by Walter Scott
CHAPTER X I am going to the parliament; You understand this bag. If you have any business Depending there be short, and let me hear it, And pay your fees.
Little French Lawyer
'Shall you be able to carry this honest fellow's cause for him?' saidMannering.
'Why, I don't know; the battle is not to the strong, but he shall comeoff triumphant over Jock of Dawston if we can make it out. I owe himsomething. It is the pest of our profession that we seldom see the bestside of human nature. People come to us with every selfish feeling newlypointed and grinded; they turn down the very caulkers of theiranimosities and prejudices, as smiths do with horses' shoes in a whitefrost. Many a man has come to my garret yonder that I have at firstlonged to pitch out at the window, and yet at length have discovered thathe was only doing as I might have done in his case, being very angry, andof course very unreasonable. I have now satisfied myself that, if ourprofession sees more of human folly and human roguery than others, it isbecause we witness them acting in that channel in which they can mostfreely vent themselves. In civilised society law is the chimney throughwhich all that smoke discharges itself that used to circulate through thewhole house, and put every one's eyes out; no wonder, therefore, that thevent itself should sometimes get a little sooty. But we will take careour Liddesdale man's cause is well conducted and well argued, so allunnecessary expense will be saved: he shall have his pine-apple atwholesale price.'
'Will you do me the pleasure,' said Mannering, as they parted, 'to dinewith me at my lodgings? My landlord says he has a bit of red-deer venisonand some excellent wine.'
'Venison, eh?' answered the Counsellor alertly, but presently added--'Butno! it's impossible; and I can't ask you home neither. Monday's a sacredday; so's Tuesday; and Wednesday we are to be heard in the great teindcase in presence, but stay--it's frosty weather, and if you don't leavetown, and that venison would keep till Thursday--'
'You will dine with me that day?'
'Under certification.'
'Well, then, I will indulge a thought I had of spending a week here; andif the venison will not keep, why we will see what else our landlord cando for us.'
'O, the venison will keep,' said Pleydell; 'and now good-bye. Look atthese two or three notes, and deliver them if you like the addresses. Iwrote them for you this morning. Farewell, my clerk has been waiting thishour to begin a d-d information.' And away walked Mr. Pleydell with greatactivity, diving through closes and ascending covered stairs in order toattain the High Street by an access which, compared to the common route,was what the Straits of Magellan are to the more open but circuitouspassage round Cape Horn.
On looking at the notes of introduction which Pleydell had thrust intohis hand, Mannering was gratified with seeing that they were addressed tosome of the first literary characters of Scotland. 'To David Hume, Esq.'
To John Home, Esq.' 'To Dr. Ferguson.' 'To Dr. Black.' 'To Lord Kaimes.''To Mr. Button.' 'To John Clerk, Esq., of Eldin.' 'To Adam Smith, Esq.''To Dr. Robertson.'
'Upon my word, my legal friend has a good selection of acquaintances;these are names pretty widely blown indeed. An East-Indian must rub uphis facultiesa little, and put his mind in order, before he enters thissort of society.'
Mannering gladly availed himself of these introductions; and we regretdeeply it is not in our power to give the reader an account of thepleasure and information which he received in admission to a circle neverclosed against strangers of sense and information, and which has perhapsat no period been equalled, considering the depth and variety of talentwhich it embraced and concentrated.
Upon the Thursday appointed Mr. Pleydell made his appearance at the innwhere Colonel Mannering lodged. The venison proved in high order, theclaret excellent, and the learned counsel, a professed amateur in theaffairs of the table, did distinguished honour to both. I am uncertain,however, if even the good cheer gave him more satisfaction than thepresence of Dominie Sampson, from whom, in his own juridical style ofwit, he contrived to extract great amusement both for himself and one ortwo friends whom the Colonel regaled on the same occasion. The grave andlaconic simplicity of Sampson's answers to the insidious questions of thebarrister placed the bonhomie of his character in a more luminous pointof view than Mannering had yet seen it. Upon the same occasion he drewforth a strange quantity of miscellaneous and abstruse, though, generallyspeaking, useless learning. The lawyer afterwards compared his mind tothe magazine of a pawnbroker, stowed with goods of every description, butso cumbrously piled together, and in such total disorganisation, that theowner can never lay his hands upon any one article at the moment he hasoccasion for it.
