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diff --git a/44573.txt b/44573.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6a2205b..0000000 --- a/44573.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,18312 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Entail, by John Galt - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Entail - or The Lairds of Grippy - - -Author: John Galt - - - -Release Date: January 3, 2014 [eBook #44573] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ENTAIL*** - - -E-text prepared by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive/American Libraries (https://archive.org/details/americana) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustration. - See 44573-h.htm or 44573-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44573/44573-h/44573-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44573/44573-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive/American Libraries. See - https://archive.org/details/entailorlairdsof1913galt - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by tilde characters is in bold face (~bold~). - - - - - -THE ENTAIL - -by - -JOHN GALT - - -Oxford: Horace Hart -Printer to the University - - -[Illustration] - - -THE ENTAIL - -Or - -The Lairds of Grippy - -by -JOHN GALT - -With an Introduction by John Ayscough - - - - - - - -[Illustration] - -Henry Frowde -Oxford University Press -London, Edinburgh, Glasgow -New York, Toronto, Melbourne & Bombay - - - - -JOHN GALT - - - Born, Irvine, Ayrshire May 2, 1779 - Died, Greenock April 11, 1839 - -_'The Entail' was first published in 1822. In 'The World's Classics' it -was first published in 1913._ - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -For many years I have been wondering why John Galt's works are fallen -into such neglect: that they should be almost wholly forgotten, even by -readers to whom Scott and Jane Austen, Fanny Burney and Miss Edgeworth -are indispensable, is what I cannot understand. If his Autobiography -were not a rare book, an explanation might suggest itself. For -supposing that the public, before reading _The Entail_, _Annals of the -Parish_, or _The Ayrshire Legatees_, had been so unfortunate as to -attempt the reading of the Autobiography, no one could be surprised -that it made up its mind to read no more of him. A more tedious, -flat, and dull book was never written by a man of genius: it is never -interesting, never amusing, and always exasperating to any one who -knows what he could do, and has done. To wade through it is very nearly -impossible, and there is nothing to be gained by the achievement. -Galt's life was not particularly interesting in itself, but many lives -less eventful have been so written as to be worth reading, and easy to -read. - -There is, however, little danger of Galt's now losing possible admirers -by the unlucky accident of their stumbling on his Autobiography before -making his acquaintance in the right way--by reading his really -excellent works of fiction: for copies of the Autobiography are not -at all easy to come at. I suppose they have mostly been burned by his -admirers. - -There is not much to be told about him; his life does not matter to -my purpose. John Galt was one of the sons of a sea-captain, in the -West India trade, and was born on May 2, 1779, at Irvine in Ayrshire. -When he was ten years old the family moved to Greenock, where the boy -had his schooling and became a clerk in the Custom House. At five -and twenty he carried himself and an epic poem to London, in quest -of literary fame. The epic, on the Battle of Largs, he had printed, -but it did not establish his repute as a poet, and, to judge by the -specimens I have read, the indifference of the public was not a -malicious affectation. Later on he produced half a dozen dramas, which -deserved, and met with, as much success as the epic. Falling into bad -health he made a tour through the Mediterranean and Levant, and had -Byron and Hobhouse for fellow-travellers during a part of it. In the -Autobiography he does not heap flattery on either 'Orestes or Pylades': -perhaps, though he does not confess it, he extracted from his brother -poet an opinion on his own muse. His experiences of travel were given -to the world in _Letters from the Levant_, and the book was by no means -a failure, and is much easier reading than the Autobiography. In 1820 -appeared, in _Blackwood_, _The Ayrshire Legatees_: and in it he first -showed the real power that was in him. It has been reprinted in recent -years and can easily be read, and should be read by every one. The book -has the rather tiresome form of letters: and the letters of the young -lady and young gentleman are not always particularly entertaining: -those of Dr. Pringle and his wife are invariably excellent. None -better of the sort exist anywhere in fiction. It is astounding that a -man of genius, whose fiction is so extraordinarily real, could, when -writing of his own real life, make it inhumanly dull and artificial. -In the Autobiography there is nothing quaint, and nothing witty: Dr. -and Mrs. Pringle are inimitably quaint and funny. It would seem that -when Galt looked at life, at men and manners, and things, through -imaginary eyes he could see everything there was to be seen, and see -it in a light intensely simple and vivid and real: that when he looked -at anything through his own eyes he saw nothing at all. The doctor and -Mrs. Pringle are indispensable to all readers who love dear oddities, -and they are Galt's very own: you shall not find them anywhere else. -He borrowed them nowhere, but made them himself in a jocund humour of -affectionate creation. - -In 1821 _The Ayrshire Legatees_ was followed up by the _Annals of the -Parish_, which displayed Galt's singular and original genius in fuller -perfection. That his epic failed, and the _Annals_ marked a literary -success, is much to the credit of his contemporaries. Perhaps if Crabbe -had not perversely insisted on being a poet we might have had country -tales of his as worthy of immortality as the _Annals of the Parish_. -The book is commonly said to be Galt's masterpiece: which it is not. -But it is unique and perfect. That _The Entail_ is really Galt's -masterpiece seems to me clear: nevertheless there are weak parts in it, -and the less good chapters are lamentably unequal to the best: whereas -the _Annals of the Parish_ has no weak chapters, and the balance of -excellence is maintained throughout. But there is no story in the -_Annals_; and, though it is a long gallery of perfect portraits, it -has no characters that can even be compared with Watty and the Leddy o' -Grippy. - -Where the _Annals_ peculiarly excel is in the rare quality of _charm_: -it has no hero, and the central figure is enriched with foibles that -do not lean to heroism's side: but they are quaintly attractive, and -no one but Galt has given to literature any one like him. Of pathos -Galt is shy in the _Annals_; nowhere is he at all disposed to 'wallow' -in it: but he draws reverently near, and moves away as reverently. -Nor is he boisterously funny: his wit is all his own, and it crops up -at every corner, but not noisily: it cuts few capers, and has a pawky -discretion. It is singularly void of malice and haughtiness, and has -a Shakespearian humanity and blandness that fails to remind one of -Thackeray. The _Annals of the Parish_ prove that a great writer can -make a whole book intensely amusing and extraordinarily amiable: that -perfectly clear sight need not be merciless, nor wit remorselessly -cruel. - -The great and just success of the _Annals of the Parish_ made Galt -prolific: and in rapid sequence came _Sir Andrew Wylie_, _The Entail_, -_The Steamboat_, _The Provost_, _Ringan Gilhaize_, _The Spaewife_, -_Rothelan_, and _The Omen_. - -Almost all of these are worth reading, and to read them is no trouble: -but they are of very unequal merit: and only one of them is worthy -of being grouped with _The Ayrshire Legatees_ and the _Annals_. -_Sir Andrew Wylie_ is extremely good, and much of it shows Galt in -his best vein. The more romantic tales, _Ringan Gilhaize_, _The -Spaewife_, _Rothelan_, and _The Omen_, have the defects of their -qualities, and the more Galt submits to those qualities the less we -are pleased. To be romantic was, perhaps, a pardonable compliance -with fashion: but Galt had little to make with romance, and idealism -was his easiest road to failure. To be Ossianic may have seemed to him -a literary duty, but the performance of some duties is hard on the -public: as the district-visited might plead, to whom the perfecting -of district-visitors appeals less than it ought. Galt had not a rich -imagination; what he possessed in a rare degree was the faculty of -representation. In his works of fiction we find a gallery of portraits -of singular variety and perfection: of all of them he had seen the -originals. When he chose to add characters invented by himself his -success was not great. It must not, however, be supposed that he could -only reproduce with pedestrian fidelity: there can be no doubt that -from a mere hint in actual experience he could draw a vivid portrait of -absolute and convincing reality. - -He himself placed _The Provost_ higher than the _Annals of the -Parish_ and _The Ayrshire Legatees_, but no one will agree with him. -Almost the only interesting thing he tells us in the Autobiography is -that the _Annals_, though published in 1821, the year following the -appearance of _The Ayrshire Legatees_, were written in 1813, and laid -aside and forgotten. Of _The Entail_ he tells us little, except that -the scene of the storm was introduced to admit of the description of -a part of Scotland he had never seen. He speaks complacently of the -praise accorded to that description, but betrays no pride in Watty or -the Leddy, whom, indeed, he does not mention. He has plenty to say -about _Ringan Gilhaize_, and evidently believes that the book was not -accorded its due proportion of praise; chiefly, it would seem, because -the thing he tried to do in it was difficult, and success the more -meritorious. Probably Watty and the Leddy were thoroughly spontaneous, -as they are inimitably real, and Galt thought the less of them on that -account. - -He left England for Canada in 1826, _The Last of the Lairds_ appearing -just before his departure. Three years later he came back ruined, and -set to work again, his pen being as industrious as ever. _Lawrie Todd_ -was followed by _Southennan_, and these two novels by his _Life of Lord -Byron_. In 1839, on April 11, he died at Greenock. - -Anthony Trollope injured himself with critics of a certain class by a -too frank disclosure of his methods of production: and Galt may well -have done his literary reputation harm by his oft-repeated assertion -that with him literature was always a secondary interest. Commerce, -he would have us believe, was what came first. He never depreciates -his own literary work, but he so speaks of it as to tempt others to -belittle it: this was not modesty but sheer blundering. Congreve in -his old age was more eager to shine in Voltaire's eyes as a social -personage than as a famous dramatist; and Galt appears to have cared -more to be regarded as a statistician than as an unequalled master of -fiction in his own region of it. These perversities in men of genius -are not so rare as they are provoking. - -_The Entail_ was published in 1822, and, disregarded as it has long -been, its merit was not ignored then. Gifford, Mackenzie, Lord Jeffrey, -and Sir Walter Scott helped to spread its fame. In January, 1823, -'Christopher North' reviewed it at great length in _Blackwood_, and -declared it 'out of all sight the best thing he [Galt] has done'--_The -Ayrshire Legatees_ and the _Annals of the Parish_, be it remembered, -having already appeared. The Professor says that he had read 'the work -on its first publication through from beginning to end in one day', and -about a fortnight afterwards devoured 'all the prime bits' again. - -The conclusion of the whole matter, in Professor Wilson's opinion, was -that Galt had now proved himself 'inferior only to two living writers -of fictitious narratives--to him whom we need not name, and to Miss -Edgeworth'. - -That Galt was inferior to Scott as a romanticist is what no one would -deny. As a romanticist he should not be brought in comparison with Sir -Walter at all; but as a painter of _genre_ he is not surpassed even -by him whom 'Christopher North' would not name. That Miss Edgeworth -was a romanticist of high rank does not appear: _Castle Rackrent_ -and _The Absentee_ are unequalled, but as presentations of original, -quaint, and absolutely living Irish character: Galt was not inferior -to her, or a rival of her, for his realm and hers were far apart: in -his presentation of certain types of Scottish character he is equally -original, equally quaint, and equally true and vivid. Scottish humour -and Irish wit are singularly unlike; to compare them must be a barren -labour; perhaps the same reader will never fully appreciate both; -but to no critic who knows and loves Scots types of character will -it be easy to confess that Galt had an inferior revelation to that -of the inestimable Maria: the subject-matter was different, that was -all. To try and pose them as rivals is the folly. In Galt is none -of the rollicking pathos that is the miracle of _Castle Rackrent_: -Scots pathos is as different from Irish as flamboyant Irish wit is -different from Scottish pawkiness. But if the daft laird of Grippy be -not pathetic then I know of no pathos outside the pathos that exposes -itself naked to the public to obtain recognition. If the Leddy o' -Grippy be not inimitably comic, then can there be no comedy short of -screaming farce. - -The reader is asked to remember that any comparison of Galt with Scott, -or of Galt with Maria Edgeworth, was not initiated by the present -writer, but by 'Christopher North'. - -Sir Walter Scott himself gave the best proof possible of appreciation -by reading _The Entail_ three times: and Byron had read it three times -within a year of its appearance. To the Earl of Blessington he said -that 'the portraiture of Leddy Grippy was perhaps the most complete and -original that had been added to the female gallery since the days of -Shakespeare'. - -Were this an essay on _The Entail_ it would not suffice to quote the -criticism of great writers upon the work: the essayist would need to -justify his own admiration of it by quotation from the book itself. -And this he has done at full length in (as Cousin Feenix said) another -place. But in an Introduction there can be no occasion to detain the -reader from making acquaintance on his own account with the Leddy and -Watty, Claud, and the Milrookits. He will not, with the book in his -hand, need to be told which scenes are inimitable. There are many which -he will never be content to read but once: though I venture to think -that he will not arrive at Lord Jeffrey's conclusion that the drowning -of George Walkinshaw is the most powerful single sketch in the work. -Powerful all the same it is; and, since Lord Byron's dictum concerning -the Leddy has given the hint, we may be the more readily forgiven for -thinking that there is, in that grim passage, something Shakespearian -about the little cabin-boy. - - JOHN AYSCOUGH. - - - - -THE ENTAIL - - - - -TO THE KING. - - - _SIRE_, - -_With the profoundest sense of your Majesty's gracious condescension, -the Author of this work has now the honour to lay it, by permission, at -your Majesty's feet._ - -_It belongs to a series of sketches, in which he has attempted to -describe characters and manners peculiar to the most ancient, and -most loyal, portion of all your Majesty's dominions;--it embraces a -great part of the last century, the most prosperous period in the -annals of Scotland, and singularly glorious to the administration of -your Majesty's Illustrious Family;--it has been written since the era -of your Majesty's joyous Visit to the venerable home of your Royal -Ancestors;--and it is presented as a humble memorial of the feelings -with which the Author, in common with all his countrymen, did homage to -the King at Holyrood._ - - _He has the happiness to be, - SIRE, - Your Majesty's - Most dutiful and most faithful_ - SUBJECT AND SERVANT. - - Edinburgh, 3d December 1822. - - - - -THE ENTAIL - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -Claud Walkinshaw was the sole surviving male heir of the Walkinshaws of -Kittlestonheugh. His grandfather, the last Laird of the line, deluded -by the golden visions that allured so many of the Scottish gentry to -embark their fortunes in the Darien Expedition, sent his only son, the -father of Claud, in one of the ships fitted out at Cartsdyke, and with -him an adventure in which he had staked more than the whole value of -his estate. But, as it is not our intention to fatigue the reader with -any very circumstantial account of the state of the Laird's family, we -shall pass over, with all expedient brevity, the domestic history of -Claud's childhood. He was scarcely a year old when his father sailed, -and his mother died of a broken heart, on hearing that her husband, -with many of his companions, had perished of disease and famine among -the swamps of the Mosquito shore. The Kittlestonheugh estate was soon -after sold, and the Laird, with Claud, retired into Glasgow, where -he rented the upper part of a back house, in Aird's Close, in the -Drygate. The only servant whom, in this altered state, he could afford -to retain, or rather the only one that he could not get rid of, owing -to her age and infirmities, was Maudge Dobbie, who, in her youth, -was bairnswoman to his son. She had been upwards of forty years in -the servitude of his house; and the situation she had filled to the -father of Claud did not tend to diminish the kindliness with which she -regarded the child, especially when, by the ruin of her master, there -was none but herself to attend him. - -The charms of Maudge had, even in her vernal years, been confined to -her warm and affectionate feelings; and, at this period, she was -twisted east and west, and hither and yont, and Time, in the shape -of old age, hung so embracingly round her neck, that his weight had -bent her into a hoop. Yet, thus deformed and aged, she was not without -qualities that might have endeared her to a more generous boy. Her -father had been schoolmaster in the village of Kittleston; and under -his tuition, before she was sent, as the phrase then was, to seek her -bread in the world, she had acquired a few of the elements of learning -beyond those which, in that period, fell to the common lot of female -domestics: and she was thus enabled, not only to teach the orphan -reading and writing, but even to supply him with some knowledge of -arithmetic, particularly addition and the multiplication table. She -also possessed a rich stock of goblin lore and romantic stories, the -recital of which had given the father of Claud the taste for adventure -that induced him to embark in the ill-fated expedition. These, however, -were not so congenial to the less sanguine temperament of the son, -who early preferred the history of Whittington and his Cat to the -achievements of Sir William Wallace; and 'Tak your auld cloak about -you,' ever seemed to him a thousand times more sensible than 'Chevy -Chace.' As for that doleful ditty, the 'Flowers of the Forest,' it was -worse than the 'Babes in the Wood'; and 'Gil Morrice' more wearisome -than 'Death and the Lady'. - -The solitary old Laird had not been long settled in his sequestered -and humble town-retreat, when a change became visible both in his -appearance and manners. He had been formerly bustling, vigorous, -hearty, and social; but from the first account of the death of his -son, and the ruin of his fortune, he grew thoughtful and sedentary, -and shunned the approach of strangers, and retired from the visits -of his friends. Sometimes he sat for whole days, without speaking, -and without even noticing the kitten-like gambols of his grandson; at -others he would fondle over the child, and caress him with more than -a grandfather's affection; again, he would peevishly brush the boy -away as he clasped his knees, and hurry out of the house with short and -agitated steps. His respectable portliness disappeared; his clothes -began to hang loosely upon him; his colour fled; his face withered; and -his legs wasted into meagre shanks. Before the end of the first twelve -months, he was either unwilling or unable to move unassisted from the -old arm chair, in which he sat from morning to night, with his grey -head drooping over his breast; and one evening, when Maudge went to -assist him to undress, she found he had been for some time dead. - -After the funeral, Maudge removed with the penniless orphan to a -garret-room in the Saltmarket, where she endeavoured to earn for him -and herself the humble aliment of meal and salt, by working stockings; -her infirmities and figure having disqualified her from the more -profitable industry of the spinning-wheel. In this condition she -remained for some time, pinched with poverty, but still patient with -her lot, and preserving, nevertheless, a neat and decent exterior. - -It was only in the calm of the summer Sabbath evenings that she -indulged in the luxury of a view of the country; and her usual walk -on those occasions, with Claud in her hand, was along the brow of -Whitehill, which she perhaps preferred, because it afforded her a -distant view of the scenes of her happier days; and while she pointed -out to Claud the hills and lands of his forefathers, she exhorted him -to make it his constant endeavour to redeem them, if possible, from -their new possessors, regularly concluding her admonition with some -sketch or portrait of the hereditary grandeur of his ancestors. - -One afternoon, while she was thus engaged, Provost Gorbals and his wife -made their appearance. - -The Provost was a man in flourishing circumstances, and he was then -walking with his lady to choose a site for a country-house which they -had long talked of building. They were a stately corpulent couple, well -befitting the magisterial consequence of the husband. - -Mrs. Gorbals was arrayed in a stiff and costly yellow brocade, -magnificently embroidered with flowers, the least of which was peony; -but the exuberance of her ruffle cuffs and flounces, the richness of -her lace apron, with the vast head-dress of catgut and millinery, -together with her blue satin mantle, trimmed with ermine, are items in -the gorgeous paraphernalia of the Glasgow ladies of that time, to which -the pencil of some abler limner can alone do justice. - -The appearance of the Provost himself became his dignity, and -corresponded with the affluent garniture of his lady: it was indeed -such, that, even had he not worn the golden chains of his dignity, -there would have been no difficulty in determining him to be some -personage dressed with at least a little brief authority. Over the -magisterial vestments of black velvet, he wore a new scarlet cloak, -although the day had been one of the sultriest in July; and, with -a lofty consequential air, and an ample display of the corporeal -acquisition which he had made at his own and other well furnished -tables, he moved along, swinging at every step his tall golden-headed -cane with the solemnity of a mandarin. - -Claud was filled with wonder and awe at the sight of such splendid -examples of Glasgow pomp and prosperity, but Maudge speedily rebuked -his juvenile admiration. - -'They're no worth the looking at,' said she; 'had ye but seen the last -Leddy Kittlestonheugh, your ain muckle respekit grandmother, and her -twa sisters, in their hench-hoops, with their fans in their han's--the -three in a row would hae soopit the whole breadth o' the Trongate--ye -would hae seen something. They were nane o' your new-made leddies, -but come o' a pedigree. Foul would hae been the gait, and drooking -the shower, that would hae gart them jook their heads intil the door -o' ony sic thing as a Glasgow bailie--Na; Claudie, my lamb, thou maun -lift thy een aboon the trash o' the town, and ay keep mind that the -hills are standing yet that might hae been thy ain; and so may they -yet be, an thou can but master the pride o' back and belly, and seek -for something mair solid than the bravery o' sic a Solomon in all his -glory as yon Provost Gorbals.--Heh, sirs, what a kyteful o' pride's -yon'er! and yet I would be nane surprised the morn to hear that the -Nebuchadnezzar was a' gane to pigs and whistles, and driven out wi' the -divors bill to the barren pastures of bankruptcy.' - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -After taking a stroll round the brow of the hill, Provost Gorbals and -his lady approached the spot where Maudge and Claud were sitting. As -they drew near, the old woman rose, for she recognized in Mrs. Gorbals -one of the former visitors at Kittlestonheugh. The figure of Maudge -herself was so remarkable, that, seen once, it was seldom forgotten, -and the worthy lady, almost at the same instant, said to the Provost,-- - -'Eh! Megsty, gudeman, if I dinna think yon's auld Kittlestonheugh's -crookit bairnswoman. I won'er what's come o' the Laird, poor bodie, -sin' he was rookit by the Darien. Eh! what an alteration it was to Mrs. -Walkinshaw, his gudedochter. She was a bonny bodie; but frae the time -o' the sore news, she croynt awa, and her life gied out like the snuff -o' a can'le. Hey, Magdalene Dobbie, come hither to me, I'm wanting to -speak to thee.' - -Maudge, at this shrill obstreperous summons, leading Claud by the hand, -went forward to the lady, who immediately said,-- - -'Ist t'ou ay in Kittlestonheugh's service, and what's come o' him, sin' -his lan' was roupit?' - -Maudge replied respectfully, and with the tear in her eye, that the -Laird was dead. - -'Dead!' exclaimed Mrs. Gorbals, 'that's very extraordinare. I doubt he -was ill off at his latter end. Whar did he die, poor man?' - -'We were obligated,' said Maudge, somewhat comforted by the -compassionate accent of the lady, 'to come intil Glasgow, where he -fell into a decay o' nature.' And she added, with a sigh that was -almost a sob, ''Deed, it's vera true, he died in a sare straitened -circumstance, and left this helpless laddie upon my hands.' - -The Provost, who had in the meantime been still looking about in quest -of a site for his intended mansion, on hearing this, turned round, and -putting his hand in his pocket, said,-- - -'An' is this Kittlestonheugh's oe? I'm sure it's a vera pitiful thing -o' you, lucky, to take compassion on the orphan; hae, my laddie, -there's a saxpence.' - -'Saxpence, gudeman!' exclaimed the Provost's lady, 'ye'll ne'er even -your han' wi' a saxpence to the like of Kittlestonheugh, for sae we're -bound in nature to call him, landless though his lairdship now be; poor -bairn, I'm wae for't. Ye ken his mother was sib to mine by the father's -side, and blood's thicker than water ony day.' - -Generosity is in some degree one of the necessary qualifications of a -Glasgow magistrate, and Provost Gorbals being as well endowed with it -as any of his successors have been since, was not displeased with the -benevolent warmth of his wife, especially when he understood that Claud -was of their own kin. On the contrary, he said affectionately,-- - -'Really it was vera thoughtless o' me, Liezy, my dear; but ye ken I -have na an instinct to make me acquaint wi' the particulars of folk, -before hearing about them. I'm sure no living soul can have a greater -compassion than mysel' for gentle blood come to needcessity.' - -Mrs. Gorbals, however, instead of replying to this remark--indeed, what -could she say, for experience had taught her that it was perfectly -just--addressed herself again to Maudge. - -'And whar dost t'ou live? and what hast t'ou to live upon?' - -'I hae but the mercy of Providence,' was the humble answer of honest -Maudge, 'and a garret-room in John Sinclair's lan'. I ettle as weel -as I can for a morsel, by working stockings; but Claud's a rumbling -laddie, and needs mair than I hae to gi'e him: a young appetite's a -growing evil in the poor's aught.' - -The Provost and his wife looked kindly at each other, and the latter -added,-- - -'Gudeman, ye maun do something for them. It'll no fare the waur wi' our -basket and our store.' - -And Maudge was in consequence requested to bring Claud with her that -evening to the Provost's House in the Bridgegate. 'I think,' added -Mrs. Gorbals, 'that our Hughoc's auld claes will just do for him; and -Maudge, keep a good heart, we'll no let thee want. I won'er t'ou did na -think of making an application to us afore.' - -'No,' replied the old woman, 'I could ne'er do that--I would hae been -in an unco strait before I would hae begget on my own account; and how -could I think o' disgracing the family? Any help that the Lord may -dispose your hearts to gi'e, I'll accept wi' great thankfulness, but an -almous is what I hope He'll ne'er put it upon me to seek; and though -Claud be for the present a weight and burden, yet, an he's sparet, -he'll be able belyve to do something for himsel'.' - -Both the Provost and Mrs. Gorbals commended her spirit; and, from this -interview, the situation of Maudge was considerably improved by their -constant kindness. Doubtless, had Mr. Gorbals lived, he would have -assisted Claud into business, but, dying suddenly, his circumstances -were discovered to be less flourishing than the world had imagined, and -his widow found herself constrained to abridge her wonted liberality. - -Maudge, however, wrestled with poverty as well as she could, till Claud -had attained his eleventh year, when she thought he was of a sufficient -capacity to do something for himself. Accordingly, she intimated to -Mrs. Gorbals that she hoped it would be in her power to help her with -the loan of a guinea to set him out in the world with a pack. This the -lady readily promised, but advised her to make application first to -his relation, Miss Christiana Heritage. - -'She's in a bien circumstance,' said Mrs. Gorbals, 'for her father, -auld Windywa's, left her weel on to five hundred pounds, and her -cousin, Lord Killycrankie, ane of the fifteen that ay staid in our -house when he rode the Circuit, being heir of entail to her father, -alloos her the use of the house, so that she's in a way to do muckle -for the laddie, if her heart were so inclined.' - -Maudge, agreeably to this suggestion, went next day to Windywalls; -but we must reserve our account of the mansion and its mistress to -enrich our next chapter, for Miss Christiana was, even in our day -and generation, a personage of no small consequence in her own eyes: -indeed, for that matter, she was no less in ours, if we may judge by -the niche which she occupies in the gallery of our recollection, after -the lapse of more than fifty years. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -In the course of the same summer in which we commenced those -grammar-school acquirements, that, in after-life, have been so -deservedly celebrated, our revered relative, the late old Lady Havers, -carried us in her infirm dowagerian chariot to pay her annual visit to -Miss Christiana Heritage. In the admiration with which we contemplated -the venerable mansion and its ancient mistress, an indistinct vision -rises in our fancy of a large irregular whitewashed house, with a tall -turnpike staircase; over the low and dwarfish arched door of which a -huge cable was carved in stone, and dropped in a knotted festoon at -each side. The traditions of the neighbourhood ascribed this carving to -the Pictish sculptors, who executed the principal ornaments of the High -Kirk of Glasgow. - -On entering under this feudal arch we ascended a spiral stair, and were -shown into a large and lofty room, on three sides of which, each far in -a deep recess, was a narrow window glazed with lozens of yellow glass, -that seemed scarcely more transparent than horn. The walls were hung -with tapestry, from which tremendous forms, in warlike attitudes and -with grim aspects, frowned in apparitional obscurity. - -But of all the circumstances of a visit, which we must ever consider -as a glimpse into the presence-chamber of the olden time, none made -so deep and so vivid an impression upon our young remembrance as the -appearance and deportment of Miss Christiana herself. She had been -apprised of Lady Havers' coming, and was seated in state to receive -her, on a large settee adorned with ancestral needlework. She rose as -our venerable relation entered the room. Alas! we have lived to know -that we shall never again behold the ceremonial of a reception half so -solemnly performed. - -Miss Christiana was dressed in a courtly suit of purple Genoese velvet; -her petticoat, spread by her hoop, extended almost to arms-length at -each side. The ruffle cuffs which hung at her elbows loaded with lead, -were coeval with the Union, having been worn by her mother when she -attended her husband to that assembly of the States of Scotland, which -put an end to the independence and poverty of the kingdom. But who, at -this distance of time, shall presume to estimate the altitude of the -Babylonian tower of toupees and lappets which adorned Miss Christiana's -brow? - -It is probable that the reception which she gave to poor Maudge and -Claud was not quite so ceremonious as ours; for the substantial -benison of the visit was but half-a-crown. Mrs. Gorbals, on hearing -this, exclaimed with a just indignation against the near-be-gawn Miss -Christiana, and setting herself actively to work, soon collected, among -her acquaintance, a small sum sufficient to enable Maudge to buy and -furnish a pack for Claud. James Bridle the saddlemaker, who had worked -for his father, gave him a present of a strap to sling it over his -shoulder; and thus, with a judicious selection of godly and humorous -tracts, curtain rings, sleeve buttons, together with a compendious -assortment of needles and pins, thimbles, stay-laces and garters, with -a bunch of ballads and excellent new songs, Claud Walkinshaw espoused -his fortune. - -His excursions at first were confined to the neighbouring villages, -and as he was sly and gabby, he soon contrived to get in about the -good-will of the farmers' wives, and in process of time, few pedlars -in all the west country were better liked, though every one complained -that he was the dearest and the gairest. - -His success equalled the most sanguine expectations of Maudge, but -Mrs. Gorbals thought he might have recollected, somewhat better than -he did, the kindness and care with which the affectionate old creature -had struggled to support him in his helplessness. As often, however, -as that warm-hearted lady inquired if he gave her any of his winnings, -Maudge was obliged to say, 'I hope, poor lad, he has more sense than to -think o' the like o' me. Is na he striving to make a conquest of the -lands of his forefathers? Ye ken he's come o' gentle blood, and I am -nae better than his servan'.' - -But although Maudge spoke thus generously, still sometimes, when she -had afterwards become bedrid, and was left to languish and linger -out the remnant of age in her solitary garret, comforted only by the -occasional visits and charitable attentions of Mrs. Gorbals, the wish -would now and then rise, that Claud, when he was prospering in the -traffic of the Borders, would whiles think of her forlorn condition. -But it was the lambent play of affection, in which anxiety to see him -again before she died was stronger than any other feeling, and as often -as she felt it moving her to repine at his inattention, she would turn -herself to the wall, and implore the Father of Mercies to prosper his -honest endeavours, and that he might ne'er be troubled in his industry -with any thought about such a burden as it had pleased Heaven to make -her to the world. - -After having been bedrid for about the space of two years, Maudge -died. Claud, in the meantime, was thriving as well as the prigging -wives and higgling girls in his beat between the Nith and the Tyne -would permit. Nor was there any pedlar better known at the fairs of -the Border towns, or who displayed on those occasions such a rich -assortment of goods. It was thought by some, that, in choosing that -remote country for the scene of his itinerant trade, he was actuated by -some sentiment of reverence for the former consequence of his family. -But, as faithful historians, we are compelled to remind the reader, -that he was too worldly-wise to indulge himself with any thing so -romantic; the absolute fact being, that, after trying many other parts -of the country, he found the Borders the most profitable, and that the -inhabitants were also the most hospitable customers,--no small item in -the arithmetical philosophy of a pedlar. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -About twenty years after the death of Maudge, Claud returned to Glasgow -with five hundred pounds above the world, and settled himself as a -cloth-merchant, in a shop under the piazza of a house which occupied -part of the ground where the Exchange now stands. The resolution which -he had early formed to redeem the inheritance of his ancestors, and -which his old affectionate benefactress had perhaps inspired, as well -as cherished, was grown into a habit. His carefulness, his assiduity, -his parsimony, his very honesty, had no other object nor motive; it was -the actuating principle of his life. Some years after he had settled in -Glasgow, his savings and gathering enabled him to purchase the farm of -Grippy, a part of the patrimony of his family. - -The feelings of the mariner returning home, when he again beholds -the rising hills of his native land, and the joys and fears of the -father's bosom, when, after a long absence, he approaches the abode -of his children, are tame and calm, compared to the deep and greedy -satisfaction with which the persevering pedlar received the earth and -stone that gave him infeftment of that cold and sterile portion of his -forefathers' estate. In the same moment he formed a resolution worthy -of the sentiment he then felt,--a sentiment which, in a less sordid -breast, might have almost partaken of the pride of virtue. He resolved -to marry, and beget children, and entail the property, that none of his -descendants might ever have it in their power to commit the imprudence -which had brought his grandfather to a morsel, and thrown himself on -the world. And the same night, after maturely considering the prospects -of all the heiresses within the probable scope of his ambition, he -resolved that his affections should be directed towards Miss Girzy -Hypel, the only daughter of Malachi Hypel, the Laird of Plealands. - -They were in some degree related, and he had been led to think of -her from an incident which occurred on the day he made the purchase. -Her father was, at the time, in Glasgow, attending the Circuit; for, -as often as the judges visited the city, he had some dispute with a -neighbour or a tenant that required their interposition. Having heard -of what had taken place, he called on Claud to congratulate him on the -recovery of so much of his family inheritance. - -'I hear,' said the Laird, on entering the shop, and proffering his -hand across the counter, 'that ye hae gotten a sappy bargain o' the -Grippy. It's true some o' the lands are but cauld; howsever, cousin, -ne'er fash your thumb, Glasgow's on the thrive, and ye hae as many een -in your head, for an advantage, as ony body I ken. But now that ye hae -gotten a house, wha's to be the leddy? I'm sure ye might do waur than -cast a sheep's e'e in at our door; my dochter Girzy's o' your ain flesh -and blood; I dinna see ony moral impossibility in her becoming, as the -Psalmist says, "bone of thy bone."' - -Claud replied in his wonted couthy manner: - -'Nane o' your jokes, Laird,--me even mysel to your dochter? Na, na, -Plealands, that canna be thought o' nowadays. But, no to make a -ridicule of sic a solemn concern, it's vera true that, had na my -grandfather, when he was grown doited, sent out a' the Kittlestonheugh -in a cargo o' playocks to the Darien, I might hae been in a state and -condition to look at Miss Girzy; but, ye ken, I hae a lang clue to wind -before I maun think o' playing the ba' wi' Fortune, in ettling so far -aboun my reach.' - -'Snuffs o' tobacco,' exclaimed the Laird,--'are nae ye sib to oursels? -and, if ye dinna fail by your ain blateness, our Girzy's no surely past -speaking to. Just lay your leg, my man, o'er a side o' horse flesh, and -come your ways, some Saturday, to speer her price.' - -It was upon this delicate hint that Grippy was induced to think of -Miss Girzy Hypel; but finding that he was deemed a fit match for her, -and might get her when he would, he deferred the visit until he had -cast about among the other neighbouring lairds' families for a better, -that is to say, a richer match. In this, whether he met with repulsive -receptions, or found no satisfactory answers to his inquiries, is not -quite certain; but, as we have said, in the same night on which he took -legal possession of his purchase, he resolved to visit Plealands; and -in order that the family might not be taken unawares, he sent a letter -next day by the Ayr carrier to apprise the Laird of his intention, -provided it was convenient to receive him for a night. To this letter, -by the return of Johnny Drizen, the carrier, on the week following, -he received such a cordial reply, that he was induced to send for -Cornelius Luke, the tailor, a douce and respectable man, and one of the -elders of the Tron Kirk. - -'Come your ways, Cornie,' said the intending lover; 'I want to speak to -you anent what's doing about the new kirk on the Green Know.' - -'Doing, Mr. Walkinshaw!--it's a doing that our bairns' bairns will -ne'er hear the end o'--a rank and carnal innovation on the spirit -o' the Kirk o' Scotland,' replied the elder--'It's to be after the -fashion o' some prelatic Babel in Lon'on, and they hae christened it -already by the papistical name o' St. Andrew--a sore thing that, Mr. -Walkinshaw; but the Lord has set his face against it, and the builders -thereof are smitten as wi' a confusion o' tongues, in the lack o' -siller to fulfil their idolatrous intents--Blessed be His name for -evermore! But was na Mr. Kilfuddy, wha preached for Mr. Anderson last -Sabbath, most sweet and delectable on the vanities of this life, in his -forenoon lecture? and did na ye think, when he spoke o' that seventh -wonder o' the world, the temple of Diana, and enlarged wi' sic pith -and marrow on the idolaters in Ephesus, that he was looking o'er his -shouther at Lowrie Dinwiddie and Provost Aiton, who are no wrang't -in being wytid wi' the sin o' this inordinate superstructure?--Mr. -Walkinshaw, am nae prophet, as ye will ken, but I can see that the -day's no far aff, when ministers of the gospel in Glasgow will be seen -chambering and wantoning to the sound o' the kist fu' o' whistles, wi' -the seven-headed beast routing its choruses at every o'ercome o' the -spring.' - -Which prediction was in our own day and generation to a great degree -fulfilled; at the time, however, it only served to move the pawkie -cloth-merchant to say, - -'Nae doubt, Cornie, the world's like the tod's whelp, ay the aulder -the waur; but I trust we'll hear news in the land before the like o' -that comes to pass. Howsever, in the words of truth and holiness, -"sufficient for the day is the evil thereof;" and let us hope, that a -regenerating spirit may go forth to the ends o' the earth, and that all -the sons of men will not be utterly cut up, root and branch.' - -'No: be thankit,' said Cornelius, the tailor--'even of those that shall -live in the latter days, a remnant will be saved.' - -'That's a great comfort, Mr. Luke, to us a',' replied Claud;--'but, -talking o' remnants, I hae a bit blue o' superfine; it has been lang on -hand, and the moths are beginning to meddle wi't--I won'er if ye could -mak me a coat o't?' - -The remnant was then produced on the counter, and Cornelius, after -inspecting it carefully, declared, that, 'with the help of a steek -or twa of darning, that would na be percep, it would do very well.' -The cloth was accordingly delivered to him, with strict injunctions -to have it ready by Friday, and with all the requisite et ceteras to -complete a coat, he left the shop greatly edified, as he told his wife, -by the godly salutations of Mr. Walkinshaw's spirit; 'wherein,' as he -said, 'there was a kithing of fruit meet for repentance; a foretaste -o' things that pertain not to this life; a receiving o' the erls of -righteousness and peace, which passeth all understanding, and endureth -for evermore.' - -'I'm blithe to hear't,' was the worthy woman's answer, 'for he's an -even down Nabal--a perfect penure pig, that I ne'er could abide since -he would na lend poor old Mrs. Gorbals, the provost's widow, that, they -say, set him up in the world, the sma' soom o' five pounds, to help -her wi' the outfit o' her oe, when he was gaun to Virginia, a clerk to -Bailie Cross.' - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -When Claud was duly equipped by Cornelius Luke, in the best fashion -of that period, for a bien cloth-merchant of the discreet age of -forty-seven, a message was sent by his shop lad, Jock Gleg, to Rob -Wallace, the horse-couper in the Gallowgate, to have his beast in -readiness next morning by seven o'clock, the intending lover having, -several days before, bespoke it for the occasion. - -Accordingly, at seven o'clock on Saturday morning, Rob was with the -horse himself, at the entry to Cochran's Land, in the Candleriggs, -where Claud then lodged, and the wooer, in the sprucest cut of his -tailor, with a long silver-headed whip in his hand, borrowed from his -friend and customer, Bailie Murdoch, attended by Jock Gleg, carrying a -stool, came to the close mouth. - -'I'm thinking, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said Rob, the horse-couper, 'that ye -would na be the waur of a spur, an it were only on the ae heel.' - -'We maun do our best without that commodity, Rob,' replied Claud, -trying to crack his whip in a gallant style, but unfortunately cutting -his own leg through the dark blue rig-and-fur gamashins; for he -judiciously considered, that, for so short a journey, and that, too, on -speculation, it was not worth his while to get a pair of boots. - -Rob drew up the horse, and Jock having placed the stool, Claud put his -right foot in the stirrup, at which Rob and some of the students of -the college, who happened to be attracted to the spot, with diverse -others then and there present, set up a loud shout of laughter, much to -his molestation. But surely no man is expected to know by instinct the -proper way of mounting a horse; and this was the first time that Claud -had ever ascended the back of any quadruped. - -When he had clambered into the saddle, Rob led the horse into the -middle of the street, and the beast, of its own accord, walked soberly -across the Trongate towards the Stockwell. The conduct of the horse, -for some time, was indeed most considerate, and, in consequence, -although Claud hung heavily over his neck, and held him as fast -as possible with his knees, he passed the bridge, and cleared the -buildings beyond, without attracting, in any particular degree, the -admiration of the public towards his rider. But, in an unguarded -moment, the infatuated Claud rashly thought it necessary to employ the -Bailie's whip, and the horse, so admonished, quickened his pace to a -trot. 'Heavens, ca' they this riding?' exclaimed Claud, and almost -bit his tongue through in the utterance. However, by the time they -reached Cathcart, it was quite surprising to see how well he worked in -the saddle; and, notwithstanding the continued jolting, how nobly he -preserved his balance. But, on entering that village, all the dogs, in -the most terrifying manner, came rushing out from the cottage doors, -and pursued the trotting horse with such bark and bay, that the poor -animal saw no other for't, but to trot from them faster and faster. -The noise of the dogs, and of a passenger on horseback, drew forth the -inhabitants, and at every door might be seen beldams with flannel caps, -and mothers with babies in their arms, and clusters of children around -them. It was the general opinion among all the spectators, on seeing -the spruce new clothes of Claud, and his vaulting horsemanship, that he -could be no less a personage than the Lord Provost of Glasgow. - -Among them were a few country lads, who, perceiving how little the -rider's seat of honour was accustomed to a saddle, had the wickedness -to encourage and egg on the dogs to attack the horse still more -furiously; but, notwithstanding their malice, Claud still kept his -seat, until all the dogs but one devil of a terrier had retired from -the pursuit: nothing could equal the spirit and pertinacity with which -that implacable cur hung upon the rear, and snapped at the heels of the -horse. Claud, who durst not venture to look behind, lest he should lose -his balance, several times damned the dog with great sincerity, and -tried to lash him away with Bailie Murdoch's silver-headed whip, but -the terrier would not desist. - -How long the attack might have continued, there is certainly no -telling, as it was quickly determined by one of those lucky hits of -fortune which are so desirable in life. The long lash of the Bailie's -whip, in one of Claud's blind attempts, happily knotted itself round -the neck of the dog. The horse, at the same moment, started forward -into that pleasant speed at which the pilgrims of yore were wont to -pass from London to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury -(which, for brevity, is in vulgar parlance called, in consequence, a -canter); and Claud dragged the terrier at his whip-string end, like an -angler who has hooked a salmon that he cannot raise out of the water, -until he met with Johnny Drizen, the Ayr carrier, coming on his weekly -journey to Glasgow. - -'Lordsake, Mr. Walkinshaw!' exclaimed the carrier, as he drew his -horse aside--'in the name of the Lord, whare are ye gaun, and what's -that ye're hauling ahint you?' - -'For the love of Heaven, Johnny,' replied the distressed -cloth-merchant, pale with apprehension, and perspiring at every -pore,--'for the love of Heaven, stop this desperate beast!' - -The tone of terror and accent of anguish in which this invocation was -uttered, had such an effect on the humanity and feelings of the Ayr -carrier, that he ran towards Claud with the ardour of a philanthropist, -and seized the horse by the bridle rings. Claud, in the same moment, -threw down the whip, with the strangled dog at the lash; and, making -an endeavour to vault out of the saddle, fell into the mire, and -materially damaged the lustre and beauty of his new coat. However, he -soon regained his legs, but they so shook and trembled, that he could -scarcely stand, as he bent forward with his feet widely asunder, being -utterly unable for some time to endure in any other position the pain -of that experience of St. Sebastian's martyrdom which he had locally -suffered. - -His first words to the carrier were, 'Man, Johnny, this is the roughest -brute that ever was created. Twa dyers wi' their beetles could na hae -done me mair detriment. I dinna think I'll e'er be able to sit down -again.' - -This colloquy was, however, speedily put an end to, by the appearance -of a covered cart, in which three ministers were returning from the -synod to their respective parishes in Ayrshire; for at that time -neither post-chaise nor stage-coach was numbered among the luxuries -of Glasgow. One of them happened to be the identical Mr. Kilfuddy of -Braehill, who had lectured so learnedly about the Temple of Diana on -the preceding Sunday in the Tron Church; and he, being acquainted with -Claud, said, as he looked out and bade the driver to stop,-- - -'Dear me, Mr. Walkinshaw, but ye hae gotten an unco cowp. I hope nae -banes are broken?' - -'No,' replied Claud a little pawkily, 'no; thanks be and praise--the -banes, I believe, are a' to the fore; but it's no to be expressed what -I hae suffer't in the flesh.' - -Some further conversation then ensued, and the result was most -satisfactory, for Claud was invited to take a seat in the cart with -the ministers, and induced to send his horse back to Rob Wallace by -Johnny Drizen the carrier. Thus, without any material augmentation of -his calamity, was he conveyed to the gate which led to Plealands. The -Laird, who had all the morning been anxiously looking out for him, on -seeing the cart approaching, left the house, and was standing ready at -the yett to give him welcome. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -Plealands House stood on the bleak brow of a hill. It was not of great -antiquity, having been raised by the father of Malachi; but it occupied -the site of an ancient fortalice, the materials of which were employed -in its construction; and as no great skill of the sculptor had been -exerted to change the original form of the lintels and their ornaments, -it had an air of antiquity much greater than properly belonged to its -years. - -About as much as the habitation had been altered from its primitive -character, the master too had been modernized. But, in whatever degree -he may have been supposed to have declined from the heroic bearing of -his ancestors, he still inherited, in unabated vigour, the animosity -of their spirit; and if the coercive influence of national improvement -prevented him from being distinguished in the feud and foray, the books -of sederunt, both of the Glasgow Circuit and of the Court of Session, -bore ample testimony to his constancy before them in asserting supposed -rights, and in vindicating supposed wrongs. - -In his personal appearance, Malachi Hypel had but few pretensions -to the gallant air and grace of the gentlemen of that time. He was -a coarse hard-favoured fresh-coloured carl, with a few white hairs -thinly scattered over a round bald head. His eyes were small and grey, -quick in the glance, and sharp in the expression. He spoke thickly -and hurriedly, and although his words were all very cogently strung -together, there was still an unaccountable obscurity in the precise -meaning of what he said. In his usual style of dress he was rude and -careless, and he commonly wore a large flat-brimmed blue bonnet; but on -the occasion when he came to the gate to receive Claud, he had on his -Sunday suit and hat. - -After the first salutations were over, he said to Claud, on seeing him -walking lamely and uneasily, 'What's the matter, Grippy, that ye seem -sae stiff and sair?' - -'I met wi' a bit accident,' was Claud's reply: 'Rob Wallace, the -horse-couper, gied me sic a deevil to ride as, I believe, never man -before mounted. I would na wish my sworn enemy a greater ill than a -day's journey on that beast's back, especially an he was as little used -to riding as me.' - -The latter clause of the sentence was muttered inwardly, for the Laird -did not hear it; otherwise he would probably have indulged his humour -a little at the expense of his guest, as he had a sort of taste for -caustic jocularity, which the hirpling manner of Claud was, at the -moment, well calculated to provoke. - -On reaching the brow of the rising ground where the house stood, the -leddy, as Mrs. Hypel was emphatically called by the neighbouring -cottars, with Miss Girzy, came out to be introduced to their relative. - -Whether the leddy, a pale, pensive, delicate woman, had been informed -by the Laird of the object of Claud's visit, we do not thoroughly know, -but she received him with a polite and friendly respectfulness. Miss -Girzy certainly was in total ignorance of the whole business, and was, -therefore, not embarrassed with any virgin palpitations, nor blushing -anxieties; on the contrary, she met him with the ease and freedom of an -old acquaintance. - -It might here be naturally expected that we should describe the charms -of Miss Girzy's person, and the graces of her mind; but, in whatever -degree she possessed either, she had been allowed to reach the discreet -years of a Dumbarton youth in unsolicited maidenhood; indeed, with the -aid of all the prospective interest of the inheritance around her, she -did not make quite so tender an impression on the heart of her resolved -lover as he himself could have wished. But why should we expatiate on -such particulars? Let the manners and virtues of the family speak for -themselves, while we proceed to relate what ensued. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -'Girzy,' said the Laird to his daughter, as they entered the -dining-room, 'gae to thy bed and bring a cod for Mr. Walkinshaw, for -he'll no can thole to sit down on our hard chairs.' - -Miss Girzy laughed as she retired to execute the order, while her -mother continued, as she had done from the first introduction, to -inspect Claud from head to foot, with a curious and something of a -suspicious eye; there was even an occasional flush that gleamed through -the habitual paleness of her thoughtful countenance, redder and warmer -than the hectic glow of mere corporeal indisposition. Her attention, -however, was soon drawn to the spacious round table, in the middle of -the room, by one of the maids entering with a large pewter tureen, John -Drappie, the manservant, having been that morning sent on some caption -and horning business of the Laird's to Gabriel Beagle, the Kilmarnock -lawyer. But, as the critics hold it indelicate to describe the details -of any refectionary supply, however elegant, we must not presume to -enumerate the series and succession of Scottish fare, which soon -crowned the board, all served on pewter as bright as plate. Our readers -must endeavour, by the aid of their own fancies, to form some idea of -the various forms in which the head and harigals of the sheep, that -had been put to death for the occasion, were served up, not forgetting -the sonsy, savoury, sappy haggis, together with the gude fat hen, the -float whey, which, in a large china punch-bowl, graced the centre of -the table, and supplied the place of jellies, tarts, tartlets, and -puddings. - -By the time the table was burdened, Miss Girzy had returned with the -pillow, which she herself placed in one of the armchairs, shaking and -patting it into plumpness, as she said,-- - -'Come round here, Mr. Walkinshaw,--I trow ye'll fin' this a saft easy -seat,--well do I ken what it is to be saddle-sick mysel'. Lordsake, -when I gaed in ahint my father to see the robber hanged at Ayr, I was -for mair than three days just as if I had sat doun on a heckle.' - -When the cloth was removed, and the ladies had retired, the Laird -opened his mind by stretching his arm across the table towards his -guest, and, shaking him again heartily by the hand,-- - -'Weel, Grippy,' said he, 'but am blithe to see you here; and, if am -no mistaen, Girzy will no be ill to woo.--Is na she a coothy and kind -creature?--She'll make you a capital wife.--There's no another in the -parish that kens better how to manage a house.--Man, it would do your -heart gude to hear how she rants among the servan' lasses, lazy sluts, -that would like nothing better than to live at heck and manger, and -bring their master to a morsel; but I trow Girzy gars them keep a trig -house and a birring wheel.' - -'No doubt, Laird,' replied Claud, 'but it's a comfort to hae a frugal -woman for a helpmate; but ye ken nowadays it's no the fashion for bare -legs to come thegither.--The wife maun hae something to put in the pot -as well as the man.--And, although Miss Girzy may na be a'thegither -objectionable, yet it would still be a pleasant thing baith to hersel' -and the man that gets her, an ye would just gi'e a bit inkling o' what -she'll hae.' - -'Is na she my only dochter? That's a proof and test that she'll get -a',--naebody needs to be teld mair.' - -'Vera true, Laird,' rejoined the suitor, 'but the leddy's life's in her -lip, and if ony thing were happening to her, ye're a hale man, and wha -kens what would be the upshot o' a second marriage?' - -'That's looking far ben,' replied the Laird, and he presently added, -more briskly, 'My wife, to be sure, is a frail woman, but she's no the -gear that 'ill traike.' - -In this delicate and considerate way, the overture to a purpose of -marriage was opened; and, not to dwell on particulars, it is sufficient -to say, that, in the course of little more than a month thereafter, -Miss Girzy was translated into the Leddy of Grippy; and in due season -presented her husband with a son and heir, who was baptized by the name -of Charles. - -When the birth was communicated to the Laird, he rode expressly to -Grippy to congratulate his son-in-law on the occasion; and, when they -were sitting together, in the afternoon, according to the fashion of -the age, enjoying the contents of the gardevin entire, Claud warily -began to sound him on a subject that lay very near his heart. - -'Laird,' said he, 'ye ken the Walkinshaws of Kittlestonheugh are o' a -vera ancient blood, and but for the doited prank o' my grandfather, -in sending my father on that gouk's errand to the Darien, the hills -are green and the land broad that should this day hae been mine; and, -therefore, to put it out o' the power of posterity to play at any sic -wastrie again, I mean to entail the property of the Grippy.' - -'That's a very good conceit,' replied the Laird, 'and I hae mysel' had -a notion of entailing the Plealands likewise.' - -'So I hae heard you say,' rejoined Claud, 'and now that the bairn's -born, and a laddie too, we may make ae work o't.' - -'Wi' a' my heart,' replied the Laird, 'nothing can be more agreeable to -me; but as I wish to preserve the name of my family, than whilk there's -no a more respectit in Scotland, I'll only covenant that when Charlie -succeeds me, that he'll take the name o' Hypel.' - -'Ye surely, Laird, would ne'er be so unreasonable,' replied Grippy, a -little hastily; 'ye can ne'er be sae unreasonable as to expect that the -lad would gie up his father's name, the name o' Walkinshaw, and take -only that of Hypel.' - -''Deed would I,' said the Laird, 'for no haeing a son o' my own to come -after me, it's surely very natural that I would like the Hypels to -kittle again in my oe through my only dochter.' - -'The Walkinshaws, I doubt,' replied Claud emphatically, 'will ne'er -consent to sic an eclipse as that.' - -'The lands of Plealands,' retorted the Laird, 'are worth something.' - -'So it was thought, or I doubt the heir o't would nae hae been a -Walkinshaw,' replied Claud, still more pertinaciously. - -'Weel, weel,' said the Laird, 'dinna let us argol bargol about it; -entail your own property as ye will, mine shall be on the second son; -ye can ne'er object to that.' - -'Second son, and the first scarce sax days auld! I tell you what it -is, an ye'll no make the entail on the first, that is, on Charlie -Walkinshaw, to be Walkinshaw, mind that, I'll no say what may happen in -the way o' second sons.' - -'The Plealands' my ain, and though I canna weel will it awa', and ne'er -will sell't, yet get it wha will, he maun tak the name o' Hypel. The -thing's sae settled, Grippy, and it's no for you and me to cast out -about it.' - -Claud made several attempts to revive the subject, and to persuade the -Laird to change his mind, but he was inflexible. Still, however, being -resolved, as far as in him lay, to anticipate the indiscretion of his -heirs, he executed a deed of entail on Charles; and for a considerable -time after the Laird was not a little confirmed in his determination -not to execute any deed in favour of Charles, but to reserve his lands -for the second son, by the very reason that might have led another -sort of person to act differently, namely, that he understood there was -no prospect of any such appearing. - -Towards the end, however, of the third year after the birth of -Charles, Claud communicated to the Laird, that, by some unaccountable -dispensation, Mrs. Walkinshaw was again in the way to be a mother, -adding, 'Noo, Laird, ye'll hae your ain way o't;' and, accordingly, -as soon as Walter, the second son, was born, and baptized, the lands -of Plealands were entailed on him, on condition, as his grandfather -intended, that he should assume the name of Hypel. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -For several years after the birth of Walter, no event of any -consequence happened in the affairs of Claud. He continued to persevere -in the parsimonious system which had so far advanced his fortune. His -wife was no less industrious on her part, for, in the meantime, she -presented him with a daughter and another son, and had reared calves -and grumphies innumerable, the profit of which, as she often said, was -as good as the meal and malt o' the family. By their united care and -endeavours, Grippy thus became one of the wealthiest men of that age -in Glasgow; but although different desirable opportunities presented -themselves for investing his money in other and more valuable land, he -kept it ever ready to redeem any portion of his ancestral estate that -might be offered for sale. - -The satisfaction which he enjoyed from his accumulative prospects was -not, however, without a mixture of that anxiety with which the cup -of human prosperity, whether really full, or only foaming, is always -embittered. The Laird, his father-in-law, in the deed of entail which -he executed of the Plealands, had reserved to himself a power of -revocation, in the event of his wife dying before him, in the first -instance, and of Walter and George, the two younger sons of Grippy, -either dying under age, or refusing to take the name of Hypel, in the -second. This power, both under the circumstances, and in itself, was -perfectly reasonable; and perhaps it was the more vexatious to the -meditations of Claud, that it happened to be so. For he often said -to his wife, as they sat of an evening by the fire-side in the dark, -for as the leddy was no seamstress, and he had as little taste for -literature, of course, they burned no candles when by themselves, and -that was almost every night,--'I marvel, Girzy, what could gar your -father put that most unsafe claw in his entail. I would na be surprised -if out o' it were to come a mean of taking the property entirely frae -us. For ye see, if your mither was dead, and, poor woman, she has lang -been in a feckless way, there's no doubt but your father would marry -again,--and married again, there can be as little doubt that he would -hae childer,--so what then would become o' ours--' - -To this the worthy leddy of Grippy would as feelingly reply,-- - -'I'm thinking, gudeman, that ye need na tak the anxieties sae muckle -to heart; for, although my mither has been, past the memory o' man, -in a complaining condition, I ken nae odds o' her this many a year; -her ail's like water to leather; it makes her life the tougher; and I -would put mair confidence in the durability of her complaint than in my -father's health; so we need na fash ourselves wi' controverting anent -what may come o' the death o' either the t'ane or the t'ither.' - -'But then,' replied Claud, 'ye forget the other claw about Watty and -Geordie. Supposing, noo, that they were baith dead and gone, which, -when we think o' the frush green kail-custock-like nature of bairns, is -no an impossibility in the hands of their Maker. Will it no be the most -hardest thing that ever was seen in the world for Charlie no to inherit -the breadth o' the blade of a cabaudge o' a' his father's matrimonial -conquest? But even should it please the Lord to spare Watty, is't -no an afflicting thing, to see sic a braw property as the Plealands -destined to a creature that I am sure his brother Geordie, if he lives -to come to years o' discretion, will no fail to tak the law o' for a -haverel?' - -'I won'er to hear you, gudeman,' exclaimed the leddy, 'ay mislikening -Watty at that gait. I'm sure he's as muckle your ain as ony o' the -ither bairns; and he's a weel-tempered laddie, lilting like a linty at -the door-cheek frae morning to night, when Charlie's rampaging about -the farm, riving his claes on bush and brier a' the summer, tormenting -the birds and mawkins out o' their vera life.' - -'Singing, Girzy, I'm really distressed to hear you,' replied the -father; 'to ca' yon singing; it's nothing but lal, lal, lal, lal, wi' -a bow and a bend, backwards and forwards, as if the creature had na -the gumpshion o' the cuckoo, the whilk has a note mair in its sang, -although it has but twa.' - -'It's an innocent sang for a' that; and I wish his brothers may ne'er -do waur than sing the like o't. But ye just hae a spite at the bairn, -gudeman, 'cause my father has made him the heir to the Plealands. -That's the gospel truth o' your being so fain to gar folk trow that my -Watty's daft.' - -'Ye're daft, gudewife--are na we speaking here in a rational manner -anent the concerns o' our family? It would be a sair heart to me to -think that Watty, or any o' my bairns, were na like the lave o' the -warld; but ye ken there are degrees o' capacity, Girzy, and Watty's, -poor callan, we maun alloo, between oursels, has been meted by a sma' -measure.' - -'Weel, if ever I heard the like o' that--if the Lord has dealt the -brains o' our family in mutchkins and chapins, it's my opinion, that -Watty got his in the biggest stoup; for he's farther on in every sort -of education than Charlie, and can say his questions without missing -a word, as far as "What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?" And -I ne'er hae been able to get his brother beyond "What is effectual -calling?" Though, I'll no deny, he's better at the Mother's -Carritches; but that a' comes o' the questions and answers being so -vera short.' - -'That's the vera thing, Girzy, that disturbs me,' replied the father, -'for the callan can get ony thing by heart, but, after all, he's just -like a book, for every thing he learns is dead within him, and he's -ne'er a prin's worth the wiser o't. But it's some satisfaction to me, -that, since your father would be so unreasonably obstinate as to make -away the Plealands past Charlie, he'll be punished in the gouk he's -chosen for heir.' - -'Gude guide us; is na that gouk your ain bairn?' exclaimed the -indignant mother. 'Surely the man's fey about his entails and his -properties, to speak o' the illess laddie, as if it were no better than -a stirk or a stot.--Ye'll no hae the power to wrang my wean, while the -breath o' life's in my body; so, I redde ye, tak tent to what ye try.' - -'Girzy, t'ou has a head, and so has a nail.' - -'Gudeman, ye hae a tongue, and so has a bell.' - -'Weel, weel, but what I was saying a' concerns the benefit and -advantage o' our family,' said Claud, 'and ye ken as it is our duty to -live for one another, and to draw a' thegither, it behoves us twa, as -parents, to see that ilk is properly yocket, sin' it would surely be a -great misfortune, if, after a' our frugality and gathering, the cart -were cowpit in the dirt at last by ony neglek on our part.' - -'That's ay what ye say,' replied the lady,--'a's for the family, -and nothing for the dividual bairns--noo that's what I can never -understand, for is na our family, Charlie, Watty, Geordie, and Meg?'-- - -'My family,' said Claud emphatically, 'was the Walkinshaws of -Kittlestonheugh, and let me tell you, Girzy Hypel, if it had na been on -their account, there would ne'er hae been a Charlie nor a Watty either -between you and me to plea about.' - -'I'm no denying your parentage--I ne'er said a light word about it, but -I canna comprehend how it is, that ye would mak step-bairns o' your ain -blithesome childer on account o' a wheen auld dead patriarchs that -hae been rotten, for aught I ken to the contrary, since before Abraham -begat Isaac.' - -'Haud thy tongue, woman, haud thy tongue. It's a thrashing o' the -water, and a raising o' bells, to speak to ane o' thy capacity on -things so far aboon thy understanding. Gae but the house, and see gin -the supper's ready.' - -In this manner, the conversations between Grippy and his leddy were -usually conducted to their natural issue, a quarrel, which ended in a -rupture that was only healed by a peremptory command, which sent her on -some household mission, during the performance of which the bickering -was forgotten. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -In the meantime, as much friendliness and intercourse was maintained -between the families of Grippy and Plealands as could reasonably -be expected from the characters and dispositions of the respective -inmates. Shortly, however, after the conversation related in the -preceding chapter had taken place, it happened that, as Malachi was -returning on horseback from Glasgow, where he had lost a law-suit, long -prosecuted with the most relentless pertinacity against one of his -tenants, he was overtaken on the Mairns Moor by one of those sudden -squalls and showers, which the genius of the place so often raises, no -doubt purposely, to conceal from the weary traveller the dreariness -of the view around, and being wetted into the skin, the cold which he -caught in consequence, and the irritation of his mind, brought on a -fever, that terminated fatally on the fifth day. - -His funeral was conducted according to the fashion of the age; but the -day appointed was raw, windy, and sleety; not, however, so much so as -to prevent the friends of the deceased from flocking in from every -quarter. The assemblage that arrived far transcended all that can be -imagined, in these economical days, of the attendance requisite on any -such occasion. The gentry were shown into the dining-room, and into -every room that could be fitted up with planks and deals for their -reception. The barn received the tenantry, and a vast multitude--the -whole clanjamphry from all the neighbouring parishes--assembled on the -green in front of the house. - -The Laird in his lifetime maintained a rough and free hospitality; and, -as his kindred and acquaintance expected, there was neither scant nor -want at his burial. The profusion of the services of seed-cake and wine -to the in-door guests was in the liberalest spirit of the time; and -tobacco-pipes, shortbread, and brandy, unadulterated by any immersion -of the gauger's rod, were distributed, with unmeasured abundance, to -those in the barn and on the green. - -Mr. Kilfuddy, the parish minister, said grace to the gentry in the -dining-room; and the elders, in like manner, performed a similar part -in the other rooms. We are not sure if we may venture to assert that -grace was said to the company out of doors. Mr. Taws, the dominie of -Bodleton, has indeed repeatedly declared, that he did himself ask -a blessing; but he has never produced any other evidence that was -satisfactory to us. Indeed, what with the drinking, the blast, and the -sleet, it was not reasonable to expect much attention would be paid to -any prayer; and therefore we shall not insist very particularly on this -point. - -The Braehill church-yard was at a considerable distance from -Plealands-house, and hearses not being then in fashion in that part -of the country, one of the Laird's own carts was drawn out, and the -coffin placed on it for conveyance, while the services were going -round the company. How it happened, whether owing to the neglect of -Thomas Cabinet, the wright, who acted the part of undertaker, and who -had, with all his men, more to attend to than he could well manage, in -supplying the multitude with refreshments; or whether John Drappie, -the old servant that was to drive the cart, had, like many others, -got a service overmuch, we need not pause to inquire:--it, however, so -happened, that, by some unaccountable and never explained circumstance, -the whole body of the assembled guests arranged themselves in funereal -array as well and as steadily as the generality of them could, and -proceeded towards the church-yard--those in the van believing that -the cart with the coffin was behind, and their followers in the rear -committing a similar mistake, by supposing that it was before them -in front. Thus both parties, in ignorance of the simple fact, that -the coffin and cart were still standing at the house door, proceeded, -with as much gravity and decorum as possible, to the church-yard gate, -where they halted. As the gentlemen in front fell back to the right and -left, to open an avenue for the body to be brought up, the omission -was discovered, and also that there was no other way of performing the -interment but by returning, as expeditiously as possible, to the house -for the body. - -By this time the weather, which had been all the morning cold and -blustering, was become quite tempestuous. The wind raved in the trees -and hedges--the sleet was almost thickened into a blinding snow, -insomuch, that, when the company reached the house, the greater number -of them were so chilled that they stood in need of another service, and -another was of course handed round on the green; of which the greater -number liberally and freely partaking, were soon rendered as little -able to wrestle against the wind as when they originally set out. -However, when the procession was formed a second time, Thomas Cabinet -taking care to send the cart with the coffin on before, the whole -moved again towards the church-yard, it is said, with a degree of less -decorum than in their former procession. Nay, there is no disguising -the fact, that more than two or three of the company, finding -themselves, perhaps, unable to struggle against the blast, either lay -down of their own voluntary accord on the road, or were blown over by -the wind. - -When the procession had a second time reached the church-yard, and -Thomas Cabinet, perspiring at every pore, was wiping his bald head with -his coat sleeve, his men got the coffin removed from the cart, and -placed on the spokes, and the relatives, according to their respective -degrees of propinquity, arranged themselves to carry it. The bearers, -however, either by means of the headstones and the graves over which -their path lay, or by some other cause, walked so unevenly, that those -on the one side pushed against their corresponding kindred on the -other, in such a manner, that the coffin was borne rollingly along for -some time, but without any accident, till the relations on the right -side gave a tremendous lurch, in which they drew the spokes out of the -hands of the mourners on the left, and the whole pageant fell with a -dreadful surge to the ground. - -This accident, however, was soon rectified; the neighbours, who were -not bearers, assisted the fallen to rise, and Thomas Cabinet, with his -men, carried the coffin to its place of rest, and having laid it on the -two planks which were stretched across the grave, assembled the nearest -kin around, and gave the cords into their hands, that they might lower -the Laird into his last bed. The betherel and his assistant then drew -out the planks, and the sudden jerk of the coffin, when they were -removed, gave such a tug to those who had hold of the cords, that it -pulled them down, head foremost, into the grave after it. Fortunately, -however, none were buried but the body; for, by dint of the best -assistance available on the spot, the living were raised, and thereby -enabled to return to their respective homes, all as jocose and as happy -as possible. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -On examining the Laird's papers after the funeral, Mr. Keelevin, the -father of the celebrated town-clerk of Gudetoun, the lawyer present -on the occasion, discovered, in reading over the deed which had been -executed by the deceased, in favour of Walter, the second son of -Claud, that it was, in some essential points, imperfect as a deed of -entail, though in other respects valid as a testamentary conveyance. -The opinion of counsel, as in all similar cases, was in consequence -forthwith taken; and the suspicions of Mr. Keelevin being confirmed, -Walter was admitted as heir to the estate, but found under no legal -obligation to assume his grandfather's name,--the very obligation which -the old gentleman had been most solicitous to impose upon him. - -How it happened that the clause respecting so important a point should -have been so inaccurately framed, remains for those gentlemen of the -law, who commit such inadvertencies, to explain. The discovery had the -effect of inducing Claud to apply to our old master, the late Gilbert -Omit, writer, to examine the entail of the Grippy, which he had himself -drawn up; and it too was found defective, and easily to be set aside. -Really, when one considers how much some lawyers profit by their own -mistakes, one might almost be tempted to do them the injustice to -suspect that they now and then have an eye to futurity, and carve -out work for themselves. There have, however, been discoveries of -legal errors, which have occasioned more distress than this one; for, -instead of giving the old man any uneasiness, he expressed the most -perfect satisfaction on being informed, in answer to a plain question -on the subject, that it was still in his power to disinherit his -first-born. Well do we recollect the scene, being seated at the time -on the opposite side of Mr. Omit's desk, copying a codicil which Miss -Christiana Heritage, then in her ninety-second year, was adding to -her will, for the purpose of devising, as heir-looms, the bedstead -and blankets in which Prince Charles Edward slept, when he passed the -night in her house, after having levied that contribution on the loyal -and godly city of Glasgow, for which the magistrates and council were -afterwards so laudably indemnified by Parliament. We were not then -quite so well versed in the secrets of human nature as experience has -since so mournfully taught us, and the words of Claud at the time -sounded strangely and harshly in our ear, especially when he inquired, -with a sharp, and as it were a greedy voice, whether it was practicable -to get Walter to conjoin with him in a deed that would unite his -inheritance of Plealands to the Grippy, and thereby make a property as -broad and good as the ancestral estate of Kittlestonheugh? - -'Ye ken, Mr. Omit,' said he, 'how I was defrauded, as a bodie may say, -of my patrimony, by my grandfather; and now, since it has pleased -Providence to put it in my power, by joining the heritage of Plealands -and Grippy, to renew my ancestry, I would fain mak a settlement with -Watty to that effek.' - -Mr. Omit, with all that calm and methodical manner which a long -experience of those devices of the heart, to which lawyers in good -practice, if at all men of observation, generally attain, replied,-- - -'Nothing can be done in that way while Walter is under age. But -certainly, when the lad comes to majority, if he be then so inclined, -there is no legal impediment in the way of such an arrangement; the -matter, however, would require to be well considered, for it would be -an unco-like thing to hear of a man cutting off his first-born for no -fault, but only because he could constitute a larger inheritance by -giving a preference to his second.' - -Whatever impression this admonitory remark made on the mind of Claud -at the moment, nothing further took place at that time; but he -thoughtfully gathered his papers together, and, tying them up with a -string, walked away from the office, and returned to Grippy, where he -was not a little surprised to see Mr. Allan Dreghorn's wooden coach -at the door; the first four-wheeled gentleman's carriage started in -Glasgow, and which, according to the praiseworthy history of Bailie -Cleland, was made by Mr. Dreghorn's own workmen, he being a timber -merchant, carpenter, and joiner. It was borrowed for the day by Mr. -and Mrs. Kilfuddy, who were then in Glasgow, and who, in consequence -of their parochial connexion with the Plealands family, had deemed it -right and proper to pay the Leddy of Grippy a visit of sympathy and -condolence, on account of the loss she had sustained in her father. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -The Reverend Mr. Kilfuddy was a little, short, erect, sharp-looking, -brisk-tempered personage, with a red nose, a white powdered wig, and -a large cocked hat. His lady was an ample, demure, and solemn matron, -who, in all her gestures, showed the most perfect consciousness of -enjoying the supreme dignity of a minister's wife in a country parish. - -According to the Scottish etiquette of that period, she was dressed -for the occasion in mourning; but the day being bleak and cold, she -had assumed her winter mantle of green satin, lined with grey rabbit -skin, and her hands ceremoniously protruded through the loop-holes, -formed for that purpose, reposed in full consequentiality within -the embraces of each other, in a large black satin muff of her own -making, adorned with a bunch of flowers in needlework, which she had -embroidered some thirty years before, as the last and most perfect -specimen of all her accomplishments. But, although they were not so -like the blooming progeny of Flora, as a Linwood might, perhaps, -have worked, they possessed a very competent degree of resemblance -to the flowers they were intended to represent, insomuch that there -was really no great risk of mistaking the roses for lilies. And here -we cannot refrain from ingeniously suspecting that the limner who -designed those celebrated emblematic pictures of the months which -adorned the drawing-room of the Craiglands, and on which the far-famed -Miss Mysie Cunningham set so great a value, must have had the image -of Mrs. Kilfuddy in his mind's eye, when he delineated the matronly -representative of November. - -The minister, after inquiring with a proper degree of sympathetic -pathos into the state of the mourner's health, piously observed, 'That -nothing is so uncertain as the things of time. This dispensation,' said -he, 'which has been vouchsafed, Mrs. Walkinshaw, to you and yours, is -an earnest of what we have all to look for in this world. But we should -not be overly cast down by the like o't, but lippen to eternity; for -the sorrows of perishable human nature are erls given to us of joys -hereafter. I trust, therefore, and hope, that you will soon recover -this sore shock, and in the cares of your young family, find a pleasant -pastime for the loss of your worthy father, who, I am blithe to hear, -has died in better circumstances than could be expected, considering -the trouble he has had wi' his lawing; leaving, as they say, the estate -clear of debt, and a heavy soom of lying siller.' - -'My father, Mr. Kilfuddy,' replied the lady, 'was, as you well know, -a most worthy character, and I'll no say has na left a nest egg--the -Lord be thankit, and we maun compose oursels to thole wi' what He has -been pleased, in his gracious ordinances, to send upon us for the -advantage of our poor sinful souls. But the burial has cost the gudeman -a power o' money; for my father being the head o' a family, we hae been -obligated to put a' the servants, baith here, at the Grippy, and at the -Plealands, in full deep mourning; and to hing the front o' the laft in -the kirk, as ye'll see next Sabbath, wi' very handsome black cloth, the -whilk cost twentypence the ell, first cost out o' the gudeman's ain -shop; but, considering wha my father was, we could do no less in a' -decency.' - -'And I see,' interfered the minister's wife, 'that ye hae gotten a -bombazeen o' the first quality; nae doubt ye had it likewise frae Mr. -Walkinshaw's own shop, which is a great thing, Mrs. Walkinshaw, for you -to get.' - -'Na, Mem,' replied the mourner, 'ye dinna know what a misfortune I hae -met wi'. I was, as ye ken, at the Plealands when my father took his -departal to a better world, and sent for my mournings frae Glasgow, -and frae the gudeman, as ye would naturally expek, and I had Mally -Trimmings in the house ready to mak them when the box would come. But -it happened to be a day o' deluge, so that my whole commodity, on -Baldy Slowgaun's cart, was drookit through and through, and baith the -crape and bombazeen were rendered as soople as pudding-skins. It was, -indeed, a sight past expression, and obligated me to send an express -to Kilmarnock for the things I hae on, the outlay of whilk was a clean -total loss, besides being at the dear rate. But, Mr. Kilfuddy, every -thing in this howling wilderness is ordered for the best; and, if the -gudeman has been needcessited to pay for twa sets o' mournings, yet, -when he gets what he'll get frae my father's gear, he ought to be very -well content that it's nae waur.' - -'What ye say, Mrs. Walkinshaw,' replied the minister, 'is very -judicious; for it was spoken at the funeral, that your father, -Plealands, could nae hae left muckle less than three thousand pounds of -lying money.' - -'No, Mr. Kilfuddy, it's no just so muckle; but I'll no say it's ony -waur than twa thousand.' - -'A braw soom, a braw soom,' said the spiritual comforter:--but what -further of the customary spirituality of this occasion might have -ensued is matter of speculative opinion; for, at this juncture, Watty, -the heir to the deceased, came rumbling into the room, crying, - -'Mither, mither, Meg Draiks winna gie me a bit of auld daddy's burial -bread, though ye brought o'er three farls wi' the sweeties on't, and -twa whangs as big as peats o' the fine sugar seed-cake.' - -The composity of the minister and his wife were greatly tried, as -Mrs. Kilfuddy herself often afterwards said, by this 'outstrapolous -intrusion;' but quiet was soon restored by Mrs. Walkinshaw ordering -in the bread and wine, of which Walter was allowed to partake. The -visitors then looked significantly at each other; and Mrs. Kilfuddy, -replacing her hands in her satin muff, which, during the refectionary -treat from the funeral relics, had been laid on her knees, rose and -said,-- - -'Noo, I hope, Mrs. Walkinshaw, when ye come to see the leddy, your -mither, at the Plealands, that ye'll no neglek to gie us a ca' at the -Manse, and ye'll be sure to bring the young Laird wi' you, for he's a -fine spirity bairn--every body maun alloo that.' - -'He's as he came frae the hand o' his Maker,' replied Mrs. Walkinshaw, -looking piously towards the minister; 'and it's a great consolation to -me to think he's so weel provided for by my father.' - -'Then it's true,' said Mr. Kilfuddy, 'that he gets a' the Plealands -property?' - -''Deed is't, sir, and a braw patrimony I trow it will be by the time he -arrives at the years o' discretion.' - -'That's a lang look,' rejoined the minister a little slyly, for -Walter's defect of capacity was more obvious than his mother imagined; -but she did not perceive the point of Mr. Kilfuddy's sarcasm, her -attention at the moment being drawn to the entrance of her husband, -evidently troubled in thought, and still holding the papers in his hand -as he took them away from Mr. Omit's desk. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -Experience had taught Mrs. Walkinshaw, as it does most married ladies, -that when a husband is in one of his moody fits, the best way of -reconciling him to the cause of his vexation is to let him alone, -or, as the phrase is, to let him come again to himself. Accordingly, -instead of teasing him at the moment with any inquiries about the -source of his molestation, she drew Mrs. Kilfuddy aside, and retired -into another room, leaving him in the hands of the worthy divine, who, -sidling up to him, said,-- - -'I'm weel content to observe the resigned spirit of Mrs. Walkinshaw -under this heavy dispensation,--and it would be a great thing to us -a' if we would lay the chastisement rightly to heart. For wi' a' -his faults, and no mere man is faultless, Plealands was na without -a seasoning o' good qualities, though, poor man, he had his ain -tribulation in a set of thrawn-natured tenants. But he has won away, -as we a' hope, to that pleasant place where the wicked cease from -troubling, and the weary rest in peace. Nae doubt, Mr. Walkinshaw, it -maun hae been some sma' disappointment to you, to find that your second -son is made the heir, but it's no an affliction past remedy, so ye -should na let it fash you oure muckle.' - -'No, be thankit,' replied Claud, 'it's no past remede, as Gibby Omit -tells me; but I'm a thought troubled anent the means, for my auld son -Charlie's a fine callan, and I would grudge to shove him out o' the -line o' inheritance. It's an unco pity, Mr. Kilfuddy, that it had na -pleased the Lord to mak Watty like him.' - -The minister, who did not very clearly understand this, said, 'A' thing -considered, Mr. Walkinshaw, ye'll just hae to let the law tak its -course, and though ye canna hae the lairdship in ae lump, as ye aiblins -expekit, it's nevertheless in your ain family.' - -'I'm no contesting that,' rejoined Claud, 'but I would fain hae the -twa mailings in ae aught, for if that could be brought about, I would -na doubt of making an excambio o' the Plealands for the Divethill and -Kittleston, the twa farms that wi' the Grippy made up the heritage -o' my forefathers; for Mr. Auchincloss, the present propreeator, is -frae the shire o' Ayr, and I hae had an inklin that he would na be ill -pleased to mak a swap, if there was ony possibility in law to alloo't.' - -'I canna say,' replied the Reverend Mr. Kilfuddy, 'that I hae ony -great knowledge o' the laws o' man; I should, however, think it's -no impossible; but still, Mr. Walkinshaw, ye would hae to mak a -reservation for behoof of your son Walter, as heir to his grandfather. -It would be putting adders in the creel wi' the eggs if ye did na.' - -'That's the very fasherie o' the business, Mr. Kilfuddy, for it would -be na satisfaction to me to leave a divided inheritance; and the warst -o't is, that Watty, haverel though it's like to be, is no sae ill as -to be cognos't; and what maks the case the mair kittle, even though he -were sae, his younger brother Geordie, by course o' law and nature, -would still come in for the Plealands afore Charlie. In short, I see -nothing for't, Mr. Kilfuddy, but to join the Grippy in ae settlement -wi' the Plealands, and I would do sae outright, only I dinna like on -poor Charlie's account.--Do ye think there is ony sin in a man setting -aside his first-born? Ye ken Jacob was alloo't to get the blessing and -the birthright o' his elder brother Esau.' - -Mr. Kilfuddy, notwithstanding a spice of worldly-mindedness in his -constitution, was, nevertheless, an honest and pious Presbyterian -pastor; and the quickness of his temper at the moment stirred him to -rebuke the cold-hearted speculations of this sordid father. - -'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said he severely, 'I can see no point o' comparison -between the case o' your twa sons and that o' Jacob and Esau; and -what's mair, the very jealousing that there may be sin in what ye -wish to do, is a clear demonstration that it is vera sinful; for, O -man! it's a bad intent indeed that we canna excuse to oursels. But -to set you right in ae point, and that ye may hae nae apology drawn -from scriptural acts, for the unnatural inclination to disinherit your -first-born, out o' the prideful phantasy of leaving a large estate, I -should tell you that there was a mystery of our holy religion hidden -in Jacob's mess o' porridge, and it's a profane thing to meddle with -that which appertaineth to the Lord, for what He does, and what He -permits, is past the understanding o' man, and woe awaits on all those -that would bring aught to pass contrary to the manifest course of -his ordained method. For example, he taketh the breath of life away -at his pleasure, but has he not commanded that no man shall commit -murder?--Mr. Walkinshaw, Mr. Walkinshaw, ye maun strive against this -sin of the flesh, ye maun warsle wi' the devil, and hit him weel on the -hip till ye gar him loosen the grip that he has ta'en to draw you on -to sic an awful sin. Heh, man! an ye're deluded on to do this thing, -what a bonny sight it will be to see your latter end, when Belzebub, -wi' his horns, will be sitting upon your bosom, boring through the very -joints and marrow o' your poor soul wi' the red-het gimlets o' a guilty -conscience.' - -Claud shuddered at the picture, and taking the reproving minister by -the hand, said, 'We canna help the wicked thoughts that sometimes rise, -we dinna ken whar frae, within us.' - -'Ye dinna ken whar frae?--I'll tell you whar frae--frae hell; sic -thoughts are the cormorants that sit on the apple-trees in the devil's -kail-yard, and the souls o' the damned are the carcasses they mak their -meat o'.' - -'For Heaven's sake, Mr. Kilfuddy,' exclaimed Claud, trembling in every -limb; 'be patient, and no speak that gait, ye gar my hair stand on end.' - -'Hair! O man, it would be weel for you, if your precious soul would -stand on end, and no only on end, but humlet to the dust, and that ye -would retire into a corner, and scrape the leprosy of sic festering -sins wi' a potsherd o' the gospel, till ye had cleansed yourself for a -repentance unto life.' - -These ghostly animadversions may, perhaps, sound harsh to the polite -ears of latter days, but denunciation was, at that time, an instrument -of reasoning much more effectual than persuasion, and the spiritual -guides of the people, in warning them of the danger of evil courses, -made no scruple, on any occasion, to strengthen their admonitions -with the liveliest imagery that religion and enthusiasm supplied. -Yet, with all the powerful aid of such eloquence, their efforts were -often unavailing, and the energy of Mr. Kilfuddy, in this instance, -had, perhaps, no other effect than to make Claud for a time hesitate, -although, before they parted, he expressed great contrition for having, -as he said, yielded to the temptation of thinking that he was at -liberty to settle his estate on whom he pleased. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -At the death of the Laird of Plealands, the Grippy family, as we have -already stated, consisted of three sons and a daughter. Charles, the -eldest, was, as his father intimated to Mr. Kilfuddy, a fine, generous, -open-hearted, blithe-faced boy. Towards him Claud cherished as much -affection as the sterile sensibilities of his own bosom could entertain -for any object; but Mrs. Walkinshaw, from some of those unaccountable -antipathies with which nature occasionally perplexes philosophy, -almost hated her first-born, and poured the full flow of her uncouth -kindness on Walter, who, from the earliest dawnings of observation, -gave the most indubitable and conclusive indications of being endowed -with as little delicacy and sense as herself. The third son, George, -was, at this period, too young to evince any peculiar character; but, -in after life, under the appearance of a dull and inapt spirit, his -indefatigable, calculating, and persevering disposition demonstrated -how much he had inherited of the heart and mind of his father. The -daughter was baptized Margaret, which her mother elegantly abbreviated -into Meg; and, as the course of our narrative requires that we should -lose sight of her for some time, we may here give a brief epitome of -her character. To beauty she had no particular pretensions, nor were -her accomplishments of the most refined degree; indeed, her chief -merit consisted in an innate predilection for thrift and household -management; and what few elements of education which she had acquired -were chiefly derived from Jenny Hirple, a lameter woman, who went round -among the houses of the heritors of the parish with a stilt, the sound -of which, and of her feet on the floors, plainly pronounced the words -one pound ten. Jenny gave lessons in reading, knitting, and needlework, -and something that resembled writing; and under her tuition, Miss Meg -continued till she had reached the blooming period of sixteen, when her -father's heart was so far opened, that, in consideration of the fortune -he found he could then bestow with her hand, he was induced to send -her for three months to Edinburgh; there, and in that time, to learn -manners, 'and be perfited,' as her mother said, 'wi' a boarding-school -education.' - -But, to return to Charles, the first-born, to whose history it is -requisite our attention should at present be directed, nothing could -seem more auspicious than the spring of his youth, notwithstanding the -lurking inclination of his father to set him aside in the order of -succession. This was principally owing to his grandmother, who had, -during the life of the Laird, her husband, languished, almost from -her wedding-day, in a state of uninterested resignation of spirit, so -quiet, and yet so melancholy, that it partook far more of the nature -of dejection than contentment. Immediately after his death, her health -and her spirits began to acquire new energy; and before he was six -months in the earth, she strangely appeared as a cheerful old lady, who -delighted in society, and could herself administer to its pleasures. - -In the summer following she removed into Glasgow, and Charles, -being then about ten years old, was sent to reside with her for the -advantages of attending the schools. Considering the illiterate -education of his father, and the rough-spun humours and character of -his mother, this was singularly fortunate; for the old lady had, in -her youth, been deemed destined for a more refined sphere than the -householdry of the Laird of Plealands. - -Her father was by profession an advocate in Edinburgh, and had sat -in the last assembly of the States of Scotland. Having, however, to -the last, opposed the Union with all the vehemence in his power, he -was rejected by the Government party of the day; and in consequence, -although his talents and acquirements were considered of a superior -order, he was allowed to hang on about the Parliament-house, with the -empty celebrity of abilities, that, with more prudence, might have -secured both riches and honours. - -The leisure which he was thus obliged to possess was devoted to the -cultivation of his daughter's mind, and the affection of no father was -ever more tender, till about the period when she attained her twentieth -year. Her charms were then in full blossom, and she was seen only to -be followed and admired. But, in proportion as every manly heart was -delighted with the graces and intelligence of the unfortunate girl, the -solicitude of her father to see her married grew more and more earnest, -till it actually became his exclusive and predominant passion, and -worked upon him to such a degree, that it could no longer be regarded -but as tinctured with some insane malady; insomuch, that his continual -questions respecting the addresses of the gentlemen, and who or whether -any of them sincerely spoke of love, embittered her life, and deprived -her of all the innocent delight which the feminine heart, in the gaiety -and triumph of youth, naturally enjoys from the homage of the men. - -At this juncture Malachi Hypel was in Edinburgh, drinking the rounds of -an advocate's studies; for he had no intention to practise, and with -students of that kind the bottle then supplied the place of reviews and -magazines. He was a sturdy, rough, hard-riding and free-living fellow, -entitled by his fortune and connexions almost to the best society; but -qualified by his manners and inclinations to relish the lowest more -joyously. Unluckily he was among the loudest and the warmest admirers -of the ill-fated girl, and one night after supper, flushed with claret -and brandy, he openly, before her father, made her a tender of his -hand. The old man grasped it with an avaricious satisfaction, and -though the heart of the poor girl was ready to burst at the idea of -becoming the wife of one so coarse and rugged, she was nevertheless -induced, in the space of little more than a month after, to submit to -her fate. - -The conduct of her father was at that time quite inexplicable, but when -he soon afterwards died, unable to witness the misery to which he had -consigned his beloved child, the secret came out. His circumstances -were in the most ruinous condition; his little patrimony was entirely -consumed, and he acknowledged on his death-bed, while he implored with -anguish the pardon of his daughter, that the thought of leaving her in -poverty had so overset his reason, that he could think of nothing but -of securing her against the horrors of want. A disclosure so painful -should have softened the harsh nature of her husband towards her, but -it had quite a contrary effect. He considered himself as having been -in some degree overreached, and although he had certainly not married -her with any view to fortune, he yet reviled her as a party to her -father's sordid machination. This confirmed the sadness with which she -had yielded to become his bride, and darkened the whole course of her -wedded life with one continued and unvaried shade of melancholy. - -The death of her husband was in consequence felt as a deliverance -from thraldom. The event happened late in the day, but still in time -enough to allow the original brightness of her mind to shine out in -the evening with a serene and pleasing lustre, sufficient to show -what, in happier circumstances, she might have been. The beams fell on -Charles with the cherishing influence of the summer twilight on the -young plant, and if the tears of memory were sometimes mingled with -her instructions, they were like the gracious dews that improve the -delicacy of the flower, and add freshness to its fragrance. Beneath -her care, his natural sensibility was exalted and refined, and if it -could not be said that he was endowed with genius, he soon appeared -to feel, with all the tenderness and intelligence of a poet. In this -respect his ingenuous affections served to recall the long vanished -happiness of her juvenile hopes, and yielding to the sentiments which -such reflections were calculated to inspire, she devoted, perhaps, too -many of her exhortations in teaching him to value Love as the first -of earthly blessings and of human enjoyments. 'Love', she often said -to the wondering boy, who scarcely understood the term, 'is like its -emblem fire; it comes down from Heaven, and when once kindled in two -faithful bosoms, grows brighter and stronger as it mingles its flames, -ever rising and pointing towards the holy fountain-head from whence -it came.'--These romantic lessons were ill calculated to fit him to -perform that wary part in the world which could alone have enabled him -to master the malice of his fortune, and to overcome the consequences -of that disinheritance which his father had never for a moment ceased -to meditate, but only waited for an appropriate opportunity to carry -into effect. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -Charles, in due time, was sent to College, and while attending the -classes, formed an intimate friendship with a youth of his own age, -of the name of Colin Fatherlans, the only son of Fatherlans of that -Ilk. He was at this time about eighteen, and being invited by his -companion to spend a few weeks at Fatherlans House in Ayrshire, he had -soon occasion to feel the influence of his grandmother's lectures on -affection and fidelity. - -Colin had an only sister, and Charles, from the first moment that he -saw her, felt the fascinations of her extraordinary beauty, and the -charms of a mind, still more lovely in its intelligence than the bloom -and graces of her form. Isabella Fatherlans was tall and elegant, -but withal so gentle, that she seemed, as it were, ever in need of -protection; and the feeling which this diffidence of nature universally -inspired, converted the homage of her admirers into a sentiment of -tenderness, which, in the impassioned bosom of Charles Walkinshaw, was -speedily warmed into love. - -For several successive years, he had the gratification of spending -some weeks in the company of Isabella; and the free intercourse -permitted between them soon led to the disclosure of a mutual passion. -No doubt at that time clouded the sunshine that shone along the hopes -and promises in the vista of their future years. Every thing, on the -contrary, was propitious. His lineage and prospects rendered him -acceptable to her parents, and she was viewed by his father as a match -almost beyond expectation desirable. Time alone seemed to be the only -adversary to their affection; but with him Fortune was in league, and -the course of true love never long runs smooth. - -The father of Isabella was one of those unfortunate lairds who embarked -in the Mississippian project of the Ayr Bank, the inevitable fate of -which, at the very moment when the hopes of the lovers were as gay as -the apple boughs with blossoms in the first fine mornings of spring, -came like a nipping frost, and blighted their happiness for ever. -Fatherlans was ruined, and his ruin was a sufficient reason, with the -inflexible Claud, to command Charles to renounce all thoughts of that -fond connexion which he had himself considered as the most enviable -which his son could hope to obtain. But the altered fortunes of -Isabella only served to endear her more and more to her lover; and the -interdict of his father was felt as a profane interference with that -hallowed enthusiasm of mingled love and sorrow with which his breast -was at the moment filled. - -'It is impossible,' said he; 'and even were it in my power to submit -to the sacrifice you require, honour, and every sentiment that makes -life worthy, would forbid me. No, sir; I feel that Isabella and I are -one; Heaven has made us so, and no human interposition can separate -minds which God and Nature have so truly united. The very reason that -you urge against the continuance of my attachment, is the strongest -argument to make me cherish it with greater devotion than ever. You -tell me she is poor, and must be penniless. Is not that, sir, telling -me that she has claims upon my compassion as well as on my love? You -say her father must be driven to the door. Gracious Heaven! and in such -a time shall I shun Isabella? A common stranger, one that I had never -before known, would, in such adversity and distress, be entitled to -any asylum I could offer; but Isabella--in the storm that has unroofed -her father's house--shall she not claim that shelter which, by so many -vows, I have sworn to extend over her through life?' - -'Weel, weel, Charlie,' replied the old man, 'rant awa, and tak thy -tocherless bargain to thee, and see what thou'll mak o't. But mind my -words--when Poverty comes in at the door, Love jumps out at the window.' - -'It is true,' said the lover, a little more calmly, 'that we cannot -hope to live in such circumstances as I had so often reason to expect; -but still, you will not refuse to take me into partnership, which, in -the better days of her father, you so often promised?' - -'We'll hae twa words about that,' replied the father; 'it's ae thing -to take in a partner young, clever, and sharp, and another to take a -needful man with the prospect o' a family. But, Charlie, I'll no draw -back in my word to you, if ye'll just put off for a year or twa this -calf-love connexion. Maybe by and by ye'll think better o' my counsel; -at ony rate, something for a sair foot may be gathered in the meantime; -and neither you nor Bell Fatherlans are sae auld but ye can afford to -bide a while.' - -This was said in the old man's most reflective and sedate manner, and -after some further conversation, Charles did consent to postpone for -that time his marriage, on condition of being immediately admitted -into partnership, with an understanding, that he should be free to -marry at the end of twelve months, if he still continued so inclined. -Both parties in this arrangement calculated without their host. The -father thought that the necessary change in the exterior circumstances -of Isabella would, in the course of the year, have a tendency to -abate the ardour of her lover, and the son gave too much credit to -his own self-denial, supposing, that, although the ruin of Fatherlans -was declared, yet, as in similar cases, twelve months would probably -elapse before the sequestration and sale of his estate would finally -reduce the condition of his family. From the moment, however, that -the affairs of the banking company were found irretrievable, Mr. -Fatherlans zealously bestirred himself to place his daughter above the -hazards of want, even while he entertained the hope that it might not -be necessary. He carried her with him to Glasgow, and, before calling -at Claud's shop, secured for her an asylum in the house of Miss Mally -Trimmings, a celebrated mantua-maker of that time. When he afterwards -waited on the inexorable pedlar, and communicated the circumstance, -the latter, with unfeigned pleasure, commended the prudence of the -measure, for he anticipated that the pride of his son would recoil at -the idea of connecting himself with Isabella in her altered state. What -the lover himself felt on hearing the news, we shall not attempt to -describe, nor shall we so far intrude beyond the veil which should ever -be drawn over the anxieties and the sorrows of young affection, under -darkened prospects, as to relate what passed between the lovers when -they next met. The resolution, however, with which they both separated, -was worthy of the purity of their mutual affections, and they agreed to -pass the probationary year in a cheerful submission to their lot. