redgauntlet-第102部分

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licting　causes　of　anxiety；　together　with　her　uncertainty；　whether　to　continue　or　change　her　son's　destination；　were　terminated　in　the　following　manner：

The　house　in　which　Mrs。　C　resided　in　the　old　town　of　Edinburgh；　was　a　flat　or　story　of　a　land　accessible；　as　was　then　universal；　by　a　common　stair。　　The　family　who　occupied　the　story　beneath　were　her　acquaintances；　and　she　was　in　the　habit　of　drinking　tea　with　them　every　evening。　　It　was　accordingly　about　six　o'clock；　when；　recovering　herself　from　a　deep　fit　of　anxious　reflection；　she　was　about　to　leave　the　parlour　in　which　she　sat　in　order　to　attend　this　engagement。　　The　door　through　which　she　was　to　pass　opened；　as　was　very　common　in　Edinburgh；　into　a　dark　passage。　　In　this　passage；　and　within　a　yard　of　her　when　she　opened　the　door；　stood　the　apparition　of　her　kinsman；　the　deceased　officer；　in　his　full　tartans；　and　wearing　his　bonnet。　　Terrified　at　what　she　saw；　or　thought　she　saw；　she　closed　the　door　hastily；　and；　sinking　on　her　knees　by　a　chair；　prayed　to　be　delivered　from　the　horrors　of　the　vision。　　She　remained　in　that　posture　till　her　friends　below　tapped　on　the　door；　to　intimate　that　tea　was　ready。　　Recalled　to　herself　by　the　signal；　she　arose；　and；　on　opening　the　apartment　door；　again　was　confronted　by　the　visionary　Highlander；　whose　bloody　brow　bore　token；　on　this　second　appearance；　to　the　death　he　had　died。　　Unable　to　endure　this　repetition　of　her　terrors；　Mrs。　C　sank　on　the　door　in　a　swoon。　　Her　friends　below；　startled　with　the　noise；　came　upstairs；　and；　alarmed　at　the　situation　in　which　they　found　her；　insisted　on　her　going　to　bed　and　taking　some　medicine；　in　order　to　compose　what　they　took　for　a　nervous　attack。　　They　had　no　sooner　left　her　in　quiet；　than　the　apparition　of　the　soldier　was　once　more　visible　in　the　apartment。　This　time　she　took　courage　and　said；　'In　the　name　of　God；　Donald；　why　do　you　haunt　one　who　respected　and　loved　you　when　living？'　To　which　he　answered　readily；　in　Gaelic；　'Cousin；　why　did　you　not　speak　sooner？　　My　rest　is　disturbed　by　your　unnecessary　lamentationyour　tears　scald　me　in　my　shroud。　　I　come　to　tell　you　that　my　untimely　death　ought　to　make　no　difference　in　your　views　for　your　son；　God　will　raise　patrons　to　supply　my　place　and　he　will　live　to　the　fullness　of　years；　and　die　honoured　and　at　peace。'　　The　lady　of　course　followed　her　kinsman's　advice　and　as　she　was　accounted　a　person　of　strict　veracity；　we　may　conclude　the　first　apparition　an　illusion　of　the　fancy；　the　final　one　a　lively　dream　suggested　by　the　other　two。


NOTE　4。PETER　PEEBLES

This　unfortunate　litigant　（for　a　person　named　Peter　Peebles　actually　flourished）　frequented　the　courts　of　justice　in　Scotland　about　the　year　1792；　and　the　sketch　of　his　appearance　is　given　from　recollection。　　The　author　is　of　opinion　that　he　himself　had　at　one　time　the　honour　to　be　counsel　for　Peter　Peebles；　whose　voluminous　course　of　litigation　served　as　a　sort　of　assay…pieces　to　most　young　men　who　were　called　to　the　bar。　　The　scene　of　the　consultation　is　entirely　imaginary。


