Partick? But hoo"s this?" he said, more seriously, and now peering into her face--"there"s a tear in yer ee, Meenie. What"s wrang, la.s.sie? Hae ye lost yer leman? Has Davy no been sae kind"s he should hae been?"
Poor Meenie made no reply to the worthy curate"s half-jocular, half-serious remarks. Her heart was sad; and to her dismal and heart-withering was the errand on which she and her friends (for, of the men of the party, one was her father, the other her uncle, and the third her intended husband) had come to Govan. While the curate spoke to her, she held down her head to hide the tears that were fast falling from her beautiful dark hazel eyes; but she could not conceal the heaving of her bosom, from the sobs which she was endeavouring to suppress.
"She"s a camstairy cutty," said her father, Adam Ritchie of Clayslaps, frowningly, "and most undutifu, no to submit to the wishes o" her parents wi" a better grace."
"Surely every bairn is bound to obey with cheerfulness those to whom they owe their being," said the curate; "but there are some cases, Clayslaps, where it wad be cruelty to impose restraint, and unreasonable to expect ungrudged compliance."
"Weel, weel, curate," replied Adam Ritchie, impatiently, "we"ll speak o"
thae things anither time. In the meantime, landlord," he said, turning to Ringan, "bring us in some brandy; for we"re baith cauld and wat, and a thumblefu o" the Frenchman"ll do us nae harm."
This order was speedily complied with. A small pewter measure of the liquor desired, accompanied by a small silver drinking-cup or quaigh, was placed on the table; and the whole party, including the former occupants of the kitchen, soon began to get cheerful and somewhat talkative, with the exception of Meenie Ritchie. In all that had hitherto pa.s.sed, he of the clouted shoes and darned hose had taken no part, but had kept his eye steadily fixed on Meenie, with a look of deep interest and compa.s.sion. At length, as if urged on by the increasing energy of those feelings, he rose, went up to her, and clapping her kindly on the shoulder--
"I wish, my sweet la.s.s," he said, "it were in my power to lighten that bit heartie o" yours; for it seems to me to be sore burdened wi" some grief or other; and I am wae to see"t."
"And what business hae ye to interfere, freend?" said her father, angrily. "If the la.s.sie"s in grief, whilk she has but little reason to be, she has them aboot her here wha hae a deeper interest in her than ye can hae, and a hantle better richt to be her comforters."
"Sma" comfort she"s like to get amang ye, be ye what ye like to her,"
replied the stranger, doughtily; "and, if it"s onything I can richt her in, tak my word for"t, honest man, I"ll do it with but small regard to your displeasure."
"My troth, ye"re no blate, sirrah, to tell me sae--her ain faither,"
said Clayslaps, reddening with anger; "but I advise ye, freend, neither to mak nor meddle wi" oor affairs, else ye may repent it. That la.s.sie, sir, is my dochter; and there"s her mother, and there"s her uncle, and there"s her husband to be; sae ye may see hoo very little your interference is needed here."
"Weel, weel," replied the stranger, now retiring to his seat, "if there"s only fair play going, I"m content; but I like to see that everywhere and on all occasions."
"So, Clayslaps," said the curate, here interfering, "is"t to be a match after a"--is"t?"
"Indeed is"t, curate," replied the former. "Meenie"s come roun at last, and is convinced her parents wadna advise her against her interest. Sae we have just come here this nicht for the express purpose o" gettin a cast o" your office; and I consider it the luckiest thing in the world that we hae foregathered wi" ye sae cannily, curate."
"Indeed, ay, curate," here chimed in Meenie"s mother with that ready volubility and a little of the incoherence of her particular cla.s.s and character, "we"re just gaun to close the business at ance, and be dune wi"t. I"m sure, muckle trouble and thocht it has cost us, curate. Ye ken Davy o"Partick, that was rinnin after Meenie, and wha the fulish, thochtless thing had sic a wark wi", hasna a plack in his purse--neither maut nor meal, neither hoose nor ha"; and were we gaun to throw awa oor la.s.sie, wi" fifty merks o" tocher in her pouch, forbye what she may get whan the guidman and me"s raked i" the mools, on a landless, penniless chiel like that? Na, my certy--we kent better than that, curate; and we"re just gaun to gie her to the young laird o" Goupinsfou there, wha can lay down plack for plack wi" her, and has a bien house to tak her to, forbye."
"But," here interrupted the curate, at the same time looking towards Meenie, "are ye quite sure, Mrs Ritchie, that ye hae brocht your dochter to see this matter in the same prudent licht that ye do? I maun say, I doot it. And besides, guidwife, what"s a" the hurry in marryin the la.s.sie--she"s but young yet."
"That"s a faut that"s aye mendin, curate," replied Meenie"s mother; "and we think the suner she"s oot o" harm"s way the better. He"s but a reckless chiel that Davy, and there"s nae sayin what he micht do. Maybe rin awa wi" her afore mornin; for he has heard an inklin o" oor intentions. Sae we just cam slippin awa in the dark, to get the business settled withoot his kennin."
During all this time, poor Meenie Ritchie sat the picture of misery and suffering. She had never, since she entered, once raised her head, but continued wrapped up in the silent wretchedness of despair; painfully and forcibly showing how little she partook in the anxiety of her parents to accomplish the impending union. Meenie was evidently, in short, a victim to parental authority; and this all present felt and saw, and none with more compa.s.sion than the worthy curate who was to be the unwilling instrument of her doom.
"To be plain wi" ye, guidwife," said the kindhearted churchman, when the former had gone through her somewhat unconnected, but sufficiently intelligible, story, "and you, Clayslaps, and the rest o" ye that"s concerned in this business, I dinna like it, and I will not marry these persons but with the full and free consent of both."
