by Walter Scott
LETTER IV
THE SAME TO THE SAME
SHEPHERD'S BUSH.
I mentioned in my last, that having abandoned my fishing-rod as anunprofitable implement, I crossed over the open downs which divided mefrom the margin of the Solway. When I reached the banks of the greatestuary, which are here very bare and exposed, the waters had recededfrom the large and level space of sand, through which a stream,now feeble and fordable, found its way to the ocean. The whole wasilluminated by the beams of the low and setting sun, who showedhis ruddy front, like a warrior prepared for defence, over a hugebattlemented and turreted wall of crimson and black clouds, whichappeared like an immense Gothic fortress, into which the lord of day wasdescending. His setting rays glimmered bright upon the wet surface ofthe sands, and the numberless pools of water by which it was covered,where the inequality of the ground had occasioned their being left bythe tide.
The scene was animated by the exertions of a number of horsemen, whowere actually employed in hunting salmon. Aye, Alan, lift up yourhands and eyes as you will, I can give their mode of fishing no name soappropriate; for they chased the fish at full gallop, and struck themwith their barbed spears, as you see hunters spearing boars in the oldtapestry. The salmon, to be sure, take the thing more quietly than theboars; but they are so swift in their own element, that to pursueand strike them is the task of a good horseman, with a quick eye, adetermined hand, and full command both of his horse and weapon. Theshouts of the fellows as they galloped up and down in the animatingexercise--their loud bursts of laughter when any of their number caughta fall--and still louder acclamations when any of the party made acapital stroke with his lance--gave so much animation to the wholescene, that I caught the enthusiasm of the sport, and ventured forwarda considerable space on the sands. The feats of one horseman, inparticular, called forth so repeatedly the clamorous applause of hiscompanions, that the very banks rang again with their shouts. He was atall man, well mounted on a strong black horse, which he caused to turnand wind like a bird in the air, carried a longer spear than the others,and wore a sort of fur cap or bonnet, with a short feather in it,which gave him on the whole rather a superior appearance to the otherfishermen. He seemed to hold some sort of authority among them, andoccasionally directed their motions both by voice and hand: at whichtimes I thought his gestures were striking, and his voice uncommonlysonorous and commanding.
The riders began to make for the shore, and the interest of the scenewas almost over, while I lingered on the sands, with my looks turned tothe shores of England, still gilded by the sun's last rays, and, as itseemed, scarce distant a mile from me. The anxious thoughts whichhaunt me began to muster in my bosom, and my feet slowly and insensiblyapproached the river which divided me from the forbidden precincts,though without any formed intention, when my steps were arrested bythe sound of a horse galloping; and as I turned, the rider (the samefisherman whom I had formerly distinguished) called out to me, inan abrupt manner, 'Soho, brother! you are too late for Bownessto-night--the tide will make presently.'
I turned my head and looked at him without answering; for, to mythinking, his sudden appearance (or rather, I should say, his unexpectedapproach) had, amidst the gathering shadows and lingering light,something in it which was wild and ominous.
'Are you deaf?' he added--'or are you mad?--or have you a mind for thenext world?'
'I am a stranger,' I answered,' and had no other purpose than looking onat the fishing--I am about to return to the side I came from.'
'Best make haste then,' said he. 'He that dreams on the bed of theSolway, may wake in the next world. The sky threatens a blast that willbring in the waves three feet abreast.'
So saying, he turned his horse and rode off, while I began to walk backtowards the Scottish shore, a little alarmed at what I had heard;for the tide advances with such rapidity upon these fatal sands, thatwell-mounted horsemen lay aside hopes of safety, if they see its whitesurge advancing while they are yet at a distance from the bank.
These recollections grew more agitating, and, instead of walkingdeliberately, I began a race as fast as I could, feeling, or thinking Ifelt, each pool of salt water through which I splashed, grow deeper anddeeper. At length the surface of the sand did seem considerably moreintersected with pools and channels full of water--either that the tidewas really beginning to influence the bed of the estuary, or, as I mustown is equally probable, that I had, in the hurry and confusion of myretreat, involved myself in difficulties which I had avoided in my moredeliberate advance. Either way, it was rather an unpromising state ofaffairs, for the sands at the same time turned softer, and my footsteps,so soon as I had passed, were instantly filled with water. I began tohave odd recollections concerning the snugness of your father's parlour,and the secure footing afforded by the pavement of Brown's Square andScott's Close, when my better genius, the tall fisherman, appeared oncemore close to my side, he and his sable horse looming gigantic in thenow darkening twilight.
