CHAPTER XV. REYNARD CARRIES A HIGH HAND).

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 341, 9 February 1889, Page 5

CHAPTER XV. REYNARD CARRIES A HIGH HAND).

Had the old lawyer, or the doctor, been present at the castle on that occasion, either of them could have explained fco the younS colonel the character of Reynard's company. They are in the banquet hall — the whole party— the chieftain, the gentry, and the stout men-at-arms. They have just come in from a long and tiresome journey, and accept readily the host's invitation to break a crust and drain a cup before they retire. Plenty of food, and of excellent quality, had been left over from the funeral feast ; so they are in no want in that respect. At the head of the board sits Reynard, with a smile of satisfaction on his grim visage ; and there is a mixture of triumph in it, too ; as there is a ring of triumph in his loud voice when he speaks. On his right hand sit two gentlemen, and on his left hand two more. First, on the right, is William Macomber, Esquire, commonly called Will — a lawyer of Inverness. He is tall and slim, with a large oddlyshaped head, covered by a growth of crinkty, brick-red hair, that was never yet brought into subjection by brush or comb. He is a bony, wiry man, nervous and excitable, and fond of the cup. He is accounted the shrewdest, as he is certainly the most unscrupulous, lawyer in the North of Scotland. Next, on Macomber's right, sits a stout old justice and laird, — Sir John Kilroy, also of Inverness. He is a short, stout man, between fifty and sixty years of age, with a very red, knotty face, twinkling grey eyes, a man of considerable «=elf importance, yet of acknowledged influenceone of the magnates of his district. He is merry in his cups, and can carry away a large quantity of generous wine. Whatever may be his faults, he is the most popular justice in Inverness and the region round about. First on the host's left hand sits the doughty old Baron, Douglas Altonfeld, of Anglehaven. He is tall and strong, with a frame like that of an ox. He is a large man in every way — externally, we mean — a man of large frame, of large wealth, of large following, and of large influence. He is five-and -forty, and appears never to have known ill health He, too, is fond of his cup, and lovea a flowing bowl, and a large one. Next, upon Lord Alton feld's left, sits the oldest man at the board, — Jamie Lawton, Lord of Belmondy, claiming the rank of Thane. He is fully three-scoie, below the ordinary stature, but fat enough to more than make up for it. The top ot his head is bald, and the hair that curls around his ears, and upon his neck, is almost white. He, also, empties his cup as though he was used to it, and loved it well. These were all friends of Reynard, The lawyer he had hired. The other three were Highland lords and gentlemen of old baronial stock, and clannish to a degree that would allow them to see no good in the Lowland gentry. At all events, when it came to a case where Highlander was opposed to Lowlander, they would espouse the cause of their own man, were he never so much and so glaringly in the wrong. And these barons had come with their friend to his castle to see that right was done — i.e., that no upstart from the Court of Edinburgh should step into the property and estate claimed by one of their own social clan. With regard to Reynard's freebooting proclivities, it may seem hard to say it, but it is nevertheless true, — they were rather inclined fco honour him for the boldness of his enterprise ; and, especially, for the success that had attended his efforts. At that time, and long afterwards, it was no uncommon thing for a Highland laird, of large estate, and numerous retainers, but, mayhap, with an empty purse, or, what was worse, lacking in flocks and herds, to gather his vassals, and start forth upon an expedition of plunder. Bearing this in mind, we shall not wonder that our predatory chief of Ravendale found plenty of sympathisers among the titled and honoured of Highlandshire. Below the host and his four honoured companions sat two-score men of lesser degree, eating the same food, and drinking the same wine that was consumed by their betters. Twenty of these were men of Reynard's own following —Free Companions of the Mountain. Most of them were comparatively young ; all able-looking, muscular and powerful ; with that expression of face, not to be mistaken, which reveals the bold and fearless man — the man who can be desperate on occasion. The chief had found them in one of the fastnesses on the far side of Ben Alpine, and had brought them along with them. The other twenty were retainers and servants of three lords, and all in full sympathy with their bold and generous host. If he had enemy, that enemy was an enemy to them. ' Sir Reynard,' said the Baron Altonfeld, with a voice like the rushing of a mighty wind, 'you say the late baron's will is in existence ?' ' Of course ib is,' replied the host, setting down his goblet and looking up. 'Da vie Kirkland has it in his possession, and he dare nob destroy it.' ' It might cost him a head — that would be all !' suggested Will Macomber, very quietly. ' And aboub another will said to have been made later, under which this poodle of the king's thinks to step into the grand old estate and carry off the Queen of our Highland beauty ?' 'Of that,' said Reynard, who had just emptied his cup for the ten or twelfth time, speaking with all seeming honesty — and he may have thought himself honest, for like a certain ether character, he had made such a traitor of his memory that he believed his own lies — 'Of that,' he said, 'I will tell you what I know ; and this, mark you, I have from others. I was absent at the time, as a few of those at the other end of the table know. 1 Half-a-dozen of his followers, as he glanced towards them, bowed in assent, and one, a chief of the squad, took it upon himself to assert : 1 Ay, we can swear to that, my noble master. Before the sun went down on that night — it was Friday, and Friday night, I remember well — at the close of that day you ware many miles away from this place; and some of us ab this end of the board were with you.' The man concluded and sab down. Reynard thanked him with a nod of approval, and wenfc on : * I reached the castle, after an absence of almost a week, on the day following my uncle's death, and ab once went at the work

