by John Buchan
CHAPTER III
THE STORY OF A SUPPER PARTY
My first thought on entering the supper-room was one of amazement. Theowner of the house, whom I had taken to be a man of simple tastes, hereproved himself to be a very Caliph for magnificence. Many choicepaintings looked down at us from the sides, richly framed, and fittinginto recesses in the panelled walls. The floor was laid withbright-dyed rugs and carpets of Venetian stuff, and the chairs andcouches were of finely carven wood. The whole was lit with a long lineof waxen candles in silver sconces, which disputed the sovereignty withthe departing daylight. But the choicest sight was the table which wasladen, nay heaped, with rich dishes and rare meats, while in the glassand metal flagons the wine danced and flamed. I was of country-bredhabits, and the display at first all but took the breath from me; indeedit was not a little time ere I could take my eyes from it and turn themon the assembled guests.
Those who had not been present in the garden were gathered at the lowerend of the room, whither the master of the place betook himself to greetthem. I marked two or three of the burgher folk by their dress andwell-filled bellies, contrasting strangely with the lean figure of aminister who stood among them clothed in some decent, dark stuff, andwearing white bands ostentatiously. There were also some of theofficers in the Scots regiment, at least of that portion of it which wasthen lying at Leyden. Their dress was sober compared with the richnessof such soldiery as I had seen in my own land, but against the attire ofthe citizens, it was gaudiness itself.
I found myself sitting close to the head of the table, on the right handof my host, betwixt a portly doctor of laws and my worthy MasterQuellinus. This latter was now all but recovered from his fatigue,having slept soundly in the arbour. He was in a high good humour at thesight of the many varied dishes before him, and cried out their meritsto me in a loud, excited tone, which made my cheeks burn. "There," hecried, "there is the dish I love above all others. 'Tis hashed venisonwith young herbs, and sour wine for a relish. Ah, I have alreadyenjoyed it in anticipation. In a few seconds I shall have enjoyed it inreality. Therefore I argue I have gained two pleasures from it, whereasmen of no imagination have but one. And, God bless my eyes! do I see aplate of stewed eels over there before that thick man in the brown coat?Gad! I fear he will devour them all himself, for he looks to havecapacity and judgment. Plague take him, I am in a very torment ofanxiety. Prithee, my good John, seek out a servant and bid him bring itover here." I know not how far he might have gone, had not all talkingbeen put an end to by the minister arising and saying a lengthy Latingrace. In the midst of it I stole a glance at my neighbour, and hisface wore so comical an expression of mingled disgust and eagerness thatI could scarcely refrain from laughing. But all did not conductthemselves so well, for there was a great disputation going on amongsome of the regiment which much hindered the effect of the minister'sLatin. Indeed, I believe had he spoken another dozen words, the patienceof some would have gone altogether.
"Now," said Master Wishart from the head of the table, "I trust,gentlemen, that ye may find the entertainment to your liking. Fall toheartily, for this weather gives a keen edge to the appetite. _Occupetextremum scabies_, as Horatius hath it; which being translated into thevulgar idiom is 'Deil tak the hin-most.' Know you that proverb, John?Come, Master Quellinus, set to, man, ye've had a serious day's work, andour fleshly tabernacles will not subsist on nothing," adding in anundertone to me, "though it's little pressing ye need, for to press yeto eat is like giving a shog to a cairt that's fa'in ower the CastleRock."
I paid little heed to Master Quellinus's conversation, which ran chieflyon viands, or to that of my left-hand neighbour, whose mouth was toofull for words. But I found great entertainment in watching the facesand listening to the speech of some of the other guests. The table waswide and the light dim, so that I had much ado to make out clearly thoseopposite me. I marked Mistress Kate, very daintily dressed, talkinggaily to some one at her side.
