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.
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