'A prince to live and die under,' was Waverley's enthusiastic answer.
'I knew you would think so when you saw him, and I intended you should
have met earlier, but was prevented by your sprain. And yet he has
his foibles, or rather he has difficult cards to play, and his
Irish officers, [See note 24.] who are much about him, are but sorry
advisers,--they cannot discriminate among the numerous pretensions that
are set up. Would you think it--I have been obliged for the present to
suppress an earl's patent, granted for services rendered ten years ago,
for fear of exciting the jealousy, forsooth, of C-- and M--. But you
were very right, Edward, to refuse the situation of aide de camp. There
are two vacant, indeed, but Clanronald and Lochiel, and almost all of
us, have requested one for young Aberchallader, and the Lowlanders and
the Irish party are equally desirous to have the other for the Master
of F--. Now, if either of these candidates were to be superseded in your
favour, you would make enemies. And then I am surprised that the Prince
should have offered you a majority, when he knows very well that nothing
short of lieutenant-colonel will satisfy others, who cannot bring one
hundred and fifty men to the field.
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