us English folks; and this good gentleman goes as | ance, "for I was no sac absolute without means, of often down by water to Greenwich, and employs as whilk mair anon; but I thought I wad never ware a many of the barge-men and water-men of all kinds; saxpence sterling on ane of their saucy chamberlains and maintains, in his royal grace, John Taylor the at a hostelry, sae lang as I could sleep fresh and fine water poet, who keeps both a sculler and a pair of in a fair, dry, spring night. Mony a time when I oars. And he has made a comely court at Whitehall, hae come hame ower late, and faund the West-Port just by the river; and since the King is so good a steekit, and the waiter ill-willy, I have garr'd the sexfriend to the Thames, I cannot see, if it please your ton of St. Cuthbert's calf-ward serve me for my honour, why all his subjects, and your honour in spe- quarters. But then there are dainty green graffs in cialty, should not have satisfaction by his hands.' St. Cuthbert's kirk-yard, where ane may sleep as if they were in a down-bed, till they hear the lavrock singing up in the air as high as the Castle; whereas, and behold these London kirk-yards are causeyed with through-stanes, panged hard and fast thegither; and my cloak being something thread-bare, made but a thin mattress, so I was fain to give up my bed before every limb about me was crippled. Dead folks may sleep yonder sound enow, but deil haet else." "And what became of you next?" said his master. "I jist took to a canny bulk-head, as they ca' them here; that is, the boards on the tap of their bits of outshots of stalls and booths, and there I sleepit as sound as if I was in a castle. Not but I was disturbed with some of the night-walking queans and swaggering billies, but when they found there was nothing to be got by me but a slash of my Andrew Ferrara, they bid me good-night for a beggarly Scot and I was e'en weel pleased to be sae cheap rid o them. And in the morning, I cam daikering here, but sad wark I had to find the way, for I had been east as far as the place they ca' Mile-End, though it is mair like sax-mile-end." True, dame-true-let us hope for the best; but I must take my cloak and rapier, and pray your husband in courtesy to teach me the way to a magistrate.' "Sure, sir," said the prompt dame, "I can do that as well as he, who has been a slow man of his tongue all his life, though I will give him his due for being a loving husband, and a man as well to pass in the world as any betwixt us and the top of the lane. And so there is the sitting alderman, that is always at the Guildhall, which is close by Paul's, and so I warrant you he puts all to rights in the city that wisdom can mend; and for the rest there is no help but patience. But I wish I were as sure of forty pounds, as I am that the young man will come back safe and sound." Olifaunt, in great and anxious doubt of what the good dame so strongly averred, flung his cloak on one shoulder, and was about to belt on his rapier, when first the voice of Richie Moniplies on the stair, and then that faithful emissary's appearance in the chamber, put the matter beyond question. Dame Nelly, after congratulating Moniplies on his return, and paying several compliments to her own sagacity for having foretold it, was at length pleased to leave the apartment. The truth was, that, besides some instinctive feelings of good breeding which combated her curiosity, she saw there was no chance of Richie's proceeding in his narrative while she was in the room, and she therefore retreated, trusting that her own address would get the secret out of one or other of the young men, when she should have either by himself. แ "Well, Richie," answered Nigel, "I am glad all this has ended so well-go get something to eat. I am sure you need it." "In troth do I, sir," replied Moniplies; "but, with your lordship's leave". "Forget the lordship for the present, Richie, as I have often told you before." "Faith," replied Richie, "I could weel forget that your honour was a lord, but then I behoved to forget that I am a lord's man, and that's not so easy. But "Now, in Heaven's name, what is the matter?" however," he added, assisting his description with said Nigel Olifaunt.