The highlanders : a tale
M'Donogh, Felix, 1768?-1836
*Ss£?' t?V -<2<s £*£ -"••'■. ; LIBRA R.Y OF THE U N I VERSITY Of ILLI NOIS ^^- ,— f? /%+»r& '' **-«rtw THE HIGHLANDERS: A TALE. BY THE AUTHOR OF THE HERMIT IN LONDON, HERMIT ABROAD, &c. " Wherever I wander, wherever I roam, My heart's in the Highlands, my heart's with my home.' IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON : PRINTED FOR HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1824. LONDON : INTKD "Y J GR»BN. I ! HKIii.ll STRBBV. r*3 2. THE HIGHLANDERS. CHAPTER I. Now am I trebly orphaned : For the grave Hath closed on her who dying gave me life, On him who gave, him that had got my heart ; And I am lonely,— -in a wilderness Of weeping kinsfolks. OLD PLAY. Ordinary grief has many outlets, by which its pressure ebbs away from the heart, — the hysteric scream, the con- vulsive start, the ejaculated complaints, and the burning tear ; but when sor- row has possessed the whole heart, all those means of relief are held cap- TOL. II. B 2 THE HIGHLANDERS. tive, and every portal of escape is bar- red up. When the whole prospect looks black and blighted, and when, from the chances of life, and the winds of heaven, there comes not one glim- mering scintillation of hope, the mute mourner turns almost to adamant. The blank and speculationless eye either bends, burning and tearless, upon the mother earth, or it is raised toward the habitation of its Father, wild and un- decided— too wretched to hope — too pious to despair — all unprepared for holy resignation — holding no kindred and no communion with this nether world. The clasped hands, the mo- tionless limbs, and the fixed, cold and marbly figure make the sufferer ap- pear as if life itself had not departed, THE HIGHLANDERS. 3 but been petrified in its abode, — and can be compared to nothing but the living semblance of a statue, before a new-made sepulchre. Such was Flora, as she stood by the bed upon which lay the lifeless body of that kind father, whose lips had just ceased to move, and whose dying- words — dying ere the hope of reco- very was passed and gone, yet vibrated on her ear. There is a fondness in the heart of affection which questions the power of death itself, and though we observe and admit the mortality of others, there lingers about us a belief that the fond one shall be spared — shall triumph over the universal shock, and live with us in a golden immortality: and if b 2 4 THE HIGHLANDERS. immortality here could be predicated of manly strength and matchless vir- tue, that form which now lay lifeless before its almost equally lifeless daugh- ter, never would have ceased to breathe and to bless with deeds of beneficence all about 'it. But much as his bewil- dered daughter questioned the fact, he had fallen — fallen to rise no more. It was with difficulty that she could be torn from the corpse, and it was long ere the cries and lamentations of the servants, and the clan — who came hurryingto the castle, could awaken her to the consciousness of any other ob- ject. She was removed, however, and scorning common sorrow, upon an occasion so peculiarly oppressive, she, without one tear or one murmur of THE HIGHLANDERS. 5 complaining, not only gave directions about what was to be done, but endea- voured to comfort her household and her kindred. Among these, it was not easy to de- cide which was the predominant feel- ing— sorrow for the untimely death of the great and good Glenmore, or ad- miration of their young mistress, who, in the very depth of affliction, had shown a spirit worthy of her race. Perhaps, indeed, though they could never forget the former, they gave the palm to the latter ; and it was exqui- sitely touching to hear the encomiums and benedictions which, in their own poetic and impassioned language, they bestowed upon her. "The Lord, who has taken the no- 6 THJE HIGHLANDERS. ble tree to himself, will nourish, and water, and watch over the lovely branch, " said old Rory, as tears of mingled grief and admiration filled his eyes, and flowed in burning torrents down his time-worn face. There was abundance of grief, abundance of mourners, and no want of heart or of hand, to perform the holy rites of sepulture in a manner be- coming the chief of the Clan-More ; but there was one want — the day which saw Flora pareutless, saw her also pennyless ; and though the last honours of Glenmore were not to be measured by large sums given to a hireling and heartless undertaker, yet some pecuniary supply was necessary. If hecatombs of slain beasts could have THE HIGHLANDERS. 