David Balfour

by Robert Louis Stevenson

  CHAPTER XVIII

  THE TEE'D BALL

  On the morrow, from the justices' private room, where none could see me,I heard the verdict given in and judgment rendered upon James. TheDuke's words I am quite sure I have correctly; and since that famouspassage has been made a subject of dispute, I may as well commemorate myversion. Having referred to the year '45, the chief of the Campbells,sitting as Justice-General upon the bench, thus addressed theunfortunate Stewart before him: "If you had been successful in thatrebellion, you might have been giving the law where you have nowreceived the judgment of it; we, who are this day your judges, mighthave been tried before one of your mock courts of judicature; and thenyou might have been satiated with the blood of any name or clan to whichyou had an aversion."

  "This is to let the cat out of the bag, indeed," thought I. And that wasthe general impression. It was extraordinary how the young advocate ladstook hold and made a mock of this speech, and how scarce a meal passedbut what some one would get in the words: "And then you might have beensatiated." Many songs were made in that time for the hour's diversion,and are near all forgot. I remember one began:

  What do ye want the bluid of, bluid of? Is it a name, or is it a clan, Or is it an aefauld Hielandman, That ye want the bluid of, bluid of?

  Another went to my old favourite air, _The House of Airlie_, and beganthus:

  It fell on a day when Argyle was on the bench, That they served him a Stewart for his denner.

  And one of the verses ran:

  Then up and spak the Duke, and flyted on his cook, I regaird it as a sensible aspersion, That I would sup ava', an' satiate my maw, With the bluid of ony clan of my aversion.

  James was as fairly murdered as though the Duke had got a fowling-pieceand stalked him. So much of course I knew: but others knew not so much,and were more affected by the items of scandal that came to light in theprogress of the cause. One of the chief was certainly this sally of thejustice's. It was run hard by another of a juryman, who had struck intothe midst of Colstoun's speech for the defence with a "Pray, sir, cut itshort, we are quite weary," which seemed the very excess of impudenceand simplicity. But some of my new lawyer friends were still morestaggered with an innovation that had disgraced and even vitiated theproceedings. One witness was never called. His name, indeed, wasprinted, where it may still be seen on the fourth page of the list:"James Drummond, _alias_ Macgregor, _alias_ James More, late tenant inInveronachile"; and his precognition had been taken, as the manner is,in writing. He had remembered or invented (God help him) matter whichwas lead in James Stewart's shoes, and I saw was like to prove wings tohis own. This testimony it was highly desirable to bring to the noticeof the jury, without exposing the man himself to the perils ofcross-examination; and the way it was brought about was a matter ofsurprise to all. For the paper was handed round (like a curiosity) incourt; passed through the jury-box, where it did its work; anddisappeared again (as though by accident) before it reached the counselfor the prisoner. This was counted a most insidious device; and that thename of James More should be mingled up with it filled me with shame forCatriona and concern for myself.

  The following day, Prestongrange and I, with a considerable company, setout for Glasgow, where (to my impatience) we continued to linger sometime in a mixture of pleasure and affairs. I lodged with my lord, withwhom I was encouraged to familiarity; had my place at entertainments;was presented to the chief guests; and altogether made more of than Ithought accorded either with my parts or station; so that, on strangersbeing present, I would often blush for Prestongrange. It must be ownedthe view I had taken of the world in these last months was fit to cast agloom upon my character. I had met many men, some of them leaders inIsrael whether by their birth or talents; and who among them all hadshown clean hands? As for the Browns and Millers, I had seen theirself-seeking, I could never again respect them. Prestongrange was thebest yet; he had saved me, had spared me rather, when others had it intheir minds to murder me outright; but the blood of James lay at hisdoor; and I thought his present dissimulation with myself a thing belowpardon. That he should affect to find pleasure in my discourse almostsurprised me out of my patience. I would sit and watch him with a kindof a slow fire of anger in my bowels. "Ah, friend, friend," I wouldthink to myself, "if you were but through with this affair of thememorial, would you not kick me in the streets?" Here I did him, asevents have proved, the most foul injustice; and I think he was at oncefar more sincere, and a far more artful performer than I supposed.

  But I had some warrant for my incredulity in the behaviour of that courtof young advocates that hung about him in the hope of patronage. Thesudden favour of a lad not previously heard of troubled them at firstout of measure; but two days were not gone by before I found myselfsurrounded with flattery and attention. I was the same young man, andneither better nor bonnier, that they had rejected a month before; andnow there was no civility too fine for me! The same, do I say? It wasnot so; and the byname by which I went behind my back confirmed it.Seeing me so firm with the Advocate, and persuaded that I was to flyhigh and far, they had taken a word from the golfing green, and calledme _the Tee'd Ball_.[14] I was told I was now "one of themselves"; I wasto taste of their soft lining, who had already made my own experience ofthe roughness of the outer husk; and the one, to whom I had beenpresented in Hope Park, was so assured as even to remind me of thatmeeting. I told him I had not the pleasure of remembering it.

  "Why," says he, "it was Miss Grant herself presented me! My name isso-and-so."

  "It may very well be, sir," said I, "but I have kept no mind of it."

