TWO OFFICIALS.
"_Pedro._ Would to God it might be so!
Thou twin to Satan, beautiful deceit!
I almost wish I'd never met with thee.
Yet the scheme's good--the scheme's exceeding good."
_Edward the Black Prince._
The lord advocate was sitting in his library or study, which we have
already described to the reader. Reclined in a softly-cushioned easy
chair, he was gazing listlessly at the mass of papers that covered
his writing table, which was of grotesquely-carved oak, and all of
which he had to examine; but thoughts, to him of a more vital
interest, occupied his mind, and he recoiled with disgust from the
every-day task of public business. More than an hour passed away,
and the advocate still sat dreamily, with his docquets of inhibitions
and arrestments, letters of law-burrowes, indictments, and other
criminal papers, lying pell-mell among secret information sent him
from his correspondents on the English borders and the Highland
frontier, among the turbulent islesmen of the west, and the
intriguing Douglases nearer the capital. All these he had to peruse,
to consider and consign to different portfolios, making comments and
memorandums thereon, so as to have them all ready for service at a
moment's notice, whenever the suspected noble, baron, or burgess
should be arrested and indicted before the new and obnoxious court.
The information lodged by enemies against each other was of the most
diverse description.
One baron lodged a secret complaint that another was meditating an
inroad into England in time of peace; that another had been selling
cattle to the English contrary to law; while a third complained that
for three weeks he had been besieged in his own castle, and battered
by the cannon of a neighbouring feudatory.
One burgess reported another for "girnelling mair victual than was
required for his own sustenance," against which there was then a wise
law, that in these our days would have pressed heavily upon
corn-factors and other oppressors of the poor; one had lost his
horses, another his cattle, another his corn, and another his wife,
all by dint of sword and spear; and there were innumerable complaints
anent Highland sorners, border hamesuckers, and landless Egyptians,
who forcibly quartered themselves in houses and villages, and dwelt
there until everything was eaten up in girnel, byre, and barn. Among
other papers were numerous informations against and warrants required
for the arrest of Englishmen who had come into Scotland without the
_safeconduct_ demanded and rendered necessary by the twelfth
parliament of James II.; for the prosecution of those who slew the
king's lieges in street and roadway, and against others who slew
hares in time of snow. Warrants against lairds for storming each
other's castles, and thieves who broke into farm dovecots; and
countless accusations of sorcery brought by the ignorant against
those whose little discoveries and inventions would now, perhaps,
have won for them patents from the crown and fellowships of the Royal
Society.
The whole of the last night and half of the next day had passed
without his bravos having returned.
The advocate began to fear that Vipont had proved victorious, and
either killed or captured his assailants. In either case Redhall
knew well suspicions would fall heavily upon himself, for ever since
the murder of the Knight of Bombie, at the north door of St. Giles's,
he had borne a somewhat evil repute in the minds of many. He glared
impatiently at a large dialstone on a house opposite; it indicated
the meridian, and he was about to buckle on his sword and poniard,
preparatory to issuing forth in search of news, when heavy and
irregular steps were heard ascending the stair; a coarse and muscular
hand made several ineffectual attempts to raise the arras, a movement
which nearly caused the owner to topple over on his nose, and half
scrambling in, Nichol Birrel, balancing himself on each leg
alternately, and looking rather discomposed from the potations and
encounter of the past night, stood before his feudal lord and
judicial patron.
"How now, thou presumptuous villain!" said Redhall, looking round for
his cane, "is it thus thou appearest before me?"
"Ay, ay--just as you see," hiccupped Nichol.
"Drunk?"
"Rather so, Sir Adam--that is--my lord."
"Sot! I verily believe thou wert born drunk. And where, then, is
this Vipont now?"
"I neither ken nor care, for he escaped us."
"Am I then to believe, sot and slug-a-bed, that with all thy boasting
thou hast failed?"
"Even so, in part."
"Dog! I will have your ears cut off for this."
"Bide ye there, Sir Adam," said the ruffian, deprecatingly, while he
ground his teeth at his master's anger, "I have gien him a wound that
he will carry to his grave; but God's plague on your feuds, Redhall,
for in your service I have gotten a slash o' the knuckles that shall
gar me rue lang the last night."
"Here is a pretty rascal;" exclaimed the advocate, almost beside
himself with anger.
"I would some douce damsel said as muckle," said this overgrown
gnome, contemplating his visage with one of his frightful leers, in a
mirror opposite.
"Peace, fellow! And thou livest to tell me that he actually escaped
from three of ye? He must be the very devil himself, this Roland
Vipont! Have you all returned alive?"
"All: Nichol, Dobbie, and Sanders Screw--safe and sound, like the
three kings of Cologne in the Black Friary up bye there."
"Silence! 'tis blasphemy, this."
"Murder at night, and blasphemy in the morning! Ewhow, sirs, but
that d--d mum-beer was strong yesternight."
"Thou gavest him a wound, thou sayest?" resumed Redhall, whose strong
and relentless mind was of that description which, when once it
conceived an idea, would pursue its accomplishment to the very verge
of the earth; and, moreover, feeling confident that those laws which
he meted out so severely to others, could never recoil upon or
entangle himself, he did whatever he pleased. "Was this wound a deep
one?"
"So Dobbie swears, but he's a gomeral body in these respects. Yet,
if ye will it, Sir Adam, as monk or apothegar, or something else, I
may find my way to his chamber ere he is awake some morning, and
probe the scar anew wi' my poniard. Even gif I were ta'en in his
chamber 'twouldna matter muckle, as no new scar would be seen, and
blood flowing would be attributed to the auld gash."
