John Burnet of Barns: A Romance
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CHAPTER V
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF MARCH
I slept late on the next morning, so that it was near nine o'clock ere Iwas up and dressed. By the time that I broke my fast I had had someleisure to reflect upon the events of the preceding night and theconsequences which should ensue. Nicol came to me as soon as the mealwas over, and together we sat down to consult.
"This is the Sabbath, your honour," said Nicol, "so ye may consideryoursel' free for the day at ony rate."
"Not so free," said I, for I knew my cousin Gilbert. "The men I've todeal with have no more respect for the Lord's day than you have for aPopish fast, so we must put that out of account."
"Weel, weel," said Nicol, "if that's sae it maun be sae. Will ye gangoot wi' him the day?"
"No," said I, "not that I am caring for the day, for you mind theproverb, 'the better the day the better the work,' but, being in aforeign land, I am loth to break with the customs of my country. Sowe'll keep the Sabbath, Nicol my lad, and let Gilbert whistle."
Now I would not have him who may read this narrative think, from myconduct on this occasion, that I was whiggishly inclined, for, indeed, Icared naught about such little matters. I would have a man use theSabbath like any other day, saving that, as it seems to me, it is a daywhich may profitably be used for serious reading and meditation. But Iwas ever of a curious disposition, liking to be always in mind ofTweeddale and the folk there, so that I kept the Sabbath during my lifeabroad as strictly as a covenanting minister on the moors of Ayr.
"Weel, Laird, that means ye'll no see the body though he comes," saidNicol, "and, God help me, if ye dae that there'll be a terrible stramashat the street door. I'se warrant auld Mistress Vanderdecker 'll get herribs knockit in if she tries to keep them oot."
"They can make all the noise they please," said I hotly, "but if itcomes to that the two of us are as good as their bit officers. I askfor nothing better than to take some of the pride out of Gilbert'sfriends with the flat of my sword. Then if they come to-day and arerefused entrance, they will come back to-morrow, and all will be well."
"Then what am I to dae? When the bodies come to the door, I'm to say,'His lordship's compliments, but his lordship's busy keeping the Sabbathin his upper chamber, and if ye will come back the morn he'll look intoyour claims.' 'Faith, it's awfu' like auld Sanders Blackett, the lawyerat Peebles, when I gaed to him seeking the law o' the miller o' Rachan.It was about nine o'clock yae winter's nicht when I got there, andSanders was at supper. He stappit his heid oot o' the window and, sayshe, 'Gang awa', my man, and come back the morn. I'm busy takin' thebooks.' But I saw by the een o' him that he was daein' nae siccanthing. 'Oh,' says I, 'if ye ca' kippered saumon and schnapps the books,I'm content. I'll just come in and help ye to tak them tae.' But hesays verra angry, 'Go away, ye impious man, lest the judgment of Heavenlight upon you. I've godly Maister Clovenclaws assisting me in thesolemn ordinance.' 'Awa' wi' your Clovenclaws,' says I, 'I've come tenmile to speak wi' ye, and I'll no gang hame wi'oot it.' But I was justthinkin' I would have to gang back after a', when a voice comes frae theinside, 'Sanders, ye limb o' the deil, whaur's the sugar?' I kennedMaister Clovenclaws' voice ower weel, so Sanders begins to think that itwadna dae to let it be telled a' ower the toun that him and the ministerhad been birling at the wine thegither. So 'Come in, MaisterPlenderleith,' says he verra cannily, and in I gaed, and sic a nicht'sdrinking I never saw. I put Sanders in his bed, honest man, about twaeo'clock i' the morning, and syne Clovenclaws and me gaed at it tilldaylicht. I wantit to see the body below the table afore I gaed, and hewantit to see me, so we sat at it till I was fain to drap for verydecency's sake. So what does the man dae but lift me on his shoutherand walk as straucht ower to the manse as if he were new oot o' his bed;and there he gied me some guid advice about no presumin' to contend wi'my superiors, and let me oot at a back door. 'Faith, it was an awfu'time."
