aking 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 patritz when we met in Edinburgh as even to
vilipend other countries, should have chosen to establish your Lares, or
household gods, procul a patrice 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 Brere-wood
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, 'upon 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 Bradwardme, Esq.,' pursued the Bailie, 'his heirs and
assignees, simply and irredeemably, to be held either a me vel de me-