Part 69 (2/2)
”But, give me proofs--give me proofs that this Cleveland is my son, and, believe me, this sun shall sooner sink in the east, than they shall have power to harm a hair of his head.”
”These papers, these journals,” said Mertoun, offering the pocket-book.
”I cannot read them,” she said, after an effort, ”my brain is dizzy.”
”Clement has also tokens which you may remember, but they must have become the booty of his captors. He had a silver box with a Runic inscription, with which in far other days you presented me--a golden chaplet.”
”A box!” said Norna, hastily; ”Cleveland gave me one but a day since--I have never looked at it till now.”
Eagerly she pulled it out--eagerly examined the legend around the lid, and as eagerly exclaimed--”They may now indeed call me Reimkennar, for by this rhyme I know myself murderess of my son, as well as of my father!”
The conviction of the strong delusion under which she had laboured, was so overwhelming, that she sunk down at the foot of one of the pillars--Mertoun shouted for help, though in despair of receiving any; the s.e.xton, however, entered, and, hopeless of all a.s.sistance from Norna, the distracted father rushed out, to learn, if possible, the fate of his son.
CHAPTER XXII.
Go, some of you cry a reprieve!
_Beggar's Opera._
Captain Weatherport had, before this time, reached Kirkwall in person, and was received with great joy and thankfulness by the Magistrates, who had a.s.sembled in council for the purpose. The Provost, in particular, expressed himself delighted with the providential arrival of the Halcyon, at the very conjuncture when the Pirate could not escape her.
The Captain looked a little surprised, and said--”For that, sir, you may thank the information you yourself supplied.”
”That I supplied?” said the Provost, somewhat astonished.
”Yes, sir,” answered Captain Weatherport, ”I understand you to be George Torfe, Chief Magistrate of Kirkwall, who subscribes this letter.”
The astonished Provost took the letter addressed to Captain Weatherport of the Halcyon, stating the arrival, force, &c., of the pirates' vessel; but adding, that they had heard of the Halcyon being on the coast, and that they were on their guard and ready to baffle her, by going among the shoals, and through the islands, and holms, where the frigate could not easily follow; and at the worst, they were desperate enough to propose running the sloop ash.o.r.e and blowing her up, by which much booty and treasure would be lost to the captors. The letter, therefore, suggested, that the Halcyon should cruise betwixt Duncansbay Head and Cape Wrath, for two or three days, to relieve the pirates of the alarm her neighbourhood occasioned, and lull them into security, the more especially as the letter-writer knew it to be their intention, if the frigate left the coast, to go into Stromness Bay, and there put their guns ash.o.r.e for some necessary repairs, or even for careening their vessel, if they could find means. The letter concluded by a.s.suring Captain Weatherport, that, if he could bring his frigate into Stromness Bay on the morning of the 24th of August, he would have a good bargain of the pirates--if sooner, he was not unlikely to miss them.
”This letter is not of my writing or subscribing, Captain Weatherport,”
said the Provost; ”nor would I have ventured to advise any delay in your coming hither.”
The Captain was surprised in his turn. ”All I know is, that it reached me when I was in the bay of Thurso, and that I gave the boat's crew that brought it five dollars for crossing the Pentland Frith in very rough weather. They had a dumb dwarf as c.o.c.kswain, the ugliest urchin my eyes ever opened upon. I give you much credit for the accuracy of your intelligence, Mr. Provost.”
”It is lucky as it is,” said the Provost; ”yet I question whether the writer of this letter would not rather that you had found the nest cold and the bird flown.”
So saying, he handed the letter to Magnus Troil, who returned it with a smile, but without any observation, aware, doubtless, with the sagacious reader, that Norna had her own reasons for calculating with accuracy on the date of the Halcyon's arrival.
Without puzzling himself farther concerning a circ.u.mstance which seemed inexplicable, the Captain requested that the examinations might proceed; and Cleveland and Altamont, as he chose to be called, were brought up the first of the pirate crew, on the charge of having acted as Captain and Lieutenant. They had just commenced the examination, when, after some expostulation with the officers who kept the door, Basil Mertoun burst into the apartment and exclaimed, ”Take the old victim for the young one!--I am Basil Vaughan, too well known on the windward station--take my life, and spare my son's!”
All were astonished, and none more than Magnus Troil, who hastily explained to the Magistrates and Captain Weatherport, that this gentleman had been living peaceably and honestly on the Mainland of Zetland for many years.
”In that case,” said the Captain, ”I wash my hands of the poor man, for he is safe, under two proclamations of mercy; and, by my soul, when I see them, the father and his offspring, hanging on each other's neck, I wish I could say as much for the son.”
”But how is it--how can it be?” said the Provost; ”we always called the old man Mertoun, and the young, Cleveland, and now it seems they are both named Vaughan.”
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