As the morning went on, and the fires began to be kindled, and thewindows to open, and the people to appear out of the houses, my concernand despondency grew ever the blacker. I saw now that I had no groundsto stand upon; and no clear proof of my rights, nor so much as of my ownidentity. If it was all a bubble, I was indeed sorely cheated and leftin a sore pass. Even if things were as I conceived, it would in alllikelihood take time to establish my contentions; and what time had Ito spare with less than three shillings in my pocket, and a condemned,hunted man upon my hands to ship out of the country? Truly, if my hopebroke with me, it might come to the gallows yet for both of us. And as Icontinued to walk up and down, and saw people looking askance at me uponthe street or out of windows, and nudging or speaking one to anotherwith smiles, I began to take a fresh apprehension: that it might be noeasy matter even to come to speech of the lawyer, far less to convincehim of my story.
For the life of me I could not muster up the courage to address any ofthese reputable burghers; I thought shame even to speak with them insuch a pickle of rags and dirt; and if I had asked for the house of sucha man as Mr. Rankeillor, I suppose they would have burst out laughing inmy face. So I went up and down, and through the street, and down tothe harbour-side, like a dog that has lost its master, with a strangegnawing in my inwards, and every now and then a movement of despair.It grew to be high day at last, perhaps nine in the forenoon; and I wasworn with these wanderings, and chanced to have stopped in front ofa very good house on the landward side, a house with beautiful, clearglass windows, flowering knots upon the sills, the walls new-harled* anda chase-dog sitting yawning on the step like one that was at home. Well,I was even envying this dumb brute, when the door fell open andthere issued forth a shrewd, ruddy, kindly, consequential man in awell-powdered wig and spectacles. I was in such a plight that no one seteyes on me once, but he looked at me again; and this gentleman, as itproved, was so much struck with my poor appearance that he came straightup to me and asked me what I did.
* Newly rough-cast.
I told him I was come to the Queensferry on business, and taking heartof grace, asked him to direct me to the house of Mr. Rankeillor.
"Why," said he, "that is his house that I have just come out of; and fora rather singular chance, I am that very man."
"Then, sir," said I, "I have to beg the favour of an interview."
"I do not know your name," said he, "nor yet your face."
"My name is David Balfour," said I.
"David Balfour?" he repeated, in rather a high tone, like one surprised."And where have you come from, Mr. David Balfour?" he asked, looking mepretty drily in the face.
"I have come from a great many strange places, sir," said I; "but Ithink it would be as well to tell you where and how in a more privatemanner."
He seemed to muse awhile, holding his lip in his hand, and looking nowat me and now upon the causeway of the street.
"Yes," says he, "that will be the best, no doubt." And he led me backwith him into his house, cried out to some one whom I could not seethat he would be engaged all morning, and brought me into a little dustychamber full of books and documents. Here he sate down, and bade mebe seated; though I thought he looked a little ruefully from his cleanchair to my muddy rags. "And now," says he, "if you have any business,pray be brief and come swiftly to the point. Nec gemino bellum Trojanumorditur ab ovo--do you understand that?" says he, with a keen look.
"I will even do as Horace says, sir," I answered, smiling, "and carryyou in medias res." He nodded as if he was well pleased, and indeed hisscrap of Latin had been set to test me. For all that, and though I wassomewhat encouraged, the blood came in my face when I added: "I havereason to believe myself some rights on the estate of Shaws."
He got a paper book out of a drawer and set it before him open. "Well?"said he.
But I had shot my bolt and sat speechless.
"Come, come, Mr. Balfour," said he, "you must continue. Where were youborn?"
"In Essendean, sir," said I, "the year 1733, the 12th of March."
He seemed to follow this statement in his paper book; but what thatmeant I knew not. "Your father and mother?" said he.
"My father was Alexander Balfour, schoolmaster of that place," said I,"and my mother Grace Pitarrow; I think her people were from Angus."
"Have you any papers proving your identity?" asked Mr. Rankeillor.
