, and nobody could guess in what the latter consisted,
unless it were in his deserting, not from conviction, but for the lucre of gain,
the Tory principles of his family. In the conclusion, his resentment was wrought
to such an excess by the force of his own oratory, that he could not repress
some threats of vengeance, however vague and impotent, and finally acquainted
his son with his pleasure that he should testify his sense of the ill- he had
sustained, by throwing up his commission as soon as the letter reached him.
This, he said, was also his uncle's desire, as he would himself intimate in due
course.
    Accordingly, the next letter which Edward opened was from Sir Everard. His
brother's disgrace seemed to have removed from his well-natured bosom all
recollection of their differences, and, remote as he was from every means of
learning that Richard's disgrace was in reality only the just, as well as
natural consequence, of his own unsuccessful intrigues, the good, but credulous
Baronet, at once set it down as a new and enormous instance of the injustice of
the existing Government. It was true, he said, and he must not disguise it even
from Edward, that his father could not have sustained such an insult as was now,
for the first time, offered to one of his house, unless he had subjected himself
to it by accepting of an employment under the present system. Sir Everard had no
doubt that he now both saw and felt the magnitude of this error, and it should
be his (Sir Everard's) business, to take care that the cause of his regret
should not extend itself to pecuniary consequences. It was enough for a Waverley
to have sustained the public disgrace; the patrimonial injury could easily be
obviated by the head of their family. But it was both the opinion of Mr. Richard
Waverley and his own, that Edward, the representative of the family of
Waverley-Honour, should not remain in a situation which subjected him also to
such treatment as that with which his father had been stigmatized. He requested
his nephew therefore to take the fittest, and, at the same time, the most speedy
opportunity, of transmitting his resignation to the War-Office, and hinted,
moreover, that little ceremony was necessary where so little had been used to
his father. He sent multitudinous greetings to the Baron of Bradwardine.
    A letter from Aunt Rachel spoke out even more plainly. She considered the
disgrace of brother Richard as the just reward of his forfeiting his allegiance
to a