The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

THE BLACK DWARF. 321
ance of Earnscliff and Elliot, with their friends and followers, before the
Tower of Westburnflat.
On the morning preceding the night in which Hobbie's house was plundere.d and burnt, Miss Vere was requested by her father to accompany him
in a walk through a distant part of the romantic grounds which lay round
his castle of Ellieslaw. " To hear was to obey," in the true style of Oriental despotism; but Isabella trembled in silence while she followed her father
through rough paths, now winding by the side of the river, now ascending
the cliffs which serve for its banks. A single servant, selected perhaps for
his stupidity, was the only person who attended them. From her father's
silence, Isabella little doubted that he had chosen this distant and sequestered scene to resume the argument which they had so frequently maintained upon the subject of Sir Frederick's addresses, and that he was meditating in what manner he should most effectually impress upon her the
necessity of receiving him as her suitor. But her fears seemed for some
time to be unfounded. The only sentences which her father from time to
time addressed to her, respected the beauties of the romantic landscape
through which they strolled, and which varied its features at every step.
To these observations, although they seemed to come from a heart occupied
by more gloomy as well as more important cares, Isabella endeavoured to
answer in a manner as free and unconstrained as it was possible for her to
assume, amid the involuntary apprehensions which crowded upon her
imagination.
Sustaining with mutual difficulty a desultory conversation, they at length
gained the centre of a small wood, composed of large oaks intermingled
with birches, mountain-ashes, hazel, holly, and a variety of underwood.
The boughs of the tall trees met closely above, and the underwood filled up
each interval between their trunks below. The spot on which they stood
was rather more open; still, however, embowered under the natural arcade
of tall trees, and darkened on the sides for a space around by a great and
lively growth of copse-wood and bushes.
"And here, Isabella," said Mr. Vere, as he pursued the conversation,
so often resumed, so often dropped, " here I would erect an altar to Friendship."
" To Friendship, sir!" said Miss Vere; " and why on this gloomy and
sequestered spot, rather than elsewhere?"
"O, the propriety of the locale is easily vindicated," replied her father,
with a sneer. "You know, Miss Vere, (for you, I am well aware, are a
learned young lady,) you know, that the Romans were not satisfied with
embodying, for the purpose of worship, each useful quality and moral virtue
to which they could give a name; but they, moreover, worshipped the same
under each variety of titles and attributes which could give a distinct shade,
or individual character, to the virtue in question. Now, for example, the
Friendship to whom a temple should be here dedicated, is not Masculine
Friendship, which abhors and despises duplicity, art, and disguise; but
Female Friendship, which consists in little else than a mutual disposition
on the part of the friends, as they call themselves, to abet each other in
obscure fraud and petty intrigue."
"You are severe, sir," said Miss Vere.
" Only just," said her father; " an humble copier I am from nature, with
the advantage of contemplating two such excellent studies as Lucy Ilderton
and yourself."
" If I have been unfortunate enough to offend, sir, I can conscientiously
excuse Miss Ilderton from being either my counsellor or confidant."
"Indeed! how came you, then," said Mr. Vere, "by the flippancy of
speech, and pertness of argument, by which you have disgusted Sir Frederick, and given me of late such deep offence?"
"If my manner has been so unfortunate as to displease you, sir, it is
VOL. II.-21