The Bride of Lammermoor Read online

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  Sir, stay at home and take an old man's counsel; Seek not to bask you by a stranger's hearth; Our own blue smoke is warmer than their fire. Domestic food is wholesome, though 'tis homely, And foreign dainties poisonous, though tasteful.

  The French Courtezan.

  THE Master of Ravenswood took an opportunity to leave his gueststo prepare for their departure, while he himself made the briefarrangements necessary previous to his absence from Wolf's Crag for aday or two. It was necessary to communicate with Caleb on this occasion,and he found that faithful servitor in his sooty and ruinous den,greatly delighted with the departure of their visitors, and computinghow long, with good management, the provisions which had been unexpendedmight furnish the Master's table. "He's nae belly god, that's aeblessing; and Bucklaw's gane, that could have eaten a horse behindthe saddle. Cresses or water-purpie, and a bit ait-cake, can servethe Master for breakfast as weel as Caleb. Then for dinner--there's nomuckle left on the spule-bane; it will brander, though--it will brandervery weel."

  His triumphant calculations were interrupted by the Master, whocommunicated to him, not without some hesitation, his purpose to ridewith the Lord Keeper as far as Ravenswood Castle, and to remain therefor a day or two.

  "The mercy of Heaven forbid!" said the old serving-man, turning as palas the table-cloth which he was folding up.

  "And why, Caleb?" said his master--"why should the mercy of Heavenforbid my returning the Lord Keeper's visit?"

  "Oh, sir!" replied Caleb--"oh, Mr. Edgar! I am your servant, and it illbecomes me to speak; but I am an auld servant--have served baithyour father and gudesire, and mind to have seen Lord Randal, yourgreat-grandfather, but that was when I was a bairn."

  "And what of all this, Balderstone?" said the Master; "what canit possibly have to do with my paying some ordinary civility to aneighbour."

  "Oh, Mr. Edgar,--that is, my lord!" answered the butler, "your ainconscience tells you it isna for your father's son to be neighbouringwi' the like o' him; it isna for the credit of the family. An he wereance come to terms, and to gie ye back your ain, e'en though ye suldhonour his house wi' your alliance, I suldna say na; for the young leddyis a winsome sweet creature. But keep your ain state wi' them--I ken therace o' them weel--they will think the mair o' ye."

  "Why, now, you go father than I do, Caleb," said the Master, drowning acertain degree of consciousness in a forced laugh; "you are for marryingme into a family that you will nto allow me to visit, how this? and youlook as pale as death besides."

  "Oh, sir," repeated Caleb again, "you would but laugh if I tauld it; butThomas the Rhymer, whose tongue couldna be fause, spoke the word of yourhouse that will e'en prove ower true if you go to Ravenswood this day.Oh, that it should e'er have been fulfilled in my time!"

  "And what is it, Caleb?" said Ravenswood, wishing to soothe the fears ofhis old servant.

  Caleb replied: "He had never repeated the lines to living mortal; theywere told to him by an auld priest that had been confessor to LordAllan's father when the family were Catholic. But mony a time," he said,"I hae soughed thae dark words ower to myself, and, well-a-day! littledid I think of their coming round this day."

  "Truce with your nonsense, and let me hear the doggerel which has put itinto your head," said the Master, impatiently.

  With a quivering voice, and a cheek pale with apprehension, Calebfaltered out the following lines:

  "When the last Laird of Ravenswood to Ravenswood shall ride, And woo adead maiden to be his bride, He shall stable his steed in the Kelpie'sflow, And his name shall be lost for evermoe!"

  "I know the Kelpie's flow well enough," said the Master; "I suppose, atleast, you mean the quicksand betwixt this tower and Wolf's Hope; butwhy any man in his senses should stable a steed there----"

  "Oh, ever speer ony thing about that, sir--God forbid we should ken whatthe prophecy means--but just bide you at hame, and let the strangersride to Ravenswood by themselves. We have done eneugh for them; andto do mair would be mair against the credit of the family than in itsfavour."

  "Well, Caleb," said the Master, "I give you the best possible credit foryour good advice on this occasion but as I do not go to Ravenswood toseek a bride, dead or alive, I hope I shall choose a better stable formy horse than the Kelpie's quicksand, and especially as I have alwayshad a particular dread of it since the patrol of dragoons werelost there ten years since. My father and I saw them from the towerstruggling against the advancing tide, and they were lost long beforeany help could reach them."

  "And they deserved it weel, the southern loons!" said Caleb; "what hadthey ado capering on our sands, and hindering a wheen honest folk fraebringing on shore a drap brandy? I hae seen them that busy, that Iwad hae fired the auld culverin or the demi-saker that's on the southbartizan at them, only I was feared they might burst in the gangingaff."

