第52章 A LEGEND OF MONTROSE.(45)

"Yet hearken,stranger,"said the Highlander."Sir Duncan of Ardenvohr had four children.Three died under our dirks,but the fourth survives;and more would he give to dandle on his knee the fourth child which remains,than to rack these old bones,which care little for the utmost indulgence of his wrath.One word,if I list to speak it,could turn his day of humiliation and fasting into a day of thankfulness and rejoicing,and breaking of bread.

O,I know it by my own heart?Dearer to me is the child Kenneth,who chaseth the butterfly on the banks of the Aven,than ten sons who are mouldering in earth,or are preyed on by the fowls of the air."

"I presume,Ranald,"continued Dalgetty,"that the three pretty fellows whom I saw yonder in the market-place,strung up by the head like rizzer'd haddocks,claimed some interest in you?"

There was a brief pause ere the Highlander replied,in a tone of strong emotion,--"They were my sons,stranger--they were my sons!--blood of my blood--bone of my bone!--fleet of foot--unerring in aim--unvanquished by foemen till the sons of Diarmid overcame them by numbers!Why do I wish to survive them?The old trunk will less feel the rending up of its roots,than it has felt the lopping off of its graceful boughs.But Kenneth must be trained to revenge--the young eagle must learn from the old how to stoop on his foes.I will purchase for his sake my life and my freedom,by discovering my secret to the Knight of Ardenvohr."

"You may attain your end more easily,"said a third voice,mingling in the conference,"by entrusting it to me."

All Highlanders are superstitious."The Enemy of Mankind is among us!"said Ranald MacEagh,springing to his feet.His chains clattered as he rose,while he drew himself as far as they permitted from the quarter whence the voice appeared to proceed.

His fear in some degree communicated itself to Captain Dalgetty,who began to repeat,in a sort of polyglot gibberish,all the exorcisms he had ever heard of,without being able to remember more than a word or two of each.

"IN NOMINE DOMINI,as we said at Mareschal-College--SANTISSMA MADRE DI DIOS,as the Spaniard has it--ALLE GUTEN GEISTER LOBEN

DEN HERRN,saith the blessed Psalmist,in Dr.Luther's translation--"

"A truce with your exorcisms,"said the voice they had heard before;"though I come strangely among you,I am mortal like yourselves,and my assistance may avail you in your present streight,if you are not too proud to be counselled."

While the stranger thus spoke,he withdrew the shade of a dark lantern,by whose feeble light Dalgetty could only discern that the speaker who had thus mysteriously united himself to their company,and mixed in their conversation,was a tall man,dressed in a livery cloak of the Marquis.His first glance was to his feet,but he saw neither the cloven foot which Scottish legends assign to the foul fiend,nor the horse's hoof by which he is distinguished in Germany.His first enquiry was,how the stranger had come among them?

"For,"said he,"the creak of these rusty bars would have been heard had the door been made patent;and if you passed through the keyhole,truly,sir,put what face you will on it,you are not fit to be enrolled in a regiment of living men."

"I reserve my secret,"answered the stranger,"until you shall merit the discovery by communicating to me some of yours.It may be that I shall be moved to let you out where I myself came in."

"It cannot be through the keyhole,then,"said Captain Dalgetty,"for my corslet would stick in the passage,were it possible that my head-piece could get through.As for secrets,I have none of my own,and but few appertaining to others.But impart to us what secrets you desire to know;or,as Professor Snufflegreek used to say at the Mareschal-College,Aberdeen,speak that I may know thee."

"It is not with you I have first to do,"replied the stranger,turning his light full on the mild and wasted features,and the large limbs of the Highlander,Ranald MacEagh,who,close drawn up against the walls of the dungeon,seemed yet uncertain whether his guest was a living being.

"I have brought you something,my friend,"said the stranger,in a more soothing tone,"to mend your fare;if you are to die to-morrow,it is no reason wherefore you should not live to-night."

"None at all--no reason in the creation,"replied the ready Captain Dalgetty,who forthwith began to unpack the contents of a small basket which the stranger had brought under his cloak,while the Highlander,either in suspicion or disdain,paid no attention to the good cheer.

"Here's to thee,my friend,"said the Captain,who,having already dispatched a huge piece of roasted kid,was now taking a pull at the wine-flask."What is thy name,my good friend?"

"Murdoch Campbell,sir,"answered the servant,"a lackey of the Marquis of Argyle,and occasionally acting as under-warden."

"Then here is to thee once more,Murdoch,"said Dalgetty,"drinking to you by your proper name for the better luck sake.

This wine I take to be Calcavella.Well,honest Murdoch,I take it on me to say,thou deservest to be upper-warden,since thou showest thyself twenty times better acquainted with the way of victualling honest gentlemen that are under misfortune,than thy principal.Bread and water?out upon him!It was enough,Murdoch,to destroy the credit of the Marquis's dungeon.But I see you would converse with my friend,Ranald MacEagh here.Never mind my presence;I'll get me into this corner with the basket,and I will warrant my jaws make noise enough to prevent my ears from hearing you."

Notwithstanding this promise,however,the veteran listened with all the attention he could to gather their discourse,or,as he described it himself,"laid his ears back in his neck,like Gustavus,when he heard the key turn in the girnell-kist."He could,therefore,owing to the narrowness of the dungeon,easily overhear the following dialogue.