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.

400 WAVERLEY NOVELS-.
"I beg your pardon, sir, my wants shall be very few; and would yon
please to give me the gold chain, which the Margrave gave to my father
after the battle of Lutzen""Mercy on us! the gowd chain!" exclaimed his uncle.
"The chain of gowd!" re-echoed the housekeeper, both aghast with
astonishment at the audacity of the proposal.
— " I will keep a few links," continued the young man, "to remind me
of him by whom it was won, and the place where he won it," continued
Morton; " the rest shall furnish me the means of following the same career
in which my father obtained that mark of distinction."
"Mercifu' powers!" exclaimed the governante, "my master wears it
every Sunday!"
" Sunday and Saturday," added old Milnwood, "whenever I put on my
black velvet coat; and Wylie Mactricket is partly of opinion it's a kind of
heir-loom, that rather belangs to the head of the house than to the immediate descendant. It has three thousand links; I have counted them a
thousand times. It's worth three hundred pounds sterling."
"That is more than I want, sir; if you choose to give me the third part
of the money, and five links of the chain, it will amply serve my purpose,
and the rest will be some slight atonement for the expense and trouble I
have put you to."
" The laddie's in a creel!" exclaimed his uncle. "0 sirs! what will become o' the rigs o' Milnwood when I am dead and gane! He would fling
the crown o' Scotland awa, if he had it."
" Hout, sir," said the old housekeeper, " I maun e'en say it's partly your
ain faut. Ye maunna curb his head ower sair in neither; and, to be sure,
since he has gane doun to the Howif, ye maun just e'en pay the lawing."
"If it be not abune twa dollars, Alison," said the old gentleman, very
reluctantly.
"I'll settle it mysell wi' Niel Blane, the first time I gang down to the
clachan," said Alison, "cheaper than your honour or Mr. Harry can do;"
and then whispered to Henry, "Dinna vex him ony mair; I'll pave the
lave out o' the butter siller, and nae mair words about it." Then proceeding aloud, "And ye maunna speak o' the young gentleman hauding the
pleugh; there's puir distressed whigs enow about the country will be glad to
do that for a bite and a soup-it sets them far better than the like o' him."
"And then we'll hae the dragoons on us," said Milnwood, "for comforting and entertaining inter-communed rebels;-a bonny strait ye wad put
us in! -But take your breakfast, Harry, and then lay by your new green
coat, and put on your Raploch grey; it's a mair mensfu' and thrifty dress,
and a mair seemly sight, than thae dangling slops and ribbands."
Morton left the room, perceiving plainly that he had at present no chance
of gaining his purpose, and, perhaps, not altogether displeased at the obstacles which seemed to present themselves to his leaving the neighbourhood of Tillietudlem. The housekeeper followed him into the next room,
patting him on the back, and bidding him "be a gude bairn, and pit by
his braw things. - And I'll loup doun your hat, and lay by the band and
ribband," said the officious dame; " and ye maun never, at no hand, speak
o' leaving the land, or of selling the gowd chain, for your uncle has an
unco pleasure in looking on you, and in counting the links of the chainzie;
and ye ken auld folk canna last for ever; sae the chain, and the lands, and
a' will be your ain ae day; and ye may marry ony leddy in the countrs
side ye like, and keep a braw house at Milnwood, for there's enow o' means;
and is not that worth waiting for, my dow?"
There was something in the latter part of the prognostic which sounded so
agreeably in the ears of Morton, that he shook the old dame cordially by the
hand, and assured her he:'was much obliged for her good advice, and would
weigh it carefully before he proceeded to act upon his former resolution.