  Caleb's brain was now fully engaged with abuse of the English soldieryand excisemen, so that his master found no great difficulty inescaping from him and rejoining his guests. All was now ready fortheir departure; and one of the Lord Keeper's grooms having saddled theMaster's steed, they mounted in the courtyard.

  Caleb had, with much toil, opened the double doors of the outward gate,and thereat stationed himself, endeavouring, by the reverential, and atthe same time consequential, air which he assumed, to supply, by hisown gaunt, wasted, and thin person, the absence of a whole baronialestablishment of porters, warders, and liveried menials.

  The Keeper returned his deep reverence with a cordial farewell, stoopingat the same time from his horse, and sliding into the butler's hand theremuneration which in those days was always given by a departing guestto the domestics of the family where he had been entertained. Lucysmiled on the old man with her usual sweetness, bade him adieu, anddeposited her guerdon with a grace of action and a gentleness of accentwhich could not have failed to have won the faithful retainer's heart,but for Thomas the Rhymer, and the successful lawsuit against hismaster. As it was, he might have adopted the language of the Duke in AsYou Like It:

  Thou wouldst have better pleased me with this deed, If thou hadst toldme of another father.

  Ravenswood was at the lady's bridle-rein, encouraging her timidity, andguiding her horse carefully down the rocky path which led to the moor,when one of the servants announced from the rear that Caleb was callingloudly after them, desiring to speak with his master. Ravenswood felt itwould look singular to neglect this summons, although inwardly cursingCaleb for his impertinent officiousness; therefore he was compelled torelinquish to Mr. Lockhard the agreeable duty in which he was engaged,and to ride back to the gate of the courtyard. Here he was beginning,somewhat peevishly, to ask Caleb the cause of his clamour, when the goodold man exclaimed: "Whisht, sir!--whisht, and let me speak just ae wordthat I couldna say afore folk; there (putting into his lord's hand themoney he had just received)--there's three gowd pieces; and ye'llwant siller up-bye yonder. But stay, whisht, now!" for the Master wasbeginning to exclaim against this transference, "never say a word, butjust see to get them changed in the first town ye ride through, for theyare bran new frae the mint, and ken-speckle a wee bit."

  "You forget, Caleb," said his master, striving to force back the moneyon his servant, and extricate the bridle from his hold--"you forget thatI have some gold pieces left of my own. Keep these to yourself, my oldfriend; and, once more, good day to you. I assure you, I have plenty.You know you have managed that our living should cost us little ornothing."

  "Aweel," said Caleb, "these will serve for you another time; but see yehae eneugh, for, doubtless, for the credit of the family, there maun besome civility to the servants, and ye maun hae something to mak a showwith when they say, 'Master, will you bet a broad piece?' Then ye mauntak out your purse, and say, 'I carena if I do'; and tak care no toagree on the articles of the wager, and just put up your purse again,and----"

  "This is intolerable, Caleb; I really must be gone."

  "And y
ou will go, then?" said Caleb, loosening his hold upon theMaster's cloak, and changing his didactics into a pathetic and mournfultone--"and you WILL go, for a' I have told you about the prophecy, andthe dead bride, and the Kelpie's quicksand? Aweel! a wilful man maunhae his way: he that will to Cupar maun to Cupar. But pity of your life,sir, if ye be fowling or shooting in the Park, beware of drinking at theMermaiden's Well--He's gane! he's down the path arrow-flight after her!The head is as clean taen aff the Ravenswood family this day as I wadchap the head aff a sybo!"

  The old butler looked long after his master, often clearing away the dewas it rose to his eyes, that he might, as long as possible, distinguishhis stately form from those of the other horsemen. "Close to herbridle-rein--ay, close to her bridle-rein! Wisely saith the holy man,'By this also you may know that woman hath dominion over all men'; andwithout this lass would not our ruin have been a'thegither fulfilled."

  With a heart fraught with such sad auguries did Caleb return tohis necessary duties at Wofl's Crag, as soon as he could no longerdistinguish the object of his anxiety among the group of riders, whichdiminished in the distance.