"Well, to tell you the truth, my dear Mistress Kate, this land of yoursis not very much to my liking. To be sure a soldier is contentedwherever his duty calls him, but there is no fighting to be done, andthe sport is not what I have found it elsewhere. I am in such adevilish strict place that, Gad, I cannot have a game with a fat citizenwithout having to listen to a rigmarole of half an hour's duration onthe next morning. There is so much psalm-singing in the place that anhonest gentleman can scarcely raise a merry song without having hisvoice stopped by half a dozen sour-faced knaves. 'Faith, I wish I wereback in my own land, where there is some work for a cavalier. There isbut one thing that I should except," and he bowed low to his neighbour,"the women, who are as beautiful as the men-folk are hideous. Though,in truth, I believe that the most lovely of them all is a countrywomanof my own"; and again he made her a fine bow.
The voice and the tone were strangely familiar, but for the life of me,I could not give them a name. I could only note that the man was a big,squarely-made fellow, and that he seemed to be in a mind to make love tohis host's daughter. She made some blushing reply to his compliments,and then, as luck would have it, a servant set a light between us, andthe faces of both were revealed clearly to me.
I sat bolt upright in my chair with sheer astonishment. For there,dressed in the habiliments of the Scots regiment, and bearing himselfwith all his old braggadocio, sat my cousin Gilbert.
Then I remembered how I had heard that he had gone abroad to someforeign service, partly to escape the consequences of some scrapes intowhich he had fallen, partly to get rid of his many debts. And here hewas, coming to the one place in Europe to which I had chosen to go, andmeeting me at the one table which I had chosen to frequent. In thatmoment I felt as if the man before me were bound up in some sinister waywith my own life.
Almost at the same instant he turned his eyes upon me, and we stared ineach other's face. I saw him start, bend his head toward his companionand ask some question. I judged it to be some query about my name anddoings, for the next moment he looked over to me and accosted me with agreat semblance of hilarity.
"What," he cries. "Do I see my cousin John? I had not dared to hope forsuch a welcome meeting. How came you here?" And he asked me a string ofquestions.
I answered shortly and with no great cordiality, for I still rememberedthe doings in Tweeddale, and my heart was still sore in the matter of myfather's death. Forbye this, Gilbert spoke with not a little covertscorn in his tone, which I, who knew his ways well, was not slow todetect. It nettled me to think that I was once more to be made toendure the pleasantries of my cousin.
"And how goes all in Tweeddale, my dear cousin?" said he. "I condolewith you on your father's death. Ah, he was a good man indeed, andthere are few like him nowadays. And how does Tam Todd, my friend, whohas such a thick skull and merciless arm? And ah, I forgot! Prayforgive my neglect. How is fair Mistress Marjory, the coy maid who wouldhave none of my courtesies?"
The amazing impudence of the fellow staggered me. It almost passedbelief that he should speak thus of my father whose death had lain soheavily at his door. This I might have pardoned; but that at a publictable he should talk thus of my love irritated me beyond measure. Iacted as I do always when thus angered: I gave him a short answer andfell into a state of moody disquietude.
Meanwhile my cousin, with all the gallantry in the world, keptwhispering his flatteries into the pretty ears of Mistress Kate. Thiswas ever Gilbert's way. He would make love to every tavern wench andkiss every village lass on his course. 'Twas a thing I never could do.I take no credit for the omission, for it is but the way God makes aman. Whenever I felt in the way to trying it, there was alwaysMarjory's face to come before my eyes and make me think shame of myself.
As I sat and watched these twain I had no eyes for any other. The verysight of Gilbert brought back to me all my boyhood in Tweedside, and acrowd of memories came surging in upon me. I fancied, too, that therewas som
ething of Marjory in the little graceful head at my cousin'selbow, and the musical, quick speech. I felt wretchedly jealous of him,God knows why; for the sight of him revived any old fragments which hadlong lain lurking in the corners of my mind; and as he chatted gaily tothe woman at his side, I had mind of that evening at Barns when I, justreturned from Glasgow college, first felt the lust of possession. I satand moodily sipped my wine. Why had I ever left my own land andsuffered my lady to be exposed to manifold perils? for with the firstdawnings of jealousy and anger came a gnawing anxiety. I had never feltsuch a sickness for home before, and I cursed the man who had come toruin my peace of mind. Yet my feeling toward my cousin was not that ofhatred; indeed I could not refrain from a certain pity for the man, forI discerned in him much noble quality, and was he not of my own blood?