7 suffered, every ox, every cow, and every sheep, would at once have bled in honour of the chief's funeral; but of them a small stock sufficed ; and though much money was not wanted, yet there was not among the clan enough for the scanty purpose. A supply came, however: for one morning, a horseman delivered a par- cel for Flora, and just pausing to break bread and touch the cup at the gate, according to custom, he rode off with- out saying whence he came. The par- cel, upon being opened, was found to contain three hundred pounds, but it contained no clue to the giver, and sought no security and no return. This sum came most opportunely, and it more than sufficed for the exi- 8 THE HIGHLANDERS. gencies of the time; but there darted across the mind of Flora, a doubt as to the propriety of using- that which had been so conveyed. A consulta- tion was accordingly held ; and the whole clan were questioned as to their knowledge of the matter ; but they one and all pleaded ignorance. Flora's first conjecture was, that the money might have come from Lord Gerald, and she felt half inclined to send Isa- bella a letter of thanks; but the clan, and Castlecreaghy in particular, rose in absolute rebellion at the idea, upon the ground that Isabella had insulted their race; that it became not the lady of Glen more, (for that was now Flora's lofty though lonely title,) to make ad- vances to the wife of any Sassenach, THE HIGHLANDERS. 9 whose honours were merely upon a bit of paper, the more especially when they did not know whether she was u an honest woman," or not. Castlecreaghy found out fifty other sources more likely than Lord Gerald to supply Flora's wants. There was, in the first place, the West Indian, who had been at one time so much obliged to Glenmore, to whom such a sum would be nothing, and who was now near the spot, as he had purchased " all and haill the Barony and Lands of Balstarvum," upon which he was said to be spending double this sum every week. Besides him, there were many others who were under obliga- tions to Glenmore; and why not sup- 63 10 THE HIGHLANDERS. pose that " ane o' their ain" had done this act of kindness, rather than " the Sassenach limmer, that shot the bonny black horse for nae offence at a* but only being sick, which neither man nor beast could either help or heal o' their ain strength/' Thus admonished of her kinsman, and now her chief adviser, Flora resolved to accept the bounty of the unknown friend, leaving the discovery and return of the kindness to the chances of future development ; and thus admonished, and resolving, she made more exertions than could have been expected, for performing, in a becoming manner, the last rites to her honoured father ; for the clan insisted that the last of the THE HIGHLANDERS. 11 Glenmores should not be borne to his last abode without due and merited circumstance. There is something exquisitely touching in a Highland funeral ; and in that of Glenmore, there was some- thing more touching than usual. The whole clan marched for the ceremony —not in common mourning, but in their full tartan costume, — the gentle- men having crape scarfs on their arms, and the pipers, of whom more than twenty mustered upon the occasion, having long streamers of the same sepulchral substance hung to their sounding instruments. All were on foot ; for it would have been an indeli- ble stain to the Clan more, had not each of them, down to the very lowest serf, 12 THE HIGHLANDERS. borne a part in the conveyance of their chief to his final resting-place, in the little ruined chapel of St. Chuillan, where there were gathered together the honours of more chiefs of the clan than would have filled the chapel, if alive ; the rent banner and the broken tree were displayed ; the pipers were already sounding the gathering, the henchman and gamekeeper stood with lighted matches ready to fire the fare- well shots ; the women had assembled to weep ; and the clansmen, drawn up in two double lines, extended from the door of the apartments to a long way beyond the bridge. The parting cup was swallowed round, which they swallowed in silence, and stood motion- less to hear the parting gun. That THE HIGHLANDERS. \'3 was fired, and immediately the wild and wailing notes of the " Lament" filled the air. As the sable bier ap- proached, borne at first by the head men of the clan, the others pulled off their bonnets, bowed and fell into the rear, and the whole were soon in the order of march, followed by the lamen- tation of the females. When heard near at hand, and upon ordinary occasions, fastidious ears find or fancy something harsh in the notes of the bagpipe ; but in the lonely solitude of the mountains, accompany- ing a funeral procession and breathing a lament, and harmonized to all the wild echoes of rock and mountain, there is a solemn and thrilling power about them which the ear would be fas- 14 THE HIGHLANDERS. titlious indeed if it did not admire. To this music the funeral procession of Glenmore twined on through glens emptied of their inhabitants, and over muirs, where nothing save the roe and the heathcock could be started at its sound. They arrived at the lonely chapel, performed the rites of sorrow, said their orisons, and returned to the place where the customary feast was provided, and where Flora, though often toasted and oftener blessed, was excused from making her appearance. Up to the time of the removal of her father's remains from the Castle, the sorrow of his daughter had put on the stony aspect of incurable sickness at heart, or the sturdy resignation of a daughter of the Clan-more; but, when THJE HIGHLANDERS. 