CHAPTER XXIII
TRAVELS IN HOLLAND
The rattel-wagon, which is a kind of a long wagon set with benches,carried us in four hours of travel to the great city of Rotterdam. Itwas long past dark by then, but the streets pretty brightly lighted andthronged with the wild-like, outlandish characters--bearded Hebrews,black men, and the hordes of courtesans, most indecently adorned withfinery and stopping seamen by their very sleeves; the clash of talkabout us made our heads to whirl; and what was the most unexpected ofall, we appeared to be no more struck with all these foreigners thanthey with us. I made the best face I could, for the lass's sake and myown credit; but the truth is I felt like a lost sheep, and my heart beatin my bosom with anxiety. Once or twice I inquired after the harbor orthe berth of the ship _Rose_; but either fell on some who spoke onlyHollands, or my own French failed me. Trying a street at a venture, Icame upon a lane of lighted houses, the doors and windows thronged withwauf-like painted women; these jostled and mocked upon us as we passed,and I was thankful we had nothing of their language. A little after weissued forth upon an open place along the harbour.
"We shall be doing now," cries I, as soon as I spied masts. "Let us walkhere by the harbour. We are sure to meet some that has the English, andat the best of it we may light upon that very ship."
We did the next best, as happened; for about nine of the evening, whomshould we walk into the arms of but Captain Sang? He told us they hadmade their run in the most incredible brief time, the wind holdingstrong until they reached port; by which means his passengers were allgone already on their further travels. It was impossible to chase afterthe Gebbies into High Germany, and we had no other acquaintance to fallback upon but Captain Sang himself. It was the more gratifying to findthe man friendly and wishful to assist. He made it a small affair tofind some good plain family of merchants, where Catriona might harbourtill the _Rose_ was loaden; declared he would then blithely carry herback to Leith for nothing and see her safe in the hands of Mr. Gregory;and in the meanwhile carried us to a late ordinary for the meal we stoodin need of. He seemed extremely friendly, as I say, but what surprisedme a good deal, rather boisterous in the bargain; and the cause of thiswas soon to appear. For at the ordinary, calling for Rhenish wine anddrinking of it deep, he soon became unutterably tipsy. In, this case, astoo common with all men, but especially with those of his rough trade,what little sense or manners he possessed deserted him; and he behavedhimself so scandalous to the young lady, jesting most ill-favoredly atthe figure she had made on the ship's rail, that I had no resource butcarry her suddenly away.
She came out of that ordinary clinging to me close. "Take me away,David," she said. "_You_ keep me. I am not afraid with you."
"And have no cause, my little friend!" cried I, and could have found itin my heart to weep.
"Where will you be taking me?" she said again. "Don't leave me at allevents, never leave me."
"Where am I taking you indeed?" says I stopping, for I had been stavingon ahead in mere blindness. "I must stop and think. But I'll not leaveyou, Catriona; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if I should fail orfash you."
She crept closer in to me by way of a reply.
"Here," I said, "is the stillest place that we have hit on yet in thisbusy byke of a city. Let us sit down here under yon tree and consider ofour course."
That tree (which I am little like to forget) stood hard by the harbourside. It was a black night, but lights were in the houses, and nearerhand in the quiet ships; there was a shining of the city on the onehand, and a buzz hung over it of many thousands walking and talking; onthe other, it was dark and the water bubbled on the sides. I spread mycloak upon a builder's stone, and made her sit there; she would havekept her hold upon me, for she still shook with the late affronts; but Iwanted to think clear, disengaged myself, and paced to and fro beforeher, in the manner of what we call a smuggler's walk, belabouring mybrains for any remedy. By the course of these scattering thoughts I wasbrought suddenly face to face with a remembrance that, in the heat andhaste of our departure, I had left Captain Sang to pay the ordinary. Atthis I began to laugh out loud, for I thought the man well served; andat the same time, by an instinctive movement, carried my hand to thepocket where my money was. I suppose it was in the lane where the womenjostled us; but there is only the one thing certain, that my purse wasgone.
"You will have thought of something good," said she, observing me topause.
