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.

OLD MORTALITY. 609
heart," answered Burley; " and few but Silas Morton's son durst have followed me into this my castle of retreat. Seest thou that drawbridge of
nature's own construction?" he added, pointing to the prostrate oak-tree"one spurn of my foot, and it is overwhelmed in the abyss below, bidding
foeman on the farther side stand at defiance, and leaving enemies on this,
at the mercy of one who never yet met his equal in single fight."
" Of such defences," said Morton, " I should have thought you would now
have had little need."
"Little need?" said Burley, impatiently-" What little need, when incarnate fiends are combined against me on earth, and Sathan himself-But it
matters not," added he, checking himself-" Enough that I like my place
of refuge-my cave of Adullaml, and would not change its rude ribs of limestone rock for the fair chambers of the castle of the Earls of Torwood, with
their broad bounds and barony. Thou, unless the foolish fever-fit be over,
mayst think differently."
" It was of those very possessions I came to speak," said Morton; " and
I doubt not to find Mr. Balfour the same rational and reflecting person
which I knew him to be in times when zeal disunited brethren."
" Ay?" said Burley - " indeed? - Is such truly your hope? - wilt thou
express it more plainly?"
" In a word, then," said Morton, " you have exercised, by means at which
I can guess, a secret but most prejudicial influence over the fortunes of Lady
Margaret Bellenden and her grand-cdaughter, and in favour of that base,
oppressive apostate, Basil Olifant, whom the law, deceived by thy operations, has placed in possession of their lawful property."
" Sayest thou?" said Balfour.
" I do say so," replied Morton; "and face to face you will not deny what
you have vouched by your handwriting."
"' And suppose I deny it not?" said Balfour,-" and suppose that thy eloquence were found equal to persuade me to retrace the steps I have taken
on matured resolve, what will be thy meed? Dost thou still hope to possess
the fair-haired girl, with her wide and rich inheritance?"
"I have no such hope," answered Morton calmly.
"And for whom, then, hast thou ventured to do this great thing, to seek
to rend the prey from the valiant, to bring forth food from the den of the
lion, and to extract sweetness from the maw of the devourer? - For whose
sake hast thou undertaken to read this riddle, more hard than Samson's?"
"For Lord Evandale's, and that of his bride," replied Morton, firmly.
"Think better of mankind, Mr. Balfour, and believe there are some who are
willing to sacrifice their happiness to that of others."
"' Then, as my soul. liveth," replied Balfour, "thou art, to wear beard,
and back a horse, and draw a sword, the tamest and most gall-less puppet
that ever sustained injury unavenged. Wthat! thou wouldst help that
accursed Evandale to the, arms of the woman that thou lovest? — thou
wouldst endow them with wealth and with heritages, and thou think'st that
there lives another man, offended even more deeply than thou, yet equally
cold-livered and mean-spirited, crawling upon the face of the earth, and hast
dared to suppose that one other to be John Balfour?"
"For my own feelings," said Morton, composedly, "I am answerable to
none but Heaven -To you, Mr. Balfour, I should suppose it of little consequence whether Basil Olifant or Lord Evandale possess these estates."
" Thou art deceived," said Burley. " Both are indeed in outer darkness,
and strangers to the light, as he whose eyes have never been opened to the
day; - but this Basil Olifant is a Nabal - a Demas - a base churl, whose
wealth and power are at the disposal of him who can threaten to deprive
nim. of them. He became a professor because he was deprived of these
lands of Tillietudlem —he turned a papist to obtain possession of them - he
called himself an Erastian, that he might not again lose them, and he w;U
VOL. II.-39