Itisbuttoowellknownhowmanygentlemenofrank，education，andfortune，tookaconcernintheill-fatedanddesperateundertakingof1745。Theladies，also，ofScotlandverygenerallyespousedthecauseofthegallantandhandsomeyoungPrince，whothrewhimselfuponthemercyofhiscountrymen，ratherlikeaheroofromancethanacalculatingpolitician。
Itisnot，therefore，tobewonderedthatEdward，whohadspentthegreaterpartofhislifeinthesolemnseclusionofWaverley-Honour，shouldhavebeendazzledatthelivelinessandeleganceofthescenenowexhibitedinthelong-desertedhallsoftheScottishpalace。Theaccompaniments，indeed，fellshortofsplendour，beingsuchastheconfusionandhurryofthetimeadmitted；still，however，thegeneraleffectwasstriking，andtherankofthecompanyconsidered，mightwellbecalledbrilliant。
Itwasnotlongbeforethelover’seyediscoveredtheobjectofhisattachment。FloraMac-Ivorwasintheactofreturningtoherseat，nearthetopoftheroom，withRoseBradwardinebyherside。Amongmucheleganceandbeauty，theyhadattractedagreatdegreeofthepublicattention，beingcertainlytwoofthehandsomestwomenpresent。ThePrincetookmuchnoticeofboth，particularlyofFlora，withwhomhedanced；apreferencewhichsheprobablyowedtoherforeigneducationandcommandoftheFrenchandItalianlanguages。
Whenthebustleattendingtheconclusionofthedancepermitted，Edward，almostintuitively，followedFergustotheplacewhereMissMac-Ivorwasseated。Thesensationofhopewithwhichhehadnursedhisaffectioninabsenceofthebelovedobjectseemedtovanishinherpresence，and，likeonestrivingtorecovertheparticularsofaforgottendream，hewouldhavegiventheworldatthatmomenttohaverecollectedthegroundsonwhichhehadfoundedexpectationswhichnowseemedsodelusive。HeaccompaniedFerguswithdowncasteyes，tinglingears，andthefeelingsofthecriminal，who，whilethemelancholycartmovesslowlythroughthecrowdsthathaveassembledtobeholdhisexecution，receivesnoclearsensationeitherfromthenoisewhichfillshisears，orthetumultonwhichhecastshiswanderinglook。
Floraseemedalittle-averylittle-affectedanddiscomposedathisapproach。IbringyouanadoptedsonofIvor，’’saidFergus。