Malcolm Part 42

The highlander's pride was nearly satisfied.

"So," he said, "it 'll pe his own henchman my lort will pe making of her poy?"

"Something like that. We 'll see how it goes. If he does n't like it, he can drop it. It 's more that I want to have him about me than anything else. I want to do something for him when I have a chance. I like him."

"My lort will pe toing ta laad a creat honour," said Duncan. "Put,"

he added, with a sigh, "she 'll pe lonely, her nainsel!"

"He can come and see you twenty times a day--and stop all night when you particularly want him. We 'll see about some respectable woman to look after the house for you."

"She 'll haf no womans to look after her," said Duncan fiercely.

"Oh, very well!--of course not, if you don't wish it," returned the marquis, laughing.

But Duncan did not even smile in return. He sat thoughtful and silent for a moment, then said:

"And what 'll pecome of her lamps and her shop?"

"You shall have all the lamps and candlesticks in the house to attend to and take charge of," said the marquis, who had heard of the old man's whim from Lady Florimel; "and for the shop, you won't want that when you're piper to the Marquis of Lossie."

He did not venture to allude to wages more definitely.

"Well, she'll pe talking to her poy apout it," said Duncan, and the marquis saw that he had better press the matter no further for the time.

To Malcolm the proposal was full of attraction. True, Lord Lossie had once and again spoken so as to offend him, but the confidence he had shown in him had gone far to atone for that. And to be near Lady Florimel!--to have to wait on her in the yacht and sometimes in the house!--to be allowed books from the library perhaps!-- to have a nice room, and those lovely grounds all about him!--It was tempting!

The old man also, the more he reflected, liked the idea the more.

The only thing he murmured at was, being parted from his grandson at night. In vain Malcolm reminded him that during the fishing season he had to spend most nights alone; Duncan answered that he had but to go to the door, and look out to sea, and there was nothing between him and his boy; but now he could not tell how many stone walls might be standing up to divide them. He was quite willing to make the trial, however, and see if he could bear it.

So Malcolm went to speak to the marquis.

He did not altogether trust the marquis, but he had always taken a delight in doing anything for anybody--a delight rooted in a natural tendency to ministration, unusually strong, and specially developed by the instructions of Alexander Graham conjoined with the necessities of his blind grandfather; while there was an alluring something, it must be confessed, in the marquis's high position --which let no one set down to Malcolm's discredit: whether the subordination of cla.s.s shall go to the development of reverence or of servility, depends mainly on the individual nature subordinated.

Calvinism itself has produced as loving children as abject slaves, with a good many between partaking of the character of both kinds.

Still, as he pondered over the matter on his way, he shrunk a good deal from placing himself at the beck and call of another; it threatened to interfere with that sense of personal freedom which is yet dearer perhaps to the poor than to the rich. But he argued with himself that he had found no infringement of it under Blue Peter; and that, if the marquis were really as friendly as he professed to be, it was not likely to turn out otherwise with him.

Lady Florimel antic.i.p.ated pleasure in Malcolm's probable consent to her father's plan; but certainly he would not have been greatly uplifted by a knowledge of the sort of pleasure she expected. For some time the girl had been suffering from too much liberty. Perhaps there is no life more filled with a sense of oppression and lack of freedom than that of those under no external control, in whom Duty has not yet gathered sufficient strength to a.s.sume the reins of government and subject them to the highest law. Their condition is like that of a creature under an exhausted receiver--oppressed from within outwards for want of the counteracting external weight.

It was amus.e.m.e.nt she hoped for from Malcolm's becoming in a sense one of the family at the House--to which she believed her knowledge of the extremely bare outlines of his history would largely contribute.

He was shown at once into the presence of his lordship, whom he found at breakfast with his daughter.

"Well, MacPhail," said the marquis, "have you made up your mind to be my skipper?"

"Willin'ly, my lord," answered Malcolm.

"Do you know how to manage a sailboat?"

