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.

224 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
"' that's true; and you will do well to provide for their being in better hands.
But don't let the faults of my head fall on my heart —I would not part
with a Cordery that belonged to an old friend, to get a set of horses like
Lord Glenallan's."
" I don't think you would, lad- I don't think you would," said his softening relative. "I love to tease you a little sometimes; it keeps up the
spirit of discipline and habit of subordination - You will pass your time
happily here having me to command you, instead of Captain, or Colonel,
or'Knight in Arma,' as Milton has it; and instead of the French," he
continued, relapsing into his ironical humour, "you have the Geens humida
ponti — for, as Virgil says,
Sternunt se somno diverse in littore phocm,
which might be rendered,
Here phoce slumber on the beach,
Within our Highland Hector's reach.
Nay, if you grow angry I have done. Besides, I see old Edic in the courtyard, with whom I have business. Good-bye, iector - Do you remember
how she splashed into the sea like her master Proteus, et se jctct declit cequor
inZ calt!"
Mi'Intyre, -waiting, however, till the door was shut,-then gave way to
the natural impatience of his temper.
" My uncle is the best man in the world, and in his way the kindest; but
rather than hear any more about that cursed pphoca, as he is pleased to call
it, I would exchange for the West Indies, and never see his face again."
Miss M'Intyre, gratefully attached to her uncle, and passionately fond
of her brother, was, on such occasions, the usual envoy of reconciliation.
She hastened to meet her uncle on his return, before he entered the parlour.
" Well, now, Miss Womankind, what is the me>aning of that imploring
countenance? - has Juno done any more mischief?"
" No, uncle; but Juno's master is in such fear of your joking him about
the seal - I assure you, he feels it much more than you would wish; - it's
very silly of him, to be sure; but then you can turn everybody so sharply
into ridicule"" Well, my dear," answered Oldbuck, propitiated by the compliment, "I
will rein in my satire, and, if possible, speak no more of the phoca - I will
not even speak of sealing a letter, but say umplh, and give a nod to you
when I want the wax-light-I am not vmonitoribus asper, but, Heaven knows,
the most mild, quiet, and easy of human beings, whom sister, niece, and
nephew, guide just as best pleases them."
With this little panegyric on his own docility, Mr. Oidbuck entered the
parlour, and proposed to his nephew a walkWto the Mussel-crag. "I have
some questions to ask of a woman at Mucklebackit's cottage," he observed,
"and I would willingly have a sensible witness with me - so, for fault of a
better, IHector, I must be contented with you."
"There is old Edie, sir, or Caxon -could not they do better than me?"
answered MI'Intyre, feeling somewhat alarmed at the prospect of a long
tete-h-tete with his uncle.',\Upon my word, young man, you turn me over to pretty companions,
and I am quite sensible of your politeness," replied Mr. Oldbuck. "No,
sir, I intend the old Blue-Gown shall go with me - not as a competent witnest, for he is at present, as our friend Bailie Littlejohn says (blessings on
his learning!) tanqunam suspectus, and you are suspicione major, as our law
has it."
" I wish I were a major, sir," said Itector, catching only the last, and, to
a soldier's ear, the most impressive word in the sentence,-" but, without
money or interest, there is little chance of getting the step."
" Well, well, most doughty son of Priam," said the Antiquary, "' be ruled