15 the sabJe bier was lifted up at the porch — when the characteristic lament rang through the court, and was answered by the groans of the serfs and the wail- ings of the clans women, she was fairly overcome. She ran to her own apart- ment— threw herself upon her couch — buried her face in the clothes, and burst out in a flood of tears and a pa- roxysm of lamentation. She reflected on the desolation which must now come upon her beloved clan — upon the de- lapidation to which the halls of her fathers must now be subjected — and that herself must now go forth into the world a helpless wanderer. "I have now no friend, no comforter, no sup- port ; no, not even one to whom I may tell my grief, — I am alone — the last of 16 THE HIGHLANDERS. my race — in the presence of that hea- ven that has thus laid upon me the hand of its chastisement. I would be resigned — I would be the daughter of Glenmore — I would be the shield of my people ; but, alas ! the heart of a woman is weak and her hand is feeble; and what can I do, bereft, as I am, of every bosom to share my grief — of every hand that can wipe my burning eyes?" At that moment a hand came softly over her cheek, and a flood of tears poured at hei side. " You are not. alone, my dear lady," said a simple but soothing voice; "are not all your kindred about you, and am not I your poor Mary, to whom you have been so kind, able to work for you all day, aud watch for you all night ? O, be THE HIGHLANDERS. 17 comforted — the stroke is from heaven, as you taught me to say, when my last parent was on her bier; and as you taught me then, so do you now turn to Him, and seek comfort in Him, who alone can heal the wounded heart." There is a power in sympathy, if kindly and sincerely, however hum- bly offered, that can snatch the soul from the very swellings of the Jordan of agony, and place it, though cold, pale, and trembling, upon the dry laud of Hope: the blood which had, but a moment before, been burning over the whole face and neck of Flora, hurried in ward ; and strengthened the heart — she started up, and in an in- stant her knees were clasped by Mary 18 THE HIGHLANDERS. Mac Bain, the grandchild of old Rx)ry, who, bereft of her parents at the very dawning of reason, had been brought within the castle, and received from Flora an education not common among the Glan. " Kneel not to me, Mary," said the recovering Flora ; " let us kneel to our God. You have spoken well j you shall be my companion, and He shall be our comforter." Their prayers were brief but fer- vent, and when they rose from their kneeling posture, something resem- bling a smile came across the features of Lady Glenmore, as if the expression of grief, though in secret, had been unbecoming that house, of which she was the last remnant. THE HIGHLANDERS. 39 u That is my own dear lady," said Mary ; " we shall not be miserable. Have not I hands to work ? have not you taught me ? and am I not rich ?" pulling from her pocket the guinea which formed her share of Lord Ge- rald's present — putting it into the hands of her mistress, and stepping back- wards a pace or two, and casting an enquiring eye, as much as to say, " Have I been too forward ?" " No, my honest-hearted child," said Flora; "but keep that in the mean-time ; I do not want money ;" and with that, she displayed a handful of the gold which had been sent by the unknown benefactor. " And perhaps you do not want Mary either ?" said the girl, dashing 1*0 THE HIGHLANDERS. the guinea upon the ground, throwing herself at Flora's feet, and bursting into tears. It was now Flora's turn to act the comforter. She assured the girl, that part with whom she might, Mary should never leave her. At this the fit of sorrow gave place to a fit of joy, as tumultuous and perhaps as painful ; but that was soon over, and Mary strove, by every little kind office, to alleviate the grief of her mistress. Flora's grief was, however, too deeply rooted for being removed by all the kind-hearted attentions which Mary could bestow ; and her internal suffering was soon diverted, — it could not be aug- mented,— by annoyances from without. Finding that Mac Skinner, sen. had THE HIGHLANDERS. 21 been so successful in recovering the amount of the former wadset from Glenmore, several of the most vindic- tive of his creditors thought the letting loose of that personage upon his daughter, in the spring-tide of her sorrow, might be the means of squeezing all that was squeezable out of the estate. It may easily be con- ceived, that this scheme was very eagerly relished by the wily doer j and, in order to render the measures he might pursue more efficient, he pre- vailed upon all the creditors of the chief, of whom he could obtain know- ledge, to assign their bonds, bills, and obligations against the chief; in order that he, the holder, might sue for the joint behoof. The precarious 22 THE HIGHLANDERS. condition of the Glenmore estate, and the inroads of wadsets and annual rents, induced the creditors to execute a most absolute assignation in favour of old Mac Skinner ; and no sooner was he armed with this deed, than he com- menced operations. The ultimate object of Mac Skinner, in taking this trouble, for the behoof of Glenmore's creditors, (for that was his ostensible object,) was one of very deep and crafty purpose : It was this : to possess himself, or rather his hope- ful heir, the partner of Mac Fleecer, of the estate and honours of Glenmore ; to procure for the said heir the hand of Flora, which was, indeed, a sine qua non in the business ; and then turning round upon the creditors, to whom he THE HIGHLANDERS. 