"I wad need, my lord."

"Shall you want any help?"

"That depen's upo' saiveral things--her am size, the wull o' the win', an' whether or no yer lordship or my leddy can tak the tiller."

"We can't settle about that then till she comes. I hear she 'll soon be on her way now. But I cannot have you dressed like a farmer!"

said his lordship, looking sharply at the Sunday clothes which Malcolm had donned for the visit.

"What was I to du, my lord?" returned Malcolm apologetically. "The only ither claes I hae, are verra fishy, an' neither yersel' nor my leddy cud bide them i' the room aside ye."

"Certainly not," responded the marquis, as in a leisurely manner he devoured his omelette: "I was thinking of your future position as skipper of my boat. What would you say to a kilt now?"

"Na, na, my lord," rejoined Malcolm; "a kilt's no seafarin' claes.

A kilt wadna du ava', my lord."

"You cannot surely object to the dress of your own people," said the marquis.

"The kilt 's weel eneuch upon a hillside," said Malcolm, "I dinna doobt; but faith! seafarin', my lord, ye wad want the trews as weel."

"Well, go to the best tailor in the town, and order a naval suit --white ducks and a blue jacket--two suits you 'll want."

"We s' gar ae shuit sair s' (satisfy us) to begin wi', my lord.

I 'll jist gang to Jamie Sangster, wha maks a' my claes--no 'at their mony!--an' get him to mizzur me. He'll mak them weel eneuch for me. You 're aye sure o' the worth o' yer siller frae him."

"I tell you to go to the best tailor in the town, and order two suits."

"Na, na, my lord; there 's nae need. I canna affoord it forbye. We 're no a' made o' siller like yer lordship."

"You b.o.o.by! do you suppose I would tell you to order clothes I did not mean to pay for?"

Lady Florimel found her expectation of amus.e.m.e.nt not likely to be disappointed.

"Hoots, my lord!" returned Malcolm, "that wad never du. I maun pey for my ain claes. I wad be in a constant terror o blaudin' (spoiling) o' them gien I didna, an' that wad be eneuch to mak a body meeserable.

It wad be a' the same, forbye, not an' oot, as weirin' a leevry!"

"Well, well! please your pride, and be d.a.m.ned to you!" said the marquis.

"Yes, let him please his pride, and be d.a.m.ned to him!" a.s.sented Lady Florimel with perfect gravity.

Malcolm started and stared. Lady Florimel kept an absolute composure.

The marquis burst into a loud laugh. Malcolm stood bewildered for a moment.

"I'm thinkin' I 'm gaein' daft (delirious)!" he said at length, putting his hand to his head. "It's time I gaed. Guid mornin', my lord."

He turned and left the room, followed by a fresh peal from his lordship, mingling with which his ear plainly detected the silvery veins of Lady Florimel's equally merry laughter.

When he came to himself and was able to reflect, he saw there must have been some joke involved: the behaviour of both indicated as much; and with this conclusion he heartened his dismay.

The next morning Duncan called on Mrs Partan, and begged her acceptance of his stock in trade, as, having been his lordship's piper for some time, he was now at length about to occupy his proper quarters within the policies. Mrs Findlay acquiesced, with an air better suited to the granting of slow leave to laboursome pet.i.tion, than the accepting of such a generous gift; but she made some amends by graciously expressing a hope that Duncan would not forget his old friends now that he was going amongst lords and ladies, to which Duncan returned as courteous answer as if he had been addressing Lady Florimel herself.

Before the end of the week, his few household goods were borne in a cart through the sea gate dragonised by Bykes, to whom Malcolm dropped a humorous "Weel Johnny!" as he pa.s.sed, receiving a nondescript kind of grin in return. The rest of the forenoon was spent in getting the place in order, and in the afternoon, arrayed in his new garments, Malcolm reported himself at the House. Admitted to his lordship's presence, he had a question to ask and a request to prefer.