—And this Doctor,

Produced by David Widger

Bookcover

Spines

THE ANTIQUARY

By Sir Walter Scott

VOLUME TWO.

Titlepage, Second Volume Frontispiece, Second Volume

CONTENTS

CHAPTER FIRST.

CHAPTER SECOND.

CHAPTER THIRD.

CHAPTER FOURTH.

CHAPTER FIFTH.

CHAPTER SIXTH.

CHAPTER SEVENTH.

CHAPTER EIGHTH.

CHAPTER NINTH

CHAPTER TENTH.

CHAPTER ELEVENTH

CHAPTER TWELFTH.

CHAPTER THIRTEENTH.

CHAPTER FOURTEENTH

CHAPTER FIFTEENTH.

CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.

CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.

CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH.

CHAPTER NINETEENTH

CHAPTER TWENTIETH.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH.

NOTES TO THE ANTIQUARY.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Bookcover

Spines

Titlepage

Frontispiece-2

The Funeral of the Countess

Lord Glenallen and Elspeth

The Antiquary Visits Edie in Prison

My Good Friends, 'favete Linguis'

The Antiquary Arming

CHAPTER FIRST.

Wiser Raymondus, in his closet pent,

Laughs at such danger and adventurement

When half his lands are spent in golden smoke,

And now his second hopeful glasse is broke,

But yet, if haply his third furnace hold,

Devoteth all his pots and pans to gold.*

* The author cannot remember where these lines are to be found: perhaps

in Bishop Hall's Satires. [They occur in Book iv. Satire iii.]

About a week after the adventures commemorated in our last CHAPTER, Mr.

Oldbuck, descending to his breakfast-parlour, found that his womankind

were not upon duty, his toast not made, and the silver jug, which was

wont to receive his libations of mum, not duly aired for its reception.

"This confounded hot-brained boy!" he said to himself; "now that he

begins to get out of danger, I can tolerate this life no longer. All

goes to sixes and sevens—an universal saturnalia seems to be proclaimed

in my peaceful and orderly family. I ask for my sister—no answer. I

call, I shout—I invoke my inmates by more names than the Romans gave

to their deities—at length Jenny, whose shrill voice I have heard this

half-hour lilting in the Tartarean regions of the kitchen, condescends

to hear me and reply, but without coming up stairs, so the conversation

must be continued at the top of my lungs. "—Here he again began to

hollow aloud—"Jenny, where's Miss Oldbuck?"

"Miss Grizzy's in the captain's room."

"Umph!—I thought so—and where's my niece?"

"Miss Mary's making the captain's tea."

"Umph! I supposed as much again—and where's Caxon?"

"Awa to the town about the captain's fowling-gun, and his setting-dog."

"And who the devil's to dress my periwig, you silly jade?—when you knew

that Miss Wardour and Sir Arthur were coming here early after breakfast,

how could you let Caxon go on such a Tomfool's errand?"

"Me! what could I hinder him?—your honour wadna hae us contradict the

captain e'en now, and him maybe deeing?"

"Dying!" said the alarmed Antiquary,—"eh! what? has he been worse?"

"Na, he's no nae waur that I ken of."*

* It is, I believe, a piece of free-masonry, or a point of conscience,

among the Scottish lower orders, never to admit that a patient is doing

better. The closest approach to recovery which they can be brought to

allow, is, that the pairty inquired after is "Nae waur."

"Then he must be better—and what good is a dog and a gun to do here, but

the one to destroy all my furniture, steal from my larder, and perhaps

worry the cat, and the other to shoot somebody through the head. He

has had gunning and pistolling enough to serve him one while, I should

think."

Here Miss Oldbuck entered the parlour, at the door of which Oldbuck was

carrying on this conversation, he bellowing downward to Jenny, and she

again screaming upward in reply.

"Dear brother," said the old lady, "ye'll cry yoursell as hoarse as

a corbie—is that the way to skreigh when there's a sick person in the

house?"

"Upon my word, the sick person's like to have all the house to himself,—

I have gone without my breakfast, and am like to go without my wig; and

I must not, I suppose, presume to say I feel either hunger or cold, for

fear of disturbing the sick gentleman who lies six rooms off, and who

feels himself well enough to send for his dog and gun, though he knows

I detest such implements ever since our elder brother, poor Williewald,

marched out of the world on a pair of damp feet, caught in the

Kittlefitting-moss. But that signifies nothing; I suppose I shall be

expected by and by to lend a hand to carry Squire Hector out upon his

litter, while he indulges his sportsmanlike propensities by shooting my

pigeons, or my turkeys—I think any of the ferae naturae are safe from

him for one while."

Miss M'Intyre now entered, and began to her usual morning's task of

arranging her uncle's breakfast, with the alertness of one who is too

late in setting about a task, and is anxious to make up for lost time.

But this did not avail her. "Take care, you silly womankind—that mum's

too near the fire—the bottle will burst; and I suppose you intend to

reduce the toast to a cinder as a burnt-offering for Juno, or what do

you call her—the female dog there, with some such Pantheon kind of

a name, that your wise brother has, in his first moments of mature

reflection, ordered up as a fitting inmate of my house (I thank him),

and meet company to aid the rest of the womankind of my household in

their daily conversation and intercourse with him."

"Dear uncle, don't be angry about the poor spaniel; she's been tied up

at my brother's lodgings at Fairport, and she's broke her chain twice,

and came running down here to him; and you would not have us beat the

faithful beast away from the door?—it moans as if it had some sense

of poor Hector's misfortune, and will hardly stir from the door of his

room."