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -When Charles parted from Isabella, he returned thoughtfully towards -Grippy, which was situated on the south side of the Clyde, at the foot -of the Cathkin hills. His road, after passing the bridge, lay across -the fields as far as Rutherglen, where it diverged towards the higher -ground, commanding at every winding a rich and variegated prospect. - -The year was waning into autumn, and the sun setting in all that -effulgence of glory, with which, in a serene evening, he commonly at -that season terminates his daily course behind the distant mountains -of Dumbartonshire and Argyle. A thin mist, partaking more of the lacy -character of a haze than the texture of a vapour, spreading from the -river, softened the nearer features of the view, while the distant were -glowing in the golden blaze of the western skies, and the outlines -of the city on the left appeared gilded with a brighter light, every -window sparkling as if illuminated from within. The colour of the trees -and hedges was beginning to change, and here and there a tuft of yellow -leaves, and occasionally the berries of the mountain ash, like clusters -of fiery embers, with sheaves of corn, and reapers in a few of the -neighbouring fields, showed that the summer was entirely past, and the -harvest time begun. - -The calm diffused over the face of the landscape--the numerous images -of maturity and repose everywhere around--were calculated to soothe -the spirit, to inspire gentle thoughts, and to awaken pleasing -recollections; and there was something in the feelings with which -the lovers had separated, if not altogether in unison with the -graciousness of the hour, still so much in harmony with the general -benignity of nature, that Charles felt his resolution and self-denial -elevated with a sentiment of devotion, mingled with the fond enthusiasm -of his passion. 'It is but a short time--a few months--and we shall be -happy,' he exclaimed to himself; 'and our happiness will be the dearer -that we shall have earned it by this sacrifice to prudence and to duty.' - -But Charles and Isabella had estimated their fortitude too highly. They -were both inexperienced in what the world really is; and her tender and -sensitive spirit was soon found incapable of withstanding the trials -and the humiliation to which she found herself subjected. - -It was part of her business to carry home the dresses made up for Miss -Mally's customers; and although the Glasgow ladies of that time were -perhaps not more difficult to please with the style or fashion of their -gowns and millinery than those of our own day, yet some of them were -less actuated by a compassionate consideration for the altered fortunes -of Isabella than all our fair contemporaries would undoubtedly have -been. The unfortunate girl was, in consequence, often obliged to suffer -taunts and animadversions, which, though levelled against the taste or -inattention of her mistress, entered not the less painfully into her -young and delicate bosom. Still, however, she struggled against the -harsh circumstances to which she was exposed; but her sensibilities -were stronger than her courage, and her beauty betrayed what she felt, -and soon began to fade. - -Charles was in the practice of accompanying her in the evenings when -she commonly performed her disagreeable errands, and relieved her -of the burden of her band-box, joyfully counting how much of the -probationary year was already past, and cheering her with the assurance -that her misfortunes had only endeared her to him the more. It -happened, however, that, one Saturday, being late of reaching the place -of rendezvous--the foot of the staircase which led to Miss Mally's -dwelling--Isabella had gone away before he arrived, with a new dress to -Mrs. Jarvie, the wife of the far-famed Bailie Nicol, the same Matty who -lighted the worthy magistrate to the Tolbooth, on that memorable night -when he, the son of the deacon, found his kinsman Rob Roy there. - -Matty at this time was a full-blown lady; the simple, modest, -bare-footed lassie, having developed into a crimson, gorgeous, -high-heeled madam,--well aware of the augmented width and weight -of the bailie's purse, and jealous a little too much of her own -consequence, perhaps, by recollecting the condition from which she had -been exalted. The dress made up for her was a costly _negligee_; it -not only contained several yards of the richest brocade more than any -other Miss Mally Trimmings had ever made, but was adorned with cuffs -and flounces in a style of such affluent magnificence, that we question -if any grander has since been seen in Glasgow. Nor was it ordered for -any common occasion, but to grace a formal dinner party, which Provost -Anderson and his lady intended to give the magistrates and their -wives at the conclusion of his eighth provostry. It was therefore not -extraordinary that Mrs. Jarvie should take particular interest in this -dress; but the moment she began to try it on, poor Isabella discovered -that it would not fit, and stood trembling from head to heel, while the -bailie's wife, in great glee and good humour with the splendour of the -dress, was loud in her praises of the cut of the ruffle-cuffs and the -folds of the flounces. Having contemplated the flow of the _negligee_ -on both sides, and taken two or three stately steps across the room, to -see how it would sweep behind, Mrs. Jarvie took the wings of the body -in her hands, and, drawing them together, found they would not nearly -meet. - -Isabella, with a beating heart and a diffident hand, approached to -smooth the silk, that it might expand; but all would not do. Mrs. -Jarvie stood a monument of consternation, as silent as Lot's wife, when -she looked back, and thought of the charming dresses she had left -behind. - -'O Chrystal!' were the first words to which the ci-devant Matty could -give utterance. 'O Chrystal! My God, is nae this moving? Your mistress, -doited devil, as I maun ca' her, ought to be skelpit wi' nettles for -this calamity. The goun's ruin't--my gude silk to be clippit in this -nearbegaun way--past a' redemption. Gang out o' the gait, ye cutty, and -no finger and meddle wi' me. This usage is enough to provoke the elect! -as am a living soul, and that's a muckle word for me to say, I'll hae -the old craighling scoot afore the Lords. The first cost was mair than -five and twenty guineas. If there's law and justice atween God and man, -she shall pay for't, or I'll hae my satisfaction on her flesh. Hither, -maiden, and help me off wi' it. Siccan beauty as it was! Tak it wi' -you; tak it to you; out o' the house and my presence. How durst ye dare -to bring sic a disgrace to me? But let me look at it. Is't no possible -to put in a gushet or a gore, and to make an eik?' - -'I'll take it home and try,' said Isabella, timidly folding up the -gown, which she had removed from Mrs. Jarvie. - -'Try,' said the bailie's wife, relapsing; 'a pretty like story, that -sic a gown should stand in the jeopardy o' a try; but how could Miss -Mally presume to send a silly thing like t'ee on this occasion? Lay -down the gown this precious moment, and gae hame, and order her to come -to me direkilty: it's no to seek what I hae to say.' - -The trembling and terrified girl let the unfortunate _negligee_ fall, -and hastily, in tears, quitted the room, and, flying from the house, -met, in the street, her lover, who, having learnt where she was, had -followed her to the house. A rapid and agitated disclosure of her -feelings and situation followed. Charles, on the spot, resolved, at -all hazards, rather to make her his wife at once, and to face the -worst that might in consequence happen from his father's displeasure, -than allow her to remain exposed to such contumelious treatment. -Accordingly, it was agreed that they should be married, and on the -Monday following, the ceremony was performed, when he conducted her to -a lodging which he had provided in the interval. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -On the morning after his marriage, Charles was anxious, doubtful, and -diffident. His original intention was to go at once to his father, to -state what he had done, and to persuade him, if possible, to overlook -a step, that, from its suddenness, might be deemed rash, but, from -the source and motives from which it proceeded, could, he thought, be -regarded only as praiseworthy. Still, though this was his own opinion, -he, nevertheless, had some idea that the old gentleman would not view -it exactly in the same light; and the feeling which this doubt awakened -made him hesitate at first, and finally to seek a mediator. - -He had long remarked, that 'the leddy,' his grandmother, sustained -a part of great dignity towards his father; and he concluded, from -the effect it appeared to produce, that her superiority was fully -acknowledged. Under this delusion, after some consideration of the -bearings and peculiarities of his case, he determined to try her -interference, and, for that purpose, instead of going to Grippy, as he -had originally intended, when he left Isabella, he proceeded to the -house of the old lady, where he found her at home and alone. - -The moment he entered her sitting-room, she perceived that his mind was -laden with something which pressed heavily on his feelings; and she -said, - -'What has vext you, Charlie? has your father been severe upon you for -ony misdemeanour, or hae ye done any thing that ye're afeared to tell?' - -In the expression of these sentiments, she had touched the sensitive -cord, that, at the moment, was fastened to his heart. - -'I'm sure,' was his reply, 'that I hae done no ill, and dinna ken why I -should be frightened in thinking on what every bodie that can feel and -reflect will approve.' - -'What is't?' said the leddy, thoughtfully: 'What is't? If it's aught -good, let me partake the solace wi' you; and if it's bad speak it out, -that a remedy may be, as soon as possible, applied.' - -'Bell Fatherlans,' was his answer; but he could only articulate her -name. - -'Poor lassie,' said the venerable gentlewoman, 'her lot's hard, and I'm -wae both for your sake and hers, Charlie, that your father's so dure -as to stand against your marriage in the way he does. But he was ay a -bargainer; alack! the world is made up o' bargainers; and a heart wi' a -right affection is no an article o' meikle repute in the common market -o' man and woman. Poor genty Bell! I wish it had been in my power to -hae sweetened her lot; for I doubt and fear she's oure thin-skinned to -thole long the needles and prins o' Miss Mally Trimmings' short temper; -and, what's far waur, the tawpy taunts of her pridefu' customers.' - -'She could suffer them no longer, nor would I let her,' replied the -bridegroom, encouraged by these expressions to disclose the whole -extent of his imprudence. - -Mrs. Hypel did not immediately return any answer, but sat for a few -moments thoughtful, we might, indeed, say sorrowful--she then said, - -'Ye should na, Charlie, speak to me. I canna help you, my dear, though -I hae the will. Gang to your father and tell him a', and if he winna do -what ye wish, then, my poor bairn, bravely trust to Providence, that -gars the heart beat as it should beat, in spite o' a' the devices o' -man.' - -'I fear,' replied Charles, with simplicity, 'that I hae done that -already, for Bell and me were married yesterday. I could na suffer to -see her snooled and cast down any longer by every fat-pursed wife that -would triumph and glory in a new gown.' - -'Married, Charlie!' said the old lady with an accent of surprise, -mingled with sorrow; 'Married! weel, that's a step that canna be -untrodden, and your tribulation is proof enough to me that you are -awakened to the consequence. But what's to be done?' - -'Nothing, Mem, but only to speak a kind word for us to my father,' was -the still simple answer of the simple young husband. - -'I'll speak for you, Charlie, I can do that, and I'll be happy and -proud to gie you a' the countenance in my power; but your father, -Charlie--the gude forgie me because he is your father--I'm darkened and -dubious when I think o' him.' - -'I hae a notion,' replied Charles, 'that we need be no cess on him: -we're content to live in a sma' way; only I would like my wife to be -countenanced as becomes her ain family, and mair especially because she -is mine, so that, if my father will be pleased to tak her, and regard -her as his gude-dochter, I'll ask nothing for the present, but do my -part, as an honest and honourable man, to the very uttermost o' my -ability.' - -The kind and venerable old woman was profoundly moved by the earnest -and frank spirit in which this was said; and she assured him, that so -wise and so discreet a resolution could not fail to make his father -look with a compassionate eye on his generous imprudence. 'So gae your -ways home to Bell,' said she, 'and counsel and comfort her; the day's -raw, but I'll even now away to the Grippy to intercede for you, and by -the gloaming be you here wi' your bonny bride, and I trust, as I wish, -to hae glad tidings for you baith.' - -Charles, with great ardour and energy, expressed the sense which he -felt of the old lady's kindness and partiality, but still he doubted -the successful result of the mission she had undertaken. Nevertheless, -her words inspired hope, and hope was the charm that spread over the -prospects of Isabella and of himself, the light, the verdure, and the -colours which enriched and filled the distant and future scenes of -their expectations with fairer and brighter promises than they were -ever destined to enjoy. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - -Claud was sitting at the window when he discovered his mother-in-law -coming slowly towards the house, and he said to his wife,-- - -'In the name o' gude, Girzy, what can hae brought your mother frae the -town on sic a day as this?' - -'I hope,' replied the Leddy of Grippy, 'that nothing's the matter wi' -Charlie, for he promised to be out on Sabbath to his dinner, and never -came.' - -In saying these words, she went hastily to the door to meet her mother, -the appearance of whose countenance at the moment was not calculated -to allay her maternal fears. Indeed, the old lady scarcely spoke to -her daughter, but walking straight into the dining-room where Grippy -himself was sitting, took a seat on a chair, and then threw off her -cloak on the back of it, before she uttered a word. - -'What's wrang, grannie?' said Claud, rising from his seat at the -window, and coming towards her.--'What's wrang, ye seem fashed?' - -'In truth, Mr. Walkinshaw, I hae cause,' was the reply--'poor -Charlie!'-- - -'What's happen'd to him?' exclaimed his mother. - -'Has he met wi' ony misfortunate accident?' inquired the father. - -'I hope it's no a misfortune,' said the old lady, somewhat recovering -her self-possession. 'At the same time, it's what I jealouse, Grippy, -ye'll no be vera content to hear.' - -'What is't?' cried the father sharply, a little tantalized. - -'Has he broken his leg?' said the mother. - -'Haud that clavering tongue o' thine, Girzy,' exclaimed the Laird -peevishly; 'wilt t'ou ne'er devaul' wi' sca'ding thy lips in other -folks' kail?' - -'He had amaist met wi' far waur than a broken leg,' interposed the -grandmother. 'His heart was amaist broken.' - -'It maun be unco brittle,' said Claud, with a hem. 'But what's the need -o' this summering and wintering anent it?--Tell us what has happened?' - -'Ye're a parent, Mr. Walkinshaw,' replied the old lady seriously, 'and -I think ye hae a fatherly regard for Charlie; but I'll be plain wi' -you. I doubt ye hae na a right consideration for the gentle nature of -the poor lad; and it's that which gars me doubt and fear that what I -hae to say will no be agreeable.' - -Claud said nothing in answer to this, but sat down in a chair on the -right side of his mother-in-law, his wife having in the meantime taken -a seat on the other side.--The old lady continued,-- - -'At the same time, Mr. Walkinshaw, ye're a reasonable man, and what -I'm come about is a matter that maun just be endured. In short, it's -nothing less than to say, that, considering Fatherlans' misfortunes, ye -ought to hae alloo't Charlie and Isabella to hae been married, for it's -a sad situation she was placed in--a meek and gentle creature like her -was na fit to bide the flyte and flights o' the Glasgow leddies.' - -She paused, in the expectation that Claud would make some answer, but -he still remained silent.--Mrs. Walkinshaw, however, spoke,-- - -''Deed, mither, that's just what I said--for ye ken it's an awfu' thing -to thwart a true affection. Troth is't, gudeman; and ye should think -what would hae been your ain tender feelings had my father stoppit our -wedding after a' was settled.' - -'There was some difference between the twa cases,' said the Dowager -of Plealands dryly to her daughter;--'neither you nor Mr. Walkinshaw -were so young as Charlie and Miss Fatherlans--that was something--and -maybe there was a difference, too, in the character of the parties. -Hows'ever, Mr. Walkinshaw, marriages are made in heaven; and it's no -in the power and faculty of man to controvert the coming to pass o' -what is ordained to be. Charlie Walkinshaw and Bell Fatherlans were a -couple marrowed by their Maker, and it's no right to stand in the way -of their happiness.' - -'I'm sure,' said Claud, now breaking silence, 'it can ne'er be said -that I'm ony bar till't. I would only fain try a year's probation in -case it's but calf-love.' - -Mrs. Hypel shook her head as she said,--'It's vera prudent o' you, but -ye canna put auld heads on young shouthers. In a word, Mr. Walkinshaw, -it's no reasonable to expek that young folk, so encouraged in their -mutual affection as they were, can thole so lang as ye would wish. The -days o' sic courtships as Jacob's and Rachel's are lang past.' - -'I but bade them bide a year,' replied Claud. - -'A year's an unco time to love; but to make a lang tale short, what -might hae been foreseen has come to pass, the fond young things hae -gotten themselves married.' - -'No possible!' exclaimed Claud, starting from his chair, which he -instantly resumed.-- - -'Weel,' said Mrs. Walkinshaw,--'if e'er I heard the like o' that!--Our -Charlie a married man! the head o' a family!' - -The old lady took no notice of these and other interjections of the -same meaning, which her daughter continued to vent, but looking askance -and steadily at Claud, who seemed for a minute deeply and moodily -agitated, she said,-- - -'Ye say nothing, Mr. Walkinshaw.' - -'What can I say?' was his answer.--'I had a better hope for Charlie,--I -thought the year would hae cooled him,--and am sure Miss Betty Bodle -would hae been a better bargain.' - -'Miss Betty Bodle!' exclaimed the grandmother, 'she's a perfect tawpy.' - -'Weel, weel,' said Grippy, 'it mak's no odds noo what she is,--Charlie -has ravelled the skein o' his own fortune, and maun wind it as he can.' - -'That will be no ill to do, Mr. Walkinshaw, wi' your helping hand. -He's your first born, and a better-hearted lad never lived.' - -'Nae doubt I maun help him,--there can be nae doubt o' that; but he -canna expek, and the world can ne'er expek, that I'll do for him what I -might hae done had he no been so rash and disobedient.' - -'Very true, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said the gratified old lady, happy to -find that the reconciliation was so easily effected; and proud to be -the messenger of such glad tidings to the young couple, she soon after -returned to Glasgow. But scarcely had she left the house, when Claud -appeared strangely disturbed,--at one moment he ran hastily towards his -scrutoire, and opened it, and greedily seized the title-deeds of his -property,--the next he closed it thoughtfully, and retreating to his -seat, sat down in silence. - -'What's the matter wi' you, gudeman? ye were na sae fashed when my -mother was here,' said his wife. - -'I'll do nothing rashly--I'll do nothing rashly,' was the mysterious -reply. - -'Eh, mither, mither,' cried Walter, bolting into the room,--'what would -you think, our Charlie's grown a wife's gudeman like my father.' - -'Out o' my sight, ye ranting cuif,' exclaimed Claud, in a rapture of -rage, which so intimidated Walter that he fled in terror. - -'It's dreadfu' to be sae tempted,--and a' the gude to gang to sic a -haverel,' added Claud, in a low troubled accent, as he turned away and -walked towards the window. - -'Nae doubt,' said his wife, 'it's an awfu' thing to hear o' sic -disobedience as Charlie in his rashness has been guilty o'.' - -'It is, it is,' replied her husband, 'and many a ane for far less hae -disinherited their sons,--cut them off wi' a shilling.' - -'That's true,' rejoined the Leddy of Grippy. 'Did na Kilmarkeckle gie -his only daughter but the legacy o' his curse, for running away wi' the -Englisher captain, and leave a' to his niece Betty Bodle?' - -'And a' she has might hae been in our family but for this -misfortune.--When I think o' the loss, and how pleased her father -was when I proposed Charlie for her--It's enough to gar me tak' some -desperate step to punish the contumacious reprobate.--He'll break my -heart.' - -'Dear keep me, gudeman, but ye're mair fashed than I could hae thought -it was in the power o' nature for you to be,'--said Mrs. Walkinshaw, -surprised at his agitation. - -'The scoundrel! the scoundrel!' said Claud, walking quickly across -the room--'To cause sic a loss!--To tak' nae advice!--to run sic a -ram-race!--I ought, I will, gar him fin' the weight o' my displeasure. -Betty Bodle's tocher would hae been better than the Grippy--But he -shall suffer for't--I see na why a father may na tak' his own course as -weel as a son--I'll no be set at naught in this gait. I'll gang in to -Mr. Keelevin the morn.' - -'Dinna be oure headstrong, my dear, but compose yoursel','--said the -lady, perplexed, and in some degree alarmed at the mention of the -lawyer's name.-- - -'Compose thysel, Girzy, and no meddle wi' me,' was the answer, in a -less confident tone than the declaration he had just made, adding,-- - -'I never thought he would hae used me in this way. I'm sure I was ay -indulgent to him.' - -'Overly sae,' interrupted Mrs. Walkinshaw, 'and often I told you that -he would gie you a het heart for't, and noo ye see my words hae come to -pass.' - -Claud scowled at her with a look of the fiercest aversion, for at that -moment the better feelings of his nature yearned towards Charles, -and almost overcame the sordid avidity with which he had resolved to -cut him off from his birthright, and to entail the estate of Grippy -with the Plealands on Walter,--an intention which, as we have before -mentioned, he early formed, and had never abandoned, being merely -deterred from carrying it into effect by a sense of shame, mingled -with affection, and a slight reverence for natural justice; all -which, however, were loosened from their hold in his conscience, by -the warranty which the imprudence of the marriage seemed to give him -in the eyes of the world, for doing what he had so long desired to -do. Instead, however, of making her any reply, he walked out into the -open air, and continued for about half an hour to traverse the green -in front of the house, sometimes with quick short steps, at others -with a slow and heavy pace. Gradually, however, his motion became -more regular, and ultimately ended in a sedate and firm tread, which -indicated that his mind was made up on the question which he had been -debating with himself. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - -That abysm of legal dubieties, the office of Mr. Keelevin, the writer, -consisted of two obscure apartments on the ground floor of M'Gregor's -Land, in M'Whinnie's Close, in the Gallowgate. The outer room was -appropriated to the clerks, and the inner for the darker mysteries -of consultation. To this place Claud repaired on the day following -the interesting communication, of which we have recorded the first -impressions in the foregoing chapter. He had ordered breakfast to be -ready an hour earlier than usual; and as soon as he had finished it, he -went to his scrutoire, and taking out his title-deeds, put them in his -pocket, and without saying any thing to his wife of what he intended -to do, lifted his hat and stick from their accustomed place of repose, -in the corner of the dining-room, and proceeded, as we have said, to -consult Mr. Keelevin. - -It is not the universal opinion of mankind, that the profession of -the law is favourable to the preservation of simplicity of character -or of benevolence of disposition; but this, no doubt, arises from the -malice of disappointed clients, who, to shield themselves from the -consequences of their own unfair courses, pretend that the wrongs and -injustice of which they are either found guilty, or are frustrated in -the attempt to effect, are owing to the faults and roguery of their own -or their adversaries' lawyers. But why need we advocate any revision of -the sentence pronounced upon the limbs of the law? for, grasping, as -they do, the whole concerns and interests of the rest of the community, -we think they are sufficiently armed with claws and talons to defend -themselves. All, in fact, that we meant by this apologetic insinuation, -was to prepare the reader for the introduction of Mr. Keelevin, on whom -the corrosive sublimate of a long and thorough professional insight of -all kinds of equivocation and chicanery had in no degree deteriorated -from the purity of his own unsuspicious and benevolent nature. Indeed, -at the very time that Claud called, he was rebuking his young men -on account of the cruelty of a contrivance they had made to catch a -thief that was in the nocturnal practice of opening the window of -their office, to take away what small change they were so negligent -as to leave on or in their desks; and they were not only defending -themselves, but remonstrating with him for having rendered their -contrivance abortive. For, after they had ingeniously constructed a -trap within the window, namely, a footless table, over which the thief -must necessarily pass to reach their desks, he had secretly placed a -pillow under it, in order that, when it fell down, the robber might not -hurt himself in the fall. - -'Gude morning, gude morning, Mr. Keelevin; how're ye the day?' said -Claud, as he entered. - -'Gaily, gaily, Grippy; how're ye yoursel, and how's a' at hame? Come -awa ben to my room,' was the writer's answer, turning round and opening -the door; for experience had taught him that visits from acquaintances -at that hour were not out of mere civility. - -Claud stepped in, and seated himself in an old armed chair which stood -on the inner side of the table where Mr. Keelevin himself usually -wrote; and the lawyer followed him, after saying to the clerks, 'I -redde ye, lads, tak tent to what I hae been telling you, and no -encourage yourselves to the practice of evil that good may come o't. To -devise snares and stratagems is most abominable--all that ye should or -ought to do, is to take such precautions that the thief may not enter; -but to wile him into the trap, by leaving the window unfastened, was -nothing less than to be the cause of his sin. So I admonish you no to -do the like o't again.' - -In saying this he came in, and, shutting the door, took his own seat at -the opposite side of the table, addressing himself to Claud, 'And so ye -hae gotten your auld son married? I hope it's to your satisfaction.' - -'An he has brewed good yill, Mr. Keelevin, he'll drink the better,' was -the reply; 'but I hae come to consult you anent a bit alteration that I -would fain make in my testament.' - -'That's no a matter of great difficulty, Laird; for, sin' we found -out that the deed of entail that was made after your old son was born -can never stand, a' ye have is free to be destined as ye will, both -heritable and moveable.' - -'And a lucky discovery that was;--many a troubled thought I hae had -in my own breast about it; and now I'm come to confer wi' you, Mr. -Keelevin, for I would na trust the hair o' a dog to the judgement o' -that tavert bodie, Gibby Omit, that gart me pay nine pounds seven -shillings and saxpence too for the parchment; for it ne'er could be -called an instrument, as it had na the pith o' a windlestrae to bind -the property; and over and aboon that, the bodie has lang had his back -to the wa', wi' the 'poplexy; so that I maun put my trust in this -affair into your hands, in the hope and confidence that ye're able to -mak something mair sicker.' - -'We'll do our endeavour, Mr. Walkinshaw; hae ye made ony sort o' -scantling o' what you would wish done?' - -'No, but I hae brought the teetles o' the property in my pouch, and -ye'll just conform to them. As for the bit saving of lying money, we'll -no fash wi' it for the present; I'm only looking to get a solid and -right entail o' the heritable.' - -'Nothing can be easier. Come as ye're o' an ancient family, no doubt -your intent is to settle the Grippy on the male line; and, failing your -sons and their heirs, then on the heirs of the body of your daughter.' - -'Just sae, just sae. I'll make no change on my original disposition; -only, as I would fain hae what cam by the gudewife made part and -portion o' the family heritage, and as her father's settlement on Watty -canna be broken without a great risk, I would like to begin the entail -o' the Grippy wi' him.' - -'I see nothing to prevent that; ye could gie Charlie, the auld son, his -liferent in't, and as Watty, no to speak disrespectful of his capacity, -may ne'er marry, it might be so managed.' - -'Oh, but that's no what I mean, and what for may na Watty marry? Is na -he o' capacity to execute a deed, and surely that should qualify him to -take a wife?' - -'But heavens preserve me, Mr. Walkinshaw, are ye sensible of the ill ye -would do to that fine lad, his auld brother, that's now a married man, -and in the way to get heirs? Sic a settlement as ye speak o' would be -cutting him off a' thegither: it would be most iniquitous!' - -'An it should be sae, the property is my own conquesting, Mr. Keelevin, -and surely I may mak a kirk and a mill o't an I like.' - -'Nobody, it's true, Mr. Walkinshaw, has ony right to meddle wi' how ye -dispone of your own, but I was thinking ye maybe did na reflect that -sic an entail as ye speak o' would be rank injustice to poor Charlie, -that I hae ay thought a most excellent lad.' - -'Excellent here, or excellent there, it was na my fault that he drew up -wi' a tocherless tawpy, when he might hae had Miss Betty Bodle.' - -'I am very sorry to hear he has displeased you; but the Fatherlans -family, into whilk he has married, has ay been in great repute and -estimation.' - -'Aye, afore the Ayr Bank; but the silly bodie the father was clean -broken by that venture.' - -'That should be the greater reason, Mr. Walkinshaw, wi' you to let your -estate go in the natural way to Charlie.' - -'A' that may be very true, Mr. Keelevin; I did na come here, however, -to confer with you anent the like of that, but only of the law. I want -you to draw the settlement, as I was saying; first, ye'll entail it -on Walter and his heirs-male, syne on Geordie and his heirs-male, and -failing them, ye may gang back, to please yoursel, to the heirs-male o' -Charlie, and failing them, to Meg's heirs-general.' - -'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said the honest writer, after a pause of about a -minute, 'there's no Christianity in this.' - -'But there may be law, I hope.' - -'I think, Mr. Walkinshaw, my good and worthy friend, that you should -reflect well on this matter, for it is a thing by ordinare to do.' - -'But ye ken, Mr. Keelevin, when Watty dies, the Grippy and the -Plealands will be a' ae heritage, and will na that be a braw thing for -my family?' - -'But what for would ye cut off poor Charlie from his rightful -inheritance?' - -'Me cut him off frae his inheritance! When my grandfather brake on -account o' the Darien, then it was that he lost his inheritance. He'll -get frae me a' that I inherited frae our forbears, and may be mair; -only, I'll no alloo he has ony heritable right on me, but what stands -with my pleasure to gie him as an almous.' - -'But consider, he's your own firstborn?'-- - -'Weel, then, what o' that?' - -'And it stands with nature surely, Mr. Walkinshaw, that he should hae a -bairn's part o' your gear.' - -'Stands wi' nature, Mr. Keelevin? A coat o' feathers or a pair o' hairy -breeks is a' the bairn's part o' gear that I ever heard o' in nature, -as the fowls o' the air and the beasts o' the field can very plainly -testify.--No, no, Mr. Keelevin, we're no now in a state o' nature but a -state o' law, and it would be an unco thing if we did na make the best -o't. In short, ye'll just get the settlements drawn up as soon as a -possibility will alloo, for it does na do to lose time wi' sic things, -as ye ken, and I'll come in wi' Watty neest market day and get them -implemented.' - -'Watty's no requisite,' said Mr. Keelevin, somewhat thoughtfully; 'it -can be done without him. I really wish ye would think better o't before -we spoil any paper.' - -'I'm no fear't about the paper, in your hands, Mr. Keelevin,--ye'll do -every thing right wi' sincerity,--and mind, an it should be afterwards -found out that there are ony flaws in the new deed, as there were in -the auld, which the doited creature Gibby Omit made out, I'll gar you -pay for't yoursel; so tak tent, for your own sake, and see that baith -Watty's deed and mine are right and proper in every point of law.' - -'Watty's! what do you mean by Watty's?' - -'Have na I been telling you that it's my wis that the Plealands and -the Grippy should be made one heritage, and is na Watty concos mancos -enough to be conjunct wi' me in the like o' that? Ye ken the flaw in -his grandfather's settlement, and that, though the land has come clear -and clean to him, yet it's no sae tethered but he may wise it awa as it -likes him to do, for he's noo past one-and-twenty. Therefore, what I -want is, that ye will mak a paper for him, by the whilk he's to 'gree -that the Plealands gang the same gait, by entail, as the Grippy.' - -'As in duty bound, Mr. Walkinshaw, I maun do your will in this -business,' said Mr. Keelevin; 'but really I ken na when I hae been more -troubled about the specialities of any settlement. It's no right o' you -to exercise your authority oure Watty; the lad's truly no in a state -to be called on to implement ony such agreement as what ye propose. He -should na be meddled wi', but just left to wear out his time in the -world, as little observed as possible.' - -'I canna say, Mr. Keelevin, that I like to hear you misliken the lad -sae, for did na ye yourself, with an ettling of pains that no other -body could hae gane through but yoursel, prove, to the satisfaction of -the Fifteen at Edinburgh, that he was a young man of a very creditable -intellect, when Plealands' will was contested by his cousin?' - -'Waes me, Mr. Walkinshaw, that ye should cast up to me the sincerity -with which I did but my duty to a client. However, as ye're bent on -this business, I'll say na mair in objection, but do my best to make a -clear and tight entail, according to your instructions--trusting that -I shall be accounted hereafter as having been but the innocent agent; -and yet I beg you again, before it's oure late, to reflect on the -consequence to that fine lad Charlie, who is now the head of a house, -and in the way of having a family--It's an awfu' thing ye're doing to -him.' - -'Weel, weel, Mr. Keelevin, as I was saying, dinna ye fash your thumb, -but mak out the papers in a sicker manner,--and may be though ye think -sae ill o' me, it winna be the waur for Charlie after a's come and -gane.' - -'It's in the Lord's power certainly,' replied the worthy lawyer -piously, 'to make it all up to him.' - -'And maybe it's in my power too, for when this is done, I'll hae to -take another cast o' your slight o' hand in the way of a bit will for -the moveables and lying siller, but I would just like this to be weel -done first.' - -'Man, Laird, I'm blithe to hear that,--but ye ken that ye told me last -year when you were clearing the wadset that was left on the Grippy, -that ye had na meikle mair left--But I'm blithe to hear ye're in a -condition to act the part of a true father to a' your bairns, though I -maun say that I canna approve, as a man and a frien', of this crotchet -of entailing your estate on a haverel, to the prejudice of a braw and -gallant lad like Charlie. Hows'ever, sin' it is sae, we'll say nae mair -about it. The papers will be ready for you by Wednesday come eight -days, and I'll tak care to see they are to your wish.' - -'Na, an ye dinna do that, the cost shall be on your own risk, for the -deil a plack or bawbee will I pay for them, till I hae a satisfaction -that they are as they ought to be. Howsever, gude day, Mr. Keelevin, -and we'll be wi' you on Wednesday by ten o'clock.' - -In saying this, Claud, who had in the meantime risen from his seat, -left the office without turning his head towards the desk where the -clerks, as he walked through the outer room, were sitting, winking at -one another, as he plodded past them, carrying his staff in his left -hand behind him, a habit which he had acquired with his ellwand when he -travelled the Borders as a pedlar. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - -On the Saturday evening after the instructions had been given to -prepare the new deed of entail, Grippy was thoughtful and silent, and -his wife observing how much he was troubled in mind, said, - -'I'm thinking, gudeman, though ye hae no reason to be pleased with this -match Charlie has made for himsel, ye ken, as it canna be helpit noo, -we maun just put up wi't.' - -To this observation, which was about one of the most sensible that -ever the Leddy o' Grippy made in her life, Claud replied, with an -ill-articulated grumph, that partook more of the sound and nature of a -groan than a growl, and she continued,-- - -'But, poor laddie, bare legs need happing; I would fain hope ye'll no -be oure dure;--ye'll hae to try an there be any moully pennies in the -neuk o' your coffer that can be spar'd and no miss't.' - -'I hae thought o' that, Girzy, my dawty,' said he somewhat more -cordially than he was in the practice of doing to his wife; 'and we'll -gang o'er the morn and speer for Charlie. I wis he had na been so -headstrong; but it's a' his ain fault: howsever, it would na be canny -to gang toom-handed, and I hae got a bit bill for five score pounds -that I'm mindit to gie him.' - -'Five score pounds, gudeman! that's the whole tot o' a hundred. Na, -gudeman, I would hae thought the half o't an unco almous frae you. I -hope it's no a fedam afore death. Gude preserve us! ye're really ta'en -wi' a fit o' the liberalities; but Charlie, or am mista'en, will hae -need o't a', for yon Flanders baby is no for a poor man's wife. But for -a' that, I'm blithe to think ye're gaun to be sae kind, though I need -na wonder at it, for Charlie was ay your darling chevalier, I'm sure -nobody can tell what for, and ye ay lookit down on poor good-natured -Watty.' - -'Haud that senseless tongue o' thine, Girzy; Watty's just like the -mither o't, a haverel; and if it were na more for ae thing than -anither, the deil a penny would the silly gouk get frae me, aboon an -aliment to keep him frae beggary. But what's ordain't will come to -pass, and it's no my fault that the sumph Watty was na Charlie. But -it's o' nae use to contest about the matter; ye'll be ready betimes the -morn's morning to gang in wi' me to the town to see the young folks.' - -Nothing more then passed, but Claud, somewhat to the surprise of his -lady, proposed to make family worship that evening. 'It's time now, -gudewife,' said he, 'when we're in a way to be made ancestors, that we -should be thinking o' what's to come o' our sinful souls hereafter. -Cry ben the servants, and I'll read a chapter to them and you, by way -o' a change, for I kenna what's about me, but this rash action o' that -thoughtless laddie fashes me, and yet it would na be right o' me to do -any other way than what I'm doing.' - -The big ha' Bible was accordingly removed by Mrs. Walkinshaw from -the shelf where it commonly lay undisturbed from the one sacramental -occasion to the other, and the dust being blown off, as on the Saturday -night prior to the action sermon, she carried it to the kitchen to be -more thoroughly wiped, and soon after returned with it followed by the -servants. Claud, in the meantime, having drawn his elbow-chair close -to the table, and placed his spectacles on his nose, was sitting, when -the mistress laid the volume before him, ready to begin. As some little -stir was produced by the servants taking their places, he accidentally -turned up the cover, and looked at the page in which he had inserted -the dates of his own marriage and the births of his children. Mrs. -Walkinshaw observing him looking at the record, said,-- - -'Atweel, Charlie need na been in sic a haste, he's no auld enough yet -to be the head o' a family. How auld were ye, gudeman, when we were -marriet? But he's no blest wi' the forethought o' you.' - -'Will that tongue o' thine, Girzy, ne'er be quiet? In the presence o' -thy Maker, wheest, and pay attention, while I read a chapter of His -holy word.' - -The accent in which this was uttered imposed at once silence and awe, -and when he added, 'Let us worship God, by reading a portion of the -Scriptures of truth,' the servants often afterwards said, 'he spoke -like a dreadfu' divine.' - -Not being, as we have intimated, much in the practice of domestic -worship, Claud had avoided singing a Psalm, nor was he so well -acquainted with the Bible, as to be able to fix on any particular -chapter or appropriate passage from recollection. In this respect he -was, indeed, much inferior to the generality of the Glasgow merchants -of that age, for, although they were considerably changed from the -austerity by which their fathers had incurred the vengeance of Charles -the Second's government, they were still regular in the performance -of their religious domestic duties. Some excuse, however, might be -made for Claud, on account of his having spent so many years on the -English Borders, a region in no age or period greatly renowned for -piety, though plentifully endowed, from a very ancient date, with -ecclesiastical mansions for the benefit of the outlaws of the two -nations. Not, however, to insist on this topic, instead of reverently -waling a portion with judicious care, he opened the book with a degree -of superstitious trepidation, and the first passage which caught -his eye was the thirty-second verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of -Genesis. He paused for a moment; and the servants and the family having -also opened their Bibles, looked towards him in expectation that he -would name the chapter he intended to read. But he closed the volume -over upon his hand, which he had inadvertently placed on the text, and -lay back on his chair, unconscious of what he had done, leaving his -hand still within the book. - -'We're a' ready,' said Mrs. Walkinshaw; 'whare's the place?' - -Roused by her observation from the reverie into which he had -momentarily sunk, without reflecting on what he did, he hastily opened -the Bible, by raising his hand, which threw open the leaves, and again -he saw and read,-- - - And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? and he said, I am - thy son,--thy first-born, Esau; - - And Isaac trembled very exceedingly. - -'What's the matter wi' you, gudeman?' said the Leddy; 'are ye no weel?' -as he again threw himself back in his chair, leaving the book open -before him. He, however, made no reply, but only drew his hand over his -face, and slightly rubbed his forehead. - -'I'm thinking, gudeman,' added the Leddy, 'as ye're no used wi' making -exercise, it may be as weel for us at the beginning to read a chapter -intil oursels.' - -'I'll chapse that place,' said Walter, who was sitting opposite to his -father, putting, at the same time, unobserved into the book a bit of -stick which he happened to be sillily gnawing. - -Claud heard what his wife suggested, but for about a minute made no -answer: shutting the Bible, without noticing the mark which Walter had -placed in it, he said,-- - -'I'm thinking ye're no far wrang, gudewife. Sirs, ye may gae but the -house, and ilk read a chapter wi' sobriety, and we'll begin the worship -the morn's night, whilk is the Lord's.' - -The servants accordingly retired; and Walter reached across the table -to lay hold of the big Bible, in order to read his chapter where he had -inserted the stick; but his father angrily struck him sharply over the -fingers, saying,-- - -'Hast t'ou neither grace nor gumshion, that t'ou daurs to tak awa the -word o' God frae before my very face? Look to thy ain book, and mind -what it tells thee, an t'ou has the capacity of an understanding to -understand it.' - -Walter, rebuked by the chastisement, withdrew from the table; and, -taking a seat sulkily by the fireside, began to turn over the leaves -of his pocket Bible, and from time to time he read mutteringly a verse -here and there by the light of the grate. Mrs. Walkinshaw, with Miss -Meg, having but one book between them, drew their chairs close to the -table; and the mother, laying her hand on her daughter's shoulder, -overlooked the chapter which the latter had selected. - -Although Claud had by this time recovered from the agitation into -which he had been thrown, by the admonition he had as it were received -from the divine oracle, he yet felt a profound emotion of awe as he -again stretched his hand towards the sacred volume, which, when he had -again opened, and again beheld the selfsame words, he trembled very -exceedingly, insomuch that he made the table shake violently. - -'In the name of God, what's that?' cried his wife, terrified by the -unusual motion, and raising her eyes from the book, with a strong -expression of the fear which she then felt. - -Claud was so startled, that he looked wildly behind him for a moment, -with a ghastly and superstitious glare. Naturally possessing, however, -a firm and steady mind, his alarm scarcely lasted a moment; but the -pious business of the evening was so much disturbed, and had been to -himself so particularly striking, that he suddenly quitted the table, -and left the room. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - - -The Sabbath morning was calm and clear, and the whole face of Nature -fresh and bright. Every thing was animated with glee; and the very -flowers, as they looked up in the sunshine, shone like glad faces. Even -the Leddy o' Grippy partook of the gladdening spirit which glittered -and frolicked around her; and as she walked a few paces in front of -her husband down the footpath from the house to the highway leading to -Glasgow, she remarked, as their dog ran gambolling before them, that - -'Auld Colley, wi' his daffing, looks as he had a notion o' the braw -wissing o' joy Charlie is to get. The brute, gudeman, ay took up wi' -him, which was a wonderfu' thing to me; for he did nothing but weary -its life wi' garring it loup for an everlasting after sticks and -chucky-stanes. Hows'ever, I fancy dogs are like men--leavened, as Mr. -Kilfuddy says, wi' the leaven of an ungrateful heart--for Colley is as -doddy and crabbit to Watty as if he was its adversary, although, as ye -ken, he gathers and keeps a' the banes for't.' - -'Wilt t'ou ne'er devaul' wi' thy havering tongue? I'm sure the dumb -brute, in favouring Charlie, showed mair sense than his mother, poor -fellow.' - -'Aye, aye, gudeman, so ye say; but every body knows your most unnatural -partiality.' - -'Thy tongue, woman,' exclaimed her husband, 'gangs like the -clatter-bane o' a goose's----' - -'Eh, Megsty me!' cried the Leddy; 'wha's yon at the yett tirling at the -pin?' - -Claud, roused by her interjection, looked forward, and beheld, with -some experience of astonishment, that it was Mr. Keelevin, the writer. - -'We'll hae to turn and gang back with him,' said Mrs. Walkinshaw, when -she observed who it was. - -'I'll be damn'd if I do ony sic thing,' growled the old man, with a -fierceness of emphasis that betrayed apprehension and alarm, while it -at the same time denoted a riveted determination to persevere in the -resolution he had taken; and, mending his pace briskly, he reached the -gate before the worthy lawyer had given himself admittance. - -'Gude day, Mr. Keelevin!--What's brought you so soon afield this -morning?' - -'I hae just ta'en a bit canter oure to see you, and to speak anent yon -thing.' - -'Hae ye got the papers made out?' - -'Surely--it can never be your serious intent--I would fain hope--nay, -really, Mr. Walkinshaw, ye maunna think o't.' - -'Hoot, toot, toot; I thought ye had mair sense, Mr. Keelevin. But I'm -sorry we canna gae back wi' you, for we're just sae far in the road to -see Charlie and his lady landless.' - -''Deed are we,' added Mrs. Walkinshaw; 'and ye'll no guess what the -gudeman has in his pouch to gie them for hansel to their matrimony: the -whole tot of a hundred pound, Mr. Keelevin--what think you o' that?' - -The lawyer looked first at the Leddy, and then at the Laird, and said, -'Mr. Walkinshaw, I hae done you wrong in my thought.' - -'Say nae mair about it, but hae the papers ready by Wednesday, as I -directed,' replied Claud. - -'I hope and trust, Mr. Keelevin,' said Mrs. Walkinshaw, 'that he's no -about his will and testament: I redde ye, an he be, see that I'm no -neglekit; and dinna let him do an injustice to the lave for the behoof -of Charlie, wha is, as I say, his darling chevalier.' - -Mr. Keelevin was as much perplexed as ever any member of the profession -was in his life; but he answered cheerfully, - -'Ye need na be fear't, Mrs. Walkinshaw, I'll no wrang either you or any -one of the family;' and he added, looking towards her husband, 'if I -can help it.' - -'Na, thanks be an' praise, as I understand the law, that's no in your -power; for I'm secured wi' a jointure on the Grippy by my marriage -articles; and my father, in his testament, ordained me to hae a -hundred a year out of the barming o' his lying money; the whilk, as -I have myself counted, brings in to the gudeman, frae the wadset -that he has on the Kilmarkeckle estate, full mair than a hundred and -twenty-seven pounds; so I would wis both you and him to ken, that I'm -no in your reverence; and likewise, too, Mr. Keelevin, that I'll no -faik a farthing o' my right.' - -Mr. Keelevin was still more perplexed at the information contained in -this speech; for he knew nothing of the mortgage, or, as the Leddy -called it, the wadset which Claud had on his neighbour Kilmarkeckle's -property, Mr. Omit having been employed by him in that business. -Indeed, it was a regular part of Grippy's pawkie policy, not to let -his affairs be too well known, even to his most confidential legal -adviser; but, in common transactions, to employ any one who could be -safely trusted in matters of ordinary professional routine. Thus the -fallacious impression which Claud had in some degree made on the day in -which he instructed the honest lawyer respecting the entail was, in a -great measure, confirmed; so that Mr. Keelevin, instead of pressing the -remonstrance which he had come on purpose from Glasgow that morning to -urge, marvelled exceedingly within himself at the untold wealth of his -client. - -In the meantime, Grippy and his Leddy continued walking towards the -city, but the lawyer remounted his horse, pondering on what he had -heard, and almost persuaded that Claud, whom he knew to be so close and -wary in worldly matters, was acting a very prudent part. He conceived -that he must surely be much richer than the world supposed; and that, -seeing the natural defects of his second son, Walter, how little he was -superior to an idiot, and judging he could make no good use of ready -money, but might, on the contrary, become the prey of knavery, he had, -perhaps, determined, very wisely, to secure to him his future fortune -by the entail proposed, meaning to indemnify Charles from his lying -money. The only doubt that he could not clear off entirely to his -satisfaction, was the circumstance of George, the youngest son, being -preferred in the limitations of the entail to his eldest brother. But -even this admitted of something like a reasonable explanation; for, -by the will of the grandfather, in the event of Walter dying without -male issue, George was entitled to succeed to the Plealands, as heir -of entail; the effect of all which, in the benevolent mind of honest -Mr. Keelevin, contributed not a little to rebuild the good opinion -of his client, which had suffered such a shock from the harshness of -his instructions, as to induce him to pay the visit which led to the -rencounter described; and in consequence he walked his horse beside -the Laird and Leddy, as they continued to pick their steps along the -shady side of the road.--Mrs. Walkinshaw, with her petticoats lifted -half-leg high, still kept the van, and her husband followed stooping -forward in his gait, with his staff in his left hand behind him--the -characteristic and usual position in which, as we have already -mentioned, he was wont to carry his ellwand when a pedlar. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - - -The young couple were a good deal surprised at the unexpected visit -of their father and mother; for although they had been led to hope, -from the success of the old lady's mission, that their pardon would be -conceded, they had still, by hearing nothing further on the subject, -passed the interval in so much anxiety, that it had materially -impaired their happiness. Charles, who was well aware of the natural -obduracy of his father's disposition, had almost entirely given up all -expectation of ever being restored to his favour; and the despondency -of the apprehensions connected with this feeling underwent but little -alleviation when he observed the clouded aspect, the averted eye, -and the momentary glances, with which his wife was regarded, and the -troubled looks from time to time thrown towards himself. Nevertheless, -the visit, which was at first so embarrassing to all parties, began -to assume a more cordial character; and the generosity of Charles' -nature, which led him to give a benevolent interpretation to the -actions and motives of every man, soon mastered his anxieties; and he -found himself, after the ice was broken, enabled to take a part in the -raillery of his mother, who, in high glee and good humour, joked with -her blooming and blushing daughter-in-law, with all the dexterity and -delicacy of which she was so admirable a mistress. - -'Eh!' said she, 'but this was a galloping wedding o' yours, Charlie. -It was an unco-like thing, Bell--na, ye need na look down, for ye -maunna expek me to ca' you by your lang-nebbit baptismal name, now that -ye're my gude-dochter--for ceremony's a cauldrife commodity amang near -frien's. But surely, Bell, it would hae been mair wiselike had ye been -cried in the kirk three distink Sabbaths, as me and your gude-father -was, instead o' gallanting awa under the scog and cloud o' night, as -if ye had been fain and fey. Howsever, it's done noo; and the gudeman -means to be vastly genteel. I'm sure the post should get a hag when we -hear o' him coming wi' hundreds o' pounds in his pouch, to gi'e awa -for deil-be-licket but a gratus gift o' gude will, in hansel to your -matrimonial. But Charlie, your gudeman, Bell, was ay his pet, and so -am nane surprised at his unnatural partiality, only I ken they'll hae -clear e'en and bent brows that 'ill see him gi'eing ony sic almous to -Watty.' - -When the parental visitors had sat about an hour, during the great part -of which the Leddy o' Grippy continued in this strain of clishmaclaver, -the Laird said to her it was time to take the road homeward. Charles -pressed them to stay dinner. This, however, was decidedly refused by -his father, but not in quite so gruff a manner as he commonly gave -his refusals, for he added, giving Charles the bank-bill, as he moved -across the room towards the door,-- - -'Hae, there's something to help to keep the banes green, but be -careful, Charlie, for I doubt ye'll hae need, noo that ye're the head -o' a family, to look at baith sides o' the bawbee before ye part wi't.' - -'It's for a whole hundred pound,' exclaimed Lady Grippy in an exulting -whisper to her daughter-in-law--while the old man, after parting with -the paper, turned briskly round to his son, as if to interrupt his -thankfulness, and said,-- - -'Charlie, ye maun come wi' Watty and me on Wednesday; I hae a bit -alteration to make in my papers; and, as we need na cry sic things at -the Cross, I'm mindit to hae you and him for the witnesses.' - -Charles readily promised attendance; and the old people then made their -congees and departed. - -In the walk homeward Claud was still more taciturn than in the morning; -he was even sullen, and occasionally peevish; but his wife was in full -pipe and glee; and, as soon as they were beyond hearing, she said,-- - -'Every body maun alloo that she's a well far't lassie yon; and, if -she's as good as she's bonny, Charlie's no to mean wi' his match. But, -dear me, gudeman, ye were unco scrimpit in your talk to her--I think -ye might hae been a thought mair complaisant and jocose, considering -it was a marriage occasion; and I wonder what came o'er mysel that I -forgot to bid them come to the Grippy and tak their dinner the morn, -for ye ken we hae a side o' mutton in the house; for, since ye hae -made a conciliation free gratus wi' them, we need na be standing on -stapping-stanes; no that I think the less of the het heart that Charlie -has gi'en to us baith; but it was his forton, and we maun put up wi't. -Howsever, gudeman, ye'll alloo me to make an observe to you anent the -hundred pound. I think it would hae been more prudent to hae gi'en -them but the half o't, or ony smaller sum, for Charlie's no a very -gude guide;--siller wi' him gangs like snaw aff a dyke; and as for his -lilywhite-handit madam, a' the jingling o' her spinnit will ne'er make -up for the winsome tinkle o' Betty Bodle's tocher purse. But I hae been -thinking, gudeman, noo that Charlie's by hand and awa, as the ballad -o' 'Woo't and Married and a'' sings, could na ye persuade our Watty to -mak up to Betty, and sae get her gear saved to us yet?' - -This suggestion was the only wise thing, in the opinion of Claud, -that ever he had heard his wife utter; it was, indeed, in harmonious -accordance with the tenor of his own reflections, not only at the -moment, but from the hour in which he was first informed of the -marriage. For he knew, from the character of Miss Betty Bodle's father, -that the entail of the Grippy, in favour of Walter, would be deemed -by him a satisfactory equivalent for any intellectual defect. The -disinheritance of Charles was thus, in some degree, palliated to his -conscience as an act of family policy rather than of resentment; in -truth, resentment had perhaps very little to say in the feeling by -which it was dictated;--for, as all he did and thought of in life was -with a view to the restoration of the Walkinshaws of Kittlestonheugh, -we might be justified, for the honour of human nature, to believe, -that he actually contemplated the sacrifice which he was making of his -first-born to the Moloch of ancestral pride, with reluctance, nay, even -with sorrow. - -In the meantime, as he returned towards Grippy with his wife, thus -discoursing on the subject of Miss Betty Bodle and Walter, Charles -and Isabella were mutually felicitating themselves on the earnest -which they had so unexpectedly received of what they deemed a thorough -reconciliation. There had, however, been something so heartless in -the behaviour of the old man during the visit, that, notwithstanding -the hopes which his gift encouraged, it left a chill and comfortless -sensation in the bosom of the young lady, and her spirit felt it as the -foretaste of misfortune. Averse, however, to occasion any diminution -of the joy which the visit of his parents had afforded to her husband, -she endeavoured to suppress the bodement, and to partake of the -gladdening anticipations in which he indulged. The effort to please -others never fails to reward ourselves. In the afternoon, when the old -dowager called, she was delighted to find them both satisfied with the -prospect, which had so suddenly opened, and so far, too, beyond her -most sanguine expectations, that she also shared in their pleasure, and -with her grandson inferred, from the liberal earnest he had received, -that, in the papers and deeds he was invited to witness, his father -intended to make some provision to enable him to support the rank in -society to which Isabella had been born, and in which his own taste -prompted him to move. The evening, in consequence, was spent by them -with all the happiness which the children of men so often enjoy with -the freest confidence, while the snares of adversity are planted around -them, and the demons of sorrow and evil are hovering unseen, awaiting -the signal from destiny to descend on their blind and unsuspicious -victims. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - - -Grippy passed the interval between the visit and the day appointed -for the execution of the deeds of entail with as much comfort of mind -as Heaven commonly bestows on a man conscious of an unjust intention, -and unable to excuse it to himself. Charles, who, in the meantime, -naturally felt some anxiety to learn the precise nature of the intended -settlement, was early afoot on the morning of Wednesday, and walked -from the lodgings where he resided with his wife in Glasgow to meet -his father and brother, on their way to the town. Being rather before -the time appointed, he went forward to the house, on the green plot in -front of which the old man was standing, with his hands behind, and his -head thoughtfully bent downwards. - -The approach of his son roused Claud from his reverie; and he went -briskly forward to meet him, shaking him heartily by the hand, and -inquiring, with more kindness than the occasion required, for the -health of his young wife. Such unusual cordiality tended to confirm -the delusion which the gift of the bank-bill on Sunday had inspired; -but the paroxysm of affection produced by the effort to disguise the -sense which the old man suffered of the irreparable wrong he was so -doggedly resolved to commit, soon went off; and, in the midst of his -congratulations, conscience smote him with such confusion, that he -was obliged to turn away, to conceal the embarrassment which betrayed -the insincerity of the warmth he had so well assumed. Poor Charles, -however, was prevented from observing the change in his manner and -countenance, by Walter appearing at the door in his Sunday clothes, -followed by his mother, with his best hat in her hand, which she was -smoothing at the same time with the tail of her apron. - -'I redde ye, my bairn,' said she to Walter, as she gave him the hat, -'to take care o' thysel, for ye ken they're an unco crew ay in the -Trongate on Wednesday; and mind what I hae been telling you, no to put -your hand to pen and ink unless Mr. Keelevin tells you it's to be for -your advantage; for Charlie's your father's ain chevalier, and nae -farther gane than the last Lord's day, he gied him, as I telt you, a -whole hundred pound for hansel to his tocherless matrimony.' - -Charles, at this speech, reddened and walked back from the house, -without speaking to his mother; but he had not advanced many steps -towards the gate, when she cried,-- - -'Hey, Charlie! are ye sae muckle ta'en up wi' your bonny bride, that -your mother's already forgotten?' - -He felt the reproof, and immediately turned and went back to make some -apology, but she prevented him by saying,-- - -'See that this is no a Jacob and Esau business, Charlie, and that ye -dinna wrang poor Watty; for he's an easy good-natured lad, and will -just do what either you or his father bids him.' - -Charles laughed, and replied,-- - -'I think, mother, your exhortation should rather be to Watty than me; -for ye ken Jacob was the youngest, and beguiled his auld brother of the -birthright.' - -The old man heard the remark, and felt it rush through his very soul -with the anguish of a barbed and feathered arrow; and he exclaimed, -with an accent of remorse as sharp and bitter as the voice of anger,-- - -'Hae done wi' your clavers, and come awa. Do ye think Mr. Keelevin -has nothing mair to do than to wait for us, while ye're talking -profanity, and taigling at this gait? Come awa, Watty, ye gumshionless -cuif as ever father was plagued wi'; and Charlie, my lad, let us gang -thegither, the haverel will follow; for if it has na the colley-dog's -sense, it has something like its instinct.' - -And so saying, he stepped on hastily towards the gate, swinging his -staff in his right hand, and walking faster and more erectly than he -was wont. - -The two sons, seeing the pace at which their father was going forward, -parted from their mother and followed him, Charles laughing and jeering -at the beau which Walter had made of himself. - -During the journey the old man kept aloof from them, turning -occasionally round to rebuke their mirth, for there was something in -the freedom and gaiety of Charles's laugh that reproached his spirit, -and the folly of Walter was never so disagreeable to him before. - -When they reached the office of Mr. Keelevin, they found him with -the parchments ready on the desk; but before reading them over, he -requested the Laird to step in with him into his inner-chamber. - -'Noo, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said he, when he had shut the door, 'I hope ye -have well reflected on this step, for when it is done, there's nae -power in the law o' Scotland to undo it. I would, therefore, fain hope -ye're no doing this out of any motive or feeling of resentment for the -thoughtless marriage, it may be, of your auld son.' - -Claud assured him, that he was not in the slightest degree influenced -by any such sentiment; adding, 'But, Mr. Keelevin, though I employ you -to do my business, I dinna think ye ought to catechize me. Ye're, as I -would say, but the pen in this matter, and the right or the wrong o't's -a' my ain. I would, therefore, counsel you, noo that the papers are -ready, that they should be implemented, and for that purpose, I hae -brought my twa sons to be the witnesses themselves to the act and deed.' - -Mr. Keelevin held up his hands, and, starting back, gave a deep sigh as -he said,--'It's no possible that Charlie can be consenting to his own -disinheritance, or he's as daft as his brother.' - -'Consenting here, or consenting there, Mr. Keelevin,' replied the -father, 'ye'll just bring in the papers and read them o'er to me; ye -need na fash to ca' ben the lads, for that might breed strife atween -them.' - -'Na! as sure's death, Mr. Walkinshaw,' exclaimed the honest writer, -with a warmth and simplicity rather obsolete among his professional -brethren now-a-days, however much they may have been distinguished for -those qualities in the innocent golden age; 'Na! as sure's death, Mr. -Walkinshaw, this is mair than I hae the conscience to do; the lads are -parties to the transaction, by their reversionary interest, and it is -but right and proper they should know what they are about.' - -'Mr. Keelevin,' cried the Laird, peevishly, 'ye're surely growing -doited. It would be an unco-like thing if witnesses to our wills and -testaments had a right to ken what we bequeathe. Please God, neither -Charlie nor Watty sall be ony the wiser o' this day's purpose, as lang -as the breath's in my body.' - -'Weel, Mr. Walkinshaw,' replied the lawyer, 'ye'll tak your own way -o't, I see that; but, as ye led me to believe, I hope an' trust it's -in your power to make up to Charles the consequences of this very -extraordinary entail; and I hope ye'll lose no time till ye hae done -sae.' - -'Mr. Keelevin, ye'll read the papers,' was the brief and abrupt answer -which Claud made to this admonition; and the papers were accordingly -brought in and read. - -During the reading, Claud was frequently afflicted by the discordant -cheerfulness of Charles's voice in the outer room, joking with the -clerks at the expense of his fortunate brother; but the task of -aforesaids and hereafters being finished, he called them in, with -a sharp and peevish accent, and signed the deeds in their presence. -Charles took the pen from his father, and also at once signed as -witness, while Mr. Keelevin looked the living image of amazement; but, -when the pen was presented to Watty, he refused to take it. - -'What am I to get by this?' said the natural, mindful of his mother's -advice. 'I would like to ken that. Nobody writes papers without -payment.' - -'T'ou's a born idiot,' said the father; 'wilt t'ou no do as t'ou's -bidden?' - -'I'll do ony other thing ye like, but I'll no sign that drum-head -paper, without an advantage: ye would na get Mr. Keelevin to do the -like o't without payment; and what for should ye get me? Have na I come -in a' the gait frae the Grippy to do this; and am I no to get a black -bawbee for my pains?' - -The Laird masked the vexation with which this idiot speech of his -destined heir troubled his self-possession, while Charles sat down in -one of the chairs, convulsed with laughter. Claud was not, however, -to be deterred from his purpose by the absurdity of his son: on the -contrary, he was afraid to make the extent of the fool's folly too -evident, lest it might afterwards be rendered instrumental to set aside -the entail. He called in one of the clerks from the outer-chamber, -and requested him to attest his signature. Walter loudly complained -of being so treated; and said, that he expected a guinea, at the very -least, for the trouble he had been put to; for so he interpreted the -advantage to which his mother had alluded. - -'Weel, weel,' said his father, 'ha'd thy tongue, and t'ou sall get a -guinea; but first sign this other paper,' presenting to him the second -deed; by which, as possessor of the Plealands' estate, he entailed -it in the same manner, and to the same line of succession, as he had -himself destined the Grippy. The assurance of the guinea was effectual; -Walter signed the deed, which was witnessed by Charles and the clerk; -and the disinheritance was thus made complete. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - - -On leaving the office of Mr. Keelevin, Charles invited his father and -brother to go home with him; but the old man abruptly turned away. -Walter, however, appeared inclined to accept the invitation, and was -moving off with Charles, when their father looked back, and chidingly -commanded him to come along. - -At any other time, this little incident would have been unnoticed by -Charles, who, believing the old man had made some liberal provision -for him or for his wife, was struck with the harsh contrast of such -behaviour to the paternal affection by which he thought him actuated; -and he paused, in consequence, thoughtfully looking after him as he -walked towards the Cross, followed by Walter. - -Grippy had not proceeded above twenty or thirty paces when he stopped, -and turning round, called to his son, who immediately obeyed the -summons. - -'Charlie,' said he, 'I hope t'ou'll let nae daffing nor ploys about -this marriage o' thine tak up thy attention frae the shop; for business -maun be minded; and I'm thinking t'ou had as weel be making up a bit -balance-sheet, that I may see how the counts stand between us.' - -This touched an irksome recollection, and recalled to mind the -observation which his father had made on the occasion of Fatherlans' -ruin, with respect to the hazards of taking into partnership a man with -the prospect of a family. - -'I hope,' was his reply, 'that it is not your intention, sir, to close -accounts with me?' - -'No, Charlie, no,' was his answer.--'I'll maybe mak things better for -thee--t'ou'll no be out o' the need o't. But atween hands mak up the -balance-sheet, and come doun on Saturday wi' thy wife to Grippy, and -we'll hae some discourse anent it.' - -With these words, the old man and Walter again went on towards the -Cross, leaving Charles standing perplexed, and unable to divine the -source and motives of his father's behaviour. It seemed altogether -so unaccountable, that for a moment he thought of going back to -Mr. Keelevin to ask him concerning the settlements; but a sense of -propriety restrained him, and he thought it alike indelicate and -dishonourable to pry into an affair which was so evidently concealed -from him. But this restraint, and these considerations, did not in -any degree tend to allay the anxiety which the mysteriousness of his -father's conduct had so keenly excited; so that, when he returned home -to Isabella, he appeared absent and thoughtful, which she attributed -to some disappointment in his expectations,--an idea the more natural -to her, as she had, from the visit on Sunday, been haunted with an -apprehension that there was something unsound in the reconciliation. - -Upon being questioned as to the cause of his altered spirits, Charles -could give no feasible reason for the change. He described what had -passed, he mentioned what his father had said, and he communicated the -invitation, in all which there was nothing that the mind could lay hold -of, nor aught to justify his strange and indescribable apprehension, if -that feeling might be called an apprehension, to which his imagination -could attach no danger, nor conjure up any thing to be feared. On -the contrary, so far from having reason to suspect that evil was -meditated against him, he had received a positive assurance that his -circumstances would probably receive an immediate improvement; but for -all that, there had been, in the reserve of the old man's manner, and -in the vagueness of his promises, a something which sounded hollowly to -his hope, and deprived him of confidence in the anticipations he had -cherished. - -While Isabella and he were sitting together conversing on the subject, -the old Leddy Plealands came in, anxious to hear what had been done, -having previously been informed of the intended settlements, but not -of their nature and objects. In her character, as we have already -intimated, there was a considerable vein, if not of romantic sentiment, -unquestionably of morbid sensibility. She disliked her son-in-law from -the first moment in which she saw him; and this dislike had made her so -averse to his company, that, although their connexion was now nearly -of four-and-twenty years' standing, she had still but a very imperfect -notion of his character. She regarded him as one of the most sordid of -men, without being aware that avarice with him was but an agent in the -pursuit of that ancestral phantom which he worshipped as the chief, -almost the only, good in life; and, therefore, could neither imagine -any possible ground for supposing, that, after being reconciled, -he could intend his first-born any injury, nor sympathize with the -anxieties which her young friends freely confessed both felt, while -she could not but deplore the unsatisfactory state of their immediate -situation. - -In the meantime, Walter and his father were walking homeward. The old -man held no communion with his son; but now and then he rebuked him for -halloing at birds in the hedges, or chasing butterflies, a sport so -unbecoming his years. - -In their way they had occasion to pass the end of the path which led to -Kilmarkeckle, where Miss Bodle, the heiress, resided with her father. - -'Watty,' said Grippy to his son, 'gae thy ways hame by thysel, and tell -thy mither that am gaun up to the Kilmarkeckle to hae some discourse -wi' Mr. Bodle, so that she need na weary if I dinna come hame to my -dinner.' - -'Ye had better come hame,' said Watty, 'for there's a sheep's head in -the pat, wi' a cuff o' the neck like ony Glasgow bailie's.--Ye'll no -get the like o't at Kilmarkeckle, where the kail's sae thin that every -pile o' barley runs roun' the dish, bobbing and bidding gude day to its -neighbour.' - -Claud had turned into the footpath from the main road, but there was -something in this speech which did more than provoke his displeasure; -and he said aloud, and with an accent of profound dread,--'I hope the -Lord can forgi'e me for what I hae done to this fool!' - -Walter was not so void of sense as to be incapable of comprehending the -substance of this contrite exclamation; and instantly recollecting his -mother's admonition, and having some idea, imperfect as it was, of the -peril of parchments with seals on them, he began, with obstreperous -sobs and wails, to weep and cry, because, as he said, 'My father and -our Charlie had fastened on me the black bargain o' a law plea to wrang -me o' auld daddy's mailing.' - -Grippy was petrified; it seemed to him that his son was that day -smitten, in anger to him by the hand of Heaven, with a more disgusting -idiocy than he had ever before exhibited, and, instigated by the -aversion of the moment, he rushed towards him, and struck him so -furiously with his stick, that he sent him yelling homeward as fast -as he could run. The injustice and the rashness of the action were -felt at once, and, overpowered for a few seconds by shame, remorse, -and grief, the old man sat down on a low dry-stone wall that bounded -the road on one side, and clasping his hands fervently together, -confessed with bitter tears that he doubted he had committed a great -sin. It was, however, but a transitory contrition, for, hearing some -one approaching, he rose abruptly, and lifting his stick, which he had -dropped in his agitation, walked up the footpath towards Kilmarkeckle; -but he had not advanced many paces when a hand was laid on his -shoulder. He looked round, and it was Walter, with his hat folded -together in his hand. - -'Father,' said the fool, 'I hae catched a muckle bum-bee; will ye help -to haud it till I take out the honey blob?' - -'I'll go hame, Watty--I'll go hame,' was the only answer he made, in an -accent of extreme sorrow, 'I'll go hame; I daur do nae mair this day,' -and he returned back with Walter to the main road, where, having again -recovered his self-possession, he said, 'I'm dafter than thee to gang -on in this fool gait; go, as I bade thee, hame and tell thy mother -no to look for me to dinner, for I'll aiblins bide wi' Kilmarkeckle.' -In saying which, he turned briskly round, and, without ever looking -behind, walked with an alert step, swinging his staff courageously, -and never halted till he reached Kilmarkeckle House, where he was met -at the door by Mr. Bodle himself, who, seeing him approaching up the -avenue, came out to meet him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - - -Bodle of Kilmarkeckle, like all the lairds of that time, was come of an -ancient family, in some degree related to the universal stock of Adam, -but how much more ancient, no historian has yet undertaken to show. -Like his contemporaries of the same station, he was, of course, proud -of his lineage; but he valued himself more on his own accomplishments -than even on the superior purity of his blood. We are, however, in -doubt, whether he ought to be described as an artist or a philosopher, -for he had equal claims to the honour of being both, and certainly -without question, in the art of delineating hieroglyphical resemblances -of birds and beasts on the walls of his parlour with snuff, he had -evinced, if not talent or genius, at least considerable industry. In -the course of more than twenty years, he had not only covered the walls -with many a curious and grotesque form, but invented,--and therein -lay the principle of his philosophy--a particular classification, as -original and descriptive as that of Linnaeus. - -At an early age he had acquired the habit of taking snuff, and in -process of time became, as all regular snuff-takers are, acute in -discriminating the shades and inflexions of flavour in the kind to -which he was addicted. This was at once the cause and the principle of -his science. For the nature of each of the birds and beasts which he -modelled resembled, as he averred, some peculiarity in the tobacco -of which the snuff that they severally represented had been made; and -really, to do him justice, it was quite wonderful to hear with what -ingenuity he could explain the discriminative qualities in which the -resemblance of attributes and character consisted. But it must be -confessed, that he sometimes fell into that bad custom remarkable among -philosophers, of talking a great deal too much to every body, and on -every occasion, of his favourite study. Saving this, however, the Laird -of Kilmarkeckle was in other respects a harmless easy-tempered man, of -a nature so kind and indulgent, that he allowed all about him to grow -to rankness. The number of cats of every size and age which frisked -in his parlour, or basked at the sunny side of the house, exceeded -all reasonable credibility, and yet it was a common saying among the -neighbours, that Kilmarkeckle's mice kittled twice as often as his cats. - -In nothing was his easy and indulgent nature more shown than in his -daughter, Miss Betty, who having, at an early age, lost her mother, -he had permitted to run unbridled among the servants, till the habits -which she had acquired in consequence rendered every subsequent -attempt to reduce her into the requisite subjection of the sex totally -unavailing. - -She had turned her twentieth year, and was not without beauty, but of -such a sturdy and athletic kind, that, with her open ruddy countenance, -laughing eyes, white well-set teeth, and free and joyous step and -air, justly entitled her to the nickname of Fun, bestowed by Charles -Walkinshaw. She was fond of dogs and horses, and was a better shot than -the Duke of Douglas's gamekeeper. Bold, boisterous, and frank, she made -no scruple of employing her whip when rudely treated either by master -or man; for she frequently laid herself open to freedoms from both, -and she neither felt nor pretended to any of her sex's gentleness nor -delicacy. Still she was not without a conciliatory portion of feminine -virtues, and perhaps, had she been fated to become the wife of a -sportsman or a soldier, she might possibly have appeared on the turf -or in the tent to considerable advantage. - -Such a woman, it may be supposed, could not but look with the most -thorough contempt on Walter Walkinshaw; and yet, from the accidental -circumstance of being often his playmate in childhood, and making him, -in the frolic of their juvenile amusements, her butt and toy, she had -contracted something like an habitual affection for the creature; in -so much, that, when her father, after Claud's visit, proposed Walter -for her husband, she made no serious objection to the match; on the -contrary, she laughed, and amused herself with the idea of making -him fetch and carry as whimsically as of old, and do her hests and -biddings as implicitly as when they were children. Every thing thus -seemed auspicious to a speedy and happy union of the properties of -Kilmarkeckle and Grippy,--indeed, so far beyond the most sanguine -expectations of Claud, that, when he saw the philosophical Laird coming -next morning, with a canister of snuff in his hand, to tell him the -result of his communication to Miss Betty, his mind was prepared to -hear a most decided, and even a menacing refusal, for having ventured -to make the proposal. - -'Come away, Kilmarkeckle,' said he, meeting him at the door; 'come in -by--what's the best o' your news this morning? I hope nothing's wrang -at hame, to gar you look sae as ye were fasht?' - -'Troth,' replied Kilmarkeckle, 'I hae got a thing this morning that's -very vexatious. Last year, at Beltane, ye should ken, I coft frae -Donald M'Sneeshen, the tobacconist aboon the Cross of Glasgow, a -canister of a kind that I ca'd the Linty. It was sae brisk in the -smeddum, so pleasant to the smell, garring ye trow in the sniffling -that ye were sitting on a bonny green knowe in hay time, by the side -of a blooming whin-bush, hearkening to the blithe wee birdies singing -sangs, as it were, to pleasure the summer's sun; and what would ye -think, Mr. Walkinshaw, here is another canister of a sort that I'll -defy ony ordinary nose to tell the difference, and yet, for the life -o' me, I canna gie't in conscience anither name than the Hippopotamus.' - -'But hae ye spoken to your dochter?' said Grippy, interrupting him, and -apprehensive of a dissertation. - -'O aye, atweel I hae done that.' - -'And what did Miss Betty say?' - -'Na, an ye had but seen and heard her, ye would just hae dee't, Mr. -Walkinshaw. I'm sure I wonder wha the lassie taks her light-hearted -merriment frae, for her mother was a sober and sedate sensible woman; I -never heard her jocose but ance, in a' the time we were thegither, and -that was when I expounded to her how Maccaba is like a nightingale, the -whilk, as I hae seen and read in print, is a feathert fowl that has a -great notion o' roses.' - -'I was fear't for that,' rejoined Claud, suspecting that Miss Betty had -ridiculed the proposal. - -'But to gae back to the Linty and the Hippopotamus,' resumed -Kilmarkeckle. 'The snuff that I hae here in this canister--tak a pree -o't, Mr. Walkinshaw--it was sent me in a present frae Mr. Glassford, -made out of the primest hogget in his last cargo--what think ye o't? -Noo, I would just speer gin ye could tell wherein it may be likened -to a hippopotamus, the which is a creature living in the rivers of -Afrikaw, and has twa ivory teeth, bigger, as I am creditably informed, -than the blade o' a scythe.' - -Claud, believing that his proposal had been rejected, and not desirous -of reverting to the subject, encouraged the philosopher to talk, by -saying, that he could not possibly imagine how snuff could be said to -resemble any such creature. - -'That's a' that ye ken!' said Kilmarkeckle, chuckling with pleasure, -and inhaling a pinch with the most cordial satisfaction. 'This snuff is -just as like a hippopotamus as the other sort that was sae like it was -like a linty; and nothing could be plainer; for even now when I hae't -in my nostril, I think I see the creature wallowing and wantoning in -some wide river in a lown sunny day, wi' its muckle glad e'en, wamling -wi' delight in its black head, as it lies lapping in the clear caller -water, wi' its red tongue, twirling and twining round its ivory teeth, -and every now and then giving another lick.' - -'But I dinna see any likeness in that to snuff, Mr. Bodle,' said Claud. - -'That's most extraordinary, Mr. Walkinshaw; for surely there is a -likeness somewhere in every thing that brings another thing to mind; -and although as yet I'll no point out to you the vera particularity in -a hippopotamus by which this snuff gars me think o' the beast, ye must, -nevertheless, allow past a' dispute, that there is a particularity.' - -Claud replied with ironical gravity, that he thought the snuff much -more like a meadow, for it had the smell and flavour of new hay. - -'Ye're no far frae the mark, Grippy; and now I'll tell you wherein the -likeness lies. The hay, ye ken, is cut down by scythes in meadows; -meadows lie by water-sides: the teeth of the hippopotamus is as big as -scythes; and he slumbers and sleeps in the rivers of Afrikaw; so the -snuff, smelling like hay, brings a' thae things to mind; and therefore -it is like a hippopotamus.' - -After enjoying a hearty laugh at this triumph of his reasoning, the -philosopher alighted from his hobby, and proceeded to tell Claud that -he had spoken to his daughter, and that she had made no objection to -the match. - -'Heavens preserve us, Mr. Bodle!' exclaimed Grippy; 'what were ye -havering sae about a brute beast, and had sic blithsome news to tell -me?' - -They then conversed somewhat circumstantially regarding the requisite -settlements, Kilmarkeckle agreeing entirely with every thing that the -sordid and cunning bargainer proposed, until the whole business was -arranged, except the small particular of ascertaining how the appointed -bridegroom stood affected. This, however, his father undertook to -manage, and also that Walter should go in the evening to Kilmarkeckle, -and in person make a tender of his heart and hand to the blooming, -boisterous, and bouncing Miss Betty. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - - -'Watty,' said the Laird o' Grippy to his hopeful heir, calling him into -the room, after Kilmarkeckle had retired,-- - -'Watty, come ben and sit down; I want to hae some solid converse wi' -thee. Dist t'ou hearken to what I'm saying?--Kilmarkeckle has just been -wi' me--Hear'st t'ou me?--deevil an I saw the like o' thee--what's t'ou -looking at? As I was saying, Kilmarkeckle has been here, and he was -thinking that you and his dochter'-- - -'Weel,' interrupted Watty, 'if ever I saw the like o' that. There was -a Jenny Langlegs bumming at the corner o' the window, when down came -a spider wabster as big as a puddock, and claught it in his arms; and -he's off and awa wi' her intil his nest;--I ne'er saw the like o't.' - -'It's most extraordinar, Watty Walkinshaw,' exclaimed his father -peevishly, 'that I canna get a mouthful o' common sense out o' thee, -although I was just telling thee o' the greatest advantage that t'ou's -ever likely to meet wi' in this world. How would ye like Miss Betty -Bodle for a wife?' - -'O father!' - -'I'm saying, would na she make a capital Leddy o' the Plealands?' - -Walter made no reply, but laughed, and chucklingly rubbed his hands, -and then delightedly patted the sides of his thighs with them. - -'I'm sure ye canna fin' ony fau't wi' her; there's no a brawer nor a -better tocher'd lass in the three shires.--What think'st t'ou?' - -Walter suddenly suspended his ecstasy; and grasping his knees firmly, -he bent forward, and, looking his father seriously in the face, said,-- - -'But will she no thump me? Ye mind how she made my back baith black and -blue.--I'm frightit.' - -'Haud thy tongue wi' sic nonsense; that happened when ye were but -bairns. I'm sure there's no a blither, bonnier quean in a' the kintra -side.' - -'I'll no deny that she has red cheeks, and e'en like blobs o' honey-dew -in a kail-blade; but father--Lord, father! she has a neive like a beer -mell.' - -'But for a' that, a sightly lad like you might put up wi' her, Watty. -I'm sure ye'll gang far, baith east and west, before ye'll meet wi' her -marrow; and ye should reflek on her tocher, the whilk is a wull-ease -that's no to be found at ilka dykeside.' - -'Aye, so they say; her uncle 'frauded his ain only dochter, and left -her a stocking-fu' o' guineas for a legacy.--But will she let me go -halver?' - -'Ye need na misdoubt that; na, an ye fleech her weel, I would na be -surprised if she would gi'e you the whole tot; and I'm sure ye ne'er -hae seen ony woman that ye can like better.' - -'Aye, but I hae though,' replied Watty confidently. - -'Wha is't?' exclaimed his father, surprised and terrified. - -'My mother.' - -The old man, sordid as he was, and driving thus earnestly his greedy -purpose, was forced to laugh at the solemn simplicity of this answer; -but he added, resuming his perseverance,-- - -'True! I did na think o' thy mother, Watty--but an t'ou was ance -marriet to Betty Bodle, t'ou would soon like her far better than thy -mother.' - -'The fifth command says, "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy -days may be long in the land;" and there's no ae word about liking a -wife in a' the rest.' - -'Weel, weel, but what I hae to say is, that me and Kilmarkeckle hae -made a paction for thee to marry his dochter, and t'ou maun just gang -o'er the night and court Miss Betty.' - -'But I dinna ken the way o't, father; I ne'er did sic a thing a' my -days; odd, I'm unco blate to try't.' - -'Gude forgi'e me,' said Claud to himself, 'but the creature grows -sillier and sillier every day--I tell thee, Watty Walkinshaw, to pluck -up the spirit o' manhood, and gang o'er this night to Kilmarkeckle, and -speak to Miss Betty by yoursel about the wedding.' - -'Atweel, I can do that, and help her to buy her parapharnauls.--We will -hae a prime apple-pye that night, wi' raisins in't.' - -The old man was petrified.--It seemed to him that it was utterly -impossible the marriage could ever take place, and he sat for some time -stricken, as it were, with a palsy of the mind. But these intervals -of feeling and emotion were not of long duration; his inflexible -character, and the ardour with which his whole spirit was devoted to -the attainment of one object, soon settled and silenced all doubt, -contrition, and hesitation; and considering, so far as Walter was -concerned, the business decided, he summoned his wife to communicate to -her the news,-- - -'Girzy Hypel,' said he as she entered the room, holding by the neck a -chicken, which she was assisting the maids in the kitchen to pluck for -dinner, and the feathers of which were sticking thickly on the blue -worsted apron which she had put on to protect her old red quilted silk -petticoat. - -'Girzy Hypel, be nane surprised to hear of a purpose of marriage soon -between Watty and Betty Bodle.' - -'No possible!' exclaimed the Leddy, sitting down with vehemence in her -astonishment, and flinging, at the same time, the chicken across her -lap, with a certain degree of instinctive or habitual dexterity. - -'What for is't no possible?' said the Laird angrily through his teeth, -apprehensive that she was going to raise some foolish objection. - -'Na, gudeman, an that's to be a come-to-pass--let nobody talk o' -miracles to me. For although it's a thing just to the nines o' my -wishes, I hae ay jealoused that Betty Bodle would na tak him, for she's -o' a rampant nature, and he's a sober weel-disposed lad. My word, -Watty, t'ou has thy ain luck--first thy grandfather's property o' the -Plealands, and syne'--She was going to add, 'sic a bonny braw-tochered -lass as Betty Bodle'--but her observation struck jarringly on the -most discordant string in her husband's bosom, and he interrupted her -sharply, saying,-- - -'Every thing that's ordained will come to pass; and a' that I hae for -the present to observe to you, Girzy, is, to tak tent that the lad -gangs over wiselike, at the gloaming, to Kilmarkeckle, in order to see -Miss Betty anent the wedding.' - -'I'm sure,' retorted the Leddy, 'I hae no need to green for weddings in -my family, for, instead o' any pleasance to me, the deil-be-licket's -my part and portion o' the pastime but girns and gowls. Gudeman, ye -should learn to keep your temper, and be of a composed spirit, and talk -wi' me in a sedate manner, when our bairns are changing their life. -Watty, my lad, mind what your mother says--"Marriage is a creel, where -ye maun catch," as the auld byword runs, "an adder or an eel." But, as -I was rehearsing, I could na hae thought that Betty Bodle would hae -fa'en just at ance into your grip; for I had a notion that she was oure -souple in the tail to be easily catched. But it's the Lord's will, -Watty; and I hope ye'll enjoy a' manner o' happiness wi' her, and be -a comfort to ane anither, like your father and me,--bringing up your -bairns in the fear o' God, as we hae done you, setting them, in your -walk and conversation, a pattern of sobriety and honesty, till they -come to years of discretion, when, if it's ordained for them, nae doubt -they'll look, as ye hae done, for a settlement in the world, and ye -maun part wi' them, as we are obligated, by course of nature, to part -with you.' - -At the conclusion of which pathetic address, the old lady lifted her -apron to wipe the gathered drops from her eyes, when Watty exclaimed,-- - -'Eh! mother, ane o' the hen's feathers is playing at whirley wi' the -breath o' your nostril!' - -Thus ended the annunciation of the conjugal felicity of which Grippy -was the architect. - -After dinner, Walter, dressed and set off to the best advantage by -the assistance of his mother, walked, accompanied by his father, to -Kilmarkeckle; and we should do him injustice if we did not state, -that, whatever might be his intellectual deficiencies, undoubtedly in -personal appearance, saving, perhaps, some little lack of mental light -in his countenance, he was cast in a mould to find favour in any lady's -eye. Perhaps he did not carry himself quite as firmly as if he had been -broken in by a serjeant of dragoons, and in his air and gait we shall -not undertake to affirm that there was nothing lax nor slovenly, but -still, upon the whole, he was, as his mother said, looking after him as -he left the house, 'a braw bargain of manhood, get him wha would.' - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - - -After Kilmarkeckle had welcomed Grippy and Walter, he began to talk of -the hippopotamus, by showing them the outlines of a figure which he -intended to fill up with the snuff on the wall. Claud, however, cut him -short, by proposing, in a whisper, that Miss Betty should be called in, -and that she and Walter should be left together, while they took a walk -to discuss the merits of the hippopotamus. This was done quickly, and, -accordingly, the young lady made her appearance, entering the room with -a blushing giggle, perusing her Titan of a suitor from head to heel -with the beam of her eye. - -'We'll leave you to yoursels,' said her father jocularly, 'and, Watty, -be brisk wi' her, lad; she can thole a touzle, I'se warrant.' - -This exhortation had, however, no immediate effect, for Walter, from -the moment she made her appearance, looked awkward and shamefaced, -swinging his hat between his legs, with his eyes fixed on the brazen -head of the tongs, which were placed upright astraddle in front of -the grate; but every now and then he peeped at her from the corner -of his eye with a queer and luscious glance, which, while it amused, -deterred her for some time from addressing him. Diffidence, however, -had nothing to do with the character of Miss Betty Bodle, and a feeling -of conscious superiority soon overcame the slight embarrassment which -arose from the novelty of her situation. - -Observing the perplexity of her lover, she suddenly started from her -seat, and advancing briskly towards him, touched him on the shoulder, -saying,-- - -'Watty,--I say, Watty, what's your will wi' me?' - -'Nothing,' was the reply, while he looked up knowingly in her face. - -'What are ye fear't for? I ken what ye're come about,' said she; 'my -father has telt me.' - -At these encouraging words, he leaped from his chair with an alacrity -unusual to his character, and attempted to take her in his arms; but -she nimbly escaped from his clasp, giving him, at the same time, a -smart slap on the cheek. - -'That's no fair, Betty Bodle,' cried the lover, rubbing his cheek, and -looking somewhat offended and afraid. - -'Then what gart you meddle wi' me?' replied the bouncing girl, with a -laughing bravery that soon reinvigorated his love. - -'I'm sure I was na gaun to do you ony harm,' was the reply;--'no, as -sure's death, Betty, I would rather cut my finger than do you ony -scaith, for I like you so weel--I canna tell you how weel; but, if -ye'll tak me, I'll mak you the Leddy o' the Plealands in a jiffy, and -my mother says that my father will gie me a hundred pound to buy you -parapharnauls and new plenishing.' - -The young lady was probably conciliated by the manner in which this -was said; for she approached towards him, and while still affecting -to laugh, it was manifest even to Walter himself that she was not -displeased by the alacrity with which he had come to the point. -Emboldened by her freedom, he took her by the hand, looking, however, -away from her, as if he was not aware of what he had done; and in this -situation they stood for the space of two or three minutes without -speaking. Miss Betty was the first to break silence:-- - -'Weel, Watty,' said she, 'what are ye going to say to me?' - -'Na,' replied he, becoming almost gallant; 'it's your turn to speak -noo. I hae spoken my mind, Betty Bodle--Eh! this is a bonny hand; and -what a sonsy arm ye hae--I could amaist bite your cheek, Betty Bodle--I -could.' - -'Gude preserve me, Watty! ye're like a wud dog.' - -'An I were sae, I would worry you,' was his animated answer, while -he turned round, and devoured her with kisses; a liberty which she -instantaneously resented, by vigorously pushing him from her, and -driving him down into her father's easy chair; his arm in the fall -rubbing off half a score of the old gentleman's snuffy representatives. - -But, notwithstanding this masculine effort of maiden modesty, Miss -Betty really rejoiced in the ardent intrepidity of her lover, and said, -merrily, - -'I redde you, Watty, keep your distance; man and wife's man and wife; -but I'm only Betty Bodle, and ye're but Watty Walkinshaw.' - -'Od, Betty,' replied Watty, not more than half-pleased, as he rubbed -his right elbow, which was hurt in the fall, 'ye're desperate strong, -woman; and what were ye the waur o' a bit slaik o' a kiss? Howsever, my -bonny dawty, we'll no cast out for a' that; for if ye'll just marry me, -and I'm sure ye'll no get any body that can like you half so weel, I'll -do anything ye bid me, as sure's death I will--there's my hand, Betty -Bodle, I will; and I'll buy you the bravest satin gown in a' Glasgow, -wi' far bigger flowers on't than on any ane in a' Mrs. Bailie Nicol -Jarvie's aught. And we'll live in the Plealands House, and do nothing -frae dawn to dark but shoo ane another on a swing between the twa trees -on the green; and I'll be as kind to you, Betty Bodle, as I can be, -and buy you likewise a side-saddle, and a pony to ride on; and when the -winter comes, sowing the land wi' hailstones to grow frost and snaw, -we'll sit cosily at the chumley-lug, and I'll read you a chapter o' the -Bible, or aiblins 'Patie and Rodger',--as sure's death I will, Betty -Bodle.' - -It would seem, indeed, that there is something exalting and inspiring -in the tender passion; for the earnest and emphatic manner in which -this was said gave a degree of energy to the countenance of Watty, that -made him appear in the eyes of his sweetheart, to whom moral vigour -was not an object of primary admiration, really a clever and effectual -fellow. - -'I'll be free wi' you, Watty,' was her answer; 'I dinna objek to tak -you, but,'--and she hesitated. - -'But what?' said Watty, still exalted above his wont. - -'Ye maunna hurry the wedding oure soon.' - -'Ye'll get your ain time, Betty Bodle, I'll promise you that,' was -his soft answer; 'but when a bargain's struck, the sooner payment's -made the better; for, as the copy-line at the school says, "Delays are -dangerous."--So, if ye like, Betty, we can be bookit on Saturday, and -cried, for the first time, on Sabbath, and syne, a second time next -Lord's day, and the third time on the Sunday after, and marriet on the -Tuesday following.' - -'I dinna think, Watty,' said she, laying her hand on his shoulder, -'that we need sic a fasherie o' crying.' - -'Then, if ye dinna like it, Betty Bodle, I'm sure neither do I, so we -can be cried a' out on ae day, and married on Monday, like my brother -and Bell Fatherlans.' - -What more might have passed, as the lovers had now come to a perfect -understanding with each other, it is needless to conjecture, as the -return of the old gentlemen interrupted their conversation; so that, -not to consume the precious time of our readers with any unnecessary -disquisition, we shall only say, that some objection being stated -by Grippy to the first Monday as a day too early for the requisite -settlements to be prepared, it was agreed that the booking should take -place, as Walter had proposed, on the approaching Saturday, and that -the banns should be published, once on the first Sunday, and twice on -the next, and that the wedding should be held on the Tuesday following. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - - -When Charles and Isabella were informed that his brother and -Betty Bodle were to be bookit on Saturday, that is, their names -recorded, for the publication of the banns, in the books of the -kirk-session,--something like a gleam of light seemed to be thrown on -the obscurity which invested the motives of the old man's conduct. They -were perfectly aware of Walter's true character, and concluded, as all -the world did at the time, that the match was entirely of his father's -contrivance; and they expected, when Walter's marriage settlement came -to be divulged, that they would then learn what provision had been made -for themselves. In the meantime, Charles made out the balance-sheet, -as he had been desired, and carried it in his pocket when he went on -Saturday with his wife to dine at Grippy. - -The weather that day was mild for the season, but a thin grey vapour -filled the whole air, and saddened every feature of the landscape. The -birds sat mute and ourie, and the Clyde, increased by recent upland -rains, grumbled with the hoarseness of his wintry voice. The solemnity -of external nature awakened a sympathetic melancholy in the minds of -the young couple, as they walked towards their father's, and Charles -once or twice said that he felt a degree of depression which he had -never experienced before. - -'I wish, Isabella,' said he, 'that this business of ours were well -settled, for I begin, on your account, to grow anxious. I am not -superstitious; but I kenna what's in't--every now and then a thought -comes over me that I am no to be a long liver--I feel, as it were, that -I have na a firm grip of the world--a sma' shock, I doubt, would easily -shake me off.' - -'I must own,' replied his wife with softness, 'that we have both some -reason to regret our rashness. I ought not to have been so weak as to -feel the little hardships of my condition so acutely; but, since it -is done, we must do our best to bear up against the anxiety that I -really think you indulge too much. My advice is, that we should give up -speaking about your father's intents, and strive, as well as we can, to -make your income, whatever it is, serve us.' - -'That's kindly said, my dear Bell, but you know that my father's no -a man that can be persuaded to feel as we feel, and I would not be -surprised were he to break up his partnership with me, and what should -we then do?' - -In this sort of anxious and domestic conversation, they approached -towards Grippy House, where they were met on the green in front by -Margaret and George, who had not seen them since their marriage. -Miss Meg, as she was commonly called, being at the time on a visit -in Argyleshire with a family to whom their mother was related, the -Campbells of Glengrowlmaghallochan, and George was also absent on a -shooting excursion with some of his acquaintance at the Plealands, the -mansion-house of which happened to be then untenanted. Their reception -by their brother and sister, especially by Miss Meg, was kind and -sisterly, for although in many points she resembled her mother, she yet -possessed much more warmth of heart. - -The gratulations and welcomings being over, she gave a description of -the preparations which had already commenced for Walter's wedding. - -'Na, what would ye think,' said she, laughing, 'my father gied him ten -pounds to gang intil Glasgow the day to buy a present for the bride, -and ye'll hardly guess what he sent her,--a cradle,--a mahogany -cradle, shod wi' roynes, that it may na waken the baby when it's -rocking.' - -'But that would na tak all the ten pounds?' said Charles, diverted by -the circumstance; 'what has he done wi' the rest?' - -'He could na see any other thing to please him, so he tied it in the -corner of his napkin, but as he was coming home flourishing it round -his head, it happened to strike the crookit tree at the water-side, -and the whole tot o' the siller, eight guineas, three half-crowns, and -eighteenpence, played whir to the very middle o' the Clyde. He has na -got the grief o' the loss greetten out yet.' - -Before there was time for any observation to be made on this -misfortune, the bridegroom came out to the door, seemingly in high -glee, crying, 'See what I hae gotten,' showing another note for ten -pounds, which his father had given to pacify him, before Kilmarkeckle -and the bride arrived; they being also expected to dinner. - -It happened that Isabella, dressed in her gayest apparel for this -occasion, had brought in her hand, wrapt in paper, a pair of red -morocco shoes, which, at that period, were much worn among lairds' -daughters; for the roads, being deep and sloughy, she had, according -to the fashion of the age, walked in others of a coarser kind; and -Walter's eye accidentally lighting on the shoes, he went up, without -preface, to his sister-in-law, and, taking the parcel gently out of her -hand, opened it, and contemplating the shoes, holding one in each hand -at arm's length, said, 'Bell Fatherlans, what will ye tak to sell thir -bonny red cheeket shoon?