At the pinch we were in, my mind became suddenly clear as a perspectiveglass, and I saw there was no choice of methods. I had not one doit ofcoin, but in my pocket-book I had still my letter on the Leydenmerchant; and there was now but the one way to get to Leyden, and thatwas to walk on our two feet.
"Catriona," said I, "I know you're brave and I believe you're strong, doyou think you could walk thirty miles on a plain road?" We found it, Ibelieve, scarce the two-thirds of that, but such was my notion of thedistance.
"David," she said, "if you will just keep near, I will go anywhere anddo anything. The courage of my heart, it is all broken. Do not beleaving me in this horrible country by myself, and I will do all else."
"Can you start now and march all night?" said I.
"I will do all that you can ask of me," she said, "and never ask youwhy. I have been a bad ungrateful girl to you; and do what you pleasewith me now! And I think Miss Barbara Grant is the best lady in theworld," she added, "and I do not see what she would deny you for at allevents."
This was Greek and Hebrew to me; but I had other matters to consider,and the first of these was to get clear of that city on the Leyden road.It proved a cruel problem; and it may have been one or two at night erewe had solved it. Once beyond the houses, there was neither moon orstars to guide us; only the whiteness of the way in the midst and ablackness of an alley on both hands. The walking was besides made mostextraordinary difficult by a plain black frost that fell suddenly in thesmall hours and turned that highway into one long slide.
"Well, Catriona," said I, "here we are like the king's sons and the oldwives' daughters in your daft-like Highland tales. Soon we'll be goingover the '_seven Bens, the seven glens, and the seven mountain moors_.'"Which was a common byword or overcome in these tales of hers that hadstuck in my memory.
"Ah," says she, "but here are no glens or mountains! Though I will neverbe denying but what the trees and some of the plain places hereaboutsare very pretty. But our country is the best yet."
"I wish we could say as much for our own folk," says I, recalling Sprottand Sang, and perhaps James More himself.
"I will never complain of the country of my friend," said she, and spokeit out with an accent so particular that I seemed to see the look uponher face.
I caught in my breath sharp and came near falling (for my pains) on theblack ice.
"I do not know what _you_ think, Catriona," said I, when I was a littlerecovered, "but this has been the best day yet! I think shame to say it,when you have met in with such misfortunes and disfavours; but for me,it has been the best day yet."
"It was a good day when you showed me so much love," said she.
"And yet I think shame to be happy too," I went on, "and you here on theroad in the black night."
"Where in the great world would I be else?" she cried. "I am thinking Iam safest where I am with you."
"I am quite forgiven, then?" I asked.
"Will you not forgive me that time so much as not to take it in yourmouth again?" she cried. "There's is nothing in this heart to you butthanks. But I will be honest too," she added, with a kind of suddenness,"and I'll never can forgive that girl."
"Is this Miss Grant again?" said I. "You said yourself she was the bestlady in the world."
"So she will be, indeed!" says Catriona. "But I will never forgive herfor all that. I will never, never forgive her, and let me hear tell ofher no more."
"Well," said I, "this beats all that ever came to my knowledge; and Iwonder that you can indulge yourself in such bairnly whims. Here is
ayoung lady that was the best friend in the world to the both of us, thatlearned us how to dress ourselves, and in a great manner how to behave,as anyone can see that knew us both before and after."
But Catriona stopped square in the midst of the highway.
"It is this way of it," said she. "Either you will go on to speak ofher, and I will go back to yon town, and let come of it what Godpleases! Or else you will do me that politeness to talk of otherthings."
I was the most nonplussed person in this world; but I bethought me thatshe depended altogether on my help, that she was of the frail sex andnot so much beyond a child, and it was for me to be wise for the pair ofus.
"My dear girl," said I, "I can make neither head nor tails of this; butGod forbid that I should do anything to set you on the jee. As fortalking of Miss Grant I have no such a mind to it, and I believe it wasyourself began it. My only design (if I took you up at all) was for yourown improvement, for I hate the very look of injustice. Not that I donot wish you to have a good pride and a nice female delicacy; theybecome you well; but here you show them to excess."
"Well, then, have you done?" said she.
