Edward afterwards learned that these severe precautions had been taken in consequence of a desperate attempt of the prisoners to escape, in which they had very nearly succeeded.
Shortly afterwards the drums of the garrison beat to arms.
``This is the last turn-out,'' said Fergus, ``that I shall hear and obey.And now, my dear, dear Edward, ere we part let us speak of Flora---a subject which awakes the tenderest feeling that yet thrills within me.''
``We part not _here!_'' said Waverley.
``O yes, we do; you must come no farther.Not that I fear what is to follow for myself,'' he said proudly; ``Nature has her tortures as well as art; and how happy should we think the man who escapes from the throes of a mortal and painful disorder, in the space of a short half hour? And this matter, spin it out as they will, cannot last longer.But what a dying man can suffer firmly, may kill a living friend to look upon---This same law of high treason,'' he continued, with astonishing firmness and composure, ``is one of the blessings, Edward, with which your free country has accommodated poor old Scotland:
her own jurisprudence, as I have heard, was much milder.But I suppose one day or other---when there are no longer any wild Highlanders to benefit by its tender mercies---they will blot it from their records, as levelling them with a nation of cannibals.
The mummery, too, of exposing the senseless head---they have not the wit to grace mine with a paper coronet; there would be some satire in that, Edward.I hope they will set it on the Scotch gate though, that I may look, even after death, to the blue hills of my own country, which I love so dearly.The Baron would have added, Moritur, et moriens dulces, reminiscitur Argos.''
A bustle, and the sound of wheels and horses' feet, was now heard in the court-yard of the Castle.``As I have told you why you must not follow me, and these sounds admonish me that my time flies fast, tell me how you found poor Flora?''
Waverley, with a voice interrupted by suffocating sensations, gave some account of the state of her mind.
``Poor Flora!'' answered the Chief, ``She could have borne her own sentence of death, but not mine.You, Waverley, will soon know the happiness of mutual affection in the married state---long, long, may Rose and you enjoy it!---but you can never know the purity of feeling which combines two orphans, like Flora and me, left alone as it were in the world, and being all in all to each other from our very infancy.But her strong sense of duty, and predominant feeling of loyalty, will give new nerve to her mind after the immediate and acute sensation of this parting has passed away.She will then think of Fergus as of the heroes of our race, upon whose deeds she loved to dwell.''
``Shall she not see you, then?'' asked Waverley.``She seemed to expect it.''
``A necessary deceit will spare her the last dreadful parting:
I could not part with her without tears, and I cannot bear that these men should think they have power to extort them.She was made to believe she would see me at a later hour, and this letter, which my confessor will deliver, will apprise her that all is over.''
An officer now appeared, and intimated that the High Sheriff and his attendants waited before the gate of the Castle, to claim the bodies of Fergus Mac-Ivor and Evan Maccombich.``Icome,'' said Fergus.Accordingly, supporting Edward by the arm, and followed by Evan Dhu and the priest, he moved down the stairs of the tower, the soldiers bringing up the rear.The court was occupied by a squadron of dragoons and a battalion of infantry, drawn up in hollow square.Within their ranks was the sledge, or hurdle, on which the prisoners were to be drawn to the place of execution, about a mile distant from Carlisle.It was painted black, and drawn by a white horse.