--I would fain buy them for Betty Bodle.' - -Several minutes elapsed before it was possible to return any answer; -but when composure was in some degree regained, Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw -said,-- - -'Ye surely would never buy old shoes for your bride? I have worn them -often. It would be an ill omen to give her a second-hand present, Mr. -Walter; besides, I don't think they would fit.' - -This little incident had the effect of tuning the spirits of Charles -and his wife into some degree of unison with the main business of the -day; and the whole party entered the house bantering and laughing with -Walter. But scarcely had they been seated, when their father said,-- - -'Charlie, has t'ou brought the balance-sheet, as I bade thee?' - -This at once silenced both his mirth and Isabella's, and the old man -expressed his satisfaction on receiving it, and also that the profits -were not less than he expected. - -Having read it over carefully, he then folded it slowly up, and put it -into his pocket, and, rising from his seat, walked three or four times -across the room, followed by the eyes of his beating-hearted son and -daughter-in-law--at last he halted. - -'Weel, Charlie,' said he, 'I'll no be waur than my word to thee--t'ou -sall hae a' the profit made between us since we came thegither in the -shop; that will help to get some bits o' plenishing for a house--and -I'll mak, for time coming, an eke to thy share. But, Charlie and Bell, -ca' canny; bairns will rise among you, and ye maun bear in mind that I -hae baith Geordie and Meg to provide for yet.' - -This was said in a fatherly manner, and the intelligence was in so many -respects agreeable, that it afforded the anxious young couple great -pleasure. Walter was not, however, satisfied at hearing no allusion to -him, and he said,-- - -'And are ye no gaun to do any thing for me, father?' - -These words, like the cut of a scourge, tingled to the very soul of -the old man, and he looked with a fierce and devouring eye at the -idiot;--but said nothing. Walter was not, however, to be daunted; -setting up a cry, something between a wail and a howl, he brought his -mother flying from the kitchen, where she was busy assisting the maids -in preparing dinner--to inquire what had befallen the bridegroom. - -'My father's making a step-bairn o' me, mother, and has gi'en Charlie -a' the outcome frae the till, and says he's gaun to hain but for -Geordie and Meg.' - -'Surely, gudeman,' said the Leddy o' Grippy, addressing her -husband, who for a moment stood confounded at this obstreperous -accusation--'Surely ye'll hae mair naturality than no to gi'e Watty a -bairn's part o' gear? Has na he a right to share and share alike wi' -the rest, over and aboon what he got by my father? If there's law, -justice, or gospel in the land, ye'll be obligated to let him hae his -right, an I should sell my coat to pay the cost.' - -The old man made no answer; and his children sat in wonder, for they -inferred from his silence that he actually did intend to make a -step-bairn of Watty. - -'Weel!' said the Leddy emphatically, 'but I jealoused something -o' this;--I kent there could be nae good at the bottom o' that -huggermuggering wi' Keelevin. Howsever, I'll see til't, Watty, and I'll -gar him tell what he has put intil that abomination o' a paper that ye -were deluded to sign.' - -Claud, at these words, started from his seat, with the dark face, and -pale quivering lips of guilt and vengeance; and, giving a stamp with -his foot that shook the whole house, cried,-- - -'If ye daur to mak or meddle wi' what I hae done!' - -He paused for about the space of half a minute, and then he added, -in his wonted calm and sober voice,--'Watty, t'ou has been provided -more--I hae done mair for thee than I can weel excuse to mysel--and -I charge baith thee and thy mother never, on pain of my curse and -everlasting ill-will, to speak ony sic things again.' - -'What hae ye done? canna ye tell us, and gie a bodie a satisfaction?' -exclaimed the Leddy. - -But the wrath again mustered and lowered in his visage, and he said, in -a voice so deep and dreadful, so hollow and so troubled, from the very -innermost caverns of his spirit, that it made all present tremble,-- - -'Silence, woman, silence.' - -'Eh! there's Betty Bodle and her father,' exclaimed Watty, casting his -eyes, at that moment, towards the window, and rushing from his seat, -with an extravagant flutter, to meet them, thus happily terminating a -scene which threatened to banish the anticipated festivity and revels -of the day. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - - -Leddy Grippy having been, as she herself observed, 'cheated baith o' -bridal and infare by Charlie's moonlight marriage,' was resolved to -have all made up to her, and every jovial and auspicious rite performed -at Walter's wedding.--Accordingly, the interval between the booking -and the day appointed for the ceremony was with her all bustle and -business. Nor were the preparations at Kilmarkeckle to send forth the -bride in proper trim, in any degree less active or liberal. Among other -things, it had been agreed that each of the two families should kill -a cow for the occasion, but an accident rendered this unnecessary at -Grippy. - -At this time, Kilmarkeckle and Grippy kept two bulls who cherished the -most deadly hatred of each other, insomuch that their respective herds -had the greatest trouble to prevent them from constantly fighting. -And on the Thursday preceding the wedding-day, Leddy Grippy, in the -multitude of her cares and concerns, having occasion to send a message -to Glasgow, and, unable to spare any of the other servants, called the -cow-boy from the field, and dispatched him on the errand. Bausy, as -their bull was called, taking advantage of his keeper's absence, went -muttering and growling for some time round the enclosure, till at last -discovering a gap in the hedge, he leapt through, and, flourishing -his tail, and grumbling as hoarse as an earthquake, he ran, breathing -wrath and defiance, straight on towards a field beyond where Gurl, -Kilmarkeckle's bull, was pasturing in the most conjugal manner with -his sultanas. - -Gurl knew the voice of his foe, and, raising his head from the grass, -bellowed a hoarse and sonorous answer to the challenger, and, in the -same moment, scampered to the hedge, on the outside of which Bausy was -roaring his threats of vengeance and slaughter. The two adversaries -glared for a moment at each other, and then galloped along the sides -of the hedge in quest of an opening through which they might rush to -satisfy their rage. - -In the meantime, Kilmarkeckle's herd-boy had flown to the house for -assistance, and Miss Betty, heading all the servants, and armed with a -flail, came, at double quick time, to the scene of action. But, before -she could bring up her forces, Bausy burst headlong through the hedge, -like a hurricane. Gurl, however, received him with such a thundering -batter on the ribs, that he fell reeling from the shock. A repetition -of the blow laid him on the ground, gasping and struggling with rage, -agony, and death, so that, before the bride and her allies were able -to drive Gurl from his fallen antagonist, he had gored and fractured -him in almost every bone with the force and strength of the beam of -a steam-engine. Thus was Leddy Grippy prevented from killing the cow -which she had allotted for the wedding-feast, the carcase of Bausy -being so unexpectedly substituted. - -But, saving this accident, nothing went amiss in the preparations for -the wedding either at Grippy or Kilmarkeckle. All the neighbours were -invited, and the most joyous anticipations universally prevailed; even -Claud himself seemed to be softened from the habitual austerity which -had for years gradually encrusted his character, and he partook of -the hilarity of his family, and joked with the Leddy in a manner so -facetious, that her spirits mounted, and, as she said herself, 'were -flichtering in the very air.' - -The bridegroom alone, of all those who took any interest in the -proceedings, appeared thoughtful and moody; but it was impossible that -any lover could be more devoted to his mistress: from morning to night -he hovered round the skirts of her father's mansion, and as often as -he got a peep of her, he laughed, and then hastily retired, wistfully -looking behind, as if he hoped that she would follow. Sometimes this -manoeuvre proved successful, and Miss Betty permitted him to encircle -her waist with his arm, as they ranged the fields in amatory communion -together. - -This, although perfectly agreeable to their happy situation, was not -at all times satisfactory to his mother; and she frequently chided -Watty for neglecting the dinner hour, and 'curdooing,' as she said, -'under cloud o' night.' However, at last every preparatory rite but -the feet-washing was performed; and that it also might be accomplished -according to the most mirthful observance of the ceremony at that -period, Charles and George brought out from Glasgow, on the evening -prior to the wedding-day, a score of their acquaintance to assist in -the operation on the bridegroom; while Miss Meg, and all the maiden -friends of the bride, assembled at Kilmarkeckle to officiate there. But -when the hour arrived, Watty was absent. During the mixing of a large -bowl of punch, at which Charles presided, he had slily escaped, and not -answering to their summons, they were for some time surprised, till it -was suggested that possibly he might have gone to the bride, whither -they agreed to follow him. - -Meanwhile the young ladies had commenced their operations with Miss -Betty. The tub, the hot water, and the ring, were all in readiness; her -stockings were pulled off, and loud laughter and merry scuffling, and -many a freak of girlish gambol was played, as they rubbed her legs, and -winded their fingers through the water to find the ring of Fortune, -till a loud exulting neigh of gladness at the window at once silenced -their mirth. - -The bride raised her eyes; her maidens turning round from the tub, -looked towards the window, where they beheld Watty standing, his -white teeth and large delighted eyes glittering in the light of the -room. It is impossible to describe the consternation of the ladies at -this profane intrusion on their peculiar mysteries. The bride was the -first that recovered her self-possession: leaping from her seat, and -oversetting the tub in her fury, she bounded to the door, and, seizing -Watty by the cuff of the neck, shook him as a tigress would a buffalo. - -'The deevil ride a-hunting on you, Watty Walkinshaw, I'll gar you -glower in at windows,' was her endearing salutation, seconded by the -whole vigour of her hand in a smack on the face, so impressive, that it -made him yell till the very echoes yelled again. 'Gang hame wi' you, -ye roaring bull o' Bashen, or I'll take a rung to your back,' then -followed; and the terrified bridegroom instantly fled coweringly, as if -she actually was pursuing him with a staff. - -'I trow,' said she, addressing herself to the young ladies who had come -to the door after her, 'I'll learn him better manners, before he's long -in my aught.' - -'I would be none surprised were he to draw back,' said Miss Jenny -Shortridge, a soft and diffident girl, who, instead of joining in the -irresistible laughter of her companions, had continued silent, and -seemed almost petrified. - -'Poo!' exclaimed the bride; 'he draw back! Watty Walkinshaw prove false -to me! He dare na, woman, for his very life; but, come, let us gang in -and finish the fun.' - -But the fun had suffered a material abatement by the breach which had -thus been made in it. Miss Meg Walkinshaw, however, had the good luck -to find the ring, a certain token that she would be the next married. - -In the meantime, the chastised bridegroom, in running homeward, was -met by his brothers and their companions, to whose merriment he -contributed quite as much as he had subtracted from that of the ladies, -by the sincerity with which he related what had happened,--declaring, -that he would rather stand in the kirk than tak Betty Bodle; which -determination Charles, in the heedlessness and mirth of the moment, so -fortified and encouraged, that, before they had returned back to the -punch-bowl, Walter was swearing that neither father nor mother would -force him to marry such a dragoon. The old man seemed more disturbed -than might have been expected from his knowledge of the pliancy of -Walter's disposition at hearing him in this humour, while the Leddy -said, with all the solemnity suitable to her sense of the indignity -which her favourite had suffered,-- - -'Biting and scarting may be Scotch folks' wooing; but if that's the -gait Betty Bodle means to use you, Watty, my dear, I would see her, -and a' the Kilmarkeckles that ever were cleckit, doon the water, or -strung in a wooddie, before I would hae ony thing to say to ane come -o' their seed or breed. To lift her hands to her bridegroom!--The like -o't was never heard tell o' in a Christian land--Na, gudeman, nane -o' your winks and glooms to me,--I will speak out. She's a perfect -drum-major,--the randy cutty--deevil-do-me-good o' her--it's no to seek -what I'll gie her the morn.' - -'Dinna grow angry, mother,' interposed Walter, thawing, in some degree, -from the sternness of his resentment. 'It was na a very sair knock -after a'.' - -'T'ou's a fool and a sumph to say any thing about it, Watty,' said -Grippy himself; 'many a brawer lad has met wi' far waur; and, if t'ou -had na been egget on by Charlie to mak a complaint, it would just hae -passed like a pat for true love.' - -'Eh na, father, it was na a pat, but a scud like the clap o' a fir -deal,' said the bridegroom. - -'Weel, weel, Watty,' exclaimed Charlie, 'you must just put up wi't, -ye're no a penny the waur o't.' By this sort of conversation Walter was -in the end pacified, and reconciled to his destiny. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - - -Never did Nature show herself better pleased on any festival than on -Walter's wedding-day. The sun shone out as if his very rays were as -much made up of gladness as of light. The dew-drops twinkled as if -instinct with pleasure. The birds lilted--the waters and the windows -sparkled; cocks crowed as if they were themselves bridegrooms, and the -sounds of laughing girls, and cackling hens, made the riant banks of -the Clyde joyful for many a mile. - -It was originally intended that the minister should breakfast at -Kilmarkeckle, to perform the ceremony there; but this, though in -accordance with newer and genteeler fashions, was overruled by the -young friends of the bride and bridegroom insisting that the wedding -should be celebrated with a ranting dance and supper worthy of the -olden, and, as they told Leddy Grippy, better times. Hence the -liberality of the preparations, as intimated in the preceding chapter. - -In furtherance of this plan, the minister, and all his family, were -invited, and it was arranged, that the ceremony should not take place -till the evening, when the whole friends of the parties, with the -bride and bridegroom at their head, should walk in procession after -the ceremony from the manse to Grippy, where the barn, by the fair -hands of Miss Meg and her companions, was garnished and garlanded for -the ball and banquet. Accordingly, as the marriage hour drew near, and -as it had been previously concerted by 'the best men' on both sides, -a numerous assemblage of the guests took place, both at Grippy and -Kilmarkeckle--and, at the time appointed, the two parties, respectively -carrying with them the bride and bridegroom, headed by a piper playing -'Hey let us a' to the bridal,' proceeded to the manse, where they were -met by their worthy parish pastor at the door. - -The Reverend Doctor Denholm was one of those old estimable stock -characters of the best days of the presbytery, who, to great learning -and sincere piety, evinced an inexhaustible fund of couthy jocularity. -He was far advanced in life, an aged man, but withal hale and hearty, -and as fond of an innocent ploy, such as a wedding or a christening, -as the blithest spirit in its teens of any lad or lass in the parish. -But he was not quite prepared to receive so numerous a company; nor, -indeed, could any room in the manse have accommodated half the party. -He, therefore, proposed to perform the ceremony under the great tree, -which sheltered the house from the south-west wind in winter, and -afforded shade and shelter to all the birds of summer that ventured -to trust themselves beneath its hospitable boughs. To this, however, -Walter, the bridegroom, seemed disposed to make some objection, -alleging that it might be a very good place for field-preaching, or -for a tent on sacramental occasions, 'but it was an unco-like thing to -think of marrying folk under the canopy of the heavens;' adding, 'that -he did na think it was canny to be married under a tree.' - -The Doctor soon, however, obviated this objection, by assuring him that -Adam and Eve had been married under a tree. - -'Gude keep us a' frae sic a wedding as they had,' replied Watty; 'where -the deil was best-man? Howsever, Doctor, sin it's no an apple-tree, -I'll mak a conformity.' At which the pipes again struck up, and, led by -the worthy Doctor bare-headed, the whole assemblage proceeded to the -spot. - -'Noo, Doctor,' said the bridegroom, as all present were composing -themselves to listen to the religious part of the ceremony--'Noo, -Doctor, dinna scrimp the prayer, but tie a sicker knot; I hae nae -broo o' the carnality o' five minute marriages, like the Glasgowers, -and ye can weel afford to gie us half an hour, 'cause ye're weel payt -for the wind o' your mouth: the hat and gloves I sent you cost me -four-and-twenty shillings, clean countit out to my brother Charlie, -that would na in his niggerality faik me a saxpence on a' the liveries -I bought frae him.' - -This address occasioned a little delay, but order being again restored, -the Reverend Doctor, folding his hands together, and lowering his -eyelids, and assuming his pulpit voice, began the prayer. - -It was a calm and beautiful evening, the sun at the time appeared to -be resting on the flaky amber that adorned his western throne, to -look back on the world, as if pleased to see the corn and the fruits -gathered, with which he had assisted to fill the wide lap of the -matronly earth. We happened at the time to be walking alone towards -Blantyre, enjoying the universal air of contentment with which all -things at the golden sunsets of autumn invite the anxious spirit of man -to serenity and repose. As we approached the little gate that opened -to the footpath across the glebe by which the road to the village was -abridged to visitors on foot, our attention was first drawn towards -the wedding party, by the kindly, pleasing, deep-toned voice of the -venerable pastor, whose solemn murmurs rose softly into the balmy air, -diffusing all around an odour of holiness that sweetened the very sense -of life. - -We paused, and uncovering, walked gently and quietly towards the -spot, which we reached just as the worthy Doctor had bestowed the -benediction. The bride looked blushing and expectant, but Walter, -instead of saluting her in the customary manner, held her by the hand -at arm's length, and said to the Doctor, 'Be served.' - -'Ye should kiss her, bridegroom,' said the minister. - -'I ken that,' replied Watty, 'but no till my betters be served. Help -yoursel, Doctor.' - -Upon which the Doctor, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, -enjoyed himself as he was requested. - -'It's the last buss,' added Walter, 'it's the last buss, Betty Bodle, -ye'll e'er gie to mortal man while am your gudeman.' - -'I did na think,' said the Reverend Doctor aside to us, 'that the -creature had sic a knowledge o' the vows.' - -The pipes at this crisis being again filled, the guests, hand in hand, -following the bridegroom and bride, then marched to the ornamented barn -at Grippy, to which we were invited to follow; but what then ensued -deserves a new chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - - -Having accepted the invitation to come with the minister's family to -the wedding, we stopped and took tea at the manse with the Reverend -Doctor and Mrs. Denholm,--the young ladies and their brother having -joined the procession. For all our days we have been naturally of a -most sedate turn of mind; and although then but in our twenty-third -year, we preferred the temperate good humour of the Doctor's -conversation, and the householdry topics of his wife, to the boisterous -blair of the bagpipes. As soon, however, as tea was over, with Mrs. -Denholm dressed in her best, and the pastor in his newest suit, we -proceeded towards Grippy. - -By this time the sun was set, but the speckless topaz of the western -skies diffused a golden twilight, that tinged every object with a -pleasing mellow softness. Like the wedding-ring of a bashful bride, the -new moon just showed her silver rim, and the evening star was kindling -her lamp, as we approached the foot of the avenue which led to the -house, the windows of which sparkled with festivity; while from the -barn the merry yelps of two delighted fiddles, and the good-humoured -grumbling of a well-pleased bass, mingling with laughter and squeaks, -and the thudding of bounding feet, made every pulse in our young blood -circle as briskly as the dancers in their reeling. - -When we reached the door, the moment that the venerable minister made -his appearance, the music stopped, and the dancing was suspended, by -which we were enabled to survey the assembly for a few minutes, in -its most composed and ceremonious form. At the upper end of the barn -stood two arm-chairs, one of which, appropriated to the bridegroom, was -empty; in the other sat the bride, panting from the vigorous efforts -she had made in the reel that was interrupted by our entrance. The -bridegroom himself was standing near a table close to the musicians, -stirring a large punch-bowl, and filling from time to time the glasses. -His father sat in a corner by himself, with his hands leaning on his -staff, and his lips firmly drawn together, contemplating the scene -before him with a sharp but thoughtful eye. Old Kilmarkeckle, with -an ivory snuff-box, mounted with gold, in his hand, was sitting with -Mr. Keelevin on the left hand of Claud, evidently explaining some -remarkable property in the flavour of the snuff, to which the honest -lawyer was paying the utmost attention, looking at the philosophical -Laird, however, every now and then, with a countenance at once -expressive of admiration, curiosity, and laughter. Leddy Grippy sat on -the left of the bride, apparelled in a crimson satin gown, made for the -occasion, with a stupendous fabric of gauze and catgut, adorned with -vast convolutions of broad red ribbons for a head-dress, and a costly -French shawl, primly pinned open, to show her embroidered stomacher. At -her side sat the meek and beautiful Isabella, like a primrose within -the shadow of a peony; and on Isabella's left the aged Lady Plealands, -neatly dressed in white silk, with a close cap of black lace, black -silk mittens, and a rich black apron. But we must not attempt thus to -describe all the guests, who, to the number of nearly a hundred, young -and old, were seated in various groups around the sides of the barn; -for our attention was drawn to Milrookit, the Laird of Dirdumwhamle, -a hearty widower for the second time, about forty-five--he might be -older--who, cozily in a corner, was engaged in serious courtship with -Miss Meg. - -When the formalities of respect, with which Doctor Denholm was so -properly received, had been duly performed, the bridegroom bade the -fiddlers again play up, and, going towards the minister, said, 'Do ye -smell ony thing gude, Sir?' - -'No doubt, bridegroom,' replied the Doctor, 'I canna be insensible to -the pleasant savour of the supper.' - -'Come here, then,' rejoined Watty, 'and I'll show you a sight would -do a hungry body good--weel I wat my mother has na spared her skill -and spice.'--In saying which, he lifted aside a carpet that had been -drawn across the barn like a curtain behind the seats at the upper end -of the ball-room, and showed him the supper table, on which about a -dozen men and maid-servants were in the act of piling joints and pies -that would have done credit to the Michaelmas dinner of the Glasgow -magistrates--'Is na that a gallant banquet?' said Watty. 'Look at yon -braw pastry pie wi' the King's crown on't.' - -The Reverend Pastor declared that it was a very edificial structure, -and he had no doubt it was as good as it looked--'Would ye like to -pree't, Doctor? I'll just nip off ane o' the pearlies on the crown to -let you taste how good it is. It'll never be missed.' - -The bride, who overheard part of this dialogue, started up at these -words, and as Walter was in the act of stretching forth his hand to -plunder the crown, she pulled him by the coat-tail, and drew him into -the chair appropriated for him, sitting down, at the same time, in her -own on his left, saying, in an angry whisper,--'Are ye fou' already, -Watty Walkinshaw? If ye mudge out o' that seat again this night, I'll -mak you as sick o' pies and puddings as ever a dog was o' het kail.' - -Nothing more particular happened before supper; and every thing went -off at the banquet as mirthfully as on any similar occasion. The -dancing was then resumed, and during the bustle and whirl of the reels, -the bride and bridegroom were conducted quietly to the house to be -bedded. - -When they were undressed, but before the stocking was thrown, we got a -hint from Charles to look at the bridal chamber, and accordingly ran -with him to the house, and bolting into the room, beheld the happy -pair sitting up in bed, with white napkins drawn over their heads like -two shrouds, and each holding one of their hands, so as to conceal -entirely their modest and downcast faces. But, before we had time to -say a word, the minister, followed by the two pipers, and the best-men -and bridesmaids, bringing posset and cake, came in,--and while the -distribution, with the customary benedictions, was going forward, -dancing was recommenced in the bedroom. - -How it happened, or what was the cause, we know not; but the dancing -continued so long, and was kept up with so much glee, that somehow, -by the crowded state of the apartment, the young pair in bed were -altogether forgotten, till the bridegroom, tired with sitting so long -like a mummy, lost all patience, and, in a voice of rage and thunder, -ordered every man and mother's son instantly to quit the room,--a -command which he as vehemently repeated with a menace of immediate -punishment,--putting, at the same time, one of his legs out of bed, and -clenching his fist, in the act of rising. The bride cowered in giggling -beneath the coverlet, and all the other ladies, followed by the men and -the pipers, fled pell-mell, and hurly-burly, glad to make their escape. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI - - -When Claud first proposed the marriage to Kilmarkeckle, it was intended -that the young couple should reside at Plealands; but an opportunity -had occurred, in the meantime, for Mr. Keelevin to intimate to Mr. -Auchincloss, the gentleman who possessed the two farms, which, with -the Grippy, constituted the ancient estate of Kittlestonheugh, that -Mr. Walkinshaw would be glad to make an excambio with him, and not -only give Plealands, but even a considerable inducement in money. -This proposal, particularly the latter part of it, was agreeable to -Mr. Auchincloss, who, at the time, stood in want of ready money to -establish one of his sons in the Virginian trade; and, in consequence, -the negotiation was soon speedily brought to a satisfactory termination. - -But, in this affair, Grippy did not think fit to confer with any of his -sons. He was averse to speak to Charles on the subject, possibly from -some feeling connected with the deed of entail; and, it is unnecessary -to say, that, although Walter was really principal in the business, -he had no regard for what his opinion might be. The consequence of -which was, that the bridegroom was not a little amazed to find, next -day, on proposing to ride the Brous to his own house at Plealands, and -to hold the infare there, that it was intended to be assigned to Mr. -Auchincloss, and that, as soon as his family were removed thither, the -house of Divethill, one of the exchanged farms, would be set in order -for him in its stead. - -The moment that this explanation was given to Walter, he remembered -the parchments which he had signed, and the agitation of his father on -the way home, and he made no scruple of loudly and bitterly declaring, -with many a lusty sob, that he was cheated out of his inheritance by -his father and Charles. The old man was confounded at this view which -the natural plausibly enough took of the arrangement; but yet, anxious -to conceal from his first-born the injustice with which he had used him -in the entail, he at first attempted to silence Walter by threats, and -then to cajole him with promises, but without effect; at last, so high -did the conflict rise between them, that Leddy Grippy and Walter's wife -came into the room to inquire what had happened. - -'O Betty Bodle!' exclaimed Walter, the moment he saw them; 'what are we -to do? My father has beguiled me o' the Plealands, and I hae neither -house nor ha' to tak you to. He has gart me wise it awa to Charlie, and -we'll hae nathing as lang as Kilmarkeckle lives, but scant and want -and beggary. It's no my fau't, Betty Bodle, that ye'll hae to work for -your daily bread, the sin o't a' is my father's. But I'll help you a' -I can, Betty, and if ye turn a washerwoman on the Green of Glasgow, -I'll carry your boynes, and water your claes, and watch them, that ye -may sleep when ye're weary't, Betty Bodle,--for though he's a false -father, I'll be a true gudeman.' - -Betty Bodle sat down in a chair, with her back to the window, and -Walter, going to her, hung over her with an air of kindness, which his -simplicity rendered at once affecting and tender; while Leddy Grippy, -petrified by what she heard, also sat down, and, leaning herself back -in her seat, with a look of amazement, held her arms streaked down by -her side, with all her fingers stretched and spread to the utmost. -Claud himself was for a moment overawed, and had almost lost his wonted -self-possession, at the just accusation of being a false father; but, -exerting all his firmness and fortitude, he said calmly,-- - -'I canna bear this at thy hand, Watty. I hae secured for thee far -mair than the Plealands; and is the satisfaction that I thought to -hae had this day, noo when I hae made a conquest of the lands o' my -forefathers, to be turned into sadness and bitterness o' heart?' - -'What hae ye secur'd?' exclaimed Leddy Grippy. 'Is na it ordaint that -Charlie, by his birthright, will get your lands? How is't then that ye -hae wrang't Watty of his ain? the braw property that my worthy father -left him both by will and testament. An he had been to the fore, ye -durst na, gudeman, hae played at sic jookery-pookery; for he had a -skill o' law, and kent the kittle points in a manner that ye can never -fathom; weel wat I, that your ellwand would hae been a jimp measure -to the sauvendie o' his books and Latin taliations. But, gudeman, -ye's no get a' your ain way. I'll put on my cloak, and, Betty Bodle, -put on yours, and Watty, my ill-used bairn, get your hat. We'll oure -for Kilmarkeckle, and gang a' to Mr. Keelevin together to make an -interlocutor about this most dreadful extortioning.' - -The old man absolutely shuddered; his face became yellow, and his lips -white with anger and vexation at this speech. - -'Girzy Hypel,' said he, with a troubled and broken voice, 'were t'ou a -woman o' understanding, or had t'at haverel get o' thine the gumtion o' -a sucking turkey, I could speak, and confound your injustice, were I no -restrained by a sense of my own shame.' - -'But what's a' this stoor about?' said the young wife, addressing -herself to her father-in-law. 'Surely ye'll no objek to mak me the -wiser?' - -'No, my dear,' replied Claud, 'I hope I can speak and be understood by -thee. I hae gotten Mr. Auchincloss to mak an excambio of the Divethill -for the Plealands, by the whilk the whole of the Kittlestonheugh -patrimony will be redeemed to the family; and I intend and wis you and -Watty to live at the Divethill, our neighbours here, and your father's -neighbours; that, my bairn, is the whole straemash.' - -'But,' said she, 'when ye're dead, will we still hae the Divethill?' - -'No doubt o' that, my dawty,' said the old man delighted; 'and even far -mair.' - -'Then, Watty Walkinshaw, ye gaumeril,' said she, addressing her -husband, 'what would ye be at?--Your father's a most just man, and will -do you and a' his weans justice.' - -'But, for a' that,' said Leddy Grippy to her husband, somewhat -bamboozled by the view which her daughter-in-law seemed to take of the -subject, 'when will we hear o' you giving hundreds o' pounds to Watty, -as ye did to Charlie, for a matrimonial hansel?' - -'I'm sure,' replied the Laird, 'were the like o' that to quiet thy -unruly member, Girzy, and be any satisfaction to thee, that I hae done -my full duty to Walter, a five score pound should na be wanting to stap -up the gap.' - -'I'll tell you what it is, father,' interrupted Walter, 'if ye'll gie -the whole soom o' a hunder pound, I care na gin ye mak drammock o' the -Plealands.' - -'A bargain be't,' said Claud, happy to be relieved from their -importunity; but he added, with particular emphasis, to Watty's wife,-- - -'Dinna ye tak ony care about what's passed; the Divethill's a good -excambio for the Plealands, and it sall be bound as stiffly as law and -statute can tether to you and your heirs by Walter.' - -Thus so far Grippy continued to sail before the wind, and, perhaps, -in the steady pursuit of his object, he met with as few serious -obstacles as most adventurers. What sacrifice of internal feeling he -may have made, may be known hereafter. In the meantime, the secrets and -mysteries of his bosom were never divulged; but all his thoughts and -anxieties as carefully hidden from the world as if the disclosure of -them would have brought shame on himself. Events, however, press; and -we must proceed with the current of our history. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII - - -Although Claud had accomplished the great object of all his strivings, -and although, from the Divethill, where the little castle of his -forefathers once stood, he could contemplate the whole extent of the -Kittlestonheugh estate, restored, as he said, to the Walkinshaws, and -by his exertions, there was still a craving void in his bosom that -yearned to be satisfied. He felt as if the circumstance of Watty having -a legal interest in the property, arising from the excambio for the -Plealands, made the conquest less certainly his own than it might -have been, and this lessened the enjoyment of the self-gratulation -with which he contemplated the really proud eminence to which he had -attained. - -But keener feelings and harsher recollections were also mingled -with that regret; and a sentiment of sorrow, in strong affinity -with remorse, embittered his meditations, when he thought of the -precipitancy with which he had executed the irrevocable entail, to the -exclusion of Charles; to whom, prior to that unjust transaction, he had -been more attached than to any other human being. It is true that, when -he adopted that novel resolution, he had, at the same time, appeased -his conscience with intentions to indemnify his unfortunate first-born; -but in this, he was not aware of the mysteries of the heart, nor that -there was a latent spring in his breast, as vigorous and elastic in its -energy, as the source of that indefatigable perseverance by which he -had accomplished so much. - -The constant animadversions of his wife, respecting his partiality for -Charles and undisguised contempt for Watty, had the effect of first -awakening the powers of that dormant engine. They galled the sense of -his own injustice, and kept the memory of it so continually before -him, that, in the mere wish not to give her cause to vex him for his -partiality, he estranged himself from Charles in such a manner, that -it was soon obvious and severely felt. Conscious that he had done him -wrong,--aware that the wrong would probably soon be discovered,--and -conscious, too, that this behaviour was calculated to beget suspicion, -he began to dislike to see Charles, and alternately to feel, in every -necessary interview, as if he was no longer treated by him with the -same respect as formerly. Still, however, there was so much of the -leaven of original virtue in the composition of his paternal affection, -and in the general frame of his character, that this disagreeable -feeling never took the decided nature of enmity. He did not hate -because he had injured,--he was only apprehensive of being upbraided -for having betrayed hopes which he well knew his particular affection -must have necessarily inspired. - -Perhaps, had he not, immediately after Walter's marriage, been occupied -with the legal arrangement consequent to an accepted proposal from -Milrookit of Dirdumwhamle, to make Miss Meg his third wife, this -apprehension might have hardened into animosity, and been exasperated -to aversion; but the cares and affairs of that business came, as it -were, in aid of the father in his nature, and while they seemingly -served to excuse his gradually abridged intercourse with Charles and -Isabella, they prevented such an incurable induration of his heart -from taking place towards them, as the feelings at work within him had -an undoubted tendency to produce. We shall not, therefore, dwell on -the innumerable little incidents arising out of his estrangement, by -which the happiness of that ill-fated pair was deprived of so much of -its best essence,--contentment,--and their lives, with the endearing -promise of a family, embittered by anxieties of which it would be -as difficult to describe the importance, as to give each of them an -appropriate name. - -In the meantime, the marriage of Miss Meg was consummated, and we have -every disposition to detail the rites and the revels, but they were all -managed in a spirit so much more moderate than Walter's wedding, that -the feast would seem made up but of the cold bake-meats of the former -banquet. Indeed, Mr. Milrookit, the bridegroom, being, as Leddy Grippy -called him, a waster of wives, having had two before, and who knows -how many more he may have contemplated to have, it would not have been -reasonable to expect that he should allow such a free-handed junketing -as took place on that occasion. Besides this, the dowry with Grippy's -daughter was not quite so liberal as he had expected; for when the old -man was stipulating for her jointure, he gave him a gentle hint not to -expect too much. - -'Two hundred pounds a-year, Mr. Milrookit,' said Grippy, 'is a bare -eneugh sufficiency for my dochter; but I'll no be overly extortionate, -sin it's no in my power, even noo, to gie you meikle in hand, and I -would na lead you to expek any great deal hereafter, for ye ken it -has cost me a world o' pains and ettling to gather the needful to -redeem the Kittlestonheugh, the whilk maun ay gang in the male line; -but failing my three sons and their heirs, the entail gangs to the -heirs-general o' Meg, so that ye hae a' to look in that airt; that, ye -maun alloo, is worth something. Howsever, I dinna objek to the two -hundred pounds; but I would like an ye could throw a bit fifty til't, -just as a cast o' the hand to mak lucky measure.' - -'I would na begrudge that, Grippy,' replied the gausey widower of -Dirdumwhamle; 'but ye ken I hae a sma' family: the first Mrs. Milrookit -brought me sax sons, and the second had four, wi' five dochters. It's -true that the bairns o' the last clecking are to be provided for by -their mother's uncle, the auld General wi' the gout at Lon'on; but my -first family are dependent on mysel', for, like your Charlie, I made -a calf-love marriage, and my father was na sae kind as ye hae been to -him, for he put a' past me that he could, and had he no deet amang -hands in one o' his scrieds wi' the Lairds o' Kilpatrick, I'm sure I -canna think what would hae come o' me and my first wife. So you see, -Grippy'-- - -'I wis, Dirdumwhamle,' interrupted the old man, 'that ye would either -ca' me by name or Kittlestonheugh, for the Grippy's but a pendicle -o' the family property; and though, by reason o' the castle being -ta'en down when my grandfather took a wadset on't frae the public, we -are obligated to live here in this house that was on the land when I -made a conquest o't again, yet a' gangs noo by the ancient name o' -Kittlestonheugh, and a dochter of the Walkinshaws o' the same is a -match for the best laird in the shire, though she had na ither tocher -than her snood and cockernony.' - -'Weel, Kittlestonheugh,' replied Dirdumwhamle, 'I'll e'en mak it -better than the twa hunder and fifty--I'll make it whole three hunder, -if ye'll get a paction o' consent and conneevance wi' your auld son -Charles, to pay to Miss Meg, or to the offspring o' my marriage wi' -her, a yearly soom during his liferent in the property, you yoursel' -undertaking in your lifetime to be as good. I'm sure that's baith fair -and a very great liberality on my side.' - -Claud received this proposal with a convulsive gurgle of the heart's -blood. It seemed to him, that, on every occasion, the wrong which he -had done Charles was to be brought in the most offensive form before -him, and he sat for the space of two or three minutes without making -any reply; at last he said,-- - -'Mr. Milrookit, I ne'er rue't any thing in my life but the consequence -of twa-three het words that ance passed between me and my gudefather -Plealands anent our properties; and I hae lived to repent my obduracy. -For this cause I'll say nae mair about an augmentation of the proposed -jointure, but just get my dochter to put up wi' the two hundred pounds, -hoping that hereafter, an ye can mak it better, she'll be none the waur -of her father's confidence in you on this occasion.' - -Thus was Miss Meg disposed of, and thus did the act of injustice -which was done to one child operate, through the mazy feelings of the -father's conscious spirit, to deter him, even in the midst of such -sordid bargaining, not only from venturing to insist on his own terms, -but even from entertaining a proposal which had for its object a much -more liberal provision for his daughter than he had any reason, under -all the circumstances, to expect. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - - -Soon after the marriage of Miss Meg, George, the third son, and -youngest of the family, was placed in the counting-house of one of the -most eminent West Indian merchants at that period in Glasgow. This -incident was in no other respect important in the history of the Lairds -of Grippy, than as serving to open a career to George, that would lead -him into a higher class of acquaintance than his elder brothers: for -it was about this time that the general merchants of the royal city -began to arrogate to themselves that aristocratic superiority over the -shopkeepers, which they have since established into an oligarchy as -proud and sacred, in what respects the reciprocities of society, as -the famous Seignories of Venice and of Genoa. - -In the character, however, of George, there was nothing ostensibly -haughty, or rather his pride had not shown itself in any strong colour, -when he first entered on his mercantile career. Like his father, he -was firm and persevering; but he wanted something of the old man's -shrewdness; and there was more of avarice in his hopes of wealth than -in the sordidness of his father, for they were not elevated by any such -ambitious sentiment as that which prompted Claud to strive with such -constancy for the recovery of his paternal inheritance. In fact, the -young merchant, notwithstanding the superiority of his education and -other advantages, we may safely venture to assert, was a more vulgar -character than the old pedlar. But his peculiarities did not manifest -themselves till long after the period of which we are now speaking. - -In the meantime, every thing proceeded with the family much in the same -manner as with most others. Claud and his wife had daily altercations -about their household affairs. Charles and Isabella narrowed themselves -into a small sphere, of which his grandmother, the venerable Lady -Plealands, now above fourscore, was their principal associate, and -their mutual affection was strengthened by the birth of a son. Walter -and Betty Bodle resided at the Divethill; and they, too, had the -prospect of adding, as a Malthusian would say, to the mass of suffering -mankind. The philosophical Kilmarkeckle continued his abstruse -researches as successfully as ever into the affinities between snuff -and the natures of beasts and birds, while the Laird of Dirdumwhamle -and his Leddy struggled on in the yoke together, as well as a father -and step-mother, amidst fifteen children, the progeny of two prior -marriages, could reasonably be expected to do, where neither party was -particularly gifted with delicacy or forbearance. In a word, they all -moved along with the rest of the world during the first twelve months, -after the execution of the deed of entail, without experiencing any -other particular change in their relative situations than those to -which we have alluded. - -But the epoch was now drawing near, when Mrs. Walter Walkinshaw was -required to prepare herself for becoming a mother, and her husband -was no less interested than herself in the event. He did nothing -for several months, from morning to night, but inquire how she felt -herself, and contrive, in his affectionate simplicity, a thousand -insufferable annoyances to one of her disposition, for the purpose of -affording her ease and pleasure; all of which were either answered by -a laugh, or a slap, as the humour of the moment dictated. Sometimes, -when she, regardless of her maternal state, would, in walking to Grippy -or Kilmarkeckle, take short cuts across the fields, and over ditches, -and through hedges, he would anxiously follow her at a distance, and -when he saw her in any difficulty to pass, he would run kindly to her -assistance. More than once, at her jocular suggestion, he has lain down -in the dry ditches to allow her to step across on his back. Never had -wife a more loving or obedient husband. She was allowed in every thing, -not only to please herself, but to make him do whatever she pleased; -and yet, with all her whims and caprice, she proved so true and so -worthy a wife, that he grew every day more and more uxorious. - -Nor was his mother less satisfied with Betty Bodle. They enjoyed -together the most intimate communion of minds on all topics -of household economy; but it was somewhat surprising, that, -notwithstanding the care and pains which the old leddy took to instruct -her daughter-in-law in all the mysteries of the churn and cheeseset, -Mrs. Walter's butter was seldom fit for market, and the hucksters of -the royal city never gave her near so good a price for her cheese as -Leddy Grippy regularly received for hers, although, in the process of -the making, they both followed the same recipes. - -The conjugal felicities of Walter afforded, however, but little -pleasure to his father. The obstreperous humours of his -daughter-in-law jarred with his sedate dispositions, and in her fun and -freaks she so loudly showed her thorough knowledge of her husband's -defective intellects, that it for ever reminded him of the probable -indignation with which the world would one day hear of the injustice -he had done to Charles. The effect of this gradually led him to shun -the society of his own family, and having neither from nature nor habit -any inclination for general company, he became solitary and morose. -He only visited Glasgow once a week, on Wednesday, and generally sat -about an hour in the shop, in his old elbow-chair, in the corner; and, -saving a few questions relative to the business, he abstained from -conversing with his son. It would seem, however, that, under this -sullen taciturnity, the love which he had once cherished for Charles -still tugged at his heart; for, happening to come into the shop, on the -morning after Isabella had made him a grandfather, by the birth of a -boy, on being informed of that happy event, he shook his son warmly by -the hand, and said, in a serious and impressive manner,-- - -'An it please God, Charlie, to gie thee ony mair childer, I redde thee, -wi' the counsel o' a father, to mak na odds among them, but remember -they are a' alike thine, and that t'ou canna prefer ane aboon anither -without sin;'--and he followed this admonition with a gift of twenty -pounds to buy the infant a christening frock. - -But from that day he never spoke to Charles of his family; on the -contrary, he became dark and more obdurate in his manner to every one -around him. His only enjoyment seemed to be a sort of doating delight -in contemplating, from a rude bench which he had constructed on a -rising ground behind the house of Grippy, the surrounding fields of -his forefathers. There he would sit for hours together alone, bending -forward with his chin resting on the ivory head of his staff, which he -held between his knees by both hands, and with a quick and eager glance -survey the scene for a moment, and then drop his eyelids and look only -on the ground. - -Whatever might be the general tenor of his reflections as he sat on -that spot, they were evidently not always pleasant; for one afternoon, -as he was sitting there, his wife, who came upon him suddenly and -unperceived, to tell him a messenger was sent to Glasgow from Divethill -for the midwife, was surprised to find him agitated and almost in tears. - -'Dear me, gudeman,' said she, 'what's come o'er you, that ye're sitting -here hanging your gruntel like a sow playing on a trump? Hae na ye -heard that Betty Bodle's time's come? I'm gaun ower to the crying, and -if ye like ye may walk that length wi' me. I hope, poor thing, she'll -hae an easy time o't, and that we'll hae blithes-meat before the sun -gangs doun.' - -'Gang the gait thysel, Girzy Hypel,' said Claud, raising his head, 'and -no fash me with thy clishmaclavers.' - -'Heh, gudeman! but ye hae been eating sourrocks instead o' lang-kail. -But e'en's ye like, Meg dorts, as "Patie and Rodger" says, I can gang -mysel;' and with that, whisking pettishly round, she walked away. - -Claud being thus disturbed in his meditations, looked after her as -she moved along the footpath down the slope, and for the space of a -minute or two, appeared inclined to follow her, but relapsing into some -new train of thought, before she had reached the bottom, he had again -resumed his common attitude, and replaced his chin on the ivory head of -his staff. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - - -There are times in life when every man feels as if his sympathies were -extinct. This arises from various causes; sometimes from vicissitudes -of fortune; sometimes from the sense of ingratitude, which, like the -canker in the rose, destroys the germ of all kindness and charity; -often from disappointments in affairs of the heart, which leave it -incapable of ever again loving; but the most common cause is the -consciousness of having committed wrong, when the feelings recoil -inward, and, by some curious mystery in the nature of our selfishness, -instead of prompting atonement, irritate us to repeat and to persevere -in our injustice. - -Into one of these temporary trances Claud had fallen when his wife -left him; and he continued sitting, with his eyes riveted on the -ground, insensible to all the actual state of life, contemplating the -circumstances and condition of his children, as if he had no interest -in their fate, nor could be affected by any thing in their fortunes. - -In this fit of apathy and abstraction, he was roused by the sound of -some one approaching; and on looking up, and turning his eyes towards -the path which led from the house to the bench where he was then -sitting, he saw Walter coming. - -There was something unwonted in the appearance and gestures of Walter, -which soon interested the old man. At one moment he rushed forward -several steps, with a strange wildness of air. He would then stop and -wring his hands, gaze upward as if he wondered at some extraordinary -phenomenon in the sky; but seeing nothing, he dropped his hands, and, -at his ordinary pace, came slowly up the hill. - -When he arrived within a few paces of the bench, he halted and -looked with such an open and innocent sadness that even the heart -of his father, which so shortly before was as inert to humanity as -case-hardened iron, throbbed with pity, and was melted to a degree of -softness and compassion, almost entirely new to its sensibilities. - -'What's the matter wi' thee, Watty?' said he, with unusual kindliness. -The poor natural, however, made no reply,--but continued to gaze at him -with the same inexpressible simplicity of grief. - -'Hast t'ou lost ony thing, Watty?'--'I dinna ken,' was the answer, -followed by a burst of tears. - -'Surely something dreadfu' has befallen the lad,' said Claud to -himself, alarmed at the astonishment of sorrow with which his -faculties seemed to be bound up. - -'Can t'ou no tell me what has happened, Watty?' - -In about the space of half a minute, Walter moved his eyes slowly -round, as if he saw and followed something which filled him with awe -and dread. He then suddenly checked himself, and said, 'It's naething; -she's no there.' - -'Sit down beside me, Watty,' exclaimed his father, alarmed; 'sit down -beside me, and compose thysel.' - -Walter did as he was bidden, and stretching out his feet, hung forward -in such a posture of extreme listlessness and helpless despondency, -that all power of action appeared to be withdrawn. - -Claud rose, and believing he was only under the influence of some of -those silly passions to which he was occasionally subject, moved to go -away, when he looked up, and said,-- - -'Father, Betty Bodle's dead!--My Betty Bodle's dead!' - -'Dead!' said Claud, thunderstruck. - -'Aye, father, she's dead! My Betty Bodle's dead!' - -'Dost t'ou ken what t'ou's saying?' But Walter, without attending to -the question, repeated, with an accent of tenderness still more simple -and touching,-- - -'My Betty Bodle's dead! She's awa up aboon the skies, yon'er, and left -me a wee wee baby;' in saying which, he again burst into tears, and -rising hastily from the bench, ran wildly back towards the Divethill -House, whither he was followed by the old man, where the disastrous -intelligence was confirmed, that she had died in giving birth to a -daughter. - -Deep and secret as Claud kept his feelings from the eyes of the world, -this was a misfortune which he was ill prepared to withstand. For -although in the first shock he betrayed no emotion, it was soon evident -that it had shattered some of the firmest intents and purposes of his -mind. That he regretted the premature death of a beautiful young woman -in such interesting circumstances, was natural to him as a man; but -he felt the event more as a personal disappointment, and thought it -was accompanied with something so like retribution, that he inwardly -trembled as if he had been chastised by some visible arm of Providence. -For he could not disguise to himself that a female heir was a -contingency he had not contemplated; that, by the catastrophe which had -happened to the mother, the excambio of the Plealands for the Divethill -would be rendered of no avail; and that, unless Walter married again, -and had a son, the re-united Kittlestonheugh property must again be -disjoined, as the Divethill would necessarily become the inheritance of -the daughter. - -The vexation of this was, however, alleviated, when he reflected on -the pliancy of Walter's character, and he comforted himself with the -idea that, as soon as a reasonable sacrifice of time had been made to -decorum, he would be able to induce the natural to marry again. Shall -we venture to say, it also occurred in the cogitations of his sordid -ambition, that, as the infant was prematurely born, and was feeble and -infirm, he entertained some hope it might die, and not interfere with -the entailed destination of the general estate? But if, in hazarding -this harsh supposition, we do him any injustice, it is certain that -he began to think there was something in the current of human affairs -over which he could acquire no control, and that, although, in pursuing -so steadily the single purpose of recovering his family inheritance, -his endeavours had, till this period, proved eminently successful, -he yet saw, with dismay, that, from the moment other interests came -to be blended with those which he considered so peculiarly his own, -other causes also came into operation, and turned, in spite of all -his hedging and prudence, the whole issue of his labours awry. He -perceived that human power was set at naught by the natural course of -things, and nothing produced a more painful conviction of the wrong -he had committed against his first-born, than the frustration of his -wishes by the misfortune which had befallen Walter. His reflections -were also embittered from another source; by his parsimony he foresaw -that, in the course of a few years, he would have been able, from his -own funds, to have redeemed the Divethill without having had recourse -to the excambio; and that the whole of the Kittlestonheugh might thus -have been his own conquest, and, as such, without violating any of the -usages of society, he might have commenced the entail with Charles. -In a word, the death of Walter's wife and the birth of the daughter -disturbed all his schemes, and rent from roof to foundation the -castles which he had been so long and so arduously building. But it is -necessary that we should return to poor Walter, on whom the loss of his -beloved Betty Bodle acted with the incitement of a new impulse, and -produced a change of character that rendered him a far less tractable -instrument than his father expected to find. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV - - -The sorrow of Walter, after he had returned home, assumed the -appearance of a calm and settled melancholy. He sat beside the corpse -with his hands folded and his head drooping. He made no answer to any -question; but as often as he heard the infant's cry, he looked towards -the bed, and said, with an accent of indescribable sadness, 'My Betty -Bodle!' - -When the coffin arrived, his mother wished him to leave the room, -apprehensive, from the profound grief in which he was plunged, that he -might break out into some extravagance of passion, but he refused; and, -when it was brought in, he assisted with singular tranquillity in the -ceremonial of the coffining. But when the lid was lifted and placed -over the body, and the carpenter was preparing to fasten it down for -ever, he shuddered for a moment from head to foot; and, raising it with -his left hand, he took a last look of the face, removing the veil with -his right, and touching the sunken cheek as if he had hoped still to -feel some ember of life; but it was cold and stiff. - -'She's clay noo,' said he.--'There's nane o' my Betty Bodle here.' - -And he turned away with a careless air, as if he had no further -interest in the scene. From that moment his artless affections took -another direction; he immediately quitted the death-room, and, going -to the nursery where the infant lay asleep in the nurse's lap, he -contemplated it for some time, and then, with a cheerful and happy look -and tone, said,--'It's a wee Betty Bodle; and it's my Betty Bodle noo.' -And all his time and thoughts were thenceforth devoted to this darling -object, in so much that, when the hour of the funeral was near, and he -was requested to dress himself to perform the husband's customary part -in the solemnity, he refused, not only to quit the child, but to have -any thing to do with the burial. - -'I canna understand,' said he, 'what for a' this fykerie's about a lump -o' yird? Sho'elt intil a hole, and no fash me.' - -'It's your wife, my lad,' replied his mother; 'ye'll surely never -refuse to carry her head in a gudemanlike manner to the kirk-yard.' - -'Na, na, mother, Betty Bodle's my wife, yon clod in the black kist is -but her auld bodice; and when she flang't off, she put on this bonny -wee new cleiding o' clay,' said he, pointing to the baby. - -The Leddy, after some further remonstrance, was disconcerted by the -pertinacity with which he continued to adhere to his resolution, and -went to beg her husband to interfere. - -'Ye'll hae to gang ben, gudeman,' said she, 'and speak to Watty.--I -wis the poor thing hasna gane by itsel wi' a broken heart. He threeps -that the body is no his wife's, and ca's it a hateral o' clay and -stones, and says we may fling't, Gude guide us, ayont the midden for -him.--We'll just be affrontit if he'll no carry the head.' - -Claud, who had dressed himself in the morning for the funeral, was -sitting in the elbow-chair, on the right side of the chimney-place, -with his cheek resting on his hand, and his eyelids dropped, but not -entirely shut, and on being thus addressed, he instantly rose, and went -to the nursery. - -'What's t'ou doing there like a hussy-fellow?' said he. 'Rise and get -on thy mournings, and behave wiselike, and leave the bairn to the -women.' - -'It's my bairn,' replied Watty, 'and ye hae naething, father, to do -wi't.--Will I no tak care o' my ain baby--my bonny wee Betty Bodle?' - -'Do as I bid thee, or I'll maybe gar thee fin' the weight o' my staff,' -cried the old man sharply, expecting immediate obedience to his -commands, such as he always found, however positively Walter, on other -occasions, at first refused; but in this instance he was disappointed; -for the widower looked him steadily in the face, and said,-- - -'I'm a father noo; it would be an awfu' thing for a decent grey-headed -man like you, father, to strike the head o' a motherless family.' - -Claud was so strangely affected by the look and accent with which this -was expressed, that he stood for some time at a loss what to say, -but soon recovering his self-possession, he replied, in a mild and -persuasive manner,-- - -'The frien's expek, Watty, that ye'll attend the burial, and carry the -head, as the use and wont is in every weel-doing family.' - -'It's a thriftless custom, father, and what care I for burial-bread and -services o' wine? They cost siller, father, and I'll no wrang Betty -Bodle for ony sic outlay on her auld yirden garment. Ye may gang, for -fashion's cause, wi' your weepers and your mourning strings, and lay -the black kist i' the kirk-yard hole, but I'll no mudge the ba' o' my -muckle tae in ony sic road.' - -'T'ou's past remede, I fear,' replied his father thoughtfully; 'but, -Watty, I hope in this t'ou'll oblige thy mother and me, and put on thy -new black claes;--t'ou kens they're in a braw fasson,--and come ben -and receive the guests in a douce and sober manner. The minister, I'm -thinking, will soon be here, and t'ou should be in the way when he -comes.' - -'No,' said Watty, 'no, do as ye like, and come wha may, it's a' ane to -me: I'm positeeve.' - -The old man, losing all self-command at this extraordinary opposition, -exclaimed,-- - -'There's a judgment in this; and, if there's power in the law o' -Scotland, I'll gar thee rue sic dourness. Get up, I say, and put on thy -mournings, or I'll hae thee cognost, and sent to bedlam.' - -'I'm sure I look for nae mair at your hands, father,' replied Walter -simply; 'for my mither has often telt me, when ye hae been sitting sour -and sulky in the nook, that ye would na begrudge crowns and pounds to -make me _compos mentis_ for the benefit of Charlie.' - -Every pulse in the veins of Claud stood still at this stroke, and he -staggered, overwhelmed with shame, remorse, and indignation, into a -seat. - -'Eh!' said the Leddy, returning into the room at this juncture, 'what's -come o'er you, gudeman? Pity me, will he no do your bidding?' - -'Girzy Hypel,' was the hoarse and emphatic reply, 'Girzy Hypel, t'ou's -the curse o' my life; the folly in thee has altered to idiotical -depravity in him, and the wrong I did against my ain nature in marrying -thee, I maun noo, in my auld age, reap the fruits o' in sorrow, and -shame, and sin.' - -'Here's composity for a burial!' exclaimed the Leddy. 'What's the -matter, Watty Walkinshaw?' - -'My father's in a passion.' - -Claud started from his seat, and, with fury in his eyes, and his hands -clenched, rushed across the room towards the spot where Walter was -sitting, watching the infant in the nurse's lap. In the same moment, -the affectionate natural also sprang forward, and placed himself in an -attitude to protect the child. The fierce old man was confounded, and -turning round hastily, quitted the room, wringing his hands, unable -any longer to master the conflicting feelings which warred so wildly -in his bosom. - -'This is a pretty-like house o' mourning,' said the Leddy; 'a father -and a son fighting, and a dead body waiting to be ta'en to the -kirk-yard. O Watty Walkinshaw! Watty Walkinshaw! many a sore heart ye -hae gi'en your parents,--will ye ne'er divaul till ye hae brought our -grey hairs wi' sorrow to the grave? There's your poor father flown -demented, and a' the comfort in his cup and mine gane like water spilt -on the ground. Many a happy day we hae had, till this condumacity o' -thine grew to sic a head. But tak your ain way o't. Do as ye like. Let -strangers carry your wife to the kirk-yard, and see what ye'll mak o't.' - -But notwithstanding all these, and many more equally persuasive and -commanding arguments, Walter was not to be moved, and the funeral, in -consequence, was obliged to be performed without him. Yet still, though -thus tortured in his feelings, the stern old man inflexibly adhered -to his purpose. The entail which he had executed was still with him -held irrevocable; and, indeed, it had been so framed, that, unless he -rendered himself insolvent, it could not be set aside. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - - -For some time after the funeral of Mrs. Walter Walkinshaw, the -affairs of the Grippy family ran in a straight and even current. The -estrangement of the old man from his first-born suffered no describable -increase, but Charles felt that it was increasing. The old Leddy, in -the meanwhile, had a world of cares upon her hands in breaking up the -establishment which had been formed for Walter at the house on the -Divethill, and in removing him back with the infant and the nurse to -Grippy. And scarcely had she accomplished these, when a letter from -her daughter, Mrs. Milrookit, informed her that the preparations for -an addition to the 'sma' family' of Dirdumwhamle were complete, and -that she hoped her mother could be present on the occasion, which was -expected to come to pass in the course of a few weeks from the date. - -Nothing was more congenial to the mind and habits of the Leddy, than a -business of this sort, or, indeed, any epochal domestic event, such as, -in her own phraseology, was entitled to the epithet of a handling. But -when she mentioned the subject to her husband, he objected, saying,-- - -'It's no possible, Girzy, for ye ken Mr. and Mrs. Givan are to be here -next week with their dochter, Miss Peggy, and I would fain hae them -to see an ony thing could be brought to a head between her and our -Geordie. He's noo o' a time o' life when I would like he were settled -in the world, and amang a' our frien's there's no a family I would be -mair content to see him connected wi' than the Givans, who are come o' -the best blood, and are, moreover, o' great wealth and property.' - -'Weel, if e'er there was the like o' you, gudeman,' replied the Leddy, -delighted with the news; 'an ye were to set your mind on a purpose o' -marriage between a goose and a grumphie, I dinna think but ye would -make it a' come to pass. For wha would hae thought o' this plot on the -Givans, who, to be sure, are a most creditable family, and Miss Peggy, -their dochter, is a vera genty creature, although it's my notion she's -no o' a capacity to do meikle in the way o' throughgality. Howsever, -she's a bonny playock, and noo that the stipend ye alloo't to Watty -is at an end, by reason of that heavy loss which we all met wi' in -his wife, ye'll can weel afford to help Geordie to keep her out in a -station o' life; for times, gudeman, are no noo as when you and me cam -thegither. Then a bein house, and a snod but and ben, was a' that was -lookit for; but sin genteelity came into fashion, lads and lasses hae -grown leddies and gentlemen, and a Glasgow wife saullying to the kirk -wi' her muff and her mantle, looks as puckered wi' pride as my lord's -leddy.' - -Claud, who knew well that his helpmate was able to continue her -desultory consultations, as long as she could keep herself awake, -here endeavoured to turn the speat of her clatter into a new channel, -by observing, that hitherto they had not enjoyed any great degree of -comfort in the marriages of their family. - -'Watty's,' said he, 'ye see, has in a manner been waur than nane; -for a' we hae gotten by't is that weakly lassie bairn; and the sumph -himsel is sae ta'en up wi't, that he's a perfect obdooracy to every wis -o' mine, that he would tak another wife to raise a male-heir to the -family.' - -'I'm sure,' replied the Leddy, 'it's just a sport to hear you, gudeman, -and your male-heirs. What for can ye no be content wi' Charlie's son?' - -The countenance of Grippy was instantaneously clouded, but in a moment -the gloom passed, and he said,-- - -'Girzy Hypel, t'ou kens naething about it. Will na Watty's dochter -inherit the Divethill by right o' her father, for the Plealands, and so -rive the heart again out o' the Kittlestonheugh, and mak a' my ettling -fruitless? Noo, what I wis is, that Geordie should tak a wife to himsel -as soon as a possibility will alloo, and if he has a son, by course o' -nature, it might be wised in time to marry Watty's dochter, and so keep -the property frae ganging out o' the family.' - -'Noo, gudeman, thole wi' me, and no be angry,' replied the Leddy; -'for I canna but say it's a thing past ordinar that ye never seem to -refleck, that Charlie's laddie might just as weel be wised to marry -Watty's dochter, as ony son that Geordie's like to get; and over and -moreover, the wean's in the world already, gudeman, but a' Geordie's -are as trouts in the water; so I redde you to consider weel what ye're -doing, and gut nae fish till ye catch them.' - -During this speech, Claud's face was again overcast; the harsh and -agonizing discord of his bosom rudely jangled through all the depths -of his conscience, and reminded him how futile his wishes and devices -might be rendered either by the failure of issue, or the birth of -daughters. Every thing seemed arranged by Providence, to keep the -afflicting sense of the wrong he had done his first-born constantly -galled. But it had not before occurred to him, that even a marriage -between the son of Charles and Walter's daughter could not remedy the -fault he had committed. The heirs-male of George had a preference in -the entail; and such a marriage would, in no degree, tend to prevent -the Kittlestonheugh from being again disjoined. In one sentence, the -ambitious old man was miserable; but rather than yet consent to retrace -any step he had taken, he persevered in his original course, as if the -fire in his heart could be subdued by adding fresh piles of the same -fuel. The match which he had formed for George was accordingly brought -to what he deemed a favourable issue; for George, possessing but little -innate delicacy, and only eager to become rich, had no scruple in -proposing himself, at his father's suggestion, to Miss Peggy Givan; -and the young lady being entirely under the control of her mother, who -regarded a union with her relations, the Grippy family, as one of the -most desirable, peaceably acquiesced in the arrangement. - -Prior, however, to the marriage taking place, Mr. Givan, a shrewd and -worldly man, conceiving, that, as George was a younger son, his elder -brother married, and Walter's daughter standing between him and the -succession to the estate,--he stipulated that the bridegroom should -be settled as a principal in business. A short delay in consequence -occurred between the arrangement and the solemnization; but the -difficulty was overcome, by the old man advancing nearly the whole -of his ready money as a proportion of the capital which was required -by the house that received George into partnership. Perhaps he might -have been spared this sacrifice, for as such he felt it, could he have -brought himself to divulge to Mr. Givan the nature of the entail which -he had executed; but the shame of that transaction had by this time -sunk so deep, that he often wished and tried to consider the deed as -having no existence. - -Meanwhile, Mrs. Milrookit had become the mother of a son; the only -occurrence which, for some time, had given Claud any unalloyed -satisfaction. But it also was soon converted into a new source of -vexation and of punishment; for Leddy Grippy, ever dotingly fond of -Walter, determined, from the first hour in which she heard of the -birth of Walkinshaw Milrookit, as the child was called, to match him -with her favourite's Betty; and the mere possibility of such an event -taking place filled her husband with anxiety and fear; the expressions -of which, and the peevish and bitter accents that he used in checking -her loquacity on the subject, only served to make her wonderment at his -prejudices the more and more tormenting. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII - - -In the meantime, Charles and Isabella had enjoyed a large share of -domestic felicity, rendered the more endearingly exquisite by their -parental anxiety, for it had pleased Heaven at once to bless and burden -their narrow circumstances with two beautiful children, James and Mary. -Their income arising from the share which the old man had assigned of -the business had, during the first two or three years subsequent to -their marriage, proved sufficient for the supply of their restricted -wants; but their expenses began gradually to increase, and about the -end of the third year Charles found that they had incurred several -small debts above their means of payment. These, in the course of the -fourth, rose to such a sum, that, being naturally of an apprehensive -mind, he grew uneasy at the amount, and came to the resolution to -borrow two hundred pounds to discharge them. This, he imagined, there -could be no difficulty in procuring; for, believing that he was the -heir of entail to the main part of the estate which his father had so -entirely redeemed, he conceived that he might raise the money on his -reversionary prospects, and, with this view, he called one morning on -Mr. Keelevin to request his agency in the business. - -'I'm grieved, man,' said the honest lawyer, 'to hear that ye're in such -straits; but had na ye better speak to your father? It might bring on -you his displeasure if he heard ye were borrowing money to be paid at -his death. It's a thing nae frien', far less a father, would like done -by himsel.' - -'In truth,' replied Charles, 'I am quite sensible of that; but what can -I do? for my father, ever since my brother Watty's marriage, has been -so cold and reserved about his affairs to me, that every thing like -confidence seems as if it were perished from between us.' - -Mr. Keelevin, during this speech, raised his left arm on the elbow -from the table at which he was sitting, and rested his chin on his -hand. There was nothing in the habitual calm of his countenance which -indicated what was passing in his heart, but his eyes once or twice -glimmered with a vivid expression of pity. - -'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said he, 'if you dinna like to apply to your father -yoursel, could na some friend mediate for you? Let me speak to him.' - -'It's friendly of you, Mr. Keelevin, to offer to do that; but really, -to speak plainly, I would far rather borrow the money from a stranger, -than lay myself open to any remarks. Indeed, for myself, I don't much -care; but ye ken my father's narrow ideas about household charges; and -maybe he might take it on him to make remarks to my wife that I would -na like to hear o'.' - -'But, Mr. Charles, you know that money canna be borrow't without -security.' - -'I am aware of that; and it's on that account I want your assistance. I -should think that my chance of surviving my father is worth something.' - -'But the whole estate is strictly entailed, Mr. Charles,' replied the -lawyer, with compassionate regard. - -'The income, however, is all clear, Mr. Keelevin.' - -'I dinna misdoubt that, Mr. Charles, but the entail--Do you ken how it -runs?' - -'No; but I imagine much in the usual manner.' - -'No, Mr. Charles,' said the honest writer, raising his head, and -letting his hand fall on the table, with a mournful emphasis; 'No, Mr. -Charles, it does na run in the usual manner; and I hope ye'll no put -ony reliance on't. It was na right o' your father to let you live in -ignorance so long. Maybe it has been this to-look that has led you into -the debts ye want to pay.' - -The manner in which this was said affected the unfortunate first-born -more than the meaning; but he replied,-- - -'No doubt, Mr. Keelevin, I may have been less scrupulous in my -expenses than I would have been, had I not counted on the chance of my -birthright.' - -'Mr. Charles, I'm sorry for you; but I would na do a frien's part -by you, were I to keep you ony langer in the dark. Your father, Mr. -Charles, is an honest man; but there's a bee in his bonnet, as we a' -ken, anent his pedigree. I need na tell you how he has warslet to get -back the inheritance o' his forefathers; but I am wae to say, that in -a pursuit so meritorious, he has committed ae great fault. Really, Mr. -Charles, I have na hardly the heart to tell you.' - -'What is it?' said Charles, with emotion and apprehension. - -'He has made a deed,' said Mr. Keelevin, 'whereby he has cut you off -frae the succession, in order that Walter, your brother, might be in -a condition to make an exchange of the Plealands for the twa mailings -that were wanting to make up, wi' the Grippy property, a restoration -of the auld estate of Kittlestonheugh; and I doubt it's o' a nature in -consequence, that, even were he willing, canna be easily altered.' - -To this heart-withering communication Charles made no answer. He stood -for several minutes astonished; and then giving Mr. Keelevin a wild -look, shuddered and quitted the office. - -Instead of returning home, he rushed with rapid and unequal steps -down the Gallowgate, and, turning to the left hand in reaching the end -of the street, never halted till he had gained the dark firs which -overhang the cathedral and skirt the Molindinar Burn, which at the -time was swelled with rains, and pouring its troubled torrent almost -as violently as the tide of feelings that struggled in his bosom. -Unconscious of what he did, and borne along by the whirlwind of his -own thoughts, he darted down the steep, and for a moment hung on the -rocks at the bottom as if he meditated some frantic leap. Recoiling and -trembling with the recollections of his family, he then threw himself -on the ground, and for some time shut his eyes as if he wished to -believe that he was agitated only by a dream. - -The scene and the day were in unison with the tempest which shook his -frame and shivered his mind. The sky was darkly overcast. The clouds -were rolling in black and lowering masses, through which an occasional -gleam of sunshine flickered for a moment on the towers and pinnacles -of the cathedral, and glimmered in its rapid transit on the monuments -and graves in the church-yard. A gloomy shadow succeeded; and then a -white and ghastly light hovered along the ruins of the bishop's castle, -and darted with a strong and steady ray on a gibbet which stood on the -rising ground beyond. The gusty wind howled like a death-dog among the -firs, which waved their dark boughs like hearse plumes over him, and -the voice of the raging waters encouraged his despair. - -He felt as if he had been betrayed into a situation which compelled him -to surrender all the honourable intents of his life, and that he must -spend the comfortless remainder of his days in a conflict with poverty, -a prey to all its temptations, expedients, and crimes. At one moment, -he clenched his grasp, and gnashed his teeth, and smote his forehead, -abandoning himself to the wild and headlong energies and instincts of -a rage that was almost revenge; at another, the image of Isabella, so -gentle and so defenceless, rose in a burst of tenderness and sorrow, -and subdued him with inexpressible grief. But the thought of his -children in the heedless days of their innocence, condemned to beggary -by a fraud against nature, again scattered these subsiding feelings -like the blast that brushes the waves of the ocean into spindrift. - -This vehemence of feeling could not last long without producing some -visible effect. When the storm had in some degree spent itself, he left -the wild and solitary spot where he had given himself so entirely up to -his passion, and returned towards his home; but his limbs trembled, his -knees faltered, and a cold shivering vibrated through his whole frame. -An intense pain was kindled in his forehead; every object reeled and -shuddered to him as he passed; and, before he reached the house, he -was so unwell that he immediately retired to bed. In the course of the -afternoon he became delirious, and a rapid and raging fever terrified -his ill-fated wife. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII - - -Mr. Keelevin, when Charles had left him, sat for some time with his -cheek resting on his hand, reflecting on what had passed; and in -the afternoon, he ordered his horse, and rode over to Grippy, where -he found the Laird sitting sullenly by himself in the easy-chair by -the fire-side, with a white night-cap on his head, and grey worsted -stockings drawn over his knees. - -'I'm wae, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said the honest lawyer, as he entered the -room, 'to see you in sic an ailing condition; what's the matter wi' -you, and how lang hae ye been sae indisposed?' - -Claud had not observed his entrance; for, supposing the noise in -opening the door had been made by the Leddy in her manifold household -cares, or by some one of the servants, he never moved his head, -but kept his eyes ruminatingly fixed on a peeling of soot that was -ominously fluttering on one of the ribs of the grate, betokening, -according to the most credible oracles of Scottish superstition, the -arrival of a stranger, or the occurrence of some remarkable event. But, -on hearing the voice of his legal friend, he turned briskly round. - -'Sit ye doun, Mr. Keelevin, sit ye doun forenent me. What's brought you -here the day? Man, this is sore weather for ane at your time o' life to -come so far afield,' was the salutation with which he received him. - -'Aye,' replied Mr. Keelevin, 'baith you and me, Grippy, are beginning -to be the waur o' the wear; but I didna expek to find you in sic a -condition as this. I hope it's no the gout or the rheumatism.' - -Claud, who had the natural horror of death as strong as most country -gentlemen of a certain age, if not of all ages, did not much relish -either the observation or the inquiries. He, however, said, with -affected indifference,-- - -'No! be thankit, it's neither the t'ane nor the t'ither, but just a -waff o' cauld that I got twa nights ago;--a bit towt that's no worth -the talking o'.' - -'I'm extraordinar glad to hear't; for, seeing you in sic a frail and -feckless state, I was fear't that ye were na in a way to converse on -any concern o' business. No that I hae muckle to say, but ye ken a' -sma' things are a great fasherie to a weakly person, and I would na -discompose you, Mr. Walkinshaw, unless you just felt yoursel in your -right ordinar, for, at your time o' life, ony disturbance'---- - -'My time o' life?' interrupted the old man tartly. 'Surely I'm no sae -auld that ye need to be speaking o' my time o' life? But what's your -will, Mr. Keelevin, wi' me?' - -Whether all this sympathetic condolence, on the part of the lawyer, -was said in sincerity, or with any ulterior view, we need not pause to -discuss, for the abrupt question of the invalid brought it at once to a -conclusion. - -'In truth, Laird,' replied Mr. Keelevin, 'I canna say that I hae ony -thing o' a particular speciality to trouble you anent, for I came -hither more in the way o' friendship than o' business,--having had this -morning a visit frae your son Charles, a fine weel-doing young man as -can be.' - -'He's weel enough,' said the old man gruffly, and the lawyer -continued,-- - -''Deed, Mr. Walkinshaw, he's mair than weel enough. He's by common, -and it was with great concern I heard that you and him are no on sic a -footing of cordiality as I had thought ye were.' - -'Has he been making a complaint o' me?' said Claud looking sharply, -and with a grim and knotted brow as if he was, at the same time, -apprehensive and indignant. - -'He has mair sense and discretion,' replied Mr. Keelevin; 'but he was -speaking to me on a piece of business, and I was surprised he did na -rather confer wi' you; till, in course of conversation, it fell out, -as it were unawares, that he did na like to speak to you anent it; -the which dislike, I jealouse, could only proceed o' some lack o' -confidence between you, mair than should ever be between a father and a -well-behaved son like Mr. Charles.' - -'And what was't?' said Grippy drily. - -'I doubt that his income is scant to his want, Mr. Walkinshaw.' - -'He's an extravagant fool; and ne'er had a hand to thraw a key in a -lock;--when I began the world I had na'---- - -'Surely,' interrupted Mr. Keelevin, 'ye could ne'er think the son -o' a man in your circumstances should hain and hamper as ye were -necessitated to do in your younger years. But no to mak a hearing or an -argument concerning the same--Mr. Charles requires a sma' sum to get -him free o' a wee bit difficulty, for, ye ken, there are some folk, Mr. -Walkinshaw, that a flea-bite molests like the lash o' a whip.' - -The old man made no answer to this; but sat for some time silent, -drawing down his brows and twirling his thumbs. Mr. Keelevin waited in -patience till he should digest the reply he so evidently meditated. - -'I hae ay thought Charlie honest, at least,' said Grippy; 'but I maun -say that this fashes me, for if he's in sic straits, there's no telling -what liberties he may be led to tak wi' my property in the shop.' - -Mr. Keelevin, who, in the first part of this reply, had bent eagerly -forward, was so thunderstruck by the conclusion, that he threw himself -back in his chair with his arms extended; but in a moment recovering -from his consternation, he said, with fervour,-- - -'Mr. Walkinshaw, I mind weel the reproof ye gave me when I remonstrated -wi' you against the injustice ye were doing the poor lad in the entail, -but there's no consideration on this earth will let me alloo you to -gang on in a course of error and prejudice. Your son is an honest young -man. I wish I could say his father kent his worth, or was worthy o' -him--and I'll no see him wrangeously driven to the door, without taking -his part, and letting the world ken wha's to blame. I'll no say ye hae -defrauded him o' his birthright, for the property was your ain--but if -ye drive him forth the shop, and cast him wi' his sma' family on the -scrimp mercy of mankind, I would be wanting to human nature in general, -if I did na say it was most abominable, and that you yoursel, wi' a' -your trumpery o' Walkinshaws and Kittlestonheughs, ought to be scourged -by the hands o' the hangman. So do as ye like, Mr. Walkinshaw, ride to -the deevil at the full gallop for aught I care, but ye's no get out o' -this world without hearing the hue-and-cry that every Christian soul -canna but raise after you.' - -Claud was completely cowed both by the anger and menace of the -honest lawyer, but still more by the upbraidings of his own startled -conscience--and he said, in a humiliated tone, that almost provoked -contempt,-- - -'Ye're oure hasty, Mr. Keelevin. I did na mint a word about driving him -forth the shop. Did he tell you how muckle his defect was?' - -'Twa miserable hundred pounds,' replied Mr. Keelevin, somewhat -subsiding into his wonted equanimity. - -'Twa hundred pound o' debt!' exclaimed Claud. - -'Aye,' said Mr. Keelevin, 'and I marvel it's no mair, when I consider -the stinting and the sterile father o' him.' - -'If I had the siller, Mr. Keelevin,' replied Claud, 'to convince baith -you and him that I'm no the niggar ye tak me for, I would gi'e you't -wi' hearty gude will; but the advance I made to get Geordie into his -partnership has for the present rookit me o' a' I had at command.' - -'No possible!' exclaimed Mr. Keelevin, subdued from his indignation; -adding, 'and heavens preserve us, Mr. Walkinshaw, an ony thing were -happening on a sudden to carry you aff, ye hae made na provision for -Charlie nor your dochter.' - -There was something in this observation which made the old man shrink -up into himself, and vibrate from head to heel. In the course, however, -of less than a minute, he regained his self-possession, and said,-- - -''Deed, your observe, Mr. Keelevin, is very just, and I ought to do -something to provide for what may come to pass. I maun try and get -Watty to concur wi' me in some bit settlement that may lighten the -disappointment to Charlie and Meg, should it please the Lord to tak me -to himsel without a reasonable warning. Can sic a paper be made out?' - -'Oh, yes,' replied the worthy lawyer, delighted with so successful an -issue to his voluntary mission; 'ye hae twa ways o' doing the business; -either by getting Watty to agree to an aliment, or by making a bond of -provision to Charles and Mrs. Milrookit.' - -Claud said he would prefer the former mode; observing, with respect to -the latter, that he thought it would be a cheating o' the law to take -the other course. - -'As for cheating the law,' said the lawyer, 'ye need gie yoursel no -uneasiness about it, provided ye do honestly by your ain bairns, and -the rest o' the community.' - -And it was in consequence agreed, that, in the course of a day or two, -Claud should take Walter to Glasgow, to execute a deed, by which, in -the event of surviving his father, he would undertake to pay a certain -annuity for the behoof of Charles's family, and that of his sister, -Mrs. Milrookit. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX - - -In furtherance of the arrangement agreed upon, as we have described -in the foregoing chapter, as soon as Mr. Keelevin had retired, Claud -summoned Walter into the parlour. It happened, that the Leddy, during -the period of the lawyer's visit, had been so engaged in another part -of the house, that she was not aware of the conference, till, by -chance, she saw him riding down the avenue. We need not, therefore, -say that she experienced some degree of alarm, at the idea of a lawyer -having been with her husband, unknown to her; and particularly, when, -so immediately after his departure, her darling was requested to attend -his father. - -The mother and son entered the room together. Walter came from the -nursery, where he had been dandling his child, and his appearance was -not of the most prepossessing kind. From the death of his wife, in -whose time, under her dictation, he was brushed up into something of a -gentlemanly exterior, he had become gradually more and more slovenly. -He only shaved on Saturday night, and buttoned his breeches knees on -Sunday morning. Nor was the dress of Leddy Grippy at all out of keeping -with that of her hopeful favourite. Her time-out-of-mind red quilted -silk petticoat was broken into many holes;--her thrice dyed double -tabinet gown, of bottle-green, with large ruffle cuffs, was in need of -another dip; for, in her various culinary inspections, it had received -many stains, and the superstructure of lawn and catgut, ornamented with -ribbons, dyed blae in ink, surmounting her ill-toiletted toupee, had -every appearance of having been smoked into yellow, beyond all power of -blanching in the bleacher's art. - -'And so, gudeman,' said she, on entering the room, 'ye hae had that -auld sneck-drawer, Keelevin, wi' you? I won'er what you and him can hae -to say in sic a clandestine manner, that the door maun be ay steekit -when ye're thegither at your confabbles. Surely there's nae honesty -that a man can hae, whilk his wife ought na to come in for a share of.' - -'Sit down, Girzy Hypel, and haud thy tongue,' was the peevish command -which this speech provoked. - -'What for will I haud my tongue? a fool posture that would be, and no -very commodious at this time; for ye see my fingers are coomy.' - -'Woman, t'ou's past bearing!' exclaimed her disconcerted husband. - -'An it's nae shame to me, gudeman; for every body kens I'm a grannie.' - -The Laird smote his right thigh, and shook his left hand, with -vexation; presently, however, he said,-- - -'Weel, weel; but sit ye down, and Watty, tak t'ou a chair beside her; -for I want to consult you anent a paper that I'm mindit to hae drawn -out for a satisfaction to you a'; for nane can tell when their time may -come.' - -'Ye ne'er made a mair sensible observe, gudeman, in a' your days,' -replied the Leddy, sitting down; 'and it's vera right to make your -will and testament; for ye ken what a straemash happened in the -Glengowlmahallaghan family, by reason o' the Laird holographing his -codicil; whilk, to be sure, was a dreadfu' omission, as my cousin, his -wife, fand in her widowhood; for a' the moveables thereby gaed wi' the -heritage to his auld son by the first wife--even the vera silver pourie -that I gied her mysel wi' my own hands, in a gift at her marriage--a' -gaed to the heir.' - -'T'ou kens,' said Claud, interrupting her oration, 'that I hae provided -thee wi' the liferent o' a house o' fifteen pounds a-year, furniture, -and a jointure of a hundred and twenty over and aboon the outcoming o' -thy father's gathering. So t'ou canna expek, Girzy, that I would wrang -our bairns wi' ony mair overlay on thy account.' - -'Ye're grown richer, gudeman, than when we came thegither,' replied the -Leddy; 'and ne'er a man made siller without his wife's leave. So it -would be a most hard thing, after a' my toiling and moiling, to make me -nae better o't than the stricts o' the law in my marriage articles and -my father's will; whilk was a gratus amous, that made me nane behauden -to you.--No, an ye mean to do justice, gudeman, I'll get my thirds o' -the conquest ye hae gotten sin the time o' our marriage; and I'll be -content wi' nae less.' - -'Weel, weel, Girzy, we'll no cast out about a settlement for thee.' - -'It would be a fearful thing to hear tell o' an we did,' replied the -Leddy: 'Living as we hae lived, a comfort to ane anither for thirty -years, and bringing up sic a braw family, wi' so meikle credit. No, -gudeman, I hae mair confidence in you than to misdoot your love and -kindness, noo that ye're drawing so near your latter end as to be -seriously thinking o' making a will. But, for a' that, I would like to -ken what I'm to hae.' - -'Very right, Girzy; very right,' said Claud; 'but, before we can come -to a clear understanding, me and Watty maun conform in a bit paper by -oursels, just that there may be nae debate hereafter about his right to -the excambio we made for the Plealands.' - -'I'll no put hand to ony drumhead paper again,' said Watty, 'for fear -it wrang my wee Betty Bodle.' - -Although this was said in a vacant heedless manner, it yet disturbed -the mind of his father exceedingly, for the strange obstinacy with -which the natural had persisted in his refusal to attend the funeral -of his wife, had shown that there was something deeper and more -intractable in his character than any one had previously imagined. -But opposition had only the effect of making Claud more pertinacious, -while it induced him to change his mode of operation. Perceiving, or at -least being afraid that he might again call his obduracy into action, -he accordingly shifted his ground, and, instead of his wonted method -of treating Walter with commands and menaces, he dexterously availed -himself of the Leddy's auxiliary assistance. - -'Far be it, Watty, frae me, thy father,' said he, 'to think or wis -wrang to thee or thine; but t'ou kens that in family settlements, where -there's a patch't property like ours, we maun hae conjunk proceedings. -Noo, as I'm fain to do something satisfactory to thy mother, t'ou'll -surely never objek to join me in the needfu' instruments to gie effek -to my intentions.' - -'I'll do every thing to serve my mother,' replied Walter, 'but I'll no -sign ony papers.' - -'Surely, Watty Walkinshaw,' exclaimed the old Leddy, surprised at this -repetition of his refusal, 'ye would na see me in want, and driven to a -needcessity to gang frae door to door, wi' a meal-pock round my neck, -and an oaken rung in my hand?' - -'I would rather gie you my twa dollars, and the auld French -half-a-crown, that I got long syne, on my birthday, frae grannie,' said -Watty. - -'Then what for will ye no let your father make a rightfu' settlement?' -cried his mother. - -'I'm sure I dinna hinder him. He may mak fifty settlements for me; I'll -ne'er fin' fau't wi' him.' - -'Then,' said the Leddy, 'ye canna objek to his reasonable request.' - -'I objek to no reasonable request; I only say, mother, that I'll no -sign ony paper whatsomever, wheresomever, howsomever, nor ever and -ever--so ye need na try to fleetch me.' - -'Ye're an outstrapolous ne'er-do-well,' cried the Leddy, in a rage, -knocking her neives smartly together, 'to speak to thy mother in that -way; t'ou sall sign the paper, an te life be in thy body.' - -'I'll no wrang my ain bairn for father nor mother; I'll gang to Jock -Harrigals, the flesher, and pay him to hag aff my right hand, afore I -put pen to law-paper again.' - -'This is a' I get for my love and affection,' exclaimed the Leddy, -bursting into tears; while her husband, scarcely less agitated by the -firmness with which his purpose was resisted, sat in a state of gloomy -abstraction, seemingly unconscious of the altercation. 'But,' added -Mrs. Walkinshaw, 'I'm no in thy reverence, t'ou unnatural Absalom, to -rebel sae against thy parents. I hae maybe a hoggar, and I ken whan I -die, wha s'all get the gouden guts o't--Wilt t'ou sign the paper?' - -'I'll burn aff my right hand in the lowing fire, that I may ne'er be -able to write the scrape o' a pen;' and with these emphatic words, said -in a soft and simple manner, he rose from his seat, and was actually -proceeding towards the fire-place, when a loud knocking at the door -disturbed, and put an end to, the conversation. It was a messenger sent -from old Lady Plealands, to inform her daughter of Charles's malady, -and to say that the doctor, who had been called in, was greatly alarmed -at the rapid progress of the disease. - - - - -CHAPTER XL - - -Leddy Grippy was one of those worthy gentlewomen who, without the -slightest interest or feeling in any object or purpose with which -they happen to be engaged, conceive themselves bound to perform all -the customary indications of the profoundest sympathy and the deepest -sensibility. Accordingly, no sooner did she receive the message of her -son's melancholy condition, than she proceeded forthwith to prepare -herself for going immediately to Glasgow. - -'I canna expek, gudeman,' said she, 'that wi' your host ye'll come -wi' me to Glasgow on this very sorrowful occasion; therefore I hope -ye'll tak gude care o' yoursel, and see that the servan' lasses get -your water-gruel, wi' a tamarind in't, at night, if it should please -Charlie's Maker, by reason o' the dangerous distemper, no to alloo me -to come hame.' - -The intelligence, however, had so troubled the old man, that he -scarcely heard her observation. The indisposition of his son seemed to -be somehow connected with the visit of Mr. Keelevin, which it certainly -was; and while his wife busily prepared for her visit, his mind -wandered in devious conjectures, without being able to reach any thing -calculated either to satisfy his wonder or to appease his apprehension. - -'It's very right, Girzy, my dear,' said he, 'that ye sou'd gang in and -see Charlie, poor lad; I'm extraordinar sorry to hear o' this income, -and ye'll be sure to tak care he wants for nothing. Hear'st t'ou; -look into the auld pocket-book in the scrutoire neuk, t'ou'l aiblins -fin' there a five-pound note,--tak it wi' thee--there's no sic an -extravagant commodity in ony man's house as a delirious fever.' - -'Ah!' replied the Leddy, looking at her darling and ungrateful -Walter, 'ye see what it is to hae a kind father; but ill ye deserve -ony attention either frae father or mother, for your condumacity is -ordained to break our hearts.' - -'Mother,' said Walter, 'dinna be in sic a hurry--I hae something -that 'ill do Charlie good.' In saying which, he rose and went to the -nursery, whence he immediately returned with a pill-box. - -'There, mother! tak that wi' you; it's a box o' excellent medicaments, -either for the cough, or the cauld, or shortness o' breath; to say -naething amang frien's o' a constipation. Gie Charlie twa at bedtime -and ane in the morning, and ye'll see an effek sufficient to cure every -impediment in man or woman.' - -Leddy Grippy, with the utmost contempt for the pills, snatched the box -out of his hand, and flung it behind the fire. She then seated herself -in the chair opposite her husband, and while she at the same time tied -her cloak and placed on her bonnet, she said,-- - -'I'll alloo at last, gudeman, that I hae been a' my days in an -error, for I could na hae believed that Watty was sic an idiot o' a -naturalist, had I no lived to see this day. But the will o' Providence -be done on earth as it is in heaven, and let us pray that he may be -forgiven the sair heart he has gi'en to us his aged parents, as we -forgive our debtors. I won'er, howsever, that my mother did na send -word o' the nature o' this delirietness o' Charlie, for to be surely -it's a very sudden come-to-pass, but the things o' time are no to be -lippent to, and life fleeth away like a weaver's shuttle, and no man -knoweth wheresoever it findeth rest for the sole of its foot. But, -before I go, ye'll no neglek to tell Jenny in the morning to tak the -three spyniels o' yarn to Josey Thrums, the weaver, for my Dornick -towelling; and ye'll be sure to put Tam Modiwart in mind that he's no -to harl the plough out o'er the green brae till I get my big washing -out o' hand. As for t'ee, Watty, stay till this calamity's past, and -I'll let ee ken what it is to treat baith father and mother wi' sae -little reverence. Really, gudeman, I begin to hae a notion, that he's, -as auld Elspeth Freet, the midwife, ance said to me, a ta'enawa, and I -would be nane surprised, that whoever lives to see him dee will find in -the bed a benweed or a windlestrae, instead o' a Christian corpse. But -sufficient for the day is the evil thereof; and this sore news o' our -auld son should mak us walk humbly, and no repine at the mercies set -before us in this our sinfu' estate.' - -The worthy Leddy might have continued her edifying exhortation for some -time longer, but her husband grew impatient, and harshly interrupted -her eloquence, by reminding her that the day was far advanced, and that -the road to Glasgow was both deep and dreigh. - -'I would counsel you, Girzy Hypel,' said he, 'no to put off your time -wi' sic havers here, but gang intil the town, and send us out word in -the morning, if ye dinna come hame, how Charlie may happen to be; for -I canna but say that thir news are no just what I could hae wiss'd to -hear at this time. As for what we hae been saying to Watty, we baith -ken he's a kind-hearted chiel, and he'll think better or the morn o' -what we were speaking about--will na ye, Watty?' - -'I'll think as muckle's ye like,' said the faithful natural; 'but I'll -sign nae papers; that's a fact afore divines. What for do ye ay fash me -wi' your deeds and your instruments? I'm sure baith Charlie and Geordie -could write better than me, and ye ne'er troublet them. But I jealouse -the cause--an my grandfather had na left me his lawful heir to the -Plealands, I might hae sat at the chumley-lug whistling on my thumb. -We a' hae frien's anew when we hae ony thing, and so I see in a' this -flyting and fleetching; but ye'll flyte and ye'll fleetch till puddocks -grow chucky-stanes before ye'll get me to wrang my ain bairn, my bonny -wee Betty Bodle, that has na ane that cares for her, but only my leafu' -lane.' - -The Leddy would have renewed her remonstratory animadversions on his -obstinacy, but the Laird again reminded her of the length of the -journey in such an evening before her, and after a few half advices and -half reproaches, she left the house. - -Indisposed as Claud had previously felt himself, or seemed to be, she -had not been long away, when he rose from his easy-chair, and walked -slowly across the room, with his hands behind, swinging his body -heavily as he paced the floor. Walter, who still remained on his seat, -appeared for some time not to notice his father's gestures; but the old -man unconsciously began to quicken his steps, and at last walked so -rapidly that his son's attention was roused. - -'Father,' said he, 'hae ye been taking epicacco, for that was just the -way that I was telt to gang, when I was last no weel?' - -'No, no,' exclaimed the wretched old man; 'but I hae drank the -bitterest dose o' life. There's nae vomit for a sick soul--nae purge -for a foul conscience.' - -These were, however, confessions that escaped from him unawares, like -the sparks that are elicited in violent percussions,--for he soon drew -himself firmly and bravely up, as if he prepared himself to defy the -worst that was in store for him; but this resolution also as quickly -passed away, and he returned to his easy-chair, and sat down, as if he -had been abandoned of all hope, and had resigned himself into a dull -and sleepy lethargy. - -For about half an hour he continued in this slumbering and inaccessible -state, at the end of which he called one of the servants, and bade -him be ready to go to Glasgow by break of day, and bring Mr. Keelevin -before breakfast. 