CHAPTER XXVI
Give us good voyage, gentle stream--we stun not Thy sober ear with sounds of revelry; Wake not the slumbering echoes of thy banks With voice of flute and horn--we do but seek On the broad pathway of thy swelling bosom To glide in silent safety. _The Double Bridal._
Grey, or rather yellow light, was beginning to twinkle through thefogs of Whitefriars, when a low tap at the door of the unhappy miserannounced to Lord Glenvarloch the summons of the boatman. He found atthe door the man whom he had seen the night before, with a companion.
"Come, come, master, let us get afloat," said one of them, in a roughimpressive whisper, "time and tide wait for no man."
"They shall not wait for me," said Lord Glenvarloch; "but I have somethings to carry with me."
"Ay, ay--no man will take a pair of oars now, Jack, unless he means toload the wherry like a six-horse waggon. When they don't want to shiftthe whole kitt, they take a sculler, and be d--d to them. Come, come,where be your rattle-traps?"
One of the men was soon sufficiently loaded, in his own estimation atleast, with Lord Glenvarloch's mail and its accompaniments, with whichburden he began to trudge towards the Temple Stairs. His comrade, whoseemed the principal, began to handle the trunk which contained themiser's treasure, but pitched it down again in an instant, declaring,with a great oath, that it was as reasonable to expect a man to carryPaul's on his back. The daughter of Trapbois, who had by this timejoined them, muffled up in a long dark hood and mantle, exclaimed toLord Glenvarloch--"Let them leave it if they will, let them leave itall; let us but escape from this horrible place."
We have mentioned elsewhere, that Nigel was a very athletic young man,and, impelled by a strong feeling of compassion and indignation, heshowed his bodily strength singularly on this occasion, by seizing onthe ponderous strong-box, and, by means of the rope he had cast aroundit, throwing it on his shoulders, and marching resolutely forward undera weight, which would have sunk to the earth three young gallants,at the least, of our degenerate day. The waterman followed him inamazement, calling out, "Why, master, master, you might as well gie met'other end on't!" and anon offered his assistance to support it in somedegree behind, which after the first minute or two Nigel was fain toaccept. His strength was almost exhausted when he reached the wherry,which was lying at the Temple Stairs according to appointment; and, whenhe pitched the trunk into it, the weight sank the bow of the boat so lowin the water as well-nigh to overset it.
"We shall have as hard a fare of it," said the waterman to hiscompanion, "as if we were ferrying over an honest bankrupt with all hissecreted goods--Ho, ho! good woman, what, are you stepping in for?--ourgunwale lies deep enough in the water without live lumber to boot."
"This person comes with me," said Lord Glenvarloch; "she is for thepresent under my protection."
"Come, come, master," rejoined the fellow, "that is out of mycommission. You must not double my freight on me--she may go byland--and, as for protection, her face will protect her from Berwick tothe Land's End."
"You will not except at my doubling the loading, if I double the fare?"said Nigel, determined on no account to relinquish the protection ofthis unhappy woman, for which he had already devised some sort of plan,likely now to be baffled by the characteristic rudeness of the Thameswatermen.
"Ay, by G----, but I will except, though," said the fellow with the greenplush jacket: "I will overload my wherry neither for love nor money--Ilove my boat as well as my wife, and a thought better."
"Nay, nay, comrade," said his mate, "that is speaking no true waterlanguage. For double fare we are bound to row a witch in her eggshell ifshe bid us; and so pull away, Jack, and let us have no more prating."
They got into the stream-way accordingly, and, although heavily laden,began to move down the river with reasonable speed.
The lighter vessels which passed, overtook, or crossed them, in theircourse, failed not to assail them with their boisterous raillery, whichwas then called water-wit; for which the extreme plainness of MistressMartha's features, contrasted with the youth, handsome figure, and goodlooks of Nigel, furnished the principal topics; while the circumstanceof the boat being somewhat overloaded, did not escape their notice. Theywere hailed successively, as a grocer's wife upon a party of pleasurewith her eldest apprentice--as an old woman carrying her grandson toschool--and as a young strapping Irishman, conveying an ancient maidento Dr. Rigmarole's, at Redriffe, who buckles beggars for a tester anda dram of Geneva. All this abuse was retorted in a similar strain ofhumour by Greenjacket and his companion, who maintained the war of witwith the same alacrity with which they were assailed.