  At which he desisted; and in the midst of the disgust that commonlyoverflowed my spirits I had a glisk of pleasure.

  But I have not patience to dwell upon that time at length. When I was incompany with these young politics I was borne down with shame for myselfand my own plain ways, and scorn for them and their duplicity. Of thetwo evils, I thought Prestongrange to be the least; and while I wasalways as stiff as buckram to the young bloods, I made rather adissimulation of my hard feelings towards the Advocate, and was (in oldMr. Campbell's word) "soople to the laird." Himself commented on thedifference, and bid me be more of my age, and make friends with my youngcomrades.

  I told him I was slow of making friends.

  "I will take the word back," said he. "But there is such a thing as_Fair gude e'en and fair gude day_, Mr. David. These are the same youngmen with whom you are to pass your days and get through life: yourbackwardness has a look of arrogance; and unless you can assume a littlemore lightness of manner, I fear you will meet difficulties in thepath."

  "It will be an ill job to make a silk purse of a sow's ear," said I.

  On the morning of October 1st I was awakened by the clattering in of anexpress; and getting to my window almost before he had dismounted, I sawthe messenger had ridden hard. Somewhile after I was called toPrestongrange, where he was sitting in his bedgown and nightcap, withhis letters around him.

  "Mr. David," said he, "I have a piece of news for you. It concerns somefriends of yours, of whom I sometimes think you are a little ashamed,for you have never referred to their existence."

  I suppose I blushed.

  "I see you understand, since you make the answering signal," said he."And I must compliment you on your excellent taste in beauty. But do youknow, Mr. David, this seems to me a very enterprising lass? She crops upfrom every side. The Government of Scotland appears unable to proceedfor Mistress Katrine Drummond, which was somewhat the case (no greatwhile back) with a certain Mr. David Balfour. Should not these make agood match? Her first intromission in politics--but I must not tell youthat story, the authorities have decided you are to hear it otherwiseand from a livelier narrator. This new example is more serious, however;and I am afraid I must alarm you with the intelligence that she is nowin prison."

  I cried out.

  "Yes," said he, "the little lady is in prison. But I would not have youto despair.
Unless you (with your friends and memorials) shall procuremy downfall, she is to suffer nothing."

  "But what has she done? What is her offence?" I cried.

  "It might be almost construed a high treason," he returned, "for she hasbroke the King's Castle of Edinburgh."

  "The lady is much my friend," I said. "I know you would not work me ifthe thing were serious."

  "And yet it is serious in a sense," said he; "for this rogue of aKatrine--or Cateran, as we may call her--has set adrift again upon theworld that very doubtful character, her papa."

  Here was one of my previsions justified: James More was once again atliberty. He had lent his men to keep me a prisoner; he had volunteeredhis testimony in the Appin case, and the same (no matter by whatsubterfuge) had been employed to influence the jury. Now came hisreward, and he was free. It might please the authorities to give to itthe colour of an escape; but I knew better--I knew it was the fulfilmentof a bargain. The same course of thought relieved me of the least alarmfor Catriona. She might be thought to have broke prison for her father;she might have believed so herself. But the chief hand in the wholebusiness was that of Prestongrange; and I was sure, so far from lettingher come to punishment, he would not suffer her to be even tried.Whereupon thus came out of me the not very politic ejaculation:

  "Ah! I was expecting that!"

  "You have at times a great deal of discretion too!" says Prestongrange.

  "And what is my lord pleased to mean by that?" I asked.

  "I was just marvelling," he replied, "that being so clever as to drawthese inferences, you should not be clever enough to keep them toyourself. But I think you would like to hear the details of the affair.I have received two versions: and the least official is the more fulland far the more entertaining, being from the lively pen of my eldestdaughter. 'Here is all the town bizzing with a fine piece of work,' shewrites, 'and what would make the thing more noted (if it were onlyknown) the malefactor is a _protegee_ of his lordship my papa. I am sureyour heart is too much in your duty (if it were nothing else) to haveforgotten Grey Eyes. What does she do, but get a broad hat with theflaps open, a long hairy-like man's great-coat, and a big gravatt; kilther coats up to _Gude kens whaur_, clap two pair of boot-hose upon herlegs, take a pair of _clouted brogues_[15] in her hand, and off to theCastle? Here she gives herself out to be a soutar[16] in the employ ofJames More, and gets admitted to his cell, the lieutenant (who seems tohave been full of pleasantry) making sport among his soldiers of thesoutar's great-coat. Presently they hear disputation and the sound ofblows inside. Out flies the cobbler, his coat flying, the flaps of hishat beat about his face, and the lieutenant and his soldiers mock at himas he runs off. They laughed not so hearty the next time they hadoccasion to visit the cell, and found nobody but a tall, pretty,grey-eyed lass in the female habit! As for the cobbler, he was "over thehills ayont Dumblane," and it's thought that poor Scotland will have toconsole herself without him. I drank Catriona's health this night inpublic. Indeed, the whole town admires her; and I think the beaux wouldwear bits of her garters in their button-holes if they could only getthem. I would have gone to visit her in prison too, only I remembered intime I was papa's daughter; so I wrote her a billet instead, which Ientrusted to the faithful Doig, and I hope you will admit I can bepolitical when I please. The same faithful gomeral is to despatch thisletter by the express along with those of the wiseacres, so that you mayhear Tom Fool in company with Solomon. Talking of _gomerals_, do tell_Dauvit Balfour_. I would I could see the face of him at the thought ofa long-legged lass in such a predicament! to say nothing of the levitiesof your affectionate daughter, and his respectful friend.' So my rascalsigns herself!" continued Prestongrange. "And you see, Mr. David, it isquite true what I tell you, that my daughters regard you with the mostaffectionate playfulness."

