"I would have given a guinea," he said, "to have seen the scoundrelly

German under the agonies of those terrors, which it is part of his own

quackery to inspire into others; and trembling alternately for the fury

of his patron, and the apparition of some hobgoblin."

"Troth," said the beggar, "there was time for him to be cowed; for ye

wad hae thought the very spirit of Hell-in-Harness had taken possession

o' the body o' Sir Arthur. But what will come o' the land-louper?"

"I have had a letter this morning, from which I understand he has

acquitted you of the charge he brought against you, and offers to make

such discoveries as will render the settlement of Sir Arthur's affairs a

more easy task than we apprehended—So writes the Sheriff; and adds, that

he has given some private information of importance to Government, in

consideration of which, I understand he will be sent back to play the

knave in his own country."

"And a' the bonny engines, and wheels, and the coves, and sheughs, doun

at Glenwithershins yonder, what's to come o' them?" said Edie.

"I hope the men, before they are dispersed, will make a bonfire of their

gimcracks, as an army destroy their artillery when forced to raise a

siege. And as for the holes, Edie, I abandon them as rat-traps, for the

benefit of the next wise men who may choose to drop the substance to

snatch at a shadow."

"Hech, sirs! guide us a'! to burn the engines? that's a great waste—Had

ye na better try to get back part o' your hundred pounds wi' the sale o'

the materials?" he continued, with a tone of affected condolence.

"Not a farthing," said the Antiquary, peevishly, taking a turn from him,

and making a step or two away. Then returning, half-smiling at his own

pettishness, he said, "Get thee into the house, Edie, and remember my

counsel, never speak to me about a mine, nor to my nephew Hector about a

phoca, that is a sealgh, as you call it."

"I maun be ganging my ways back to Fairport," said the wanderer; "I want

to see what they're saying there about the invasion;—but I'll mind what

your honour says, no to speak to you about a sealgh, or to the Captain

about the hundred pounds that you gied to Douster"—

"Confound thee!—I desired thee not to mention that to me."

"Dear me!" said Edie, with affected surprise; "weel, I thought there was

naething but what your honour could hae studden in the way o' agreeable

conversation, unless it was about the Praetorian yonder, or the bodle

that the packman sauld to ye for an auld coin."

"Pshaw! pshaw!" said the Antiquary, turning from him hastily, and

retreating into the house.

The mendicant looked after him a moment, and with a chuckling laugh,

such as that with which a magpie or parrot applauds a successful exploit

of mischief, he resumed once more the road to Fairport. His habits had

given him a sort of restlessness, much increased by the pleasure he took

in gathering news; and in a short time he had regained the town which he

left in the morning, for no reason that he knew himself, unless just to

"hae a bit crack wi' Monkbarns."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH.

Red glared the beacon on Pownell

On Skiddaw there were three;

The bugle horn on moor and fell

Was heard continually.

James Hogg.

The watch who kept his watch on the hill, and looked towards Birnam,

probably conceived himself dreaming when he first beheld the fated grove

put itself into motion for its march to Dunsinane. Even so old Caxon,

as perched in his hut, he qualified his thoughts upon the approaching

marriage of his daughter, and the dignity of being father-in-law to

Lieutenant Taffril, with an occasional peep towards the signal-post with

which his own corresponded, was not a little surprised by observing a

light in that direction. He rubbed his eyes, looked again, adjusting his

observation by a cross-staff which had been placed so as to bear upon

the point. And behold, the light increased, like a comet to the eye of

the astronomer, "with fear of change perplexing nations."

"The Lord preserve us!" said Caxon, "what's to be done now? But there

will be wiser heads than mine to look to that, sae I'se e'en fire the

beacon."

And he lighted the beacon accordingly, which threw up to the sky a long

wavering train of light, startling the sea-fowl from their nests, and

reflected far beneath by the reddening billows of the sea. The brother

warders of Caxon being equally diligent, caught, and repeated his

signal. The lights glanced on headlands and capes and inland hills, and

the whole district was alarmed by the signal of invasion. *

* Note J. Alarms of Invasion.

Our Antiquary, his head wrapped warm in two double night-caps, was

quietly enjoying his repose, when it was suddenly broken by the screams

of his sister, his niece, and two maid-servants.

