第37章
``Be brave,'' she cried, ``you yet may be our guest, Our haunted room was ever held the best.
If, then, your valour can the sight sustain Of rustling curtains and the clinking chain If your courageous tongue have powers to talk, When round your bed the horrid ghost shall walk If you dare ask it why it leaves its tomb, I'll see your sheets well air'd, and show the Room.''
True Story.
The reached the room in which they had dined, and were clamorously welcomed by Miss Oldbuck.
``Where's the younger womankind?'' said the Antiquary.
``Indeed, brother, amang a' the steery, Maria wadna be guided by me she set away to the Halket-craig-head--I wonder ye didna see her.''
``Eh!--what--what's that you say, sister?--did the girl go out in a night like this to the Halket-head?--Good God! the misery of the night is not ended yet!''
``But ye winna wait, Monkbarns--ye are so imperative and impatient''--``Tittle-tattle, woman,'' said the impatient and agitated Antiquary, ``where is my dear Mary?''
``Just where ye suld be yoursell, Monkbarns--up-stairs, and in her warm bed.''
``I could have sworn it,'' said Oldbuck laughing, but obviously much relieved--``I could have sworn it;--the lazy monkey did not care if we were all drowned together.Why did you say she went out?''
``But ye wadna wait to hear out my tale, Monkbarns--she gaed out, and she came in again with the gardener sae sune as she saw that nane o' ye were clodded ower the Craig, and that Miss Wardour was safe in the chariot; she was hame a quarter of an hour syne, for it's now ganging ten--sair droukit was she, puir thing, sae I e'en put a glass o' sherry in her water-gruel.''
``Right, Grizel, right--let womankind alone for coddling each other.But hear me, my venerable sister--start not at the word venerable; it implies many praiseworthy qualities besides age; though that too is honourable, albeit it is the last quality for which womankind would wish to be honoured--But perpend my words: let Lovel and me have forthwith the relics of the chicken-pie, and the reversion of the port.''
``The chicken-pie! the port!--ou dear! brother--there was but a wheen banes, and scarce a drap o' the wine.''
The Antiquary's countenance became clouded, though he was too well bred to give way, in the presence of a stranger, to his displeased surprise at the, disappearance of the viands on which he had reckoned with absolute certainty.But his sister understood these looks of ire.``Ou dear! Monkbarns, what's the use of making a wark?''
``I make no wark, as ye call it, woman.''
``But what's the use o' looking sae glum and glunch about a pickle banes?--an ye will hae the truth, ye maun ken the minister came in, worthy man--sair distressed he was, nae doubt, about your precarious situation, as he ca'd it (for ye ken how weel he's gifted wi' words), and here he wad bide till he could hear wi' certainty how the matter was likely to gang wi' ye a'--He said fine things on the duty of resignation to Providence's will, worthy man! that did he.''
Oldbuck replied, catching the same tone, ``Worthy man!--he cared not how soon Monkbarns had devolved on an heir-female, I've a notion;--and while he was occupied in this Christian office of consolation against impending evil, I reckon that the chicken-pie and my good port disappeared?''
``Dear brother, how can you speak of sic frivolities, when you have had sic an escape from the craig?''
``Better than my supper has had from the minister's _craig,_Grizzle--it's all discussed, I suppose?''
``Hout, Monkbarns, ye speak as if there was nae mair meat in the house--wad ye not have had me offer the honest man some slight refreshment after his walk frae the manse?''
Oldbuck half-whistled, half-hummed, the end of the old Scottish ditty, O, first they eated the white puddings, And then they eated the black, O, And thought the gudeman unto himsell, The deil clink down wi' that, O!
His sister hastened to silence his murmurs, by proposing some of the relies of the dinner.He spoke of another bottle of wine, but recommended in preference a glass of brandy which was really excellent.As no entreaties could prevail on Lovel to indue the velvet night-cap and branched morning-gown of his host, Oldbuck, who pretended to a little knowledge of the medical art, insisted on his going to bed as soon as possible, and proposed to despatch a messenger (the indefatigable Caxon)to Fairport early in the morning, to procure him a change of clothes.
This was the first intimation Miss Oldbuck had received that the young stranger was to be their guest for the night; and such was the surprise with which she was struck by a proposal so uncommon, that, had the superincumbent weight of her bead-dress, such as we before described, been less preponderant, her grey locks must have started up on end, and hurled it from its position.
``Lord haud a care o' us!'' exclaimed the astounded maiden.
``What's the matter now, Grizel?''
``Wad ye but just speak a moment, Monkbarns?''
``Speak!--what should I speak about? I want to get to my bed--and this poor young fellow--let a bed be made ready for him instantly.''
``A bed?--The Lord preserve us!'' again ejaculated Grizel.
``Why, what's the matter now?--are there not beds and rooms enough in the house?--was it not an ancient _hospitium,_in which, I am warranted to say, beds were nightly made down for a score of pilgrims?''
``O dear, Monkbarns! wha kens what they might do lang syne?--but in our time--beds--ay, troth, there's beds enow sic as they are--and rooms enow too--but ye ken yoursell the beds haena been sleepit in, Lord kens the time, nor the rooms aired.
--If I had kenn'd, Mary and me might hae gaen down to the manse--Miss Beckie is aye fond to see us--(and sae is the minister, brother)--But now, gude save us!''--``Is there not the Green Room, Grizel?''
``Troth is there, and it is in decent order too, though naebody has sleepit there since Dr.Heavysterne, and''--``And what?''