A Legend of Montrose Page 13

  CHAPTER XI.

  Is this thy castle, Baldwin? Melancholy Displays her sable banner from the donjon, Darkening the foam of the whole surge beneath. Were I a habitant, to see this gloom Pollute the face of nature, and to hear The ceaseless sound of wave, and seabird's scream, I'd wish me in the hut that poorest peasant E'er framed, to give him temporary shelter.--BROWN.

  The gallant Ritt-master would willingly have employed his leisure instudying the exterior of Sir Duncan's castle, and verifying his ownmilitary ideas upon the nature of its defences. But a stout sentinel,who mounted guard with a Lochaber-axe at the door of his apartment, gavehim to understand, by very significant signs, that he was in a sort ofhonourable captivity.

  It is strange, thought the Ritt-master to himself, how well thesesalvages understand the rules and practique of war. Who should havepre-supposed their acquaintance with the maxim of the great and godlikeGustavus Adolphus, that a flag of truce should be half a messenger halfa spy?--And, having finished burnishing his arms, he sate down patientlyto compute how much half a dollar per diem would amount to at the end ofa six-months' campaign; and, when he had settled that problem, proceededto the more abstruse calculations necessary for drawing up a brigade oftwo thousand men on the principle of extracting the square root.

  From his musings, he was roused by the joyful sound of the dinner bell,on which the Highlander, lately his guard, became his gentleman-usher,and marshalled him to the hall, where a table with four covers boreample proofs of Highland hospitality. Sir Duncan entered, conducting hislady, a tall, faded, melancholy female, dressed in deep mourning. Theywere followed by a Presbyterian clergyman, in his Geneva cloak, andwearing a black silk skull-cap, covering his short hair so closely, thatit could scarce be seen at all, so that the unrestricted ears had anundue predominance in the general aspect. This ungraceful fashion wasuniversal at the time, and partly led to the nicknames of roundheads,prick-eared curs, and so forth, which the insolence of the cavaliersliberally bestowed on their political enemies.

  Sir Duncan presented his military guest to his lady, who received histechnical salutation with a stiff and silent reverence, in which itcould scarce be judged whether pride or melancholy had the greatershare. The churchman, to whom he was next presented, eyed him with aglance of mingled dislike and curiosity.

  The Captain, well accustomed to worse looks from more dangerous persons,cared very little either for those of the lady or of the divine, butbent his whole soul upon assaulting a huge piece of beef, which smokedat the nether end of the table. But the onslaught, as he would havetermed it, was delayed, until the conclusion of a very long grace,betwixt every section of which Dalgetty handled his knife and fork, ashe might have done his musket or pike when going upon action, and asoften resigned them unwillingly when the prolix chaplain commencedanother clause of his benediction. Sir Duncan listened with decency,though he was supposed rather to have joined the Covenanters out ofdevotion to his chief, than real respect for the cause either of libertyor of Presbytery. His lady alone attended to the blessing, with symptomsof deep acquiescence.

  The meal was performed almost in Carthusian silence; for it was none ofCaptain Dalgetty's habits to employ his mouth in talking, while it couldbe more profitably occupied. Sir Duncan was absolutely silent, and thelady and churchman only occasionally exchanged a few words, spoken low,and indistinctly.

  But, when the dishes were removed, and their place supplied by liquorsof various sorts, Captain Dalgetty no longer had, himself, the sameweighty reasons for silence, and began to tire of that of the restof the company. He commenced a new attack upon his landlord, upon theformer ground.

  "Touching that round monticle, or hill, or eminence, termed Drumsnab, Iwould be proud to hold some dialogue with you, Sir Duncan, on the natureof the sconce to be there constructed; and whether the anglesthereof should be acute or obtuse--anent whilk I have heard the greatVelt-Mareschal Bannier hold a learned argument with General Tiefenbachduring a still-stand of arms."

  "Captain Dalgetty," answered Sir Duncan very dryly, "it is not ourHighland usage to debate military points with strangers. This castleis like to hold out against a stronger enemy than any force which theunfortunate gentlemen we left at Darnlinvarach are able to bring againstit."

  A deep sigh from the lady accompanied the conclusion of her husband'sspeech, which seemed to remind her of some painful circumstance.

  "He who gave," said the clergyman, addressing her in a solemn tone,"hath taken away. May you, honourable lady, be long enabled to say,Blessed be his name!"