"But ye may not refuse, curate," said Meenie"s father, somewhat testily.
"She has consented already, and will consent again."
"In that case, certainly, I may not refuse," said the curate, going up to the afflicted girl, and taking her kindly by the hand. "Meenie, my dear," he now said, addressing her, "are ye here for the purpose o"
being united to Goupinsfou, o" yer ain free will and accord?"
The poor girl made no reply.
The curate repeated his question, when her father sternly called on her to answer. Thus urged, she uttered a scarcely audible affirmative.
"Then, since it is so, Meenie," said the curate, dropping her hand, "I may not decline to effect the union. Do you desire, Clayslaps, that the ceremony should be immediately performed?"
"As sune"s ye like, curate," replied the latter.
"And the suner the better," added Meenie"s mother.
"Our worthy landlord here, then," said the curate, "will prepare an apartment for us, and we will retire thither and unite this young couple. In the meantime, freends," he added, addressing the schoolmaster and he of the darned hose, "we had better settle oor lawin."
The schoolmaster instantly drew from his pocket his share of the reckoning, while the stranger pulled out the foot of an old stocking, which had been ingeniously converted into a purse, and was about undoing the bit of twine with which it was secured, when the curate placed his hand on his arm, to arrest his proceedings, saying--
"The ne"er a bodle, freend, ye"ll pay. This"ll be the schule-maister"s and mine."
"The ne"er o" that it"ll be, curate," replied the schoolmaster. "Every ane for himsel. Plack aboot"s fair play. Let every herrin hing by its ain head. The deil a bodle I"ll pay for onybody."
"Then I will," said the curate. "I"ll pay for this honest man here; for it may be he canna sae weel spare"t." And he laid down his own and the stranger"s share of the reckoning.
"Many thanks to ye, curate," said the latter; "but there"s no occasion for this kindness. I have, indeed, but little to spare; but that gives me no claim whatever on your generosity."
"Say nae mair aboot it, freend," replied the curate--"say nae mair aboot it, man. Ye"ll maybe pay for me in a strait, some ither time. It"s but a trifle, at ony rate--no worth speakin aboot; sae ye"ll obleege me by giein me my ain way."
"Well, well, since you insist on it," said the stranger, again tying up the stocking-foot, "I winna press the matter. Many thanks to ye."
The important affair of the reckoning settled, a general movement was made amongst the party to adjourn to the apartment which had been prepared for the celebration of the marriage ceremony. Taking advantage of the momentary confusion created by this circ.u.mstance, the curate"s new friend touched him on the elbow, led him aside, and whispered into his ear, "Delay the ceremony as long as you can. The poor girl, you see, is about to be sacrificed. Perhaps I can prevent it."
The curate nodded a.s.sent, although it was but the result of an impulse of his kind nature; for he could not conceive how any one--particularly such a very humble personage as he who had spoken to him--should have the power to stay an event of the kind, and under the circ.u.mstances of that which was about to take place. Still, as the request was in accordance with his own feelings, and as he did not know what this very odd person might have it in his power to do in the matter, he resolved to do what he could to comply with it. Having made the communication to the curate just recorded, the stranger suddenly and hurriedly left the apartment. Whither, and the purpose for which he went, we shall ascertain by following him.
On leaving the house, he hastened down to the river side, and having called the ferryman out of his temporary habitation, a little hut erected on the bank, "Friend," he said, "do you know Davy Linn o"Partick?"
"Brawly that," replied the ferryman. "No a better or decenter chiel in the country side than Davy. A warmhearted, honest fellow!"
"Glad to hear it," said the inquirer. "Well, then, since that is the case, you will have no objection to do him a service, I daresay?"
"It would be ill my part, if I had," replied the man; "for he has done me twa or three services that I wadna willingly forget."
"Then across the water with you, and up to Partick as fast as if the old one were after you, and tell Davy to come here directly--to come along with you--if he would not lose Meenie Ritchie for ever."
"Feth, that"ll mak him rin, if onything will," said the man, who knew of Davy"s attachment to Meenie.
"And stay, sir," continued the stranger, without noticing the interruption; "take this"--producing a small gold ring--"and go, at the same time, to the bishop"s castle, up the way, there, on the Kelvin, and request some one of the domestics to put it into the hands of Sir John Elphingstone, who is residing there just now with the bishop. He will instantly come out to you; and, when he does, tell him that the person who sent it desires to see him here immediately, and requests that he may come along with you. And now, my friend," he continued, "that you may do all these errands with the greater good-will and despatch, here"s a gold Jacobus for thee."
The man took the coin, though not without a look of surprise at the donor, whom he evidently thought a most unlikely person to deal in gold rings and Jacobuses. He, however, made no remark, but prepared to execute the mission with which he had been intrusted; and was just about to push off his boat, when his employer called out to him--
"I forgot to say, friend, that when you have brought over your pa.s.sengers, you will desire them to wait in your hut here until you have acquainted me with their arrival. You will find me in Scouler"s hostelry."
With this order the boatman promised compliance, and pushed off; when his employer returned to the inn, and, planting himself before the kitchen fire, anxiously awaited the return of his messenger.
The curate, in the meantime, was faithfully performing his part, in promoting delay, by the aid of story and anecdote, although he felt as if it were a hopeless case. While thus employed, the landlady, a lively, active, bustling body, happening to come into the room, he suddenly stopped in the middle of a story, and exclaimed, laughingly, "Mrs Scouler, hae ye been makin ony brandy parritch lately?"
"Tuts, Mr Gibson, will I never hear the end o" that?" replied the hostess of the Grilse and Gridiron, good-naturedly, and hurrying out of the apartment, to escape the further banter of the facetious churchman.
"What aboot the brandy parritch, curate?" exclaimed the guidwife of Clayslaps, on the hostess leaving the room.