The Bride of Lammermoor Page 22

  CHAPTER XXI.

  Marall: Sir, the man of honour's come, Newly alighted----Overreach: In without reply, And do as I command.... Is the loud music I gave order for Ready to receive him?

  New Way to pay Old Debts.

  SIR WILLIAM ASHTON, although a man of sense, legal information, andgreat practical knowledge of the world, had yet some points of characterwhich corresponded better with the timidity of his disposition and thesupple arts by which he had risen in the world, than to the degreeof eminence which he had attained; as they tended to show an originalmediocrity of understanding, however highly it had been cultivated, anda native meanness of disposition, however carefully veiled. He loved theostentatious display of his wealth, less as a man to whom habit hasmade it necessary, than as one to whom it is still delightful from itsnovelty. The most trivial details did not escape him; and Lucy soonlearned to watch the flush of scorn which crossed Ravenswood's cheek,when he heard her father gravely arguing with Lockhard, nay, even withthe old housekeeper, upon circumstances which, in families of rank,are left uncared for, because it is supposed impossible they can beneglected.

  "I could pardon Sir William," said Ravenswood, one evening after hehad left the room, "some general anxiety upon this occasion, for theMarquis's visit is an honour, and should be received as such; but I amworn out by these miserable minutiae of the buttery, and the larder,and the very hencoop--they drive me beyond my patience; I would ratherendure the poverty of Wolf's Crag than be pestered with the wealth ofRavenswood Castle."

  "And yet," said Lucy, "it was by attention to these minutiae that myfather acquired the property----"

  "Which my ancestors sold for lack of it," replied Ravenswood. "Be it so;a porter still bears but a burden, though the burden be of gold."

  Lucy sighed; she perceived too plainly that her lover held in scorn themanners and habits of a father to whom she had long looked up as herbest and most partial friend, whose fondness had often consoled her forher mother's contemptuous harshness.

  The lovers soon discovered that they differed upon other and no lessimportant topics. Religion, the mother of peace, was, in those days ofdiscord, so much misconstrued and mistaken, that her rules and formswere the subject of the most opposite opinions and the most hostileanimosities. The Lord Keeper, being a Whig, was, of course, aPresbyterian, and had found it convenient, at different periods, toexpress greater zeal for the kirk than perhaps he really felt. Hisfamily, equally of course, were trained under the same institution.Ravenswood, as we know, was a High Churchman, or Episcopalian, andfrequently objected to Lucy the fanaticism of some of her owncommunion, while she intimated, rather than expressed, horror at thelatitudinarian principles which she had been taught to think connectedwith the prelatical form of church government.

  Thus, although their mutual affection seemed to increase rather than tobe diminished as their characters opened more fully on each other, thefeelings of each were mingled with some less agreeable ingredients. Lucyfelt a secret awe, amid all her affection for Ravenswood. His soul wasof an higher, prouder character than those with whom she had hithertomixed in intercourse; his ideas were more fierce and free; and hecontemned many of the opinions which had been inculcated upon her aschiefly demanding her veneration. On the other hand, Ravenswood saw inLucy a soft and flexible character, which, in his eyes at least, seemedtoo susceptible of being moulded to any form by those with whomshe lived. He felt that his own temper required a partner of a moreindependent spirit, who could set sail with him on his course of life,resolved as himself to dare indifferently the storm and the favouringbreeze. But Lucy was so beautiful, so devoutly attached to him, of atemper so exquisitely soft and kind, that, while he could have wishedit were possible to inspire her with a greater degree of firmness andresolution, and while he sometimes became impatient of the extreme fearwhich she expressed of their attachment being prematurely discovered,he felt that the softness of a mind, amounting almost to feebleness,rendered her even dearer to him, as a being who had voluntarily clungto him for protection, and made him the arbiter of her fate for weal orwoe. His feelings towards her at such moments were those which have beensince so beautifully expressed by our immortal Joanna Baillie:

  Thou sweetest thing, That e'er did fix its lightly-fibred sprays To the rude rock, ah! wouldst thou cling to me? Rough and storm-worn I am; yet love me as Thou truly dost, I will love thee again With true and honest heart, though all unmeet To be the mate of such sweet gentleness.

