A chaise returning empty to Kippletringan had been stopped on the
highroad by a constable, who foresaw it would be necessary to convey
Hatteraick to jail. The driver, understanding what was going on at
Derncleugh, left his horses to the care of a blackguard boy, confiding,
it is to be supposed, rather in the years and discretion of the cattle
than in those of their keeper, and set off full speed to see, as he
expressed himself, 'whaten a sort o' fun was gaun on.' He arrived just as
the group of tenants and peasants, whose numbers increased every moment,
satiated with gazing upon the rugged features of Hatteraick, had turned
their attention towards Bertram. Almost all of them, especially the aged
men who had seen Ellangowan in his better days, felt and acknowledged the
justice of Meg Merrilies's appeal. But the Scotch are a cautious people:
they remembered there was another in possession of the estate, and they
as yet only expressed their feelings in low whispers to each other. Our
friend Jock Jabos, the postilion, forced his way into the middle of the
circle; but no sooner cast his eyes upon Bertram than he started back in
amazement, with a solemn exclamation, 'As sure as there's breath in man,
it's auld Ellangowan arisen from the dead!'

This public declaration of an unprejudiced witness was just the spark
wanted to give fire to the popular feeling, which burst forth in three
distinct shouts: 'Bertram for ever!' 'Long life to the heir of
Ellangowan!' 'God send him his ain, and to live among us as his forebears
did of yore!'

'I hae been seventy years on the land,' said one person.

'I and mine hae been seventy and seventy to that,' said another; 'I have
a right to ken the glance of a Bertram.'

'I and mine hae been three hundred years here,' said another old man,
'and I sail sell my last cow, but I'll see the young Laird placed in his
right.'

The women, ever delighted with the marvellous, and not less so when a
handsome young man is the subject of the tale, added their shrill
acclamations to the general all-hail. 'Blessings on him; he's the very
picture o' his father! The Bertrams were aye the wale o' the country
side!'

'Eh! that his puir mother, that died in grief and in doubt about him, had
but lived to see this day!' exclaimed some female voices.

'But we'll help him to his ain, kimmers,' cried others; 'and before
Glossin sail keep the Place of Ellangowan we'll howk him out o't wi' our
nails!'

Others crowded around Dinmont, who was nothing both to tell what he knew
of his friend, and to boast the honour which he had in contributing to
the discovery. As he was known to several of the principal farmers
present, his testimony afforded an additional motive to the general
enthusiasm. In short, it was one of those moments of intense feeling when
the frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow-wreath, and the
dissolving torrent carries dam and dyke before it.

The sudden shouts interrupted the devotions of the clergyman; and Meg,
who was in one of those dozing fits of stupefaction that precede the
close of existence, suddenly started--'Dinna ye hear? dinna ye hear? He's
owned! he's owned! I lived but for this. I am a sinfu' woman; but if my
curse brought it down, my blessing has taen it off! And now I wad hae
liked to hae said mair. But it canna be. Stay'--she continued, stretching
her head towards the gleam of light that shot through the narrow slit
which served for a window--'is he not there? Stand out o' the light, and
let me look upon him ance mair. But the darkness is in my ain een,' she
said, sinking back, after an earnest gaze upon vacuity; 'it's a' ended
now,
     Pass breath,
     Come death!'
And, sinking back upon her couch of straw, she expired without a groan.
The clergyman and the surgeon carefully noted down all that she had said,
now deeply regretting they had not examined her more minutely, but both
remaining morally convinced of the truth of her disclosure.

Hazlewood was the first to compliment Bertram upon the near prospect of
his being restored to his name and rank in society. The people around,
who now learned from Jabos that Bertram was the person who had wounded
him, were struck with his generosity, and added his name to Bertram's in
their exulting acclamations.

Some, however, demanded of the postilion how he had not recognised
Bertram when he saw him some time before at Kippletringan. To which he
gave the very natural answer--'Hout, what was I thinking about Ellangowan
then? It was the cry that was rising e'en now that the young Laird was
found, that put me on finding out the likeness. There was nae missing it
ance ane was set to look for't.'

The obduracy of Hatteraick during the latter part of this scene was in
some slight degree shaken. He was observed to twinkle with his eyelids;
to attempt to raise his bound hands for the purpose of pulling his hat
over his brow; to look angrily and impatiently to the road, as if anxious
for the vehicle which was to remove him from the spot. At length Mr.
Hazlewood, apprehensive that the popular ferment might take a direction
towards the prisoner, directed he should be taken to the post-chaise, and
so removed to the town of Kippletringan, to be at Mr. Mac-Morlan's
disposal; at the same time he sent an express to warn that gentleman of
what had happened. 'And now,' he said to Bertram, 'I should be happy if
you would accompany me to Hazlewood House; but as that might not be so
agreeable just now as I trust it will be in a day or two, you must allow
me to return with you to Woodbourne. But you are on foot.'--'O, if the
young Laird would take my horse!'--'Or mine'--'Or mine,' said
half-a-dozen voices.--'Or mine; he can trot ten mile an hour without whip
or spur, and he's the young Laird's frae this moment, if he likes to take
him for a herezeld, [Footnote: See Note 8.] as they ca'd it lang syne.'
Bertram readily accepted the horse as a loan, and poured forth his thanks
to the assembled crowd for their good wishes, which they repaid with
shouts and vows of attachment.

