As there was no resisting her claim of acquaintance,
Waverley acknowledged it with a good grace, as well as the danger of his
own situation. 'As it's near the darkening, sir, wad ye just step in by
to our house, and tak a dish o' tea? and I am sure, if ye like to sleep
in the little room, I wad tak care ye are no disturbed, and naebody wad
ken ye; for Kate and Matty, the limmers, gaed aff wi' twa o' Hawley's
dragoons, and I hae twa new queans instead o' them.'
Waverley accepted her invitation, and engaged her lodging for a night or
two, satisfied he should be safer in the house of this simple creature
than anywhere else. When he entered the parlour, his heart swelled to
see Fergus's bonnet, with the white cockade, hanging beside the little
mirror.
'Aye,' said Mrs. Flockhart, sighing, as she observed the direction of
his eyes, 'the puir Colonel bought a new ane just the day before they
marched, and I winna let them tak that ane doun, but just to brush it
ilka day mysell; and whiles I look at it till I just think I hear him
cry to Callum to bring him his bonnet, as he used to do when he was
ganging out.--It's unco silly--the neighbours ca' me a Jacobite--but
they may say their say--I am sure it's no for that--but he was as
kind-hearted a gentleman as ever lived, and as weel-fa'rd too.
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