"Why," said his uncle, "they said Caxon had gone to Fairport after his

dog and gun."

"O dear sir, no," answered Miss M'Intyre, "it was to fetch some

dressings that were wanted, and Hector only wished him to bring out his

gun, as he was going to Fairport at any rate."

"Well, then, it is not altogether so foolish a business, considering

what a mess of womankind have been about it—Dressings, quotha?—and who

is to dress my wig?—But I suppose Jenny will undertake"—continued the

old bachelor, looking at himself in the glass—"to make it somewhat

decent. And now let us set to breakfast—with what appetite we may. Well

may I say to Hector, as Sir Isaac Newton did to his dog Diamond, when

the animal (I detest dogs) flung down the taper among calculations which

had occupied the philosopher for twenty years, and consumed the whole

mass of materials—Diamond, Diamond, thou little knowest the mischief

thou hast done!"

"I assure you, sir," replied his niece, "my brother is quite sensible

of the rashness of his own behaviour, and allows that Mr. Lovel behaved

very handsomely."

"And much good that will do, when he has frightened the lad out of the

country! I tell thee, Mary, Hector's understanding, and far more that

of feminity, is inadequate to comprehend the extent of the loss which he

has occasioned to the present age and to posterity—aureum quidem opus—a

poem on such a subject, with notes illustrative of all that is clear,

and all that is dark, and all that is neither dark nor clear, but hovers

in dusky twilight in the region of Caledonian antiquities. I would have

made the Celtic panegyrists look about them. Fingal, as they conceitedly

term Fin-Mac-Coul, should have disappeared before my search, rolling

himself in his cloud like the spirit of Loda. Such an opportunity can

hardly again occur to an ancient and grey-haired man; and to see it lost

by the madcap spleen of a hot-headed boy! But I submit—Heaven's will be

done!"

Thus continued the Antiquary to maunder, as his sister expressed it,

during the whole time of breakfast, while, despite of sugar and honey,

and all the comforts of a Scottish morning tea-table, his reflections

rendered the meal bitter to all who heard them. But they knew the

nature of the man. "Monkbarns's bark," said Miss Griselda Oldbuck, in

confidential intercourse with Miss Rebecca Blattergowl, "is muckle waur

than his bite."

In fact, Mr. Oldbuck had suffered in mind extremely while his nephew was

in actual danger, and now felt himself at liberty, upon his returning

health, to indulge in complaints respecting the trouble he had been

put to, and the interruption of his antiquarian labours. Listened to,

therefore, in respectful silence, by his niece and sister, he unloaded

his discontent in such grumblings as we have rehearsed, venting many

a sarcasm against womankind, soldiers, dogs, and guns, all which

implements of noise, discord, and tumult, as he called them, he

professed to hold in utter abomination.

This expectoration of spleen was suddenly interrupted by the noise of a

carriage without, when, shaking off all sullenness at the sound, Oldbuck

ran nimbly up stairs and down stairs, for both operations were necessary

ere he could receive Miss Wardour and her father at the door of his

mansion.

A cordial greeting passed on both sides. And Sir Arthur, referring

to his previous inquiries by letter and message, requested to be

particularly informed of Captain M'Intyre's health.

"Better than he deserves," was the answer—"better than he deserves, for

disturbing us with his vixen brawls, and breaking God's peace and the

King's."

"The young gentleman," Sir Arthur said, "had been imprudent; but he

understood they were indebted to him for the detection of a suspicious

character in the young man Lovel."

"No more suspicious than his own," answered the Antiquary, eager in

his favourites defence;—"the young gentleman was a little foolish and

headstrong, and refused to answer Hector's impertinent interrogatories—

that is all. Lovel, Sir Arthur, knows how to choose his confidants

better—Ay, Miss Wardour, you may look at me—but it is very true;—it

was in my bosom that he deposited the secret cause of his residence

at Fairport; and no stone should have been left unturned on my part to

assist him in the pursuit to which he had dedicated himself."

On hearing this magnanimous declaration on the part of the old

Antiquary, Miss Wardour changed colour more than once, and could

hardly trust her own ears. For of all confidants to be selected as the

depositary of love affairs,—and such she naturally supposed must have

been the subject of communication,—next to Edie Ochiltree, Oldbuck

seemed the most uncouth and extraordinary; nor could she sufficiently

admire or fret at the extraordinary combination of circumstances which

thus threw a secret of such a delicate nature into the possession of

persons so unfitted to be entrusted with it. She had next to fear the

mode of Oldbuck's entering upon the affair with her father, for such,

she doubted not, was his intention. She well knew that the honest

gentleman, however vehement in his prejudices, had no great sympathy

with those of others, and she had to fear a most unpleasant explosion

upon an e'claircissement taking place between them. It was therefore

with great anxiety that she heard her father request a private

interview, and observed Oldbuck readily arise and show the way to his

library. She remained behind, attempting to converse with the ladies of

Monkbarns, but with the distracted feelings of Macbeth, when compelled

to disguise his evil conscience by listening and replying to the

observations of the attendant thanes upon the storm of the preceding

night, while his whole soul is upon the stretch to listen for the alarm

of murder, which he knows must be instantly raised by those who have

entered the sleeping apartment of Duncan. But the conversation of the

two virtuosi turned on a subject very different from that which Miss

Wardour apprehended.

"Mr. Oldbuck," said Sir Arthur, when they had, after a due exchange of

ceremonies, fairly seated themselves in the sanctum sanctorum of the

Antiquary,—"you, who know so much of my family matters, may probably be

surprised at the question I am about to put to you."

