David Balfour

by Robert Louis Stevenson

  CHAPTER II

  THE HIGHLAND WRITER

  Mr. Charles Stewart the Writer dwelt at the top of the longest stairthat ever mason set a hand to; fifteen flights of it, no less; and whenI had come to his door, and a clerk had opened it, and told me hismaster was within, I had scarce breath enough to send my porter packing.

  "Awa' east and wast wi' ye!" said I, took the money bag out of hishands, and followed the clerk in.

  The outer room was an office with the clerk's chair at a table spreadwith law papers. In the inner chamber, which opened from it, a littlebrisk man sat poring on a deed, from which he scarce raised his eyesupon my entrance; indeed, he still kept his finger in the place, asthough prepared to show me out and fall again to his studies. Thispleased me little enough; and what pleased me less, I thought the clerkwas in a good posture to overhear what should pass between us.

  I asked if he was Mr. Charles Stewart the Writer.

  "The same," says he; "and if the question is equally fair, who may yoube yourself?"

  "You never heard tell of my name nor of me either," said I, "but I bringyou a token from a friend that you know well. That you know well," Irepeated, lowering my voice, "but maybe are not just so keen to hearfrom at this present being. And the bits of business that I have topropone to you are rather in the nature of being confidential. In short,I would like to think we were quite private."

  He rose without more words, casting down his paper like a manill-pleased, sent forth his clerk of an errand, and shut to thehouse-door behind him.

  "Now, sir," said he, returning, "speak out your mind and fear nothing;though before you begin," he cries out, "I tell you mine misgives me! Itell you beforehand, ye're either a Stewart or a Stewart sent ye. A goodname it is, and one it would ill-become my father's son to lightly. ButI begin to grue at the sound of it."

  "My name is called Balfour," said I, "David Balfour of Shaws. As for himthat sent me, I will let his token speak." And I showed the silverbutton.

  "Put it in your pocket, sir!" cries he, "Ye need name no names. Thedeevil's buckie, I ken the button of him! And de'il hae't! Where is henow?"

  I told him I knew not where Alan was, but he had some sure place (orthought he had) about the north side, where he was to lie until a shipwas found for him; and how and where he had appointed to be spoken with.

  "It's been always my opinion that I would hang in a tow for this familyof mine," he cried, "and, dod! I believe the day's come now! Get a shipfor him, quot' he! And who's to pay for it? The man's daft!"

  "That is my part of the affair, Mr. Stewart," said I. "Here is a bag ofgood money, and if more be wanted, more is to be had where it camefrom."

  "I needn't ask your politics," said he.

  "Ye need not," said I, smiling, "for I'm as big a Whig as grows."

  "Stop a bit, stop a bit," says Mr. Stewart. "What's all this? A Whig?Then why are you here with Alan's button? and what kind of a black-foottraffic is this that I find ye out in, Mr. Whig? Here is a forfeitedrebel and an accused murderer, with two hundred pounds on his life, andye ask me to meddle in his business, and then tell me ye're a Whig! Ihave no mind of any such Whigs before, though I've kent plenty of them."

  "He's a forfeited rebel, the more's the pity," said I, "for the man's myfriend." I can only wish he had been better guided. And an accusedmurderer, that he is too, for his misfortune; but wrongfully accused."

  "I hear you say so," said Stewart.

  "More than you are to hear me say so, before long," said I. "Alan Breckis innocent, and so is James."

  "Oh!" says he, "the two cases hang together. If Alan is out, James cannever be in."

  Hereupon I told him briefly of my acquaintance with Alan, of theaccident that brought me present at the Appin murder, and the variouspassages of our escape among the heather, and my recovery of my estate."So, sir, you have now the whole train of these events," I went on, "andcan see for yourself how I come to be so much mingled up with theaffairs of your family and friends, which (for all of our sakes) I wishhad been plainer and less bloody. You can see for yourself, too, that Ihave certain pieces of business depending, which were scarcely fit tolay before a lawyer chosen at random. No more remains, but to ask if youwill undertake my service?"

  "I have no great mind to it; but coming as you do with Alan's button,the choice is scarcely left me," said he. "What are your instructions?"he added, and took up his pen.

  "The first point is to smuggle Alan forth of this country," said I, "butI need not be repeating that."

  "I am little likely to forget it," said Stewart.

  "The next thing is the bit money I am owing to Cluny," I went on. "Itwould be ill for me to find a conveyance, but that should be no stick toyou. It was two pounds five shillings and three-halfpence farthingsterling."

  He noted it.

  "Then," said I, "there's a Mr. Henderland, a licensed preacher andmissionary in Ardgour, that I would like well to get some snuff into thehands of; and as I daresay you keep touch with your friends in Appin (sonear by), it's a job you could doubtless overtake with the other."

  "How much snuff are we to say?" he asked.

