The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale

ltered; but the pirate ship was very gently touched upon. Nor did I hear the Colonel to an end even of that which he was willing to disclose; for Mr. Henry, having for some whi

cern, walking to and fro in the room with a contorte

agnum of the best. This was extremely foreign to his habitudes; and what was still more so, when the wine ha

"when I tell you that my brother-whose safety we are

much; but the time was not very

. "There is the mon

him it was

ble to my wife," h

id I, "there i

"it is on that I

onomies, and plunge back the estate into the mire. I even took the liberty to plead with him; and when he still opposed me with a shake of the hea

ar, I had begun to take a pride in the estates." He gloomed for a moment. "But what would you have?" he went on. "Nothing is mine, nothing. This d

stantial enough befo

ays he, "from an only brother? I declare to God I liked him very well; I was always staunch to him; and this is how he writes! But I will not sit down under the imputation"-walking to and fro-"I am as good as he; I am a better man than he, I call on God to prove it! I cannot give him all the monstrous sum he asks; he knows the estate to be incompetent; but I will give him what I have, and it in more than he expects. I have borne all this too long. See what he writes further on; read it for yourself: 'I know you are a niggardly dog.' A niggardly dog! I niggardly? Is that true, Mackellar? You think

led; and we sat down together, counted the money, and made it up in packets for the greater ease of Colonel Burke, who was

s a man who valued himself; nor could we afford him one more dignified, for Mr. Henry must not appear with the freetraders. It

oney that your friend requires. I must s

I thought drily; but perhaps it

I. "You may deal openly with me. I think

t natural abilities, and a man that I admire, and that I revere, to the very g

d I, "we are likely to

it your own way, my dear

d just as a last word, and since you show so much intelligent interest, I will mention a small circumstance that may be of use to the family. For I believe my friend omitted to mention t

e went the pathetic air of Shule Aroon. It was the first time I had heard that tune; I was to hear it again, words and all, as you shall learn, but I remember how that little stave of it ran in my head after the freetraders had

: that I must ride to Edinburgh, and there raise a new loan on very questionable terms to keep

he read in each the avowal of her truant fancies. That constancy to the Master of which she was proud while she supposed him dead, she had to blush for now she knew he was alive, and these blushes were the hated spring of her new conduct. I am to conceal no truth; and I will here say plainly, I think this was the period in which Mr. Henry showed the worst. He contained himself, indeed, in public; but there was a deep-seated irritation visible underneath. With me, from whom he had less conc

r. Henry; he gave what was asked of him in a kind of noble rage. Perhaps because he knew he was by nature inclining to the parsimonious, he took a backforemost pleasure in the recklessness with which he supplied his brother's exigence. Perhaps the falsity of the position would have spurred a humbler man into the same excess. But

nry alone upon the matter of his demands, and there was never a word to my lord. The family had looked on, wondering at our economies. They had lamented, I have no doubt, that my patron had become so great a miser-a fault always despicable, but in the y

om her former manner of unconcern and distance. I never had the heart to blame Mr. Henry because he recoiled from these advances; nor yet to censure the wife, when she was cut to the quick by their rejection. But the result was an entire estrangement, so that

I should be denied my only consolation. These shameful proclivities must be trod down; we ar

ford it," sa

"For shame! But I h

by marriage," he snarled,

gave me a broad hint to be gone. I found Mr. Henry in his usual retreat, the steward's room,

ourself too much injustice, an

ivities. I am a niggardly dog," and he drove his knife up to the hilt. "But I will sh

sity," said I; "th

I want moral

y-nilly; and no sooner was Mrs. Henry gone to her room t

r. "What do you want with m

hard upon my conscience, and it will out. Is it possible that two people can be so blind as you and my lord?

this mean?"

wine he does not drink at table?" I went on. "To Paris-to that man! Eight thousand

repeated. "It in impossible;

ght thousand and sixty is the sum, beside odd shillings. And if you can

ink me indeed a very unobservant wife" (looking upon me with a strange smile), "but I shall put this right at once. The Master was always of a very thoughtles

pleased you," said I, for I raged to

id she, "and plea

tate most unlike himself; for his face was all bloated with weeping, and yet he seemed to me to walk upon the air. By this

e than any eloquence of protestation. Nor was this all I had effected; for when the next messenger came (as he did not long afterwards) from the Master, he got nothing away with him but a letter. For some while back it had been I myself who had conducted these affairs; Mr. Henry no

sight of the man, little enough kindness to remember (by all accounts) even while she had him, the notion of his death intervening, his heartless rapacity laid bare to her; that all should not do, and she must still keep the best place in her heart for this accursed fellow, is a thing to make a plain man rage. I had never much natural sympathy for the passion of love; but this unreason in my patron's wife disgusted me outright with the whole matter. I remember checking a maid because she sang some bairnly kickshaw while my mind was thus engaged; and my asperity brought about my ears the enmity of all the petticoats about the house; of which I reeked very little, but it amused Mr. Henry, who rallied me much upon our joint unpopularity. It is strange enough (

rke (afterwards Cheval

in Ch

12,

of a solid gravity of character: a qualification which I profess I admire and revere next to natural genius or the bold chivalrous spirit of the soldier. I was, besides, interested in the noble family which you

