第140章

Still in his dead hand clenched remain the strings That thrill his father's heart--e'en as the limb, Lopped off and laid in grave, retains, they tell us, Strange commerce with the mutilated stump, Whose nerves are twinging still in maimed existence.

Old Play.

The Antiquary, as we informed the reader in the end of the thirty-first chapter, had shaken off the company of worthy Mr.

Blattergowl, although he offered to entertain him with an abstract of the ablest speech he had ever known in the teind court, delivered by the procurator for the church in the remarkable case of the parish of Gatherem.Resisting this temptation, our senior preferred a solitary path, which again conducted him to the cottage of Mucklebackit.When he came in front of the fisherman's hut, he observed a man working intently, as if to repair a shattered boat which lay upon the beach, and going up to him was surprised to find it was Mucklebackit himself.``I am glad,'' he said in a tone of sympathy--``I am glad, Saunders, that you feel yourself able to make this exertion.''

``And what would ye have me to do,'' answered the fisher gruffly, ``unless I wanted to see four children starve, because ane is drowned? It's weel wi' you gentles, that can sit in the house wi' handkerchers at your een when ye lose a friend; but the like o' us maun to our wark again, if our hearts were beating as hard as my hammer.''

Without taking more notice of Oldbuck, he proceeded in his labour; and the Antiquary, to whom the display of human nature under the influence of agitating passions was never indifferent, stood beside him, in silent attention, as if watching the progress of the work.He observed more than once the man's hard features, as if by the force of association, prepare to accompany the sound of the saw and hammer with his usual symphony of a rude tune, hummed or whistled,--and as often a slight twitch of convulsive expression showed, that ere the sound was uttered, a cause for suppressing it rushed upon his mind.At length, when he had patched a considerable rent, and was beginning to mend another, his feelings appeared altogether to derange the power of attention necessary for his work.The piece of wood which he was about to nail on was at first too long; then he sawed it off too short, then chose another equally ill adapted for the purpose.At length, throwing it down in anger, after wiping his dim eye with his quivering hand, he exclaimed, ``There is a curse either on me or on this auld black bitch of a boat, that I have hauled up high and dry, and patched and clouted sae mony years, that she might drown my poor Steenie at the end of them, an' be d--d to her!'' and he flung his hammer against the boat, as if she had been the intentional cause of his misfortune.Then recollecting himself, he added, ``Yet what needs ane be angry at her, that has neither soul nor sense?--though I am no that muckle better mysell.She's but a rickle o' auld rotten deals nailed thegither, and warped wi' the wind and the sea--and Iam a dour carle, battered by foul weather at sea and land till Iam maist as senseless as hersell.She maun be mended though again the morning tide--that's a thing o' necessity.''

Thus speaking, he went to gather together his instruments, and attempt to resume his labour,--but Oldbuck took him kindly by the arm.``Come, come,'' he said, ``Saunders, there is no work for you this day--I'll send down Shavings the carpenter to mend the boat, and he may put the day's work into my account--and you had better not come out to-morrow, but stay to comfort your family under this dispensation, and the gardener will bring you some vegetables and meal from Monkbarns.''

``I thank ye, Monkbarns,'' answered the poor fisher; ``I am a plain-spoken man, and hae little to say for mysell; I might hae learned fairer fashions frae my mither lang syne, but Inever saw muckle gude they did her; however, I thank ye.

Ye were aye kind and neighbourly, whatever folk says o' your being near and close; and I hae often said, in thae times when they were ganging to raise up the puir folk against the gentles --I hae often said, neer a man should steer a hair touching to Monkbarns while Steenie and I could wag a finger--and so said Steenie too.And, Monkbarns, when ye laid his head in the grave (and mony thanks for the respect), ye, saw the mouls laid on an honest lad that likit you weel, though he made little phrase about it.''

Oldbuck, beaten from the pride of his affected cynicism, would not willingly have had any one by on that occasion to quote to him his favourite maxims of the Stoic philosophy.

The large drops fell fast from his own eyes, as he begged the father, who was now melted at recollecting the bravery and generous sentiments of his son, to forbear useless sorrow, and led him by the arm towards his own home, where another scene awaited our Antiquary.

As he entered, the first person whom he beheld was Lord Glenallan.Mutual surprise was in their countenances as they saluted each other--with haughty reserve on the part of Mr.

Oldbuck, and embarrassment on that of the Earl.

``My Lord Glenallan, I think?'' said Mr.Oldbuck.

``Yes--much changed from what he was when he knew Mr.

Oldbuck.''

``I do not mean,'' said the Antiquary, ``to intrude upon your lordship--I only came to see this distressed family.''

``And you have found one, sir, who has still greater claims on your compassion.''

``My compassion? Lord Glenallan cannot need my compassion.

If Lord Glenallan could need it, I think he would hardly ask it.''

``Our former acquaintance,'' said the Earl--``Is of such ancient date, my lord--was of such short duration, and was connected with circumstances so exquisitely painful, that I think we may dispense with renewing it.''

So saying, the Antiquary turned away, and left the hut; but Lord Glenallan followed him into the open air, and, in spite of a hasty ``Good morning, my lord,'' requested a few minutes' conversation, and the favour of his advice in an important matter.