How like a hateful ape,
Detected grinning 'midst his pilfer'd hoard,
A cunning man appears, whose secret frauds
Are open'd to the day!
Count Basil
There was a great movement at Woodbourne early on the following morning
to attend the examination at Kippletringan. Mr. Pleydell, from the
investigation which he had formerly bestowed on the dark affair of
Kennedy's death, as well as from the general deference due to his
professional abilities, was requested by Mr. Mac-Morlan and Sir Robert
Hazlewood, and another justice of peace who attended, to take the
situation of chairman and the lead in the examination. Colonel
Mannering was invited to sit down with them. The examination, being
previous to trial, was private in other respects.
The Counsellor resumed and reinterrogated former evidence. He then
examined the clergyman and surgeon respecting the dying declaration of
Meg Merrilies. They stated that she distinctly, positively, and
repeatedly declared herself an eye-witness of Kennedy's death by the
hands of Hatteraick and two or three of his crew; that her presence was
accidental; that she believed their resentment at meeting him, when
they were in the act of losing their vessel through the means of his
information, led to the commission of the crime; that she said there
was one witness of the murder, but who refused to participate in it,
still alive--her nephew, Gabriel Faa; and she had hinted at another
person who was an accessory after, not before, the fact; but her
strength there failed her. They did not forget to mention her
declaration that she had saved the child, and that he was torn from her
by the smugglers for the purpose of carrying him to Holland. All these
particulars were carefully reduced to writing.
Dirk Hatteraick was then brought in, heavily ironed; for he had been
strictly secured and guarded, owing to his former escape. He was asked
his name; he made no answer. His profession; he was silent. Several
other questions were put, to none of which he returned any reply.
Pleydell wiped the glasses of his spectacles and considered the
prisoner very attentively. 'A very truculent-looking fellow,' he
whispered to Mannering; 'but, as Dogberry says, I'll go cunningly to
work with him. Here, call in Soles--Soles the shoemaker. Soles, do you
remember measuring some footsteps imprinted on the mud at the wood of
Warroch on--November 17--, by my orders?' Soles remembered the
circumstance perfectly. 'Look at that paper; is that your note of the
measurement?' Soles verified the memorandum. 'Now, there stands a pair
of shoes on that table; measure them, and see if they correspond with
any of the marks you have noted there.' The shoemaker obeyed, and
declared 'that they answered exactly to the largest of the footprints.'
'We shall prove,' said the Counsellor, aside to Mannering, 'that these
shoes, which were found in the ruins at Derncleugh, belonged to Brown,
the fellow whom you shot on the lawn at Woodbourne. Now, Soles, measure
that prisoner's feet very accurately.'
Mannering observed Hatteraick strictly, and could notice a visible
tremor. 'Do these measurements correspond with any of the footprints?'
The man looked at the note, then at his foot-rule and measure, then
verified his former measurement by a second. 'They correspond,' he
said, 'within a hair-breadth to a foot-mark broader and shorter than
the former.'
Hatteraick's genius here deserted him. 'Der deyvil!' he broke out, 'how
could there be a footmark on the ground, when it was a frost as hard as
the heart of a Memel log?'
'In the evening, I grant you, Captain Hatteraick,' said Pleydell, 'but
not in the forenoon. Will you favour me with information where you were
upon the day you remember so exactly?'
Hatteraick saw his blunder, and again screwed up his hard features for
obstinate silence. 'Put down his observation, however,' said Pleydell
to the clerk.
At this moment the door opened, and, much to the surprise of most
present, Mr. Gilbert Glossin made his appearance. That worthy gentleman
had, by dint of watching and eavesdropping, ascertained that he was not
mentioned by name in Meg Merrilies's dying declaration--a circumstance
certainly not owing to any favourable disposition towards him, but to
the delay of taking her regular examination, and to the rapid approach
of death. He therefore supposed himself safe from all evidence but such
as might arise from Hatteraick's confession; to prevent which he
resolved to push a bold face and join his brethren of the bench during
his examination. 'I shall be able,' he thought, 'to make the rascal
sensible his safety lies in keeping his own counsel and mine; and my
presence, besides, will be a proof of confidence and innocence. If I
must lose the estate, I must; but I trust better things.'
He entered with a profound salutation to Sir Robert Hazlewood. Sir
Robert, who had rather begun to suspect that his plebeian neighbour had
made a cat's paw of him, inclined his head stiffly, took snuff, and
looked another way.
'Mr. Corsand,' said Glossin to the other yokefellow of justice, 'your
most humble servant.'
'Your humble servant, Mr. Glossin,' answered Mr. Corsand drily,
composing his countenance regis ad exemplar, that is to say, after the
fashion of the Baronet.
'Mac-Morlan, my worthy friend,' continued Glossin, 'how d' ye do;
always on your duty?'
'Umph,' said honest Mac-Morlan, with little respect either to the
compliment or salutation.
'Colonel Mannering (a low bow slightly returned), and Mr. Pleydell
(another low bow), I dared not have hoped for your assistance to poor
country gentlemen at this period of the session.'
