ereof; and I shall cause
the Bailie to attend with a schedule of a protest, whilk he has here
prepared (taking out a paper), intimating, that if it shall be his Royal
Highness's pleasure to accept of other assistance at pulling off his
CALIGAE (whether the same shall be rendered boots or brogues) save that
of the said Baron of Bradwardine, who is in presence ready and willing
to perform the same, it shall in no wise impinge upon or prejudice the
right of the said Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine to perform the said service
in future; nor shall it give any esquire, valet of the chamber, squire,
or page, whose assistance it may please his Royal Highness to employ,
any right, title, or ground, for evicting from the said Cosmo Comyne
Bradwardine the estate and barony of Bradwardine, and others held as
aforesaid, by the due and faithful performance thereof.'

Fergus highly applauded this arrangement; and the Baron took a friendly
leave of them, with a smile of contented importance upon his visage.

'Long live our dear friend the Baron,' exclaimed the Chief, as soon as
he was out of hearing, 'for the most absurd original that exists north
of the Tweed! I wish to heaven I had recommended him to attend the
circle this evening with a boot-ketch under his arm. I think he might
have adopted the suggestion, if it had been made with suitable gravity.'

'And how can you take pleasure in making a man of his worth so
ridiculous?'

'Begging pardon, my dear Waverley, you are as ridiculous as he. Why, do
you not see that the man's whole mind is wrapped up in this ceremony? He
has heard and thought of it since infancy, as the most august privilege
and ceremony in the world; and I doubt not but the expected pleasure of
performing it was a principal motive with him for taking up arms. Depend
upon it, had I endeavoured to divert him from exposing himself, he would
have treated me as an ignorant conceited coxcomb, or perhaps might have
taken a fancy to cut my throat; a pleasure which he once proposed to
himself upon some point of etiquette, not half so important, in his
eyes, as this matter of boots or brogues, or whatever the CALIGAE shall
finally be pronounced by the learned. But I must go to head-quarters to
prepare the Prince for this extraordinary scene. My information will be
well taken, for it will give him a hearty laugh at present, and put him
on his guard against laughing, when it might be very MAL-A-PROPOS. So,
AU REVOIR, my dear Waverle