"Why, Sir Arthur, if it relates to money, I am very sorry, but"—

"It does relate to money matters, Mr. Oldbuck."

"Really, then, Sir Arthur," continued the Antiquary, "in the present

state of the money-market—and stocks being so low"—

"You mistake my meaning, Mr. Oldbuck," said the Baronet; "I wished to

ask your advice about laying out a large sum of money to advantage."

"The devil!" exclaimed the Antiquary; and, sensible that his involuntary

ejaculation of wonder was not over and above civil, he proceeded to

qualify it by expressing his joy that Sir Arthur should have a sum of

money to lay out when the commodity was so scarce. "And as for the mode

of employing it," said he, pausing, "the funds are low at present, as I

said before, and there are good bargains of land to be had. But had you

not better begin by clearing off encumbrances, Sir Arthur?—There is the

sum in the personal bond—and the three notes of hand," continued

he, taking out of the right-hand drawer of his cabinet a certain red

memorandum-book, of which Sir Arthur, from the experience of former

frequent appeals to it, abhorred the very sight—"with the interest

thereon, amounting altogether to—let me see"—

"To about a thousand pounds," said Sir Arthur, hastily; "you told me the

amount the other day."

"But there's another term's interest due since that, Sir Arthur, and it

amounts (errors excepted) to eleven hundred and thirteen pounds, seven

shillings, five pennies, and three-fourths of a penny sterling—But look

over the summation yourself."

"I daresay you are quite right, my dear sir," said the Baronet, putting

away the book with his hand, as one rejects the old-fashioned civility

that presses food upon you after you have eaten till you nauseate—

"perfectly right, I dare say; and in the course of three days or less

you shall have the full value—that is, if you choose to accept it in

bullion."

"Bullion! I suppose you mean lead. What the deuce! have we hit on the

vein then at last? But what could I do with a thousand pounds' worth,

and upwards, of lead? The former abbots of Trotcosey might have roofed

their church and monastery with it indeed—but for me"—

"By bullion," said the Baronet, "I mean the precious metals,—gold and

silver."

"Ay! indeed?—and from what Eldorado is this treasure to be imported?"

"Not far from hence," said Sir Arthur, significantly. "And naow I think

of it, you shall see the whole process, on one small condition."

"And what is that?" craved the Antiquary.

"Why, it will be necessary for you to give me your friendly assistance,

by advancing one hundred pounds or thereabouts."

Mr. Oldbuck, who had already been grasping in idea the sum, principal

and interest, of a debt which he had long regarded as wellnigh

desperate, was so much astounded at the tables being so unexpectedly

turned upon him, that he could only re-echo, in an accent of wo and

surprise, the words, "Advance one hundred pounds!"

"Yes, my good sir," continued Sir Arthur; "but upon the best possible

security of being repaid in the course of two or three days."

There was a pause—either Oldbuck's nether jaw had not recovered its

position, so as to enable him to utter a negative, or his curiosity kept

him silent.

"I would not propose to you," continued Sir Arthur, "to oblige me

thus far, if I did not possess actual proofs of the reality of those

expectations which I now hold out to you. And I assure you, Mr. Oldbuck,

that in entering fully upon this topic, it is my purpose to show

my confidence in you, and my sense of your kindness on many former

occasions."

Mr. Oldbuck professed his sense of obligation, but carefully avoided

committing himself by any promise of farther assistance.

"Mr. Dousterswivel," said Sir Arthur, "having discovered"—

Here Oldbuck broke in, his eyes sparkling with indignation. "Sir Arthur,

I have so often warned you of the knavery of that rascally quack, that I

really wonder you should quote him to me."

"But listen—listen," interrupted Sir Arthur in his turn, "it will do you

no harm. In short, Dousterswivel persuaded me to witness an experiment

which he had made in the ruins of St. Ruth—and what do you think we

found?"

"Another spring of water, I suppose, of which the rogue had beforehand

taken care to ascertain the situation and source."

"No, indeed—a casket of gold and silver coins—here they are."

With that, Sir Arthur drew from his pocket a large ram's horn, with

a copper cover, containing a considerable quantity of coins, chiefly

silver, but with a few gold pieces intermixed. The Antiquary's eyes

glistened as he eagerly spread them out on the table.

"Upon my word—Scotch, English, and foreign coins, of the fifteenth and

sixteenth centuries, and some of them rari—et rariores—etiam rarissimi!

Here is the bonnet-piece of James V., the unicorn of James II.,—ay, and

the gold festoon of Queen Mary, with her head and the Dauphin's. And

these were really found in the ruins of St. Ruth?"

"Most assuredly—my own eyes witnessed it."

"Well," replied Oldbuck; "but you must tell me the when—the where-the

how."

"The when," answered Sir Arthur, "was at midnight the last full moon—the

where, as I have told you, in the ruins of St. Ruth's priory—the how,

was by a nocturnal experiment of Dousterswivel, accompanied only by

myself."

"Indeed!" said Oldbuck; "and what means of discovery did you employ?"

"Only a simple suffumigation," said the Baronet, "accompanied by

availing ourselves of the suitable planetary hour."

"Simple suffumigation? simple nonsensification—planetary hour? planetary

fiddlestick! Sapiens dominabitur astris. My dear Sir Arthur, that fellow

has made a gull of you above ground and under ground, and he would have

made a gull of you in the air too, if he had been by when you was

craned up the devil's turnpike yonder at Halket-head—to be sure the

transformation would have been then peculiarly apropos."