"You will say to them that I am busy with other work, and that I will beglad to see them to-morrow about the matter they know of. Most likethey will go away quietly, and if they do not it will be the worse fortheir own skins. You take my meaning?"
"I'll dae your orders, sir, to the letter," said Nicol, and I was wellaware that he would.
I got my books out and set to work to read the gospel of John in Greekfor my spiritual benefit, but I made little speed. This was mainly thefault of Nicol, who every few minutes came into the little room where Isat, on some feigned errand. I soon divined the reason, for the samechamber contained a great window, whence one might view the whole lengthof the narrow street wherein the house was situate, and even some littleportion of the great Breedestraat at the head. It was plain that myservant was not a little concerned on my account.
"Are ye sure that your honour's guid wi' the small-swird?" he askedmournfully. "If this room were a wee bit braider and the day no what itis I micht gie ye a lesson."
I did not know whether to laugh or to be angry. "Why, you rascal," Icried, "do you know anything of these matters? There are many betterswordsmen than I in the world, but I think I am more than a match foryou."
"Weel," said Nicol modestly, "I've gien some folk a gey fricht wi' theswird, but let that be. I'll be blithe if ye get the better o' him anda waefu' man I'll be if he kills ye. Lord, what 'll I dae? I'll hae tobecome a sodger in this heathen land, or soom hame, whilk is a thing Iam no capable o'." And he began to sing with a great affectation ofgrief:
The craw killed the pussie O, The craw killed the pussie O, The wee bit kittlin' sat and grat In Jennie's wee bit hoosie O.
--in which elegant rhyme the reader will observe that my cousin stoodfor the crow, I for the pussie, and my servant for the kittlin'.
I laughed; but it is not seemly to stand by while your own servant singsa song which compares you to a cat, so I straightway flung a Greeklexicon at his head, and bade him leave the room. I much regretted theact, for it was my only copy of the book, Master Struybroek's, and thebest obtainable, and by the fall some leaves came out, and one, [Greek:_polypenthes_] to [Greek: _polypous_], has not been renewed to this day.
After Nicol had gone I amused myself by looking out of the window andwatching the passers-by. Some, sober Dutch citizens with Bibles beneaththeir arms and their goodly persons habited in decent black, werestriding solemnly to church, while their wives and children came moreslowly behind. Others of the lighter sort were wandering aimlessly onno purpose but their own pleasure, but all I marked were dressed out intheir finest clothes. What I noted most of all was the greater colourin the streets than we have in our own land. For there, you will seelittle but blacks and drabs and browns, while here the women were oftengaily arrayed in bright tints which gave a pleasing look to thecauseway.
I had not sat long when I noted two gentlemen coming down the alley fromthe Breedestraat, very finely clad, and with a great air of distinctionin their faces. They kept the causeway in such a fashion that all whomthey met had to get into the middle of the road to let them pass. Ihalf guessed their errand, the more as the face of one of them seemed tome familiar, and I fancied that he had been one of the guests at thesupper at Alphen. My guess was confirmed by their coming to a haltoutside the door of my lodging and attentively considering the house.Meantime all their actions were plain to my view from the upper window.
One of them stepped forward and knocked loudly. Now I had bidden Nicolbe ready to open to them and give my message. So I was not surprisedwhen I heard the street door opened and the voice of my servantaccosting the men.
I know not what he said to them, but soon words grew high and I couldsee the other come forward to his comrade's side. By and by the doorwas slammed violently, and my servant came tearing upstairs. His facewas flushed in wrath.
"O' a' the insolent scoondrels I ever met, thae twae are the foremost.They wadna believe me when I telled them ye were busy. 'Busy at what?'says the yin. 'What's your concern?' says I.
