by Walter Scott
CHAPTER LXVIII
To morrow? O that's sudden!--Spare him, spare him'
SHAKSPEARE
Edward, attended by his former servant Alick Polwarth, who hadreentered his service at Edinburgh, reached Carlisle while thecommission of Oyer and Terminer on his unfortunate associates was yetsitting. He had pushed forward in haste, not, alas! with the mostdistant hope of saving Fergus, but to see him for the last time. Iought to have mentioned that he had furnished funds for the defence ofthe prisoners in the most liberal manner, as soon as he heard that theday of trial was fixed. A solicitor and the first counsel accordinglyattended; but it was upon the same footing on which the firstphysicians are usually summoned to the bedside of some dying man ofrank--the doctors to take the advantage of some incalculable chance ofan exertion of nature, the lawyers to avail themselves of the barelypossible occurrence of some legal flaw. Edward pressed into the court,which was extremely crowded; but by his arriving from the north, andhis extreme eagerness and agitation, it was supposed he was a relationof the prisoners, and people made way for him. It was the third sittingof the court, and there were two men at the bar. The verdict of GUILTYwas already pronounced. Edward just glanced at the bar during themomentous pause which ensued. There was no mistaking the stately formand noble features of Fergus Mac-Ivor, although his dress was squalidand his countenance tinged with the sickly yellow hue of long and closeimprisonment. By his side was Evan Maccombich. Edward felt sick anddizzy as he gazed on them; but he was recalled to himself as the Clerkof Arraigns pronounced the solemn words: 'Fergus Mac-Ivor ofGlennaquoich, otherwise called Vich Ian Vohr, and Evan Mac-Ivor, in theDhu of Tarrascleugh, otherwise called Evan Dhu, otherwise called EvanMaccombich, or Evan Dhu MacCombich--you, and each of you, standattainted of high treason. What have you to say for yourselves why theCourt should not pronounce judgment against you, that you die accordingto law?'
Fergus, as the presiding Judge was putting on the fatal cap ofjudgment, placed his own bonnet upon his head, regarded him with asteadfast and stern look, and replied in a firm voice, 'I cannot letthis numerous audience suppose that to such an appeal I have no answerto make. But what I have to say you would not bear to hear, for mydefence would be your condemnation. Proceed, then, in the name of God,to do what is permitted to you. Yesterday and the day before you havecondemned loyal and honourable blood to be poured forth like water.Spare not mine. Were that of all my ancestors in my veins, I would haveperilled it in this quarrel.' He resumed his seat and refused again torise.
Evan Maccombich looked at him with great earnestness, and, rising up,seemed anxious to speak; but the confusion of the court, and theperplexity arising from thinking in a language different from that inwhich he was to express himself, kept him silent. There was a murmur ofcompassion among the spectators, from the idea that the poor fellowintended to plead the influence of his superior as an excuse for hiscrime. The Judge commanded silence, and encouraged Evan to proceed. 'Iwas only ganging to say, my lord,' said Evan, in what he meant to be aninsinuating manner, 'that if your excellent honour and the honourableCourt would let Vich Ian Vohr go free just this once, and let him gaeback to France, and no to trouble King George's government again, thatony six o' the very best of his clan will be willing to be justified inhis stead; and if you'll just let me gae down to Glennaquoich, I'llfetch them up to ye mysell, to head or hang, and you may begin wi' methe very first man.'
Notwithstanding the solemnity of the occasion, a sort of laugh washeard in the court at the extraordinary nature of the proposal. TheJudge checked this indecency, and Evan, looking sternly around, whenthe murmur abated, 'If the Saxon gentlemen are laughing,' he said,'because a poor man, such as me, thinks my life, or the life of six ofmy degree, is worth that of Vich Ian Vohr, it's like enough they may bevery right; but if they laugh because they think I would not keep myword and come back to redeem him, I can tell them they ken neither theheart of a Hielandman nor the honour of a gentleman.'
There was no farther inclination to laugh among the audience, and adead silence ensued.
The Judge then pronounced upon both prisoners the sentence of the lawof high treason, with all its horrible accompaniments. The executionwas appointed for the ensuing day. 'For you, Fergus Mac-Ivor,'continued the Judge, 'I can hold out no hope of mercy. You must prepareagainst to-morrow for your last sufferings here, and your great audithereafter.'