, I took occasion to inquire your name (which I profess I had forgot) at my friend, th

pair of colours and sent to rot in a hole at the bottom of the province. Accustomed as I am to Courts, I cannot but feel it is no atmosphere for a plain soldier; and I could never hope to advance by similar means, even could I stoop to the endeavour. But our friend has a particular aptitude to succeed by the means of ladies; and if all be true that I have heard, he enjoyed a remarkable protec

e, when I saw him, of a trip to India (whither I am myself in some hope of accompanying my illustrious countryman, Mr. Lally); but for this he would require (as I understood) more money than was readily at his command. You may have hea

ear

ient humb

cis

uld see the Master, to assure him his next messenger would be attended to. But with all my haste I was not in time to avert what was impending; the arrow had been drawn, it must now fly. I could almost doubt the power of Prov

nants; for with the traders themselves, desperate blades that went habitually armed, I could never bring myself to meddle willingly. Indeed, by what proved in the sequel an unhappy chance, I was an object of scorn to some of these braggadocios; who had not only gratified me with a nickname, but catching me one night upon a by-path, and being all (as they would have said) somew

st burst through the thickets to the edge of what they call the Craig Head. The sun was already down, but there was still a broad light in the west, which showed me some of the smugglers treading out their signal fire upon the Ross, and in the bay the lugger lyi

e way with difficulty, being hampered with near upon half a dozen portmanteaus, great and small. But the business of landing was briskly carried through; and presently the baggage was all tumbled on shore, the boat on its return voyage to the lugger, and the passenger standing alone upon

mind being greatly pulled about between natural diffidence and a dark foreboding of the truth. Indeed, I might have stood there swithering all night, had

in the English accent, "there

d a mole, not unbecoming; a large diamond sparkled on his hand; his clothes, although of the one hue, were of a French and foppish design; his ruffles, which he wore longer than common, of exquisite lace;

your name and your nickname. I divined these very

rds I fell

Bally: it is the name I have assumed; or rather (since I am addressing so great a precision) it is so I have curtailed my own. Come now, pick up that and tha

he turned his back and marched off through the long shrubbery, where it began already to be dusk, for the wood is thick and evergreen. I followed behind, loaded almo

aus to the ground and halted. H

?" sa

e Master of

serve," says he, "I have made no

es I, "what brings you here?

choice, he (and you also) must abide by the result. And now pick up these things of mine, whi

g will move you to go back," said I; "though, sure, under all the circumstan

fying expression

observed. Wait here with your baggage, and I will go forward and prepare your family. Yo

look you here, my man, and understand it once for all-you waste

Is that so? We

e) desisted. One thing at least is sure, that I came but a few minutes later to the door of the great house, nearly strangled for the lack of breath, but quite alone. Straight up the stair I ran, a

," I panted

aid Mr.

lf," s

dent, imprudent boy! Oh, could

Henry; nor did I look a

, with a very deep bre

the long shru

to him,

avelled plot encountered the Master strolling up, whistling as he came, and beating the air with

the Master. "So

I will not pretend that I am glad to see you; but I would fa

is an old sore, and we need not rub it. If you would not share with me in Paris, I h

r. Henry. "And you understand the pow

they had never touched hands, was (as we may say) the end of the brothers'

. Henry for a confirmation;

rding his wishes as you would my own," says Mr. Henry. "We are constantly troubling

ell-deserved reproof upon the stranger; and yet, so de

o say 'Sneck up'?" inquires he s

rubbery, with a heart full of anger and despair. It was dark under the trees, and I walked before me and forgot what business I was come upon, till I near broke my shin on the portmanteaus. Then it was that I remark

t cut me to the quick, my place had been forgotten. I had seen one side of the Master's return; now I was to see the ot

s he. "John, lay another for Mr. Bally; I protest he wil

in his voice. And while John laid the fresh place for him (a thing on which he still insisted), he went and leaned on his father's chair and looked down upon him

foreign to our ways in Durrisdeer, it was still a homely courtliness, that did not shame but flattered us. All that, he did throughout the meal, indeed, drinking wine with me with a notable respect, turning about for a pleasant word with John, fondling his father's hand, break