NOTE　5。JOHN'S　COFFEE…HOUSE

This　small　dark　coffee…house；　now　burnt　down；　was　the　resort　of　such　writers　and　clerks　belonging　to　the　Parliament　House　above　thirty　years　ago　as　retained　the　ancient　Scottish　custom　of　a　meridian；　as　it　was　called；　or　noontide　dram　of　spirits。　　If　their　proceedings　were　watched；　they　might　be　seen　to　turn　fidgety　about　the　hour　of　noon；　and　exchange　looks　with　each　other　from　their　separate　desks；　till　at　length　some　one　of　formal　and　dignified　presence　assumed　the　honour　of　leading　the　band；　when　away　they　went；　threading　the　crowd　like　a　string　of　wild　fowl；　crossed　the　square　or　close；　and　following　each　other　into　the　coffee…house；　received　in　turn　from　the　hand　of　the　waiter；　the　meridian；　which　was　placed　ready　at　the　bar。　　This　they　did；　day　by　day：　　and　though　they　did　not　speak　to　each　other；　they　seemed　to　attach　a　certain　degree　of　sociability　to　performing　the　ceremony　in　company。


NOTE　6。FISHING　RIGHTS

It　may　be　here　mentioned；　that　a　violent　and　popular　attack　upon　what　the　country　people　of　this　district　considered　as　an　invasion　of　their　fishing　right　is　by　no　means　an　improbable　fiction。　　Shortly　after　the　close　of　the　American　war；　Sir　James　Graham　of　Netherby　constructed　a　dam…dyke；　or　cauld；　across　the　Esk；　at　a　place　where　it　flowed　through　his　estate；　though　it　has　its　origin；　and　the　principal　part　of　its　course；　in　Scotland。　The　new　barrier　at　Netherby　was　considered　as　an　encroachment　calculated　to　prevent　the　salmon　from　ascending　into　Scotland；　and　the　right　of　erecting　it　being　an　international　question　of　law　betwixt　the　sister　kingdoms；　there　was　no　court　in　either　competent　to　its　decision。　　In　this　dilemma；　the　Scots　people　assembled　in　numbers　by　signal　of　rocket　lights；　and；　rudely　armed　with　fowling…pieces；　fish…spears；　and　such　rustic　weapons；　marched　to　the　banks　of　the　river　for　the　purpose　of　pulling　down　the　dam…dyke　objected　to。　　Sir　James　Graham　armed　many　of　his　own　people　to　protect　his　property；　and　had　some　military　from　Carlisle　for　the　same　purpose。　　A　renewal　of　the　Border　wars　had　nearly　taken　place　in　the　eighteenth　century；　when　prudence　and　moderation　on　both　sides　saved　much　tumult；　and　perhaps　some　bloodshed。　　The　English　proprietor　consented　that　a　breach　should　be　made　in　his　dam…dyke　sufficient　for　the　passage　of　the　fish；　and　thus　removed　the　Scottish　grievance。　　I　believe　the　river　has　since　that　time　taken　the　matter　into　its　own　disposal；　and　entirely　swept　away　the　dam…dyke　in　question。


NOTE　7。STATE　OF　SCOTLAND

Scotland；　in　its　half…civilized　state；　exhibited　too　many　examples　of　the　exertion　of　arbitrary　force　and　violence；　rendered　easy　by　the　dominion　which　lairds　exerted　over　their　tenants　and　chiefs　over　their　clans。　　The　captivity　of　Lady　Grange；　in　the　desolate　cliffs　of　Saint　Kilda；　is　in　the　recollection　of　every　one。　　At　the　supposed　date　of　the　novel　also　a　man　of　the　name　of　Merrilees；　a　tanner　in　Leith；　absconded　from　his　country　to　escape　his　creditors；　and　after　having　slain　his　own　mastiff　dog；　and　put　a　bit　of　red　cloth　in　its　mouth；　as　if　it　had　died　in　a　contest　with　soldiers；　and　involved　his　own　existence　in　as　much　mystery　as　possible；　made　his　escape　into　Yorkshire。　　Here　he　was　detected　by　persons　sent　in　search　of　him；　to　whom　he　gave　a　portentous　account　of　his　having　been　carried　off　and　concealed　in　various　places。　　Mr。　Merrilees　was；　in　short；　a　kind　of　male　Elizabeth　Canning；　but　did　not　trespass　on　the　public　credulity　quite　so　long。