  Thus the very points in which they differed seemed, in some measure, toensure the continuance of their mutual affection. If, indeed, they hadso fully appreciated each other's character before the burst of passionin which they hastily pledged their faith to each other, Lucy might havefeared Ravenswood too much ever to have loved him, and he might haveconstrued her softness and docile temper as imbecility, rendering herunworthy of his regard. But they stood pledged to each other; and Lucyonly feared that her lover's pride might one day teach him to regrethis attachment; Ravenswood, that a mind so ductile as Lucy's might, inabsence or difficulties, be induced, by the entreaties or influence ofthose around her, to renounce the engagement she had formed.

  "Do not fear it," said Lucy, when upon one occasion a hint of suchsuspicion escaped her lover; "the mirrors which receive the reflectionof all successive objects are framed of hard materials like glass orsteel; the softer substances, when they receive an impression, retain itundefaced."

  "This is poetry, Lucy," said Ravenswood; "and in poetry there is alwaysfallacy, and sometimes fiction."

  "Believe me, then, once more, in honest prose," said Lucy, "that, thoughI will never wed man without the consent of my parents, yet neitherforce nor persuasion shall dispose of my hand till you renounce theright I have given you to it."

  The lovers had ample time for such explanations. Henry was now moreseldom their companion, being either a most unwilling attendant upon thelessons of his tutor, or a forward volunteer under the instructions ofthe foresters or grooms. As for the Keeper, his mornings were spent inhis study, maintaining correspondences of all kinds, and balancing inhis anxious mind the various intelligence which he collected from everyquarter concerning the expected change of Scottish politics, and theprobable strength of the parties who were about to struggle for power.At other times he busied himself about arranging, and countermanding, andthen again arranging, the preparations which he judged necessary for thereception of the Marquis of A----, whose arrival had been twice delayedby some necessary cause of detention.

  In the midst of all these various avocations, political and domestic,he seemed not to observe how much his daughter and his guest were throwninto each other's society, and was censured by many of his neighbours,according to the fashion of neighbours in all countries, for sufferingsuch an intimate connexion to take place betwixt two young persons.The only natural explanation was, that he designed them for each other;while, in truth, his only motive was to temporise and procrastinateuntil he should discover the real extent of the interest which theMarquis took in Ravenswood's affairs, and the power which he was likelyto possess of advancing them. Until these points should be made bothclear and manifest, the Lord Keeper resolved that he would do nothingto commit himself, either in one shape or other; and, like many cunningpersons, he overreached himself deplorably.

  Amongst those who had been disposed to censure, with the greatestseverity, the conduct of Sir William Ashton, in permitting the prolongedresidence of Ravenswood under his roof, and his constant attendance onMiss Ashton, was the new Laird of Girnington, and his faithful squireand bottleholder, personages formerly well known to us by the names ofHayston and Bucklaw, and his companion Captain Craigengelt. The formerhad at length succeeded to the extensive property of his long-livedgrand-aunt, and to considerable wealth besides, which he had employedin redeeming his paternal acres (by the title appertaining to which hestill chose to be designated), notwithstanding Captain Craigengelt hadproposed to him a most
advantageous mode of vesting the money in Law'sscheme, which was just then broached, and offered his services to travelexpress to Paris for the purpose. But Bucklaw had so far derived wisdomfrom adversity, that he would listen to no proposal which Craigengeltcould invent, which had the slightest tendency to risk hisnewly-acquired independence. He that had once eat pease-bannocks, dranksour wine, and slept in the secret chamber at Wolf's Crag, would, hesaid, prize good cheer and a soft bed as long as he lived, and takespecial care never to need such hospitality again.