'I desire nothing else, my lord,' answered Fergus, in the same manlyand firm tone.
The hard eyes of Evan, which had been perpetually bent on his Chief,were moistened with a tear. 'For you, poor ignorant man,' continued theJudge, 'who, following the ideas in which you have been educated, havethis day given us a striking example how the loyalty due to the kingand state alone is, from your unhappy ideas of clanship, transferred tosome ambitious individual who ends by making you the tool of hiscrimes--for you, I say, I feel so much compassion that, if you can makeup your mind to petition for grace, I will endeavour to procure it foryou. Otherwise--'
'Grace me no grace,' said Evan; 'since you are to shed Vich Ian Vohr'sblood, the only favour I would accept from you is to bid them loose myhands and gie me my claymore, and bide you just a minute sitting whereyou are!'
'Remove the prisoners,' said the Judge; 'his blood be upon his ownhead.'
Almost stupefied with his feelings, Edward found that the rush of thecrowd had conveyed him out into the street ere he knew what he wasdoing. His immediate wish was to see and speak with Fergus once more.He applied at the Castle where his unfortunate friend was confined, butwas refused admittance. 'The High Sheriff,' a non-commissioned officersaid, 'had requested of the governor that none should be admitted tosee the prisoner excepting his confessor and his sister.'
'And where was Miss Mac-Ivor?' They gave him the direction. It was thehouse of a respectable Catholic family near Carlisle.
Repulsed from the gate of the Castle, and not venturing to makeapplication to the High Sheriff or Judges in his own unpopular name, hehad recourse to the solicitor who came down in Fergus's behalf. Thisgentleman told him that it was thought the public mind was in danger ofbeing debauched by the account of the last moments of these persons, asgiven by the friends of the Pretender; that there had been aresolution, therefore, to exclude all such persons as had not the pleaof near kindred for attending upon them. Yet he promised (to oblige theheir of Waverley-Honour) to get him an order for admittance to theprisoner the next morning, before his irons were knocked off forexecution.
'Is it of Fergus Mac-Ivor they speak thus,' thought Waverley, 'or do Idream? Of Fergus, the bold, the chivalrous, the free-minded, the loftychieftain of a tribe devoted to him? Is it he, that I have seen leadthe chase and head the attack, the brave, the active, the young, thenoble, the love of ladies, and the theme of song,--is it he who isironed like a malefactor, who is to be dragged on a hurdle to thecommon gallows, to die a lingering and cruel death, and to be mangledby the hand of the most outcast of wretches? Evil indeed was thespectre that boded such a fate as this to the brave Chief ofGlennaquoich!'
With a faltering voice he requested the solicitor to find means to warnFergus of his intended visit, should he obtain permission to make it.He then turned away from him, and, returning to the inn, wrote ascarcely intelligible note to Flora Mac-Ivor, intimating his purpose towait upon her that evening. The messenger brought back a letter inFlora's beautiful Italian hand, which seemed scarce to tremble evenunder this load of misery. 'Miss Flora Mac-Ivor,' the letter bore,'could not refuse to see the dearest friend of her dear brother, evenin her present circumstances of unparalleled distress.'
When Edward reached Miss Mac-Ivor's present place of abode he wasinstantly admitted. In a large and gloomy tapestried apartment Florawas seated by a latticed window, sewing what seemed to be a garment ofwhite flannel. At a little distance sat an elderly woman, apparently aforeigner, and of a religious order. She was reading in a book ofCatholic devotion, but when Waverley entered laid it on the table andleft the room. Flora ro
se to receive him, and stretched out her hand,but neither ventured to attempt speech. Her fine complexion was totallygone; her person considerably emaciated; and her face and hands aswhite as the purest statuary marble, forming a strong contrast with hersable dress and jet-black hair. Yet, amid these marks of distress therewas nothing negligent or ill-arranged about her attire; even her hair,though totally without ornament, was disposed with her usual attentionto neatness. The first words she uttered were, 'Have you seen him?'
'Alas, no,' answered Waverley, 'I have been refused admittance.'
'It accords with the rest,' she said; 'but we must submit. Shall youobtain leave, do you suppose?'
'For--for--tomorrow,' said Waverley; but muttering the last word sofaintly that it was almost unintelligible.