"What the devil is the matter?" said he, starting up in his bed—

"womankind in my room at this hour of night!—are ye all mad?"

"The beacon, uncle!" said Miss M'Intyre.

"The French coming to murder us!" screamed Miss Griselda.

"The beacon! the beacon!—the French! the French!—murder! murder! and

waur than murder!"—cried the two handmaidens, like the chorus of an

opera. The Antiquary Arming

"The French?" said Oldbuck, starting up—"get out of the room, womankind

that you are, till I get my things on—And hark ye, bring me my sword."

"Whilk o' them, Monkbarns?" cried his sister, offering a Roman falchion

of brass with the one hand, and with the other an Andrea Ferrara without

a handle.

"The langest, the langest," cried Jenny Rintherout, dragging in a

two-handed sword of the twelfth century.

"Womankind," said Oldbuck in great agitation, "be composed, and do not

give way to vain terror—Are you sure they are come?"

"Sure, sure!" exclaimed Jenny—"ower sure!—a' the sea fencibles, and the

land fencibles, and the volunteers and yeomanry, are on fit, and driving

to Fairport as hard as horse and man can gang—and auld Mucklebackit's

gane wi' the lave—muckle gude he'll do!—Hech, sirs!—he'll be missed the

morn wha wad hae served king and country weel!"

"Give me," said Oldbuck, "the sword which my father wore in the year

forty-five—it hath no belt or baldrick—but we'll make shift."

So saying he thrust the weapon through the cover of his breeches pocket.

At this moment Hector entered, who had been to a neighbouring height to

ascertain whether the alarm was actual.

"Where are your arms, nephew?" exclaimed Oldbuck—"where is your

double-barrelled gun, that was never out of your hand when there was no

occasion for such vanities?"

"Pooh! pooh! sir," said Hector, "who ever took a fowling-piece on

action? I have got my uniform on, you see—I hope I shall be of more use

if they will give me a command than I could be with ten double-barrels.

And you, sir, must get to Fairport, to give directions for quartering

and maintaining the men and horses, and preventing confusion."

"You are right, Hector,—l believe I shall do as much with my head as my

hand too. But here comes Sir Arthur Wardour, who, between ourselves, is

not fit to accomplish much either one way or the other."

Sir Arthur was probably of a different opinion; for, dressed in his

lieutenancy uniform, he was also on the road to Fairport, and called in

his way to take Mr. Oldbuck with him, having had his original opinion

of his sagacity much confirmed by late events. And in spite of all the

entreaties of the womankind that the Antiquary would stay to garrison

Monkbarns, Mr. Oldbuck, with his nephew, instantly accepted Sir Arthur's

offer.

Those who have witnessed such a scene can alone conceive the state of

bustle in Fairport. The windows were glancing with a hundred lights,

which, appearing and disappearing rapidly, indicated the confusion

within doors. The women of lower rank assembled and clamoured in the

market-place. The yeomanry, pouring from their different glens, galloped

through the streets, some individually, some in parties of five or

six, as they had met on the road. The drums and fifes of the volunteers

beating to arms, were blended with the voice of the officers, the sound

of the bugles, and the tolling of the bells from the steeple. The ships

in the harbour were lit up, and boats from the armed vessels added to

the bustle, by landing men and guns destined to assist in the defence

of the place. This part of the preparations was superintended by Taffril

with much activity. Two or three light vessels had already slipped their

cables and stood out to sea, in order to discover the supposed enemy.

Such was the scene of general confusion, when Sir Arthur Wardour,

Oldbuck, and Hector, made their way with difficulty into the principal

square, where the town-house is situated. It was lighted up, and the

magistracy, with many of the neighbouring gentlemen, were assembled.

And here, as upon other occasions of the like kind in Scotland, it was

remarkable how the good sense and firmness of the people supplied almost

all the deficiencies of inexperience.

The magistrates were beset by the quarter-masters of the different corps

for billets for men and horses. "Let us," said Bailie Littlejohn, "take

the horses into our warehouses, and the men into our parlours—share

our supper with the one, and our forage with the other. We have made

ourselves wealthy under a free and paternal government, and now is the

time to show we know its value."

A loud and cheerful acquiescence was given by all present, and the

substance of the wealthy, with the persons of those of all ranks, were

unanimously devoted to the defence of the country.