Meanwhile, Lord Glenvarloch asked his desolate companion if she hadthought on any place where she could remain in safety with her property.She confessed, in more detail than formerly, that her father's characterhad left her no friends; and that, from the time he had betaken himselfto Whitefriars, to escape certain legal consequences of his eagerpursuit of gain, she had lived a life of total seclusion; notassociating with the society which the place afforded, and, by herresidence there, as well as her father's parsimony, effectually cut offfrom all other company. What she now wished, was, in the first place,to obtain the shelter of a decent lodging, and the countenance of honestpeople, however low in life, until she should obtain legal advice asto the mode of obtaining justice on her father's murderer. She hadno hesitation to charge the guilt upon Colepepper, (commonly calledPeppercull,) whom she knew to be as capable of any act of treacherouscruelty, as he was cowardly, where actual manhood was required. Hehad been strongly suspected of two robberies before, one of whichwas coupled with an atrocious murder. He had, she intimated, madepretensions to her hand as the easiest and safest way of obtainingpossession of her father's wealth; and, on her refusing his addresses,if they could be termed so, in the most positive terms, he had thrownout such obscure hints of vengeance, as, joined with some imperfectassaults upon the house, had kept her in frequent alarm, both on herfather's account and her own.
Nigel, but that his feeling of respectful delicacy to the unfortunatewoman forebade him to do so, could here have communicated a circumstancecorroborative of her suspicions, which had already occurred to his ownmind. He recollected the hint that old Hildebrod threw forth on thepreceding night, that some communication betwixt himself and Colepepperhad hastened the catastrophe. As this communication related to theplan which Hildebrod had been pleased to form, of promoting a marriagebetwixt Nigel himself and the rich heiress of Trapbois, the fearof losing an opportunity not to be regained, together with the meanmalignity of a low-bred ruffian, disappointed in a favourite scheme,was most likely to instigate the bravo to the deed of violence whichhad been committed. The reflection that his own name was in somedegree implicated with the causes of this horrid tragedy, doubled LordGlenvarloch's anxiety in behalf of the victim whom he had rescued, whileat the same time he formed the tacit resolution, that, so soon as hisown affairs were put upon some footing, he would contribute all in hispower towards the investigation of this bloody affair.
After ascertaining from his companion that she could form no better planof her own, he recommended to her to take up her lodging for the time,at the house of his old landlord, Christie the ship-chandler, at Paul'sWharf, describing the decency and honesty of that worthy couple, andexpressing his hopes that they would receive her into their own house,or recommend her at least to that of some person for whom they would beresponsible, until she should have time to enter upon other arrangementsfor herself.
The poor woman received advice so grateful to her in her desolatecondition, with an expression of thanks, brief indeed, but deeperthan any thing had yet extracted from the austerity of her naturaldisposition.
Lord Glenvarloch then proceeded to inform Martha, that certain reasons,connected with his personal safety, called him immediately to Greenwich,and, therefore, it would not be in his power to accompany her toChristie's house, which he would otherwise have done with pleas
ure: but,tearing a leaf from his tablet, he wrote on it a few lines, addressedto his landlord, as a man of honesty and humanity, in which he describedthe bearer as a person who stood in singular necessity of temporaryprotection and good advice, for which her circumstances enabled her tomake ample acknowledgment. He therefore requested John Christie, as hisold and good friend, to afford her the shelter of his roof for a shorttime; or, if that might not be consistent with his convenience, at leastto direct her to a proper lodging-and, finally, he imposed on him theadditional, and somewhat more difficult commission, to recommend her tothe counsel and services of an honest, at least a reputable and skilfulattorney, for the transacting some law business of importance. The notehe subscribed with his real name, and, delivering it to his _protegee_,who received it with another deeply uttered "I thank you," which spokethe sterling feelings of her gratitude better than a thousand combinedphrases, he commanded the watermen to pull in for Paul's Wharf, whichthey were now approaching.