of preparing for the funeral. On the very day of the funeral arrived Colonel Malcolm MacGregor, a nephew of the baron, who years before, the good old lord had been forced to turn from his doors for his many evil deeds. There are some here who remember that.' And then, when several had nodded assent to his last assertion, he went on with his story. At first he had wondered for what MacGregor had come, but he was to know later. ■ 'He had been sent for by enemies ; for it seemed they had contrived amongst them to persuade the baron, as ho was drawing his last breath, to let Davie Kirkland make a new will for him. Whether lie signed ib or not I do not know, but they swear he did. 1 However, when they came to look for the will, they found the true will in its proper place, but theyjfound no other. My opinion is, if the old baron evei made such a will, he contrived to have it destroyed ; but I have my doubts about the vhole story. I believe it to be a falsehood made of whole cloth, for the purpose of finding excuse for not executing the will which vas honestly and solemnly made, and sealed, and signed. ' He went on a while longer, giving further reasons for doubting the story of the new will ; and when he finally sat down there was a general cry of ' Sha~ne ! Shame !' heard up and down the board, and when the murmur had subsided the lord of Belmondy, Jamie Lawton, spoke across the table to the lawyer from Inverness. * Willie Macomber, will ye tell us what ye think of it ? We've come to sit in judgment, but you must expound the law.' Then answered the man of law, and he spoke with simple assurance : ' Gentlemen, there is rcallyno question of law before you. It is one of simple right and justice. A man has died, leaving behind a testament of his will regarding the disposition of his estate. That is all. We wish to see that will, and it is for you to say whether it shall be published and executed. In the whole course of my practice — in all the records of our courts — I believe you will find no precedent tor withholding such a will.' Upon that the three noble justices put their heads together, and agreed that after they had rested they would form and open their court, and summon the persons whose presence they might require ; and they promised themselves, and promised one another, that they would make quick and summary work of it when once they had opened their august session. It will be borne in mind that tho majority of the company had been on the road most of the moonlit night, and all of them had ridden hard. Asa result, they were weary, and having satisfied the cravings of their grosser appetites, they would now answer the demands of fatigue. So the host summoned servants, and ere long the whole party, nobles and plebeians, had found their pillows and were buried in slumbers ; and the generous potations they had imbibed made their sleep sound, while a few — especially those of gentle estate and degree — slept long. The sun was an hour high when Reynard Bevern had seen the last of his> guests conducted to their chambers, and when that was off his mind he thought of Dull Murtagh, whom he had not yet seen. He had no difficulty in finding him, however, as the faithful henchman had been for the last half hour anxiously waiting his appearance. It was a bright, beautiful morning — one of the fairest and most balmy of the late summer season, when the fruit was blushing, and the broad acres of grain were waving like the billows of the sea when stirred by gentle breezes — bright, balmy and inviting — and the master, who would not yet sleep, walked out into the beauty and the freshness, and breathed it in. And Duff walked by his side ; and when they stopped it was under the sheepfold hedge, where we have seen them once before. ' Well, Duff, how have things gone during my absence? Have you kept your eyes open ?' The man smiled. It was a smile which, for the life of him, Bevern could not translate. 'What is it, Duff? What have you seen ?' ' I have seen the inside of two of the deepest and darkest dungeons in the castle.' ' Pshaw ! Don't play the fool, man. You know very well what I wi°h to know ; and, furthermore, you ought by this time to understand my disposition. Now, speak !' ' Well, master, as I was saying, I saw the inside of two of youi very be3t dungeons. If you'il listen, I'll tell you how it was.' And thereupon the slave went on with the story of his adventures. He told how he had seen the young colonel and Lady Blanche walk out into the court and sit down, as fond and loving as two turtle doves ; and how he had crawled up and gained a very favourable place for listening. But he had scarcely ensconced himself when two stout troopers who had come up from the village, appeared to him and carried him off. They were not the sort of men for him to contend with. He preferred to see what they would do with him. And he told what they did with him ; told how he had been cast into one of the smaller dungeons, with an iron door, and there locked up. Then he told of his waiting, saying not a word of his terror the while, nor of his suffering. O, no ! He had been only eager to know what it all meant. He told how at length four dark-robed men had come — two of them bearing torches — and how he had been conducted to the large, circular dungeon, where a court of black spectres was in session. He described them minutely, and then went on to tell of the questions they put to him. But here we are obliged to set it down. His memory failed him to such a degree that he told it all crooked and wrong — at least so far as his own part in the drama was concerned. But the information which he wished to convey to his master was given quite truthfully. Said he : * Master, they knew all about the ghost ; and that ib was the ghost that carried away the will. They asked me lots of things which, of course, I couldn't answer ; but I did finally confess that the ghost was in the chamber, and that I was desperately frightened.' 'Stop!' interrupted Reynard at this point. ' Let me understand ; and, Duff, if I catch you in a lie I'll cut your throat, as sure as we both at this moment live ! Exactly what did they tell you about the ghost ? How did they open the subject?' The man thought a moment — not to remember what was said, but to maite his way sure and safe for leaving out all mention of Reynard's name. And he did it very neatly. He opened by stating a number of questions which were asked, after which he went on : * Finally, master, the head judge said to me, said he : " Look ye, Duff Murtagh ; we know that the spectre of Edgar's Tower carried away that will." And he said it over again ; and then he told me if I would tell him how the spectre got the will I should be forgiven all the evil deeds I had done.' ' What in the world were the evil deeds they laid bo your charge ?' demanded Bevorn!

