Part 14 (1/2)
With these assurances of ood-will, we bore away frole of the lake, where it gives birth to the river Leven Rob Roy re on the rock froun, waving tartans, and the single pluentleh I observe that the present hland bonnet with a quantity of black pluth, as the distance increased between us,hio slowly up the side of the hill, followed by his ie for a long time in silence, interrupted only by the Gaelic chant which one of the rowers sung in low irregularoccasionally into a wild chorus, in which the others joined
My own thoughts were sad enough;--yet I felt sonificent scenery hich I was surrounded; and thought, in the enthusiasm of the moment, that had my faith been that of Rome, I could have consented to live and die a lonely herst which our boat glided
The Bailie had also his speculations, but they were of somewhat a different complexion; as I found when, after about an hour's silence, during which he had been ed in the calculations necessary, he undertook to prove the possibility of draining the lake, and ”giving to plough and harrow many hundred, ay, ude e'enow, unless it were a gedd, or a dish of perch now and then”
A pike
Aainst the stomach of my sense,” I only remember, that it was part of his project to preserve a portion of the lake just deep enough and broad enough for the purposes of water-carriage, so that coal-barges and gabbards should pass as easily between Duow and Greenock
At length we neared our distant place of landing, adjoining to the ruins of an ancient castle, and just where the lake discharges its superfluous waters into the Leven There we found Dougal with the horses The Bailie had formed a plan with respect to ”the creature,” as well as upon the draining of the lake; and, perhaps in both cases, with ard to the utility than to the practical possibility of his scheal,” he said, ”ye are a kindly creature, and hae the sense and feeling o' what is due to your betters--and I'al, for it canna be but that in the life ye lead you suld get a Jeddart cast ae day suner or later I trust, considering istrate, and h in the council to gar them wink a wee at a waur faut than yours
[”The h is preserved in the proverbial phrase Jeddart Justice, which signifies trial after execution”--Minstrelsy of the Border, Preface, p lvi]
Sae I hae been thinking, that if ye will gang back to Glasgoi' us, being a strong-backit creature, yebetter suld cast up”
”Her nainsell al; ”but teil be in her shanks fan she gangs on a cause-way'd street, unless she be drawn up the Gallowgate wi' tows, as she was before”
In fact, I afterwards learned that Dougal had originally co concerned in some depredation, but had somehow found such favour in the eyes of the jailor, that, with rather overweening confidence, he had retained hial had discharged with sufficient fidelity, so far as was known, until overcome by his clannish prejudices on the unexpected appearance of his old leader
Astonished at receiving so round a refusal to so favourable an offer, the Bailie, turning to me, observed, that the ”creature was a natural-born idiot” I testified al uineas into his hand He no sooner felt the touch of the gold, than he sprung twice or thrice fro out first one heel and then another, in a -master He ran to the boatratuity made them take part in his raptures He then, to use a favourite expression of the dramatic John Bunyan, ”went on his way, and I saw him no more”
The Bailie and I ow When we had lost the view of the lake, and its superb a with enthusiash I was conscious that Mr Jarvie was a very uncongenial spirit to coentlelishman, and a' this may be very fine to you; but foro' the different values of land, I wadna gie the finest sight we hae seen in the Hielands, for the first keek o' the Gorbals o' Glasgow; and if I were ance there, it suldna be every fule's errand, begging your pardon, Mr Francis, that suld take ain!”
