From the circumstance of Milrookit and Robina staying with the Leddy
at the time of their marriage, the porter at the inn, where Pilledge
alighted on his arrival at Glasgow, supposed they lived in her house,
and conducted him there. But, on reaching the door, seeing the name
of Mrs. Walkinshaw on a brass plate, not quite so large as the one
that the Lord Provost of the royal city sported on the occasion of his
Majesty’s most gracious visit to the lawful and intellectual metropolis
of his ancient kingdom, he resolved to address himself to her, for
what purpose it would not be easy to say, further than he thought,
perhaps, from what he had heard of her character, that she might be of
use in the projected litigation. Accordingly, he applied his hand to
the knocker, and was shown into the room where she was sitting alone,
spinning.
‘You are the lady,’ said he, ‘I presume, of the late much respected Mr.
Claud Walkinshaw, commonly styled of Grippy.’
‘So they say, for want o’ a better,’ replied the Leddy, stopping at the
same time her wheel and looking up to him; ‘but wha are ye, and what’s
your will?’
‘My name is Pilledge. I am a writer to the signet, and I have come to
see Mr. Milrookit of Kittlestonheugh, respecting an important piece of
business;’--and he seated himself unbidden. As he said this, the Leddy
pricked up her ears, for, exulting in her own knowledge of the law, by
which she had recently so triumphed, as she thought, she became eager
to know what the important piece of business could be, and replied,--
‘Nae doot, it’s anent the law-plea he has been brought into, on account
of his property.’
Milrookit had been engaged in no suit whatever, but this was the way
she took to trot the Edinburgh writer, and she added,--
‘How do ye think it’ll gang wi’ him? Is there ony prospect o’ the Lord
Ordinary coming to a decision on the pursuer’s petition?’
This really looked so like the language of the Parliament House,
considering it came from an old lady, that Pilledge was taken in, and
his thoughts running on the entail, he immediately fancied that she
alluded to something connected with it, and said,--
‘I should think, Madam, that your evidence would be of the utmost
importance to the case, and it was to advise with him chiefly as to the
line of defence he ought to take that I came from Edinburgh.’
‘Nae doot, Sir, I could gie an evidence, and instruct on the merits
of the interdict,’ said she learnedly; ‘but I ne’er hae yet been able
to come to a right understanding anent and concerning the different
aforesaids set forth in the respondent’s reclaiming petition. Noo, I
would be greatly obligated if ye would expone to me the nice point,
that I may be able to decern accordingly.’
The Writer to the Signet had never heard a clearer argument, either at
the bar or on the bench, and he replied,--
‘Indeed, Mem, it lies in a very small compass. It appears that the
heir-male of your eldest son is the rightful heir of entail; but there
are so many difficulties in the terms of the settlement, that I should
not be surprised were the Court to set the deed aside, in which case,
Mrs. Milrookit would still retain the estate, as heir-at-law of her
father.’
We must allow the reader to conceive with what feelings the Leddy heard
this; but new and wonderful as it was felt to be, she still preserved
her juridical gravity, and said,--
‘It’s vera true what ye say, Sir, that the heir-male of my eldest
son,--is a son,--I can easily understand that point o’ law;--but can ye
tell me how the heir-at-law of her father, Mrs. Milrookit that is, came
to be a dochter, when it was ay the intent and purpose o’ my friend
that’s awa, the testator, to make no provision but for heirs-male,
which his heart, poor man, was overly set on. Howsever, I suppose
that’s to be considered in the precognition!’
‘Certainly, Mem,’ replied the Writer to the Signet; ‘nothing is more
clear than that your husband intended the estate to go, in the first
instance, to the heirs-male of his sons; first to those of Walter, the
second son; and failing them, to those of George, the third son; and
failing them, then to go back to the heirs-male of Charles, the eldest
son; and failing them, to the heirs-general of Margaret, your daughter.
It is, therefore, perfectly clear, that Mrs. Milrookit being, as you
justly observe, a daughter, the estate, according to the terms of the
settlement, passes her, and goes to the heir of entail, who is the son
of your eldest son.’
‘I understand that weel,’ said the Leddy; ‘it’s as plain as a
pike-staff, that my oe Jamie, the soldier-officer, is by right the
heir; and I dinna see how Walky Milrookit, or his wife Beenie, that is,
according to law, Robina, can, by any decreet o’ Court, keep him out of
his ain,--poor laddie!’
‘It is very natural for you, Mem, to say so; but the case has other
points, and especially as the heir of entail is in the army, I
certainly would not advise Mr. Milrookit to surrender.’
‘But he’ll be maybe counselled better,’ rejoined the Leddy, inwardly
rejoicing at the discovery she had made, and anxious to get rid of the
visitor, in order that she might act at once, ‘and if ye’ll tak my
advice, ye’ll no sca’d your lips in other folks’ kail. Mr. Pitwinnoch
is just as gude a Belzebub’s baby for a law-plea, as ony Writer to the
Signet in that bottomless pit, the House o’ Parliament in Edinbrough;
and since ye hae told me what ye hae done, it’s but right to let you
ken what I’ll do. As yet I hae had but ae lawsuit, and I trow it was
soon brought, by my own mediation, to a victory; but it winna be lang
till I hae another; for if Milrookit does na consent, the morn’s
morning, to gie up the Kittlestonheugh, he’ll soon fin’ again what it
is to plea wi’ a woman o’ my experience.’
Pilledge was petrified; he saw that he was in the hands of the Leddy,
and that she had completely overreached him. But still he was resolved
that his journey should not be barren if he could possibly prevent it.
He accordingly wished her good afternoon, and, returning to the inn,
ordered a chaise, and proceeded to Kittlestonheugh.
The moment that he left the Leddy, her cloak and bonnet were put in
requisition, and attended by her maid, on whose arm she leaned, being
still lame with the rheumatism, she sallied forth to Pitwinnoch’s
office, resolved on action.
He had not, however, acted on what she called her great Bed and Board
plea entirely to her satisfaction; for she thought, had he seen the
rights of her case as well as she did herself, and had counselled her
better, she might have got much more than a thousand pounds. She was,
therefore, determined, if he showed the least hesitation in obeying her
‘peremptors,’ that she would immediately proceed to Mr. Whitteret’s
office, and appoint him her agent. How she happened to imagine that
she had any right to institute proceedings against Milrookit, for the
restoration of the estate to Walkinshaw, will be best understood by our
narrative of what passed at the consultation.