human
It's been always my opinion that I would hang in a tow for this family of mine, he cried,
gpt
That is my part of the affair, Mr. Stewart, said I.
human
Here is a bag of good money, and if more be wanted, more is to be had where it came from.
gpt
I needn't ask your politics,
human
Ye need not, said I, smiling,
gpt
Stop a bit, stop a bit, says Mr. Stewart.
human
What's all this? A Whig? Then why are you here with Alan's button? and what kind of a black-foot traffic is this that I find ye out in, Mr. Whig? Here is a forfeited rebel and an accused murderer, with two hundred pounds on his life, and ye ask me to meddle in his business, and then tell me ye're a Whig! I have no mind of any such Whigs before, though I've kent plenty of them.
gpt
I hear you say so,
human
More than you are to hear me say so, before long, said I.
gpt
Alan Breck is innocent, and so is James.
human
Oh! says he,
gpt
So, sir, you have now the whole train of these events, I went on,
human
I have no great mind to it; but coming as you do with Alan's button, the choice is scarcely left me, said he.
gpt
What are your instructions?
human
The first point is to smuggle Alan forth of this country, said I,
gpt
I am little likely to forget it,
human
The next thing is the bit money I am owing to Cluny, I went on.
gpt
It would be ill for me to find a conveyance, but that should be no stick to you. It was two pounds five shillings and three-halfpence farthing sterling.
human
Then, said I,
gpt
How much snuff are we to say?
human
I was thinking of two pounds,
gpt
Two,
human
Then there's the lass Alison Hastie, in Limekilns, said I.
gpt
Her that helped Alan and me across the Forth. I was thinking if I could get her a good Sunday gown, such as she could wear with decency in her degree, it would be an ease to my conscience: for the mere truth is, we owe her our two lives.
human
I am glad to see you are thrifty, Mr. Balfour,
gpt
I would think shame to be otherwise the first day of my fortune, said I.
human
And now, if you will compute the outlay and your own proper charges, I would be glad to know if I could get some spending-money back. It's not that I grudge the whole of it to get Alan safe; it's not that I lack more; but having drawn so much the one day, I think it would have a very ill appearance if I was back again seeking, the next. Only be sure you have enough, I added,
gpt
Well, and I'm pleased to see you're cautious too, said the Writer.
human
But I think ye take a risk to lay so considerable a sum at my discretion.
gpt
I'll have to run the hazard, I replied.
human
O, and there's another service I would ask, and that's to direct me to a lodging, for I have no roof to my head. But it must be a lodging I may seem to have hit upon by accident, for it would never do if the Lord Advocate were to get any jealousy of our acquaintance.
gpt
Ye may set your weary spirit at rest, said he.
human
I will never name your name, sir; and it's my belief the Advocate is still so much to be sympathised with that he doesnae ken of your existence.
gpt
There's a braw day coming for him, then, said I,
human
When ye _call_ on him! repeated Mr. Stewart.
gpt
Am I daft, or are you? What takes ye near the Advocate?
human
O, just to give myself up,
gpt
Mr. Balfour, he cried,
human
No, sir, said I,
gpt
Nor yet me, says Stewart.
human
And I give you to understand (if that's to be the word) that I like the looks of your behaviour less and less. You come here to me with all sorts of propositions, which will put me in a train of very doubtful acts and bring me among very undesirable persons this many a day to come. And then you tell me you're going straight out of my office to make your peace with the Advocate! Alan's button here or Alan's button there, the four quarters of Alan wouldnae bribe me further in.
gpt
I would take it with a little more temper, said I,
human
My man, said he,
gpt
We'll have to see about that, said I;
human
I'm stiff-necked when I like.
gpt
Ye muckle ass! cried Stewart,
human
I think better of the Advocate than that,
gpt
The Advocate be damned! cries he.
human
It's the Campbells, man! You'll have the whole clanjamfry of them on your back; and so will the Advocate too, poor body! It's extraordinar ye cannot see where ye stand! If there's no fair way to stop your gab, there's a foul one gaping. They can put ye in the dock, do ye no see that?
gpt
Ay, said I,
human
I was told that same no further back than this morning by another lawyer.
gpt
And who was he? asked Stewart.
human
He spoke sense at least.
gpt
I think all the world seems to be mixed up in it! cries Stewart.
human
But what said you?
gpt
Well, and so ye will hang! said he.
