In the opinion of all the most judicious critics, the Iliad terminated
with the death of Hector; but, as Homer has entertained us with the
mourning of the Trojans, and the funeral of the hero, we cannot, in
our present circumstances, do better than adopt the rule of that great
example. For although it must be evident to all our readers that the
success of the Leddy in her second law-suit, by placing the heir, in
despite of all the devices and stratagem of parchments and Pitwinnoch,
in possession of the patrimony of his ancestors, naturally closes the
_Entail_, a work that will, no doubt, outlive the Iliad, still there
were so many things immediately consequent on that event, that our
story would be imperfect without some account of them.
In the first place, then, Walkinshaw, immediately after the receipt of
Frazer’s letter, acquainting him with the discovery of the provisions
of the deed, returned to Edinburgh, where he arrived on the third day
after his friend had heard from Whitteret, the Glasgow writer, that
Milrookit, without objection, agreed to surrender the estate. The
result of which communication was an immediate and formal declaration
from Walkinshaw of his attachment to Ellen, and a cheerful consent from
her father, that their marriage, as soon as the necessary preparations
could be made, should be celebrated at Glengael.
Upon French Frazer the good fortune of his brother officer was no less
decisive, for any scruple that he might have felt in his attachment to
Mary, on account of his own circumstances, was removed by an assurance
from Walkinshaw that he would, as soon as possible, make a liberal
provision both for her and his mother; and in the same letter which
Walkinshaw wrote home on his return to Edinburgh, and in which he spoke
of his own marriage, he entreated his mother’s consent that Mary should
accept the hand of Frazer.
On Mrs. Eadie, the fulfilment, as she called it, of her visions and
predictions, had the most lamentable effect. Her whole spirit became
engrossed with the most vague and mystical conceptions; and it was soon
evident that an irreparable ruin had fallen upon one of the noblest
of minds. Over her latter days we shall, therefore, draw a veil, and
conclude her little part in our eventful history with simply mentioning
that she never returned to Camrachle; but sank into rest in the
visionary beatitude of her parental solitudes.
Her husband, now a venerable old man, still resides as contentedly
as ever in his parish; and, when we last visited him, in his modest
mansion, he informed us that he had acquiesced in the wishes of his
elders by consenting to receive a helper and successor in the ministry.
So far, therefore, as the best, the most constant, and the kindest
friends of the disinherited family are concerned, our task is finished:
but we have a world of things to tell of the Leddy and the Milrookits,
many of which we must reserve till we shall have leisure to write a
certain story of incomparable humour and pathos.
In the meantime, we must proceed to mention, that the Leddy, finding
it was quite unnecessary to institute any further proceedings, to
eject the Milrookits from Kittlestonheugh, as they of their own accord
removed, as soon as they found a suitable house, returned to her
residence in the royal city, where she resumed her domestic thrift at
the spinning-wheel, having resolved not to go on with her action of
damages against Pitwinnoch, till she had seen her grandson, who, prior
to his marriage, was daily expected.
‘For,’ as she said to his mother, after consulting with Mr. Whitteret,
and stating her grounds of action, ‘it is not so clear a case as my
great bed and board plea--and Mr. Whitteret is in some doubt, whether
Pitwinnoch should be sent to trial by my instrumentality, or that of
Jamie--very sensibly observing--for he’s really a man o’ the heighth o’
discretion yon--that it would be hard for an aged gentlewoman like me,
with a straitened jointure, to take up a cause that would, to a moral
certainty, be defendit, especially when her grandson is so much better
able to afford the expense. The which opinion of counsel has made me
sit down with an arrest of judgement for the present, as the only
reason I hae for going to law at all is to mak money by it. Howsever,
if ye can persuade Jamie to bequeath and dispone to me his right to the
damage, which I mean to assess at a thousand pounds, I’ll implement Mr.
Whitteret to pursue.’
‘I dare say,’ replied Mrs. Charles, ‘that James will very readily
give up to you all his claim; but Mr. Pitwinnoch having rectified the
mistake he was in, we should forgive and forget.’
‘A’ weel I wat, Bell Fatherlans, I needna cast my pearls o’ great price
before swine, by waring my words o’ wisdom wi’ the like o’ you. In
truth, it’s an awfu’ story when I come to think how ye hae been sitting
like an effigy on a tomb, wi’ your hands baith alike syde, and _menti
mori_ written on your vesture and your thigh, instead o’ stirring your
stumps, as ye ought to hae done--no to let your bairns be rookit o’
their right by yon Cain and Abel, the twa cheatrie Milrookits. For sure
am I, had no I ta’en the case in hand, ye might hae continued singing
Wally, wally, up yon bank, and wally, wally, down yon brae, a’ the days
o’ your tarrying in the tabernacles o’ men.’
Her daughter-in-law admitted, that she was, indeed, with all her
family, under the greatest obligations to her,--and that, in all
probability, but for her happy discovery of the errand on which the
writer to the signet had come to Glasgow, they might still have had
their rights withheld.
In conversations of this description the time passed at Glasgow,
while the preparations for the marriage of Walkinshaw and Ellen were
proceeding with all expedient speed at Glengael. Immediately after the
ceremony, the happy pair, accompanied by Mary, returned to Edinburgh,
where it was determined the marriage of Mary with French Frazer should
be celebrated, Mrs. Charles and the old lady being equally desirous of
being present.
We should not, however, be doing justice to ourselves, as faithful
historians, were we to leave the reader under an impression that
the Leddy’s visit to the lawful metropolis was entirely dictated by
affectionate consideration for her grandchildren. She had higher and
more public objects, worthy, indeed, of the spirit with which she
had so triumphantly conducted her causes. But with that remarkable
prudence, so conspicuous in her character, she made no one acquainted
with the real motives by which she was actuated,--namely, to acquire
some knowledge of the criminal law, her father not having, as she said,
‘paid attention to that Court of Justice, his geni being, like her own,
more addicted to the civilities of the Court o’ Session.’
She was led to think of embarking in this course of study, by the
necessity she was often under of making, as she said, her servants
‘walk the carpet’; or, in other words, submit to receive those kind
of benedictions to which servants are, in the opinion of all good
administrators of householdry, so often and so justly entitled. It had
occurred to her that, some time or another, occasion might require
that she should carry a delinquent handmaid before the Magistrates, or
even before the Lords; indeed, she was determined to do so on the very
first occurrence of transgression, and, therefore, she was naturally
anxious to obtain a little insight of the best practice in the
Parliament House, that she might, as she said herself, be made capable
of implementing her man of business how to proceed.
Walkinshaw, by promising to take every legal step that she herself
could take against Pitwinnoch, had evinced, as she considered it, such
a commendable respect for her judgement, that he endeared himself
to her more than ever. He was, in consequence, employed to conduct
her to the Parliament House, that she might hear the pleadings; but
by some mistake he took her to that sink of sin the Theatre, when
_Othello_ was performing, where, as she declared, she had received
all the knowledge of the criminal law she could require, it having
been manifestly shown that any woman stealing a napkin ought to
be prosecuted with the utmost rigour. But her legal studies were
soon interrupted by the wedding festivities; and when she returned
to Glasgow, alas! she was not long permitted to indulge her legal
pursuits; for various causes combined to deprive the world of our
incomparable heroine. Her doleful exit from the tents of Time, Law,
and Physic, it is now our melancholy duty to relate, which we shall
endeavour to do with all that good-humoured pathos for which we are
so greatly and so deservedly celebrated. If nobody says we are so
distinguished, we must modestly do it ourselves, never having been able
to understand why a candidate for parliament or popularity should be
allowed to boast of his virtues more than any other dealer in tales and
fictions.