' Upon my soul, 1 don'fe know ! They lumped 'em all together, 1 think, in saying I had been false to my true lord and master. Ay, and they accused me, too, of having had something to do with opening the old cabinet. And here, my dear master,' the man added, having resolved that he would give that ■warning, ' it's my opinion that they know you were in the castle that night.' • Did they say so ?' ' Yes ; but whether it was a trick on their part, hoping to get something out of me, you can judge as well as I. They tried to make me say that you were in the chamber ; and if I had said that, of course the opening of the cabinet would have been the next thing.' j Bevern looked into the fellow's face sharply, but could detect no guile — no flinching. c Duff, exactly what did you tell them about the spectre, and about the carrying away of the will ?' ' Bih !' cried the man, in well-assumed disgust. ' How could I toll anything about the will when I didn't know anything about ifc ? I told 'em about the spectre — just what I said I did. 1 told 'em I was watching by the baron's bodside, when I felt a puff of cold air, and at the same time the flame of the lamp flickered, and came near to going out. That caused mo to look up, and I saw the ghost. They asked me to describe it, and I did. They asked me if its face was the face of the dead Lady Barbara, and I told 'em yes. I told 'em the last I paw of it, it was moving towards the cabinet ; then another puff of wind put out the light, and that was the last. When I finally dared to move, I told 'em I got up and groped around, but it was so dark I couldn't go straight, and after a time I sat down and went to sleep. When I woke up it was just daybreak, and the baron was dead and cold. I told 'em I first tied up his jaw, and closed his eyes, and then called help. And that's all.' Bevern walked away a distance, slo .vly and thoughtfully. When he came back, looking straight into his henchman's eyes, he said : ' Duff, answer me on your honour. Re member what I have at stake, and how necessary it is that I should mako no mistake. Is the story you have told me strictly true? Has there been one single mistake in all you have said— one &lip of the tongue, or a thing spoken in forgetfulness ?' With a look as honest and sincere as that of a nursing infant, Duft made answer : 'It's all true — every word — so help me, Heaven !' i 1 One more question. Duff; and let your thoughts be calm and searching. From what you heard and saw, do you believe ■ those people had received reliable information that I was in the castle on that night when the baron died ?' Duff had considered this point well ; and he had made up his mind that his master should at least know the truth of the matter. His answer carried truth in its every part. ' Master,' he said, solemnly, and with firm emphasis, ' I am sure they know it. If you remember, after the baron had been brousrht in, I was sent to the village for the old lawyer. When I went out I saw two of the servants in the passage, close by the groat tower; bub I didn't notice who they were. When I came back, I saw one of the women — I think it was Nelly Nichol, but I wouldn't swear to it, because, ye see, 'twas quite dark out there — too dark to see faces. However, the woman I saw was one of the servants, for Lady Blanche was at that moment by her father's side; and, moreover, she had been listening at the I door of the baron's chamber to learn, I suppose, it her master was living. Well, the chances are that one or more of the women were hanging around through the 1 greater part of the night ; and if that was so, of course, they might have seen you, as you came up through the tower.' ' Did that judge distinctly declare that I was seen ?' Duff hesitated but a moment ; then his answer was a simple and emphatic affirmative. ' Just one thing more, Duff ; Did you recognise any of those black-robed men ?' ' Not so that I could swear to 'em ; but I think it's safe to say that Malcolm MacGregor was the chief.' ' Of course it is.' Bevern bent his head for a little time ; and when he finally looked up, the expression of his dark visage was fax from agreeable. ' Wait !' he said, between his clenched teeth. 'If the golden spurred interloper don't rue the day on which he crossed my path, I am a falfe prophet !' Then he walked slowly away, with Duff at his heels. And ero long thereafter, Nelly Nichol, who had this time been on the watch for them, crept from her hiding-place on the other side of the hedge, and made her way towards the keep.