Captain M'Intyre acted on this occasion as military adviser and

aide-de-camp to the principal magistrate, and displayed a degree of

presence of mind, and knowledge of his profession, totally unexpected

by his uncle, who, recollecting his usual insouciance and impetuosity,

gazed at him with astonishment from time to time, as he remarked the

calm and steady manner in which he explained the various measures

of precaution that his experience suggested, and gave directions for

executing them. He found the different corps in good order, considering

the irregular materials of which they were composed, in great force

of numbers and high confidence and spirits. And so much did military

experience at that moment overbalance all other claims to consequence,

that even old Edie, instead of being left, like Diogenes at Sinope, to

roll his tub when all around were preparing for defence, had the duty

assigned him of superintending the serving out of the ammunition, which

he executed with much discretion.

Two things were still anxiously expected—the presence of the Glenallan

volunteers, who, in consideration of the importance of that family, had

been formed into a separate corps, and the arrival of the officer

before announced, to whom the measures of defence on that coast had been

committed by the commander-in-chief, and whose commission would entitle

him to take upon himself the full disposal of the military force.

At length the bugles of the Glenallan yeomanry were heard, and the Earl

himself, to the surprise of all who knew his habits and state of health,

appeared at their head in uniform. They formed a very handsome and

well-mounted squadron, formed entirely out of the Earl's Lowland

tenants, and were followed by a regiment of five hundred men, completely

equipped in the Highland dress, whom he had brought down from the upland

glens, with their pipes playing in the van. The clean and serviceable

appearance of this band of feudal dependants called forth the admiration

of Captain M'Intyre; but his uncle was still more struck by the manner

in which, upon this crisis, the ancient military spirit of his house

seemed to animate and invigorate the decayed frame of the Earl, their

leader. He claimed, and obtained for himself and his followers, the post

most likely to be that of danger, displayed great alacrity in making the

necessary dispositions, and showed equal acuteness in discussing their

propriety. Morning broke in upon the military councils of Fairport,

while all concerned were still eagerly engaged in taking precautions for

their defence.

At length a cry among the people announced, "There's the brave Major

Neville come at last, with another officer;" and their post-chaise and

four drove into the square, amidst the huzzas of the volunteers and

inhabitants. The magistrates, with their assessors of the lieutenancy,

hastened to the door of their town-house to receive him; but what was

the surprise of all present, but most especially that of the Antiquary,

when they became aware, that the handsome uniform and military cap

disclosed the person and features of the pacific Lovel! A warm embrace,

and a hearty shake of the hand, were necessary to assure him that

his eyes were doing him justice. Sir Arthur was no less surprised

to recognise his son, Captain Wardour, in Lovel's, or rather Major

Neville's company. The first words of the young officers were a positive

assurance to all present, that the courage and zeal which they had

displayed were entirely thrown away, unless in so far as they afforded

an acceptable proof of their spirit and promptitude.

"The watchman at Halket-head," said Major Neville, "as we discovered by

an investigation which we made in our route hither, was most naturally

misled by a bonfire which some idle people had made on the hill

above Glenwithershins, just in the line of the beacon with which his

corresponded."

Oldbuck gave a conscious look to Sir Arthur, who returned it with one

equally sheepish, and a shrug of the shoulders,

"It must have been the machinery which we condemned to the flames in

our wrath," said the Antiquary, plucking up heart, though not a little

ashamed of having been the cause of so much disturbance—"The devil take

Dousterswivel with all my heart!—I think he has bequeathed us a legacy

of blunders and mischief, as if he had lighted some train of fireworks

at his departure. I wonder what cracker will go off next among our

shins. But yonder comes the prudent Caxon.—Hold up your head, you

ass—your betters must bear the blame for you—And here, take this

what-d'ye-call it"—(giving him his sword)—"I wonder what I would have

said yesterday to any man that would have told me I was to stick such an

appendage to my tail."

Here he found his arm gently pressed by Lord Glenallan, who dragged him

into a separate apartment. "For God's sake, who is that young gentleman

who is so strikingly like"—

"Like the unfortunate Eveline," interrupted Oldbuck. "I felt my heart

warm to him from the first, and your lordship has suggested the very

cause."

"But who—who is he?" continued Lord Glenallan, holding the Antiquary

with a convulsive grasp.

