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44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | In this state he passed the night. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Towards morning symptoms of a change began to show themselves,--the turbulence of his thoughts subsided,--his breathing became more regular; and both Isabella and his mother were persuaded that he was considerably better. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Under this impression, the old lady, at day-break, dispatched a messenger to inform his father of the favourable change, who, in the interval, had passed a night, in a state not more calm and far less enviable, than that of his distracted son. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Whatever was the motive which induced Claud, on the preceding evening, to determine on sending for Mr. Keelevin, it would appear that it did not long maintain its influence; for, before going to bed, he countermanded the order. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Indeed, his whole behaviour that night indicated a strange and unwonted degree of indecision. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | It was evident that he meditated some intention, which he hesitated to carry into effect; and the conflict banished sleep from his pillow. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | When the messenger from Glasgow arrived, he was already dressed, and, as none of the servants were stirring, he opened the door himself. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The news certainly gave him pleasure, but they also produced some change in the secret workings of his mind, of no auspicious augury to the fulfilment of the parental intention which he had probably formed; but which he was as probably reluctant to realize, as it could not be carried into effect without material detriment to that one single dominant object to which his whole life, efforts, and errors, had been devoted. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | At least from the moment he received the agreeable intelligence that Charles was better, his agitation ceased, and he resumed his seat in the elbow-chair, by the parlour fire-side, as composedly as if nothing had occurred, in any degree, to trouble the apparently even tenor of his daily unsocial and solitary reflections. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | In this situation he fell asleep, from which he was roused by another messenger with still more interesting intelligence to him than even the convalescence, as it was supposed, of his favourite son. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mrs. George Walkinshaw had, for some time, given a large promise, in her appearance, of adding to the heirs of Kittlestonheugh; but, by her residence in Glasgow, and holding little intercourse with the Grippy family (owing to her own situation, and to her dislike of the members, especially after Walter had been brought back with his child), the Laird and Leddy were less acquainted with her maternal progress than might have been expected, particularly when the anxiety of the old man, with respect to male issue, is considered. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Such things, however, are of common occurrence in all families; and it so happened, that, during the course of this interesting night, Mrs. George had been delivered; and that her husband, as in duty bound, in the morning dispatched a maid-servant to inform his father and mother of the joyous event. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The messenger, Jenny Purdie, had several years before been in the servitude of the Laird's house, from which she translated herself to that of George. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Being something forward, at the same time sly and adroit, and having heard how much her old master had been disappointed that Walter's daughter was not a son, she made no scruple of employing a little address in communicating her news. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Accordingly, when the Laird, disturbed in his slumber by her entrance, roused himself, and turned round to see who it was that had come into the room, she presented herself, as she had walked from the royal city muffled up in a dingy red cloak, her dark-blue and white striped petticoat, sorely scanty, and her glowing purple legs, and well spread shoeless feet, bearing liberal proof of the speed with which she had spattered and splashed along the road. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'I wis you meikle joy, Laird! |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | I hae brought you blithesmeat,' was her salutation. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'What is't, Jenny?' said the old man. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'I'll let you guess that, unless ye promise to gi'e me half-a-crown,' was her reply. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'T'ou canna think I would ware less on sic errand as t'ou's come on. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Is't a laddie?' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'It's far better, Laird!' said Jenny triumphantly. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Is't twins?' exclaimed the Laird, sympathizing with her exultation. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'A half-crown, a half-crown, Laird,' was, however, all the satisfaction he received. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Down wi' the dust.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'An t'ou's sae on thy peremptors, I fancy I maun comply. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | There, take it, and welcome,' said he, pulling the money from under the flap of his waistcoat pocket; while Jenny, stretching her arm, as she hoisted it from under the cloak, eagerly bent forward and took the silver out of his hand, instantaneously affecting the greatest gravity of face. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Laird,' said she, 'ye mauna be angry wi' me, but I did na like just to dumb-foun'er you a' at ance wi' the news; my mistress, it's very true, has been brought to bed, but it's no as ye expekit.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Then it's but a dochter?' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | replied the Laird discontentedly. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'No, Sir, it's no a dochter.--It's twa dochters, Sir!' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | exclaimed Jenny, scarcely able to repress her risibility, while she endeavoured to assume an accent of condolence. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Claud sank back in his chair, and, drooping his head, gave a deep sigh. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'But,' rejoined the adroit Jenny, 'it's a gude earnest of a braw family, so keep up your heart, Laird, aiblins the neist birds may be a' cocks; there ne'er was a goose without a gander.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Gae but the house, and fash na me wi' thy clishmaclavers. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | I say gae but the house,' cried the Laird, in a tone so deep and strong, that Jenny's disposition to gossip was most effectually daunted, and she immediately retired. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | For some time after she had left the room, Claud continued sitting in the same posture with which he had uttered the command, leaning slightly forward, and holding the arms of the easy-chair graspingly by both his hands, as if in the act of raising himself. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Gradually, however, he relaxed his hold, and subsided slowly and heavily into the position in which he usually fell asleep. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Shutting his eyes, he remained in that state for a considerable time, exhibiting no external indication of the rush of mortified feelings, which, like a subterranean stream of some acrid mineral, struggled through all the abysses of his bosom. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | This last stroke--the birth of twin daughters--seemed to perfect the signs and omens of that displeasure with which he had for some time thought the disinheritance of his first-born was regarded; and there was undoubtedly something sublime in the fortitude with which he endured the gnawings of remorse.--It may be impossible to consider the course of his sordid ambition without indignation; but the strength of character which enabled him to contend at once with his paternal partiality, and stand firm in his injustice before what he awfully deemed the frowns and the menaces of Heaven, forms a spectacle of moral bravery that cannot be contemplated without emotions of wonder mingled with dread. