The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale

ide of our ship and the Master placed on board of it, the while a skiff put off from the other, carrying me alone. I had no more trouble in finding a direction to my lord's house, whith

ation, and his mind was now filled with farming. I burst in upon him breathless, and gave him my

te days, ceased to expect you any more. I am glad to take your hand

d!" cried I. "Things would h

ld not ask better. There is a long score to

against hi

lbany who knew him after the '45 and had mighty convenient suspicions of a murder: some one of the name of Chew it was, another Albanian. No one here will be surprised if I deny him my door; he will not be

t was successful; and when our ancient enemy appeared upon the scene, he found my lord pacing in front of his house under some trees of shade, with the Governor upo

mpany in a handsome manner and nodded to my lord with familiarity. My lord

ings you hither of all places, where (to our com

to be civil," said the M

province; and I have to tell you that I am quite resolved to wash my hands of you. You have already ruined me almost to the door, as you ruined my father before me;-whose heart you also broke. Your crimes escape the law; but my friend

he Lord Durrisdeer; they do not know you are my younger brother, sitting in my place under a sworn family compact; they do not know (or they would not be seen with you in fam

of the estate, and there is not one word of truth in it. The man is a f

he heat of the moment)

ry well not to drive me to investigate. There is the disappearance of Mr. Jacob Chew with all his merchandise; there is the matter of where you came ashore from with so much money and jewels,

r of applause fro

the Master, white as a sheet: "no matter how unjustly come by. It remains for me, th

may perhaps be able to resume your occupations under Government, although God knows I would rather see you on the highway! Or, if that likes you not, stay here and welcome! I have inquired the least sum on which body and soul can be decently kep

y man so pale as was the Master; b

; I take it without shame, for it is mine already-like the shirt upon your back; and I choose to stay until these gentlemen shall understand me better

ng. You take that alternative out of which you think that you can make the most. Take it, if you can, in s

inger very conspicuously lifted up. "Be at rest: it will not fail you. It now remain

ng-sword, and took himself off, leaving every one ama

ecundra Dass might be laid upon one side for any future purpose. That this was done, I have no doubt. It was in all likelihood the Master's design to gather a sufficiency, and then proceed in quest of that treasure which he had buried long before among the mountains; to which, if he had confined himself, he would have been more happily inspired. But unfortunately for hi

in which the poor man that built it had formerly displayed some wares; and it was this which took the Master's fancy and possibly suggested his proceedings. It appears, on board the pirate ship he had acquired some quickness with the

s Du

ASTER of B

Neatly

NDRA

entleman

oldsmi

him that there was the name of Durie dragged in the dirt on the placard, and the sometime heir of that proud family set up cross-legged in public for a reproach upon his brother's meanness. And in so far his device succeeded that there was murmuring in the town and a party formed highly inimical to my lord. My lord's favour with the Governor la

there seemed to me a something not quite wholesome in my lord's condition. Happy he was, beyond a doubt, but the grounds of this felicity were wont; even in the bosom of his family he brooded with manifest delight upon some private thought; and I conceived at last the suspicion (quite unworthy of us both) that he kept a mistress somewhere in the town. Yet he went little abroad, and his day was very fully occupied; indeed, there was but a single period, and that pretty early in the morning, while Mr

f the day were fine, in meditation. Presently the path turned down to the waterside, and came back along the harbour-front and past the Master's booth. As he approached this second part of his circuit, my Lord Durrisdeer began to pace more leisurely, like a man delighted with the air and scene; and b

tself, but big with possibilities of further evil; and I made it my practice, in so far as many occupations would allow, to go by a shorter path and be secretly present at their meeting. Coming down one day a little late, after I had been near a week prevented, I was struck with surprise to find a new development. I should say there was a bench against the Master's house, where customers might sit to par

ly joined him. "My lord, my lord," sai

y the words, which were strange enough, but the

ling," said I. "I know not to which it is more perilous,

e. "You had never such mountain

added, "you will surely goad

am breaking his sp

speech or any external movement, beyond that of the needle or the Master biting off a thread, for he still clung to his pretence of industry; and here I made a point to join them, wondering at myself and my companions. If any of my lord's friends went by, he wo

down his needle and burst into a fit of merriment. I think he must have been preparing it a long while in silence, for the note in itself was pre

. The farce of the cobbler ends to-day; and I confess to you (with my compliments) that you have had th

it was just as though the M

accept. I had meant to continue this performance till I had gathered enough money for a certain purpose; I confess ingenuously, I have not the courage. You naturally