NOTE　8。CONCEALMENTS　FOR　THEFT　AND　SMUGGLING

I　am　sorry　to　say　that　the　modes　of　concealment　described　in　the　imaginary　premises　of　Mr。　Trumbull；　are　of　a　kind　which　have　been　common　on　the　frontiers　of　late　years。　　The　neighbourhood　of　two　nations　having　different　laws；　though　united　in　government；　still　leads　to　a　multitude　of　transgressions　on　the　Border；　and　extreme　difficulty　in　apprehending　delinquents。　　About　twenty　years　since；　as　far　as　my　recollection　serves；　there　was　along　the　frontier　an　organized　gang　of　coiners；　forgers；　smugglers；　and　other　malefactors；　whose　operations　were　conducted　on　a　scale　not

inferior　to　what　is　here　described。　　The　chief　of　the　party　was　one　Richard　Mendham　a　carpenter；　who　rose　to　opulence；　although　ignorant　even　of　the　arts　of　reading　and　writing。　　But　he　had　found　a　short　road　to　wealth；　and　had　taken　singular　measures　for　conducting　his　operations。　　Amongst　these；　he　found　means　to　build；　in　a　suburb　of　Berwick　called　Spittal；　a　street　of　small　houses；　as　if　for　the　investment　of　property。　　He　himself　inhabited　one　of　these；　another；　a　species　of　public…house；　was　open　to　his　confederates；　who　held　secret　and　unsuspected　communication　with　him　by　crossing　the　roofs　of　the　intervening　houses；　and　descending　by　a　trap…stair；　which　admitted　them　into　the　alcove　of　the　dining…room　of　Dick　Mendham's　private　mansion。　A　vault；　too；　beneath　Mendham's　stable；　was　accessible　in　the　manner　mentioned　in　the　novel。　　The　post　of　one　of　the　stalls　turned　round　on　a　bolt　being　withdrawn；　and　gave　admittance　to　a　subterranean　place　of　concealment　for　contraband　and　stolen　goods；　to　a　great　extent。　　Richard　Mendham；　the　head　of　this　very　formidable　conspiracy；　which　involved　malefactors　of　every　kind；　was　tried　and　executed　at　Jedburgh；　where　the　author　was　present　as　Sheriff　of　Selkirkshire。　　Mendham　had　previously　been　tried；　but　escaped　by　want　of　proof　and　the　ingenuity　of　his　counsel。


NOTE　9CORONATION　OF　GEORGE　III

In　excuse　of　what　may　be　considered　as　a　violent　infraction　of　probability　in　this　chapter；　the　author　is　under　the　necessity　of　quoting　a　tradition　which　many　persons　may　recollect　having　heard。　　It　was　always　said；　though　with　very　little　appearance　of　truth；　that　upon　the　Coronation　of　the　late　George　III；　when　the　champion　of　England；　Dymock；　or　his　representative；　appeared　in　Westminster　Hall；　and　in　the　language　of　chivalry　solemnly　wagered　his　body　to　defend　in　single　combat　the　right　of　the　young　King　to　the　crown　of　these　realms；　at　the　moment　when　he　flung　down　his　gauntlet　as　the　gage　of　battle；　an　unknown　female　stepped　from　the　crowd　and　lifted　the　pledge；　leaving　another　gage　in　room　of　it；　with　a　paper　expressing；　that　if　a　fair　field　of　combat　should　be　allowed；　a　champion　of　rank　and　birth　would　appear　with　equal　arms　to　dispute　the　claim　of　King　George　to　the　British　kingdoms。　　The　story　is　probably　one　of　the　numerous　fictions　which　were　circulated　to　keep　up　the　spirits　of　a　sinking　faction；　The　incident　was；　however；　possible；　if　it　could　be　supposed　to　he　attended　by　any　motive　adequate　to　the　risk；　and　might　be　imagined　to　occur　to　a　person　of　Redgauntlet's　enthusiastic　character。　　George　III；　it　is　said；　had　a　police　of　his　own；　whose　agency　was　so　efficient；　that　the　sovereign　was　able　to　tell　his　prime　minister　upon　one　occasion；　to　his　great　surprise；　that　the　Pretender　was　in　London。　　The　prime　minister　began　immediately　to　talk　of　measures　to　be　taken；　warrants　to　be　procured；　messengers　and　guards　to　be　got　in　readiness。　　'Pooh；　pooh；'　said　the　good…natured　sovereign；　since　I　have　found　him　out；　leave　me　alone　to　deal　with　him。''And　what；'　said　the　minister；　'is　your　Majest