  "I was thinking of two pounds," said I.

  "Two," said he.

  "Then there's the lass Alison Hastie, in Limekilns," said I. "Her thathelped Alan and me across the Forth. I was thinking if I could get her agood Sunday gown, such as she could wear with decency in her degree, itwould be an ease to my conscience: for the mere truth is, we owe her ourtwo lives."

  "I am glad to see you are thrifty, Mr. Balfour," says he, making hisnotes.

  "I would think shame to be otherwise the first day of my fortune," saidI. "And now, if you will compute the outlay and your own proper charges,I would be glad to know if I could get some spending-money back. It'snot that I grudge the whole of it to get Alan safe; it's not that I lackmore; but having drawn so much the one day, I think it would have a veryill appearance if I was back again seeking, the next. Only be sure youhave enough," I added, "for I am very undesirous to meet with youagain."

  "Well, and I'm pleased to see you're cautious too," said the Writer."But I think ye take a risk to lay so considerable a sum at mydiscretion."

  He said this with a plain sneer.

  "I'll have to run the hazard," I replied. "O, and there's anotherservice I would ask, and that's to direct me to a lodging, for I have noroof to my head. But it must be a lodging I may seem to have hit upon byaccident, for it would never do if the Lord Advocate were to get anyjealousy of our acquaintance."

  "Ye may set your weary spirit at rest," said he. "I will never name yourname, sir; and it's my belief the Advocate is still so much to besympathised with that he doesnae ken of your existence."

  I saw I had got to the wrong side of the man.

  "There's a braw day coming for him, then," said I, "for he'll have tolearn of it on the deaf side of his head no later than to-morrow, when Icall on him."

  "When ye _call_ on him!" repeated Mr. Stewart. "Am I daft, or are you?What takes ye near the Advocate?"

  "O, just to give myself up," said I.

  "Mr. Balfour," he cried, "are ye making a mock of me?"

  "No, sir," said I, "though I think you have allowed yourself some suchfreedom with myself. But I give you to understand once and for all thatI am in no jesting spirit."

  "Nor yet me," says Stewart. "And I give you to understand (if that's tobe the word) that I like the looks of your behaviour less and less. Youcome here to me with all sorts of propositions, which will put me in atrain of very doubtful acts and bring me among very undesirable personsthis many a day to come. And then you tell me you're going straight outof my office to make your peace with the Advocate! Alan's button here orAlan's button there, the four quarters of Alan wouldnae bribe me furtherin."

  "I would take it with a little more temper," said I, "and perhaps we canavoid what you object to. I can see no way for it but to give myself up,but perhaps you can see another; and if you could, I could never denybut what I wo
uld be rather relieved. For I think my traffic with hislordship is little likely to agree with my health. There's just the onething clear, that I have to give my evidence; for I hope it'll saveAlan's character (what's left of it), and James's neck, which is themore immediate."

  He was silent for a breathing-space, and then, "My man," said he,"you'll never be allowed to give such evidence."

  "We'll have to see about that," said I; "I'm stiff-necked when I like."

  "Ye muckle ass!" cried Stewart, "it's James they want; James has got tohang--Alan too, if they could catch him--but James whatever! Go near theAdvocate with any such business, and you'll see! he'll find a way tomuzzle ye."

  "I think better of the Advocate than that," said I.

  "The Advocate be damned!" cries he. "It's the Campbells, man! You'llhave the whole clanjamfry of them on your back; and so will the Advocatetoo, poor body! It's extraordinar ye cannot see where ye stand! Ifthere's no fair way to stop your gab, there's a foul one gaping. Theycan put ye in the dock, do ye no see that?" he cried, and stabbed mewith one finger in the leg.

  "Ay," said I, "I was told that same no further back than this morning byanother lawyer."

  "And who was he?" asked Stewart. "He spoke sense at least."

  I told I must be excused from naming him, for he was a decent stout oldWhig, and had little mind to be mixed up in such affairs.

  "I think all the world seems to be mixed up in it!" cries Stewart. "Butwhat said you?"

  I told him what had passed between Rankeillor and myself before thehouse of Shaws.

  "Well, and so ye will hang!" said he. "Ye'll hang beside James Stewart.There's your fortune told."

  "I hope better of it yet than that," said I; "but I could never denythere was a risk."

  "Risk!" says he, and then sat silent again. "I ought to thank you foryour staunchness to my friends, to whom you show a very good spirit," hesays, "if you have the strength to stand by it. But I warn you thatyou're wading deep. I wouldn't put myself in your place (me that's aStewart born!) for all the Stewarts that ever there were since Noah.Risk? ay, I take over-many, but to be tried in court before a Campbelljury and a Campbell judge, and that in a Campbell country and upon aCampbell quarrel--think what you like of me, Balfour, it's beyond me."

