首页 >出版文学> WAVERLEY>第44章

第44章

  Eachmusedovertheparticularsoftheexamination,andeachvieweditthroughthemediumofhisownfeelings。Bothweremenofreadyandacutetalent,andbothwereequallycompetenttocombinevariouspartsofevidence,andtodeducefromthemthenecessaryconclusions。Butthewidedifferenceoftheirhabitsandeducationoftenoccasionedagreatdiscrepancyintheirrespectivedeductionsfromadmittedpremises。
  MajorMelvillehadbeenversedincampsandcities;hewasvigilantbyprofession,andcautiousfromexperience;hadmetwithmuchevilintheworld,andtherefore,thoughhimselfanuprightmagistrateandanhonourableman,hisopinionsofotherswerealwaysstrict,andsometimesunjustlysevere。Mr。
  Morton,onthecontrary,hadpassedfromtheliterarypursuitsofacollege,wherehewasbelovedbyhiscompanions,andrespectedbyhisteachers,tothecaseandsimplicityofhispresentcharge,wherehisopportunitiesofwitnessingevilwerefew,andneverdweltuponbutinordertoencouragerepentanceandamendment;andwheretheloveandrespectofhisparishionersrepaidhisaffectionatezealintheirbehalf,byendeavouringtodisguisefromhimwhattheyknewwouldgivehimthemostacutepain,namely,theirownoccasionaltransgressionsofthedutieswhichitwasthebusinessofhislifetorecommend。Thusitwasacommonsayingintheneighbourhoodthoughbothwerepopularcharacters,thatthelairdknewonlytheillintheparish,andtheministeronlythegood。
  Aloveofletters,thoughkeptinsubordinationtohisclericalstudiesandduties,alsodistinguishedthepastorofCairnvreckan,andhadtingedhismindinearlierdayswithaslightfeelingofromance,whichnoafterincidentsofreallifehadentirelydissipated。Theearlylossofanamiableyoungwoman,whomhehadmarriedforlove,andwhowasquicklyfollowedtothegravebyanonlychild,hadalsoserved,evenafterthelapseofmanyyears,tosoftenadispositionnaturallymildandcontemplative。
  Hisfeelingsonthepresentoccasionwerethereforelikelytodifferfromthoseoftheseveredisciplinarian,strictmagistrate,anddistrustfulmanoftheworld。
  Whentheservantshadwithdrawn,thesilenceofbothpartiescontinued,untilMajorMelville,fillinghisglass,andpushingthebottletoMr。Morton,commenced。
  Adistressingaffairthis,Mr。Morton。Ifearthisyoungsterhasbroughthimselfwithinthecompassofahalter。’’
  Godforbid!’’answeredtheclergyman。
  Marry,andamen,’’saidthetemporalmagistrate;butI
  thinkevenyourmercifullogicwillhardlydenytheconclusion。’’
  Surely,Major,’’answeredtheclergyman,Ishouldhopeitmightbeaverted,foraughtwehaveheardto-night?’’
  Indeed!’’repliedMelville。But,mygoodparson,youareoneofthosewhowouldcommunicatetoeverycriminalthebenefitofclergy。’’
  UnquestionablyIwould:mercyandlong-sufferingarethegroundsofthedoctrineIamcalledtoteach。’’
  True,religiouslyspeaking;butmercytoacriminalmaybegrossinjusticetothecommunity。Idon’tspeakofthisyoungfellowinparticular,whoIheartilywishmaybeabletoclearhimself,forIlikebothhismodestyandhisspirit。ButIfearhehasrusheduponhisfate。’’
  Andwhy?HundredsofmisguidedgentlemenarenowinarmsagainsttheGovernment;many,doubtless,uponprincipleswhicheducationandearlyprejudicehavegildedwiththenamesofpatriotismandheroism;-Justice,whensheselectshervictimsfromsuchamultitudeforsurelyallwillnotbedestroyed,mustregardthemoralmotive。Hewhomambition,orhopeofpersonaladvantage,hasledtodisturbthepeaceofawell-orderedgovernment,lethimfallavictimtothelaws;
  butsurelyyouth,misledbythewildvisionsofchivalryandimaginaryloyalty,maypleadforpardon。’’
  Ifvisionarychivalryandimaginaryloyaltycomewithinthepredicamentofhightreason,’’repliedthemagistrate,IknownocourtinChristendom,mydearMr。Morton,wheretheycansueouttheirHabeasCorpus。’’
  ButIcannotseethatthisyouth’sguiltisatallestablishedtomysatisfaction,’’saidtheclergyman。