23 had taken care to give no back bond, to set them and their claims at defiance ; and thus raise his family to the first rank in the Highlands, without any other price than a reasonable portion of legal villainy. The son was written to, and entered warmly and at once into the scheme, declaring that he would marry the devil, if the lands of Glenmore were the dowry : and immediately the two set to work. They collected all the bonds and obligations, calculated compound interest upon them, and added law ex- penses, not forgetting the expense of the former visit, till the amount would have staggered belief; and having thus framed abundant pretext, they took their measures for obtaining possession. 24 THE HIGHLANDERS. The preliminary steps were to be two : 6rst, a general poind of all the move- able goods and gear left by the late chief; and, secondly an adjudication of the lands, which would entitle them to immediate possession of the rente, and by intimidating the friendless Flora, force her, if she could not be gained by fair means, to put them in possession of the lands themselves. But how to begin, was the difficulty ; for it was clear, that though the oppo- sition of the clansmen might be got the better of, and the goods and chattels might be sold at the point of the bayo- net, yet that this might frustrate the ultimate and more favourite part of the scheme ; and therefore it was resolved to proceed warily. THE HIGHLANDERS. 26 Old Mac Skinner having prepared the way, by procuring a number of angTy letters to be written by others, wrote one himself, couched in terms of superlative kindness, — stating the honourable manner in which the good Glen more had acted towards him ; the pain he felt at the situation of his amia- ble and excellent daughter, and his readiness to visit the Castle, put her affairs in train, and get her through her difficulties, without charging a sin- gle farthing. This letter to Flora was accompanied by others to Castlecrea- ghy, and the head men of the clan, couched in the same terms ; and so complete was their effect, that at a ge- neral council, it was agreed instantly VOL. II. C 26 THE HIGHLANDERS. to invite the friendly doer, which was no sooner thought of than done. Mac Skinner had no sooner got this invitation, than he prepared for the journey ; he, however, sent a party in advance, whose conduct, as contrast- ed with his, tended to lull all suspicion, and induced the clan to look upon him as their best, and indeed their only friend. Early one morning, two " most intimate friends," who had been recon- noitering during the night, made their entrance into the Castle, and, supported by a party of soldiers, proceeded to the business of poinding, in defiance of all the clansmen who could muster. The alarm which this produced can be well conceived, and so can the joy which THE HIGHLANDERS. 27 followed it, when Mac Skinner made his appearance, rated the men soundly, and ultimately turned them out of the Castle, though not till they had com- pleted their business. Having done this friendly act, no confidence was too great for him, and the clansmen readily consented to the serving of the adjudi- cation, which he represented as the only means of preserving for Flora the inheritance of her fathers. His advice was, that she should retire to Edin- burgh till matters were arranged, and he went so far, as to recommend her to a friend of his own, who would receive and take care of herself, Mary, and Allan Glass. The departure was immediate ; and though Flora eould not help sighing € 2 28 THE HIGHLANDERS. as she took the last sight of her ancient Castle, yet she hurried on in the hope of returning- when the friendly offices of Mac Skinner should be completed. When she and her servants landed in the Scottish metropolis, they were met by Mac Skinner, jun., who conveyed them to the house of his father's friend, situated in Hanover-street. The house was a splendid one ; and the lady, to whom Flora was introduced, though big and bloated in her appearance, yet expressed great, though vulgar kind- ness. She hinted to Flora, that as the servants of the house knew better how to treat a lady than those Highland boors, they had better be removed to a place which she recommended. Flora, however, would not consent to this, but THE HIGHLANDERS. 