-" Where have you been, or the thumb and the two forefingers of his right hand, what have you been about? You look as pale as thrust out after the fashion of a bird's claw, while the death. There is blood on your hand, and your little finger and ring-finger were closed upon the clothes are torn. What barns-breaking have you palm, "to the Court I went, and my friend that probeen at? You have been drunk, Richard, and fight-mised me a sight of his Majesty's most gracious preing." Fighting I have been," said Richard, "in a small way; but for being drunk, that's a job ill to manage in this town, without money to come by liquor; and as for barns-breaking, the deil a thing's broken but my head. It's not made of iron, I wot, nor my claithes of chenzie-mail; so a club smashed the tane, and a claught damaged the tither. Some misleard rascals abused my country, but I think I cleared the causey of them. However, the haill hive was ower mony for me at last, and I got this eclipse on the crown, and then I was carried beyond my kenning, to a sma' booth at the Temple-Port, where they sell the whirligigs and mony-go-rounds that measure out time as a man wad measure a tartan web; and then they bled me, wold I nold I, and were reasonably civil, especially an auld countryman of ours, of whom more hereafter." And at what o'clock might this be?" said Nigel. "The twa iron carles yonder, at the kirk beside the Port, were just banging out sax o' the clock." "And why came you not home as soon as you recovered?" said Nigel. "In troth, my lord, every why has its wherefore, and this has a gude ane," answered his follower. "To come hame, I behoved to ken whare hame was; now, I had clean tint the name of the wynd, and the mair I asked, the mair the folk leugh, and the farther they sent me wrang; sae I gave it up till God should send daylight to help me; and as I saw mysell near a kirk at the lang run, I e'en crap in to take up my night's quarters in the kirk-yard.' In the church-yard?" said Nigel-"But I need not ask what drove you to such a pinch." sence, was as gude as his word, and carried me into the back offices, where I got the best breakfast I have had since we came here, and it did me gude for the rest of the day; for as to what I have eaten in this accursed town, it is aye sauced with the disquieting thought that it maun be paid for. After a', there was but beef banes and fat brose; but king's cauff, your honour kens, is better than ither folk's corn; at ony rate, it was a' in free awmous.-But I see," he added, stopping short, that your honour waxes impatient." By no means, Richie," said the young nobleman, with an air of resignation, for he well knew his domestic would not mend his pace for goading; "you have suffered enough in the embassy to have a right to tell the story in your own way. Only let me pray for the name of the friend who was to introduce you into the King's presence. You were very mysterious on the subject, when you undertook, through his means, to have the Supplication put into his Majesty's own hands, since those sent heretofore, I have every reason to think, went no farther than his secretary's." Weel, my lord," said Richie, "I did not tell you his name and quality at first, because I thought you would be affronted at the like o' him having to do in your lordship's affairs. But mony a man climbs up in court by waur help. It was just Laurie Linklater, one of the yeomen of the kitchen, that was my father's apprentice lang syne." 46 A yeoman of the kitchen-a scullion!" exclaimed Lord Nigel, pacing the room in displeasure. "But, consider, sir," said Richie, composedly, "that a' your great friends hung back, and shunned to own "It wasna sae much the want o' siller, my Lord you, or to advocate your petition; and then, though I Nigel," said Richie, with an air of mysterious import-am sure I wish Laurie a higher office, for your lord CHAP. III.] THE FORTUNES OF NIGEL. ship's sake and for mine, and specially for his ain sake, being a friendly lad, yet your lordship must consider, that a scullion, if a yeoman of the King's most royal kitchen may be called a scullion, may weel rank with a master-cook elsewhere; being that king's cauff, as I said before, is better than" "You are right, and I was wrong," said the young nobleman. "I have no choice of means of making my case known, so that they be honest." 1 and then Richie,' says he, in a very laigh tone, 'I "Well, my honest Richie," said Lord Nigel, "your "There is nae mair to be spoken, sir," said his follower, "except that I met ane very honest, fair-spoken, weel-put-on gentleman, or rather burgher, as I think, that was in the whigmaleery man's backshop; and when he learned wha I was, behold he was a kindly Scot himsell, and, what is more, a town's-bairn o' the gude town, and he behoved to compel me to take this Portugal piece, to drink, forsooth-my certie, thought I, we ken better, for we will eat it-and he spoke of paying your lordship a visit." "Laurie is as honest a lad as ever lifted a ladle," said Richie; "not but what I dare to say he can lick his fingers like other folk, and reason good. But, in fine, for I see your honour is waxing impatient, he brought me to the palace, where a' was astir for the King going out to hunt or hawk on Blackheath, I think they ca'd it. And there was a horse stood with all the quarries about it, a bonny gray as ever was foaled; and the saddle and the stirrups, and the curb and bit, o' burning gowd, or silver gilded at least; and down, sir, came the King, with all his nobles, dressed out in his hunting-suit of