'Something maun be done,' said he as the servant, -accompanied by Walter, left the room; 'the curse of God has fallen upon -me, my hands are tied, a dreadfu' chain is fastened about me; I hae -cheated mysel, and there's nae bail--no, not in the Heavens--for the -man that has wilfully raffled away his own soul in the guilty game o' -pride.' - - - - -CHAPTER XLI - - -Meanwhile, the disease which had laid Charles prostrate was proceeding -with a terrific and devastating fury. Before his mother reached the -house, he had lost all sense of himself and situation, and his mind was -a chaos of the wildest and most extravagant fantasies. Occasionally, -however, he would sink into a momentary calm, when a feeble gleam of -reason would appear amidst his ravings, like the transient glimmer of -a passing light from the shore on the black waves of the stormy ocean, -when the cry has arisen at midnight of a vessel on the rocks, and her -crew in jeopardy. But these breathing-pauses of the fever's rage were, -perhaps, more dreadful than its violence, for they were accompanied -with a return of the moral anguish which had brought on his malady; -and as often as his eye caught the meek, but desponding countenance of -Isabella, as she sat by his bedside, he would make a convulsive effort -to raise himself, and instantly relapse into the tempestuous raptures -of the delirium. In this state he passed the night. - -Towards morning symptoms of a change began to show themselves,--the -turbulence of his thoughts subsided,--his breathing became more -regular; and both Isabella and his mother were persuaded that he was -considerably better. Under this impression, the old lady, at day-break, -dispatched a messenger to inform his father of the favourable change, -who, in the interval, had passed a night, in a state not more calm and -far less enviable, than that of his distracted son. - -Whatever was the motive which induced Claud, on the preceding evening, -to determine on sending for Mr. Keelevin, it would appear that it -did not long maintain its influence; for, before going to bed, he -countermanded the order. Indeed, his whole behaviour that night -indicated a strange and unwonted degree of indecision. It was evident -that he meditated some intention, which he hesitated to carry into -effect; and the conflict banished sleep from his pillow. When the -messenger from Glasgow arrived, he was already dressed, and, as none -of the servants were stirring, he opened the door himself. The news -certainly gave him pleasure, but they also produced some change in the -secret workings of his mind, of no auspicious augury to the fulfilment -of the parental intention which he had probably formed; but which he -was as probably reluctant to realize, as it could not be carried into -effect without material detriment to that one single dominant object -to which his whole life, efforts, and errors, had been devoted. At -least from the moment he received the agreeable intelligence that -Charles was better, his agitation ceased, and he resumed his seat in -the elbow-chair, by the parlour fire-side, as composedly as if nothing -had occurred, in any degree, to trouble the apparently even tenor of -his daily unsocial and solitary reflections. In this situation he fell -asleep, from which he was roused by another messenger with still more -interesting intelligence to him than even the convalescence, as it was -supposed, of his favourite son. - -Mrs. George Walkinshaw had, for some time, given a large promise, in -her appearance, of adding to the heirs of Kittlestonheugh; but, by her -residence in Glasgow, and holding little intercourse with the Grippy -family (owing to her own situation, and to her dislike of the members, -especially after Walter had been brought back with his child), the -Laird and Leddy were less acquainted with her maternal progress than -might have been expected, particularly when the anxiety of the old man, -with respect to male issue, is considered. Such things, however, are -of common occurrence in all families; and it so happened, that, during -the course of this interesting night, Mrs. George had been delivered; -and that her husband, as in duty bound, in the morning dispatched a -maid-servant to inform his father and mother of the joyous event. - -The messenger, Jenny Purdie, had several years before been in the -servitude of the Laird's house, from which she translated herself to -that of George. Being something forward, at the same time sly and -adroit, and having heard how much her old master had been disappointed -that Walter's daughter was not a son, she made no scruple of employing -a little address in communicating her news. Accordingly, when the -Laird, disturbed in his slumber by her entrance, roused himself, -and turned round to see who it was that had come into the room, she -presented herself, as she had walked from the royal city muffled up in -a dingy red cloak, her dark-blue and white striped petticoat, sorely -scanty, and her glowing purple legs, and well spread shoeless feet, -bearing liberal proof of the speed with which she had spattered and -splashed along the road. - -'I wis you meikle joy, Laird! I hae brought you blithesmeat,' was her -salutation. - -'What is't, Jenny?' said the old man. - -'I'll let you guess that, unless ye promise to gi'e me half-a-crown,' -was her reply. - -'T'ou canna think I would ware less on sic errand as t'ou's come on. -Is't a laddie?' - -'It's far better, Laird!' said Jenny triumphantly. - -'Is't twins?' exclaimed the Laird, sympathizing with her exultation. - -'A half-crown, a half-crown, Laird,' was, however, all the satisfaction -he received. 'Down wi' the dust.' - -'An t'ou's sae on thy peremptors, I fancy I maun comply. There, take -it, and welcome,' said he, pulling the money from under the flap of his -waistcoat pocket; while Jenny, stretching her arm, as she hoisted it -from under the cloak, eagerly bent forward and took the silver out of -his hand, instantaneously affecting the greatest gravity of face. - -'Laird,' said she, 'ye mauna be angry wi' me, but I did na like just to -dumb-foun'er you a' at ance wi' the news; my mistress, it's very true, -has been brought to bed, but it's no as ye expekit.' - -'Then it's but a dochter?' replied the Laird discontentedly. - -'No, Sir, it's no a dochter.--It's twa dochters, Sir!' exclaimed Jenny, -scarcely able to repress her risibility, while she endeavoured to -assume an accent of condolence. - -Claud sank back in his chair, and, drooping his head, gave a deep sigh. - -'But,' rejoined the adroit Jenny, 'it's a gude earnest of a braw -family, so keep up your heart, Laird, aiblins the neist birds may be a' -cocks; there ne'er was a goose without a gander.' - -'Gae but the house, and fash na me wi' thy clishmaclavers. I say gae -but the house,' cried the Laird, in a tone so deep and strong, that -Jenny's disposition to gossip was most effectually daunted, and she -immediately retired. - -For some time after she had left the room, Claud continued sitting -in the same posture with which he had uttered the command, leaning -slightly forward, and holding the arms of the easy-chair graspingly -by both his hands, as if in the act of raising himself. Gradually, -however, he relaxed his hold, and subsided slowly and heavily into -the position in which he usually fell asleep. Shutting his eyes, -he remained in that state for a considerable time, exhibiting no -external indication of the rush of mortified feelings, which, like a -subterranean stream of some acrid mineral, struggled through all the -abysses of his bosom. - -This last stroke--the birth of twin daughters--seemed to perfect the -signs and omens of that displeasure with which he had for some time -thought the disinheritance of his first-born was regarded; and there -was undoubtedly something sublime in the fortitude with which he -endured the gnawings of remorse.--It may be impossible to consider the -course of his sordid ambition without indignation; but the strength -of character which enabled him to contend at once with his paternal -partiality, and stand firm in his injustice before what he awfully -deemed the frowns and the menaces of Heaven, forms a spectacle of moral -bravery that cannot be contemplated without emotions of wonder mingled -with dread. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII - - -The fallacious symptoms in the progress of Charles's malady, which -had deceived his wife and mother, assumed, on the third day, the most -alarming appearance. Mr. Keelevin, who, from the interview, had taken -an uncommon interest in his situation, did not, however, hear of his -illness till the doctors, from the firmest persuasion that he could -not survive, had expressed some doubts of his recovery; but, from -that time, the inquiries of the honest lawyer were frequent; and, -notwithstanding what had passed on the former occasion, he resolved to -make another attempt on the sympathies of the father. For this purpose, -on the morning of the fifth day, which happened to be Sunday, he called -at Charles's house, to inquire how he was, previous to the visit which -he intended to pay to Grippy. But the servant who attended the door was -in tears, and told him that her master was in the last struggles of -life. - -Any other general acquaintance would, on receiving such intelligence, -however deeply he might have felt affected, have retired; but the -ardent mind and simplicity of Mr. Keelevin prompted him to act -differently; and without replying to the girl, he softly slipped his -feet from his shoes, and stepping gently to the sick-chamber, entered -it unobserved; so much were those around the death-bed occupied with -the scene before them. - -Isabella was sitting at the bed-head, holding her dying husband by -both the hands, and bending over him almost as insensible as himself. -His mother was sitting near the foot of the bed, with a phial in -one hand, and a towel, resting on her knee, in the other, looking -over her left shoulder towards her son, with an eager countenance, -in which curiosity, and alarm, and pity, were, in rapid succession, -strangely and vacantly expressed. At the foot of the bed, the curtains -of which were drawn aside, the two little children stood wondering in -solemn innocence at the mournful mystery which Nature was performing -with their father. Mr. Keelevin was more moved by their helpless -astonishment than even by the sight of the last and lessening heavings -and pantings of his dying friend; and, melted to tears, he withdrew, -and wept behind the door. - -In the course of three or four minutes, a rustle in the chamber roused -him; and on looking round, he saw Isabella standing on the floor, and -her mother-in-law, who had dropped the phial, sitting, with a look of -horror, holding up her hand, which quivered with agitation. He stepped -forward, and giving a momentary glance at the bed, saw that all was -over; but, before he could turn round to address himself to the ladies, -the children uttered a shrill piercing shriek of terror; and running -to their mother, hid their little faces in her dress, and clasped her -fearfully in their arms. - -For some minutes he was overcome. The young, the beautiful, the -defenceless widow, was the first that recovered her self-possession. A -flood of tears relieved her heart; and bending down, and folding her -arms round her orphans, she knelt, and said, with an upward look of -supplication, 'God will protect you.' - -Mr. Keelevin was still unable to trust himself to say a word; but -he approached, and gently assisting her to rise, led her, with the -children, into the parlour, where old Lady Plealands was sitting alone, -with a large psalm-book in her hand. Her spectacles lying on a table in -the middle of the room, showed that she had been unable to read. - -He then returned to bring Leddy Grippy also away from the body, but -met her in the passage. We dare not venture to repeat what she said to -him, for she was a mother; but the result was, a request from her that -he would undertake to communicate the intelligence to her husband, and -to beg him either to come to her in the course of the day, or send her -some money: 'For,' said she, 'this is a bare house, Mr. Keelevin; and -Heaven only knows what's to become o' the wee orphans.' - -The kind-hearted lawyer needed, however, no argument to spur him on -to do all that he could in such a time, and in such circumstances, to -lighten the distress and misery of a family whose necessities he so -well knew. On quitting the house, he proceeded immediately towards -Grippy, ruminating on the scene he had witnessed, and on the sorrows -which he foresaw the desolate widow and her children were destined to -suffer. - -The weather, for some days before, had been unsettled and boisterous; -but it was that morning uncommonly fine for the advanced state of the -season. Every thing was calm and in repose, as if Nature herself had -hallowed the Sabbath. Mr. Keelevin walked thoughtfully along, the -grief of his reflections being gradually subdued by the benevolence -of his intentions; but he was a man well stricken in years, and the -agitation he had undergone made the way appear to him so long, that he -felt himself tired, insomuch that when he came to the bottom of the -lane which led to Kilmarkeckle, he sat down to rest himself on the -old dike, where Claud himself had sat, on his return from the town, -after executing the fatal entail. Absorbed in the reflections to which -the event of the morning naturally gave rise, he leaned for some time -pensively forward, supporting his head on his hand, insensible to -every object around, till he was roused by the cooing of a pigeon in -the field behind him. The softness and the affectionate sound of its -tones comforted his spirits as he thought of his client's harsh temper, -and he raised his eyes and looked on the beautiful tranquillity of the -landscape before him, with a sensation of freshness and pleasure, that -restored him to confidence in the charity of his intentions. The waters -of the river were glancing to the cloudless morning sun,--a clear -bright cheerfulness dwelt on the foreheads of the distant hills,--the -verdure of the nearer fields seemed to be gladdened by the presence -of spring,--and a band of little schoolboys, in their Sunday clothes, -playing with a large dog on the opposite bank of the river, was in -unison with the general benevolence that smiled and breathed around, -but was liveliest in his own heart. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII - - -The benevolent lawyer found the old man in his accustomed seat by the -fireside. Walter was in the room with him, dressed for church, and -dandling his child. At first Mr. Keelevin felt a little embarrassment, -not being exactly aware in what manner the news he had to communicate -might be received; but seeing how Walter was engaged, he took occasion -to commend his parental affection. - -'That's acting like a father, Mr. Walter,' said he; 'for a kind parent -innocently pleasuring his bairn is a sight that the very angels are -proud to look on. Mak muckle o' the poor wee thing, for nobody can tell -how long she may be spared to you. I dare say, Mr. Walkinshaw,' he -added, addressing himself to Claud, 'ye hae mony a time been happy in -the same manner wi' your own children?' - -'I had something else to tak up my mind,' replied the old man gruffly, -not altogether pleased to see the lawyer, and apprehensive of some new -animadversions. - -'Nae doubt, yours has been an eydent and industrious life,' said -Mr. Keelevin, 'and hitherto it has na been without a large share o' -comfort. Ye canna, however, expek a greater constancy in fortune and -the favour o' Providence than falls to the common lot of man; and ye -maun lay your account to meet wi' troubles and sorrows as weel as your -neighbours.' - -This was intended by the speaker as a prelude to the tidings he had -brought, and was said in a mild and sympathetic manner; but the heart -of Claud, galled and skinless by the corrosion of his own thoughts, -felt it as a reproach, and he interrupted him sharply. - -'What ken ye, Mr. Keelevin, either o' my trumps or my troubles?' And he -subjoined, in his austerest and most emphatic manner, 'The inner man -alone knows, whether, in the gifts o' fortune, he has gotten gude, or -but only gowd. Mr. Keelevin, I hae lived long eneugh to mak an observe -on prosperity,--the whilk is, that the doited and heedless world is -very ready to mistak the smothering growth of the ivy, on a doddered -stem, for the green boughs o' a sound and nourishing tree.' - -To which Walter added singingly, as he swung his child by the arms,-- - - 'Near planted by a river, - Which in his season yields his fruit, - And his leaf fadeth never.' - -'But no to enter upon any controversy, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said Mr. -Keelevin,--'ye'll no hae heard the day how your son Charles is?' - -'No,' replied Claud, with a peculiarly impressive accent; 'but, at the -latest last night, the gudewife sent word he was very ill.' - -'I'm greatly concerned about him,' resumed the lawyer, scarcely -aware of the address with which, in his simplicity, he was moving on -towards the fatal communication; 'I am greatly concerned about him, -but mair for his young children--they'll be very helpless orphans, Mr. -Walkinshaw.' - -'I ken that,' was the stern answer, uttered with such a dark and -troubled look, that it quite daunted Mr. Keelevin at the moment from -proceeding. - -'Ye ken that!' cried Walter, pausing, and setting down the child on the -floor, and seating himself beside it; 'how do ye ken that, father?' - -The old man eyed him for a moment with a fierce and strong aversion, -and, turning to Mr. Keelevin, shook his head, but said nothing. - -'What's done, is done, and canna be helped,' resumed the lawyer; 'but -reparation may yet, by some sma cost and cooking, be made; and I hope -Mr. Walkinshaw, considering what has happened, ye'll do your duty.' - -'I'll sign nae papers,' interposed Walter; 'I'll do nothing to wrang my -wee Betty Bodle,'--and he fondly kissed the child. - -Mr. Keelevin looked compassionately at the natural, and then, turning -to his father, said,-- - -'I hae been this morning to see Mr. Charles.' - -'Weel, and how is he?' exclaimed the father eagerly. - -The lawyer, for about the term of a minute, made no reply, but looked -at him steadily in the face, and then added solemnly,-- - -'He's no more!' - -At first the news seemed to produce scarcely any effect; the iron -countenance of the old man underwent no immediate change--he only -remained immoveable in the position in which he had received the shock; -but presently Mr. Keelevin saw that he did not fetch his breath, and -that his lips began to contract asunder, and to expose his yellow teeth -with the grin almost of a skull. - -'Heavens preserve us, Mr. Walkinshaw!' cried Mr. Keelevin, rising -to his assistance; but, in the same moment, the old man uttered a -groan so deep and dreadful, so strange and superhuman, that Walter -snatched up his child, and rushed in terror out of the room. After -this earthquake-struggle, he in some degree recovered himself, and the -lawyer returned to his chair, where he remained some time silent. - -'I had a fear o't, but I was na prepar't, Mr. Keelevin, for this,' -said the miserable father; 'and noo I'll kick against the pricks nae -langer. Wonderful God! I bend my aged grey head at thy footstool. O lay -not thy hand heavier upon me than I am able to bear. Mr. Keelevin, ye -ance said the entail cou'd be broken if I were to die insolvent--mak -me sae in the name of the God I have dared so long to fight against. -An Charlie's dead--murdered by my devices! Weel do I mind, when he was -a playing bairn, that I first kent the blessing of what it is to hae -something to be kind to;--aften and aften did his glad and bright young -face thaw the frost that had bound up my heart, but ay something new -o' the world's pride and trash cam in between, and hardent it mair and -mair.--But a's done noo, Mr. Keelevin--the fight's done and the battle -won, and the avenging God of righteousness and judgement is victorious.' - -Mr. Keelevin sat in silent astonishment at this violence of sorrow. He -had no previous conception of that vast abyss of sensibility which lay -hidden and unknown within the impenetrable granite of the old man's -pride and avarice; and he was amazed and overawed when he beheld it -burst forth, as when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, -and the deluge swept away the earliest and the oldest iniquities of man. - -The immediate effect, when he began to recover from his wonder, was a -sentiment of profound reverence. - -'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said he, 'I have long done you great injustice;' -and he was proceeding to say something more as an apology, but Claud -interrupted him. - -'You hae ne'er done me any manner of wrong, Mr. Keelevin; but I hae -sinned greatly and lang against my ain nature, and it's time I sou'd -repent. In a few sorrowful days I maun follow the lamb I hae sacrificed -on the altars o' pride; speed a' ye dow to mak the little way I hae to -gang to the grave easy to one that travels wi' a broken heart. I gie -you nae further instructions--your skill and honest conscience will -tell you what is needful to be done; and when the paper's made out, -come to me. For the present leave me, and in your way hame bid Dr. -Denholm come hither in the afternoon.' - -'I think, Mr. Walkinshaw,' replied Mr. Keelevin, falling into his -professional manner on receiving these orders, 'that it would be as -weel for me to come back the morn, when ye're more composed, to get the -particulars of what ye wish done.' - -'O man!' exclaimed the hoary penitent, 'ye ken little o' me. Frae the -very dawn o' life I hae done nothing but big and build an idolatrous -image; and when it was finished, ye saw how I laid my first-born on its -burning and brazen altar. But ye never saw what I saw--the face of an -angry God looking constantly from behind a cloud that darkened a' the -world like the shadow of death to me; and ye canna feel what I feel -now, when His dreadful right hand has smashed my idol into dust. I hae -nae langer part, interest nor portion in the concerns of this life; but -only to sign ony paper that ye can devise, to restore their rights to -the twa babies that my idolatry has made fatherless.' - -'I hope, in mercy, Mr. Walkinshaw, that ye'll be comforted,' said the -worthy lawyer, deeply affected by his vehemence. - -'I hope so too, but I see na whar at present it's to come frae,' -replied Claud, bursting into tears, and weeping bitterly. 'But,' he -added, 'I would fain, Mr. Keelevin, be left to mysel--alack! alack! -I hae been oure lang left to mysel. Howsever, gang away the day, and -remember Dr. Denholm as ye pass;--but I'll ne'er hae peace o' mind till -the paper's made and signed; so, as a Christian, I beg you to make -haste, for it will be a Samaritan's act of charity.' - -Mr. Keelevin perceived that it was of no use at that time to offer any -further consolation, and he accordingly withdrew. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV - - -During the remainder of the day, after Mr. Keelevin had left him, Claud -continued to sit alone, and took no heed of any thing that occurred -around him.--Dinner was placed on the table at the usual hour; but he -did not join Walter. - -'I won'er, father,' said the natural, as he was hewing at the joint, -'that ye're no for ony dinner the day; for ye ken if a' the folk in the -world were to die but only ae man, it would behove that man to hae his -dinner.' - -To this sage observation the grey-haired penitent made no reply; and -Walter finished his meal without attempting to draw him again into -conversation. - -In the afternoon Claud left his elbow-chair, and walked slowly and -heavily up the path which led to the bench he had constructed on the -rising ground, where he was so often in the practice of contemplating -the lands of his forefathers; and on gaining the brow of the hill, he -halted, and once more surveyed the scene. For a moment it would seem -that a glow of satisfaction passed over his heart; but it was only a -hectical flush, instantly succeeded by the nausea of moral disgust; -and he turned abruptly round, and seated himself with his back towards -the view which had afforded him so much pleasure. In this situation he -continued some time, resting his forehead on his ivory-headed staff, -and with his eyes fixed on the ground. - -In the meantime, Mr. Keelevin having called on the Reverend Dr. -Denholm, according to Claud's wish, to request he would visit him -in the afternoon, the venerable minister was on his way to Grippy. -On reaching the house, he was informed by one of the maid-servants, -that her master had walked to his summer-seat on the hill, whither he -immediately proceeded, and found the old man still rapt in his moody -and mournful meditations. - -Claud had looked up, as he heard him approach, and pointing to the -bench, beckoned him to be seated. For some time they sat together -without speaking; the minister appearing to wait in expectation that -the penitent would address him first; but observing him still disposed -to continue silent, he at last said,-- - -'Mr. Keelevin told me, Mr. Walkinshaw, that ye wished to see me under -this dispensation with which the hand o' a righteous Providence has -visited your family.' - -'I'm greatly obligated to Mr. Keelevin,' replied Claud, thoughtfully; -'he's a frien'ly and a very honest man. It would hae been happy wi' me -the day, Dr. Denholm, had I put mair confidence in him; but I doobt, I -doobt, I hae been a' my life a sore hypocrite.' - -'I was ay o' that notion,' said the Reverend Doctor, not quite sure -whether the contrition so humbly expressed was sincere or affected, but -the meek look of resignation with which the desolate old man replied to -the cutting sarcasm, moved the very heart of the chastiser with strong -emotions of sympathy and grief; and he added, in his kindliest manner,-- - -'But I hope, Mr. Walkinshaw, I may say to you, "Brother, be of good -cheer;" for if this stroke, by which your first-born is cut off from -the inheritance of the years that were in the promise of his winsome -youth, is ta'en and borne as the admonition of the vanity of setting -your heart on the things of carnal life, it will prove to you a great -blessing for evermore.' - -There was something in the words in which this was couched, that, still -more painfully than the taunt, affected the disconsolate penitent, -and he burst into tears, taking hold of the minister's right hand -graspingly with his left, saying, 'Spare me, doctor! O spare me, an it -be possible--for the worm that never dieth hath coiled itsel within my -bosom, and the fire that's never quenched is kindled around me--What an -it be for ever?' - -'Ye should na, Mr. Walkinshaw,' replied the clergyman, awed by the -energy and solemnity of his manner--'Ye should na entertain such -desperate thoughts, but hope for better things; for it's a blithe -thing for your precious soul to be at last sensible o' your own -unworthiness.' - -'Aye, doctor, but, alack for me! I was ay sensible o' that. I hae -sinned wi' my e'en open, and I thought to mak up for't by a strict -observance o' church ordinances.' - -''Deed, Mr. Walkinshaw, there are few shorter roads to the pit than -through the kirk-door; and many a Christian has been brought nigh to -the death, thinking himsel cheered and guided by the sound o' gospel -preaching, when, a' the time, his ear was turned to the sough o' -perdition.' - -'What shall I do to be saved?' said the old man, reverentially and -timidly. - -'Ye can do naething yoursel, Mr. Walkinshaw,' replied the minister; and -he proceeded, with the fearlessness of a champion and the energy of an -apostle, to make manifest to his understanding the corruption of the -human heart, and its utter unworthiness in the pure eyes of Him that -alone can wash away the Ethiopian hue of original sin, and eradicate -the leopard spots of personal guilt. - -While he spoke the bosom of Claud was convulsed--he breathed deeply and -fearfully--his eyes glared--and the manner in which he held his hands, -trembling and slightly raised, showed that his whole inward being -was transfixed, as it were, with a horrible sense of some tremendous -apocalypse. - -'I fear, I fear, Doctor Denholm,' he exclaimed, 'that I can hae no -hope.' - -The venerable pastor was struck with the despair of the expression, -and, after a short pause, said, 'Dinna let yoursel despond; tak comfort -in the mercy of God; surely your life has na been blacken't wi' ony -great crime?' - -'It has been one continued crime,' cried the penitent--'frae the first -hour that my remembrance can look back to, down to the vera last -minute, there has been no break nor interruption in the constancy of my -iniquity. I sold my soul to the Evil One in my childhood, that I might -recover the inheritance of my forebears. O the pride of that mystery! -and a' the time there was a voice within me that would na be pacified -wi' the vain promises I made to become another man, as soon as ever my -conquest was complete.' - -'I see but in that,' said the pious Doctor, in a kind and consoling -manner, 'I see but in a' that, Mr. Walkinshaw, an inordinate love of -the world; and noo that ye're awakened to a sense of your danger, the -Comforter will soon come. Ye hae ay been reputed an honest man, and no -deficient in your moral duties, as a husband, a parent, a master, and a -friend.' - -Claud clasped his hands fervently together, exclaiming, 'O God! thou -hast ever seen my hypocrisy!--Dr. Denholm,' and he took him firmly by -the hand;--'when I was but a bairn, I kent na what it was to hae the -innocence o' a young heart. I used to hide the sma' presents of siller -I got frae my frien's, even when Maudge Dobbie, the auld kind creature -that brought me up, could na earn a sufficiency for our scrimpit meals; -I did na gang near her when I kent she was in poortith and bedrid, for -fear my heart would relent, and gar me gie her something out o' the -gathering I was making for the redemption o' this vile yird that is -mair grateful than me, for it repays with its fruits the care o' the -tiller. I stifled the very sense o' loving kindness within me; and in -furtherance of my wicked avarice, I married a woman--Heaven may forgie -the aversion I had to her; but my own nature never can.' - -Dr. Denholm held up his hands, and contemplated in silence the humbled -and prostrate spirit that was thus proceeding with the frightful -confession of its own baseness and depravity. - -'But,' cried the penitent, 'I canna hope that ye're able to thole -the sight that I would lay open in the inner sepulchre of my guilty -conscience--for in a' my reprobation I had ever the right before me, -when I deliberately preferred the wrang. The angel of the Lord ceased -not, by night nor by day, to warsle for me; but I clung to Baal, and -spurned and kicked whenever the messenger of brightness and grace tried -to tak me away.' - -The old man paused, and then looking towards the minister, who still -continued silent, regarding him with compassionate amazement, said,-- - -'Doctor, what can I expek?' - -'O! Mr. Walkinshaw, but ye hae been a doure sinner,' was the simple and -emphatic reply; 'and I hope that this sense o' the evil of your way is -an admonition to a repentance that may lead you into the right road at -last. Be ye, therefore, thankful for the warning ye hae now gotten of -the power and the displeasure of God.' - -'Many a warning,' said Claud, 'in tokens sairer than the plagues o' -Egypt, which but grieved the flesh, hae I had in the spirit; but still -my heart was harden't till the destroying angel slew my first-born.' - -'Still I say, be thankful, Mr. Walkinshaw! ye hae received a singular -manifestation of the goodness of God. Your son, we're to hope, is -removed into a better world. He's exposed no more to the temptations of -this life--a' care wi' him is past--a' sorrow is taken from him. It's -no misfortune to die, but a great risk to be born; and nae Christian -should sorrow, like unto those who are without hope, when Death, frae -ahint the black yett, puts forth his ancient hand, and pulls in a -brother or a sister by the skirts of the garment of flesh. The like -o' that, Mr. Walkinshaw, is naething; but when, by the removal of a -friend, we are taught to see the error of our way, it's a great thing -for us--it's a blithe thing; and, therefore, I say unto you again, -brother, be of good cheer, for in this temporal death of your son, -maybe the Lord has been pleased to bring about your own salvation.' - -'And what may be the token whereby I may venture to take comfort frae -the hope?' - -'There's nae surer sign gi'en to man than that token--when ye see -this life but as a pilgrimage, then ye may set forward in your way -rejoicing--when ye behold nothing in your goods and gear but trash -and splendid dirt, then may ye be sure that ye hae gotten better than -silver or gold--when ye see in your herds and flocks but fodder for -a carnal creature like the beasts that perish, then shall ye eat of -the heavenly manna--when ye thirst to do good, then shall the rock -be smitten, and the waters of life, flowing forth, will follow you -wheresoever you travel in the wilderness of this world.' - -The venerable pastor suddenly paused, for at that moment Claud laid -aside his hat, and, falling on his knees, clasped his hands together, -and looking towards the skies, his long grey hair flowing over his -back, he said with awful solemnity, 'Father, thy will be done!--in the -devastation of my earthly heart, I accept the erles of thy service.' - -He then rose with a serene countenance, as if his rigid features had -undergone some benignant transformation. At that moment a distant -strain of wild and holy music, rising from a hundred voices, drew their -attention towards a shaggy bank of natural birch and hazel, where, on -the sloping ground in front, they saw a number of Cameronians from -Glasgow, and the neighbouring villages, assembled to commemorate in -worship the persecutions which their forefathers had suffered there for -righteousness sake. - -After listening till the psalm was finished, Claud and Dr. Denholm -returned towards the house, where they found Leddy Grippy had arrived. -The old man, in order to avoid any unnecessary conversation, proposed -that the servants should be called in, and that the Doctor should -pray--which he did accordingly, and at the conclusion retired. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV - - -On Monday Claud rose early, and, without waiting for breakfast, or -heeding the remonstrances of his wife on the risk he ran in going -afield fasting, walked to Glasgow, and went directly to the house of -his mother-in-law, the aged Leddy Plealands, now considerably above -fourscore. The natural delicacy of her constitution had received so -great a shock from the death of Charles, that she was unable that -morning to leave her room. Having, however, brought home with her the -two orphans until after the funeral, their grandfather found them -playing in the parlour, and perhaps he was better pleased to meet with -them than had she been there herself. - -Although they knew him perfectly, yet the cold and distant intercourse -which arose from his estrangement towards their father, had prevented -them from being on those terms of familiarity which commonly subsist -between children and their grandfathers; and when they saw him enter -the room, they immediately left their toys on the floor, and, retiring -to a corner, stood looking at him timidly, with their hands behind. - -The old man, without seeming to notice their innocent reverence, -walked to a chair near the window, and sat down. His demeanour was as -calm, and his features as sedate, as usual, but his eyes glittered -with a slight sprinkling of tears, and twice or thrice he pressed his -elbows into his sides, as if to restrain some inordinate agitation of -the heart. In the course of a few minutes he became quite master of -himself, and, looking for a short time compassionately at the children, -he invited them to come to him. Mary, the girl, who was the youngest, -obeyed at once the summons; but James, the boy, still kept back. - -'What for wilt t'ou no come to me?' said Claud. - -'I'll come, if ye'll no hurt me,' replied the child. - -'Hurt thee! what for, poor thing, should I hurt thee?' inquired his -grandfather, somewhat disturbed by the proposed condition. - -'I dinna ken,' said the boy, still retreating,--'but I am feart, for ye -hurt papa for naething, and mamma used to greet for't.' - -Claud shuddered, and in the spasmodic effort which he made to suppress -his emotion, he unconsciously squeezed the little hand of the girl so -hardly, as he held her between his knees, that she shrieked with the -pain, and flew towards her brother, who, equally terrified, ran to -shelter himself behind a chair. - -For some time the old man was so much affected, that he felt himself -incapable of speaking to them. But he said to himself,-- - -'It is fit that I should endure this. I sowed tares, and maunna expek -wheat.' - -The children, not finding themselves angrily pursued, began to recover -courage, and again to look at him. - -'I did na mean to hurt thee, Mary,' said he, after a short interval. -'Come, and we'll mak it up;'--and, turning to the boy, he added, 'I'm -very wae that e'er I did ony wrang to your father, my bonny laddie, but -I'll do sae nae mair.' - -'That's 'cause ye canna help it,' replied James boldly, 'for he's -dead--he's in a soun' soun' sleep--nobody but an angel wi' the last -trumpet at his vera lug is able to waken him--and Mary and me, and -mamma--we're a' gaun to lie down and die too, for there's nobody now in -the world that cares for us.' - -'I care for you, my lambie, and I'll be kind to you; I'll be as kind as -your father.' - -It would appear that these words had been spoken affectionately, for -the little girl, forgetful of her hurt, returned, and placed herself -between his knees; but her brother still stood aloof. - -'But will ye be kind to mamma?' said the boy, with an eager and -suspicious look. - -'That I will,' was the answer. 'She'll ne'er again hae to blame me--nor -hae reason to be sorrowful on my account.' - -'But were nae ye ance papa's papa?' rejoined the child, still more -suspiciously. - -The old man felt the full force of all that was meant by these simple -expressions, and he drew his hand hastily over his eyes to wipe away -the rising tears. - -'And will ye never trust me?' said he sorrowfully to the child, who, -melted by the tone in which it was uttered, advanced two or three steps -towards him. - -'Aye, if ye'll say as sure's death that ye'll no hurt me.' - -'Then I do say as sure's death,' exclaimed Claud fervently, and held -out his hand, which the child, running forward, caught in his, and was -in the same moment folded to his grandfather's bosom. - -Leddy Plealands had, in the meantime, been told who was her visitor, -and being anxious, for many reasons, to see him at this crisis, opened -the door. Feeble, pale, and delicate, the venerable gentlewoman was -startled at seeing a sight she so little expected, and stood several -minutes with the door in her hand before she entered. - -'Come in,' said Claud to her--'come in--I hae something to say to you -anent thir bairns--Something maun be done for them and their mother; -and I would fain tak counsel wi' you concerning 't. Bell Fatherlans is -o' oure frush a heart to thole wi' the dinging and fyke o' our house, -or I would tak them a' hame to Grippy; but ye maun devise some method -wi' her to mak their loss as light in worldly circumstances as my means -will alloo; and whatsoever you and her 'gree upon Mr. Keelevin will see -executed baith by deed and paction.' - -'Is't possible that ye're sincere, Mr. Walkinshaw?' replied the old -lady. - -Claud made no answer, but, disconsolately, shook his head. - -'This is a mercy past hope, if ye're really sincere.' - -'I am sincere,' said the stern old man, severely; 'and I speak wi' -humiliation and contrition. I hae borne the rebuke of thir babies, and -their suspicion has spoken sermons of reproaches to my cowed spirit and -broken heart.' - -'What have ye done?' inquired the Lady, surprised at his -vehemence--'what have ye done to make you speak in such a way, Mr. -Walkinshaw?' - -'In an evil hour I was beguiled by the Moloch o' pride and ambition to -disinherit their father, and settle a' my property on Watty, because he -had the Plealands. But, from that hour, I hae never kent what comfort -is, or amaist what it is to hope for heavenly mercy. But I hae lived -to see my sin, and I yearn to mak atonement. When that's done, I trust -that I may be permitted to lay down my head, and close my een in peace.' - -Mrs. Hypel did not well know what answer to make, the disclosure seemed -to her so extraordinary, that she looked at Claud as if she distrusted -what she heard, or was disposed to question the soundness of his mind. - -'I see,' he added, 'that, like the orphans, ye dinna believe me; but, -like them, Mrs. Hypel, ye'll maybe in time be wrought to hae compassion -on a humbled and contrite heart. A', therefore, that I can say for the -present is, consult wi' Bell, and confer wi' Mr. Keelevin; he has full -power frae me to do whatsoever he may think just and right; and what -ye do, do quickly, for a heavy hand is on my shouther; and there's one -before me in the shape o' my braw Charlie, that waves his hand, and -beckons me to follow him.' - -The profound despondency with which this was uttered overwhelmed -the feelings of the old Lady; even the children were affected, and, -disengaging themselves from his arms, retired together, and looked at -him with wonder and awe. - -'Will ye go and see their mother?'--said the lady, as he rose, and was -moving towards the door. He halted, and for a few seconds appeared -to reflect; but suddenly looking round, he replied, with a deep and -troubled voice,-- - -'No. I hae been enabled to do mair than I ever thought it was in my -power to do; but I canna yet,--no, not this day,--I canna yet venture -there.--I will, however, by and by. It's a penance I maun dree, and I -will go through it a'.' - -And with these words he quitted the house, leaving the old gentlewoman -and the children equally amazed, and incapable of comprehending the -depth and mystery of a grief which, mournful as the immediate cause -certainly was, undoubtedly partook in some degree of religious despair. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI - - -Between the interview described in the preceding chapter and the -funeral, nothing remarkable appeared in the conduct of Claud. On the -contrary, those habits of reserve and taciturnity into which he had -fallen, from the date of the entail, were apparently renewed, and, -to the common observation of the general eye, he moved and acted as -if he had undergone no inward change. The domestics, however, began -to notice, that, instead of the sharp and contemptuous manner which -he usually employed in addressing himself to Walter, his voice was -modulated with an accent of compassion,--and that, on the third day -after the death of Charles, he, for the first time, caressed and -fondled the affectionate natural's darling, Betty Bodle. - -It might have been thought that this simple little incident would have -afforded pleasure to her father, who happened to be out of the room, -when the old man took her up in his arms; but so far from this being -the case, the moment that Walter returned he ran towards him, and -snatched the child away. - -'What for do'st t'ou tak the bairn frae me sae frightedly, Watty?' said -Claud in a mild tone of remonstrance, entirely different from anything -he had ever before addressed to him. - -Walter, however, made no reply, but retiring to a distant part of the -room, carefully inspected the child, and frequently inquired where she -was hurt, although she was laughing and tickled with his nursery-like -proceedings. - -'What gars t'ee think, Watty,' rejoined his father, 'that I would hurt -the wean?' - -''Cause I hae heard you wish that the Lord would tak the brat to -himsel.' - -'An I did, Watty, it was nae ill wis.' - -'So I ken, or else the minister lies,' replied Walter; 'but I would na -like, for a' that, to hae her sent till him; and noo, as they say ye're -ta'en up wi' Charlie's bairns, I jealouse ye hae some end o' your ain -for rooketty-cooing wi' my wee Betty Bodle. I canna understand this -new-kythed kindness,--so, gin ye like, father, we'll just be fair gude -e'en and fair gude day, as we were wont.' - -This sank deeper into the wounded heart of his father than even the -distrust of the orphans; but the old man made no answer. Walter, -however, observed him muttering something to himself, as he leant his -head back, with his eyes shut, against the shoulder of the easy chair -in which he was sitting; and rising softly with the child in his arms, -walked cautiously behind the chair, and bent forward to listen. But -the words were spoken so inwardly and thickly, that nothing could be -overheard. While in this position, the little girl playfully stretched -out her hand and seized her grandfather by the ear. Startled from -his prayer or his reverie, Claud, yielding to the first impulse of -the moment, turned angrily round at being so disturbed, and, under -the influence of his old contemptuous regard for Watty, struck him a -severe blow on the face,--but almost in the same instant, ashamed of -his rashness, he shudderingly exclaimed, throbbing with remorse and -vexation,-- - -'Forgi'e me, Watty, for I know not what I do;' and he added, in a wild -ejaculation, 'Lord! Lord! O lighter, lighter lay the hand o' thy anger -upon me! The reed is broken--O, if it may stand wi' thy pleasure, let -it not thus be trampled in the mire! But why should I supplicate for -any favour?--Lord of justice and of judgement, let thy will be done!' - -Walter was scarcely more confounded by the blow than by these -impassioned exclamations; and hastily quitting the room, ran, with the -child in his arms, to his mother, who happened at the time, as was her -wont, to be in the kitchen on household cares intent, crying,-- - -'Mother! mother! my father's gane by himsel; he's aff at the head; he's -daft; and ta'en to the praising o' the Lord at this time o' day.' - -But, excepting this trivial incident, nothing, as we have already -stated, occurred between the interview with Leddy Plealands and the -funeral to indicate, in any degree, the fierce combustion of distracted -thoughts which was raging within the unfathomable caverns of the -penitent's bosom--all without, save but for this little effusion, was -calm and stable. His external appearance was as we have sometimes seen -Mount Etna in the sullenness of a wintry day, when the chaos and fires -of its abyss uttered no sound, and an occasional gasp of vapour was -heavily breathed along the grey and gloomy sky. Everything was still -and seemingly steadfast. The woods were silent in all their leaves; -the convents wore an awful aspect of unsocial solemnity; and the -ruins and remains of former ages appeared as if permitted to moulder -in unmolested decay. The very sea, as it rolled in a noiseless swell -towards the black promontories of lava, suggested strange imageries of -universal death, as if it had been the pall of the former world heavily -moved by the wind. But that dark and ominous tranquillity boded neither -permanence nor safety--the traveller and the inhabitant alike felt it -as a syncope in nature, and dreaded an eruption or a hurricane. - -Such was the serenity in which Claud passed the time till Saturday, the -day appointed for the funeral. On the preceding evening his wife went -into Glasgow to direct the preparations, and about noon he followed -her, and took his seat, to receive the guests, at the door of the -principal room arranged for the company, with James, the orphan, at his -knee. Nothing uncommon passed for some time; he went regularly through -the ceremonial of assistant chief mourner, and in silence welcomed, by -the customary shake of the hand, each of the friends of the deceased -as they came in. When Dr. Denholm arrived, it was observed that his -limbs trembled, and that he held him a little longer by the hand than -any other; but he too was allowed to pass on to his seat. After the -venerable minister, Mr. Keelevin made his appearance. His clothes were -of an old-fashioned cut, such as even still may occasionally be seen at -west-country funerals among those who keep a special suit of black for -the purpose of attending the burials of their friends; and the sort of -quick eager look of curiosity which he glanced round the room, as he -lifted his small cocked hat from off his white, well-powdered, ionic -curled tie-wig, which he held firm with his left forefinger, provoked a -smile, in despite of the solemnity of the occasion. - -Claud grasped him impatiently by the hand, and drew him into a seat -beside himself. 'Hae ye made out the instrument?' said he. - -'It's no just finished,' replied Mr. Keelevin; 'but I was mindit to ca' -on you the morn, though it's Sabbath, to let you see, for approbation, -what I have thought might be sufficient.' - -'Ye ought to hae had it done by this time,' said Claud, somewhat -chidingly. - -''Deed should I,' was the answer, 'but ye ken the Lords are coming to -the town next week, and I hae had to prepare for the defence of several -unfortunate creatures.' - -'It's a judgement time indeed,' said Claud; and, after a pause of -several minutes, he added, 'I would fain no be disturbed on the Lord's -day, so ye need na come to Grippy, and on Monday morning I'll be wi' -you betimes; I hope a' may be finished that day, for, till I hae made -atonement, I can expek no peace o' mind.' - -Nothing further was allowed at that time to pass between them, for the -betherils employed to carry round the services of bread and wine came -in with their trays, and Deacon Gardner, of the wrights, who had charge -of the funeral, having nodded to the Reverend Dr. John Hamilton, the -minister of the Inner High Church, in the district of which the house -was situated, the worthy divine rose, and put an end to all further -private whispering, by commencing the prayer. - -When the regular in-door rites and ceremonies were performing, and the -body had, in the meantime, been removed into the street, and placed -on the shoulders of those who were to carry it to the grave, Claud -took his grandson by the hand, and followed at the head, with a firmly -knotted countenance, but with faltering steps. - -In the procession to the church-yard no particular expression of -feeling took place; but when the first shovelful of earth rattled -hollowly on the coffin, the little boy, who still held his grandfather -by the finger, gave a shriek, and ran to stop the grave-digger from -covering it up. But the old man softly and composedly drew him back, -telling him it was the will of God, and that the same thing must be -done to every body in the world. - -'And to me too?' said the child, inquiringly and fearfully. - -'To a' that live,' replied his grandfather; and the earth being, by -this time, half filled in, he took off his hat, and looking at the -grave for a moment, gave a profound sigh, and again covering his head, -led the child home. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII - - -Immediately after the funeral Claud returned home to Grippy, where he -continued during the remainder of the day secluded in his bed-chamber. -Next morning, being Sunday, he was up and dressed earlier than usual; -and after partaking slightly of breakfast, he walked into Glasgow, and -went straight to the house of his daughter-in-law. - -The widow was still in her own room, and not in any state or condition -to be seen; but the children were dressed for church, and when the -bells began to ring, he led them out, each holding him by the hand, -innocently proud of their new black clothes. - -In all the way up the High Street, and down the pathway from the -church-yard gate to the door of the cathedral, he never raised his -eyes; and during the sermon he continued in the same apparent state of -stupor. In retiring from the church, the little boy drew him gently -aside from the path to show his sister the spot where their father -was laid; and the old man, absorbed in his own reflections, was -unconsciously on the point of stepping on the grave, when James checked -him,-- - -'It's papa--dinna tramp on him.' - -Aghast and recoiling, as if he had trodden upon an adder, he looked -wildly around, and breathed quickly and with great difficulty, but -said nothing. In an instant his countenance underwent a remarkable -change--his eyes became glittering and glassy, and his lips white. His -whole frame shook, and appeared under the influence of some mortal -agitation. His presence of mind did not, however, desert him, and he -led the children hastily home. On reaching the door, he gave them in to -the servant that opened it without speaking, and went immediately to -Grippy, where, the moment he had seated himself in his elbow-chair, he -ordered one of the servants to go for Mr. Keelevin. - -'What ails you, father?' said Walter, who was in the room at the time; -'ye speak unco drumly--hae ye bitten your tongue?' But scarcely had -he uttered these words, when the astonished creature gave a wild and -fearful shout, and, clasping his hands above his head, cried, 'Help! -help! something's riving my father in pieces!' - -The cry brought in the servants, who, scarcely less terrified, found -the old man smitten with a universal paralysis, his mouth and eyes -dreadfully distorted, and his arms powerless. - -In the alarm and consternation of the moment, he was almost immediately -deserted; every one ran in quest of medical aid. Walter alone remained -with him, and continued gazing in his face with a strange horror, which -idiocy rendered terrific. - -Before any of the servants returned, the violence of the shock seemed -to subside, and he appeared to be sensible of his situation. The moment -that the first entered the room he made an effort to speak, and the -name of Keelevin was two or three times so distinctly articulated, that -even Walter understood what he meant, and immediately ran wildly to -Glasgow for the lawyer. Another messenger was dispatched for the Leddy, -who had, during the forenoon, gone to her daughter-in-law, with the -intention of spending the day. - -In the meantime a doctor was procured, but he seemed to consider the -situation of the patient hopeless; he, however, as in all similar -cases, applied the usual stimulants to restore energy, but without any -decisive effect. - -The weather, which had all day been lowering and hazy, about this time -became drizzly, and the wind rose, insomuch that Leddy Grippy, who came -flying to the summons, before reaching home was drenched to the skin, -and was for some time, both from her agitation and fatigue, incapable -of taking any part in the bustle around her husband. - -Walter, who had made the utmost speed for Mr. Keelevin, returned soon -after his mother; and, on appearing before his father, the old man -eagerly spoke to him; but his voice was so thick, that few of his words -were intelligible. It was, however, evident that he inquired for the -lawyer; for he threw his eyes constantly towards the door, and several -times again was able to articulate his name. - -At last, Mr. Keelevin arrived on horseback, and came into the room, -dressed in his trotcosey; the hood of which, over his cocked hat, was -drawn so closely on his face, that but the tip of his sharp aquiline -nose was visible. But, forgetful or regardless of his appearance, he -stalked with long strides at once to the chair where Claud was sitting; -and taking from under the skirt of the trotcosey a bond of provision -for the widow and children of Charles, and for Mrs. Milrookit, he knelt -down, and began to read it aloud. - -'Sir,' said the doctor, who was standing at the other side of the -patient, 'Mr. Walkinshaw is in no condition to understand you.' - -Still, however, Mr. Keelevin read on; and when he had finished, he -called for pen and ink. - -'It is impossible that he can write,' said the doctor. - -'Ye hae no business to mak ony sic observation,' exclaimed the -benevolent lawyer. 'Ye shou'd say nothing till we try. In the name of -justice and mercy, is there nobody in this house that will fetch me pen -and ink?' - -It was evident to all present that Claud perfectly understood what his -friend said; and his eyes betokened eagerness and satisfaction; but the -expression with which his features accompanied the assent in his look -was horrible and appalling. - -At this juncture Leddy Grippy came rushing, half dressed, into the -room, her dishevelled grey hair flying loosely over her shoulders, -exclaiming,-- - -'What's wrang noo?--what new judgement has befallen us?--Whatna fearfu' -image is that like a corpse out o' a tomb, that's making a' this rippet -for the cheatrie instruments o' pen and ink, when a dying man is at his -last gasp?' - -'Mrs. Walkinshaw, for Heaven's sake be quiet;--your gudeman,' replied -Mr. Keelevin, opening the hood of his trotcosey, and throwing it back; -taking off, at the same time, his cocked hat--'Your gudeman kens very -weel what I hae read to him. It's a provision for Mrs. Charles and her -orphans.' - -'But is there no likewise a provision in't for me?' cried the Leddy. - -'Oh, Mrs. Walkinshaw, we'll speak o' that hereafter; but let us get -this executed aff-hand,' replied Mr. Keelevin. 'Ye see your gudeman -kens what we're saying, and looks wistfully to get it done. I say, in -the name of God, get me pen and ink.' - -'Ye's get neither pen nor ink here, Mr. Keelevin, till my rights are -cognost in a record o' sederunt and session.' - -'Hush!' exclaimed the doctor--all was silent, and every eye turned -on the patient, whose countenance was again hideously convulsed;--a -troubled groan struggled and heaved for a moment in his breast, and was -followed by short quivering through his whole frame. - -'It is all over!' said the doctor. At these words the Leddy rushed -towards the elbow-chair, and, with frantic cries and gestures, flew on -the body, and acted an extravagance of sorrow ten times more outrageous -than grief. Mr. Keelevin stood motionless, holding the paper in his -hand; and, after contemplating the spectacle before him for about two -or three minutes, shook his head disconsolately, and replacing his -cocked hat, drew the hood of the trotcosey again over his face, and -left the house. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII - - -As soon as the nature of the settlement which Claud had made of his -property was known, Leddy Plealands removed Mrs. Charles and the -children to her own house, and earnestly entreated her daughter the -Leddy, who continued to reside at Grippy, managing the household -cares there as usual, to exert her influence with Walter to make some -provision for his unfortunate relations. Even George, who, engrossed by -his business and his own family, cared almost as little as any man for -the concerns of others, felt so ashamed of his father's conduct, that, -on the Sunday after the funeral, he went to pay a visit of condolence -to his mother, and to join his exhortations to hers, in the hope that -something might be done. But Walter was inexorable. - -'If my father,' said he, 'did sic a wicked thing to Charlie as ye a' -say, what for would ye hae me to do as ill and as wrang to my bairn? Is -na wee Betty Bodle my first-born, and, by course o' nature and law, she -has a right to a' I hae; what for then would ye hae me to mak away wi' -ony thing that pertains to her? I'll no be guilty o' ony sic sin.' - -'But you know, Walter,' replied George, 'that our father did intend to -make some provision both for Mrs. Charles, her family, and our sister, -and it's really a disgrace to us all if nothing be done for them. It -was but a chance that the bond of provision was na signed.' - -'Ye may say sae, Geordie, in your cracks at the Yarn Club, o'er the -punch-bowl, but I think it was the will o' Providence; for, had it -been ordain't that Bell Fatherlans and her weans were to get a part o' -father's gear, they would hae gotten't. But ye saw the Lord took him to -Abraham's bosom before the bond was signed, which was a clear proof and -testimony to me, that it does na stand wi' the pleasure o' Heaven that -she should get ony thing. She'll get nothing frae me.' - -'But,' again interposed George, 'if you will do nothing in -consideration of our father's intention, you ought in charity to think -of her distress.' - -'Charity begins at hame, Geordie, and wha kens but I may be brought to -want if I dinna tak care?' - -'I'm sure,' replied the merchant, sharply, 'that many a one has who -less deserved it.' - -'How do ye ken what I deserve?' cried the natural, offended. 'It's -speaking ill o' the understanding o' Providence, to say I dinna deserve -what it has gi'en me. I'm thinking, Geordie, Providence kens my deserts -muckle better than you.' - -Leddy Grippy, who, during this conversation, was sitting at the table, -in all the pomp of her new widow's weeds, with the big Bible before -her, in which she was trying to read that edifying chapter, the tenth -of Nehemiah, here interposed. - -'Wheesht, wheesht, Watty, and dinna blaspheme,' said she; 'and no be -overly condumacious. Ye ken your father was a good man, and nothing but -the dart o' death prevented him frae making a handsome provision for -a' his family, forbye you; and no doubt, when ye hae gotten the better -o' the sore stroke o' the sudden removal of the golden candlestick o' -his life from among us, ye'll do every thing in a rational and just -manner.' - -''Deed I'll do nae sic things, mother,' was the reply; 'I'm mindit to -haud the grip I hae gotten.' - -'But ye're a Christian, Watty,' resumed the Leddy, still preserving her -well-put-on mourning equanimity, 'and it behoves you to reflek, that a' -in your power is gi'en to you but as a steward.' - -'Ye need na tell me that; but wha's steward am I? Is na the matter a -trust for my bairn? I'm wee Betty Bodle's steward, and no man shall -upbraid me wi' being unfaithfu',' replied Walter. - -'Aye, aye, Watty, that's very true in a sense,' said she, 'but -whosoever giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.' - -'That's what I canna comprehend; for the Lord has no need to borrow; -he can make a world o' gold for the poor folk, if he likes, and if he -keeps them in poortith, he has his ain reasons for't.' - -'Ah, weel I wat!' exclaimed the Leddy pathetically; 'noo I fin' to my -cost, that my cousin, Ringan Gilhaise, the Mauchlin maltster, had the -rights o't when he plea't my father's will, on account of thy concos -montis; and, but for auld pawky Keelevin, he would hae gotten the -property that's sae ill waur't on thee.' - -All this, however, made no impression; but George, in walking back -to Glasgow, several times thought of what had fallen from his mother -respecting the attempt which had been made to set aside her father's -settlement, on the score of Walter's idiocy; and once or twice it -occurred to him that the thing was still not impracticable, and that, -being next heir of entail, and nearest male relative, it might be of -advantage to his own family to get the management of the estate. Thus, -by a conversation intended to benefit the disinherited heirs, the seed -was sown of new plans and proceedings, worthy of the father's son. -From that period, George took no further interest in the affairs of -his sister-in-law, but his visits became unusually frequent to Grippy, -and he was generally always attended by some friend, whom he led -into conversation with his brother, culated to call forth the least -equivocal disclosures of the state of Walter's mind. - -But whatever were his motives for these visits, and this kind of -conduct, he kept them close within his own breast. No one suspected -him of any sinister design, but many applauded his filial attentions -to his mother; for so his visits were construed, and they were deemed -the more meritorious on account of the state of his own family, his -wife, after the birth of her twin daughters, having fallen into -ill health. Indeed, he was in general contemplated with sentiments -of compassion and respect. Every body had heard of his anxiety, on -the death of his father, to procure some provision for his deceased -brother's family, and sympathised with the regret which he expressed -at finding Walter so niggardly and intractable; for not a word was -breathed of his incapacity. The increased thoughtfulness and reserve -of his manner which began, we may say, from the conversation quoted, -was in consequence attributed to the effect of his comfortless domestic -situation, and the public sympathy was considerably augmented, when, in -the course of the same year in which his father died, he happened to -lose one of his daughters. - -There were, however, among his friends, as there are always about -most men, certain shrewd and invidious characters, and some among -them did not give him credit for so much sensibility as their mutual -acquaintance in common parlance ascribed to him. On the contrary, they -openly condemned his indelicacy, in so often exposing the fooleries of -his brother; and those who had detected the well hidden sordid meanness -of his disposition, wondered that he had so quietly acquiesced in -Walter's succession. But they had either forgotten, or had never heard -of, the circumstance to which his mother alluded with respect to her -relation, the Mauchlin maltster's attempt to invalidate her father's -will, and, of course, were not aware of the address requisite to prove -the incapacity of a man whose situation had been already investigated, -and who, by a solemn adjudication, was declared in the full possession -of all his faculties. Their wonderment was not, however, allowed to -continue long, for an event, which took place within a little more than -three months after the death of his daughter, ended all debates and -controversies on the subject. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX - - -Death, it is said, rarely enters a house without making himself -familiar to the inmates. Walter's daughter, a premature child, had from -her birth been always infirm and delicate. In the course of the spring -after her grandfather's death, she evidently grew worse, and towards -the end of summer it was the opinion of all who saw her that she could -not live long. The tenderness and solicitude of her father knew no -bounds. She was, indeed, the sole object that interested him in life; -he doated over her with the most single and entire affection; and when -she died, he would not believe, nor allow himself to think, she had -expired, but sat by the bedside, preserving silence, and preventing her -from being touched, lest it should awaken her from a slumber which he -fondly imagined was to establish her recovery. No inducement could be -contrived to draw him from his vigilant watch, nor by any persuasion -could permission be obtained to dress her corpse. George, in the -meanwhile, called several times at the house, and took occasion, in -going there one day, to ask the Reverend Doctor Denholm to accompany -him, under the pretext that perhaps he might prevail with Walter to -allow the body to be removed, as it was beginning to grow offensive. -But, when they reached the house, Walter was missing--he had suddenly -and unobserved quitted the room where the corpse lay, and his mother, -availing herself of his absence, was busily preparing for the interment. - -They waited some time in expectation of his return, believing he had -only walked into the fields, in consequence of the air of the chamber -having become intolerable; but, after conversing upwards of an hour on -general topics, some anxiety began to be expressed for his appearance, -and his mother grew so alarmed, that servants were dispatched in all -directions in quest of him. They had not, however, proceeded far, when -he was met on the Glasgow road, coming with his niece Mary in his -arms, followed by Leddy Plealands' maid-servant, loudly remonstrating -with him for carrying off the child, and every now and then making an -attempt to snatch it from his arms. - -'What hae ye been about?' cried his mother, as she saw him approaching -towards the house. He, however, made no answer; but, carrying the child -into the nursery, he immediately stripped it naked, and dressed her -in the clothes of his own daughter, caressing and pleasing her with -a thousand fond assurances--calling her his third Betty Bodle, and -betraying all the artless delight and satisfaction with which a child -regards a new toy. - -Dr. Denholm, happening to be among those who wondered that his brother -had permitted him to succeed his father unmolested, and on seeing this -indisputable proof of idiocy according to the notions of society, -said,-- - -'I canna refrain, Mr. George, from telling you that I think it's no -right to alloo such a fine property as your father left, to be exposed -to wastrie and ruination in the possession of such a haverel. It's -neither doing justice to the world nor to your ain family; and I redde -you look about you--for wha kens what he may do next?' - -Such an admonition, the involuntary incitement of the moment, was not -lost. George had, in fact, been long fishing for something of the kind, -but nothing had occurred to provoke so explicit an opinion of Walter's -obvious incapacity. He, however, replied cautiously,-- - -'Some allowance, Doctor, must be made for the consternation of his -sorrow; and ye should know that it's a kittle point of law to determine -when a man has or has not his sufficient senses.' - -''Deed, Dr. Denholm,' added Lady Grippy, who happened to be -present,--'what ye say is very true; for I can ne'er abide to think -that Watty's as he ought to be, since he refus't to make good his -honest father's kind intents to the rest o' the family. Here am I -toiling and moiling frae morning to night for his advantage; and would -ye believe me, Doctor, when I tell you, that he'll no alloo a black -bawbee for any needful outlay? and I'm obligated to tak frae my ain -jointure money to pay the cost o' every thing the house stands in need -of.' - -'Not possible!' said George, with every indication of the sincerest -astonishment. - -'Whether it's possible, or whether it's probable, I ken best mysel,' -replied the Leddy;--'and this I ken likewise, that what I say is the -even-down truth; and nae farther gane than Mononday was eight days, -I paid Deacon Paul, the Glasgow mason, thirteen shillings, a groat, -and a bawbee, for the count o' his sklater that pointed the skews o' -the house at Martinmas; and though I would supplicate, an it were on -my knees, like Queen Esther, the doure Ahasuerus, that he is, has no -mercy. Indeed, I'll be nane surprised gin he leaves me to pay a' the -charge o' his bairn's burial, which will be a black shame if he does.' - -'This must not be endured,' said George, gravely; 'and I am surprised, -mother, ye never spoke of such treatment before. I cannot sit patient -and hear that ye're used in such a cruel and unnatural manner.' - -'It would be a blot on your character, Mr. George,' rejoined the -minister, 'if ye did. Your brother has been from his youth upward an -evident idiot; and ever since the death of his wife, ony little wit he -had has been daily growing less.' - -'What ye say, Doctor,' resumed the Leddy, 'is no to be controverted; -for, poor lad, he certainly fell intil a sore melancholic at that time; -and it's my conceit he has ne'er rightly got the better o't; for he -was--hegh, sirs!--he was till that time the kindest o' a' my bairns; -but, frae the day and hour that his wife took her departel in childbed, -he has been a changed creature. Ye'll mind how outstrapolous and -constipated he was at her burial; and it's wi' a heavy heart that I -maun say't, when his kind father, soon after, wanted to mak a will and -testament to keep us a' right and comfortable, he was just like to burn -the house aboon our heads wi' his condumacity.' - -'I am well aware of the truth of much that you have said; but it's a -painful thing for a man to think of taking steps against the capacity -of his brother,' replied George. 'For, in the event of not succeeding, -he must suffer great obloquy in the opinion of the world; and you know -that, with respect to Walter, the attempt was once made already.' - -'And every body said,' cried the Leddy, 'that, but for the devices of -auld draughty Keelevin, he would hae been proven as mad as a March -hare; and nae doubt, as he kens how he jookit the law afore, he might -be o' an instrumentality were the thing to gang to a revisidendo. No -that I would like to see my bairn put into bedlam; at the same time, -Dr. Denholm, I would na be doing a Christian and a parent's part to the -lave o' my family, an I were to mak a mitigation against it.' - -'I do not think,' replied George, looking inquiringly at the Reverend -Doctor--'that when a man is proved incapable of conducting his affairs, -it is necessary to confine him.' - -'O, no; not at all, Mr. George,' was the unsuspicious minister's -answer. 'It would mak no odds to your brother; it would only oblige you -to take the management of the estate.' - -'That,' replied George, 'would be far from convenient, for the business -of the counting-house requires my whole attention. Ye can have no -notion, Dr. Denholm, how much this rebellion in America has increased -the anxieties of merchants. At the same time, I would be greatly -wanting in duty and respect towards my mother, were I to allow her -to remain any longer in such an unhappy state, to say nothing of the -manifest injustice of obliging her to lay out her own proper jointure -in repairs and other expenses of the house.' - -Little more passed at that time on the subject; but, in the course of -walking back to Glasgow, George was fortified in his intentions by the -conversation of the Doctor--or, what is, perhaps, more correct, he -appeared so doubtful and scrupulous, that the guileless pastor thought -it necessary to argue with him against allowing his delicacy to carry -him too far. - - - - -CHAPTER L - - -After the minister and George had left the house, the cares, we should -say the enjoyments, of the Leddy were considerably increased, when she -had leisure to reflect on the singular transaction by which Walter -had supplied himself with another child. What with the requisite -preparations for the funeral of his daughter next day, and 'this new -income', as she called the adopted orphan, 'that, in itself, was a -handling little short o' a birth,' she had not, from the death of her -husband, found herself half so earnestly occupied as on this sorrowful -occasion. The house rang with her admonitions to the servants, and her -short quick steps, in consequence of walking with old shoes down at -the heel, clattered as cleverly as her tongue. But all this bustle and -prodigality of anxieties suffered a sudden suspension, by the arrival -of Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw, in quest of her child. The little girl, -however, was by this time so delighted with the fondling and caresses -of her uncle, that she was averse to return home with her mother. - -'I won'er,' said Leddy Grippy, 'how ane in your straitened -circumstance, Bell Fatherlans, canna be thankfu' for sic a gratus amous -as this. Watty's a kind-hearted creature, and ye may be sure that -neither scaith nor scant will be alloo't to come near the wean while it -stays in this house. For my part, I think his kidnapping her has been -nothing less than an instigation o' Providence, since he would na be -constrained, by any reason or understanding, to settle an aliment on -you.' - -'I cannot, however, part with my child to him. You know there are many -little peculiarities about Mr. Walter that do not exactly fit him for -taking charge of children.' - -'But since he's willing to bear the cost and charge o' her,' said the -Leddy, 'ye should mak no objek, but conform; for ye ken, I'll hae the -direction o' her edication; and am sure ye would na wis to see her any -better brought up than was our Meg, Mrs. Milrookit, who could once -play seven tunes and a march on the spinet, and sewed a satin piece, -at Embrough, of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit under the tree -of life;--the like of which had na before been seen in a' this kintra -side. In short, Bell, my dear, it's my advice to you to let the lassie -bide wi' us; for, unless Watty is put out o' the way, it may prove a -great thing baith for her and you; for he's a most 'conomical creature; -and the siller he'll save belyve will be just a portion.' - -'What do you mean,' replied the young widow, eagerly, 'about putting -him out of the way?' - -'Ah! Bell Fatherlans,' exclaimed the Leddy, in her most pathetic -manner;--'little ken ye yet what it is to hae a family. This has, -indeed, been a house o' mourning the day, even though we had na a body -in it waiting for interment. The minister has been here wi' Geordie, -and it's his solid opinion--we a' ken what a man o' lair and judgement -Dr. Denholm is;--he thinks that Watty's no o' a faculty to maintain the -salvation of the family property; and when your gude-brother heard how -I hae been used, he said, that neither law nor justice should oblige -him to let his mother live any longer in this house o' bondage and -land o' Egypt; so that, when we get the wean put aneath the ground, -there aiblins will be some terrogation as to the naturality of Watty's -capacity, which, ye may be sure, is a most sore heart to me, his -mother, to hear tell o'. But if it's the Lord's will, I maun submit; -for really, in some things, Watty's no to be thol't; yet, for a' that, -Bell, my dear, I would let him tak his own way wi' your bairn, till we -see what's to be the upshot. For, and though I maun say it, who is -his parent, that it canna be weel denied, that he's a thought daft by -course o' nature; he may, nevertheless, be decreetit douce enough by -course o' law. Therefore, it's neither for you nor me to mak or meddle -in the matter; but gather the haws afore the snaws, betide whatever may -betide.' - -We cannot venture to say that Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw was exactly -what we should call surprised at this information. She knew enough of -the characters of her mother-in-law and of George, to hear even more -extraordinary communications from the former unmoved. We need scarcely -add, however, that the Leddy's argument was not calculated with her to -produce the effect intended; on the contrary, she said,-- - -'What you tell me only serves to convince me of the impropriety I -should be guilty of in leaving my child with Walter.' - -But their conversation was interrupted at this juncture by the entrance -of Walter, leading Mary. - -'I'm come,' said he, 'Bell Fatherlans, to tell you that ye're to gang -away hame, and bring Jamie here to stay wi' us. The house is big enough -to haud us a', and it'll be a grand ploy to my mother--for ye ken she -has such a heart for a thrangerie butt and ben, that, rather than want -wark, she'll mak a baby o' the beetle, and dance til't, cracking her -thumbs, and singing, - - Dance to your deddie, my bonny leddie; - Jink through the reelie; jook round and wheelie; - Bob in the setting, my bonny lamb; - And ye's get a slicie o' a dishie nicie-- - Red-cheekit apples and a mutton ham. - -So just gang hame at ance, Bell, and bring your laddie, and we'll a' -live thegither, and rookettycoo wi' ane anither like doos in a doocot.' - -But although Leddy Grippy certainly did like a bustle with all her -heart and spirit, she had still that infirmity which ever belongs to -human nature gifted with similar propensities,--namely, a throbbing -apprehension at the idea of it, such as mankind in general suffer -in the prospect of enjoying pleasure; and the expression of this -feeling with her took commonly the form and language of repugnance and -reluctance, yea sometimes it even amounted to refusal. - -'What say ye?' cried she to Walter, under a strong impression of it -at the moment,--'are ye utterly bereav't o' your senses, to speak o' -bringing the lade o' another family on my hands?' - -'I'm sure,' was his answer, 'if ye dinna like to tak the pleasure o't, -ye're free to set up your jointure house, and live the life o' dowager -duchess, for me, mother. But Bell Fatherlans and her bairns are to come -here,--for this is my house, ye ken--settlet on me and mine, past a' -power o' law, by my father--and what's my ain I'll mak my ain.' - -'Wha would hae thought o' sic outcoming o' kindness as this!' replied -the Leddy. 'I fancy, Bell, ye'll hae to come and resident wi' us?' - -'An she does na,' said Walter, 'I'll gang away where never one kent me, -and tak her wee Mary on my back in a basket, like Jenny Nettles--that's -what I will; so put the matter to your knee and straight it.' - -'I'll mak a bargain, Mr. Walter,' replied Mrs. Charles,--'I'll leave -Mary to-night, and come, after the burial to-morrow, with James, and -stay a few days.' - -'Ye'll stay a' your days,' exclaimed Walter; 'and as ye're a leddy o' -mair genteelity than my mother, ye shall hae the full rule and power o' -the house, and mak jam and jelly;--a' the cast o' her grace and skill -gangs nae farther than butter and cheese.' - -His mother was confounded, and unable for some time to utter a word. At -last, putting her hands firmly into her sides, she said,-- - -'My word, but thou's no blate. But it's no worth my while to gang intil -a passion for a born idiot. Your reign, my lad, 's no ordaint to be -lang, if there's either law or gospel among the Fifteen at Embro'. To -misliken his mother! to misuse me as I were nae better than an auld -bachle, and, in a manner, to turn me out the house!' - -'O don't disturb yourself,' interposed Mrs. Charles; 'they were but -words of course. You know his humour, and need not be surprised at what -he says.' - -The indignant mother was not, however, soon appeased,--her wrath for -some time burnt fiercely, and it required no little dexterity on the -part of her daughter-in-law to allay the altercation which ensued; -but in the end her endeavours proved successful, and the result was -an arrangement that the child should be left for a day or two, to -ascertain whether Walter's attachment was dictated by caprice or a -transfer of his affections. And in order to preserve quiet, and to -prevent any extravagance that might be injurious to the little girl, it -was also arranged that her mother and brother should likewise spend a -few weeks at Grippy. - - - - -CHAPTER LI - - -The news of the arrangement, when communicated to Doctor Denholm -and George, at the funeral next day, produced on them very opposite -effects. The minister, who was naturally of a warm and benevolent -disposition, persuaded himself that the proposal of Walter, to receive -his sister-in-law and her family, was dictated by a sense of duty and -of religion, and regretted that he had so hastily expressed himself so -strongly respecting his incapacity. Indeed, every one who heard the -story put upon it nearly the same sort of construction, and applauded -the uncouth kindness of the natural as brotherly and Christian. - -George, however, saw it, perhaps, more correctly; but he was -exceedingly disturbed by the favourable impression which it made on -the minds of his acquaintance, and hesitated to indulge his desire to -obtain the management of the estate. But still he continued his visits -to Grippy, and took every opportunity of drawing the attention of his -friends to the imbecility of his brother. Nothing, however, occurred -to further his wishes till the term of Martinmas after the incident -mentioned in the foregoing chapter; when, on receiving his rents, he -presented his sister-in-law with a ten-pound note, at the same time -counting out, to the calculation of a halfpenny, the balance he owed -his mother of her jointure, but absolutely refusing to repay her any -of the money she had, in the meantime, disbursed for different little -household concerns and repairs, saying, that all she had laid out was -nothing in comparison to what she was due for bed and board. This -was the unkindest cut of all; for she justly and truly estimated her -services to him as of far more value. However, she said nothing; but -next day, on the pretext of going to see her mother, who was now very -infirm, and unable to quit her chamber, she went to Glasgow and called -on George, to whom she made a loud and long complaint of the insults -she had received, and of the total unfitness and unworthiness of his -brother to continue uncontrolled in the possession of the estate. - -George sympathized with her sorrows and her sufferings like a dutiful -son, and comforted her with the assurance that he would lose no time in -taking some steps for her relief, and the preservation of the property. -And, as she consented to remain that day to dinner, it was thought, -considering the disposition Walter had shown to squander his gifts -on his sister-in-law, without any consideration for the rest of the -family, it might be as well to consult Mr. Keelevin on the occasion. A -message was, accordingly, dispatched to the honest lawyer, begging him -to call after dinner; in short, every demonstration was made by George -to convince his mother how much better her worth was appreciated by him -than by his brother;--and she was not only consoled, but delighted with -the sincerity of his attentions. - -In due time Mr. Keelevin made his appearance; and the Leddy began a -strong representation of all the indignities which she had endured, -but her son softly and mildly interposed, saying,-- - -'It is of no use, my dear mother, to trouble Mr. Keelevin with these -things; he knows the infirmities of Walter as well as we do. No -doubt,' he added, turning to the lawyer, 'you have heard of the very -extraordinary manner in which my brother took Mrs. Charles and her -family to Grippy.' - -'I really,' replied the honest-hearted man, 'had no idea that he -possessed so muckle feeling and common sense, but I was very happy to -hear't. For, his own wean being no more, I'm sure he can do nothing -better than make up to the disinherited orphans some portion of that -which, but for your father's sudden death, would hae been provided for -them.' - -George knew not what reply to make to this; but his mother, who, like -the rest of her sex, had an answer for all subjects and occasions ever -ready, said,-- - -'It's weel to ca't sense and feeling, but if I were obligated to speak -the truth, I would baptize it wi' another name. It's no to be rehearsed -by the tongue o' man, Mr. Keelevin, what I hae borne at the hands of -the haverel idiot, since the death of him that's awa--your auld friend, -Mr. Keelevin;--he was a man of a capacity, and had he been spared a -comfort to me, as he was, and ay sae couthy wi' his kindness, I would -na kent what it is to be a helpless widow. But surely there maun be -some way o' remeid for us a' in thir straits? It's no possible that -Walter can be alloo't to riot and ravage in sic a most rabiator-like -manner; for I need na tell you, that he's gane beyond all counsel and -admonition. Noo, do ye think, Mr. Keelevin, by your knowledge and skill -in law, that we can get him cognost, and the rents and rule o' the -property ta'en out of his hands? for, if he gangs on at the gait he's -going, I'll be herri't, and he'll no leave himself ae bawbee to rub on -anither.' - -'What has he done?' inquired the lawyer, a little thoughtfully. - -'Done! what has he no done? He gied Bell Fatherlans a ten pound note, -and was as dour as a smith's vice in the grip, when I wantit him to -refund me a pour o' ready money that I was obligated to lay out for the -house.' - -George, who had watched the lawyer's countenance in the meantime, -said,-- - -'I doubt, mother, few will agree in thinking of that in the way you do. -My sister-in-law stands in need of his kindness, but your jointure is -more than you require; for, after all your terrible outlays,' and he -smiled to Mr. Keelevin as he said the words, 'you have already saved -money.' - -'But what's that to him?' exclaimed the Leddy. 'Is nae a just debt a -just debt--was na he bound to pay what I paid for him--and is't no like -a daft man and an idiot, to say he'll no do't? I'm sure, Mr. Keelevin, -I need na tell you that Watty was ne'er truly concos montes. How ye -got him made sound in his intellectuals when the law plea was about -my father's will, ye ken best yoursel; but the straemash that was -thereanent is a thing to be remembered.' - -Mr. Keelevin gave a profound sigh, adding, in a sort of apologistic -manner,-- - -'But Walter has maybe undergone some change since that time?' - -'Yes,' said George, 'the grief and consternation into which he was -thrown by the sudden death of his wife had undoubtedly a great effect -on his mind.' - -'He was clean dementit at that time,' cried the Leddy; 'he would -neither buff nor stye for father nor mother, friend nor foe; a' the -King's forces would na hae gart him carry his wife's head in a wiselike -manner to the kirk-yard. I'm sure, Mr. Keelevin, for ye were at the -burial, ye may mind that her father, Kilmarkeckle, had to do't, and -lost his canary snuff by a twirl o' the wind, when he was taking a -pinch, as they said, after lowering her head intil the grave; which was -thought, at the time, a most unparent-like action for any man to be -about at his only dochter's burial.' - -Mr. Keelevin replied, 'I will honestly confess to you, that I do think -there has of late been signs of a want about Mr. Walter. But in his -kindness to his poor brother's widow and family, there's great proof -and evidence, both of a sound mind, reason, and a right heart. Ye'll -just, Mrs. Walkinshaw, hae to fight on wi' him as well as ye can, for -in the conscience o' me I would, knowing what I know of the family, be -wae and sorry to disturb such a consolatory manifestation of brotherly -love.' - -'That's just my opinion,' said George, 'and I would fain persuade my -mother to put up with the slights and ill usage to which she is so -distressingly subjected--at the same time, I cannot say, but I have -my fears, that her situation is likely to be made worse rather than -better, for Walter appears disposed, not only to treat her in a very -mean and unworthy manner, but to give the whole dominion of the house -to Mrs. Charles.' - -'Na,' exclaimed the Leddy, kindling at this dexterous awakening of her -wrongs. 'He did far waur, he a'maist turn't me out o' the house by the -shouthers.' - -'Did he lay hands on you, his mother?' inquired Mr. Keelevin with -his professional accent and earnestness. But George prevented her -from replying, by saying that his mother naturally felt much molested -in receiving so harsh a return for the particular partiality with -which she had always treated his brother--and was proceeding in his -wily and insidious manner to fan the flame he seemed so anxious to -smother. Mr. Keelevin, however, of a sudden, appeared to detect his -drift, and gave him such a rebuking look, that he became confused and -embarrassed, during which the honest lawyer rose and wished them good -afternoon--saying to George, who accompanied him to the door,-- - -'The deil needs baith a syde cloak and a wary step to hide his cloven -foot--I'll say nae mair, Mr. George; but dinna mak your poor brother's -bairns waur than they are--and your mother should na be egget on in her -anger, when she happens, poor body, to tak the dods now and then--for -the most sensible of women hae their turns o' tantrums, and need baith -rein and bridle.' - - - - -CHAPTER LII - - -'I hope and trust,' said Leddy Grippy, as George returned from -conducting the lawyer to the door, 'that ye'll hae mair compassion for -your mother than to be sway't by the crooked counsels o' yon quirkie -bodie. I could see vera weel that he has a because o' his ain for -keeping his thumb on Watty's unnaturality. But Geordie, he's no surely -the only lawyer in the town? I wat there are scores baith able and -willing to tak the business by the hand; and if there shou'd be nane o' -a sufficient capacity in Glasgow, just tak a step in til Embro', where, -I hae often heard my honest father say, there are legions o' a capacity -to contest wi' Belzebub himsel.' - -'I am very anxious, mother, to do every thing to promote your -happiness,' was the reply; 'but the world will be apt to accuse me of -being actuated by some sinister and selfish motive. It would be most -disgraceful to me were I to fail.' - -'It will be a black burning shame to alloo a daft man any longer to -rule and govern us like a tyrant wi' a rod o' iron, pooking and rooking -me, his mother, o' my ain lawful jointure and honest hainings, forbye -skailing and scattering his inheritance in a manner as if ten pound -notes were tree-leaves at Hallowe'en.' - -'I am quite sensible of the truth and justice of all you say; but you -know the uncertainty of the law,' said George, 'and the consequences -would be fatal to me were we not to succeed.' - -'And what will be the consequences if he were taking it in his head to -marry again? He would mak nae scruple of sending me off frae Grippy at -an hour's warning.' - -This touched the keenest nerve of her son's anxieties; and he was -immediately alarmed by a long visionary vista of unborn sons, rising -between him and the succession to the estate;--but he only appeared to -sympathize with his mother. - -'It's not possible,' said he, 'even were he to marry again, that he -could be so harsh. You have lived ever since your marriage with my -father at Grippy. It's your home, and endeared to you by many pleasing -recollections. It would be extreme cruelty now, in your declining -years, to force you to live in the close air, and up the dirty turnpike -stairs o' Glasgow.' - -'It would soon be the death o' me,' exclaimed the Leddy, with a sigh, -wiping one of her eyes with the corner of her apron. 'In short, -Geordie, if ye dinna step out and get him put past the power o' -marrying, I'll regard you as little better than art and part in his -idiocety. But it's time I were taking the road, for they'll a' be -marvelling what keeps me. There's, however, ae thing I would advise -you, and that is, to take gude care and no mint what we hae been -speaking o' to living creature, for nobody can tell what detriment the -born idiot might do to us baith, were he to get an inkling before a's -ready to put the strait waistcoat o' the law on him; so I redde you -set about it in a wary and wily manner, that he may hae nae cause to -jealouse your intent.' - -There was, however, no great occasion for the latter part of this -speech, George being perfectly aware of all the difficulties and -delicacies of the case; but he said,-- - -'Did he ever attempt actually to strike you?' - -'Oh, no,' replied his mother; 'to do the fool thing justice, it's -kindly enough in its manner; only it will neither be governed nor -guided by me as it used to be; which is a sore trial.' - -'Because,' rejoined George, 'had he ever dared to do so, there would -then have been less trouble or scruple in instituting proceedings -against him.' - -'Na; an it's ony way to commode the business, we might soon provoke -him to lift his hand; but it's a powerful creature, and I'm fear't. -However, Geordie, ye might lay yoursel out for a bit slaik o' its paw; -so just come o'er the morn's morning and try; for it'll no do to stand -shilly-shallying, if we hope to mak a right legality o't.' - -Cowardice is the best auxiliary to the police, and George had -discretion enough not to risk the danger of rousing the sleeping lion -of his brother's Herculean sinews. But, in other respects, he took his -mother's advice; and, avoiding the guilt of causing an offence, in -order that he might be able to prosecute the offender, he applied to -Gabriel Pitwinnoch, the writer, from whose character he expected to -encounter fewer scruples and less scrutiny than with Mr. Keelevin. - -In the meantime, the Leddy, who had returned home to Grippy, preserved -the most entire reserve upon the subject to all the inmates of the -family, and acted her part so well, that even a much more suspicious -observer than her daughter-in-law would never have suspected her of -double dealing. Indeed, any change that could be perceived in her -manner was calculated to lull every suspicion,--for she appeared -more than usually considerate and attentive towards Walter, and even -condescended to wheedle and coax him on different occasions, when it -would have been more consonant to her wonted behaviour had she employed -commands and reproaches. - -In the course of a week after the interview with Mr. Keelevin, George -went to Edinburgh, and he was accompanied in his journey by the wary -Gabriel Pitwinnoch. What passed between them on the road, and who they -saw, and what advice they received in the intellectual city, we need -not be particular in relating; but the result was, that, about a week -after their return, Gabriel came to Grippy, accompanied by a stranger, -of whose consequence and rank it would appear the Leddy had some -previous knowledge, as she deported herself towards him with a degree -of ceremonious deference very unusual to her habits. The stranger, -indeed, was no less a personage than Mr. Threeper the advocate, a -gentleman of long standing and great practice in the Parliament House, -and much celebrated for his shrewd perception of technical flaws, and -clever discrimination of those nicer points of the law that are so -often at variance with justice. - -It happened, that, when this learned doctor of the Caledonian Padua -arrived with his worthy associate, Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw was in the -fields; but, the moment her son James saw him, he was so struck with -his appearance, that he ran to tell her. Walter also followed him, -under the influence of the same feeling, and said,-- - -'Come in, Bell Fatherlans, and see what a warld's won'er Pitwinnoch the -writer has brought to our house. My mother says it's a haudthecat, and -that it gangs about the town o' Embro', walking afore the Lords, in a -black gown, wi' a wig on'ts head. I marvel what the creature's come -here for. It has a silver snuffbox, that it's ay pat-patting; and ye -would think, to hear it speak, that King Solomon, wi' a' his hundreds -o' wives and concubines, was but a fool to him.' - -Mrs. Charles was alarmed at hearing of such a visitor; for the journey -of George and Pitwinnoch to Edinburgh immediately occurred to her, and -a feeling of compassion, mingled with gratitude for the kindness which -Walter had lately shown to herself and her children, suggested that she -ought to put him on his guard. - -'Walter,' said she, 'I would not advise you to go near the house while -the two lawyers are there,--for who knows what they may do to you? -But go as fast as ye can to Glasgow, and tell Mr. Keelevin what has -happened; and say that I have some reason to fear it's a visit that -bodes you no good, and therefore ye'll stand in need of his advice and -assistance.' - -The natural, who had an instinctive horror of the law, made no reply, -but, with a strong expression of terror in his countenance, immediately -left her, and went straight to Glasgow. - - - - -CHAPTER LIII - - -During the journey of George and Pitwinnoch to Edinburgh, a Brief of -Chancery had been quietly obtained, directing the Sheriff of the county -to summon a jury, to examine into the alleged fatuity of Walter; and -the visit of the latter with Mr. Threeper, the advocate, to Grippy, -was to meet George, for the purpose of determining with respect to the -evidence that it might be requisite to adduce before the inquest. All -this was conducted, as it was intended to appear, in a spirit of the -greatest delicacy towards the unfortunate _fatuus_, consistent with the -administration of public justice. - -'I can assure you,' said our friend Gabriel to Mr. Threeper, as they -walked towards the house--the advocate perusing the ground as he poked -his way along with his cane, and occasionally taking snuff; 'I can -assure you, that nothing but the most imperious necessity could have -induced Mr. George Walkinshaw to institute these proceedings; for he is -a gentleman of the utmost respectability; and to my knowledge has been -long and often urged in vain to get his brother cognost; but, until the -idiot's conduct became so intolerable, that his mother could no longer -endure it, he was quite inexorable.' - -'Is Mr. George in affluent circumstances?' said the advocate, dryly. - -'He is but a young man; the house, however, in which he is a partner is -one of the most flourishing in Glasgow,' was the answer. - -'He has, perhaps, a large family?' - -'O dear no; only one daughter; and his wife,' said Gabriel, 'is, I -understand, not likely to have any more.' - -'She may, however, have sons, Pitwinnoch,' rejoined the advocate, -wittily--at the same time taking snuff. 'But you say it is the mother -that has chiefly incited Mr. Walkinshaw to this action.' - -'So he told me,' replied the writer. - -'Her evidence will be most important; for it is not natural that a -mother would urge a process of such a nature, without very strong -grounds indeed, unless she has some immediate or distinct prospective -interest in the result. Have you any idea that such is the case?' - -'I should think not,' said Gabriel. - -'Do you imagine that such allowance as the Court might grant for the -custody of the _fatuus_ would have any influence with her?' inquired -Mr. Threeper, without raising his eyes from the road. - -'I have always understood,' was the reply, 'that she is in the -possession, not only of a handsome jointure, but of a considerable -provision, specially disponed to her by the will of old Plealands, her -father.' - -'Ah! was she the daughter of old Plealands?' said the advocate. 'It -was in a cause of his that I was first retained. He had the spirit of -litigation in a very zealous degree.' - -In this manner the two redressers of wrongs chattingly proceeded -towards Grippy, by appointment, to meet George; and they arrived, as we -have related in the foregoing chapter, a few minutes before he made his -appearance. - -In the meantime, Watty hastened with rapid steps, goaded by a -mysterious apprehension of some impending danger, to the counting-house -of Mr. Keelevin, whom he found at his desk. - -'Weel, Mr. Walter,' said the honest writer, looking up from a deed he -was perusing, somewhat surprised at seeing him--'What's the best o' -your news the day, and what's brought you frae Grippy?' - -'Mr. Keelevin,' replied Walter, going towards him on tiptoe, and -whispering audibly in his ear, 'I'll tell you something, Mr. -Keelevin:--twa gleds o' the law hae lighted yonder; and ye ken, by your -ain ways, that the likes o' them dinna flee afield for naething.' - -'No possible!' exclaimed Mr. Keelevin; and the recollection of his -interview with George and the Leddy flashing upon him at the moment, -he at once divined the object of their visit; and added, 'It's most -abominable;--but ken ye what they're seeking, Mr. Walter?' - -'No,' said he. 'But Bell Fatherlans bade me come and tell you; for she -thought I might need your counsel.' - -'She has acted a true friend's part; and I'm glad ye're come,' replied -the lawyer; 'and for her and her bairns' sake, I hope we'll be able to -defeat their plots and devices. But I would advise you, Mr. Walter, to -keep out o' harm's way, and no gang in the gate o' the gleds, as ye ca' -them.' - -'Hae ye ony ark or amrie, Mr. Keelevin, where a body might den himsel -till they're out o' the gate and away?' cried Walter timidly, and -looking anxiously round the room. - -'Ye should na speak sic havers, Mr. Walter, but conduct yourself mair -like a man,' said his legal friend grievedly. 'Indeed, Mr. Walter, as I -hae some notion that they're come to tak down your words--may be to spy -your conduct, and mak nae gude report thereon to their superiors--tak -my advice, and speak as little as possible.' - -'I'll no say ae word--I'll be a dumbie--I'll sit as quiet as ony ane o' -the images afore Bailie Glasford's house at the head o' the Stockwell. -King William himsel, on his bell-metal horse at the Cross, is a popular -preacher, Mr. Keelevin, compared to what I'll be.' - -The simplicity and sincerity with which this was said moved the -kind-hearted lawyer at once to smile and sigh. - -'There will, I hope, Mr. Walter,' said he, 'be no occasion to put -any restraint like that upon yoursel; only it's my advice to you as -a friend, to enter into no conversation with any one you do not well -know, and to dress in your best clothes, and shave yoursel,--and in a' -things demean and deport yoursel, like the laird o' Kittlestonheugh, -and the representative of an ancient and respected family.' - -'Oh, I can easily do that,' replied the natural; 'and I'll tak my -father's ivory-headed cane, with the golden virl, and the silver e'e -for a tassel, frae ahint the scrutoire, where it has ay stood since -his death, and walk up and down the front of the house like a Glasgow -magistrate.' - -'For the love o' Heaven, Mr. Walter,' exclaimed the lawyer, 'do nae sic -mad-like action! The like o' that is a' they want.' - -'In whatna other way, then,' said Walter helplessly, 'can I behave -like a gentleman, or a laird o' yird and stane, wi' the retinue o' an -ancient pedigree like my father's Walkinshaws o' Kittlestonheugh?' - -''Deed,' said Mr. Keelevin compassionately, 'I'm wae to say't--but I -doot, I doot, it's past the compass o' my power to advise you.' - -'I'm sure,' exclaimed Walter despairingly, 'that THE MAKER was ill aff -for a turn when he took to the creating o' lawyers. The deils are but -prentice work compared to them. I dinna ken what to do, Mr. Keelevin--I -wish that I was dead, but I'm no like to dee, as Jenny says in her -wally-wae about her father's cow and auld Robin Gray.' - -'Mr. Walter,' said his friend, after a pause of several minutes, 'go -you to Mrs. Hypel, your grandmother, for the present, and I'll out to -Grippy, and sift the meaning o' this visitation. When I have gathered -what it means, we'll hae the better notion in what way we ought to -fight with the foe.' - -'I'll smash them like a forehammer,' exclaimed Walter, proudly. 'I'll -stand ahint a dike, and gie them a belter wi' stanes, till I hae na -left the souls in their bodies--that's what I will,--if ye approve o't, -Mr. Keelevin.' - -'Weel, weel, Mr. Walter,' was the chagrined and grieved reply, 'we'll -see to that when I return; but it's a terrible thing to think o' -proving a man non compos mentis for the only sensible action he ever -did in all his life. Nevertheless, I will not let myself despond; and I -have only for the present to exhort you to get yoursel in an order and -fitness to appear as ye ought to be;--for really, Mr. Walter, ye alloo -yoursel to gang sae like a divor, that I dinna wonder ye hae been -ta'en notice o'. So I counsel you to mak yoursel trig, and no to play -ony antics.' - -Walter assured him, that his advice would in every respect be followed; -and, leaving the office, he went straight to the residence of his -grandmother, while Mr. Keelevin, actuated at once by his humanity and -professional duty, ordered his horse, and reached Grippy just as the -advocate, Mr. Pitwinnoch, and George, were on the point of coming away, -after waiting in vain for the return of Walter, whom Mr. Threeper was -desirous of conversing with personally. - - - - -CHAPTER LIV - - -The triumvirate and Leddy Grippy were disconcerted at the appearance -of Mr. Keelevin--for, at that moment, the result of Mr. Threeper's -inquiries among the servants had put them all in the most agreeable -and unanimous opinion with respect to the undoubted certainty of poor -Watty's fatuity.--'We have just to walk over the course,' the advocate -was saying; when George, happening to glance his eye towards the -window, beheld the benevolent lawyer coming up the avenue. - -'Good Heavens!' said he, 'what can that old pest, Keelevin, want here?' - -'Keelevin!' exclaimed the Leddy,--'that's a miracle to me. I think, -gentlemen,' she added, 'ye had as weel gang away by the back door--for -ye would na like, maybe, to be fashed wi' his confabbles. He's no a -man, or I'm far mista'en, that kens muckle about the prejinketties -o' the law, though he got the poor daft creature harl't through the -difficulties o' the plea wi' my cousin Gilhaise, the Mauchlin maltster. -I'm very sure, Mr. Threeper, he's no an acquaintance ye would like -to cultivate, for he has na the talons o' an advocate versed in the -devices o' the courts, but is a quirkie bodie, capable o' making law -no law at a', according to the best o' my discernment, which, to be -sure, in matters o' locutories and decreets, is but that o' a hamely -household woman, so I would advise you to eschew his company at this -present time.' - -Mr. Threeper, however, saw further into the lady's bosom than she -suspected; and as it is never contrary, either to the interest of -advocate or agent, to avoid having causes contested, especially when -there is, as was in this case, substance enough to support a long and -zealous litigation, that gentleman said,-- - -'Then Mr. Keelevin is the agent who was employed in the former action?' - -'Just sae,' resumed the Leddy, 'and ye ken he could na, wi' ony regard -to himsel, be art and part on this occasion.' - -'Ah, but, madam,' replied the advocate, earnestly, 'he may be agent for -the _fatuus_. It is, therefore, highly proper we should set out with a -right understanding respecting that point; for, if the allegations are -to be controverted, it is impossible to foresee what obstacles may be -raised, although, in my opinion, from the evidence I have heard, there -is no doubt that the fatuity of your son is a fact which cannot fail to -be in the end substantiated. Don't you think, Mr. Pitwinnoch, that we -had as well see Mr. Keelevin?' - -'Certainly,' said Gabriel. 'And, indeed, considering that, by the brief -to the Sheriff, the Laird is a party, perhaps even though Mr. Keelevin -should not have been employed, it would be but fair, and look well -towards the world, were he instructed to take up this case on behalf of -the _fatuus_. What say you, Mr. Walkinshaw?' - -George did not well know what to say, but he replied, that, for -many reasons, he was desirous the whole affair should be managed as -privately as possible. 'If, however, the forms of the procedure require -that an agent should act for Walter, I have no objection; at the same -time, I do not think Mr. Keelevin the fittest person.' - -'Heavens and earth!' exclaimed the Leddy, 'here's a respondenting and -a hearing, and the Lord Ordinary and a' the fifteen Lords frae Embro' -come to herry us out o' house and hall. Gentlemen, an ye'll tak my -advice, who, in my worthy father's time, had some inkling o' what the -cost o' law pleas are, ye'll hae naething to do wi' either Keelevin, -Gardevine, or ony other Vines in the shape o' pro forma agents; but -settle the business wi' the Sheriff in a douce and discreet manner.' - -Mr. Threeper, looking towards Mr. Pitwinnoch and George, rapped his -ivory snuff-box, rimmed and garnished with gold, and smiling, took a -pinch as Mr. Keelevin was shown into the room. - -'Mr. George,' said Mr. Keelevin, sedately, after being seated; 'I am -not come here to ask needless questions, but as Man of Business for -your brother, it will be necessary to serve me with the proper notices -as to what you intend.' - -Mr. Threeper again had recourse to his box, and Gabriel looked -inquiringly at his client--who could with difficulty conceal his -confusion, while the old lady, who had much more presence of mind, -said,-- - -'May I be sae bold, Mr. Keelevin, as to speer wha sent you here, at -this time?' - -'I came at Mr. Walter's own particular and personal request,' was the -reply; and he turned at the same time towards the advocate, and added, -'That does not look very like fatuity.' - -'He never could hae done that o' his own free will. I should na wonder -if the interloper, Bell Fatherlans, sent him--but I'll soon get to the -bottom o't,' exclaimed the Leddy, and she immediately left the room in -quest of Mrs. Charles, to inquire. During her absence, Mr. Keelevin -resumed,-- - -'It is not to be contested, Mr. Threeper,' for he knew the person -of the advocate, 'that the Laird is a man o' singularities and -oddities--we a' hae our foibles; but he got a gude education, and his -schoolmaster bore testimony on a former occasion to his capacity; and -if it can be shown that he does not manage his estate so advantageously -as he might do, surely that can never be objected against him, when -we every day see so many o' the wisest o' our lairds, and lords, -and country gentry, falling to pigs and whistles, frae even-doun -inattention or prodigality. I think it will be no easy thing to prove -Mr. Walter incapable o' managing his own affairs, with his mother's -assistance.' - -'Ah! Mr. Keelevin, with his mother's assistance!' exclaimed the acute -Mr. Threeper. 