After the minister and George had left the house, the cares, we should
say the enjoyments, of the Leddy were considerably increased, when she
had leisure to reflect on the singular transaction by which Walter
had supplied himself with another child. What with the requisite
preparations for the funeral of his daughter next day, and ‘this new
income’, as she called the adopted orphan, ‘that, in itself, was a
handling little short o’ a birth,’ she had not, from the death of her
husband, found herself half so earnestly occupied as on this sorrowful
occasion. The house rang with her admonitions to the servants, and her
short quick steps, in consequence of walking with old shoes down at
the heel, clattered as cleverly as her tongue. But all this bustle and
prodigality of anxieties suffered a sudden suspension, by the arrival
of Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw, in quest of her child. The little girl,
however, was by this time so delighted with the fondling and caresses
of her uncle, that she was averse to return home with her mother.
‘I won’er,’ said Leddy Grippy, ‘how ane in your straitened
circumstance, Bell Fatherlans, canna be thankfu’ for sic a gratus amous
as this. Watty’s a kind-hearted creature, and ye may be sure that
neither scaith nor scant will be alloo’t to come near the wean while it
stays in this house. For my part, I think his kidnapping her has been
nothing less than an instigation o’ Providence, since he would na be
constrained, by any reason or understanding, to settle an aliment on
you.’
‘I cannot, however, part with my child to him. You know there are many
little peculiarities about Mr. Walter that do not exactly fit him for
taking charge of children.’
‘But since he’s willing to bear the cost and charge o’ her,’ said the
Leddy, ‘ye should mak no objek, but conform; for ye ken, I’ll hae the
direction o’ her edication; and am sure ye would na wis to see her any
better brought up than was our Meg, Mrs. Milrookit, who could once
play seven tunes and a march on the spinet, and sewed a satin piece,
at Embrough, of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit under the tree
of life;--the like of which had na before been seen in a’ this kintra
side. In short, Bell, my dear, it’s my advice to you to let the lassie
bide wi’ us; for, unless Watty is put out o’ the way, it may prove a
great thing baith for her and you; for he’s a most ’conomical creature;
and the siller he’ll save belyve will be just a portion.’
‘What do you mean,’ replied the young widow, eagerly, ‘about putting
him out of the way?’
‘Ah! Bell Fatherlans,’ exclaimed the Leddy, in her most pathetic
manner;--‘little ken ye yet what it is to hae a family. This has,
indeed, been a house o’ mourning the day, even though we had na a body
in it waiting for interment. The minister has been here wi’ Geordie,
and it’s his solid opinion--we a’ ken what a man o’ lair and judgement
Dr. Denholm is;--he thinks that Watty’s no o’ a faculty to maintain the
salvation of the family property; and when your gude-brother heard how
I hae been used, he said, that neither law nor justice should oblige
him to let his mother live any longer in this house o’ bondage and
land o’ Egypt; so that, when we get the wean put aneath the ground,
there aiblins will be some terrogation as to the naturality of Watty’s
capacity, which, ye may be sure, is a most sore heart to me, his
mother, to hear tell o’. But if it’s the Lord’s will, I maun submit;
for really, in some things, Watty’s no to be thol’t; yet, for a’ that,
Bell, my dear, I would let him tak his own way wi’ your bairn, till we
see what’s to be the upshot. For, and though I maun say it, who is
his parent, that it canna be weel denied, that he’s a thought daft by
course o’ nature; he may, nevertheless, be decreetit douce enough by
course o’ law. Therefore, it’s neither for you nor me to mak or meddle
in the matter; but gather the haws afore the snaws, betide whatever may
betide.’
We cannot venture to say that Mrs. Charles Walkinshaw was exactly
what we should call surprised at this information. She knew enough of
the characters of her mother-in-law and of George, to hear even more
extraordinary communications from the former unmoved. We need scarcely
add, however, that the Leddy’s argument was not calculated with her to
produce the effect intended; on the contrary, she said,--
‘What you tell me only serves to convince me of the impropriety I
should be guilty of in leaving my child with Walter.’