  In the mean time the party pursued their route joyfully. Having oncetaken his resolution, the Master of Ravenswood was not of a character tohesitate or pause upon it. He abandoned himself to the pleasure he feltin Miss Ashton's company, and displayed an assiduous gallantry whichapproached as nearly to gaiety as the temper of his mind and state ofhis family permitted. The Lord Keeper was much struck with his depth ofobservation, and the unusual improvement which he had derived from hisstudies. Of these accomplishments Sir William Ashton's profession andhabits of society rendered him an excellent judge; and he well knew howto appreciate a quality to which he himself was a total stranger--thebrief and decided dauntlessness of the Master of Ravenswood's fear. Inhis heart the Lord Keeper rejoiced at having conciliated an adversaryso formidable, while, with a mixture of pleasure and anxiety, heanticipated the great things his young companion might achieve, were thebreath of court-favour to fill his sails.

  "What could she desire," he thought, his mind always conjuringup opposition in the person of Lady Ashton to his new prevailingwish--"what could a woman desire in a match more than the sopiting ofa very dangerous claim, and the alliance of a son-in-law, noble, brave,well-gifted, and highly connected; sure to float whenever the tidesets his way; strong, exactly where we are weak, in pedigree and in thetemper of a swordsman? Sure, no reasonable woman would hesitate. Butalas----!" Here his argument was stopped by the consciousness that LadyAshton was not always reasonable, in his sense of the word. "To prefersome clownish Merse laird to the gallant young nobleman, and to thesecure possession of Ravenswood upon terms of easy compromise--it wouldbe the act of a madwoman!"

  Thus pondered the veteran politician, until they reached BittlebrainsHouse, where it had been previously settled they were to dine and reposethemselves, and prosecute their journey in the afternoon.

  They were received with an excess of hospitality; and the most markedattention was offered to the Master of Ravenswood, in particular, bytheir noble entertainers. The truth was, that Lord Bittlebrains hadobtained his peerage by a good deal of plausibility, an art of buildingup a character for wisdom upon a very trite style of commonplaceeloquence, a steady observation of the changes of the times, and thepower of rendering certain political services to those who could bestreward them. His lady and he, not feeling quite easy under their newhonours, to which use had not adapted their feelings, were very desirousto procure the fraternal countenance of those who were born denizens ofthe regions into which they had been exalted from a lower sphere. Theextreme attention which they paid to the Master of Ravenswood had itsusual effect in exalting his importance in the eyes of the LordKeeper, who, although he had a reasonable degree of contempt forLord Bittlebrains's general parts, entertained a high opinion of theacuteness of his judgment in all matters of self-interest.

  "I wish Lady Ashton had seen this," was his internal reflection "no manknows so well as Bittlebrains on which side his bread is buttered; andhe fawns on the Master like a beggar's messan on a cook. And my lady,too, bringing forward her beetle-browed misses to skirl and play uponthe virginals, as if she said, 'Pick and choose.' They are no morecomparable to Lucy than an owl is to a cygnet, and so they may carrytheir black brows to a farther market."

  The entertainment being ended, our travellers, who had still to measurethe longest part of their journey, resumed their horses; and after theLord Keeper, the Master, and the domestics had drunk doch-an-dorroch,or the stirrup-cup, in the liquors adapted to their various ranks, thecavalcade resumed its progress.

  It was dark by the time they entered the avenue of Ravenswood Castle, along straight line leading directly to the front of the house, flankedwith huge elm-trees, which sighed to the night-wind, as if theycompassionated the heir of their ancient proprietors, who now returnedto their shades in the society, and almost in the retinue, of their newmaster. Some feelings of the same kind oppressed the mind of the Masterhimself. He gradually became silent, adn dropped a little behind thelady, at whose bridle-rein he had hitherto waited with such devotion.He well recollected the period when, at the same hour in the evening, hehad accompanied his father, as that nobleman left, never again toreturn to it, the mansion from which he derived his name and title. Theextensive front of the old castle, on which he remembered having oftenlooked back, was then "as black as mourning weed." The same front nowglanced with many lights, some throwing far forward into the nighta fixed and stationary blaze, and others hurrying from one window toanother, intimating the bustle and busy preparation preceding theirarrival, which had been intimated by an avant-courier. The contrastpressed so strongly upon the Master's heart as to awaken some of thesterner feelings with which he had been accustomed to regard the newlord of his paternal domain, and to impress his countenance with an airof severe gravity, when, alighted from his horse, he stood in the hallno longer his own, surrounded by the numerous menials of its presentowner.

  The Lord Keeper, when about to welcome him with the cordiality whichtheir late intercourse seemed to render proper, became aware of thechange, refrained from his purpose, and only intimated the ceremony ofreception by a deep reverence to his guest, seeming thus delicately toshare the feelings which predominated on his brow.