29 insisted that Mary should remain in the apartment with her, while she sent out Allan Glass to make some little purchases. Young Mac Skinner, having ordered refreshments, in a manner at which Flora was a little startled, the more especially as the lady of the house did not stay to partake of them, took his leave ; but Mary, who looked after him, with a Highland imprecation upon his ugly face, overheard him say, " Mother Damask, take care of the Highland doe ; she is my preserve. " It was well for Flora that she did not immediately understand this ; but the explanation was not long in coming, for Allan Glass, having* met, at the turning of the street, six brawny chair- 30 THE HIGHLANDERS. men of the Clan-more, got from them the character of the house in return for his giving them its number; and this was no sooner done, than his dirk was out, and he, marching at their head, delivered his fair mistress out of the den of iniquity, ere she had even a sus- picion of that being its character. The chairs were instantly in readiness; Flora and her attendant entered two of them, and the whole set out for a hotel in Princes-street, kept by a clansman of her mother's. In this they stayed comfortably for a few days ; but as this entree had sick- ened Flora of Edinburgh, she resolved to quit it, taking Mary with her, and dispatching Allan Glass to tell the clan of the perfidy of Mac Skinner; the THE HIGHLANDERS. 31 snare which had been laid for her ; her escape from it ; and her ultimate re- solution of seeking an asylum with a friend in the British metropolis, until circumstances should so come about, as that she could take vengeance upon those, who, under the mask of pretend- ed friendship, had been plotting so much villainy. 32 THE HIGHLANDERS. CHAP. II. " Farewell to the Highlands, adieu to the north. The birth-place of valour, the country of worth; Wherever I wander, wherever I roam, My heart's in the Highlands, my heart's with my home." So sang, or rather so sighed, the heiress ofGlenmore, as, gliding down the Frith of Forth, the last mountain of Scotland faded away upon the north-western horizon. The voyage was tempestu- ous, and sea-sickness deprived Flora of the attentions of her little maid. But Flora was now upon the waters — upon the world — alone ; and the heart of a THE HIGHLANDERS. 33 Glen more disdained complaint, al- though it beat in a female bosom as tender as ever sympathised with the sufferings of mankind. The passage, though boisterous, was brief; and Flora, whose affections now found in Mary an apology for that which they had lost, could not help being amused at the innocent girPs exclamations at the number of ships, the interminable length and depth of the streets, and above all, at her repeatedly saying, " Good gracious! if the very weans here dinna speak as gude English as my lady her«el,/J A short time brought them to the mansion of Flora's relative — a merchant of class number A, who, leaving the Highlands in his youth, had amassed a c 3 34 THE HIGHLANDERS. large fortune by the most honourable means possible. Even at the thresh- old of his door, however, Mary could not help whispering to her mistress, " Gin this should be a house like yon, after a' ; what will we do for Allan Glass in his dirk ? our clansmen \\iy their muckle sticks, and the two chairs, and the hotel o' Princes Street ?" The ap- pearance of the master of the house, however, dispelled at once the fears of the maid and the anxieties of the mis- tress. His wife received the fair Caledo- nian with great kindness, and treated her with great respect ; while the ser- vants of the family were equally lavish of their attentions upon Mary. ,The splendour of the establishment, and the THE HIGHLANDERS. 35 sumptuousness of the fare, startled even Flora, accustomed, as she had been, to the sobriety of the Highlands ; and they threw Mary into perfect ecstacies, — she declaring to her mistress, the first time they met alone, that the master of the house "must be King George's ain cousin, else he could never support so much extravagance." To the children of the mountains, indeed, there might have seemed a de- gree of coldness and dryness in the manners of the merchant, ill accordant with that mingling of the heart of hos- pitality to which they are accustomed in their own country ; but habit alone was the cause ; for his heart was natu- rally benevolent and sincere, although, of necessity, a little touched by the icy 36 THE HIGHLANDERS. chillness of prudence and money- making; for as freedom and enlarge- ment of mind expand the soul, give wings to the fancy, and bestow an ease and familiarity grouped with polite- ness, so do the trammels of trade and the function of the earning of money, fetter the behaviour, either with distant manners, or a subserviency to self-in- terest. But, from the court to the counting-house, and from the field of the warrior to that of the husbandman, men must be taken just as they are found ; perfection no where exists ; and this merchant, notwithstanding all his stiffness, was an honest man, and perhaps more desirous and more ca- pable of affording protection and doing substantial service to his lovely though THE HIGHLANDERS. 