第26章

"The deil's in the body for strength and bitterness!" were the first words that escaped him, which he followed up with an apology for the accident that had given rise to their disagreement."I am no justifying Killbuck a'thegither neither, and I am sure it is as vexing to me as to you, Elshie, that the mischance should hae happened; but I'll send you twagoats and twa fat gimmers, man, to make a' straight again.A wise man like you shouldna bear malice against a poor dumb thing; ye see that a goat's like first-cousin to a deer, sae he acted but according to his nature after a'.Had it been a pet-lamb, there wad hae been mair to be said.Ye suld keep sheep, Elshie, and no goats, where there's sae mony deerhounds about--but I'll send ye baith.""Wretch!" said the Hermit, "your cruelty has destroyed one of the only creatures in existence that would look on me with kindness!""Dear Elshie," answered Hobbie, "I'm wae ye suld hae cause to say sae; I'm sure it wasna wi' my will.And yet, it's true, I should hae minded your goats, and coupled up the dogs.I'm sure I would rather they had worried the primest wether in my faulds.--Come, man, forget and forgie.I'm e'en as vexed as ye can be--But I am a bridegroom, ye see, and that puts a' things out o' my head, I think.There's the marriage-dinner, or gude part o't, that my twa brithers are bringing on a sled round by the Riders' Slack, three goodly bucks as ever ran on Dallomlea, as the sang says; they couldna come the straight road for the saft grund.I wad send ye a bit venison, but ye wadna take it weel maybe, for Killbuck catched it."During this long speech, in which the good-natured Borderer endeavoured to propitiate the offended Dwarf by every argument he could think of, he heard him with his eyes bent on the ground, as if in the deepest meditation, and at length broke forth-- "Nature?--yes! it is indeed in the usual beaten path of Nature.The strong gripe and throttle the weak; the rich depress and despoil the needy; the happy (those who are idiots enough to think themselves happy) insult the misery and diminish the consolation of the wretched.--Go hence, thou who hast contrived to give an additional pang to the most miserable of human beings --thou who hast deprived me of what I half considered as a source of comfort.Go hence, and enjoy the happiness prepared for thee at home!""Never stir," said Hobbie, "if I wadna take you wi' me, man, if ye wad but say it wad divert ye to be at the bridal on Monday.There will be a hundred strapping Elliots to ride the brouze--the like's no been seen sin' the days of auld Martin of the Preakin- tower--I wad send the sled for yewi' a canny powny."

"Is it to me you propose once more to mix in the society of the common herd?" said the Recluse, with an air of deep disgust.

"Commons!" retorted Hobbie, "nae siccan commons neither; the Elliots hae been lang kend a gentle race.""Hence! begone!" reiterated the Dwarf; "may the same evil luck attend thee that thou hast left behind with me! If I go not with you myself, see if you can escape what my attendants, Wrath and Misery, have brought to thy threshold before thee.""I wish ye wadna speak that gate," said Hobbie."Ye ken yoursell, Elshie, naebody judges you to be ower canny; now, I'll tell ye just ae word for a'--ye hae spoken as muckle as wussing ill to me and mine; now, if ony mischance happen to Grace, which God forbid, or to mysell; or to the poor dumb tyke; or if I be skaithed and injured in body, gudes, or gear, I'll no forget wha it is that it's owing to.""Out, hind!" exclaimed the Dwarf; "home! home to your dwelling, and think on me when you find what has befallen there.""Aweel, aweel," said Hobbie, mounting his horse, "it serves naething to strive wi' cripples,--they are aye cankered; but I'll just tell ye ae thing, neighbour, that if things be otherwise than weel wi' Grace Armstrong, I'se gie you a scouther if there be a tar-barrel in the five parishes."So saying, he rode off; and Elshie, after looking at him with a scornful and indignant laugh, took spade and mattock, and occupied himself in digging a grave for his deceased favourite.

A low whistle, and the words, "Hisht, Elshie, hisht!" disturbed him in this melancholy occupation.He looked up, and the Red Reiver of Westburnflat was before him.Like Banquo's murderer, there was blood on his face, as well as upon the rowels of his spurs and the sides of his over-ridden horse.

"How now, ruffian!"demanded the Dwarf, "is thy job chared?""Ay, ay, doubt not that, Elshie," answered the freebooter; "When I ride, my foes may moan.They have had mair light than comfort at the Heugh-foot this morning; there's a toom byre and a wide, and a wail and a cry for the bonny bride.""The bride?"

"Ay; Charlie Cheat-the-Woodie, as we ca' him, that's Charlie Foster of Tinning Beck, has promised to keep her in Cumberland till the blast blaw by.She saw me, and kend me in the splore, for the mask fell frae my face for a blink.I am thinking it wad concern my safety if she were to come back here, for there's mony o' the Elliots, and they band weel thegither for right or wrang.Now, what I chiefly come to ask your rede in, is how to make her sure?""Wouldst thou murder her, then?"

"Umph! no, no; that I would not do, if I could help it.But they say they can whiles get folk cannily away to the plantations from some of the outports, and something to boot for them that brings a bonny wench.They're wanted beyond seas thae female cattle, and they're no that scarce here.But I think o' doing better for this lassie.There's a leddy, that, unless she be a' the better bairn, is to be sent to foreign parts whether she will or no; now, I think of sending Grace to wait on her--she's a bonny lassie.Hobbie will hae a merry morning when he comes hame, and misses baith bride and gear.""Ay; and do you not pity him?"said the Recluse.