"We have not time," said Green-jacket; "we cannot be stopping everyinstant."
But, upon Nigel insisting upon his commands being obeyed, and adding,that it was for the purpose of putting the lady ashore, the watermandeclared that he would rather have her room than her company, and putthe wherry alongside the wharf accordingly. Here two of the porters, whoply in such places, were easily induced to undertake the charge of theponderous strong-box, and at the same time to guide the owner to thewell-known mansion of John Christie, with whom all who lived in thatneighbourhood were perfectly acquainted.
The boat, much lightened of its load, went down the Thames at a rateincreased in proportion. But we must forbear to pursue her in her voyagefor a few minutes, since we have previously to mention the issue of LordGlenvarloch's recommendation.
Mistress Martha Trapbois reached the shop in perfect safety, and wasabout to enter it, when a sickening sense of the uncertainty of hersituation, and of the singularly painful task of telling her story, cameover her so strongly, that she paused a moment at the very thresholdof her proposed place of refuge, to think in what manner she could bestsecond the recommendation of the friend whom Providence had raised upto her. Had she possessed that knowledge of the world, from which herhabits of life had completely excluded her, she might have knownthat the large sum of money which she brought along with her, might,judiciously managed, have been a passport to her into the mansionsof nobles, and the palaces of princes. But, however conscious of itsgeneral power, which assumes so many forms and complexions, she was soinexperienced as to be most unnecessarily afraid that the means by whichthe wealth had been acquired, might exclude its inheretrix from sheltereven in the house of a humble tradesman.
While she thus delayed, a more reasonable cause for hesitation arose, ina considerable noise and altercation within the house, which grew louderand louder as the disputants issued forth upon the street or lane beforethe door.
The first who entered upon the scene was a tall raw-boned hard-favouredman, who stalked out of the shop hastily, with a gait like that of aSpaniard in a passion, who, disdaining to add speed to his locomotion byrunning, only condescends, in the utmost extremity of his angry haste,to add length to his stride. He faced about, so soon as he was outof the house, upon his pursuer, a decent-looking, elderly, plaintradesman--no other than John Christie himself, the owner of the shopand tenement, by whom he seemed to be followed, and who was in a stateof agitation more than is usually expressed by such a person.
"I'll hear no more on't," said the personage who first appeared on thescene.--"Sir, I will hear no more on it. Besides being a most falseand impudent figment, as I can testify--it is _Scandaalum Magnaatum_,sir--_Scandaalum Magnaatum_" he reiterated with a broad accentuation ofthe first vowel, well known in the colleges of Edinburgh and Glasgow,which we can only express in print by doubling the said first of lettersand of vowels, and which would have cheered the cockles of the reigningmonarch had he been within hearing,--as he was a severer stickler forwhat he deemed the genuine pronunciation of the Roman tongue, than forany of the royal prerogatives, for which he was at times disposed toinsist so strenuously in his speeches to Parliament.
"I care not an ounce of rotten cheese," said John Christie in reply,"what you call it--but it is TRUE; and I am a free Englishman, and haveright to speak the truth in my own concerns; and your master is littlebetter than a villain, and you no more than a swaggering coxcomb, whosehead I will presently break, as I have known it well broken before onlighter occasion."
And, so saying, he flourished the paring-shovel which usually made cleanthe steps of his little shop, and which he had caught up as the readiestweapon of working his foeman damage, and advanced therewith upon him.The cautious Scot (for such our readers must have already pronouncedhim, from his language and pedantry) drew back as the enragedship-chandler approached, but in a surly manner, and bearing his handon his sword-hilt rather in the act of one who was losing habitualforbearance and caution of deportment, than as alarmed by the attack ofan antagonist inferior to himself in youth, strength, and weapons.
"Bide back," he said, "Maister Christie--I say bide back, and consultyour safety, man. I have evited striking you in your ain house undermuckle provocation, because I am ignorant how the laws here maypronounce respecting burglary and hamesucken, and such matters; and,besides, I would not willingly hurt ye, man, e'en on the causeway, thatis free to us baith, because I mind your kindness of lang syne, andpartly consider ye as a poor deceived creature. But deil d--n me, sir,and I am not wont to swear, but if you touch my Scotch shouther withthat shule of yours, I will make six inches of my Andrew Ferraradeevilish intimate with your guts, neighbour."