3?7 remote kinswoman, than those of lof- tier name and more sounding preten- sions. After Flora found herself completely at home, in his plain but substantial family, she mentioned to him the good fortune of her cousin Isabella, who was more nearly related to him than herself. At the mention of her marriage to Lord Gerald de Brook, the merchant shook his head, saving, "I had much rather heard of her marriage to the porter in my warehouse ; for then the promise made to her would have always netted what it bore in effect ; but the honour of Lord Gerald is at as great a discount as the bonds of the most tot- tering government in the world. You must not see after them in the mean 38 THE HIGHLANDERS. time, but I will make the requisite in- quiries, and advise. " Nor was he tardy in the fulfilment of this promise ; for that very same even- ing he called Flora apart from the fe- males of his own family, and, with that caution which became his profession, he informed her that Lord Gerald had never been at the St. James's Hotel, — that all he had been able to ascertain was, that his lordship, accompanied by a young lady, who answered to the des- cription of Isabella, had been two days at an hotel in the Adelphi, — that they had observed the strictest incognito while there, — that he had discharged or changed all his servants, — had re- moved the lady to private lodgings somewhere in the environs of London, THE HIGHLANDERS. '*# and was actually upon his way to Italy, — at least, it had been ascertained that letters of credit on Florence, Rome, Naples, and many parts of Switzerland and Germany had been furnished to him by his banker. The merchant further added, that in the course of his enquiries, it had come out that Lord Gerald had been in the habit of cor- responding regularly with a French mistress in town, while he was in the Highlands, — that he had a deserted daughter at a boarding-school, — that the instances of his perfidy aud seduc- tion were almost without number, (including the story of the broken- hearted lady, which, -though disguised by him, had been recorded in a public print, and stood uncontradicted, — 40 THE HIGHLANDERS, namely, that after dishonouring- the un- fortunate woman, and casting her down from an elevated rank in society, her sufferings and remorse were such, that in a fit of despair, she put a period to her existence by poison) — and that they formed in gay society the theme of con- versation with all, and the model for imi- tation with too many. What had been, or w hat might be, the fate of the ruined Isabella, he could not discover, and, in- deed, it was a pain to enquire and a ter- ror to know ; so that he, in the mean time, exhorted Flora to patience and thankfulness, that she herself had es- caped the snare, and promised to communicate to her the result of his enquiries, as it should unfold itself. In this homely, yet splendid and sub- THE HIGHLANDERS. 41 stantial family, Flora found safety and tranquillity ; but her bosom was not at peace. She felt that she was with- out a home, the chain of dependence hung heavy upon her ; time brought no cure for her woes ; for even the prospect of the future seemed more clouded than the reality of the present. It is true, that wherever she went, the gracefulness of her figure, the touching- interest of her face, heightened as it was by a tone of melancholy, gained her the admiration of all ; but she had no relish for praise, and the attentions of the other sex were irksome and un- welcome,— although good breeding and genteel mauners forbade her to testify displeasure, or exhibit any of those repulsive demonstrations which 42 THE HIGHLANDERS. sit so very ill upon a female brow, when we naturally look for soft sen- sibility and gentle courtesy. She would not consent to visit any public place ; but passed great part of her time in her own chamber, in the improve- ment of her mind. Hence she knew not more of the great metropolis than if she had been immured within the cloisters of a nunnery. The lapse of a few weeks fully re- vealed to her the deceitful character of Mac Skinner, who had, with the re- quisite strength of impudence and of men, passed to the castle of Glen more- — sold off the goods and chattels by auction, and, in virtue of the decree of adjudication, uplifted the arrears of rent, distraining the property to the THE HIGHLANDERS. 43 last sheep, and the last blanket of such as were unable to pay. The number of those was, however, not very great, and the Clan, among themselves, had contrived to purchase all thefavourite articles belonging to the Chief, and indeed all the furniture of the Castle. Nay, they had gone so far as to take a lease of the Castle itself ; and the old servants and furniture were still within it, although the former, now of course without wages, were obliged to support themselves by their own labour. This, however, they did cheerfully, and not only so, but they continued to send Flora a little supply of money, toge- ther with a large supply of every thing that was better than another in the rude produce of the district. Among 44 THE HIGHLANDERS. the latter were a variety of preserves and jellies of mountain berries, of which, though the ladies both of Outched-Friars and Balaam Hill, the town and country residences of the merchant, doubted the cleanness, yet, upon tasting them, they were, in their own peculiar and eccentric language, constrained to pronounce them " wery beautiful," — which two v^ords Flora did not exactly understand, not being aware of the liberties which they take with Mr. V, and