“Happened!” said bowed Jaacob, with a little scorn; “what should have
happened?--you dinna ca’ this place in the world--naething, so far as I
can tell, ever happens here except births and deaths and marriages; no
muckle food for the intelleck in the like of them, though I wouldna say
but they are necessary evils--na, laddie, there’s little to tell you
here.”
“Not even about the Bill?” said Cosmo; “don’t forget I’ve been abroad
and know nothing of what you’ve all been doing at home.”
“The Bill--humph! it’s a’ very weel for the present,” said Jaacob, with
a twinkle of excitement in his one eye, “but as for thae politicians
that ca’ it a final measure, I wouldna gie that for them,” and Jaacob
snapped his fingers energetically. “It hasna made just a’ that
difference in the world ane would have expected, either,” he added,
after a moment, a certain grim humor stealing into his grotesque face;
“we’re a’ as nigh as possible just where we were. I’m no’ what you would
ca’ a sanguine philosopher mysel’. I ken human nature gey weel; and I
canna say I ever limited my ain faith to men that pay rent and taxes at
so muckle a year; but it doesna make that difference ane might have
looked for. A man’s just the same man, callant--especially if he’s a
poor creature with nae nobility in him--though you do gie him a vote.”
“Yet it’s all the difference,” cried Cosmo, with a little burst of
boyish enthusiasm, “between the freeman and the slave!”
Jaacob eyed him grimly with his one eye. “It’s a’ the like of you ken,”
said the cynic, with a little contempt, and a great deal of superiority;
“but you’ll learn better if ye have the gift. There’s a certain
slave-class in ilka community--that’s my conviction--and I wouldna say
but we’ve just had the good fortune to licht upon them in thae ten-pound
householders; oh, ay, laddie! let the aristocrats alane--they’re as
cunning as auld Nick where their ain interest’s concerned, though nae
better than as mony school-boys in a’ greater concerns. Catch them
extending the suffrage to the real _men_, the backbane of the country!
Would you say a coof in the town here, that marries some fool of a wife
and gets a house of his ain, was a mair responsible person than _me_!
Take it in ony class you please--yoursel’ when you’re aulder--na,
Me’mar’s son even, that’s nearer my age than yours--ony Willie A’ thing
of a shopkeeper gets his vote--set him up! and his voice in the
country--but there’s nae voice for you, my lad, if ye were
ane-and-twenty the morn--nor for the young laird.”
The mention of this name instantly arrested Cosmo’s indignation at his
own political disabilities. “You say nothing has happened, Jacob,” said
Cosmo, “and yet here is this same young laird--what of him?--is he
nothing?--he ought to rank high in Kirkbride.”
“Kirkbride and me are seldom of the same opinion,” said the little
Cyclops, pushing his red cowl off his brow, and proceeding carelessly to
his work, which had been suspended during the more exciting
conversation. “I canna be fashed with weakly folk, women or men, though
it’s more natural in a woman. There’s that bit thing of a sister of his
with the pink e’en--he’s ower like her to please me--but he’s a
virtuoso. I’ve been ca’ed one mysel. I’ve mair sympathy with a traveled
man than thae savages here. You see I wouldna say but I might think
better of baith him and his father if I’m right in a guess o’ mine; and
I maun admit I’m seldom wrang when I take a thing into my mind.”
“What is it?” said Cosmo, eagerly.
“There’s a young lass there, a governess,” said Jaacob; “I couldna tell,
if I was on my aith, what’s out of the way about her. She’s no’ to ca’
very bonnie, and as for wut, that’s no’ to be looked for in woman--and
she’s French, though I’m above prejudice on that score; but there’s just
something about her reminds me whiles of another person--though no mair
to be compared in ae way than a gowan to a rose. I’m no’ very easy
attractit, which is plain to view, seeing, for a’ I’ve met with, I’m no’
a married man, and like enough never will be--but I maun admit I was
taken with her mysel’.”
Cosmo’s face was crimson with suppressed anger and laughter both
combined.
“How dare you?” he cried at last, with a violent and sudden burst of the
latter impulse. Bowed Jaacob turned round upon him, swelling to his
fullest stature, and settling his red cowl on his head with an air of
defiance, yet with a remote and grim consciousness of fun in the corner
of his eye.
“Daur!” exclaimed the gallant hunchback. “Mind what you say, my lad!