Pleydell took snuff, and eyed him with a glance equally shrewd and
sarcastic. 'I'll teach him,' he said aside to Mannering, 'the value of
the old admonition, Ne accesseris in consilium antequam voceris.'
'But perhaps I intrude, gentlemen?' said Glossin, who could not fail to
observe the coldness of his reception. 'Is this an open meeting?'
'For my part,' said Mr. Pleydell, 'so far from considering your
attendance as an intrusion, Mr. Glossin, I was never so pleased in my
life to meet with you; especially as I think we should, at any rate,
have had occasion to request the favour of your company in the course
of the day.'
'Well, then, gentlemen,' said Glossin, drawing his chair to the table,
and beginning to bustle about among the papers, 'where are we? how far
have we got? where are the declarations?'
'Clerk, give me all these papers,' said Mr. Pleydell. 'I have an odd
way of arranging my documents, Mr. Glossin, another person touching
them puts me out; but I shall have occasion for your assistance by and
by.'
Glossin, thus reduced to inactivity, stole one glance at Dirk
Hatteraick, but could read nothing in his dark scowl save malignity and
hatred to all around. 'But, gentlemen,' said Glossin, 'is it quite
right to keep this poor man so heavily ironed when he is taken up
merely for examination?'
This was hoisting a kind of friendly signal to the prisoner. 'He has
escaped once before,' said Mac-Morlan drily, and Glossin was silenced.
Bertram was now introduced, and, to Glossin's confusion, was greeted in
the most friendly manner by all present, even by Sir Robert Hazlewood
himself. He told his recollections of his infancy with that candour and
caution of expression which afforded the best warrant for his good
faith. 'This seems to be rather a civil than a criminal question,' said
Glossin, rising; 'and as you cannot be ignorant, gentlemen, of the
effect which this young person's pretended parentage may have on my
patrimonial interest, I would rather beg leave to retire.'
'No, my good sir,' said Mr. Pleydell, 'we can by no means spare you.
But why do you call this young man's claims pretended? I don't mean to
fish for your defences against them, if you have any, but--'
'Mr. Pleydell,' replied Glossin, 'I am always disposed to act
above-board, and I think I can explain the matter at once. This young
fellow, whom I take to be a natural son of the late Ellangowan, has
gone about the country for some weeks under different names, caballing
with a wretched old mad-woman, who, I understand, was shot in a late
scuffle, and with other tinkers, gipsies, and persons of that
description, and a great brute farmer from Liddesdale, stirring up the
tenants against their landlords, which, as Sir Robert Hazlewood of
Hazlewood knows--'
'Not to interrupt you, Mr. Glossin,' said Pleydell, 'I ask who you say
this young man is?'
'Why, I say,' replied Glossin, 'and I believe that gentleman (looking
at Hatteraick) knows, that the young man is a natural son of the late
Ellangowan, by a girl called Janet Lightoheel, who was afterwards
married to Hewit the shipwright, that lived in the neighbourhood of
Annan. His name is Godfrey Bertram Hewit, by which name he was entered
on board the Royal Caroline excise yacht.'
'Ay?' said Pleydell, 'that is a very likely story! But, not to pause
upon some difference of eyes, complexion, and so forth--be pleased to
step forward, sir.' (A young seafaring man came forward.) 'Here,'
proceeded the Counsellor, 'is the real Simon Pure; here's Godfrey
Bertram Hewit, arrived last night from Antigua via Liverpool, mate of a
West-Indian, and in a fair way of doing well in the world, although he
came somewhat irregularly into it.'
While some conversation passed between the other justices and this
young man, Pleydell lifted from among the papers on the table
Hatteraick's old pocket-book. A peculiar glance of the smuggler's eye
induced the shrewd lawyer to think there was something here of
interest. He therefore continued the examination of the papers, laying
the book on the table, but instantly perceived that the prisoner's
interest in the research had cooled. 'It must be in the book still,
whatever it is,' thought Pleydell; and again applied himself to the
pocket-book, until he discovered, on a narrow scrutiny, a slit between
the pasteboard and leather, out of which he drew three small slips of
paper. Pleydell now, turning to Glossin, requested the favour that he
would tell them if he had assisted at the search for the body of
Kennedy and the child of his patron on the day when they disappeared.
'I did not--that is, I did,' answered the conscience-struck Glossin.
'It is remarkable though,' said the Advocate, 'that, connected as you
were with the Ellangowan family, I don't recollect your being examined,
or even appearing before me, while that investigation was proceeding?'
'I was called to London,' answered Glossin, 'on most important business
the morning after that sad affair.'
'Clerk,' said Pleydell, 'minute down that reply. I presume the
business, Mr. Glossin, was to negotiate these three bills, drawn by you
on Messrs. Vanbeest and Vanbruggen, and accepted by one Dirk Hatteraick
in their name on the very day of the murder. I congratulate you on
their being regularly retired, as I perceive they have been. I think
the chances were against it.' Glossin's countenance fell. 'This piece
of real evidence,' continued Mr. Pleydell, 'makes good the account
given of your conduct on this occasion by a man called Gabriel Faa,
whom we have now in custody, and who witnessed the whole transaction
between you and that worthy prisoner. Have you any explanation to give?'
