``While I acknowledge my obligation to you, sir, for the restoration of the badge of our family, I cannot but marvel that you have nowhere established your own crest, whilk is, Ibelieve, a mastive, anciently called a talbot; as the poet has it, A talbot strong---a sturdy tyke.
At least such a dog is the crest of the martial and renowned Earls of Shrewsbury, to whom your family are probably blood relations.''
``I believe,'' said the Colonel, smiling, ``our dogs are whelps of the same litter: for my part, if crests were to dispute precedence, I should be apt to let them, as the proverb says, `fight dog, fight bear.' ''
As he made this speech, at which the Baron took another long pinch of snuff, they had entered the house---that is, the Baron, Rose, and Lady Emily, with young Stanley and the Bailie, for Edward and the rest of the party remained on the terrace, to examine a new green-house stocked with the finest plants.The Baron resumed his favourite topic: ``However it may please you to derogate from the honour of your burgonet, Colonel Talbot, which is doubtless your humour, as I have seen in other gentlemen of birth and honour in your country, I must again repeat it as a most ancient and distinguished bearing, as well as that of my young friend Francis Stanley, which is the eagle and child.''
``The bird and bantling they call it in Derbyshire, sir,'' said Stanley.
``Ye're a daft callant, sir,'' said the Baron, who had a great liking to this young man, perhaps because he sometimes teased him---``Ye're a daft callant, and I must correct you some of these days,'' shaking his great brown fist at him.``But what I meant to say, Colonel Talbot, is, that yours is an ancient _prosapia,_ or descent, and since you have lawfully and justly acquired the estate for you and yours, which I have lost for me and mine, I wish it may remain in your name as many centuries as it has done in that of the late proprietor's.''
``That,'' answered the Colonel, ``is very handsome, Mr.
Bradwardine, indeed.''
``And yet, sir, I cannot but marvel that you, Colonel, whom I noted to have so much of the _amor patri<ae>,_ when we met in Edinburgh, as even to vilipend other countries, should have chosen to establish your Lares, or household gods, _procul a patri<ae> finibus,_ and in a manner to expatriate yourself.''
``Why really, Baron, I do not see why, to keep the secret of these foolish boys, Waverley and Stanley, and of my wife, who is no wiser, one old soldier should continue to impose upon another.You must know, then, that I have so much of that same prejudice in favour of my native country, that the sum of money which I advanced to the seller of this extensive barony has only purchased for me a box in ------shire, called Brerewood Lodge, with about two hundred and fifty acres of land, the chief merit of which is, that it is within a very few miles of Waverley-Honour.''
``And who, then, in the name of Heaven, has bought this property?''
``That,'' said the Colonel, ``it is this gentleman's profession to explain.''
The Bailie, whom this reference regarded, and who had all this while shifted from one foot to another with great impatience, ``like a hen,'' as he afterwards said, ``upen a het girdle;''
and chuckling, he might have added, like the said hen in all the glory of laying an egg---now pushed forward: ``That I can, that I can, your Honour,'' drawing from his pocket a budget of papers, and untying the red tape with a hand trembling with eagerness.``Here is the disposition and assignation, by Malcolm Bradwardine of Inch-Grabbit, regularly signed and tested in terms of the statute, whereby, for a certain sum of sterling money presently contented and paid to him, he has disponed, alienated, and conveyed the whole estate and barony of Bradwardine, Tully-Veolan, and others, with the fortalice and manor-place''------``For God's sake, to the point, sir---I have all that by heart,''
said the Colonel.
``To Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine, Esq.,'' pursued the Bailie, ``his heirs and assignees, simply and irredeemably---to be held either _a me vel de me_''------``Pray read short, sir.''
``On the conscience of an honest man, Colonel, I read as short as is consistent with style.---Uuder the burden and reservation always''------``Mr.Macwheeble, this would outlast a Russian winter---Give me leave.In short, Mr.Bradwardine, your family estate is your own once more in full property, and at your absolute disposal, but only burdened with the sum advanced to repurchase it, which I understand is utterly disproportioned to its value.''
``An auld sang---an auld sang, if it please your honours,''
cried the Bailie, rubbing his hands;---``look at the rental-book.''
``Which sum being advanced by Mr.Edward Waverley, chiefly from the price of his father's property which I bought from him, is secured to his lady your daughter, and her family by this marriage.''
``It is a Catholic security,'' shouted the Bailie, ``to Rose Comyne Bradwardine, _alias_ Wauverley, in liferent, and the children of the said marriage in fee; and I made up a wee bit minute of an antenuptial contract, _intuitu matrimonij,_ so it cannot be subject to reduction hereafter, as a donation _inter virum et uxorem._''
It is difficult to say whether the worthy Baron was most delighted with the restitution of his family property, or with the delicacy and generosity that left him unfettered to pursue his purpose in disposing of it after his death, and which avoided, as much as possible, even the appearance of laying him under pecuniary obligation.When his first pause of joy and astonishment was over, his thoughts turned to the unworthy heir-male, who, he pronounced, ``had sold his birthright, like Esau, for a mess o' pottage.''
``But wha cookit the parritch for him?'' exclaimed the Bailie; ``I wad like to ken that---wha but your honour's to command, Duncan Macwheeble? His honour, young Mr.