green, doubly laced, and laid down with gowd. I minded the very face o' him, though it was lang since I saw him. But my certie, lad, thought I, times are changed since ye came fleeing down the backstairs of auld Holyrood-House, in grit fear, having your breeks in your hand without time to put them on, and Frank Stewart, the wild Earl of Bothwell, hard at your haunches; and if auld Lord Glenvarloch hadna cast his mantle about his arm, and taken bluidy wounds mair than ane in your behalf, you wald not have craw'd sae crouse this day; and so saying, I could not but think your lordship's sifflication could not be less than most acceptable; and so I banged in among the crowd of lords. Laurie thought me mad, and held me by the cloak-lap till the cloth rave in his hand; and so I banged in right before the King just as he mounted, and crammed the Sifflication into his hand, and he opened it like in amaze; and just as he saw the first line, I was mind-I ed to make a reverence, and I had the ill luck to hit his jaud o' a beast on the nose with my hat, and scaur the creature, and she swarved aside, and the King, that sits na mickle better than a draff-pock on the saddle, was like to have gotten a clean coup, and that might have cost my craig a raxing-and he flung down the paper amang the beast's feet, and cried, Away wi' the fause loon that brought it! And they grippit me, and cried Treason; and I thought of the Ruthyens that were dirked in their ain house, for, it may be, as small a forfeit. However, they spak only of scourging me, and had me away to the porter's lodge to try the tawse on my back, and I was crying mercy as loud as I could; and the King, when he had righted himsell on the saddle, and gathered his breath, cried to do me nae harm; for, said he, he is ane of our ain Norland stots, I ken by the rowt of him, and they a' laughed and rowted loud eneugh. And then he said, Gie him a copy of the Proclamation, and let him go down to the North by the next light collier, before waur come o't. So they let me go, and rode out, a' sniggering, laughing, and rounding in ilk ither's lugs. A sair life I had wi' Laurie Linklater; for he said it wad be the ruin of him. And then, when I told him it was in your matter, he said if he had known before he would have risked a scauding for you, because he minded the brave old Lord, your father. And then he showed how I suld have done,-and that I suld have held up my hand to my brow, as if the grandeur of the King and his horse-graith thegither had casten the glaiks in my een, and mair jackanape tricks I suld hae played, instead of offering the Sifflication, he said, as if I had been bringing guts to a bear. For,' said he, 'Richie, the King is a weelnatured and just man of his ain kindly nature, but he has a wheen maggots that maun be cannily guided; your lordship well knows I ken nought about it but the grand blazon at the tap-the lion has gotten a claught of our old Scottish shield now, but it was as weel upheld when it had a unicorn on ilk side of it." Lord Nigel read the Proclamation, and he coloured deep with shame and indignation as he read; for the purport was, to his injured feelings, like the pouring of ardent spirits upon a recent wound. "What deil's in the paper, my lord ?" said Richie, unable to suppress his curiosity as he observed his master change colour; "I wadna ask such a thing, only the Proclamation is not a private thing, but is meant for a' men's hearing." "It is indeed meant for all men's hearing," replied Lord Nigel," and it proclaims the shame of our country, and the ingratitude of our Prince." "Now the Lord preserve us! and to publish it in London, too!" ejaculated Moniplies. "Hark ye, Richard," said Nigel Olifaunt, "in this paper the Lords of the Council set forth, that, 'in consideration of the resort of idle persons of low condition forth from his Majesty's kingdom of Scotland to his English Court-filling the same with their suits and supplications, and dishonouring the royal presence with their base, poor, and beggarly persons, to the disgrace of their country in the estimation of the English; these are to prohibit the skippers, masters of vessels, and others, in every part of Scotland, from bringing such miserable creatures up to Court, under pain of fine and imprisonment."" "I marle the skipper took us on board," said Richie. "Then you need not marvel how you are to get back again," said Lord Nigel, "for here is a clause which says, that such idle suitors are to be transported back to Scotland at his Majesty's expense, and punished for their audacity with stripes, stocking, or incarceration, according to their demerits-that is to say, I sup But what says the paper farther, my lord?" "O, only a small clause which especially concerns us, making some still heavier denunciations against those suitors who shall be so bold as to approach the Court, under pretext of seeking payment of old debts due to them by the King, which, the paper states, is, of all species of importunity, that which is most odious to his Majesty."