The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2 Read online

  CHAPTER TWELFTH.

  Ascend While radiant summer opens all its pride, Thy hill, delightful Shene! Here let us sweep The boundless landscape. Thomson.

  From her kind and officious, but somewhat gossiping friend, Mrs. Glass,Jeanie underwent a very close catechism on their road to the Strand,where the Thistle of the good lady flourished in full glory, and, withits legend of _Nemo me impune,_ distinguished a shop then well known toall Scottish folk of high and low degree.

  "And were you sure aye to _say your_ Grace to him?" said the good oldlady; "for ane should make a distinction between MacCallummore and thebits o' southern bodies that they ca' lords here--there are as mony o'them, Jeanie, as would gar ane think they maun cost but little fash inthe making--some of them I wadna trust wi' six pennies-worth ofblack-rappee--some of them I wadna gie mysell the trouble to put up ahapnyworth in brown paper for--But I hope you showed your breeding to theDuke of Argyle, for what sort of folk would he think your friends inLondon, if you had been lording him, and him a Duke?"

  "He didna seem muckle to mind," said Jeanie; "he kend that I was landwardbred."

  "Weel, weel," answered the good lady. "His Grace kens me weel; so I amthe less anxious about it. I never fill his snug-box but he says, 'Howd'ye do, good Mrs. Glass?--How are all our friends in the North?' or itmay be--'Have ye heard from the North lately?' And you may be sure, Imake my best courtesy, and answer, 'My Lord Duke, I hope your Grace'snoble Duchess, and your Grace's young ladies, are well; and I hope thesnuff continues to give your Grace satisfaction.' And then ye will seethe people in the shop begin to look about them; and if there's aScotsman, as there may be three or half-a-dozen, aff go the hats, andmony a look after him, and 'There goes the Prince of Scotland, God blesshim!' But ye have not told me yet the very words he said t'ye."

  Jeanie had no intention to be quite so communicative. She had, as thereader may have observed, some of the caution and shrewdness, as well asof the simplicity of her country. She answered generally, that the Dukehad received her very compassionately, and had promised to interesthimself in her sister's affair, and to let her hear from him in thecourse of the next day, or the day after. She did not choose to make anymention of his having desired her to be in readiness to attend him, farless of his hint, that she should not bring her landlady. So that honestMrs. Glass was obliged to remain satisfied with the general intelligenceabove mentioned, after having done all she could to extract more.

  It may easily be conceived, that, on the next day, Jeanie declined allinvitations and inducements, whether of exercise or curiosity, to walkabroad, and continued to inhale the close, and somewhat professionalatmosphere of Mrs. Glass's small parlour. The latter flavour it owed to acertain cupboard, containing, among other articles, a few canisters ofreal Havannah, which, whether from respect to the manufacture, or out ofa reverend fear of the exciseman, Mrs. Glass did not care to trust in theopen shop below, and which communicated to the room a scent, that,however fragrant to the nostrils of the connoisseur, was not veryagreeable to those of Jeanie.

  "Dear sirs," she said to herself, "I wonder how my cousin's silk manty,and her gowd watch, or ony thing in the world, can be worth sittingsneezing all her life in this little stilling room, and might walk ongreen braes if she liked."

  Mrs. Glass was equally surprised at her cousin's reluctance to stirabroad, and her indifference to the fine sights of London. "It wouldalways help to pass away the time," she said, "to have something to lookat, though ane was in distress." But Jeanie was unpersuadable.

  The day after her interview with the Duke was spent in that "hopedelayed, which maketh the heart sick." Minutes glided afterminutes--hours fled after hours--it became too late to have anyreasonable expectation of hearing from the Duke that day; yet the hopewhich she disowned, she could not altogether relinquish, and her heartthrobbed, and her ears tingled, with every casual sound in the shopbelow. It was in vain. The day wore away in the anxiety of protractedand fruitless expectation.

  The next morning commenced in the same manner. But before noon, awell-dressed gentleman entered Mrs. Glass's shop, and requested to see ayoung woman from Scotland.

  "That will be my cousin Jeanie Deans, Mr. Archibald," said Mrs. Glass,with a courtesy of recognisance. "Have you any message for her from hisGrace the Duke of Argyle, Mr. Archibald? I will carry it to her in amoment."