'It's time that he were out of leading-strings, and able -to take care of himself, without his mother's assistance--if he's ever -likely to do so.' - -At this crisis, the Leddy returned into the room flushed with anger. -'It's just as I jealoused,' cried she; 'it's a' the wark o' my -gude-dochter--it was her that sent him; black was the day she e'er -came to stay here; many a sore heart in the watches o' the night hae I -had sin syne, for my poor weak misled lad; for if he were left to the -freedom o' his own will, he would na stand on stepping stanes, but, -without scrupulosity, would send me, his mother, to crack sand, or mak -my leaving where I could, after wastering a' my jointure.' - -This speech made a strong impression on the minds of all the lawyers -present. Mr. Keelevin treasured it up, and said nothing. Our friend -Gabriel glanced the tail of his eye at the advocate, who, without -affecting to have noticed the interested motive which the Leddy had -betrayed, said to Mr. Keelevin,-- - -'The case, sir, cannot but go before a jury; for, although the _fatuus_ -be of a capacity to repeat any injunction which he may have received, -and which is not inconsistent with a high degree of fatuity--it does -not therefore follow that he is able to originate such motions or -volitions of the mind as are requisite to constitute what may be -denominated a legal modicum of understanding, the possession of which -in Mr. Walter Walkinshaw is the object of the proposed inquiry to -determine.' - -'Very well, gentlemen, since such is the case,' replied Mr. Keelevin, -rising, 'as I have undertaken the cause, it is unnecessary for us to -hold any further conversation on the subject. I shall be prepared to -protect my client.' - -With these words he left the room, in some hope that possibly they -might induce George still to stay proceedings. But the cupidity of -George's own breast, the views and arguments of his counsel, and the -animosity of his mother, all co-operated to weaken their effect; so -that, in the course of as short a time as the forms of the judicature -permitted, a jury was empannelled before the Sheriff, according to the -tenor of the special brief of Chancery which had been procured for the -purpose, and evidence as to the state of poor Watty's understanding -and capacity regularly examined;--some account of which we shall -proceed to lay before our readers, premising that Mr. Threeper opened -the business in a speech replete with eloquence and ingenuity, and -all that metaphysical refinement for which the Scottish bar was then, -as at present, so justly celebrated. Nothing, indeed, could be more -subtile, or less applicable to the coarse and daily tear and wear of -human concerns, than his definition of what constituted 'the minimum -of understanding, or of reason, or of mental faculty in general, which -the law, in its wisdom, required to be enjoyed by every individual -claiming to exercise the functions that belong to man, as a subject, -a citizen, a husband, a father, a master, a servant,--in one word, to -enable him to execute those different essential duties, which every -gentleman of the jury so well knew, and so laudably, so respectably, -and so meritoriously performed.'--But we regret that our limits do not -allow us to enter upon the subject; and the more so, as it could not -fail to prove highly interesting to our fair readers, in whose opinion -the eloquence of the Parliament House of Edinburgh, no doubt, possesses -many charming touches of sentiment, and amiable pathetic graces. - - - - -CHAPTER LV - - -The first witness examined was Jenny Purdie, servant to Mr. George -Walkinshaw. She had previously been several years in the service of his -father, and is the same who, as our readers will perhaps recollect, -contrived so femininely to seduce half-a-crown from the pocket of the -old man, when she brought him the news of the birth of his son's twin -daughters. - -'What is your opinion of Mr. Walter Walkinshaw?' inquired Mr. Threeper. - -''Deed, sir,' said Jenny, 'I hae but a sma' opinion o' him--he's a daft -man, and has been sae a' his days.' - -'But what do you mean by a daft man?' - -'I thought every body kent what a daft man is,' replied Jenny; 'he's -just silly, and tavert, and heedless, and o' an inclination to swattle -in the dirt like a grumphie.' - -'Well, but do you mean to say,' interrupted the advocate, 'that, to -your knowledge, he has been daft all his days?' - -'I never kent him ony better.' - -'But you have not known him all his days--therefore, how can you say he -has been daft all his days?--He might have been wise enough when you -did not know him.' - -'I dinna think it,' said Jenny;--'I dinna think it was ever in him to -be wise--he's no o' a nature to be wise.' - -'What do you mean by a nature?--Explain yourself.' - -'I canna explain mysel ony better,' was the answer; 'only I ken that a -cat's no a dog, nor o' a nature to be,--and so the Laird could ne'er be -a man o' sense.' - -'Very ingenious, indeed,' said Mr. Threeper; 'and I am sure the -gentlemen of the jury must be satisfied that it is not possible to -give a clearer--a more distinctive impression of the deficiency of Mr. -Walkinshaw's capacity, than has been given by this simple and innocent -country girl.--But, Jenny, can you tell us of any instance of his -daftness?' - -'I can tell you o' naething but the sic-like about him.' - -'Cannot you remember any thing he said or did on any particular day?' - -'O aye, atweel I wat I can do that--on the vera day when I gaed hame, -frae my service at the Grippy to Mr. George's, the sheep were sheared, -and Mr. Watty said they were made sae naked, it was a shame to see -them, and took one o' his mother's flannen polonies, to mak a hap to -Mall Loup-the-Dike, the auld ewe, for decency.' - -Jenny was then cross-questioned by Mr. Queerie, the able and -intelligent advocate employed for the defence by Mr. Keelevin; but -her evidence was none shaken, nor did it appear that her master had -in any way influenced her. Before she left the box, the Sheriff said -jocularly,-- - -'I'm sure, from your account, Jenny, that Mr. Walkinshaw's no a man ye -would like to marry?' - -'There's no saying,' replied Jenny,--'the Kittlestonheugh's a braw -estate; and mony a better born than me has been blithe to put up wi' -houses and lan's, though wit and worth were baith wanting.' - -The first witness thus came off with considerable eclat, and indeed -gained the love and affections, it is said, of one of the jurors, an -old bien carle, a bonnet-laird, to whom she was, in the course of a -short time after, married. - -The next witness was Mr. Mordecai Saxheere, preses and founder of that -renowned focus of sosherie the Yarn Club, which held its periodical -libations of the vintage of the colonies in the buxom Widow Sheid's -tavern, in Sour-Milk John's Land, a stately pile that still lifts -its lofty head in the Trongate. He was an elderly, trim, smooth, -Quaker-faced gentleman, dressed in drab, with spacious buckram-lined -skirts, that came round on his knees, giving to the general outline of -his figure the appearance of a cone supported on legs in white worsted -hose. He wore a highly powdered horse-hair wig, with a long queue; -buckles at the knees and in his shoes, presenting, in the collective -attributes of his dress and appearance, a respect-bespeaking epitome -of competency, good-eating, honesty, and self-conceit. He was one of -several gentlemen whom the long-forecasting George had carried with him -to Grippy on those occasions when he was desirous to provide witnesses, -to be available when the era should arrive that had now come to pass. - -'Well, Mr. Saxheere,' said the Edinburgh advocate, 'what have you to -say with respect to the state of Mr. Walter Walkinshaw?' - -'Sir,' replied the preses of the Yarn Club, giving that sort of -congratulatory smack with which he was in the practice of swallowing -and sending round the dram that crowned the substantials, and was -herald to what were called the liquidities of the club,--'Sir,' said -Mordecai Saxheere, 'I have been in no terms of intromission with Mr. -Walkinshaw of Grippy, 'cept and except in the way of visitation; and -on those occasions I always found him of a demeanour more sportive to -others than congenial.' - -'You are a merchant, I believe, Mr. Saxheere,' said Mr. Threeper; 'you -have your shop in the High Street, near the Cross. On the market day -you keep a bottle of whisky and a glass on the counter, from which, -as I understand, you are in the practice of giving your customers a -dram--first preeing or smelling the liquor yourself, and then handing -it to them.--Now, I would ask you, if Mr. Walkinshaw were to come to -your shop on the market day, would you deal with him?--would you, on -your oath, smell the glass, and then hand it across the counter, to be -by him drunk off?' - -The advocate intended this as a display of his intimate knowledge of -the local habits and usages of Glasgow, though himself but an Edinburgh -man,--in order to amaze the natives by his cleverness. - -'Sir,' replied Mr. Saxheere, again repeating his habitual -congratulatory smack, 'much would rely on the purpose for which he came -to custom. If he offered me yarn for sale, there could be no opponency -on my side to give him the fair price of the day; but, if he wanted to -buy, I might undergo some constipation of thought before compliance.' - -'The doubtful credit of any wiser person might produce the same -astringency,' said the advocate, slyly. - -'No doubt it would,' replied the preses of the Yarn Club; 'but the -predicament of the Laird of Grippy would na be under that denominator, -but because I would have a suspection of him in the way of judgement -and sensibility.' - -'Then he is not a man that you would think it safe to trade with as a -customer?' said the Sheriff, desirous of putting an end to his prosing. - -'Just so, sir,' replied Mordecai; 'for, though it might be safe in the -way of advantage, I could not think myself, in the way of character, -free from an imputation, were I to intromit with him.' - -It was not deemed expedient to cross-question this witness; and another -was called, a celebrated Professor of Mathematics in the University, -the founder and preses of a club, called the 'Anderson Summer -Saturday's.' The scientific attainments and abstract genius of this -distinguished person were undisputed; but his simplicity of character -and absence of mind were no less remarkable. The object that George -probably had in view in taking him, as an occasional visitor, to see -his brother, was, perhaps, to qualify the Professor to bear testimony -to the arithmetical incapacity of Walter; and certainly the Professor -had always found him sufficiently incapable to have warranted him -to give the most decisive evidence on that head; but a circumstance -had occurred at the last visit, which came out in the course of the -investigation, by which it would appear the opinion of the learned -mathematician was greatly shaken. - -'I am informed, Professor, that you are acquainted with Mr. Walter -Walkinshaw. Will you have the goodness to tell the Court what is your -opinion of that gentleman?' said the advocate. - -'My opinion is, that he is a very extraordinary man; for he put a -question to me when I last saw him, which I have not yet been able to -answer.' - -The advocate thought the Professor said this in irony,--and inquired, -with a simper,-- - -'And, pray, what might that question be?' - -'I was trying if he could calculate the aliquot parts of a pound; and -he said to me, could I tell him the reason that there were but four and -twenty bawbees in a shilling?' - -'You may retire,' said the advocate, disconcerted; and the Professor -immediately withdrew; for still the counsel in behalf of Walter -declined to cross-question. - -'The next witness that I shall produce,' resumed Mr. Threeper, 'is one -whom I call with extreme reluctance. Every man must sympathize with -the feelings of a mother on such an occasion as this,--and will easily -comprehend, that, in the questions which my duty obliges me to put to -Mrs. Walkinshaw, I am, as it were, obliged, out of that sacred respect -which is due to her maternal sensibility, to address myself in more -general terms than I should otherwise do.' - -The Leddy was then called,--and the advocate, with a solemn voice and -pauses of lengthened sadness and commiseration, said,-- - -'Madam, the Court and the jury do not expect you to enter into any -particular description of the state of your unfortunate son. They only -desire to know if you think he is capable of conducting his affairs -like other men.' - -'Him capable!' exclaimed the Leddy. 'He's no o' a capacity to be -advised.' - -She would have proceeded further,--but Mr. Threeper interposed, saying, -'Madam, we shall not distress you further; the Court and the jury must -be satisfied.' - -Not so was Mr. Keelevin, who nodded to Mr. Queerie, the counsel for -Walter; and he immediately rose. - -'I wish,' said he, 'just to put one question to the witness. How long -is it since your son has been so incapable of acting for himself?' - -'I canna gie you day nor date,' replied the Leddy; 'but he has been in -a state of condumacity ever since his dochter died.' - -'Indeed!' said Mr. Queerie; 'then he was not always incapable?' - -'O no,' cried the Leddy; 'he was a most tractable creature, and the -kindliest son,' she added, with a sigh; 'but since that time he's -been neither to bind nor to haud, threatening to send me, his mother, -a-garsing--garing me lay out my own lawful jointure on the house, and -using me in the most horridable manner--wastring his income in the most -thoughtless way.' - -Mr. Threeper began to whisper to our friend Gabriel, and occasionally -to look, with an afflicted glance, towards the Leddy. - -Mr. Queerie resumed,-- - -'Your situation, I perceive, has been for some time very unhappy--but, -I suppose, were Mr. Walkinshaw to make you a reasonable compensation -for the trouble you take in managing his house, you would have no -objections still to continue with him.' - -'Oh! to be surely,' said the Leddy;--'only it would need to be -something worth while; and my gude-dochter and her family would require -to be obligated to gang hame.' - -'Certainly, what you say, Madam, is very reasonable,' rejoined Mr. -Queerie;--'and I have no doubt that the Court perceives that a great -part of your distress, from the idiotry of your son, arises from his -having brought in the lady alluded to and her family.' - -'It has come a' frae that,' replied the witness, unconscious of the -force of what she was saying;--'for, 'cepting his unnaturality to me -about them, his idiocety is very harmless.' - -'Perhaps not worse than formerly?' - -A look from George at this crisis put her on her guard; and she -instantly replied, as if eager to redeem the effects of what she had -just said,-- - -''Deed, Sir, it's no right to let him continue in the rule and power o' -the property; for nobody can tell what he may commit.' - -At this juncture, Mr. Queerie, perceiving her wariness, sat down; and -the Reverend Dr. Denholm being called by Mr. Threeper, stated, in -answer to the usual question,-- - -'I acknowledge, that I do not think Mr. Walkinshaw entirely of a sound -mind; but he has glaiks and gleams o' sense about him, that mak me very -dootful if I could judicially swear, that he canna deport himsel wi' -sufficient sagacity.' - -'But,' said the advocate, 'did not you yourself advise Mr. George -Walkinshaw to institute these proceedings.' - -'I'll no disown that,' replied the Doctor; 'but Mr. Walter has since -then done such a humane and a Christian duty to his brother's widow, -and her two defenceless and portionless bairns, that I canna, in my -conscience, think now so lightly of him as I once did.' - -Here the jury consulted together; and, after a short conference, the -foreman inquired if Mr. Walkinshaw was in Court. On being answered in -the negative, the Sheriff suggested an adjournment till next day, that -he might be brought forward. - - - - -CHAPTER LVI - - -When the Leddy returned from the Court to Grippy, Walter, who had in -the meantime been somehow informed of the nature of the proceedings -instituted against him, said to his mother,-- - -'Weel, mother, so ye hae been trying to mak me daft? but I'm just as -wise as ever.' - -'Thou's ordaint to bring disgrace on us a',' was her answer, dictated -under a feeling of vague apprehension, arising from the uncertainty -which seemed to lower upon the issue of the process by the evidence of -Dr. Denholm. - -'I'm sure I hae nae hand in't,' said Walter; 'an ye had na meddlet wi' -me, I would ne'er hae spoken to Keelevin, to vex you. But I suppose, -mother, that you and that wily headcadab Geordie hae made naething o' -your fause witnessing.' - -'Haud thy fool tongue, and insult na me,' exclaimed the Leddy in a rage -at the simpleton's insinuation, which was uttered without the slightest -sentiment of reproach. 'But,' she added, 'ye'll see what it is to stand -wi' a het face afore the Court the morn.' - -'I'll no gang,' replied Walter; 'I hae nae broo o' Courts and -law-pleas.' - -'But ye shall gang, if the life be in your body.' - -'I'll do nothing but what Mr. Keelevin bids me.' - -'Mr. Keelevin,' exclaimed the Leddy, 'ought to be drum't out o' the -town for bringing sic trebalation intil my family.--What business had -he, wi' his controversies, to gumle law and justice in the manner he -has done the day?' And while she was thus speaking, George and Mr. -Pitwinnoch made their appearance. - -'Hegh man, Geordie!' said Watty,--'I'm thinking, instead o' making me -daft, ye hae demented my mother, poor bodie; for she's come hame wi' a -flyte proceeding out of her mouth like a two-edged sword.' - -'If you were not worse than ye are,' said his brother, 'you would have -compassion on your mother's feelings.' - -'I'm sure,' said Watty, 'I hae every compassion for her; but there was -nae need o' her to wis to mak me daft. It's a foul bird that files its -ain nest; and really, to speak my mind, I think, Geordie, that you and -her were na wise, but far left to yoursels, to put your heads intil the -hangman's halter o' a law-plea anent my intellectuals.' - -Gabriel Pitwinnoch, who began to distrust the effect of the evidence, -was troubled not a little at this observation; for he thought, if -Walter spoke as well to the point before the Court, the cause must be -abandoned. As for George, he was scarcely in a state to think of any -thing, so much was he confounded and vexed by the impression of Dr. -Denholm's evidence, the tenor of which was so decidedly at variance -with all he had flattered himself it would be. He, however, said,-- - -'Ye're to be examined to-morrow, and what will you say for yourself?' - -'I hae mair modesty,' replied Walter, 'than to be my ain -trumpeter--I'll say naething but what Mr. Keelevin bids me.' - -Gabriel smiled encouragingly to George at this, who continued,-- - -'You had better tak care what ye say.' - -'Na,' cried Watty, 'an that's the gait o't, I'll keep a calm -sough--least said's soonest mendit--I'll haud my tongue.' - -'But you must answer every question.' - -'Is't in the Shorter or the Larger Catechism?' said Walter. 'I can -say till the third petition o' the t'ane, and frae end to end o' the -t'ither.' - -'That's quite enough,' replied Gabriel, 'and more than will be required -of you.' - -But the satisfaction which such an agreeable exposure of the innocency -of the simpleton was calculated to afford to all present, was disturbed -at this juncture by the entrance of Mr. Keelevin. - -'I'm glad, gentlemen,' said he, the moment he came in, 'that I -have found you here. I think you must all be convinced that the -investigation should na gang further. I'm sure Mr. Walter will be -willing to grant a reasonable consideration to his mother for her care -and trouble in the house, and even to assign a moitie o' his income to -you, Mr. George. Be counselled by me:--let us settle the matter in that -manner quietly.' - -Pitwinnoch winked to his client,--and Wattie said,-- - -'What for should I gie my mother ony more? Has na she bed, board, and -washing, house-room and chattels, a' clear aboon her jointure? and -I'm sure Geordie has nae lawful claim on me for ony aliment.--Od, Mr. -Keelevin, it would be a terrible wastrie o' me to do the like o' that. -They might weel mak me daft if I did sae.' - -'But it will be far decenter and better for a' parties to enter into -some agreement of that sort. Don't you think so, Mrs. Walkinshaw, -rather than to go on with this harsh business of proving your son an -idiot?' - -'I'm no an idiot, Mr. Keelevin,' exclaimed Walter--'though it seems to -me that there's a thraw in the judgement o' the family, or my mother -and brother would ne'er hae raised this stramash about my capacity to -take care o' the property. Did na I keep the cows frae the corn a' the -last Ruglen fair-day, when Jock, the herd, got leave to gang in to try -his luck and fortune at the roley-poleys?' - -Honest Mr. Keelevin wrung his hands at this. - -'I'm sure, sir,' said George, in his sleekest manner, 'that you must -yourself, Mr. Keelevin, be quite sensible that the inquiry ought to -proceed to a verdict.' - -'I'm sensible o' nae sic things, Mr. George,' was the indignant answer. -'Your brother is in as full possession of all his faculties as when -your father executed the cursed entail, or when he was married to -Kilmarkeckle's dochter.' - -''Deed, Mr. Keelevin,' replied Walter, 'ye're mista'en there; for I hae -had twa teeth tuggit out for the toothache since syne; and I hae grown -deaf in the left lug.' - -'Did na I tell you,' said the worthy man, angrily, 'that ye were na to -open your mouth?' - -'Really, Mr. Keelevin, I won'er to hear you,' replied the natural, with -great sincerity; 'the mouth's the only trance-door that I ken to the -belly.' - -'Weel, weel,' again exclaimed his friend; 'mak a kirk and a mill o't; -but be ruled by me, and let us draw up a reasonable agreement.' - -'I'm thinking, Mr. Keelevin, that ye dinna ken that I hae made a -paction with mysel to sign nae law-papers, for fear it be to the injury -of Betty Bodle.' - -'Betty Bodle!' said Gabriel Pitwinnoch, eagerly; 'she has been long -dead.' - -'Ah!' said Walter, 'that's a' ye ken about it. She's baith living and -life-like.' - -Mr. Keelevin was startled and alarmed at this; but abstained from -saying any thing. Gabriel also said nothing; but looked significantly -to his client, who interposed, and put an end to the conversation. - -'Having gone so far,' said he, 'I could, with no respect for my own -character, allow the proceedings to be now arrested. It is, therefore, -unnecessary either to consider your suggestion, or to hold any further -debate here on the subject.' - -Mr. Keelevin made no reply to this; but said, as he had something to -communicate in private to his client, he would carry him to Glasgow -for that night. To so reasonable and so professional a proposal no -objection was made. Walter himself also at once acquiesced, on the -express condition, that he was not to be obliged to sign any law-papers. - - - - -CHAPTER LVII - - -Next day, when the Court again assembled, Walter was there, seated -beside his agent, and dressed in his best. Every eye was directed -towards him; and the simple expression of wonder, mingled with -anxiety, which the scene around him occasioned, gave an air of so -much intelligence to his features, which were regular, and, indeed, -handsome, that he excited almost universal sympathy; even Mr. Threeper -was perplexed, when he saw him, at the proper time, rise from beside -his friend, and, approaching the bottom of the table, make a slow and -profound bow, first to the Sheriff and then to the jury. - -'You are Mr. Walkinshaw, I believe?' said Mr. Threeper. - -'I believe I am,' replied Walter, timidly. - -'What are you, Mr. Walkinshaw?' - -'A man, sir.--My mother and brother want to mak me a daft ane.' - -'How do you suspect them of any such intention?' - -'Because ye see I'm here--I would na hae been here but for that.' - -The countenance of honest Keelevin began to brighten, while that of -George was clouded and overcast. - -'Then you do not think you are a daft man?' said the advocate. - -'Nobody thinks himsel daft. I dare say ye think ye're just as wise as -me.' - -A roar of laughter shook the Court, and Threeper blushed and was -disconcerted; but he soon resumed, tartly,-- - -'Upon my word, Mr. Walkinshaw, you have a good opinion of yourself. I -should like to know for what reason?' - -'That's a droll question to speer at a man,' replied Walter. 'A poll -parrot thinks weel o' itsel, which is but a feathered creature, and -short o' the capacity of a man by twa hands.' - -Mr. Keelevin trembled and grew pale; and the advocate, recovering full -possession of his assurance, proceeded,-- - -'And so ye think, Mr. Walkinshaw, that the two hands make all the -difference between a man and a parrot?' - -'No, no, sir,' replied Walter, 'I dinna think that,--for ye ken the -beast has feathers.' - -'And why have not men feathers?' - -'That's no a right question, sir, to put to the like o' me, a weak -human creature;--ye should ask their Maker,' said Walter gravely. - -The advocate was again repulsed; Pitwinnoch sat doubting the -intelligence of his ears, and George shivering from head to foot: a -buzz of satisfaction pervaded the whole Court. - -'Well, but not to meddle with such mysteries,' said Mr. Threeper, -assuming a jocular tone, 'I suppose you think yourself a very clever -fellow?' - -'At some things,' replied Walter modestly; 'but I dinna like to make a -roos o' mysel.' - -'And pray now, Mr. Walkinshaw, may I ask what do you think you do best?' - -'Man! an ye could see how I can sup curds and ream--there's no ane in -a' the house can ding me.' - -The sincerity and exultation with which this was expressed convulsed -the Court, and threw the advocate completely on his beam-ends. However, -he soon righted, and proceeded,-- - -'I don't doubt your ability in that way, Mr. Walkinshaw; and I dare say -you can play a capital knife and fork.' - -'I'm better at the spoon,' replied Walter laughing. - -'Well, I must confess you are a devilish clever fellow.' - -'Mair sae, I'm thinking, than ye thought, sir.--But noo, since,' -continued Walter, 'ye hae speer't so many questions at me, will ye -answer one yoursel?' - -'Oh, I can have no possible objection to do that, Mr. Walkinshaw.' - -'Then,' said Walter, 'how muckle are ye to get frae my brother for this -job?' - -Again the Court was convulsed, and the questioner again disconcerted. - -'I suspect, brother Threeper,' said the Sheriff, 'that you are in the -wrong box.' - -'I suspect so too,' replied the advocate laughing; but, addressing -himself again to Walter, he said,-- - -'You have been married, Mr. Walkinshaw?' - -'Aye, auld Doctor Denholm married me to Betty Bodle.' - -'And pray where is she?' - -'Her mortal remains, as the headstone says, lie in the kirkyard.' - -The countenance of Mr. Keelevin became pale and anxious--George and -Pitwinnoch exchanged smiles of gratulation. - -'You had a daughter?' said the advocate, looking knowingly to the jury, -who sat listening with greedy ears. - -'I had,' said Walter, and glanced anxiously towards his trembling -agent. - -'And what became of your daughter?' - -No answer was immediately given--Walter hung his head, and seemed -troubled; he sighed deeply, and again turned his eye inquiringly to Mr. -Keelevin. Almost every one present sympathized with his emotion, and -ascribed it to parental sorrow. - -'I say,' resumed the advocate, 'what became of your daughter?' - -'I canna answer that question.' - -The simple accent in which this was uttered interested all in his -favour still more and more. - -'Is she dead?' said the pertinacious Mr. Threeper. - -'Folk said sae; and what every body says maun be true.' - -'Then you don't, of your own knowledge, know the fact?' - -'Before I can answer that, I would like to ken what a fact is?' - -The counsel shifted his ground, without noticing the question; and -said,-- - -'But I understand, Mr. Walkinshaw, you have still a child that you call -your Betty Bodle?' - -'And what business hae ye wi' that?' said the natural, offended. 'I -never saw sic a stock o' impudence as ye hae in my life.' - -'I did not mean to offend you, Mr. Walkinshaw; I was only anxious, for -the ends of justice, to know if you consider the child you call Betty -Bodle as your daughter?' - -'I'm sure,' replied Walter, 'that the ends o' justice would be meikle -better served an ye would hae done wi' your speering.' - -'It is, I must confess, strange that I cannot get a direct answer from -you, Mr. Walkinshaw. Surely, as a parent, you should know your child!' -exclaimed the advocate, peevishly. - -'An I was a mother ye might say sae.' - -Mr. Threeper began to feel, that, hitherto, he had made no impression; -and forming an opinion of Walter's shrewdness far beyond what he -was led to expect, he stooped, and conferred a short time with Mr. -Pitwinnoch. On resuming his wonted posture, he said,-- - -'I do not wish, Mr. Walkinshaw, to harass your feelings; but I am not -satisfied with the answer you have given respecting your child; and I -beg you will be a little more explicit. Is the little girl that lives -with you your daughter?' - -'I dinna like to gie you any satisfaction on that head; for Mr. -Keelevin said, ye would bother me if I did.' - -'Ah!' exclaimed the triumphant advocate, 'have I caught you at last?' - -A murmur of disappointment ran through all the Court; and Walter looked -around coweringly and afraid. - -'So Mr. Keelevin has primed you, has he? He has instructed you what to -say?' - -'No,' said the poor natural; 'he instructed me to say nothing.' - -'Then why did he tell you that I would bother you?' - -'I dinna ken, speer at himsel; there he sits.' - -'No, sir! I ask you,' said the advocate, grandly. - -'I'm wearied, Mr. Keelevin,' said Walter, helplessly, as he looked -towards his disconsolate agent. 'May I no come away?' - -The honest lawyer gave a deep sigh; to which all the spectators -sympathizingly responded. - -'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said the Sheriff, 'don't be alarmed--we are -all friendly disposed towards you; but it is necessary, for the -satisfaction of the jury, that you should tell us what you think -respecting the child that lives with you.' - -Walter smiled and said, 'I hae nae objection to converse wi' a -weel-bred gentleman like you; but that barking terrier in the wig, I -can thole him no longer.' - -'Well, then,' resumed the judge, 'is the little girl your daughter?' - -''Deed is she--my ain dochter.' - -'How can that be, when, as you acknowledged, every body said your -dochter was dead?' - -'But I kent better mysel--my bairn and dochter, ye see, sir, was lang -a weakly baby, ay bleating like a lambie that has lost its mother; and -she dwin't and dwinlet, and moan't and grew sleepy sleepy, and then she -clos'd her wee bonny een, and lay still; and I sat beside her three -days and three nights, watching her a' the time, never lifting my een -frae her face, that was as sweet to look on as a gowan in a lown May -morning. But I ken na how it came to pass--I thought, as I look't at -her, that she was changet, and there began to come a kirkyard smell -frae the bed, that was just as if the hand o' Nature was wising me to -gae away; and then I saw, wi' the eye o' my heart, that my brother's -wee Mary was grown my wee Betty Bodle, and so I gaed and brought her -hame in my arms, and she is noo my dochter. But my mother has gaen -on like a randy at me ever sin syne, and wants me to put away my ain -bairn, which I will never, never do--No, sir, I'll stand by her, -and guard her, though fifty mothers, and fifty times fifty brother -Geordies, were to flyte at me frae morning to night.' - -One of the jury here interposed, and asked several questions relative -to the management of the estate; by the answers to which it appeared, -not only that Walter had never taken any charge whatever, but that he -was totally ignorant of business, and even of the most ordinary money -transactions. - -The jury then turned round and laid their heads together; the legal -gentlemen spoke across the table, and Walter was evidently alarmed -at the bustle.--In the course of two or three minutes, the foreman -returned a verdict of Fatuity. - -The poor Laird shuddered, and, looking at the Sheriff, said, in an -accent of simplicity that melted every heart, 'Am I found guilty?--Oh -surely, sir, ye'll no hang me, for I cou'dna help it?' - - - - -CHAPTER LVIII - - -The scene in the parlour of Grippy, after the inquiry, was of the most -solemn and lugubrious description.--The Leddy sat in the great chair, -at the fireside, in all the pomp of woe, wiping her eyes, and, ever -and anon, giving vent to the deepest soughs of sorrow. Mrs. Charles, -with her son leaning on her knee, occupied another chair, pensive -and anxious. George and Mr. Pitwinnoch sat at the table, taking an -inventory of the papers in the scrutoire, and Walter was playfully -tickling his adopted daughter on the green before the window, when -Mrs. Milrookit, with her husband, the Laird of Dirdumwhamle, came to -sympathize and condole with their friends, and to ascertain what would -be the pecuniary consequences of the decision to them. - -'Come awa, my dear,' said the Leddy to her daughter, as she entered the -room;--'Come awa and tak a seat beside me. Your poor brother, Watty, -has been weighed in the balance o' the Sheriff, and found wanting; and -his vessels o' gold and silver, as I may say in the words o' Scripture, -are carried away into captivity; for I understand that George gets no -proper right to them, as I expeckit, but is obligated to keep them in -custody, in case Watty should hereafter come to years o' discretion. -Hegh Meg! but this is a sair day for us a'--and for nane mair sae than -your afflicted gude-sister there and her twa bairns. She'll be under -a needcessity to gang back and live again wi' my mother, now in her -ninety-third year, and by course o' nature drawing near to her latter -end.' - -'And what's to become of you?' replied Mrs. Milrookit. - -'O I'll hae to bide here, to tak care o' every thing; and an aliment -will be alloot to me for keeping poor Watty. Hegh Sirs! Wha would hae -thought it, that sic a fine lad as he ance was, and preferred by his -honest father as the best able to keep the property right, would thus -hae been, by decreet o' court, proven a born idiot?' - -'But,' interrupted Mrs. Milrookit, glancing compassionately towards her -sister-in-law, 'I think, since so little change is to be made, that -ye might just as weel let Bell and her bairns bide wi' you--for my -grandmother's income is little enough for her ain wants, now that she's -in a manner bedrid.' - -'It's easy for you, Meg, to speak,' replied her mother;--'but if ye -had an experiment o' the heavy handfu' they hae been to me, ye would -hae mair compassion for your mother. It's surely a dispensation sair -enough, to hae the grief and heart-breaking sight before my eyes of a -demented lad, that was so long a comfort to me in my widowhood. But -it's the Lord's will, and I maun bend the knee o' resignation.' - -'Is't your intent, Mr. George,' said the Laird o' Dirdumwhamle, 'to mak -any division o' what lying money there may hae been saved since your -father's death?' - -'I suspect there will not be enough to defray the costs of the -process,' replied George; 'and if any balance should remain, the house -really stands so much in need of repair, that I am persuaded there will -not be a farthing left.' - -''Deed,' said the Leddy, 'what he says, Mr. Milrookit, is oure true; -the house is in a frail condition, for it was like pu'ing the teeth out -o' the head o' Watty to get him to do what was needful.' - -'I think,' replied the Laird o' Dirdumwhamle, 'that since ye hae -so soon come to the property, Mr. George, and no likelihood o' any -molestation in the possession, that ye might let us a' share and share -alike o' the gethering, and be at the outlay o' the repairs frae the -rental.' - -To this suggestion Mr. George, however, replied, 'It will be time -enough to consider that, when the law expenses are paid.' - -'They'll be a heavy soom, Mr. Milrookit,' said the Leddy; 'weel do -I ken frae my father's pleas what it is to pay law expenses. The -like o' Mr. Pitwinnoch there, and Mr. Keelevin, are men o' moderation -and commonality in their charges--but yon awfu' folk wi' the cloaks -o' darkness and the wigs o' wisdom frae Edinbro'--they are costly -commodities.--But now that we're a' met here, I think it would be just -as weel an we war to settle at ance what I'm to hae, as the judicious -curator o' Watty--for, by course o' law and nature, the aliment will -begin frae this day.' - -'Yes,' replied George, 'I think it will be just as well; and I'm -glad, mother, that you have mentioned it. What is your opinion, Mr. -Milrookit, as to the amount that she should have?' - -'All things considered,' replied the Laird of Dirdumwhamle, -prospectively contemplating some chance of a reversionary interest to -his wife in the Leddy's savings, 'I think you ought not to make it less -than a hundred pounds a year.' - -'A hundred pounds a year!' exclaimed the Leddy, 'that'll no buy saut to -his kail. I hope and expek no less than the whole half o' the rents; -and they were last year weel on to four hunder.' - -'I think,' said George to Mr. Pitwinnoch, 'I would not be justified to -the Court were I to give any thing like that; but if you think I may, I -can have no objection to comply with my mother's expectations.' - -'Oh, Mr. Walkinshaw,' replied Gabriel, 'you are no at a' aware o' your -responsibility,--you can do no such things. Your brother has been found -a _fatuus_, and, of course, entitled but to the plainest maintenance. I -think that you will hardly be permitted to allow his mother more than -fifty pounds; if, indeed, so much.' - -'Fifty pounds! fifty placks,' cried the indignant Leddy. 'I'll let -baith you and the Sheriff ken I'm no to be frauded o' my rights in that -gait. I'll no faik a farthing o' a hundred and fifty.' - -'In that case, I fear,' said Gabriel, 'Mr. George will be obliged to -seek another custodier for the _fatuus_, as assuredly, Mem, he'll ne'er -be sanctioned to allow you any thing like that.' - -'If ye think sae,' interposed Mrs. Milrookit, compassionating the -forlorn estate of her sister-in-law,--'I dare say Mrs. Charles will be -content to take him at a very moderate rate.' - -'Megsty me!' exclaimed the Leddy. 'Hae I been buying a pig in a pock -like that? Is't a possibility that he can be ta'en out o' my hands, -and no reasonable allowance made to me at a'? Surely, Mr. Pitwinnoch, -surely, Geordie, this can never stand either by the laws of God or man.' - -'I can assure you, Mrs. Walkinshaw,' replied the lawyer, 'that fifty -pounds a-year is as much as I could venture to advise Mr. George to -give; and seeing it is sae, you had as well agree to it at once.' - -'I'll never agree to ony such thing. I'll gang intil Embro' mysel, and -hae justice done me frae the Fifteen. I'll this very night consult Mr. -Keelevin, who is a most just man, and o' a right partiality.' - -'I hope, mother,' said George, 'that you and I will not cast out about -this; and to end all debates, if ye like, we'll leave the aliment to be -settled by Mr. Pitwinnoch and Mr. Keelevin.' - -'Nothing can be fairer,' observed the Laird of Dirdumwhamle, in the -hope Mr. Keelevin might be so wrought on as to insist that at least -a hundred should be allowed; and after some further altercation, the -Leddy grudgingly assented to this proposal. - -'But,' said Mrs. Milrookit, 'considering now the altered state of -Watty's circumstances, I dinna discern how it is possible for my mother -to uphold this house and the farm.' - -The Leddy looked a little aghast at this fearful intimation, while -George replied,-- - -'I have reflected on that, Margaret, and I am quite of your opinion; -and, indeed, it is my intention, after the requisite repairs are done -to the house, to flit my family; for I am in hopes the change of air -will be advantageous to my wife's health.' - -The Leddy was thunderstruck, and unable to speak; but her eyes were -eloquent with indignation. - -'Perhaps, after all, it would be as well for our mother,' continued -George, 'to take up house at once in Glasgow; and as I mean to settle -an annuity of fifty pounds on Mrs. Charles, they could not do better -than all live together.' - -All present but his mother applauded the liberality of George. To the -young widow the intelligence of such a settlement was as fresh air -to the captive; but before she could express her thankfulness, Leddy -Grippy started up, and gave a tremendous stamp with her foot. She then -resumed her seat, and appeared all at once calm and smiling; but it was -a calm betokening no tranquillity, and a smile expressive of as little -pleasure. In the course of a few seconds the hurricane burst forth, -and alternately, with sobs and supplications, menaces, and knocking of -nieves, and drumming with her feet, the hapless Leddy Grippy divulged -and expatiated on the plots and devices of George. But all was of no -avail--her destiny was sealed; and long before Messrs. Keelevin and -Pitwinnoch adjusted the amount of the allowance, which, after a great -struggle on the part of the former, was settled at seventy-five pounds, -she found herself under the painful necessity of taking a flat up a -turnpike stair in Glasgow, for herself and the _fatuus_. - - - - -CHAPTER LIX - - -For some time after the decision of Walter's fatuity, nothing important -occurred in the history of the Grippy family. George pacified his own -conscience, and gained the approbation of the world, by fulfilling the -promise of settling fifty pounds per annum on his sister-in-law. The -house was enlarged and adorned, and the whole estate, under the ancient -name of Kittlestonheugh, began to partake of that general spirit of -improvement which was then gradually diffusing itself over the face of -the west country. - -In the meantime, Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw, who had returned with -her children to reside with their grandmother, found her situation -comparatively comfortable; but an acute anxiety for the consequences -that would ensue by the daily expected death of that gentlewoman, -continued to thrill through her bosom, and chequer the sickly gleam of -the uncertain sunshine that glimmered in her path. At last the old lady -died, and she was reduced, as she had long foreseen, with her children, -to the parsimonious annuity. As it was impossible for her to live in -Glasgow, and educate her children, on so small a stipend, there, she -retired to one of the neighbouring villages, where, in the family of -the Reverend Mr. Eadie, the minister, she found that kind of quiet -intelligent society which her feelings and her misfortunes required. - -Mrs. Eadie was a Highland lady, and, according to the living chronicles -of the region of clans and traditions, she was of scarcely less than -illustrious birth. But for the last attempt to restore the royal -line of the Stuarts, she would, in all probability, have moved in a -sphere more spacious and suitable to the splendour of her pedigree -than the humble and narrow orbit of a country clergyman's wife. Nor -in her appearance did it seem that Nature and Fortune were agreed -about her destiny; for the former had adorned her youth with the -beauty, the virtues, and the dignity, which command admiration in the -palace,--endowments but little consonant to the lowly duties of the -rural manse. - -At the epoch of which we are now speaking she was supposed to have -passed her fiftieth year; but something in her air and manner gave -her the appearance of being older--a slight shade of melancholy, the -pale cast of thought, lent sweetness to the benign composure of her -countenance; and she was seldom seen without inspiring interest, and -awakening sentiments of profound and reverential respect. She had -lost her only daughter about a year before; and a son, her remaining -child, a boy about ten years of age, was supposed to have inherited the -malady which carried off his sister. The anxiety which Mrs. Eadie, in -consequence, felt as a mother, partly occasioned that mild sadness of -complexion to which we have alluded; but there was still a deeper and -more affecting cause. - -Before the ruin of her father's fortune, by the part he took in the -Rebellion, she was betrothed to a youth who united many of the best -Lowland virtues with the gallantry and enthusiasm peculiar to the -Highlanders of that period. It was believed that he had fallen in the -fatal field of Culloden; and, after a long period of virgin widowhood -on his account, she was induced, by the amiable manners and gentle -virtues of Mr. Eadie, to consent to change her life. He was then tutor -in the family of a relation, with whom, on her father's forfeiture -and death, she had found an asylum,--and when he was presented to the -parish of Camrachle, they were married. - -The first seven years, from the date of their union, were spent in that -temperate state of enjoyment which is the nearest to perfect happiness; -during the course of which their two children were born. In that -time no symptom of the latent poison of the daughter's constitution -appeared; but all around them, and in their prospects, was calm, and -green, and mild, and prosperous. - -In the course of the summer of the eighth year, in consequence of an -often repeated invitation, they went, at the meeting of the General -Assembly, to which Mr. Eadie was returned a member, to spend a short -time with a relation in Edinburgh, and among the strangers with whom -they happened to meet at the houses of their friends were several from -France, children and relations of some of those who had been out in the -Forty-five. - -A young gentleman belonging to these expatrioted visitors, one evening -interested Mrs. Eadie, to so great a degree, that she requested to be -particularly introduced to him, and, in the course of conversation, she -learnt that he was the son of her former lover, and that his father -was still alive, and married to a French woman, his mother. The shock -which this discovery produced was so violent that she was obliged to -leave the room, and falling afterwards into bad health, her singular -beauty began to fade with premature decay. - -Her husband, to whom she disclosed her grief, endeavoured to soften it -by all the means and blandishments in his power; but it continued so -long inveterate, that he yielded himself to the common weakness of our -nature, and growing peevish at her sorrow, chided her melancholy till -their domestic felicity was mournfully impaired. - -Such was the state in which Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw found Mrs. Eadie -at their first acquaintance; and the disappointments and shadows which -had fallen on the hopes of her own youth, soon led to an intimate and -sympathetic friendship between them, the influence of which contributed -at once to alleviate their reciprocal griefs, and to have the effect -of reviving, in some degree, the withered affections of the minister. -The gradual and irremediable progress of the consumption which preyed -on his son, soon, however, claimed from that gentle and excellent man -efforts of higher fortitude than he had before exerted, and from that -inward exercise, and the sympathy which he felt for his wife's maternal -solicitude, Mrs. Walkinshaw had the satisfaction, in the course of a -year, to see their mutual confidence and cordiality restored. But in -the same period the boy died; and though the long foreseen event deeply -affected his parents, it proved a fortunate occurrence to the widow. -For the minister, to withdraw his reflections from the contemplation of -his childless state, undertook the education of James, and Mrs. Eadie, -partly from the same motives, but chiefly to enjoy the society of her -friend, proposed to unite with her in the education of Mary. 'We cannot -tell,' said she to Mrs. Walkinshaw, 'what her lot may be; but let us -do our best to prepare her for the world, and leave her fortunes, as -they ever must be, in the hands of Providence. The penury and obscurity -of her present condition ought to be no objection to bestowing on her -all the accomplishments we have it in our power to give. How little -likely was it, in my father's time, that I should have been in this -comparative poverty, and yet, but for those acquirements, which were -studied for brighter prospects, how dark and sad would often have been -my residence in this sequestered village!' - - - - -CHAPTER LX - - -In the meantime, the fortunes of George, whom we now regard as the -third Laird of Grippy, continued to flourish. The estate rose in value, -and his mercantile circumstances improved; but still the infirmities of -his wife's health remained the same, and the want of a male heir was a -craving void in his bosom, that no prosperity could supply. - -The reflections, connected with this subject, were rendered the more -afflicting, by the consideration, that, in the event of dying without a -son, the estate would pass from his daughter to James, the son of his -brother Charles--and the only consolation that he had to balance this -was a hope that, perhaps, in time he might be able to bring to pass a -marriage between them. Accordingly, after a suspension of intercourse -for several years, actuated by a perspective design of this kind, he, -one afternoon, made his appearance in his own carriage, with his lady -and daughter, at the door of Mrs. Charles' humble dwelling, in the -village of Camrachle. - -'I am afraid,' said he, after they were all seated in her little -parlour, the window of which was curtained without with honeysuckle -and jessamine--and the grate filled with flowers;--'I am afraid, my -dear sister, unless we occasionally renew our intercourse, that the -intimacy will be lost between our families, which it ought to be the -interest of friends to preserve. Mrs. Walkinshaw and I have, therefore, -come to request that you and the children will spend a few days with -us at Kittlestonheugh, and if you do not object, we shall invite our -mother and Walter to join you--you would be surprised to hear how much -the poor fellow still dotes on the recollection of your Mary, as Betty -Bodle, and bewails, because the law, as he says, has found him guilty -of being daft, that he should not be allowed to see her.' - -This visit and invitation were so unexpected, that even Mrs. Charles, -who was of the most gentle and confiding nature, could not avoid -suspecting they were dictated by some unexplained purpose; but -adversity had long taught her that she was only as a reed in the -world, and must stoop as the wind blew. She, therefore, readily agreed -to spend a few days at the mansion-house, and the children, who were -present, eagerly expressing a desire to see their uncle Walter, -of whose indulgence and good nature they retained the liveliest -recollection, it was arranged that, on the Monday following, the -carriage should be sent for her and them, and that the Leddy and Walter -should also be at Kittlestonheugh to meet them. - -In the evening after this occurrence, Mrs. Charles went to the manse, -and communicated to the minister and Mrs. Eadie what had happened. They -knew her story, and were partly acquainted with the history of the -strange and infatuated Entail. Like her, they believed that her family -had been entirely cut off from the succession, and, like her too, -they respected the liberality of George, in granting her the annuity, -small as it was. His character, indeed, stood fair and honourable -with the world; he was a partner in one of the most eminent concerns -in the royal city; his birth and the family estate placed him in the -first class of her sons and daughters, that stately class who, though -entirely devoted to the pursuit of lucre, still held their heads high -as ancestral gentry. But after a suspension of intercourse for so -long a period, so sudden a renewal of intimacy, and with a degree of -cordiality never before evinced, naturally excited their wonder, and -awakened their conjectures. Mrs. Eadie, superior and high-minded -herself, ascribed it to the best intentions. 'Your brother-in-law,' -said she, 'is feeling the generous influence of prosperity, and is -sensible that it must redound to his personal advantage with the world -to continue towards you, on an enlarged scale, that friendship which -you have already experienced.' - -But the minister, who, from his humbler birth, and the necessity -which it imposed on him to contemplate the movements of society from -below, together with that acquired insight of the hidden workings -of the heart, occasionally laid open in the confessional moments of -contrition, when his assistance was required at the death-beds of his -parishioners, appeared to entertain a different opinion. - -'I hope his kindness proceeds,' said he, 'from so good a source; but -I should have been better satisfied had it run in a constant stream, -and not, after such an entire occultation, burst forth so suddenly. It -is either the result of considerations with respect to things already -past, recently impressed upon him in some new manner, or springs -from some sinister purpose that he has in view; and therefore, Mrs. -Walkinshaw, though it may seem harsh in me to suggest so ill a return -for such a demonstration of brotherly regard, I would advise you, on -account of your children, to observe to what it tends.' - -In the meantime, George, with his lady and daughter, had proceeded to -his mother's residence in Virginia Street, to invite her and Walter to -join Mrs. Charles and the children. - -His intercourse with her, after her domiciliation in the town had been -established, was restored to the freest footing; for although, in the -first instance, and in the most vehement manner, she declared, 'He -had cheated her, and deprived Walter of his lawful senses; and that -she ne'er would open her lips to him again,' he had, nevertheless, -contrived to make his peace, by sending her presents, and paying -her the most marked deference and respect; lamenting that the hard -conditions of his situation as a trustee did not allow him to be in -other respects more liberal. But still the embers of suspicion were -not extinguished; and when, on this occasion, he told her where he had -been, and the immediate object of his visit, she could not refrain from -observing, that it was a very wonderful thing. - -'Dear keep me, Geordie!' said she, 'what's in the wind noo, that ye hae -been galloping awa in your new carriage to invite Bell Fatherlans and -her weans to Grippy?' - -George, eager to prevent her observations, interrupted her, saying,-- - -'I am surprised, mother, that you still continue to call the place -Grippy. You know it is properly Kittlestonheugh.' - -'To be sure,' replied the Leddy, 'since my time and your worthy -father's time, it has undergone a great transmogrification; what wi' -your dining-rooms, and what wi' your drawing-rooms, and your new back -jams and your wings.' - -'Why, mother, I have but as yet built only one of the wings,' said he. - -'And enough too,' exclaimed the Leddy. 'Geordie, tak my word for't, -it'ill a' flee fast enough away wi' ae wing. Howsever, I'll no objek -to the visitation, for I hae had a sort o' wis to see my grandchilder, -which is very natural I shou'd hae. Nae doot, by this time they are -grown braw bairns; and their mother was ay a genty bodie, though, in a -sense, mair for ornament than use.' - -Walter, who, during this conversation, was sitting in his father's -easy chair, that had, among other chattels, been removed from -Grippy,--swinging backward and forwards, and occasionally throwing -glances towards the visitors, said,-- - -'And is my Betty Bodle to be there?' - -'O yes,' replied George, glad to escape from his mother's remarks; 'and -you'll be quite delighted to see her. She is uncommonly tall for her -age.' - -'I dinna like that,' said Walter; 'she should na hae grown ony -bigger,--for I dinna like big folk.' - -'And why not?' - -''Cause ye ken, Geordie, the law's made only for them; and if you and -me had ay been twa wee brotherly laddies, playing on the gowany brae, -as we used to do, ye would ne'er hae thought o' bringing yon Cluty's -claw frae Enbro' to prove me guilty o' daftness.' - -'I'm sure, Watty,' said George, under the twinge which he suffered from -the observation, 'that I could not do otherwise. It was required from -me equally by what was due to the world and to my mother.' - -'It may be sae,' replied Walter; 'but, as I'm daft, ye ken I dinna -understand it;' and he again resumed his oscillations. - -After some further conversation on the subject of the proposed visit, -in which George arranged that he should call on Monday for his mother -and Walter in the carriage, and take them out to the country with him, -he took his leave. - - - - -CHAPTER LXI - - -On the same evening on which George and his family visited Mrs. Charles -at Camrachle, and while she was sitting in the manse parlour, Mrs. -Eadie received a letter by the post. It was from her cousin Frazer, -who, as heir-male of Frazer of Glengael, her father's house, would, -but for the forfeiture, have been his successor, and it was written -to inform her, that, among other forfeited properties, the Glengael -estate was to be soon publicly sold, and that he was making interest, -according to the custom of the time, and the bearing in the minds of -the Scottish gentry in general towards the unfortunate adherents of the -Stuarts, to obtain a private preference at the sale; also begging that -she would come to Edinburgh and assist him in the business, some of -their mutual friends and relations having thought that, perhaps, she -might herself think of concerting the means to make the purchase. - -At one time, undoubtedly, the hereditary affections of Mrs. Eadie -would have prompted her to have made the attempt; but the loss of her -children extinguished all the desire she had ever cherished on the -subject, and left her only the wish that her kinsman might succeed. -Nevertheless, she was too deeply under the influence of the clannish -sentiments peculiar to the Highlanders, not to feel that a compliance -with Frazer's request was a duty. Accordingly, as soon as she read the -letter, she handed it to her husband, at the same time saying,-- - -'I am glad that this has happened when we are about to lose for a time -the society of Mrs. Walkinshaw. We shall set out for Edinburgh on -Monday, the day she leaves this, and perhaps we may be able to return -about the time she expects to be back. For I feel,' she added, turning -towards her, 'that your company has become an essential ingredient to -our happiness.' - -Mr. Eadie was so much surprised at the decision with which his wife -spoke, and the firmness with which she proposed going to Edinburgh, -without reference to what he might be inclined to do, that instead of -reading the letter, he looked at her anxiously for a moment, perhaps -recollecting the unpleasant incident of their former visit to the -metropolis, and said, 'What has occurred?' - -'Glengael is to be sold,' she replied, 'and my cousin, Frazer, is using -all the influence he can to prevent any one from bidding against him. -Kindness towards me deters some of our mutual friends from giving him -their assistance; and he wishes my presence in Edinburgh to remove -their scruples, and otherwise to help him.' - -'You can do that as well by letter as in person,' said the minister, -opening the letter; 'for, indeed, this year we cannot so well afford -the expences of such a journey.' - -'The honour of my father's house is concerned in this business,' -replied the lady, calmly but proudly; 'and there is no immediate duty -to interfere with what I owe to my family as the daughter of Glengael.' - -Mrs. Walkinshaw had, from her first interview, admired the august -presence and lofty sentiments of Mrs. Eadie; but nothing had before -occurred to afford her even a glimpse of her dormant pride and sleeping -energies, the sinews of a spirit capable of heroic and masculine -effort; and she felt for a moment awed by the incidental disclosure -of a power and resolution, that she had never once imagined to exist -beneath the calm and equable sensibility which constituted the general -tenor of her friend's character. - -When the minister had read the letter, he again expressed his opinion -that it was unnecessary to go to Edinburgh; but Mrs. Eadie, without -entering into any observation on his argument, said,-- - -'On second thoughts, it may not be necessary for you to go--but I -must. I am summoned by my kinsman; and it is not for me to question -the propriety of what he asks, but only to obey. It is the cause of my -father's house.' - -The minister smiled at her determination, and said, 'I suppose there is -nothing else for me but also to obey. I do not, however, recollect who -this Frazer is--Was he out with your father in the Forty-five?' - -'No; but his father was,' replied Mrs. Eadie, 'and was likewise -executed at Carlisle. He, himself, was bred to the bar, and is an -advocate in Edinburgh.' And, turning suddenly round to Mrs. Walkinshaw, -she added solemnly, 'There is something in this--There is some -mysterious link between the fortunes of your family and mine. It has -brought your brother-in-law here to-day, as if a new era were begun to -you, and also this letter of auspicious omen to the blood of Glengael.' - -Mr. Eadie laughingly remarked, 'That he had not for a long time heard -from her such a burst of Highland lore.' - -But Mrs. Walkinshaw was so affected by the solemnity with which it had -been expressed, that she inadvertently said, 'I hope in Heaven it may -be so.' - -'I am persuaded it is,' rejoined Mrs. Eadie, still serious; and -emphatically taking her by the hand, she said, 'The minister dislikes -what he calls my Highland freats, and believes they have their source -in some dark remnants of pagan superstition; on that account, I abstain -from speaking of many things that I see, the signs and forecoming -shadows of events--nevertheless, my faith in them is none shaken, -for the spirit has more faculties than the five senses, by which, -among other things, the heart is taught to love or hate, it knows not -wherefore--Mark, therefore, my words, and bear them in remembrance--for -this day the fortunes of Glengael are mingled with those of your -house.--The lights of both have been long set; but the time is coming, -when they shall again shine in their brightness.' - -'I should be incredulous no more,' replied the minister, 'if you could -persuade her brother-in-law, Mr. George Walkinshaw, to help Frazer with -a loan towards the sum required for the purchase of Glengael.' - -Perceiving, however, that he was treading too closely on a tender -point, he turned the conversation, and nothing more particular occurred -that evening. The interval between then and Monday was occupied by the -two families in little preparations for their respective journeys; Mr. -Eadie, notwithstanding the pecuniary inconvenience, having agreed to -accompany his wife. - -In the meantime, George, for some reason best known to himself, it -would appear, had resolved to make the visit of so many connexions a -festival; for, on the day after he had been at Camrachle, he wrote -to his brother-in-law, the Laird of Dirdumwhamle, to join the party -with Mrs. Milrookit, and to bring their son with them,--a circumstance -which, when he mentioned it to his mother, only served to make her -suspect that more was meant than met either the eye or ear in such -extraordinary kindness; and the consequence was, that she secretly -resolved to take the advice of Mr. Keelevin, as to how she ought to -conduct herself; for, from the time of his warsle, as she called it, -with Pitwinnoch for the aliment, he had regained her good opinion. She -had also another motive for being desirous of conferring with him, no -less than a laudable wish to have her will made, especially as the -worthy lawyer, now far declined into the vale of years, had been for -some time in ill health, and unable to give regular attendance to his -clients at the office: 'symptoms,' as the Leddy said when she heard it -'that he felt the cauld hand o' Death muddling about the root o' life, -and a warning to a' that wanted to profit by his skill, no to slumber -and sleep like the foolish virgins, that aloo't their cruises to burn -out, and were wakened to desperation, when the shout got up that the -bridegroom and the musickers were coming.' - -But the worthy lawyer, when she called, was in no condition to attend -any longer to worldly concerns,--a circumstance which she greatly -deplored, as she mentioned it to her son George, who, however, was far -from sympathizing with her anxiety; on the contrary, the news, perhaps, -afforded him particular satisfaction. For he was desirous that the -world should continue to believe his elder brother had been entirely -disinherited, and Mr. Keelevin was the only person that he thought -likely to set the heirs in that respect right. - - - - -CHAPTER LXII - - -On the day appointed, the different members of the Grippy family -assembled at Kittlestonheugh. Mrs. Charles and her two children were -the last that arrived; and during the drive from Camrachle, both -James and Mary repeated many little instances of Walter's kindness, -so lasting are the impressions of affection received in the artless -and heedless hours of childhood; and they again anticipated, from the -recollection of his good nature, a long summer day with him of frolic -and mirth. - -But they were now several years older, and they had undergone that -unconscious change, by which, though the stores of memory are -unaltered, the moral being becomes another creature, and can no longer -feel towards the same object as it once felt. On alighting from the -carriage, they bounded with light steps and jocund hearts in quest of -their uncle; but, when they saw him sitting by himself in the garden, -they paused, and were disappointed. - -They recognised in him the same person whom they formerly knew, but -they had heard he was daft; and they beheld him stooping forward, with -his hands sillily hanging between his knees; and he appeared melancholy -and helpless. - -'Uncle Watty,' said James, compassionately, 'what for are ye sitting -there alone?' - -Watty looked up, and gazing at him vacantly for a few seconds, said, -''Cause naebody will sit wi' me, for I'm a daft man.' He then drooped -his head, and sank into the same listless posture in which they had -found him. - -'Do ye no ken me?' said Mary. - -He again raised his eyes, and alternately looked at them both, eagerly -and suspiciously. Mary appeared to have outgrown his recollection, for -he turned from her; but, after some time, he began to discover James; -and a smile of curious wonder gradually illuminated his countenance, -and developed itself into a broad grin of delight, as he said,-- - -'What a heap o' meat, Jamie Walkinshaw, ye maun hae eaten to mak you -sic a muckle laddie;' and he drew the boy towards him to caress him as -he had formerly done; but the child, escaping from his hands, retired -several paces backward, and eyed him with pity, mingled with disgust. - -Walter appeared struck with his look and movement; and again folding -his hands, dropped them between his knees, and hung his head, saying to -himself,--'But I'm daft; naebody cares for me noo; I'm a cumberer o' -the ground, and a' my Betty Bodles are ta'en away.' - -The accent in which this was expressed touched the natural tenderness -of the little girl; and she went up to him, and said,--'Uncle, I'm your -wee Betty Bodle; what for will ye no speak to me?' - -His attention was again roused, and he took her by the hand, and, -gently stroking her head, said, 'Ye're a bonny flower, a lily-like -leddy, and leil in the heart and kindly in the e'e; but ye're no -my Betty Bodle.' Suddenly, however, something in the cast of her -countenance reminded him so strongly of her more childish appearance, -that he caught her in his arms, and attempted to dandle her; but the -action was so violent that it frightened the child, and she screamed, -and struggling out of his hands, ran away. James followed her; and -their attention being soon drawn to other objects, poor Walter was left -neglected by all during the remainder of the forenoon. - -At dinner he was brought in and placed at the table, with one of the -children on each side; but he paid them no attention. - -'What's come o'er thee, Watty?' said his mother. 'I thought ye would -hae been out o' the body wi' your Betty Bodle; but ye ne'er let on ye -see her.' - -''Cause she's like a' the rest,' said he sorrowfully. 'She canna abide -me; for ye ken I'm daft--It's surely an awfu' leprosy this daftness, -that it gars every body flee me; but I canna help it--It's no my fau't, -but the Maker's that made me, and the laws that found me guilty. But, -Geordie,' he added, turning to his brother, 'what's the use o' letting -me live in this world, doing nothing, and gude for naething?' - -Mrs. Charles felt her heart melt within her at the despondency with -which this was said, and endeavoured to console him; he, however, took -no notice of her attentions, but sat seemingly absorbed in melancholy, -and heedless to the endeavours which even the compassionate children -made to induce him to eat. - -'No,' said he; 'I'll no eat ony mair--it's even down wastrie for sic -a useless set-by thing as the like o' me to consume the fruits o' the -earth. The cost o' my keep would be a braw thing to Bell Fatherlans, -so I hope, Geordie, ye'll mak it o'er to her; for when I gae hame I'll -lie doun and die.' - -'Haud thy tongue, and no fright folk wi' sic blethers,' exclaimed his -mother; 'but eat your dinner, and gang out to the green and play wi' -the weans.' - -'An I were na a daft creature, naebody would bid me play wi' weans--and -the weans ken that I am sae, and mak a fool o' me for't--I dinna like -to be every body's fool. I'm sure the law, when it found me guilty, -might hae alloot me a mair merciful punishment. Meg Wilcat, that stealt -Provost Murdoch's cocket-hat, and was whippit for't at the Cross, was -pitied wi' many a watery e'e; but every body dauds and dings the daft -Laird o' Grippy.' - -'Na! as I'm to be trusted,' exclaimed the Leddy, 'if I dinna think, -Geordie, that the creature's coming to its senses again;' and she added -laughing, 'and what will come o' your braw policy, and your planting -and plenishing? for ye'll hae to gie't back, and count in the Court to -the last bawbee for a' the rental besides.' - -George was never more at a loss than for an answer to parry this -thrust; but, fortunately for him, Walter rose and left the room, -and, as he had taken no dinner, his mother followed to remonstrate -with him against the folly of his conduct. Her exhortations and her -menaces were, however, equally ineffectual; the poor natural was not -to be moved; he felt his own despised and humiliated state; and the -expectation which he had formed of the pleasure he was to enjoy, in -again being permitted to caress and fondle his Betty Bodle, was so -bitterly disappointed, that it cut him to the heart. No persuasion, no -promise, could entice him to return to the dining-room; but a settled -and rivetted resolution to go back to Glasgow obliged his mother to -desist, and allow him to take his own way. He accordingly quitted the -house, and immediately on arriving at home went to bed. Overpowered -by the calls of hunger, he was next day allured to take some food; -and from day to day after, for several years, he was in the same -manner tempted to eat; but all power of volition, from the period of -the visit, appeared to have become extinct within him. His features -suffered a melancholy change, and he never spoke--nor did he seem to -recognize any one; but gradually, as it were, the whole of his mind and -intellect ebbed away, leaving scarcely the merest instincts of life. -But the woeful form which Nature assumes in the death-bed of fatuity -admonishes us to draw the curtain over the last scene of poor Watty. - - - - -CHAPTER LXIII - - -In the foregoing chapter we were led, by our regard for the simple -affections and harmless character of the second Laird, to overstep -a period of several years. We must now, in consequence, return, and -resume the narrative from the time that Walter retired from the -company; but, without entering too minutely into the other occurrences -of the day, we may be allowed to observe, in the sage words of the -Leddy, that the party enjoyed themselves with as much insipidity as is -commonly found at the formal feasts of near relations. - -Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw, put on her guard by the conjectures of the -minister of Camrachle, soon perceived an evident partiality on the part -of her brother-in-law towards her son, and that he took particular -pains to make the boy attentive to Robina, as his daughter was called. -Indeed, the design of George was so obvious, and the whole proceedings -of the day so peculiarly marked, that even the Leddy could not but -observe them. - -'I'm thinking,' said she, 'that the seeds of a matrimony are sown -among us this day, for Geordie's a far-before looking soothsayer, and -a Chaldee excellence like his father; and a bodie does na need an e'e -in the neck to discern that he's just wising and wiling for a purpose -of marriage hereafter between Jamie and Beenie. Gude speed the wark! -for really we hae had but little luck among us since the spirit o' -disinheritance got the upper hand; and it would be a great comfort if -a' sores could be salved and healed in the fulness of time, when the -weans can be married according to law.' - -'I do assure you, mother,' replied her dutiful son, 'that nothing would -give me greater pleasure; and I hope, that, by the frequent renewal -of these little cordial and friendly meetings, we may help forward so -desirable an event.' - -'But,' replied the old Leddy piously, 'marriages are made in Heaven; -and, unless there has been a booking among the angels above, a' that -can be done by man below, even to the crying, for the third and last -time, in the kirk, will be only a thrashing the water and a raising of -bells. Howsever, the prayers of the righteous availeth much; and we -should a' endeavour, by our walk and conversation, to compass a work so -meet for repentance until it's brought to a come-to-pass. So I hope, -Bell Fatherlans, that ye'll up and be doing in this good work, watching -and praying, like those who stand on the tower of Siloam looking -towards Lebanon.' - -'I think,' said Mrs. Charles smiling, 'that you are looking far -forward. The children are still but mere weans, and many a day must -pass over their green heads before such a project ought even to be -thought of.' - -'It's weel kent, Bell,' replied her mother-in-law, 'that ye were ne'er -a queen of Sheba, either for wisdom or forethought; but I hae heard my -friend that's awa--your worthy father, Geordie--often say, that as the -twig is bent the tree's inclined, which is a fine sentiment, and should -teach us to set about our undertakings with a knowledge of better -things than of silver and gold, in order that we may be enabled to work -the work o' Providence.' - -But just as the Leddy was thus expatiating away in high solemnity, a -dreadful cry arose among the pre-ordained lovers. The children had -quarrelled; and, notwithstanding all the admonitions which they had -received to be kind to one another, Miss Robina had given James a slap -on the face, which he repaid with such instantaneous energy, that, -during the remainder of the visit, they were never properly reconciled. - -Other causes were also in operation destined to frustrate the -long-forecasting prudence of her father. Mr. and Mrs. Eadie, on their -arrival at Edinburgh, took up their abode with her relation Mr. Frazer, -the intending purchaser of Glengael; and they had not been many days -in his house, till they came to the determination to adopt Ellen, his -eldest daughter, who was then about the age of James. Accordingly, -after having promoted the object of their journey, when they returned -to the manse of Camrachle, they were allowed to take Ellen with them; -and the intimacy which arose among the children in the progress of time -ripened into love between her and James. For although his uncle, in the -prosecution of his own purpose, often invited the boy to spend several -days together with his cousin at Kittlestonheugh, and did everything -in his power during those visits to inspire the children with a mutual -affection, their distaste for each other seemed only to increase. - -Robina was sly and demure, observant, quiet, and spiteful. Ellen, on -the contrary, was full of buoyancy and glee, playful and generous, -qualities which assimilated much more with the dispositions of James -than those of his cousin, so that, long before her beauty had awakened -passion, she was to him a more interesting and delightful companion. - -The amusements, also, at Camrachle, were more propitious to the growth -of affection than those at Kittlestonheugh, where every thing was -methodized into system, and where, if the expression may be allowed, -the genius of design and purpose controlled and repressed nature. The -lawn was preserved in a state of neatness too trim for the gambols of -childhood; and the walks were too winding for the straight-forward -impulses of its freedom and joy. At Camrachle the fields were open, and -their expanse unbounded. The sun, James often thought, shone brighter -there than at Kittlestonheugh; the birds sang sweeter in the wild -broom than in his uncle's shrubbery, and the moonlight glittered like -gladness in the burns; but on the wide water of the Clyde it was always -dull and silent. - -There are few situations more congenial to the diffusion of tenderness -and sensibility--the elements of affection--than the sunny hills and -clear waters of a rural neighbourhood, and few of all the beautiful -scenes of Scotland excel the environs of Camrachle. The village stands -on the slope of a gentle swelling ground, and consists of a single row -of scattered thatched cottages, behind which a considerable stream -carries its tributary waters to the Cart. On the east end stands the -little church, in the centre of a small cemetery, and close to it -the modest mansion of the minister. The house which Mrs. Walkinshaw -occupied was a slated cottage near the manse. It was erected by -a native of the village, who had made a moderate competency as a -tradesman in Glasgow; and, both in point of external appearance and -internal accommodation, it was much superior to any other of the same -magnitude in the parish. A few ash-trees rose among the gardens, and -several of them were tufted with the nests of magpies, the birds -belonging to which had been so long in the practice of resorting there, -that they were familiar to all the children of the village. - -But the chief beauty in the situation of Camrachle is a picturesque and -extensive bank, shaggy with hazel, along the foot of which runs the -stream already mentioned. The green and gowany brow of this romantic -terrace commands a wide and splendid view of all the champaign district -of Renfrewshire. And it was often observed, by the oldest inhabitants, -that whenever any of the natives of the clachan had been long absent, -the first spot they visited on their return was the crown of this -bank, where they had spent the sunny days of their childhood. Here -the young Walkinshaws and Ellen Frazer also instinctively resorted, -and their regard for each other was not only ever after endeared by -the remembrance of their early pastimes there, but associated with -delightful recollections of glorious summer sunshine, the fresh green -mornings of spring, and the golden evenings of autumn. - - - - -CHAPTER LXIV - - -As James approached his fourteenth year, his uncle, still with a -view to a union with Robina, proposed, that, when Mr. Eadie thought -his education sufficient for the mercantile profession, he should be -sent to his counting-house. But the early habits and the tenor of the -lessons he had received were not calculated to ensure success to James -as a merchant. He was robust, handsome, and adventurous, fond of active -pursuits, and had imbibed, from the Highland spirit of Mrs. Eadie, -a tinge of romance and enthusiasm. The bias of his character, the -visions of his reveries, and the cast of his figure and physiognomy, -were decidedly military. But the field of heroic enterprise was then -vacant,--the American war was over, and all Europe slumbered in repose, -unconscious of the hurricane that was then gathering; and thus, without -any consideration of his own inclinations and instincts, James, like -many of those who afterwards distinguished themselves in the great -conflict, acceded to the proposal. - -He had not, however, been above three or four years settled in Glasgow -when his natural distaste for sedentary and regular business began to -make him dislike the place; and his repugnance was heightened almost to -disgust by the discovery of his uncle's sordid views with respect to -him; nor, on the part of his cousin, was the design better relished; -for, independent of an early and ungracious antipathy, she had placed -her affections on another object; and more than once complained to the -old Leddy of her father's tyranny in so openly urging on a union that -would render her miserable, especially, as she said, when her cousin's -attachment to Ellen Frazer was so unequivocal. But Leddy Grippy had -set her mind on the match as strongly as her son; and, in consequence, -neither felt nor showed any sympathy for Robina. - -'Never fash your head,' she said to her one day, when the young lady -was soliciting her mediation,--'Never fash your head, Beenie, my dear, -about Jamie's calf-love of yon daffodil; but be an obedient child, and -walk in the paths of pleasantness that ye're ordain't to, both by me -and your father; for we hae had oure lang a divided family; and it's -full time we were brought to a cordial understanding with one another.' - -'But,' replied the disconsolate damsel, 'even though he had no precious -attachment, I'll ne'er consent to marry him, for really I can never -fancy him.' - -'And what for can ye no fancy him?' cried the Leddy--'I would like to -ken that? But, to be plain wi' you, Beenie, it's a shame to hear a weel -educated miss like you, brought up wi' a Christian principle, speaking -about fancying young men. Sic a thing was never alloo't nor heard tell -o' in my day and generation. But that comes o' your ganging to see -Douglas tragedy, at that kirk o' Satan in Dunlop Street; where, as I am -most creditably informed, the play-actors court ane another afore a' -the folk.' - -'I am sure you have yourself experienced,' replied Robina, 'what it -is to entertain a true affection, and to know that our wishes and -inclinations are not under our own control.--How would you have liked -had your father forced you to marry a man against your will?' - -'Lassie, lassie!' exclaimed the Leddy, 'if ye live to be a grandmother -like me, ye'll ken the right sense o' a lawful and tender affection. -But there's no sincerity noo like the auld sincerity, when me and your -honest grandfather, that was in mine, and is noo in Abraham's bosom, -came thegither--we had no foistring and parleyvooing, like your novelle -turtle-doves--but discoursed in a sober and wise-like manner anent the -cost and charge o' a family; and the upshot was a visibility of solid -cordiality and kindness, very different, Beenie, my dear, frae the -puff-paste love o' your Clarissy Harlots.' - -'Ah! but your affection was mutual from the beginning--you were not -perhaps devoted to another?' - -'Gude guide us, Beenie Walkinshaw! are ye devoted to another?--Damon -and Phillis, pastorauling at hide and seek wi' their sheep, was the -height o' discretion, compared wi' sic curdooing. My lass, I'll let no -grass grow beneath my feet, till I hae gi'en your father notice o' this -loup-the-window, and hey cockalorum-like love.' - -'Impossible!' exclaimed the young lady; 'you will never surely be so -rash as to betray me?' - -'Wha is't wi'--But I need na speer; for I'll be none surprised to hear -that it's a play-actor, or a soldier officer, or some other clandestine -poetical.' - -Miss possessed more shrewdness than her grandmother gave her credit -for, and perceiving the turn and tendency of their conversation, she -exerted all her address to remove the impression which she had thus -produced, by affecting to laugh, saying,-- - -'What has made you suppose that I have formed any improper attachment? -I was only anxious that you should speak to my father, and try to -persuade him that I can never be happy with my cousin.' - -'How can I persuade him o' ony sic havers? or how can ye hope that -I would if it was in my power--when ye know what a comfort it will -be to us a', to see such a prudent purpose o' marriage brought to -perfection?--Na, na, Beenie, ye're an instrument in the hands o' -Providence to bring aboot a great blessing to your family; and I would -be as daft as your uncle Watty, when he gaed out to shoot the flees, -were I to set mysel an adversary to such a righteous ordinance--so you -maun just mak up your mind to conform. My word, but ye're weel an to be -married in your teens--I was past thirty before man speer't my price.' - -'But,' said Robina, 'you forget that James himself has not yet -consented--I am sure he is devoted to Ellen Frazer--and that he will -never consent.' - -'Weel, I declare if e'er I heard the like of sic upsetting.--I -won'er what business either you or him hae to consenting or -non-consenting.--Is't no the pleasure o' your parentage that ye're to -be married, and will ye dare to commit the sin of disobedient children? -Beenie Walkinshaw, had I said sic a word to my father, who was a man -o' past-ordinar sense, weel do I ken what I would hae gotten--I only -just ance in a' my life, in a mistak, gied him a contradiction, and -he declared that, had I been a son as I was but a dochter, he would -hae grippit me by the cuff o' the neck and the back o' the breeks, -and shuttled me through the window. But the end o' the world is -drawing near, and corruption's working daily to a head; a' modesty -and maidenhood has departed frae womankind, and the sons of men are -workers of iniquity--priests o' Baal, and transgressors every one--a', -therefore, my leddy, that I hae to say to you is a word o' wisdom, and -they ca't conform--Beenie, conform--and obey the fifth commandment.' - -Robina was, however, in no degree changed by her grandmother's -exhortations and animadversions; on the contrary, she was determined -to take her own way, which is a rule that we would recommend to all -young ladies, as productive of the happiest consequences in cases of -the tender passion. But scarcely had she left the house, till Leddy -Grippy, reflecting on what had passed, was not quite at ease in her -mind, with respect to the sentimental insinuation of being devoted to -another. For, although, in the subsequent conversation, the dexterity -and address of the young lady considerably weakened the impression -which it had at first made, still enough remained to make her suspect -it really contained more than was intended to have been conveyed. -But, to avoid unnecessary disturbance, she resolved to give her son -a hint to observe the motions of his daughter, while, at the same -time, she also determined to ascertain how far there was any ground to -suppose that from the attachment of James to Ellen Frazer, there was -reason to apprehend that he might likewise be as much averse to the -projected marriage as Robina. And with this view she sent for him that -evening--but what passed will furnish matter for another chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER LXV - - -The Leddy was seated at her tea-table when young Walkinshaw arrived, -and, as on all occasions when she had any intention in her head, she -wore an aspect pregnant with importance. She was now an old woman, and -had so long survived the sorrows of her widowhood, that even the weeds -were thrown aside, and she had resumed her former dresses, unchanged -from the fashion in which they were originally made. Her appearance, in -consequence, was at once aged and ancient. - -'Come your ways, Jamie,' said she, 'and draw in a chair and sit down; -but, afore doing sae, tell the lass to bring ben the treck-pot,'--which -he accordingly did; and as soon as the treck-pot, alias teapot, was on -the board, she opened her trenches. - -'Jamie,' she began, 'your uncle George has a great notion of you, and -has done muckle for your mother, giving her, o' his own free will, -a handsome 'nuity; by the which she has brought you, and Mary your -sister, up wi' great credit and confort. I would therefore fain hope, -that, in the way o' gratitude, there will be no slackness on your part.' - -James assured her that he had a very strong sense of his uncle's -kindness; and that, to the best of his ability, he would exert himself -to afford him every satisfaction; but that Glasgow was not a place -which he much liked, and that he would rather go abroad, and push his -fortune elsewhere, than continue confined to the counting-house. - -'There's baith sense and sadness, Jamie, in what ye say,' replied -the Leddy; 'but I won'er what ye would do abroad, when there's sic -a bein beild biggit for you at home. Ye ken, by course o' nature, -that your uncle's ordaint to die, and that he has only his ae dochter -Beenie, your cousin, to inherit the braw conquest o' your worthy -grandfather--the whilk, but for some mistak o' law, and the sudden -o'ercome o' death amang us, would hae been yours by right o' birth. -So that it's in a manner pointed out to you by the forefinger o' -Providence to marry Beenie.' - -James was less surprised at this suggestion than the old lady expected, -and said, with a degree of coolness that she was not prepared for,-- - -'I dare say what you speak of would not be disagreeable to my uncle, -for several times he has himself intimated as much, but it is an event -that can never take place.' - -'And what for no? I'm sure Beenie's fortune will be a better bargain -than a landless lad like you can hope for at ony other hand.' - -'True, but I'll never marry for money.' - -'And what will ye marry for, then?' exclaimed the Leddy. 'Tak my word -o' experience for't, my man,--a warm downseat's o' far mair consequence -in matrimony than the silly low o' love; and think what a bonny -business your father and mother made o' their gentle-shepherding. But, -Jamie, what's the reason ye'll no tak Beenie?--there maun surely be -some because for sic unnaturality?' - -'Why,' said he laughing, 'I think it's time enough for me yet to be -dreaming o' marrying.' - -'That's no a satisfaction to my question; but there's ae thing I would -fain gie you warning o', and that's, if ye'll no marry Beenie, I dinna -think ye can hae ony farther to look, in the way o' patronage, frae -your uncle.' - -'Then,' said James indignantly, 'if his kindness is only given on such -a condition as that, I ought not to receive it an hour longer.' - -'Here's a tap o' tow!' exclaimed the Leddy. 'Aff and awa wi' you to -your mother at Camrachle, and gallant about the braes and dyke-sides -wi' that lang windlestrae-legget tawpie, Nell Frizel--She's the because -o' your rebellion. 'Deed ye may think shame o't, Jamie; for it's a' -enough to bring disgrace on a' manner o' affection to hear what I hae -heard about you and her.' - -'What have you heard?' cried he, burning with wrath and indignation. - -'The callan's gaun aff at the head, to look at me as if his e'en were -pistols--How dare ye, sir?--But it's no worth my while to lose my -temper wi' a creature that doesna ken the homage and honour due to his -aged grandmother. Howsever, I'll be as plain as I'm pleasant wi' you, -my man; and if there's no an end soon put to your pastoraulity wi' yon -Highland heron, and a sedate and dutiful compliancy vouchsafed to your -benefactor, uncle George, there will be news in the land or lang.' - -'You really place the motives of my uncle's conduct towards me in a -strange light, and you forget that Robina is perhaps as strongly averse -to the connection as I am.' - -'So she would fain try to gar me true,' replied the Leddy; 'the whilk -is a most mystical thing; but, poor lassie, I needna be surprised at -it, when she jealouses that your affections are set on a loup-the-dyke -Jenny Cameron like Nell Frizel. Howsever, Jamie, no to make a confabble -about the matter, there can be no doubt if ye'll sing "We'll gang -nae mair to yon toun," wi' your back to the manse o' Camrachle, that -Beenie, who is a most sweet-tempered and obedient fine lassie, will -soon be wrought into a spirit of conformity wi' her father's will and -my wishes.' - -'I cannot but say,' replied Walkinshaw, 'that you consider affection -as very pliant. Nor do I know why you take such liberties with Miss -Frazer; who, in every respect, is infinitely superior to Robina.' - -'Her superior!' cried the Leddy; 'but love's blin' as well as fey, -or ye would as soon think o' likening a yird tead to a patrick or a -turtle-dove, as Nell Frizel to Beenie Walkinshaw. Eh man! Jamie, but -ye hae a poor taste; and I may say, as the auld sang sings, "Will ye -compare a docken till a tansie?" I would na touch her wi' the tangs.' - -'But you know,' said Walkinshaw, laughing at the excess of her -contempt, 'that there is no accounting for tastes.' - -'The craw thinks it's ain bird the whitest,' replied the Leddy; 'but, -for a' that, it's as black as the back o' the bress; and, therefore, I -would advise you to believe me, that Nell Frizel is just as ill-far't a -creature as e'er came out the Maker's hand. I hae lived threescore and -fifteen years in the world, and surely, in the course o' nature, should -ken by this time what beauty is and ought to be.' - -How far the Leddy might have proceeded with her argument is impossible -to say; for it was suddenly interrupted by her grandson bursting into -an immoderate fit of laughter, which had the effect of instantly -checking her eloquence, and turning the course of her ideas and -animadversions into another channel. In the course, however, of a few -minutes, she returned to the charge, but with no better success; and -Walkinshaw left her, half resolved to come to some explanation on the -subject with his uncle. It happened, however, that this discussion, -which we have just related, took place on a Saturday night; and the -weather next day being bright and beautiful, instead of going to his -uncle's at Kittlestonheugh, as he commonly did on Sunday, from the time -he had been placed in the counting-house, he rose early, and walked to -Camrachle, where he arrived to breakfast, and afterwards accompanied -his mother and sister to church. - -The conversation with the old Leddy was still ringing in his ears, -and her strictures on the beauty and person of Ellen Frazer seemed -so irresistibly ridiculous, when he beheld her tall and elegant -figure advancing to the minister's pew, that he could with difficulty -preserve the decorum requisite to the sanctity of the place. Indeed, -the effect was so strong, that Ellen herself noticed it; insomuch, -that, when they met after sermon in the church-yard, she could not -refrain from asking what had tickled him. Simple as the question was, -and easy as the explanation might have been, he found himself, at the -moment, embarrassed, and at a loss to answer her. Perhaps, had they -been by themselves, this would not have happened; but Mrs. Eadie, -and his mother and sister, were present. In the evening, however, -when he accompanied Mary and her to a walk, along the brow of the -hazel bank, which overlooked the village, he took an opportunity of -telling her what had passed, and of expressing his determination to -ascertain how far his uncle was seriously bent on wishing him to marry -Robina; protesting, at the same time, that it was a union which could -never be--intermingled with a thousand little tender demonstrations, -infinitely more delightful to the ears of Ellen than it is possible -to make them to our readers. Indeed, Nature plainly shows, that the -conversations of lovers are not fit for the public, by the care which -she takes to tell the gentle parties, that they must speak in whispers, -and choose retired spots and shady bowers, and other sequestered -poetical places, for their conferences. - - - - -CHAPTER LXVI - - -The conversations between the Leddy and her grandchildren were not of -a kind to keep with her. On Monday morning she sent for her son, and, -without explaining to him what had passed, cunningly began to express -her doubts if ever a match would take place between James and Robina; -recommending that the design should be given up, and an attempt made to -conciliate a union between his daughter and her cousin Dirdumwhamle's -son, by which, as she observed, the gear would still be kept in the -family. - -George, however, had many reasons against the match, not only with -respect to the entail, but in consideration of Dirdumwhamle having six -sons by his first marriage, and four by his second, all of whom stood -between his nephew and the succession to his estate. It is, therefore, -almost unnecessary to say, that he had a stronger repugnance to his -mother's suggestion than if she had proposed a stranger rather than -their relation. - -'But,' said he, 'what reason have you to doubt that James and -Robina are not likely to gratify our hopes and wishes? He is a very -well-behaved lad; and though his heart does not appear to lie much -to the business of the counting-house, still he is so desirous, -apparently, to give satisfaction, that I have no doubt in time he will -acquire steadiness and mercantile habits.' - -'It would na be easy to say,' replied the Leddy, 'a' the whys and -wherefores that I hae for my suspection. But, ye ken, if the twa hae na -a right true love and kindness for ane anither, it will be a doure job -to make them happy in the way o' matrimonial felicity; and, to be plain -wi' you, Geordie, I would be nane surprised if something had kittled -between Jamie and a Highland lassie, ane Nell Frizel, that bides wi' -the new-light minister o' Camrachle.' - -The Laird had incidentally heard of Ellen, and once or twice, when he -happened to visit his sister-in-law, he had seen her, and was struck -with her beauty. But it had never occurred to him that there was any -attachment between her and his nephew. The moment, however, that the -Leddy mentioned her name, he acknowledged to himself its probability. - -'But do you really think,' said he anxiously, 'that there is anything -of the sort between her and him?' - -'Frae a' that I can hear, learn, and understand,' replied the Leddy, -'though it may na be probable-like, yet I fear it's oure true; for -when he gangs to see his mother, and it's ay wi' him as wi' the -saints,--"O mother dear Jerusalem, when shall I come to thee?"--I am -most creditably informed that the twa do nothing but sauly forth hand -in hand to walk in the green valleys, singing, "Low down in the broom," -and "Pu'ing lilies both fresh and gay,"--which is as sure a symptom o' -something very like love, as the hen's cackle is o' a new-laid egg.' - -'Nevertheless,' said the Laird, 'I should have no great apprehensions, -especially when he comes to understand how much it is his interest to -prefer Robina.' - -'That's a' true, Geordie; but I hae a misdoot that a's no right and -sound wi' her mair than wi' him; and when we reflek how the mim -maidens nowadays hae delivered themselves up to the little-gude in -the shape and glamour o' novelles and Thomson's _Seasons_, we need -be nane surprised to fin' Miss as headstrong in her obdooracy as the -lovely young Lavinia that your sister Meg learnt to 'cite at the -boarding-school.' - -'It is not likely, however,' said the Laird, 'that she has yet fixed -her affections on any one; and a very little attention on the part of -James would soon overcome any prejudice that she may happen to have -formed against him,--for now, when you bring the matter to mind, I do -recollect that I have more than once observed a degree of petulance and -repugnance on her part.' - -'Then I mak no doot,' exclaimed the old lady, 'that she is in a begoted -state to another, and it wou'd be wise to watch her. But, first and -foremost, you should sift Jamie's tender passion--that's the novelle -name for calf-love; and if it's within the compass o' a possibility, -get the swine driven through't, or it may work us a' muckle dule, as -his father's moonlight marriage did to your ain, worthy man!--That was -indeed a sair warning to us a', and is the because to this day o' a' -the penance o' vexation and tribulation that me and you, Geordie, are -sae obligated to dree.' - -The admonition was not lost; on the contrary, George, who was a -decisive man of business, at once resolved to ascertain whether there -were indeed any reasonable grounds for his mother's suspicions. -For this purpose, on returning to the counting-house, he requested -Walkinshaw to come in the evening to Kittlestonheugh, as he had -something particular to say. The look and tone with which the -communication was made convinced James that he could not be mistaken -with respect to the topic intended, which, he conjectured, was -connected with the conversation he had himself held with the Leddy on -the preceding Saturday evening; and it was the more agreeable to him, -as he was anxious to be relieved from the doubts which began to trouble -him regarding the views and motives of his uncle's partiality. For, -after parting from Ellen, he had, in the course of his walk back to -Glasgow, worked himself up into a determination to quit the place, if -any hope of the suggested marriage with Robina was the tenure by which -he held her father's favour. His mind, in consequence, as he went -to Kittlestonheugh in the evening, was occupied with many plans and -schemes--the vague and aimless projects which fill the imagination of -youth, when borne forward either by hopes or apprehensions. Indeed, -the event contemplated, though it was still contingent on the spirit -with which his uncle might receive his refusal, he yet, with the common -precipitancy of youth, anticipated as settled, and his reflections were -accordingly framed and modified by that conclusion. To leave Glasgow -was determined; but where to go, and what to do, were points not so -easily arranged; and ever and anon the image of Ellen Frazer rose in -all the radiance of her beauty, like the angel to Balaam, and stood -between him and his purpose. - -The doubts, the fears, and the fondness, which alternately predominated -in his bosom, received a secret and sympathetic energy from the -appearance and state of external nature. The weather was cloudy but not -lowering--a strong tempest seemed, however, to be raging at a distance; -and several times he paused and looked back at the enormous masses of -dark and troubled vapour, which were drifting along the whole sweep -of the northern horizon, from Ben Lomond to the Ochils, as if some -awful burning was laying waste the world beyond them; while a long and -splendid stream of hazy sunshine, from behind the Cowal mountains, -brightened the rugged summits of Dumbuck, and, spreading its golden -fires over Dumbarton moor, gilded the brow of Dumgoin, and lighted up -the magnificent vista which opens between them of the dark and distant -Grampians. - -The appearance of the city was also in harmony with the general -sublimity of the evening. Her smoky canopy was lowered almost to a -covering--a mist from the river hovered along her skirts and scattered -buildings, but here and there some lofty edifice stood proudly eminent, -and the pinnacles of the steeples glittering like spear-points through -the cloud, suggested to the fancy strange and solemn images of heavenly -guardians, stationed to oppose the adversaries of man. - -A scene so wild, so calm, and yet so troubled and darkened, would, at -any time, have heightened the enthusiasm of young Walkinshaw, but the -state of his feelings made him more than ordinarily susceptible to the -eloquence of its various lights and shadows. The uncertainty which -wavered in the prospects of his future life, found a mystical reflex -in the swift and stormy wrack of the carry, that some unfelt wind was -silently urging along the distant horizon. The still and stationary -objects around--the protected city and the everlasting hills, seemed -to bear an assurance, that, however obscured the complexion of his -fortunes might at that moment be, there was still something within -himself that ought not to suffer any change, from the evanescent -circumstances of another's frown or favour. This confidence in himself, -felt perhaps for the first time that evening, gave a degree of vigour -and decision to the determination which he had formed; and by the time -he had reached the porch of his uncle's mansion, his step was firm, his -emotions regulated, and a full and manly self-possession had succeeded -to the fluctuating feelings with which he left Glasgow, in so much that -even his countenance seemed to have received some new impress, and to -have lost the softness of youth, and taken more decidedly the cast and -characteristics of manhood. - - - - -CHAPTER LXVII - - -Walkinshaw found his uncle alone, who, after some slight inquiries, -relative to unimportant matters of business, said to him,-- - -'I have been desirous to see you, because I am anxious to make -some family arrangements, to which, though I do not anticipate any -objection on your part, as they will be highly advantageous to your -interests, it is still proper that we should clearly understand each -other respecting. It is unnecessary to inform you, that, by the -disinheritance of your father, I came to the family estate, which, in -the common course of nature, might have been yours--and you are quite -aware, that, from the time it became necessary to cognosce your uncle, -I have uniformly done more for your mother's family than could be -claimed or was expected of me.' - -'I am sensible of all that, sir,' replied Walkinshaw, 'and I hope there -is nothing which you can reasonably expect me to do, that I shall not -feel pleasure in performing.' - -His uncle was not quite satisfied with this; the firmness with which -it was uttered, and the self-reservation which it implied--were not -propitious to his wishes, but he resumed,-- - -'In the course of a short time, you will naturally be looking to me for -some establishment in business, and certainly if you conduct yourself -as you have hitherto done, it is but right that I should do something -for you--much, however, will depend, as to the extent of what I may -do, on the disposition with which you fall in with my views. Now, what -I wish particularly to say to you is, that having but one child, and -my circumstances enabling me to retire from the active management of -the house, it is in my power to resign a considerable share in your -favour--and this it is my wish to do in the course of two or three -years; if'--and he paused, looking his nephew steadily in the face. - -'I trust,' said Walkinshaw, 'it can be coupled with no condition that -will prevent me from availing myself of your great liberality.' - -His uncle was still more damped by this than by the former observation, -and he replied peevishly,-- - -'I think, young man, considering your destitute circumstances, you -might be a little more grateful for my friendship. It is but a cold -return to suppose I would subject you to any condition that you would -not gladly agree to.' - -This, though hastily conceived, was not so sharply expressed as to have -occasioned any particular sensation; but the train of Walkinshaw's -reflections, with his suspicion of the object for which he was that -evening invited to the country, made him feel it acutely, and his blood -mounted at the allusion to his poverty. Still, without petulance, but -in an emphatic manner, he replied,-- - -'I have considered your friendship always as disinterested, and as such -I have felt and cherished the sense of gratitude which it naturally -inspired; but I frankly confess, that, had I any reason to believe -it was less so than I hope it is, I doubt I should be unable to feel -exactly as I have hitherto felt.' - -'And in the name of goodness!' exclaimed his uncle, at once surprised -and apprehensive; 'what reason have you to suppose that I was not -actuated by my regard for you as my nephew?' - -'I have never had any, nor have I said so,' replied Walkinshaw; 'but -you seem to suspect that I may not be so agreeable to some purpose you -intend as the obligations you have laid me under, perhaps, entitle you -to expect.' - -'The purpose I intend,' said the uncle, 'is the strongest proof that I -can give you of my affection. It is nothing less than founded on a hope -that you will so demean yourself, as to give me the pleasure, in due -time, of calling you by a dearer name than nephew.' - -Notwithstanding all the preparations which Walkinshaw had made to hear -the proposal with firmness, it overcame him like a thunder-clap--and he -sat some time looking quickly from side to side, and unable to answer. - -'You do not speak,' said his uncle, and he added, softly and -inquisitively, 'Is there any cause to make you averse to Robina?