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.

252 WAVEtLrEY NOVELS.
break my heart for MIiss Wardour. She is free to choose for herself, and I
wish her all happiness."
"Magnanimously resolved, thou prop of Troy! Why, Hector, I was
afraid of a scene. Your sister told me you were desperately in love with
Miss Wardour."
" Sir," answered the young man, " you would not have me desperately in
love with a woman that does not care about me?y'
" Well, nephew," said the Antiquary, more seriously, " there is doubtless
much sense in what you say; yet I would have given a great deal, some
twenty or twenty-five years since, to have been able to think as you do."
"Anybody, I suppose, may think as they please on such subjects," said
Hector.
" Not according to the old school," said Oldbuck; " but, as I said before,
the practice of the modern seems in this case the most prudential, though,
I think, scarcely the most interesting. But tell me your ideas now on this
prevailing subject of an invasion. The cry is still, They come."
Hector, swallowing his mortification, which he was peculiarly anxious to
conceal from his uncle's satirical observation, readily entered into -a conversation which was to turn the Antiquary's thoughts from Miss ]Wardour
and the seal. When they reached Monkbarns, the communicating to the
ladies the events which had taken place at the Castle, with the counter-information of how long dinner had waited before the womankind had ventured to cat it in the Antiquary's absence, averted these delicate topics of
discussion.
The next morning the Antiquary arose early, and, as Caxon -had not yet
made his appearance, he began mentally to feel the absence of the petty
news and small talk of which the ex-peruquier was a faithful reporter, and
which habit had made as necessary to the Antiquary as his occasional pinch
of snuff, although he held, or affected to hold, both to be of the same intrinsic value. The feeling of vacuity peculiar to such a deprivation, was
alleviated by the appearance of old Ochiltree, sauntering beside the clipped
yew and holly hedges, with the air of a person quite at home. Indeed, so
familiar had he been of late, that even Juno did not bark at him, but contented herself with watching him with a close and vigilant eye. Our Antiquary stepped out in his night-gown, and instantly received and returned
his greeting.
"They are coming now, in good earnest, Monkbarns. I just cam frae
Fairport to bring ye the news, and then I'll step away back again. The
Search has just come into the bay, and they say she's been chased by a
French fleet."
"The Search?" said Oldbuck, reflecting a moment. " Oho!"
"Ay, ay, Captain Taffril's gun-brig, the Search."
"What! any relation to Search, No. II.?" said Oldbuck, catching at the
light which the name of the vessel seemed to throw on the mysterious chest
of treasure.
The mendicant, like a man detected in a frolic, put his bonnet before his
face, yet could not help laughing heartily.-" The deil's in you, Monkbarns,
for garring odds and evens meet.- Wha thought ye wad hae laid that and
that thegither? Od, I am clean catch'd now."
"I see it all," said Oldbuck, " as plain as the legend on a medal of high
preservation -the box in which the bullion was found belonged to the gunbrig, and the treasure to my phoenix?" —(Edie nodded assent.)-" and was
buried there that Sir Arthur might receive relief in his difficulties?"
"By me," said Edie, " and twa o' the brig's men — but they didna ken
its contents, and thought it some bit smuggling concern o' the Captain's. I
watched day and night till I saw it in the right hand; and then, when that
German deevil was glowering at the lid o' the kist (they liked mutton weel
that Ticket where the yowe lay), I think some Scottish deevil put it into my