CHAPTER XVI
Our Polly is a sad slut, nor heeds what we have taught her, I wonder any man alive will ever rear a daughter, For when she's drest with care and cost, all tempting, fine, and gay, As men should serve a cucumber, she flings herself away.
Beggar's Opera.
After the death of Mr. Bertram, Mannering had set out upon a shorttour, proposing to return to the neighbourhood of Ellangowan before thesale of that property should take place. He went, accordingly, toEdinburgh and elsewhere, and it was in his return towards thesouth-western district of Scotland, in which our scene lies, that, at apost-town about a hundred miles from Kippletringan, to which he hadrequested his friend, Mr. Mervyn, to address his letters, he receivedone from that gentleman which contained rather unpleasing intelligence.We have assumed already the privilege of acting a secretis to thisgentleman, and therefore shall present the reader with an extract fromthis epistle.
'I beg your pardon, my dearest friend, for the pain I have given you inforcing you to open wounds so festering as those your letter referredto. I have always heard, though erroneously perhaps, that theattentions of Mr. Brown were intended for Miss Mannering. But, howeverthat were, it could not be supposed that in your situation his boldnessshould escape notice and chastisement. Wise men say that we resign tocivil society our natural rights of self-defence only on condition thatthe ordinances of law should protect us. Where the price cannot bepaid, the resignation becomes void. For instance, no one supposes thatI am not entitled to defend my purse and person against a highwayman,as much as if I were a wild Indian, who owns neither law normagistracy. The question of resistance or submission must be determinedby my means and situation. But if, armed and equal in force, I submitto injustice and violence from any man, high or low, I presume it willhardly be attributed to religious or moral feeling in me, or in any onebut a Quaker. An aggression on my honour seems to me much the same. Theinsult, however trifling in itself, is one of much deeper consequenceto all views in life than any wrong which can be inflicted by adepredator on the highway, and to redress the injured party is muchless in the power of public jurisprudence, or rather it is entirelybeyond its reach. If any man chooses to rob Arthur Mervyn of thecontents of his purse, supposing the said Arthur has not means ofdefence, or the skill and courage to use them, the assizes at Lancasteror Carlisle will do him justice by tucking up the robber; yet who willsay I am bound to wait for this justice, and submit to being plunderedin the first instance, if I have myself the means and spirit to protectmy own property? But if an affront is offered to me, submission underwhich is to tarnish my character for ever with men of honour, and forwhich the twelve judges of England, with the chancellor to boot, canafford me no redress, by what rule of law or reason am I to be deterredfrom protecting what ought to be, and is, so infinitely dearer to everyman of honour than his whole fortune? Of the religious views of thematter I shall say nothing, until I find a reverend divine who shallcondemn self-defence in the article of life and property. If itspropriety in that case be generally admitted, I suppose littledistinction can be drawn between defence of person and goods andprotection of reputation. That the latter is liable to be assailed bypersons of a different rank in life, untainted perhaps in morals, andfair in character, cannot affect my legal right of self-defence. I maybe sorry that circumstances have engaged me in personal strife withsuch an individual; but I should feel the same sorrow for a generousenemy who fell under my sword in a national quarrel. I shall leave thequestion with the casuists, however; only observing, that what I havewritten will not avail either the professed duellist or him who is theaggressor in a dispute of honour. I only presume to exculpate him whois dragged into the field by such an offence as, submitted to inpatience, would forfeit for ever his rank and estimation in society.
'I am sorry you have thoughts of settling in Scotland, and yet gladthat you will still be at no immeasurable distance, and that thelatitude is all in our favour. To move to Westmoreland from Devonshiremight make an East-Indian shudder; but to come to us from Galloway orDumfries-shire is a step, though a short one, nearer the sun. Besides,if, as I suspect, the estate in view be connected with the old hauntedcastle in which you played the astrologer in your northern tour sometwenty years since, I have heard you too often describe the scene withcomic unction to hope you will be deterred from making the purchase. Itrust, however, the hospitable gossiping Laird has not run himself uponthe shallows, and that his chaplain, whom you so often made us laughat, is still in rerum natura.
'And here, dear Mannering, I wish I could stop, for I have incrediblepain in telling the rest of my story; although I am sure I can warn youagainst any intentional impropriety on the part of my temporary ward,Julia Mannering. But I must still earn my college nickname of DownrightDunstable. In one word, then, here is the matter.
'Your daughter has much of the romantic turn of your disposition, witha little of that love of admiration which all pretty women share lessor more. She will besides, apparently, be your heiress; a triflingcircumstance to those who view Julia with my eyes, but a prevailingbait to the specious, artful, and worthless. You know how I have jestedwith her about her soft melancholy, and lonely walks at morning beforeany one is up, and in the moonlight when all should be gone to bed, orset down to cards, which is the same thing. The incident which followsmay not be beyond the bounds of a joke, but I had rather the jest uponit came from you than me.
