Meanwhile the guests stood by the fire--the young nobleman under the chimney,and his servants at some little distance.
"What do you think,Anderson,"said the former,"of our fellow-traveller?"
"A stout fellow,"replied Anderson,"if all be good that is upcome.I wish we had twenty such,to put our Teagues into some sort of discipline."
"I differ from you,Anderson,"said Lord Menteith;"I think this fellow Dalgetty is one of those horse-leeches,whose appetite for blood being only sharpened by what he has sucked in foreign countries,he is now returned to batten upon that of his own.
Shame on the pack of these mercenary swordmen!they have made the name of Scot through all Europe equivalent to that of a pitiful mercenary,who knows neither honour nor principle but his month's pay,who transfers his allegiance from standard to standard,at the pleasure of fortune or the highest bidder;and to whose insatiable thirst for plunder and warm quarters we owe much of that civil dissension which is now turning our swords against our own bowels.I had scarce patience with the hired gladiator,and yet could hardly help laughing at the extremity of his impudence."
"Your lordship will forgive me,"said Anderson,"if I recommend to you,in the present circumstances,to conceal at least a part of this generous indignation;we cannot,unfortunately,do our work without the assistance of those who act on baser motives than our own.We cannot spare the assistance of such fellows as our friend the soldado.To use the canting phrase of the saints in the English Parliament,the sons of Zeruiah are still too many for us."
"I must dissemble,then,as well as I can,"said Lord Menteith,"as I have hitherto done,upon your hint.But I wish the fellow at the devil with all my heart."
"Ay,but still you must remember,my lord,"resumed Anderson,"that to cure the bite of a scorpion,you must crush another scorpion on the wound--But stop,we shall be overheard."
From a side-door in the hall glided a Highlander into the apartment,whose lofty stature and complete equipment,as well as the eagle's feather in his bonnet,and the confidence of his demeanour,announced to be a person of superior rank.He walked slowly up to the table,and made no answer to Lord Menteith,who,addressing him by the name of Allan,asked him how he did.
"Ye manna speak to her e'en now,"whispered the old attendant.
The tall Highlander,sinking down upon the empty settle next the fire,fixed his eyes upon the red embers and the huge heap of turf,and seemed buried in profound abstraction.His dark eyes,and wild and enthusiastic features,bore the air of one who,deeply impressed with his own subjects of meditation,pays little attention to exterior objects.An air of gloomy severity,the fruit perhaps of ascetic and solitary habits,might,in a Lowlander,have been ascribed to religious fanaticism;but by that disease of the mind,then so common both in England and the Lowlands of Scotland,the Highlanders of this period were rarely infected.They had,however,their own peculiar superstitions,which overclouded the mind with thick-coming fancies,as completely as the puritanism of their neighbours.
"His lordship's honour,"said the Highland servant sideling up to Lord Menteith,and speaking in a very low tone,"his lordship manna speak to Allan even now,for the cloud is upon his mind."
Lord Menteith nodded,and took no farther notice of the reserved mountaineer.
"Said I not,"asked the latter,suddenly raising his stately person upright,and looking at the domestic--"said I not that four were to come,and here stand but three on the hall floor?"
"In troth did ye say sae,Allan,"said the old Highlander,"and here's the fourth man coming clinking in at the yett e'en now from the stable,for he's shelled like a partan,wi'airn on back and breast,haunch and shanks.And am I to set her chair up near the Menteith's,or down wi'the honest gentlemen at the foot of the table?"
Lord Menteith himself answered the enquiry,by pointing to a seat beside his own.
"And here she comes,"said Donald,as Captain Dalgetty entered the hall;"and I hope gentlemens will all take bread and cheese,as we say in the glens,until better meat be ready,until the Tiernach comes back frae the hill wi'the southern gentlefolk,and then Dugald Cook will show himself wi'his kid and hill venison.''
In the meantime,Captain Dalgetty had entered the apartment,and walking up to the seat placed next Lord Menteith,was leaning on the back of it with his arms folded.Anderson and his companion waited at the bottom of the table,in a respectful attitude,until they should receive permission to seat themselves;while three or four Highlanders,under the direction of old Donald,ran hither and thither to bring additional articles of food,or stood still to give attendance upon the guests.
In the midst of these preparations,Allan suddenly started up,and snatching a lamp from the hand of an attendant,held it close to Dalgetty's face,while he perused his features with the most heedful and grave attention.
"By my honour,"said Dalgetty,half displeased,as,mysteriously shaking his head,Allan gave up the scrutiny--"I trow that lad and I will ken each other when we meet again."
Meanwhile Allan strode to the bottom of the table,and having,by the aid of his lamp,subjected Anderson and his companion to the same investigation,stood a moment as if in deep reflection;
then,touching his forehead,suddenly seized Anderson by the arm,and before he could offer any effectual resistance,half led and half dragged him to the vacant seat at the upper end,and having made a mute intimation that he should there place himself,he hurried the soldado with the same unceremonious precipitation to the bottom of the table.The Captain,exceedingly incensed at this *******,endeavoured to shake Allan from him with violence;