"No, sir," said I, "but they are in the hands of Mr. Campbell, theminister, and could be readily produced. Mr. Campbell, too, would giveme his word; and for that matter, I do not think my uncle would denyme."
"Meaning Mr. Ebenezer Balfour?" says he.
"The same," said I.
"Whom you have seen?" he asked.
"By whom I was received into his own house," I answered.
"Did you ever meet a man of the name of Hoseason?" asked Mr. Rankeillor.
"I did so, sir, for my sins," said I; "for it was by his means and theprocurement of my uncle, that I was kidnapped within sight of this town,carried to sea, suffered shipwreck and a hundred other hardships, andstand before you to-day in this poor accoutrement."
"You say you were shipwrecked," said Rankeillor; "where was that?"
"Off the south end of the Isle of Mull," said I. "The name of the isleon which I was cast up is the Island Earraid."
"Ah!" says he, smiling, "you are deeper than me in the geography. But sofar, I may tell you, this agrees pretty exactly with other informationsthat I hold. But you say you were kidnapped; in what sense?"
"In the plain meaning of the word, sir," said I. "I was on my way toyour house, when I was trepanned on board the brig, cruelly struck down,thrown below, and knew no more of anything till we were far at sea. Iwas destined for the plantations; a fate that, in God's providence, Ihave escaped."
"The brig was lost on June the 27th," says he, looking in his book,"and we are now at August the 24th. Here is a considerable hiatus, Mr.Balfour, of near upon two months. It has already caused a vast amountof trouble to your friends; and I own I shall not be very well contenteduntil it is set right."
"Indeed, sir," said I, "these months are very easily filled up; but yetbefore I told my story, I would be glad to know that I was talking to afriend."
"This is to argue in a circle," said the lawyer. "I cannot be convincedtill I have heard you. I cannot be your friend till I am properlyinformed. If you were more trustful, it would better befit your time oflife. And you know, Mr. Balfour, we have a proverb in the country thatevil-doers are aye evil-dreaders."
"You are not to forget, sir," said I, "that I have already suffered bymy trustfulness; and was shipped off to be a slave by the very man that(if I rightly understand) is your employer?"
All this while I had been gaining ground with Mr. Rankeillor, and inproportion as I gained ground, gaining confidence. But at this sally,which I made with something of a smile myself, he fairly laughed aloud.
"No, no," said he, "it is not so bad as that. Fui, non sum. I was indeedyour uncle's man of business; but while you (imberbis juvenis custoderemoto) were gallivanting in the west, a good deal of water has rununder the bridges; and if your ears did not sing, it was not for lack ofbeing talked about. On the very day of your sea disaster, Mr. Campbellstalked into my office, demanding you from all the winds. I had neverheard of your existence; but I had known your father; and from mattersin my competence (to be touched upon hereafter) I was disposed to fearthe worst. Mr. Ebenezer admitted having seen you; declared (what seemedimprobable) that he had given you considerable sums; and that you hadstarted for the continent of Europe, intending to fulfil your education,which was probable and praiseworthy. Interrogated how you had come tosend no word to Mr. Campbell, he deponed that you had expressed a greatdesire to break with your past life. Further interrogated where you nowwere, protested ignorance, but believed you were in Leyden. That is aclose sum of his replies. I am not exactly sure that any one believedhim," continued Mr. Rankeillor with a smile; "and in particular he somuch disreli
shed me expressions of mine that (in a word) he showed me tothe door. We were then at a full stand; for whatever shrewd suspicionswe might entertain, we had no shadow of probation. In the very article,comes Captain Hoseason with the story of your drowning; whereupon allfell through; with no consequences but concern to Mr. Campbell, injuryto my pocket, and another blot upon your uncle's character, which couldvery ill afford it. And now, Mr. Balfour," said he, "you understandthe whole process of these matters, and can judge for yourself to whatextent I may be trusted."
Indeed he was more pedantic than I can represent him, and placed morescraps of Latin in his speech; but it was all uttered with a finegeniality of eye and manner which went far to conquer my distrust.Moreover, I could see he now treated me as if I was myself beyond adoubt; so that first point of my identity seemed fully granted.