  Craigengelt, therefore, found himself disappointed in the first hopeshe had entertained of making a good hand of the Laird of Bucklaw. Still,however, he reaped many advantages from his friend's good fortune.Bucklaw, who had never been at all scrupulous in choosing hiscompanions, was accustomed to, and entertained by, a fellow whom hecould either laugh with or laugh at as he had a mind, who would take,according to Scottish phrase, "the bit and the buffet," understood allsports, whether within or without doors, and, when the laird had a mindfor a bottle of wine (no infrequent circumstance), was always ready tosave him from the scandal of getting drunk by himself. Upon these terms,Craigengelt was the frequent, almost the constant, inmate of the houseof Girnington.

  In no time, and under no possibility of circumstances, could good havebeen derived from such an intimacy, however its bad consequences mightbe qualified by the thorough knowledge which Bucklaw possessed of hisdependant's character, and the high contempt in which he held it. But,as circumstances stood, this evil communication was particularly liableto corrupt what good principles nature had implanted in the patron.

  Craigengelt had never forgiven the scorn with which Ravenswood had tornthe mask of courage and honesty from his countenance; and to exasperateBucklaw's resentment against him was the safest mode of revenge whichoccurred to his cowardly, yet cunning and malignant, disposition.

  He brought up on all occasions the story of the challenge whichRavenswood had declined to accept, and endeavoured, by every possibleinsinuation, to make his patron believe that his honour was concernedin bringing that matter to an issue by a present discussion withRavenswood. But respecting this subject Bucklaw imposed on him, atlength, a peremptory command of silence.

  "I think," he said, "the Master has treated me unlike a gentleman, andI see no right he had to send me back a cavalier answer when I demandedthe satisfaction of one. But he gave me my life once; and, in lookingthe matter over at present, I put myself but on equal terms with him.Should he cross me again, I shall consider the old accompt as balanced,and his Mastership will do well to look to himself."

  "That he should," re-echoed Craigengelt; "for when you are in practice,Bucklaw, I would bet a magnum you are through him before the thirdpass."

  "Then you know nothing of the matter," said Bucklaw, "and you never sawhim fence."

  "And I know nothing of the matter?" said the dependant--"a good jest, Ipromise you! And though I never saw Ravenswood fence, have I not been atMonsieur Sagoon's school, who was the first maitre d'armes at Paris;and have I not been at Signor Poco's at Florence, and MeinheerDurchstossen's at Vienna, and have I not seen all their play?"

  "I don't know whether you have or not," said Bucklaw; "but what aboutit, though you had?"

  "Only that I will be d--d if ever I saw French, Italian, orHigh-Dutchman ever make foot, hand, and eye keep time half so well asyou, Bucklaw."

  "I believe you lie, Craigie," said Bucklaw; "however, I can hold my own,both with single rapier, backsword, sword and dagger, broadsword, orcase of falchions--and that's as much as any gentleman need know of thematter."

  "And the doubt of what ninety-nine out of a hundred know," saidCraigengelt; "they learn to change a few thrusts with the small sword,and then, forsooth, they understand the noble art of defence! Now, whenI was at Rouen in the year 1695, there was a Chevalier de Chapon and Iwent to the opera, where we found three bits of English birkies----" "Isit a long story you are going to tell?" said Bucklaw, interrupting himwithout ceremony.

  "Just as you like," answered the parasite, "for we made short work ofit."

  "Then I like it short," said Bucklaw. "Is it serious or merry?"

  "Devilish serious, I assure you, and so they found it; for the Chevalierand I----"

  "Then I don't like it at all," said Bucklaw; "so fill a brimmer ofmy auld auntie's claret, rest her heart! And, as the Hielandman says,Skioch doch na skiall."

  "That was what tough old Sir Even Dhu used to say to me when I was outwith the metall'd lads in 1689. 'Craigengelt,' he used to say, 'youare as pretty a fellow as ever held steel in his grip, but you have onefault.'"

  "If he had known you as long as I have don," said Bucklaw, "he wouldhave found out some twenty more; but hand long stories, give us yourtoast, man."

  Craigengelt rose, went a-tiptoe to the door, peeped out, shut itcarefully, came back again, clapped his tarnished gold-laced hat on oneside of his head, took his glass in one hand, and touching the hilt ofhis hanger with the other, named, "The King over the water."