While the happy owner was directing one lad to 'gae doun for the new
saddle'; another,' just to rin the beast ower wi' a dry wisp o' strae'; a
third, 'to hie doun and borrow Dan Dunkieson's plated stirrups,' and
expressing his regret 'that there was nae time to gie the nag a feed,
that the young Laird might ken his mettle,' Bertram, taking the clergyman
by the arm, walked into the vault and shut the door immediately after
them. He gazed in silence for some minutes upon the body of Meg
Merrilies, as it lay before him, with the features sharpened by death,
yet still retaining the stern and energetic character which had
maintained in life her superiority as the wild chieftainess of the
lawless people amongst whom she was born. The young soldier dried the
tears which involuntarily rose on viewing this wreck of one who might be
said to have died a victim to her fidelity to his person and family. He
then took the clergyman's hand and asked solemnly if she appeared able to
give that attention to his devotions which befitted a departing person.

'My dear sir,' said the good minister, 'I trust this poor woman had
remaining sense to feel and join in the import of my prayers. But let us
humbly hope we are judged of by our opportunities of religious and moral
instruction. In some degree she might be considered as an uninstructed
heathen, even in the bosom of a Christian country; and let us remember
that the errors and vices of an ignorant life were balanced by instances
of disinterested attachment, amounting almost to heroism. To HIM who can
alone weigh our crimes and errors against our efforts towards virtue we
consign her with awe, but not without hope.'

'May I request,' said Bertram, 'that you will see every decent solemnity
attended to in behalf of this poor woman? I have some property belonging
to her in my hands; at all events I will be answerable for the expense.
You will hear of me at Woodbourne.'

Dinmont, who had been furnished with a horse by one of his acquaintance,
now loudly called out that all was ready for their return; and Bertram
and Hazlewood, after a strict exhortation to the crowd, which was now
increased to several hundreds, to preserve good order in their rejoicing,
as the least ungoverned zeal might be turned to the disadvantage of the
young Laird, as they termed him, took their leave amid the shouts of the
multitude.

As they rode past the ruined cottages at Derncleugh, Dinmont said, 'I'm
sure when ye come to your ain, Captain, ye'll no forget to bigg a bit
cot-house there? Deil be in me but I wad do't mysell, an it werena in
better hands. I wadna like to live in't, though, after what she said. Od,
I wad put in auld Elspeth, the bedral's widow; the like o' them's used
wi' graves and ghaists and thae things.'

A short but brisk ride brought them to Woodbourne. The news of their
exploit had already flown far and wide, and the whole inhabitants of the
vicinity met them on the lawn with shouts of congratulation. 'That you
have seen me alive,' said Bertram to Lucy, who first ran up to him,
though Julia's eyes even anticipated hers, 'you must thank these kind
friends.'

With a blush expressing at once pleasure, gratitude, and bashfulness,
Lucy curtsied to Hazlewood, but to Dinmont she frankly extended her hand.
The honest farmer, in the extravagance of his joy, carried his freedom
farther than the hint warranted, for he imprinted his thanks on the
lady's lips, and was instantly shocked at the rudeness of his own
conduct. 'Lord sake, madam, I ask your pardon,' he said. 'I forgot but ye
had been a bairn o'my ain; the Captain's sae namely, he gars ane forget
himsell.'

Old Pleydell now advanced. 'Nay, if fees like these are going,' he said--

'Stop, stop, Mr. Pleydell,' said Julia, 'you had your fees beforehand;
remember last night.'

'Why, I do confess a retainer,' said the Barrister; 'but if I don't
deserve double fees from both Miss Bertram and you when I conclude my
examination of Dirk Hatteraick to-morrow--Gad, I will so supple him! You
shall see, Colonel; and you, my saucy misses, though you may not see,
shall hear.'

'Ay, that's if we choose to listen, Counsellor,' replied Julia.

'And you think,' said Pleydell, 'it's two to one you won't choose that?
But you have curiosity that teaches you the use of your ears now and
then.'

'I declare, Counsellor,' answered the lively damsel, 'that such saucy
bachelors as you would teach us the use of our fingers now and then.'

'Reserve them for the harpsichord, my love,' said the Counsellor. 'Better
for all parties.'

While this idle chat ran on, Colonel Mannering introduced to Bertram a
plain good-looking man, in a grey coat and waistcoat, buckskin breeches,
and boots. 'This, my dear sir, is Mr. Mac-Morlan.'

'To whom,' said Bertram, embracing him cordially, 'my sister was indebted
for a home, when deserted by all her natural friends and relations.'

The Dominie then pressed forward, grinned, chuckled, made a diabolical
sound in attempting to whistle, and finally, unable to stifle his
emotions, ran away to empty the feelings of his heart at his eyes.

We shall not attempt to describe the expansion of heart and glee of this
happy evening.






CHAPTER XXVII
          How like a hateful ape,
     Detected grinning 'midst his pilfer'd hoard,
     A cunning man appears, whose secret frauds
     Are open'd to the day!

          Count Basil


There was a great movement at Woodbourne early on the following morning
to attend the examination at Kippletringan. Mr. Pleydell, from the
investigation which he had formerly bestowed on the dark affair of
Kennedy's death, as well as from the general deference due to his
professional abilities, was requested by Mr. Mac-Morlan and Sir Robert
Hazlewood, and another justice of peace who attended, to take the
situation of chairman and the lead in the examination. Colonel Mannering
was invited to sit down with them. The examination, being previous to
trial, was private in other respects.

The Counsellor resumed and reinterrogated former evidence. He then
examined the clergyman and surgeon respecting the dying declaration of
Meg Merrilies. They stated that she distinctly, positively, and
repeatedly declared herself an eye-witness of Kennedy's death by the
hands of Hatteraick and two or three of his crew; that her presence was
accidental; that she believed their resentment at meeting him, when they
were in the act of losing their vessel through the means of his
information, led to the commission of the crime; that she said there was
one witness of the murder, but who refused to participate in it, still
alive--her nephew, Gabriel Faa; and she had hinted at another person who
was an accessory after, not before, the fact; but her strength there
failed her. They did not forget to mention her declaration that she had
saved the child, and that he was torn from her by the smugglers for the
purpose of carrying him to Holland. All these particulars were carefully
reduced to writing.