And therewithal, though still retreating from the brandished shovel, hemade one-third of the basket-hilled broadsword which he wore, visiblefrom the sheath. The wrath of John Christie was abated, either by hisnatural temperance of disposition, or perhaps in part by the glimmer ofcold steel, which flashed on him from his adversary's last action.
"I would do well to cry clubs on thee, and have thee ducked at thewharf," he said, grounding his shovel, however, at the same time, "fora paltry swaggerer, that would draw thy bit of iron there on an honestcitizen before his own door; but get thee gone, and reckon on a salt eelfor thy supper, if thou shouldst ever come near my house again. I wishit had been at the bottom of the Thames when it first gave the use ofits roof to smooth-faced, oily-tongued, double-minded Scots thieves!"
"It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest," replied his adversary, notperhaps the less bold that he saw matters were taking the turn of apacific debate; "and a pity it is that a kindly Scot should everhave married in foreign parts, and given life to a purse-proud,pudding-headed, fat-gutted, lean-brained Southron, e'en such as you,Maister Christie. But fare ye weel--fare ye weel, for ever and a day;and, if you quarrel wi' a Scot again, man, say as mickle ill o' himsellas ye like, but say nane of his patron or of his countrymen, or it willscarce be your flat cap that will keep your lang lugs from the sharpabridgement of a Highland whinger, man."
"And, if you continue your insolence to me before my own door, wereit but two minutes longer," retorted John Christie, "I will call theconstable, and make your Scottish ankles acquainted with an English pairof stocks!"
So saying, he turned to retire into his shop with some show of victory;for his enemy, whatever might be his innate valour, manifested nodesire to drive matters to extremity--conscious, perhaps, that whateveradvantage he might gain in single combat with Jonn Christie, wouldbe more than overbalanced by incurring an affair with the constitutedauthorities of Old England, not at that time apt to be particularlyfavourable to their new fellow-subjects, in the various successivebroils which were then constantly taking place between the individualsof two proud nations, who still retained a stronger sense of theirnational animosity during centuries, than of their late union for a fewyears under the government of the same prince.
Mrs. Martha Trapbois had dwelt too long in Alsatia, to be eithersurprised or terrified at the alterc
ation she had witnessed. Indeed,she only wondered that the debate did not end in some of those acts ofviolence by which they were usually terminated in the Sanctuary. Asthe disputants separated from each other, she, who had no idea that thecause of the quarrel was more deeply rooted than in the daily scenes ofthe same nature which she had heard of or witnessed, did not hesitate tostop Master Christie in his return to his shop, and present to him theletter which Lord Glenvarloch had given to her. Had she been betteracquainted with life and its business, she would certainly have waitedfor a more temperate moment; and she had reason to repent of herprecipitation, when, without saying a single word, or taking the troubleto gather more of the information contained in the letter than wasexpressed in the subscription, the incensed ship chandler threw it downon the ground, trampled it in high disdain, and, without addressing asingle word to the bearer, except, indeed, something much more likea hearty curse than was perfectly consistent with his own graveappearance, he retired into his shop, and shut the hatch-door.
It was with the most inexpressible anguish that the desolate, friendlessand unhappy female, thus beheld her sole hope of succour, countenance,and protection, vanish at once, without being able to conceive a reason;for, to do her justice, the idea that her friend, whom she knew bythe name of Nigel Grahame, had imposed on her, a solution which mightreadily have occurred to many in her situation, never once enteredher mind. Although it was not her temper easily to bend her mind toentreaty, she could not help exclaiming after the ireful and retreatingship-chandler,--"Good Master, hear me but a moment! for mercy's sake,for honesty's sake!"
"Mercy and honesty from him, mistress!" said the Scot, who, though heessayed not to interrupt the retreat of his antagonist, still kept stoutpossession of the field of action,--"ye might as weel expect brandy frombean-stalks, or milk from a craig of blue whunstane. The man is mad, bommad, to boot."