--I -trust I may say to you, as a young man of discretion and good sense, -that there is no green and foolish affection which ought for a moment -to weigh with you against the advantages of a marriage with your -cousin--Were there nothing else held out to you, the very circumstance -of regaining so easily the patrimony, which your father had so -inconsiderately forfeited, should of itself be sufficient. But, besides -that, on the day you are married to Robina, it is my fixed intent to -resign the greatest part of my concern in the house to you, thereby -placing you at once in opulence.' - -While he was thus earnestly speaking, Walkinshaw recovered his -self-possession; and being averse to give a disagreeable answer, he -said, that he could not but duly estimate, to the fullest extent, all -the advantages which the connexion would insure; 'But,' said he, 'have -you spoken to Robina herself?' - -'No,' replied his uncle, with a smile of satisfaction, anticipating -from the question something like a disposition to acquiesce in his -views. 'No; I leave that to you--that's your part. You now know my -wishes; and I trust and hope you are sensible that few proposals could -be made to you so likely to promote your best interests.' - -Walkinshaw saw the difficulties of his situation. He could no longer -equivocate with them. It was impossible, he felt, to say that he would -speak on the subject to Robina, without being guilty of duplicity -towards his uncle. Besides this, he conceived it would sully the honour -and purity of his affection for Ellen Frazer to allow himself to seek -any declaration of refusal from Robina, however certain of receiving -it. His uncle saw his perplexity, and said,-- - -'This proposal seems to have very much disconcerted you--but I will -be plain; for, in a matter on which my heart is so much set, it is -prudent to be candid. I do not merely suspect, but have some reason to -believe, that you have formed a schoolboy attachment to Mrs. Eadie's -young friend. Now, without any other remark on the subject, I will -only say, that, though Miss Frazer is a very fine girl, and of a most -respectable family, there is nothing in the circumstances of her -situation compared with those of your cousin, that would make any man -of sense hesitate between them.' - -So thought Walkinshaw; for, in his opinion, the man of sense would at -once prefer Ellen. - -'However,' continued his uncle,--'I will not at present press this -matter further. I have opened my mind to you, and I make no doubt, that -you will soon see the wisdom and propriety of acceding to my wishes.' - -Walkinshaw thought he would be acting unworthy of himself if he allowed -his uncle to entertain any hope of his compliance; and, accordingly, he -said, with some degree of agitation, but not so much as materially to -affect the force with which he expressed himself,-- - -'I will not deny that your information with respect to Miss Frazer is -correct; and the state of our sentiments renders it impossible that I -should for a moment suffer you to expect I can ever look on Robina but -as my cousin.' - -'Well, well, James,' interrupted his uncle,--'I know all that; and I -calculated on hearing as much, and even more; but take time to reflect -on what I have proposed; and I shall be perfectly content to see the -result in your actions. So, let us go to your aunt's room, and take tea -with her and Robina.' - -'Impossible!--never!' exclaimed Walkinshaw, rising;--'I cannot allow -you for a moment longer to continue in so fallacious an expectation. -My mind is made up; my decision was formed before I came here; and no -earthly consideration will induce me to forgo an affection that has -grown with my growth, and strengthened with my strength.' - -His uncle laughed, and rubbed his hands, exceedingly amused at this -rhapsody, and said, with the most provoking coolness,-- - -'I shall not increase your flame by stirring the fire--you are -still but a youth--and it is very natural that you should have a -love fit--all, therefore, that I mean to say at present is, take -time--consider--reflect on the fortune you may obtain, and contrast it -with the penury and dependence to which your father and mother exposed -themselves by the rash indulgence of an inconsiderate attachment.' - -'Sir,' exclaimed Walkinshaw, fervently, 'I was prepared for the -proposal you have made, and my determination with respect to it was -formed and settled before I came here.' - -'Indeed!' said his uncle coldly; 'and pray what is it?' - -'To quit Glasgow; to forgo all the pecuniary advantages that I may -derive from my connexion with you--if'--and he made a full stop and -looked his uncle severely in the face,--'if,' he resumed, 'your -kindness was dictated with a view to this proposal.' - -A short silence ensued, in which Walkinshaw still kept his eye brightly -and keenly fixed on his uncle's face; but the Laird was too much a man -of the world not to be able to endure this scrutiny. - -'You are a strange fellow,' he at last said, with a smile, that he -intended should be conciliatory; 'but as I was prepared for a few -heroics I can forgive you.' - -'Forgive!' cried the hot and indignant youth; 'what have I done to -deserve such an insult? I thought your kindness merited my gratitude. I -felt towards you as a man should feel towards a great benefactor; but -now it would almost seem that you have in all your kindness but pursued -some sinister purpose. Why am I selected to be your instrument? Why are -my feelings and affections to be sacrificed on your sordid altars?' - -He found his passion betraying him into irrational extravagance, and, -torn by the conflict within him, he covered his face with his hands, -and burst into tears. - -'This is absolute folly, James,' said his uncle soberly. - -'It is not folly,' was again his impassioned answer. 'My words may be -foolish, but my feelings are at this moment wise. I cannot for ten -times all your fortune, told a hundred times, endure to think I may be -induced to barter my heart. It may be that I am ungrateful; if so, as I -can never feel otherwise upon the subject than I do, send me away, as -unworthy longer to share your favour; but worthy I shall nevertheless -be of something still better.' - -'Young man, you will be more reasonable to-morrow,' said his uncle, -contemptuously, and immediately left the room. Walkinshaw at the same -moment also took his hat, and, rushing towards the door, quitted the -house; but in turning suddenly round the corner, he ran against Robina, -who, having some idea of the object of his visit, had been listening at -the window to their conversation. - - - - -CHAPTER LXVIII - - -The agitation in which Walkinshaw was at the moment when he encountered -Robina, prevented him from being surprised at meeting her, and also -from suspecting the cause which had taken her to that particular place -so late in the evening. The young lady was more cool and collected, as -we believe young ladies always are on such occasions, and she was the -first who spoke. - -'Where are you running so fast?' said she. 'I thought you would have -stayed tea. Will you not go back with me? My mother expects you.' - -'Your father does not,' replied Walkinshaw tersely; 'and I wish it had -been my fortune never to have set my foot within his door.' - -'Dear me!' exclaimed Miss Robina, as artfully as if she had known -nothing, nor overheard every word which had passed. 'What has happened? -I hope nothing has occurred to occasion any quarrel between you. Do -think, James, how prejudicial it must be to your interests to quarrel -with my father.' - -'Curse that eternal word "interests"!' was the unceremonious answer. -'Your father seems to think that human beings have nothing but -interests; that the heart keeps a ledger, and values everything in -pounds sterling. Our best affections, our dearest feelings, are with -him only as tare, that should pass for nothing in the weight of moral -obligations.' - -'But stop,' said Robina, 'don't be in such a hurry; tell me what all -this means--what has affections and dear feelings to do with your -counting-house affairs?--I thought you and he never spoke of anything -but rum puncheons and sugar cargoes.' - -'He is incapable of knowing the value of anything less tangible and -vendible!' exclaimed her cousin--'but I have done with both him and -you.' - -'Me!' cried Miss Robina, with an accent of the most innocent -admiration, that any sly and shrewd miss of eighteen could possibly -assume.--'Me! what have I to do with your hopes and your affections, -and your tangible and vendible commodities?' - -'I beg your pardon, I meant no offence to you, Robina--I am overborne -by my feelings,' said Walkinshaw; 'and if you knew what has passed, you -would sympathize with me.' - -'But as I do not,' replied the young lady coolly, 'you must allow me to -say that your behaviour appears to me very extravagant--surely nothing -has passed between you and my father that I may not know?' - -This was said in a manner that instantly recalled Walkinshaw to his -senses. The deep and cunning character of his cousin he had often -before remarked--with, we may say plainly, aversion--and he detected -at once in the hollow and sonorous affectation of sympathy with which -her voice was tuned, particularly in the latter clause of the sentence, -the insincerity and hypocrisy of her conduct.--He did not, however, -suspect that she had been playing the eavesdropper; and, therefore, -still tempered with moderation his expression of the sentiments she was -so ingeniously leading him on to declare. - -'No,' said he, calmly, 'nothing has passed between your father and me -that you may not know, but it will come more properly from him, for it -concerns you, and in a manner that I can never take interest or part -in.' - -'Concerns me! concerns me!' exclaimed the actress; 'it is impossible -that anything of mine could occasion a misunderstanding between you.' - -'But it has,' said Walkinshaw; 'and to deal with you, Robina, as -you ought to be dealt with, for affecting to be so ignorant of your -father's long-evident wishes and intents--he has actually declared that -he is most anxious we should be married.' - -'I can see no harm in that,' said she, adding dryly, 'provided it is -not to one another.' - -'But it is to one another,' said Walkinshaw, unguardedly, and in the -simplicity of earnestness, which Miss perceiving, instantly with the -adroitness of her sex turned to account--saying with well-feigned -diffidence,-- - -'I do not see why that should be so distressing to you.' - -'No!' replied he. 'But the thing can never be, and it is of no use for -us to talk of it--so good night.' - -'Stay,' cried Robina,--'what you have told me deserves -consideration.--Surely I have given you no reason to suppose that in a -matter so important, I may not find it my interest to comply with my -father's wishes.' - -'Heavens!' exclaimed Walkinshaw, raising his clenched hands in a -transport to the skies. - -'Why are you so vehement?' said Robina. - -'Because,' replied he solemnly, 'interest seems the everlasting -consideration of our family--interest disinherited my father--interest -made my uncle Walter consign my mother to poverty--interest proved the -poor repentant wretch insane--interest claims the extinction of all I -hold most precious in life--and interest would make me baser than the -most sordid of all our sordid race.' - -'Then I am to understand you dislike me so much, that you have refused -to accede to my father's wishes for our mutual happiness?' - -'For our mutual misery, I have refused to accede,' was the abrupt -reply--'and if you had not some motive for appearing to feel -otherwise--which motive I neither can penetrate nor desire to know, you -would be as resolute in your objection to the bargain as I am--match -I cannot call it, for it proceeds in a total oblivion of all that can -endear or ennoble such a permanent connexion.' - -Miss was conscious of the truth of this observation, and with all her -innate address, it threw her off her guard, and she said,-- - -'Why do you suppose that I am so insensible? My father may intend what -he pleases, but my consent must be obtained before he can complete -his intentions.' She had, however, scarcely said so much, when she -perceived she was losing the vantage-ground that she had so dexterously -occupied, and she turned briskly round and added, 'But, James, why -should we fall out about this?--there is time enough before us to -consider the subject dispassionately--my father cannot mean that the -marriage should take place immediately.' - -'Robina, you are your father's daughter, and the heiress of his nature -as well as of his estate--no such marriage ever can or shall take -place; nor do you wish it should--but I am going too far--it is enough -that I declare my affections irrevocably engaged, and that I will never -listen to a second proposition on that subject, which has to-night -driven me wild. I have quitted your father--I intend it for ever--I -will never return to his office. All that I built on my connexion with -him is now thrown down--perhaps with it my happiness is also lost--but -no matter, I cannot be a dealer in such bargaining as I have heard -to-night. I am thankful to Providence that gave me a heart to feel -better, and friends who taught me to think more nobly. However, I waste -my breath and spirits idly; my resolution is fixed, and when I say Good -night, I mean Farewell.' - -With these words he hurried away, and, after walking a short time on -the lawn, Robina returned into the house; and going up to her mother's -apartment, where her father was sitting, she appeared as unconcerned -and unconscious of the two preceding conversations, as if she had -neither been a listener to the one, nor an actress in the other. - -On entering the room, she perceived that her father had been mentioning -to her mother something of what had passed between himself and her -cousin; but it was her interest, on account of the direction which -her affections had taken, to appear ignorant of many things, and -studiously to avoid any topic with her father that might lead him to -suspect her bent; for she had often observed, that few individuals -could be proposed to him as a match for her that he entertained so -strong a prejudice against; although really, in point of appearance, -relationship, and behaviour, it could hardly be said that the object -of her preference was much inferior to her romantic cousin. The -sources and motives of that prejudice she was, however, regardless -of discovering. She considered it in fact as an unreasonable and -unaccountable antipathy, and was only anxious for the removal of any -cause that might impede the consummation she devoutly wished. Glad, -therefore, to be so fully mistress of Walkinshaw's sentiments as she -had that night made herself, she thought, by a judicious management -of her knowledge, she might overcome her father's prejudice;--and the -address and dexterity with which she tried this we shall attempt to -describe in the following chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER LXIX - - -'I thought,' said she, after seating herself at the tea-table, 'that my -cousin would have stopped to-night; but I understand he has gone away.' - -'Perhaps,' replied her father, 'had you requested him, he might have -stayed!' - -'I don't think he would for me,' was her answer.--'He does not appear -particularly satisfied when I attempt to interfere with any of his -proceedings.' - -'Then you do sometimes attempt to interfere?' said her father, somewhat -surprised at the observation, and not suspecting that she had heard one -word of what had passed, every syllable of which was carefully stored -in the treasury of her bosom. - -The young lady perceived that she was proceeding a little too quickly, -and drew in her horns. - -'All,' said she, 'that I meant to remark was, that he is not very -tractable, which I regret;' and she contrived to give a sigh. - -'Why should you regret it so particularly?' inquired her father, a -little struck at the peculiar accent with which she had expressed -herself. - -'I cannot tell,' was her adroit reply; and then she added, in a brisker -tone,--'But I wonder what business I have to trouble myself about him?' - -For some time her father made no return to this; but, pushing back his -chair from the tea-table till he had reached the chimney-corner, he -leant his elbow on the mantelpiece, and appeared for several minutes -in a state of profound abstraction. In the meantime, Mrs. Walkinshaw -had continued the conversation with her daughter, observing to her that -she did, indeed, think her cousin must be a very headstrong lad; for he -had spoken that night to her father in such a manner as had not only -astonished but distressed him. 'However,' said she,--'he is still a -mere boy; and, I doubt not, will, before long is past, think better of -what his uncle has been telling him.' - -'I am extremely sorry,' replied Robina, with the very voice of the -most artless sympathy, though, perhaps, a little more accentuated -than simplicity would have employed--'I am very sorry, indeed, that -any difference has arisen between him and my father. I am sure I have -always heard him spoken of as an amiable and very deserving young man. -I trust it is of no particular consequence.' - -'It is of the utmost consequence,' interposed her father; 'and it is of -more to you than to any other besides.' - -'To me, Sir! how is that possible?--What have I to do with him, or he -with me? I am sure, except in being more deficient in his civilities -than those of most of my acquaintance, I have had no occasion to remark -anything particular in his behaviour or conduct towards me.' - -'I know it--I know it,' exclaimed her father; 'and therein lies the -source of all my anxiety.' - -'I fear that I do not rightly understand you,' said the cunning girl. - -'Nor do I almost wish that you ever should; but, nevertheless, my heart -is so intent on the business, that I think, were you to second my -endeavours, the scheme might be accomplished.' - -'The scheme?--What scheme?' replied the most unaffected Robina. - -'In a word, child,' said her father, 'how would you like James as a -husband?' - -'How can I tell?' was her simple answer. 'He has never given me any -reason to think on the subject.' - -'You cannot, however, but long have seen that it was with me a -favourite object?' - -'I confess it;--and, perhaps, I have myself,' she said, with a second -sigh--'thought more of it than I ought to have done; but I have never -had any encouragement from him.' - -'How unhappy am I,' thought her father to himself--'The poor thing is -as much disposed to the match as my heart could hope for.--Surely, -surely, by a little address and perseverance, the romantic boy may be -brought to reason and to reflect;' and he then said to her--'My dear -Robina, you have been the subject of my conversation with James this -evening; but I am grieved to say, that his sentiments, at present, are -neither favourable to your wishes nor to mine.--He seems enchanted by -Mrs. Eadie's relation, and talked so much nonsense on the subject that -we almost quarrelled.' - -'I shall never accept of a divided heart,' said the young lady -despondingly; 'and I entreat, my dear father, that you will never take -another step in the business; for, as long as I can recollect, he has -viewed me with eyes of aversion--and in all that time he has been the -playmate, and the lover, perhaps, of Ellen Frazer.--Again I implore you -to abandon every idea of promoting a union between him and me: It can -never take place on his part but from the most sordid considerations of -interest; nor on mine without feeling that I have been but as a bale -bargained for.' - -Her father listened with attention to what she said--it appeared -reasonable--it was spirited; but there was something, nevertheless, in -it which did not quite satisfy his mind, though the sense was clear and -complete. - -'Of course,' he replied, guardedly; 'I should never require you to -bestow your hand where you had not already given your affections; but -it does not follow that because the headstrong boy is at this time -taken up with Miss Frazer, that he is always to remain of the same -mind. On the contrary, Robina, were you to exert a little address, I am -sure you would soon draw him from that unfortunate attachment.' - -'What woman,' said she, with an air of supreme dignity, 'would submit -to pilfer the betrothed affections of any man? No, sir, I cannot do -that--nor ought I; and pardon me when I use the expression, nor will I. -Had my cousin made himself more agreeable to me, I do not say that such -would have been my sentiments; but having seen nothing in his behaviour -that can lead me to hope from him anything but the same constancy in -his dislike which I have ever experienced, I should think myself base, -indeed, were I to allow you to expect that I may alter my opinion.' - -Nothing further passed at that time; for to leave the impression which -she intended to produce as strong as possible, she immediately rose and -left the room. Her father soon after also quitted his seat, and after -taking two or three turns across the floor, went to his own apartment. - -'I am the most unfortunate of men,' said he to himself, 'and my poor -Robina is no less frustrated in her affections. I cannot, however, -believe that the boy is so entirely destitute of prudence as not to -think of what I have told him. I must give him time. Old heads do -not grow on young shoulders. But it never occurred to me that Robina -was attached to him; on the contrary, I have always thought that the -distaste was stronger on her part than on his. But it is of no use to -vex myself on the subject. Let me rest satisfied to-night with having -ascertained that at least on Robina's part there is no objection to the -match. My endeavours hereafter must be directed to detach James from -the girl Frazer. It will, however, be no easy task, for he is ardent -and enthusiastic, and she has undoubtedly many of those graces which -readiest find favour in a young man's eye.' - -He then hastily rose, and hurriedly paced the room. - -'Why am I cursed,' he exclaimed, 'with this joyless and barren fate? -Were Robina a son, all my anxieties would be hushed; but with her my -interest in the estate of my ancestors terminates. Her mother, however, -may yet'--and he paused. 'It is very weak,' he added in a moment -after, 'to indulge in these reflections. I have a plain task before -me, and instead of speculating on hopes and chances, I ought to set -earnestly about it, and leave no stone unturned till I have performed -it thoroughly.' - -With this he composed his mind for the remainder of the evening, and -when he again joined Robina and her mother, the conversation by all -parties was studiously directed to indifferent topics. - - - - -CHAPTER LXX - - -There are few things more ludicrous, and at the same time more -interesting, than the state of a young man in love, unless, perhaps, it -be that of an old man in the same unfortunate situation. The warmth of -the admiration, the blindness of the passion, and the fond sincerity of -the enthusiasm, which gives grace and sentiment to the instinct, all -awaken sympathy, and even inspire a degree of compassionate regard; -but the extravagance of feeling beyond what any neutral person can -sympathize with, the ostrich-like simplicity of the expedients resorted -to in assignations, and that self-approved sagacity and prudence in -concealing what everybody with half an eye can see, afford the most -harmless and diverting spectacles of human absurdity. However, as we -are desirous of conciliating the reverence of the young and fair, -perhaps it may be as well to say nothing more on this head, but allow -them to enjoy, in undisturbed faith, the amiable anticipation of that -state of beatitude which Heaven, and all married personages, know is -but a very very transient enchantment. - -But we cannot, with any regard to the fidelity of circumstantial -history, omit to relate what passed in young Walkinshaw's bosom, after -he parted from his cousin.--To render it in some degree picturesque, we -might describe his appearance; but when we spoke of him as a handsome -manly youth for his inches and his eild, we said perhaps as much as -we could well say upon that head, unless we were to paint the colour -and fashion of his clothes,--a task in which we have no particular -relish;--and, therefore, we may just briefly mention that they were -in the style of the sprucest clerks of Glasgow; and everybody knows, -that if the bucks of the Trongate would only button their coats, they -might pass for gentlemen of as good blood and breeding as the best in -Bond Street. But, even though Walkinshaw had been in the practice of -buttoning his, he was that night in no condition to think of it. His -whole bosom was as a flaming furnace--raging as fiercely as those of -the Muirkirk Iron Works that served to illuminate his path. - -He felt as if he had been held in a state of degradation; and had been -regarded as so destitute of all the honourable qualities of a young -man, that he would not scruple to barter himself in the most sordid -manner. His spirit then mounting on the exulting wings of youthful -hope, bore him aloft into the cloudy and meteoric region of romance, -and visions of fortune and glory almost too splendid for the aching -sight of his fancy, presented themselves in a thousand smiling forms, -beckoning him away from the smoky confines and foetid airs of Glasgow, -and pointing to some of the brightest and beaming bubbles that allure -fantastic youth. But, in the midst of these glittering visions of -triumphant adventure, 'a change came o'er the spirit of his dream,' -and he beheld Ellen Frazer in the simple and tasteful attire in which -she appeared so beautiful at Camrachle church. In the background of -the sunny scene was a pretty poetical cottage, with a lamb tethered by -the foot on the green, surrounded by a flock of snowy geese, enjoying -their noontide siesta, and on the ground troops of cocks and hens, with -several gabbling bandy-legged ducks; at the sight of which another -change soon came o'er the spirit of his dream; and the elegant mansion -that his uncle had made of the old house of Grippy, with all its -lawns and plantations, and stately gate and porter's lodge, together -with an elegant carriage in the avenue, presented a most alluring -picture.--But it, too, soon vanished; and in the next change, he beheld -Robina converted into his wife, carping at all his little pranks and -humours, and studious only of her own enjoyments, without having any -consideration for those that might be his. Then all was instantly -darkened; and after a terrible burst of whirlwinds, and thunder and -lightning, the cloud again opened, and he saw in its phantasmagorial -mirror a calm and summer sunset, with his beautiful Ellen Frazer in -the shape of a venerable matron, partaking of the temperate pleasures -of an aged man, seated on a rustic seat, under a tree, on the brow of -Camrachlebank, enjoying the beauties of the view, and talking of their -children's children; and in the visage of that aged man, he discovered -a most respectable resemblance of himself.--So fine a close of a life, -untroubled by any mischance, malady, or injustice, could not fail -to produce the most satisfactory result. Accordingly, he decidedly -resolved, that it should be his; and that, as he had previously -determined, the connexion with his uncle should thenceforth be cut for -ever. - -By the time that imagination rather than reason had worked him into -this decision, he arrived at Glasgow; and being resolved to carry his -intention into immediate effect, instead of going to the house where -he was boarded, at his uncle's expense, he went to the Leddy's, partly -with the intention of remaining there, but chiefly to remonstrate -with her for having spoken of his attachment to Ellen Frazer; having -concluded, naturally enough, that it was from her his uncle had -received the information. - -On entering the parlour he found the old lady seated alone, in her -elbow chair, at the fireside. A single slender candle stood at her -elbow, on a small claw-foot table; and she was winding the yarn from a -pirn, with a hand-reel, carefully counting the turns. Hearing the door -open, she looked round, and seeing who it was, said,-- - -'Is that thee, Jamie Walkinshaw?--six and thirty--where came ye -frae--seven and thirty--at this time o' night?--eight and thirty--sit -ye down--nine and thirty--snuff the candle--forty.' - -'I'll wait till ye're done,' said he, 'as I wish to tell you -something--for I have been out at Kittlestonheugh, where I had some -words with my uncle.' - -'No possible!--nine and forty,'--replied the Leddy;--'what hast been -about?--fifty'---- - -'He seems to regard me as if I had neither a will nor feelings, neither -a head nor a heart.' - -'I hope ye hae baith--five and fifty--but hae ye been -condumacious?--seven and--plague tak the laddie, I'm out in my count, -and I'll hae to begin the cut again; so I may set by the reel. What -were you saying, Jamie, anent an outcast wi' your uncle?' - -'He has used me exceedingly ill--ripping up the obligations he has laid -me under, and taunting me with my poverty.' - -'And is't no true that ye're obligated to him, and that, but for the -uncly duty he has fulfilled towards you, ye would this night hae been a -bare lad?--gude kens an ye would na hae been as scant o' cleeding as a -salmon in the river.' - -'It may be so, but when it is considered that he got the family estate -by a quirk of law, he could scarcely have done less than he did for my -unfortunate father's family. But I could have forgiven all that, had he -not, in a way insulting to my feelings, intimated that he expected I -would break with Ellen Frazer, and offer myself to Robina.' - -'And sure am I, Jamie,' replied the Leddy, 'that it will be lang before -you can do better.' - -'My mind, however, is made up,' said he; 'and to-morrow morning I shall -go to Camrachle, and tell my mother that I have resolved to leave -Glasgow.--I will never again set my foot in the counting-house.' - -'Got ye ony drink, Jamie, in the gait hame, that ye're in sic a -wud humour for dancing "Auld Sir Simon the King", on the road to -Camrachle?--Man, an I had as brisk a bee in the bonnet, I would set -aff at ance, cracking my fingers at the moon and seven stars as I gaed -louping alang.--But, to speak the words of soberness, I'm glad ye hae -discretion enough to tak a night's rest first.' - -'Do not think so lightly of my determination--It is fixed--and, from -the moment I quitted Kittlestonheugh, I resolved to be no longer -under any obligation to my uncle--He considers me as a mere passive -instrument for his own ends.' - -'Hech, sirs! man, but ye hae a great share o' sagacity,' exclaimed -the Leddy; 'and because your uncle is fain that ye should marry his -only dochter, and would, if ye did sae, leave you for dowry and tocher -a braw estate and a bank o' siller, ye think he has pookit you by the -nose.' - -'No--not for that; but because he thinks so meanly of me, as to expect -that, for mercenary considerations, I would bargain away both my -feelings and my principles.' - -'Sure am I he would ne'er mint ony sic matter,' replied the Leddy; -'and if he wantit you to break wi' yon galloping nymph o' the Highland -heather, and draw up wi' that sweet primrose-creature, your cousin -Beenie, wha is a lassie o' sense and composity, and might be a match to -majesty, it was a' for your honour and exaltation.' - -'Don't distress me any further with the subject,' said he. 'Will you -have the goodness to let me stay here to-night? for, as I told you, -there shall never now be any addition made to the obligations which -have sunk me so low.' - -''Deed, my lad, an ye gang on in that deleerit manner, I'll no only gie -you a bed, but send baith for a doctor and a gradawa, that your head -may be shaved, and a' proper remedies--outwardly and inwardly--gotten -to bring you back to a right way o' thinking. But to end a' debates, -ye'll just pack up your ends and your awls and gang hame to Mrs. -Spruil's, for the tow's to spin and the woo's to card that 'ill be the -sheets and blankets o' your bed in this house the night--tak my word -for't.' - -'In that case, I will at once go to Camrachle. The night is fine, and -the moon's up.' - -'Awa wi' you, and show how weel ye hae come to years o' discretion, by -singing as ye gang,-- - - Scotsman ho! Scotsman lo! - Where shall this poor Scotsman go? - Send him east, send him west, - Send him to the craw's nest.' - -Notwithstanding the stern mood that Walkinshaw was in, this latter -sally of his grandmother's eccentric humour compelled him to laugh, and -he said gaily, 'But I shall be none the worse of a little supper before -I set out. I hope you will not refuse me that?' - -The old Lady, supposing that she had effectually brought him, as she -said, round to himself, cheerfully acquiesced; but she was not a little -disappointed, when, after some light and ludicrous conversation on -general topics, he still so persisted either to remain in the house or -to proceed to his mother's, that she found herself obliged to order a -bed to be prepared for him--at the same time she continued to express -her confidence that he would be in a more docile humour next morning. -'I hope,' said she, 'nevertheless, that the spirit of obedience will -soople that stiff neck o' thine, in the slumbers and watches of the -night, or I ne'er would be consenting to countenance such outstrapulous -rebellion.' - - - - -CHAPTER LXXI - - -Walkinshaw passed a night of 'restless ecstasy'. Sometimes he reflected -on the proposition with all the coolness that the Laird himself -could have desired; but still and anon the centripetal movement of -the thoughts and feelings which generated this prudence was suddenly -arrested before they had gravitated into anything like resolution, and -then he was thrown as wild and as wide from the object of his uncle's -solicitude as ever. - -In the calmer, perhaps it may therefore be said, in the wiser course -of his reflections, Robina appeared to him a shrewd and sensible girl, -with a competent share of personal beauty, and many other excellent -household qualities, to make her a commendable wife. With her he would -at once enter on the enjoyment of opulence, and with it independence; -and, moreover, and above all, have it in his power to restore his -mother and sister to that state in society, to which, by birth and -original expectations, they considered themselves as having some -claim. This was a pleasing and a proud thought; and not to indulge it -at the expense of a little sacrifice of personal feeling, seemed to him -selfish and unmanly. But then he would remember with what high-toned -bravery of determination he had boasted to his uncle of his pure and -unalterable affections; how contemptuously he had spoken of pecuniary -inducements, and in what terms, too, he had told Robina herself, that -she had nothing to hope from him. It was, therefore, impossible that he -could present himself to either with any expression of regret for what -had passed, without appearing, in the eyes of both, as equally weak -and unworthy. But the very thought of finding that he could think of -entertaining the proposition at all, was more acute and mortifying than -even this; and he despised himself when he considered how Ellen Frazer -would look upon him, if she knew he had been so base as, for a moment, -to calculate the sordid advantages of preferring his cousin. - -But what was to be done? To return to the counting-house, after his -resolute declaration; to embark again in that indoor and tame drudgery -which he ever hated, and which was rendered as vile as slavery, by the -disclosures which had taken place, could not be. He would be baser than -were he to sell himself to his uncle's purposes, could he yield to such -a suggestion. - -To leave Glasgow was his only alternative; but how? and where to -go? and where to obtain the means? were stinging questions that he -could not answer; and then what was he to gain? To marry Robina was -to sacrifice Ellen Frazer; to quit the country entailed the same -consequence. Besides all that, in so doing he would add to the sorrows -and the disappointments of his gentle-hearted and affectionate mother, -who had built renewed hopes on his success under the auspices of his -uncle, and who looked eagerly forward to the time when he should be -so established in business as to bring his sister before the world in -circumstances befitting his father's child; for the hereditary pride -of family was mingled with his sensibility; and even the beautiful -and sprightly Ellen Frazer herself, perhaps, owed something of her -superiority over Robina to the Highland pedigrees and heroic traditions -which Mrs. Eadie delighted to relate of her ancestors. - -While tossing on these troubled and conflicting tides of the mind, he -happened to recollect, that a merchant, a schoolfellow of his father, -and who, when he occasionally met him, always inquired, with more than -common interest, for his mother and sister, had at that time a vessel -bound for New York, where he intended to establish a store, and was in -want of a clerk; and it occurred to him, that, perhaps, through that -means, he might accomplish his wishes. This notion was as oil to his -agitation, and hope restored soon brought sleep and soothing dreams -to his pillow; but his slumbers were not of long duration, for before -sunrise he awoke; and, in order to avoid the garrulous remonstrances -of the Leddy, he rose and went to Camrachle for the purpose, as he -persuaded himself, to consult his mother; but, for all that we have -been able to understand, it was in reality only to communicate his -determination. But these sort of self-delusions are very common to -youths under age. - -The morning air, as he issued from Glasgow, was cold and raw. Heavy -blobs of water, the uncongenial distillations of the midnight fogs, -hung so dully on the hoary hedges, that even Poesy would be guilty -of downright extravagance, were she, on any occasion, to call such -gross uncrystalline knobs of physic glass by any epithet implying -dew. The road was not miry, but gluey, and reluctant, and wearisome -to the tread. The smoke from the farm-houses rolled listlessly down -the thatch, and lazily spread itself into a dingy azure haze, that -lingered and lowered among the stacks of the farm-yards. The cows, -instead of proceeding, with their ordinary sedate common sense, to the -pastures, stood on the loans, looking east and west, and lowing to -one another--no doubt concerning the state of the weather. The birds -chirped peevishly, as they hopped from bough to bough. The ducks -walked in silence to their accustomed pools. The hens, creatures at -all times of a sober temperament, condoled in actual sadness together -under sheds and bushes; and chanticleer himself wore a paler crest than -usual, and was so low in spirits, that he only once had heart enough -to wind his bugle-horn. Nature was sullen--and the herd-boy drew his -blanket-mantle closer round him, and snarlingly struck the calf as he -grudgingly drove the herd afield. On the ground, at the door of the -toll-bar house, lay a gill-stoup on its side, and near it, on a plate, -an empty glass and a bit of bread, which showed that some earlier -traveller had, in despite of the statute, but in consideration of the -damp and unwholesome morning, obtained a dram from the gudewife's ain -bottle. - -In consequence of these sympathetic circumstances, before Walkinshaw -reached Camrachle, his heart was almost as heavy as his limbs were -tired. His mother, when she saw him pass the parlour window, as he -approached the door, was surprised at his appearance, and suffered -something like a shock of fear when she perceived the dulness of his -eye and the dejection of his features. - -'What has brought you here?' was her first exclamation; 'and what has -happened?' - -But, instead of replying, he walked in, and seated himself at the -fireside, complaining of his cold and uncomfortable walk, and the -heaviness of the road. His sister was preparing breakfast, and -happening not to be in the room, his mother repeated her anxious -inquiries with an accent of more earnest solicitude. - -'I fear,' said Walkinshaw, 'that I am only come to distress you;' and -he then briefly recapitulated what had passed between himself and his -uncle respecting Robina. But a sentiment of tenderness for his mother's -anxieties, blended with a wish to save her from the disagreeable -sensation with which he knew his determination to quit Glasgow would -affect her, made him suppress the communication that he had come -expressly to make. - -Mrs. Walkinshaw had been too long accustomed to the occasional -anticipations in which her brother-in-law had indulged on the subject, -to be surprised at what had taken place on his part; and both from her -own observations, and from the repugnance her son expressed, she had -no doubt that his attachment to Ellen Frazer was the chief obstacle -to the marriage. The considerations and reflections to which this -conclusion naturally gave rise, held her for some time silent. The -moment, however, that Walkinshaw, encouraged by the seeming slightness -of her regret at his declamations against the match, proceeded to a -fuller disclosure of his sentiments, and to intimate his resolution -to go abroad, her maternal fears were startled, and she was plunged -into the profoundest sorrow. But still during breakfast she said -nothing--misfortune and disappointment had indeed so long subdued -her gentle spirit into the most patient resignation, that, while her -soul quivered in all its tenderest feelings, she seldom even sighed, -but, with a pale cheek and a meek supplication, expressed only by a -heavenward look of her mild and melancholy eyes, she seemed to say, -'Alas! am I still doomed to suffer?' That look was ever irresistible -with her children: in their very childhood it brought them, with -all their artless and innocent caresses, to her bosom; and, on this -occasion, it so penetrated the very core of Walkinshaw's heart, that he -took her by the hand and burst into tears. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXII - - -We are no casuists, and therefore cannot undertake to determine whether -Jenny did right or wrong in marrying Auld Robin Gray for the sake of -her poor father and mother; especially as it has been ever held by the -most approved moralists, that there are principles to be abided by, -even at the expense of great and incontrovertible duties. But of this -we are quite certain, that there are few trials to which the generous -heart can be subjected more severe than a contest between its duties -and its affections--between the claims which others have upon the -conduct of the man for their advantage, and the desires that he has -himself to seek his own gratification. In this predicament stood young -Walkinshaw; and at the moment when he took his mother by the hand, the -claims of filial duty were undoubtedly preferred to the wishes of love. - -'I am,' said he, 'at your disposal, mother--do with me as you think -fit.--When I resented the mean opinion that my uncle seemed to hold -of me, I forgot you--I thought only of myself. My first duties, I now -feel, are due to the world, and the highest of them to my family.--But -I wish that I had never known Ellen Frazer.' - -'In that wish, my dear boy, you teach me what I ought myself to -do.--No, James, I can never desire nor expect that my children will -sacrifice themselves for me--for I regard it as no less than immolation -when the heart revolts at the tasks which the hand performs. But my -life has long been one continued sorrow; and it is natural that I -should shrink at the approach of another and a darker cloud. I will -not, however, ask you to remain with your uncle, nor even oppose your -resolution to go abroad. But be not precipitate--consider the grief, -the anxieties, and the humiliations, that both your father and I have -endured, and think, were you united to Ellen Frazer, supposing her -father and friends would consent to so unequal a match, what would be -her fate were you cut early off, as your father was?--It is the thought -of that--of what I myself, with you and for you, have borne, which -weighs so grievously at this moment on my spirits.' - -'Do you wish me to return to Glasgow?' said Walkinshaw with an anxious -and agitated voice. - -'Not unless you feel yourself that you can do so without -humiliation--for bitter, James, as my cup has been, and ill able as I -am to wrestle with the blast, I will never counsel child of mine to do -that which may lessen him in his own opinion. Heaven knows that there -are mortifications ready enough in the world to humble us--we do not -need to make any for ourselves--no, unless you can meet your uncle with -a frank face and a free heart, do not return.' - -'I am sure, then, that I never can,' replied Walkinshaw. 'I feel as if -he had insulted my nature, by venturing to express what he seems to -think of me; and a man can forgive almost any injury but a mean opinion -of him.' - -'But if you do not go to him, perhaps you will not find it difficult to -obtain a situation in another counting-house?' - -'If I am not to return to his, I would rather at once leave the -place--I never liked it, and I shall now like it less than ever. In a -word, my intention is to go, if possible, to America.' - -'Go where you will, my blessing and tears is all, my dear boy, that I -can give you.' - -'Then you approve of my wish to go to America?' - -'I do not object to it, James--It is a difficult thing for a mother to -say that she approves of her son exposing himself to any hazard.' - -'What would you have said, could I have obtained a commission in the -army and a war raging?' - -'Just what I say now--nor should I have felt more sorrow in seeing you -go to a campaign than I shall feel when you leave me to encounter the -yet to you untried perils of the world. Indeed, I may say, I should -almost feel less, for in the army, with all its hazard, there is a -certain degree of assurance, that a young man, if he lives, will be -fashioned into an honourable character.' - -'I wish that there was a war,' said Walkinshaw with such sincere -simplicity, that even his mother could scarcely refrain from smiling. - -The conversation was, at this juncture, interrupted by the entrance of -Mrs. Eadie, who immediately perceived that something particular had -occurred to disturb the tranquillity of her friend, and, for a moment, -she looked at Walkinshaw with an austere and majestic eye. His mother -observed the severity of her aspect, and thought it as well at once to -mention what had happened. - -Mrs. Eadie listened to the recital of his uncle's proposal, and his -resolution to go abroad, with a degree of juridical serenity, that lent -almost as much solemnity to her appearance as it derived dignity from -her august form; and, when Mrs. Walkinshaw concluded, she said,-- - -'We have foreseen all this--and I am only surprised that now, when -it has come to pass, it should affect you so much. I dreamt, last -night, Mrs. Walkinshaw, that you were dead, and laid out in your -winding-sheet. I thought I was sitting beside the corpse, and that, -though I was sorrowful, I was, nevertheless, strangely pleased. In that -moment, my cousin, Glengael, came into the room, and he had a large -ancient book, with brazen clasps on it, under his arm. That book he -gave to Ellen Frazer, whom I then saw was also in the room, and she -undid the brazen clasps, and opening it, showed her father a particular -passage, which he read aloud, and, when he paused, I saw you rise, and, -throwing aside the winding-sheet, you appeared richly dressed, with a -cheerful countenance, and on your hands were wedding-gloves. It was to -tell you this auspicious dream that I came here this morning, and I -have no doubt it betokens some happy change in your fortunes, to come -by the agency of Glengael. Therefore, give yourself no uneasiness about -this difference between James and his uncle; for, you may rest assured, -it will terminate in some great good to your family; but there will be -a death first, that's certain.' - -Although Walkinshaw was familiar with the occasional gleams of the -sibilline pretensions of Mrs. Eadie, and always treated them with -reverence, he could not resist from smiling at the earnestness with -which she delivered her prediction, saying, 'But I do not see in what -way the dream has anything to do with my case.' - -'You do not see,' replied the Leddy sternly, 'nor do I see; but it -does not, therefore, follow, that there is no sympathy between them. -The wheels of the world work in darkness, James, and it requires -the sight of the seer to discern what is coming round, though the -auguries of their index are visible to all eyes. But,' and she turned -to Mrs. Walkinshaw, 'it strikes me, that, in the present state of your -circumstances, I might write to my cousin. The possession of Glengael -gives him weight with Government, and, perhaps, his influence might be -of use to your son.' - -This afforded a ray of hope to Walkinshaw, of which he had never -entertained the slightest notion, and it also, in some degree, -lightened the spirits of his mother. They both expressed their sense of -her kindness; and James said gaily, that he had no doubt the omens of -her dream would soon be verified; but she replied solemnly,-- - -'No! though Glengael may be able, by his interest, to serve you, the -agency of death can alone fulfil the vision; but, for the present, let -us say no more on that head. I will write to-day to Mr. Frazer, and -inquire in what way he can best assist all our wishes.' - -In the meantime, the Leddy had been informed by her maid of -Walkinshaw's early departure for Camrachle; and, in consequence, -as soon as she had breakfasted, a messenger was dispatched to the -counting-house, to request that the Laird might be sent to her when -he came to town; but this was unnecessary, for he had scarcely passed -a more tranquil night than his nephew; and, before her messenger came -back, he was in the parlour with Robina, whom he had brought with him -in the carriage to spend the day with one of her friends. Why the young -lady should have chosen so unpleasant a day for her visit, particularly -as it was a volunteer, and had been, as she said, only concerted with -herself after the conversation of the preceding evening, we must allow -the sagacity of the reader to discover; but she appeared flurried, -and put out of countenance, when her grandmother told her, that she -expected Dirdumwhamle and Mrs. Milrookit to dinner, and 'I think,' said -she, 'Beenie, that ye ought to bide wi' me to meet them, for I expect -Walky'--so she styled Walkinshaw, their son; 'and if ye're no to get -the ae cousin, I dinna see but ye might set your cap for the other.' - -'I trust and hope,' exclaimed the Laird, 'that she has more sense. -Walkinshaw Milrookit has nothing.' - -'And what has Jamie Walkinshaw?' said the Leddy. ''Deed, Geordie, -though I canna but say ye're baith pawky and auld farrant, it's no to -be controverted that ye hae gotten your father's bee in the bonnet, -anent ancestors and forbears, and nae gude can come out o' ony sic -havers. Beenie, my Leddy, ne'er fash your head wi' your father's -dodrums; but, an ye can hook Walky's heart wi' the tail o' your ee, -ye's no want my helping hand at the fishing.' - -'Mother,' said George vehemently, 'I am astonished that you can talk -so lightly to the girl. I have my own reasons for being most decidedly -averse to any such union. And though I do feel that James has used me -ill, and that his headstrong conduct deserves my severest displeasure, -I not only think it a duty to bring about a marriage between Robina and -him, but will endeavour to act in it as such. Perhaps, had she been -entirely free, I might have felt less interest in the business; but -knowing, as I now do, that his coldness alone has prevented her from -cherishing towards him a just and proper affection, I should be wanting -in my obligations as a father, were I not to labour, by all expedient -means, to promote the happiness of my child.' - -During this speech the young lady appeared both out of countenance and -inwardly amused, while her grandmother, placing her hands to her sides, -looked at her with a queer and inquisitive eye, and said,-- - -'It's no possible, Beenie Walkinshaw, that thou's sic a masquerading -cutty as to hae beguilt baith thy father and me? But, if ever I -had an e'e in my head, and could see wi' that e'e, it's as true -as the deil's in Dublin city, that I hae had a discernment o' thy -heart-hatred to Jamie Walkinshaw. But let your father rin to the woody -as he will--they're no to be born that 'ill live to see that I hae -a judgement and an understanding o' what's what. Howsever, Geordie, -what's to be done wi' that ne'er-do-well water-wag-tail that's flown -awa to its mother? Poor woman, she canna afford to gie't drammock. -Something maun be done, and wi' your wis' for a fresh clecking of the -pedigrees o' the Walkinshaws o' Kittlestonheugh, that I hae been sae -lang deaved and driven doited wi'; "for the space of forty years," I -may say, in the words of the Psalmist, "the race hae grieved me." Ye -canna do better than just tak a hurl in your chaise to Camrachle, and -bring him in by the lug and horn, and nail him to the desk wi' a pin to -his nose.' - -There was worse advice, the Laird thought, than this; and, after some -further remarks to the same effect, he really did set off for Camrachle -with the express intention of doing everything in his power to heal -the breach, and to conciliate again the affection and gratitude of his -nephew. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXIII - - -As soon as the carriage had left the door, the Leddy resumed the -conversation with her granddaughter. - -'Noo, Beenie Walkinshaw,' said she, 'I maun put you to the straights -o' a question. Ye'll no tell me, lassie, that ye hae na flung stoor in -your father's een, after the converse that we had thegither by oursels -the other day; therefore and accordingly, I requeesht to know, what's -at the bottom o' this black art and glamour that ye hae been guilty -o'?--whatna scamp or hempy is't that the cutty has been gallanting wi', -that she's trying to cast the glaiks in a' our een for?--Wha is't?--I -insist to know--for ye'll ne'er gar me believe that there's no a -because for your jookery pawkrie.' - -'You said,' replied Miss, half blushing, half laughing, 'that you would -lend a helping hand to me with Walkinshaw Milrookit.' - -'Eh! Megsty me! I'm sparrow-blasted!' exclaimed the Leddy, throwing -herself back in the chair, and lifting both her hands and eyes in -wonderment.--'But thou, Beenie Walkinshaw, is a soople fairy; and so -a' the time that thy father,--as blin' as the silly blin' bodie that -his wife gart believe her gallant's horse was a milch cow sent frae -her minny,--was wising and wyling to bring about a matrimony, or, as I -should ca't, a matter-o'-money conjugality wi' your cousin Jamie, hae -ye been linking by the dyke-sides, out o' sight, wi' Walky Milrookit? -Weel, that beats print! Whatna novelle gied you that lesson, lassie? -Hech sirs! auld as I am, but I would like to read it. Howsever, Beenie, -as the ae oe's as sib to me as the ither, I'll be as gude as my word; -and when Dirdumwhamle and your aunty, wi' your joe, are here the day, -we'll just lay our heads thegither for a purpose o' marriage, and let -your father play the Scotch measure or shantruse, wi' the bellows and -the shank o' the besom, to some warlock wallop o' his auld papistical -and paternostering ancestors, that hae been--Gude preserve us!--for -aught I ken to the contrary, suppin' brimstone broth wi' the deil lang -afore the time o' Adam and Eve. Methuselah himself, I verily believe, -could be naething less than half a cousin to the nine hundred and -ninety-ninth Walkinshaw o' Kittlestonheugh. Howsever, Beenie, thou's -a--thou's a--I'll no say what--ye little dooble cutty, to keep me in -the dark, when I could hae gi'en you and Walky sae muckle convenience -for courting. But, for a' that, I'll no be devoid o' grace, but act the -part of a kind and affectionate grandmother, as it is well known I hae -ay been to a' my bairns' childer; only I never thought to hae had a -finger in the pye o' a Clarissy Harlot wedding.' - -'But,' said Robina, 'what if my father should succeed in persuading -James still to fall in with his wishes? My situation will be dreadful.' - -''Deed, an that come to a possibility, I ken na what's to be done,' -replied the Leddy; 'for ye know it will behove me to tak my ain son, -your father's part; and as I was saying, Jamie Walkinshaw being as -dear to me as Walky Milrookit, I can do no less than help you to him, -which need be a matter of no diffeequalty, 'cause ye hae gart your -father trow that ye're out o' the body for Jamie; so, as I said before, -ye maun just conform.' - -Miss looked aghast for a moment, and exclaimed, clasping her hands, -at finding the total contempt with which her grandmother seemed to -consider her affections,-- - -'Heaven protect me! I am ruined and undone!' - -'Na, if that's the gait o't, Beenie, I hae nothing to say, but to help -to tak up the loupen-steek in your stocking wi' as much brevity as is -consistent wi' perspicuity, as the minister o' Port Glasgow says.' - -'What do you mean? to what do you allude?' cried the young lady -terrified. - -'Beenie Walkinshaw, I'll be calm; I'll no lose my composity. But it's -no to seek what I could say, ye Jerusalem concubine, to bring sic a -crying sin into my family. O woman, woman! but ye're a silly nymph, and -the black stool o' repentance is oure gude for you!' - -Robina was so shocked and thunderstruck at the old lady's imputations -and kindling animadversions, that she actually gasped with horror. - -'But,' continued her grandmother,--'since it canna be helped noo, I -maun just tell your father, as well as I can, and get the minister when -we're thegither in the afternoon, and declare an irregular marriage, -which is a calamity that never happened on my side of the house.' - -Unable any longer to control her agitation, Robina started from her -seat, exclaiming, 'Hear me, in mercy! spare such horrible--' - -'Spare!' interrupted the Leddy, with the sharpest tone of her -indignation,--'An' ye were my dochter as ye're but my grand-dochter, -I would spare you, ye Israelitish handmaid, and randy o' Babylon. -But pride ne'er leaves its master without a fa'--your father's weel -serv't--he would tak nane o' my advice in your education; but instead -o' sending you to a Christian school, got down frae Manchester, -in England, a governess for miss, my leddy, wi' gum-flowers on her -head, and paint on her cheeks, and speaking in sic high English, that -the Babel babble o' Mull and Moydart was a perfection o' sense when -compar't wi't.' - -'Good heavens! how have you fallen into this strange mistake?' said -Robina, so much recovered, that she could scarcely refrain from -laughing. - -'Beenie, Beenie! ye may ca't a mistake; but I say it's a shame and a -sin. O sic a blot to come on the 'scutcheon of my old age; and wha will -tell your poor weakly mother, that, since the hour o' your luckless -clecking, has ne'er had a day to do weel. Lang, lang has she been -sitting on the brink o' the grave, and this sore stroke will surely -coup her in.' - -'How was it possible,' at last exclaimed Robina, in full -self-possession, 'that you could put such an indelicate construction on -anything that I have said?' - -The Leddy had by this time melted into a flood of tears, and was -searching for her handkerchief to wipe her eyes; but, surprised at -the firmness with which she was addressed, she looked up as she leant -forward, with one hand still in her pocket, and the other grasping the -arm of the elbow chair in which she was seated. - -'Yes,' continued Robina, 'you have committed a great error; and though -I am mortified to think you could for a moment entertain so unworthy an -opinion of me, I can hardly keep from laughing at the mistake.' - -But although the Leddy was undoubtedly highly pleased to learn that she -had distressed herself without reason, still, for the sake of her own -dignity, which she thought somehow compromised by what she had said, -she seemed as if she could have wished there had been a little truth in -the imputation; for she said,-- - -'I'm blithe to hear you say sae, Beenie; but it was a very natural -delusion on my part, for ye ken in thir novelle and play-actoring times -nobody can tell what might happen. Howsever, I'm glad it's no waur; -but ye maun alloo that it was a very suspectionable situation for you -to be discovered colleaguing wi' Walky Milrookit in sic a clandestine -manner; and, therefore, I see that na better can be made o't, but to -bring a purpose o' marriage to pass between you, as I was saying, -without fashing your father about it till it's by hand; when, after he -has got his ramping and stamping over, he'll come to himsel, and mak us -a' jocose.' - -The conversation was continued with the same sort of consistency as far -as the old lady was concerned, till Mrs. Milrookit and Dirdumwhamle, -with their son, arrived. - -Young Milrookit, as we have already intimated, was, in point of -personal figure, not much inferior to James; and though he certainly -was attached to his cousin, Robina, with unfeigned affection, he had -still so much of the leaven of his father in him, that her prospective -chance of succeeding to the estate of Kittlestonheugh had undoubtedly -some influence in heightening the glow of his passion. - -A marriage with her was as early and as ardently the chief object of -his father's ambition, as the union with his cousin Walkinshaw had -been with her's; and the hope of seeing it consummated made the old -gentleman, instead of settling him in any town business, resolve to -make him a farmer, that he might one day be qualified to undertake the -management of the Kittlestonheugh estate. It is, therefore, unnecessary -to mention, that, when Robina and her lover had retired, on being -told by their grandmother they might 'divert themselves in another -room', Dirdumwhamle engaged, with the most sympathetic alacrity, in -the scheme, as he called it, to make the two affectionate young things -happy. But what passed will be better told in a new chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXIV - - -'Indeed, Leddy,' said the Laird of Dirdumwhamle, when she told him of -the detection, as she called it, of Robina's notion of his son--'Blood -ye ken's thicker than water; and I have na been without a thought mysel -that there was something by the common o' cousinship atween them. -But hearing, as we often a' have done, of the great instancy that my -gude-brother was in for a match tweesh her and James, I could na think -of making mysel an interloper. But if it's ordaint that she prefers -Walky, I'm sure I can see nae harm in you and me giving the twa young -things a bit canny shove onward in the road to a blithesome bridal.' - -'I am thinking,' rejoined his wife, 'that, perhaps, it might be as -prudent and more friendly to wait the upshot o' her father's endeavours -wi' James,--for even although he should be worked into a compliancy, -still there will be no marriage, and then Robina can avow her -partiality for Walky.' - -'Meg,' replied the Leddy, 'ye speak as one of the foolish women--ye -ken naething about it; your brother Geordie's just his father's ain -gett, and winna be put off frae his intents by a' the powers of law and -government--let him ance get Jamie to conform, and he'll soon thraw -Beenie into an obedience, and what will then become o' your Walky?--Na, -na, Dirdumwhamle, heed her not, she lacketh understanding--it's you -and me, Laird, that maun work the wherry in this breeze--ye're a man -o' experience in the ways o' matrimony, having been, as we all know, -thrice married,--and I am an aged woman, that has na travelled the -world for sax-and-seventy years without hearing the toast o' "Love -and opportunity". Now, have na we the love ready-made to our hands in -the fond affection of Beenie and Walky?--and surely neither o' us is -in such a beggary o' capacity, that we're no able to conceit a time -and place for an opportunity. Had it been, as I had at ae time this -very day, a kind of a because to jealouse, I'll no say what--it was -my purpose to hae sent for a minister or a magistrate, and got an -unregular marriage declared outright--though it would hae gi'en us -a' het hearts and red faces for liveries. Noo, Laird, ye're a man o' -sagacity and judgement, dinna ye think, though we hae na just sic an -exploit to break our hearts wi' shame and tribulation, that we might -ettle at something o' the same sort?--and there can be no sin in't, -Meg; for is't no commanded in Scripture to increase and multiply? and -what we are wis'ing to bring about is a purpose o' marriage, which is -the natural way o' plenishing the earth, and raising an increase o' the -children of men.' - -Much and devoutly as the Laird of Dirdumwhamle wished for such a -consummation, he was not quite prepared for proceedings of so sudden -and hasty a character. And being a personage of some worldly prudence, -eagerly as he longed for the match, he was averse to expose himself to -any strictures for the part he might take in promoting it. Accordingly, -instead of acquiescing at once in his mother-in-law's suggestion, he -said jocularly, - -'Hooly, hooly, Leddy; it may come vera weel off Walky and Robina's -hands to make a private marriage for themselves, poor young things, -but it never will do for the like o' you and me to mess or mell in the -matter, by ony open countenancing o' a ceremony. It's vera true that I -see nae objection to the match, and would think I did nae ill in the -way o' a quiet conneevance to help them on in their courtship, but -things are no ripe for an affhand ploy.' - -'I'm glad to hear you say sae,' interposed Mrs. Milrookit; 'for really -my mother seems fey about this connection; and nae gude can come o' -ony thing sae rashly devised. My brother would, in my opinion, have -great cause to complain, were the gudeman to be art or part in ony such -conspiracy.' - -The Leddy never liked to have her judgement called in question; -(indeed, what ladies do?) and still less by a person so much her -inferior in point of understanding (so she herself thought) as her -daughter. - -'My word, Meg,' was her reply, 'but t'ou has a stock o' impudence, -to haud up thy snout in that gait to the she that bore thee.--Am I -one of these that hae, by reason of more strength, amaist attain't -to the age of fourscore, without learning the right frae the wrang -o' a' moral conduct, as that delightful man, Dr. Pringle o' Garnock, -said in his sermon on the Fast Day, when he preached in the Wynd -Kirk, that t'ou has the spirit o' sedition, to tell me that I hae -lost my solid judgement, when I'm labouring in the vineyard o' thy -family?--Dirdumwhamle, your wife there, she's my dochter, and sorry -am I to say't, but it's well known, and I dinna misdoot ye hae found -it to your cost, that she is a most unreasonable, narrow, contracted -woman, and wi' a' her 'conomical throughgality--her direction-books to -mak grozette wine for deil-be-lickit, and her Katy Fisher's cookery, -whereby she would gar us trow she can mak fat kail o' chucky stanes and -an auld horse shoe--we a' ken, and ye ken, Laird, warst o' a', that -she flings away the peas, and maks her hotch-potch wi' the shawps, -or, as the auld bye-word says, tynes bottles gathering straes. So -what need the like o' you and me sit in council, and the Shanedrims -of the people, wi' ane o' the stupidest bawkie birds that e'er the -Maker o't took the trouble to put the breath o' life in? Fey, did ye -say?--that's a word o' discretion to fling at the head o' your aged -parent. Howsever, it's no worth my condescendence to lose my temper wi' -the like o' her. But, Meg Walkinshaw, or Mrs. Milrookit, though ye be -there afore your gudeman, the next time ye diminish my understanding, -I'll may be let ye ken what it is to blaspheme your mother, so tak heed -lest ye fall. And now to wind up the thread o' what we were discoursing -anent--It's my opinion, Dirdumwhamle, we should put no molestation in -the way o' that purpose o' marriage. So, if ye dinna like to tell your -son to gang for a minister, I'll do it mysel; and the sooner it's by -hand and awa, as the sang sings, the sooner we'll a' be in a situation -to covenant and 'gree again wi' Beenie's father.' - -The Laird was delighted to see the haste and heartiness with which the -Leddy was resolved to consummate the match; but he said,-- - -'Do as ye like, Leddy--do as ye like; but I'll no coom my fingers wi' -meddling in ony sic project. The wark be a' your ain.' - -'Surely neither you nor that unreverent and misleart tumphy your wife, -our Meg, would refuse to be present at the occasion?' - -''Deed, Leddy, I'm unco sweert; I'll no deny that,' replied -Dirdumwhamle. - -'If it is to take place this day, and in this house, gudeman, I'm sure -it will be ill put on blateness, both on your part and mine, no to be -present,' said Mrs. Milrookit. - -'Noo, that's a word o' sense, Meg,' cried her mother, exultingly; -'that's something like the sagacity o' a Christian parent. Surely -it would be a most Pagan-like thing, for the father and mother o' -the bridegroom to be in the house, to ken o' what was going on, and, -fidging fain, as ye baith are, for the comfort it's to bring to us a', -to sit in another room wi' a cloud on your brows, and your hands in a -mournful posture. Awa, awa, Dirdumwhamle, wi' the like o' that; I hae -nae brow o' sic worldly hypocrisy. But we hae nae time to lose, for -your gude-brother will soon be back frae Camrachle, and I would fain -hae a' o'er before he comes. Hech, sirs! but it will be a sport if we -can get him to be present at the wedding-dinner, and he ken naething -about it. So I'll just send the lass at ance for Dr. De'ilfear; for -it's a great thing, ye ken, to get a bridal blessed wi' the breath o' a -sound orthodox; and I'll gae ben and tell Beenie and Walky, that they -maun mak some sort o' a preparation.' - -'But, when they are married, what's to become o' them?--where are -they to bide?--and what hae they to live upon?'--said Mrs. Milrookit, -anxiously. - -'Dinna ye fash your head, Meg,' said her mother, 'about ony sic -trivialities. They can stay wi' me till after the reconciliation, when, -nae doot, her father will alloo a genteel aliment; so we need na vex -oursels about taking thought for to-morrow; sufficient for the day is -the evil thereof. But ye hae bonny gooses and a' manner o' poultry at -the Dirdumwhamle. So, as we'll need something to keep the banes green, -ye may just send us a tasting; na, for that matter, we'll no cast out -wi' the like o' a sooking grumphie; or, if ye were chancing to kill a -sheep, a side o' mutton's worth house-room; and butter and eggs,--I'm -no a novice, as the Renfrew Doctor said,--butter and eggs may dine a -provice, wi' the help o' bread for kitchen.' - -In concluding this speech, the Leddy, who had, in the meantime, risen, -gave a joyous geck with her head, and swept triumphantly out of the -room. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXV - - -In the meantime, Kittlestonheugh, as, according to the Scottish -fashion, we should denominate Squire Walkinshaw, had proceeded to -Camrachle, where he arrived at his sister-in-law's door just as Mrs. -Eadie was taking her leave, with the intention of writing to her -relation Mr. Frazer in behalf of James. As the carriage drove up, Mrs. -Charles, on seeing it approach, begged her to stop; but, upon second -thoughts, it was considered better that she should not remain, and also -that she should defer her letter to Glengael until after the interview. -She was accordingly at the door when the Laird alighted, who, being but -slightly acquainted with her, only bowed, and was passing on without -speaking into the house, when she arrested him by one of her keen and -supreme looks, of which few could withstand the searching brightness. - -'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said she, after eyeing him inquisitively for two or -three seconds, 'before you go to Mrs. Charles, I would speak with you.' - -It would not be easy to explain the reason which induced Mrs. Eadie so -suddenly to determine on interfering, especially after what had just -passed; but still, as she did so, we are bound, without investigating -her motives too curiously, to relate the sequel. - -Mr. Walkinshaw bowed, thereby intimating his acquiescence; and she -walked on towards the manse with slow steps and a majestic attitude, -followed by the visitor in silence. But she had not advanced above four -or five paces, when she turned round, and touching him emphatically on -the arm, said,-- - -'Let us not disturb the minister, but go into the churchyard; we can -converse there--the dead are fit witnesses to what I have to say.' - -Notwithstanding all his worldliness, there was something so striking -in her august air, the impressive melancholy of her countenance, and -the solemn Siddonian grandeur of her voice, that Kittlestonheugh was -awed, and could only at the moment again intimate his acquiescence by -a profound bow. She then proceeded with her wonted dignity towards the -churchyard, and entering the stile which opened into it, she walked on -to the south side of the church. The sun by this time had exhaled away -the morning mists, and was shining brightly on the venerable edifice, -and on the humble tombs and frail memorials erected nigh. - -'Here,' said she, stopping when they had reached the small turfless -space which the feet of the rustic Sabbath pilgrims had trodden bare in -front of the southern door,--'Here let us stop--the sun shines warmly -here, and the church will shelter us from the cold north-east wind. Mr. -Walkinshaw, I am glad that we have met, before you entered yon unhappy -house. The inmates are not in circumstances to contend with adversity: -your sister loves her children too well not to wish that her son may -obtain the great advantages which your proposal to him holds out; and -he has too kind and generous a heart, not to go far, and willingly to -sacrifice much on her account. You have it therefore in your power to -make a family, which has hitherto known little else but misfortune, -miserable or happy.' - -'It cannot, I hope, madam,' was his reply, 'be thought of me, that I -should not desire greatly to make them happy.--Since you are acquainted -with what has taken place, you will do me the justice to admit, that -I could do nothing more expressive of the regard I entertain for my -nephew, and of the esteem in which I hold his mother, than by offering -him my only child in marriage, and with such a dowry, too, as no one in -his situation could almost presume to expect.' - -Mrs. Eadie did not make any immediate answer, but again fixed her -bright and penetrating eye for a few seconds so intensely on his -countenance, that he turned aside from its irresistible ray. - -'What you say, sir, sounds well; but if, in seeking to confer that -benefit, you mar for ever the happiness you wish to make, and know -before that such must be the consequence, some other reason than either -regard for your nephew, or esteem for his mother, must be the actuating -spring that urges you to persevere.' - -Firm of purpose, and fortified in resolution, as Kittlestonheugh was, -something both in the tone and the substance of this speech made him -thrill from head to foot. - -'What other motive than my affection can I have?' said he. - -'Interest,' replied Mrs. Eadie, with a look that withered him to the -heart,--'Interest; nothing else ever made a man force those to be -unhappy whom he professed to love.' - -'I am sorry, madam, that you think so ill of me,' was his reply, -expressed coldly and haughtily. - -'I did not wish you to come here, that we should enter into any debate; -but only to entreat that you will not press your wish for the marriage -too urgently; because, out of the love and reverence which your nephew -has for his mother, I fear he may be worked on to comply.' - -'Fear! Madam--I cannot understand your meaning.' - -The glance that Mrs. Eadie darted at these words convinced him it was -in vain to equivocate with her. - -'Mr. Walkinshaw,' said she, after another long pause, and a keen and -suspicious scrutiny of his face--'it has always been reported, that -some of my mother's family possessed the gift of a discerning spirit. -This morning, when I saw you alight from your carriage, I felt as if -the mantle of my ancestors had fallen upon me. It is a hallowed and -oracular inheritance; and, under its mysterious inspirations, I dare -not disguise what I feel.--You have come to-day----' - -'Really, madam,' interrupted the merchant testily, 'I come for -some better purpose than to listen to Highland stories about the -second-sight. I must wish you good morning.' - -In saying this, he turned round, and was moving to go away, when the -lady, throwing back her shawl, magnificently raised her hand, and took -hold of him by the arm-- - -'Stop, Mr. Walkinshaw, this is a place of truth--There is no deceit -in death and the grave--Life and the living may impose upon us; but -here, where we stand, among the sincere--the dead--I tell you, and -your heart, sir, knows that what I tell you is true, there is no -affection--no love for your nephew--nor respect for his mother, in the -undivulged motives of that seeming kindness with which you are, shall I -say plainly, seeking their ruin?' - -The impassioned gestures and the suppressed energy with which this was -said, gave an awful and mysterious effect to expressions that were in -themselves simple, in so much that the astonished man of the world -regarded her, for some time, with a mingled sentiment of wonder and -awe. At last he said, with a sneer,-- - -'Upon my word, Mrs. Eadie, the minister himself could hardly preach -with more eloquence. It is a long time since I have been so lectured; -and I should like to know by what authority I am so brought to book?' - -The sarcastic tone in which this was said provoked the pride and -Highland blood of the lady, who, stepping back, and raising her right -arm with a towering grandeur, shook it over him as she said,-- - -'I have no more to say;--the fate of the blood of Glengael is twined -and twisted with the destiny of Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw's family; but -at your dying hour you will remember what I have said, and, trembling, -think of this place--of these tombs, these doors that lead into the -judgement-chamber of Heaven, and of yon sun, that is the eye of the -Almighty's chief sentinel over man.' - -She then dropped her hand, and, walking slowly past him, went straight -towards the manse, the door of which she had almost reached before -he recovered himself from the amazement and apprehension with which -he followed her with his eye. His feelings, however, he soon so -far mastered in outward appearance, that he even assumed an air of -ineffable contempt; but, nevertheless, an impression had been so -stamped by her mystery and menace, that, in returning towards the -dwelling of Mrs. Charles, he gradually fell into a moody state of -thoughtfulness and abstraction. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXVI - - -Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw had been a good deal surprised by the abrupt -manner in which Mrs. Eadie had intercepted her brother-in-law. Her -son, not a little pleased of an opportunity to avoid his uncle, no -sooner saw them pass the window than he made his escape from the house. -Observing that they did not go to the manse, but turned off towards -the churchyard, he hastened to take refuge with his old preceptor, the -minister, possibly to see Ellen Frazer. The relation, however, of what -passed in the manse does not fall within the scope of our narrative, -particularly as it will be easily comprehended and understood by its -effects. We have, therefore, only at present to mention, that Mrs. -Charles, in the meantime, sat in wonder and expectation, observing -to her daughter, a mild and unobtrusive girl, who seldom spoke many -sentences at a time, that she thought of late Mrs. Eadie seemed -unusually attentive to her Highland superstitions. 'She has been, I -think, not so well of late,--her nerves are evidently in a high state -of excitement. It is much to be regretted that she is so indisposed at -this time, when we stand so much in need of her advice.' - -Mary replied that she had noticed with sorrow a very great change -indeed in their friend,--and she added,-- - -'Ellen says that she often walks out at night to the churchyard, and -sits moaning over the graves of her children. It is strange after they -have been so long dead, that her grief should have so unexpectedly -broken out afresh. The minister, I am sure, is very uneasy--for I have -noticed that he looks paler than he used to do, and with a degree of -sadness that is really very affecting.' - -While they were thus speaking Mr. Walkinshaw came in, and the first -words he said, before taking a seat, were,-- - -'Is the minister's wife in her right mind? She seems to me a little -touched. I could with difficulty preserve my gravity at her fantastical -nonsense.' - -Mrs. Charles, out of respect for her friend, did not choose to make any -reply to this observation, so that her brother-in-law found himself -obliged to revert to the business which had brought him to Camrachle. - -'I thought James was here,' said he; 'what has become of him?' - -'He has just stepped out.--I suspect he was not exactly prepared to -meet you.' - -'He is hot and hasty,' rejoined the uncle; 'we had rather an unpleasant -conversation last night. I hope, since he has had time to reflect on -what I said, he sees things differently.' - -'I am grieved,' replied Mrs. Charles with a sigh, 'that anything should -have arisen to mar the prospects that your kindness had opened to him. -But young men will be headstrong; their feelings often run away with -their judgement.' - -'But,' said Kittlestonheugh, 'I can forgive him. I never looked for any -conduct in him different from that of others of his own age. Folly is -the superfluous blossoms of youth: they drop off as the fruit forms. I -hope he is not resolute in adhering to his declaration about leaving -Glasgow.' - -'He seems at present quite resolved,' replied his mother, with a deep -and slow sigh, which told how heavily that determination lay upon her -heart. - -'Perhaps, then,' said his uncle, 'it may just be as well to leave him -to himself for a few days; and I had better say nothing more to him on -the subject.' - -'I think,' replied Mrs. Charles, timidly, as if afraid that she might -offend,--'it is needless at present to speak to him about Robina: -he must have time to reflect.'--She would have added, 'on the great -advantages of the match to him;' but knowing, as she did, the decided -sentiments of her son, she paused in the unfinished sentence, and felt -vexed with herself for having said so much. - -'But,' inquired her brother-in-law, in some degree solaced by the -manner in which she had expressed herself--'But, surely, the boy will -not be so ridiculous as to absent himself from the counting-house?' - -'He speaks of going abroad,' was the soft and diffident answer. - -'Impossible! he has not the means.' - -She then told him what he had been considering with respect to his -father's old acquaintance, who had the vessel going to America. - -'In that case,' said his uncle, with an off-hand freedom that seemed -much like generosity,--'I must undertake the expense of his outfit. He -will be none the worse of seeing a little of the world; and he will -return to us in the course of a year or two a wiser and a better man.' - -'Your kindness, sir, is truly extraordinary, and I shall be most happy -if he can be persuaded to avail himself of it; but his mind lies -towards the army, and, if he could get a cadetcy to India, I am sure he -would prefer it above all things.' - -'A cadetcy to India!' exclaimed the astonished uncle.--'By what chance -or interest could he hope for such an appointment?' - -'Mrs. Eadie's cousin, who bought back her father's estate, she says, -has some Parliamentary interest, and she intends to write him to beg -his good offices for James.' - -Kittlestonheugh was thunderstruck:--this was a turn in the affair that -he had never once imagined within the scope and range of possibility. -'Do you think,' said he, 'that he had any view to this in his -ungrateful insolence to me last night? If I thought so, every desire I -had to serve him should be henceforth suppressed and extinguished.' - -At this crisis the door was opened, and Mr. Eadie, the minister, -came in, by which occurrence the conversation was interrupted, and -the vehemence of Mr. Walkinshaw was allowed to subside during the -interchange of the common reciprocities of the morning. - -'I am much grieved, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said the worthy clergyman, after a -short pause, 'to hear of this unfortunate difference with your nephew. -I hope the young man will soon come to a more considerate way of -thinking.' - -Mr. Walkinshaw thought Mr. Eadie a most sensible man, and could not -but express his confidence, that, when the boy came to see how much -all his best friends condemned his conduct, and were so solicitous for -his compliance, he would repent his precipitation. 'We must, however,' -said he, 'give him time. His mother tells me that he has resolved to -go to America. I shall do all in my power to assist his views in that -direction, not doubting in the end to reap the happiest effects.' - -'But before taking any step in that scheme,' said the minister, 'he -has resolved to wait the issue of a letter which I have left my wife -writing to her relation--for he would prefer a military life to any -other.' - -'From all that I can understand,' replied the uncle, 'Mr. Frazer, your -friend, will not be slack in using his interests to get him to India; -for he cannot but be aware of the penniless condition of my nephew, and -must be glad to get him out of his daughter's way.' - -There was something in this that grated the heart of the mother, and -jarred on the feelings of the minister. - -'No,' said the latter; 'on the contrary, the affection which Glengael -bears to his daughter would act with him as a motive to lessen any -obstacles that might oppose her happiness. Were Mrs. Eadie to say--but, -for many reasons, she will not yet--that she believes her young friend -is attached to Ellen, I am sure Mr. Frazer would exert himself, in -every possible way, to advance his fortune.' - -'In that he would but do as I am doing,' replied the merchant with a -smile of self-gratulation; and he added briskly, addressing himself to -his sister-in-law, 'Will James accept favours from a stranger, with a -view to promote a union with that stranger's daughter, and yet scorn -the kindness of his uncle?' - -The distressed mother had an answer ready; but long dependence on her -cool and wary brother-in-law, together with her natural gentleness, -made her bury it in her heart. The minister, however, who owed him no -similar obligations, and was of a more courageous nature, did more than -supply what she would have said. - -'The cases, Mr. Walkinshaw, are not similar. The affection between your -nephew and Ellen is mutual; but your favour is to get him to agree to a -union at which his heart revolts.' - -'Revolts! you use strong language unnecessarily,' was the indignant -retort. - -'I beg your pardon, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said the worthy presbyter, -disturbed at the thought of being so unceremonious; 'I am much -interested in your nephew--I feel greatly for his present unhappy -situation. I need not remind you that he has been to me, and with me, -as my own son; and therefore you ought not to be surprised that I -should take his part, particularly as, in so doing, I but defend the -generous principles of a very noble youth.' - -'Well, well,' exclaimed the Laird peevishly, 'I need not at present -trouble myself any further--I am as willing as ever to befriend him as -I ought; but, from the humour he is in, it would serve no good purpose -for me at present to interfere. I shall therefore return to Glasgow; -and, when Mrs. Eadie receives her answer, his mother will have the -goodness to let me know.' - -With these words he hastily bade his sister-in-law good morning, and -hurried into his carriage. - -'His conduct is very extraordinary,' said the minister as he drove -off. 'There is something more than the mere regard and anxiety of an -uncle in all this, especially when he knows that the proposed match -is so obnoxious to his daughter. I cannot understand it; but come, -Mrs. Walkinshaw, let us go over to the manse--James is to dine with -me to-day, and we shall be the better of all being together; for Mrs. -Eadie seems much out of spirits, and her health of late has not been -good. Go, Mary, get your bonnet too, and come with us.' - -So ended the pursuit to Camrachle; and we shall now beg the courteous -reader to return with us to Glasgow, where we left the Leddy in high -spirits, in the act of sending for the Reverend Dr. De'ilfear to marry -her grandchildren. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXVII - - -Long before Kittlestonheugh returned to Glasgow, the indissoluble knot -was tied between his daughter and her cousin, Walkinshaw Milrookit. The -Laird of Dirdumwhamle was secretly enjoying this happy consummation -of a scheme which he considered as securing to his son the probable -reversion of an affluent fortune, and a flourishing estate. Occasional -flakes of fear floated, however, in the sunshine of his bosom, and -fell cold for a moment on his heart. His wife was less satisfied. She -knew the ardour with which her brother had pursued another object; she -respected the consideration that was due to him as a parent in the -disposal of his daughter; and she justly dreaded his indignation and -reproaches. She was, therefore, anxious that Mr. Milrookit should -return with her to the country before he came back from Camrachle. But -her mother, the Leddy, was in high glee, and triumphant at having so -cleverly, as she thought, accomplished a most meritorious stratagem, -she would not for a moment listen to the idea of their going away -before dinner. - -'Na; ye'll just bide where ye are,' said she. 'It will be an unco-like -thing no to partake o' the marriage feast, though ye hae come without -a wedding garment, after I hae been at the cost and outlay o' a jigot -o' mutton, a fine young poney cock, and a Florentine pie; dainties -that the like o' hae na been in my house since Geordie, wi' his quirks -o' law, wheedled me to connive wi' him to deprive uncle Watty o' his -seven lawful senses, forbye the property. But I trow I hae now gotten -the blin' side o' him at last: he'll no daur to say a word to me about -a huggery-muggery matrimonial, take my word for't; for he kens the -black craw I hae to pluck wi' him anent the prank he played me in -the deevelry o' the concos mentos, whilk ought in course o' justice -to have entitled me to a full half of the income o' the lands; and a -blithe thing, Dirdumwhamle, that would hae been to you and your wife, -could we hae wrought it into a come-to-pass; for sure am I, that, in -my experience and throughgality, I would na hae tied my talent in a -napkin, nor hid it in a stroopless tea-pot, in the corner o' the press, -but laid it out to usury wi' Robin Carrick. Howsever, maybe, for a' -that, Meg, when I'm dead and gone, ye'll find, in the bonny pocket-book -ye sewed lang syne at the boarding-school for your father, a testimony -o' the advantage it was to hae had a mother. But, Sirs, a wedding-day -is no a time for molloncholious moralizing; so I'll mak a skip and -a passover o' a matter and things pertaining to sic Death, and the -Leddy's confabbles as legacies, and kittle up your notions wi' a wee -bit spree and sprose o' jocosity, afore the old man comes; for so, in -course o' nature, it behoves us to ca' the bride's father, as he's now, -by the benison o' Dr. De'ilfear, on the lawfu' toll-road to become, in -due season, an ancestor. Nae doubt, he would hae liked better had it -been to one of his ain Walkinshaws o' Kittlestonheugh; but, when folk -canna get the gouden goun, they should be thankful when they get the -sleeve.' - -While the Leddy was thus holding forth to the Laird and his wife, the -carriage with George stopped at the door. Dirdumwhamle, notwithstanding -all his inward pleasure, changed colour. Mrs. Milrookit fled to another -room, to which the happy pair had retired after the ceremony, that -they might not be visible to any accidental visitors; and even the -Leddy was for a time smitten with consternation. She, however, was the -first who recovered her self-possession; and, before Mr. Walkinshaw was -announced, she was seated in her accustomed elbow chair with a volume -of Mathew Henry's _Commentary_ on her lap, and her spectacles on her -nose, as if she had been piously reading. Dirdumwhamle sat opposite -to her, and was apparently in a profound sleep, from which he was not -roused until some time after the entrance of his brother-in-law. - -'So, Geordie,' said the Leddy, taking off her spectacles, and shutting -the book, as her son entered; 'what's come o' Jamie?--hae ye no brought -the Douglas-tragedy-like mountebank back wi' you?' - -'Let him go to the devil,' was the answer. - -'That's an ill wis, Geordie.--And so ye hae been a gouk's errant? But -how are they a' at Camrachle?' replied the Leddy; 'and, to be sober, -what's the callan gaun to do? And what did he say for himsel, the -kick-at-the-benweed foal that he is? If his mother had laid on the taws -better, he would nae hae been sae skeigh. But, sit down, Geordie, and -tell me a' about it.--First and foremost, howsever, gie that sleepy -bodie, Dirdumwhamle, a shoogle out o' his dreams. What's set the man a -snoring like the bars o' Ayr, at this time o' day, I won'er?' - -But Dirdumwhamle did not require to be so shaken; for, at this -juncture, he began to yawn and stretch his arms, till, suddenly seeing -his brother-in-law, he started wide awake. - -'I am really sorry to say, mother,' resumed Kittlestonheugh, 'that my -jaunt to Camrachle has been of no avail. The minister's wife, who, by -the way, is certainly not in her right mind, has already written to her -relation, Glengael, to beg his interest to procure a cadetship to India -for James; and, until she receives an answer, I will let the fellow tak -his own way.' - -'Vera right, Geordie, vera right; ye could na act a more prudential and -Solomon-like part,' replied his mother. 'But, since he will to Cupar, -let him gang, and a' sorrow till him; and just compose your mind to -approve o' Beenie's marriage wi' Walky, who is a lad of a methodical -nature, and no a hurly-burly ramstam, like yon flea-luggit thing, -Jamie.' - -Dirdumwhamle would fain have said amen, but it stuck in his throat. Nor -had he any inducement to make any effort further by the decisive manner -in which his brother-in-law declared, that he would almost as soon -carry his daughter's head to the churchyard as see that match. - -'Weel, weel; but I dare say, Geordie, ye need na mair waste your bir -about it,' exclaimed the Leddy; 'for, frae something I hae heard -the lad himsel say, this very day, it's no a marriage that ever noo -is likely to happen in this warld;' and she winked significantly to -the bridegroom's father.--'But, Geordie,' she continued, 'there is a -because that I would like to understand. How is't that ye're sae doure -against Walky Milrookit? I'm sure he's a very personable lad--come o' a -gude family--sib to us a'; and, failing you and yours, heir o' entail -to the Kittlestonheugh. Howsever, no to fash you wi' the like o' that, -as I see ye're kindling, I would, just by way o' diversion, be blithe -to learn how it would gang wi' you, if Beenie, after a' this straemash, -was to loup the window under cloud o' night wi' some gaberlunzie o' -a crookit and blin' soldier-officer, or, wha kens, maybe a drunken -drammatical divor frae the play-house, wi' ill-colour't darnt silk -stockings; his coat out at the elbows, and his hat on ajee? How would -you like that, Geordie?--Sic misfortunes are no uncos noo-a-days.' - -Her son, notwithstanding the chagrin he suffered, was obliged to smile, -saying, 'I have really a better opinion, both of Beenie's taste and her -sense, than to suppose any such adventure possible.' - -'So hae I,' replied the Leddy. 'But ye ken, if her character were to -get sic a claut by a fox paw, ye would be obligated to tak her hame, -and mak a genteel settlement befitting your only dochter.' - -'I think,' said George, 'in such a case as you suppose, a genteel -settlement would be a little more than could in reason be expected.' - -'So think I, Geordie--I am sure I would ne'er counsel you into ony -conformity; but, though we hae nae dread nor fear o' soldier-officers -or drammaticals, it's o' the nature o' a possibility that she will draw -up wi' some young lad o' very creditable connexions and conduct; but -wha, for some thraw o' your ain, ye would na let her marry.--What would -ye do then, Geordie? Ye would hae to settle, or ye would be a most -horridable parent.' - -'My father, for so doing, disinherited Charles,' said George gravely, -and the words froze the very spirit of Dirdumwhamle. - -'That's vera true, Geordie,' resumed the Leddy; 'a bitter business it -was to us a', and was the because o' your worthy father's sore latter -end. But ye ken the property's entail't; and, when it pleases the Maker -to take you to Himsel, by consequence Beenie will get the estate.' - -'That's not so certain,' replied George, jocularly looking at -Dirdumwhamle;--'my wife has of late been more infirm than usual, and -were I to marry again, and had male heirs--' - -'Hoot, wi' your male heirs, and your snuffies; I hate the very name -o' sic things--they hae been the pests o' my life.--It would hae -been a better world without them,' exclaimed the Leddy, and then she -added--'But we need na cast out about sic unborn babes o' Chevy -Chase. Beenie's a decent lassie, and will, nae doubt, make a prudent -conjugality; so a' I hae for the present is to say that I expek ye'll -tak your dinner wi' us. Indeed, considering what has happened, it would -na be pleasant to you to be seen on the plane-stanes the day,--for -I'm really sorry to see, Geordie, that ye're no just in your right -jocularity. Howsever, as we're to hae a bit ploy, I request and hope -ye'll bide wi' us, and help to carve the bubbly-jock, whilk is a beast, -as I hae heard your father often say, that requir't the skill o' a -doctor, the strength o' a butcher, and the practical hand o' a Glasgow -Magistrate to diject.' - -Nothing more particular passed before dinner, the hour of which was -drawing near; but a wedding-feast is, at any time, worthy of a chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXVIII - - -The conversation which the Leddy, to do her justice, had, considering -her peculiar humour and character, so adroitly managed with the -bride's father, did not tend to produce the happiest feelings among -the conscious wedding-guests. Both the Laird of Dirdumwhamle and his -wife were uneasy, and out of countenance, and the happy pair were -as miserable as ever a couple of clandestine lovers, in the full -possession of all their wishes, could possibly be. But their reverend -grandmother, neither daunted nor dismayed, was in the full enjoyment -of a triumph, and, eager in the anticipation of accomplishing, by her -dexterous address, the felicitous work which, in her own opinion, she -had so well begun. Accordingly, dinner was served, with an air of glee -and pride, so marked, that Kittlestonheugh was struck with it, but said -nothing; and, during the whole of the dijection of the dinner, as his -mother persisted in calling the carving, he felt himself frequently on -the point of inquiring what had put her into such uncommon good humour. -But she did not deem the time yet come for a disclosure, and went on -in the most jocund spirits possible, praising the dishes, and cajoling -her guests to partake. - -'It's extraordinar to me, Beenie,' said she to the bride, 'to lo and -behold you sitting as mim as a May puddock, when you see us a' here -met for a blithesome occasion--and, Walky, what's come o'er thee, -that thou's no a bit mair brisk than the statute o' marble-stane, -that I ance saw in that sink o' deceitfulness, the Parliament House -o' Embrough? As for our Meg, thy mother, she was ay one of your -Moll-on-the-coals, a sigher o' sadness, and I'm none surprised to -see her in the hypocondoricals; but for Dirdumwhamle, your respectit -father, a man o' property, family, and connexions--the three cardinal -points o' gentileety--to be as one in doleful dumps, is sic a doolie -doomster, that uncle Geordie, there whar he sits, like a sow playing -on a trump, is a perfect beautiful Absalom in a sense o' comparison. -Howsever, no to let us just fa' knickitty-knock, frae side to -side, till our harns are splattered at the bottom o' the well o' -despair--I'll gie you a toast, a thing which, but at an occasion, I -ne'er think o' minting, and this toast ye maun a' mak a lippy--Geordie, -my son and bairn, ye ken as weel as I ken, what a happy matrimonial -your sister has had wi' Dirdumwhamle--and, Dirdumwhamle, I need na -say to you, ye hae found her a winsome helpmate; and surely, Meg, Mr. -Milrookit has been to you a most cordial husband. Noo, what I would -propose for a propine, Geordie, is, Health and happiness to Mr. and -Mrs. Milrookit, and may they long enjoy many happy returns o' this day.' - -The toast was drank with great glee; but, without entering into any -particular exposition of the respective feelings of the party, we shall -just simply notice, as we proceed, that the Leddy gave a significant -nod and a wink both to the bride and bridegroom, while the bride's -father was seized with a most immoderate fit of laughing at, what he -supposed, the ludicrous eccentricity of his mother. - -'Noo, Geordie, my man,' continued the Leddy, 'seeing ye're in sic -a state o' mirth and jocundity, and knowing, as we a' know, that -life is but a weaver's shuttle, and Time a wabster, that works for -Death, Eternity, and Co., great wholesale merchants; but for a' that, -I am creditably informed they'll be obligated, some day, to mak a -sequester--Howsever, that's nane o' our concern just now,--but, -Geordie, as I was saying, I would fain tell you o' an exploit.' - -'I am sure,' said he laughing, 'you never appeared to me so capable to -tell it well,--what is it?' - -The Leddy did not immediately reply, but looking significantly round -the table, she made a short pause, and then said,-- - -'Do you know that ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, -the life o' man has been growing shorter and shorter? To me--noo -sax-and-seventy year auld--the monthly moon's but as a glaik on the -wall--the spring but as a butterflee that taks the wings o' the -morning--and a' the summer only as the tinkling o' a cymbal--as for -hairst and winter, they're the shadows o' death; the whilk is an -admonishment, that I should not be overly gair anent the world, but mak -mysel and others happy, by taking the san'tified use o' what I hae--so, -Geordie and sirs, ye'll fill another glass.' - -Another glass was filled, and the Leddy resumed, all her guests, -save her son, sitting with the solemn aspects of expectation. The -countenance of Kittlestonheugh alone was bright with admiration at the -extraordinary spirits and garrulity of his mother. - -'Noo, Geordie,' she resumed, 'as life is but a vapour, a puff out -o' the stroop o' the tea-kettle o' Time--let us a' consent to mak -one another happy--and there being nae likelihood that ever Jamie -Walkinshaw will colleague wi' Beenie, your dochter, I would fain hope -ye'll gie her and Walky there baith your benison and an aliment to mak -them happy.' - -George pushed back his chair, and looked as fiercely and as proudly as -any angry and indignant gentleman could well do; but he said nothing. - -'Na,' said the Leddy, 'if that's the gait o't, ye shall hae't as ye -will hae't.--It's no in your power to mak them unhappy.' - -'Mother, what do you mean?' was his exclamation. - -'Just that I hae a because for what I mean; but, unless ye compose -yoursel, I'll no tell you the night--and, in trouth, for that matter, -if ye dinna behave wi' mair reverence to your aged parent, and no bring -my grey hairs wi' sorrow to the grave, I'll no tell you at a'.' - -'This is inexplicable,' cried her son. 'In the name of goodness, to -what do you allude?--of what do you complain?' - -'Muckle, muckle hae I to complain o',' was the pathetic reply. 'If -your worthy father had been to the fore, ye would na daur't to hae -spoken wi' sic unreverence to me. But what hae I to expek in this world -noo?--when the Laird lights the Leddy, so does a' the kitchen boys; and -your behaviour, Geordie, is an unco warrandice to every one to lift the -hoof against me in my auld days.' - -'Good Heavens!' cried he, 'what have I done?' - -'What hae ye no done?' exclaimed his mother.--'Was na my heart set on -a match atween Beenie and Walky there--my ain grandchilder, and weel -worthy o' ane anither; and hae na ye sworn, for aught I ken, a triple -vow that ye would ne'er gie your consent?' - -'And if I have done so--she is my daughter, and I have my own reasons -for doing what I have done,' was his very dignified reply. - -'Reasons here, or reasons there,' said his mother, 'I hae gude reason -to know that it's no in your power to prevent it.--Noo, Beenie, -and noo, Walky, down on your knees baith o' you, and mak a novelle -confession that ye were married the day; and beg your father's pardon, -who has been so jocose at your wedding feast that for shame he canna -refuse to conciliate, and mak a handsome aliment down on the nail.' - -The youthful pair did as they were desired--George looked at them for -about a minute, and was unable to speak. He then threw a wild and -resentful glance round the table, and started from his seat. - -'Never mind him,' said the Leddy, with the most perfect equanimity; -'rise, my bairns, and tak your chairs--he'll soon come to himsel.' - -'He'll never come to himself--he is distracted--he is ruined--his life -is blasted, and his fortune destroyed,' were the first words that burst -from the astonished father; and he subjoined impatiently, 'This cannot -be true--it is impossible!--Do you trifle with me, mother?--Robina, can -you have done this?' - -''Deed, Geordie, I doubt it's o'er true,' replied his mother; 'and it -cannot be helped noo.' - -'But it may be punished!' was his furious exclamation.--'I will never -speak to one of you again! To defraud me of my dearest purpose--to -deceive my hopes--Oh you have made me miserable!' - -'Ye'll be muckle the better o' your glass o' wine, Geordie--tak it, and -compose yoursel like a decent and sedate forethinking man, as ye hae -been ay reputed.' - -He seized the glass, and dashed it into a thousand shivers on the -table. All by this time had risen but the Leddy--she alone kept her -seat and her coolness. - -'The man's gaen by himsel,' said she with the most matronly -tranquillity.--'He has scartit and dintit my gude mahogany table past -a' the power o' bees-wax and elbow grease to smooth. But, sirs, sit -down--I expekit far waur than a' this--I did na hope for ony thing -like sic composity and discretion. Really, Geordie, it's heart salve -to my sorrows to see that ye're a man o' a Christian meekness and -resignation.' - -The look with which he answered this was, however, so dark, so -troubled, and so lowering, that it struck terror and alarm even into -his mother's bosom, and instantly silenced her vain and vexatious -attempt to ridicule the tempest of his feelings.--She threw herself -back in her chair, at once overawed and alarmed; and he suddenly turned -round and left the house. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXIX - - -The shock which the delicate frame of Mrs. Walkinshaw of -Kittlestonheugh received on hearing of her daughter's precipitate -marriage, and the distress which it seemed to give her husband, acted -as a stimulus to the malady which had so long undermined her health, -and the same night she was suddenly seized with alarming symptoms. -Next day the disease evidently made such rapid progress, that even the -Doctors ventured to express their apprehensions of a speedy and fatal -issue. - -In the meantime, the Leddy was doing all in her power to keep up the -spirits of the young couple, by the reiterated declaration, that, as -soon as her son 'had come to himsel'', as she said, 'he would come down -with a most genteel settlement;' but day after day passed, and there -was no indication of any relenting on his part; and Robina, as we still -must continue to call her, was not only depressed with the thought of -her rashness, but grieved for the effect it had produced on her mother. - -None of the party, however, suffered more than the Laird of -Dirdumwhamle. He heard of the acceleration with which the indisposition -of Mrs. Walkinshaw was proceeding to a crisis, and, knowing the -sentiments of his brother-in-law with respect to male heirs, he could -not disguise to himself the hazard that he ran of seeing his son cut -out from the succession to the Kittlestonheugh estate; and the pang of -this thought was sharpened and barbed by the reflection, that he had -himself contributed and administered to an event which, but for the -marriage, would probably have been procrastinated for years, during -which it was impossible to say what might have happened. - -At Camrachle, the news of the marriage diffused unmingled satisfaction. -Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw saw in it the happy escape of her son from -a connexion that might have embittered his life; and cherished the -hope that her brother-in-law would still continue his friendship and -kindness. - -Walkinshaw himself was still more delighted with the event than his -mother. He laughed at the dexterity with which his grandmother had -brought it about; and, exulting in the feeling of liberty which it -gave to himself, he exclaimed, 'We shall now see whether, indeed, my -uncle was actuated towards me by the affection he professed, or by some -motive of which the springs are not yet discovered.' - -The minister, who was present at this sally, said little; but he -agreed with his young friend, that the event would soon put his -uncle's affections to the test. 