'Two or three times during the last fortnight I heard, at a late hourin the night or very early in the morning, a flageolet play the littleHindu tune to which your daughter is so partial. I thought for sometime that some tuneful domestic, whose taste for music was laid underconstraint during the day, chose that silent hour to imitate thestrains which he had caught up by the ear during his attendance in thedrawing-room. But last night I sat late in my study, which isimmediately under Miss Mannering's apartment, and to my surprise I notonly heard the flageolet distinctly, but satisfied myself that it camefrom the lake under the window. Curious to know who serenaded us atthat unusual hour, I stole softly to the window of my apartment. Butthere were other watchers than me. You may remember, Miss Manneringpreferred that apartment on account of a balcony which opened from herwindow upon the lake. Well, sir, I heard the sash of her window thrownup, the shutters opened, and her own voice in conversation with someperson who answered from below. This is not "Much ado about nothing"; Icould not be mistaken in her voice, and such tones, so soft, soinsinuating; and, to say the truth, the accents from below were inpassion's tenderest cadence too,--but of the sense I can say nothing. Iraised the sash of my own window that I might hear something more thanthe mere murmur of this Spanish rendezvous; but, though I used everyprecaution, the noise alarmed the speakers; down slid the young lady'scasement, and the shutters were barred in an instant. The dash of apair of oars in the water announced the retreat of the male person ofthe dialogue. Indeed, I saw his boat, which he rowed with greatswiftness and dexterity, fly across the lake like a twelve-oared barge.Next morning I examined some of my domestics, as if by accident, and Ifound the gamekeeper, when making his rounds, had twice seen that boatbeneath the house, with a single person, and had heard the flageolet. Idid not care to press any farther questions, for fear of implicatingJulia in the opinions of those of whom they might be asked. Nextmorning, at breakfast, I dropped a casual hint about the serenade ofthe evening before, and I promise you Miss Mannering looked red andpale alternately. I immediately gave the circumstance such a turn asmight lead her to suppose that my observation was merely casual. I havesince caused a watch-light to be burnt in my library, and have left theshutters open, to deter the approach of our nocturnal guest; and I havestated the severity of approaching winter, and the rawness of the fogs,as an objection to solitary walks. Miss Mannering acquiesced with apassiveness which is no part of her character, and which, to tell youthe plain truth, is a feature about the business which I like least ofall. Julia has too much of her own dear papa's disposition to be
curbedin any of her humours, were there not some little lurking consciousnessthat it may be as prudent to avoid debate.
'Now my story is told, and you will judge what you ought to do. I havenot mentioned the matter to my good woman, who, a faithful secretary toher sex's foibles, would certainly remonstrate against your being madeacquainted with these particulars, and might, instead, take it into herhead to exercise her own eloquence on Miss Mannering; a faculty which,however powerful when directed against me, its legitimate object,might, I fear, do more harm than good in the case supposed. Perhapseven you yourself will find it most prudent to act withoutremonstrating, or appearing to be aware of this little anecdote. Juliais very like a certain friend of mine; she has a quick and livelyimagination, and keen feelings, which are apt to exaggerate both thegood and evil they find in life. She is a charming girl, however, asgenerous and spirited as she is lovely. I paid her the kiss you senther with all my heart, and she rapped my fingers for my reward with allhers. Pray return as soon as you can. Meantime rely upon the care of,yours faithfully, 'ARTHUR MERVYN.
'P.S.--You will naturally wish to know if I have the least guessconcerning the person of the serenader. In truth, I have none. There isno young gentleman of these parts, who might be in rank or fortune amatch for Miss Julia, that I think at all likely to play such acharacter. But on the other side of the lake, nearly opposite to MervynHall, is a d--d cake-house, the resort of walking gentlemen of alldescriptions--poets, players, painters, musicians--who come to rave,and recite, and madden about this picturesque land of ours. It ispaying some penalty for its beauties, that they are the means ofdrawing this swarm of coxcombs together. But were Julia my daughter, itis one of those sort of fellows that I should fear on her account. Sheis generous and romantic, and writes six sheets a week to a femalecorrespondent; and it's a sad thing to lack a subject in such a case,either for exercise of the feelings or of the pen. Adieu, once more.Were I to treat this matter more seriously than I have done, I shoulddo injustice to your feelings; were I altogether to overlook it, Ishould discredit my own.'
The consequence of this letter was, that, having first despatched thefaithless messenger with the necessary powers to Mr. Mac-Morlan forpurchasing the estate of Ellangowan, Colonel Mannering turned hishorse's head in a more southerly direction, and neither 'stinted norstaid' until he arrived at the mansion of his friend Mr. Mervyn, uponthe banks of one of the lakes of Westmoreland.