"I have done," said I.
"A very good thing," said she, and we went on again, but now in silence.
It was an eerie employment to walk in the gross night, beholding onlyshadows and hearing nought but our own steps. At first, I believe ourhearts burned against each other with a deal of enmity; but the darknessand the cold, and the silence, which only the cocks sometimesinterrupted, or sometimes the farmyard dogs, had pretty soon broughtdown our pride to the dust; and for my own particular, I would havejumped at any decent opening for speech.
Before the day peeped, came on a warmish rain, and the frost was allwiped away from among our feet. I took my cloak to her and sought to hapher in the same; she bade me, rather impatiently, to keep it.
"Indeed and I will do no such thing," said I. "Here am I, a great, uglylad that has seen all kinds of weather, and here are you a tender,pretty maid! My dear, you would not put me to a shame?"
Without more words she let me cover her; which as I was doing in thedarkness, I let my hand rest a moment on her shoulder, almost like anembrace.
"You must try to be more patient of your friend," said I.
I thought she seemed to lean the least thing in the world against mybosom, or perhaps it was but fancy.
"There will be no end to your goodness," said she.
And we went on again in silence; but now all was changed; and thehappiness that was in my heart was like a fire in a great chimney.
The rain passed ere day; it was but a sloppy morning as we came into thetown of Delft. The red gabled houses made a handsome show on either handof a canal; the servant lassies were out slestering and scrubbing at thevery stones upon the public highway; smoke rose from a hundred kitchens;and it came in upon me strongly it was time to break our fasts.
"Catriona," said I, "I believe you have yet a shilling and threebaubees?"
"Are you wanting it?" said she, and passed me her purse. "I am wishingit was five pounds! What will you want it for?"
"And what have we been walking for all night, like a pair of waifEgyptians?" says I. "Just because I was robbed of my purse and all Ipossessed in that unchancy town of Rotterdam. I will tell you of it now,because I think the worst is over, but we have still a good tramp beforeus till we get to where my money is, and if you would not buy me a pieceof bread, I were like to go fasting."
She looked at me with open eyes. By the light of the new day she was allblack and pale for weariness, so that my heart smote me for her. But asfor her, she broke out laughing.
"My torture! are we beggars then?" she cried. "You too? O, I could havewished for this same thing! And I am glad to buy your breakfast to you.But it would be pleisand if I would have had to dance to get a meal toyou! For I believe they are not very well acquainted with our manner ofdancing over here, and might be paying for the curiosity of that sight."
I could have kissed her for that word, not with a lover's mind, but in aheat of admiration. For it always warms a man to see a woman brave.
We got a drink of milk from a country wife but new come to the town, andin a baker's, a piece of excellent, hot, sweet-smelling bread, which weate upon the road as we went on. That road from Delft to the Hague isjust five miles of a fine avenue shaded with trees, a canal on the onehand, on the other excellent pastures of cattle. It was pleasant hereindeed.
"And now, Davie," said she, "what will you do with me at all events?"
"It is what we have to speak of," said I, "and the sooner yet thebetter. I can come by money in Leyden; that will be all well. But thetrouble is how to dispose of you until your father come. I thought lastnight you seemed a little sweir to part from me?"
"It will be more than seeming then," said she.
"You are a very young maid," said I, "and I am but a very young callant.This is a great piece of difficulty. What way are we to manage? Unless,indeed, you could pass to be my sister?"
"And what for no?" said she, "if you would let me!"
"I wish you were so, indeed!" I cried. "I would be a fine man if I hadsuch a sister. But the rub is that you are Catriona Drummond."
"And now I will be Catrine Balfour," she said. "And who is to ken? Theyare all strange folk here."
"If you think that it would do," says I. "I own it troubles me. I wouldlike it very ill, if I advised you at all wrong."
"David, I have no friend here but you," she said.
"The mere truth is, I am too young to be your friend," said I. "I am tooyoung to advise you, or you to be advised. I see not what else we are todo, and yet I ought to warn you."