  "I believe I must give her the trouble of stepping down, Mrs. Glass."

  "Jeanie--Jeanie Deans!" said Mrs. Glass, screaming at the bottom of thelittle staircase, which ascended from the corner of the shop to thehigher regions. "Jeanie--Jeanie Deans, I say! come down stairs instantly;here is the Duke of Argyle's groom of the chambers desires to see youdirectly." This was announced in a voice so loud, as to make all whochanced to be within hearing aware of the important communication.

  It may easily be supposed, that Jeanie did not tarry long in adjustingherself to attend the summons, yet her feet almost failed her as she camedown stairs.

  "I must ask the favour of your company a little way," said Archibald,with civility.

  "I am quite ready, sir," said Jeanie.

  "Is my cousin going out, Mr. Archibald? then I will hae to go wi' her, nodoubt.--James Rasper--Look to the shop, James.--Mr. Archibald," pushing ajar towards him, "you take his Grace's mixture, I think. Please to fillyour box, for old acquaintance' sake, while I get on my things."

  Mr. Archibald transferred a modest parcel of snuff from the jar to hisown mull, but said he was obliged to decline the pleasure of Mrs. Glass'scompany, as his message was particularly to the young person.

  "Particularly to the young person?" said Mrs. Glass; "is not thatuncommon, Mr. Archibald? But his Grace is the best judge; and you are asteady person, Mr. Archibald. It is not every one that comes from a greatman's house I would trust my cousin with.--But, Jeanie, you must not gothrough the streets with Mr. Archibald with your tartan what-d'ye-call-itthere upon your shoulders, as if you had come up with a drove of Highlandcattle. Wait till I bring down my silk cloak. Why, we'll have the mobafter you!"

  "I have a hackney-coach in waiting, madam," said Mr. Archibald,interrupting the officious old lady, from whom Jeanie might otherwisehave found it difficult to escape; "and, I believe, I must not allow hertime for any change of dress."

  So saying, he hurried Jeanie into the coach, while she internally praisedand wondered at the easy manner in which he shifted off Mrs. Glass'sofficious offers and inquiries, without mentioning his master's orders,or entering into any explanation,

  On entering the coach, Mr. Archibald seated himself in the front seatopposite to our heroine, and they drove on in silence. After they haddriven nearly half-an-hour, without a word on either side, it occurred toJeanie, that the distance and time did not correspond with that which hadbeen occupied by her journey on the former occasion, to and from theresidence of the Duke of Argyle. At length she could not help asking hertaciturn companion, "Whilk way they were going?"

  "My Lord Duke will inform you himself, madam," answered Archibald, withthe same solemn courtesy which marked his whole demeanour. Almost as hespoke, the hackney-coach drew up, and the coachman dismounted and openedthe door. Archibald got out, and assisted Jeanie to get down. She foundherself in a large turnpike road, without the bounds of London, upon theother side of which road was drawn up a plain chariot and four horses,the panels without arms, and the servants without liveries.

  "You have been punctual, I see, Jeanie," said the Duke of Argyle, asArchibald opened the carriage-door. "You must be my companion for therest of the way. Archibald will remain here with the hackney-coach tillyour return."

  Ere Jeanie could make answer, she found herself, to her no smallastonishment, seated by the side of a duke, in a carriage which rolledforward at a rapid yet smooth rate, very different in both particularsfrom the lumbering, jolting vehicle which she had just left; and which,lumbering and jolting as it
was, conveyed to one who had seldom been in acoach before a certain feeling of dignity and importance.

  "Young woman," said the Duke, "after thinking as attentively on yoursister's case as is in my power, I continue to be impressed with thebelief that great injustice may be done by the execution of her sentence.So are one or two liberal and intelligent lawyers of both countries whomI have spoken with.--Nay, pray hear me out before you thank me.--I havealready told you my personal conviction is of little consequence, unlessI could impress the same upon others. Now I have done for you what Iwould certainly not have done to serve any purpose of my own--I haveasked an audience of a lady whose interest with the king is deservedlyvery high. It has been allowed me, and I am desirous that you should seeher and speak for yourself. You have no occasion to be abashed; tell yourstory simply, as you did to me."

