redgauntlet-第60部分

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nder　the　pot；　with　this　difference；　that　they　did　not　accompany　or　second　any　such　useful　operation　as　the　boiling　thereof。

Fairford　was　glad　when　the　cloth　was　withdrawn；　and　when　Provost　Crosbie　（not　without　some　points　of　advice　from　his　lady　touching　the　precise　mixture　of　the　ingredients）　had　accomplished　the　compounding　of　a　noble　bowl　of　punch；　at　which　the　old　Jacobite's　eyes　seemed　to　glisten；　the　glasses　were　pushed　round　it；　filled；　and　withdrawn　each　by　its　owner；　when　the　provost　emphatically　named　the　toast；　'The　King；'　with　an　important　look　to　Fairford；　which　seemed　to　say；　You　can　have　no　doubt　whom　I　mean；　and　therefore　there　is　no　occasion　to　particularize　the　individual。

Summertrees　repeated　the　toast；　with　a　sly　wink　to　the　lady；　while　Fairford　drank　his　glass　in　silence。

'Well；　young　advocate；'　said　the　landed　proprietor；　'I　am　glad　to　see　there　is　some　shame；　if　there　is　little　honesty；　left　in　the　Faculty。　　Some　of　your　black　gowns；　nowadays；　have　as　little　of　the　one　as　of　the　other。'

'At　least；　sir；'　replied　Mr。　Fairford；　'I　am　so　much　of　a　lawyer　as　not　willingly　to　enter　into　disputes　which　I　am　not　retained　to　supportit　would　be　but　throwing　away　both　time　and　argument。'

'Come；　come；'　said　the　lady；　'we　will　have　no　argument　in　this　house　about　Whig　or　Torythe　provost　kens　what　he　maun　SAY；　and　I　ken　what　he　should　THINK；　and　for　a'　that　has　come　and　gane　yet；　there　may　be　a　time　coming　when　honest　men　may　say　what　they　think；　whether　they　be　provosts　or　not。'

'D'ye　hear　that；　provost？'　　said　Summertrees；　'your　wife's　a　witch；　man；　you　should　nail　a　horseshoe　on　your　chamber　doorHa；　ha；　ha！'

This　sally　did　not　take　quite　so　well　as　former　efforts　of　the　laird's　wit。　　The　lady　drew　up；　and　the　provost　said；　half　aside；　'The　sooth　bourd　is　nae　bourd。　　＇The　true　joke　is　no　joke。＇　　You　will　find　the　horseshoe　hissing　hot；　Summertrees。'

'You　can　speak　from　experience；　doubtless；　provost；'　answered　the　laird；　'but　I　crave　pardonI　need　not　tell　Mrs。　Crosbie　that　I　have　all　respect　for　the　auld　and　honourable　House　of　Redgauntlet。'

'And　good　reason　ye　have；　that　are　sae　sib　to　them；'　quoth　the　lady；　'and　kend　weel　baith　them　that　are　here；　and　them　that　are　gane。'

'In　troth；　and　ye　may　say　sae；　madam；'　answered　the　laird；　'for　poor　Harry　Redgauntlet；　that　suffered　at　Carlisle；　was　hand　and　glove　with　me；　and　yet　we　parted　on　short　leave…taking。'

'Aye；　Summertrees；'　said　the　provost；　'that　was　when　you　played　Cheat…the…woodie；　and　gat　the　by…name　of　Pate…in…Peril。　　I　wish　you　would　tell　the　story　to　my　young　friend　here。　　He　likes　weel　to　hear　of　a　sharp　trick；　as　most　lawyers　do。'

'I　wonder　at　your　want　of　circumspection；　provost；'　said　the　laird；much　after　the　manner　of　a　singer　when　declining　to　sing　the　song　that　is　quivering　upon　his　tongue's　very　end。　　'Ye　should　mind　there　are　some　auld　stories　that　cannot　be　ripped　up　again　with　entire　safety　to　all　concerned。　　TACE　is　Latin　for　a　candle；'

'I　hope；'　said　the　lady；　'you　are　not　afraid　of　anything　being　said　out　of　this　house　to　your　prejudice；　Summertrees？　　I　have　heard　the　story　before；　but　the　oftener　I　hear　it；　the　more　wonderful　I　think　it。'

'Yes；　madam；　but　it　has　been　now　a　wonder　of　more　than　nine　days；　and　it　is　time　it　should　be　ended；'　answered　Maxwell。

Fairford　now　thought　it　civil　to　say；　'that　he　had　often　heard　of　Mr。　Maxwell's　wonderful　escape；　and　that　nothing　could　be　more　agreeable　to　him　than　to　hear　the　right　version　of　it。'

