One day he came upon the manuscript by accident, thought himself
that the story was worth something, and resolved to publish it.
Finishing the writing in three weeks he published the novel
without putting his name upon the title-page. He did this, he
said, because he thought it was not quite dignified for a grave
advocate and Sheriff of the county to write novels. The book was
a wild success, everybody read it, everybody was eager to know
who the author was. Many people guessed that it was Scott, but,
for more than ten years, he would not own it. At public dinners
when the health of the author of Waverley was drunk, people would
look meaningly at Scott, but he would appear quite unconcerned,
and drink the health and cheer with the rest. To keep the
mystery up he even reviewed his own books. And so curiosity
grew. Who was this Great Unknown, this Wizard of the North?
Waverley is a story of the Jacobite times, of the rebellion of
'45. The hero, Edward Waverley, who is no such great hero
either, his author calling him indeed "a sneaking piece of
imbecility," gives his name to the book.
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