  "I tell you what it is, Captain Craigengelt," said Bucklaw; "I shallkeep my mind to myself on thse subjects, having too much respect for thememory of my venerable Aunt Girnington to put her lands and tenementsin the way of committing treason against established authority. Bring meKing James to Edinburgh, Captain, with thirty thousand men at his back,and I'll tell you what I think about his title; but as for running myneck into a noose, and my good broad lands into the statutory penalties,'in that case made and provided,' rely upon it, you will find me no suchfool. So, when you mean to vapour with your hanger and your dram-cupin support of treasonable toasts, you must find your liquor and companyelsewhere."

  "Well, then," said Craigengelt, "name the toast yourself, and be it whatit like, I'll pledge you, were it a mile to the bottom."

  "And I'll give you a toast that deserves it, my boy," said Bucklaw;"what say you to Miss Lucy Ashton?"

  "Up with it," said the Captain, as he tossed off his brimmer, "thebonniest lass in Lothian! What a pity the old sneckdrawing Whigamore,her father, is about to throw her away upon that rag of pride andbeggary, the Master of Ravenswood!"

  "That's not quite so clear," said Bucklaw, in a tone which, though itseemed indifferent, excited his companion's eager curiosity; and notthat only, but also his hope of working himself into some sort ofconfidence, which might make him necessary to his patron, being by nomeans satisfied to rest on mere sufferance, if he could form by art orindustry a more permanent title to his favour.

  "I thought," said he, after a moment's pause, "that was a settledmatter; they are continually together, and nothing else is spoken ofbetwixt Lammer Law and Traprain."

  "They may say what they please," replied his patron, "but I know better;and I'll give you Miss Lucy Ashton's health again, my boy."

  "And I woul drink it on my knee," said Craigengelt, "if I thought thegirl had the spirit to jilt that d--d son of a Spaniard."

  "I am to request you will not use the word 'jilt' and Miss Ashton's nametogether," said Bucklaw, gravely.

  "Jilt, did I say? Discard, my lad of acres--by Jove, I meant todiscard," replied Craigengelt; "and I hope she'll discard him likea small card at piquet, and take in the king of hearts, my boy! Butyet----"

  "But what?" said his patron.

  "But yet I know for certain they are hours together alone, and in thewoods and the fields."

  "That's her foolish father's dotage; that will be soon put out of thelass's head, if it ever gets into it," answered Bucklaw. "And now fillyour glass again, Captain; I am going to make you happy; I am going tolet you into a secret--a plot--a noosing plot--only the noose is buttypical."

  "A marrying matter?" said Craigengelt, and his jaw fell as he asked thequestion, for he suspected that matrimony would render his situationat Girnington much more precarious than during the jolly days of hispatron's bachelorhood.

  "Ay, a marriage, man," said Bucklaw; "but wherefore droops thy mightyspirit, and why grow the rubies on they cheek so pale? The b
oard willhave a corner, and the corner will have a trencher, and the trencherwill have a glass beside it; and the board-end shall be filled, andthe trencher and the glass shall be replenished for thee, if all thepetticoats in Lothian had sworn the contrary. What, man! I am not theboy to put myself into leading-strings."

  "So says many an honest fellow," said Craigengelt, "and some of myspecial friends; but, curse me if I know the reason, the women couldnever bear me, and always contrived to trundle me out of favour beforethe honeymoon was over."

  "If you could have kept your ground till that was over, you might havemade a good year's pension," said Bucklaw.

  "But I never could," answered the dejected parasite. "There was my LordCastle-Cuddy--we were hand and glove: I rode his horses, borrowed moneyboth for him and from him, trained his hawks, and taught him how to layhis bets; and when he took a fancy of marrying, I married him to KatieGlegg, whom I thought myself as sure of as man could be of woman. Egad,she had me out of the house, as if I had run on wheels, within the firstfortnight!"