'Are you mad?' he said, in the same deep tone which had before thrilledon my ear, 'or are you weary of your life? You will be presently amongstthe quicksands.' I professed my ignorance of the way, to which he onlyreplied, 'There is no time for prating--get up behind me.'
He probably expected me to spring from the ground with the activitywhich these Borderers have, by constant practice, acquired in everythingrelating to horsemanship; but as I stood irresolute, he extended hishand, and grasping mine, bid me place my foot on the toe of his boot,and thus raised me in a trice to the croupe of his horse. I was scarcelysecurely seated, ere he shook the reins of his horse, who instantlysprang forward; but annoyed, doubtless, by the unusual burden, treatedus to two or three bounds, accompanied by as many flourishes of his hindheels. The rider sat like a tower, notwithstanding that the unexpectedplunging of the animal threw me forward upon him. The horse was sooncompelled to submit to the discipline of the spur and bridle, and wentoff at a steady hand gallop; thus shortening the devious, for it wasby no means a direct path, by which the rider, avoiding the loosequicksands, made for the northern bank.
My friend, perhaps I may call him my preserver,--for, to a stranger, mysituation was fraught with real danger,--continued to press on at thesame speedy pace, but in perfect silence, and I was under too muchanxiety of mind to disturb him with any questions. At length we arrivedat a part of the shore with which I was utterly unacquainted, when Ialighted and began to return in the best fashion I could my thanks forthe important service which he had just rendered me.
The stranger only replied by an impatient 'pshaw!' and was about to rideoff, and leave me to my own resources when I implored him to completehis work of kindness by directing me to Shepherd's Bush, which was, as Iinformed him, my home for the present.
'To Shepherd's Bush?' he said; 'it is but three miles but if you knownot the land better than the sand, you may break your neck before youget there; for it is no road for a moping boy in a dark night; and,besides, there are the brook and the fens to cross.'
I was a little dismayed at this communication of such difficulties as myhabits had not called on me to contend with. Once more the idea of thyfather's fireside came across me; and I could have been well contentedto have swapped the romance of my situation, together with the gloriousindependence of control which I possessed at the moment, for thecomforts of that chimney-corner, though I were obliged to keep my eyeschained to Erskine's LARGER INSTITUTES.
I asked my new friend whether he could not direct me to any house ofpublic entertainment for the night; and supposing it probable he washimself a poor man, I added, with the conscious dignity of a well-filledpocket-book, that I could make it worth any man's while to oblige me.The fisherman making no answer, I turned away from him with as gallantan appearance of indifference as I could command, and began to take, asI thought, the path which he had pointed out to me.
His deep voice immediately sounded after me to recall me. 'Stay, youngman, stay--you have mistaken the road already.--I wonder your friendssent out
such an inconsiderate youth, without some one wiser thanhimself to take care of him.'
'Perhaps they might not have done so,' said I, 'if I had any friends whocared about the matter.'
'Well, sir,' he said, 'it is not my custom to open my house tostrangers, but your pinch is like to be a smart one; for, besides therisk from bad roads, fords, and broken ground, and the night,which looks both black and gloomy, there is bad company on the roadsometimes--at least it has a bad name, and some have come to harm; sothat I think I must for once make my rule give way to your necessity,and give you a night's lodging in my cottage.
Why was it, Alan, that I could not help giving an involuntary shudder atreceiving an invitation so seasonable in itself, and so suitable to mynaturally inquisitive disposition? I easily suppressed this untimelysensation; and as I returned thanks, and expressed my hope that I shouldnot disarrange, his family, I once more dropped a hint of my desire tomake compensation for any trouble I might occasion. The man answeredvery coldly, 'Your presence will no doubt give me trouble, sir, but itis of a kind which your purse, cannot compensate; in a word, althoughI am content to receive you as my guest, I am no publican to call areckoning.'
I begged his pardon, and, at his instance, once more seated myselfbehind hint upon the good horse, which went forth steady as before--themoon, whenever she could penetrate the clouds, throwing the huge shadowof the animal, with its double burden, on the wild and bare ground overwhich we passed.