  "The gomeral is much obliged," said I.

  "And was not this prettily done?" he went on. "Is not this Highland maida piece of a heroine?"

  "I was always sure she had a great heart," said I. "And I wager sheguessed nothing.... But I beg your pardon, this is to tread uponforbidden subjects."

  "I will go bail she did not," he returned, quite openly. "I will go bailshe thought she was flying straight into King George's face."

  Remembrance of Catriona, and the thought of her lying in captivity,moved me strangely. I could see that even Prestongrange admired, andcould not withhold his lips from smiling when he considered herbehaviour. As for Miss Grant, for all her ill habit of mockery, heradmiration shone out plain. A kind of a heat came on me.

  "I am not your lordship's daughter..." I began.

  "That I know of!" he put in smiling.

  "I speak like a fool," said I, "or rather I began wrong. It woulddoubtless be unwise in Mistress Grant to go to her in prison; but forme, I think I would look like a half-hearted friend if I did not flythere instantly."

  "So-ho, Mr. David," says he, "I thought that you and I were in abargain?"

  "My lord," I said, "when I made that bargain I was a good deal affectedby your goodness, but I'll never can deny that I was moved besides by myown interest. There was self-seeking in my heart, and I think shame ofit now. It may be for your lordship's safety to say this fashious DavieBalfour is your friend and housemate. Say it then; I'll never contradictyou. But as for your patronage, I give it all back. I ask but the onething--let me go, and give me a pass to see her in her prison."

  He looked at me with a hard eye. "You put the cart before the horse, Ithink," says he. "That which I had given was a portion of my liking,which your thankless nature does not seem to have remarked. But for mypatronage, it is not given, nor (to be exact) is it yet offered." Hepaused a bit. "And I warn you, you do not know yourself," he added."Youth is a hasty season; you will think better of all this before ayear."

  "Well, and I would like to be that kind of youth!" I cried. "I have seentoo much of the other party, in these young advocates that fawn uponyour lordship and are even at the pains to fawn on me. And I have seenit in the old ones also. They are all for by-ends, the whole clan ofthem! It's this that makes me seem to misdoubt your lordship's liking.Why would I think that you would like me? But ye told me yourself ye hadan interest!"

  I stopped at this, confounded that I had run so far; he was observing mewith a unfathomable face.

  "My lord, I ask your pardon," I resumed. "I have nothing in my chaftsbut a rough country tongue. I think it would be only decent-like if Iwould go to see my friend in her captivity; but I'm owing you my life,I'll never forget that; and-if it's for your lordship's good, here I'llstay. That's barely gratitude."

  "This might have been reached in fewer words," says Prestongrange,grimly. "It is easy, and it is at times gracious, to say a plain Scots'ay'."

  "Ah, but, my lord, I think ye take me not yet entirely!" cried I. "For_your_ sake, for my life-safe, and the kindness that ye say ye bear tome--for these, I'll consent; but not for any good that might be comingto myself. If I stand aside when this young maid is in her trial, it's athing I will be noways advantaged by; I will lose by it, I will nevergain. I would rather make a shipwreck wholly than to build on thatfoundation."

  He was a minute serious, then smiled. "You mind me of the man with thelong nose," said he: "was you to look at the moon by a telescope, youwould see David Balfour there! But you shall have your way of it. I willask at you one service, and then set you free. My clerks are overdriven;be so good as copy me these few pages," says he, visibly switheringamong some huge rolls of manuscripts, "and when that is done, I shallbid you God speed! I would never charge myself with Mr. David'sconscience; and if you could cast some part of it (as you went by) in amoss hag, you would find yourself to ride much easier without it."

  "Perhaps not just entirely in the same direction though, my lord!" saysI.

  "And you shall have the last word, too!" cries he gaily.

  Indeed he had some cause for gaiety, having now found the means to gainhis purpose. To lessen the weight of the memorial, or to have a read
ieranswer at his hand, he desired I should appear publicly in the characterof his intimate. But if I were to appear with the same publicity as avisitor to Catriona in her prison the world would scarce stint to drawconclusions, and the true nature of James More's escape must becomeevident to all. This was the little problem I had set him of a sudden,and to which he had so briskly found an answer. I was to be tethered inGlasgow by that job of copying, which in mere outward decency I couldnot well refuse; and during these hours of my employment Catriona wasprivately got rid of. I think shame to write of this man that loaded mewith so many goodnesses. He was kind to me as any father, yet I everthought him as false as a cracked bell.

  * * * * *