第81章 HEATHERCAT(5)

Then he straitly discharged Francie to repeat the tale,and bade him in the future to avert his very eyes from the doings of the curate.'You must go to his place of idolatry;look upon him there!'says he,'but nowhere else.Avert your eyes,close your ears,pass him by like a three days'corp.

He is like that damnable monster Basiliscus,which defiles -yea,poisons!-by the sight.'-All which was hardly claratory to the boy's mind.

Presently Montroymont came home,and called up the stairs to Francie.Traquair was a good shot and swordsman:and it was his pleasure to walk with his son over the braes of the moorfowl,or to teach him arms in the back court,when they made a mighty comely pair,the child being so lean,and light,and active,and the laird himself a man of a manly,pretty stature,his hair (the periwig being laid aside)showing already white with many anxieties,and his face of an even,flaccid red.But this day Francie's heart was not in the fencing.

'Sir,'says he,suddenly lowering his point,'will ye tell me a thing if I was to ask it?'

'Ask away,'says the father.

'Well,it's this,'said Francie:'Why do you and me comply if it's so wicked?'

'Ay,ye have the cant of it too!'cries Montroymont.'But I'll tell ye for all that.It's to try and see if we can keep the rigging on this house,Francie.If she had her way,we would be beggar-folk,and hold our hands out by the wayside.When ye hear her -when ye hear folk,'he corrected himself briskly,'call me a coward,and one that betrayed the Lord,and I kenna what else,just mind it was to keep a bed to ye to sleep in and a bite for ye to eat.-On guard!'he cried,and the lesson proceeded again till they were called to supper.

'There's another thing yet,'said Francie,stopping his father.'There's another thing that I am not sure that I am very caring for.She -she sends me errands.'

'Obey her,then,as is your bounden duty,'said Traquair.

'Ay,but wait till I tell ye,'says the boy.'If I was to see you I was to hide.'

Montroymont sighed.'Well,and that's good of her too,'said he.'The less that I ken of thir doings the better for me;and the best thing you can do is just to obey her,and see and be a good son to her,the same as ye are to me,Francie.'

At the tenderness of this expression the heart of Francie swelled within his bosom,and his remorse was poured out.

'Faither!'he cried,'I said "deil"to-day;many's the time Isaid it,and DAMNABLE too,and HELLITSH.I ken they're all right;they're beeblical.But I didna say them beeblically;I said them for sweir words -that's the truth of it.'

'Hout,ye silly bairn!'said the father,'dinna do it nae mair,and come in by to your supper.'And he took the boy,and drew him close to him a moment,as they went through the door,with something very fond and secret,like a caress between a pair of lovers.

The next day M'Brair was abroad in the afternoon,and had a long advising with Janet on the braes where she herded cattle.What passed was never wholly known;but the lass wept bitterly,and fell on her knees to him among the whins.

The same night,as soon as it was dark,he took the road again for Balweary.In the Kirkton,where the dragoons quartered,he saw many lights,and heard the noise of a ranting song and people laughing grossly,which was highly offensive to his mind.He gave it the wider berth,keeping among fields;and came down at last by the water-side,where the manse stands solitary between the river and the road.He tapped at the back door,and the old woman called upon him to come in,and guided him through the house to the study,as they still called it,though there was little enough study there in Haddo's days,and more song-books than theology.

'Here's yin to speak wi'ye,Mr.Haddie!'cries the old wife.

And M'Brair,opening the door and entering,found the little,round,red man seated in one chair and his feet upon another.

A clear fire and a tallow dip lighted him barely.He was taking tobacco in a pipe,and smiling to himself;and a brandy-bottle and glass,and his fiddle and bow,were beside him on the table.

'Hech,Patey M'Briar,is this you?'said he,a trifle tipsily.'Step in by,man,and have a drop brandy:for the stomach's sake!Even the deil can quote Scripture -eh,Patey?'

'I will neither eat nor drink with you,'replied M'Brair.'Iam come upon my Master's errand:woe be upon me if I should anyways mince the same.Hall Haddo,I summon you to quit this kirk which you encumber.'

'Muckle obleeged!'says Haddo,winking.

'You and me have been to kirk and market together,'pursued M'Brair;'we have had blessed seasons in the kirk,we have sat in the same teaching-rooms and read in the same book;and I know you still retain for me some carnal kindness.It would be my shame if I denied it;I live here at your mercy and by your favour,and glory to acknowledge it.You have pity on my wretched body,which is but grass,and must soon be trodden under:but O,Haddo!how much greater is the yearning with which I yearn after and pity your immortal soul!Come now,let us reason together!I drop all points of controversy,weighty though these be;I take your defaced and damnified kirk on your own terms;and I ask you,Are you a worthy minister?The communion season approaches;how can you pronounce thir solemn words,"The elders will now bring forrit the elements,"and not quail?A parishioner may be summoned to-night;you may have to rise from your miserable orgies;and I ask you,Haddo,what does your conscience tell you?Are you fit?Are you fit to smooth the pillow of a parting Christian?And if the summons should be for yourself,how then?'

Haddo was startled out of all composure and the better part of his temper.'What's this of it?'he cried.'I'm no waur than my neebours.I never set up to be speeritual;I never did.I'm a plain,canty creature;godliness is cheerfulness,says I;give me my fiddle and a dram,and I wouldna hairm a flee.'

'And I repeat my question,'said M'Brair:'Are you fit -fit for this great charge?fit to carry and save souls?'

'Fit?Blethers!As fit's yoursel','cried Haddo.