Dirk Hatteraick was then brought in, heavily ironed; for he had been
strictly secured and guarded, owing to his former escape. He was asked
his name; he made no answer. His profession; he was silent. Several other
questions were put, to none of which he returned any reply. Pleydell
wiped the glasses of his spectacles and considered the prisoner very
attentively. 'A very truculent-looking fellow,' he whispered to
Mannering; 'but, as Dogberry says, I'll go cunningly to work with him.
Here, call in Soles--Soles the shoemaker. Soles, do you remember
measuring some footsteps imprinted on the mud at the wood of Warroch
on--November 17--, by my orders?' Soles remembered the circumstance
perfectly. 'Look at that paper; is that your note of the measurement?'
Soles verified the memorandum. 'Now, there stands a pair of shoes on that
table; measure them, and see if they correspond with any of the marks you
have noted there.' The shoemaker obeyed, and declared 'that they answered
exactly to the largest of the footprints.'

'We shall prove,' said the Counsellor, aside to Mannering, 'that these
shoes, which were found in the ruins at Derncleugh, belonged to Brown,
the fellow whom you shot on the lawn at Woodbourne. Now, Soles, measure
that prisoner's feet very accurately.'

Mannering observed Hatteraick strictly, and could notice a visible
tremor. 'Do these measurements correspond with any of the footprints?'

The man looked at the note, then at his foot-rule and measure, then
verified his former measurement by a second. 'They correspond,' he said,
'within a hair-breadth to a foot-mark broader and shorter than the
former.'

Hatteraick's genius here deserted him. 'Der deyvil!' he broke out, 'how
could there be a footmark on the ground, when it was a frost as hard as
the heart of a Memel log?'

'In the evening, I grant you, Captain Hatteraick,' said Pleydell, 'but
not in the forenoon. Will you favour me with information where you were
upon the day you remember so exactly?'

Hatteraick saw his blunder, and again screwed up his hard features for
obstinate silence. 'Put down his observation, however,' said Pleydell to
the clerk.

At this moment the door opened, and, much to the surprise of most
present, Mr. Gilbert Glossin made his appearance. That worthy gentleman
had, by dint of watching and eavesdropping, ascertained that he was not
mentioned by name in Meg Merrilies's dying declaration--a circumstance
certainly not owing to any favourable disposition towards him, but to the
delay of taking her regular examination, and to the rapid approach of
death. He therefore supposed himself safe from all evidence but such as
might arise from Hatteraick's confession; to prevent which he resolved to
push a bold face and join his brethren of the bench during his
examination. 'I shall be able,' he thought, 'to make the rascal sensible
his safety lies in keeping his own counsel and mine; and my presence,
besides, will be a proof of confidence and innocence. If I must lose the
estate, I must; but I trust better things.'

He entered with a profound salutation to Sir Robert Hazlewood. Sir
Robert, who had rather begun to suspect that his plebeian neighbour had
made a cat's paw of him, inclined his head stiffly, took snuff, and
looked another way.

'Mr. Corsand,' said Glossin to the other yokefellow of justice, 'your
most humble servant.'

'Your humble servant, Mr. Glossin,' answered Mr. Corsand drily, composing
his countenance regis ad exemplar, that is to say, after the fashion of
the Baronet.

'Mac-Morlan, my worthy friend,' continued Glossin, 'how d' ye do; always
on your duty?'

'Umph,' said honest Mac-Morlan, with little respect either to the
compliment or salutation.

'Colonel Mannering (a low bow slightly returned), and Mr. Pleydell
(another low bow), I dared not have hoped for your assistance to poor
country gentlemen at this period of the session.'

Pleydell took snuff, and eyed him with a glance equally shrewd and
sarcastic. 'I'll teach him,' he said aside to Mannering, 'the value of
the old admonition, Ne accesseris in consilium antequam voceris.'

'But perhaps I intrude, gentlemen?' said Glossin, who could not fail to
observe the coldness of his reception. 'Is this an open meeting?'

'For my part,' said Mr. Pleydell, 'so far from considering your
attendance as an intrusion, Mr. Glossin, I was never so pleased in my
life to meet with you; especially as I think we should, at any rate, have
had occasion to request the favour of your company in the course of the
day.'

'Well, then, gentlemen,' said Glossin, drawing his chair to the table,
and beginning to bustle about among the papers, 'where are we? how far
have we got? where are the declarations?'

'Clerk, give me all these papers,' said Mr. Pleydell. 'I have an odd way
of arranging my documents, Mr. Glossin, another person touching them puts
me out; but I shall have occasion for your assistance by and by.'

Glossin, thus reduced to inactivity, stole one glance at Dirk Hatteraick,
but could read nothing in his dark scowl save malignity and hatred to all
around. 'But, gentlemen,' said Glossin, 'is it quite right to keep this
poor man so heavily ironed when he is taken up merely for examination?'

This was hoisting a kind of friendly signal to the prisoner. 'He has
escaped once before,' said Mac-Morlan drily, and Glossin was silenced.

Bertram was now introduced, and, to Glossin's confusion, was greeted in
the most friendly manner by all present, even by Sir Robert Hazlewood
himself. He told his recollections of his infancy with that candour and
caution of expression which afforded the best warrant for his good faith.
'This seems to be rather a civil than a criminal question,' said Glossin,
rising; 'and as you cannot be ignorant, gentlemen, of the effect which
this young person's pretended parentage may have on my patrimonial
interest, I would rather beg leave to retire.'

