Inchbracken Part 23

'It's not from me you take your fushionless gates! That comes o' the donnart Sangster bluid in you, I'm thinking. But what possessed you to take up publicly like yon with Mary Brown, when you know I want you to steer clear of her just now? When the Presbytery has taken the matter up, it will be proper enough to bestow patronage and show sympathy for the poor girl; but meanwhile we have a testimony to bear, and it will not do to countenance evil doers or their families.'

'Mamma, I don't know what you are talking about.'

'Of course not. It's no subject for a young girl to know anything about; but you must not think in your ignorance to set yourself above the advice and opinion of your mother, who knows all about it.'

Sophia said no more. To speak was but to stir the fire of her mother's wrath. She held her peace, and left the flame to burn itself out, or smother in its own smoke and ashes. She simply did not attend, and when her mother, stopping for breath, turned to survey, as it were, the field of battle, or at least to view the result of her onslaught as depicted in the girl's face, she was smiling to a bare-footed urchin who trotted by her side, Stephen Boague's youngest, who had taken a fancy to the gay apparel of Mrs. Sangster, and still kept it in view.

'Let that de'il's buckie alone, Sophia Sangster, and attend to me! It has been pulling the fringes of my shawl for the past two hours, and made it smell of peat-reek and moss-water so that I shall never be able to put it on again.'

The meeting was held in the field adjoining the excavation made for the church's foundation. Mr. Sangster was in the chair and supported on either hand by a minister, and there were chairs in front for Mrs.

Sangster, her daughter, and Miss Brown, to which the matron, somewhat mollified by this observance, was ushered, when she very quickly appropriated the remaining seat for her shawl, so that there might be no vacant place for any one else. She might have spared herself the trouble. Mary was not in the crowd, and if she had been, would not have desired to sit beside her.

At the close of the religious exercises, Mary had hastened home to her brother, from whom she had already been longer away than at any previous time since he was taken ill. She would not have attended the meeting at all, but for his desire that she should; and she was glad to return home at the earliest moment, for since she had learned its p.r.o.neness to think evil without cause, she loathed Glen Effick utterly and all its affairs. Her brother had been drowsing, but he woke up at her entrance, and asked to hear what had been done.

'Just the usual thing. Mr. Geddes preached about the Tabernacle, and Mr. Dowlas about Solomon's Temple.'

'Ah! I can imagine it; very pretty and flowery, no doubt. But I think when so many were collected they might have had something more useful and more likely to do good to the poor people. "A dish of metaphor,"

as my good father used to say, "is light feeding for hungry souls."'

'They did not think so, I a.s.sure you; they seemed quite delighted; though I confess I rather wearied over the inventory of the golden vessels, and I saw Sophia Sangster yawn once at any rate.'

'Was Sophia there?'

'Oh yes. And by the way she sent a most particular message to you; or at least she seemed particularly anxious that you should receive it.'

'Ah!' said Roderick, raising himself, 'tell me quick.'

'I declare, Roddie, you look quite excited! She asked me to tell you she had received your letter--You rogue! What have you been writing to her? I remember now how restless you were one morning till you had got Joseph sent off to Auchlippie! But I, simple soul, supposed it was Session business with the Laird. To think I should be so obtuse with a little comedy going on under my very nose! But, ah me! It has been more like tragedy of late, you have been so ill, and we have both been so lonely.'

'But, to return to your comedy, or at least to Sophia, what more?'

'She said she had got your letter! Was not that enough? She did not _say_ it was a sonnet to her eyebrows--but I suspect, she blushed so prettily--yet, now I think of it, it was not a sonnet you sent, for I was to tell you that she is not engaged--that there is no one who has a right to ask her to be engaged. You must have been jealous, Roddie!

Who was it? And she said she would have written, but her mother forbade her.'

'Oh that tiresome d.u.c.h.ess! What ridiculous fancy has she got in her head now, I wonder? I feel quite ashamed when I recall the black thoughts I have been nourishing against that poor harmless c.o.c.kney or whatever he is, Mr. Wallowby; all along of some absurd scheme of hers, which rushed to her lips in her agitation that day on the hill. Poor d.u.c.h.ess! She must have a bee in her bonnet; but she is a sad worry.'