"Formerly I would have called him Lovel, but now he turns out to be

Major Neville."

"Whom my brother brought up as his natural son—whom he made his heir—

Gracious Heaven! the child of my Eveline!"

"Hold, my lord—hold!" said Oldbuck, "do not give too hasty way to such a

presumption;—what probability is there?"

"Probability? none! There is certainty! absolute certainty! The agent I

mentioned to you wrote me the whole story—I received it yesterday, not

sooner. Bring him, for God's sake, that a father's eyes may bless him

before he departs."

"I will; but for your own sake and his, give him a few moments for

preparation."

And, determined to make still farther investigation before yielding his

entire conviction to so strange a tale, he sought out Major Neville,

and found him expediting the necessary measures for dispersing the force

which had been assembled.

"Pray, Major Neville, leave this business for a moment to Captain

Wardour and to Hector, with whom, I hope, you are thoroughly reconciled"

(Neville laughed, and shook hands with Hector across the table), "and

grant me a moment's audience."

"You have a claim on me, Mr. Oldbuck, were my business more urgent,"

said Neville, "for having passed myself upon you under a false name, and

rewarding your hospitality by injuring your nephew."

"You served him as he deserved," said Oldbuck—"though, by the way, he

showed as much good sense as spirit to-day—Egad! if he would rub up his

learning, and read Caesar and Polybus, and the Stratagemata Polyaeni, I

think he would rise in the army—and I will certainly lend him a lift."

"He is heartily deserving of it," said Neville; "and I am glad you

excuse me, which you may do the more frankly, when you know that I am so

unfortunate as to have no better right to the name of Neville, by which

I have been generally distinguished, than to that of Lovel, under which

you knew me."

"Indeed! then, I trust, we shall find out one for you to which you shall

have a firm and legal title."

"Sir!—I trust you do not think the misfortune of my birth a fit

subject"—

"By no means, young man," answered the Antiquary, interrupting him;—"I

believe I know more of your birth than you do yourself—and, to convince

you of it, you were educated and known as a natural son of Geraldin

Neville of Neville's-Burgh, in Yorkshire, and I presume, as his destined

heir?"

"Pardon me—no such views were held out to me. I was liberally educated,

and pushed forward in the army by money and interest; but I believe my

supposed father long entertained some ideas of marriage, though he never

carried them into effect."

"You say your supposed father?—What leads you to suppose Mr. Geraldin

Neville was not your real father?"

"I know, Mr. Oldbuck, that you would not ask these questions on a

point of such delicacy for the gratification of idle curiosity. I will

therefore tell you candidly, that last year, while we occupied a

small town in French Flanders, I found in a convent, near which I

was quartered, a woman who spoke remarkably good English—She was a

Spaniard—her name Teresa D'Acunha. In the process of our acquaintance,

she discovered who I was, and made herself known to me as the person

who had charge of my infancy. She dropped more than one hint of rank to

which I was entitled, and of injustice done to me, promising a more

full disclosure in case of the death of a lady in Scotland, during whose

lifetime she was determined to keep the secret. She also intimated that

Mr. Geraldin Neville was not my father. We were attacked by the enemy,

and driven from the town, which was pillaged with savage ferocity by the

republicans. The religious orders were the particular objects of their

hate and cruelty. The convent was burned, and several nuns perished—

among others Teresa; and with her all chance of knowing the story of my

birth: tragic by all accounts it must have been."

"Raro antecedentem scelestum, or, as I may here say, scelestam," said

Oldbuck, "deseruit poena—even Epicureans admitted that. And what did you

do upon this?"

"I remonstrated with Mr. Neville by letter, and to no purpose. I then

obtained leave of absence, and threw myself at his feet, conjuring him

to complete the disclosure which Teresa had begun. He refused, and, on

my importunity, indignantly upbraided me with the favours he had already

conferred. I thought he abused the power of a benefactor, as he was

compelled to admit he had no title to that of a father, and we parted

in mutual displeasure. I renounced the name of Neville, and assumed

that under which you knew me. It was at this time, when residing with a

friend in the north of England who favoured my disguise, that I became

acquainted with Miss Wardour, and was romantic enough to follow her to

Scotland. My mind wavered on various plans of life, when I resolved to

apply once more to Mr. Neville for an explanation of the mystery of my

birth. It was long ere I received an answer; you were present when it

was put into my hands. He informed me of his bad state of health, and

conjured me, for my own sake, to inquire no farther into the nature of

his connection with me, but to rest satisfied with his declaring it to

be such and so intimate, that he designed to constitute me his heir.

