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.

212 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
taking place between the individuals of two proud nations, who still retained
a stronger sense of their national animosity during centuries, than of their
late union for a few years under the government of the same prince.
Mrs. Martha Trapbois had dwelt too long in Alsatia, to be either surprised
or terrified at the altercation she had witnessed. Indeed, she only wondered
that the debate did not end in some of those acts of violence by which they
were usually terminated in the Sanctuary. As the disputants separated
from each other, she, who had no idea that the cause of the quarrel was
more deeply rooted than in the daily scenes of the same nature which she
had heard of or witnessed, did not hesitate to stop Master Christie in his
return to his shop, and present to him the letter which Lord Glenvarloch
had given to her. Had she been better acquainted with life and its business, she would certainly have waited for a more temperate moment; and
she had reason to repent of her precipitation, when, without saying a single
word, or taking the trouble to gather more of the information contained in
the letter than was expressed in the subscription, the incensed ship-chandler
threw it down on the ground, trampled it in high disdain, and, without
addressing a single word to the bearer, except, indeed, something much
more like a hearty curse than Was perfectly consistent with his own grave
appearance, he retired into his shop, and shut the hatch-door.
It was with the most inexpressible anguish that the desolate, friendless,
and unhappy female, thus beheld her sole hope of succour, countenance,
and protection, vanish at once, without being able to conceive a reason; for,
to do her justice, the idea that her friend, whom she knew by the name of
Nigel Grahame, had imposed on her-a solution which might readily have
occurred to many in her situation-never once entered her mind. Although
it was not her temper easily to bend her mind to entreaty, she could not
help exclainming, after the ireful and retreating ship-chandler, — " Good
Master, hear me but a moment! for mercy's sake, for honesty's sake!"
"Mercy and honesty from him, mistress 1" said the Scot, who, though he
essayed not to interrupt the retreat of his antagonist, still kept stout possession of the field of action, "ye might as weel expect brandy from beanstalks, or milk from a crag of blue whunstane. The man is mad, horn mad,
to boot."
"I must have mistaken the person to whom the letter was addressed,
then;" and, as she spoke, Mistress Martha Trapbois was in the act of stooping to lift the paper which had been so uncourteously received. Her companion, with natural civility, anticipated her purpose; but, what was not
quite so much in etiquette, he took a sly glance at it as he was about to
hand it to her, and his eye having caught the subscription, he said, with
surprise, " Glenvarloch —Nigel Olifaunt of Glenvarloch? Do.you know the
Lord Glenvarloch, mistress?"
"I know not of whom you speak," said Mrs. Martha, peevishly. "I had
that paper from one Master Nigel Gram."
" Nigel Grahame! —umph.-Oh, ay, very true - I had forgot," said the
Scotsman. "A tall, well-set young man, about my height; bright blue
eyes like a hawk's; a pleasant speech, something leaning to the kindly
north-country accentuation, but not much, in respect of his having been
resident abroad?"
"All this is true-and what of it all?" said the daughter of the miser.
" Ilair of my complexion?"
"Yours is red," replied she.
"I pray you, peace," said the Scotsman. "I was going to say — of my
complexion, but with a deeper shade of the chestnut. Weel, mistress, if I
have guessed the man aright, he is one with whom I am, and have been,
intimate and familiar, —nay, I may truly say I have done him much service
in my time, and may live to do him more. I had indeed a sincere goodwill for him, and I doubt he has been much at a loss since we parted; but