'No, my good sir,' said Mr. Pleydell, 'we can by no means spare you. But
why do you call this young man's claims pretended? I don't mean to fish
for your defences against them, if you have any, but--'

'Mr. Pleydell,' replied Glossin, 'I am always disposed to act
above-board, and I think I can explain the matter at once. This young
fellow, whom I take to be a natural son of the late Ellangowan, has gone
about the country for some weeks under different names, caballing with a
wretched old mad-woman, who, I understand, was shot in a late scuffle,
and with other tinkers, gipsies, and persons of that description, and a
great brute farmer from Liddesdale, stirring up the tenants against their
landlords, which, as Sir Robert Hazlewood of Hazlewood knows--'

'Not to interrupt you, Mr. Glossin,' said Pleydell, 'I ask who you say
this young man is?'

'Why, I say,' replied Glossin, 'and I believe that gentleman (looking at
Hatteraick) knows, that the young man is a natural son of the late
Ellangowan, by a girl called Janet Lightoheel, who was afterwards married
to Hewit the shipwright, that lived in the neighbourhood of Annan. His
name is Godfrey Bertram Hewit, by which name he was entered on board the
Royal Caroline excise yacht.'

'Ay?' said Pleydell, 'that is a very likely story! But, not to pause upon
some difference of eyes, complexion, and so forth--be pleased to step
forward, sir.' (A young seafaring man came forward.) 'Here,' proceeded
the Counsellor, 'is the real Simon Pure; here's Godfrey Bertram Hewit,
arrived last night from Antigua via Liverpool, mate of a West-Indian, and
in a fair way of doing well in the world, although he came somewhat
irregularly into it.'

While some conversation passed between the other justices and this young
man, Pleydell lifted from among the papers on the table Hatteraick's old
pocket-book. A peculiar glance of the smuggler's eye induced the shrewd
lawyer to think there was something here of interest. He therefore
continued the examination of the papers, laying the book on the table,
but instantly perceived that the prisoner's interest in the research had
cooled. 'It must be in the book still, whatever it is,' thought Pleydell;
and again applied himself to the pocket-book, until he discovered, on a
narrow scrutiny, a slit between the pasteboard and leather, out of which
he drew three small slips of paper. Pleydell now, turning to Glossin,
requested the favour that he would tell them if he had assisted at the
search for the body of Kennedy and the child of his patron on the day
when they disappeared.

'I did not--that is, I did,' answered the conscience-struck Glossin.

'It is remarkable though,' said the Advocate, 'that, connected as you
were with the Ellangowan family, I don't recollect your being examined,
or even appearing before me, while that investigation was proceeding?'

'I was called to London,' answered Glossin, 'on most important business
the morning after that sad affair.'

'Clerk,' said Pleydell, 'minute down that reply. I presume the business,
Mr. Glossin, was to negotiate these three bills, drawn by you on Messrs.
Vanbeest and Vanbruggen, and accepted by one Dirk Hatteraick in their
name on the very day of the murder. I congratulate you on their being
regularly retired, as I perceive they have been. I think the chances were
against it.' Glossin's countenance fell. 'This piece of real evidence,'
continued Mr. Pleydell, 'makes good the account given of your conduct on
this occasion by a man called Gabriel Faa, whom we have now in custody,
and who witnessed the whole transaction between you and that worthy
prisoner. Have you any explanation to give?'

'Mr. Pleydell,' said Glossin, with great composure, 'I presume, if you
were my counsel, you would not advise me to answer upon the spur of the
moment to a charge which the basest of mankind seem ready to establish by
perjury.'

'My advice,' said the Counsellor, 'would be regulated by my opinion of
your innocence or guilt. In your case, I believe you take the wisest
course; but you are aware you must stand committed?'

'Committed? for what, sir?' replied Glossin. 'Upon a charge of murder?'

'No; only as art and part of kidnapping the child.'

'That is a bailable offence.'

'Pardon me,' said Pleydell, 'it is plagium, and plagium is felony.'

'Forgive me, Mr. Pleydell, there is only one case upon record, Torrence
and Waldie. They were, you remember, resurrection-women, who had promised
to procure a child's body for some young surgeons. Being upon honour to
their employers, rather than disappoint the evening lecture of the
students, they stole a live child, murdered it, and sold the body for
three shillings and sixpence. They were hanged, but for the murder, not
for the plagium [Footnote: This is, in its circumstances and issue,
actually a case tried and reported.]--Your civil law has carried you a
little too far.'

'Well, sir, but in the meantime Mr. Mac-Morlan must commit you to the
county jail, in case this young man repeats the same story. Officers,
remove Mr. Glossin and Hatteraick, and guard them in different
apartments.'

