Guy Mannering, Or, the Astrologer — Complete

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER LII

  And Sheriff I will engage my word to you, That I will by to morrow dinner time, Send him to answer thee or any man, For anything he shall be charged withal

  Henry IV Part I

  When the several by-plays, as they may be termed, had taken place amongthe individuals of the Woodbourne family, as we have intimated in thepreceding chapter, the breakfast party at length assembled, Dandieexcepted, who had consulted his taste in viands, and perhaps insociety, by partaking of a cup of tea with Mrs. Allan, just laced withtwo teaspoonfuls of cogniac, and reinforced with various slices from ahuge round of beef. He had a kind of feeling that he could eat twice asmuch, and speak twice as much, with this good dame and Barnes as withthe grand folk in the parlour. Indeed, the meal of this lessdistinguished party was much more mirthful than that in the highercircle, where there was an obvious air of constraint on the greaterpart of the assistants. Julia dared not raise her voice in askingBertram if he chose another cup of tea. Bertram felt embarrassed whileeating his toast and butter under the eye of Mannering. Lucy, while sheindulged to the uttermost her affection for her recovered brother,began to think of the quarrel betwixt him and Hazlewood. The Colonelfelt the painful anxiety natural to a proud mind when it deems itsslightest action subject for a moment to the watchful construction ofothers. The Lawyer, while sedulously buttering his roll, had an aspectof unwonted gravity, arising perhaps from the severity of his morningstudies. As for the Dominie, his state of mind was ecstatic! He lookedat Bertram--he looked at Lucy--he whimpered--he sniggled--hegrinned--he committed all manner of solecisms in point of form: pouredthe whole cream (no unlucky mistake) upon the plate of porridge whichwas his own usual breakfast, threw the slops of what he called his'crowning dish of tea' into the sugar-dish instead of the slop-basin,and concluded with spilling the scalding liquor upon old Plato, theColonel's favourite spaniel, who received the libation with a howl thatdid little honour to his philosophy.

  The Colonel's equanimity was rather shaken by this last blunder. 'Uponmy word, my good friend, Mr. Sampson, you forget the difference betweenPlato and Zenocrates.'

  'The former was chief of the Academics, the latter of the Stoics,' saidthe Dominie, with some scorn of the supposition.

  'Yes, my dear sir, but it was Zenocrates, not Plato, who denied thatpain was an evil.'

  'I should have thought,' said Pleydell, 'that very respectablequadruped which is just now limping out of the room upon three of hisfour legs was rather of the Cynic school.'

  'Very well hit off. But here comes an answer from Mac-Morlan.'

  It was unfavourable. Mrs. Mac-Morlan sent her respectful compliments,and her husband had been, and was, detained by some alarmingdisturbances which had taken place the preceding night at Portanferry,and the necessary investigation which they had occasioned.

  'What's to be done now. Counsellor?' said the Colonel to Pleydell.

  'Why, I wish we could have seen Mac-Morlan,' said the Counsellor, 'whois a sensible fellow himself, and would besides have acted under myadvice. But there is little harm. Our friend here must be made suijuris. He is at present an escaped prisoner, the law has an awkwardclaim upon him; he must be placed rectus in curia, that is the firstobject; for which purpose, Colonel, I will accompany you in yourcarriage down to Hazlewood House. The distance is not great; we willoffer our bail, and I am confident I can easily show Mr.--I beg hispardon--Sir Robert Hazlewood, the necessity of receiving it.'

  'With all my heart,' said the Colonel; and, ringing the bell, gave thenecessary orders. 'And what is next to be done?'

  'We must get hold of Mac-Morlan, and look out for more proof.'

  'Proof!' said the Colonel, 'the thing is as clear as daylight: here areMr. Sampson and Miss Bertram, and you yourself at once recognise theyoung gentleman as his father's image; and he himself recollects allthe very peculiar circumstances preceding his leaving this country.What else is necessary to conviction?'

  'To moral conviction nothing more, perhaps,' said the experiencedlawyer, 'but for legal proof a great deal. Mr. Bertram's recollectionsare his own recollections merely, and therefore are not evidence in hisown favour. Miss Bertram, the learned Mr. Sampson, and I can only say,what every one who knew the late Ellangowan will readily agree in, thatthis gentleman is his very picture. But that will not make himEllangowan's son and give him the estate.'

  'And what will do so?' said the Colonel.

  'Why, we must have a distinct probation. There are these gipsies; butthen, alas! they are almost infamous in the eye of law, scarce capableof bearing evidence, and Meg Merrilies utterly so, by the variousaccounts which she formerly gave of the matter, and her impudent denialof all knowledge of the fact when I myself examined her respecting it.'

  'What must be done then?' asked Mannering.

  'We must try,' answered the legal sage, 'what proof can be got at inHolland among the persons by whom our young friend was educated. Butthen the fear of being called in question for the murder of the gaugermay make them silent; or, if they speak, they are either foreigners oroutlawed smugglers. In short, I see doubts.'