Women hae ae gift--they aye ken merit when they see it. I’ve kent a
hantle in my day; but the bonniest of them a’ never said ‘How daur ye’
to me.”
“Very well, Jacob,” said Cosmo, laughing; “I had forgotten your
successes. But what of this young lady at Melmar, and your guess about
Oswald Huntley? I know her, and I am curious to hear.”
“Just the lad yonder, if you will ken, is taken with her like me--that’s
a’. I advise you to say ‘you daur’ to him,” said Jaacob, shortly, ending
his words with a prolonged chorus of hammering.
An involuntary and unconscious exclamation burst from Cosmo’s lips. He
felt a burning color rise over his face. Why, he could not tell; but his
sudden shock of consternation and indignant resentment quite overpowered
his composure for the moment--a thrill of passionate displeasure tingled
through his heart. He was violently impatient of the thought, yet could
not tell why.
“Whatfor no?” said Jaacob. “I’m nane of your romantic men mysel’--but
I’ve just this ae thing to say, I despise a lad that thinks on the penny
siller when a woman’s in the question. I wouldna tak a wife into the
bargain with a wheen lands or a pickle gear, no’ if she was a king’s
daughter--though she might be that, and yet be nae great things. Na,
laddie, a man that has the heart to be real downricht in love has aye
something in him, take my word for’t; and even auld Me’mar himsel’--”
“The old villain!” cried Cosmo, violently; “the mean old rascal! That is
what he meant by bringing her here. It was not enough to wrong the
mother, but he must delude the child! Be quiet, Jaacob! you don’t know
the old gray-haired villain! They ought to be tried for conspiracy,
every one of them. Love!--it is profanation to name the name!”
“Eh, what’s a’ this?” cried Jaacob. “What does the callant mean by
conspiracy?--what’s about this lassie? She’s gey bonnie--no’ to say
very, but gey--and she’s just a governess. I respect the auld rascal, as
you ca’ him--and I wouldna say you’re far wrang--for respecting his
son’s fancy. The maist o’ thae moneyed men, I can tell ye, are as mean
as an auld miser; therefore ye may say what ye like, my lad. I’m friends
with Me’mar and his son the noo.”
Jaacob went on accordingly with his hammering, professing no notice of
Cosmo, who, busy with his own indignant thoughts, did not even observe
the vigilant, sidelong regards of the blacksmith’s one eye. He scarcely
even heard what Jaacob said, as the village philosopher resumed his
monologue, keeping always that solitary orb of vision intent upon his
visitor. Jaacob, with all his enlightenment, was not above curiosity,
and took a very lively interest in the human character and the concerns
of his fellow-men.
“And the minister’s dead,” said Jaacob. “For a man that had nae
experience of life, he wasna such a fuil as he might have been. I’ve
seen waur priests. The vulgar gave him honor, and it’s aye desirable to
have a man in that capacity that can impose upon the vulgar;--and the
bairns are away. I miss Katie Logan’s face about the town mysel’. She
wasna in my style; but I canna deny her merits. Mair folks’ taste than
mine has to be consulted. As for me, I have rather a notion of that
French governess at Melmar. If there’s onything wrang there, gie a man a
hint, Cosmo, lad. I’ve nae objection to cut Oswald Huntley out mysel’.”
“Find some other subject for your jests,” cried Cosmo, haughtily;
“Mademoiselle Desirée’s name is not to be used in village gossip. I will
not permit it while I am here.”
Jaacob turned round upon him with his eye on fire.
“Wha the deevil made you a judge?” said Jaacob; “what’s your
madame-oiselle, or you either, that you’re ower guid for an honest man’s
mouth? Confound your impidence! a slip of a callant that makes verses,
do ye set up your face to me?”
At this point of the conversation Cosmo began to have a glimmering
perception that Desirée’s name was quite as unsuitable in a quarrel with
Jaacob as in any supposed village gossip; and that the dispute between
himself and the blacksmith was on the whole somewhat ridiculous. He
evaded Jaacob’s angry interrogatory with a half laugh of annoyance and
embarrassment.
“You know as well as I do, Jacob, that one should not speak so of young
ladies,” said Cosmo, who did not know what to say.
“Do I?” said Jaacob; “what would ye hae a man to talk about? they’re no
muckle to crack o’ in the way o’ wisdom, but they’re bonnie objecks in
creation, as a’body maun allow. I would just like to ken, though, my
lad, what’s a’ your particular interest in this madame-oiselle?”