Gabriel, the gipsy, was then introduced, and gave a distinct account of
his deserting from Captain Pritchard's vessel and joining the smugglers
in the action, detailed how Dirk Hatteraick set fire to his ship when he
found her disabled, and under cover of the smoke escaped with his crew,
and as much goods as they could save, into the cavern, where they
proposed to lie till nightfall. Hatteraick himself, his mate Vanbeest
Brown, and three others, of whom the declarant was one, went into the
adjacent woods to communicate with some of their friends in the
neighbourhood. They fell in with Kennedy unexpectedly, and Hatteraick and
Brown, aware that he was the occasion of their disasters, resolved to
murder him. He stated that he had seen them lay violent hands on the
officer and drag him through the woods, but had not partaken in the
assault nor witnessed its termination; that he returned to the cavern by
a different route, where he again met Hatteraick and his accomplices; and
the captain was in the act of giving an account how he and Brown had
pushed a huge crag over, as Kennedy lay groaning on the beach, when
Glossin suddenly appeared among them. To the whole transaction by which
Hatteraick purchased his secrecy he was witness. Respecting young
Bertram, he could give a distinct account till he went to India, after
which he had lost sight of him until he unexpectedly met with him in
Liddesdale. Gabriel Faa farther stated that he instantly sent notice to
his aunt Meg Merrilies, as well as to Hatteraick, who he knew was then
upon the coast; but that he had incurred his aunt's displeasure upon the
latter account. He concluded, that his aunt had immediately declared that
she would do all that lay in her power to help young Ellangowan to his
right, even if it should be by informing against Dirk Hatteraick; and
that many of her people assisted her besides himself, from a belief that
she was gifted with supernatural inspirations. With the same purpose, he
understood his aunt had given to Bertram the treasure of the tribe, of
which she had the custody. Three or four gipsies, by the express command
of Meg Merrilies, mingled in the crowd when the custom-house was
attacked, for the purpose of liberating Bertram, which he had himself
effected. He said, that in obeying Meg's dictates they did not pretend to
estimate their propriety or rationality, the respect in which she was
held by her tribe precluding all such subjects of speculation. Upon
farther interrogation, the witness added, that his aunt had always said
that Harry Bertram carried that round his neck which would ascertain his
birth. It was a spell, she said, that an Oxford scholar had made for him,
and she possessed the smugglers with an opinion that to deprive him of it
would occasion the loss of the vessel.

Bertram here produced a small velvet bag, which he said he had worn round
his neck from his earliest infancy, and which he had preserved, first
from superstitious reverence, and latterly from the hope that it might
serve one day to aid in the discovery of his birth. The bag, being
opened, was found to contain a blue silk case, from which was drawn a
scheme of nativity. Upon inspecting this paper, Colonel Mannering
instantly admitted it was his own composition; and afforded the strongest
and most satisfactory evidence that the possessor of it must necessarily
be the young heir of Ellangowan, by avowing his having first appeared in
that country in the character of an astrologer.

'And now,' said Pleydell, 'make out warrants of commitment for Hatteraick
and Glossin until liberated in due course of law. Yet,' he said, 'I am
sorry for Glossin.'

'Now, I think,' said Mannering, 'he's incomparably the least deserving of
pity of the two. The other's a bold fellow, though as hard as flint.'

'Very natural, Colonel,' said the Advocate, 'that you should be
interested in the ruffian and I in the knave, that's all professional
taste; but I can tell you Glossin would have been a pretty lawyer had he
not had such a turn for the roguish part of the profession.'

'Scandal would say,' observed Mannering, 'he might not be the worse
lawyer for that.'

'Scandal would tell a lie, then,' replied Pleydell, 'as she usually does.
Law's like laudanum: it's much more easy to use it as a quack does than
to learn to apply it like a physician.'






CHAPTER XXVIII
     Unfit to live or die--O marble heart!
     After him, fellows, drag him to the block.

          Measure for Measure.


The jail at the county town of the shire of----was one of those
old-fashioned dungeons which disgraced Scotland until of late years. When
the prisoners and their guard arrived there, Hatteraick, whose violence
and strength were well known, was secured in what was called the
condemned ward. This was a large apartment near the top of the prison. A
round bar of iron,[Footnote: See Note 9.] about the thickness of a man's
arm above the elbow, crossed the apartment horizontally at the height of
about six inches from the floor; and its extremities were strongly built
into the wall at either end. Hatteraick's ankles were secured within
shackles, which were connected by a chain, at the distance of about four
feet, with a large iron ring, which travelled upon the bar we have
described. Thus a prisoner might shuffle along the length of the bar from
one side of the room to another, but could not retreat farther from it in
any other direction than the brief length of the chain admitted. When his
feet had been thus secured, the keeper removed his handcuffs and left his
person at liberty in other respects. A pallet-bed was placed close to the
bar of iron, so that the shackled prisoner might lie down at pleasure,
still fastened to the iron bar in the manner described.

Hatteraick had not been long in this place of confinement before Glossin
arrived at the same prison-house. In respect to his comparative rank and
education, he was not ironed, but placed in a decent apartment, under the
inspection of Mac-Guffog, who, since the destruction of the bridewell of
Portanferry by the mob, had acted here as an under-turnkey. When Glossin
was enclosed within this room, and had solitude and leisure to calculate
all the chances against him and in his favour, he could not prevail upon
himself to consider the game as desperate.

'The estate is lost,' he said, 'that must go; and, between Pleydell and
Mac-Morlan, they'll cut down my claim on it to a trifle. My
character--but if I get off with life and liberty I'll win money yet and
varnish that over again. I knew not of the gauger's job until the rascal
had done the deed, and, though I had some advantage by the contraband,
that is no felony. But the kidnapping of the boy--there they touch me
closer. Let me see. This Bertram was a child at the time; his evidence
must be imperfect. The other fellow is a deserter, a gipsy, and an
outlaw. Meg Merrilies, d-n her, is dead. These infernal bills! Hatteraick
brought them with him, I suppose, to have the means of threatening me or
extorting money from me. I must endeavour to see the rascal; must get him
to stand steady; must persuade him to put some other colour upon the
business.'

His mind teeming with schemes of future deceit to cover former villainy,
he spent the time in arranging and combining them until the hour of
supper. Mac-Guffog attended as turnkey on this occasion. He was, as we
know, the old and special acquaintance of the prisoner who was now under
his charge. After giving the turnkey a glass of brandy, and sounding him
with one or two cajoling speeches, Glossin made it his request that he
would help him to an interview with Dirk Hatteraick. 'Impossible! utterly
impossible! it's contrary to the express orders of Mr. Mac-Morlan, and
the captain (as the head jailor of a county jail is called in Scotland)
would never forgie me.'

