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.

98 ~ t~WAVERLEY n N'OVELS,
blazoned panels, and a brace of outriders, a strong contrast with the bitt1ered
vehicle and broken-winded hacks which had brought thither the Antiquary
and his followers. The principal seat of the carriage was occupied by Sir
Arthur and his daughter. At the first glance which passed betwixt Miss
Wardour and Level, her colour rose considerably; - but she had apparently
made up her mind to receive him as a friend, and only as such, and there
was equal composure and courtesy in the mode of her reply to his fluttered
salutation. Sir Arthur halted the barouche to shake his preserver kindly
by the hand, and intimate thle pleasure he had on this opportunity of returning him his personal thanks; then mentioned to him, in a tone of slight
introduction, " Mr. Dousterswivel, Mr. Lovel."
Level took the necessary notice of the Clerman adept, who occupied the
front seat of the carriage, which is usually conferred upon dependents or
inferiors. The ready grin and supple inclination with which his salutation,
though slight, was answered by the foreigner, increased the internal dislike
which Leovel had already conceived towards him; and it was plain, from
the lour of the Antiquary's shaggy eye-brow, that he too looked with displeasure on this addition to the company. Little more than distant greeting
passed nimong the members of the party, until, having rolled on for about
three miles beyond the place at which they met, the carriages at length
stopped at the sign of the Four Horse-shoes, a small hedge inn, where
Caxon humbly opened the door, and let down the step of the hack-chaise,
while the inmates of the barouche were, by their more courtly attendants,
assisted to leave their equipage.
Here renewed greetings passed: the young ladies shook hands; and Oldbuck, completely in his element, placed himself as guide and cicerone at
the head of the party, who were now to advance on foot towards the object
of their curiosity. He took care to detain Leovel close beside him as the
best listener of the party, and occasionally glanced a word of explanation
and instruction to Miss Wardour and Mary M'Intyre, who followed next in
order. The Baronet and the clergyman he rather avoided, as he was aware
both of them conceived they understood such matters as well, or better,
than he did; and Dousterswivel, besides that he looked on him as a charlatan, was so nearly connected with his apprehended loss in the stock of the
mining company, that he could not abide the sight of him. These two
latter satellites, therefore, attended upon the orb'of Sir Arthur, to whom,
moreover, as the most important person of the society, they were naturally
induced to attach themselves.
I It frequently happens that the most beautiful points of Scottish scenery
lie hidden in some sequestered dell, and that you may travel through the
country in every direction without being aware of your vicinity to what is
well worth seeing, unless intention or accident carry you to the very spot.
This is particularly the case in the country around Fairport, -which is,
generally speaking, open, unenclosed, and bare. But here and there the
progress of rills, or small rivers, has formed dells, glens, or, as they are
provincially termed, dens, on whose high and rocky banks trees and shrubs
of all kinds find a shelter, and grow with a luxuriant profusion, which is
the more gratifying, as it forms an unexpected contrast with the general
face of the country. This was eminently the case with the approach to the
ruins of Saint Ruth, which was for some time merely a sheep-track, along
the side of a steep and bare hill. By degrees, however, as this path descended, and winded round the hill-side, trees began to appear, at first
singly, stunted, and blighted, with locks of wool upon their trunks, and
their roots hollowed out into recesses, in which the sheep love to repose
themselves - a sight much more gratifying to the eye of an admirer of the
picturesque than to that of a planter or forester. By and by the trees
formed groups, fringed on the edges, and filled up in the middle, by thorns
and hazel bushes; and at length these groups closed so much together, that