ItwasaboutnoonwhenCaptainWaverleyenteredthestragglingvillage，orratherhamlet，ofTully-Veolan，closetowhichwassituatedthemansionoftheproprietor。Thehousesseemedmiserableintheextreme，especiallytoaneyeaccustomedtothesmilingneatnessofEnglishcottages。Theystood，withoutanyrespectforregularity，oneachsideofastragglingkindofunpavedstreet，wherechildren，almostinaprimitivestateofnakedness，laysprawling，asiftobecrushedbythehoofsofthefirstpassinghorse。Occasionally，indeed，whensuchaconsummationseemedinevitable，awatchfuloldgrandam，withherclosecap，distaff，andspindle，rushedlikeasibylinfrenzyoutofoneofthesemiserablecells，dashedintothemiddleofthepath，andsnatchingupherownchargefromamongthesun-burntloiterers，salutedhimwithasoundcuff，andtransportedhimbacktohisdungeon，thelittlewhite-headedvarletscreamingallthewhile，fromtheverytopofhislungs，ashrillytrebletothegrowlingremonstrancesoftheenragedmatron。
Anotherpartinthisconcertwassustainedbytheincessantyelpingofascoreofidleuselesscurs，whichfollowed，snarling，barking，howling，andsnappingatthehorses’heels；anuisanceatthattimesocommoninScotland，thataFrenchtourist，who，likeothertravellers，longedtofindagoodandrationalreasonforeverythinghesaw，hasrecorded，asoneofthememorabiliaofCaledonia，thatthestatemaintainedineachvillagearelayofcurs，called_collies，_whosedutyitwastochasethe_chevauxdeposte_toostarvedandexhaustedtomovewithoutsuchastimulus
fromonehamlettoanother，tilltheirannoyingconvoydrovethemtotheendoftheirstage。Theevilandremedysuchasitisstillexist；butthisisremotefromourpresentpurpose，andisonlythrownoutforconsiderationofthecollectorsunderMr。Dent’sdog-bill。
AsWaverleymovedon，hereandthereanoldman，bentasmuchbytoilasyears，hiseyesblearedwithageandsmoke，totteredtothedoorofhishut，togazeonthedressofthestranger，andtheformandmotionsofthehorses，andthenassembledwithhisneighbours，inalittlegroupatthesmithy，todiscusstheprobabilitiesofwhencethestrangercame，andwherehemightbegoing。Threeorfourvillagegirls，returningfromthewellorbrookwithpitchersandpailsupontheirheads，formedmorepleasingobjects；and，withtheirthin，shortgownsandsinglepetticoats，barearms，legs，andfeet，uncoveredheads，andbraidedhair，somewhatresembledItalianformsoflandscape。
Norcouldaloverofthepicturesquehavechallengedeithertheeleganceoftheircostume，orthesymmetryoftheirshape；