human
Ye'll hang beside James Stewart. There's your fortune told.
gpt
I hope better of it yet than that, said I;
human
Risk! says he, and then sat silent again.
gpt
I ought to thank you for your staunchness to my friends, to whom you show a very good spirit, he says,
human
It's a different way of thinking, I suppose, said I;
gpt
I was brought up to this one by my father before me.
human
Glory to his bones! he has left a decent son to his name, says he.
gpt
Yet I would not have you judge me over-sorely. My case is dooms hard. See, sir! ye tell me ye're a Whig: I wonder what I am. No Whig to be sure; I couldnae be just that. But--laigh in your ear, man--I'm maybe no very keen on the other side.
human
Is that a fact? cried I.
gpt
It's what I would think of a man of your intelligence.
human
Hut! none of your whillywhas! [4] cries he.
gpt
There's intelligence upon both sides. But for my private part I have no particular desire to harm King George; and as for King James, God bless him! he does very well for me across the water. I'm a lawyer, ye see: fond of my books and my bottle, a good plea, a well-drawn deed, a crack in the Parliament House with other lawyer bodies, and perhaps a turn at the golf on a Saturday at e'en. Where do ye come in with your Hieland plaids and claymores?
human
Well, said I,
gpt
Little? quoth he.
human
Nothing, man! And yet I'm Hieland born, and when the clan pipes, who but me has to dance? The clan and the name, that goes by all. It's just what you said yourself; my father learned it to me, and a bonny trade I have of it. Treason and traitors, and the smuggling of them out and in; and the French recruiting, weary fall it! and the smuggling through of the recruits; and their pleas--a sorrow of their pleas! Here haye I been moving one for young Ardshiel, my cousin; claimed the estate under the marriage contract--a forfeited estate! I told them it was nonsense: muckle they cared! And there was I cocking behind a yadvocate that liked the business as little as myself, for it was fair ruin to the pair of us--a black mark, _disaffected_, branded on our hurdies, like folk's names upon their kye! And what can I do? I'm a Stewart, ye see, and must fend for my clan and family. Then no later by than yesterday there was one of our Stewart lads carried to the Castle. What for? I ken fine: Act of 1736: recruiting for King Lewie. And you'll see, he'll whistle me in to be his lawyer, and there'll be another black mark on my chara'ter! I tell you fair: if I but kent the heid of a Hebrew word from the hurdies of it be dammed but I would fling the whole thing up and turn minister!
gpt
It's rather a hard position,
human
Dooms hard! cries he.
gpt
And that's what makes me think so much of ye--you that's no Stewart--to stick your head so deep in Stewart business. And for what, I do not know; unless it was the sense of duty.
human
I hope it will be that,
gpt
Well, says he,
human
Hoot, ye neednae mind for Robbie, cries he.
gpt
A Stewart too, puir deevil! and has smuggled out more French recruits and trafficking Papists than what he has hairs upon his face. Why, it's Robin that manages that branch of my affairs. Who will we have now, Rob, for across the water?
human
There'll be Andie Scougal, in the _Thristle_, replied Rob.
gpt
I saw Hoseason the other day, but it seems he's wanting the ship. Then there'll be Tarn Stobo; but I'm none so sure of Tam. I've seen him colloguing with some gey queer acquaintances; and if it was anybody important, I would give Tam the go-by.
human
The head's worth two hundred pounds, Robin,
gpt
Gosh, that'll no be Alan Breck?
human
Just Alan,
gpt
Weary winds! that's sayrious, cried Robin.
human
I'll try Andie then; Andie'll be the best.
gpt
It seems it's quite a big business,
human
Mr. Balfour, there's no end to it,
gpt
There was a name your clerk mentioned, I went on:
human
Hoseason. That must be my man, I think: Hoseason, of the brig _Covenant_. Would you set your trust on him?
gpt
He didnae behave very well to you and Alan, said Mr. Stewart;
human
No more honest skipper in the trade than Eli, said the clerk.
gpt
I would lippen to[5] Eli's word--ay, if it was the Chevalier, or Appin himsel',
human
And it was him that brought the doctor, wasnae't?
gpt
He was the very man,
human
And I think he took the doctor back?
gpt
Ay, with his sporran full! cried Robin.
human
And Eli kent of that!
gpt
Well, it seems it's hard to ken folk rightly,
human
That was just what I forgot when ye came in, Mr. Balfour!