第44章 A LEGEND OF MONTROSE.(37)

From his musings,he was roused by the joyful sound of the dinner bell,on which the Highlander,lately his guard,became his gentleman-usher,and marshalled him to the hall,where a table with four covers bore ample proofs of Highland hospitality.Sir Duncan entered,conducting his lady,a tall,faded,melancholy female,dressed in deep mourning.They were followed by a Presbyterian clergyman,in his Geneva cloak,and wearing a black silk skull-cap,covering his short hair so closely,that it could scarce be seen at all,so that the unrestricted ears had an undue predominance in the general aspect.This ungraceful fashion was universal at the time,and partly led to the nicknames of roundheads,prick-eared curs,and so forth,which the insolence of the cavaliers liberally bestowed on their political enemies.

Sir Duncan presented his military guest to his lady,who received his technical salutation with a stiff and silent reverence,in which it could scarce be judged whether pride or melancholy had the greater share.The churchman,to whom he was next presented,eyed him with a glance of mingled dislike and curiosity.

The Captain,well accustomed to worse looks from more dangerous persons,cared very little either for those of the lady or of the divine,but bent his whole soul upon assaulting a huge piece of beef,which smoked at the nether end of the table.But the onslaught,as he would have termed it,was delayed,until the conclusion of a very long grace,betwixt every section of which Dalgetty handled his knife and fork,as he might have done his musket or pike when going upon action,and as often resigned them unwillingly when the prolix chaplain commenced another clause of his benediction.Sir Duncan listened with decency,though he was supposed rather to have joined the Covenanters out of devotion to his chief,than real respect for the cause either of liberty or of Presbytery.His lady alone attended to the blessing,with symptoms of deep acquiescence.

The meal was performed almost in Carthusian silence;for it was none of Captain Dalgetty's habits to employ his mouth in talking,while it could be more profitably occupied.Sir Duncan was absolutely silent,and the lady and churchman only occasionally exchanged a few words,spoken low,and indistinctly.

But,when the dishes were removed,and their place supplied by liquors of various sorts,Captain Dalgetty no longer had,himself,the same weighty reasons for silence,and began to tire of that of the rest of the company.He commenced a new attack upon his landlord,upon the former ground.

"Touching that round monticle,or hill,or eminence,termed Drumsnab,I would be proud to hold some dialogue with you,Sir Duncan,on the nature of the sconce to be there constructed;and whether the angles thereof should be acute or obtuse--anent whilk I have heard the great Velt-Mareschal Bannier hold a learned argument with General Tiefenbach during a still-stand of arms."

"Captain Dalgetty,"answered Sir Duncan very dryly,"it is not our Highland usage to debate military points with strangers.

This castle is like to hold out against a stronger enemy than any force which the unfortunate gentlemen we left at Darnlinvarach are able to bring against it."

A deep sigh from the lady accompanied the conclusion of her husband's speech,which seemed to remind her of some painful circumstance.

"He who gave,"said the clergyman,addressing her in a solemn tone,"hath taken away.May you,honourable lady,be long enabled to say,Blessed be his name!"

To this exhortation,which seemed intended for her sole behoof,the lady answered by an inclination of her head,more humble than Captain Dalgetty had yet observed her make.Supposing he should now find her in a more conversible humour,he proceeded to accost her.

"It is indubitably very natural that your ladyship should be downcast at the mention of military preparations,whilk I have observed to spread perturbation among women of all nations,and almost all conditions.Nevertheless,Penthesilea,in ancient times,and also Joan of Arc,and others,were of a different kidney.And,as I have learned while I served the Spaniard,the Duke of Alva in former times had the leaguer-lasses who followed his camp marshalled into TERTIAS (whilk me call regiments),and officered and commanded by those of their own feminine gender,and regulated by a commander-in chief,called in German Hureweibler,or,as we would say vernacularly,Captain of the Queans.True it is,they were persons not to be named as parallel to your ladyship,being such QUAE QUAESTUM CORPORIBUS FACIEBANT,as we said of Jean Drochiels at Mareschal-College;the same whom the French term CURTISANNES,and we in Scottish--"

"The lady will spare you the trouble of further exposition,Captain Dalgetty,"said his host,somewhat sternly;to which the clergyman added,"that such discourse better befitted a watch-tower guarded by profane soldiery than the board of an honourable person,and the presence of a lady of quality."

"Craving your pardon,Dominie,or Doctor,AUT QUOCUNQUE ALIO NOMINE GAUDES,for I would have you to know I have studied polite letters,"said the unabashed envoy,filling a great cup of wine,"I see no ground for your reproof,seeing I did not speak of those TURPES PERSONAE,as if their occupation or character was a proper subject of conversation for this lady's presence,but simply PAR ACCIDENS,as illustrating the matter in hand,namely,their natural courage and audacity,much enhanced,doubtless,by the desperate circumstances of their condition."

"Captain Dalgetty,"said Sir Duncan Campbell,"to break short this discourse,I must acquaint you,that I have some business to dispatch to-night,in order to enable me to ride with you to-morrow towards Inverary;and therefore--"