"Haud your peace, ye auld jade," said Dumbiedikes; "the warst quean e'er stude in their shoon may ca' you cousin, an a' be true that I have heard. Jeanie, my woman, gang into the parlour but stay, that winna be redd up yet wait there a minute till I come down to let ye in Dinna mind what Jenny says to ye."
"Na, na," said Jenny, with a laugh of affected heartiness, "never mind me, lass a' the warld kens my bark's waur than my bite if ye had had an appointment wi' the Laird, ye might hae tauld me I am nae uncivil person gang your ways in by, hinny," and she opened the door of the house with a master-key.
"But I had no appointment wi' the Laird," said Jeanie, drawing back; "I want just to speak twa words to him, and I wad rather do it standing here, Mrs. Balchristie."
"In the open court-yard! Na, na, that wad never do, lass; we mauna guide ye that gate neither And how's that douce honest man, your father?"
Jeanie was saved the pain of answering this hypocritical question by the appearance of the Laird himself.
"Gang in and get breakfast ready," said he to his housekeeper "and, d'ye hear, breakfast wi' us yoursell ye ken how to manage thae porringers of tea-water and, hear ye, see abune a' that there's a gude fire. Weel, Jeanie, my woman, gang in by gang in by, and rest ye."
"Na, Laird," Jeanie replied, endeavouring as much as she could to express herself with composure, notwithstanding she still trembled, "I canna gang in I have a lang day's darg afore me I maun be twenty mile o' gate the night yet, if feet will carry me."
"Guide and deliver us! twenty mile twenty mile on your feet!" ejaculated Dumbiedikes, whose walks were of a very circumscribed diameter, "Ye maun never think o' that come in by."
"I canna do that, Laird," replied Jeanie; "the twa words I have to say to ye I can say here; forby that Mrs. Balchristie"
"The deil flee awa wi' Mrs. Balchristie," said Dumbiedikes, "and he'll hae a heavy lading o' her! I tell ye, Jeanie Deans, I am a man of few words, but I am laird at hame, as well as in the field; deil a brute or body about my house but I can manage when I like, except Rory Bean, my powny; but I can seldom be at the plague, an it binna when my bluid's up."
"I was wanting to say to ye, Laird," said Jeanie, who felt the necessity of entering upon her business, "that I was gaun a lang journey, outby of my father's knowledge."
"Outby his knowledge, Jeanie! Is that right? Ye maun think ot again it's no right," said Dumbiedikes, with a countenance of great concern.
"If I were ance at Lunnon," said Jeanie, in exculpation, "I am amaist sure I could get means to speak to the queen about my sister's life."
"Lunnon and the queen and her sister's life!" said Dumbiedikes, whistling for very amazement "the lassie's demented."
"I am no out o' my mind," said she, "and sink or swim, I am determined to gang to Lunnon, if I suld beg my way frae door to door and so I maun, unless ye wad lend me a small sum to pay my expenses little thing will do it; and ye ken my father's a man of substance, and wad see nae man, far less you, Laird, come to loss by me."
Dumbiedikes, on comprehending the nature of this application, could scarce trust his ears he made no answer whatever, but stood with his eyes rivetted on the ground.
"I see ye are no for assisting me, Laird," said Jeanie, "sae fare ye weel and gang and see my poor father as aften as ye can he will be lonely eneugh now."
"Where is the silly bairn gaun?" said Dumbiedikes; and, laying hold of her hand, he led her into the house. "It's no that I didna think o't before," he said, "but it stack in my throat."
Thus speaking to himself, he led her into an old-fashioned parlour, shut the door behind them, and fastened it with a bolt. While Jeanie, surprised at this manoeuvre, remained as near the door as possible, the Laird quitted her hand, and pressed upon a spring lock fixed in an oak panel in the wainscot, which instantly slipped aside. An iron strong-box was discovered in a recess of the wall; he opened this also, and pulling out two or three drawers, showed that they were filled with leathern bags full of gold and silver coin.
"This is my bank, Jeanie lass," he said, looking first at her and then at the treasure, with an air of great complacency, "nane o' your goldsmith's bills for me, they bring folk to ruin."
Then, suddenly changing his tone, he resolutely said, "Jeanie, I will make ye Lady Dumbiedikes afore the sun sets and ye may ride to Lunnon in your ain coach, if ye like."
"Na, Laird," said Jeanie, "that can never be my father's grief my sister's situation the discredit to you"
"That's my business," said Dumbiedikes; "ye wad say naething about that if ye werena a fule and yet I like ye the better for't ae wise body's eneugh in the married state. But if your heart's ower fu', take what siller will serve ye, and let it be when ye come back again as gude syne as sune."
"But, Laird," said Jeanie, who felt the necessity of being explicit with so extraordinary a lover, "I like another man better than you, and I canna marry ye."
"Another man better than me, Jeanie!" said Dumbiedikes; "how is that possible? It's no possible, woman ye hae ken'd me sae lang."
"Ay but, Laird," said Jeanie, with persevering simplicity, "I hae ken'd him langer."
"Langer! It's no possible!" exclaimed the poor Laird. "It canna be; ye were born on the land. O Jeanie woman, ye haena lookit ye haena seen the half o' the gear." He drew out another drawer "A' gowd, Jeanie, and there's bands for siller lent And the rental book, Jeanie clear three hunder sterling deil a wadset, heritable band, or burden Ye haena lookit at them, woman And then my mother's wardrobe, and my grandmother's forby silk gowns wad stand on their ends, their pearline-lace as fine as spiders' webs, and rings and ear-rings to the boot of a' that they are a' in the chamber of deas Oh, Jeanie, gang up the stair and look at them!"
But Jeanie held fast her integrity, though beset with temptations, which perhaps the Laird of Dumbiedikes did not greatly err in supposing were those most affecting to her sex.
"It canna be, Laird I have said it and I canna break my word till him, if ye wad gie me the haill barony of Dalkeith, and Lugton into the bargain."
"Your word to him," said the Laird, somewhat pettishly; "but wha is he, Jeanie? wha is he? I haena heard his name yet Come now, Jeanie, ye are but queering us I am no trowing that there is sic a ane in the warld ye are but making fashion What is he? wha is he?"
"Just Reuben Butler, that's schulemaster at Liberton," said Jeanie.
"Reuben Butler! Reuben Butler!" echoed the Laird of Dumbiedikes, pacing the apartment in high disdain, "Reuben Butler, the dominie at Liberton and a dominie depute too! Reuben, the son of my cottar! Very weel, Jeanie lass, wilfu' woman will hae her way Reuben Butler! he hasna in his pouch the value o' the auld black coat he wears But it disna signify." And as he spoke, he shut successively and with vehemence the drawers of his treasury. "A fair offer, Jeanie, is nae cause of feud Ae man may bring a horse to the water, but twenty winna gar him drink And as for wasting my substance on other folk's joes"
There was something in the last hint that nettled Jeanie's honest pride. "I was begging nane frae your honour," she said; "least of a' on sic a score as ye pit it on. Gude morning to ye, sir; ye hae been kind to my father, and it isna in my heart to think otherwise than kindly of you."