"Well, Mr. Oldbuck, I am obliged to you for your indifferent opinion of

my discernment; but I think you will give me credit for having seen what

I say I saw."

"Certainly, Sir Arthur," said the Antiquary,—"to this extent at least,

that I know Sir Arthur Wardour will not say he saw anything but what he

thought he saw."

"Well, then," replied the Baronet, "as there is a heaven above us, Mr.

Oldbuck, I saw, with my own eyes, these coins dug out of the chancel of

St. Ruth at midnight. And as to Dousterswivel, although the discovery

be owing to his science, yet, to tell the truth, I do not think he would

have had firmness of mind to have gone through with it if I had not been

beside him."

"Ay! indeed?" said Oldbuck, in the tone used when one wishes to hear the

end of a story before making any comment.

"Yes truly," continued Sir Arthur—"I assure you I was upon my guard—we

did hear some very uncommon sounds, that is certain, proceeding from

among the ruins."

"Oh, you did?" said Oldbuck; "an accomplice hid among them, I suppose?"

"Not a jot," said the Baronet;—"the sounds, though of a hideous and

preternatural character, rather resembled those of a man who sneezes

violently than any other—one deep groan I certainly heard besides; and

Dousterswivel assures me that he beheld the spirit Peolphan, the Great

Hunter of the North—(look for him in your Nicolaus Remigius, or Petrus

Thyracus, Mr. Oldbuck)—who mimicked the motion of snuff-taking and its

effects."

"These indications, however singular as proceeding from such a

personage, seem to have been apropos to the matter," said the Antiquary;

"for you see the case, which includes these coins, has all the

appearance of being an old-fashioned Scottish snuff-mill. But you

persevered, in spite of the terrors of this sneezing goblin?"

"Why, I think it probable that a man of inferior sense or consequence

might have given way; but I was jealous of an imposture, conscious

of the duty I owed to my family in maintaining my courage under every

contingency, and therefore I compelled Dousterswivel, by actual and

violent threats, to proceed with what he was about to do;—and, sir, the

proof of his skill and honesty is this parcel of gold and silver pieces,

out of which I beg you to select such coins or medals as will best suit

your collection."

"Why, Sir Arthur, since you are so good, and on condition you will

permit me to mark the value according to Pinkerton's catalogue and

appreciation, against your account in my red book, I will with pleasure

select"—

"Nay," said Sir Arthur Wardour, "I do not mean you should consider them

as anything but a gift of friendship and least of all would I stand by

the valuation of your friend Pinkerton, who has impugned the ancient

and trustworthy authorities upon which, as upon venerable and moss-grown

pillars, the credit of Scottish antiquities reposed."

"Ay, ay," rejoined Oldbuck, "you mean, I suppose, Mair and Boece, the

Jachin and Boaz, not of history but of falsification and forgery.

And notwithstanding all you have told me, I look on your friend

Dousterswivel to be as apocryphal as any of them."

"Why then, Mr. Oldbuck," said Sir Arthur, "not to awaken old disputes,

I suppose you think, that because I believe in the ancient history of

my country, I have neither eyes nor ears to ascertain what modern events

pass before me?"

"Pardon me, Sir Arthur," rejoined the Antiquary; "but I consider all the

affectation of terror which this worthy gentleman, your coadjutor, chose

to play off, as being merely one part of his trick or mystery. And with

respect to the gold or silver coins, they are so mixed and mingled in

country and date, that I cannot suppose they could be any genuine

hoard, and rather suppose them to be, like the purses upon the table of

Hudibras's lawyer—

—Money placed for show,

Like nest-eggs, to make clients lay,

And for his false opinions pay.—

It is the trick of all professions, my dear Sir Arthur. Pray, may I ask

you how much this discovery cost you?"

"About ten guineas."

"And you have gained what is equivalent to twenty in actual bullion, and

what may be perhaps worth as much more to such fools as ourselves,

who are willing to pay for curiosity. This was allowing you a tempting

profit on the first hazard, I must needs admit. And what is the next

venture he proposes?"

"An hundred and fifty pounds;—I have given him one-third part of the

money, and I thought it likely you might assist me with the balance."

"I should think that this cannot be meant as a parting blow—is not of

weight and importance sufficient; he will probably let us win this hand

also, as sharpers manage a raw gamester.—Sir Arthur, I hope you believe

I would serve you?"

"Certainly, Mr. Oldbuck; I think my confidence in you on these occasions

leaves no room to doubt that."

"Well, then, allow me to speak to Dousterswivel. If the money can

be advanced usefully and advantageously for you, why, for old

neighbourhood's sake, you shall not want it but if, as I think, I can

recover the treasure for you without making such an advance, you will, I

presume, have no objection!"

"Unquestionably, I can have none whatsoever."

"Then where is Dousterswivel?" continued the Antiquary.

"To tell you the truth, he is in my carriage below; but knowing your

prejudice against him"—

"I thank Heaven, I am not prejudiced against any man, Sir Arthur: it is

systems, not individuals, that incur my reprobation." He rang the bell.

"Jenny, Sir Arthur and I offer our compliments to Mr. Dousterswivel,

the gentleman in Sir Arthur's carriage, and beg to have the pleasure of

speaking with him here."

Jenny departed and delivered her message. It had been by no means a part

of the project of Dousterswivel to let Mr. Oldbuck into his supposed

mystery. He had relied upon Sir Arthur's obtaining the necessary

accommodation without any discussion as to the nature of the

application, and only waited below for the purpose of possessing himself

of the deposit as soon as possible, for he foresaw that his career was

drawing to a close. But when summoned to the presence of Sir Arthur and

Mr. Oldbuck, he resolved gallantly to put confidence in his powers of

impudence, of which, the reader may have observed, his natural share was

very liberal.

