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.

602 WAVE ILEY NOVELS.
" I believe you, my lord," said Christian;" I cannot but believe you; and
I forgive you, since it is your nature, for making sport of what is ruin and
destruction. But which way did they take?"
"To Derbyshire, I should presume, to seek her father," said the Duke.
"She spoke of going into the paternal protection, instead of yours, Master
Christian. Something had chanced at Chiffinch's, to give her cause to suspect that you had not altogether provided for his daughter in the manner
which her father was likely to approve of."
"Now, Heaven be praised," said Christian, "she knows not her father is
come to London i and they must be gone down either to Martindale Castle,
or to Moultrassie Hall; in either case they are in my pc ver-I must follow
them close. I will return instantly to Derbyshire - I am undone if she
meet her father until these errors are amended. Adieu, my lord. I forgive the part which I fear your Grace must have had in baulking our enterprise-it is no time for mutual reproaches."
" You speak truth, Master Christian," said the Duke, " and I wish you
all success. Can I help you with men, or horses, or money?"
" I thank your Grace," said Christian, and hastily left the apartment.
The Duke watched his descending footsteps on the staircase, until they
could be heard no longer, and then exclaimed to Jerningham, who entered,
" Victo2ria! victoria! magna est veritas et prcevalebit!-H-ad I told the villain
a word of a lie, he is so familiar with all the regions of falsehood-his whole
life.has been such an absolute imposture, that I had stood detected in an
instant; but I told him truth, and that was the only means of deceiving
him. Victoria! my dear Jerningham, I am prouder of cheating Christian,
than I should have been of circumventing a minister of state."
" Your Grace holds his wisdom very high," said the attendant.
"His cunning, at least, I do, which, in Court affairs, often takes the
weather-gage of wisdom, - as in Yarmouth Roads a herring-buss will baffle
a frigate. lie shall not return to London if I can help it, until all these
intrigues are over."
As his Grace spoke, the Colonel, after whom he had repeatedly made
inquiry, was announced by a gentleman of his household. "He met not
Christian, did he?" said the Duke hastily.
" No, my lord," returned the domestic, "the Colonel came by the old
garden staircase."
"I judged as much," replied the Duke; "'tis an owl that will not take
wing in daylight, when there is a thicket left to skulk under. Here he
comes from threading lane, vault, and ruinous alley, very near as ominous
a creature as the fowl of ill augury which he resembles."
The Colonel, to whom no other appellation seemed to be given, than that
which belonged to his military station, now entered the apartment. He
was tall, strongly built, and past the middle period of life, and his countenance, but for the heavy cloud which dwelt upon it, might have been pronounced a handsome one. While the Duke spoke to him, either from
humility or some other cause, his large serious eye was cast down upon the
ground; but he raised it when he answered, with a keen look of earnest
observation. Iis dress was very plain, and more allied to that of the Puritans than of the Cavaliers of the time; a shadowy black hat, like the Spanish
sombrero; a large black mantle or cloak, and a long rapier, gave him something the air of a Castilione, to which his gravity'and stiffness of demeanour
added considerable strength.
"Well, Colonel," said the Duke, "we have been long strangers - how
have matters gone with you?"
" As with other men of action in quiet times," answered the Colonel, "or
as a good war-caper* that lies high and dry in a muddy creek, till seams
and planks are rent and riven."
e A privateer.