'I cannot explain to myself,' was his -only observation, 'why we should all so unaccountably distrust the -professions of your uncle, and suppose, with so little reason, in truth -against the evidence of facts, that he is not actuated by the purest -and kindest motives.' - -'That very suspicion,' said Mrs. Eadie mysteriously, 'is to me a -sufficient proof that he is not so sincere in his professions as he -gets the credit of being. But I know not how it is, that, in this -marriage, and in the sudden illness of his wife, I perceive the tokens -of great good to our friends.' - -'In the marriage,' replied the minister, 'I certainly do see something -which gives me reason to rejoice; but I confess that the illness -of Mrs. Walkinshaw does not appear to me to bode any good. On the -contrary, I have no doubt, were she dying, that her husband will not be -long without a young wife.' - -'Did not I tell you,' said Mrs. Eadie, turning to Mrs. Charles, 'that -there would be a death before the good to come by Glengael, to you or -yours, would be gathered? Mrs. Walkinshaw of Kittlestonheugh is doomed -to die soon; when this event comes to pass, let us watch the issues and -births of Time.' - -'You grow more and more mystical every day,' said her husband -pensively. 'I am sorry to observe how much you indulge yourself in -superstitious anticipations; you ought to struggle against them.' - -'I cannot,' replied the majestic Leddy, with solemnity--'The mortal -dwelling of my spirit is shattered, and lights and glimpses of -hereafter are breaking in upon me. It has been ever so with all my -mother's race. The gift is an ancient inheritance of our blood; but it -comes not to us till earthly things begin to lose their hold on our -affections. The sense of it is to me an assurance that the bark of life -has borne me to the river's mouth. I shall now soon pass that headland, -beyond which lies the open sea:--from the islands therein no one ever -returns.' - -Mr. Eadie sighed; and all present regarded her with compassion, for her -benign countenance was strangely pale; her brilliant eyes shone with -a supernatural lustre; and there was a wild and incommunicable air in -her look, mysteriously in unison with the oracular enthusiasm of her -melancholy. - -At this juncture a letter was handed in. It was the answer from -Glengael to Mrs. Eadie's application respecting Walkinshaw; and it had -the effect of changing the painful tenor of the conversation. - -The contents were in the highest degree satisfactory. Mr. Frazer not -only promised his influence, declaring that he considered himself as -the agent of the family interests, but said, that he had no doubt of -procuring at once the cadetcy, stating, at the same time, that the -progress and complexion of the French Revolution rendered it probable -that Government would find it expedient to augment the army; in which -case, a commission for young Walkinshaw would be readily obtained; and -he concluded with expressions of his sorrow at hearing his kinswoman -had of late been so unwell, urging her to visit him at Glengael Castle, -to which the family was on the point of removing for the summer, and -where her native air might, perhaps, essentially contribute to her -recovery. - -'Yes,' said she, after having read the letter aloud, and congratulated -Walkinshaw on the prospect which had opened.--'Yes; I will visit -Glengael. The spirits of my fathers hover in the silence of those -mountains, and dwell in the loneliness of the heath. A voice within -has long told me, that my home is there, and I have been an exile since -I left it.' - -'My dear Gertrude,' said Mr. Eadie,--'you distress me exceedingly this -morning. To hear you say so pains me to the heart. It seems to imply -that you have not been happy with me.' - -'I was happy with you,' was her impressive answer. 'I was happy; -but then I thought the hopes of my youth had perished.--The woeful -discovery that rose like a ghost upon me withered my spirit; and the -death of my children has since extinguished the love of life. Still, -while the corporeal tenement remained in some degree entire, I felt not -as I now feel; but the door is thrown open for my departure. I feel the -airs of the world of spirits blowing in upon me; and as I look round -to see if I have set my house in order, all the past of life appears -in a thousand pictures; and the most vivid in the series are the sunny -landscapes of my early years.' - -Mr. Eadie saw that it was in vain to reason with his wife in such a -mood; and the Walkinshaws sympathized with the tenderness that dictated -his forbearance, while James turned the conversation, by proposing to -his sister and Ellen, that they should walk into Glasgow next day, to -pay their respects to the young couple. - -Doubtless there was a little waggery at the bottom of this proposition; -but there was also something of a graver feeling.--He was desirous to -ascertain what effect the marriage of Robina had produced on his uncle -with respect to himself, and also to communicate, through the medium of -his grandmother, the favourable result of the application to Glengael, -in the hope, that, if there was any sincerity in the professions of -partiality with which he had been flattered, that his uncle would -assist him in his outfit either for India or the army. Accordingly, -the walk was arranged as he proposed; but the roads in the morning -were so deep and sloughy, that the ladies did not accompany him; a -disappointment which, however acute it might be to him, was hailed -as a God-send by the Leddy, whose troubles and vexations of spirit -had, from the wedding-day, continued to increase, and still no hope of -alleviation appeared. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXX - - -'Really,' said the Leddy, after Walkinshaw had told her the news, and -that only the wetness of the road had prevented his sister and Ellen -from coming with him to town,--'Really, Jamie, to tell you the gude's -truth, though I would hae been blithe to see Mary, and that weel-bred -lassie, your joe Nell Frizel--I'm very thankful they hae na come--for, -unless I soon get some relief, I'll be herrit out o' house and hall -wi' Beenie and Walky,--twa thoughtless wantons,--set them up wi' a -clandestine marriage in their teens! it's enough to put marriages out -of fashion.' - -'I thought,' replied Walkinshaw, playing with her humours, 'that the -marriage was all your own doing.' - -'My doing, Jamie Walkinshaw! wha daurs to say the like o' that? -I'm as clear o't as the child unborn--to be sure they were married -here, but that was no fault o' mine--my twa grandchildren, it -could ne'er be expected that I would let them be married on the -crown-o'-the-causey--But, wasna baith his mother and father -present, and is that no gospel evidence, that I was but an innocent -onlooker?--No, no, Jamie, whomsoever ye hear giving me the wyte o' ony -sic Gretna Green job, I redde ye put your foot on the spark, and no let -it singe my character.--I'm abundantly and overmuch punished already, -for the harmless jocosity, in the cost and cumbering o' their keeping.' - -'Well, but unless you had sanctioned their marriage, and approved o't -beforehand, they would never have thought of taking up their residence -with you.' - -'Ye're no far wrang there, Jamie; I'll no deny that I gied my -approbation, and I would hae done as muckle for your happiness, had ye -been o' a right conforming spirit and married Beenie, by the whilk a' -this hobbleshaw would hae been spare't; but there's a awful difference -between approving o' a match, and providing a living and house-room, -bed, board, and washing, for two married persons--and so, although it -may be said in a sense, that I had a finger in the pye, yet every body -who kens me, kens vera weel that I would ne'er hae meddled wi' ony sic -gunpowder plot, had there been the least likelihood that it would bring -upon me sic a heavy handful. In short, nobody, Jamie, has been more -imposed upon than I hae been--I'm the only sufferer. De'il-be-lickit -has it cost Dirdumwhamle, but an auld Muscovy duck, that he got sent -him frae ane o' your uncle's Jamaica skippers two years ago, and it was -then past laying--we smoor't it wi' ingons the day afore yesterday, but -ye might as soon hae tried to mak a dinner o' a hesp o' seven heere -yarn, for it was as teugh as the grannie of the cock that craw't to -Peter.' - -'But surely,' said Walkinshaw, affecting to condole with her, 'surely -my uncle, when he has had time to cool, will come forward with -something handsome.' - -'Surely--Na, an he dinna do that, what's to become o' me?--Oh! Jamie, -your uncle's no a man like your worthy grandfather,--he was a saint o' -a Christian disposition--when your father married against both his will -and mine, he did na gar the house dirl wi' his stamp to the quaking -foundation; but on the Lord's day thereafter, took me by the arm--oh! -he was o' a kindly nature--and we gaed o'er thegither, and wis'd your -father and mother joy, wi' a hunder pound in our hand--that was acting -the parent's part!' - -'But, notwithstanding all that kindness, you know he disinherited my -father,' replied Walkinshaw seriously, 'and I am still suffering the -consequences.' - -'The best o' men, Jamie,' said the Leddy, sympathisingly, 'are no -perfect, and your grandfather, I'll ne'er maintain, was na a no mere -man--so anent the disinheritance, there was ay something I could na -weel understand; for, although I had got an inkling o' the law frae -my father, who was a deacon at a plea--as a' the Lords in Embro' -could testificate, still there was a because in that act of sederunt -and session, the whilk, in my opinion, required an interlocutor frae -the Lord Ordinary to expiscate and expone, and, no doubt, had your -grandfather been spare't, there would hae been a rectification.--But, -waes me, the Lord took him to himsel; in the very hour when Mr. -Keelevin, the lawyer, was doun on his knees reading a scantling -o' a new last will and settlement.--Eh! Jamie, that was a moving -sight,--before I could get a pen, to put in your dying grandfather's -hand, to sign the paper, he took his departal to a better world, where, -we are taught to hope, there are neither lawyers nor laws.' - -'But if my uncle will not make a settlement on Robina, what will you -do?' said Walkinshaw, laughing. - -'Haud your tongue, and dinna terrify folk wi' ony sic impossibility!' -exclaimed the Leddy--'Poor man, he has something else to think o' -at present. Is na your aunty brought nigh unto the gates o' death? -Would ye expek him to be thinking o' marriage settlements and wedding -banquets, when death's so busy in his dwelling? Ye're an unfeeling -creature, Jamie--But the army's the best place for sic graceless getts. -Whan do ye begin to spend your half-crown out o' saxpence a day? And -is Nell Frizel to carry your knapsack? Weel, I ay thought she was a -cannonading character, and I'll be none surprised o' her fighting -the French or the Yanky Doodles belyve, wi' a stone in the foot of a -stocking, for I am most creditably informed, that that's the conduct o' -the soldier's wives in the field o' battle.' - -It was never very easy to follow the Leddy, when she was on what the -sailors call one of her jawing tacks; and Walkinshaw, who always -enjoyed her company most when she was in that humour, felt little -disposed to interrupt her. In order, however, to set her off in a -new direction, he said,--'But, when I get my appointment, I hope -you'll give me something to buy a sword, which is the true bride o' a -soldier.' - -'And a poor tocher he gets wi' her,' said the Leddy;--'wounds and -bruises, and putrefying sores, to make up a pack for beggary. No doubt, -howsever, but I maun break the back o' a guinea for you.' - -'Nay, I expect you'll give your old friend, Robin Carrick, a forenoon's -call. I'll not be satisfied if you don't.' - -'Well, if e'er I heard sic a stand-and-deliver-like speech since ever -I was born,'--exclaimed his grandmother. 'Did I think, when I used to -send the impudent smytcher, wi' my haining o' twa-three pounds to the -bank, that he was contriving to commit sic a highway robbery on me at -last?' - -'But,' said Walkinshaw, 'I have always heard you say, that there should -be no stepbairns in families. Now, as you are so kind to Robina and -Walky, it can never be held fair if you tie up your purse to me.' - -'Thou's a wheedling creature, Jamie,' replied the Leddy, 'and nae doubt -I maun do my duty, as every body knows I hae ay done, to a' my family; -but I'll soon hae little to do't wi', if the twa new married eating -moths are ordain't to devour a' my substance. But there's ae thing I'll -do for thee, the whilk may be far better than making noughts in Robin -Carrick's books. I'll gang out to the Kittlestonheugh, and speer for -thy aunty; and though thy uncle, like a bull of Bashan, said he would -not speak to me, I'll gar him fin' the weight o' a mother's tongue, -and maybe, through my persuadgeon, he may be wrought to pay for thy -sword and pistols, and other sinews o' war. For, to speak the truth, -I'm wearying to mak a clean breast wi' him, and to tell him o' his -unnaturality to his own dochter; and what's far waur, the sin, sorrow, -and iniquity, of allooing me, his aged parent, to be rookit o' plack -and bawbee by twa glaikit jocklandys that dinna care what they burn, -e'en though it were themselves.' - -But, before the Leddy got this laudable intention carried into effect, -her daughter-in-law, to the infinite consternation of Dirdumwhamle, -died; and, for some time after that event, no opportunity presented -itself, either for her to be delivered of her grudge, or for any mutual -friend to pave the way to a reconciliation. Young Mrs. Milrookit saw -her mother, and received her last blessing; but it was by stealth, -and unknown to her father. So that, altogether, it would not have -been easy, about the period of the funeral, to have named in all the -royal city a more constipated family, as the Leddy assured all her -acquaintance, the Walkinshaws and Milrookits, were, baith in root and -branch, herself being the wizent and forlorn trunk o' the tree. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXI - - -On the day immediately after the funeral of her sister-in-law, Mrs. -Charles Walkinshaw was surprised by a visit from the widower. - -'I am come,' said he, 'partly to relieve my mind from the weight that -oppresses it, arising from an occurrence to which I need not more -particularly allude, and partly to vindicate myself from the harsh -insinuations of James. He will find that I have not been so sordid in -my views as he so unaccountably and so unreasonably supposed, and that -I am still disposed to act towards him in the same liberal spirit I -have ever done. What is the result of the application to Mrs. Eadie's -friend? And is there any way by which I can be rendered useful in the -business?' - -This was said in an off-hand man-of-the-world way. It was perfectly -explicit. It left no room for hesitation; but still it was not said in -such a manner as to bring with it the comfort it might have done to the -meek and sensitive bosom of the anxious mother. - -'I know not in what terms to thank you,' was her answer, diffidently -and doubtingly expressed. 'Your assistance certainly would be most -essential to James, for, now that he has received a commission in the -King's army, I shall be reduced to much difficulty.' - -'In the King's army! I thought he was going to India?' exclaimed her -brother-in-law, evidently surprised. - -'So it was originally intended; but,' said the mother, 'Mr. Frazer -thought, in the present state of Europe, that it would be of more -advantage for him to take his chance in the regular army; and has -in consequence obtained a commission in a regiment that is to be -immediately increased. He has, indeed, proved a most valuable friend; -for, as the recruiting is to be in the Highlands, he has invited James -to Glengael, and is to afford him his countenance to recruit among -his dependants, assuring Mrs. Eadie that, from the attachment of the -adherents of the family, he has no doubt that, in the course of the -summer, James may be able to entitle himself to a Company, and then'---- - -This is very extraordinary friendship, thought the Glasgow merchant -to himself. These Highlanders have curious ideas about friendship and -kindred; but, nevertheless, when things are reduced to their money -price, they are just like other people. 'But,' said he aloud, 'what do -you mean is to take place when James has obtained a Company?' - -'I suppose,' replied the gentle widow timidly, she knew not wherefore, -'that he will then not object to the marriage of James and Ellen.' - -'I think,' said her brother-in-law, 'he ought to have gone to India. -Were he still disposed to go there, my purse shall be open to him.' - -'He could not hope for such rapid promotion as he may obtain through -the means of Glengael,' replied Mrs. Charles somewhat firmly; so -steadily, indeed, that it disconcerted the Laird; still he preserved -his external equanimity, and said,-- - -'Nevertheless, I am willing to assist his views in whichever way they -lie. What has become of him?' - -Mrs. Charles then told him that, in consequence of the very encouraging -letter from Mr. Frazer, Walkinshaw had gone to mention to his father's -old friend, who had the vessel fitting out for New York, the change -that had taken place in his destination, and to solicit a loan to help -his outfit. - -Her brother-in-law bit his lips at this information. He had obtained -no little reputation among his friends for the friendship which he had -shown to his unfortunate brother's family; and all those who knew his -wish to accomplish a match between James and his daughter, sympathised -in sincerity with his disappointment. But something, it would not be -easy to say what, troubled him when he heard this, and he said,-- - -'I think James carries his resentment too far. I had certainly done him -no ill, and he might have applied to me before going to a stranger.' - -'Favours,' replied the widow, 'owe all their grace and gratitude to -the way in which they are conferred. James has peculiar notions, and -perhaps he has felt more from the manner in which you spoke to him than -from the matter you said.' - -'Let us not revert to that subject--it recalls mortifying reflections, -and the event cannot be undone. But do you then think Mr. Frazer will -consent to allow his daughter to marry James? She is an uncommonly fine -girl, and, considering the family connexions, surely might do better.' - -This was said in an easy disengaged style, but it was more assumed than -sincere; indeed, there was something in it implying an estimate of -considerations, independent of affections, which struck so disagreeably -on the feelings, that his delicate auditor did not very well know what -to say; but she added,-- - -'James intends, as soon as we are able to make the necessary -arrangements, to set out for Glengael Castle, where, being in a -neighbourhood where there are many old officers, he will be able to -procure some information with respect to the best mode of proceeding -with his recruiting; and Mr. Frazer has kindly said that it will be for -his advantage to start from the castle.' - -'I suppose Miss Frazer will accompany him?' replied the widower dryly. - -'No,' said his sister-in-law, 'she does not go till she accompanies -Mrs. Eadie, who intends to pass the summer at Glengael.' - -'I am glad of that; her presence might interfere with his duty.' - -'Whom do you mean?' inquired Mrs. Charles, surprised at the remark; -'whose presence?' and she subjoined smilingly, 'You are thinking of -Ellen; and you will hardly guess that we are all of opinion here that -both she and Mrs. Eadie might be of great use to him on the spot. -Mrs. Eadie is so persuaded of it, that the very circumstance of their -marriage being dependent on his raising a sufficient number of men to -entitle him to a company, would, she says, were it known, make the sons -of her father's clansmen flock around him.' - -'It is to be deplored that a woman, who still retains so many claims, -both on her own account, and the high respectability of her birth, -should have fallen into such a decay of mind,' said the merchant, -at a loss for a more appropriate comment on his sister-in-law's -intimation.--'But,' continued he, 'do not let James apply to any other -person. I am ready and willing to advance all he may require; and, -since it is determined that he ought immediately to avail himself -of Mr. Frazer's invitation, let him lose no time in setting off for -Glengael. This, I trust,' said he in a gayer humour, which but ill -suited with his deep mourning, 'will assure both him and Miss Frazer -that I am not so much their enemy as perhaps they have been led to -imagine.' - -Soon after this promise the widower took his leave; but, although -his whole behaviour during the visit was unexpectedly kind and -considerate, and although it was impossible to withhold the epithet of -liberality--nay more, even of generosity--from his offer, still it did -not carry that gladness to the widow's heart which the words and the -assurance were calculated to convey. On the contrary, Mrs. Charles sat -for some time ruminating on what had passed; and when, in the course of -about an hour after, Ellen Frazer, who had been walking on the brow of -the hazel bank with Mary, came into the parlour, she looked at her for -some time without speaking. - -The walk had lent to the complexion of Ellen a lively rosy glow. The -conversation which she had held with her companion related to her -lover's hopes of renown, and it had excited emotions that at once -sparkled in her eyes and fluctuated on her cheek. Her lips were vivid -and smiling; her look was full of intelligence and naivete--simple at -once and elegant--gay, buoyant, and almost as sly as artless, and a -wreath, if the expression may be allowed, of those nameless graces in -which the charms of beauty are mingled with the allurements of air and -manners, garlanded her tall and blooming form. - -She seemed to the mother of her lover a creature so adorned with -loveliness and nobility, that it was impossible to imagine she was not -destined for some higher sphere than the humble fortunes of Walkinshaw. -But in that moment the mother herself forgot the auspices of her own -youth, and how seldom it is that even beauty, the most palpable of all -human excellence, obtains its proper place, or the homage of the manly -heart that Nature meant it should enjoy. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXII - - -Mr. Walkinshaw had not left Camrachle many minutes when his nephew -appeared. James had in fact returned from Glasgow, while his uncle was -in the house, but, seeing the carriage at the door, he purposely kept -out of the way till it drove off. - -His excursion had not been successful. He found his father's old -acquaintance sufficiently cordial in the way of inquiries, and even -disposed to sympathise with him, when informed of his determination -to go abroad; but when the army was mentioned the merchant's heart -froze; and after a short pause, and the expression of some frigiverous -observations with respect to the licentiousness of the military life, -it was suggested that his uncle was the proper quarter to apply to. In -this crisis, their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a -third party, when Walkinshaw retired. - -During his walk back to Camrachle, his heart was alternately sick and -saucy, depressed and proud. - -He could not conceive how he had been so deluded, as to suppose that he -had any right to expect friendship from the gentleman he had applied -to. He felt that in so doing he acted with the greenness of a boy, and -he was mortified at his own softness. Had there been any reciprocity of -obligations between his father and the gentleman, the case would have -been different. 'Had they been for forty or fifty years,' thought he, -'in the mutual interchange of mercantile dependence, then perhaps I -might have had some claim, and, no doubt, it would have been answered, -but I was a fool to mistake civilities for friendship.' Perhaps, -however, had the case been even as strong as he put it, he might still -have found himself quite as much deceived. - -'As to making any appeal to my uncle, that was none of his business,' -said he to himself. 'I did not ask the fellow for advice, I solicited -but a small favour. There is no such heart-scalding insolence as in -refusing a solicitation, to refer the suppliant to others, and with -prudential admonitions too--curse him who would beg, were it not to -avoid doing worse.' - -This brave humour lasted for the length of more than a mile's walk, -during which the young soldier marched briskly along, whistling -courageous tunes, and flourishing his stick with all the cuts of the -broadsword, lopping the boughs of the hedges, as if they had been the -limbs of Frenchmen, and switching away the heads of the thistles and -benweeds in his path, as if they had been Parisian carmagnols, against -whom, at that period, the loyalty of the British bosom was beginning to -grow fretful and testy. - -But the greater part of the next mile was less animated--occasionally, -cowardly thoughts glimmered palely through the glorious turbulence of -youthful heroism, and once or twice he paused and looked back towards -Glasgow, wondering if there was any other in all that great city, who -might be disposed to lend him the hundred pounds he had begged for his -outfit. - -'There is not one,' said he, and he sighed, but in a moment after he -exclaimed, 'and who the devil cares? It does not do for soldiers to -think much; let them do their duty at the moment; that's all they have -to think of; I will go on in the track I have chosen, and trust to -Fortune for a windfall;' again 'In the Garb of Old Gaul' was gallantly -whistled, and again the hedges and thistles felt the weight of his -stick. - -But as he approached Camrachle, his mood shifted into the minor -key, and when the hazel bank and the ash-trees, with the nests of -the magpies in them, appeared in sight, the sonorous bravery of the -Highland march became gradually modulated into a low and querulous -version of 'Lochaber no more', and when he discovered the carriage at -his mother's door, his valour so subsided into boyish bashfulness, that -he shrank away, as we have already mentioned, and did not venture to go -home, till he saw that his uncle had left the house. - -On his entrance, however, he received a slight sensation of pleasure at -seeing both his mother and sister with more comfort in their looks than -he had expected, and he was, in consequence, able to tell them, with -comparative indifference, the failure of his mission. His mother then -related what had passed with his uncle. - -The news perplexed Walkinshaw; they contradicted the opinion he had so -warmly felt and expressed of his uncle; they made him feel he had acted -rashly and ungratefully--but still such strange kindness occasioned a -degree of dubiety, which lessened the self-reproaches of his contrition. - -'However,' said he, with a light and joyous heart, 'I shall not again -trouble either myself or him, as I have done; but in this instance, -at least, he has acted disinterestedly, and I shall cheerfully avail -myself of his offer, because it is generous--I accept it also as -encouragement--after my disappointment, it is a happy omen; I will take -it as a brave fellow does his bounty-money--a pledge from Fortune of -some famous "all hail hereafter".' - -What his sentiments would have been, had he known the tenor of his -uncle's mind at that moment,--could he even but have suspected that the -motive which dictated such seeming generosity, so like an honourable -continuance of his former partiality, was prompted by a wish to remove -him as soon as possible from the company of Ellen Frazer, in order to -supplant him in her affections, we need not attempt to imagine how he -would have felt. It is happy for mankind, that they know so little of -the ill said of them behind their backs, by one another, and of the -evil that is often meditated in satire and in malice, and still oftener -undertaken from motives of interest and envy. Walkinshaw rejoicing -in the good fortune that had so soon restored the alacrity of his -spirits--so soon wiped away the corrosive damp of disappointment from -its brightness--did not remain long with his mother and sister, but -hastened to communicate the inspiring tidings to Ellen Frazer. - -She was standing on the green in front of the manse, when she saw him -coming bounding towards her, waving his hat in triumph and exultation, -and she put on a grave face, and looked so rebukingly, that he halted -abruptly, and said--'What's the matter?' - -'It's very ridiculous to see any body behaving so absurdly,' was her -cool and solemn answer. - -'But I have glorious news to tell you; my uncle has come forward in the -handsomest manner, and all's clear for action.' - -This was said in an animated manner, and intended to upset her gravity, -which, from his knowledge of her disposition, he suspected, was a -sinless hypocrisy, put on only to teaze him. But she was either serious -or more resolute in her purpose than he expected; for she replied with -the most chastising coolness,-- - -'I thought you were never to have any thing to say again to your uncle?' - -Walkinshaw felt this pierce deeper than it was intended to do, and he -reddened exceedingly, as he said, awkwardly,-- - -'True! but I have done him injustice; and had he not been one of the -best dispositioned men, he would never have continued his kindness to -me as he has done; for I treated him harshly.' - -'It says but little for you, that, after enjoying his good-will so -long, you should have thrown his favours at him, and so soon after be -obliged to confess you have done him wrong.' - -Walkinshaw hung his head, still more and more confused. There was -too much truth in the remark not to be felt as a just reproach; and, -moreover, he thought it somewhat hard, as his folly had been on her -account, that she should so taunt him. But Ellen, perceiving she had -carried the joke a little too far, threw off her disguise, and, with -one of her most captivating looks and smiles, said,--'Now that I have -tamed you into rational sobriety, let's hear what you have got to say. -Men should never be spoken to when they are huzzaing. Remember the -lesson when you are with your regiment.' - -What further followed befits not our desultory pen to rehearse; but, -during this recital of what had taken place at Glasgow, and the other -incidents of the day, the lovers unconsciously strayed into the -minister's garden, where a most touching and beautiful dialogue ensued, -of which having lost our notes, we regret, on account of our fair -readers, and all his Majesty's subalterns, who have not yet joined, -that we cannot furnish a transcript.--The result, however, was, that, -when Ellen returned into the manse, after parting from Walkinshaw, her -beautiful eyes looked red and watery, and two huge tears tumbled out of -them when she told her aunt that he intended to set off for Glengael in -the course of two or three days. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXIII - - -Next day Walkinshaw found himself constrained, by many motives, to go -into Glasgow, in order to thank his uncle for the liberality of his -offer, and, in accepting it, to ask pardon for the rudeness of his -behaviour. - -His reception in the counting-house was all he could have wished; it -was even more cordial than the occasion required, and the cheque given, -as the realization of the promise, considerably exceeded the necessary -amount. Emboldened by so much kindness, Walkinshaw, who felt for his -cousins, and really sympathised with the Leddy under the burden of -expense which she had brought upon herself, ventured to intercede in -their behalf, and he was gratified with his uncle's answer. - -'I am pleased, James,' said he, 'that you take so great an interest in -them; but make your mind easy, for, although I have been shamefully -used, and cannot but long resent it, still, as a man, I ought not to -indulge my anger too far. I, therefore, give you liberty to go and tell -them, that, although I do not mean to hold any intercourse with Robina -and her husband, I have, nevertheless, ordered my man of business to -prepare a deed of settlement on her, such as I ought to make on my -daughter.' - -Walkinshaw believed, when he heard this, that he possessed no faculty -whatever to penetrate the depths of character, so bright and shining -did all the virtues of his uncle at that moment appear;--virtues of -which, a month before, he did not conceive he possessed a single -spark. It may, therefore, be easily imagined, that he hastened with -light steps and long strides towards his grandmother's house, to -communicate the generous tidings. But, on reaching the door, he met -the old lady, wrapped up, as it seemed, for a journey, with her maid, -coming out, carrying a small trunk under her arm. On seeing him, she -made a movement to return; but, suddenly recollecting herself, she -said,--'Jamie, I hae nae time, for I'm gaun to catch the Greenock -flying coach at the Black Bull, and ye can come wi' me.' - -'But, what has become o' Robina?' cried he, surprised at this -intelligence and sudden movement. - -His grandmother took hold of him by the arm, and giving it an -indescribable squeeze of exultation, said,--'I'll tell you, it's just -a sport. They would need long spoons that sup parridge wi' the de'il, -or the like o' me, ye maun ken. I was just like to be devour't into -beggary by them. Ae frien' after another calling, glasses o' wine -ne'er devauling; the corks playing clunk in the kitchen frae morning -to night, as if they had been in a change-house on a fair-day. I could -stand it no longer. So yesterday, when that nabal, Dirdumwhamle, sent -us a pair o' his hunger't hens, I told baith Beenie and Walky, that -they were obligated to go and thank their parents, and to pay them a -marriage visit for a day or twa, although we're a' in black for your -aunty, her mother; and so this morning I got them off, Lord be praised; -and I am noo on my way to pay a visit to Miss Jenny Purdie, my cousin, -at Greenock.' - -'Goodness! and is this to throw poor Beenie and Walky adrift?' -exclaimed Walkinshaw. - -'Charity, Jamie, my bairn, begins at hame, and they hae a nearer claim -on Dirdumwhamle, who is Walky's lawful father, than on me; so e'en let -them live upon him till I invite them back again.' - -Walkinshaw, though really shocked, he could not tell why, was yet so -tickled by the Leddy's adroitness, that he laughed most immoderately, -and was unable for some time in consequence to communicate the -message, of which he was the joyous bearer; but when he told her, she -exclaimed,-- - -'Na, if that's the turn things hae ta'en, I'll defer my visit to Miss -Jenny for the present; so we'll return back. For surely, baith Beenie -and Walky will no be destitute of a' consideration, when they come to -their kingdom, for the dreadfu' cost and outlay that I hae been at -the last five weeks. But, if they're guilty o' sic niggerality, I'll -mak out a count--bed, board, and washing, at five and twenty shillings -a-week, Mrs. Scrimpit, the minister's widow of Toomgarnels, tells me, -would be a charge o' great moderation;--and if they pay't, as pay't -they shall, or I'll hae them for an affront to the Clerk's Chambers; -ye's get the whole half o't, Jamie, to buy yoursel a braw Andrew -Ferrara. But I marvel, wi' an exceeding great joy, at this cast o' -grace that's come on your uncle. For, frae the hour he saw the light, -he was o' a most voracious nature for himsel; and while the fit lasts, -I hope ye'll get him to do something for you.' - -Walkinshaw then told her not only what his uncle had done, but with the -ardour in which the free heart of youth delights to speak of favours, -he recapitulated all the kind and friendly things that had been said to -him. - -'Jamie, Jamie, I ken your uncle Geordie better than you,--for I hae -been his mother. It's no for a courtesy o' causey clash that he's -birling his mouldy pennies in sic firlots,--tak my word for't.' - -'There is no possible advantage can arise to him from his kindness to -me.' - -'That's to say, my bairn, that ye hae na a discerning spirit to see't; -but if ye had the second sight o' experience as I hae, ye would fin' a -whaup in the nest, or I am no a Christian sister, bapteesed Girzel.' - -By this time they had returned to the house, and the maid having -unlocked the door, and carried in the trunk, Walkinshaw followed his -grandmother into the parlour, with the view of enjoying what she -herself called, the observes of her phlosification; but the moment -she had taken her seat, instead of resuming the wonted strain of her -jocular garrulity, she began to sigh deeply, and weep bitterly, a -thing which he never saw her do before but in a way that seldom failed -to amuse him; on this occasion, however, her emotion was unaffected, -and it moved him to pity her. 'What's the matter with you?' said he, -kindly;--she did not, however, make any answer for some time, but at -last she said,-- - -'Thou's gaun awa to face thy faes,--as the sang sings, "far far frae -me and Logan braes,"--and I am an aged person, and may ne'er see thee -again; and I am wae to let thee gang, for though thou was ay o' a -nature that had nae right reverence for me, a deevil's buckie, my heart -has ay warm't to thee mair than to a' the lave o' my grandchildren; -but it's no in my power to do for thee as thy uncle has done, though -it's well known to every one that kens me, that I hae a most generous -heart,--far mair than e'er he had,--and I would na part wi' thee -without hanselling thy knapsack. Hegh, Sirs! little did I think whan -the pawky laddie spoke o' my bit gathering wi' Robin Carrick, that -it was in a sincerity; but thou's get a part. I'll no let thee gang -without a solid benison, so tak the key, and gang into the scrutoire -and bring out the pocket-book.' - -Walkinshaw was petrified, but did as he was desired; and, having -given her the pocket-book, sewed by his aunt, Mrs. Milrookit, at the -boarding-school, she took several of Robin's promissory-notes out, and -looking them over, presented him with one for fifty pounds. - -'Now, Jamie Walkinshaw,' said she, 'if ye spend ae plack o' that like a -prodigal son,--it's no to seek what I will say whan ye come back,--but -I doot, I doot, lang before that day I'll be deep and dumb aneath the -yird, and naither to see nor hear o' thy weel or thy woe.' - -So extraordinary and unlooked-for an instance of liberality on the part -of his grandmother, together with the unfeigned feeling by which she -was actuated, quite overwhelmed Walkinshaw, and he stood holding the -bill in his hand, unable to speak. In the meantime, she was putting up -her other bills, and, in turning them over, seeing one for forty-nine -pounds, she said, 'Jamie, forty-nine pounds is a' the same as fifty to -ane that pays his debts by the roll of a drum, so tak this, and gie me -that back.' - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXIV - - -The time between the visit to Glasgow and the departure of Walkinshaw -for Glengael was the busiest period that had occurred in the annals -of Camrachle from the placing of Mr. Eadie in the cure of the parish. -To the young men belonging to the hamlet, who had grown up with -Walkinshaw, it was an era of great importance; and some of them doubted -whether he ought not to have beaten up for recruits in a neighbourhood -where he was known rather than in the Highlands. But the elder -personages, particularly the matrons, were thankful that the Lord was -pleased to order it differently. - -His mother and sister, with the assistance of Ellen Frazer, were -more thriftily engaged in getting his baggage ready; and although -the sprightliness of Ellen never sparkled more brilliantly for the -amusement of her friends, there were moments when her bosom echoed in a -low soft murmur to the sigh of anxiety that frequently burst from his -mother's breast. - -Mr. Eadie was not the least interested in the village. He seemed as if -he could not give his pupil advice enough, and Walkinshaw thought he -had never before been so tiresome. They took long walks together, and -ever and anon the burden of the worthy minister's admonition was the -sins and deceptions of the world, and the moral perils of a military -life. - -But no one--neither tutor, mother, nor amorosa--appeared so profoundly -occupied with the event as Mrs. Eadie, whose majestic intellect was -evidently touched with the fine frenzy of a superstition at once awful -and elevated. She had dreams of the most cheering augury, though all -the incidents were wild and funereal; and she interpreted the voices of -the birds and the chattering of the magpies in language more oriental -and coherent than Macpherson's _Ossian_. - -The moon had changed on the day on which Walkinshaw went into -Glasgow, and she watched the appearance of its silver rim with the -most mysterious solicitude. Soon after sunset on the third evening, -as she was sitting on a tombstone in the churchyard with Mr. Eadie, -she discovered it in the most favourable aspect of the Heavens, and -in the very position which assured the most fortunate issues to all -undertakings commenced at its change. - -'So it appears,' said she, 'like a boat, and it is laden with the old -moon--that betokens a storm.' - -'But when?' said her husband with a sigh, mournfully disposed to humour -the aberrations of her fancy. - -'The power is not yet given to me to tell,' was her solemn response. -'But the sign is a witness that the winds of the skies shall perform -some dreadful agency in the fortunes of all enterprises ruled by this -lunar influence. Had the moon been first seen but as a portion of a -broken ring, I would have veiled my face, and deplored the omen. She -comes forth, however, in her brightness--a silver boat sailing the -azure depths of the Heavens, and bearing a rich lading of destiny to -the glorious portals of the sun.' - -At that moment a cow looked over the churchyard wall, and lowed so -close to Mr. Eadie's ear, that it made him start and laugh. Instead, -however, of disturbing the Pythian mood of his lady, it only served to -deepen it; but she said nothing, though her look intimated that she was -offended by his levity. - -After a pause of several minutes she rose, and moved towards the gate -without accepting his proffered arm. - -'I am sorry,' said he, 'that you are displeased with me; but really the -bathos of that cow was quite irresistible.' - -'Do you think,' was her mystical reply, 'that an animal, which, for -good reasons, the wise Egyptians hardly erred in worshipping, made to -us but an inarticulate noise? It was to me a prophetic salutation. On -the morning before my father left Glengael to join the royal standard, -I heard the same sound. An ancient woman, my mother's nurse, and one of -her own blood, told me that it was a fatal enunciation, for then the -moon was in the wane; but heard, she said, when the new moon is first -seen, it is the hail of a victory or a bridal.' - -'It is strange,' replied the minister, unguardedly attempting to reason -with her, 'that the knowledge of these sort of occurrences should be -almost exclusively confined to the inhabitants of the Highlands.' - -'It is strange,' said she; 'but no one can expound the cause. The -streamers of the northern light shine not in southern skies.' - -At that moment she shuddered, and, grasping the minister wildly by the -arm, she seemed to follow some object with her eye that was moving past -them. - -'What's the matter--what do you look at?' he exclaimed with anxiety and -alarm. - -'I thought it was Walkinshaw's uncle,' said she with a profound and -heavy sigh, as if her very spirit was respiring from a trance. - -'It was nobody,' replied the minister thoughtfully. - -'It was his wraith,' said Mrs. Eadie. - -The tone in which this was expressed curdled his very blood, and he -was obliged to own to himself, in despite of the convictions of his -understanding, that there are more things in the heavens and the earth -than philosophy can yet explain; and he repeated the quotation from -_Hamlet_, partly to remove the impression which his levity had made. - -'I am glad to hear you allow so much,' rejoined Mrs. Eadie; 'and I -think you must admit that of late I have given you many proofs in -confirmation. Did I not tell you when the cock crowed on the roof of -our friend's cottage, that we should soon hear of some cheerful change -in the lot of the inmates? and next day came Walkinshaw from Glasgow -with the news of the happy separation from his uncle. On the evening -before I received my letter from Glengael, you may well remember the -glittering star that announced it in the candle. As sure as the -omen in the crowing of the cock, and the shining of that star, were -fulfilled, will the auguries which I have noted be found the harbingers -of events.' - -Distressing as these shadows and gleams of lunacy were to those by whom -Mrs. Eadie was justly beloved and venerated, to herself they afforded -a high and holy delight. Her mind, during the time the passion lasted, -was to others obscure and oracular. It might be compared to the moon in -the misty air when she is surrounded with a halo, and her light loses -its silveryness, and invests the landscape with a shroudy paleness and -solemnity. But Mrs. Eadie felt herself as it were ensphered in the -region of spirits, and moving amidst marvels and mysteries sublimer -than the faculties of ordinary mortals could explore. - -The minister conducted his wife to the house of Walkinshaw's mother, -where she went to communicate the agreeable intelligence, as she -thought, of the favourable aspect of the moon, as it had appeared -to her Highland astrology. But he was so distressed by the evident -increase of her malady, that he did not himself immediately go in. -Indeed, it was impossible for him not to acknowledge, even to the most -delicate suggestions of his own mind towards her, that she was daily -becoming more and more fascinated by her visionary contemplations; -and in consequence, after taking two or three turns in the village, -he determined to advise her to go with Walkinshaw to Glengael, in the -hope that the change of circumstances, and the interest that she might -take once more in the scenes of her youth, would draw her mind from its -wild and wonderful imaginings, and fix her attention again on objects -calculated to inspire more sober, but not less affecting, feelings. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXV - - -The result of Mr. Eadie's reflections was a proposition to Walkinshaw -to delay his journey for a day or two, until Mrs. Eadie could be -prepared to accompany him; but, when the subject was mentioned to -her, she declared the most decided determination not to trouble the -tide of his fortune by any interposition of hers which had been full -of disappointments and sorrows. From whatever sentiment this feeling -arose, it was undoubtedly dictated by magnanimity; for it implied a -sense of sacrifice on her part; nevertheless, it was arranged, that, -although Walkinshaw should set out at the time originally fixed, Mrs. -Eadie, accompanied by Ellen Frazer, should follow him to Glengael as -soon after as possible. - -To the lovers this was no doubt delightful; but, when the Laird of -Kittlestonheugh heard of it in Glasgow, it disturbed him exceedingly. -The departure of Ellen Frazer from Camrachle to Glengael, where his -nephew was for a time to fix his head-quarters, was an occurrence that -he had not contemplated, and still less, if any degree can exist in an -absolute negative, that the minister's insane wife should accompany her. - -A circumstance, however, occurred at the time, which tended materially -to diminish his anxieties: A number of gentlemen belonging to the -royal city had projected a sea excursion in Allan M'Lean's pilot-boat, -and one of the party proposed to Kittlestonheugh that he should be of -their party--for they were all friends, and sympathized, of course, -with the most heartfelt commiseration, for the loss he had sustained -in his wife, who had been nearly twenty years almost as much dead as -alive, and particularly in the grief he suffered by the injudicious -marriage of his daughter. George, with his habitual suavity, accepted -the invitation; and on the selfsame day that our friend and personal -acquaintance Walkinshaw set off in the coach from the classical and -manufacturing town (as we believe Gibbon the historian yclyped the -royal city) for the soi-disant intellectual metropolis and modern -Athens of Edinburgh, his uncle embarked at the stair of the west quay -of Greenock. - -What stores were laid in by those Glasgow Argonautics--what baskets of -limes, what hampers of wine and rum, and loaves of sugar, and cheese -and bacon hams, with a modicum of biscuit,--we must leave for some -more circumstantial historian to describe. Sufficient for us, and for -all acquainted with the munificent consideration of the Glottiani for -themselves, is the fact, that seven of the primest magnates of the -royal city embarked together to enjoy the sea air, and the appetite -consequent thereon, in one of the best sailing and best navigated -schooners at that time on the west of Scotland. Whether any of them, -in the course of the voyage, suffered the affliction of sea-sickness, -we have never heard; but from our own opinion, believing the thing -probable, we shall not enter into any controversy on the subject. -There was, to be sure, some rumour shortly after, that, off Ailsa, -they did suffer from one kind of malady or another; but whether from -eating of that delicious encourager of appetite, solan goose--the most -savoury product of the rocky pyramid--or from a stomachique inability -to withstand the tossings of the sea, we have never received any -satisfactory explanation. Be this, however, as it may, no jovial, -free-hearted, good kind of men, ever enjoyed themselves better than the -party aboard the pilot boat. - -They traversed the picturesque Kyles of Bute--coasted the shores of -Cantyre--touched at the beautiful port of Campbelton--doubled the -cliffy promontory--passed Gigha--left Isla on the left--navigated the -sound of Jura--prudently kept along the romantic coast of Lorn and -Appin--sailed through the sound of Mull--drank whisky at Rum--and, -afraid of the beds and bowls of the hospitable Skye, cast anchor in -Garelock. What more they did, and where they farther navigated the -iron shores and tusky rocks of the headlands, that grin in unsatiated -hunger upon the waves and restless waters of the Minch, we shall not -here pause to describe. Let it be enough that they were courageously -resolved to double Cape Wrath, and to enjoy the midnight twilights, and -the smuggled gin of Kirkwall;--the aurora borealis of the hyperborean -region, with the fresh ling of Tamy Tomson's cobble boat at Hoy, and -the silvery glimpses of Ursa Major; together with the tasty whilks and -lampets that Widow Calder o' the Foul Anchor at Stromness, assured -her customers in all her English--were pickled to a concupiscable -state of excellence. Our immediate duty is to follow the steps of the -Laird's nephew; and without entering upon any unnecessary details,--our -readers, we trust, have remarked, that we entertain a most commendable -abhorrence of all circumstantiality,--we shall allow Allan M'Lean and -his passengers to go where it pleased themselves, while we return to -Camrachle; not that we have much more to say respecting what passed -there, than that Walkinshaw, as had been previously arranged, set out -alone for Glengael Castle, in Inverness-shire; the parting from his -mother and sister being considerably alleviated by the reflection, -that Ellen Frazer, in attendance on Mrs. Eadie, was soon to follow -him. Why this should have given him any particular pleasure, we cannot -understand; but, as the young man, to speak prosaically, was in love, -possibly there are some juvenile persons capable of entering into his -feelings. Not, however, knowing, of our own knowledge, what is meant by -the phrase--we must just thus simply advert to the fact; expressing, -at the same time, a most philosophical curiosity to be informed what -it means, and why it is that young gentlemen and ladies, in their -teens, should be more liable to the calamity than personages of greater -erudition in the practices of the world. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXVI - - -In the summer of the year 1793, we have some reason to believe that the -rugging and riving times of antiquity were so well over in the north -of Scotland, that, not only might any one of his Majesty's subalterns -travel there on the recruiting service, but even any spinster, not -less than threescore, without let, hindrance, or molestation, to say -nothing of personal violence; we shall not, therefore, attempt to -seduce the tears of our fair readers, with a sentimental description of -the incidents which befell our friend Walkinshaw, in his journey from -Camrachle to Glengael, except to mention, in a parenthetical way, that, -when he alighted from the Edinburgh coach at the canny twa and twae -toun of Aberdeenawa, he had some doubt if the inhabitants spoke any -Christian language. - -Having remained there a night and part of a day, to see the place, and -to make an arrangement with the host of an hostel, for a man and gig to -take him to Glengael Castle, he turned his face towards the northwest, -and soon entered what to him appeared a new region. Mrs. Eadie had -supplied him with introductory letters to all her kith and kin, along -the line of his route, and the recommendations of the daughter of -the old Glengael were billets on the hospitality and kindness of the -country. They were even received as the greatest favours by those who -knew her least, so cherished and so honoured was the memory of the -ill-fated chieftain, among the descendants of that brave and hardy -race, who suffered in the desolation of the clans at Culloden. - -The appearance and the natural joyous spirits of Walkinshaw endeared -him to the families at the houses where he stopped on his way to -Glengael, and his journey was, in consequence, longer and happier than -he expected. On the afternoon of the ninth day after leaving Aberdeen, -he arrived at the entrance of the rugged valley, in which the residence -of Mr. Frazer was situated. - -During the morning, he had travelled along the foot of the mountains -and patches of cultivation, and here and there small knots of larches, -recently planted, served to vary the prospect and enliven his journey; -but as he approached the entrance to Glengael, these marks of -civilization and improvement gradually became rarer. When he entered on -the land that had been forfeited, they entirely disappeared, for the -green spots that chequered the heath there were as the graves of a race -that had been rooted out or slaughtered. They consisted of the sites -of cottages which the soldiers of the Duke of Cumberland's army had -plundered and burnt in the year Forty-five. - -The reflections which these monuments of fidelity awakened in the -breast of the young soldier, as the guide explained to him what they -were, saddened his spirit, and the scene which opened, when he entered -the cliffy pass that led into Glengael, darkened it more and more. It -seemed to him as if he was quitting the habitable world, and passing -into the realms, not merely of desolation, but of silence and herbless -sterility. A few tufts of heath and fern among the rocks, in the bottom -of the glen, showed that it was not absolutely the valley of death. - -The appearance of the lowering steeps, that hung their loose crags -over the road, was as if some elder mountains had been crushed into -fragments, and the wreck thrown in torrents, to fill up that dreary, -soundless, desolate solitude, where nature appeared a famished -skeleton, pining amidst poverty and horror. - -But, after travelling for two or three miles through this interdicted -chasm, the cliffs began to recede, and on turning a lofty projecting -rock, his ears were gladdened with the sound of a small torrent that -was leaping in a hundred cascades down a ravine fringed with birch and -hazel. From that point verdure began to reappear, and as the stream in -its course was increased by other mountain rivulets, the scenery of the -glen gradually assumed a more refreshing aspect. The rocks became again -shaggy with intermingled heath and brambles, and the stately crimson -foxglove, in full blossom, rose so thickly along the sides of the -mountains, that Walkinshaw, unconscious that it was from the effect of -their appearance, began to dream in his reverie of guarded passes, and -bloody battles, and picquets of red-coated soldiers bivouacking on the -hills. - -But his attention was soon roused from these heroical imaginings by a -sudden turn of the road, laying open before him the glassy expanse of -an extensive lake, and on the summit of a lofty rocky peninsula, which -projected far into its bosom, the walls and turrets of Glengael. - -From the desolate contrast of the pass he had travelled, it seemed to -him that he had never beheld a landscape so romantic and beautiful. The -mountains, from the margin of the water, were green to their summits, -and a few oaks and firs around the castle enriched the picturesque -appearance of the little promontory on which it stood. Beyond a distant -vista of the dark hills of Ross, the sun had retired, but the clouds, -in glorious masses of golden fires, rose in a prodigality of splendid -forms, in which the military imagination of the young enthusiast had no -difficulty in discovering the towers, and domes, and pinnacles of some -airy Babylon, with burnished chariots on the walls, and brazen warriors -in clusters on the battlements. - -This poetical enchantment, however, was soon dissolved. The road along -the skirt of the lake, as it approached the castle, was rugged and -steep, and where it turned off into the peninsula, towards the gate, -it literally lay on the cornice of a precipice, which, with all his -valour, made Walkinshaw more than once inclined to leap from the gig. -Here and there a fragment of an old wall showed that it had once been -fenced, and where the rains had scooped hollows on the edge of the -cliff, a few stakes had recently been put up; but there was an air of -decay and negligence around, that prepared the mind of the visitor for -the ruinous aspect of the castle. - -Mr. Frazer, owing to his professional avocations, had seldom resided -there, and he was too ambitious to raise the means to redeem the bonds -he had granted for the purchase, to lay anything out in improvements. -The state and appearance of the place was, in consequence, lone and -dismal. Not only were the outer walls mantled with ivy, but the arch of -the gateway was broken. Many of the windows in the principal edifice -were rudely filled up with stones. The slates in several places had -fallen from the extinguisher-less desolate roofed turrets, and patches -of new lime on different places of the habitable buildings, bore -testimony to the stinted funds which the proprietor allowed for repairs. - -Within the gate the scene was somewhat more alluring. The space -inclosed by the walls had been converted into a garden, which Mrs. -Frazer and her daughters superintended, and had ornamented with -evergreens and flowers. The apartments of the family were also neatly -repaired, and showed, in the midst of an evident parsimony, a degree of -taste that bespoke a favourable opinion of the inhabitants, which the -reception given to Walkinshaw confirmed. - -Mr. Frazer, an elderly gentleman, of an acute and penetrating look, met -him at the door, and, heartily shaking him by the hand, led him into a -parlour, where Mrs. Frazer, with two daughters, the sisters of Ellen, -were sitting. The young ladies and their mother received him even with -more frankness than the advocate. It was, indeed, not difficult to -perceive, that they had previously formed an agreeable opinion of him, -which they were pleased to find his prepossessing appearance confirm. -But after the first congratulatory greetings were over, a slight cloud -was cast on the spirits of the family by his account of the health of -their relation Mrs. Eadie. It, however, was not of very long duration, -for the intelligence that she might be daily expected with Ellen soon -chased it away. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXVII - - -As Mr. Eadie found he could not conveniently get away from his parish, -and the health of his lady requiring that she should travel by easy -stages, it was arranged, after Walkinshaw's departure, that his sister -should take the spare corner of the carriage. Accordingly, on the day -following his arrival at Glengael, they all made their appearance at -the castle. - -Mrs. Eadie's malady had, in the meantime, undergone no change. On the -contrary, she was become more constantly mystical, and the mournful -feelings awakened by the sight of her early home, desolated by time -and the ravages of war, rather served to increase her superstitious -reveries. Every feature of the landscape recalled some ancient domestic -tradition; and as often as she alluded to the ghostly stories that were -blended with her ancestral tales, she expatiated in the loftiest and -wildest flights of seeming inspiration and prophecy. - -But still she enjoyed lucid intervals of a serene and tender -melancholy. On one occasion, while she was thus walking with the young -ladies in the environs of the castle, she stopped abruptly, and, -looking suddenly around, burst into tears. - -'It was here,' said she--'on this spot, that the blossoms of my early -hopes fell, and were scattered for ever.' - -At that moment, a gentleman, some ten or twelve years older than -Walkinshaw, dressed in the Highland garb, was seen coming towards the -castle, and the majestic invalid uttered a terrific shriek, and fainted -in the arms of her companions. The stranger, on hearing the scream, and -seeing her fall, ran to the assistance of the ladies. - -When Mrs. Eadie was so far recovered as to be able to look up, the -stranger happened to be standing behind Ellen, on whose lap her head -was laid, and, not seeing him, she lay, for some time after the entire -restoration of her faculties, in a state of profound solemnity and -sorrow. 'O Frazer!' she exclaimed pathetically. - -'I have seen him,' she added; 'and my time cannot now be long.' - -At that instant her eye lighted on the stranger as he moved into -another position. She looked at him for some time with startled -amazement and awe; and, turning round to one of the young ladies, said, -with an accent of indescribable grief, 'I have been mistaken.' She -then rose, and the stranger introduced himself. He was the same person -in whom, on his arrival from France, she had fourteen years before -discovered the son of her early lover. Seeing him on the spot where she -had parted from his father, and dressed in the garb and tartan of the -clan which her lover wore on that occasion, she had, in her visionary -mood, believed he was an apparition. - -Saving these occasional hallucinations, her health certainly received -new energy from her native air; and, by her presence at the castle, she -was of essential service to the recruiting of her young friend. - -In the meantime, Glengael being informed of the attachment between -Walkinshaw and Ellen, had espoused his interests with great ardour; -and French Frazer, as the stranger was called, also raising men for -promotion, the castle became a scene of so much bustle as materially to -disturb the shattered nerves of the invalid. With a view, therefore, -to change the scene, and to enable Mrs. Eadie to enjoy the benefit of -sea-bathing, an excursion was proposed to Caithness and Sutherland, -where Glengael was desirous of introducing the officers to certain -political connexions which he had in these counties, and it was -proposed that, while the gentlemen went to pay their visits, the ladies -should take up their residence at the little town of Wick. - -The weather had, for some days before their departure from Glengael, -been bright and calm, and the journey to Wick was performed with -comparative ease and comfort. The party had, however, scarcely -alighted at the house, which a servant sent on before had provided -for their accommodation, when the wind changed, and the skies were -overcast. For three days it raged a continual tempest; the rain fell -in torrents, and the gentlemen, instead of being able to proceed on -their visit, were confined to the house. At the end of the third -day the storm subsided, and, though the weather was broken, there -were intervals which allowed them to make little excursions in the -neighbourhood. - -The objects they visited, and the tales and traditions of the country, -were alike new and interesting to the whole party; and it was agreed, -that, before leaving Wick, the gentlemen should conduct the ladies to -some of the remarkable spots which they had themselves visited;--among -other places, Girnigo Castle, the ancient princely abode of the Earls -of Caithness, the superb remains of which still obtain additional -veneration in the opinion of the people, from the many guilty and -gloomy traditions that fear and fancy have exaggerated in preserving -the imperfect recollections of its early history. - -Mrs. Eadie had agreed to accompany them, the walk not exceeding three -or four miles; but on the evening preceding the day which they had -fixed for the excursion, when the weather had all the appearance of -being settled, she saw, or imagined that she saw, at sunset, some awful -prodigy which admonished her not to go. - -'I beheld,' said she, 'between me and the setting sun, a shadowy -hand bearing an hour-glass, run out; and when I looked again, I saw -the visionary semblance of Walkinshaw's uncle pass me with a pale -countenance. Twice have I witnessed the same apparition of his wraith, -and I know from the sign, that either his time is not to be long, or -to-morrow we shall hear strange tidings.' - -It was useless to reason or to argue with her sublime and -incomprehensible pretensions; but as it was deemed not prudent to leave -her alone, Glengael and Mrs. Frazer agreed to remain at Wick, while -French Frazer and the young ladies, with Walkinshaw and his sister, -went to inspect the ruins of Girnigo, and the rocks, caverns, and -precipices of Noss-head. - -Of all places in the wild and withered region of Caithness, the -promontory of Noss-head presents, alike to the marine voyager and the -traveller by land, one of the most tremendous objects. The waves of -the universal sea have, from the earliest epochs, raged against it. -Huge rocks, torn from the cliffs, stand half hid in the waters, like -the teeth and racks of destruction grinning for shipwrecks. No calm -of the ocean is there without a swell, and no swell without horror. -The sea-birds, that love to build on the wildest cliffs and precipices -of that coast of ruins, shun Noss-head, for the ocean laves against -it in everlasting cataracts, and the tides, whether in ebb or flow, -hurl past in devouring whirlpools. To the pilots afar at sea it is a -lofty landmark and a beacon,--but the vessel embayed either within -its northern or its southern cliffs, may be known by the marks on her -sails, or the name on the pieces of her stern,--but none of her crew -ever escape to tell the circumstances of her fate. Even there the -miserable native earns no spoils from the waves;--whatever reaches the -shore consists of fragments, or splinters, or corses, or limbs,--all -are but the crumbs and the surfeit-relics of destruction. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXVIII - - -Mr. Donald Gunn, the worthy Dominie of Wick, who had agreed to act as a -guide to Girnigo, was, soon after sunrise, at the door, summoning the -party to make ready for the journey; for, although the morning was fair -and bright, he had seen signs in the preceding evening, which made him -apprehensive of another storm. 'The wind,' said he to Walkinshaw, who -was the first that obeyed the call, 'often, at this time of the year, -rises about noon, when the waves jump with such agility against the -rocks, that the most periculous points of view cannot be seen in their -proper elegance, without the risk of breaking your neck, or at least -being washed away, and drowned for ever.' - -Walkinshaw, accordingly, upon Gunn's report, as he called it, roused -the whole party, and they set out for Staxigo, preceded by the Dominie, -who, at every turn of the road, 'indexed,' as he said, 'the most -interesting places.' - -During the walk to the village, the weather still continued propitious; -but the schoolmaster observed that a slight occasional breeze from -the north-east, the wildest wind that blows on that coast, rippled -the glassy sea, as it undulated among the rocks below their path; a -sure indication, so early in the morning, of a tempestuous afternoon. -His companions, however, unacquainted with the omens of that ravenous -shore, heard his remark without anxiety. - -After breakfasting at Elspeth Heddle's public in Staxigo on milk, -and ham and eggs, a partan, and haddocks, they went on to the ruins -of Girnigo. The occasional fetching of the wind's breath, which the -Dominie had noticed in their morning walk, was now become a steady -gale, and the waves began to break against the rugged cliffs and -headlands to the southward, insomuch, that, when the party reached the -peninsula on which the princely ruins of the united castles of Girnigo -and Sinclair are situated, they found several fishermen, belonging to -Wick, who had gone out to sea at daybreak, busily drawing their boats -on shore, in the little port on the south side of the cliffs, under the -walls. The visitors inquired why they were so careful in such bright -and summer weather; but they directed the attention of the Dominie to -long flakes of goat's beard in the skies, and to the sea-birds flying -towards the upland. - -By this time the billows were breaking white and high on the -extremities of Noss-head, and the long grass on the bartisans and -window-sills of the ruins streamed and hissed in the wind. The sun was -bright; but the streaks of hoary vapour that veined the pure azure of -the heavens retained their position and menacing appearance. There -was, however, nothing in the phenomena of the skies to occasion any -apprehension; and the party, without thinking of the immediate horrors -of a storm, sympathised with their guide, as he related to them the -mournful legends of those solitary towers. But, although he dwelt, with -particular emphasis, on the story of the Bishop, whom one of the Earls -of Caithness had ordered his vassals to boil in a cauldron, on account -of his extortions, their sympathy was more sorrowfully awakened by the -woeful fate of the young Master of Caithness, who, in 1572, fell a -victim to the jealousy of his father. - -'George, the Earl at that time,' said the schoolmaster, 'with his son -the Master of Caithness, was on the leet of the lovers of Euphemia, -the only daughter of an ancestor of Lord Reay. The lady was young -and beautiful, and naturally preferred the son to the father; but -the Earl was a haughty baron, and, in revenge for his son proving a -more thriving wooer, was desirous of putting him for a season out -of the way--but not by the dirk, as the use and wont of that epoch -of unrule might have justified. Accordingly, one afternoon, as they -were sitting together in the hall at yonder architraved window in the -second story, the wrathful Earl clapped his hands thrice, and in came -three black-aviced kerns in rusted armour, who, by a signal harmonized -between them and Earl George, seized the lawful heir, and dragged him -to a dampish captivity in yon vault, of which you may see the yawning -hungry throat in the chasm between the two principal lumps of the -buildings.' - -The learned Dominie then proceeded to relate the sequel of this strange -story--by which it appeared, that, soon after the imprisonment of his -son, the Earl being obliged to render his attendance at the court of -Stirling, left his son in the custody of Murdow Mackean Roy, who, -soon after the departure of his master, was persuaded by the prisoner -to connive at a plan for his escape. But the plot was discovered by -William, the Earl's second son, who apprehended Murdow, and executed -him in the instant. Immediately after, he went down into the dungeon, -and threatened his brother also with immediate punishment, if he again -attempted to corrupt his keepers. The indignant young nobleman, though -well ironed, sprang upon Lord William, and bruised him with such -violence, that he soon after died. David and Inghrame Sinclair were -then appointed custodiers of the prisoner; but, availing themselves -of the absence of the Earl, and the confusion occasioned by the death -of William, they embezzled the money in the castle, and fled, leaving -their young lord in the dungeon, a prey to the horrors of hunger, of -which he died. - -About seven years after, the Earl, while he lamented the fatal -consequences of his own rash rivalry, concealed his thirst for revenge. -Having heard that Inghrame Sinclair, who had retired with his booty to -a distant part of the country, intended to celebrate the marriage of -his daughter by a great feast, he resolved to make the festival the -scene of punishment. Accordingly, with a numerous retinue, he proceeded -to hunt in the neighbourhood of Inghrame Sinclair's residence; and, -availing himself of the hospitable courtesies of the time, he entered -the banquet-hall, and slew the traitor in the midst of his guests.-- - -While the visitors in the lee of the ruins were listening to the -Dominie's legend, the wind had continued to increase and the sea -to rise, and the spray of the waves was springing in stupendous -water-spouts and spires of foam over all the headlands in view to the -south. - -'Aye,' said the Dominie, pointing out to them the ruins of Clyth -Castle, over which the sea was breaking white in the distance, 'we -may expect a dry storm, for Clyth has got on its shroud. Look where -it stands like a ghost on the shore. It is a haunted and unhallowed -monument. - -'In olden and ancient times the Laird of Clyth went over to Denmark, -and, being at the court of Elsineur, counterfeited, by the help of a -handsome person, and a fine elocution, the style and renown of the -most prosperous gentleman in all Caithness, by which he beguiled a -Prince of Copenhagen to give him his daughter in marriage, a lady of -rare and surpassing beauty. After his marriage he returned to Scotland -to prepare for the reception of his gorgeous bride; but, when he beheld -his own rude turret amidst the spray of the ocean's sea, and thought -of the golden palaces and sycamore gardens of Denmark, he was shocked -at the idea of a magnificent princess inhabiting such a bleak abode, -and overwhelmed with the dread of the indignation that his guilt would -excite among her friends. So when the Danish man-of-war, with the lady -on board, was approaching the coast, he ordered lights and fires along -the cliffs of Ulbster, by which the pilots were bewildered, and the -ship was dashed in pieces. The princess and her maids of honour, with -many of the sailors, were drowned; but her body was found, beautiful -in death, with rings on her fingers, and gems in her ears; and she -was interred, as became a high-born lady of her breeding, in the -vault where she now lies, among the ancestors of Sir John Sinclair -of Ulbster; and ever since that time, the Castle of Clyth has been -untenanted, and as often as the wind blows from the north-east, it is -covered with a shroud as if doing penance for the maiden of Denmark.' - -Notwithstanding the pedantry in the Dominie's language in relating -this tradition, the unaffected earnestness with which he expressed -himself, moved the compassion of his auditors, and some of the ladies -shed tears; which the gentlemen observing, Walkinshaw, to raise their -spirits, proposed they should go forward towards Noss-head to view the -dreadful turbulency of the breakers. But, before they had approached -within half a mile of the promontory, the violence of the gale had -increased to such a degree, that they found themselves several times -obliged to take refuge in the hollows of the rocks, unable to withstand -the fury of the wind, and the lavish showers of spray, that rose in -sheets from the waves, and came heavier than rain on the blast. - - - - -CHAPTER LXXXIX - - -In the meantime, the Glasgow party on board Allan M'Lean's pilot-boat -was enjoying their sail and sosherie. Enticed by the beauty of the -sunny weather, which had preceded the arrival of our Glengael friends -at Wick, they had made a long stretch as far to the north as the -Mainland of Shetland, and after enjoying fresh ling and stockfish in -the highest perfection there, and laying in a capital assortment of -worsted hose for winter, they again weighed anchor, with the intention -of returning by the Pentland Firth. Being, however, overtaken by the -boisterous weather, which obliged Mr. Frazer and his two recruiting -guests to stop at Wick, they went into Kirkwall Bay, where they were -so long detained, that the thoughts of business and bills began to -deteriorate their pleasure. - -To none of the party was the detention so irksome as to Mr. Walkinshaw, -for, independent of the cares of his mercantile concerns, his fancy was -running on Ellen Frazer, and he was resolved, as soon as he returned -to the Clyde, to sound her father with a proposal, to solicit her for -his second wife. Why a gentleman, so well advanced in life, should have -thought of offering himself as a candidate for a lady's love, against -his nephew, we must leave to be accounted for by those who are able to -unravel the principles of the Earl of Caithness's enmity to his son, -particularly as we are in possession of no reasonable theory, adequate -to explain how he happened to prefer Ellen Frazer to the numerous -beauties of the royal city. It is sufficient for us, as historians, -simply to state the fact, and narrate the events to which it gave rise. - -Mr. Walkinshaw then, being rendered weary of the Orkneys, and, perhaps, -also of the joviality of his companions, by the mingled reflections of -business, and the tender intention of speedily taking a second wife, -resolved, rather than again incur the uncertainties of the winds and -waves, to leave the pilot-boat at Kirkwall, and embark for Thurso, in -order to return home over land; a vessel belonging to that port being -then wind-bound in the bay. Accordingly, on the same morning that the -party from Wick went to visit Girnigo Castle, and the magnificent -horrors of Noss-head, he embarked. - -For some time after leaving Kirkwall, light airs and summer breezes -enabled the sloop in which he had taken his passage to work pleasantly -round Moulhead. But before she had passed the spiky rocks and islets of -Copinshaw, the master deemed it prudent to stand farther out to sea; -for the breeze had freshened, and the waves were dashing themselves -into foam on Roseness and the rugged shores of Barra. - -The motion of the sloop, notwithstanding the experience which -the passenger had gained in the pilot-boat, overwhelmed him with -unutterable sickness, and he lay on the deck in such affliction, that -he once rashly wished he was drowned. The cabin-boy who attended him -was so horror-struck at hearing so profane a wish at sea, while the -wind was rising on a lee shore, that he left him to shift for himself. - -For some time the master did not think it necessary to shorten sail, -but only to stretch out towards the south-east; but, as the sun mounted -towards the meridian, the gale so continued to increase, that he not -only found it necessary to reef, but in the end to hand almost all his -canvas save the foresail. Still, as there were no clouds, no rain, -no thunder nor lightning, the sea-sick Glasgow merchant dreamt of no -danger. - -'Maybe,' said the cabin-boy in passing, as the Laird happened to look -up from his prostrate situation on the deck, 'ye'll get your ugly wish -oure soon.' - -The regardless manner and serious tone in which this was said had an -immediate and restorative effect. Mr. Walkinshaw roused himself, and, -looking round, was surprised to see the sails taken in; and, casting -his eyes to leeward, beheld, with a strong emotion of consternation, -the ocean boiling with tremendous violence, and the spindrift rising -like steam. - -'It blows a dreadful gale?' said he inquiringly to the master. - -'It does,' was the emphatic reply. - -'I hope there is no danger,' cried the merchant, alarmed, and drawing -himself close under the larboard gunnel. - -The master, who was looking anxiously towards Duncansby-head, which -presented a stupendous tower of foaming spray, over the starboard bow, -replied,-- - -'I hope we shall be able to weather Noss-head.' - -'And if we do not,' said Mr. Walkinshaw, 'what's to be done?' - -'You'll be drowned,' cried the cabin-boy, who had seated himself on the -lee-side of the companion; and the bitterness of the reproachful accent -with which this was said stung the proud merchant to the quick--but he -said nothing; his fears were, however, now all awake, and he saw, with -a feeling of inexpressible alarm, that the crew were looking eagerly -and sorrowfully towards the roaring precipices of Caithness. - -Still the vessel kept bravely to her helm, and was working slowly -outward; but, as she gradually wore round, her broadside became more -and more exposed to the sea, and once or twice her decks were washed -fore and aft. - -'This is terrible work, Captain,' said Mr. Walkinshaw. - -'It is,' was all the answer he received. - -'Is there no port we can bear away for?' - -'None.' - -'Good Heavens! Captain, if this continues till night?' - -The master eyed him for a moment, and said with a shudder,-- - -'If it does, sir, we shall never see night.' - -'You'll be drowned,' added the little boy, casting an angry look from -behind the companion. - -'Almighty Powers!--surely we are not in such danger?' exclaimed the -terrified merchant. - -'Hold your tongue,' again cried the boy. - -Mr. Walkinshaw heard him, and for a moment was petrified, for the -command was not given with insolence, but solemnity. - -A cry of 'Hold fast', in the same instant, came from the forecastle, -and, after a momentary pause, a dreadful sea broke aboard, and swept -the deck. The master, who had himself taken the helm, was washed -overboard, and the tiller was broken. - -'We are gone!' said the little boy, as he shook the water from his -jacket, and crawled on towards the mast, at the foot of which he seated -himself, for the loss of the tiller, and the damage the rudder had -sustained, rendered the vessel unmanageable, and she drifted to her -fate before the wind. - -'Is there indeed no hope?' cried Mr. Walkinshaw to one of the sailors, -who was holding by the shrouds. - -'If we get into Sinclair's Bay, there is a sandy beach,' replied the -sailor. - -'And if we do not?' exclaimed the passenger in the accent of despair. - -'We'll a' be drowned,' replied the boy with a scowling glance, as he -sat cowering with his head between his knees, at the foot of the mast. - -'We shall not get into Sinclair's Bay,' said the sailor, firmly; 'but -we may pass Noss-head.' - -'Do you think so?' said Mr. Walkinshaw, catching something like hope -and fortitude from the sedate courage of the sailor. - -Another cry of 'Hold fast' prepared him for a second breach of the sea, -and he threw himself on the deck, and took hold of a ring-bolt, in -which situation he continued, though the vessel rose to the wave. In -the meantime, the resolute sailor, after looking calmly and collectedly -around for some time, went from the larboard to the starboard, and -mounted several rattlings of the shrouds, against which he leant with -his back, while the vessel was fast driving towards Noss-head. - - - - -CHAPTER XC - - -The party from Glengael, who had, as we have described, been obliged to -take refuge from the wind in the lee of the rocks, stood contemplating -the scene in silence. The sky was without a cloud--but the atmosphere -was nevertheless almost like steam, through which the sun shone so -sickly, that, even without hearing the hiss of the wind, or the rage -of the ocean, no shelter could have prevented the spectator from being -sensible that some extraordinary violence agitated and troubled the -whole air. Every shrub and bramble not only bent before the wind, but -it may be said their branches literally streamed in the blast. There -was a torrent which ran towards the sea, near the spot where the party -stood; but the wind caught its waters as they fell in a cataract, and -blew them over the face of the hill like a wreath of mist. A few birch -trees, that skirted the dell through which this stream ran, brushed the -ground before the breeze; and the silver lining of their leaves was -so upturned in the constant current of the storm, that they had the -appearance of being covered with hoar frost. Not a bee was abroad on -the heath, and the sea birds were fluttering and cowering in the lee -of the rocks--a bernacle, that attempted to fly from behind a block -of granite, was whirled screaming away in the wind, and flung with -such resistless impetuosity against the precipice, behind a corner -of which the party were sheltering, that it was killed on the spot. -The landscape was bright in the hazy sunshine; but the sheep lay in -the hollows of the ground, unable to withstand the deluge of the dry -tempest that swept all before it, and a wild and lonely lifelessness -reigned on the mountains. - -The appearance of the sea was awful. It was not because the waves -rolled in more tremendous volumes than any of the party had ever before -seen, and burst against the iron precipices of Noss-head with the roar -and the rage of the falls of Niagara--the whole expanse of the ocean -was enveloped with spindrift, and, as it occasionally opened, a vessel -was seen. At first it was thought she was steering for the bay of Wick, -but it soon appeared that she drifted at random towards Sinclair's Bay, -and could, by nothing less than some miraculous change of the wind, -reach the anchorage opposite to Kiess Castle. - -Ellen Frazer was the first who spoke of the sloop's inevitable -fate.--'It is dreadful,' said she, 'for us to stand in safety here, -like spectators at a tragedy, and see yon unfortunate bark rushing -without hope to destruction. Let us make an attempt to reach the -beach--she may be driven on the shore, and we may have it in our power -to assist the poor wretches, if any should escape.' - -They, accordingly, endeavoured to reach the strand; but before they -could wrestle with the wind half-way towards it, they saw that the -vessel could not attain Sinclair's Bay, and that her only chance of -salvation was in weathering Noss-head, to which she was fast nearing. -They, in consequence, changed their course, and went towards the -promontory; but, by the time they had gained the height, they saw it -was hopeless to think they could render any assistance, and they halted -under the ledge of an overhanging rock, to see if she would be able to -weather that dreadful headland. - -The place where they took shelter was to the windward of the spray, -which rose like a furious cataract against the promontory; and in -pyramids of foam, that were seen many leagues off at sea, deluged the -land to a great extent far beyond Castle Girnigo. It happened that -Ellen Frazer had a small telescope in her hand, which they had brought -with them, and, when they were under cover, she applied it to her eye. - -'The sailors,' said she, 'seem to have abandoned themselves to -despair--I see two prostrate on the deck. There is one standing on -the shrouds, as if he hopes to be able to leap on the rocks when she -strikes. The dog is on the end of the bowsprit--I can look at them no -more.' - -She then handed the telescope to Mary, and, retiring to a little -distance, seated herself on a stone, and, covering her face with her -handkerchief, could no longer control her tears. The vessel, in the -meantime, was fast drifting towards the rocks, with her broadside to -the wave. - -'I think,' said Mary, 'that she must have lost her helm; nobody is -near where it should be.--They have no hope.--One of the men, who -had thrown himself on the deck, is risen. He is tying himself to the -shrouds.--There is a boy at the foot of the mast, sitting cowering on -the deck, holding his head between his hands.' - -Walkinshaw, without speaking, took the telescope from his sister, who -went and sat down in silence beside Ellen. By this time, the vessel had -drifted so near, that everything on her deck was distinct to the naked -eye. - -'The person on the deck,' said Walkinshaw, after looking through the -glass about the space of a minute, 'is not a sailor--he has long -clothes, and has the appearance of a gentleman, probably a passenger. -That poor little boy!--he is evidently covering his ears, as if he -could shut out the noise of the roaring death that awaits him. What a -brave and noble fellow that is on the shrouds,--if coolness and courage -can save, he is safe.' - -At this moment, a shriek from Mary roused Ellen, and they both ran to -the spot where Walkinshaw was standing. A tremendous wave had covered -the vessel, as it were, with a winding-sheet of foam, and before -it cleared away, she was among the breakers that raged against the -headland. - -'She is gone!' said Walkinshaw, and he took his sister and Ellen by the -hands.--'Let us leave these horrors.' But the ladies trembled so much, -that they were unable to walk; and Ellen became so faint, that she was -obliged to sit down on the ground, while her lover ran with his hat -to find, if possible, a little fresh water to revive her. He had not, -however, been absent many minutes, when another shriek from his sister -called him back, and, on returning, he found that a large dog, dripping -wet, and whimpering and moaning, had laid himself at the feet of the -ladies with a look of the most piteous and helpless expression. It was -the dog they had seen on the bowsprit of the vessel, and they had no -doubt her fate was consummated; but three successive enormous billows -coming, with all the force of the German Ocean, from the Baltic, rolled -into the bay. The roar with which they broke as they hurled by the -cliff, where the party were standing, drew the attention of Walkinshaw -even from Ellen; and, to his surprise, he saw that the waves had, in -their sweep, drawn the vessel into the bay, and that she was coming -driving along the side of the precipice, and, if not dashed in pieces -before, would pass within a few yards of where they stood. Her bowsprit -was carried away, which showed how narrowly she had already escaped -destruction. - -The ladies, roused again into eager and anxious sympathy by this -new incident, approached with Walkinshaw as near as possible to the -brink of the cliff--to the very edge of which the raging waters -raised their foamy crests as they passed in their might and majesty -from the headland into the bay. Another awful wave was soon after -seen rising at a distance, and, as it came rolling onward nearer and -nearer, it swallowed up every lesser billow. When it approached the -vessel, it swept her along so closely to the rocks that Walkinshaw -shouted unconsciously, and the dog ran barking to the edge of the -precipice,--all on board were for a moment animated with fresh -energy,--the little boy stood erect; and the sailor on the shrouds, -seeing Walkinshaw and the ladies, cried bravely, as the vessel rose on -the swell in passing, 'It will not do yet.' But the attention of his -admiring spectators was suddenly drawn from him to the gentleman. 'Good -Heavens!' exclaimed Ellen Frazer, 'it is your uncle!' - -It was even so. Mr. Walkinshaw, on raising his head to look up, saw -and recognized them, and, wildly starting from the deck, shook his -uplifted hands with a hideous and terrific frenzy. This scene was, -however, but for an instant; the flank of the wave, as it bore the -vessel along, broke against a projecting rock, and she was wheeled away -by the revulsion to a great distance. - -The sailor in the shrouds still stood firm; a second wave, more -appalling than the former, brought the vessel again towards the cliff. -The dog, anticipating what would happen, ran towards the spot where -she was likely to strike. The surge swung her almost to the top of the -precipice,--the sailor leapt from the shrouds, and caught hold of a -projecting rock,--the dog seized him by the jacket to assist him up, -but the ravenous sea was not to lose its prey.--In the same moment -the wave broke, and the vessel was again tossed away from the rock, -and a frightful dash of the breakers tore down the sailor and the -faithful dog. Another tremendous revulsion, almost in the same moment, -terminated the fate of the vessel. As it came roaring along it caught -her by the broadside, and dashed her into ten thousand shivers against -an angle of the promontory, scarcely more than two hundred yards from -the spot where the horror-struck spectators stood. Had she been made of -glass, her destruction and fragments could not have been greater. They -floated like chaff on the waters; and, for the space of four or five -seconds, the foam amidst which they weltered was coloured in several -places with blood. - - - - -CHAPTER XCI - - -The same gale which proved so fatal on the coast of Caithness, carried -the Glasgow party briskly home. - -Before their arrival the news of the loss of Mr. Walkinshaw had reached -the city, and Dirdumwhamle and his son were as busy, as heirs and -executors could well be, in taking possession of his fortune, which, -besides the estate of Kittlestonheugh, greatly exceeded their most -sanguine expectations. They were, however, smitten with no little -concern when, on applying to Mr. Pitwinnoch, the lawyer, to receive -infeftment of the lands, they heard from him, after he had perused the -deed of entail, that Robina had no right to the inheritance; but that -our friend Walkinshaw was the lawful heir. - -It was, however, agreed, as the world, as well as themselves, had -uniformly understood and believed that old Grippy had disinherited his -eldest son, to say nothing about this important discovery. Walky and -Robina accordingly took possession in due form of her father's mansion. -Their succession was unquestioned, and they mourned in all the most -fashionable pomp of woe for the loss they had sustained, receiving the -congratulatory condolence of their friends with the most befitting -decorum. To do the lady, however, justice, the tears which she shed -were immediate from the heart; for, with all his hereditary propensity -to gather and hold, her father had many respectable domestic virtues, -and was accounted by the world a fair and honourable man. It is also -due to her likewise to mention, that she was not informed, either by -her husband or father-in-law, of the mistake they had been all in with -regard to the entail; so that, whatever blame did attach to them for -the part they played, she was innocent of the fraud. - -To Walkinshaw's mother the loss of her brother-in-law was a severe -misfortune, for with him perished her annuity of fifty pounds a year. -She entertained, however, a hope that Robina would still continue it; -but the feelings arising from the consciousness of an unjust possession -of the estate, operated on the mind of Milrookit in such a way, as to -make him suddenly become wholly under the influence of avarice. Every -necessary expense was grudged; his wife, notwithstanding the wealth she -had brought him, was not allowed to enjoy a guinea; in a word, from -the day in which Pitwinnoch informed him that she had no right to the -property, he was devoured, in the most singular manner, with the most -miserly passions and fears. - -The old Leddy, for some time after the shock she had met with in the -sudden death of her son, mourned with more unaffected sorrow than might -have been expected from her character; and having, during that period, -invited Mrs. Charles to spend a few weeks with her, the loss of the -annuity, and conjectures respecting the continuance of it, frequently -formed the subject of their conversation. - -'It's my notion,' the Leddy would say, 'that Beenie will see to a -continuality o' the 'nuity--but Walky's sic a Nabal, that nae doot it -maun be a task o' dexterity on her side to get him to agree. Howsever, -when they're a' settled, I'll no be mealy-mouthed wi' them. My word! a -bein bargain he has gotten wi' her, and I'm wae to think it did nae fa' -to your Jamie's luck, who is a laddie o' a winsome temper--just as like -his grandfather, my friend that was, as a kittling's like a cat--the -only difference being a wee thought mair o' daffing and playrifety.' - -Nor was it long after these observations that the Leddy had an -opportunity of speaking to her grandchildren on the subject. One day -soon after, when they happened to call, she took occasion to remind -them how kind she had been at the time of their marriage, and also -that, but for her agency, it might never have taken place. - -'Noo,' said she, 'there is ae thing I would speak to you anent, though -I was in the hope ye would hae spar't me the obligation, by making -me a reasonable gratis gift for the cost and outlay I was at, forbye -trouble on your account. But the compliment is like the chariot-wheels -o' Pharaoh, sae dreigh o' drawing, that I canna afford to be blate wi' -you ony langer. Howsever, Walky and Beenie, I hae a projection in my -head, the whilk is a thought o' wisdom for you to consider, and it's o' -the nature o' a solemn league and covenant. If ye'll consent to alloo -Bell Fatherlans her 'nuity of fifty pounds per annus, as it is called -according to law, I'll score you out o' my books for the bed, board, -and washing due to me, and a heavy soom it is.' - -'Where do you think we are to get fifty pounds a year?' exclaimed -Milrookit. 'Fifty pounds a year!' - -'Just in the same neuk, Walky, where ye found the Kittlestonheugh -estate and the three and twenty thousand pounds o' lying siller, -Beenie's braw tocher,' replied the Leddy; 'and I think ye're a very -crunkly character, though your name's no Habakkuk, to gi'e me sic a -constipation o' an answer.' - -'I can assure you, Leddy,' said he, 'if it was a thing within the -compass of my power, I would na need to be told to be liberal to -Mrs. Charles; but the burden o' a family's coming upon us, and it's -necessary, nay, it's a duty, to consider that charity begins at hame.' - -'And what's to become o' her and her dochter? Gude guide us! would the -hard nigger let her gang on the session? for I canna help her.' - -'All I can say at present,' was his reply, 'is that we are in no -circumstances to spare any thing like fifty pounds a year.' - -'Then I can tell thee, Walky, I will this very day mak out my count, -and every farthing I can extortionate frae thee, meeserable penure pig -that thou art, shall be pay't o'er to her to the last fraction, just to -wring thy heart o' niggerality.' - -'If you have any lawful claim against me, of course I am obliged to pay -you.' - -'If I hae ony lawful claim?--ye Goliah o' cheatrie--if I hae ony lawful -claim?--But I'll say nothing--I'll mak out an account--and there's -nae law in Christendom to stop me for charging what I like--my goose -shall lay gouden eggs, if the life bide in my bodie.--Ye unicorn of -oppression, to speak to me o' law, that was so kind to you--but law ye -shall get, and law ye shall hae--and be made as lawful as it's possible -for caption and horning, wi' clerk and signet to implement.' - -'If you will make your little favours a debt, nobody can prevent you; -but I will pay no more than is justly due.' - -The Leddy made no reply, but her eyes looked unutterable things; and -after sitting for some time in that energetic posture of displeasure, -she turned round to Robina, and said, with an accent of the most -touching sympathy,-- - -'Hegh, Beenie! poor lassie! but thou hast ta'en thy sheep to a silly -market. A skelp-the-dub creature to upbraid me wi' his justly dues! -But crocodile or croakin-deil, as I should ca' him, he'll get his ain -justly dues.--Mr. Milrookit o' Kittlestonheugh, as it's no the fashion -when folk hae recourse to the civil war o' a law-plea, to stand on a -ceremony, maybe ye'll find some mair pleasant place than this room, an -ye were to tak the pains to gang to the outside o' my door; and I'll -send, through the instrumentality o' a man o' business, twa lines anent -that bit sma' matter for bed, board, and washing due to me for and -frae that time, when, ye ken, Mr. Milrookit, ye had na ae stiver to -keep yourself and your wife frae starvation.--So out o' my house, and -daur no longer to pollute my presence, ye partan-handit, grip-and-haud -smiddy-vice Mammon o' unrighteousness.' - -After this gentle hint, as the Leddy afterwards called it, Milrookit -and Robina hastily obeyed her commands, and returned to their carriage; -but before driving home, he thought it necessary, under the menace he -had received, to take the advice of his lawyer, Mr. Pitwinnoch. Some -trifling affairs, however, prevented him from driving immediately to -his office, and the consequence was, that the Leddy, who never allowed -the grass to grow in her path, was there before him. - - - - -CHAPTER XCII - - -'Mr. Pitwinnoch,' said the Leddy, on being shown into what she -called 'the bottomless pit o' his consulting-room,' where he wrote -alone,--'ye'll be surprised to see me, and troth ye may think it's no -sma' instancy that has brought me sae far afield the day; for I hae -been sic a lamiter with the rheumateese, that, for a' the last week, I -was little better than a nymph o' anguish; my banes were as sair as if -I had been brayed in a mortar, and shot into Spain. But ye maun know -and understand, that I hae a notion to try my luck and fortune in the -rowley-powley o' a law-plea.' - -'Indeed!' said the lawyer. 'What has happened?' - -'Aye! Mr. Pitwinnoch, ye may weel speer; but my twa ungrateful -grandchildren, that I did sae muckle for at their marriage, hae used -me waur than I were a Papistical Jew o' Jericho. I just, in my civil -and discreet manner, was gi'en them a delicate memento mori concerning -their unsettled count for bed, board, and washing; when up got -Milrookit, as if he would hae flown out at the broad side o' the house, -and threepit that he didna owe me the tenth part o' half a farthing; -and threatened to tak me afore the Lords for a Canaanitish woman, -and an extortioner.--Noo, don't you think that's a nice point, as my -worthy father used to say, and music to the ears of a' the Fifteen at -Embrough?' - -'Mr. Milrookit, surely,' said the lawyer, 'can never resist so just a -demand. How much is it?' - -'But, first and forwards,' replied the Leddy, 'before we come to the -condescendence, I should state the case; and, Mr. Pitwinnoch, ye maun -understand that I hae some knowledge o' what pertains to law, for my -father was most extraordinare at it; and so I need not tell you, that -it's weel for me the day to know what I know. For Milrookit, as I was -saying, having refused, point-blank, Mr. Pitwinnoch, to implement the -'nuity of fifty pounds per annus, that your client--(that's a legal -word, Mr. Pitwinnoch)--that your client settled on my gude-dochter, I -told him he would--then and there refusing--be bound over to pay me for -the bed, board, and washing. And what would ye think, Mr. Pitwinnoch? -he responded, with a justly due,--but I'll due him; and though, had -he been calm and well-bred, I might have put up with ten pounds; yet, -seeing what a ramping lion he made himsel, I'll no faik a farthing o' -a thousand, which, at merchants' interest, will enable me to pay the -'nuity. So, when we get it, ye'll hae to find me somebody willing to -borrow on an heritable bond.' - -'I think you can hardly expect so much as a thousand pounds. If I -recollect rightly, Mr. and Mrs. Milrookit stayed but six weeks with -you,' said the lawyer. - -'Time,' replied the Leddy, 'ye ken, as I hae often heard my father -say, was no item in law; and unless there's a statute of vagrancy in -the Decisions, or the Raging Magistratom, there can be no doot that I -hae't in my power to put what value I please on my house, servitude, -and expense, which is the strong ground of the case. Therefore, you -will write a letter forthwith to Mr. Milrookit of Kittlestonheugh, -charging him with a lawful debt, and a' justly due to me, of one -thousand pounds, without condescending on particulars at present, as -the damages can be afterwards assessed, when we hae gotten payment of -the principal, which everybody must allow is a most liberal offer on my -part.' - -It was with some difficulty that Mr. Pitwinnoch could preserve himself -in a proper state of solemnity to listen to the instructions of his -client; but what lawyer would laugh, even in his own 'bottomless pit'? -However, he said,-- - -'Undoubtedly, Mrs. Walkinshaw, you have a good ground of action; but, -perhaps, I may be able to effect an amicable arrangement, if you would -submit the business to arbitration.' - -'Arbitration, Mr. Pitwinnoch!' exclaimed the Leddy; 'never propound -such a thing to me; for often hae I heard my father say, that -arbitration was the greatest cut-throat of legal proceedings that had -been devised since the discovery of justice at Amalphi. Na, na--I -hae mair sense than to virdict my case wi' any sic pannelling as -arbitration. So, law being my only remeid, I hope ye'll leave no stone -unturned till you hae brought Mr. Milrookit's nose to the grindstone; -and to help you to haud it there, I hae brought a five pound note as -hansel for good luck,--this being the first traffic in legalities -that I hae had on my own bottom; for, in the concos mentos o' Watty, -my son, ye ken I was keepit back, in order to be brought forward as -a witness; but there is no need o' ony decreet o' court for such an -interlocutor on the present occasion.' - -The Leddy having, in this clear and learned manner, delivered her -instructions, she left the office, and soon after Milrookit was also -shown into 'the bottomless pit,' where he gave an account of the -transaction, somewhat different, but, perhaps, no nearer the truth. -He was, however, not a little surprised to find the pursuer had been -there before him, and that she had instructed proceedings. But what -struck him with the greatest consternation was a suggestion from Mr. -Pitwinnoch to compromise the matter. - -'Take my advice, Mr. Milrookit,' said he, 'and settle this -quietly--there is no saying what a law-suit may lead to; and, -considering the circumstances under which you hold the estate, don't -stir, lest the sleeping dog awake. Let us pacify the old Leddy with two -or three hundred pounds.' - -'Two or three hundred pounds, for six weeks of starvation! The thing, -Mr. Pitwinnoch, is ridiculous.' - -'True, sir,' replied the lawyer; 'but then the state of the Entail--you -should consider that. Be thankful if she will take a couple of -hundreds.' - -'Nay, if you counsel me to do that, I have no alternative, and must -submit.' - -'You will do wisely in at once agreeing,' said Pitwinnoch; and, after -some further conversation to the same effect, Milrookit gave a cheque -for two hundred pounds, and retired grumbling. - -The lawyer, rejoicing in so speedy and fortunate a settlement, as soon -as he left the office, went to the Leddy, exulting in his address. - -'Twa hundred pounds!' said she,--'but the fifth part o' my thousand! -I'll ne'er tak ony sic payment. Ye'll carry it back to Mr. Milrookit, -and tell him I'll no faik a plack o' my just debt; and what's mair, if -he does na pay me the whole tot down at once, he shall be put to the -horn without a moment's delay.' - -'I assure you,' replied the lawyer, 'that this is a result far beyond -hope--you ought not for a moment to make a word about it; for you must -be quite aware that he owes you no such sum as this. You said yourself -that ten pounds would have satisfied you.' - -'And so it would--but that was before I gaed to law wi' him,' cried -the Leddy; 'but seeing now how I hae the rights o' the plea, I'll hae -my thousand pounds if the hide be on his snout. Whatna better proof -could ye hae o' the justice o' my demand, than that he should hae come -down in terror at once wi' two hundred pounds? I hae known my father -law for seven years, and even when he won, he had money to pay out of -his own pocket--so, wi' sic eres o' victory as ye hae gotten, I would -be waur than mad no to stand out. Just gang till him, and come na back -to me without the thousand pound--every farthing, Mr. Pitwinnoch--and -your own costs besides; or, if ye dinna, maybe I'll get another man -o' business that will do my turn better--for, in an extremity like a -lawsuit, folk maunna stand on friendships. Had Mr. Keelevin been noo to -the fore, I wouldna needed to be put to my peremptors; but, honest man, -he's gone. Howsever, there's one Thomas Whitteret, that was his clerk -when my friend that's awa' made his deed o' settlement--and I hae heard -he has a nerve o' ability; so, if ye bring na me the thousand pounds -this very afternoon, I'll apply to him to be my agent.' - -Mr. Pitwinnoch said not a word to this, but left the house, and, -running to the Black Bull Inn, ordered a post-chaise, and was at -Kittlestonheugh almost as soon as his client. A short conversation -settled the business--the very name of Thomas Whitteret, an old clerk -of Keelevin, and probably acquainted with the whole affair, was worth -five thousand pounds, and, in consequence, in much less time than the -Leddy expected, she did receive full payment of her thousand pounds; -but, instead of expressing any pleasure at her success, she regretted -that she should have made a charge of such moderation, being persuaded, -that, had she stood out, the law would have given her double the money. - - - - -CHAPTER XCIII - - -Mr. Pitwinnoch was instructed to lay out the money at five per cent. -interest to pay Mrs. Charles the annuity; and one of his clerks -mentioned the circumstance to a companion in Mr. Whitteret's office. -This led to an application from him for the loan, on account of -a country gentleman in the neighbourhood, who, having obtained a -considerable increase of his rental, was intending to enlarge his -mansion, and extend his style of living,--a very common thing at that -period, the effects of which are beginning to show themselves,--but, -as the Leddy said on another occasion, that's none of our concern at -present. - -The security offered being unexceptionable, an arrangement was speedily -concluded, and an heritable bond for the amount prepared. As the party -borrowing the money lived at some distance from the town, Mr. Whitteret -sent one of his young men to get it signed, and to deliver it to the -Leddy. It happened that the youth employed in this business was a -little acquainted with the Leddy, and knowing her whimsical humour, -when he carried it home he stopped, and fell into conversation with her -about Walkinshaw, whom he knew. - -'I maun gar his mother write to him,' said the Leddy, 'to tell him -what a victory I hae gotten;--for ye maun ken, Willy Keckle, that -I hae overcome principalities and powers in this controversy.