  'Under favour, most learned and honoured sir,' said the Dominie, 'Itrust HE who hath restored little Harry Bertram to his friends will notleave His own work imperfect.'

  'I trust so too, Mr. Sampson,' said Pleydell; 'but we must use themeans; and I am afraid we shall have more difficulty in procuring themthan I at first thought. But a faint heart never won a fair lady; and,by the way (apart to Miss Mannering, while Bertram was engaged with hissister), there's a vindication of Holland for you! What smart fellowsdo you think Leyden and Utrecht must send forth, when such a verygenteel and handsome young man comes from the paltry schools ofMiddleburgh?'

  'Of a verity,' said the Dominie, jealous of the reputation of the Dutchseminary--'of a verity, Mr. Pleydell, but I make it known to you that Imyself laid the foundation of his education.'

  'True, my dear Dominie,' answered the Advocate, 'that accounts for hisproficiency in the graces, without question. But here comes yourcarriage, Colonel. Adieu, young folks. Miss Julia, keep your heart tillI come back again; let there be nothing done to prejudice my rightwhilst I am non valens agere.'

  Their reception at Hazlewood House was more cold and formal than usual;for in general the Baronet expressed great respect for ColonelMannering, and Mr. Pleydell, besides being a man of good family and ofhigh general estimation, was Sir Robert's old friend. But now he seemeddry and embarrassed in his manner. 'He would willingly,' he said,'receive bail, notwithstanding that the offence had been directlyperpetrated, committed, and done against young Hazlewood of Hazlewood;but the young man had given himself a fictitious description, and wasaltogether that sort of person who should not be liberated, discharged,or let loose upon society; and therefore--'

  'I hope, Sir Robert Hazlewood,' said the Colonel, 'you do not mean todoubt my word when I assure you that he served under me as cadet inIndia?'

  'By no means or account whatsoever. But you call him a cadet; now hesays, avers, and upholds that he was a captain, or held a troop in yourregiment.'

  'He was promoted since I gave up the command.'

  'But you must have heard of it?'

  'No. I returned on account of family circumstances from India, and havenot since been solicitous to hear particular news from the regiment;the name of Brown, too, is so common that I might have seen hispromotion in the "Gazette" without noticing it. But a day or two willbring letters from his commanding officer.'

  'But I am told and informed, Mr. Pleydell,' answered Sir Robert, stillhesitating, 'that he does not mean to abide by this name of Brown, butis to set up a claim to the estate of Ellangowan, under the name ofBertram.'

  'Ay, who says that?' said the Counsellor.

  'Or,' demanded the soldier, 'whoever says so, does that give a right tokeep him in prison?'

  'Hush, Colonel,' said the Lawyer; 'I am sure you would not, any morethan I, countenance him if he prove an impo
stor. And, among friends,who informed you of this, Sir Robert?'

  'Why, a person, Mr. Pleydell,' answered the Baronet, 'who is peculiarlyinterested in investigating, sifting, and clearing out this business tothe bottom; you will excuse my being more particular.'

  'O, certainly,' replied Pleydell; 'well, and he says--?'

  'He says that it is whispered about among tinkers, gipsies, and otheridle persons that there is such a plan as I mentioned to you, and thatthis young man, who is a bastard or natural son of the late Ellangowan,is pitched upon as the impostor from his strong family likeness.'

  'And was there such a natural son, Sir Robert?' demanded the Counsellor.

  'O, certainly, to my own positive knowledge. Ellangowan had him placedas cabin-boy or powder-monkey on board an armed sloop or yachtbelonging to the revenue, through the interest of the late CommissionerBertram, a kinsman of his own.'

  'Well, Sir Robert,' said the Lawyer, taking the word out of the mouthof the impatient soldier, 'you have told me news. I shall investigatethem, and if I find them true, certainly Colonel Mannering and I willnot countenance this young man. In the meanwhile, as we are all willingto make him forthcoming to answer all complaints against him, I doassure you, you will act most illegally, and incur heavyresponsibility, if you refuse our bail.'

  'Why, Mr. Pleydell,' said Sir Robert, who knew the high authority ofthe Counsellor's opinion, 'as you must know best, and as you promise togive up this young man--'

  'If he proves an impostor,' replied the Lawyer, with some emphasis.

  'Ay, certainly. Under that condition I will take your bail; though Imust say an obliging, well-disposed, and civil neighbour of mine, whowas himself bred to the law, gave me a hint or caution this morningagainst doing so. It was from him I learned that this youth wasliberated and had come abroad, or rather had broken prison. But whereshall we find one to draw the bail-bond?'

  'Here,' said the Counsellor, applying himself to the bell, 'send up myclerk, Mr. Driver; it will not do my character harm if I dictate theneedful myself.' It was written accordingly and signed, and, theJustice having subscribed a regular warrant for Bertram alias Brown'sdischarge, the visitors took their leave.

  Each threw himself into his own corner of the post-chariot, and saidnothing for some time. The Colonel first broke silence: 'So you intendto give up this poor young fellow at the first brush?'

