The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2 Page 14

  CHAPTER FOURTEENTH.

  So soon as I can win the offended king, I will be known your advocate. Cymbeline.

  The Duke of Argyle led the way in silence to the small postern by whichthey had been admitted into Richmond Park, so long the favouriteresidence of Queen Caroline. It was opened by the same half-seen janitor,and they found themselves beyond the precincts of the royal demesne.Still not a word was spoken on either side. The Duke probably wished toallow his rustic prote'ge'e time to recruit her faculties, dazzled andsunk with colloquy sublime; and betwixt what she had guessed, had heard,and had seen, Jeanie Deans's mind was too much agitated to permit her toask any questions.

  They found the carriage of the Duke in the place where they had left it;and when they resumed their places, soon began to advance rapidly ontheir return to town.

  "I think, Jeanie," said the Duke, breaking silence, "you have everyreason to congratulate yourself on the issue of your interview with herMajesty."

  "And that leddy was the Queen herself?" said Jeanie; "I misdoubted itwhen I saw that your honour didna put on your hat--And yet I can hardlybelieve it, even when I heard her speak it herself."

  "It was certainly Queen Caroline," replied the Duke. "Have you nocuriosity to see what is in the little pocket-book?"

  "Do you think the pardon will be in it, sir?" said Jeanie, with the eageranimation of hope.

  "Why, no," replied the Duke; "that is unlikely. They seldom carry thesethings about them, unless they were likely to be wanted; and, besides,her Majesty told you it was the King, not she, who was to grant it."

  "That is true, too," said Jeanie; "but I am so confused in my mind--Butdoes your honour think there is a certainty of Effie's pardon then?"continued she, still holding in her hand the unopened pocket-book.

  "Why, kings are kittle cattle to shoe behind, as we say in the north,"replied the Duke; "but his wife knows his trim, and I have not the leastdoubt that the matter is quite certain."

  "Oh, God be praised! God be praised!" ejaculated Jeanie; "and may thegude leddy never want the heart's ease she has gien me at this moment!--And God bless you too, my Lord!--without your help I wad ne'er hae wonnear her."

  The Duke let her dwell upon this subject for a considerable time,curious, perhaps, to see how long the feelings of gratitude wouldcontinue to supersede those of curiosity. But so feeble was the latterfeeling in Jeanie's mind, that his Grace, with whom, perhaps, it was forthe time a little stronger, was obliged once more to bring forward thesubject of the Queen's present. It was opened accordingly. In the insideof the case was the usual assortment of silk and needles, with scissors,tweezers, etc.; and in the pocket was a bank-bill for fifty pounds.

  The Duke had no sooner informed Jeanie of the value of this lastdocument, for she was unaccustomed to see notes for such sums, than sheexpressed her regret at the mistake which had taken place. "For the hussyitsell," she said, "was a very valuable thing for a keepsake,with the Queen's name written in the inside with her ain handdoubtless--_Caroline_--as plain as could be, and a crown drawn aboon it."

  She therefore tendered the bill to the Duke, requesting him to find somemode of returning it to the royal owner.

  "No, no, Jeanie," said the Duke, "there is no mistake in the case. HerMajesty knows you have been put to great expense, and she wishes to makeit up to you."

  "I am sure she is even ower gude," said Jeanie, "and it glads me mucklethat I can pay back Dumbiedikes his siller, without distressing myfather, honest man."

  "Dumbiedikes! What, a freeholder of Mid-Lothian, is he not?" said hisGrace, whose occasional residence in that county made him acquainted withmost of the heritors, as landed persons are termed in Scotland.--"He hasa house not far from Dalkeith, wears a black wig and a laced hat?"

  "Yes sir," answered Jeanie, who had her reasons for being brief in heranswers upon this topic.

  "Ah, my old friend Dumbie!" said the Duke; "I have thrice seen him fou,and only once heard the sound of his voice--Is he a cousin of yours,Jeanie?"

  "No, sir,--my Lord."

  "Then he must be a well-wisher, I suspect?"

  "Ye--yes,--my Lord, sir," answered Jeanie, blushing, and with hesitation.

  "Aha! then, if the Laird starts, I suppose my friend Butler must be insome danger?"

  "O no, sir," answered Jeanie, much more readily, but at the same timeblushing much more deeply.

  "Well, Jeanie," said the Duke, "you are a girl may be safely trusted withyour own matters, and I shall inquire no farther about them. But as tothis same pardon, I must see to get it passed through the proper forms;and I have a friend in office who will for auld lang syne, do me so muchfavour. And then, Jeanie, as I shall have occasion to send an expressdown to Scotland, who will travel with it safer and more swiftly than youcan do, I will take care to have it put into the proper channel;meanwhile you may write to your friends by post of your good success."