CHAPTER SECOND.

—And this Doctor,

Your sooty smoky-bearded compeer, he

Will close you so much gold in a bolt's head,

And, on a turn, convey in the stead another

With sublimed mercury, that shall burst i' the heat,

And all fly out in fumo.—

The Alchemist.

"How do you do, goot Mr. Oldenbuck? and I do hope your young gentleman,

Captain M'Intyre, is getting better again? Ach! it is a bat business

when young gentlemens will put lead balls into each other's body."

"Lead adventures of all kinds are very precarious, Mr. Dousterswivel;

but I am happy to learn," continued the Antiquary, "from my friend Sir

Arthur, that you have taken up a better trade, and become a discoverer

of gold."

"Ach, Mr. Oldenbuck, mine goot and honoured patron should not have told

a word about dat little matter; for, though I have all reliance—yes,

indeed, on goot Mr. Oldenbuck's prudence and discretion, and his great

friendship for Sir Arthur Wardour—yet, my heavens! it is an great

ponderous secret."

"More ponderous than any of the metal we shall make by it, I fear,"

answered Oldbuck.

"Dat is just as you shall have de faith and de patience for de grand

experiment—If you join wid Sir Arthur, as he is put one hundred and

fifty—see, here is one fifty in your dirty Fairport bank-note—you put

one other hundred and fifty in de dirty notes, and you shall have de

pure gold and silver, I cannot tell how much."

"Nor any one for you, I believe," said the Antiquary. "But, hark you,

Mr. Dousterswivel: Suppose, without troubling this same sneezing spirit

with any farther fumigations, we should go in a body, and having fair

day-light and our good consciences to befriend us, using no other

conjuring implements than good substantial pick-axes and shovels, fairly

trench the area of the chancel in the ruins of St. Ruth, from one end

to the other, and so ascertain the existence of this supposed treasure,

without putting ourselves to any farther expense—the ruins belong to

Sir Arthur himself, so there can be no objection—do you think we shall

succeed in this way of managing the matter?"

"Bah!—you will not find one copper thimble—But Sir Arthur will do his

pleasure. I have showed him how it is possible—very possible—to have

de great sum of money for his occasions—I have showed him de real

experiment. If he likes not to believe, goot Mr. Oldenbuck, it is

nothing to Herman Dousterswivel—he only loses de money and de gold and

de silvers—dat is all."

Sir Arthur Wardour cast an intimidated glance at Oldbuck who, especially

when present, held, notwithstanding their frequent difference of

opinion, no ordinary influence over his sentiments. In truth, the

Baronet felt, what he would not willingly have acknowledged, that his

genius stood rebuked before that of the Antiquary. He respected him as a

shrewd, penetrating, sarcastic character—feared his satire, and had some

confidence in the general soundness of his opinions. He therefore

looked at him as if desiring his leave before indulging his credulity.

Dousterswivel saw he was in danger of losing his dupe, unless he could

make some favourable impression on the adviser.

"I know, my goot Mr. Oldenbuck, it is one vanity to speak to you about

de spirit and de goblin. But look at this curious horn;—I know, you know

de curiosity of all de countries, and how de great Oldenburgh horn, as

they keep still in the Museum at Copenhagen, was given to de Duke of

Oldenburgh by one female spirit of de wood. Now I could not put one

trick on you if I were willing—you who know all de curiosity so well—and

dere it is de horn full of coins;—if it had been a box or case, I would

have said nothing."

"Being a horn," said Oldbuck, "does indeed strengthen your argument. It

was an implement of nature's fashioning, and therefore much used

among rude nations, although, it may be, the metaphorical horn is more

frequent in proportion to the progress of civilisation. And this present

horn," he continued, rubbing it upon his sleeve, "is a curious and

venerable relic, and no doubt was intended to prove a cornucopia, or

horn of plenty, to some one or other; but whether to the adept or his

patron, may be justly doubted."

"Well, Mr. Oldenbuck, I find you still hard of belief—but let me assure

you, de monksh understood de magisterium."

"Let us leave talking of the magisterium, Mr. Dousterswivel, and think a

little about the magistrate. Are you aware that this occupation of yours

is against the law of Scotland, and that both Sir Arthur and myself are

in the commission of the peace?"

"Mine heaven! and what is dat to de purpose when I am doing you all de

goot I can?"

"Why, you must know that when the legislature abolished the cruel laws

against witchcraft, they had no hope of destroying the superstitious

feelings of humanity on which such chimeras had been founded; and to

prevent those feelings from being tampered with by artful and designing

persons, it is enacted by the ninth of George the Second, chap. 5, that

whosoever shall pretend, by his alleged skill in any occult or crafty

science, to discover such goods as are lost, stolen or concealed, he

shall suffer punishment by pillory and imprisonment, as a common cheat

and impostor."

"And is dat de laws?" asked Dousterswivel, with some agitation.

"Thyself shall see the act," replied the Antiquary.

"Den, gentlemens, I shall take my leave of you, dat is all; I do not

like to stand on your what you call pillory—it is very bad way to take

de air, I think; and I do not like your prisons no more, where one

cannot take de air at all."

"If such be your taste, Mr. Dousterswivel," said the Antiquary, "I

advise you to stay where you are, for I cannot let you go, unless it be

in the society of a constable; and, moreover, I expect you will attend

us just now to the ruins of St. Ruth, and point out the place where you

propose to find this treasure."