Thou mayst laugh till thou lettest the letter fall, if thou wilt, butit reminded me of the magician Atlantes on his hippogriff with a knighttrussed up behind him, in the manner Ariosto has depicted that matter.Thou art I know, matter-of-fact enough to affect contempt of thatfascinating and delicious poem; but think not that, to conform withthy bad taste, I shall forbear any suitable illustration which now orhereafter may occur to me.
On we went, the sky blackening around us, and the wind beginning to pipesuch a wild and melancholy tune as best suited the hollow sounds of theadvancing tide, which I could hear at a distance, like the roar of someimmense monster defrauded of its prey.
At length, our course was crossed by a deep dell or dingle, such as theycall in some parts of Scotland a den, and in others a cleuch or narrowglen. It seemed, by the broken glances which the moon continued tothrow upon it, to be steep, precipitous, and full of trees, which are,generally speaking, rather scarce upon these shores. The descent bywhich we plunged into this dell was both steep and rugged, with twoor three abrupt turnings; but neither danger nor darkness impeded themotion of the black horse, who seemed rather to slide upon his haunches,than to gallop down the pass, throwing me again on the shoulders of theathletic rider, who, sustaining no inconvenience by the circumstance,continued to press the horse forward with his heel, steadily supportinghim at the same time by raising his bridle-hand, until we stood insafety at the bottom of the steep--not a little to my consolation, as,friend Alan, thou mayst easily conceive.
A very short advance up the glen, the bottom of which we had attained bythis ugly descent, brought us in front of two or three cottages, oneof which another blink of moonshine enabled me to rate as rather betterthan those of the Scottish peasantry in this part of the world; for thesashes seemed glazed, and there were what are called storm-windows inthe roof, giving symptoms of the magnificence of a second story. Thescene around was very interesting; for the cottages, and the yards orcrofts annexed to them, occupied a haugh, or helm, of two acres, whicha brook of some consequence (to judge from its roar) had left upon oneside of the little glen while finding its course close to the fartherbank, and which appeared to be covered and darkened with trees, whilethe level space beneath enjoyed such stormy smiles as the moon had thatnight to bestow.
I had little time for observation, for my companion's loud whistle,seconded by an equally loud halloo, speedily brought to the door ofthe principal cottage a man and a woman, together with two largeNewfoundland dogs, the deep baying of which I had for some time heard. Ayelping terrier or two, which had joined the concert, were silent atthe presence of my conductor, and began to whine, jump up, and fawn uponhim. The female drew back when she beheld a stranger; the man, who hada lighted lantern, advanced, and, without any observation, received thehorse from my host, and led him, doubtless, to stable, while I followedmy conductor into the house. When we had passed the HALLAN, [Thepartition which divides a Scottish cottage.] we entered a well-sizedapartment, with a clean brick floor, where a fire blazed (much to mycontentment) in the ordinary projecting sort of a chimney, common inScottish houses. There were stone seats within the chimney; and ordinaryutensils, mixed with fishing-spears, nets, and similar implements ofsport, were hung around the walls of the place. The female who had firstappeared at the door, had now retreated into a side apartment. She waspresently followed by my guide, after he had silently motioned me to aseat; and their place was supplied by an elderly woman, in a grey stuffgown, with a check apron and toy, obviously a menial, though neater inher dress than is usual in her apparent rank--an advantage which wascounterbalanced by a very forbidding aspect. But the most singular partof her attire, in this very Protestant country, was a rosary, in whichthe smaller beads were black oak, and those indicating the PATER-NOSTERof silver, with a crucifix of the same metal.
This person made preparations for supper, by spreading a clean thoughcoarse cloth over a large oaken table, placing trenchers and salt uponit, and arranging the fire to receive a gridiron. I observed her motionsin silence; for she took no sort of notice of me, and as her looks weresingularly forbidding, I felt no disposition to commence conversation.
When this duenna had made all preliminary arrangements, she took fromthe well-filled pouch of my conductor, which he had hung up by thedoor, one or two salmon, or GRILSES, as the smaller sort are termed, andselecting that which seemed best and in highest season, began to cutit into slices, and to prepare a GRILLADE; the savoury smell of whichaffected me so powerfully that I began sincerely to hope that no delaywould intervene between the platter and the lip.
