public in the country, stating,
that one Mr. Falconer of Ballihopple, or some such name, had proposed,
in his presence, a treasonable toast, which he permitted to pass in
silence, although it was so gross an affront to the royal family, that
a gentleman in company, not remarkable for his zeal for government, had
nevertheless taken the matter up; and that, supposing the account true,
Captain Waverley had thus suffered another, comparatively unconcerned,
to resent an affront directed against him personally as an officer, and
to go out with the person by whom it was offered. The Major concluded,
that no one of Captain Waverley's brother officers could believe this
scandalous story, but it was necessarily their joint opinion that his
own honour, equally with that of the regiment, depended upon its being
instantly contradicted by his authority, &c. &c. &c.

'What do you think of all this?' said Colonel Talbot, to whom Waverley
handed the letters after he had perused them.

'Think! it renders thought impossible. It is enough to drive me mad.'

'Be calm, my young friend; let us see what are these dirty scrawls that
follow.'

The first was addressed, 'For Master W. Ruffin These,'--'Dear sur, sum
of our yong gulpins will not bite, thof I tuold them you shoed me the
squoire's own seel. But Timms will deliver you the lettrs as desired,
and tell ould Addem he gave them to squoir's hond, as to be sure yours
is the same, and shall be ready for signal, and hoy for Hoy Church and
Sachefrel, as fadur sings at harvest-whome. Yours, deer Sur, H.H.

'Poscriff. Do' e tell squoire we longs to heer from him, and has
dootings about his not writing himself, and Lieftenant Bottler is
smoky.'

'This Ruffin, I suppose, then, is your Donald of the Cavern, who has
intercepted your letters, and carried on a correspondence with the poor
devil Houghton, as if under your authority?

'It seems too true. But who can Addem be?'

'Possibly Adam, for poor Gardiner, a sort of pun on his name.'

The other letters were to the same purpose, and they soon received yet
more complete light upon Donald Bean's machinations.

John Hedges, one of Waverley's servants, who had remained with the
regiment, and had been taken at Preston, now made his appearance. He had
sought out his master, with the purpose of again entering his service.
From this fellow they learned, that, some time after Waverley had
gone from the head-quarters of the regiment, a pedlar, calle