was over, Mrs. Hen

r your way, Al

e, "and I will give you a good-night, James, and a welcome-

than ever; pleased to see his wife withdraw, and yet half displeased, as he thought up

e too many; and was stealing after

you go: this is to make a stranger of the prodigal son; and let me remind you where-i

r of him or you. I have been telling my son," he added, his voice brighte

o plain. Here was the passage; of which, after what he knows of the brothers' meeting, the reader shall consider for himself. Mr. Henry sitting somewhat

ey were boys, "you must not be downcast because your brother has come home. All's yours, that's sur

own, a thing rare with him. "You have been the elder brother of

t in the wrong,

so mild a man. "You have earned my gratitude and your brother's many

ter; and I thought Mr. Henry looked at

and theologians tell us of the devil? or by what he would have called love? My common opinion halts among the three first; but perhaps there lay at the spring of his behaviour an element of all. As thus:-Animosity to Mr. Henry would explain his hateful usage of him when they were alone; t

used me with the extreme of friendly condescension. This was not only painful in itself; not only did it put me continually in the wrong; but there was in it an element of insult indescribable. That he should thus leave me out in his dissimulation, as though even

less proud, had he spoken, who would have credited the truth? The acted calumny had done its work; my lord and Mrs. Henry were the daily witnesses of what went on; they could have sworn in court that the Master was a model of long-suffering good-nature, and Mr. Henry a

ide with me?" asks

goaded by the man all morn

uld be kinder, Henry," s

Mr. Henry was blamed; small wonder if I fretted myself into something near upon

too-that very watchful gentleman-where was all his observation? But, for one thing, the deceit was practised by a master hand, and might have gulled an angel. For another (in the case of Mrs. Henry), I have observed there are no persons so far away as those who are both married and estranged, so that they seem out of ear-shot or to have no common tongue. For a

the day's commerce (it is idle to deny it) he fell short of the ornamental. The Master (on the other hand) had never a movement but it commanded him. So it befell that when the one appeared gracious and the other ungracious, every trick of their bodies seemed to call out confirmation. Not th

ucky guinea, Jacob," said he. And when Mr. Henry only looked upon him darkly, "Oh!" he added, "you need not look such impotent malice, my good fly. You can be rid of your spider when you please. How long, O Lord? When are you to be wrought to the point of a denunciation, scrupulous brother? It is one of my interests in this dreary hole. I ever loved experiment." Still Mr. Henry only stare

ffold, the man would be canonised for good in the minds of his father and my patron's wife; the other, that if I was anyway mingled in the matter, Mr. Henry himself would scarce escape some glancings of suspicion. And in the meanwhile our enemy went in and out more than I could have thought possible, the fact that he was home again was buzzed about all the country

as back, she thought she owed it to herself to grow a haunter of the neighbourhood of Durrisdeer. The Master could scarce go abroad but she was there in wait for him; a scandalous figure of a woman, not often sober; hailing him wildly as "her bonny laddie," quoting pedlar's poetry, and, as I receive the story, even seeking to weep upon his neck. I own I rubbed my hands over this persecution; but the Master, who laid so much upon others, was himself the least patient of men. There were strange scenes enacted in the policies. Some say he took his ca

ice, and with more civility than usual, "Mackellar," says he, "there is a damned crazy wench comes about here. I cannot well move in

ittle, "you can do your own

ord to that, an

"It seems all is not enough, and you must add to my

careless of your position when I spoke; and if you think so when you know all, my dear patron, you have but to say the

. "He shall drink his Jessie Broun to the dregs." And then, spying the Master outside, he opene

would always take his word against yours; for we are alone, and I am going to use something of your own freedom. Mr. Mackellar is a gentleman I value; and you must contrive, so long as you are under this roof, to bring yourself into no more collisio

ants, I believe,"

h this tale,"

inted at me with his finger. "I w

ot be," sai

tty dear for this,

" said Mr. Henry, "that I am bankrupt even of fear

that," says the Maste

next, Mackellar?"