The honestvery late, we arrived at his own house that night, or rather on the succeeding ned to the charge of the considerate and officious Mattie, I proceeded to Mrs Flyter's, in whose house, even at this unwonted hour, light was still burning The door was opened by no less a person than Andrew Fairservice himself, who, upon the first sound of nition, and, without uttering a syllable, ran up stairs towards a parlour on the second floor, fro that he went to announce my return to the anxious Owen, I followed him upon the foot Oas not alone, there was another in the apartment--it was nity of his usual equanilad to see you” The next was to embrace me tenderly,--”My dear--dear son!”--Owen secured one of ratulating my return These are scenes which address themselves to the eye and to the heart rather than to the ear--My old eye-lids still ; but your kind and affectionate feelings can well iine what I should find it impossible to describe
When the tumult of our joy was over, I learnt that my father had arrived from Holland shortly after Owen had set off for Scotland Determined and rapid in all histhe obligations incumbent on his house By his extensive resources, with funds enlarged, and credit fortified, by eminent success in his continental speculation, he easily accomplished what perhaps his absence alone rendered difficult, and set out for Scotland to exact justice froh Osbaldistone, as well as to put order to his affairs in that country My father's arrival in full credit, and with the ae his correspondents in future, was a stunning blow to MacVittie and Cohly incensed at the usage his confidential clerk and agent had received at their hands, Mr Osbaldistone refused every tender of apology and acco settled the balance of their account, announced to thees, that leaf of their ledger was closed for ever
While he enjoyed this triumph over false friends, he was not a little alarood man, had not supposed it possible that a journey of fifty or sixty miles, which may be made with so much ease and safety in any direction froer But he caught alarm, by sympathy, from my father, to whom the country, and the lawless character of its inhabitants, were better known
These apprehensions were raised to agony, when, a few hours before I arrived, Andrew Fairservice erated account of the uncertain state in which he had left me The nobleman hose troops he had been a sort of prisoner, had, after examination, not only dis rapidly to Glasgow, in order to announce to my friends my precarious and unpleasant situation
Andreas one of those persons who have no objection to the sort of temporary attention and woeful is, and had therefore by no , especially as the rich London merchant hireat length into an account of the dangers I had escaped, chiefly, as he insinuated, by acity
”What was to coel, in his (Andrew's) person, was removed from my side, it was,” he said, ”sad and sair to conjecture; that the Bailie was nae better than just naebody at a pinch, or so waur, for he was a conceited body--and Andrew hated conceit--but certainly, atween the pistols and the carabines of the troopers, that rappit aff the tane after the tother as fast as hail, and the dirks and claymores o' the Hielanders, and the deep waters and weils o' the Avondow, it was to be thought there wad be a puir account of the young gentleman”
This statement would have driven Owen to despair, had he been alone and unsupported; but e of mankind enabled him easily to appreciate the character of Andrew, and the real aeration, however, it was alarh to a parent He determined to set out in person to obtain otiation, and was busied with Owen till a late hour, in order to get through some necessary correspondence, and devolve on the latter so his absence; and thus it chanced that I found them watchers
It was late ere we separated to rest, and, too i early the next ave his attendance at ure to which he had been reduced at Aberfoil, now appeared in the attire of an undertaker, a goodly suit, na It was not till after one or two queries, which the rascal affected as long as he could to ht it but decent to put on , on account of my inexpressible loss; and as the broker at whose shop he had equipped hiarments had been destroyed or carried off in my honour's service, doubtless I and my honourable father, whom Providence had blessed wi' the means, wadna suffer a puir lad to sit doi' the loss; a stand o' claes was nae great matter to an Osbaldistone (be praised for't!), especially to an old and attached servant o' the house”
As there was so of justice in Andrew's plea of loss in ood suit of , as the exterior signs of woe for a master as alive and merry
My father's first care, when he arose, was to visit Mr Jarvie, for whose kindness he entertained the rateful sentiments, which he expressed in very few, but manly and nervous terms He explained the altered state of his affairs, and offered the Bailie, on such tereous and acceptable, that part in his concerns which had been hitherto ratulated ed posture of their affairs, and, without affecting to disclaim that he had done his best to serve them, when matters looked otherwise, he said, ”He had only just acted as he wad be done by--that, as to the extension of their correspondence, he frankly accepted it with thanks Had MacVittie's folk behaved like honest men,” he said, ”he wad hae liked ill to hae coate But it's otherwise, and they maun e'en stand the loss”
The Bailie then pulled ain cordially wishi+ng me joy, proceeded, in rather an embarrassed tone--”I wad heartily wish, Maister Francis, there suld be as little said as possible about the queer thingsup yonder awa There's nae gude, unless ane were judicially exa about that awfu' job o' Morris--and the members o' the council wadna think it creditable in ane of their body to be fighting wi' a wheen Hielandh I aht end, I canna but think I , hinging by theower a cloak-pin Bailie Grahaot that tale by the end”
I could not suppress a sh I certainly thought it no laughing ood-natured merchant was a little confused, but smiled also when he shook his head--”I see how it is--I see how it is But say naething about it--there's a gude callant; and charge that lang-tongued, conceited, upsetting servingneither I wadna for ever saeabout it I wad never hear an end o't”
He was obviously relieved fro fears of ridicule, when I told hiow al, since the h had been recovered For that portion which he had converted into cash and expended in his own or on political intrigues, there was noit but by a suit at lahich was forthwith coents assured us, with all deliberate speed
We spent, accordingly, one hospitable day with the Bailie, and took leave of hiroealth, honour, and credit, and actually rose to the highest civic honours in his native city About two years after the period I have mentioned, he tired of his bachelor life, and promoted Mattie from her wheel by the kitchen fire to the upper end of his table, in the character of Mrs Jarvie Bailie Grahame, the MacVitties, and others (for all men have their eneh), ridiculed this transformation ”But,” said Mr Jarvie, ”let the for sae feckless a matter as a nine days' clash My honest father the deacon had a byword, Brent brow and lily skin, A loving heart, and a leal within, Is better than gowd or gentle kin
Besides,” as he always concluded, ”Mattie was nae ordinary lassock-quean; she was akin to the Laird o' Liood gifts, I do not presume to decide; but Mattie behaved excellently in her exaltation, and relieved the apprehensions of some of the Bailie's friends, who had deemed his experiment somewhat hazardous I do not know that there was any other incident of his quiet and useful life worthy of being particularly recorded
CHAPTER TWENTIETH
”Coood sons, Gallant men I trow ye be, How ood Earl and me?”
