Ranging from the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to the dusty streets of Madras, these three stories all show lives transformed - and, in some cases, destroyed - by words and cultures in conflict. In 'The Highland widow', a mother is devastated when her son announces his intention to join the British army to fight in America, and uses all her cunning to keep him at home. 'The two drovers' is a tale of prophecy fulfilled in which the Englishman Harry Wakefield is set against his Scottish friend Robin Oig in a destructive and ultimately tragic quarrel. 'The surgeon's daughter' follows the fortunes of three young Scots who attempt to settle in India during the early years of British Empire. Based on the authoritative Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels, which follows the text of the Scott collection in its original form, this volume features a new introduction by Clare Lamont. It also includes a chronology of Scott's life and works, textual and historical notes and a glossary.