'If ye dinna let us up tosee your maister in half a twinkling,' says the ither, 'by God we'llmake ye.' 'Make me!' says I; 'come on and try it. If it wasna for yourmither's sake I wal tie your necks thegither.'"
"Nicol," I said, "bring these men up. It will be better to see them."My intention changed of a sudden, for I did not seek to carry myfinicking too far.
"I was thinkin' sae, your honour," said Nicol, "but I didna like to sayit."
So in a little the two gentlemen came up the stairs and into my room,where I waited to receive them.
"Gentlemen," said I, "I believe you have some matter to speak of withme."
"Why do you keep such scoundrelly servants, Master Burnet?" said one,whom I knew for Sir James Erskine of Tullo.
"Your business, gentlemen," I said, seeking to have done with them.They were slight men, whom I could have dropped out of the window; mostunlike the kind of friends I should have thought my cousin Gilbert wouldhave chosen.
"Well, if you will have our business," said the elder, speaking sulkily,"you are already aware of the unparalleled insult to which a gentlemenof our regiment was subjected at your hands?"
"Oh, yes," I said gaily, "I had forgotten. I broke Gilbert's head witha wine-glass. Does he want to ask my pardon?"
"You seem to take the matter easily, sir," said one severely. "Let metell you that Master Gilbert Burnet demands that you meet him at onceand give satisfaction with your sword."
"Right," I cried, "I am willing. At what hour shall it be? Shall wesay seven o'clock to-morrow's morning? That is settled then? I have nosecond and desire none. There is the length of my sword. Carry mycompliments to my cousin, and tell him I shall be most pleased tochastise him at the hour we have named. And now, gentlemen, I have thehonour to wish you a very good day," and I bowed them out of the room.
They were obviously surprised and angered by my careless reception oftheir message and themselves. With faces as flushed as a cock's combthey went down stairs and into the street, and I marked that they neveronce looked back, but marched straight on with their heads in the air.
"Ye've gien thae lads a flee in their lug," said Nicol. "I wish ye maygie your cousin twae inches o' steel in his vitals the morn."
"Ah," said I, "that is a different matter. These folk were butdandified fools. My cousin is a man and a soldier."
The rest of the day I spent in walking by myself in the meadows beyondthe college gardens, turning over many things in my mind. I had come tothis land for study, and lo! ere I well knew how, I was involved inquarrels. I felt something of a feeling of shame in the matter, for thething had been brought on mainly by my over-fiery temper. Yet when Ipondered deeply I would not have the act undone, for a display offoolish passion was better in my eyes than the suffering of an insult toa lady to pass unregarded.
As for the fight on the morrow I did not know whether to await it withjoy or shrinking. As I have said already, I longed to bring mattersbetween the two of us to a head. There was much about him that I liked;he had many commendable virtues; and especially he belonged to my ownhouse. But it seemed decreed that he should ever come across my path,and already there was more than one score laid up against him in myheart. I felt a strange foreboding of the man, as if he were my_antithesis_, which certain monkish philosophers believed to accompanyeveryone in the world. He was so utterly different from me in allthings; my vices he lacked and my virtues; his excellencies I wanted,and also, I trust, his faults. I felt as if the same place could notcontain us.
If I conquered him, the upshot would be clear enough. He could notremain longer in Leyden. His reputation, which was a great one, would begone, and he would doubtless change into some other regiment and retirefrom the land. If, again, he had the vantage of me, I had no reputationto lose, so I might remain where I pleased. So he fought with somethingof a disadvantage. It was possible that one or other might be killed;but I much doubted it, for we were both too practised swordsmen tobutcher like common cutthroats. Nevertheless, I felt not a littleuneasy, with a sort of restlessness to see the issue of it all--notfear, for though I have been afraid many times in my life it was neverbecause of meeting a man in fair combat.
Toward evening I returned to my lodging and devoted the remainder of theday to the study of the books of Joshua and Judges for the comforting ofmy soul.