"Mine heaven, Mr. Oldenbuck! what usage is this to your old friend, when

I tell you so plain as I can speak, dat if you go now, you will not get

so much treasure as one poor shabby sixpence?"

"I will try the experiment, however, and you shall be dealt with

according to its success,—always with Sir Arthur's permission."

Sir Arthur, during this investigation, had looked extremely embarrassed,

and, to use a vulgar but expressive phrase, chop-fallen. Oldbuck's

obstinate disbelief led him strongly to suspect the imposture of

Dousterswivel, and the adept's mode of keeping his ground was less

resolute than he had expected. Yet he did not entirely give him up.

"Mr. Oldbuck," said the Baronet, "you do Mr. Dousterswivel less than

justice. He has undertaken to make this discovery by the use of his art,

and by applying characters descriptive of the Intelligences presiding

over the planetary hour in which the experiment is to be made; and you

require him to proceed, under pain of punishment, without allowing him

the use of any of the preliminaries which he considers as the means of

procuring success."

"I did not say that exactly—I only required him to be present when we

make the search, and not to leave us during the interval. I fear he

may have some intelligence with the Intelligences you talk of, and that

whatever may be now hidden at Saint Ruth may disappear before we get

there."

"Well, gentlemens," said Dousterswivel, sullenly, "I will make no

objections to go along with you but I tell you beforehand, you shall not

find so much of anything as shall be worth your going twenty yard from

your own gate."

"We will put that to a fair trial," said the Antiquary; and the

Baronet's equipage being ordered, Miss Wardour received an intimation

from her father, that she was to remain at Monkbarns until his return

from an airing. The young lady was somewhat at a loss to reconcile this

direction with the communication which she supposed must have passed

between Sir Arthur and the Antiquary; but she was compelled, for the

present, to remain in a most unpleasant state of suspense.

The journey of the treasure-seekers was melancholy enough. Dousterswivel

maintained a sulky silence, brooding at once over disappointed

expectation and the risk of punishment; Sir Arthur, whose golden dreams

had been gradually fading away, surveyed, in gloomy prospect, the

impending difficulties of his situation; and Oldbuck, who perceived that

his having so far interfered in his neighbours affairs gave the Baronet

a right to expect some actual and efficient assistance, sadly pondered

to what extent it would be necessary to draw open the strings of his

purse. Thus each being wrapped in his own unpleasant ruminations, there

was hardly a word said on either side, until they reached the Four

Horse-shoes, by which sign the little inn was distinguished. They

procured at this place the necessary assistance and implements for

digging, and, while they were busy about these preparations, were

suddenly joined by the old beggar, Edie Ochiltree.

"The Lord bless your honour," began the Blue-Gown, with the genuine

mendicant whine, "and long life to you!—weel pleased am I to hear that

young Captain M'Intyre is like to be on his legs again sune—Think on

your poor bedesman the day."

"Aha, old true-penny!" replied the Antiquary. "Why, thou hast never come

to Monkbarns since thy perils by rock and flood—here's something for

thee to buy snuff,"—and, fumbling for his purse, he pulled out at the

same time the horn which enclosed the coins.

"Ay, and there's something to pit it in," said the mendicant, eyeing the

ram's horn—"that loom's an auld acquaintance o' mine. I could take my

aith to that sneeshing-mull amang a thousand—I carried it for mony a

year, till I niffered it for this tin ane wi' auld George Glen, the

dammer and sinker, when he took a fancy till't doun at Glen-Withershins

yonder."

"Ay! indeed?" said Oldbuck;—"so you exchanged it with a miner? but

I presume you never saw it so well filled before"—and opening it, he

showed the coins.

"Troth, ye may swear that, Monkbarns: when it was mine it neer had abune

the like o' saxpenny worth o' black rappee in't at ance. But I reckon

ye'll be gaun to mak an antic o't, as ye hae dune wi' mony an orra thing

besides. Od, I wish anybody wad mak an antic o' me; but mony ane will

find worth in rousted bits o' capper and horn and airn, that care unco

little about an auld carle o' their ain country and kind."

"You may now guess," said Oldbuck, turning to Sir Arthur, "to whose good

offices you were indebted the other night. To trace this cornucopia of

yours to a miner, is bringing it pretty near a friend of ours—I hope we

shall be as successful this morning, without paying for it."

"And whare is your honours gaun the day," said the mendicant, "wi' a'

your picks and shules?—Od, this will be some o' your tricks, Monkbarns:

ye'll be for whirling some o' the auld monks down by yonder out o' their

graves afore they hear the last call—but, wi' your leave, I'se follow ye

at ony rate, and see what ye mak o't."

The party soon arrived at the ruins of the priory, and, having gained

the chancel, stood still to consider what course they were to pursue

next. The Antiquary, meantime, addressed the adept.

"Pray, Mr. Dousterswivel, what is your advice in this matter? Shall we

have most likelihood of success if we dig from east to west, or from

west to east?—or will you assist us with your triangular vial of

May-dew, or with your divining-rod of witches-hazel?—or will you have

the goodness to supply us with a few thumping blustering terms of art,

which, if they fail in our present service, may at least be useful

to those who have not the happiness to be bachelors, to still their

brawling children withal?"

"Mr. Oldenbuck," said Dousterswivel, doggedly, "I have told you already

that you will make no good work at all, and I will find some way of mine

own to thank you for your civilities to me—yes, indeed."

"If your honours are thinking of tirling the floor," said old Edie, "and

wad but take a puir body's advice, I would begin below that muckle stane

that has the man there streekit out upon his back in the midst o't."