'But why should he know of it?' said Glossin, slipping a couple of
guineas into Mac-Guffog's hand.

The turnkey weighed the gold and looked sharp at Glossin. 'Ay, ay, Mr.
Glossin, ye ken the ways o' this place. Lookee, at lock-up hour I'll
return and bring ye upstairs to him. But ye must stay a' night in his
cell, for I am under needcessity to carry the keys to the captain for the
night, and I cannot let you out again until morning; then I'll visit the
wards half an hour earlier than usual, and ye may get out and be snug in
your ain birth when the captain gangs his rounds.'

When the hour of ten had pealed from the neighbouring steeple Mac-Guffog
came prepared with a small dark lantern. He said softly to Glossin, 'Slip
your shoes off and follow me.' When Glossin was out of the door,
Mac-Guffog, as if in the execution of his ordinary duty, and speaking to
a prisoner within, called aloud, 'Good-night to you, sir,' and locked the
door, clattering the bolts with much ostentatious noise. He then guided
Glossin up a steep and narrow stair, at the top of which was the door of
the condemned ward; he unbarred and unlocked it, and, giving Glossin the
lantern, made a sign to him to enter, and locked the door behind him with
the same affected accuracy.

In the large dark cell into which he was thus introduced Glossin's feeble
light for some time enabled him to discover nothing. At length he could
dimly distinguish the pallet-bed stretched on the floor beside the great
iron bar which traversed the room, and on that pallet reposed the figure
of a man. Glossin approached him. 'Dirk Hatteraick!'

'Donner and hagel! it is his voice,' said the prisoner, sitting up and
clashing his fetters as he rose; 'then my dream is true! Begone, and
leave me to myself; it will be your best.'

'What! my good friend,' said Glossin, 'will you allow the prospect of a
few weeks' confinement to depress your spirit?'

'Yes,' answered the ruffian, sullenly, 'when I am only to be released by
a halter! Let me alone; go about your business, and turn the lamp from my
face!'

'Psha! my dear Dirk, don't be afraid,' said Glossin; 'I have a glorious
plan to make all right.'

'To the bottomless pit with your plans!' replied his accomplice; 'you
have planned me out of ship, cargo, and life; and I dreamt this moment
that Meg Merrilies dragged you here by the hair and gave me the long
clasped knife she used to wear; you don't know what she said.
Sturmwetter! it will be your wisdom not to tempt me!'

'But, Hatteraick, my good friend, do but rise and speak to me,' said
Glossin.

'I will not!' answered the savage, doggedly. 'You have caused all the
mischief; you would not let Meg keep the boy; she would have returned him
after he had forgot all.'

'Why, Hatteraick, you are turned driveller!'

'Wetter! will you deny that all that cursed attempt at Portanferry, which
lost both sloop and crew, was your device for your own job?'

'But the goods, you know--'

'Curse the goods!' said the smuggler, 'we could have got plenty more;
but, der deyvil! to lose the ship and the fine fellows, and my own life,
for a cursed coward villain, that always works his own mischief with
other people's hands! Speak to me no more; I'm dangerous.'

'But, Dirk--but, Hatteraick, hear me only a few words.'

'Hagel! nein.'

'Only one sentence.'

'Tousand curses! nein.'

'At least get up, for an obstinate Dutch brute!' said Glossin, losing his
temper and pushing Hatteraick with his foot.

'Donner and blitzen!' said Hatteraick, springing up and grappling with
him; 'you WILL have it then?'

Glossin struggled and resisted; but, owing to his surprise at the fury of
the assault, so ineffectually that he fell under Hatteraick, the back
part of his neck coming full upon the iron bar with stunning violence.
The death-grapple continued. The room immediately below the condemned
ward, being that of Glossin, was, of course, empty; but the inmates of
the second apartment beneath felt the shock of Glossin's heavy fall, and
heard a noise as of struggling and of groans. But all sounds of horror
were too congenial to this place to excite much curiosity or interest.

In the morning, faithful to his promise, Mac-Guffog came. 'Mr. Glossin,'
said he, in a whispering voice.

'Call louder,' answered Dirk Hatteraick.

'Mr. Glossin, for God's sake come away!'

'He'll hardly do that without help,' said Hatteraick.

'What are you chattering there for, Mac-Guffog?' called out the captain
from below.

'Come away, for God's sake, Mr. Glossin!' repeated the turnkey.

At this moment the jailor made his appearance with a light. Great was his
surprise, and even horror, to observe Glossin's body lying doubled across
the iron bar, in a posture that excluded all idea of his being alive.
Hatteraick was quietly stretched upon his pallet within a yard of his
victim. On lifting Glossin it was found he had been dead for some hours.
His body bore uncommon marks of violence. The spine where it joins the
skull had received severe injury by his first fall. There were distinct
marks of strangulation about the throat, which corresponded with the
blackened state of his face. The head was turned backward over the
shoulder, as if the neck had been wrung round with desperate violence. So
that it would seem that his inveterate antagonist had fixed a fatal gripe
upon the wretch's throat, and never quitted it while life lasted. The
lantern, crushed and broken to pieces, lay beneath the body.

Mac-Morlan was in the town, and came instantly to examine the corpse.
'What brought Glossin here?' he said to Hatteraick.

'The devil!' answered the ruffian.

'And what did you do to him?'

'Sent him to hell before me!' replied the miscreant.