As this thought came across me, the man who had conducted the horse tothe stable entered the apartment, and discovered to me a countenance yetmore uninviting than that of the old crone who was performing with suchdexterity the office of cook to the party. He was perhaps sixty yearsold; yet his brow was not much furrowed, and his jet-black hair was onlygrizzled, not whitened, by the advance of age. All his motions spokestrength unabated; and, though rather undersized, he had very broadshoulders, was square-made, thin-flanked, and apparently combined in hisframe muscular strength and activity; the last somewhat impaired perhapsby years, but the first remaining in full vigour. A hard and harshcountenance--eyes far sunk under projecting eyebrows, which weregrizzled like his hair--a wide mouth, furnished from ear to ear with itrange of unimpaired teeth, of uncommon whiteness, and a size and breadthwhich might have become the jaws of an ogre, completed this delightfulportrait. He was clad like a fisherman, in jacket and trousers of theblue cloth commonly used by seamen, and had a Dutch case-knife, likethat of a Hamburgh skipper, stuck into a broad buff belt, which seemedas if it might occasionally sustain weapons of a description still lessequivocally calculated for violence.
This man gave me an inquisitive, and, as I thought, a sinister look uponentering the apartment; but without any further notice of me, took upthe office of arranging the table, which the old lady had abandoned forthat of cooking the fish, and, with more address than I expected froma person of his coarse appearance, placed two chairs at the head of thetable, and two stools below; accommodating each seat to a cover, besidewhich he placed an allowance of barley-bread, and a small jug, which hereplenished with ale from a large black jack. Three of these jugswere of ordinary earthenware, but the fourth, which he placed by theright-hand cover at, the upper end of the table, was a flagon ofsilver, and displayed armorial bearings. Beside this flagon he placed asalt-cellar of silver, handsomely wrought, containing salt of exquisitewhiteness, with pepper and other spices. A sliced lemon wa
s alsopresented on a small silver salver. The two large water-dogs, whoseemed perfectly to understand the nature of the preparations, seatedthemselves one on each side of the table, to be ready to receive theirportion of the entertainment. I never saw finer animals, or whichseemed to be more influenced by a sense of decorum, excepting that theyslobbered a little as the rich scent from the chimney was wafted pasttheir noses. The small dogs ensconced themselves beneath the table.
I am aware that I am dwelling upon trivial and ordinary circumstances,and that perhaps I may weary out your patience in doing so. But conceiveme alone in this strange place, which seemed, from the universalsilence, to be the very temple of Harpocrates--remember that this ismy first excursion from home--forget not that the manner in which I hadbeen brought hither had the dignity of danger and something the air ofan adventure, and that there was a mysterious incongruity in all I hadhitherto witnessed; and you will not, I think, be surprised that thesecircumstances, though trifling, should force themselves on my notice atthe time, and dwell in my memory afterwards.
That a fisher, who pursued the sport perhaps for his amusement as wellas profit, should be well mounted and better lodged than the lower classof peasantry, had in it nothing surprising; but there was somethingabout all that I saw which seemed to intimate that I was rather inthe abode of a decayed gentleman, who clung to a few of the forms andobservances of former rank, than in that of a common peasant, raisedabove his fellows by comparative opulence.
Besides the articles of plate which I have already noticed, the old mannow lighted and placed on the table a silver lamp, or CRUISIE as theScottish term it, filled with very pure oil, which in burning diffusedan aromatic fragrance, and gave me a more perfect view of the cottagewalls, which I had hitherto only seen dimly by the light of the fire.The BINK [The frame of wooden shelves placed in a Scottish kitchen forholding plates.] with its usual arrangement of pewter and earthenware,which was most strictly and critically clean, glanced back the flame ofthe lamp merrily from one side of the apartment. In a recess, formedby the small bow of a latticed window, was a large writing-desk ofwalnut-tree wood, curiously carved, above which arose shelves of thesame, which supported a few books and papers. The opposite side of therecess contained (as far as I could discern, for it lay in shadow, andI could at any rate have seen it but imperfectly from the place whereI was seated) one or two guns, together with swords, pistols, andother arms a collection which, in a poor cottage, and in a country sopeaceful, appeared singular at least, if not even somewhat suspicious.
All these observations, you may suppose, were made much sooner than Ihave recorded, or you (if you have not skipped) have been able to readthem. They were already finished, and I was considering how I shouldopen some communication with the mute inhabitants of the mansion, whenmy conductor re-entered from the side-door by which he had made hisexit.
