eart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2
CHAPTER FIRST
Isab. – Alas! what poor ability's in me
To do him good?
Lucio. – Assay the power you have.
When Mrs. Saddletree entered the apartment in which her guests had shrouded their misery, she found the window darkened. The feebleness which followed his long swoon had rendered it necessary to lay the old man in bed. The curtains were drawn around him, and Jeanie sate motionless by the side of the bed. Mrs. Saddletree was a woman of kindness, nay, of feeling, but not of delicacy. She opened the half-shut window, drew aside the curtain, and, taking her kinsman by the hand, exhorted him to sit up, and bear his sorrow like a good man, and a Christian man, as he was. But when she quitted his hand, it fell powerless by his side, nor did he attempt the least reply.
"Is all over?" asked Jeanie, with lips and cheeks as pale as ashes, – "and is there nae hope for her?"
"Nane, or next to nane," said Mrs. Saddletree; "I heard the Judge-carle say it with my ain ears – It was a burning shame to see sae mony o' them set up yonder in their red gowns and black gowns, and to take the life o' a bit senseless lassie. I had never muckle broo o' my gudeman's gossips, and now I like them waur than ever. The only wiselike thing I heard onybody say, was decent Mr. John Kirk of Kirk-knowe, and he wussed them just to get the king's mercy, and nae mair about it. But he spake to unreasonable folk – he might just hae keepit his breath to hae blawn on his porridge."
"But can the king gie her mercy?" said Jeanie, earnestly. "Some folk tell me he canna gie mercy in cases of mur in cases like hers."
"Can he gie mercy, hinny? – I weel I wot he can, when he likes. There was young Singlesword, that stickit the Laird of Ballencleuch, and Captain Hackum, the Englishman, that killed Lady Colgrain's gudeman, and the Master of Saint Clair, that shot the twa Shaws,1 and mony mair in my time – to be sure they were gentle blood, and had their, kin to speak for them – And there was Jock Porteous the other day – I'se warrant there's mercy, an folk could win at it."
"Porteous?" said Jeanie; "very true – I forget a' that I suld maist mind. – Fare ye weel, Mrs. Saddletree; and may ye never want a friend in the hour of distress!"
"Will ye no stay wi' your father, Jeanie, bairn? – Ye had better," said Mrs. Saddletree.
"I will be wanted ower yonder," indicating the Tolbooth with her hand, "and I maun leave him now, or I will never be able to leave him. I fearna for his life – I ken how strong-hearted he is – I ken it," she said, laying her hand on her bosom, "by my ain heart at this minute."
"Weel, hinny, if ye think it's for the best, better he stay here and rest him, than gang back to St. Leonard's."
"Muckle better – muckle better – God bless you! – God bless you! – At no rate let him gang till ye hear frae me," said Jeanie.
"But ye'll be back belive?" said Mrs. Saddletree, detaining her; "they winna let ye stay yonder, hinny."
"But I maun gang to St. Leonard's – there's muckle to be dune, and little time to do it in – And I have friends to speak to – God bless you – take care of my father."
She had reached the door of the apartment, when, suddenly turning, she came back, and knelt down by the bedside. – "O father, gie me your blessing – I dare not go till ye bless me. Say but 'God bless ye, and prosper ye, Jeanie' – try but to say that!"
Instinctively, rather than by an exertion of intellect, the old man murmured a prayer, that "purchased and promised blessings might be multiplied upon her."
"He has blessed mine errand," said his daughter, rising from her knees, "and it is borne in upon my mind that I shall prosper."
So saying, she left the room.
Mrs. Saddletree looked after her, and shook her head. "I wish she binna roving, poor thing – There's something queer about a' thae Deanses. I dinna like folk to be sae muckle better than other folk – seldom comes gude o't. But if she's gaun to look after the kye at St. Leonard's, that's another story; to be sure they maun be sorted. – Grizzie, come up here, and tak tent to the honest auld man, and see he wants naething. – Ye silly tawpie" (addressing the maid-servant as she entered), "what garr'd ye busk up your cockemony that gate? – I think there's been enough the day to gie an awfa' warning about your cockups and your fallal duds – see what they a' come to," etc. etc. etc.
Leaving the good lady to her lecture upon worldly vanities, we must transport our reader to the cell in which the unfortunate Effie Deans was now immured, being restricted of several liberties which she had enjoyed before the sentence was pronounced.
When she had remained about an hour in the state of stupified horror so natural in her situation, she was disturbed by the opening of the jarring bolts of her place of confinement, and Ratcliffe showed himself. "It's your sister," he said, "wants to speak t'ye, Effie."
"I canna see naebody," said Effie, with the hasty irritability which misery had rendered more acute – "I canna see naebody, and least of a' her – Bid her take care o' the auld man – I am naething to ony o' them now, nor them to me."
"She says she maun see ye, though," said Ratcliffe; and Jeanie, rushing into the apartment, threw her arms round her sister's neck, who writhed to extricate herself from her embrace.
"What signifies coming to greet ower me," said poor Effie, "when you have killed me? – killed me, when a word of your mouth would have saved me – killed me, when I am an innocent creature – innocent of that guilt at least – and me that wad hae wared body and soul to save your finger from being hurt?"
"You shall not die," said Jeanie, with enthusiastic firmness; "say what you like o' me – think what you like o' me – only promise – for I doubt your proud heart – that ye wunna harm yourself, and you shall not die this shameful death."
"A shameful death I will not die, Jeanie, lass. I have that in my heart – though it has been ower kind a ane – that wunna bide shame. Gae hame to our father, and think nae mair on me – I have eat my last earthly meal."
"Oh, this was what I feared!" said Jeanie.
"Hout, tout, hinny," said Ratcliffe; "it's but little ye ken o' thae things. Ane aye thinks at the first dinnle o' the sentence, they hae heart eneugh to die rather than bide out the sax weeks; but they aye bide the sax weeks out for a' that. I ken the gate o't weel; I hae fronted the doomster three times, and here I stand, Jim Ratcliffe, for a' that. Had I tied my napkin strait the first time, as I had a great mind till't – and it was a' about a bit grey cowt, wasna worth ten punds sterling – where would I have been now?"
"And how did you escape?" said Jeanie, the fates of this man, at first so odious to her, having acquired a sudden interest in her eyes from their correspondence with those of her sister.
"How did I escape?" said Ratcliffe, with a knowing wink, – "I tell ye I 'scapit in a way that naebody will escape from this Tolbooth while I keep the keys."
"My sister shall come out in the face of the sun," said Jeanie; "I will go to London, and beg her pardon from the king and queen. If they pardoned Porteous, they may pardon her; if a sister asks a sister's life on her bended knees, they will pardon her – they shall pardon her – and they will win a thousand hearts by it."
Effie listened in bewildered astonishment, and so earnest was her sister's enthusiastic assurance,
[In 1828, the Author presented to the Roxburgh Club a curious volume containing the "Proceedings in the Court-Martial held upon John, Master of Sinclair, for the murder of Ensign Schaw, and Captain Schaw, 17th October 1708."]