," says

not whether or no-such is the fact; and I was obliged to bury it in a spot of which I have sufficient indicat

ays my lord. "I ma

with wild Indians. Advance me only so much as shall be needful: either as a lump sum, in lieu of my allowance; or, if y

eyes; there was a hard smile upon

ietness, and drawing at the same time somewhat

sleeve; and with that he rose, stretched himself, settled his hat, and st

em to have reached. But the Master had resumed his occupation, his eyes lo

s I had overtook him. "Would you

ill believe in him?" inquired

n!" I cried. "I wish him anyw

ed my lord, "and you have sa

and the Master the least of any, that could accept so long a series of insults. The air smelt blood to me. And I vowed there should be no neglect of mine if, through

these are unhappily in Scotland; it will take some time to lift them, and the affai

state of your affairs, Mackellar," says he. "Beyond the amount o

, and never told a lie, nor yet asked a f

s beast in my own way; fear nor favour shall not move me; and before I am hoodwinked, it will require a trickster less transparent

these are very unpar

hat is unpardonable. Deny (if you can) that you designed this money to evade my orders with, and I will as

any design but to

well what I think! Here is my hand to you w

me to the Master's door a little before dusk. Entering without the form of any knock, I found him sitting with his Indian at a simple meal of maize po

ard life. A letter goes by yon ship to have it lifted. Have so much patience till the return sh

ard, took me by the shoulders, an

said he. "And yet you love money beyon

overty," said I, "whi

ed. "Ah! Mackellar, Mackellar, if this were done from a

tion. It is not my single thought, nor my first; and yet it's there! I would gladly see you delivered. I do

ore than you suppose. 'And I wonder at it too,'" he added, repeating my expression and,

me?"

accident; a letter came to the wrong hand, and I was bare again. A third time, I found my opportunity; I built up a place for myself in India with an infinite patience; and then Clive came, my rajah was swallowed up, and I escaped out of the convulsion, like another ?neas, with Secundra Dass upon my back. Three times I have had my hand upon the highest station: and I am not yet three-and-forty. I know the world as

he desperate episodes of this contention, the insults, the opposing interests, the fraternal duel in the shrubbery, it was reserved for some poor devil in Grub Street, scribbling for his dinner, and not caring what he scribbled, to cast a spell across four thousand miles of the salt sea, and send forth both these br

o with the Governor upon some party of pleasure; the time was nearly due, and I left him for a moment alone in his room and skimm

d as I ran forward, for I

ead, as though to strike me down. "Leave me alone!" he screeched, and I fled, as fast as my shaking legs would bear me, for my lady. She, too, lost no time; but when we returne

st keep our strong friends." But when she took up the pen, it

a shift, my l

when I had done. "Thank God, Mackellar, I have you to l

y fear that the man's madness had now simply burst forth its way, like the long-smothered

sider our own behaviour," said I.

ow best; it may be Nature that cries to be alone; and we

r, my lady, and return here, if yo

," cries

an expression as distressed me to the soul. But the room was different, my lord's attitude at the table not at all the same, and his face, when he disclosed it, expressed a painful degree of fury instead of that haunting despair which had always (except once, already referred to) characterised it in the vision. There is the whole truth at last before the public; and if the differences be great, the coincidence was yet enough to fill me with uneasiness. A

d and my lord stood within upon the threshold. The light was not so strong that we could read

estination with your own hand. It is highly pri

my lady, "yo

lar thing a man must be supposed to be ill when he has any business! Send me supper to this r

he once more s

ve to say to him, or he to my lord, it passed my imagination to conceive: or yet how my lord had heard of him, unless by a disgraceful trial from which the man was recently escaped. Altogether I went upon the errand with reluctance, and from the little

ide of half an hour," says he, when he had read the note; and then had the se

e upon the other to confabulate. Yet the next morning my lord was abroad again early with a hundred pounds of money in his pocket. I never supposed that he returned with it; and yet I was quite sure it did not find its way to the Master, for I lingered all morning within view of the booth. That

ound it at last, after he was dead, in the midst of the north wilderness: in such a place, in such dismal circumstances, I was to read for the first time these idle, lying words of a Whig pamphleteer declaiming against indulgency to Jacobites:-"Another notorious Rebel, the M-r of B-e, is to have his Title restored," the passage ran. "This Business has been long in hand, since he rendered some very disgraceful Services in Scotland and France. His Brother, L-d D-r, is known to be no better than himself in Inclination; and the supposed Heir, who is now to be set aside, was bred up in the most detestable Principles. In the old Phrase, it is six of the one and half a dozen of the other; but the Favour of such a Reposition is too extreme to be pass

, and I beheld a man taking his departure with friendly salutations. I cannot say how singularly I was shaken to recognise the adventurer Harris. I could not but conclude it was the hand of

to-morrow for Albany, you and I together; and i

" I cried. "And for w

f scene,"

e found occasion to exchange some words) that he had suddenly announced his intention after a visit from Captain Harris, and her b