"I must have mistaken the person to whom the letter was addressed,then;" and, as she spoke, Mistress Martha Trapbois was in the act ofstooping to lift the paper which had been so uncourteously received. Hercompanion, with natural civility, anticipated her purpose; but, whatwas not quite so much in etiquette, he took a sly glance at it as he wasabout to hand it to her, and his eye having caught the subscription, hesaid, with surprise, "Glenvarloch--Nigel Olifaunt of Glenvarloch! Do youknow the Lord Glenvarloch, mistress?"
"I know not of whom you speak," said Mrs. Martha, peevishly. "I had thatpaper from one Master Nigel Gram."
"Nigel Grahame!--umph.-O, ay, very true--I had forgot," said theScotsman. "A tall, well-set young man, about my height; bright blueeyes like a hawk's; a pleasant speech, something leaning to the kindlynorth-country accentuation, but not much, in respect of his having beenresident abroad?"
"All this is true--and what of it all?" said the daughter of the miser.
"Hair of my complexion?"
"Yours is red," replied she.
"I pray you peace," said the Scotsman. "I was going to say--of mycomplexion, but with a deeper shade of the chestnut. Weel, mistress, ifI have guessed the man aright, he is one with whom I am, and have been,intimate and familiar,--nay,--I may truly say I have done him muchservice in my time, and may live to do him more. I had indeed a sinceregood-will for him, and I doubt he has been much at a loss since weparted; but the fault is not mine. Wherefore, as this letter will notavail you with him to whom it is directed, you may believe that heavenhath sent it to me, who have a special regard for the writer--I have,besides, as much mercy and honesty within me as man can weel make hisbread with, and am willing to aid any distressed creature, that is myfriend's friend, with my counsel, and otherwise, so that I am not putto much charges, being in a strange country, like a poor lamb that haswandered from its ain native hirsel, and leaves a tait of its woo' inevery d--d Southron bramble that comes across it." While he spoke thus,he read the contents of the letter, without waiting for permission,and then continued,--"And so this is all that you are wanting, my dove?nothing more than safe and honourable lodging, and sustenance, upon yourown charges?"
"Nothing more," said she. "If you are a man and a Christian, you willhelp me to what I need so much."
"A man I am," replied the formal Caledonian, "e'en sic as ye see me; anda Christian I may call myself, though unworthy, and though I haveheard little pure doctrine since I came hither--a' polluted with men'sdevices--ahem! Weel, and if ye be an honest woman," (here he peepedunder her muffler,) "as an honest woman ye seem likely to be--though,let me tell you, they are a kind of cattle not so rife in the streetsof this city as I would desire them--I was almost strangled with my ownband by twa rampallians, wha wanted yestreen, nae farther gane, to harleme into a change-house--however, if ye be a decent honest woman," (herehe took another peep at features certainly bearing no beauty whichcould infer suspicion,) "as decent and honest ye seem to be, why, Iwill advise you to a decent house, where you will get douce, quietentertainment, on reasonable terms, and the occasional benefit of myown counsel and direction--that is, from time to time, as my otheravocations may permit."
"May I venture to accept of such an offer from a stranger?" said Martha,with natural hesitation.
"Troth, I see nothing to hinder you, mistress," replied the bonny Scot;"ye can but see the place, and do after as ye think best. Besides, weare nae such strangers, neither; for I know your friend, and you,it's like, know mine, whilk knowledge, on either hand, is a medium ofcommunication between us, even as the middle of the string connectethits twa ends or extremities. But I will enlarge on this farther as wepass along, gin ye list to bid your twa lazy loons of porters there liftup your little kist between them, whilk ae true Scotsman might carryunder his arm. Let me tell you, mistress, ye will soon make a toompock-end of it in Lon'on, if you hire twa knaves to do the work of ane."
So saying, he led the way, followed by Mistress Martha Trapbois, whosesingular destiny, though it had heaped her with wealth, had left her,for the moment, no wiser counsellor, or more distinguished protector,than honest Richie Moniplies, a discarded serving-man.