Waverley · Chapter
XXXVIII explained
Waverley brings news of the Baron's pardon and arranges his return.
What happens
Waverley brings news of the Baron's pardon and arranges his return. The Baron is reunited with Rose at Duchran, and Waverley's proposal to Rose is accepted. Plans are made for Waverley to return to Waverley-Honor and London to arrange the marriage and plead for Fergus MacIvor's fate.
Themes in this chapter
Loyalty and Allegiance
Janet Gellatley's unwavering loyalty to the Baron, and the Bailie's cautious allegiance to the government.
Romanticism vs. Reality
Waverley's romantic proposal contrasts with the harsh reality of Fergus's impending execution and the Baron's lost estate.
Social Class and Hierarchy
The Baron's reduced circumstances and the loss of his estate to Inch-Grabbit highlight class instability.
Honor and Duty
Colonel Talbot's sense of duty to justice over personal mercy, and the Baron's dignified acceptance of his fate.
Characters to notice
- Edward Waverley
Brings news of the Baron's pardon, proposes to Rose, and plans to visit Colonel Talbot and Fergus MacIvor.
- Baron of Bradwardine
Receives news of his pardon, is reunited with Rose, and approves Waverley's proposal.
- Rose Bradwardine
Reunited with her father, accepts Waverley's proposal, and endures the teasing of the household.
- Bailie Macwheeble
Advises caution, arranges the Baron's safe return, and prepares a feast at Little Veolan.
- Janet Gellatley
Anxious for the Baron's safety, overjoyed at the news, and rewarded for her fidelity.
- Colonel Talbot
Congratulates Waverley but refuses to intervene for Fergus, citing justice and the need for a victim.
- Fergus MacIvor
Imprisoned at Carlisle; Waverley plans to visit him and seek a commutation of his sentence.
- Flora MacIvor
Waverley intends to offer her an asylum with Rose after Fergus's likely execution.
Key passages
“Happy’s the wooing That’s not long a doing.”
A courtship that is brief is a happy one.
Epigraph reflecting the swift resolution of Waverley's engagement.
“Justice, which demanded some penalty of those who had wrapped the whole nation in fear and in mourning, could not perhaps have selected a fitter victim.”
Justice required a sacrifice, and Fergus was the most suitable candidate for punishment.
Colonel Talbot's justification for not intervening on Fergus's behalf.
“He threw for life or death, a coronet or a coffin; and he cannot now be permitted, with justice to the country, to draw stakes because the dice have gone against him.”
Fergus gambled everything on the rebellion and must accept the consequences of his loss.
Colonel Talbot's metaphor for Fergus's high-stakes rebellion.