  Two upper domestics, bearing each a huge pair of silver candlesticks,now marshalled the company into a large saloon, or withdrawing-room,where new alterations impressed upon Ravenswood the superior wealth ofthe present inhabitants of the castle. The mouldering tapestry, which,in his father's time, had half covered the walls of this statelyapartment, and half streamed from them in tatters, had given place toa complete finishing of wainscot, the cornice of which, as well as theframes of the various compartments, were ornamented with festoons offlowers and with birds, which, though carved in oak, seemed, such wasthe art of the chisel, actually to swell their throats and flutter theirwings. Several old family portraits of armed heroes of the house ofRavenswood, together with a suit or two of old armour and some militaryweapons, had given place to those of King William and Queen Mary, orSir Thomas Hope and Lord Stair, two distinguished Scottish lawyers. Thepictures of the Lord Keeper's father and mother were also to be seen;the latter, sour, shrewish, and solemn, in her black hood and closepinners, with a book of devotion in her hand; the former, exhibitingbeneath a black silk Geneva cowl, or skull-cap, which sate as close tothe head as if it had been shaven, a pinched, peevish, Puritanical setof features, terminating in a hungry, reddish, peaked beard, forming onthe whole a countenance in the expression of which the hypocrite seemedto contend with the miser and the knave. "And it is to make room forsuch scarecrows as these," thought Ravenswood, "that my ancestors havebeen torn down from the walls which they erected!" he looked at themagain, and, as he looked, the recollection of Lucy Ashton, for shehad not entered the apartment with them, seemed less lively in hisimagination. There were also two or three Dutch drolleries, as thepictures of Ostade and Teniers w
ere then termed, with one good paintingof the Italian school. There was, besides, a noble full-length of theLord Keeper in his robes of office, placed beside his lady in silk andermine, a haughty beauty, bearing in her looks all the pride ofthe house of Douglas, from which she was descended. The painter,notwithstanding his skill, overcome by the reality, or, perhaps, from asuppressed sense of humour, had not been able to give the husband on thecanvas that air of awful rule and right supremacy which indicates thefull possession of domestic authority. It was obvious at the firstglance that, despite mace and gold frogs, the Lord Keeper was somewhathenpecked. The floor of this fine saloon was laid with rich carpets,huge fires blazed in the double chimneys, and ten silver sconces,reflecting with their bright plates the lights which they supported,made the whole seem as brilliant as day.

  "Would you choose any refreshment, Master?" said Sir William Ashton, notunwilling to break the awkward silence.

  He received no answer, the Master being so busily engaged in marking thevarious changes which had taken place in the apartment, that hehardly heard the Lord Keeper address him. A repetition of the offer ofrefreshment, with the addition, that the family meal would be presentlyready, compelled his attention, and reminded him that he acted a weak,perhaps even a ridiculous, part in suffering himself to be overcomeby the circumstances in which he found himself. He compelled himself,therefore, to enter into conversation with Sir William Ashton, with asmuch appearance of indifference as he could well command.

  "You will not be surprised, Sir William, that I am interested in thechanges you have made for the better in this apartment. In my father'stime, after our misfortunes compelled him to live in retirement, it waslittle used, except by me as a play-room, when the weather would notpermit me to go abroad. In that recess was my little workshop, where Itreasured the few carpenters' tools which old Caleb procured for me,and taught me how to use; there, in yonder corner, under that handsomesilver sconce, I kept my fishing-rods and hunting poles, bows andarrows."

  "I have a young birkie," said the Lord Keeper, willing to change thetone of the conversation, "of much the same turn. He is never happy savewhen he is in the field. I wonder he is not here. Here, Lockhard; sendWilliam Shaw for Mr. Henry. I suppose he is, as usual, tied to Lucy'sapron-string; that foolish girl, Master, draws the whole family afterher at her pleasure."

  Even this allusion to his daughter, though artfully thrown out, did notrecall Ravenswood from his own topic. "We were obliged to leave," hesaid, "some armour and portraits in this apartment; may I ask where theyhave been removed to?"

  "Why," answered the Keeper, with some hesitation, "the room was fittedup in our absence, and cedant arma togae is the maxim of lawyers, youknow: I am afraid it has been here somewhat too literally complied with.I hope--I believe they are safe, I am sure I gave orders; may I hopethat when they are recovered, and put in proper order, you will dome the honour to accept them at my hand, as an atonement for theiraccidental derangement?"

  The Master of Ravenswood bowed stiffly, and, with folded arms, againresumed his survey of the room.

  Henry, a spoilt boy of fifteen, burst into the room, and ran up tohis father. "Think of Lucy, papa; she has come home so cross and sofractious, that she will not go down to the stable to see my new pony,that Bob Wilson brought from the Mull of Galloway."

  "I think you were very unreasonable to ask her," said the Keeper.

