Stand Fast, Craig-Royston! (Volume III). William Black

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СКАЧАТЬ and when he gets hold of a Scotchman, I am told his acting of the rugged and manly independence of the Scot – of the Drury Lane Scot, I mean – is splendid. I wonder he doesn't go and live in Edinburgh. They take things seriously there. They might elevate him into a great position – make a great writer of him – they're in sore need of one or two; and then every now and again he could step out of his cloud of metaphysics, and fall on something. That's the way the Scotchmen get hold of a subject; they don't take it up as an ordinary Christian would; they fall on it. We once had an English poet called Milton; but Masson fell on him, and crushed him, and didn't even leave us an index by which to identify the remains. Old Bethune should go back to Scotland, and become the Grand Lama of Edinburgh letters: it would be a more dignified position than cadging about for a precarious living among us poor southrons."

      Vincent paid but small heed to all this farrago: he was busily thinking how certain undoubted features and circumstances of old George Bethune's life might appear when viewed through the belittling and sardonic scepticism of this man's mind; and then again, having had that hue and shape conferred upon them, how would they look when presented to the professional judgment of such a person as Mr. George Morris?

      "The Scotch are the very oddest people in all the world," Mr. Fox continued, for he seemed to enjoy his own merry tirade. "They'll clasp a stranger to their bosom, and share their last bawbee with him, if only he can prove to them that he, too, was born within sight of MacGillicuddy's Reeks – "

      "MacGillicuddy's Reeks are in Ireland," said Vincent.

      "Well, MacGillicuddy's Breeks – no, that won't do; they don't wear such things in the north. Any unpronounceable place – any kind of puddle or barren rock: to be born within sight of that means that you own everything of honesty, and manliness, and worth that's going – yes, worth – worth is a sweet word – manly worth – it is the prerogative of persons who have secured the greatest blessing on earth, that of being born north of the Tweed. Now, why doesn't old George Bethune go away back there; and wave his tartan plaid, and stamp, and howl balderdash, and have monuments put up to him as the White-haired Bard of Glen-Toddy? That surely would be better than hawking bogus books about London and getting subscriptions for things that never appear; though he manages to do pretty well. Oh, yes, he does pretty well, one way and another. The cunning old cockroach – to take that girl around with him, and get her to make eyes at tradesmen, so as to swindle them out of pounds of tea!"

      But at this a sudden flame seemed to go through the young man's brain – and unhappily he had his stick quite close by. In an instant he was on his feet, his right hand grasping the cane, his left fixed in the coat-collar of the luckless journalist, whose inert bulk he was attempting to drag from the chair.

      "You vile hound!" Vincent said with set teeth – and his nostrils were dilated and his eyes afire, "I have allowed you to insult an old man – but now – now you have gone too far. Come out of that – and I will break every bone in your body – !"

      Down came the stick; but by a fortunate accident it caught on the back of the chair, and the force of the blow sent it flying in two.

      "For God's sake – stop!" the other cried – but in a terrified whisper – and his face was as white as death. "What are you doing! – are you mad! – I beg your pardon – can I do more? I beg your pardon – for God's sake, have a little common sense!"

      Vincent looked at the man: more abject cowardice he had never beheld than was displayed in every trembling limb of his huge carcase, in every feature of the blanched face. He flung him from him – in disdain.

      "Yes," said Mr. Fox, with a desperate effort at composure, and he even tried to put his coat collar to rights, though his fingers were all shaking, and himself panting and breathless. "You – you may thank me – for – for having saved you. If – I had touched that bell – if I had called out – you would have been ruined – ruined for life – a pretty story for – to hear – about his favourite protégé – increase your chances of getting into Parliament, wouldn't it? Can't you take a bit of a joke? – you're not a Scotchman!"

      Vincent was still standing there, with louring brow.

      "When you are busy with your jokes," said he, "I would advise you to keep any friends of mine out of them – especially a girl who has no one to defend her. But I am glad I came here to-night. I begin to understand in whose foul mind arose those distortions, and misrepresentations, and lies. So it was to you George Morris came when he wanted to know about Mr. Bethune and his granddaughter? An excellent authority! And it was straight from you, I suppose, that George Morris went to my father with his wonderful tale – "

      "One moment," said Courtnay Fox – and he appeared to speak with a little difficulty: perhaps he still felt the pressure of knuckles at his neck. "Sit down. I wish to explain. Mind you, I could make this a bad night's work for you, if I chose. But I don't, for reasons that you would understand if you were a little older and had to earn your own living, as I have. It is my interest to make friends – "

      "And an elegant way you have of making them," said Vincent, scornfully.

      " – and I want to assure you that I never said anything to George Morris about Mr. Bethune that was not quite well-known. Nor had I the least idea that Morris was going to your father; or that you had the least interest or concern in the matter. As for a bit of chaff about Scotland: who would mind that? Many a time I've had it out with Mr. Bethune himself in this very room; and do you suppose he cared? – his grandiloquent patriotism soared far away above my little Cockney jests. So I wish you to perceive that there was no enmity in the affair, no intention to do harm, and no misrepresentation; and when you see that, you will see also that you have put yourself in the wrong, and I hope you will have the grace to apologise."

      It was a most creditable effort to escape from a humiliating position with some semblance of dignity.

      "Apologise for what?" said Vincent, staring.

      "Why, for your monstrous and outrageous conduct of this evening!"

      – "I am to apologise?" said Vincent, with his brows growing dark again. "You introduce into your scurrilous talk the name of a young lady who is known to me – you speak of her in the most insulting and gratuitous fashion – and – and I am to apologise! Yes, I do apologise: I apologise for having brought such a fool of a stick with me: I hope it will be a heavier one if I hear you make use of such language again."

      "Come, come, threats will not serve," said Mr. Fox – but he was clearly nervous and apprehensive. "Wouldn't it be better for you, now, to be a little civil – and – and I could promise to send you Mr. Bethune's address if I hear of it? Wouldn't that be better – and more reasonable? Yes, I will – I promise to send you his address if it comes in any way to this office – isn't that more reasonable?"

      "I thank you," said Vincent, with formal politeness; and with an equally formal 'Good night' the young man took his leave. Mr. Courtnay Fox instantly hid the broken portions of the cane (until he should have a chance of burning them), and, ringing the bell, called in a loud and manly voice for the latest telegrams.

      So Vincent was once more thrown back on himself and his own resources. During these past few days he had sought everywhere for the two lost ones; and sought in vain. First of all he had made sure they had left Brighton; then he had come to London; and morning, noon, and night had visited their accustomed haunts, without finding the least trace of them. He went from this restaurant to that; in the morning he walked about the Parks; he called at the libraries where they were known; no sign of them could be found anywhere. And now, when he thought of Maisrie, his heart was no longer angry and reproachful: nay, he grew to think it was in some wild mood of self-sacrifice that she had resolved to go away, and had persuaded her grandfather to take her. She had got some notion into her head that she was a degraded person; that his СКАЧАТЬ