"I have some reason for thinking favourably of that plan myself," said

the Baronet.

"And I have nothing to say against it," said Oldbuck: "it was not

unusual to hide treasure in the tombs of the deceased—many instances

might be quoted of that from Bartholinus and others."

The tombstone, the same beneath which the coins had been found by Sir

Arthur and the German, was once more forced aside, and the earth gave

easy way to the spade.

"It's travell'd earth that," said Edie, "it howks gae eithly—I ken it

weel, for ance I wrought a simmer wi' auld Will Winnet, the bedral, and

howkit mair graves than ane in my day; but I left him in winter, for

it was unco cald wark; and then it cam a green Yule, and the folk died

thick and fast—for ye ken a green Yule makes a fat kirkyard; and I never

dowed to bide a hard turn o' wark in my life—sae aff I gaed, and left

Will to delve his last dwellings by himsell for Edie."

The diggers were now so far advanced in their labours as to discover

that the sides of the grave which they were clearing out had been

originally secured by four walls of freestone, forming a parallelogram,

for the reception, probably, of the coffin.

"It is worth while proceeding in our labours," said the Antiquary to Sir

Arthur, "were it but for curiosity's sake. I wonder on whose sepulchre

they have bestowed such uncommon pains."

"The arms on the shield," said Sir Arthur, and sighed as he spoke it,

"are the same with those on Misticot's tower, supposed to have been

built by Malcolm the usurper. No man knew where he was buried, and there

is an old prophecy in our family, that bodes us no good when his grave

shall be discovered."

"I wot," said the beggar, "I have often heard that when I was a bairn—

If Malcolm the Misticot's grave were fun',

The lands of Knockwinnock were lost and won."

Oldbuck, with his spectacles on his nose, had already knelt down on the

monument, and was tracing, partly with his eye, partly with his finger,

the mouldered devices upon the effigy of the deceased warrior. "It is

the Knockwinnock arms, sure enough," he exclaimed, "quarterly with the

coat of Wardour."

"Richard, called the red-handed Wardour, married Sybil Knockwinnock,

the heiress of the Saxon family, and by that alliance," said Sir Arthur,

"brought the castle and estate into the name of Wardour, in the year of

God 1150."

"Very true, Sir Arthur; and here is the baton-sinister, the mark of

illegitimacy, extended diagonally through both coats upon the shield.

Where can our eyes have been, that they did not see this curious

monument before?"

"Na, whare was the through-stane, that it didna come before our een till

e'enow?" said Ochiltree; "for I hae ken'd this auld kirk, man and bairn,

for saxty lang years, and I neer noticed it afore; and it's nae sic mote

neither, but what ane might see it in their parritch."

All were now induced to tax their memory as to the former state of the

ruins in that corner of the chancel, and all agreed in recollecting a

considerable pile of rubbish which must have been removed and spread

abroad in order to make the tomb visible. Sir Arthur might, indeed, have

remembered seeing the monument on the former occasion, but his mind was

too much agitated to attend to the circumstance as a novelty.

While the assistants were engaged in these recollections and

discussions, the workmen proceeded with their labour. They had already

dug to the depth of nearly five feet, and as the flinging out the soil

became more and more difficult, they began at length to tire of the job.

"We're down to the till now," said one of them, "and the neer a coffin

or onything else is here—some cunninger chiel's been afore us, I

reckon;"— and the labourer scrambled out of the grave.

"Hout, lad," said Edie, getting down in his room—"let me try my hand for

an auld bedral;—ye're gude seekers, but ill finders."

So soon as he got into the grave, he struck his pike-staff forcibly

down; it encountered resistance in its descent, and the beggar

exclaimed, like a Scotch schoolboy when he finds anything, "Nae halvers

and quarters— hale o' mine ain and 'nane o' my neighbour's."

Everybody, from the dejected Baronet to the sullen adept, now caught the

spirit of curiosity, crowded round the grave, and would have jumped into

it, could its space have contained them. The labourers, who had begun to

flag in their monotonous and apparently hopeless task, now resumed their

tools, and plied them with all the ardour of expectation. Their shovels

soon grated upon a hard wooden surface, which, as the earth was cleared

away, assumed the distinct form of a chest, but greatly smaller than

that of a coffin. Now all hands were at work to heave it out of the

grave, and all voices, as it was raised, proclaimed its weight and

augured its value. They were not mistaken.

When the chest or box was placed on the surface, and the lid forced up

by a pickaxe, there was displayed first a coarse canvas cover, then

a quantity of oakum, and beneath that a number of ingots of silver. A

general exclamation hailed a discovery so surprising and unexpected. The

Baronet threw his hands and eyes up to heaven, with the silent rapture

of one who is delivered from inexpressible distress of mind. Oldbuck,

almost unable to credit his eyes, lifted one piece of silver after

another. There was neither inscription nor stamp upon them, excepting

one, which seemed to be Spanish. He could have no doubt of the purity

and great value of the treasure before him. Still, however, removing

piece by piece, he examined row by row, expecting to discover that the

lower layers were of inferior value; but he could perceive no difference

in this respect, and found himself compelled to admit, that Sir Arthur

had possessed himself of bullion to the value, perhaps of a thousand

pounds sterling. Sir Arthur now promised the assistants a handsome

recompense for their trouble, and began to busy himself about the mode

of conveying this rich windfall to the Castle of Knockwinnock, when the

adept, recovering from his surprise, which had equalled that exhibited

by any other individual of the party, twitched his sleeve, and having

offered his humble congratulations, turned next to Oldbuck with an air

of triumph.

