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 FORTUNES OF NIGEL. 221
my risk — my honour peremptorily demands it. They may mailm me, or
beggar' me; but they shall not say I fled firom my accusers. My peers shall
hear my vindication."
"Your peers?" exclaimed the cook-" Alack-a-day, my lord, we are not
in Scotland, where the nobles can bang it out bravely, were it even with the
King himself, now and then. This mess must be cooked in the Star-Chamber, and that is an oven seven times heated, my lord;-and yet, if you are
determined to see the King, I will not say but you may find some favour,
for he likes well any thing that is appealed directly to his own wisdom, and
sometimes, in the like cases, I have known him stick by his own opinion,
which is always a fair one. Only mind, if you will forgive me, my lordmind to spice high with Latin; a curn or, two of Greek would not be amiss;
and, if you can bring in any thing about the judgment of Solomon, in the
original Hebrew, and season with a merry jest or so, the dish will be the
more palatable. —Truly, I think, that, besides my skill in art, I owe much
to the stripes of the Rector of the High School, who imprinted on my mind
that cooking scene in the Ileautontimolrumenos."
" Leaving, that aside, my friend," said Lord Glenvarloch, " can you inform
me which way I shall most readily get to the sight and speech of the King?"' To the sight of him readily enough," said Linklater; " he is galloping
about these alleys, to see them strike the hart, to get him an appetite for a
nooning-and that reminds me I should be in the kitchen. To the speech
of the King you will not come so easily, unless you could either meet him
alone, which rarely chances, or wait for him among the crowd that go to see
him alight. —And now, farewell, my lord, and God speed -if I could do
more for you, I would offer it."
"You have done enough, perhaps, to endanger yourself," said Lord Glenvarloch. "I pray you to be gone, and leave me to my fate."
The honest cook lingered, but a nearer burst of the horns apprised him
that there was no time to lose; and, acquainting Nigel that he would leave
the postern-door on the latch to secure his retreat in that direction, he bade
God bless him, and farewell.
In the kindness of this humble countryman, flowing partly from national
partiality, partly from a sense of long-remembered benefits, which had been
scarce thought on by those who had bestowed them, Lord Glenvarloch
thought he saw the last touch of sympathy which he was to receive in this
cold and courtly region, and felt that he must now be sufficient to himself,
or be utterly lost.
Hie traversed more than one alley, guided by the sounds of the chase, andl:nlet several of the inferior attendants upon the King's sport, who regarded
him only as one of the spectators who were sometimes permitted to enter
the Park by the concurrence of the officers about the Court. Still there was
no appearance of James, or any of his principal courtiers, and Nigel began
to think whether, at the risk of incurring disgrace similar to that which had
attended the rash exploit of Richie Moniplies, he should not repair to the
Palace-gate, in order to address the King on his return, when Fortune presented him the opportunity of doing so, in her own way.
Ile was in one of those long walks by which the Park was traversed,
when he heard, first a distant rustling, then the rapid approach of hoofs
shaking the firm earth on which he stood; then a distant halloo, warned by
which he stood up by the side of the avenue, leaving free room for the passage of the chase. The stag, reeling, covered with foam, and blackened
with sweat, his nostrils expanded as he gasped for breath, made a shift to
come up as far as where Nigel stood, and, without turning to bay, was there
pulled down by two tall greyhounds of the breed still used by the hardy
deer-stalkers of the Scottish Highlands, but which has been long unknown
in England. One dog struck at the buck's throat, another dashed his slarp
nose and fangs, I might almost say, into the animal's bowels. It swould
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