  "Well!" replied Bucklaw, "I think I have nothing of Castle-Cuddy aboutme, or Lucy of Katie Glegg. But you see the thing will go on whether youlike it or no; the only question is, will you be useful?"

  "Useful!" exclaimed the Captain, "and to thee, my lad of lands, mydarling boy, whom I would tramp barefooted through the world for! Nametime, place, mode, and circumstances, and see if I will not be useful inall uses that can be devised."

  "Why, then, you must ride two hundred miles for me," said the patron.

  "A thousand, and call them a flea's leap," answered the dependant; "I'llcause saddle my horse directly."

  "Better stay till you know where you are to go, and what you are todo," quoth Bucklaw. "You know I have a kinswoman in Northumberland, LadyBlenkensop by name, whose old acquaintance I had the misfortune to losein the period of my poverty, but the light of whose countenance shoneforth upon me when the sun of my prosperity began to arise."

  "D--n all such double-faced jades!" exclaimed Craigengelt, heroically;"this I will say for John Craigengelt, that he is his friend's friendthrough good report and bad report, poverty and riches; and you knowsomething of that yourself, Bucklaw."

  "I have not forgot your merits," said his patron "I do remember that,in my extremities, you had a mind to CRIMP me for the service of theFrench king, or of the Pretender; and, moreover, that you afterwardslent me a score of pieces, when, as I firmly believe, you had heard thenews that old Lady Girnington had a touch of the dead palsy. But don'tbe downcast, John; I believe, after all, you like me very well in yourway, and it is my misfortune to have no better counsellor at present.To return to this Lady Blenkensop, you must know, she is a closeconfederate of Duchess Sarah."

  "What! of Sall Jennings?" exclaimed Craigengelt; "then she must be agood one."

  "Hold your tongue, and keep your Tory rants to yourself, if it bepossible," said Bucklaw. "I tell you, that through the Duchess ofMarlborough has this Northumbrian cousin of mine become a crony of LadyAshton, the Keeper's wife, or, I may say, the Lord Keeper's Lady Keeper,and she has favoured Lady Blenkensop with a visit on her return fromLondon, and is just now at her old mansion-house on the banks of theWansbeck. Now, sir, as it has been the use and wont of these ladies toconsider their husbands as of no importance in the management of theirown families, it has been their present pleasure, without consultingSir William Ashton, to put on the tapis a matrimonial alliance, to beconcluded between Lucy Ashton and my own right honourable self, LadyAshton acting as self-constituted plenipotentiary on the part of herdaughter and husband, and Mother Blenkensop, equally unaccredited, doingme the honour to be my representative. You may suppose I was a littleastonished when I found that a treaty, in which I was so considerablyinterested, had advanced a good way before I was even consulted."

  "Capot me! if I think that was according to the rules of the game," saidhis confidant; "and pray, what answer did you return?"

  "Why, my first thought was to send the treaty to the devil, and thenegotiators along with it, for a couple of meddling old women; my nextwas to laugh very hearily; and my third and last was a settled opinionthat the thing was reasonable, and would suit me well enough."

  "Why, I thought you had never seen the wench but once, and then she hadher riding-mask on I am sure you told me so."

  "Ay, but I liked her very well then. And Ravenswood's dirty usage ofme--shutting me out of doors to dine with the lackeys, because hehad the Lord Keeper, forsooth, and his daughter, to be guests in hisbeggarly castle of starvation,--d--n me, Craigengelt, if I ever forgivehim till I play him as good a trick!"

  "No more you should, if you are a lad of mettle," said Craigengelt, thematter now taking a turn in which he could sympathise; "and if you carrythis wench from him, it will break his heart."

  "That it will not," said Bucklaw; "his heart is all steeled over withreason and philosophy, things that you, Craigie, know nothing aboutmore than myself, God help me. But it will break his pride, though, andthat's what I'm driving at."

  "Distance me!" said Craigengelt, "but I know the reason now of hisunmannerly behaviour at his old tumble-down tower yonder. Ashamed ofyour company?--no, no! Gad, he was afraid you would cut in and carry offthe girl."