* "The King has neighbours in that matter," said Richie; "but it is not every one that can shift off that sort of cattle so easily as he does." Their conversation was here interrupted by a knocking at the door. Olifaunt looked out at the window, and saw an elderly respectable person whom he knew not. Richie also peeped, and recognised, but, recog nising, chose not to acknowledge, his friend of the preceding evening. Afraid that his share in the visit might be detected, he made his escape out of the apartment under pretext of going to his breakfast; and left their landlady the task of ushering Master George into Lord Nigel's apartment, which she performed with much courtesy. CHAPTER IV. Ay, sir, the clouted shoe hath ofttimes craft in't, Wiser than burns beneath the cap and feather, Or seethes within the statesman's velvet nightcap. Read me my Riddle. THE Young Scottish nobleman received the citizen with distant politeness, expressing that sort of reserve by which those of the higher ranks are sometimes willing to make a plebeian sensible that he is an intruder. But Master George seemed neither displeased nor disconcerted. He assumed the chair, which, in deference to his respectable appearance, Lord Nigel offered to him, and said, after a moment's pause, during which he had looked attentively at the young man, with respect not unmingled with emotion-"You will forgive me for this rudeness, my lord; but I was endeavouring to trace in your youthful countenance the features of my good old lord, your excellent father." There was a moment's pause ere young Glenvarloch replied, still with a reserved manner,-"I have been reckoned like my father, sir; and am happy to see any one that respects his memory. But the business which calls me to this city is of a hasty as well as a private nature, and" "I understand the hint, my lord," said Master George, "and would not be guilty of long detaining you from business, or more agreeable conversation. My errand is almost done when I have said, that my name is George Heriot, warmly befriended, and introduced into the employment of the Royal Family of Scotland, more than twenty years since, by your excellent father; and that, learning from a follower of *The English agreed in nothing more unanimously than in cen suring James on account of the beggarly rabble which not only attended the King at his coming first out of Scotland, "but," says Osborne, which, through his whole reign, like a fluent spring, were found still crossing the Tweed." Yet it is certain, from the number of proclamations published by the Privy Council in Scotland, and bearing marks of the King's own diction, that he was sensible of the whole inconveniences and unpopu larity attending the importunate crowd of disrespectable suitors, and as desirous to get rid of them as his Southern subjects could be. But it was in vain that his Majesty argued with his Scottish subjects on the disrespect they were bringing on their native country and sovereign, by causing the English to suppose there were no well-nurtured or independent gentry in Scotland, they who presented themselves being, in the opinion and conceit of all beholders, "but idle rascals, and poor miserable bodies."It was even in vain that the vessels which brought up this unwelcome cargo of petitioners were threatened with fine and con fiscation; the undaunted suitors continued to press forward, and, as one of the proclamations says, many of them under pretence of requiring payment of "auld debts due to them by the King,' which, it is observed with great naivete," is, of all kinds of importunity, most unpleasing to his Majesty." The expressions in the text are selected from these curious proclamations. yours that your lordship was in this city in prosecution of some business of importance, it is my duty,— it is my pleasure, to wait on the son of my respected patron; and, as I am somewhat known both at the court and in the city, to offer him such aid in the furthering of his affairs, as my credit and experience may be able to afford." "I have no doubt of either, Master Heriot," said Lord Nigel," and I thank you heartily, for the goodwill with which you have placed them at a stranger's disposal; but my business at court is done and ended, and I intend to leave London, and, indeed, the island, for foreign travel and military service. I may add, that the suddenness of my departure occasions my having little time at my disposal." Master Heriot did not take the hint, but sat fast, with an embarrassed countenance, however, like one who had something to say that he knew not exactly how to make effectual. At length he said, with a dubious smile, "You are fortunate, my lord, in having so soon despatched your business at court. Your talking landlady informs