  To this exhortation, which seemed intended for her sole behoof, thelady answered by an inclination of her head, more humble than CaptainDalgetty had yet observed her make. Supposing he should now find her ina more conversible humour, he proceeded to accost her.

  "It is indubitably very natural that your ladyship should be downcastat the mention of military preparations, whilk I have observed to spreadperturbation among women of all nations, and almost all conditions.Nevertheless, Penthesilea, in ancient times, and also Joan of Arc,and others, were of a different kidney. And, as I have learned whileI served the Spaniard, the Duke of Alva in former times had theleaguer-lasses who followed his camp marshalled into TERTIAS (whilkme call regiments), and officered and commanded by those of their ownfeminine gender, and regulated by a commander-in chief, called in GermanHureweibler, or, as we would say vernacularly, Captain of the Queans.True it is, they were persons not to be named as parallel to yourladyship, being such QUAE QUAESTUM CORPORIBUS FACIEBANT, as we saidof Jean Drochiels at Mareschal-College; the same whom the French termCURTISANNES, and we in Scottish--"

  "The lady will spare you the trouble of further exposition, CaptainDalgetty," said his host, somewhat sternly; to which the clergymanadded, "that such discourse better befitted a watch-tower guardedby profane soldiery than the board of an honourable person, and thepresence of a lady of quality."

  "Craving your pardon, Dominie, or Doctor, AUT QUOCUNQUE ALIO NOMINEGAUDES, for I would have you to know I have studied polite letters,"said the unabashed envoy, filling a great cup of wine, "I see no groundfor your reproof, seeing I did not speak of those TURPES PERSONAE, as iftheir occupation or character was a proper subject of conversationfor this lady's presence, but simply PAR ACCIDENS, as illustratingthe matter in hand, namely, their natural courage and audacity, muchenhanced, doubtless, by the desperate circumstances of their condition."

  "Captain Dalgetty," said Sir Duncan Campbell, "to break short thisdiscourse, I must acquaint you, that I have some business to dispatchto-night, in order to enable me to ride with you to-morrow towardsInverary; and therefore--"

  "To ride with this person to-morrow!" exclaimed his lady; "such cannotbe your purpose, Sir Duncan, unless you have forgotten that the morrowis a sad anniversary, and dedicated to as sad a solemnity."

  "I had not forgotten," answered Sir Duncan; "how is it possible I canever forget? but the necessity of the times requires I should send thisofficer onward to Inverary, without loss of time."

  "Yet, surely, not that you should accompany him in person?" enquired thelady.

  "It were better I did," said Sir Duncan; "yet I can write to theMarquis, and follow on the subsequent day.--Captain Dalgetty, I willdispatch a letter for you, explaining to the Marquis of Argyle yourcharacter and commission, with which you will please to prepare totravel to Inverary early to-morrow morning."

  "Sir Duncan Campbell," said Dalgetty, "I am doubtless at yourdiscretionary disposal in this matter; not the less, I pray you toremember the blot which will fall upon your own escutcheon, if you doin any way suffer me, being a commissionate flag of truce, to becircumvented in this matter, whether CLAM, VI, VEL PRECARIO; I do notsay by your assent to any wrong done to me, but even through absence ofany due care on your part to prevent the same."

  "You are under the safeguard of my honour, sir," answered Sir DuncanCampbell, "and that is more than a sufficient security. And now,"continued he, rising, "I must s
et the example of retiring."

  Dalgetty saw himself under the necessity of following the hint, thoughthe hour was early; but, like a skilful general, he availed himself ofevery instant of delay which circumstances permitted. "Trusting toyour honourable parole," said he, filling his cup, "I drink to you, SirDuncan, and to the continuance of your honourable-house." A sighfrom Sir Duncan was the only reply. "Also, madam," said the soldier,replenishing the quaigh with all possible dispatch, "I drink to yourhonourable health, and fulfilment of all your virtuous desires--and,reverend sir" (not forgetting to fit the action to the words), "I fillthis cup to the drowning of all unkindness betwixt you and CaptainDalgetty--I should say Major--and, in respect the flagon contains butone cup more, I drink to the health of all honourable cavaliers andbrave soldados--and, the flask being empty, I am ready, Sir Duncan, toattend your functionary or sentinel to my place of private repose."