  'Who, I?' replied the Counsellor. 'I will not give up one hair of hishead, though I should follow them to the court of last resort in hisbehalf; but what signified mooting points and showing one's hand tothat old ass? Much better he should report to his prompter, Glossin,that we are indifferent or lukewarm in the matter. Besides, I wished tohave a peep at the enemies' game.'

  'Indeed!' said the soldier. 'Then I see there are stratagems in law aswell as war. Well, and how do you like their line of battle?'

  'Ingenious,' said Mr. Pleydell, 'but I think desperate; they arefinessing too much, a common fault on such occasions.'

  During this discourse the carriage rolled rapidly towards Woodbournewithout anything occurring worthy of the reader's notice, exceptingtheir meeting with young Hazlewood, to whom the Colonel told theextraordinary history of Bertram's reappearance, which he heard withhigh delight, and then rode on before to pay Miss Bertram hiscompliments on an event so happy and so unexpected.

  We return to the party at Woodbourne. After the departure of Mannering,the conversation related chiefly to the fortunes of the Ellangowanfamily, their domains, and their former power. 'It was, then, under thetowers of my fathers,' said Bertram, 'that I landed some days since, incircumstances much resembling those of a vagabond! Its moulderingturrets and darksome arches even then awakened thoughts of the deepestinterest, and recollections which I was unable to decipher. I will nowvisit them again with other feelings, and, I trust, other and betterhopes.'

  'Do not go there now,' said his sister. 'The house of our ancestors isat present the habitation of a wretch as insidious as dangerous, whosearts and villainy accomplished the ruin and broke the heart of ourunhappy father.'

  'You increase my anxiety,' replied her brother, 'to confront thismiscreant, even in the den he has constructed for himself; I think Ihave seen him.'

  'But you must consider,' said Julia, 'that you are now left underLucy's guard and mine, and are responsible to us for all your motions,consider, I have not been a lawyer's mistress twelve hours for nothing,and I assure you it would be madness to attempt to go to Ellangowanjust now. The utmost to which I can consent is, that we shall walk in abody to the head of the Woodbourne avenue, and from that perhaps we mayindulge you with our company as far as a rising ground in the common,whence your eyes may be blessed with a distant prospect of those gloomytowers which struck so strongly your sympathetic imagination.'

  The party was speedily agreed upon; and the ladies, having taken theircloaks, followed the route proposed, under the escort of CaptainBertram. It was a pleasant winter morning, and the cool breeze servedonly to freshen, not to chill, the fair walkers. A secret thoughunacknowledged bond of kindness combined the two ladies, and Bertram,now hearing the interesting accounts of his own family, nowcommunicating his adventures in Europe and in India, repaid thepleasure which he received. Lucy felt proud of her brother, as wellfrom the bold and manly turn of his sentiments as from the dangers hehad encountered, and the spirit with which he had surmounted them. AndJulia, while she pondered on her father's words, could not helpentertaining hopes that the independent spirit which had seemed to herfather presumption in the humble and plebeian Brown would have thegrace of courage, noble bearing, and high blood in the far-descendedheir of Ellangowan.

  They reached at length the little eminence or knoll upon the highestpart of the common, called Gibbie's Knowe--a spot repeatedly mentionedin this history as being on the skirts of the Ellangowan estate. Itcommanded a fair variety of hill and dale, bordered with natural woods,whose naked boughs at this season relieved the general colour of thelandscape with a dark purple hue; while in other places the prospectwas more formally intersected by lines of plantation, where the Scotchfirs displayed their variety of dusky green. At the distance of two orthree miles lay the bay of Ellangowan, its waves rippling under theinfluence of the western breeze. The towers of the ruined castle, seenhigh over every object in the neighbourhood, received a brightercolouring from the wintry sun.

  'There,' said Lucy Bertram, pointing them out in the distance, 'thereis the seat of our ancestors. God knows, my dear brother, I do notcovet in your behalf the extensive power which the lords of these ruinsare said to have possessed so long, and sometimes to have used so ill.But, O that I might see you in possession of such relics of theirfortune as should give you an honourable independence, and enable youto stretch your hand for the protection of the old and destitutedependents of our family, whom our poor father's death--'

  'True, my dearest Lucy,' answered the young heir of Ellangowan; 'and Itrust, with the assistance of Heaven, which has so far guided us, andwith that of these good friends, whom their own generous hearts haveinterested in my behalf, such a consummation of my hard adventures isnow not unlikely. But as a soldier I must look with some interest uponthat worm-eaten hold of ragged stone; and if this undermining scoundrelwho is now in possession dare to displace a pebble of it--'

  He was here interrupted by Dinmont, who came hastily after them up theroad, unseen till he was near the party: 'Captain, Captain! ye'rewanted. Ye're wanted by her ye ken o'.'

  And immediately Meg Merrilies, as if emerging out of the earth,ascended from the hollow way and stood before them. 'I sought ye at thehouse,' she said, 'and found but him (pointing to Dinmont). But ye areright, and I was wrang; it is HERE we should meet, on this very spot,where my eyes last saw your father. Remember your promise and followme.'