To dismiss the catastrophe of these two wretched men, I shall only add, that Mac-Guffog was turned out of office, notwithstanding his declaration (which he offered to attest by oath), that he had locked Glossin safely in his own room upon the night preceding his being found dead in Dirk Hatteraick's cell. His story, however, found faith with the worthy Mr. Skreigh, and other lovers of, the marvellous, who still hold that the Enemy of Mankind brought these two wretches together upon that night, by supernatural interference, that they might fill up the cup of their guilt and receive its meed, by murder and suicide.
CHAPTER LVIII.
To sum the whole-the close of all.
DEAN SWIFT.
As Glossin died without heirs, and without payment of the price, the estate of Ellangowan was again thrown upon the hands of Mr.
Godfrey Bertram's creditors, the right of most of whom was however defensible, in case Henry Bertram should establish his character of heir of entail. This young gentleman put his affairs into the hands of Mr. Pleydell and Mr. Mac-Morlan, with one single proviso, that though he himself should be obliged again to go to India, every debt, justly and honourably due by his father, should be made good to the claimant. Mannering, who heard this declaration, grasped him kindly by the hand, and from that moment might be dated a thorough understanding between them.
The hoards of Miss Margaret Bertram, and the liberal assistance of the Colonel, easily enabled the heir to make provision for payment of the just creditors of his father, while the ingenuity and research of his law friends detected, especially in the accounts of Glossin, so many overcharges as greatly diminished the total amount. In these circumstances the creditors did not hesitate to recognise Bertram's right, and to surrender to him the house and property of his ancestors. All the party repaired from Woodbourne to take possession, amid the shouts of the tenantry and the neighbourhood; and so eager was Colonel Mannering to superintend certain improvements which he had recommended to Bertram, that he removed with his family from Woodbourne to Ellangowan, although at present containing much less and much inferior accommodation.
The poor Dominie's brain was almost turned with joy on returning to his old habitation. He posted upstairs, taking three steps at once, to a little shabby attic, his cell and dormitory in former days, and which the possession of his much superior apartment at Woodbourne had never banished from his memory. Here one sad thought suddenly struck the honest man--the books!--no three rooms in Ellangowan were capable to contain them. While this qualifying reflection was passing through his mind, he was suddenly summoned by Mannering to assist in calculating some proportions relating to a large and splendid house, which was to be built on the site of the New Place of Ellangowan, in a style corresponding to the magnificence of the ruins in its vicinity. Among the various rooms in the plan, the Dominie observed, that one of the largest . vas entitled THE LIBRARY; and close beside was a snug well-proportioned chamber, entitled, MR. SAMPSON'S APARTMENT.--"Prodigious, prodigious, pro-di-gi-ous!" shouted the enraptured Dominie.
Mr. Pleydell had left the party for some time; but he returned, according to promise, during the Christmas recess of the courts.
He drove up to Ellangowan when all the family were abroad but the Colonel, who was busy with plans of buildings and pleasure-grounds, in which he was well skilled, and took great delight.
"Ah ha!" said the counsellor, "so here you are! Where are the ladies? where is the fair Julia?""Walking out with young Haziewood, Bertram, and Captain Delaserre, a friend of his, who is with us just now. They are gone to plan out a cottage at Derncleugh. Well, have you carried through your law business?""With a wet finger," answered the lawyer; "got our youngster's special service retoured into Chancery. We had him served heir before the macers.""Macers? who are they?""Why, it is a kind of judicial Saturnalia. You must know, that one of the requisites to be a macer, or officer in attendance upon our supreme court, is, that they shall be men of no knowledge.""Very well!""Now, our Scottish legislature, for the joke's sake I suppose, have constituted those men of no knowledge into a peculiar court for trying questions of relationship and descent, such as this business of Bertram, which often involve the most nice and complicated questions of evidence.""The devil they have? I should think that rather inconvenient,"said Mannering.
"Oh, we have a practical remedy for the theoretical absurdity. One or two of the judges act upon such occasions as prompters and assessors to their own doorkeepers. But you know what Cujacius says, 'Multa sunt in moribus dissentanea, multa sine ratione.'
[*The singular inconsistency hinted at is now, in a great degree, removed] However, this Saturnalian court has done our business; and a glorious batch of claret we had afterwards at Walker's.
Mac-Morlan will stare when he sees the bill.""Never fear," said the Colonel, "we'll face the shock, and entertain the county at my friend Mrs. Mac-Candlish's to boot.""And choose Jock Jabos for your master of horse?" replied the lawyer.
"Perhaps I may."
"And where is Dandie, the redoubted Lord of Liddesdale?" demanded the advocate.
"Returned to his mountains; but he has promised Julia to make a descent in summer, with the good wife, as he calls her, and I don't know how many children.""Oh, the curly-headed varlets! I must come to play at Blind Harry and Hy Spy with them.--But what is all this?" added Pleydell, taking up the plans;--"tower in the centre to be an imitation of the Eagle Tower at Caernarvon--corps de logis--the devil!--wings--wings? why, the house will take the estate of Ellangowan on its back, and fly away with it!""Why then, we must ballast it with a few bags of Sicca rupees,"replied the Colonel.