"Come now," I heard Mistress Kate simper, "I do not believe that tale ofanyone, and above all, of him; for a soberer does not live. Fie, fie,Master Gilbert, I took you for a more generous man."
"On my faith, my dear, it is true," replied my cousin. "For all hisdocile looks, he is as fond of a game as the rest of us."
Now I guessed that my frolicsome cousin had been traducing me to thefair Kate, and I grew not a little hot. But his next word changed myheat into fierce anger. For my cousin continued:
"What saith the Latin poet?" and he quoted a couplet from Martial--ajest at the usual amusements of the seemingly decent man.
I know not where he had got hold of it, for he was no scholar; but itwas full of the exceeding grossness which is scarcely to be foundoutside that poet. He thought, I could guess, that the girl understoodno Latin, but, as I knew, she had a special proficiency in that tongue.She understood the jest only too well. A deep blush grew over her facefrom her delicate throat to the very borders of her hair. 'Twas just insuch a way that Marjory had looked when I first told her my love; 'twasin such a fashion she had bade me farewell. The thought of her raised agreat storm of passion in my heart against anyone who would dare thus toput a woman to shame. I strove hard to curb it, but I felt with eachsecond that it would overmaster me.
"Well, John, what think you of my Latinity?" asked my cousin from overthe table.
"I think, I think," I cried, "that you are a damned scurrilous fellow, apaillard, a hound; 'fore God, Gilbert, I will make you smart for this,"and, ere I well knew what I did, I had seized my glass and hurled it athis head.
It struck him on the cheek, scratching the skin, but doing little hurt.
In a trice he was on his feet with his hand at his sword. One half thetable rose and stared at the two of us, while Master Wishart left thehead and came rushing to the back of my chair. As for myself, I feltsuch desperate shame at my conduct that I knew not what to do. I hadnow made a fool of myself in downright earnest. I felt my cheektingling and flaming, but I could do naught but look before me.
Then my cousin did a thing which gave him great honour, and completed myshame; for bridling his anger, as I saw with a mighty effort, he saidcalmly, though his arms were quivering with rage:
"I would ask you to be more careful in your use of glasses. See, yourshas flown right over to me and played havoc with my cheek. 'Faith, itis no light duty to sup opposite you, _mon ami_. But, indeed,gentlemen," and he bowed to the company, "'twas but an unfortunatemischance."
At this all sat down again, and scarce five minutes after, Gilbert roseto leave, and with him the other gentlemen of his regiment. MasterWishart bade him sit down again, for the night was yet young, but mycousin would not be persuaded. He nodded carelessly to me, kissed hishand to pretty Mistress Kate, and swaggered out.
I sat dazed and meditative. I was raw to many things, but I knew wellthat Gilbert was not the man to sit down under such an affront. He hadshielded me for his own reasons, of which I guessed that family pridewas not the least; but he would seek a meeting with all dispatch. And,in truth, I was not averse to it, for I had many accounts to settle withmy dear cousin. I fell to thinking about the details of the matter. Inall likelihood he would come on the Monday, for the Sabbath was a day oftoo strict propriety in this land as in my own, to allow of the settlingof any such business. Well, come when he might, I should be ready; andI rose from the table, for the sooner I was back in Leyden, the better.
I took farewell of my host, and he could not refrain from whispering inmy ear at parting: "Jock, Jock, my man, ye've made a bonny mess o't.Ye'll hae to fecht for it, and see ye dae't weel."
Nicol was waiting at the gate with the horses, and, together, we turnedon our homeward way.