He had now thrown off his rough riding-cap, and his coarse jockey-coat,And stood before me in a grey jerkin trimmed with black, which sat closeto, and set off, his large and sinewy frame, and a pair of trousers ofa lighter colour, cut as close to the body as they are used byHighlandmen. His whole dress was of finer cloth than that of the oldman; and his linen, so minute was my observation, clean and unsullied.His shirt was without ruffles, and tied at the collar with a blackribbon, which showed his strong and muscular neck rising from it likethat of an ancient Hercules. His head was small, with a large forehead,and well-formed ears. He wore neither peruke nor hair-powder; and hischestnut locks, curling close to his head like those of an antiquestatue, showed not the least touch of time, though the owner must havebeen at least fifty. His features were high and prominent in such adegree that one knew not whether to term them harsh or handsome. Ineither case, the sparkling grey eye, aquiline nose, and well-formedmouth, combined to render his physiognomy noble and expressive. An airof sadness, or severity, or of both, seemed to indicate a melancholy,and, at the same time, a haughty temper. I could not help runningmentally over the ancient heroes, to whom I might assimilate the nobleform and countenance before me. He was too young, and evinced too littleresignation to his fate, to resemble Belisarius. Coriolanus, standing bythe hearth of Tullus Aufidius, came nearer the mark; yet the gloomy andhaughty look of the stranger had, perhaps, still more of Marius, seatedamong the ruins of Carthage.
While I was lost in these imaginations, my host stood by the fire,gazing on me with the same attention which I paid to him, until,embarrassed by his look, I was about to break silence at all hazards.But the supper, now placed upon the table, reminded me, by itsappearance, of those wants which I had almost forgotten while I wasgazing on the fine form of my conductor. He spoke at length, and Ialmost started at the deep rich tone of his voice, though what he saidwas but to invite me to sit down to the table. He himself assumed theseat of honour, beside which the silver flagon was placed, and beckonedto me to sit down beside him.
Thou knowest thy father's strict and excellent domestic discipline hastrained me to bear the invocation of a blessing before we break thedaily bread, for which we are taught to pray--I paused a moment, and,without designing to do so, I suppose my manner made him sensible ofwhat I expected. The two domestics or inferiors, as I should have beforeobserved, were already seated at the bottom of the table, when myhost shot a glance of a very peculiar expression towards the old man,observing, with something approaching to a sneer, 'Cristal Nixon, saygrace--the gentleman expects one.'
'The foul fiend shall be clerk, and say amen, when I turn chaplain,'growled out the party addressed, in tones which might have become thecondition of a dying bear; 'if the gentleman is a whig, he may pleasehimself with his own mummery. My faith is neither in word nor writ, butin barley-bread and brown ale.'
'Mabel Moffat,' said my guide, looking at the old woman, and raising hissonorous voice, probably because she was hard of hearing, 'canst thouask a blessing upon our victuals?'
The old woman shook her head, kissed the cross which hung from herrosary, and was silent.
'Mabel will say grace for no heretic,' said the master of the house,with the same latent sneer on his brow and in his accent.
At the same moment, the side-door already mentioned opened, and theyoung woman (so she proved) whom I had first seen at the door of thecottage, advanced a little way into the room, then stopped bashfully, asif she had observed that I was looking at her, and asked the master ofthe house, 'if he had called?'
'Not louder than to make old Mabel hear me,' he replied; 'and yet,' beadded, as she turned to retire, 'it is a shame a stranger should see ahouse where not one of the family can or will say a grace--do thou beour chaplain.'
The girl, who was really pretty, came forward with timid modesty, and,apparently unconscious that she was doing anything uncommon,pronounced the benediction in a silver-toned voice, and with affectingsimplicity--her cheek colouring just so much as to show that on a lesssolemn occasion she would have felt more embarrassed.
Now, if thou expectest a fine description of this young woman, AlanFairford, in order to entitle thee to taunt me with having found aDulcinea in the inhabitant of a fisherman's cottage on the Solway Firth,thou shalt be disappointed; for, having said she seemed very pretty,and that she was a sweet and gentle-speaking creature, I have said allconcerning her that I can tell thee. She vanished when the benedictionwas spoken.