'Mr. Pleydell,' said Glossin, with great composure, 'I presume, if you
were my counsel, you would not advise me to answer upon the spur of the
moment to a charge which the basest of mankind seem ready to establish
by perjury.'
'My advice,' said the Counsellor, 'would be regulated by my opinion of
your innocence or guilt. In your case, I believe you take the wisest
course; but you are aware you must stand committed?'
'Committed? for what, sir?' replied Glossin. 'Upon a charge of murder?'
'No; only as art and part of kidnapping the child.'
'That is a bailable offence.'
'Pardon me,' said Pleydell, 'it is plagium, and plagium is felony.'
'Forgive me, Mr. Pleydell, there is only one case upon record, Torrence
and Waldie. They were, you remember, resurrection-women, who had
promised to procure a child's body for some young surgeons. Being upon
honour to their employers, rather than disappoint the evening lecture
of the students, they stole a live child, murdered it, and sold the
body for three shillings and sixpence. They were hanged, but for the
murder, not for the plagium [Footnote: This is, in its circumstances
and issue, actually a case tried and reported.]--Your civil law has
carried you a little too far.'
'Well, sir, but in the meantime Mr. Mac-Morlan must commit you to the
county jail, in case this young man repeats the same story. Officers,
remove Mr. Glossin and Hatteraick, and guard them in different
apartments.'
Gabriel, the gipsy, was then introduced, and gave a distinct account of
his deserting from Captain Pritchard's vessel and joining the smugglers
in the action, detailed how Dirk Hatteraick set fire to his ship when
he found her disabled, and under cover of the smoke escaped with his
crew, and as much goods as they could save, into the cavern, where they
proposed to lie till nightfall. Hatteraick himself, his mate Vanbeest
Brown, and three others, of whom the declarant was one, went into the
adjacent woods to communicate with some of their friends in the
neighbourhood. They fell in with Kennedy unexpectedly, and Hatteraick
and Brown, aware that he was the occasion of their disasters, resolved
to murder him. He stated that he had seen them lay violent hands on the
officer and drag him through the woods, but had not partaken in the
assault nor witnessed its termination; that he returned to the cavern
by a different route, where he again met Hatteraick and his
accomplices; and the captain was in the act of giving an account how he
and Brown had pushed a huge crag over, as Kennedy lay groaning on the
beach, when Glossin suddenly appeared among them. To the whole
transaction by which Hatteraick purchased his secrecy he was witness.
Respecting young Bertram, he could give a distinct account till he went
to India, after which he had lost sight of him until he unexpectedly
met with him in Liddesdale. Gabriel Faa farther stated that he
instantly sent notice to his aunt Meg Merrilies, as well as to
Hatteraick, who he knew was then upon the coast; but that he had
incurred his aunt's displeasure upon the latter account. He concluded,
that his aunt had immediately declared that she would do all that lay
in her power to help young Ellangowan to his right, even if it should
be by informing against Dirk Hatteraick; and that many of her people
assisted her besides himself, from a belief that she was gifted with
supernatural inspirations. With the same purpose, he understood his
aunt had given to Bertram the treasure of the tribe, of which she had
the custody. Three or four gipsies, by the express command of Meg
Merrilies, mingled in the crowd when the custom-house was attacked, for
the purpose of liberating Bertram, which he had himself effected. He
said, that in obeying Meg's dictates they did not pretend to estimate
their propriety or rationality, the respect in which she was held by
her tribe precluding all such subjects of speculation. Upon farther
interrogation, the witness added, that his aunt had always said that
Harry Bertram carried that round his neck which would ascertain his
birth. It was a spell, she said, that an Oxford scholar had made for
him, and she possessed the smugglers with an opinion that to deprive
him of it would occasion the loss of the vessel.
Bertram here produced a small velvet bag, which he said he had worn
round his neck from his earliest infancy, and which he had preserved,
first from superstitious reverence, and latterly from the hope that it
might serve one day to aid in the discovery of his birth. The bag,
being opened, was found to contain a blue silk case, from which was
drawn a scheme of nativity. Upon inspecting this paper, Colonel
Mannering instantly admitted it was his own composition; and afforded
the strongest and most satisfactory evidence that the possessor of it
must necessarily be the young heir of Ellangowan, by avowing his having
first appeared in that country in the character of an astrologer.
'And now,' said Pleydell, 'make out warrants of commitment for
Hatteraick and Glossin until liberated in due course of law. Yet,' he
said, 'I am sorry for Glossin.'
'Now, I think,' said Mannering, 'he's incomparably the least deserving
of pity of the two. The other's a bold fellow, though as hard as flint.'
'Very natural, Colonel,' said the Advocate, 'that you should be
interested in the ruffian and I in the knave, that's all professional
taste; but I can tell you Glossin would have been a pretty lawyer had
he not had such a turn for the roguish part of the profession.'
'Scandal would say,' observed Mannering, 'he might not be the worse
lawyer for that.'
'Scandal would tell a lie, then,' replied Pleydell, 'as she usually
does. Law's like laudanum: it's much more easy to use it as a quack
does than to learn to apply it like a physician.'