When I was preparing to leave Fairport to join him, a second express

brought me word that he was no more. The possession of great wealth was

unable to suppress the remorseful feelings with which I now regarded

my conduct to my benefactor, and some hints in his letter appearing

to intimate there was on my birth a deeper stain than that of ordinary

illegitimacy, I remembered certain prejudices of Sir Arthur."

"And you brooded over these melancholy ideas until you were ill, instead

of coming to me for advice, and telling me the whole story?" said

Oldbuck.

"Exactly; then came my quarrel with Captain M'Intyre, and my compelled

departure from Fairport and its vicinity."

"From love and from poetry—Miss Wardour and the Caledoniad?"

"Most true."

"And since that time you have been occupied, I suppose, with plans for

Sir Arthur's relief?"

"Yes, sir; with the assistance of Captain Wardour at Edinburgh."

"And Edie Ochiltree here—you see I know the whole story. But how came

you by the treasure?"

"It was a quantity of plate which had belonged to my uncle, and was left

in the custody of a person at Fairport. Some time before his death he

had sent orders that it should be melted down. He perhaps did not wish

me to see the Glenallan arms upon it."

"Well, Major Neville—or let me say, Lovel, being the name in which I

rather delight—you must, I believe, exchange both of your alias's for

the style and title of the Honourable William Geraldin, commonly called

Lord Geraldin."

The Antiquary then went through the strange and melancholy circumstances

concerning his mother's death.

"I have no doubt," he said, "that your uncle wished the report to be

believed, that the child of this unhappy marriage was no more—perhaps he

might himself have an eye to the inheritance of his brother—he was then

a gay wild young man—But of all intentions against your person, however

much the evil conscience of Elspeth might lead her to inspect him from

the agitation in which he appeared, Teresa's story and your own

fully acquit him. And now, my dear sir, let me have the pleasure of

introducing a son to a father."

We will not attempt to describe such a meeting. The proofs on all sides

were found to be complete, for Mr. Neville had left a distinct account

of the whole transaction with his confidential steward in a sealed

packet, which was not to be opened until the death of the old Countess;

his motive for preserving secrecy so long appearing to have been an

apprehension of the effect which the discovery, fraught with so much

disgrace, must necessarily produce upon her haughty and violent temper.

In the evening of that day, the yeomanry and volunteers of Glenallan

drank prosperity to their young master. In a month afterwards Lord

Geraldin was married to Miss Wardour, the Antiquary making the lady a

present of the wedding ring—a massy circle of antique chasing, bearing

the motto of Aldobrand Oldenbuck, Kunst macht gunst.

Old Edie, the most important man that ever wore a blue gown, bowls away

easily from one friend's house to another, and boasts that he never

travels unless on a sunny day. Latterly, indeed, he has given some

symptoms of becoming stationary, being frequently found in the corner

of a snug cottage between Monkbarns and Knockwinnock, to which

Caxon retreated upon his daughter's marriage, in order to be in the

neighbourhood of the three parochial wigs, which he continues to keep in

repair, though only for amusement. Edie has been heard to say, "This is

a gey bein place, and it's a comfort to hae sic a corner to sit in in

a bad day." It is thought, as he grows stiffer in the joints, he will

finally settle there.

The bounty of such wealthy patrons as Lord and Lady Geraldin flowed

copiously upon Mrs. Hadoway and upon the Mucklebackits. By the former

it was well employed, by the latter wasted. They continue, however, to

receive it, but under the administration of Edie Ochiltree; and they

do not accept it without grumbling at the channel through which it is

conveyed.

Hector is rising rapidly in the army, and has been more than once

mentioned in the Gazette, and rises proportionally high in his uncle's

favour; and what scarcely pleases the young soldier less, he has also

shot two seals, and thus put an end to the Antiquary's perpetual harping

upon the story of the phoca.People talk of a marriage between Miss

M'Intyre and Captain Wardour; but this wants confirmation.