me you have been but a fortnight in this city. It is usually months and years ere the Court and a suitor shake hands and part." "My business," said Lord Nigel, with a brevity which was intended to stop farther discussion, summarily despatched." was Still Master Heriot remained seated, and there was a cordial good-humour added to the reverence of his appearance, which rendered it impossible for 'Lord Nigel to be more explicit in requesting his ab sence. "Your lordship has not yet had time," said the citizen, still attempting to sustain the conversation, "to visit the places of amusement, the play-houses, and other places to which youth resort. But I see in your lordship's hand one of the new-invented plots of the piece,† which they hand about of late-May I ask what play?" "Oh! a well-known piece," said Lord Nigel, impatiently throwing down the Proclamation, which he had hitherto been twisting to and fro in his hand,"an excellent and well-approved piece- A New Way to Pay Old Debts."" Master Heriot stooped down, saying, "Ah! my old acquaintance, Philip Massinger;" but, having opened the paper and seen the purport, he looked at Lord Nigel with surprise, saying, "I trust your lordship does not think this prohibition can extend either to your person or your claims?" "I should scarce have thought so myself," said the young nobleman; "but so it proves. His Majesty, to close this discourse at once, has been pleased to send me this Proclamation, in answer to a respectful Supplication for the repayment of large loans advanced by my father for the service of the state, in the King's utmost emergencies." "It is impossible!" said the citizen-"it is absolutely impossible! If the King could forget what was due to your father's memory, still he would not have wished-would not, I may say, have dared-to be so flagrantly unjust to the memory of such a man as your father, who, dead in the body, will long live in the memory of the Scottish people. "I should have been of your opinion," answered Lord Nigel, in the same tone as before; "but there is no fighting with facts." "What was the tenor of this Supplication ?" said Heriot; or by whom was it presented? Something strange there must have been in the contents, or else". You may see my original draught," said the young lord, taking it out of a small travelling strong-box "the technical part is by my lawyer in Scotland, a skilful and sensible man; the rest is my own, drawn I hope, with due deference and modesty." Master Heriot hastily cast his eye over the draught. "Nothing," he said, can be more well-tempered and respectful. Is it possible the King can have treated this petition with contempt?" Lord of Glenvarloch, 'He threw it down on the pavement," said the "and sent me for answer that * Meaning, probably, playbills. THE FORTUNES OF NIGEL. Proclamation, in which he classes me with the paupers and mendicants from Scotland, who disgrace his court in the eyes of the proud English-that is all. Had not my father stood by him with heart, sword, and fortune, he might never have seen the Court of England himself." "But by whom was this supplication presented, my lord?" said Heriot; "for the distaste taken at the messenger will sometimes extend itself to the message." By my servant," said the Lord Nigel; "by the man you saw, and, I think, were kind to." "By your servant, my lord?" said the citizen; "he seems a shrewd fellow, and doubtless a faithful; but surely" "You would say," said Lord Nigel, "he is no fit messenger to a King's presence ?-Surely he is not; but what could I do? Every attempt I had made to lay my case before the King had miscarried, and my petitions got no farther than the budgets of clerks and secretaries; this fellow pretended he had a friend in the household that would bring him to the King's presence, and so" "I understand," said Heriot; "but, my lord, why should you not, in right of your rank and birth, have appeared at court, and required an audience, which could not have been denied to you?" The young lord blushed a little, and looked at his dress, which was very plain; and, though in perfect good order, had the appearance of having seen ser "I know not why I should be ashamed of speaking the truth," he said, after a momentary hesitation,-"I had no dress suitable for appearing at court. I am determined to incur no expenses which I cannot discharge; and I think you, sir, would not advise me to stand at the palace-door, in person, and deliver my petition, along with those who are in very deed pleading their necessity, and begging an alms." "That had been, indeed, unseemly," said the citizen; "but yet, my lord, my mind runs strangely that there must be some mistake.-Can I speak with your domestic ?" "I see little good it can do," answered the young lord, "but the interest you take in my misfortunes seems sincere, and therefore" He stamped on the floor, and in a few seconds afterwards Moniplies appeared, wiping from his beard and mustaches the crumbs of bread, and the froth of the ale-pot, which plainly showed how he had been employed.