'Wretch,' said Mac-Morlan, 'you have crowned a life spent without a
single virtue with the murder of your own miserable accomplice!'

'Virtue?' exclaimed the prisoner. 'Donner! I was always faithful to my
shipowners--always accounted for cargo to the last stiver. Hark ye! let
me have pen and ink and I'll write an account of the whole to our house,
and leave me alone a couple of hours, will ye; and let them take away
that piece of carrion, donnerwetter!'

Mac-Morlan deemed it the best way to humour the savage; he was furnished
with writing materials and left alone. When they again opened the door it
was found that this determined villain had anticipated justice. He had
adjusted a cord taken from the truckle-bed, and attached it to a bone,
the relic of his yesterday's dinner, which he had contrived to drive into
a crevice between two stones in the wall at a height as great as he could
reach, standing upon the bar. Having fastened the noose, he had the
resolution to drop his body as if to fall on his knees, and to retain
that posture until resolution was no longer necessary. The letter he had
written to his owners, though chiefly upon the business of their trade,
contained many allusions to the younker of Ellangowan, as he called him,
and afforded absolute confirmation of all Meg Merrilies and her nephew
had told.

To dismiss the catastrophe of these two wretched men, I shall only add,
that Mac-Guffog was turned out of office, notwithstanding his declaration
(which he offered to attest by oath), that he had locked Glossin safely
in his own room upon the night preceding his being found dead in Dirk
Hatteraick's cell. His story, however, found faith with the worthy Mr.
Skriegh and other lovers of the marvellous, who still hold that the Enemy
of Mankind brought these two wretches together upon that night by
supernatural interference, that they might fill up the cup of their guilt
and receive its meed by murder and suicide.






CHAPTER XXIX
     To sum the whole--the close of all.

          DEAN SWIFT.


As Glossin died without heirs, and without payment of the price, the
estate of Ellangowan was again thrown upon the hands of Mr. Godfrey
Bertram's creditors, the right of most of whom was, however, defeasible
in case Henry Bertram should establish his character of heir of entail.
This young gentleman put his affairs into the hands of Mr. Pleydell and
Mr. Mac-Morlan, with one single proviso, that, though he himself should
be obliged again to go to India, every debt justly and honourably due by
his father should be made good to the claimant. Mannering, who heard this
declaration, grasped him kindly by the hand, and from that moment might
be dated a thorough understanding between them.

The hoards of Miss Margaret Bertram, and the liberal assistance of the
Colonel, easily enabled the heir to make provision for payment of the
just creditors of his father, while the ingenuity and research of his law
friends detected, especially in the accounts of Glossin, so many
overcharges as greatly diminished the total amount. In these
circumstances the creditors did not hesitate to recognise Bertram's
right, and to surrender to him the house and property of his ancestors.
All the party repaired from Woodbourne to take possession, amid the
shouts of the tenantry and the neighbourhood; and so eager was Colonel
Mannering to superintend certain improvements which he had recommended to
Bertram, that he removed with his family from Woodbourne to Ellangowan,
although at present containing much less and much inferior accommodation.

The poor Dominie's brain was almost turned with joy on returning to his
old habitation. He posted upstairs, taking three steps at once, to a
little shabby attic, his cell and dormitory in former days, and which the
possession of his much superior apartment at Woodbourne had never
banished from his memory. Here one sad thought suddenly struck the honest
man--the books! no three rooms in Ellangowan were capable to contain
them. While this qualifying reflection was passing through his mind, he
was suddenly summoned by Mannering to assist in calculating some
proportions relating to a large and splendid house which was to be built
on the site of the New Place of Ellangowan, in a style corresponding to
the magnificence of the ruins in its vicinity. Among the various rooms in
the plan, the Dominie observed that one of the largest was entitled THE
LIBRARY; and close beside was a snug, well-proportioned chamber, entitled
Mr. SAMPSON'S APARTMENT. 'Prodigious, prodigious, pro-di-gi-ous!' shouted
the enraptured Dominie.

Mr. Pleydell had left the party for some time; but he returned, according
to promise, during the Christmas recess of the courts. He drove up to
Ellangowan when all the family were abroad but the Colonel, who was busy
with plans of buildings and pleasure-grounds, in which he was well
skilled, and took great delight.

'Ah ha!' said the Counsellor, 'so here you are! Where are the ladies?
where is the fair Julia?'

'Walking out with young Hazlewood, Bertram, and Captain Delaserre, a
friend of his, who is with us just now. They are gone to plan out a
cottage at Derncleugh. Well, have you carried through your law business?'

'With a wet finger,' answered the lawyer; 'got our youngster's special
service retoured into Chancery. We had him served heir before the
macers.'

'Macers? who are they?'

'Why, it is a kind of judicial Saturnalia. You must know, that one of the
requisites to be a macer, or officer in attendance upon our supreme
court, is, that they shall be men of no knowledge.'

'Very well!'

'Now, our Scottish legislature, for the joke's sake I suppose, have
constituted those men of no knowledge into a peculiar court for trying
questions of relationship and descent, such as this business of Bertram,
which often involve the most nice and complicated questions of evidence.'

'The devil they have! I should think that rather inconvenient,' said
Mannering.

'O, we have a practical remedy for the theoretical absurdity. One or two
of the judges act upon such occasions as prompters and assessors to their
own doorkeepers. But you know what Cujacius says, "Multa sunt in moribus
dissentanea, multa sine ratione." [Footnote: The singular inconsistency
hinted at is now, in a great degree, removed.] However, this Saturnalian
court has done our business; and a glorious batch of claret we had
afterwards at Walker's. Mac-Morlan will stare when he sees the bill.'