'She is far worse that that!--hard, evil-minded, worldly.'

'Hush, Mary! "Judge not," et cetera. But proceed!'

'Sophia told me that her mother says there is some rumour afloat which must be cleared up before she can have communication with us; and, in fact, the tiresome old thing did her best, not only to cut me to-day, but to keep Soph away too; but the Laird, honest man, was too many for her.'

'You do not mean to say that that abominable d.u.c.h.ess was publicly rude to _you?_ I could not stand that! Though she may do or say to me as she likes (and she generally does;) for I do not suppose any sensible man could seriously mind her.'

'Oh no! The Laird came to the rescue like a man and a gentleman, as he always does; and, in fact, if the d.u.c.h.ess had behaved herself, and Soph and I had been under her wing, I do not believe the poor oppressed child would have had courage or opportunity to send you your message, sir, so do not be harbouring bad thoughts of the poor d.u.c.h.ess! Ah! ah! And by the way, there is more message yet! Sophia says her father does not believe the rumours which her mother has been so ready to accept; and--but she blushed and stammered and I could not make sense of it, for you see I was not in your confidence, Mr.

Prudence--but, if I were an old woman and understood about those sort of things, it sounded suspiciously like bidding you carry your tale to 'Papa!' Ha! Have I found you out, old gentleman? I suppose I may go for a governess now; I may be losing my place as house-keeper any day!' And she laughed merrily while Roderick coloured and looked confused, but intensely happy.

When the Doctor came to visit his patient that afternoon, he was astonished at the improvement in his condition, and quite confirmed in his belief as to the wisdom of his own prescriptions, and general course of treatment.

CHAPTER XXVI.

_FAMA CLAMOSA_.

The meeting was an undeniable success. The chairman called on his reverend supporters for addresses, which they made in their warmest and most florid style. They recalled the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, when each man laboured with his sword by his side, and worked, and watched, and fought by turns; till every hearer present believed that he might emulate Nehemiah and Zerubbabel by contributing to the collection, and began to finger his loose change with a view to doing it. There were stirring references, too, to John Knox, (especially to the scene at Holyrood, when he spoke back to the Queen,) to George Wishart and Andrew Rutherford, Margaret Wilson, John Brown of Priesthill, martyred by 'Clavers,' Jenny Geddes with her creepie attacking the Dean of Edinburgh, and other Scots Worthies.

Then followed reports, statements of funds and calculations of expenses from the Deacons, and finally speeches from all who chose to address the meeting. This last feature in the proceedings was especially popular. Every greybeard in the crowd was in turn urged and goaded by his admiring family and neighbours to step forward, and when, after much shame-faced trepidation, he had hummed and stuttered through a few sentences and would finally come to a dead stop and return to his friends, he had earned the self-satisfied consciousness that he was a potential orator, and that 'gin the Lord had but granted him schulin' in his youth, he might have wagged his pow in a p.o.o.pit wi' the best.'

At length the h.o.a.ry grandsires had all spoken, the fathers, the sons, even the 'halflin callants,' began to feel the stirrings of ambitious eloquence. Luckie Howden, too, felt movings to rehea.r.s.e her testimony in favour of good morals, and Brother Dowlas saw it was time to draw the line. In a whisper he called attention to the practice of Saint Paul, who suffered not a woman to teach--a sentiment which was overheard by Mrs. Sangster, and elicited from her a look of most contemptuous wonder, but nevertheless received the adhesion of the Laird. They therefore proceeded to lay the foundation stone, with appropriate prayer and praise, and the proceedings came to an end.

At this moment, Mr. Dowlas came forward and stated in a loud voice that he had been requested to intimate 'that the Session and Deacons'

Court were requested to a.s.semble for special and important business at the Post Office, immediately after the close of the present meeting.'

Mr. Sangster was taken by surprise. He asked on whose authority the intimation had been made, but the reverend announcer replied that a written notice had been placed in his hand, and that he and Mr. Geddie had been requested to be present.