-"Will your lordship grant permission," said Heriot, "that I ask your groom a few questions?" "His lordship's page, Master George," answered Moniplies, with a nod of acknowledgment,, "if you are minded to speak according to the letter." "Hold your saucy tongue," said his master, "and reply distinctly to the questions you are to be asked." And truly, if it like your pageship," said the citi"for you may remember I have a gift to discover falset." "There is nae occasion for leasing-making about the matter," answered Moniplies, firmly; "his Majesty e'en flung it frae him as if it had dirtied his fingers." You hear, sir," said Olifaunt, addressing Heriot. "Hush!" said the sagacious citizen; "this fellow is not ill named-he has more plies than one in his cloak.-Stay, fellow," for Moniplies, muttering somewhat about finishing his breakfast, was beginning to shamble towards the door, "answer me this farther question-When you gave your master's petition to his Majesty, gave you nothing with it?" "Ou, what should I give wi' it, ye ken, Master George?" "That is what I desire and insist to know," replied his interrogator. "Weel, then-I am not free to say, that maybe I might not just slip into the King's hand a wee bit sifflication of mine ain, along with my lord's-just to save his Majesty trouble-and that he might consider them baith at ance." "A supplication of your own, you varlet!" said his Nay, nay, nay, my lord," said the good-humoured citizen, interposing, "I have been the means of bringing the fellow's blunder to light-allow me interest enough with your lordship to be bail for his bones. You have cause to be angry, but still I think the knave mistook more out of conceit than of purpose; and I judge you will have the better service of him another time, if you overlook this fault-Get you gone, sirrah-I'll make your peace.". Na, na, ," said Moniplies, keeping his ground firmly, "if he likes to strike a lad that has followed him for pure love, for I think there has been little servant's fee between us, a' the way frae Scotland, just let my lord be doing, and see the credit he will get by it and I would rather (mony thanks to you | may be merited," answered Nigel, still with some rethough, Master George) stand by a lick of his baton, serve; "yet I hardly know how I have deserved this than it suld e'er be said a stranger came between us.' Go, then," said his master, and get out of my sight." Aweel I wot that is sune done," said Moniplies, retiring slowly; "I did not come without I had been ca'd for and I wad have been away half an hour since with my gude will, only Maister George keepit me to answer his interrogation, forsooth, and that has made a' this stir." And so he made his grumbling exit, with the tone much rather of one who has sustained an injury, than who has done wrong. "There never was a man so plagued as I am with a malapert knave!-The fellow is shrewd, and I have found him faithful-I believe he loves me, too, and he has given proofs of it--but then he is so uplifted in his own conceit, so self-willed, and so self-opinioned, that he seems to become the master and I the man; and whatever blunder he commits, he is sure to make as loud complaints, as if the whole error lay with me, and in no degree with himself." "Cherish him, and maintain him, nevertheless," said the citizen; for believe my gray hairs, that affection and fidelity are now rarer qualities in a servitor, than when the world was younger. Yet, trust him, my good lord, with no commission above his birth or breeding, for you see yourself how it may chance to fall." "It were better to live and serve your country like your noble father, my lord," replied Master George. "Nay, nay, never look down or shake your headthe King has not refused your Supplication, for he has not seen it-you ask but justice, and that his place obliges him to give to his subjects-ay, my lord, and I will say that his natural temper doth in this hold bias with his duty." "I were well pleased to think so, and yet"said Nigel Olifaunt,-"I speak not of my own wrongs, but my country hath many that are unredressed." "My lord," said Master Heriot, "I speak of my royal master, not only with the respect due from a subject-the gratitude to be paid by a favoured servant, but also with the frankness of a free and loyal Scotsman. The King is himself well disposed to hold the scales of justice even; but there are those around him who can throw without detection their own selfish wishes and base interests into the scale. You are already a sufferer by this, and without your knowing it." "I am surprised, Master Heriot," said the young lord, "to hear you, upon so short an acquaintance, talk as if you were familiarly acquainted with my affairs." interest. "First