But　Summertrees　was　obdurate；　and　refused　to　take　up　the　time　of　the　company　with　such　'auld…warld　nonsense。'

'Weel；　weel；'　said　the　provost；　'a　wilful　man　maun　hae　his　way。　What　do　your　folk　in　the　country　think　about　the　disturbances　that　are　beginning　to　spunk　out　in　the　colonies？'

'Excellent；　sir；　excellent。　　When　things　come　to　the　worst；　they　will　mend；　and　to　the　worst　they　are　coming。　　But　as　to　that　nonsense　ploy　of　mine；　if　ye　insist　on　hearing　the　particulars；'　said　the　laird；　who　began　to　be　sensible　that　the　period　of　telling　his　story　gracefully　was　gliding　fast　away。

'Nay；'　said　the　provost；　'it　was　not　for　myself；　but　this　young　gentlemen。'

'Aweel；　what　for　should　I　not　pleasure　the　young　gentlemen？　　I'll　just　drink　to　honest　folk　at　hame　and　abroad；　and　deil　ane　else。　And　thenbut　you　have　heard　it　before；　Mrs。　Crosbie？'

'Not　so　often　as　to　think　it　tiresome；　I　assure　ye；'　said　the　lady；　and　without　further　preliminaries；　the　laird　addressed　Alan　Fairford。

'Ye　have　heard　of　a　year　they　call　the　FORTY…FIVE；　young　gentleman；　when　the　Southrons'　heads　made　their　last　acquaintance　with　Scottish　claymores？　　There　was　a　set　of　rampauging　chields　in　the　country　then　that　they　called　rebelsI　never　could　find　out　what　forSome　men　should　have　been　wi'　them　that　never　came；　provostSkye　and　the　Bush　aboon　Traquair　for　that；　ye　ken。　Weel；　the　job　was　settled　at　last。　　Cloured　crowns　were　plenty；　and　raxed　necks　came　into　fashion。　　I　dinna　mind　very　weel　what　I　was　doing；　swaggering　about　the　country　with　dirk　and　pistol　at　my　belt　for　five　or　six　months；　or　thereaway；　but　I　had　a　weary　waking　out　of　a　wild　dream。　　When　did　I　find　myself　on　foot　in　a　misty　morning；　with　my　hand；　just　for　fear　of　going　astray；　linked　into　a　handcuff；　as　they　call　it；　with　poor　Harry　Redgauntlet's　fastened　into　the　other；　and　there　we　were；　trudging　along；　with　about　a　score　more　that　had　thrust　their　horns　ower　deep　in　the　bog；　just　like　ourselves；　and　a　sergeant's　guard　of　redcoats；　with　twa　file　of　dragoons；　to　keep　all　quiet；　and　give　us　heart　to　the　road。　　Now；　if　this　mode　of　travelling　was　not　very　pleasant；　the　object　did　not　particularly　recommend　it；　for；　you　understand；　young　man；　that　they　did　not　trust　these　poor　rebel　bodies　to　be　tried　by　juries　of　their　ain　kindly　countrymen；　though　ane　would　have　thought　they　would　have　found　Whigs　enough　in　Scotland　to　hang　us　all；　but　they　behoved　to　trounce　us　away　to　be　tried　at　Carlisle；　where　the　folk　had　been　so　frightened；　that　had　you　brought　a　whole　Highland　clan　at　once　into　the　court；　they　would　have　put　their　hands　upon　their　een；　and　cried；　〃hang　them　a'；〃　just　to　be　quit　of　them。'

'Aye；　aye；'　said　the　provost；　'that　was　a　snell　law；　I　grant　ye。'

'Snell！'　　said　the　wife；　'snell！　　I　wish　they　that　passed　it　had　the　jury　I　would　recommend　them　to！'

'I　suppose　the　young　lawyer　thinks　it　all　very　right；'　said　Summertrees；　looking　at　Fairford〃an　OLD　lawyer　might　have　thought　otherwise。　　However；　the　cudgel　was　to　be　found　to　beat　the　dog；　and　they　chose　a　heavy　one。　　Well；　I　kept　my　spirits　better　than　my　companion；　poor　fellow；　for　I　had　the　luck　to　have　neither　wife　nor　child　to　think　about；　and　Harry　Redgauntlet　had　both　one　and　t'other。You　have　seen　Harry；　Mrs。　Crosbie？'