  "It's a different way of thinking, I suppose," said I; "I was brought upto this one by my father before me."

  "Glory to his bones! he has left a decent son to his name," says he."Yet I would not have you judge me over-sorely. My case is dooms hard.See, sir! ye tell me ye're a Whig: I wonder what I am. No Whig to besure; I couldnae be just that. But--laigh in your ear, man--I'm maybe novery keen on the other side."

  "Is that a fact?" cried I. "It's what I would think of a man of yourintelligence."

  "Hut! none of your whillywhas!"[4] cries he. "There's intelligence uponboth sides. But for my private part I have no particular desire to harmKing George; and as for King James, God bless him! he does very well forme across the water. I'm a lawyer, ye see: fond of my books and mybottle, a good plea, a well-drawn deed, a crack in the Parliament Housewith other lawyer bodies, and perhaps a turn at the golf on a Saturdayat e'en. Where do ye come in with your Hieland plaids and claymores?"

  "Well," said I, "it's a fact ye have little of the wild Highlandman."

  "Little?" quoth he. "Nothing, man! And yet I'm Hieland born, and whenthe clan pipes, who but me has to dance? The clan and the name, thatgoes by all. It's just what you said yourself; my father learned it tome, and a bonny trade I have of it. Treason and traitors, and thesmuggling of them out and in; and the French recruiting, weary fall it!and the smuggling through of the recruits; and their pleas--a sorrow oftheir pleas! Here haye I been moving one for young Ardshiel, my cousin;claimed the estate under the marriage contract--a forfeited estate! Itold them it was nonsense: muckle they cared! And there was I cockingbehind a yadvocate that liked the business as little as myself, for itwas fair ruin to the pair of us--a black mark, _disaffected_, branded onour hurdies, like folk's names upon their kye! And what can I do? I'm aStewart, ye see, and must fend for my clan and family. Then no later bythan yesterday there was one of our Stewart lads carried to the Castle.What for? I ken fine: Act of 1736: recruiting for King Lewie. And you'llsee, he'll whistle me in to be his lawyer, and there'll be another blackmark on my chara'ter! I tell you fair: if I but kent the heid of aHebrew word from the hurdies of it be dammed but I would fling the wholething up and turn minister!"

  "It's rather a hard position," said I.

  "Dooms hard!" cries he. "And that's what makes me think so much ofye--you that's no Stewart--to stick your head so deep in Stewartbusiness. And for what, I do not know; unless it was the sense of duty."

  "I hope it will be that," said I.

  "Well," says he, "it's a grand quality. But here is my clerk back; and,by your leave, we'll pick a bit of dinner, all the three of us. Whenthat's done, I'll give you the direction of a very decent man, that'llbe very fain to have you for a lodger. And I'll fill your pockets to ye,forbye, out of your ain bag. For this business'll not be near as dear asye suppose--not even the ship part of it."

  I made him a sign that his clerk was within hearing.

  "Hoot, ye neednae mind for Robbie," cries he. "A Stewart too, puirdeevil! and has smuggled out more French recruits and traffickingPapists than what he has hairs upon his face. Why, it's Robin thatmanages that branch of my affairs. Who will we have now, Rob, for acrossthe water?"

  "There'll be Andie Scougal, in the _Thristle_," replied Rob. "I sawHoseason the other day, but it seems he's wanting the ship. Thenthere'll be Tarn Stobo; but I'm none so sure of Tam. I've seen himcolloguing with some gey queer acquaintances; and if it was anybodyimportant, I would give Tam the go-by."

  "The head's worth two hundred pounds, Robin," said Stewart.

  "Gosh, that'll no be Alan Breck?" cried the clerk.

  "Just Alan," said his master.

  "Weary winds! that's sayrious," cried Robin. "I'll try Andie then;Andie'll be the best."

  "It seems it's quite a big business," I observed.

  "Mr. Balfour, there's no end to it," said Stewart.

  "There was a name your clerk mentioned," I went on: "Hoseason. That mustbe my man, I think: Hoseason, of the brig _Covenant_. Would you set yourtrust on him?"

  "He didnae behave very well to you and Alan," said Mr. Stewart; "but mymind of the man in general is rather otherwise. If he had taken Alan onboard his ship on an agreement, it's my notion he would have proved ajust dealer. How say ye, Rob?"

  "No more honest skipper in the trade than Eli," said the clerk. "I wouldlippen to[5] Eli's word--ay, if it was the Chevalier, or Appin himsel',"he added.

  "And it was him that brought the doctor, wasnae't?" asked the master.

  "He was the very man," said the clerk.

  "And I think he took the doctor back?" says Stewart.

  "Ay, with his sporran full!" cried Robin. "And Eli kent of that!"[6]

  "Well, it seems it's hard to ken folk rightly," said I.

  "That was just what I forgot when ye came in, Mr. Balfour!" says theWriter.

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