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.

494 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
hurt Middlemas's pride and alarmed his fears. He had observed of late,
that his friend, especially when in company of others, talked to him with
an air of command or superiority, difficult to be endured, and yet so closely
allied to the freedom often exercised betwixt two intimates, that he could
not find any proper mode of rebuffing, or resenting it. Such manifestations
of authority were usually followed by an instant renewal of their intimacy;
but in the present case that did not so speedily ensue.
Middlemas, indeed, consented to go with his companion to the Isle of
Wight, perhaps because if he should quarrel with him, the whole plan of
his Indian voyage, and all the hopes built upon it, must fall to the ground.
But he altered his purpose of intrusting his comrade with his little fortune,
to lay out as his occasions might require, and resolved himself to overlook
the expenditure of his money, which, in the form of Bank of England notes,
was safely deposited in his travelling trunk. Captain Hillary, finding that
some hint he had thrown out on this subject was disregarded, appeared to
think no more about it.
The voyage was performed with safety and celerity; and having coasted
the shores of that beautiful island, which he who once sees never forgets,
through whatever part of the world his future path may lead him, the vessel
was soon anchored off the little town of Ryde; and, as the waves were uncommonly still, Richard felt the sickness diminish, which, for a considerable
part of the passage, had occupied his attention more than any thing else.
The master of the brig, in honour to his passengers, and affection to his
old school-fellow, had formed an awning upon deck, and proposed to have
the pleasure of giving them a little treat before they left his vessel. Lobscous, sea-pie, and other delicacies of a naval description, had been provided
in a quantity far disproportionate to the number of the guests. But the
punch which succeeded was of excellent quality, and portentously strong.
Captain Ilillary pushed it round, and insisted upon his companion taking
his full share in the merry bout, the rather that, as he facetiously said,
there had been some dryness between them, which good liquor would be
sovereign in removing. He renewed, with additional splendours, the various
panoramic scenes of India and Indian adventures, which had first excited
the ambition of Middlemas, and assured him, that even if he should not be
able to get him a commission instantly, yet a short delay would only give
him time to become better acquainted with his military duties; and Middlemas was too much elevated by the liquor he had drank to see any difficulty
which could oppose itself to his fortunes. Whether those who shared in
the compotation were more seasoned topers-whether Middlemas drank
more than they -or whether, as he himself afterwards suspected, his cup
had been drugged, like those of King Duncan's body-guard, it is certain
that, on this occasion, he passed with unusual rapidity, through all the
different phases of the respectable state of drunkenness —laughed, sung,
whooped, and hallooed, was maudlin in his fondness, and frantic in his
wrath, and at length fell into a fast and imperturbable sleep.
f The effect of the liquor displayed itself, as usual, in a hundred wild
dreams of parched deserts, and of serpents whose bite inflicted the most
intolerable thirst-of the suffering of the Indian on the death-stake-and
the torments of the infernal regions themselves; when at length he
awakened, and it appeared that the latter vision was in fact realized. The
sounds which had at first influenced his dreams, and at length broken his
slumbers, were of the most horrible, as well as the most melancholy description. They came from the ranges of pallet-beds, which were closely
packed together in a species of military hospital, where a burning fever
was the prevalent complaint. Many of the patients were under the influence of a high delirium, during which they shouted, shrieked, laughed,
blasphemed, and uttered the most horrible imprecations. Others, sensible
of their condition, bewailed it with low groans, and some attempts at devo