  "And does your Honour think," said Jeanie, "that will do as weel as if Iwere to take my tap in my lap, and slip my ways hame again on my ainerrand?"

  "Much better, certainly," said the Duke. "You know the roads are not verysafe for a single woman to travel."

  Jeanie internally acquiesced in this observation.

  "And I have a plan for you besides. One of the Duchess's attendants, andone of mine--your acquaintance Archibald--are going down to Inverary in alight calash, with four horses I have bought, and there is room enough inthe carriage for you to go with them as far as Glasgow, where Archibaldwill find means of sending you safely to Edinburgh.--And in the way I begyou will teach the woman as much as you can of the mystery ofcheese-making, for she is to have a charge in the dairy, and I dare swearyou are as tidy about your milk-pail as about your dress."

  "Does your Honour like cheese?" said Jeanie, with a gleam of consciousdelight as she asked the question.

  "Like it?" said the Duke, whose good-nature anticipated what was tofollow,--"cakes and cheese are a dinner for an emperor, let alone aHighlandman."

  "Because," said Jeanie, with modest confidence, and great and evidentself-gratulation, "we have been thought so particular in making cheese,that some folk think it as gude as the real Dunlop; and if your honour'sGrace wad but accept a stane or twa, blithe, and fain, and proud it wadmake us? But maybe ye may like the ewe-milk, that is, the Buckholmside*cheese better; or maybe the gait-milk, as ye come frae theHighlands--and I canna pretend just to the same skeel o' them; but mycousin Jean, that lives at Lockermachus in Lammermuir, I could speak toher, and--"

  * The hilly pastures of Buckholm, which the Author now surveys,--"Not inthe frenzy of a dreamer's eye,"--are famed for producing the bestewe-milk cheese in the south of Scotland.

  "Quite unnecessary," said the Duke; "the Dunlop is the very cheese ofwhich I am so fond, and I will take it as the greatest favour you can dome to send one to Caroline Park. But remember, be on honour with it,Jeanie, and make it all yourself, for I am a real good judge."

  "I am not feared," said Jeanie, confidently, "that I may please yourHonour; for I am sure you look as if you could hardly find fault wi'onybody that did their best; and weel is it my part, I trow, to do mine."

  This discourse introduced a topic upon which the two travellers, thoughso different in rank and education, found each a good deal to say. TheDuke, besides his other patriotic qualities, was a distinguishedagriculturist, and proud of his knowledge in that department. Heentertained Jeanie with his observations on the different breeds ofcattle in Scotland, and their capacity for the dairy, and received somuch information from her practical experience in return, that hepromised her a couple of Devonshire cows in reward for the lesson. Inshort his mind was so transported back to his rural employments andamusements, that he sighed when his carriage stopped opposite to the oldhackney-coach, which Archibald had kept in attendance at the place wherethey had left it. While the coachman again bridled his lean cattle, whichhad been indulged with a bite of musty ha
y, the Duke cautioned Jeanie notto be too communicative to her landlady concerning what had passed."There is," he said, "no use of speaking of matters till they areactually settled; and you may refer the good lady to Archibald, if shepresses you hard with questions. She is his old acquaintance, and heknows how to manage with her."

  He then took a cordial farewell of Jeanie, and told her to be ready inthe ensuing week to return to Scotland--saw her safely established in herhackney-coach, and rolled of in his own carriage, humming a stanza of theballad which he is said to have composed:--

  "At the sight of Dumbarton once again, I'll cock up my bonnet and march amain, With my claymore hanging down to my heel, To whang at the bannocks of barley meal."

  Perhaps one ought to be actually a Scotsman to conceive how ardently,under all distinctions of rank and situation, they feel their mutualconnection with each other as natives of the same country. There are, Ibelieve, more associations common to the inhabitants of a rude and wild,than of a well-cultivated and fertile country; their ancestors have moreseldom changed their place of residence; their mutual recollection ofremarkable objects is more accurate; the high and the low are moreinterested in each other's welfare; the feelings of kindred andrelationship are more widely extended, and in a word, the bonds ofpatriotic affection, always honourable even when a little too exclusivelystrained, have more influence on men's feelings and actions.

  The rumbling hackney-coach, which tumbled over the (then) execrableLondon pavement, at a rate very different from that which had conveyedthe ducal carriage to Richmond, at length deposited Jeanie Deans and herattendant at the national sign of the Thistle. Mrs. Glass, who had beenin long and anxious expectation, now rushed, full of eager curiosity andopen-mouthed interrogation, upon our heroine, who was positively unableto sustain the overwhelming cataract of her questions, which burst forthwith the sublimity of a grand gardyloo:--

  "Had she seen the Duke, God bless him--the Duchess--the young ladies?--Had she seen the King, God bless him--the Queen--the Prince of Wales--thePrincess--or any of the rest of the royal family?--Had she got hersister's pardon?--Was it out and out--or was it only a commutation ofpunishment?--How far had she gone--where had she driven to--whom had sheseen--what had been said--what had kept her so long?"

