Rob Roy (53 page)

‘They say,' he observed, ‘that king's chaff is better than other folk's corn; but I think that canna be said o' king's
soldiers, if they let themselves be beaten wi' a wheen add carles that are past fighting, and bairns that are no come till't, and wives wi' their rocks and distaffs, the very wally-draigles o' the country-side—and Dougal Gregor, too, wha wad hae thought there had been as muckle sense in his tatty pow, that ne'er had a better covering than his ain shaggy hassock of hair!—But say away—though I dread what's to come neist,—for my Helen's an incarnate devil when her bluid's up—puir thing, she has ower muckle reason.'

I observed as much delicacy as I could in communicating to him the usage we had received, but I obviously saw the detail gave him great pain.

‘I wad rather than a thousand merks,' he said, ‘that I had been at hame! To misguide strangers, and forbye a', my ain natural cousin, that had showed me sic kindness—I wad rather they had burned half the Lennox in their folly! But this comes o' trusting women and their bairns, that have neither measure nor reason in their dealings—however, it's a' owing to that dog of a gauger, wha betrayed me by pretending a message from your cousin Rashleigh, to meet him on the king's affairs, whilk I thought was very like to be anent Garschattachin and a party of the Lennox declaring themselves for King James. Faith, but I kend I was clean beguiled when I heard the Duke was there; and when they strapped the horsegirth ower my arms, I might hae judged what was biding me; for I kend your kinsman, being, wi' pardon, a slippery loon himsell, is prone to employ those of his ain kidney—I wish he mayna hae been at the bottom o' the ploy himsell—I thought the chield Morris looked devilish queer when I determined he should remain a wad, or hostage, for my safe back-coming. But I
am
come back, nae thanks to him, or them that employed him, and the question is, how the collector-loon is to win back himsell —I promise him it will not be without ransom.'

‘Morris,' said I, ‘has already paid the last ransom which mortal man can owe.'

‘Eh! What?' exclaimed my companion, hastily; ‘What d'ye say? I trust it was in the skirmish he was killed?'

‘He was slain in cold blood, after the fight was over, Mr. Campbell.'

‘Cold blood?—Damnation!'—he said, muttering betwixt his teeth—‘How fell that, sir?—Speak out, sir, and do not Maister or Campbell me—my foot is on my native heath, and my name is MacGregor!'

His passions were obviously irritated; but, without noticing the rudeness of his tone, I gave him a short and distinct account of the death of Morris. He struck the butt of his gun with great vehemence against the ground, and broke out, ‘I vow to God, such a deed might make one forswear kin, clan, country, wife, and bairns!—and yet the villain wrought long for it. And what is the difference between warsling below the water wi' a stane about your neck, and wavering in the wind wi' a tether round it?—it's but choking after a', and he drees the doom he ettled for me. I could have wished, though, they had rather putten a ball through him, or a dirk; for the fashion of removing him will give rise to mony idle clavers—But every wight has his weird, and we maun a' dee when our day comes—And naebody will deny that Helen MacGregor has deep wrongs to avenge.'

So saying, he seemed to dismiss the theme altogether from his mind, and proceeded to enquire how I got free from the party in whose hands he had seen me.

My story was soon told; and I added the episode of my having recovered the papers of my father, though I dare not trust my voice to name the name of Diana.

‘I was sure ye wad get them,' said MacGregor; ‘the letter ye brought me contained his Excellency's pleasure to that effect; and nae doubt it was my will to have aided in it. And
I asked ye up into this glen on the very errand. But it's like his Excellency has forgathered wi' Rashleigh sooner than I expected.'

The first part of this answer was what most forcibly struck me.

‘Was the letter I brought you, then, from this person you call his Excellency? Who is he? and what is his rank and proper name?'

‘I am thinking,' said MacGregor, ‘that since ye dinna ken them already, they canna be o' muckle consequence to you, and sae I shall say naething on that score. But weel I wot the letter was frae his ain hand, or, having a sort of business of my ain on my hands, being, as ye weel may see, just as much as I can fairly manage, I canna say I would hae fashed mysell sae muckle about the matter.'