'Never fear,' said the Colonel, 'we'll face the shock, and entertain the
county at my friend Mrs. Mac-Candlish's to boot.'

'And choose Jock Jabos for your master of horse?' replied the lawyer.

'Perhaps I may.'

'And where is Dandie, the redoubted Lord of Liddesdale?' demanded the
advocate.

'Returned to his mountains; but he has promised Julia to make a descent
in summer, with the goodwife, as he calls her, and I don't know how many
children.'

'O, the curly-headed varlets! I must come to play at Blind Harry and Hy
Spy with them. But what is all this?' added Pleydell, taking up the
plans. 'Tower in the centre to be an imitation of the Eagle Tower at
Caernarvon--corps de logis--the devil! Wings--wings! Why, the house will
take the estate of Ellangowan on its back and fly away with it!'

'Why, then, we must ballast it with a few bags of sicca rupees,' replied
the Colonel.

'Aha! sits the wind there? Then I suppose the young dog carries off my
mistress Julia?'

'Even so, Counsellor.'

'These rascals, the post-nati, get the better of us of the old school at
every turn,' said Mr. Pleydell. 'But she must convey and make over her
interest in me to Lucy.'

'To tell you the truth, I am afraid your flank will be turned there too,'
replied the Colonel.

'Indeed?'

'Here has been Sir Robert Hazlewood,' said Mannering, 'upon a visit to
Bertram, thinking and deeming and opining--'

'O Lord! pray spare me the worthy Baronet's triads!'

'Well, sir,' continued Mannering, 'to make short, he conceived that, as
the property of Singleside lay like a wedge between two farms of his, and
was four or five miles separated from Ellangowan, something like a sale
or exchange or arrangement might take place, to the mutual convenience of
both parties.'

'Well, and Bertram--'

'Why, Bertram replied, that he considered the original settlement of Mrs.
Margaret Bertram as the arrangement most proper in the circumstances of
the family, and that therefore the estate of Singleside was the property
of his sister.'

'The rascal!' said Pleydell, wiping his spectacles. 'He'll steal my heart
as well as my mistress. Et puis?'

'And then Sir Robert retired, after many gracious speeches; but last week
he again took the field in force, with his coach and six horses, his
laced scarlet waistcoat, and best bob-wig--all very grand, as the
good-boy books say.'

'Ay! and what was his overture?'

'Why, he talked with great form of an attachment on the part of Charles
Hazlewood to Miss Bertram.'

'Ay, ay; he respected the little god Cupid when he saw him perched on the
Dun of Singleside. And is poor Lucy to keep house with that old fool and
his wife, who is just the knight himself in petticoats?'

'No; we parried that. Singleside House is to be repaired for the young
people, and to be called hereafter Mount Hazlewood.'

'And do you yourself, Colonel, propose to continue at Woodbourne?'

'Only till we carry these plans into effect. See, here's the plan of my
bungalow, with all convenience for being separate and sulky when I
please.'

'And, being situated, as I see, next door to the old castle, you may
repair Donagild's tower for the nocturnal contemplation of the celestial
bodies? Bravo, Colonel!'

'No, no, my dear Counsellor! Here ends THE ASTROLOGER.'

THE END






NOTES TO VOLUME I

NOTE 1, p. 25

The groaning malt mentioned in the text was the ale brewed for the
purpose of being drunk after the lady or goodwife's safe delivery. The
ken-no has a more ancient source, and perhaps the custom may be derived
from the secret rites of the Bona Dea. A large and rich cheese was made
by the women of the family, with great affectation of secrecy, for the
refreshment of the gossips who were to attend at the 'canny' minute. This
was the ken-no, so called because its existence was secret (that is,
presumed to be so) from all the males of the family, but especially from
the husband and master. He was accordingly expected to conduct himself as
if he knew of no such preparation, to act as if desirous to press the
female guests to refreshments, and to seem surprised at their obstinate
refusal. But the instant his back was turned the ken-no was produced; and
after all had eaten their fill, with a proper accompaniment of the
groaning malt, the remainder was divided among the gossips, each carrying
a large portion home with the same affectation of great secrecy.




NOTE 2, p. 198

It is fitting to explain to the reader the locality described in chapter
xxii. There is, or rather I should say there WAS, a little inn called
Mumps's Hall, that is, being interpreted, Beggar's Hotel, near to
Gilsland, which had not then attained its present fame as a Spa. It was a
hedge alehouse, where the Border farmers of either country often stopped
to refresh themselves and their nags, in their way to and from the fairs
and trysts in Cumberland, and especially those who came from or went to
Scotland, through a barren and lonely district, without either road or
pathway, emphatically called the Waste of Bewcastle. At the period when
the adventures described in the novel are supposed to have taken place,
there were many instances of attacks by freebooters on those who
travelled through this wild district, and Mumps's Ha' had a bad
reputation for harbouring the banditti who committed such depredations.

An old and sturdy yeoman belonging to the Scottish side, by surname an
Armstrong or Elliot, but well known by his soubriquet of Fighting Charlie
of Liddesdale, and still remembered for the courage he displayed in the
frequent frays which took place on the Border fifty or sixty years since,
had the following adventure in the Waste, which suggested the idea of the
scene in the text:--

Charlie had been at Stagshawbank Fair, had sold his sheep or cattle, or
whatever he had brought to market, and was on his return to Liddesdale.
There were then no country banks where cash could be deposited and bills
received instead, which greatly encouraged robbery in that wild country,
as the objects of plunder were usually fraught with gold. The robbers had
spies in the fair, by means of whom they generally knew whose purse was
best stocked, and who took a lonely and desolate road homeward,--those,
in short, who were best worth robbing and likely to be most easily
robbed.