”Five” of them did answer make-- ”Five” of them spoke hastily, ”O father, till the day we die, We'll stand by that good Earl and thee” The Rising in the North
On the ow, Andrew Fairservice bounced into , with more vehemence than tune, The kiln's on fire--the kiln's on fire-- The kiln's on fire--she's a' in a lowe
With some difficulty I prevailed on him to cease his confounded clamour, and explain to me what the matter was He was pleased to inforinable, ”that the Hielands were clean broken out, every man o' them, and that Rob Roy, and a' his breekless bands, wad be down upon Glasgow or twenty-four hours o' the clock gaed round”
”Hold your tongue,” said I, ”you rascal! You must be drunk ormatter, you scoundrel?”
”Drunk or mad? nae doubt,” replied Andrew, dauntlessly; ”ane's aye drunk or ? Od, the clans willside o' our ”
I rose in great haste, and found my father and Owen also on foot, and in considerable alarreat rebellion which agitated Britain in the year 1715 had already broken out, by the unfortunate Earl of Mar's setting up the standard of the Stuart family in an ill-omened hour, to the ruin of land and Scotland The treachery of so the rest), and the arrest of others, had e the First's Government acquainted with the extensive ra prepared, and which at last exploded predom too distant to have any vital effect upon the country, which, however, was plunged into reat public event served to confirm and elucidate the obscure explanations I had received froor; and I could easily see why the westland clans, ere brought against him, should have waived their private quarrel, in consideration that they were all shortly to be engaged in the same public cause It was a more melancholy reflection to my mind, that Diana Vernon was the wife of one of those erethe world upside down, and that she was herself exposed to all the privations and perils of her husband's hazardous trade
We held an immediate consultation on the measures ere to adopt in this crisis, and acquiesced in et the necessary passports, and make the best of our way to London I acquainted my father with my wish to offer my personal service to the Govern already spoken of He readily acquiesced in h he disliked war as a profession, yet, upon principle, no ly in defence of civil and religious liberty
We travelled in haste and in peril through Duland In this quarter, gentle s assembled themselves in the principal towns, armed the inhabitants, and prepared for civil war We narrowly escaped being stopped on more occasions than one, and were often compelled to take circuitous routes to avoid the points where forces were asse
When we reached London, we immediately associated with those bankers and ereed to support the credit of Government, and to reatly founded their hopes of furthering their undertaking, by rendering the Government, as it were, bankrupt My father was chosen one of the members of this forreatest confidence in his zeal, skill, and activity He was also the organ by which they coing to his own house, or over which he had command, to find purchasers for a quantity of the national stock, which was suddenly flung into the market at a depreciated price when the rebellion broke out I was not idle myself, but obtained a commission, and levied, at my father's expense, about two hundred men, hom I joined General Carpenter's army
The rebellion, in the land The unfortunate Earl of Derater had taken ar with General Foster My poor uncle, Sir Hildebrand, whose estate was reduced to al by his own carelessness and the expense and debauchery of his sons and household, was easily persuaded to join that unfortunate standard Before doing so, however, he exhibited a degree of precaution of which no one could have suspected him--he made his will!
By this document he devised his estates at Osbaldistone Hall, and so forth, to his sons successively, and their h, whom, on account of the turn he had lately taken in politics, he detested with all his , and settled the estate on me as his next heir I had always been rather a favourite of the old gentleantic youths who now armed around him, he considered the destination as likely to remain a dead letter, which he inserted chiefly to show his displeasure at Rashleigh's treachery, both public and domestic There was an article, by which he, bequeathed to the niece of his late wife, Diana Vernon, now Lady Diana Vernon Beauchareat silver ewer, having the arraven upon it
But Heaven had decreed a e, than, most probably, he himself had reckoned on In the very first , Thorncliff Osbaldistone quarrelled about precedence with a gentleman of the Northumbrian border, to the full as fierce and intractable as hiave their coht be relied upon, by fighting it out with their rapiers, and reat loss to Sir Hildebrand, for, notwithstanding his infernal teed to the rest of the brotherhood, Rashleigh always excepted