  He received a formal permission to retire, and an assurance, that asthe wine seemed to be to his taste, another measure of the same vintageshould attend him presently, in order to soothe the hours of hissolitude.

  No sooner had the Captain reached the apartment than this promise wasfulfilled; and, in a short time afterwards, the added comforts of apasty of red-deer venison rendered him very tolerant both of confinementand want of society. The same domestic, a sort of chamberlain, whoplaced this good cheer in his apartment, delivered to Dalgetty a packet,sealed and tied up with a silken thread, according to the custom ofthe time, addressed with many forms of respect to the High and MightyPrince, Archibald, Marquis of Argyle, Lord of Lorne, and so forth. Thechamberlain at the same time apprized the Ritt-master, that he musttake horse at an early hour for Inverary, where the packet of Sir Duncanwould be at once his introduction and his passport. Not forgetting thatit was his object to collect information as well as to act as an envoy,and desirous, for his own sake, to ascertain Sir Duncan's reasons forsending him onward without his personal attendance, the Ritt-masterenquired the domestic, with all the precaution that his experiencesuggested, what were the reasons which detained Sir Duncan at home onthe succeeding day. The man, who was from the Lowlands, replied, "thatit was the habit of Sir Duncan and his lady to observe as a day ofsolemn fast and humiliation the anniversary on which their castle hadbeen taken by surprise, and their children, to the number of four,destroyed cruelly by a band of Highland freebooters during Sir Duncan'sabsence upon an expedition which the Marquis of Argyle had undertakenagainst the Macleans of the Isle of Mull."

  "Truly," said the soldier, "your lord and lady have some cause for fastand humiliation. Nevertheless, I will venture to pronounce, that if hehad taken the advice of any experienced soldier, having skill in thepractiques of defending places of advantage, he would have built asconce upon the small hill which is to the left of the draw-brigg. Andthis I can easily prove to you, mine honest friend; for, holding thatpasty to be the castle--What's your name, friend?"

  "Lorimer, sir," replied the man.

  "Here is to your health, honest Lorimer.--I say, Lorimer--holding thatpasty to be the main body or citadel of the place to be defended, andtaking the marrow-bone for the sconce to be erected--"

  "I am sorry, sir," said Lorimer, interrupting him, "that I cannot stayto hear the rest of your demonstration; but the bell will presentlyring. As worthy Mr. Graneangowl, the Marquis's own chaplain, does familyworship, and only seven of our household out of sixty persons understandthe Scottish tongue, it would misbecome any one of them to be absent,and greatly prejudice me in the opinion of my lady. There are pipes andtobacco, sir, if you please to drink a whiff of smoke, and if you wantanything else, it shall be forthcoming two hours hence, when prayers areover." So saying, he left the apartment.

  No sooner was he gone, than the heavy toll of the castle-bell summonedits inhabitants together; and was answered by the shrill clamour of thefemales, mixed with the deeper tones of the men, as, talking Earse atthe top of their throats, they hurried from different quarters by a longbut narrow gallery, which served as a communication to many rooms, and,among others, to that in which Captain Dalgetty was stationed. Therethey go as if they were beating to the roll-call, thought the soldier tohimself; if they all attend the parade, I will look out, take a mouthfulof fresh air, and make mine own observations on the practicabilities ofthis place.

  Accordingly, when all was quiet, he opened his chamber door, andprepared to leave it, when he saw his friend with the axe advancingtowards him from the distant end of the gallery, half whistling, aGaelic tune. To have shown any want of confidence, would have been atonce impolitic, and unbecoming his military character; so the Captain,putting the best face upon his situation he could, whistled a Swedishretreat, in a tone still louder than the notes of his sentinel; andretreating pace by pace, with an air of indifference, as if his onlypurpose had been to breathe a little fresh air, he shut the door in theface of his guard, when the fellow had approached within a few paces ofhim.

  It is very well, thought the Ritt-master to himself; he annuls my paroleby putting guards upon me, for, as we used to say at Mareschal-College,FIDES ET FIDUCIA SUNT RELATIVA [See Note I]; and if he does not trust myword, I do not see how I am bound to keep it, if any motive should occurfor my desiring to depart from it. Surely the moral obligation of theparole is relaxed, in as far as physical force is substituted insteadthereof.