r patron, let me go away; I am bu

ve me quite al

o be a most insidious art; meeting her, you may say, at meal-time only; and behaving, when he did so, like an affectionate brother. Up to that hour, you may say he had scarce directly interfered between Mr. Henry and his wife; except in so far as

aware of it herself, and that her husband must look on in silence. The first parallel was opened (as was made to app

king, as the truth of what he hopes of her, poor soul! in these far lands." And here the Master sighed, "I protest it is a pathetic sight when a score of rough Irish, all common sentinels, get to this song; and you may see, by their falling tears, how it strikes home to them. It goes thus, father," says he, very adroitly taking my lord for his listener

dye my pet

r boy I'll

friends should

among the

nt further yet; for all was so delicately touched, it seemed impossible to suspect him of the least design; and so far from making a parade of emotion, you would have sworn he was striving to be calm. When it came to an end, we all sat silent for a time; he had chosen the dusk of the afternoon, so that none could see his neighbour's face; but it seemed as if we held our breathing; only my old lord cleared his throat. The first to move was the singer, who got to his feet suddenly and softly, and went a

rought him still a peg lower in his wife's esteem; and (to conclude) it was a bond of union between the lady and the Master. Under this influence, their old reserve melted by daily stages. Presently there came walks in the long shrubbery, talks in the Belvedere, and I know not what tender familiarity. I am sure Mrs. Henry was like many a good woman; she had a whole conscience b

for Mr. Henry! And yet it brought our ul

r the granting. The family was now so narrowed down (indeed, there were no more of them than just the father and the two sons) that it was possible to break the entail and alienate a piece of land. And to this, at first by hints, and then by open pressure, Mr. Henry was brought to consent. He never would have done so, I am very well assure

, "this is an injustice to

not likely to ha

father, and have the right to command me, I set my hand to this paper. But one thing I will say first: I have been ungenerously pushed, and wh

d came up. "I think this is not a very wisely chosen moment, Henry, for c

Henry. "This injustice is not done from gen

" begins my lord, still

d. And, my lord, as you make him no stranger to your frequent blame,

have rescinded his decision;

e the best of us still. Rugged and t

's generosity my lord desisted from h

r. And now here was all the man's business brought to a successful head, and his pockets once more bulging with our gold; and yet the point for which we had consented to this sacrifice was still denied us, and the visitor still lingered on at D

of Government; for about this time the

r this tenant was a Jacobitish sympathiser, and had lost a son at Culloden, which gave him the more critical

y of my first wonder on beholding the man dis

as picked up by Captain Crail. You thought he h

d then carried it to Mr. Henry. "Here is a

Mackellar, so long as he

ck a little of some Government connivance? You know ho

nother word and wrote to a gentleman of his acquaintance-I will name no unnecessary names, but he was one in a high place. This letter I despatched by the only hand I could depend upon in suc

ackellar," says he. "With this in my hand I w

public appearance for the Master; and my lord, as

need no longer keep this up with me. I

ou mean, Henry? I give you my word, I am

enance, and I saw he was str

ise. "I see you serve your masters very faithfully; but I had thought

discussed. I order this to cease," cries the Master very fooli

interests both of the Government and the gentleman whom we may perhaps best continue to call Mr. Bally, to keep this understanding secret; but it was never meant his own family sho

g at his son, with a great deal of wonder

mind very swiftly, for the whole matter is still quite fresh; or rather, Henry's correspondent must have misconceived that part, as he seems to have misconceived the rest. To tell you the truth, sir," he continued, getting visibly more easy, "I had supposed this unexplained favour to a rebel was the effect of some application from yourself; and the injunction to secrecy among my family the

to reckon without a blunder he had made, and without the pertinacity of

er is still fresh

r, with a fair show of stoutne

Henry, like a man a little puzzled,

o word as to the date; but ho

sound of that laugh, which rang false, like a cracked bell, my lord looked

on his letter, "but I remember your e

nstance yet of my lord's incredible indulgence; for what mu

more. We are all rejoiced at last to find your brother safe; we are all at one on that;

of hearts, now knew his favourite to be a Government spy; and Mrs. Henry (however she explained the tale) was notably cold in her behaviour to the discredited hero of romance. Thus in the best fabric of

he words, and the speaker than that which is spoken. But some excuse the Master must have found, or perhaps he had even struck upon some art to wrest this exposure to his own advantage; for after a time of coldness, it seemed as if things went worse than ever between him and Mrs. Henry. They were then constantly together. I would not be thought to cut one shadow of blame, beyond what is due to a half-wilful blindness, on that unfortunate lady; but I do think, in these last days, she was playing very near the fire; and whether I be wrong or not in that, one thing is sure and quite sufficient: Mr. Henry thought so. The poor gentleman sat for days in my room, so great a pictu

quarry-hole. Mr. Henry sat close by the fire, and debated (as was now common with him) whether "a man" should "do things," whether "interference was wise," and the like general propositions, which each of us particularly applied. I was by the window, looking out, when there passed below me the Master, Mrs. Henry

ry," said I, "I would d

who engages love. I have their gratitude, they all tell me that; I have a rich estate of it! But I am not present in their minds; they are moved neither to think with me nor to think for me. There is my loss!" He got to his feet, and trod down the fire. "But some method must

d I. "It will b

hich had so little coherency with my