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.

236 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
to yield my interest in her to you; and, as I will never be the means of
giving her pain, I trust you will not think I act unworthily in retracting
the letter which gave you the trouble of attending this place at this hour."Alice," he said, turning his head towards her, " Farewell, Alice, at once,
and for ever!"
The poor young lady, whose adventitious spirit had almost deserted her,
attempted to repeat the word farewell, but failing in the attempt, only
accomplished a broken and imperfect sound, and would have sunk to the
ground, but for Dr. Rochecliffe, who caught her as she fell. Roger Wildrake, also, who had twice or thrice put to his eyes what remained of a kerchief, interested by the lady's evident distress, though unable to comprehend
the mysterious cause, hastened to assist the divine in supporting so fair a
burden.
Meanwhile, the disguised Prince had beheld the whole in silence, but
with an agitation to which he was unwonted, and which his swarthy features, and still more his motions, began to betray. His posture was at first
absolutely stationary, with his arms folded on his bosom, as one who waits
to be guided by the current of events; presently after, he shifted his position, advanced and retired his foot, clenched and opened his hand, and
otherwise showed symptoms that he was strongly agitated by contending
feelings-was on the point, too, of forming some sudden resolution, and
yet still in uncertainty what course he should pursue.
Bat when he saw Markham Everard, after one look of unspeakable
anguish towards Alice, turning his back to depart, he broke out into his
familiar ejaculation, "Oddsfish! this must not be." In three strides he
overtook the slowly retiring Everard, tapped him smartly on the shoulder,
and, as he turned round, said, with an air of command, which he well knew
how to adopt at pleasure, "One word with you, sir."
" At your pleasure, sir," replied Everard; and naturally conjecturing the
purpose of his antagonist to be hostile, took hold of his rapier with the left
hand, and laid the right on the hilt, not displeased at the supposed call;
for anger is at least as much akin to disappointment as pity is said to be
to love.
"Pshaw!" answered the King, "that cannot be now - Colonel Everard,
I am CHARLES STEWART!"
Everard recoiled in the greatest surprise, and next exclaimed, "Impossible -it cannot be! The King of Scots has escaped from Bristol. - My
Lord Wilmot, your talents for intrigue are well known; but this will not
pass upon me."
" The King of Scots, Master Everard," replied Charles, " since you are
so pleased to limit his sovereignty -at any rate, the Eldest Son of the late
Sovereign of Britain-is now before you; therefore it is impossible he could
have escaped from Bristol. Doctor Rochecliffe shall be my voucher, and
will tell you, moreover, that Wilmot is of a fair complexion and light hair;
mine, you may see, is swart as a raven."
Rochecliffe, seeing what was passing, abandoned Alice to the care of
Wildrake, whose extreme delicacy in the attempts he made to bring her
back to life, formed an amiable contrast to his usual wildness, and occu.
pied him so much, that he remained for the moment ignorant of the disclosure in which he would have been so much interested. As for Dr. Rochecliffe, he came forward, wringing his hands in all the demonstration of
extreme anxiety, and with the usual exclamations attending such i state.
"Peace, Doctor Rochecliffe!" said the King, with such complete selfpossession as indeed became a prince; ".we are in the hands, I am satisfied,
of a man of honour. Master Everard must be pleased in finding only a
fugitive prince in the person in whom he thought he had discovered a successful rival. IIe cannot but be aware of the feelings which prevented me
from taking advantage of the cover which this young lady's devoted lcyalty