"'Tis not a bad scheme, then see to it as you please; but now I
mistrust ye all, and think that, were I to fight him with my own more
legal weapons, the pen and the parchment, he would assuredly be
vanquished. We shall see," mused the advocate; "I may have him one
day before the lords on some desperate charge (he loves a lady of the
Douglas faction). Proofs of conspiracy could soon be foisted up, and
if we once had him under the hands of Sanders Screw----"
Birrel mechanically felt for his steel needle.
"Nay," said Redhall, with a grim smile, as he observed this motion,
"Vipont is a mere soldier, and thou knowest that a soldier is seldom
deep or designing enough to be a conjuror. Now prythee, rascal, act
soberly, and assist me to dress and truss my points with care; for I
am to dine with his eminence the cardinal and the lord bishop of
Limoges to-day, and thereafter we are all going to the queen's masque
at Holyrood. Bring me the last taffety dress that was sent me from
that French stallanger at the Tron, with my silver walking-sword--and
the little poniard--hath Hew the dalmascar sent it from his booth in
the Bow? Oh, here it is," added Redhall, stepping into an apartment
that opened off the library, and to which (as we may still see in old
houses) there was an ascent of two or three steps. This was his
dressing-room, and formed a square turret which projected on heavy
stone corbels over the pavement of the Canongate.
An antique mirror, imbedded in an oak frame, stood on one side; a
basin stand furnished with a pewter basin and ewer (such as the Leith
traders then brought out of Flanders) stood on the other; and between
them was a large cabinet, one door of which was open, showing the
various laced dresses, doublets, gowns, ruffs and collars, mantles,
tags, tassels and aiguilettes, which made up the wardrobe of this
official, whose ample judicial robe was carelessly thrown over a
large high-backed chair, against which and on which were piled pieces
of armour, swords, gloves, gauntlets, files, poniards, and
wheelock-pistols; showing that, though a civil officer of state,
Redhall could assume the offensive as well as any swashbuckler or
cavalier of his day; and not many weeks had elapsed since, at the
head of three hundred men-at-arms, he had been severely repulsed in
an attempt to sack and burn the tower of his neighbour, Sir James
Poulis of Colinton, the lord clerk register.
A jerkin of black velvet, with open sleeves of dark purple satin,
embroidered all over with silver, black trunk breeches slashed with
purple silk, and black hose, with shoes round-toed and slashed,
formed his principal attire. Over the close jerkin he threw a loose
"cassock coate" of black silk, the collar of which was tied by silver
cords under his thick close ruff, and from thence it was open, though
furnished with twenty-four buttons of Bruges silver.
Over this he hung his shoulder-belt, which sustained a long and
slender walking-sword, having a hilt of curiously-cut steel and
silver net-work; thus, everything about him was either black or
silver, save the solitary white feather which adorned his black
velvet bonnet, and gave a smart and lofty bearing to his noble head,
which a grave dark visage, piercing eyes, and fierce moustache
completed.
His ruffian dependent, who to his public official duties limited the
private one of valet, had scarcely given the last finishing-touch to
his elaborate costume when the clatter of hoofs drew Redhall to the
window, and he saw the master of the ordnance, with his plumes
waving, his polished corselet, his embroidered dress, and rich gold
aiguilettes glittering in the sunshine, ride up the street. A tall,
stout serving-man, clad in a half suit of ribbed armour, wearing that
kind of close helmet which was then called a coursing-hat, and
carrying over his shoulder a mighty two-handed wall-sword, nearly as
long as himself, followed close at his heels, running as if for his
life.
(This armed valet was no other than the Earl of Ashkirk.)
Almost at the same moment, as if she had been watching for the sound
of the hoofs, Jane Seton appeared at an opposite window, which she
threw open. There was a radiant smile on her bright face as she
kissed her hand to the handsome cavalier, who uncovered and bowed to
his horse's mane; and there was a happy expression in his eyes, a
gallant and adventurous air about him, that, with the splendour of
his attire, failed not to impress even Redhall; for, as Vipont
saluted his charming mistress, the spirited animal he rode approached
her sideways, keeping his front to the windows, curveting, prancing,
and shaking his flowing mane and the silver ornaments of the embossed
bridle.
"St. Mary!" muttered the advocate, while he bit his thin lips, and a
fierce smile twinkled in his eyes, "how she welcomes him!--an empty
fool, who hath no thought beyond his ruffs and his aiguilettes, and
who, though he hath scarcely a cross in his pouch, is doubtless ready
to cut the throat of any man who doubts him rich as Croesus, and able
to purchase the three Lothians."
Charged with an invitation, secretly obtained from the queen, for the
ladies of Ashkirk, Roland was in high spirits, for he had procured it
through the influence of Madame de Montreuil, the governess of
Magdalene; and, with his face all smiles, he sprung from his horse
and entered the mansion.
Lady Jane disappeared from the window.
Then Redhall ground his teeth, and turned furiously away, for then he
knew the happy lovers had met, and were together.
He hurriedly left his house, and descending the Blackfriars Wynd to
the Archiepiscopal Palace, a fragment of which is still prominent by
its large octagon tower which overhangs the Cowgate, he was admitted
by the cardinal's armed vassals, or guards, at a low-browed doorway,
surmounted by the coat armorial of Bethune and Balfour, over which
was the broad-tasselled hat, which indicates a prince of the holy
Roman empire.
There, at dinner, Redhall heard from his friend, the Abbot of
Kinloss, the rumour which was then current in the city, that "the
master of the king's ordnance had been most malapertly beset upon the
Hiegait by a party of the Douglas traitors," from whom he had been
only saved by a miraculous exertion of valour; for (as Buchanan
relates) whatever happened in those days was invariably placed to the
score of the Douglases.