"Aha," says Prestongrange, "you are very fine to-day; my misses are to have a fine cavalier. Come, I take that kind of you. I take that kind of you, Mr. David. O, we shall do very well yet, and I believe your troubles are nearly at an end."
"You have news for me?" cried I.
"Beyond anticipation," he replied. "Your testimony2 is after all to be received; and you may go, if you will, in my company to the trial, which is to be held at Inverary, Thursday, 21st proximo."
I was too much amazed to find words.
"In the meanwhile," he continued, "though I will not ask you to renew your pledge, I must caution you strictly3 to be reticent4. To-morrow your precognition must be taken; and outside of that, do you know, I think least said will be soonest mended.""I shall try to go discreetly," said I. "I believe it is yourself that I must thank for this crowning mercy, [pg 91]and I do thank you gratefully. After yesterday, my lord, this is like the doors of Heaven. I cannot find it in my heart to get the thing believed."
"Ah, but you must try and manage, you must try and manage to believe it," says he, soothing-like, "and I am very glad to hear your acknowledgment of obligation, for I think you may be able to repay me very shortly"--he coughed--"or even now. The matter is much changed. Your testimony, which I shall not trouble you for to-day, will doubtless alter the complexion6 of the case for all concerned, and this makes it less delicate for me to enter with you on a side issue."
"My lord," I interrupted, "excuse me for interrupting you, but how has this been brought about? The obstacles you told me of on Saturday appeared even to me to be quite insurmountable; how has it been contrived7?"
"My dear Mr. David," said he, "it would never do for me to divulge8 (even to you, as you say) the councils of the Government; and you must content yourself, if you please, with the gross fact."
He smiled upon me like a father as he spoke9, playing the while with a new pen; methought it was impossible there could be any shadow of deception10 in the man: yet when he drew to him a sheet of paper, dipped his pen among the ink, and began again to address me, I was somehow not so certain, and fell instinctively11 into an attitude of guard.
[pg 92]"There is a point I wish to touch upon," he began. "I purposely left it before upon one side, which need be now no longer necessary. This is not, of course, a part of your examination, which is to follow by another hand; this is a private interest of my own. You say you encountered Breck upon the hill?"
"I did, my lord," said I.
"This was immediately after the murder?"
"It was."
"Did you speak to him?"
"I did."
"You had known him before, I think?" says my lord, carelessly.
"I cannot guess your reason for so thinking, my lord," I replied, "but such is the fact."
"And when did you part with him again?" said he.
"I reserve my answer," said I. "The question will be put to me at the assize."
"Mr. Balfour," said he, "will you not understand that all this is without prejudice to yourself? I have promised you life and honour; and, believe me, I can keep my word. You are therefore clear of all anxiety. Alan, it appears, you suppose you can protect; and you talk to me of your gratitude12, which I think (if you push me) is not ill-deserved. There are a great many different considerations all pointing the same way; and I will never be persuaded that you could not help us (if you chose) to put salt on Alan's tail."
[pg 93]"My lord," said I, "I give you my word I do not so much as guess where Alan is."
He paused a breath. "Nor how he might be found?" he asked.
I sat before him like a log of wood.
"And so much for your gratitude, Mr. David!" he observed. Again there was a piece of silence. "Well," said he, rising, "I am not fortunate, and we are a couple at cross purposes. Let us speak of it no more; you will receive notice when, where, and by whom we are to take your precognition. And in the meantime, my misses must be waiting you. They will never forgive me if I detain their cavalier."
Into the hands of these graces I was accordingly offered up, and found them dressed beyond what I had thought possible, and looking fair as a posy.
As we went forth13 from the doors a small circumstance occurred which came afterwards to look extremely big. I heard a whistle sound loud and brief like a signal, and looking all about, spied for one moment the red head of Neil of the Tom, the son of Duncan. The next moment he was gone again, nor could I see so much as the skirt-tail of Catriona, upon whom I naturally supposed him to be then attending.
My three keepers led me out by Bristo and the Bruntsfield Links; whence a path carried us to Hope Park, a beautiful pleasance, laid with gravel-walks, furnished with seats and summer-sheds, and warded14 by a keeper.
[pg 94]The way there was a little longsome; the two younger misses affected15 an air of genteel weariness that damped me cruelly, the eldest16 considered me with something that at times appeared like mirth; and though I thought I did myself more justice than the day before, it was not without some effort. Upon our reaching the park I was launched on a bevy17 of eight or ten young gentlemen (some of them cockaded officers, the rest chiefly advocates) who crowded to attend upon these beauties; and though I was presented to all of them in very good words, it seemed I was by all immediately forgotten. Young folk in a company are like to savage18 animals: they fall upon or scorn a stranger without civility, or I may say, humanity; and I am sure, if I had been among baboons19, they would have shown me quite as much of both. Some of the advocates set up to be wits, and some of the soldiers to be rattles20; and I could not tell which of these extremes annoyed me most. All had a manner of handling their swords and coat-skirts, for the which (in mere21 black envy) I could have kicked them from that park. I daresay, upon their side, they grudged22 me extremely the fine company in which I had arrived; and altogether I had soon fallen behind, and stepped stiffly in the rear of all that merriment with my own thoughts.
From these I was recalled by one of the officers, Lieutenant23 Hector Duncansby, a gawky, leering, Highland24 boy, asking if my name was not "Palfour."
[pg 95]I told him it was, not very kindly25, for his manner was scant26 civil.
"Ha, Palfour," says he, and then, repeating it, "Palfour, Palfour!"
"I am afraid you do not like my name, sir," says I, annoyed with myself to be annoyed with such a rustical fellow.
"No," says he, "but I wass thinking."
"I would not advise you to make a practice of that, sir," says I. "I feel sure you would not find it to agree with you."
"Tit you effer hear where Alan Grigor fand the tangs?" said he.
I asked him what he could possibly mean, and he answered, with a heckling laugh, that he thought I must have found the poker27 in the same place and swallowed it.
There could be no mistake about this, and my cheek burned.
"Before I went about to put affronts28 on gentlemen," said I, "I think I would learn the English language first."
He took me by the sleeve with a nod and a wink29, and led me quietly outside Hope Park. But no sooner were we beyond the view of the promenaders, than the fashion of his countenance30 changed. "You tam lowland scoon'rel!" cries he, and hit me a buffet31 on the jaw32 with his closed fist.
[pg 96]I paid him as good or better on the return; whereupon he stepped a little back and took off his hat to me decorously.
"Enough plows34 I think," says he. "I will be the offended shentleman, for who effer heard of such suffeeciency as tell a shentlemans that is the king's officer he cannae speak Cot's English? We have swords at our hurdies, and here is the King's Park at hand. Will ye walk first, or let me show ye the way?"
I returned his bow, told him to go first, and followed him. As he went I heard him grumble35 to himself about Cot's English and the King's coat, so that I might have supposed him to be seriously offended. But his manner at the beginning of our interview was there to belie
Join or Log In!
You need to log in to continue reading
(Left Keyword <-) Previous:
CHAPTER VII I MAKE A FAULT IN HONOR
Back
Next:
CHAPTER IX THE HEATHER ON FIRE
(Right Keyword:->)