  Becauseyourgoodnatureblindsyourgoodsense,’’repliedMajorMelville。Observenow:thisyoungman,descendedofafamilyofhereditaryJacobites,hisuncletheleaderoftheToryinterestinthecountyof,hisfatheradisobligedanddiscontentedcourtier,histutoranon-juror,andtheauthoroftwotreasonablevolumes-thisyouth,Isay,entersintoGardiner’sdragoons,bringingwithhimabodyofyoungfellowsfromhisuncle’sestate,whohavenotstickledatavowing,intheirway,thehighchurchprinciplestheylearnedatWaverley-Honour,intheirdisputeswiththeircomrades。TotheseyoungmenWaverleyisunusuallyattentive;theyaresuppliedwithmoneybeyondasoldier’swants,andinconsistentwithhisdiscipline;
  andareunderthemanagementofafavouritesergeant,throughwhomtheyholdanunusuallyclosecommunicationwiththeircaptain,andaffecttoconsiderthemselvesasindependentoftheotherofficers,andsuperiortotheircomrades。’’
  Allthis,mydearMajor,isthenaturalconsequenceoftheirattachmenttotheiryounglandlord,andoftheirfindingthemselvesinaregimentleviedchieflyinthenorthofIrelandandthewestofScotland,andofcourseamongcomradesdisposedtoquarrelwiththem,bothasEnglishmen,andasmembersoftheChurchofEngland。’’
  Wellsaid,parson!’’repliedthemagistrate-Iwouldsomeofyoursynodheardyou-Butletmegoon。Thisyoungmanobtainsleaveofabsence,goestoTully-Veolan-theprinciplesoftheBaronofBradwardineareprettywellknown,nottomentionthatthislad’sunclebroughthimoffintheyearfifteen;heengagesthereinabrawl,inwhichheissaidtohavedisgracedthecommissionhebore;ColonelGardinerwritestohim,firstmildly,thenmoresharply-Ithinkyouwillnotdoubthishavingdoneso,sincehesaysso;themessinvitehimtoexplainthequarrelinwhichheissaidtohavebeeninvolved;heneitherrepliestohiscommandernorhiscomrades。
  Inthemeanwhile,hissoldiersbecomemutinousanddisorderly,andatlength,whentherumourofthisunhappyrebellionbecomesgeneral,hisfavouriteSergeantHoughton,andanotherfellow,aredetectedincorrespondencewithaFrenchemissary,accredited,ashesays,byCaptainWaverley,whourgeshim,accordingtothemen’sconfession,todesertwiththetroopandjointheircaptain,whowaswithPrinceCharles。Inthemeanwhilethistrustycaptainis,byhisownadmission,residingatGlennaquoichwiththemostactive,subtle,anddesperateJacobiteinScotland;hegoeswithhimatleastasfarastheirfamoushuntingrendezvous,andIfearalittlefarther。Meanwhiletwoothersummonsesaresenthim;onewarninghimofthedisturbancesinhistroop,anotherperemptorilyorderinghimtorepairtotheregiment,which,indeed,commonsensemighthavedictated,whenheobservedrebellionthickeninganroundhim。Hereturnsanabsoluterefusal,andthrowsuphiscommission。’’
  Hehadbeenalreadydeprivedofit,’’saidMr。Morton。
  Butheregrets,’’repliedMelville,thatthemeasurehadanticipatedhisresignation。Hisbaggageisseizedathisquarters,andatTully-Veolan,andisfoundtocontainastockofpestilentjacobiticalpamphlets,enoughtopoisonawholecountry,besidestheunprintedlucubrationsofhisworthyfriendandtutorMr。Pembroke。’’
  Hesaysheneverreadthem,’’answeredtheminister。
  InanordinarycaseIshouldbelievehim,’’repliedthemagistrate,fortheyareasstupidandpedanticincomposition,asmischievousintheirtenets。Butcanyousupposeanythingbutvaluefortheprinciplestheymaintainwouldinduceayoungmanofhisagetolugsuchtrashaboutwithhim?
  Then,whennewsarriveoftheapproachoftherebels,hesetsoutinasortofdisguise,refusingtotellhisname;andifyonoldfanatictelltruth,attendedbyaverysuspiciouscharacter,andmountedonahorseknowntohavebelongedtoGlennaquoich,andbearingonhispersonlettersfromhisfamilyexpressinghighrancouragainstthehouseofBrunswick,andacopyofversesinpraiseofoneWogan,whoabjuredtheserviceoftheParliamenttojointheHighlandinsurgents,wheninarmstorestorethehouseofStuart,withabodyofEnglishcavalry-theverycounterpartofhisownplot-andsummedupwitha`Gothouanddolikewise,’fromthatloyalsubject,andmostsafeandpeaceablecharacter,FergusMac-IvorofGlennaquoich,VichIanVohr,andsoforth。And,lastly,’’
  continuedMajorMelville,warminginthedetailofhisarguments,wheredowefindthissecondeditionofCavalierWogan?Why,truly,intheverytrackmostproperforexecutionofhisdesign,andpistolingthefirstoftheking’ssubjectswhoventurestoquestionhisintentions。’’
  Mr。Mortonprudentlyabstainedfromargument,whichheperceivedwouldonlyhardenthemagistrateinhisopinion,andmerelyaskedhowheintendedtodisposeoftheprisoner?