  "Then you are as cross as she is," answered the boy; "but when mammacomes home, she'll claw up both your mittens."

  "Hush your impertinence, you little forward imp!" said his father;"where is your tutor?"

  "Gone to a wedding at Dunbar; I hope he'll get a haggis to his dinner";and he began to sing the old Scottish song:

  "There was a haggis in Dunbar, Fal de ral, etc. Mony better and fewwaur, Fal de ral," etc.

  "I am much obliged to Mr. Cordery for his attentions," said the LordKeeper; "and pray who has had the charge of you while I was away, Mr.Henry?"

  "Norman and Bob Wilson, forbye my own self."

  "A groom and a gamekeeper, and your own silly self--proper guardiansfor a young advocate! Why, you will never know any statutes but thoseagainst shooting red-deer, killing salmon, and----"

  "And speaking of red-game," said the young scapegrace, interrupting hisfather without scruple or hesitation, "Norman has shot a buck, and Ishowed the branches to Lucy, and she says they have but eight tynes; andshe says that you killed a deer with Lord Bittlebrains's hounds, whenyou were west away, and, do you know, she says it had ten tynes; is ittrue?"

  "It may have had twenty, Henry, for what I know; but if you go to thatgentleman, he can tell you all about it. Go speak to him, Henry; it isthe Master of Ravenswood."

  While they conversed thus, the father and son were standing by the fire;and the Master, having walked towards the upper end of the apartment,stood with his back towards them, apparently engaged in examining one ofthe paintings. The boy ran up to him, and pulled him by the skirt ofthe coat with the freedom of a spoilt child, saying, "I say, sir, if youplease to tell me----" but when the Master turned round, and Henry sawhis face, he became suddenly and totally disconcerted; walked two orthree steps backward, and still gazed on Ravenswood with an air of fearand wonder, which had totally banished from his features their usualexpression of pert vivacity.

  "Come to me, young gentleman," said the Master, "and I will tell you allI know about the hunt."

  "Go to the gentleman, Henry," said his father; "you are not used to beso shy."

  But neither invitation nor exhortation had any effect on the boy. On thecontrary, he turned round as soon as he had completed his survey of theMaster, and walking as cautiously as if he had been treading upon eggs,he glided back to his father, and pressed as close to him as possible.Ravenswood, to avoid hearing the dispute betwixt the father and theoverindulged boy, thought it most polite to turn his face once moretowards the pictures, and pay no attention to what they said.

  "Why do you not speak to the Master, you little fool?" said the LordKeeper.

  "I am afraid," said Henry, in a very low tone of voice.

  "Afraid, you goose!" said his father, giving him a slight shake by thecollar. "What makes you afraid?"

  "What makes him to like the picture of Sir Malise Ravenswood then?" saidthe boy, whispering.

  "What picture, you natural?" said his father. "I used to think you onlya scapegrace, but I believe you will turn out a born idiot."

  "I tell you, it is the picture of old Malise of Ravenswood, and he is aslike it as if he had loupen out of the canvas; and it is up in the oldbaron's hall that the maids launder the clothes in; and it has armour,and not a coat like the gentleman; and he has not a beard and whiskerslike the picture; and it has another kind of thing about the throat, andno band-strings as he has; and----"

  "And why should not the gentleman be like his ancestor, you silly boy?"said the Lord Keeper.

  "Ay; but if he is come to chase us all out of the castle," said the boy,"and has twenty men at his back in disguise; and is come to say, witha hollow voice, 'I bide my time'; and is to kill you on the hearth asMalise did the other man, and whose blood is still to be seen!"

  "Hush! nonsense!" said the Lord Keeper, not himself much pleased to hearthese disagreeable coincidences forced on his notice. "Master, here comesLockhard to say supper is served."

  And, at the same instant, Lucy entered at another door, having changedher dress since her return. The exquisite feminine beauty of hercountenance, now shaded only by a profusion of sunny tresses; thesylph-like form, disencumbered of her heavy riding-skirt and mantled inazure silk; the grace of her manner and of her smile, cleared, witha celerity which surprised the Master himself, all the gloomy andunfavourable thoughts which had for some time overclouded his fancy.In those features, so simply sweet, he could trace no alliance withthe pinched visage of the peak-bearded, black-capped Puritan, or hisstarched, withered spouse, with the craft expressed in the Lord Keeper'scountenance, or the haughtiness which predominated in
that of his lady;and, while he gazed on Lucy Ashton, she seemed to be an angel descendedon earth, unallied to the coarses mortals among whom she deigned todwell for a season. Such is the power of beauty over a youthful andenthusiastic fancy.