'In　troth　have　I；'　said　she；　with　the　sigh　which　we　give　to　early　recollections；　of　which　the　object　is　no　more。　　'He　was　not　so　tall　as　his　brother；　and　a　gentler　lad　every　way。　　After　he　married　the　great　English　fortune；　folk　called　him　less　of　a　Scottishman　than　Edward。'

'Folk　lee'd；　then；'　said　Summertrees；　'poor　Harry　was　none　of　your　bold…speaking；　ranting　reivers；　that　talk　about　what　they　did　yesterday；　or　what　they　will　do　to…morrow；　it　was　when　something　was　to　do　at　the　moment　that　you　should　have　looked　at　Harry　Redgauntlet。　　I　saw　him　at　Culloden；　when　all　was　lost；　doing　more　than　twenty　of　these　bleezing　braggarts；　till　the　very　soldiers　that　took　him　cried　not　to　hurt　himfor　all　somebody's　orders；　provostfor　he　was　the　bravest　fellow　of　them　all。　Weel；　as　I　went　by　the　side　of　Harry；　and　felt　him　raise　my　hand　up　in　the　mist　of　the　morning；　as　if　he　wished　to　wipe　his　eye　for　he　had　not　that　freedom　without　my　leavemy　very　heart　was　like　to　break　for　him；　poor　fellow。　　In　the　meanwhile；　I　had　been　trying　and　trying　to　make　my　hand　as　fine　as　a　lady's；　to　see　if　I　could　slip　it　out　of　my　iron　wristband。　　You　may　think；'　he　said；　laying　his　broad　bony　hand　on　the　table；　'I　had　work　enough　with　such　a　shoulder…of…mutton　fist；　but　if　you　observe；　the　shackle…bones　are　of　the　largest；　and　so　they　were　obliged　to　keep　the　handcuff　wide；　at　length　I　got　my　hand　slipped　out；　and　slipped　in　again；　and　poor　Harry　was　sae　deep　in　his　ain　thoughts；　I　could　not　make　him　sensible　what　I　was　doing；'

'Why　not？'　　said　Alan　Fairford；　for　whom　the　tale　began　to　have　some　interest。

'Because　there　was　an　unchancy　beast　of　a　dragoon　riding　close　beside　us　on　the　other　side；　and　if　I　had　let　him　into　my　confidence　as　well　as　Harry；　it　would　not　have　been　long　before　a　pistol…ball　slapped　through　my　bonnet。Well；　I　had　little　for　it　but　to　do　the　best　I　could　for　myself；　and；　by　my　conscience；　it　was　time；　when　the　gallows　was　staring　me　in　the　face。　　We　were　to　halt　for　breakfast　at　Moffat。　　Well　did　I　know　the　moors　we　were　marching　over；　having　hunted　and　hawked　on　every　acre　of　ground　in　very　different　times。　　So　I　waited；　you　see；　till　I　was　on　the　edge　of　Errickstane…braeYe　ken　the　place　they　call　the　Marquis's　Beef…stand；　because　the　Annandale　loons　used　to　put　their　stolen　cattle　in　there？'

Fairford　intimated　his　ignorance；

'Ye　must　have　seen　it　as　ye　came　this　way；　it　looks　as　if　four　hills　were　laying　their　heads　together；　to　shut　out　daylight　from　the　dark　hollow　space　between　them。　　A　dd　deep；　black；　blackguard…looking　abyss　of　a　hole　it　is；　and　goes　straight　down　from　the　roadside；　as　perpendicular　as　it　can　do；　to　be　a　heathery　brae。　　At　the　bottom；　there　is　a　small　bit　of　a　brook；　that　you　would　think　could　hardly　find；　its　way　out　from　the　hills　that　are　so　closely　jammed　round　it。'

'A　bad　pass；　indeed；'　said　Alan。

'You　may　say　that；'　continued　the　laird。　　'Bad　as　it　was；　sir；　it　was　my　only　chance；　and　though　my　very　flesh　creeped　when　I　thought　what　a　rumble　I　was　going　to　get；　yet　I　kept　my　heart　up　all　the　same。　　And　so；　just　when　we　came　on　the　edge　of　this　Beef…stand　of　the　Johnstones；　I　slipped　out　my　hand　from　the　handcuff；　cried　to　Harry　Gauntlet；　'Follow　me！'whisked　under　the　belly　of　the　dragoon　horseflung　my　plaid　round　me　with　the　speed　of　lightningthrew　myself　on　my　side；　for　there　was　no　keeping　my　feet；　and　down　the　brae　hurled　I；　over　heather　and　fern；　and　blackberries；　like　a　barrel　down　Ch