I now recollected the lights seen in the library—the various circumstances which had excited my jealousy—the glove—the agitation of the tapestry which covered the secret passage from Rashleigh's apartment; and, above all, I recollected that Diana retired, in order to write, as I then thought, the billet to which I was to have recourse in case of the last necessity. Her hours, then, were not spent in solitude, but in listening to the addresses of some desperate agent of Jacobitical treason, who was a secret resident within the mansion of her uncle! Other young women have sold themselves for gold, or suffered themselves to be seduced from their first love from vanity; but Diana had sacrificed my affections and her own to partake the fortunes of some desperate adventurer—to seek the haunts of freebooters through midnight deserts, with no better hopes of rank or fortune than that mimicry of both which the mock court of the Stewarts at St. Germains had in their power to bestow.

‘I will see her,' I said internally, ‘if it be possible, once
more. I will argue with her as a friend—as a kinsman—on the risk she is incurring, and I will facilitate her retreat to France, where she may, with more comfort and propriety, as well as safety, abide the issue of the turmoils which the political trepanner, to whom she has united her fate, is doubtless busied in putting into motion.'

‘I conclude, then,' I said to MacGregor, after about five minutes' silence on both sides,' that his Excellency, since you give me no other name for him, was residing in Osbaldistone Hall at the same time with myself?'

‘To be sure—to be sure—and in the young lady's apartment, as best reason was.' This gratuitous information was adding gall to bitterness.' But few,' added Macgregor,' kend he was denied there, save Rashleigh and Sir Hildebrand; for you were out o' the question; and the young lads haena wit eneugh to ca' the cat frae the cream—But it's a bra' auld-fashioned house; and what I specially admire, is the abundance of holes and bores and concealments—ye could put twenty or thirty men in ae corner, and a family might live a week without finding them out—whilk, nae doubt, may on occasion be a special convenience. I wish we had the like o' Osbaldistone Hall oh the braes o' Craig Royston—But we maun gar woods and caves serve the like o' us puir Hieland bodies.'

‘I suppose his Excellency,' said I, ‘was privy to the first accident which befell——'

I could not help hesitating a moment.

‘Ye were going to say Morris,' said Rob Roy coolly, for he was too much accustomed to deeds of violence for the agitation he had at first expressed to be of long continuance.' I used to laugh heartily at that reik, but I'll hardly hae the heart to do't again, since the ill-far'd accident at the Loch— Na, na, his Excellency kend nought o' that ploy—it was a' managed atween Rashleigh and mysell. But the sport that
came after—and Rashleigh's shift o' turning the suspicion aff himsell upon you, that he had nae grit favour to frae the beginning—and then Miss Die, she maun hae us sweep up a' our spiders' webs again, and set you out o' the Justice's claws—and then the frightened craven, Morris, that was scared out o' his seven senses by seeing the real man when he was charging the innocent stranger—and the gowk of a clerk—and the drunken carle of a justice—Ohon! ohon!—mony a laugh that job's gien me—and now' a' that I can do for the puir devil is to get some messes said for his soul.'

‘May I ask,' said I, ‘how Miss Vernon came to have so much influence over Rashleigh and his accomplices, as to derange your projected plan?'

‘Mine? it was none of mine. No man can say I ever laid my burden on other folk's shoulders—it was a' Rashleigh's doings—But, undoubtedly, she had great influence wi' us baith on account of his Excellency's affection, as weel as that she kend far ower mony secrets to be lightlied in a matter o' that kind.—Deil tak him,' he ejaculated, by way of summing up, ‘that gies women either secret to keep or power to abuse—fules shouldna hae chapping sticks.'