  "I am much obliged to your Grace," said Jeanie, remembering Mrs. Glass'scharge, "and I am sure, since I have had the courage to speak to yourGrace in poor Effie's cause, I have less reason to be shame-faced inspeaking to a leddy. But, sir, I would like to ken what to ca' her,whether your grace or your honour, or your leddyship, as we say to lairdsand leddies in Scotland, and I will take care to mind it; for I kenleddies are full mair particular than gentlemen about their titles ofhonour."

  "You have no occasion to call her anything but Madam. Just say what youthink is likely to make the best impression--look at me from time totime--and if I put my hand to my cravat so--(showing her the motion)--youwill stop; but I shall only do this when you say anything that is notlikely to please."

  "But, sir, your Grace," said Jeanie, "if it wasna ower muckle trouble,wad it no be better to tell me what I should say, and I could get it byheart?"

  "No, Jeanie, that would not have the same effect--that would be likereading a sermon, you know, which we good Presbyterians think has lessunction than when spoken without book," replied the Duke. "Just speak asplainly and boldly to this lady, as you did to me the day beforeyesterday, and if you can gain her consent, I'll wad ye a plack, as wesay in the north, that you get the pardon from the king."

  As he spoke, he took a pamphlet from his pocket, and began to read.Jeanie had good sense and tact, which constitute betwixt them that whichis called natural good breeding. She interpreted the Duke's manoeuvre asa hint that she was to ask no more questions, and she remained silentaccordingly.

  The carriage rolled rapidly onwards through fertile meadows, ornamentedwith splendid old oaks, and catching occasionally a glance of themajestic mirror of a broad and placid river. After passing through apleasant village, the equipage stopped on a commanding eminence, wherethe beauty of English landscape was displayed in its utmost luxuriance.Here the Duke alighted, and desired Jeanie to follow him. They paused fora moment on the brow of a hill, to gaze on the unrivalled landscape whichit presented. A huge sea of verdure, with crossing and intersectingpromontories of massive and tufted groves, was tenanted by numberlessflocks and herds, which seemed to wander unrestrained and unboundedthrough the rich pastures. The Thames, here turreted with villas, andthere garlanded with forests, moved on slowly and placidly, like themighty monarch of the scene, to whom all its other beauties were butaccessories, and bore on its bosom an hundred barks and skiffs, whosewhite sails and gaily fluttering pennons gave life to the whole.

  The Duke of Argyle was, of course, familiar with this scene; but to a manof taste it must be always new. Yet, as he paused and looked on thisinimitable landscape, with the feeling of delight which it must give tothe bosom of every admirer of nature, his thoughts naturally reverted tohis own more grand, and scarce less beautiful, domains of Inverary.--"This is a fine scene," he said to his companion, curious, perhaps, todraw out her sentiments; "we have nothing like it in Scotland."

  "It's braw rich feeding for the cows, and they have a fine breed o'cattle here," replied Jeanie; "but I like just as weel to look at thecraigs of Arthur's Seat, and the sea coming in ayont them as at a' thaemuckle trees."

  The Duke smiled at a reply equally professional and national, and made asignal for the carriage to remain where it was. Then adopting anunfrequented footpath, he conducted Jeanie through several complicatedmazes to a postern-door in a high brick wall.

  It was shut; but as the Duke tapped slightly at it, a person in waitingwithin, after reconnoitring through a small iron grate, contrived for thepurpose, unlocked the door and admitted them. They entered, and it wasimmediately closed and fastened behind them. This was all done quickly,the door so instantly closing, and the person who opened it so suddenlydisappearing, that Jeanie could not even catch a glimpse of his exterior.

  They found themselves at the extremity of a deep and narrow alley,carpeted with the most verdant and close-shaven turf, which felt likevelvet under their feet, and screened from the sun by the branches of thelofty elms which united over the path, and caused it to resemble, in thesolemn obscurity of the light which they admitted, as well as from therange of columnar stems, and intricate union of their arched branches,one of the narrow side aisles in an ancient Gothic cathedral.