"Sir," said I, "if I tell you my story, I must commit a friend's lifeto your discretion. Pass me your word it shall be sacred; and for whattouches myself, I will ask no better guarantee than just your face."
He passed me his word very seriously. "But," said he, "these are ratheralarming prolocutions; and if there are in your story any little jostlesto the law, I would beg you to bear in mind that I am a lawyer, and passlightly."
Thereupon I told him my story from the first, he listening with hisspectacles thrust up and his eyes closed, so that I sometimes fearedhe was asleep. But no such matter! he heard every word (as I foundafterward) with such quickness of hearing and precision of memory asoften surprised me. Even strange outlandish Gaelic names, heard for thattime only, he remembered and would remind me of, years after. Yet when Icalled Alan Breck in full, we had an odd scene. The name of Alan had ofcourse rung through Scotland, with the news of the Appin murder and theoffer of the reward; and it had no sooner escaped me than the lawyermoved in his seat and opened his eyes.
"I would name no unnecessary names, Mr. Balfour," said he; "above all ofHighlanders, many of whom are obnoxious to the law."
"Well, it might have been better not," said I, "but since I have let itslip, I may as well continue."
"Not at all," said Mr. Rankeillor. "I am somewhat dull of hearing, asyou may have remarked; and I am far from sure I caught the name exactly.We will call your friend, if you please, Mr. Thomson--that there maybe no reflections. And in future, I would take some such way with anyHighlander that you may have to mention--dead or alive."
By this, I saw he must have heard the name all too clearly, and hadalready guessed I might be coming to the murder. If he chose to playthis part of ignorance, it was no matter of mine; so I smiled, said itwas no very Highland-sounding name, and consented. Through all the restof my story Alan was Mr. Thomson; which amused me the more, as it was apiece of policy after his own heart. James Stewart, in like manner,was mentioned under the style of Mr. Thomson's kinsman; Colin Campbellpassed as a Mr. Glen; and to Cluny, when I came to that part of my tale,I gave the name of "Mr. Jameson, a Highland chief." It was truly themost open farce, and I wondered that the lawyer should care to keep itup; but, after all, it was quite in the taste of that age, when therewere two parties in the state, and quiet persons, with no very highopinions of their own, sought out every cranny to avoid offence toeither.
"Well, well," said the lawyer, when I had quite done, "this is a greatepic, a great Odyssey of yours. You must tell it, sir, in a soundLatinity when your scholarship is riper; or in English if you please,though for my part I prefer the stronger tongue. You have rolledmuch; quae regio in terris--what parish in Scotland (to make a homelytranslation) has not been filled with your wanderings? You have shown,besides, a singular aptitude for getting into false positions; and, yes,upon the whole, for behaving well in them. This Mr. Thomson seems tome a gentleman of some choice qualities, though perhaps a triflebloody-minded. It would please me none the worse, if (with all hismerits) he were soused in the North Sea, for the man, Mr. David, is asore embarrassment. But you are doubtless quite right to adhere to him;indubitably, he adhered to you. It comes--we may say--he was your truecompanion; nor less paribus curis vestigia figit, for I dare say youwould both take an orra thought upon the gallows. Well, well, these daysare fortunately by; and I think (speaking humanly) that you are nearthe end of your troubles."
As he thus moralised on my adventures, he looked upon me with so muchhumour and benignity that I could scarce contain my satisfaction. I hadbeen so long wandering with lawless people, and making my bed upon thehills and under the bare sky, that to sit once more in a clean, coveredhouse, and to talk amicably with a gentleman in broadcloth, seemedmighty elevations. Even as I thought so, my eye fell on my unseemlytatters, and I was once more plunged in confusion. But the lawyer sawand understood me. He rose, called over the stair to lay another plate,for Mr. Balfour would stay to dinner, and led me into a bedroom in theupper part of the house. Here he set before me water and soap, and acomb; and laid out some clothes that belonged to his son; and here, withanother apposite tag, he left me to my toilet.
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