Guy Mannering [206]
loud blubbering explosions, exclaimed, "Deil's in the man! he's garr'd me do that I haena done since my auld mither died."
"Come, come," said the counsellor at last, "silence in the court.--We have a clever party to contend with; we must lose no time in gathering our information--for anything I know, there may be something to be done before daybreak."
"I will order a horse to be saddled, if you please," said the Colonel.
"No, no, time enough--time enough--but come, Dominie, I have allowed you a competent space to express your feelings. I must circumduce the term--you must let me proceed in my examination."
The Dominie was habitually obedient to any one who chose to impose commands upon him; he sunk back into his chair, spread his checked handkerchief over his face, to serve, as I suppose, for the Grecian painter's veil, and, from the action of his folded hands, appeared for a time engaged in the act of mental thanksgiving. He then raised his eyes over the screen, as if to be assured that the pleasing apparition had not melted into air--then again sunk them to resume his internal act of devotion, until he felt himself compelled to give attention to the counsellor, from the interest which his questions excited.
"And now," said Mr. Pleydell, after several minute inquiries concerning his recollection of early events--"And now, Mr. Bertram, for I think we ought in future to call you by your own proper name, will you have the goodness to let us know every particular which you can recollect concerning the mode of your leaving Scotland?"
"Indeed, sir, to say the truth, though the terrible outlines of that day are strongly impressed upon my memory, yet somehow the very terror which fixed them there has in a great measure confounded and confused the details. I recollect, however, that I was walking somewhere or other--in a wood, I think--"
"Oh yes, it was in Warroch Wood, my dear," said the Dominie.
"Hush, Mr. Sampson," said the lawyer.
"Yes, it was in a wood," continued Bertram, as long past and confused ideas arranged themselves in his reviving recollection "and some one was with me--this worthy and affectionate gentleman, I think."
"Oh, ay, ay, Harry, Lord bless thee--it was even I myself."
"Be silent, Dominie, and don't interrupt the evidence," said Pleydell.--"and so, sir?" to Bertram.
"And so, sir," continued Bertram, "like one of the changes of a dream, I thought I was on horseback before my guide."
"No, no," exclaimed Sampson, "never did I put my own limbs, not to say thine, into such peril.
"On my word this is intolerable!--Look ye, Dominie, if you speak another word till I give you leave, I will read three sentences out of the Black Acts, whisk my cane round my head three times, undo all the magic of this night's work, and conjure Harry Bertram back again into Vanbeest Brown."
"Honoured and worthy sir," groaned out the Dominie, "I humbly crave pardon--it was verbum volens."
"Well, nolens volens, you must hold your tongue," said Pleydell.
"Pray, be silent, Mr. Sampson," said the Colonel; "it is--of great consequence to your recovered friend, that you permit Mr. Pleydell to proceed in his inquiries."
"I am mute," said the rebuked Dominie.
"On a sudden," continued Bertram, "two or three men sprung out upon us, and we were pulled from horseback. I have little recollection of anything else, but that I tried to escape in the midst of a desperate scuffle, and fell into the arms of a very tall woman who started from the bushes, and protected me for some time--the rest is all confusion and dread--a dim recollection of a sea-beach, and a cave, and of some strong potion which lulled me to sleep for a length of time. In short, it is all a blank in my memory, until I recollect myself first an ill-used and half-starved cabin-boy aboard a sloop, and then a school-boy--in Holland under the protection of an old merchant, who had taken some fancy for me."
"And what account," said Mr. Pleydell, "did your guardian give of your parentage?"
"A very brief one," answered' Bertram, "and
"Come, come," said the counsellor at last, "silence in the court.--We have a clever party to contend with; we must lose no time in gathering our information--for anything I know, there may be something to be done before daybreak."
"I will order a horse to be saddled, if you please," said the Colonel.
"No, no, time enough--time enough--but come, Dominie, I have allowed you a competent space to express your feelings. I must circumduce the term--you must let me proceed in my examination."
The Dominie was habitually obedient to any one who chose to impose commands upon him; he sunk back into his chair, spread his checked handkerchief over his face, to serve, as I suppose, for the Grecian painter's veil, and, from the action of his folded hands, appeared for a time engaged in the act of mental thanksgiving. He then raised his eyes over the screen, as if to be assured that the pleasing apparition had not melted into air--then again sunk them to resume his internal act of devotion, until he felt himself compelled to give attention to the counsellor, from the interest which his questions excited.
"And now," said Mr. Pleydell, after several minute inquiries concerning his recollection of early events--"And now, Mr. Bertram, for I think we ought in future to call you by your own proper name, will you have the goodness to let us know every particular which you can recollect concerning the mode of your leaving Scotland?"
"Indeed, sir, to say the truth, though the terrible outlines of that day are strongly impressed upon my memory, yet somehow the very terror which fixed them there has in a great measure confounded and confused the details. I recollect, however, that I was walking somewhere or other--in a wood, I think--"
"Oh yes, it was in Warroch Wood, my dear," said the Dominie.
"Hush, Mr. Sampson," said the lawyer.
"Yes, it was in a wood," continued Bertram, as long past and confused ideas arranged themselves in his reviving recollection "and some one was with me--this worthy and affectionate gentleman, I think."
"Oh, ay, ay, Harry, Lord bless thee--it was even I myself."
"Be silent, Dominie, and don't interrupt the evidence," said Pleydell.--"and so, sir?" to Bertram.
"And so, sir," continued Bertram, "like one of the changes of a dream, I thought I was on horseback before my guide."
"No, no," exclaimed Sampson, "never did I put my own limbs, not to say thine, into such peril.
"On my word this is intolerable!--Look ye, Dominie, if you speak another word till I give you leave, I will read three sentences out of the Black Acts, whisk my cane round my head three times, undo all the magic of this night's work, and conjure Harry Bertram back again into Vanbeest Brown."
"Honoured and worthy sir," groaned out the Dominie, "I humbly crave pardon--it was verbum volens."
"Well, nolens volens, you must hold your tongue," said Pleydell.
"Pray, be silent, Mr. Sampson," said the Colonel; "it is--of great consequence to your recovered friend, that you permit Mr. Pleydell to proceed in his inquiries."
"I am mute," said the rebuked Dominie.
"On a sudden," continued Bertram, "two or three men sprung out upon us, and we were pulled from horseback. I have little recollection of anything else, but that I tried to escape in the midst of a desperate scuffle, and fell into the arms of a very tall woman who started from the bushes, and protected me for some time--the rest is all confusion and dread--a dim recollection of a sea-beach, and a cave, and of some strong potion which lulled me to sleep for a length of time. In short, it is all a blank in my memory, until I recollect myself first an ill-used and half-starved cabin-boy aboard a sloop, and then a school-boy--in Holland under the protection of an old merchant, who had taken some fancy for me."
"And what account," said Mr. Pleydell, "did your guardian give of your parentage?"
"A very brief one," answered' Bertram, "and