As for the advocate himself, he afforded at least as much exercise toSampson as he extracted amusement from him. When the man of law began toget into his altitudes, and his wit, naturally shrewd and dry, becamemore lively and poignant, the Dominie looked upon him with that sort ofsurprise with which we can conceive a tame bear might regard his futureassociate, the monkey, on their being first introduced to each other. Itwas Mr. Pleydell's delight to state in grave and serious argument someposition which he knew the Dominie would be inclined to dispute. He thenbeheld with exquisite pleasure the internal labour with which the honestman arranged his ideas for reply, and tasked his inert and sluggishpowers to bring up all the heavy artillery of his learning fordemolishing the schismatic or heretical opinion which had been stated,when behold, before the ordnance could be discharged, the foe had quittedthe post and appeared in a new position of annoyance on the Dominie'sflank or rear. Often did he exclaim 'Prodigious!' when, marching up tothe enemy in full confidence of victory, he found the field evacuated,and it may be supposed that it cost him no little labour to attempt a newformation. 'He was like a native Indian army,' the Colonel said,'formidable by numerical strength and size of ordnance, but liable to bethrown into irreparable confusion by a movement to take them in flank.'On the whole, however, the Dominie, though somewhat fatigued with thesemental exertions, made at unusual speed and upon the pressure of themoment, reckoned this one of the white days of his life, and alwaysmentioned Mr. Pleydell as a very erudite and fa-ce-ti-ous person.
By degrees the rest of the party dropped off and left these threegentlemen together. Their conversation turned to Mrs. Bertram'ssettlements. 'Now what could drive it into the noddle of that oldharridan,' said Pleydell, 'to disinherit poor Lucy Bertram under pretenceof settling her property on a boy who has been so long dead and gone? Iask your pardon, Mr. Sampson, I forgot what an affecting case this wasfor you; I remember taking your examination upon it, and I never had somuch trouble to make any one speak three words consecutively. You maytalk of your Pythagoreans or your silent Brahmins, Colonel; go to, I tellyou this learned gentleman beats them all in taciturnity; but the wordsof the wise are precious, and not to be thrown away lightly.'
'Of a surety,' said the Dominie, taking his blue-checqued handkerchieffrom his eyes, 'that was a bitter day with me indeed; ay, and a day ofgrief hard to be borne; but He giveth strength who layeth on the load.'
Colonel Mannering took this opportunity to request Mr. Pleydell to informhim of the particulars attending the loss of the boy; and the Counsellor,who was fond of talking upon subjects of criminal jurisprudence,especially when connected with his own experience, went through thecircumstances at full length. 'And what is your opinion upon the resultof the whole?'
'O, that Kennedy was murdered: it's an old case which has occurred onthat coast before now, the case of Smuggler versus Exciseman.'
'What, then, is your conjecture concerning the fate of the child?'
'O, murdered too, doubtless,' answered Pleydell. 'He was old enough totell what he had seen, and these ruthless scoundrels would not scruplecommitting a second Bethlehem massacre if they thought their interestrequired it.'
The Dominie groaned deeply, and ejaculated, 'Enormous!'
'Yet there was mention of gipsies in the business too, Counsellor,' saidMannering, 'and from what that vulgar-looki
ng fellow said after thefuneral--'
'Mrs. Margaret Bertram's idea that the child was alive was founded uponthe report of a gipsy?' said Pleydell, catching at the half-spoken hint.'I envy you the concatenation, Colonel; it is a shame to me not to havedrawn the same conclusion. We'll follow this business up instantly. Here,hark ye, waiter, go down to Luckie Wood's in the Cowgate; ye'll find myclerk Driver; he'll be set down to high jinks by this time--for we andour retainers, Colonel, are exceedingly regular in ourirregularities--tell him to come here instantly and I will pay hisforfeits.'
'He won't appear in character, will he?' said Mannering.
'Ah! "no more of that, Hal, an thou lovest me,"' said Pleydell. 'But wemust have some news from the land of Egypt, if possible. O, if I had buthold of the slightest thread of this complicated skein, you should seehow I would unravel it! I would work the truth out of your Bohemian, asthe French call them, better than a monitoire or a plainte de Tournelle;I know how to manage a refractory witness.'
While Mr. Pleydell was thus vaunting his knowledge of his profession, thewaiter reentered with Mr. Driver, his mouth still greasy with muttonpies, and the froth of the last draught of twopenny yet unsubsided on hisupper lip, with such speed had he obeyed the commands of his principal.'Driver, you must go instantly and find out the woman who was old Mrs.Margaret Bertram's maid. Inquire for her everywhere, but if you find itnecessary to have recourse to Protocol, Quid the tobacconist, or anyother of these folks, you will take care not to appear yourself, but sendsome woman of your acquaintance; I daresay you know enough that may be socondescending as to oblige you. When you have found her out, engage herto come to my chambers tomorrow at eight o'clock precisely.'