'Ay, then or never,' said Flora, 'until'--she added, lookingupward--'the time when, I trust, we shall all meet. But I hope you willsee him while earth yet bears him. He always loved you at his heart,though--but it is vain to talk of the past.'
'Vain indeed!' echoed Waverley.
'Or even of the future, my good friend,' said Flora,'so far as earthlyevents are concerned; for how often have I pictured to myself thestrong possibility of this horrid issue, and tasked myself to considerhow I could support my part; and yet how far has all my anticipationfallen short of the unimaginable bitterness of this hour!'
'Dear Flora, if your strength of mind--'
'Ay, there it is,' she answered, somewhat wildly; 'there is, Mr.Waverley, there is a busy devil at my heart that whispers--but it weremadness to listen to it--that the strength of mind on which Floraprided herself has murdered her brother!'
'Good God! how can you give utterance to a thought so shocking?'
'Ay, is it not so? but yet it haunts me like a phantom; I know it isunsubstantial and vain; but it will be present; will intrude itshorrors on my mind; will whisper that my brother, as volatile asardent, would have divided his energies amid a hundred objects. It wasI who taught him to concentrate them and to gage all on this dreadfuland desperate cast. Oh that I could recollect that I had but once saidto him, "He that striketh with the sword shall die by the sword"; thatI had but once said, "Remain at home; reserve yourself, your vassals,your life, for enterprises within the reach of man." But O, Mr.Waverley, I spurred his fiery temper, and half of his ruin at leastlies with his sister!'
The horrid idea which she had intimated, Edward endeavoured to combatby every incoherent argument that occurred to him. He recalled to herthe principles on which both thought it their duty to act, and in whichthey had been educated.
'Do not think I have forgotten them,' she said, looking up with eagerquickness; 'I do not regret his attempt because it was wrong!--O no! onthat point I am armed--but because it was impossible it could endotherwise than thus.'
'Yet it did not always seem so desperate and hazardous as it was; andit would have been chosen by the bold spirit of Fergus whether you hadapproved it or no; your counsels only served to give unity andconsistence to his conduct; to dignify, but not to precipitate, hisresolution.' Flora had soon ceased to listen to Edward, and was againintent upon her needlework.
'Do you remember,' she said, looking up with a ghastly smile, 'you oncefound me making Fergus's bride-favours, and now I am sewing his bridalgarment. Our friends here,' she continued, with suppressed emotion,'are to give hallowed earth in their chapel to the bloody relics of thelast Vich Ian Vohr. But they will not all rest together; no--hishead!--I shall not have the last miserable consolation of kissing thecold lips of my dear, dear Fergus!'
The unfortunate Flora here, after one or two hysterical sobs, faintedin her chair. The lady, who had been attending in the ante-room, nowentered hastily, and begged Edward to leave the room, but not the house.
When he was recalled, after the space of nearly half an hour, he foundthat, by a strong effort, Miss Mac-Ivor had greatly composed herself.It was then he ventured to urge Miss Bradwardine's claim to beconsidered as an adopted sister, and empowered to assist her plans forthe future.
'I have had a letter from my dear Rose,' she replied, 'to the samepurpose. Sorrow is selfish and engrossing, or I would have written toexpress that, even in my own despair, I felt a gleam of pleasure atlearning her happy prospects, and at hearing that the good old Baronhas escaped the general wreck. Give this to my dearest Rose; it is herpoor Flora's only ornament of value, and was the gift of a princess.'She put into his hands a case containing the chain of diamonds withwhich she used to decorate her hair. 'To me it is in future useless.The kindness of my friends has secured me a retreat in the convent ofthe Scottish Benedictine nuns in Paris. Tomorrow--if indeed I cansurvive tomorrow--I set forward on my journey with this venerablesister. And now, Mr. Waverley, adieu! May you be as happy with Rose asyour amiable dispositions deserve; and think sometimes on the friendsyou have lost. Do not attempt to see me again; it would be mistakenkindness.'
She gave him her hand, on which Edward shed a torrent of tears, andwith a faltering step withdrew from the apartment, and returned to thetown of Carlisle. At the inn he found a letter from his law friendintimating that he would be admitted to Fergus next morning as soon asthe Castle gates were opened, and permitted to remain with him till thearrival of the Sheriff gave signal for the fatal procession.