Mr. W, and never having before heard the palate referred to as a judge of beauty. She continued for some time in this state, receiving the kindnesses of her entertainer and the courtesies, congra- tulations and presents of her clan ; and THE HIGHLANDERS 45 her little waiting maid, who showed a wonderful aptness of disposition, became a favourite in the family. In short, her situation was so comfortable, that coul I she have forgotten the land of her kindred, the grave of her father, or, what was perchance the most bitter of all — the death of Strathantin, she might have abjured the superiority of the Clan-more, and the pomp of the ancient castle, for the plebeian comfort of some intelligent merchant's country house. Her destiny was different, however, and as her varied cup was not yet nearly filled, chance and cir- cumstance continued to mingle its con- flicting ingredients. In a letter which she received from Castlecreaghy, it was mentioned, that 46 THE HIGHLANDERS. an anonymous communication had been sent to him, requesting him to forward, to a fictitious address, the exact date of Glenmore's demise ; and wish- ing him, at the same time, to intimate to the Lady Flora, that she need expect no more remittances from the unknown quarter. At the same time, however, it mentioned, that if she chose to part with the portrait of Prince Charles Edward, and also with the full-length of her father, the sum of one hundred pounds would be advanced for them, by leaving an order for their delivery to the bearer, addressed to A. B. at a certain banking-house in Lombard Street. To this banking-house Flora went, escorted by her friend, the merchant, THE HIGHLANDERS. 47 but all her efforts to obtain the real name of the writer were in vain. The banker, upon being urged, said he could not be guilty of a breach of confidence towards a person who kept large sums of money in his hands, and who, though extensive in his charities, was always unostentatious, and avoided the disclosure of his name." " Charities !" exclaimed the child of nature ; " charities to Glenmore !" and with this she nearly sunk in the arms of her protector, as he handed her back to his carriage. They retired to the merchant's house, in order to write a note, stating that no price could purchase the portraits al- luded to, and that the would-be pur- 46 THE HIGHLANDERS. chaser ought better to have known and respected the feelings of a chieftain's daughter, than either to have bargain- ed for what she considered above all price, or to have announced the with- drawing of a relief, neither solicited nor J expected. This billet being written, they returned with it to the banker, in order that he might read it in their presence ; and for this purpose it was delivered to him, addressed as directed, but not sealed or even folded. Old " Ten per Cent, and a Bonus/' tor such was his name upon 'Change, read it over, shook his head, and said to the merchant : " Your 3 oung lady seems more proud than prudent ; she THE HIGHLANDERS. 40 sets more value upon a canvass picture of a dead pretender, than upon a hun- dred golden images of a living king." " No, sir," said the merchant, " she is only very feeling ; nor is that ho- nourable pride for herself, but for the memory of an unfortunate prince, to whom her clan had sworn allegiance, and for the memory of a father, of as high blood and exalted merit as ever graced the human form." " All very well to speak about ; but they won't discount," replied the banker ; and turning to a clerk, who had just come in, " Pray how are Con- sols to day ?" " They have touched 75," replied the clerk ; and the conversation con- tinued about Exchequer Bills, and Navy VOL. if. D 50 THE HIGHLANDERS. Bonds, and Foreign Scrip and Omnium — all of which were perfect Hebrew to Glenmore's daughter, of whom, and her fond attachment to the portraits of the prince and her father, he took no more heed ; and indeed he went to his bills and his ledger without so much as bidding her good morning. Her friend, seeing the effect which the indifference of a disciple of Mam- mon had produced upon her feel- ings, had not power to exchange a word with her as they drove home. When they arrived, she retired to her apartments, called her little maid, the only one who could enter fully with her into the sympathies of the High- lands ; and having had all her suffer- ings lacerated afresh by this rencontre, THE HIGHLANDERS. 51 which the buying and selling world will think trivial, she was taken ill and confined to her chamber for a week. Nor would the faithful Mary consent to leave it, but waited on her with fond attention while awake, and watched her pillow with solicitude during hours of feverish and disturbed sleep. u 8 VfPRARY 52 THE HIGHLANDERS. CHAP. III. " Court not the great ; for oft the coronet Sits on disordered brows, the downy vesture Laces a heart, where passions, ill at ease, And alien both to virtue and to honour, Revel and rankle. " Every attention which good-nature could suggest, and every comfort which abundance could supply, were bestowed upon Flora during her indisposition ; and when she had so far recovered as to render that advisable, she was driven every morning to an airing in one or other of the Royal Parks. Alighting upon one of these occasions to take a short promenade, she was recognized by a convent-companion, THE HIGHLANDERS. 