With this latter purpose he sallied out in the dusk through the well-known streets, carefully shunning observation,--but in vain: one of the first persons whom he met at once recognized him, It was Mrs.Flockhart, Fergus Mac-Ivor's good-humoured landlady.
'Gude guide us, Mr.Waverley, is this you ?--na, ye needna be feared for me--I wad betray nae gentleman in your circumstances.

Eh, lack-a-day! lack-a-day! here's a change o' markets! how merry Colonel Mac-Ivor and you used to be in our house!' And the good-natured widow shed a few natural tears.

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.