  Such were the various questions huddled upon each other by a curiosity soeager, that it could hardly wait for its own gratification. Jeanie wouldhave been more than sufficiently embarrassed by this overbearing tide ofinterrogations, had not Archibald, who had probably received from hismaster a hint to that purpose, advanced to her rescue. "Mrs. Glass," saidArchibald, "his Grace desired me particularly to say, that he would takeit as a great favour if you would ask the young woman no questions, as hewishes to explain to you more distinctly than she can do how her affairsstand, and consult you on some matters which she cannot altogether sowell explain. The Duke will call at the Thistle to-morrow or next day forthat purpose."

  "His Grace is very condescending," said Mrs. Glass, her zeal for inquiryslaked for the present by the dexterous administration of this sugarplum--"his Grace is sensible that I am in a manner accountable for theconduct of my young kinswoman, and no doubt his Grace is the best judgehow far he should intrust her or me with the management of her affairs."

  "His Grace is quite sensible of that," answered Archibald, with nationalgravity, "and will certainly trust what he has to say to the mostdiscreet of the two; and therefore, Mrs. Glass, his Grace relies you willspeak nothing to Mrs. Jean Deans, either of her own affairs or hersister's, until he sees you himself. He desired me to assure you, in themeanwhile, that all was going on as well as your kindness could wish,Mrs. Glass."

  "His Grace is very kind--very considerate, certainly, Mr. Archibald--hisGrace's commands shall be obeyed, and--But you have had a far drive, Mr.Archibald, as I guess by the time of your absence, and I guess" (with anengaging smile) "you winna be the waur o' a glass of the right RosaSolis."

  "I thank you, Mrs. Glass," said the great man's great man, "but I amunder the necessity of returning to my Lord directly." And, making hisadieus civilly to both cousins, he left the shop of the Lady of theThistle.

  "I am glad your affairs have prospered so well, Jeanie, my love," saidMrs. Glass; "though, indeed, there was little fear of them so soon as theDuke of Argyle was so condescending as to take them into hand. I will askyou no questions about them, because his Grace, who is most considerateand prudent in such matters, intends to tell me all that you kenyourself, dear, and doubtless a great deal more; so that anything thatmay lie heavily on your mind may be imparted to me in the meantime, asyou see it is his Grace's pleasure that I should be made acquainted withthe whole matter forthwith, and whether you or he tells it, will make nodifference in the world, ye ken. If I ken what he is going to saybeforehand, I will be much more ready to give my advice, and whether youor he tell me about it, cannot much signify after all, my dear. So youmay just say whatever you like, only mind I ask you no questions aboutit."

  Jeanie was a little embarrassed. She thought that the communication shehad to make was perhaps the only means she might have in her power togratify her friendly and hospitable kinswoman. But her prudence instantlysuggested that her secret interview with Queen Caroline, which seemed topass under a certain sort of mystery, was not a proper subject for thegossip of a woman like Mrs. Glass, of whose heart she had a much betteropinion than of her prudence. She, therefore, answered in general, thatthe Duke had had the extraordinary kindness to make very particularinquiries into her sister's bad affair, and that he thought he had foundthe means of putting it a' straight again, but that he proposed to tellall that he thought about the matter to Mrs. Glass herself.

  This did not quite satisfy the penetrating mistress of the Thistle.Searching as her own small rappee, she, in spite of her promise, urgedJeanie with still farther questions. "Had she been a' that time at ArgyleHouse? Was the Duke with her the whole time? and had she seen theDuchess? and had she seen the young ladies--and specially Lady CarolineCampbell?"--To these questions Jeanie gave the general reply, that sheknew so little of the town that she could not tell exactly where she hadbeen; that she had not seen the Duchess to her knowledge; that she hadseen two ladies, one of whom, she understood, bore the name of Caroline;and more, she said, she could not tell about the matter.

  "It would be the Duke's eldest daughter, Lady Caroline Campbell, there isno doubt of that," said Mrs. Glass; "but doubtless, I shall know moreparticularly through his Grace.--And so, as the cloth is laid in thelittle parlour above stairs, and it is past three o'clock, for I havebeen waiting this hour for you, and I have had a snack myself; and, asthey used to say in Scotland in my time--I do not ken if the word be usednow--there is ill talking between a full body and a fasting."