by John Galt
CHAPTER LXXVII
"What gars you, young man," said I to the fiercest of the two dragoons,an Englisher, "what gars you in that dreadful manner hate and blasphemehonest men, who would, if they were permitted, dwell in peace with allmankind?"
"Permitted!" cried he, turning round and placing his chair between meand the door, "and who does not permit them? Let them seek the way toheaven according to law, and no one will trouble them."
"The law, I'm thinking," replied I very mildly, "is mair likely todirect them to another place."
"Here's a fellow," cried the soldier, riotously laughing to hiscompanion, "that calls the King's proclamation the devil's finger-post.I say, friend, come a little nearer the light. Is your name Cargill?"
"No," replied I; and the light of the fire then happening to shinebright in his face, my son laid his trembling hand on mine, andwhispered to me with a faltering tongue,--
"O! it's one of the villains that burnt our house, and--"
What more he added I know not, for at the word I leapt from my seat, andrushed upon the soldier. His companion flew in between us; but themoment that the criminal saw my son, who also sprung forward, he uttereda fearful howl of horror, and darted out of the house.
The other soldier was surprised, but collected; and shutting the door,to prevent us from pursuing or escaping, said,--
"What the devil's this?"
"That's my father," said my son boldly, "Ringan Gilhaize of Quharist."
The dragoon looked at me for a moment, with concern in his countenance,and then replied, "I have heard of your name but I was not of the party.It was a damned black job. But sit down, Ecclesfield will not be back.He has ever since of a night been afraid of ghosts, and he's off as ifhe had seen one. So don't disturb yourself, but be cool."
I made no answer, nor could I; but I returned and sat down in the cornerwhere we had been sitting, and my son, at the same time, took his placebeside me, laying his hand on mine: and I heard his heart beating, buthe too said not a word.
It happened that none of the people belonging to the house were presentat the uproar; but hearing the noise, the mistress and the gudeman camerushing ben. The soldier, who still stood calmly with his back to thedoor, nodded to them to come towards him, which they did, and he beganto tell them something in a whisper. The landlord held up his hands andshook his head, and the mistress cried, with tears in her eyes, "Nowonder! no wonder!"
"Had ye no better gang out and see for Ecclesfield?" said the landlord,with a significant look to the soldier.
The young man cast his eyes down, and seemed thoughtful.
"I may be blamed," said he.
"Gang but the house, gudewife, and bring the gardivine," resumed thegudeman; and I saw him touch her on the arm, and she immediately wentagain into the room whence they had issued. "Come into the fire, JackWindsor, and sit down," continued he; and the soldier, with somereluctance, quitted the door, and took his seat between me and it, whereEcclesfield had been sitting.
"Ye ken, Jack," he resumed when they were seated, "that unless there aretwo of you present, ye canna put any man to the test, so that everybody who has not been tested is free to go wheresoever it pleasureshimsel."
The dragoon looked compassionately towards me; and the mistress comingin at the time with a case-bottle under her arm, and a green Dutchdram-glass in her hand, she filled it with brandy, and gave it to herhusband.
"Here's to you, Jack Windsor," said the landlord, as he put the glass tohis lips, "and I wish a' the English in England were as orderly andgood-hearted as yoursel, Jack Windsor."
He then held the glass to the mistress, and she made it a lippy.
"Hae, Jack," said the landlord, "I'm sure, after your hard travail theday, ye'll no be the waur o' a dram."
"Curse the liquor," exclaimed the dragoon, "I'm not to be bribed by adram."
"Nay," cried the landlord, "Gude forbid that I should be a briber,"still holding the glass towards the soldier, who sat in a thoughtfulposture, plainly swithering.
"That fellow Ecclesfield," said he, as it were to himself, "the game'sup with him in this world."
"And in the next too, Jack Windsor, if he does na repent," replied thelandlord; and the dragoon put forth his hand, and, taking the glass,drank off the brandy.
"It's a damned hard service this here in Scotland," said Windsor,holding the empty glass in his hand.
"'Deed is't, Jack," said the landlord, "and it canna be a pleasant thingto a warm-hearted lad like you, Jack Windsor, to be ravaging poorcountry folk, only because they hae gotten a bee in their bonnets aboutprelacy."
"Damn prelacy, says I," exclaimed the dragoon.
"Whisht, whisht, Jack," said the landlord; "but when a man's saescomfisht as ye maun be the night after your skirring, a word o'vexation canna be a great faut. Gudewife, fill Jack's glass again. Ye'llbe a' the better o't, Jack;" and he took the glass from the dragoon'shand and held it to his wife, who again filled it to the flowing eye.
"I should think," said the dragoon, "that Ecclesfield cannot be far off.He ought not to have run away till we had tested the strangers."
"Ah! Jack Windsor," replied the landlord, holding out the glass to him,"that's easy for you, an honest lad wi' a clear conscience, to say, butthink o' what Ecclesfield was art and part in. Ye may thank your stars,Jack, that ye hae ne'er been guilty o' the foul things that he's wytedwi'. Are your father and mother living, Jack Windsor?"
"I hope so," said the dragoon; "but the old man was a little so so whenI last heard of 'em."
"Aye, Jack," replied the landlord, "auld folks are failing subjects. Yehae some brothers and sisters nae doubt? They maun be weel-looked anthey're ony thing like you, Jack."
"I have but one sister," replied the dragoon, "and there's not a goodergirl in England, nor a lady in it that has the bloom of Sally Windsor."
"Ye're braw folk, you Englishers, and ye're happy folk, whilk is farbetter," said the landlord, presenting the second glass, which Jackdrank off at once, and returned to the mistress, signifying with hishand that he wanted no more; upon which she retired with the gardivine,while the landlord continued, "it's weel for you in the south yonder,Jack, that your prelates do not harass honest folk."
"We have no prelates in England, thank God," said the dragoon; "wewouldn't have 'em; our parsons are other sort o' things."
"I thought ye had an host o' bishops, Jack," said the landlord.
"True, and good fellows some on 'em are; but though prelates be bishops,bishops ain't prelates, which makes a difference."
"And a blessed difference it is; for how would ye like to hear of yourfather's house being burnt and him in prison, and your bonny innocentsister?--Eh! is nae that Ecclesfield's foot clampering wi' his spurs atthe door?"
The dragoon listened again, and looked thoughtful for a little time, andturned his eyes hastily towards the corner where we were sitting.
The landlord eyed him anxiously.
"Yes," cried the poor fellow, starting from his seat, and striking hisclosed right hand sharply into his left; "yes, I ought and I will;"adding calmly to the landlord, "confound Ecclesfield, where the devil ishe gone? I'll go see;" and he instantly went out.
The moment he had left the kitchen the landlord rose and said to us,"Flee, flee, and quit this dangerous town!"
Whereupon we rose hastily, and my son lifting the Bible, which he hadlaid in the darkness of the corner, we instanter left the house, and,notwithstanding the speed that was in our steps as we hurried up thestreet, I had a glimpse of the compassionate soldier standing at thecorner of the house when we ran by.
Thus, in a very extraordinary manner, was the dreadful woe that hadbefallen me and mine most wonderfully made a mean, through theconscience of Ecclesfield, to effectuate our escape.