We were now within a quarter of a mile from the village, when three Highlanders, springing upon us with presented arms, commanded us to stand and tell our business. The single word,
Gregaragh,
in the deep and commanding voice of my companion, was answered by a shout, or rather yell, of joyful recognition. One, throwing down his fire-lock, clasped his leader so fast round the knees, that he was unable to extricate himself, muttering, at the same time, a torrent of Gaelic gratulation, which every now and then rose into a sort of scream of gladness. The two others, after the first howling was over, set off literally with the speed of deers, contending which should first carry to the village, which a
strong party of the MacGregors now occupied, the joyful news of Rob Roy's escape and return. The intelligence excited such shouts of jubilation that the very hills rung again, and young and old, men, women, and children, without distinction of sex or age, came running down the vale to meet us, with all the tumultuous speed and clamour of a mountain torrent. When I heard the rushing noise and yells of this joyful multitude approach us, I thought it a fitting precaution to remind MacGregor that I was a stranger, and under his protection. He accordingly held me fast by the hand, while the assemblage crowded around him with such shouts of devoted attachment, and joy at his return, as were really affecting; nor did he extend to his followers what all eagerly sought, the grasp, namely, of his hand, until he had made them understand that I was to be kindly and carefully used.

The mandate of the Sultan of Delhi could not have been more promptly obeyed. Indeed, I now sustained nearly as much inconvenience from their well-meant attentions as formerly from their rudeness. They would hardly allow the friend of their leader to walk upon his own legs, so earnest were they in affording me support and assistance upon the way; and at length, taking advantage of a slight stumble which I made over a stone, which the press did not permit me to avoid, they fairly seized upon me, and bore me in their arms in triumph towards Mrs. MacAlpine's.

On arrival before her hospitable wigwam, I found power and popularity had its inconveniences in the Highlands, as everywhere else; for before MacGregor could be permitted to enter the house where he was to obtain rest and refreshment, he was obliged to relate the story of his escape at least a dozen times over, as I was told by an officious old man, who chose to translate it at least as often for my edification, and to whom I was in policy obliged to seem
to pay a decent degree of attention. The audience being at length satisfied, group after group departed to take their bed upon the heath, or in the neighbouring huts, some cursing the Duke and Garschattachin, some lamenting the probable danger of Ewan of Brigglands, incurred by his friendship to MacGregor, but all agreeing that the escape of Rob Roy himself lost nothing in comparison with the exploit of any one of their chiefs since the days of Dougal-Ciar, the founder of his line.

The friendly outlaw, now taking me by the arm conducted me into the interior of the hut. My eyes roved round its smoky recesses in quest of Diana and her companion; but they were nowhere to be seen, and I felt as if to make enquiries might betray some secret motives, which were best concealed. The only known countenance upon which my eyes rested, was that of the Bailie, who, seated on a stool by the fireside, received, with a sort of reserved dignity, the welcomes of Rob Roy, the apologies which he made for his indifferent accommodation, and his enquiries after his health.

‘I am pretty weel, kinsman,' said the Bailie, ‘indifferent weel, I thank ye; and for accommodations, ane canna expect to carry about the Saut-Market at his tail, as a snail does his caup—and I am blythe that ye hae gotten out o' the hands o' your unfreends.'

‘Weel, weel, then,' answered Roy, ‘whatis't ails ye, man?—a's weel that ends weel!—the warld will last our day—come, take a cup o' brandy—your father the deacon could tak ane at an orra time.'

‘It might be he might do sae, Robin, after fatigue—whilk has been my lot mair ways than ane this day. But,' he continued, slowly filling up a little wooden stoup which might hold about three glasses, ‘he was a moderate man of his bicker, as I am mysell—Here's wussing health to ye,
Robin,' (a sip), ‘and your weelfare here and hereafter,' (another taste,) ‘and also to my cousin Helen—and to your twa hopefu' lads, of whom mair anon.'

So saying, he drank up the contents of the cup with great gravity and deliberation, while MacGregor winked aside to me as if in ridicule of the air of wisdom and superior authority which the Bailie assumed towards him in their intercourse, and which he exercised when Rob was at the head of his armed clan, in full as great, or a greater degree, than when he was at the Bailie's mercy in the Tolbooth of Glasgow. It seemed to me, that MacGregqr wished me, as a stranger, to understand, that if he submitted to the tone which his kinsman assumed, it was partly out of deference to the rights of hospitality, but still more for the jest's sake.

As the Bailie set down his cup he recognized me, and giving me a cordial welcome on my return, he waived farther communication with me for the present.

‘I will speak to your matters anon; I maun begin, as in reason, wi' those of my kinsman.—I presume, Robin, there's naebody here will carry aught o' what I am gaun to say, to the town-council or elsewhere, to my prejudice or to yours?'