 consult his brother's inclinations, even if he could have conceived there
might be objections on his part to his nephew's following the glorious career of
his predecessors. And, in short, that Edward was now (the intermediate steps of
cornet and lieutenant being overleapt with great agility) Captain Waverley of
Gardiner's regiment of dragoons, which he must join in their quarters at Dundee
in Scotland, in the course of a month.
    Sir Everard Waverley received this intimation with a mixture of feelings. At
the period of the Hanoverian succession he had withdrawn from parliament, and
his conduct in the memorable year 1715 had not been altogether unsuspected.
There were reports of private musters of tenants and horses in Waverley-Chase by
moonlight, and of cases of carbines and pistols purchased in Holland, and
addressed to the Baronet, but intercepted by the vigilance of a riding officer
of the excise, who was afterwards tossed in a blanket on a moonless night by an
association of stout yeomen for his officiousness. Nay, it was even said, that
at the arrest of Sir William Wyndham, the leader of the Tory party, a letter
from Sir Everard was found in the pocket of his night-gown. But there was no
overt act which an attainder could be founded on; and government, contented with
suppressing the insurrection of 1715, felt it neither prudent nor safe to push
their vengeance farther than against those unfortunate gentlemen who actually
took up arms.
    Nor did Sir Everard's apprehensions of personal consequences seem to
correspond with the reports spread among his Whig neighbours. It was well known
that he had supplied with money several of the distressed Northumbrians and
Scotchmen, who, after being made prisoners at Preston in Lancashire, were
imprisoned in Newgate and the Marshalsea; and it was his solicitor and ordinary
counsel who conducted the defence of some of these unfortunate gentlemen at
their trial. It was generally supposed, however, that had ministers possessed
any real proof of Sir Everard's accession to the rebellion, he either would not
have ventured thus to brave the existing government, or at least would not have
done so with impunity. The feelings which then dictated his proceedings were
those of a young man, and at an agitating period. Since that time Sir Everard's
jacobitism had been gradually decaying, like a fire which burns out for want of
fuel. His Tory and High-church principles were kept up by some occasional
exercise at elections and quarter-sessions; but those respecting hereditary
right were fallen into a sort of abeyance. Yet it jarred severely upon his
feelings, that his nephew should go into the