'What shall I say to make her forthcoming?' asked the aid-de-camp.
'Anything you choose,' replied the lawyer. 'Is it my business to makelies for you, do you think? But let her be in praesentia by eighto'clock, as I have said before.' The clerk grinned, made his reverence,and exit.
'That's a useful fellow,' said the Counsellor; 'I don't believe his matchever carried a process. He'll write to my dictating three nights in theweek without sleep, or, what's the same thing, he writes as well andcorrectly when he's asleep as when he's awake. Then he's such a steadyfellow; some of them are always changing their ale-houses, so that theyhave twenty cadies sweating after them, like the bare-headed captainstraversing the taverns of Eastcheap in search of Sir John Falstaff. Butthis is a complete fixture; he has his winter seat by the fire and hissummer seat by the window in Luckie Wood's, betwixt which seats are hisonly migrations; there he's to be found at all times when he is off duty.It is my opinion he never puts off his clothes or goes to sleep; sheerale supports him under everything. It is meat, drink, and cloth, bed,board, and washing.'
'And is he always fit for duty upon a sudden turnout? I should distrustit, considering his quarters.'
'O, drink, never disturbs him, Colonel; he can write for hours after hecannot speak. I remember being called suddenly to draw an appeal case. Ihad been dining, and it was Saturday night, and I had ill will to beginto it; however, they got me down to Clerihugh's, and there we sat birlingtill I had a fair tappit hen [Footnote: See Note 2.] under my belt, andthen they persuaded me to draw the paper. Then we had to seek Driver, andit was all that two men could do to bear him in, for, when found, he was,as it happened, both motionless and speechless. But no sooner was his penput between his fingers, his paper stretched before him, and he heard myvoice, than he began to write like a scrivener; and, excepting that wewere obliged to have somebody to dip his pen in the ink, for he could notsee the standish, I never saw a thing scrolled more handsomely.'
'But how did your joint production look the next morning?' said theColonel.
'Wheugh! capital! not three words required to be altered: [Footnote: SeeNote 3. ] it was sent off by that day's post. But you'll come andbreakfast with me to-morrow, and hear this woman's examination?'
'Why, your hour is rather early.'
'Can't make it later. If I were not on the boards of the Outer Houseprecisely as the nine-hours' bell rings, there would be a report that Ihad got an apoplexy, and I should feel the effects of it all the rest ofthe session.'
'Well, I will make an exertion to wait upon you.'
Here the company broke up for the evening.
In the morning Colonel Mannering appeared at the Counsellor's chambers,although cursing the raw air of a Scottish morning in December. Mr.Pleydell had got Mrs. Rebecca installed on one side of his fire,accommodated her with a cup of chocolate, and was already deeply engagedin conversation with her. 'O no, I assure you, Mrs. Rebecca, there is nointention to challenge your mistress's will; and I give you my word ofhonour that your legacy is quite safe. You have deserved it by yourconduct to your mistress, and I wish it had been twice as much.'
'Why, to be sure, sir, it's no right to mention what is said before ane;ye heard how that dirty body Quid cast up to me the bits o' complimentshe gied me, and tell'd ower again ony loose cracks I might hae had wi'him; now if ane was talking loosely to your honour, there's nae sayingwhat might come o't.'
'I assure you, my good Rebecca, my character and your own age andappearance are your security, if you should talk as loosely as an amatorypoet.'
