``I am just arrived here, and yet I have finished my business;it has cost me some trouble though, as you shall hear.I waited upon his Royal Highness immediately on my arrival, and found him in no very good humour for my purpose.Three or four Scotch gentlemen were just leaving his levee.After he had expressed himself to me very courteously; `Would you think it,' he said, `Talbot? here have been half-a-dozen of the most respectable gentlemen, and best friends to Government north of the Forth,---Major Melville of Cairnvreckan, Rubrick of Duchran, and others,---who have fairly wrung from me, by their downright importunity, a present protection and the promise of a future pardon, for that stubborn old rebel whom they call Baron of Bradwardine.They allege that his high personal character, and the clemency which he showed to such of our people as fell into the rebel's hands, should weigh in his favour; especially as the loss of his estate is likely to be a severe enough punishment.Rubrick has undertaken to keep him at his own house till things are settled in the country; but it's a little hard to be forced in a manner to pardon such a mortal enemy to the House of Brunswick.' This was no favourable moment for opening my business;---however, I said I was rejoiced to learn that his Royal Highness was in the course of granting such requests, as it emboldened me to present one of the like nature in my own name.He was very angry, but Ipersisted;---I mentioned the uniform support of our three votes in the house, touched modestly on services abroad, though valuable only in his Royal Highness's having been pleased kindly to accept them, and founded pretty strongly on his own expressions of friendship and good-will.He was embarrassed, but obstinate.I hinted the policy of detaching, on all future occasions, the heir of such a fortune as your uncle's from the machinations of the disaffected.But I made no impression.
I mentioned the obligation which I lay under to Sir Everard, and to you personally, and claimed as the sole reward of my services, that he would be pleased to afford me the means of evincing my gratitude.I perceived that he still meditated a refusal, and taking my commission from my pocket, I said (as a last resource), that as his Royal Highness did not, under these pressing circumstances, think me worthy of a favour which he had not scrupled to grant to other gentlemen, whose services I could hardly judge more important than my own, Imust beg leave to deposit, with all humility, my commission in his Royal Highness's hands, and to retire from the service.He was not prepared for this;---he told me to take up my commission;said some handsome things of my services, and granted my request.You are therefore once more a free man, and I have promised for you that you will be a good boy in future, and remember what you owe to the lenity of Government.
Thus you see _my_ prince can be as generous as _yours._I do not pretend, indeed, that he confers a favour with all the foreign graces and compliments of your Chevalier errant; but he has a plain English manner, and the evident reluctance with which he grants your request, indicates the sacrifice which he makes of his own inclination to your wishes.My friend, the adjutant-general, has procured me a duplicate of the Baron's protection (the original being in Major Melville's possession), which I send to you, as I know that if you can find him you will have pleasure in being the first to communicate the joyful intelligence.He will of course repair to the Duchran without loss of time, there to ride quarantine for a few weeks.As for you, I give you leave to escort him thither, and to stay a week there, as I understand a certain fair lady is in that quarter.
And I have the pleasure to tell you, that whatever progress you can make in her good graces will be highly agreeable to Sir Everard and Mrs.Rachel, who will never believe your views and prospects settled, and the three ermines passant in actual safety, until you present them with a Mrs.Edward Waverley.
Now, certain love-affairs of my own---a good many years since ---interrupted some measures which were then proposed in favour of the three ermines passant; so I am bound in honour to make them amends.Therefore make good use of your time, for when your week is expired, it will be necessary that you go to London to plead your pardon in the law courts.
``Ever, dear Waverley, yours most truly, ``=Philip Talbot.=''