But their conversation was interrupted at this juncture by the entrance
of Walter, leading Mary.
‘I’m come,’ said he, ‘Bell Fatherlans, to tell you that ye’re to gang
away hame, and bring Jamie here to stay wi’ us. The house is big enough
to haud us a’, and it’ll be a grand ploy to my mother--for ye ken she
has such a heart for a thrangerie butt and ben, that, rather than want
wark, she’ll mak a baby o’ the beetle, and dance til’t, cracking her
thumbs, and singing,
Dance to your deddie, my bonny leddie;
Jink through the reelie; jook round and wheelie;
Bob in the setting, my bonny lamb;
And ye’s get a slicie o’ a dishie nicie--
Red-cheekit apples and a mutton ham.
So just gang hame at ance, Bell, and bring your laddie, and we’ll a’
live thegither, and rookettycoo wi’ ane anither like doos in a doocot.’
But although Leddy Grippy certainly did like a bustle with all her
heart and spirit, she had still that infirmity which ever belongs to
human nature gifted with similar propensities,--namely, a throbbing
apprehension at the idea of it, such as mankind in general suffer
in the prospect of enjoying pleasure; and the expression of this
feeling with her took commonly the form and language of repugnance and
reluctance, yea sometimes it even amounted to refusal.
‘What say ye?’ cried she to Walter, under a strong impression of it
at the moment,--‘are ye utterly bereav’t o’ your senses, to speak o’
bringing the lade o’ another family on my hands?’
‘I’m sure,’ was his answer, ‘if ye dinna like to tak the pleasure o’t,
ye’re free to set up your jointure house, and live the life o’ dowager
duchess, for me, mother. But Bell Fatherlans and her bairns are to come
here,--for this is my house, ye ken--settlet on me and mine, past a’
power o’ law, by my father--and what’s my ain I’ll mak my ain.’
‘Wha would hae thought o’ sic outcoming o’ kindness as this!’ replied
the Leddy. ‘I fancy, Bell, ye’ll hae to come and resident wi’ us?’
‘An she does na,’ said Walter, ‘I’ll gang away where never one kent me,
and tak her wee Mary on my back in a basket, like Jenny Nettles--that’s
what I will; so put the matter to your knee and straight it.’
‘I’ll mak a bargain, Mr. Walter,’ replied Mrs. Charles,--‘I’ll leave
Mary to-night, and come, after the burial to-morrow, with James, and
stay a few days.’
‘Ye’ll stay a’ your days,’ exclaimed Walter; ‘and as ye’re a leddy o’
mair genteelity than my mother, ye shall hae the full rule and power o’
the house, and mak jam and jelly;--a’ the cast o’ her grace and skill
gangs nae farther than butter and cheese.’
His mother was confounded, and unable for some time to utter a word. At
last, putting her hands firmly into her sides, she said,--
‘My word, but thou’s no blate. But it’s no worth my while to gang intil
a passion for a born idiot. Your reign, my lad, ’s no ordaint to be
lang, if there’s either law or gospel among the Fifteen at Embro’. To
misliken his mother! to misuse me as I were nae better than an auld
bachle, and, in a manner, to turn me out the house!’
‘O don’t disturb yourself,’ interposed Mrs. Charles; ‘they were but
words of course. You know his humour, and need not be surprised at what
he says.’
The indignant mother was not, however, soon appeased,--her wrath for
some time burnt fiercely, and it required no little dexterity on the
part of her daughter-in-law to allay the altercation which ensued;
but in the end her endeavours proved successful, and the result was
an arrangement that the child should be left for a day or two, to
ascertain whether Walter’s attachment was dictated by caprice or a
transfer of his affections. And in order to preserve quiet, and to
prevent any extravagance that might be injurious to the little girl, it
was also arranged that her mother and brother should likewise spend a
few weeks at Grippy.