  Itisaquestionofsomedifficulty,consideringthestateofthecountry,’’saidMajorMelville。
  Couldyounotdetainhimbeingsuchagentleman-likeyoungmanhereinyourownhouse,outofharm’sway,tillthisstormblowover?’’
  Mygoodfriend,’’saidMajorMelville,neitheryourhousenorminewillbelongoutofharm’sway,evenwereitlegaltoconfinehimhere。Ihavejustlearnedthatthecommander-in-chief,whomarchedintotheHighlandstoseekoutanddispersetheinsurgents,hasdeclinedgivingthembattleatCorryerick,andmarchedonnorthwardwithallthedisposableforceofGovernmenttoInverness,John-o’-Groat’sHouse,orthedevil,forwhatIknow,leavingtheroadtotheLowCountryopenandundefendedtotheHighlandarmy。’’
  GoodGod!’’saidtheclergyman。Isthemanacoward,atraitor,oranidiot?’’
  Noneofthethree,Ibelieve,’’answeredMelville。SirJohnhasthecommon-placecourageofacommonsoldier,ishonestenough,doeswhatheiscommanded,andunderstandswhatistoldhim,butisasfittoactforhimselfincircumstancesofimportance,asI,mydearparson,tooccupyyourpulpit。’’
  ThisimportantpublicintelligencenaturallydivertedthediscoursefromWaverleyforsometime;atlength,however,thesubjectwasresumed。
  Ibelieve,’’saidMajorMelville,thatImustgivethisyoungmaninchargetosomeofthedetachedpartiesofarmedvolunteers,whowerelatelysentouttooverawethedisaffecteddistricts。TheyarenowrecalledtowardsStirling,andasmallbodycomesthiswayto-morrowornextday,commandedbythewestlandman,-what’shisname?-Yousawhim,andsaidhewastheverymodelofoneofCromwell’smilitarysaints。’’
  Gilfillan,theCameronian,’’answeredMr。Morton。Iwishtheyounggentlemanmaybesafewithhim。Strangethingsaredoneintheheatandhurryofmindsinsoagitatingacrisis,andIfearGilfillanisofasectwhichhassufferedpersecutionwithoutlearningmercy。’’
  HehasonlytolodgeMr。WaverleyinStirlingCastle,’’saidtheMajor:Iwillgivestrictinjunctionstotreathimwell。
  Ireallycannotdeviseanybettermodeforsecuringhim,andI
  fancyyouwouldhardlyadvisemetoencountertheresponsibilityofsettinghimatliberty。’’
  Butyouwillhavenoobjectiontomyseeinghimto-morrowinprivate?’’saidtheminister。
  None,certainly;yourloyaltyandcharacteraremywarrant。
  Butwithwhatviewdoyoumaketherequest?’’
  Simply,’’repliedMr。Morton,tomaketheexperimentwhetherhemaynotbebroughttocommunicatetomesomecircumstanceswhichmayhereafterbeusefultoalleviate,ifnottoexculpatehisconduct。’’
  Thefriendsnowpartedandretiredtorest,eachfilledwiththemostanxiousreflectionsonthestateofthecountry。
  CHAPTERTHIRTY-THIRD
  ACONFIDANT。
  Waverleyawokeinthemorningfromtroubleddreamsandunrefreshingslumbers,toafullconsciousnessofthehorrorsofhissituation。Howitmightterminateheknewnot。Hemightbedelivereduptomilitarylaw,which,inthemidstofcivilwar,wasnotlikelytobescrupulousinthechoiceofitsvictimsorthequalityoftheevidence。NordidhefeelmuchmorecomfortableatthethoughtsofatrialbeforeaScottishcourtofjustice,whereheknewthelawsandformsdifferedinmanyrespectsfromthoseofEngland,andhadbeentaughttobelieve,howevererroneously,thatthelibertyandrightsofthesubjectwerelesscarefullyprotected。AsentimentofbitternessroseinhismindagainsttheGovernment,whichheconsideredasthecauseofhisembarrassmentandperil,andhecursedinternallyhisscrupulousrejectionofMac-Ivor’sinvitationtoaccompanyhimtothefield。
  WhydidnotI,’’hesaidtohimself,likeothermenofhonour,taketheearliestopportunitytowelcometoBritainthedescendantofherancientkings,andlinearheirofherthrone?
  WhydidnotI