secretary, whose disunion greatly embarrassed the affairs of the adventurer. In general, a thousand different pretensions divided their little army, and finally contributed in no small degree to its overthrow.

were very right, Edward, to refuse the situation of aide-de-camp. There are two vacant, indeed, but Clanronald and Lochiel, and almost all of us, have requested one for young Aberchallader, and the Lowlanders and the Irish party are equally desirous to have the other for the Master of F―. Now, if either of these candidates were to be superseded in your favour, you would make enemies. And then I am surprised that the prince should have offered you a majority, when he knows very well that nothing short of lieutenant-colonel will satisfy others, who cannot bring one hundred and fifty men to the field. But patience, cousin, and shuffle the cards!' It is all very well for the present, and we must have you properly equipped for the evening in your new costume; for, to say truth, your outward man is scarce fit for a court.”

Why," said Waverley, looking at his soiled dress, "my shooting jacket has seen service since we parted; but that, probably, you, my friend, know as well or better than I."

"You do my second-sight too much honour," said Fergus. "We were so busy, first with the scheme of giving battle to Cope, and afterwards with our operations in the Lowlands, that I could only give general directions to such of our people as were left in Perthshire to respect and protect you, should you come in their way. But let me hear the full story of your adventures, for they have reached us in a very partial and mutilated manner."

Waverley then detailed at length the circumstances with which the reader is already acquainted, to which Fergus listened with great attention. By this time they had reached the door of his quarters, which he had taken up in a small paved court, retir

ing from the street called the Canongate, at the house of a buxom widow of forty, who seemed to smile very graciously upon the handsome young chief, she being a person with whom good looks. and good-humour were sure to secure an interest, whatever might be the party's political opinions. Here Callum Beg received them with a smile of recognition. "Callum," said the chief, "call Shemus an Snachad" (James of the Needle). This was the hereditary tailor of Vich Ian Vohr. "Shemus, Mr. Waverley is to wear the cath dath [battle colour, or tartan]; his trews must be ready in four hours. You know the measure of a well-made man, two double nails to the small of the leg

"Eleven from haunch to heel, seven round the waist. I give your honour leave to hang Shemus if there's a pair of sheers in the Highlands that has a baulder sneck than hers ain at the cumadh an truais" (shape of the trews).

"Get a plaid of Mac-Ivor tartan, and sash," continued the chieftain, "and a blue bonnet of the prince's pattern, at Mr. Mouat's, in the Crames. My short green coat, with silver lace and silver buttons, will fit him exactly, and I have never worn it. Tell Ensign Maccombich to pick out a handsome target from among mine. The prince has given Mr. Waverley broadsword and pistols, I will furnish him with a dirk and purse; add but a pair of low-heeled shoes, and then, my dear Edward [turning to him], you will be a complete son of Ivor."

These necessary directions given, the chieftain resumed the subject of Waverley's adventures. "It is plain," he said, "that you have been in the custody of Donald Bean Lean. You must know that

when I marched away my clan to join the prince, I laid my injunctions on that worthy member of society to perform a certain piece of service, which done, he was to join me with all the force he could muster. But instead of doing so, the gentleman, finding the coast clear, thought it better to make war on his own account, and has scoured the country, plundering, I believe, both friend and foe, under pretence of levying black-mail, sometimes as if by my authority, and sometimes (and be cursed to his consummate impudence) in his own great name ! Upon my honour, if I live to see the cairn of Benmore again, I shall be tempted to hang that fellow! I recognize his hand particularly in the mode of your rescue from that canting rascal Gilfillan, and I have little doubt that Donald himself played the part of the pedler on that occasion; but how he should not have plundered you, or put you to ransom, or availed himself in some way or other of your captivity for his own advantage, passes my judgment."

"When and how did you hear the intelligence of my confinement?" asked Waverley.

"The prince himself told me," said Fergus, "and inquired very minutely into your history. He then mentioned your being at that moment in the power of one of our Northern parties, you know I could. not ask him to explain particulars, and requested my opinion about disposing of you. I recommended that you should be brought here as a prisoner, because I did not wish to prejudice you farther with the English government, in case you pursued your purpose of going southward. I knew nothing, you must recollect, of the charge brought against you of aiding and abetting high treason, which, I pre