"I will have no choice left," said she. "My father James More has notused me very well, and it is not the first time. I am cast upon yourhands like a sack of barley meal, and have nothing else to think of butyour pleasure. If you will have me, good and well. If you will not"--sheturned and touched her hand upon my arm--"David, I am afraid," said she.
"No, but I ought to warn you," I began; and then bethought me that I wasthe bearer of the purse, and it would never do to seem too churlish."Catriona," said I, "don't misunderstand me: I am just trying to do myduty by you, girl! Here am I going alone to this strange city, to be asolitary student there; and here is this chance arisen that you mightdwell with me a bit, and be like my sister: you can surely understandthis much, my dear, that I would just love to have you?"
"Well, and here I am," said she. "So that's soon settled."
I know I was in duty bounden to have spoke more plain. I know this was agreat blot on my character for which I was lucky that I did not pay moredear. But I minded how easy her delicacy had been startled with a wordof kissing her in Barbara's letter; now that she depended on me, how wasI to be more bold? Besides, the truth is, I could see no other feasiblemethod to dispose of her. And I daresay inclination pulled me verystrong.
A little beyond the Hague she fell very lame and made the rest of thedistance heavily enough. Twice she must rest by the wayside, which shedid with pretty apologies, calling herself a shame to the Highlands andthe race she came of, and nothing but a hindrance to myself. It was herexcuse, she said, that she was not much used with walking shod. I wouldhave had her strip off her shoes and stockings and go barefoot. But shepointed out to me that the women of that country, even in the landwardroads, appeared to be all shod.
"I must not be disgracing my brother," said she, and was very merry withit all, although her face told tales of her.
There is a garden in that city we were bound to, sanded below with cleansand, the trees meeting overhead, some of them trimmed, some pleached,and the whole place beautified with alleys and arbours. Here I leftCatriona, and went forward by myself to find my correspondent. There Idrew on my credit, and asked to be recommended to some decent, retiredlodging. My baggage not being yet arrived, I told him I supposed Ishould require his caution with the people of the house; and explainedthat, my sister being come for
a while to keep house with me, I shouldbe wanting two chambers. This was all very well; but the trouble wasthat Mr. Balfour in his letter of recommendation had condescended on agreat deal of particulars, and never a word of any sister in the case. Icould see my Dutchman was extremely suspicious; and viewing me over therims of a great pair of spectacles--he was a poor, frail body, andreminded me of an infirm rabbit--he began to question me close.
Here I fell in a panic. Suppose he accept my tale (thinks I), suppose heinvite my sister to his house, and that I bring her. I shall have a fineravelled pirn to unwind, and may end by disgracing both the lassie andmyself. Thereupon I began hastily to expound to him my sister'scharacter. She was of a bashful disposition, it appeared, and soextremely fearful of meeting strangers that I had left her at thatmoment sitting in a public place alone. And then, being launched uponthe stream of falsehood, I must do like all the rest of the world in thesame circumstance, and plunge in deeper than was any service; addingsome altogether needless particulars of Miss Balfour's ill-health andretirement during childhood. In the midst of which I awoke to a sense ofmy behaviour, and was turned to one blush.
The old gentleman was not so much deceived but what he discovered awillingness to be quit of me. But he was first of all a man of business;and knowing that my money was good enough, however it might be with myconduct, he was so far obliging as to send his son to be my guide andcaution in the matter of a lodging. This implied my presenting of theyoung man to Catriona. The poor, pretty child was much recovered withresting, looked and behaved to perfection, and took my arm and gave methe name of brother more easily than I could answer her. But there wasone misfortune: thinking to help, she was rather towardly than otherwiseto my Dutchman. And I could not but reflect that Miss Balfour had rathersuddenly outgrown her bashfulness. And there was another thing, thedifference of our speech. I had the Low Country tongue and dwelled uponmy words; she had a hill voice, spoke with something of an Englishaccent, only far more delightful, and was scarce quite fit to be calleda deacon in the craft of talking English grammar; so that, for a brotherand sister, we made a most uneven pair. But the young Hollander was aheavy dog, without so much spirit in his belly as to remark herprettiness, for which I scorned him. And as soon as he had found a coverto our heads, he left us alone, which was the greater service of thetwo.
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