“Hush,” said Cosmo, whose cheeks began to burn; “she is my kinswoman; by
this time perhaps she is with my mother in Norlaw; she is the child
of--”
Cosmo paused, thinking to stop at that half-confidence. Jaacob stood
staring at him, with his red cowl on one side, and his eye gleaming
through the haze. As he gazed, a certain strange consciousness came to
the hunchback’s face. His dwarf figure, which you could plainly see had
the strength of a giant’s, his face swart and grotesque, his one
gleaming eye and puckered forehead, became suddenly softened by a kind
of homely pathos which stole over them like a breath of summer wind.
When he had gazed his full gaze of inquiry into Cosmo’s face, Jaacob
turned his head aside hurriedly.
“So you’ve found her!” said the blacksmith, with a low intensity of
voice which made Cosmo respectful by its force and emotion; and when he
had spoken he fell to upon his anvil with a rough and loud succession of
blows which left no time for an answer. Cosmo stood beside him, during
this assault, with a grave face, looking on at the exploits of the
hammer as if they were something serious and important. The introduction
of this new subject changed their tone in a moment.
When Jaacob paused to take breath he resumed the conversation, still in
a somewhat subdued tone, though briskly enough.
“So she’s aye living,” said Jaacob; “and this is her daughter? A very
little mair insight and I would have found it out mysel’. I aye thought
she was like. And what have you done with her now you’ve found her? Is
she to come hame?”
“Immediately,” said Cosmo.
“She’s auld by this time, nae doubt,” said Jaacob, carelessly; “women
are such tender gear, a’thing tells upon them. It’s _their_ beauty
that’s like a moth--the like of me wears langer; and so she’s aye to the
fore?--ay! I doubt she’ll mind little about Me’mar, or the folk here
about. I’m above prejudices mysel’, and maybe the French are mair
enlightened in twa three points than we are--I’ll no’ say--but I wouldna
bring up youngsters to be natives of a strange country. So you found her
out with your ain hand, callant, did you? You’re a clever chield! and
what’s to be done when she comes hame?”
“She is the Lady of Melmar, as she always was,” said Cosmo, with a
little pride.
“And what’s to become of the auld family--father and son--no’ to say of
the twa sisters and the auld auntie,” said Jaacob, with a grim smile.
“So that’s the story! Confound them a’! I’m no’ a man to be cheated out
of my sympathies. And I’m seldom wrang--so if you’ve ony thoughts that
way, callant, I advise ye to relinquish them. Ye may be half-a-hunder’
poets if ye like, and as mony mair to the back o’ that, but if the
Huntley lad liket her she’ll stick to him.”
“That is neither your concern nor mine!” cried Cosmo, loftily. But, as
Jaacob laughed and went on, the lad began to feel unaccountably
aggravated, to lose his temper, and make angry answers, which made his
discomfiture capital fun to the little giant. At length, Cosmo hurried
away. It was the same day on which the Mistress paid her visit to
Desirée, and Cosmo could not help feeling excited and curious about the
issue of his mother’s invitation. Thoughts which made the lad blush came
into his mind as he went slowly over Tyne, looking up at that high bank,
from which the evening sunshine, chill, yet bright, was slowly
disappearing--where the trees began to bud round the cottages, and where
the white gable of the manse still crowned the peaceful summit--that
manse where Katie Logan, with her elder-sister smile, was no longer
mistress. Somehow, there occurred to him a wandering thought about
Katie, who was away--he did not know where--and Huntley, who was at the
ends of the earth. Huntley had not actually lost any thing, Cosmo said
to himself, yet Huntley seemed disinherited and impoverished to the
obstinate eyes of fancy. Cosmo could not have told, either, why he
associated his brother with Katie Logan, now an orphan and absent, yet
he did so involuntarily. He thought of Huntley and Katie, both poor, far
separated, and perhaps never to meet again; he thought of Cameron in his
sudden trouble; and then his thoughts glided off with a little
bitterness, to that perverse woman’s love, which always seemed to cling
to the wrong object. Madame Roche herself, perhaps, first of all, though
the very fancy seemed somehow a wrong to his mother, Marie fretting
peevishly for her French husband, Desirée giving her heart to Oswald
Huntley. The lad turned upon his heel with a bitter impatience, and set
off for a long walk in the opposite direction as these things glided
into his mind. To be sure, he had nothing to do with it; but still it
was all wrong--a distortion of nature--and it galled him in his
thoughts.