Redgauntlet: A Tale of the Eighteenth Century by Walter Scott (classic romance novels txt) 📗

tricks in other trades by selling muslins)—to see the reporters mending their pens to take down the debate—the Lords themselves pooin’ in their chairs, like folk sitting down to a gude dinner, and crying on the clerks for parts and pendicles of the process, who, puir bodies, can do little mair than cry on their closet-keepers to help them. To see a’ this,’ continued Peter, in a tone of sustained rapture, ‘and to ken that naething will be said or dune amang a’ thae grand folk, for maybe the feck of three hours, saving what concerns you and your business—Oh, man, nae wonder that ye judge this to be earthly glory! And yet, neighbour, as I was saying, there be unco drawbacks—I whiles think of my bit house, where dinner, and supper, and breakfast, used to come without the crying for, just as if fairies had brought it—and the gude bed at e’en—and the needfu’ penny in the pouch. And then to see a’ ane’s warldly substance capering in the air in a pair of weighbauks, now up, now down, as the breath of judge or counsel inclines it for pursuer or defender,—troth, man, there are times I rue having ever begun the plea wark, though, maybe, when ye consider the renown and credit I have by it, ye will hardly believe what I am saying.’

‘Indeed, friend,’ said Joshua, with a sigh, ‘I am glad thou hast found anything in the legal contention which compensates thee for poverty and hunger; but I believe, were other human objects of ambition looked upon as closely, their advantages would be found as chimerical as those attending thy protracted litigation.’

‘But never mind, friend,’ said Peter, ‘I’ll tell you the exact state of the conjunct processes, and make you sensible that I can bring mysell round with a wet finger, now I have my finger and my thumb on this loup-the-dike loon, the lad Fairford.’

Alan Fairford was in the act of speaking to the masked lady (for Miss Redgauntlet had retained her riding vizard) endeavouring to assure her, as he perceived her anxiety, of such protection as he could afford, when his own name, pronounced in a loud tone, attracted his attention. He looked round, and seeing Peter Peebles, as hastily turned to avoid his notice, in which he succeeded, so earnest was Peter upon his colloquy with one of the most respectable auditors whose attention he had ever been able to engage. And by this little motion, momentary as it was, Alan gained an unexpected advantage; for while he looked round, Miss Lilias, I could never ascertain why, took the moment to adjust her mask, and did it so awkwardly, that when her companion again turned his head, he recognized as much of her features as authorized him to address her as his fair client, and to press his offers of protection and assistance with the boldness of a former acquaintance.

Lilias Redgauntlet withdrew the mask from her crimsoned cheek. ‘Mr. Fairford,’ she said, in a voice almost inaudible, ‘you have the character of a young gentleman of sense and generosity; but we have already met in one situation which you must think singular; and I must be exposed to misconstruction, at least, for my forwardness, were it not in a cause in which my dearest affections were concerned.’

‘Any interest in my beloved friend Darsie Latimer,’ said Fairford, stepping a little back, and putting a marked restraint upon his former advances, ‘gives me a double right to be useful to’—He stopped short.

‘To his sister, your goodness would say,’ answered Lilias.

‘His sister, madam!’ replied Alan, in the extremity of astonishment—‘Sister, I presume, in affection only?’

‘No, sir; my dear brother Darsie and I are connected by the bonds of actual relationship; and I am not sorry to be the first to tell this to the friend he most values.’

Fairford’s first thought was on the violent passion which Darsie had expressed towards the fair unknown. ‘Good God!’ he exclaimed, ‘how did he bear the discovery?’

‘With resignation, I hope,’ said Lilias, smiling. ‘A more accomplished sister he might easily have come by, but scarcely could have found one who could love him more than I do.’

‘I meant—I only meant to say,’ said the young counsellor, his presence of mind failing him for an instant—‘that is, I meant to ask where Darsie Latimer is at this moment.’

‘In this very house, and under the guardianship of his uncle, whom I believe you knew as a visitor of your father, under the name of Mr. Herries of Birrenswork.’

‘Let me hasten to him,’ said Fairford; ‘I have sought him through difficulties and dangers—I must see him instantly.’

‘You forget you are a prisoner,’ said the young lady.

‘True—true; but I cannot be long detained—the cause alleged is too ridiculous.’

‘Alas!’ said Lilias, ‘our fate—my brother’s and mine, at least—must turn on the deliberations perhaps of less than an hour. For you, sir, I believe and apprehend nothing; but some restraint; my uncle is neither cruel nor unjust, though few will go further in the cause which he has adopted.’

‘Which is that of the Pretend’—

‘For God’s sake speak lower!’ said Lilias, approaching her hand, as if to stop him. ‘The word may cost you your life. You do not know—indeed you do not—the terrors of the situation in which we at present stand, and in which I fear you also are involved by your friendship for my brother.’

‘I do not indeed know the particulars of our situation,’ said Fairford; ‘but, be the danger what it may, I shall not grudge my share of it for the sake of my friend; or,’ he added, with more timidity, ‘of my friend’s sister. Let me hope,’ he said, ‘my dear Miss Latimer, that my presence may be of some use to you; and that it may be so, let me entreat a share of your confidence, which I am conscious I have otherwise no right to ask.’

He led her, as he spoke, towards the recess of the farther window of the room, and observing to her that, unhappily, he was particularly exposed to interruption from the mad old man whose entrance had alarmed her, he disposed of Darsie Latimer’s riding-skirt, which had been left in the apartment, over the back of two chairs, forming thus a sort of screen, behind which he ensconced himself with the maiden of the green mantle; feeling at the moment, that the danger in which he was placed was almost compensated by the intelligence which permitted those feelings towards her to revive, which justice to his friend had induced him to stifle in the birth.

The relative situation of adviser and advised, of protector and protected, is so peculiarly suited to the respective condition of man and woman, that great progress towards intimacy is often made in very short space; for the circumstances call for confidence on the part of the gentleman, and forbid coyness on that of the lady, so that the usual barriers against easy intercourse are at once thrown down.

Under these circumstances, securing themselves as far as possible from observation, conversing in whispers, and seated in a corner, where they were brought into so close contact that their faces nearly touched each other, Fairford heard from Lilias Redgauntlet the history of her family, particularly of her uncle; his views upon her brother, and the agony which