  Thus comforting himself in the metaphysical immunities which he deducedfrom the vigilance of his sentinel, Ritt-master Dalgetty retired to hisapartment, where, amid the theoretical calculations of tactics, and theoccasional more practical attacks on the flask and pasty, he consumedthe evening until it was time to go to repose. He was summoned byLorimer at break of day, who gave him to understand, that, when he hadbroken his fast, for which he produced ample materials, his guide andhorse were in attendance for his journey to Inverary. After complyingwith the hospitable hint of the chamberlain, the soldier proceededto take horse. In passing through the apartments, he observed thatdomestics were busily employed in hanging the great hall with blackcloth, a ceremony which, he said, he had seen practised when theimmortal Gustavus Adolphus lay in state in the Castle of Wolgast, andwhich, therefore, he opined, was a testimonial of the strictest anddeepest mourning.

  When Dalgetty mounted his steed, he found himself attended, or perhapsguarded, by five or six Campbells, well armed, commanded by one, who,from the target at his shoulder, and the short cock's feather in hisbonnet, as well as from the state which he took upon himself, claimedthe rank of a Dunniewassel, or clansman of superior rank; and indeed,from his dignity of deportment, could not stand in a more distant degreeof relationship to Sir Duncan, than that of tenth or twelfth cousin atfarthest. But it was impossible to extract positive information on thisor any other subject, inasmuch as neither this commander nor any ofhis party spoke English. The Captain rode, and his military attendantswalked; but such was their activity, and so numerous the impedimentswhich the nature of the road presented to the equestrian mode oftravelling, that far from being retarded by the slowness of their pace,his difficulty was rather in keeping up with his guides. He observedthat they occasionally watched him with a sharp eye, as if they werejealous of some effort to escape; and once, as he lingered behind atcrossing a brook, one of the gillies began to blow the match of hispiece, giving him to understand that he would run some risk in case ofan attempt to part company. Dalgetty did not augur much good from theclose watch thus maintained upon his person; but there was no remedy,for an attempt to escape from his attendants in an impervious andunknown country, would have been little short of insanity. He thereforeplodded patiently on through a waste and savage wilderness, treadingpaths which were only known to the shepherds and cattle-drivers, andpassing with much more of discomfort than satisfaction many of thosesublime combinations of mountainous scenery which now draw visitors fromevery corner of England, to feast their eyes upon Highland grandeur, andmortify their palates upon Highland fare.

  At length they arrived on the southern verge of that noble
lake uponwhich Inverary is situated; and a bugle, which the Dunniewassel windedtill rock and greenwood rang, served as a signal to a well-mannedgalley, which, starting from a creek where it lay concealed, receivedthe party on board, including Gustavus; which sagacious quadruped, anexperienced traveller both by water and land, walked in and out of theboat with the discretion of a Christian.

  Embarked on the bosom of Loch Fine, Captain Dalgetty might have admiredone of the grandest scenes which nature affords. He might have noticedthe rival rivers Aray and Shiray, which pay tribute to the lake, eachissuing from its own dark and wooded retreat. He might have marked, onthe soft and gentle slope that ascends from the shores, the noble oldGothic castle, with its varied outline, embattled walls, towers, andouter and inner courts, which, so far as the picturesque is concerned,presented an aspect much more striking than the present massive anduniform mansion. He might have admired those dark woods which for manya mile surrounded this strong and princely dwelling, and his eye mighthave dwelt on the picturesque peak of Duniquoich, starting abruptly fromthe lake, and raising its scathed brow into the mists of middle sky,while a solitary watch-tower, perched on its top like an eagle's nest,gave dignity to the scene by awakening a sense of possible danger.All these, and every other accompaniment of this noble scene, CaptainDalgetty might have marked, if he had been so minded. But, to confessthe truth, the gallant Captain, who had eaten nothing since daybreak,was chiefly interested by the smoke which ascended from the castlechimneys, and the expectations which this seemed to warrant of hisencountering an abundant stock of provant, as he was wont to callsupplies of this nature.

  The boat soon approached the rugged pier, which abutted into the lochfrom the little town of Inverary, then a rude assemblage of huts, with avery few stone mansions interspersed, stretching upwards from the banksof Loch Fine to the principal gate of the castle, before which a scenepresented itself that might easily have quelled a less stout heart,and turned a more delicate stomach, than those of Ritt-master DugaldDalgetty, titular of Drumthwacket.