53 whom she had not seen since they were at their education together on the continent ; and who, highly connected by marriage, was now moving in the very top circle of fashion. The joy of such a meeting may be easily con- ceived : it was genuine on the part of her Ladyship ; but it was still more warm and unqualified on that of the daughter of Glenmore, for she had not learned to wear that veil of the heart, which is not only tolerated, but de- manded by even the best in the upper walks of life. , " My dear Emily," said she, " what happy associations present themselves to my fancy ? What retrospective plea- sure do I feel on beholding the compa- nion of my early youth ? But, Emily, 54 THE HIGHLANDERS. you have been distant of late. You have been unkind ; you are three letter* in ray debt ; and I had begun to fear that you too (she tried to recal the word) had forgotten me. I never wished to offend you ; what, then, made you abandon me thus ?" " Why, my love," replied Lady Fitz Arthur, I plead guilty, acknowledge my fault, and throw myself upon the mercy of your lovely features, which already smiie forgiveness upon me ; but really these husbands are such strange beings, that they will scarcely allow their better halves (as you and I may well consider ourselves) to corres- pond with any one. Besides, my dear girl, I have become such a dissipated creature — so shockingly dissipated, THE HIGHLANDERS. 55 that I never have a single moment to myself. The drudgery of being fa- shionable is really too much for me ; yet I must just act like my neighbours : and what with my Lord's attendance at the Upper House — the incurables as somebody calls them — and making us dine by night; and fluttering from route to route, and taking to-night's supper by to-morrow's sun, if the cur- tains did not keep off his unwelcome peeping ; and the bore of hearing the noon-bell awaken us from our first sleep, — with all this I cannot collect two ideas and put them together. Nay, upon my life, I am sometimes obliged to think and act by proxy, just as I am always obliged to pay by de- puty, and by substitute, (here she 56 THE HIGHLANDERS. laughed very heartily.) A peers' wife, you know, has a right to vote by proxy — but, ray dear Flora, I understanoV that you, too, were setting your cap at a Coronet." — At these words the rose faded from the cheek of Flora, and the vermeil re- tired from her lip. Her Ladyship per- ceived it, and instantly changed her ground. " Pardon me, my old, and dear com- panion, I have touched a wrong string —one that vibrates melancholy; but you know what a rattle I am, so don't, I entreat you, answer my question." Flora had but breath remaining to repeat in a stifled whisper, " He is no more !" Lady Fitz Arthur soon caught the THE HIGHLANDERS. 57 infection ; but, with her, it was soon caught, soon conquered : " cheer up, Flora. But tell me where are you? with whom ? and what about ? Then follows the command ; you must find a day for coming, bag and baggage, band-box, carton, sac de nuit, wait- ing maid, lap-dog, parrot, Highland poney ; in a word, all, and sundry, your incumbrances, which shall find ample room and hearty welcome at Portland Place." " My baggage is neither so heavy nor so noisy as your enumeration/' said Flora, recovering a little ; " you will have only myself and a single attend- ant— little Mary, a Highland exotic, who would not leave me while I was alone, and whom it would ill become D 3 58 THE HIGHLANDERS. me to leave here, where she would be alone herself. But I shall accept your kind offer, and be early with you next week, — well aware of the affectionate heart which dictates your invitation. But, my dear Emmy, I am ill-formed for running the round of pleasure of which you speak ; and when you turn day into night and night into day, you will have the goodness to consider me as a mere piece of domestic lumber* and leave me as a fixture in my own apartment or in your library. \3 " My dear friend," replied the gay. and giddy, yet kind-hearted Lady Fitz Arthur, " thou shalt be an hermit in the conservatory if thou wilt, and live upon the fruits of the garden and the limpid stream ; if thou likest it better, THE HIGHLANDERS. 59 thou shalt be a statue in the book- room — a very ornamental one ; or, thou shalt be shut up in the music saloon with thy harp — an emblem of the melancholy and moping muse: in short, thou shalt do whatever thou wilt, provided thou comest to my roof. So good bye, Flora, — good bye, the envy and delight of the convent ; good bye, the rose of the Highland heather. You see new fortunes have not made me forget old times, — but I must to busi- ness ; I have a dozen of shops to call at ; a score of duns to appease; three dresses to select ; a jeweller's levee to attend; besides half a dozen fibs to tell about the breaking of my necklace, the disappointing of Lady Latitude at ber citified party, and the amount 60 THE HIGHLANDERS. 