My host, with a muttered remark on the cold of our ride, and the keenair of the Solway Sands, to which he did not seem to wish an answer,loaded my plate from Mabel's grillade, which, with a large wooden bowlof potatoes, formed our whole meal. A sprinkling from the lemon gave amuch higher zest than the usual condiment of vinegar; and I promiseyou that whatever I might hitherto have felt, either of curiosity orsuspicion, did not prevent me from making a most excellent supper,during which little passed betwixt me and my entertainer, unless thathe did the usual honours of the table with courtesy, indeed, butwithout even the affectation of hearty hospitality, which those in his(apparent) condition generally affect on such occasions, even when t
heydo not actually feel it. On the contrary, his manner seemed that of apolished landlord towards an unexpected and unwelcome guest, whom,for the sake of his own credit, he receives with civility, but withouteither goodwill or cheerfulness.
If you ask how I learned all this, I cannot tell you; nor, were I towrite down at length the insignificant intercourse which took placebetween us, would it perhaps serve to justify these observations. It issufficient to say, that in helping his dogs, which he did from timeto time with great liberality, he seemed to discharge a duty much morepleasing to himself, than when he paid the same attention to his guest.Upon the whole, the result on my mind was as I tell it you.
When supper was over, a small case-bottle of brandy, in a curious frameof silver filigree, circulated to the guests. I had already taken asmall glass of the liquor, and, when it had passed to Mabel and toCristal and was again returned to the upper end of the table, I couldnot help taking the bottle in my hand, to look more at the armorialbearings which were chased with considerable taste on the silverframework. Encountering the eye of my entertainer, I instantly saw thatmy curiosity was highly distasteful; he frowned, bit his lip, andshowed such uncontrollable signs of impatience, that, setting the bottleimmediately down, I attempted some apology. To this he did not deigneither to reply, or even to listen; and Cristal, at a signal from hismaster, removed the object of my curiosity, as well as the cup, uponwhich the same arms were engraved.
Then ensued an awkward pause, which I endeavoured to break by observing,that 'I feared my intrusion upon his hospitality had put his family tosome inconvenience'.
'I hope you see no appearance of it, sir,' he replied, with coldcivility. 'What inconvenience a family so retired as ours may sufferfrom receiving an unexpected guest is like to be trifling, in comparisonof what the visitor himself sustains from want of his accustomedcomforts. So far, therefore, as our connexion stands, our accounts standclear.'
Notwithstanding this discouraging reply, I blundered on, as is usual insuch cases, wishing to appear civil, and being, perhaps, in reality thevery reverse. 'I was afraid,' I said, that my presence had banished oneof the family' (looking at the side-door) 'from his table.'
'If,' he coldly replied, 'I meant the young woman whom I had seen in theapartment, he bid me observe that there was room enough at the tablefor her to have seated herself, and meat enough, such as it was, for hersupper. I might, therefore, be assured, if she had chosen it, she wouldhave supped with us.'
There was no dwelling on this or any other topic longer; for myentertainer, taking up the lamp, observed, that 'my wet clothes mightreconcile me for the night to their custom of keeping early hours; thathe was under the necessity of going abroad by peep of day to-morrowmorning, and would call me up at the same time, to point out the way bywhich I was to return to the Shepherd's Bush.'
This left no opening for further explanation; nor was there room for iton the usual terms of civility; for, as he neither asked my name, norexpressed the least interest concerning my condition, I--the obligedperson--had no pretence to trouble him with such inquiries on my part.
He took up the lamp, and led me through the side-door into a very smallroom, where a bed had been hastily arranged for my accommodation,and, putting down the lamp, directed me to leave my wet clothes on theoutside of the door, that they might be exposed to the fire during thenight. He then left me, having muttered something which was meant topass for good night.
I obeyed his directions with respect to my clothes, the rather that,in despite of the spirits which I had drunk, I felt my teeth beginto chatter, and received various hints from an aguish feeling, thata town-bred youth, like myself, could not at once rush into all thehardihood of country sports with impunity. But my bed, though coarse andhard, was dry and clean; and I soon was so little occupied with my heatsand tremors, as to listen with interest to a heavy foot, which seemed tobe that of my landlord, traversing the boards (there was no ceiling,as you may believe) which roofed my apartment. Light, glancing throughthese rude planks, became visible as soon as my lamp was extinguished;and as the noise of the slow, solemn, and regular step continued, and Icould distinguish that the person turned and returned as he reached theend of the apartment, it seemed clear to me that the walker was engagedin no domestic occupation, but merely pacing to and fro for his ownpleasure. 'An odd amusement this,' I thought, 'for one who had beenengaged at least a part of the preceding day in violent exercise, andwho talked of rising by the peep of dawn on the ensuing morning.'