--Wha -ever heard o' thousands o' pounds gotten for sax weeks' bed, board, -and washing, like mine? But it was a rightous judgement on the Nabal -Milrookit,--whom I'll never speak to again in this world, and no in the -next either, I doot, unless he mends his manners. He made an absolute -refuse to gie a continuality o' Jamie's mother's 'nuity, which was -the because o' my going to law with him for a thousand pounds, value -received in bed, board, and washing, for six weeks.--And the case, -Willy,--you that's breeding for a limb o' the law,--ye should ken, was -sic an absolute fact, that he was obligated by a judicature to pay me -down the money.' - -Willy Keckle was so amused with her account of the speedy justice which -she had obtained, as she said, by instructing Mr. Pitwinnoch herself of -the 'nice point,' and 'the strong ground,' that he could not refrain -from relating the conversation to his master. - -Mr. Whitteret was diverted with the story; but it seemed so strange and -unaccountable, that the amount of the demand, and the readiness with -which it was paid, dwelt on his mind as extraordinary circumstances; -and he having occasion next day to go into Edinburgh, where Mr. Frazer -had returned from Glengael, to attend his professional duties, he -happened to be invited to dine with a party where that gentleman was, -and the company consisting chiefly of lawyers,--as dinner parties -unfortunately are in the modern Athens,--he amused them with the story -of the Leddy's legal knowledge. - -Glengael, from the interest which he took in his young friend, -Walkinshaw, whom he had left at the castle, was led to inquire somewhat -particularly into the history of the Kittlestonheugh family, expressing -his surprise and suspicion, in common with the rest of the company, -as to the motives which could have influenced a person of Milrookit's -character to comply so readily with a demand so preposterous. - -One thing led on to another, and Mr. Whitteret recollected something -of the deed which had been prepared when he was in Mr. Keelevin's -office, and how old Grippy died before it was executed. The object of -this deed was then discussed, and the idea presenting itself to the -mind of Glengael, that, possibly, it might have some connection with -the Entail, inquired more particularly respecting the terms of that -very extraordinary settlement, expressing his astonishment that it -should not have contained a clause to oblige the person marrying the -heiress to take the name of Walkinshaw, to which the old man, by all -accounts, had been so much attached. The whole affair, the more it -was considered, seemed the more mysterious; and the conclusion in the -penetrating mind of Mr. Frazer was, that Milrookit had undoubtedly some -strong reason for so quietly hushing the old Leddy's claim. - -His opinion at the moment was, that Robina's father had left a will, -making some liberal provision for his sister-in-law's family; and that -Milrookit was anxious to stand on such terms with his connections, as -would prevent any of them, now that Walkinshaw had left Glasgow, from -inquiring too anxiously into the state of his father-in-law's affairs. -But, without expressing what was passing in his mind, he so managed the -conversation as to draw out the several opinions of his legal brethren. -Some of them coincided with his own. There was, however, one old pawkie -and shrewd writer to the signet present, who remained silent, but whom -Mr. Frazer observed attending with an uncommon degree of earnest and -eager watchfulness to what was said, practising, in fact, nearly the -same sort of policy which prompted himself to lead the conversation. - -Mr. Pilledge,--for so this W. S. was called--had acquired a -considerable fortune and reputation in the Parliament House, by the -address with which he discovered dormant rights and legal heirs; and -Mr. Frazer had no doubt, from the evident interest which he had taken -in the Kittlestonheugh story, that he would soon take some steps to -ascertain the real motives which had led Milrookit to act in the -Leddy's case so inconsistently with his general character. In so far -he was, therefore, not displeased to observe his earnestness; but he -had often heard it said, that Mr. Pilledge was in the practice of -making bargains with those clients whose dormant rights he undertook -to establish, by which it was insinuated that he had chiefly built up -his fortune--his general practice being very limited; and Mr. Frazer -resolved to watch his movements, in order to protect his young friend. - -This opinion of Pilledge was not unfounded; for the same evening, -after the party broke up, he accompanied Whitteret to the hotel where -he stayed, and, in the course of the walk, renewed the conversation -respecting the singular entail of old Grippy. The Glasgow lawyer -was shrewd enough to perceive, that such unusual interest in a case -where he had no concern could not be dictated by the mere wonder and -curiosity which the Writer to the Signet affected to express; but, -being unacquainted with the general character of Pilledge, he ascribed -his questions and conjectures to the effect of professional feelings -perplexed by a remarkable case. - -But it happened next morning that he had occasion to attend a -consultation with Mr. Frazer, who, taking an opportunity to revert to -the subject, which had so occupied their attention on the preceding -afternoon, gave him a hint to be on his guard with respect to Pilledge, -suggesting, on Walkinshaw's account, that Whitteret might find it of -advantage to himself, could he really ascertain the secret reasons -and motives by which the possessor of the Kittlestonheugh estate was -actuated. - -'It would not give you much trouble,' said he, 'were you to step into -the Register Office, and look at the terms of the original deed of -entail; for although the disinheritance of the eldest son, as I have -always understood, was final, there may be some flaw in the succession -with respect to the daughter.' - -This extrajudicial advice was not lost. As soon as the consultation was -over, Whitteret went to the Register Office, where, not a little to his -surprise, he found Pilledge, as Frazer had suspected, already in the -act of reading the registered deed of the entail. A short conversation -then ensued, in which Whitteret intimated that he had also come for the -same purpose. - -'Then,' said Pilledge, 'let us go together, for it appears to me that -the heirs-female of the sons do not succeed before the heirs whatsoever -of the daughters; and Milrookit's right would be preferable to that of -his wife, if the eldest son has not left a son.' - -'But the eldest son has left a son,' replied Whitteret. - -'In that case,' said Pilledge, 'we may make a good thing of it with -him. I'll propose to him to undertake his claim upon an agreement for -half the rent, in the event of success, and we can divide the bakes.' - -'You may save yourself the trouble,' replied Whitteret coolly; 'for I -shall write to him by the first post--in the meantime, Mr. Frazer has -authorized me to act.' - -'Frazer! how can he authorize you?' said Pilledge, discontentedly. - -'He knows that best himself; but the right of the son of the eldest son -is so clear, that there will be no room for any proceedings.' - -'You are mistaken there,' replied Pilledge, eagerly. 'I never saw a -deed yet that I could not drive a horse and cart through, and I should -think that Milrookit is not such a fool as to part with the estate -without a struggle. But since you are agent for the heir of entail, I -will offer to conduct the respondent's case. I think you said he is -rich, independent of the heritable subject.' - -This conscientious conversation was abruptly terminated on the part of -Whitteret, who immediately went to Mr. Frazer, and communicated the -important discovery which had been made, with respect to Walkinshaw -being the heir of entail. He also mentioned something of what had -passed with Mr. Pilledge, expressing his apprehensions, from what he -knew of Pitwinnoch, Milrookit's man of business, in Glasgow, that -Pilledge, with his assistance, might involve the heir in expensive -litigation. - -Mr. Frazer knew enough of the metaphysical ingenuity of the Parliament -House, to be aware that, however clear and evident any right might -be, it was never beyond the possibility of dispute there, and he -immediately suggested that some steps should be taken, to induce -Milrookit at once to resign the possession of the property; but, while -they were thus speaking Pilledge was already on the road to Glasgow, to -apprise Milrookit of what was impending, and to counsel him to resist. - - - - -CHAPTER XCIV - - -From the circumstance of Milrookit and Robina staying with the Leddy -at the time of their marriage, the porter at the inn, where Pilledge -alighted on his arrival at Glasgow, supposed they lived in her house, -and conducted him there. But, on reaching the door, seeing the name -of Mrs. Walkinshaw on a brass plate, not quite so large as the one -that the Lord Provost of the royal city sported on the occasion of his -Majesty's most gracious visit to the lawful and intellectual metropolis -of his ancient kingdom, he resolved to address himself to her, for -what purpose it would not be easy to say, further than he thought, -perhaps, from what he had heard of her character, that she might be of -use in the projected litigation. Accordingly, he applied his hand to -the knocker, and was shown into the room where she was sitting alone, -spinning. - -'You are the lady,' said he, 'I presume, of the late much respected Mr. -Claud Walkinshaw, commonly styled of Grippy.' - -'So they say, for want o' a better,' replied the Leddy, stopping at the -same time her wheel and looking up to him; 'but wha are ye, and what's -your will?' - -'My name is Pilledge. I am a writer to the signet, and I have come to -see Mr. Milrookit of Kittlestonheugh, respecting an important piece of -business;'--and he seated himself unbidden. As he said this, the Leddy -pricked up her ears, for, exulting in her own knowledge of the law, by -which she had recently so triumphed, as she thought, she became eager -to know what the important piece of business could be, and replied,-- - -'Nae doot, it's anent the law-plea he has been brought into, on account -of his property.' - -Milrookit had been engaged in no suit whatever, but this was the way -she took to trot the Edinburgh writer, and she added,-- - -'How do ye think it'll gang wi' him? Is there ony prospect o' the Lord -Ordinary coming to a decision on the pursuer's petition?' - -This really looked so like the language of the Parliament House, -considering it came from an old lady, that Pilledge was taken in, and -his thoughts running on the entail, he immediately fancied that she -alluded to something connected with it, and said,-- - -'I should think, Madam, that your evidence would be of the utmost -importance to the case, and it was to advise with him chiefly as to the -line of defence he ought to take that I came from Edinburgh.' - -'Nae doot, Sir, I could gie an evidence, and instruct on the merits -of the interdict,' said she learnedly; 'but I ne'er hae yet been able -to come to a right understanding anent and concerning the different -aforesaids set forth in the respondent's reclaiming petition. Noo, I -would be greatly obligated if ye would expone to me the nice point, -that I may be able to decern accordingly.' - -The Writer to the Signet had never heard a clearer argument, either at -the bar or on the bench, and he replied,-- - -'Indeed, Mem, it lies in a very small compass. It appears that the -heir-male of your eldest son is the rightful heir of entail; but there -are so many difficulties in the terms of the settlement, that I should -not be surprised were the Court to set the deed aside, in which case, -Mrs. Milrookit would still retain the estate, as heir-at-law of her -father.' - -We must allow the reader to conceive with what feelings the Leddy heard -this; but new and wonderful as it was felt to be, she still preserved -her juridical gravity, and said,-- - -'It's vera true what ye say, Sir, that the heir-male of my eldest -son,--is a son,--I can easily understand that point o' law;--but can ye -tell me how the heir-at-law of her father, Mrs. Milrookit that is, came -to be a dochter, when it was ay the intent and purpose o' my friend -that's awa, the testator, to make no provision but for heirs-male, -which his heart, poor man, was overly set on. Howsever, I suppose -that's to be considered in the precognition!' - -'Certainly, Mem,' replied the Writer to the Signet; 'nothing is more -clear than that your husband intended the estate to go, in the first -instance, to the heirs-male of his sons; first to those of Walter, the -second son; and failing them, to those of George, the third son; and -failing them, then to go back to the heirs-male of Charles, the eldest -son; and failing them, to the heirs-general of Margaret, your daughter. -It is, therefore, perfectly clear, that Mrs. Milrookit being, as you -justly observe, a daughter, the estate, according to the terms of the -settlement, passes her, and goes to the heir of entail, who is the son -of your eldest son.' - -'I understand that weel,' said the Leddy; 'it's as plain as a -pike-staff, that my oe Jamie, the soldier-officer, is by right the -heir; and I dinna see how Walky Milrookit, or his wife Beenie, that is, -according to law, Robina, can, by any decreet o' Court, keep him out of -his ain,--poor laddie!' - -'It is very natural for you, Mem, to say so; but the case has other -points, and especially as the heir of entail is in the army, I -certainly would not advise Mr. Milrookit to surrender.' - -'But he'll be maybe counselled better,' rejoined the Leddy, inwardly -rejoicing at the discovery she had made, and anxious to get rid of the -visitor, in order that she might act at once, 'and if ye'll tak my -advice, ye'll no sca'd your lips in other folks' kail. Mr. Pitwinnoch -is just as gude a Belzebub's baby for a law-plea, as ony Writer to the -Signet in that bottomless pit, the House o' Parliament in Edinbrough; -and since ye hae told me what ye hae done, it's but right to let you -ken what I'll do. As yet I hae had but ae lawsuit, and I trow it was -soon brought, by my own mediation, to a victory; but it winna be lang -till I hae another; for if Milrookit does na consent, the morn's -morning, to gie up the Kittlestonheugh, he'll soon fin' again what it -is to plea wi' a woman o' my experience.' - -Pilledge was petrified; he saw that he was in the hands of the Leddy, -and that she had completely overreached him. But still he was resolved -that his journey should not be barren if he could possibly prevent it. -He accordingly wished her good afternoon, and, returning to the inn, -ordered a chaise, and proceeded to Kittlestonheugh. - -The moment that he left the Leddy, her cloak and bonnet were put in -requisition, and attended by her maid, on whose arm she leaned, being -still lame with the rheumatism, she sallied forth to Pitwinnoch's -office, resolved on action. - -He had not, however, acted on what she called her great Bed and Board -plea entirely to her satisfaction; for she thought, had he seen the -rights of her case as well as she did herself, and had counselled her -better, she might have got much more than a thousand pounds. She was, -therefore, determined, if he showed the least hesitation in obeying her -'peremptors,' that she would immediately proceed to Mr. Whitteret's -office, and appoint him her agent. How she happened to imagine that -she had any right to institute proceedings against Milrookit, for the -restoration of the estate to Walkinshaw, will be best understood by our -narrative of what passed at the consultation. - - - - -CHAPTER XCV - - -'It was a happy thing for me, Mr. Pitwinnoch,' said the Leddy, after -being seated in his inner chamber--'a happy thing, indeed, that I had -a father, and sic a father as he was. Weel kent he the rights o' the -law; so that I may say I was brought up at the feet o' Gamaliel. But -the bed and board plea, Mr. Pitwinnoch, that ye thought sae lightly o', -and wanted me to mak a sacrifice o' wi' an arbitration, was bairn's -play to the case I hae noo in hand. Ye maun ken, then, that I hae ta'en -a suspektion in my head, that Milrookit--the de'il rook him for what -he did to me--has nae right because to keep, in a wrongous manner, -my gudeman's estate and property o' the Kittlestonheugh. 'Deed, Mr. -Pitwinnoch, ye may glower; but it's my intent and purpose to gar him -surrender at discretion, in due course of law. So he'll see what it -is to deal wi' a woman o' my legality. In short, Mr. Pitwinnoch, I'll -mak him fin' that I'm a statute at large; for, as I said before, the -thousand pounds was but erles, and a foretaste, that I hae been oure -lang, Mr. Pitwinnoch, of going to law.' - -'You surprise me, Madam,--I cannot understand what you mean,' replied -the astonished lawyer. - -'Your surprise, and having no understanding, Mr. Pitwinnoch, is a -symptom to me that ye're no qualified to conduct my case; but, before -going to Thomas Whitteret, who, as I am creditably informed, is a man -o' a most great capacity, I thought it was but right to sound the depth -o' your judgement and learning o' the law; and if I found you o' a -proper sufficiency, to gie you a preferment, 'cause ye were my agent in -the last plea.' - -'But, Madam,' said the astonished lawyer, 'how can you possibly have -fancied that Mr. Milrookit has not, in right of his wife, properly -succeeded to the estate?' - -'Because she's no a male-heir--being in terms of the act--but a woman. -What say ye to that? Is na that baith a nice point and a ground of -action? Na, ye need na look sae constipated, Mr. Pitwinnoch, for the -heirs-general o' Margaret, the dochter, hae a better right than the -heir-at-law o' George, the third and last son, the same being an -heir-female.' - -'In the name of goodness, where have you, Madam, collected all this -stuff?' - -'Stuff! Mr. Pitwinnoch, is that the way to speak o' my legality? -Howsever, since ye're sae dumfoundert, I'll just be as plain's am -pleasant wi' you. Stuff truly! I think Mr. Whitteret's the man for me.' - -'I beg your pardon, Mrs. Walkinshaw; but I wish you would be a little -more explicit, and come to the point.' - -'Have na I come to ae point already, anent the male-heir?' - -'True, Madam,' said the lawyer; 'but even, admitting all you have -stated to be perfectly correct, Mr. Milrookit then has the right in -himself, for you know it is to the heirs-general of his mother, and not -to herself, that the property goes.' - -'Ye need na tell me that. Do you think I dinna ken that he's an -heir-general to his mother, being her only child? Ye mak light, I -canna but say, o' my understanding, Mr. Pitwinnoch. Howsever, is't -no plain that his wife, not being an heir-male, is debarred frae -succeeding; and, he being an heir-general, cannot, according to the -law of the case, succeed? Surely, Mr. Pitwinnoch, that's no to be -contested? Therefore, I maintain that he is lawfully bound to renounce -the property, and that he shall do the morn's morning if there's a -toun-officer in Glasgow.' - -'But, Madam, you have no possible right to it,' exclaimed the lawyer, -puzzled. - -'Me! am I a male-heir? an aged woman, and a grandmother! Surely, Mr. -Pitwinnoch, your education maun hae been greatly neglekit, to ken so -little o' the laws o' nature and nations. No: the heir-male is a young -man, the eldest son's only son.' - -The lawyer began to quake for his client as the Leddy proceeded,-- - -'For ye ken that the deed of entail was first on Walter, the second -son; and, failing his heirs-male, then on George and his heirs-male; -and, failing them, then it went back to Charles the eldest son, and to -his heirs-male; if there's law in the land, his only son ought to be an -heir-male, afore Milrookit's wife that's but an only dochter.' - -'Has Mr. Whitteret put this into your head?--he was bred wi' Keelevin, -who drew up the deed,' said the lawyer seriously, struck with the -knowledge which the Leddy seemed to have so miraculously acquired of -the provisions of the entail. - -'I dinna need Mr. Whitteret, nor ony siclike, to instruct me in terms -o' law--for I got an inkling and an instinct o' the whole nine points -frae my worthy father, that was himsel bred an advocate, and had more -law-pleas on his hands when he died than ony ither three lairds in -Carrick, Coil, and Cunningham. But no to be my own trumpeter--ye'll -just, Mr. Pitwinnoch, write a mandamus to Milrookit, in a civil -manner--mind that; and tell him in the same, that I'll be greatly -obligated if he'll gie up the house and property of Kittlestonheugh to -the heir-male, James Walkinshaw, his cousin; or, failing therein, ye'll -say that I hae implemented you to pronounce an interlocutor against -him; and ye may gie him a bit hint frae yoursel--in a noty beny at the -bottom--that you advise him to conform, because you are creditably -informed that I mean to pursue him wi' a' the law o' my displeasure.' - -'Does your grandson know any thing of this extraordinary business?' -said Pitwinnoch; but the Leddy parried the question by saying,-- - -'That's no our present sederunt; but I would ask you, if ye do not -think I hae the justice o' this plea?' - -'Indeed, Madam, to say the truth, I shall not be surprised if you have; -but there is no need to be so peremptory--the business may be as well -settled by an amicable arrangement.' - -'What's the use of an amicable arrangement? Is na the law the law? -Surely I did na come to a lawyer for sic dowf and dowie proceedings -as amicable arrangements--no, Mr. Pitwinnoch, ye see yoursel that I -hae decern't on the rights o' the case, and therefore (for I maun be -short wi' you, for talking to me o' amicable arrangements) ye may -save your breath to cool your porridge; my will and pleasure is, that -Walkinshaw Milrookit shall do to-morrow morning--in manner of law--then -and there--dispone and surrender unto the heir-male of the late Claud -Walkinshaw of Kittlestonheugh, in the shire o' Lanark, and synod -of Glasgow and Ayr--all and sundry the houses and lands aforesaid, -according to the provisions of an act made and passed in the reign of -our Sovereign Lord the King. Ye see, Mr. Pitwinnoch, that I'm no a daw -in barrow't feathers, to be picket and pooket in the way I was by sic -trash as the Milrookits.' - -The Leddy, having thus instructed her lawyer, bade him adieu, and -returned home, leaning on her maid's arm, and on the best possible -terms with herself, scarcely for a moment doubting a favourable result -to a proceeding that in courtesy we must call her second law-suit. - - - - -CHAPTER XCVI - - -The shipwreck of the third Laird had left an awful impression on the -minds of all the Glengael party, who, immediately after that disaster, -returned to the castle. To Mrs. Eadie it afforded the strongest -confirmation that she had inherited the inspiring mantle of her -maternal race; and her dreams and visions, which happily for herself -were of the most encouraging augury, became more and more frequent, and -her language increased in mystery and metaphor. - -'Death,' said she, 'has performed his task--the winds of heaven and -the ocean waves have obeyed the mandate, and the moon has verified her -influence on the destinies of men. But the volume, with the brazen -clasps, has not yet been opened--the chronicled wisdom of ages has not -yet been unfolded--Antiquity and Learning are still silent in their -niches, and their faces veiled.' - -It was of no avail to argue with her, even in her soberest moods, -against the fatal consequences of yielding so entirely to the -somnambulism of her malady. Her friends listened to her with a solemn -compassion, and only hoped that, in the course of the summer, some -improvement might take place in her health, and allay that extreme -occasional excitement of her nervous system which produced such -mournful effects on a mind of rare and splendid endowments. In the -hopes of this favourable change, it was agreed, when Mr. Frazer was -called to Edinburgh on professional business, as we have already -mentioned, that the family should, on her account, remain till late in -the year at Glengael. - -Meanwhile Walkinshaw and French Frazer were proceeding with their -recruiting; and it was soon evident to the whole party that the latter -had attached himself in a particular manner to Mary. Mrs. Eadie, if not -the first who observed it, was the first who spoke of it; but, instead -of using that sort of strain which ladies of a certain age commonly -employ on such affairs, she boded of bridal banquets in the loftiest -poetry of her prophetical phraseology. The fortunes of Walkinshaw and -Ellen were lost sight of in the mystical presages of this new theme, -till the letters arrived from Mr. Frazer, announcing the discovery of -the provisions in the deed of entail, and requesting his young friend -to come immediately to Edinburgh. 'The clasped book of antiquity,' said -Mrs. Eadie, 'is now open. Who shall dispute the oracles of fate?' - -But with all the perspicuity of her second sight, she saw nothing of -what was passing at Kittlestonheugh on the same afternoon in which -these letters reached the castle. - -Mr. Pilledge, it will be recollected, immediately after his interview -with the Leddy, proceeded in a post-chaise to see Milrookit; and, as he -was not embarrassed with much professional diffidence, the purpose of -his visit was soon explained. The consternation with which Walky heard -of the discovery will be easier imagined than described; but something -like a ray of hope and pleasure glimmered in the prospect that Pilledge -held out of being able either to break the entail, or to procrastinate -the contest to an indefinite period at an expence of less than half the -rental of the property. - -While they were thus engaged in discussing the subject, and Milrookit -was entering as cordially into the views of the Edinburgh writer, as -could on so short a notice be reasonably expected, Mr. Pitwinnoch was -announced. The instinct of birds of a feather, as the proverb says, had -often before brought him into contact with Pilledge, and a few words of -explanation enabled the triumvirate to understand the feelings of each -other thoroughly. - -'But,' said Pitwinnoch, 'I am instructed to take immediate steps, to -establish the rights of the heir of entail.' - -'So much the better,' replied Pilledge; 'the business could not be -in abler hands. You can act for your client in the most satisfactory -manner, and as Mr. Milrookit will authorize me to proceed for him, it -will be hard if we cannot make a tough pull.' - -Mr. Pitwinnoch thought so too, and then amused them with a laughable -account of the instructions he had received from the Leddy, to demand -the surrender of the estate, and the acknowledgment of the heir, in -the course of the following day. Pilledge, in like manner, recounted, -in his dry and pawkie style, the interview which he had himself with -the same ingenious and redoubtable matron; and that nothing might be -wanting to the enjoyment of their jokes and funny recitals, Milrookit -ordered in wine, and they were all as jocose as possible, when the -servant brought a letter--it was from Mr. Whitteret, written at the -suggestion of Mr. Frazer, to whom he had, immediately after parting -from Pilledge in the Register Office, communicated the discovery. It -simply announced, that steps were taken to serve Walkinshaw heir to the -estate, and suggested on account of the relationship of the parties, -that it might be as well to obviate, by an admission of the claim, -the necessity of any exposure, or of the institution of unpleasant -proceedings, for the fraud that had been practised. - -Milrookit trembled as he read,--Pitwinnoch looked aghast, for he -perceived that his own conduct in the transaction might be sifted; and -Pilledge, foreseeing there would be no use for him, quietly took his -hat and slipped away, leaving them to their own meditations. - -'This is a dreadful calamity,' were the first words that Milrookit -uttered, after a silence of several minutes. - -'It is a most unlucky discovery,' said Pitwinnoch. - -'And this threat of exposure,' responded his client. - -'And my character brought into peril!' exclaimed the lawyer. - -'Had you not rashly advised me,' said Milrookit, 'I should never for a -moment have thought of retaining the property.' - -'Both your father and yourself, Sir,' retorted the lawyer, 'thought -if it could be done, it ought; I but did my duty as your lawyer, in -recommending what you so evidently wished.' - -'That is not the fact, Sir,' replied Milrookit, sharply, and the -conversation proceeded to become more abrupt and vehement, till the -anger of high words assumed the form of action, and the lawyer and his -client rushed like two bull-dogs on each other. At that crisis, the -door was suddenly opened, and the old Leddy looking in, said,-- - -'Shake him weel, Mr. Pitwinnoch, and if he'll no conform, I redde ye -gar him conform.' - -The rage of the combatants was instantly extinguished, and they stood -pale and confounded, trembling in every limb. - -It had happened, after the Leddy returned home from Pitwinnoch's, -that Robina called, in the carriage, to effect, if possible, a -reconciliation with her, which, for reasons we need not mention, -her husband had engaged her that afternoon to do, and she had, in -consequence, brought her, in the spirit of friendship, as she imagined, -out to Kittlestonheugh. The Leddy, however, prided herself on being -almost as dexterous a diplomatician as she was learned in the law, and -she affected to receive her grand-daughter in the spirit of a total -oblivion of all injuries. - -'Ye ken, Beenie, my dear,' said she, 'that I'm an aged person, and for -a' the few and evil days I hae before me in this howling wilderness, -it's vera natural that I should like to make a conciliation wi' -my grandchilder, who, I hope, will a' live in comfort wi' one -another--every one getting his own right, for it's a sore thing to go -to law, although I hae some reason to know that there are folks in -our family that ken mair o' the nine points than they let wit--so I'm -cordial glad to see you, Beenie, and I take it so kind, that if ye'll -gie me a hurl in the carriage, and send me hame at night, I'll no -object to gang wi' you and speer for your gudeman, for whom I hae a' -manner o' respek, even though he was a thought unreasonable anent my -charge o' moderation for the bed and board.' - -But the truth is, that the Leddy, from the moment Robina entered the -room, was seized with the thirst of curiosity to know how Milrookit -would receive the claim, and had, in this eccentric manner, contrived -to get herself taken to the scene of action. - - - - -CHAPTER XCVII - - -Recalled to their senses by the interruption, both Milrookit and his -lawyer saw that their interests and characters were too intimately -linked in the consequences of the discovery to allow them to incur the -hazards of a public disclosure. Pitwinnoch was the first who recovered -his presence of mind, and, with great cleverness, he suddenly turned -round, and addressed himself to the Leddy:-- - -'Though we have had a few words, Mr. Milrookit is quite sensible that -he has not a shadow of reason to withhold the estate from the heir of -entail. He will give it up the moment that it is demanded.' - -'Then I demand it this moment,' exclaimed the Leddy; 'and out of this -house, that was my ain, I'll no depart till Jamie Walkinshaw, the -righteous male-heir, comes to tak possession. It was a most jewdical -habit and repute like action o' you, Walky Milrookit, to reset and keep -this fine property on a point of law; and I canna see how ye'll clear -your character o' the coom ye hae brought on't by sic a diminishment -of the grounds of the case between an heir-male and an heir-female.' - -Milrookit, seeing his wife coming into the room, and eager to get the -business closed as happily as possible, requested Pitwinnoch to follow -him into another apartment; to which they immediately retired, leaving -the ladies together. - -'Beenie,' said the Leddy, with the most ineffable self-satisfied -equanimity, 'I hope ye'll prepare yoursel to hear wi' composity the -sore affliction that I'm ordain't to gie you. Eh, Beenie! honesty's a -braw thing; and I'll no say that your gudeman, my ain oe, hasna been a -deevil that should get his dues--what they are, the laws and lawyers -as weel as me ken are little short o' the halter. But, for a' that, -our ain kith and kin, Beenie--we maun jook and let the jawp gae bye. -So I counsel you to pack up your ends and your awls, and flit your -camp wi' a' the speed ye dow; for there's no saying what a rampageous -soldier-officer, whose trade is to shoot folk, may say or do, when -Jamie Walkinshaw comes to ken the battle that I hae fought wi' sic -triumphing.' - -Mrs. Milrookit, who was totally uninformed either of the circumstances -of her situation, or of what had taken place, scarcely felt more -amazement than terror at this speech, and in perceiving that her -grandmother was acquainted with the business which had brought her -husband and Pitwinnoch to such high words, that their voices were heard -before the carriage reached the door. - -'What has happened?' was the anxious exclamation of her alarm. - -'Only a discovery that has been made among the Faculty o' Advocates, -that a dochter's no a male-heir. So you being but the heir-female of -George, the third son, by course o' nature the property goes back -to the son of Charles the eldest son--he being, in the words of the -act, an heir-male, and your husband, Walkinshaw Milrookit, being an -heir-general of Margaret, the daughter, is, in a sense o' law, no heir -at all, which is the reason that your cousin Jamie comes in for the -estate, and that you and Milrookit must take up your bed, and walk to -some other dwelling-place; for here, at Kittlestonheugh, ye hae no -continued city, Beenie, my dear, and I'm very sorry for you. It's wi' -a very heavy heart, and an e'e o' pity, that I'm obligated not to be -beautiful on the mountains, but to tell you thir sore news.' - -'Then I'm to understand,' replied Robina, with a degree of composure -that surprised the Leddy, 'it has been discovered that my uncle -Charles' family were not entirely disinherited, but that James succeeds -to the estate? It is only to be regretted that this was not known -sooner, before we took up our residence here.' - -'It's an auld saying, Beenie, and a true saying, as I know from my own -experience, that the law is a tether o' length and durability; so ye -need be nane surprised, considering the short time bygane since your -father's death, that the panel was na brought to judgement sooner. -Indeed, if it had na been by my instrumentality, and the implementing -o' the case that I gied to Pitwinnoch, there's no saying how long it -would hae been pending afore the Lords.' - -While the Leddy was thus delivering what she called her dark sentence -o' legality, Pitwinnoch and Milrookit returned into the room, and the -former said to the Leddy,-- - -'I'm happy to inform you, Madam, that Mr. Milrookit acts in the -handsomest manner. He is quite satisfied that his cousin, Mr. -Walkinshaw, is the true heir of entail, and is prepared to resign the -estate at once.' - -'Did na I prove to you, Mr. Pitwinnoch, that wi' baith his feet he had -na ae leg in law to stand on; but ye misdootit my judgement,' replied -the Leddy, exultingly. - -'But,' continued the lawyer, 'in consideration of this most honourable -acquiescence at once on his part, I have undertaken that ye'll repay -the thousand pounds which, you must be sensible, was a most ridiculous -sum for six weeks' bed and board in your house.' - -'Truly, and ye're no far wrang, Mr. Pitwinnoch. It was a vera -ridiculous soom; for, if I had stood out, I might hae got twa thousand, -if no mair. But I canna understand how it is possible you can think -I'll part wi' my lawful won money for naething.--What's the gieing up -o' the estate to the male heir to me? I'll get neither plack nor bawbee -by't, unless it please Jamie to gie me a bit present, by way o' a fee, -for counselling you how to set about the precognition that's gotten him -his right.--Na, na, no ae farthing will I faik.' - -'Then, Madam, I shall feel it my duty to advise Mr. Milrookit to revive -the question, and take the matter into Court upon a ground of error,' -said the lawyer. - -'Tak it, tak it, pleasure yoursel in that way; ye can do naething -mair cordial to me;--but I think ye ought to know, and Milrookit to -understand, baith by bed, board, and washing, and heirs-male, what it -is to try the law wi' me.' - -The lawyer and his client exchanged looks: the Leddy, however, -continued her address,-- - -'Howsever, Mr. Pitwinnoch, sure am I there was no mistake in the -business; for ye'll bear in mind that ye made me an offer of twa -hundred, the whilk I refused, and then ye brought me my justly due. -That settles the point o' law,--tak my word for 't.' - -'I am afraid,' said Pitwinnoch to his rueful client, 'that there is no -chance'-- - -''Deed no, Mr. Pitwinnoch,' replied the Leddy; 'neither pursuer nor -respondent has ony chance wi' me in that plea; so just shake your lugs -and lie down again. A' your barking would prove afore the Lords but -as water spilt on the ground; for the money is in an heritable bond, -and the whilk bond is in my hands; that's the strong ground o' the -case,--touch it whan ye may.' - -Pitwinnoch could with difficulty keep his gravity, and poor Milrookit, -finding he had so overreached himself, said,-- - -'Well, but when you make your will, I trust and hope you will then -consider how simply I gave you the money.' - -'Mak my will!--that's a delicate hint to an aged woman. I'll no forget -that,--and as to your simplicity in paying the justly due for bed, -board, and washing,--was na every pound got as if it had been a tooth -out o' your head, howkit out by course and force o' law?' - -'In truth, Leddy,' said Pitwinnoch, 'we are all friends here, and it's -just as well to speak freely. I advised Mr. Milrookit to pay you the -money, rather than hazard any question that might possibly attract -attention to the provisions of the entail; but now since the whole has -been brought to an issue, you must be sensible that he suffers enough -in losing the estate, and that you ought to give him back the money.' - -The Leddy sat for several minutes silent, evidently cogitating -an answer, at the end of which she raised her eyes, and said to -Pitwinnoch,-- - -'I can see as far through a millstane as ye can do through a fir -deal, and maybe I may tak it in my head to raise a plea wi' you in an -action of damages, for plotting and libelling in the way that it's -vera visible ye hae done, jointly and severally, in a plea of the -crown; and aiblins I'll no tak less than a thousand pounds;--so, Mr. -Pitwinnoch, keep your neck out o' the woody o' a law-plea wi' me, if -ye can; for, in the way of business, I hae done wi' you; and, as soon -as Mr. Whitteret comes hame, I'll see whether I ought not to instruct -in a case against you for the art and part conspiracy of the thousand -pounds.' - -Milrookit himself was obliged to laugh at the look of consternation -with which this thunderclap broke over the lawyer, who, unable to -withstand the absurdity of the threat, and yet alarmed for the -consequences to his reputation, which such an attempt would entail, -hastily retired. - - - - -CHAPTER XCVIII - - -The Leddy having so happily brought her second lawsuit to a victorious -issue, and already menacing a third, did not feel that her triumph -would be complete, until she had obtained the plaudits of the world; -and the first person on whom she resolved to levy her exactions of -applause was naturally enough the mother of Walkinshaw. - -As soon as Pitwinnoch had left the house, she persuaded Milrookit to -send the carriage for Mrs. Charles, with injunctions to the coachman -not to say a word of what had passed, as she intended herself to have -the pleasure of communicating the glad tidings. This he very readily -agreed to; for, notwithstanding the grudge which he felt at having been -so simply mulcted of so large a sum, he really felt his mind relieved -by the result of the discovery; perhaps, in complying, he had some -sinister view towards the Leddy's good-will--some distant vista of his -thousand pounds. - -Mrs. Charles was a good deal surprised at the message to come -immediately to Kittlestonheugh; and her timid and gentle spirit, in -consequence of learning from the coachman that the old lady was there, -anticipated some disaster to her son. Her fears fluttered as she drove -on alone. The broad dark shadows that had crossed the path of her -past pilgrimage were remembered with melancholy forebodings, and the -twilight of the evening having almost faded into night, she caught -gloomy presentiments from the time, and sighed that there was no end to -her sorrows. - -The season was now advanced into September; and though the air was -clear, the darkness of the road, the silence of the fields, and the -occasional glimmers of the fire that the horses' hoofs struck from -the stones, awakened associations of doubt, anxiety, and danger; but -the serene magnificence of the starry heavens inspired hope, and the -all-encompassing sky seemed to her the universal wings of Providence, -vigilant and protecting with innumerable millions of eyes. - -Still the devotional enthusiasm of that fancy was but a transient glow -on the habitual pale cast of her thoughts; and she saw before her, in -the remainder of her mortal journey, only a continuance of the same -road which she had long travelled--a narrow and a difficult track -across a sterile waste, harsh with brambles, and bleak and lonely. - -So is it often, under the eclipse of fortune, even with the bravest -spirits; forgetting how suddenly before, in the darkest hour, the -views of life have changed, they yield to the aspect of the moment, -and breathe the mean and peevish complaints of faithlessness and -despondency. Let it not, therefore, be imputed as an unworthy weakness, -that a delicate and lowly widow, whose constant experience had been an -unbroken succession of disappointments and humiliations, should, in -such an hour, and shrinking with the sensibilities of a mother, wonder -almost to sinning why she had been made to suffer such a constancy -of griefs. But the midnight of her fate was now past, and the dawn -was soon to open upon her with all its festal attributes of a bright -and joyous morning--though our friend the Leddy was not so brisk in -communicating the change as we could have wished. - -She was sitting alone in the parlour when the carriage returned; and as -the trembling mother was shown into the room, she received her with the -most lugubrious face that her features could assume. - -'Come awa', Bell Fatherlans,' said she, 'come away, and sit down. O -this is a most uncertain world--nothing in it has stability;--the winds -blow--the waters run--the grass grows--the snow falls--the day flieth -away unto the uttermost parts of the sea, and the night hideth her -head in the morning cloud, and perisheth for evermore. Many a lesson -we get--many a warning to set our thoughts on things above; but we're -ay sinking, sinking, sinking, as the sparks fly upward.--Bell, Bell, -we're a' like thorns crackling under a kail-pot.' - -'What has occurred?' exclaimed Mrs. Charles; 'I beg you'll tell me at -once.' - -'So I will, when I hae solaced you into a religious frame o' mind to -hear me wi' a Christian composity o' temper; for what I maun tell is, -though I say't mysel, a something.' - -'For goodness and mercy, I entreat you to proceed.--Where is Mr. -Milrookit? where is Robina?' - -'Ye need na hope to see muckle o' them the night,' replied the Leddy. -'Poor folk, they hae gotten their hands filled wi' cares. O Bell, -Bell--when I think o't--it's a judgement--it's a judgement, Bell -Fatherlans, aboon the capacity o' man! Really, when I consider how -I hae been directit--and a' by my own skill, knowledge, wisdom, and -understanding--it's past a' comprehension. What would my worthy father -hae said had he lived to see the day that his dochter won sic a braw -estate by her ain interlocutors?--and what would your gudefather hae -said, when he was ay brag bragging o' the conquest he had made o' the -Kittlestonheugh o' his ancestors--the whilk took him a lifetime to -do--had he seen me, just wi' a single whisk o' dexterity, a bit touch -of the law, make the vera same conquest for your son Jamie Walkinshaw -in less than twa hours?' - -'You astonish me! to what do you allude? I am amazed, and beginning to -be confounded,' said Mrs. Charles. - -'Indeed it is no wonder,' replied the Leddy; 'for wha would hae thought -it, that I, an aged 'literate grandmother, would hae bamboozlet an -Embrough Writer to the Signet on a nice point, and found out the ground -of an action for damages against that tod o' a bodie Pitwinnoch, for -intromitting wi' ane of the four pleas o' the Crown? Had I kent what I -ken now, uncle Watty might still hae been to the fore, and in the full -possession of his seven lawful senses--for, woman as I am, I would hae -been my own man o' business, counsel, and executioner, in the concos -mentos sederunt--whereby I was so 'frauded o' my rightful hope and -expectation. But Pitwinnoch will soon fin' the weight o' the lion's paw -that his doobileecity has roused in me.' - -Mrs. Charles, who was much amused by the exultation with which the -Leddy had recounted her exploits in the bed and board plea, perceiving -that some new triumph equally improbable had occurred, felt her -anxieties subside into curiosity; and being now tolerably mistress of -her feelings, she again inquired what had happened. - -'I'll tell you,' said the Leddy; 'and surely it's right and proper you -his mother should know, that, through my implementing, it has been -discovered that your son is an heir-male according to law!' - -'No possible!' exclaimed the delighted mother, the whole truth flashing -at once on her mind. - -'Aye, that's just as I might hae expectit--a prophet ne'er got honour -in his own country; and so a' the thank I'm to get for my pains is a -no possible!' said the Leddy offended, mistaking the meaning of the -interjection. 'But it is a true possible; and Milrookit has consentit -to adjudicate the estate--so ye see how ye're raised to pride and -affluence by my instrumentality. Firstly, by the bed and board plea, I -found a mean to revisidend your 'nuity; and secondly, I hae found the -libel proven, that Beenie, being a dochter, is an heir-female, and is, -by course of law, obligated to renounce the estate.' - -'This is most extraordinary news, indeed,' rejoined Mrs. Charles, -'after for so many years believing my poor children so destitute;' and -a flood of tears happily came to her relief. - -'But, Bell Fatherlans,' resumed the Leddy, 'I'll tak you wi' the -tear in your ee, as both you and Jamie maun be sensible, that, but -for my discerning, this great thing never could hae been brought to -a come-to-pass. I hope ye'll confabble thegither anent the loss I -sustained by what happened to uncle Watty, and mak me a reasonable -compensation out o' the rents; the whilk are noo, as I am creditably -informed, better than fifteen hundred pounds per anno Domini, that's -the legality for the year o' our Lord;--a sma' matter will be a great -satisfaction.' - -'Indeed,' said Mrs. Charles, 'James owes you much; and your kindness -in giving him the bill so generously, I know, has made a very deep -impression on his heart.' - -'He was ay a blithe and kindly creature,' exclaimed the Leddy, wiping -her eye, as if a tear had actually shot into it--'and may be it winna -fare the waur wi' him when I'm dead and gone. For I'll let you into -a secret--it's my purpose to mak a last will and testament, and cut -off Milrookit wi' a shilling, for his horridable niggerality about -the bed and board concern. Na, for that matter, as ye'll can fen noo -without ony 'nuity, but your ain son's affection, I hae a great mind, -and I'll do't too--that's what I will--for fear I should be wheedled -into an adversary by my dochter Meg for the Milrookits,--I'll gie the -thousand pound heritable bond to your Mary for a tocher; is not that -most genteel of me? I doot few families hae had a grandmother for their -ancestor like yours.' - -Some further conversation to the same effect was continued, and -the injustice which Milrookit had attempted seemed to Mrs. Charles -considerably extenuated by the readiness with which he had acknowledged -the rights of her son. For, notwithstanding all the Leddy's triumphant -oratory and legal phraseology, she had no difficulty in perceiving the -true circumstances of the case. - - - - -CHAPTER XCIX - - -In the opinion of all the most judicious critics, the Iliad terminated -with the death of Hector; but, as Homer has entertained us with the -mourning of the Trojans, and the funeral of the hero, we cannot, in -our present circumstances, do better than adopt the rule of that great -example. For although it must be evident to all our readers that the -success of the Leddy in her second law-suit, by placing the heir, in -despite of all the devices and stratagem of parchments and Pitwinnoch, -in possession of the patrimony of his ancestors, naturally closes the -_Entail_, a work that will, no doubt, outlive the Iliad, still there -were so many things immediately consequent on that event, that our -story would be imperfect without some account of them. - -In the first place, then, Walkinshaw, immediately after the receipt of -Frazer's letter, acquainting him with the discovery of the provisions -of the deed, returned to Edinburgh, where he arrived on the third day -after his friend had heard from Whitteret, the Glasgow writer, that -Milrookit, without objection, agreed to surrender the estate. The -result of which communication was an immediate and formal declaration -from Walkinshaw of his attachment to Ellen, and a cheerful consent from -her father, that their marriage, as soon as the necessary preparations -could be made, should be celebrated at Glengael. - -Upon French Frazer the good fortune of his brother officer was no less -decisive, for any scruple that he might have felt in his attachment to -Mary, on account of his own circumstances, was removed by an assurance -from Walkinshaw that he would, as soon as possible, make a liberal -provision both for her and his mother; and in the same letter which -Walkinshaw wrote home on his return to Edinburgh, and in which he spoke -of his own marriage, he entreated his mother's consent that Mary should -accept the hand of Frazer. - -On Mrs. Eadie, the fulfilment, as she called it, of her visions and -predictions, had the most lamentable effect. Her whole spirit became -engrossed with the most vague and mystical conceptions; and it was soon -evident that an irreparable ruin had fallen upon one of the noblest -of minds. Over her latter days we shall, therefore, draw a veil, and -conclude her little part in our eventful history with simply mentioning -that she never returned to Camrachle; but sank into rest in the -visionary beatitude of her parental solitudes. - -Her husband, now a venerable old man, still resides as contentedly -as ever in his parish; and, when we last visited him, in his modest -mansion, he informed us that he had acquiesced in the wishes of his -elders by consenting to receive a helper and successor in the ministry. -So far, therefore, as the best, the most constant, and the kindest -friends of the disinherited family are concerned, our task is finished: -but we have a world of things to tell of the Leddy and the Milrookits, -many of which we must reserve till we shall have leisure to write a -certain story of incomparable humour and pathos. - -In the meantime, we must proceed to mention, that the Leddy, finding -it was quite unnecessary to institute any further proceedings, to -eject the Milrookits from Kittlestonheugh, as they of their own accord -removed, as soon as they found a suitable house, returned to her -residence in the royal city, where she resumed her domestic thrift at -the spinning-wheel, having resolved not to go on with her action of -damages against Pitwinnoch, till she had seen her grandson, who, prior -to his marriage, was daily expected. - -'For,' as she said to his mother, after consulting with Mr. Whitteret, -and stating her grounds of action, 'it is not so clear a case as my -great bed and board plea--and Mr. Whitteret is in some doubt, whether -Pitwinnoch should be sent to trial by my instrumentality, or that of -Jamie--very sensibly observing--for he's really a man o' the heighth o' -discretion yon--that it would be hard for an aged gentlewoman like me, -with a straitened jointure, to take up a cause that would, to a moral -certainty, be defendit, especially when her grandson is so much better -able to afford the expense. The which opinion of counsel has made me -sit down with an arrest of judgement for the present, as the only -reason I hae for going to law at all is to mak money by it. Howsever, -if ye can persuade Jamie to bequeath and dispone to me his right to the -damage, which I mean to assess at a thousand pounds, I'll implement Mr. -Whitteret to pursue.' - -'I dare say,' replied Mrs. Charles, 'that James will very readily -give up to you all his claim; but Mr. Pitwinnoch having rectified the -mistake he was in, we should forgive and forget.' - -'A' weel I wat, Bell Fatherlans, I needna cast my pearls o' great price -before swine, by waring my words o' wisdom wi' the like o' you. In -truth, it's an awfu' story when I come to think how ye hae been sitting -like an effigy on a tomb, wi' your hands baith alike syde, and _menti -mori_ written on your vesture and your thigh, instead o' stirring your -stumps, as ye ought to hae done--no to let your bairns be rookit o' -their right by yon Cain and Abel, the twa cheatrie Milrookits. For sure -am I, had no I ta'en the case in hand, ye might hae continued singing -Wally, wally, up yon bank, and wally, wally, down yon brae, a' the days -o' your tarrying in the tabernacles o' men.' - -Her daughter-in-law admitted, that she was, indeed, with all her -family, under the greatest obligations to her,--and that, in all -probability, but for her happy discovery of the errand on which the -writer to the signet had come to Glasgow, they might still have had -their rights withheld. - -In conversations of this description the time passed at Glasgow, -while the preparations for the marriage of Walkinshaw and Ellen were -proceeding with all expedient speed at Glengael. Immediately after the -ceremony, the happy pair, accompanied by Mary, returned to Edinburgh, -where it was determined the marriage of Mary with French Frazer should -be celebrated, Mrs. Charles and the old lady being equally desirous of -being present. - -We should not, however, be doing justice to ourselves, as faithful -historians, were we to leave the reader under an impression that -the Leddy's visit to the lawful metropolis was entirely dictated by -affectionate consideration for her grandchildren. She had higher and -more public objects, worthy, indeed, of the spirit with which she -had so triumphantly conducted her causes. But with that remarkable -prudence, so conspicuous in her character, she made no one acquainted -with the real motives by which she was actuated,--namely, to acquire -some knowledge of the criminal law, her father not having, as she said, -'paid attention to that Court of Justice, his geni being, like her own, -more addicted to the civilities of the Court o' Session.' - -She was led to think of embarking in this course of study, by the -necessity she was often under of making, as she said, her servants -'walk the carpet'; or, in other words, submit to receive those kind -of benedictions to which servants are, in the opinion of all good -administrators of householdry, so often and so justly entitled. It had -occurred to her that, some time or another, occasion might require -that she should carry a delinquent handmaid before the Magistrates, or -even before the Lords; indeed, she was determined to do so on the very -first occurrence of transgression, and, therefore, she was naturally -anxious to obtain a little insight of the best practice in the -Parliament House, that she might, as she said herself, be made capable -of implementing her man of business how to proceed. - -Walkinshaw, by promising to take every legal step that she herself -could take against Pitwinnoch, had evinced, as she considered it, such -a commendable respect for her judgement, that he endeared himself -to her more than ever. He was, in consequence, employed to conduct -her to the Parliament House, that she might hear the pleadings; but -by some mistake he took her to that sink of sin the Theatre, when -_Othello_ was performing, where, as she declared, she had received -all the knowledge of the criminal law she could require, it having -been manifestly shown that any woman stealing a napkin ought to -be prosecuted with the utmost rigour. But her legal studies were -soon interrupted by the wedding festivities; and when she returned -to Glasgow, alas! she was not long permitted to indulge her legal -pursuits; for various causes combined to deprive the world of our -incomparable heroine. Her doleful exit from the tents of Time, Law, -and Physic, it is now our melancholy duty to relate, which we shall -endeavour to do with all that good-humoured pathos for which we are -so greatly and so deservedly celebrated. If nobody says we are so -distinguished, we must modestly do it ourselves, never having been able -to understand why a candidate for parliament or popularity should be -allowed to boast of his virtues more than any other dealer in tales and -fictions. - - - - -CHAPTER C - - -Marriage feasts, we are creditably informed, as the Leddy would have -said, are of greater antiquity than funerals; and those with which -the weddings of Walkinshaw and his sister were celebrated, lacked -nothing of the customary festivities. The dinners which took place in -Edinburgh were, of course, served with all the refinements of taste -and dissertations on character, which render the entertainments in -the metropolis of Mind occasionally so racy and peculiar. But the -cut-and-come-again banquets of Glasgow, as the Leddy called them, -following on the return of the Laird and his bride to his patrimonial -seat, were, in her opinion, far superior, and she enjoyed them with -equal glee and zest. - -'Thanks be, and praise,' said she, after returning home from one of -those costly piles of food, 'I hae lived to see, at last, something -like wedding doings in my family. Charlie's and Bell Fatherlans's was -a cauldrife commodity, boding scant and want, and so cam o't--Watty's -was a walloping galravitch o' idiocety, and so cam o't--Geordie's was -little better than a burial formality trying to gie a smirk, and so cam -o't--as for Meg's and Dirdumwhamle's, theirs was a third marriage--a -cauld-kail-het-again affair--and Beenie and Walky's Gretna Green, -play-actoring,--Bed, Board, and Washing, bore witness and testimony -to whatna kind o' bridal they had. But thir jocose gavaulings are -worthy o' the occasion. Let naebody tell me, noo, that the three P's -o' Glasgow mean Packages, Puncheons, and Pigtail, for I have seen and -known that they may be read in a marginal note Pomp, Punch, and Plenty. -To be sure, the Embroshers are no without a genteelity--that maun be -condescended to them. But I jealouse they're pinched to get gude wine, -poor folk--they try sae mony different bottles: naething hae they like -a gausie bowl. Therefore, commend me to our ain countryside,--Fatted -calves, and feasting Belshazzers,--and let the Embroshers cerimoneez -wi' their Pharaoh's lean kine and Grants and Frazers.' - -But often when the heart exults, when the 'bosom's lord sits light -upon his throne,' it is an omen of sorrow. On the very night after -this happy revel of the spirits, the Leddy caught a fatal cold, in -consequence of standing in the current of a door while the provost's -wife, putting on her pattens, stopped the way, and she was next morning -so indisposed that it was found necessary to call in Dr. Sinney -to attend her; who was of opinion, considering she was upwards of -seventy-six, that it might go hard with her if she did not recover; -and, this being communicated to her friends, they began to prepare -themselves for the worst. - -Her daughter, the Lady of Dirdumwhamle, came in from the country, and -paid her every mark of attention. At the suggestion of her husband, -she, once or twice, intimated a little anxiety to know if her mother -had made a will; but the Leddy cut her short, by saying,-- - -'What's t'at to thee, Meg? I'm sure I'm no dead yet, that t'ou should -be groping about my bit gathering.' - -Dirdumwhamle himself rode daily into Glasgow in the most dutiful -manner; but, receiving no satisfaction from the accounts of his wife -respecting the Leddy's affairs, he was, of course, deeply concerned at -her situation; and, on one occasion, when he was sitting in the most -sympathising manner at her bedside, he said, with an affectionate and -tender voice,-- - -'That he hoped she would soon be well again; but, if it was ordain't -to be otherwise, he trusted she would give her daughter some small -memorial over and by what she might hae alloo't her in will.' - -''Deed,' replied the Leddy, as she sat supported by pillows, and -breathing heavily, 'I'll no forget that--for ye may be sure, when I -intend to dee, that I'll mak my ain hands my executioners.' - -'Aye, aye,' rejoined the pathetic Laird, 'I was ay o' that opinion, and -that ye would act a mother's part in your latter end.' - -To this the Leddy made no reply; but by accident coughed rather a -little too moistly in his face, which made him shift his seat, and soon -after retire. - -He had not long taken his leave, when Milrookit and Robina came in, -both in the most affectionate manner; and, after the kindest inquiries, -they too hoped that she had made her departure clear with this world, -and that, when she was removed to a better, no disputes would arise -among surviving friends. - -'I'm sure,' said Robina, 'we shall all greatly miss you; and I would -be very glad if you would give me some little keepsake out of your own -hands, if it were no more than the silver teapot.' - -'I canna do that yet, Beenie, my Leddy, for ye ken I'm obligated to -gie the Laird and Nell Frizel a tea banquet, as soon's I'm able. But -when I'm dead and gone, for we're a' lifelike and a' deathlike, if ye -outlive me, ye'll fin' that I was a grandmother.' - -'It's pleasant to hear,' said Milrookit, 'that ye hae sic an inward -satisfaction of health; but I hope ye'll no tak it ill at my wishing -for a token o' my grandfather. I would like if ye would gie me -from yourself the old-fashioned gold watch, just because it was my -grandfather's, and sae lang in his aught.' - -'Aye, Walky, I won'er thou does na wis for me, for I was longer in his -aught. Bairns, bairns, I purpose to outlive my last will and testament, -so I redde ye keep a calm sough.' - -This they thought implied that she had made some provision for them -in her last will and testament; and although disappointed in their -immediate object, they retired in as complete peace of mind as any -affectionate grandchildren like them could retire from a deathbed. - -To them succeeded the mother of Walkinshaw. - -'Come away, Bell Fatherlans,' said the Leddy--'sit down beside me;' and -she took her kindly by the hand. 'The Milrookits, auld and young, hae -been here mair ravenous than the worms and cloks of the tomb, for they -but devour the dead body; but yon greedy caterpillars would strip me -o' leaf and branch afore my time. There was Dirdumwhamle sympathising -for a something over and aboon what Meg's to get by the will. Then came -Beenie, another of the same, as the Psalmist says, simpering, like a -yird tead, for my silver teapot, and syne naething less would serve her -gudeman but a solemneesing wheedlie for the auld gold watch. But I'll -sympathise, and I'll simper, and I'll wheedle them.--Hae, tak my keys, -and gang into the desk-head, and ye'll fin' a bonny sewt pocketbook in -the doocot hole next the window, bring't to me.' - -Mrs. Charles did as she was desired; and when the pocketbook was -brought, the old Leddy opened it, and, taking out one of her Robin -Carricks, as she called her bills, she said,-- - -'Bring me a pen that can spell, and I'll indoss this bit hundred -pound to thee, Bell, as an over and aboon; and when ye hae gotten't, -gang and bid Jamie and Mary come to see me, and I'll gie him the -auld gold watch, and her the silver teapot, just as a reward to -the sympathizing, simpering, and wheedling Milrookits. For between -ourselves, Bell, my time is no to be lang noo amang you. I feel the -clay-cold fingers o' Death handling my feet; so when I hae settled my -worldly concernments, ye'll send for Dr. De'ilfear, for I would na like -to mount into the chariots o' glory without the help o' an orthodox.' - -All that the Leddy required was duly performed. She lingered for -several days; but, at the end of a week from the commencement of her -illness, she closed her eyes, and her death was, after the funeral, -according to the Scottish practice, announced in that loyal and -well-conducted old paper, the _Glasgow Courier_, as having taken place, -'to the great regret of all surviving friends.' - - - - -CHAPTER CI - - -We have often lamented that so many worthy people should be at the -expense and trouble of making last wills and testaments, and yet -never enjoy what passes at the reading of them. On all the different -occasions where we have been present at such affecting ceremonies, it -was quite edifying to see how justly the sorrow was apportioned to the -legacies; those enjoying the greatest being always the most profoundly -distressed; their tears, by some sort of sympathy, flowing exactly in -accordance with the amount of the sums of money, or the value of the -chattels which they were appointed to receive. - -But on no other occasion have we ever been so much struck with the -truth of this discovery as on that when, after attending the Leddy's -remains to the family sepulchre, our acquaintance, Dirdumwhamle, -invited us to return to the Leddy's house, in order to be present at -the solemnity. Considering the tenderness of our feelings, and how much -we respect the professed sincerity of mankind, we ought, perhaps, in -justice to ourselves, knowing how incapable we are of withstanding the -mournful melancholy of such posthumous rites, to have eschewed the -invitation of our sighing and mourning friend. - -We were, however, enticed, by a little curiosity, to walk with him arm -in arm from the interment, suggesting to him, on the way, every topic -of Christian consolation suitable on such occasions, perceiving how -much he stood in need of them all. - -When we entered the parlour, which had been so often blithened with the -jocose spirit of its defunct mistress, we confess that our emotions -were almost too great for our fortitude, and that, as we assured the -Laird of Dirdumwhamle, our sensibility was so affected that we could, -with the utmost difficulty, repress our hysterical sobbings, which he -professed with no less sincerity entirely to believe, Alas! such scenes -are too common in this transitory scene of things. - -Seeing how much we were all in need of a glass of wine, Dirdumwhamle, -with that free thought which forms so prominent a feature of his -character, suggested to his lady that she should order in the -decanters, and, with a bit of the shortbread, enable us to fortify our -hearts for the doleful task and duty we had yet to perform. - -The decanters were, accordingly, ordered in; the wine poured into the -glasses; and all present to each other sighed, as in silence, the -reciprocity of good wishes. - -After which a pause ensued--a very syncope of sadness--a dwam of woe, -as the Leddy herself would have called it, had she been spared, to -witness how much we all felt.--But she was gone--she had paid the debt -of nature, and done, as Dirdumwhamle said, what we are all in this life -ordained to do. It is, therefore, of no consequence to imagine how she -could either have acted or felt had she been present at the reading of -her last will and testament. In a word, after that hiatus in the essay -of mourning, it was proposed, by young Milrookit, that the Leddy's -scrutoire should be opened, and the contents thereof examined. - -No objection was made on the part of any of the sorrowful and -assembled friends,--quite the contrary. They all evinced the most -natural solicitude, that everything proper and lawful should be -done. 'It is but showing our respect to the memory of her that is -gone,' said Dirdumwhamle, 'to see in what situation she has left her -affairs--not that I have any particular interest in the business, but -only, considering the near connection between her and my family, it -is due to all the relations that the distribution which she has made -of her property should be published among them.--It would have been a -happy and a comfortable thing to every one who knew her worth had her -days been prolonged; but, alas! that was not in her own power. Her time -o' this world was brought, by course of nature, to an end, and no man -ought to gainsay the ordinances of Providence.--Gudewife, hae ye the -key o' the desk-head?' - -Mrs. Milrookit, his wife, who, during this highly sympathetic -conversation, had kept her handkerchief to her eyes, without removing -it, put her hand into her pocket, and, bringing forth a bunch of keys, -looked for one aside, which, having found, she presented it to her -husband, saying, with a sigh, 'That's it.' - -He took it in his hand, and, approaching the scrutoire, found, to his -surprise, that it was sealed. - -'How is this?' cried Dirdumwhamle, in an accent somewhat discordant -with the key in which the performers to the concert of woe were attuned. - -'I thought,' replied Walkinshaw the Laird, 'that it was but regular, -when my grandmother died, that, until we all met, as we are now met, -her desk and drawers should be sealed for fear----' - -'For fear of what?' Dirdumwhamle was on the point of saying as we -thought; but, suddenly checking himself, and, again striking the note -of woe, in perfect harmony, he replied,-- - -'Perfectly right, Laird,--when all things are done in order, no one can -have any reason to complain.' - -Dirdumwhamle then took off the seal, and applying the key to the lock, -opened the desk-head, and therein, among other things, found the -embroidered pocketbook, so well known to our readers. At the sight of -it, the tears of his lady began to flow, and they flowed the faster -when, on examining its contents, it was discovered that the hundred -pound Robin Carrick was not forthcoming,--she having acquired some -previous knowledge of its existence, and had, indeed, with her most -dutiful husband, made a dead set at it in their last affectionate -conversation with the Leddy, with what success the reader is already -informed. - -A search was then made for the heritable bond for a thousand pounds, -but Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw surprised us all into extreme sorrow, when, -on understanding the object of the search, she informed us that the -said bond had been most unaccountably given, as the Milrookits thought, -to her daughter for a dowry. - -An inventory of the contents of the desk being duly and properly -made,--indeed we ourselves took down the particulars in the most -complete manner,--an inquest was instituted with respect to the -contents of drawers, papers, boxes, trunks, and even into the last -pouches that the Leddy had worn; but neither the silver teapot nor the -old gold watch were forthcoming. Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw, however, -again explained, and the explanation was attended by the happiest -effects, in so much as to us it seemed to lessen in a great degree the -profound sorrow in which all the Milrookits had been plunged. - -But yet no will was found, and Dirdumwhamle was on the point of -declaring that the deceased having died intestate, his wife, her -daughter, succeeded, of course, to all she had left. But while he was -speaking, young Mrs. Milrookit happened to cast her eyes into one of -the pigeon-holes in the scrutoire-head, where, tied with a red tape -in the most business-like manner, a will was found,--we shall not say -that Dirdumwhamle had previously seen it, but undoubtedly he appeared -surprised that it should have been so near his sight and touch, so long -unobserved,--which gave us a hint to suggest, that when people make -their wills and testaments, they should always tie them with red tape, -that none of their heirs, executors, or assigns, may fall into the -mistake of not noticing them at the time of the funeral examination, -and afterwards, when by themselves, tear or burn them by mistake. - - - - -CHAPTER CII - - -It appeared by this will that the Leddy had, with the exception of a -few inconsiderable legacies to the rest of her family, and a trifling -memorial of her affection to our friend Walkinshaw, bequeathed all -to her daughter, at which that lady, with the greatest propriety, -burst out into the most audible lament for her affectionate mother, -and Dirdumwhamle, her husband, became himself so agitated with grief, -that he was almost unable to proceed with the reading of the affecting -document. Having gradually mastered his feelings, he was soon, however, -able to condole with Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw upon the disappointment -she had, no doubt, suffered; observing, by way of consolation, that it -was, after all, only what was to have been expected; for the Leddy, the -most kind of parents, naturally enough considered her own daughter as -the nearest and dearest of all her kith and kin. - -During this part of the scene we happened inadvertently to look towards -Walkinshaw, and were not a little shocked to observe a degree of levity -sparkling in his eyes, quite unbecoming such a sorrowful occasion; and -still more distressed were we at the irreverence with which, almost in -actual and evident laughter, he inquired at Dirdumwhamle the date of -the paper. - -It was found to have been made several years before, soon after the -decease of poor Walter. - -'Indeed!' said Walkinshaw pawkily; 'that's a very important -circumstance, for I happen to have another will in my pocket, made at -Edinburgh, while the Leddy was there at my marriage, and the contents -run somewhat differently.' - -The tears of the Lady of Dirdumwhamle were instantaneously dried up, -and the most sensitive of Lairds himself appeared very much surprised; -while, with some vibrating accent in his voice, he requested that this -new last will and testament might be read. - -Sorry are we to say it, that, in doing so, Walkinshaw was so little -affected, that he even chuckled while he read. This was, no doubt, -owing to the little cause he had to grieve, a legacy of five guineas, -to buy a ring, being all that the Leddy had bequeathed to him. - -This second will, though clearly and distinctly framed, was evidently -dictated by the Leddy herself. For it began by declaring, that, having -taken it into her most serious consideration, by and with the advice -of her private counsel, Mr. Frazer of Glengael, whom she appointed -executor, she had resolved to make her last will and testament; and -after other formalities, couched somewhat in the same strain, she -bequeathed sundry legacies to her different grandchildren,--first, -as we have said, five guineas, as a token of her particular love, to -Walkinshaw, he standing in no need of any further legacy, and being, -over and moreover, indebted to her sagacity for the recovery of his -estate. Then followed the enumeration of certain trinkets and Robin -Carricks, which were to be delivered over to, and to be held and -enjoyed by, Mary, his sister. To this succeeded a declaration, that her -daughter Margaret, the wife of Dirdumwhamle, should enjoy the main part -of her gathering, in liferent, but not until the Laird, her husband, -had paid his debt of nature, and departed out of this world; and if the -said legatee did not survive her husband, then the legacy was to go to -Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw, the testatrix's daughter-in-law. 'As for my -two grateful grandchildren, Walkinshaw Milrookit, and Robina his wife,' -continued the spirit of the Leddy to speak in the will, 'I bequeath to -them, and their heirs for ever, all and haill that large sum of money -which they still stand indebted to me, for and on account of bed, -board, and washing, of which debt only the inconsiderable trifle of one -thousand pounds was ever paid.' - -The testing clause was all that followed this important provision, but -the will was in every respect complete, and so complete also was the -effect intended, that young Milrookit and his wife Robina immediately -rose and retired, without speaking, and Dirdumwhamle and his lady also -prepared to go away, neither of them being seemingly in a condition to -make any remark on the subject. - - * * * * * - -Such is the natural conclusion of our story; but perhaps it is expected -that we should say something of the subsequent history of Walkinshaw, -especially as his wife has brought him nine sons,--'all male heirs,' -as Dirdumwhamle often says with a sigh, when he thinks of his son and -Robina having only added daughters to the increasing population of -the kingdom. But Walkinshaw's career as a soldier belongs to a more -splendid theme, which, as soon as ever we receive a proper hint to do -so, with ten thousand pounds to account, we propose to undertake, for -he was present at the most splendid achievements of the late universal -war. His early campaigns were not, however, brilliant; but, in common -with all his companions in arms during the first years of that mighty -contest, he still felt, under the repulses of many disasters, that the -indisputable heroism of the British spirit was never impaired, and that -they were still destined to vindicate their ancient superiority over -France. - -These heroic breathings do not, however, belong to our domestic story; -and, therefore, all we have to add is, that, as often as he revisited -his patrimonial home on leave of absence, he found the dinnering of -his friends in the royal city almost as hard work as the dragooning -of his foes. Since the peace, now that he is finally settled at -Kittlestonheugh with all his blushing honours thick upon him, the -Lord Provost and Magistrates have never omitted any opportunity in -their power of treating him with all that distinction for which, as a -corporation, they are so deservedly celebrated. Indeed, there are few -communities where there is less of the spirit of ostracism, or where a -man of public merit is more honoured by his fellow-citizens, than in -Glasgow. Therefore say we in fine,-- - -LET GLASGOW FLOURISH! - - - - -GLOSSARY - - - _a'_, all. - - _aboon_, above. - - _ae_, one. - - _ahint_, behind. - - _aiblins_, perhaps. - - _ail_, illness. - - _ain_, own. - - _airt_, direction. - - _ajee_, crooked. - - _alloo_, allow. - - _almous_, charitable, alms. - - _an_, if. - - _Andrew Ferrara_, name for a sword. - - _anent_, about. - - _argol bargol_, bandy words, haggle. - - _atweel_, well. - - _aught_, possession, property. - - _auld_, old, eldest. - - - _ba'_, ball. - - _bachle_, old shoe. - - _bailie_, city magistrate. - - _bairnswoman_, nurse. - - _bakes_, biscuits. - - _banes_, bones. - - _barming_, interest. - - _barrow't_, borrowed. - - _bars_, boars. - - _bawbee_, halfpenny. - - _bawkie_, birds, bats. - - _because_, cause, reason. - - _beild_, shelter, refuge. - - _bein_, _bien_, comfortable, well-provided. - - _beltane_, May-day fair. - - _belter_, blows repeated. - - _belyve_, by and by. - - _ben_, into the inner room of a house. - - _benweed_, coarse grass. - - _betherel_, _betheril_, beadle. - - _big_, _biggit_, build, built. - - _bir_, force. - - _birling_, spending. - - _birr_, sound emitted by anything flying forcibly with noise. - - _bit_, small. - - _black-aviced_, of a dark complexion. - - _blae_, blue. - - _blate_, shy, bashful. - - _blethers_, foolishness. - - _blithes-meat_, homely entertainment, generally of bread and cheese, - given after the birth of a child. - - _blob_, honey. - - _bob_, dance. - - _book_, record in the books of the kirk-session, for publication of - the banns. - - _boynes_, tubs. - - _brae_, side of a hill. - - _braw_, beautiful, fine. - - _breeks_, breeches. - - _bress_, chimney-piece. - - _broo_, liking. - - _brous_, race at a country wedding. - - _bubbly-jock_, turkey-cock. - - _buckie deevil's_, wicked imp. - - _buff nor stye_, neither one part nor another. - - _bumming_, buzzing. - - _buss_, kiss. - - _but_, into the outer room of the house. - - _by common_, _by the common_, out of the common. - - _by hand and awa_, out of hand. - - _by ordinare_, out of the ordinary. - - _bye-word_, proverb. - - - _callan_, lad. - - _canny_, lucky, cautious. - - _caption and horning_, legal arrest. - - _carritch_, catechism. - - _cast_, aid; - _cast out_, fall out, quarrel; - _cast the glaiks_, deceive. - - _cauld_, _cauldrife_, cold, chilling. - - _causey_, path, street. - - _cess_, tax. - - _change-house_, small public-house. - - _chapin_, quart. - - _chapse_, choose. - - _cheatrie_, cheating. - - _chucky-stanes_, small pebbles. - - _chumley-lug_, chimney-corner. - - _claes_, clothes. - - _clap_, stroke. - - _clash_, tittle-tattle, gossip. - - _claught_, clutched. - - _claut_, blow. - - _clavering_, _clavers_, _clishmaclavers_, wordy nonsense. - - _claw_, clause. - - _cleckit_, brought forth. - - _cleeding_, _cleiding_, clothing. - - _clocks_, beetles. - - _clunk_, noise of liquor shaken in a barrel. - - _cockernony_, gathering of a woman's hair in a knot. - - _cod_, pillow. - - _coft_, bought. - - _cognos't_, recognized. - - _concos mancos_, _concos montis_, &c., = non compos mentis, not of a - right mind. - - _condescend upon_, specify particulars of. - - _conjunct_, _conjunk_, conjoined. - - _cook_, manage dexterously. - - _coom_, _coomy_, begrime, dirty. - - _coothy_, _couthy_, genial, kindly. - - _cottar_, cottager. - - _cowp_, overturn. - - _cracks_, familiar talks. - - _craighling_, coughing. - - _creel_, basket. - - _crown-o'-the-causey_, middle of a street. - - _croynt awa'_, shrivelled up. - - _crunkly_, rumpled. - - _cry_, be in labour. - - _cuff_, back part. - - _cuif_, simpleton. - - _curdooing_, love-making. - - _cut_, a certain quantity of reeled yarn. - - - _daff_, sport. - - _daud_, thrash. - - _dawty_, fondling. - - _deacon_, head-man. - - _deaved_, deafened. - - _'deed_, indeed. - - _dee't_, died. - - _deil_, devil; - _deil-be-licket_, nothing. - - _deleerit_, delirious. - - _den_, hide. - - _devaul_, _divaul_, leave off. - - _ding_, drive, push. - - _dinna_, do not. - - _dirl_, tingle, ring. - - _dispone_, allot, dispose. - - _dividual_, individual. - - _divor_, bankrupt, beggar. - - _dochter_, daughter. - - _docken_, dock herb. - - _doddered_, decaying. - - _doddy_, sulky. - - _dodrums_, doldrums, melancholy. - - _dods_, fit of sulkiness. - - _doited_, crazed, in dotage. - - _doo_, dove. - - _doolie_, sorrowful. - - _door-cheek_, door-post. - - _dorts_, sulky. - - _douce_, sensible. - - _dourness_, stubbornness. - - _dow_, be able. - - _dowf_, melancholy. - - _dowie_, languid. - - _drammatical_, dramatic. - - _drammock_, meat, pulp. - - _draughty_, artful. - - _dree_, endure. - - _dreigh_, wearisome. - - _drook_, drench. - - _drumly_, thickly. - - _Dumbarton youth_, a person beyond thirty-six years of age. - - _dure_, hard. - - _dwinlet_, dwindled. - - _dwin't_, pined away. - - _dyke_, ditch. - - - _ee_, _een_, eye, eyes. - - _eik_, eke, addition. - - _eild_, time of life. - - _ends and awls_, all one's effects. - - _erles_, earnests. - - _ettle_, try; - _ettling of pains_, pains of trying. - - _even_, compare, equal. - - _even down_, right down. - - _excambio_, exchange. - - _expiscate_, fish out by inquiry. - - _expone_, explain. - - _eydent_, busy. - - - _faik_, abate. - - _fand_, found. - - _farl_, cake. - - _far't_, _well_, _ill_, good, bad-looking. - - _fash_, _fasherie_, trouble, vex, vexation. - - _fash your thumb_, trouble. - - _fasson_, fashion. - - _feart_, afraid. - - _feckless_, frail. - - _fey_, mad, as if with the doom of death on him. - - _fin'_, find. - - _firlot_, a measure. - - _flannen_, flannel. - - _fleech_, coaxing, wheedling. - - _flichtering_, flying. - - _flit_, remove from one house to another. - - _Florentine pie_, large pie. - - _flyte and flights_, scolding and fine ways. - - _foistring_, shilly-shallying. - - _forbears_, ancestors. - - _forbye_, besides. - - _forenent_, opposite, in front of. - - _forton_, fortune. - - _fou'_, foolish, drunk. - - _freats_, omens, superstitious observances. - - _frush_, brittle. - - _frush green kail-custock-like_, as brittle as the pith of colewort. - - _fyke_, _fykerie_, whim, trouble. - - - _gaberlunzie_, beggar. - - _gae_, _gaun_, go, going. - - _gairest_, greediest. - - _gait_, _gate_, way, method. - - _galravitch_, romping, rioting. - - _gane by himsel_, gone beside himself. - - _gar_, _gart_, make, made. - - _garsing_, wandering. - - _gauger_, agent. - - _gausey_, jolly-looking. - - _gausie_, bowl. - - _gavaulings_, revellings. - - _gear_, stuff, possession. - - _geck_, toss the head. - - _geni_, genius, special vein. - - _genty_, neat, genteel. - - _get_, _gett_, child. - - _gethering_, gathering; - income. - - _gie_, _gied_, give, gave. - - _gin_, if. - - _girns_, snarls. - - _glaikit jocklandys_, inconsiderate persons. - - _glaiks_, rays. - - _gleds_, kites. - - _gloaming_, twilight. - - _glooms_, frowns. - - _gore_, strip of cloth. - - _gouden_, golden. - - _gouk_, fool. - - _goun_, gown. - - _gowan_, daisy. - - _gowls_, noise of the wind. - - _gratus_, gratis. - - _green_, long. - - _greet_, cry. - - _groat_, coin worth an English fourpence. - - _grumphie_, pig. - - _gruntel_, snout. - - _gudedochter_, daughter-in-law. - - _gudefather_, father-in-law. - - _gudesister_, sister-in-law. - - _gumpshion_, sense. - - _gushet_, piece let into garment. - - - _hag_, hew. - - _haggis_, pudding made of the pluck, &c., of a sheep, with oatmeal, - suet, onions, &c., boiled inside the animal's maw. - - _hain_, be penurious. - - _hainings_, earnings. - - _hairst_, harvest. - - _halver_, halves. - - _hansel_, present. - - _hap_, warm garment. - - _happing_, covering. - - _harigals_, the pluck. - - _harl_, trail. - - _harns_, brains. - - _hateral_, heap. - - _haudthecat_, advocate. - - _haverel_, foolish, nonsensical person; - _havering_, _havers_, nonsensical talk. - - _heck_, hay-rack in a stable. - - _heckle_, flax-dressing comb. - - _heere_, a certain quantity of reeled yarn. - - _hempy_, rogue worthy of hanging. - - _heritable_, heritable bond. - - _herry_, _herri't_, harry, harried. - - _hesp_, hank. - - _het_, face, heart. - - _hirpling_, limping. - - _hobbleshaw_, uproar, hubbub. - - _hoggar_, stocking-foot. - - _hogget_, hogshead. - - _horse-couper_, horse-dealer. - - _host_, cough. - - _howkit_, dug. - - _humlet_, humbled. - - - _ilk_, _ilka_, each, every. - - _illess_, harmless. - - _implement_, full performance. - - _income_, used in reference to illness. - - _indoss_, endorse. - - _infare_, feast at the reception of bride into her new home. - - _infeftment_, investment with property. - - _ingons_, onions. - - _intil_, to. - - _intromit_, interfere. - - - _jams_, projections. - - _jawp_, splash of mud. - - _jealouse_, guess, suspect. - - _jimp_, leap. - - _jink_, turn suddenly. - - _jo_, _joe_, sweetheart. - - _jook_, bow, dodge. - - - _kail_, cabbages; - soup made from them. - - _kail-yard_, kitchen-garden. - - _ken_, know. - - _kern_, peasant, boor. - - _kintra_, country. - - _kirk_, church. - - _kirk and a mill, mak a_, do what one likes. - - _kist_, box, chest. - - _kithing_, appearance. - - _kittle_, generate; - ticklish. - - _knowe_, hillock. - - _kyteful_, belly-full. - - - _lade_, mill-race. - - _laft_, loft. - - _lair_, stick or sink in mire. - - _lameter_, cripple. - - _lang-kail_, coleworts not shorn. - - _lang look_, long way off. - - _lang-nebbit_, long-nosed. - - _lave_, rest. - - _leafu' lane, by one's_, quite solitary and alone. - - _leddy_, lady. - - _leet_, list. - - _leil_, loyal. - - _lilt_, sing cheerfully. - - _linty_, linnet. - - _lippen_, look confidently. - - _lippy_, bumper. - - _little-gude_, the devil. - - _loan_, open place near a farm. - - _loup_, leap. - - _loupen-steek_, dropped stitch. - - _low_, blaze, flame. - - _lown_, calm, still. - - _lucky_, an elderly woman. - - _lug_, ear. - - - _mailing_, farm. - - _mair_, more. - - _marrow_, equal. - - _marrowed_, partnered. - - _maun_, must. - - _mawkins_, hares. - - _meal-pock_, meal-bag. - - _mean_, be condoled with. - - _meikle_, much. - - _mento mori_, i. e. memento mori, remember thy death. - - _mess or mell_, mix or meddle. - - _midden_, dunghill. - - _mim_, demure. - - _minny_, mother. - - _mint_, give a hint or sign. - - _misleart_, unmannerly. - - _moiling_, drudging. - - _morn, the_, to-morrow. - - _moully_, for want of using. - - _muckle_, much, large. - - _mudge_, stir. - - _mutchkin_, pint. - - - _na_, no, not. - - _nabal_, nabob. - - _nane_, not. - - _near-be-gawn_, narrow, stingy. - - _neest_, next. - - _neives_, _nieves_, fists. - - _neuk_, corner. - - _new-kythed_, newly shown. - - _no_, not. - - _non compos mentis_, not of a right mind. - - _novelle_, novel. - - - _oe_, grandchild. - - _o'ercome of the spring_, burden of the song. - - _ony_, any. - - _or_, ere. - - _ouer_, _oure_, over. - - _ourie_, shivering. - - _outstrapolous_, obstreperous. - - _overly_, too much. - - - _paction_, agreement. - - _panel_, prisoner at the bar of a criminal court. - - _partan_, crab. - - _past-ordinar_, extraordinary. - - _pat_, pot. - - _pawkie_, _pawky_, sly, artful. - - _pendicle_, pendant. - - _penure_, stingy. - - _percep_, perceived. - - _pile_, grain. - - _plack_, copper coin worth one-third of a penny. - - _plane-stanes_, pavement. - - _playock_, child's toy. - - _plenishing_, furniture for a house. - - _ploy_, sport. - - _polonies_, polonaise, woman's dress. - - _pook_, pull. - - _poortith_, poverty. - - _pourie_, cream-pot. - - _preces_, chairman. - - _precognition_, preliminary examination. - - _pree_, taste. - - _prigging_, beating down. - - _prin_, pin. - - _provice_, provost. - - _puddock_, frog. - - _pursuer_, prosecutor. - - - _quean_, hussy. - - _quirk_, quibble, trick. - - - _rabiator_, bully, robber. - - _ram-race_, running headlong with bent head. - - _ramstam_, forward, incautious. - - _randy_, disorderly. - - _rant_, noise, make a noise. - - _ream_, cream. - - _redde_, advise, warn, beg. - - _reelie_, reel, Highland dance. - - _remede_, _remeid_, remedy. - - _respondent_, _respondenting_, defendant, defending. - - _reverence_, power. - - _riant_, smiling. - - _rig-and-fur gamashins_, ribbed leg-protectors. - - _rippet_, small uproar. - - _riving_, tearing. - - _rookit and herrit_, rooked and harried. - - _roos_, roast. - - _roupit_, exposed for auction. - - _routing_, bellowing. - - _roynes_, rinds. - - _rug_, tear. - - _rung_, heavy stick. - - - _sae_, so. - - _sauly_, sally. - - _saut_, salt. - - _sauvendie_, knowledge, understanding. - - _scaith_, harm. - - _scantling_, draft. - - _scart_, scratch. - - _scog_, shelter. - - _scoot_, term of utter contempt. - - _scried_, drinking-bouts. - - _scrimpit_, penurious. - - _scud_, beating. - - _sederunt and session_, sitting of a court. - - _seek, no to_, not far to find. - - _session, on the_, on the parish. - - _shank_, handle. - - _shawps_, shells. - - _sho'elt_, shovelled. - - _shoo_, push away. - - _shoogle_, shake. - - _sib_, related. - - _sic_, such. - - _sicker_, sure. - - _sin'_, since. - - _skailing_, dismissing. - - _skeigh_, proud. - - _skelp_, beat. - - _skews_, oblique parts of the gable. - - _sklater_, slater. - - _slaik_, slabber. - - _smeddum_, powder. - - _smiddy_, smithy. - - _smoor't_, smothered. - - _smytcher_, impudence, term for a child. - - _snaws_, snows. - - _sneck-drawer_, artful fellow. - - _snod_, trim. - - _snood_, ribbon for binding the hair. - - _snooled_, broken in spirit. - - _sonsy_, jolly. - - _sooking_, sucking. - - _soopit_, swept. - - _soople_, souple. - - _sosherie_, enjoyment. - - _sough_, sigh. - - _sourrocks_, leaves of the sorrel. - - _speat_, full flood. - - _speer_, ask. - - _spree_, frolic. - - _sprose_, boast. - - _spyniel_, a quantity of spun yarn. - - _steek_, close. - - _stirk_, young bullock. - - _stoor_, dust. - - _stot_, a young bull. - - _stoup_, measure. - - _straemash_, kick-up. - - _stricts_, exact letter. - - _stroop_, spout. - - _sumph_, softy. - - _suspection_, suspicion. - - _swap_, exchange. - - _swattle_, swallow. - - _sweert_, averse. - - _syde_, long. - - _syne_, ago; - _sin' syne_, since then. - - - _tae_, toe. - - _ta'enawa_, changeling. - - _taigling_, delaying. - - _tak tent_, take care. - - _tansie_, yellow-flowered herb. - - _tap o' tow_, head of flax, easily kindled; - so, of a choleric person. - - _tavert_, senseless. - - _tawpie_, _tawpy_, ill-conditioned, awkward, _esp._ of a girl. - - _taws_, whip. - - _tead_, toad. - - _teetles_, titles. - - _telt_, told. - - _terrogation_, inquiry. - - _thir_, these. - - _thole_, endure. - - _thrangerie butt and ben_, constant work all through the house. - - _thraw_, turn. - - _thrawn_, obstinate. - - _threep_, maintain stoutly, threaten. - - _throughgality_, frugality. - - _tilt_, _till't_, to it. - - _tirl at the pin_, work at the latch. - - _tocher_, dowry. - - _tod_, fox. - - _toom_, empty. - - _tot_, total. - - _touzle_, rough caressing. - - _tow_, flax. - - _towt_, passing fit. - - _traike_, last. - - _trance-door_, door from the passage to the kitchen. - - _trig_, neat. - - _trotcosey_, garment to cover the neck and shoulders. - - _trow_, know. - - _trump_, Jew's harp. - - _tuggit_, pulled. - - _tumphy_, dumpish person, dullard. - - _twa_, two. - - _twa-three_, two or three. - - _tweesh_, betwixt. - - _tynes_, loses. - - - _unco_, something out of the common. - - _unco-like_, strange. - - _uncos_, news. - - - _virl_, ring round the end of a cane. - - - _wabster_, weaver. - - _wadset_, reversion. - - _waff_, passing wave. - - _waling_, choosing. - - _wally-wae_, lament. - - _wamling_, rolling. - - _ware_, expend. - - _warrandice_, warrant. - - _warsle_, _warslet_, wrestle, wrestled. - - _wastrie_, wastefulness. - - _wat_, wot, know. - - _waur_, worse. - - _wean_, child. - - _wee_, small. - - _whang_, large slices. - - _whaup_, curlew. - - _wheen_, few. - - _wheest_, be silent. - - _whilk_, which. - - _whin-bush_, ragstone. - - _whir_, whiz. - - _windlestrae_, grass. - - _wise_, will, advise. - - _wissing_, wishing. - - _wizent_, wizened. - - _wrang_, wrong. - - _wrangeously_, wrongly. - - _writer to the Signet_, solicitor. - - _wud_, mad. - - _wuddy_, halter. - - _wull_, will. - - _wyte_, blame. - - _wytid wi'_, accused of. - - - _yett_, gate. - - _yill_, ale. - - _yird_, _yirden_, earthy. - - _yocket_, yoked, married. - - - - -THE - -WORLD'S CLASSICS - -(SIZE 6 x 4 INCHES) - - -ORDINARY EDITION - -Published in SEVEN different Styles - - Cloth, boards, gilt back ~1/-~ net - - Sultan-red Leather, limp, gilt top ~1/6~ net - - Lambskin, limp, gilt top ~2/-~ net - - Quarter Vellum, hand-tooled, panelled - lettering-piece, gilt top. 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Some two million copies have been sold, and of -the volumes already published nearly one-half have gone into a second, -third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth impression. -It is only possible to give so much for the money when large sales -are certain. The clearness of the type, the quality of the paper, the -size of the page, the printing, and the binding--from the cheapest -to the best--cannot fail to commend themselves to all who love good -literature presented in worthy form. That a high standard is insisted -upon is proved by the list of books already published and of those -on the eve of publication. A great feature is the brief critical -introductions written by leading authorities of the day. The volumes of -The World's Classics are obtainable in a number of different styles, -the description and prices of which are given on page 1; but special -attention may be called to the sultan-red limp leather style, which is -unsurpassable in leather bindings at the price of 1/6 net. - -_April, 1913._ - - - - -LIST OF THE SERIES - -_The figures in parentheses denote the number of the book in the series_ - -~Aeschylus.~ The Seven Plays. Translated by LEWIS CAMPBELL. (117) - -~Ainsworth (W. Harrison).~ The Tower of London. (162) - -~A Kempis (Thomas).~ Of the Imitation of Christ. (49) - -~Aristophanes.~ Frere's translation of the Acharnians, Knights, Birds, -and Frogs. Introduction by W. W. MERRY. (134) - -~Arnold (Matthew).~ Poems. Introduction by Sir A. T. QUILLER-COUCH. (85) - -~Aurelius (Marcus).~ The Thoughts. A new translation by JOHN JACKSON. -(60) - -~Austen (Jane).~ Emma. Introduction by E. V. LUCAS. (129) - -~Bacon.~ The Advancement of Learning, and the New Atlantis. -Introduction by Professor CASE. (93) - - Essays. (24) - -~Barham.~ The Ingoldsby Legends. (9) - -~Blackmore (R. D.).~ Lorna Doone. - -~Borrow.~ The Bible in Spain. (75) - - Lavengro. (66) - - The Romany Rye. (73) - -~Bronte Sisters.~ - - ~Charlotte Bronte.~ Jane Eyre. (1) - - Shirley. (14) - - Villette. (47) - - The Professor, and the Poems of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. - Introduction by THEODORE WATTS-DUNTON. (78) - -~Emily Bronte.~ Wuthering Heights. (10) - -~Anne Bronte.~ Agnes Grey. (141) - - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. (67) #/ - -~Brown (Dr. John).~ Horae Subsecivae. Introduction by AUSTIN DOBSON. -(118) - -~Browning (Elizabeth Barrett).~ Poems: A Selection. (176) - -~Browning (Robert).~ Poems and Plays, 1833-1842. (58) - - Poems, 1842-1864. (137) - -~Buckle.~ The History of Civilization in England. 3 vols. (41, 48, 53) - -~Bunyan.~ The Pilgrim's Progress. (12) - -~Burke.~ Works. 6 vols. - - Vol. I. General Introduction by Judge WILLIS and Preface by F. W. - RAFFETY. (71) - - Vols. II, IV, V, VI. Prefaces by F. W. RAFFETY. (81, 112-114) - - Vol. III. Preface by F. H. WILLIS, (111) - -~Burns.~ Poems. (34) - -~Butler.~ The Analogy of Religion. Edited, with Notes, by W. E. -GLADSTONE. (136) - -~Byron.~ Poems: A Selection. (180) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Carlyle.~ On Heroes and Hero-Worship. (62) - - Past and Present. Introduction by G. K. CHESTERTON. (153) - - Sartor Resartus. (19) - - The French Revolution. Introduction by C. R. L. FLETCHER. 2 vols. - (125, 126) - - The Life of John Sterling. Introduction by W. HALE WHITE. (144) - -~Cervantes.~ Don Quixote. Translated by C. JERVAS. Introduction and -Notes by J. FITZMAURICE-KELLY. 2 vols. With a frontispiece. (130, 131) - -~Chaucer.~ The Canterbury Tales. (76) - -~Chaucer.~ The Works of. From the text of Professor SKEAT. 3 vols. Vol. -I (42); Vol. II (56); Vol. III, containing the whole of the Canterbury -Tales (76) - -~Cobbold.~ Margaret Catchpole. Introduction by CLEMENT SHORTER. (119) - -~Coleridge.~ Poems. Introduction by Sir A. T. QUILLER-COUCH. (99) - -~Cooper (T. Fenimore).~ The Last of the Mohicans. (163) - -~Cowper.~ Letters. Selected, with Introduction, by E. V. LUCAS. (138) - -~Darwin.~ The Origin of Species. With a Note by GRANT ALLEN. (11) - -~Defoe.~ Captain Singleton. Introduction by THEODORE WATTS-DUNTON. (82) - - Robinson Crusoe. (17) - -~De Quincey.~ Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. (23) - -~Dickens.~ Great Expectations. With 6 Illustrations by WARWICK GOBLE. -(128) - - Oliver Twist. (8) - - Pickwick Papers. With 43 Illustrations by SEYMOUR and 'PHIZ.' 2 - vols. (120, 121) - - Tale of Two Cities. (38) - -~Dufferin (Lord).~ Letters from High Latitudes. Illustrated. With -Introduction by R. W. MACAN. (158) - -~Eliot (George).~ Adam Bede. (63) - - Felix Holt. Introduction by VIOLA MEYNELL. (179) - - Romola. Introduction by VIOLA MEYNELL. (178) - - Scenes of Clerical Life. Introduction by ANNIE MATHESON. (155) - - Silas Marner, The Lifted Veil, and Brother Jacob. Introduction by - THEODORE WATTS-DUNTON. (80) - - The Mill on the Floss. (31) - -~Emerson.~ English Traits, and Representative Men. (30) - - Essays. First and Second Series. (6) - -~English Essays.~ Chosen and arranged by W. PEACOCK. (32) - -~English Essays, 1600-1900 (Book of).~ Chosen by S. V. MAKOWER and B. -H. BLACKWELL. (172) - -~English Prose from Mandeville to Ruskin.~ Chosen and arranged by W. -PEACOCK. (45) - -~English Songs and Ballads.~ Compiled by T. W. H. CROSLAND. (13) - -~Fielding.~ Journal of a Voyage to Lisbon. Introduction and Notes by -AUSTIN DOBSON. 2 Illustrations. (142) - -~Galt (John).~ The Entail. Introduction by JOHN AYSCOUGH. (177) - -~Gaskell (Mrs.).~ Introductions by CLEMENT SHORTER. - - Cousin Phillis, and other Tales, etc. (168) - - Cranford, The Cage at Cranford, and The Moorland Cottage. (110) The - 'Cage' has not hitherto been reprinted. - - Lizzie Leigh, The Grey Woman, and other Tales, etc. (175) - - Mary Barton. (86) - - North and South. (154) - - Ruth. (88) - - Sylvia's Lovers. (156) - - Wives and Daughters. (157) - -~Gibbon.~ Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. With Maps. 7 vols. (35, -44, 51, 55, 64, 69, 74) - - Autobiography. Introduction by J. B. BURY. (139) - -~Goethe.~ Faust, Part I (with Marlowe's Dr. Faustus). Translated by -JOHN ANSTER. Introduction by A. W. WARD. (135) - -~Goldsmith.~ Poems. Introduction and Notes by AUSTIN DOBSON. (123) - - The Vicar of Wakefield. (4) - -~Grant (James).~ The Captain of the Guard. (159) - -~Hawthorne.~ The Scarlet Letter. (26) - -~Hazlitt.~ Lectures on the English Comic Writers. Introduction by R. -BRIMLEY JOHNSON. (124) - - Sketches and Essays. (15) - - Spirit of the Age. (57) - - Table-Talk. (5) - - Winterslow. (25) - -~Herbert (George).~ Poems. Introduction by ARTHUR WAUGH. (109) - -~Herrick.~ Poems. (16) - -~Holmes (Oliver Wendell).~ The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. (61) - - The Poet at the Breakfast-Table. Introduction by Sir W. ROBERTSON - NICOLL. (95) - - The Professor at the Breakfast-Table. Introduction by Sir W. - ROBERTSON NICOLL. (89) - -~Homer.~ Iliad. Translated by Pope. (18) - - Odyssey. Translated by Pope. (36) - -~Hood.~ Poems. Introduction by WALTER JERROLD. (87) - -~Horne (R. Hengist).~ A New Spirit of the Age. Introduction by WALTER -JERROLD. (127) - -~Hume.~ Essays. (33) - -~Hunt (Leigh).~ Essays and Sketches. Introduction by R. BRIMLEY -JOHNSON. (115) - - The Town. Introduction and Notes by AUSTIN DOBSON and a - Frontispiece. (132) - -~Irving (Washington).~ The Conquest of Granada. (150) - - The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Introduction by T. - BALSTON. (173) - -~Jerrold (Douglas).~ Mrs. Caudle's Curtain Lectures, Mr. Caudle's -Breakfast Talk, and other Stories and Essays. Introduction by WALTER -JERROLD, and 90 Illustrations by KEENE, LEECH, and DOYLE. (122) - -~Johnson.~ Lives of the English Poets. Introduction by ARTHUR WAUGH. 2 -vols. (83, 84) - -~Keats.~ Poems. (7) - -~Keble.~ The Christian Year. (181) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Lamb.~ Essays of Elia, and The Last Essays of Elia. (2) - -~Lesage.~ Gil Blas. Translated by T. SMOLLETT, with Introduction and -Notes by J. FITZMAURICE-KELLY. 2 vols. (151, 152) - -~Longfellow.~ Evangeline, The Golden Legend, &c. (39) - - Hiawatha, Miles Standish, Tales of a Wayside Inn, &c. (174) - -~Lytton.~ Harold. With 6 Illustrations by Charles Burton. (165) - -~Macaulay.~ Lays of Ancient Rome; Ivry; The Armada. (27) - -~Machiavelli.~ The Prince. Translated by LUIGI RICCI. (43) - -~Marcus Aurelius.~ See Aurelius. - -~Marlowe.~ Dr. Faustus (with Goethe's Faust, Part I). Introduction by -A. W. WARD. See Goethe. - -~Marryat.~ Mr. Midshipman Easy. (160) - - The King's Own. With 6 Illustrations by WARWICK GOBLE. (164) - -~Mill (John Stuart).~ On Liberty, Representative Government, and the -Subjection of Women. With an Introduction by MRS. FAWCETT. (170) - -~Milton.~ The English Poems. (182) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Montaigne.~ Essays. Translated by J. FLORIO. 3 vols. (65, 70, 77) - -~Morris (W.).~ The Defence of Guinevere, The Life and Death of Jason, -and other Poems. (183) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Motley.~ Rise of the Dutch Republic. Introduction by CLEMENT SHORTER. -3 vols. (96, 97, 98) - -~Palgrave.~ The Golden Treasury. With additional Poems, including -FITZGERALD'S translation of Omar Khayyam. (133) - -~Peacock (W.).~ English Prose from Mandeville to Ruskin. (45) Selected -English Essays. (32) - -~Poe (Edgar Allan).~ Tales of Mystery and Imagination. (21) - -~Porter (Jane).~ The Scottish Chiefs. (161) - -~Reid (Mayne).~ The Rifle Rangers. With 6 Illustrations by J. E. -SUTCLIFFE. (166) - - The Scalp Hunters. With 6 Illustrations by A. H. COLLINS. (167) - -~Reynolds (Sir Joshua).~ The Discourses, and the Letters to 'The -Idler.' Introduction by AUSTIN DOBSON. (149) - -~Rossetti (Christina).~ Goblin Market, The Prince's Progress, and other -Poems. (184) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Rossetti (D. G.).~ Poems and Translations, 1850-1870. (185) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Ruskin.~ (_Ruskin House Editions, by arrangement with George Allen and -Sons._) - - 'A Joy for Ever,' and The Two Paths. Illustrated. (147) - - Sesame and Lilies, and The Ethics of the Dust. (145) - - Time and Tide, and The Crown of Wild Olive. (146) - - Unto this Last, and Munera Pulveris. (148) - -~Scott.~ Ivanhoe. (29) - - Lives of the Novelists. Introduction by AUSTIN DOBSON. (94) - - Poems. A Selection. (186) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Shakespeare.~ Plays and Poems. With a Preface by A. C. SWINBURNE and -general Introductions to the several plays and poems by EDWARD DOWDEN, -and a Note by _T. Watts-Dunton_ on the special typographical features -of this Edition. 9 vols. - - Comedies. 3 vols. (100, 101, 102) - - Histories and Poems. 3 vols. (103, 104, 105) - - Tragedies. 3 vols. (106, 107, 108) - -~Shelley.~ Poems. A Selection. (187) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Sheridan.~ Plays. Introduction by JOSEPH KNIGHT. (79) - -~Smith (Adam).~ The Wealth of Nations. 2 vols. (54, 59) - -~Smollett.~ Travels through France and Italy. Introduction by THOMAS -SECCOMBE. (90) - -~Sophocles.~ The Seven Plays. Translated by the late LEWIS CAMPBELL. -(116) - -~Southey (Robert).~ Letters. Selected, with an Introduction and Notes, -by MAURICE H. FITZGERALD. (169) - -~Sterne.~ Tristram Shandy. (40) - -~Swift.~ Gulliver's Travels. (20) - -~Tennyson (Lord).~ Poems. (3) - -~Thackeray.~ Book of Snobs, Sketches and Travels in London, &c. (50) - - Henry Esmond. (28) - - Pendennis. Introduction by EDMUND GOSSE. 2 vols. (91, 92) - -~Thoreau.~ Walden. Introduction by THEODORE WATTS-DUNTON. (68) - -~Tolstoy.~ Essays and Letters. Translated by AYLMER MAUDE. (46) - - Twenty-three Tales. Translated by L. and A. MAUDE. (72) - -~Trollope.~ The Three Clerks. Introduction by W. TEIGNMOUTH SHORE. (143) - -~Virgil.~ Translated by DRYDEN. (37) - -~Watts-Dunton (Theodore).~ Aylwin. (52) - -~Wells (Charles).~ Joseph and his Brethren. With an Introduction by -ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE, and a Note on Rossetti and Charles Wells by -THEODORE WATTS-DUNTON. (143) - -~White (Gilbert).~ History of Selborne. (22) - -~Whittier.~ Poems. A Selection. (188) - - [_In preparation_ - -~Wordsworth.~ Poems: A Selection. (189) - - [_In preparation_ - -_Other Volumes in Preparation._ - - -Bookcases for the World's Classics - -_To hold 50 Volumes ordinary paper, or 100 Volumes thin paper_: - - In Fumed Oak, or Hazel Pine, polished, with two - fixed shelves. 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