"I did tell you, my goot friend, Mr. Oldenbuck, dat I was to seek

opportunity to thank you for your civility; now do you not think I have

found out vary goot way to return thank?"

"Why, Mr. Dousterswivel, do you pretend to have had any hand in our good

success?—you forget you refused us all aid of your science, man; and you

are here without your weapons that should have fought the battle which

you pretend to have gained in our behalf: you have used neither charm,

lamen, sigil, talisman, spell, crystal, pentacle, magic mirror, nor

geomantic figure. Where be your periapts, and your abracadabras man?

your Mayfern, your vervain,

Your toad, your crow, your dragon, and your panther,

Your sun, your moon, your firmament, your adrop,

Your Lato, Azoch, Zernich, Chibrit, Heautarit,

With all your broths, your menstrues, your materials,

Would burst a man to name?—

Ah! rare Ben Jonson! long peace to thy ashes for a scourge of the quacks

of thy day!—who expected to see them revive in our own?"

The answer of the adept to the Antiquary's tirade we must defer to our

next CHAPTER.

CHAPTER THIRD.

Clause.—You now shall know the king o' the beggars' treasure:—

Yes—ere to-morrow you shall find your harbour

Here,—fail me not, for if I live I'll fit you.

The Beggar's Bush.

The German, determined, it would seem, to assert the vantage-ground

on which the discovery had placed him, replied with great pomp and

stateliness to the attack of the Antiquary.

"Maister Oldenbuck, all dis may be very witty and comedy, but I have

nothing to say—nothing at all—to people dat will not believe deir own

eye-sights. It is vary true dat I ave not any of de things of de art,

and it makes de more wonder what I has done dis day. But I would ask of

you, mine honoured and goot and generous patron, to put your hand into

your right-hand waistcoat pocket, and show me what you shall find dere."

Sir Arthur obeyed his direction, and pulled out the small plate of

silver which he had used under the adept's auspices upon the former

occasion. "It is very true," said Sir Arthur, looking gravely at the

Antiquary; "this is the graduated and calculated sigil by which Mr.

Dousterswivel and I regulated our first discovery."

"Pshaw! pshaw! my dear friend," said Oldbuck, "you are too wise to

believe in the influence of a trumpery crown-piece, beat out thin, and

a parcel of scratches upon it. I tell thee, Sir Arthur, that if

Dousterswivel had known where to get this treasure himself, you would

not have been lord of the least share of it."

"In troth, please your honour," said Edie, who put in his word on all

occasions, "I think, since Mr. Dunkerswivel has had sae muckle merit

in discovering a' the gear, the least ye can do is to gie him that o't

that's left behind for his labour; for doubtless he that kend where to

find sae muckle will hae nae difficulty to find mair."

Dousterswivel's brow grew very dark at this proposal of leaving him to

his "ain purchase," as Ochiltree expressed it; but the beggar, drawing

him aside, whispered a word or two in his ear, to which he seemed to

give serious attention,

Meanwhile Sir Arthur, his heart warm with his good fortune, said aloud,

"Never mind our friend Monkbarns, Mr. Dousterswivel, but come to the

Castle to-morrow, and I'll convince you that I am not ungrateful for the

hints you have given me about this matter—and the fifty Fairport dirty

notes, as you call them, are heartily at your service. Come, my lads,

get the cover of this precious chest fastened up again."

But the cover had in the confusion fallen aside among the rubbish, or

the loose earth which had been removed from the grave—in short, it was

not to be seen.

"Never mind, my good lads, tie the tarpaulin over it, and get it away to

the carriage.—Monkbarns, will you walk? I must go back your way to take

up Miss Wardour."

"And, I hope, to take up your dinner also, Sir Arthur, and drink a glass

of wine for joy of our happy adventure. Besides, you should write about

the business to the Exchequer, in case of any interference on the part

of the Crown. As you are lord of the manor, it will be easy to get

a deed of gift, should they make any claim. We must talk about it,

though."

"And I particularly recommend silence to all who are present," said Sir

Arthur, looking round. All bowed and professed themselves dumb.

"Why, as to that," said Monkbarns, "recommending secrecy where a dozen

of people are acquainted with the circumstance to be concealed, is only

putting the truth in masquerade, for the story will be circulated under

twenty different shapes. But never mind—we will state the true one to

the Barons, and that is all that is necessary."

"I incline to send off an express to-night," said the Baronet.

"I can recommend your honour to a sure hand," said Ochiltree; "little

Davie Mailsetter, and the butcher's reisting powny."

"We will talk over the matter as we go to Monkbarns," said Sir Arthur.

"My lads" (to the work-people), "come with me to the Four Horse-shoes,

that I may take down all your names.—Dousterswivel, I won't ask you to

go down to Monkbarns, as the laird and you differ so widely in opinion;

but do not fail to come to see me to-morrow."

Dousterswivel growled out an answer, in which the words, "duty,"—"mine

honoured patron,"—and "wait upon Sir Arthurs,"—were alone

distinguishable; and after the Baronet and his friend had left the

ruins, followed by the servants and workmen, who, in hope of reward and

whisky, joyfully attended their leader, the adept remained in a brown

study by the side of the open grave.

"Who was it as could have thought this?" he ejaculated unconsciously.

"Mine heiligkeit! I have heard of such things, and often spoken of such

things—but, sapperment! I never, thought to see them! And if I had gone

but two or dree feet deeper down in the earth—mein himmel! it had been

all mine own—so much more as I have been muddling about to get from this

fool's man."