Meantime I heard the storm, which had been brewing during the evening,begin to descend with a vengeance; sounds as of distant-thunder (thenoise of the more distant waves, doubtless, on the shore) mingledwith the roaring of the neighbouring torrent, and with the crashing,groaning, and even screaming of the trees in the glen whose boughs weretormented by the gale. Within the house, windows clattered, and doorsclapped, and the walls, though sufficiently substantial for a buildingof the kind, seemed to me to totter in the tempest.
But still the heavy steps perambulating the apartment over my head weredistinctly heard amid the roar and fury of the elements. I thought morethan once I even heard a groan; but I frankly own that, placed in thisunusual situation, my fancy may have misled me. I was tempted severaltimes to call aloud, and ask whether the turmoil around us did notthreaten danger to the building which we inhabited; but when I thoughtof the secluded and unsocial master of the dwelling, who seemed to avoidhuman society, and to remain unperturbed amid the elemental war, itseemed that to speak to him at that moment would have been to addressthe spirit of the tempest himself, since no other being, I thought,could have remained calm and tranquil while winds and waters were thusraging around.
In process of time, fatigue prevailed over anxiety and curiosity. Thestorm abated, or my senses became deadened to its terrors, and I fellasleep ere yet the mysterious paces of my host had ceased to shake theflooring over my head.
It might have been expected that the novelty of my situation, althoughit did not prevent my slumbers, would have at least diminished theirprofoundness, and shortened their duration. It proved otherwise,however; for I never slept more soundly in my life, and only awoke when,at morning dawn, my landlord shook me by the shoulder, and dispelledsome dream, of which, fortunately for you, I have no recollection,otherwise you would have been favoured with it, in hopes you might haveproved a second Daniel upon the occasion.
'You sleep sound--' said his full deep voice; 'ere five years haverolled over your head, your slumbers will be lighter--unless ere thenyou are wrapped in the sleep which is never broken.'
'How!' said I, starting up in the bed; 'do you know anything of me--ofmy prospects--of my views in life?'
'Nothing,' he answered, with a grim smile; 'but it is evident you areentering upon the world young, inexperienced, and full of hopes, and Ido but prophesy to you what I would to any one in your condition. Butcome; there lie your clothes--a brown crust and a draught of milk waityou, if you choose to break your fast; but you must make haste.'
'I must first,' I said, 'take the freedom to spend a few minutes alone,before beginning the ordinary works of the day.'
'Oh!--umph!--I cry your devotions pardon,' he replied, and left theapartment.
Alan, there is something terrible about this man.
I joined him, as I had promised, in the kitchen where we had suppedovernight, where I found the articles which he had offered me forbreakfast, without butter or any other addition.
He walked up and down while I partook of the bread and milk; and theslow measured weighty step seemed identified with those which I hadheard last night. His pace, from its funereal slowness, seemed to keeptime with some current of internal passion, dark, slow, and unchanged.'We run and leap by the side of a lively and bubbling brook,' thought I,internally, 'as if we would run a race with it; but beside waters deep,slow, and lonely, our pace is sullen and silent as their course. Whatthoughts may be now corresponding with that furrowed brow, and bearingtime with that heavy step?'
We went out together, no individual of the family having been visibleexcepting my landlord. I was disappointed of the opportunity which Iwatched for of giving some gratuity to the domestics, as they seemed tobe. As for offering any recompense to the master of the household, itseemed to me impossible to have attempted it.
What would I have given for a share of thy composure, who wouldst havethrust half a crown into a man's hand whose necessities seemed to craveit, conscious that you did right in making the proffer, and not caringsixpence whether you hurt the feelings of him whom you meant to serve!I saw thee once give a penny to a man with a long beard, who, from thedignity of his exterior, might have represented Solon. I had not thycourage, and therefore I made no tender to my mysterious host, although,notwithstanding his display of silver utensils, all around the housebespoke narrow circumstances, if not actual poverty.
We left the place together. But I hear thee murmur thy very new andappropriate ejaculation, OHE, JAM SATIS!--The rest for another time.Perhaps I may delay further communication till I learn how my favoursare valued.