'Aweel, if your honour thinks I am safe--the story is just this. Ye see,about a year ago, or no just sae lang, my leddy was advised to go toGilsland for a while, for her spirits were distressing her sair.Ellangowan's troubles began to be spoken o' publicly, and sair vexed shewas; for she was proud o' her family. For Ellangowan himsell and her,they sometimes 'greed and some times no; but at last they didna 'gree ata' for twa or three year, for he was aye wanting to borrow siller, andthat was what she couldna bide at no hand, and she was aye wanting itpaid back again, and that the Laird he liked as little. So at last theywere clean aff thegither. And then some of the company at Gilsland tellsher that the estate was to be sell'd; and ye wad hae thought she had taenan ill will at Miss Lucy Bertram frae that moment, for mony a time shecried to me, "O Becky, O Becky, if that useless peenging thing o' alassie there at Ellangowan, that canna keep her ne'er-do-weel fatherwithin bounds--if she had been but a lad-bairn they couldna hae sell'dthe auld inheritance for that fool-body's debts"; and she would rin onthat way till I was just wearied and sick to hear her ban the puirlassie, as if she wadna hae been a lad-bairn and keepit the land if ithad been in her will to change her sect. And ae day at the spaw-wellbelow the craig at Gilsland she was seeing a very bonny family o'bairns--they belanged to ane Mac-Crosky--and she broke out--"Is not it anodd like thing that ilka waf carle in the country has a son and heir, andthat the house of Ellangowan is without male succession?" There was agipsy wife stood ahint and heard her, a muckle sture fearsome-lookingwife she was as ever I set een on. "Wha is it," says she, "that dare saythe house of Ellangowan will perish without male succession?" My mistressjust turned on her; she was a high-spirited woman, and aye ready wi' ananswer to a' body. "It's me that says it," says she, "that may say itwith a sad heart." Wi' that the gipsy wife gripped till her hand--"I kenyou weel eneugh," says she, "though ye kenna me. But as sure as thatsun's in heaven, and as sure as that water's rinning to the sea, and assure as there's an ee that sees and an ear that hears us baith, HarryBertram, that was thought to perish at Warroch Point, never did diethere. He was to have a weary weird o't till his ane-and-twentieth year,that was aye said o' him; but if ye live and I live, ye'll hear mair o'him this winter before the snaw lies twa days on the Dun of Singleside. Iwant nane o' your siller," she said, "to make ye think I am blearing youree; fare ye weel till after Martinmas." And there she left us standing.'
'Was she a very tall woman?' interrupted Mannering.
'Had she black hair, black eyes, and a cut above the brow?' added thelawyer.
'She was the tallest woman I ever saw, and her hair was as black asmidnight, unless where it was grey, and she had a scar abune the browthat ye might hae laid the lith of your finger in. Naebody that's seenher will ever forget her
; and I am morally sure that it was on the groundo' what that gipsy-woman said that my mistress made her will, having taena dislike at the young leddy o' Ellangowan. And she liked her far waurafter she was obliged to send her L20; for she said Miss Bertram, nocontent wi' letting the Ellangowan property pass into strange hands,owing to her being a lass and no a lad, was coming, by her poverty, to bea burden and a disgrace to Singleside too. But I hope my mistress's is agood will for a' that, for it would be hard on me to lose the wee bitlegacy; I served for little fee and bountith, weel I wot.'
The Counsellor relieved her fears on this head, then inquired after JennyGibson, and understood she had accepted Mr. Dinmont's offer. 'And I havedone sae mysell too, since he was sae discreet as to ask me,' said Mrs.Rebecca; 'they are very decent folk the Dinmonts, though my lady didnadow to hear muckle about the friends on that side the house. But sheliked the Charlie's Hope hams and the cheeses and the muir-fowl that theywere aye sending, and the lamb's-wool hose and mittens--she liked themweel eneugh.'
Mr. Pleydell now dismissed Mrs. Rebecca. When she was gone, 'I think Iknow the gipsy-woman,' said the lawyer.
'I was just going to say the same,' replied Mannering.
'And her name,' said Pleydell--
'Is Meg Merrilies,' answered the Colonel.
'Are you avised of that?' said the Counsellor, looking at his militaryfriend with a comic expression of surprise.
Mannering answered that he had known such a woman when he was atEllangowan upwards of twenty years before; and then made his learnedfriend acquainted with all the remarkable particulars of his first visitthere.
Mr. Pleydell listened with great attention, and then replied, 'Icongratulated myself upon having made the acquaintance of a profoundtheologian in your chaplain; but I really did not expect to find a pupilof Albumazar or Messahala in his patron. I have a notion, however, thisgipsy could tell us some more of the matter than she derives fromastrology or second-sight. I had her through hands once, and could thenmake little of her, but I must write to Mac-Morlan to stir heaven andearth to find her out. I will gladly come to--shire myself to assist ather examination; I am still in the commission of the peace there, thoughI have ceased to be sheriff. I never had anything more at heart in mylife than tracing that murder and the fate of the child. I must write tothe sheriff of Roxburghshire too, and to an active justice of peace inCumberland.'
'I hope when you come to the country you will make Woodbourne yourheadquarters?'
'Certainly; I was afraid you were going to forbid me. But we must go tobreakfast now or I shall be too late.'
On the following day the new friends parted, and the Colonel rejoined hisfamily without any adventure worthy of being detailed in these chapters.