  "Eh! Craigengelt?" said Bucklaw, "do you really think so? but no, no!he is a devilish deal prettier man than I am." "Who--he?" exclaimed theparasite. "He's as black as the crook; and for his size--he's a tallfellow, to be sure, but give me a light, stout, middle-sized----"

  "Plague on thee!" said Bucklaw, interrupting him, "and on me forlistening to you! You would say as much if I were hunch-backed. But asto Ravenswood--he has kept no terms with me, I'll keep none with him; ifI CAN win this girl from him, I WILL win her."

  "Win her! 'sblood, you SHALL win her, point, quint, and quatorze, myking of trumps; you shall pique, repique, and capot him."

  "Prithee, stop thy gambling cant for one instant," said Bucklaw."Things have come thus far, that I have entertained the proposal of mykinswoman, agreed to the terms of jointure, amount of fortune, and soforth, and that the affair is to go forward when Lady Ashton comes down,for she takes her daughter and her son in her own hand. Now they want meto send up a confidential person with some writings."

  "By this good win, I'll ride to the end of the world--the very gates ofJericho, and the judgment-seat of Prester John, for thee!" ejaculatedthe Captain.

  "Why, I believe you would do something for me, and a great deal foryourself. Now, any one could carry the writings; but you will have alittle more to do. You must contrive to drop out before my Lady Ashton,just as if it were a matter of little consequence, the residence ofRavenswood at her husband's house, and his close intercourse with MissAshton and you may tell her that all the country talks of a visit fromthe Marquis of A----, as it is supposed, to make up the match betwixtRavenswood and her daughter. I should like to hear what she says to allthis; for, rat me! if I have any idea of starting for the plate at allif Ravenswood is to win the race, and he has odds against me already."

  "Never a bit; the wench has too much sense, and in that belief I drinkher health a third time; and, were time and place fitting, I would drinkit on bended knees, and he that would not pledge me, I would make hisguts garter his stockings."

  "Hark ye, Craigengelt; as you are going into the society of women ofrank," said Bucklaw, "I'll thank you to forget your strange blackguardoaths and 'damme's.' I'll write to them, though, that you are a blunt,untaught fellow."

  "Ay, ay," replied Craigengelt--"a plain, blunt, honest, downrightsoldier."

  "Not too honest, not too much of the soldier neither; but such as thouart, it is my luck to need thee, for I must have spurs put to LadyAshton's motions." "I'll dash them up to the rowel-heads," saidCraigengelt; "she shall come here at the gallop, like a cow chased by awhole nest of hornets, and her tail over her rump like a corkscrew."

  "And hear ye, Craigie," said Bucklaw; "your boots and doublet are goodenough to drink in, as the man says in the play, but th
ey are somewhattoo greasy for tea-table service; prithee, get thyself a little betterrigged out, and here is to pay all charges."

  "Nay, Bucklaw; on my soul, man, you use me ill. However," addedCraigengelt, pocketing the money, "if you will have me so far indebtedto you, I must be conforming."

  "Well, horse and away!" said the patron, "so soon as you have got yourriding livery in trim. You may ride the black crop-ear; and, hark ye,I'll make you a present of him to boot."

  "I drink to the good luck of my mission," answered the ambassador, "in ahalf-pint bumper."

  "I thank ye, Craigie, and pledge you; I see nothing against it but thefather or the girl taking a tantrum, and I am told the mother can windthem both round her little finger. Take care not to affront her with anyof your Jacobite jargon."

  "Oh, ay, true--she is a Whig, and a friend of old Sall of Marlborough;thank my stars, I can hoist any colours at a pinch! I have fought ashard under John Churchill as ever I did under Dundee or the Duke ofBerwick."

  "I verily believe you, Craigie," said the lord of the mansion "but,Craigie, do you, pray, step down to the cellar, and fetch us up a bottleof the Burgundy, 1678; it is in the fourth bin from the right-hand turn.And I say, Craigie, you may fetch up half a dozen whilst you are aboutit. Egad, we'll make a night on't!"