The elders and deacons were already a.s.sembled when Mr. Sangster and the ministers entered the place of meeting, Joseph bringing up the rear in his most official manner, yet diffidently,--as if uncertain whether he were wanted,--but still desirous to know what was going forward, and willing to give weight to it by the presence of the beadle. He stood by the door with his hand meekly before his mouth, and surveyed the silent a.s.semblage, whom he afterwards described to Jean Macaulay as resembling 'a curran hoolets wi' their muckle blinkin' een, lookin' terrible wise an' sayin' naething.' Perhaps it was in their silence that their wisdom lay.

Ebenezer Prittie, being host, or at least the party in occupation of the premises, rose to his feet, and after clearing his voice, proposed that the ruling elder, Mr. Sangster of Auchlippie, now take the chair, and that the clerk of session take the desk and minute the proceedings.

Mr. Sangster rose in reply, saying that before he did so, he desired to understand the nature of the meeting over which he was asked to preside, as he knew nothing about it but the intimation which had been read after the meeting just closed and while it was dispersing.

Ebenezer replied that it was the meeting adjourned from Monday, as agreed on, that they might consult with the two reverend members of Presbytery, who were now kind enough to be present.

The Laird answered that the joint meeting of Session and Deacons'

Court on the Monday, had concluded its business and been adjourned _sine die_ by their acting minister who presided, and that when he (the speaker) subsequently conversed on the same evening with his friends, whom he had been happy once more to meet in that place, he had dwelt strongly and without being gainsaid, on the fact that their meeting as a Church Court having been dissolved by the presiding officer, that which they were then holding was merely a friendly conversation, and without authority. And he begged to inform the person, whoever he might be, at whose instance they had now come together, that it was altogether '_ultra vires_' (his voice hung emphatically on the Latin words, and they greatly impressed his auditors) for the Session to a.s.semble itself at the pleasure of any of its members, and to act as a court. Mr. Brown as acting minister was '_ex officio_' (more emphasis and deep impression) the proper caller and president of such courts; and failing him, it was the ruling elder on whom it devolved to summon and preside over the Court. But the minister had no knowledge of,--far less had he called or sanctioned their meeting,--and for himself he could not, as a const.i.tuted authority in the Church, be party to a proceeding so irregular and subversive of all Church government, as the course proposed.

'But Mester Sangster,' put in Ebenezer, 'ye canna but say that we met here on Monday nicht, and gin ye dinna ken that we agreed to come thegither again the day, to consult wi' the twa ministers here present, it's yer ain faut. Ye gaed awa at yer ain wull, an' naebody cud tak on him to bid ye bide.'

'Brethren,' interposed Peter Malloch, with an elated but solemn smile, 'what say ye to ca't a' a meetin' o' the Deacons' Coort? An' we could meenit it a' in our books,--I'm thinkin' that's our plan. I'm the convener, an' I hae a richt to convene my ain coort!'

'Certainly, Mr. Convener,' responded the Laird, 'you may call a Deacons' Court; but on what point is it that you want the advice of the Eldership here present? Will the treasurer's books not balance?

Have some of the collectors failed to make their returns? Or what is it?'

'Hoot, Laird! ye ken just fine! The treasurer's a' richt, an' sae are the collectors. It's the minister an' his bairn we're after, as ye ken brawly.'

'I regret then, Mr. Convener, to have to remind you that your court has no jurisdiction. Faith, morals, and discipline, are the exclusive province of the Session; and I for one protest against the Deacons'

Court presuming to touch such matters.'

'Presumin'! quotha!' interjected Andrew Semple. 'An' hasna ilka auld wife e'y Glen been presumin', as ye ca' 't, for twa week back an'

mair?'

Here Mr. Geddie felt compelled to intervene, and pour the oil of evangelical sweetness on the troubled waters. He was to dine and spend the night along with Mr. Dowlas at Auchlippie, therefore he would fain have agreed with his host; at the same time he had no intention of being balked of a sensation, and what promised to be a most interesting hunt after recent iniquity, at the very outset.

'It appears to me, my friends,' he said in his smoothest accents, 'that the points of order raised by our excellent brother have great weight, and are taken with that clear and perspicuous wisdom which have made his opinions a tower of strength to the church in turning back the army of the aliens; and therefore while the Deacons' Court are manifestly moved by a holy zeal for righteousness, such as we might have expected at their hands, it will be best that they do not take action officially in this matter.'

'I defy them to do it!' interjected the Laird, little mollified by the unctuous adjectives.