let me satisfy you that it is real," said the citizen; "I blame you not for being unwilling to credit the fair professions of a stranger in my inferior class of society, when you have met so little friendship from relations, and those of your own rank, bound to have assisted you by so many ties. But mark the cause. There is a mortgage over your father's extensive estate, to the amount of 40,000 merks, due ostensibly to Peregrine Peterson, the Conservator of Scottish Privileges at Campvere." "I know nothing of a mortgage," said the young lord; "but there is a wadset for such a sum, which, if unredeemed, will occasion the forfeiture of my whole paternal estate, for a sum not above a fourth of its value-and it is for that very reason that I press the King's government for a settlement of the debts due to my father, that I may be able to redeem my land from this rapacious creditor." "A wadset in Scotland," said Heriot, "is the same with a mortgage on this side of the Tweed; but you are not acquainted with your real creditor. The Conservator Peterson only lends his name to shroud no less a man than the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, who hopes, under cover of this debt, to gain possession of the estate himself, or perhaps to gratify a yet more powerful third party. He will probably suffer his creature Peterson to take possession, and when the odium of the transaction shall be forgotten, the property and lordship of Glenvarloch will be conveyed to the great man by his obsequious instrument, under cover of a sale, or some similar device." "Can this be possible?" said Lord Nigel; "the Chancellor wept when I took leave of him--called me his cousin-even his son-furnished me with letters, and, though I asked him for no pecuniary assistance, excused himself unnecessarily for not pressing it on me, alleging the expenses of his rank and his large family. No, I cannot believe a nobleman would carry deceit so far." "I am not, it is true, of noble blood," said the citizen; "but once more I bid you look on my gray hairs, and think what can be my interest in dishonouring them with falsehood in affairs in which I have no interest, save as they regard the son of my benefactor. Reflect also, have you had any advantage from the Lord Chancellor's letters?" "None," said Nigel Olifaunt, "except cold deeds and fair words. I have thought, for some time, their only object was to get rid of me-one yesterday pressed money on me when I talked of going abroad, in order that I might not want the means of exiling myself." "Right," said Heriot; "rather than you fled not, they would themselves furnish wings for you to fly withal." "I will to him this instant," said the incensed youth, "and tell him my mind of his baseness." "Under your favour," said Heriot, detaining him, you shall not do so. By a quarrel you would become the ruin of me your informer; and though I would venture half my shop to do your lordship a service, I think you would hardly wish me to come by damage, when it can be of no service to you." My lord," replied the goldsmith, "the nature of The word shop sounded harshly in the ear of the my employment affords me direct access to the inte- young nobleman, who replied hastily-"Damage, sir? rior of the palace; I am well known to be no meddler-so far am I from wishing you to incur damage, that in intrigues or party affairs, so that no favourite has I would to Heaven you would cease your fruitless as yet endeavoured to shut against me the door of offers of serving one whom there is no chance of ultithe royal closet; on the contrary, I have stood well mately assisting!" with each while he was in power, and I have not "Leave me alone for that," said the citizen; "you shared the fall of any. But I cannot be thus connect-have now erred as far on the bow-hand. Permit me ed with the Court, without hearing, even against my to take this Supplication-I will have it suitably enwill, what wheels are in motion, and how they are grossed, and take my own time (and it shall be an checked or forwarded. Of course, when I choose to early one) for placing it, with more prudence, I trust, seek such intelligence, I know the sources in which than that used by your follower, in the king's handit is to be traced. I have told you why I was in- I will almost answer for his taking up the matter as terested in your lordship's fortunes. It was last night you would have him-but should he fail to do so, even only that I knew you were in this city, yet I have then I will not give up the good cause.' been able, in coming hither this morning, to gain for you some information respecting the impediments to your suit." Sir, I am obliged by your zeal, however little it Sir," said the young nobleman, "your speech is so friendly, and my own state so helpless, that I know not how to refuse your kind proffer, even while I blush to accept it at the hands of a stranger." |