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | CHAPTER XLII |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The fallacious symptoms in the progress of Charles's malady, which had deceived his wife and mother, assumed, on the third day, the most alarming appearance. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mr. Keelevin, who, from the interview, had taken an uncommon interest in his situation, did not, however, hear of his illness till the doctors, from the firmest persuasion that he could not survive, had expressed some doubts of his recovery; but, from that time, the inquiries of the honest lawyer were frequent; and, notwithstanding what had passed on the former occasion, he resolved to make another attempt on the sympathies of the father. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | For this purpose, on the morning of the fifth day, which happened to be Sunday, he called at Charles's house, to inquire how he was, previous to the visit which he intended to pay to Grippy. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | But the servant who attended the door was in tears, and told him that her master was in the last struggles of life. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Any other general acquaintance would, on receiving such intelligence, however deeply he might have felt affected, have retired; but the ardent mind and simplicity of Mr. Keelevin prompted him to act differently; and without replying to the girl, he softly slipped his feet from his shoes, and stepping gently to the sick-chamber, entered it unobserved; so much were those around the death-bed occupied with the scene before them. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Isabella was sitting at the bed-head, holding her dying husband by both the hands, and bending over him almost as insensible as himself. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | His mother was sitting near the foot of the bed, with a phial in one hand, and a towel, resting on her knee, in the other, looking over her left shoulder towards her son, with an eager countenance, in which curiosity, and alarm, and pity, were, in rapid succession, strangely and vacantly expressed. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | At the foot of the bed, the curtains of which were drawn aside, the two little children stood wondering in solemn innocence at the mournful mystery which Nature was performing with their father. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mr. Keelevin was more moved by their helpless astonishment than even by the sight of the last and lessening heavings and pantings of his dying friend; and, melted to tears, he withdrew, and wept behind the door. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | In the course of three or four minutes, a rustle in the chamber roused him; and on looking round, he saw Isabella standing on the floor, and her mother-in-law, who had dropped the phial, sitting, with a look of horror, holding up her hand, which quivered with agitation. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | He stepped forward, and giving a momentary glance at the bed, saw that all was over; but, before he could turn round to address himself to the ladies, the children uttered a shrill piercing shriek of terror; and running to their mother, hid their little faces in her dress, and clasped her fearfully in their arms. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | For some minutes he was overcome. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The young, the beautiful, the defenceless widow, was the first that recovered her self-possession. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | A flood of tears relieved her heart; and bending down, and folding her arms round her orphans, she knelt, and said, with an upward look of supplication, 'God will protect you.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mr. Keelevin was still unable to trust himself to say a word; but he approached, and gently assisting her to rise, led her, with the children, into the parlour, where old Lady Plealands was sitting alone, with a large psalm-book in her hand. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Her spectacles lying on a table in the middle of the room, showed that she had been unable to read. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | He then returned to bring Leddy Grippy also away from the body, but met her in the passage. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | We dare not venture to repeat what she said to him, for she was a mother; but the result was, a request from her that he would undertake to communicate the intelligence to her husband, and to beg him either to come to her in the course of the day, or send her some money: 'For,' said she, 'this is a bare house, Mr. Keelevin; and Heaven only knows what's to become o' the wee orphans.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The kind-hearted lawyer needed, however, no argument to spur him on to do all that he could in such a time, and in such circumstances, to lighten the distress and misery of a family whose necessities he so well knew. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | On quitting the house, he proceeded immediately towards Grippy, ruminating on the scene he had witnessed, and on the sorrows which he foresaw the desolate widow and her children were destined to suffer. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The weather, for some days before, had been unsettled and boisterous; but it was that morning uncommonly fine for the advanced state of the season. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Every thing was calm and in repose, as if Nature herself had hallowed the Sabbath. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mr. Keelevin walked thoughtfully along, the grief of his reflections being gradually subdued by the benevolence of his intentions; but he was a man well stricken in years, and the agitation he had undergone made the way appear to him so long, that he felt himself tired, insomuch that when he came to the bottom of the lane which led to Kilmarkeckle, he sat down to rest himself on the old dike, where Claud himself had sat, on his return from the town, after executing the fatal entail. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Absorbed in the reflections to which the event of the morning naturally gave rise, he leaned for some time pensively forward, supporting his head on his hand, insensible to every object around, till he was roused by the cooing of a pigeon in the field behind him. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The softness and the affectionate sound of its tones comforted his spirits as he thought of his client's harsh temper, and he raised his eyes and looked on the beautiful tranquillity of the landscape before him, with a sensation of freshness and pleasure, that restored him to confidence in the charity of his intentions. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The waters of the river were glancing to the cloudless morning sun,--a clear bright cheerfulness dwelt on the foreheads of the distant hills,--the verdure of the nearer fields seemed to be gladdened by the presence of spring,--and a band of little schoolboys, in their Sunday clothes, playing with a large dog on the opposite bank of the river, was in unison with the general benevolence that smiled and breathed around, but was liveliest in his own heart. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | CHAPTER XLIII |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The benevolent lawyer found the old man in his accustomed seat by the fireside. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Walter was in the room with him, dressed for church, and dandling his child. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | At first Mr. Keelevin felt a little embarrassment, not being exactly aware in what manner the news he had to communicate might be received; but seeing how Walter was engaged, he took occasion to commend his parental affection. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'That's acting like a father, Mr. Walter,' said he; 'for a kind parent innocently pleasuring his bairn is a sight that the very angels are proud to look on. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mak muckle o' the poor wee thing, for nobody can tell how long she may be spared to you. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | I dare say, Mr. Walkinshaw,' he added, addressing himself to Claud, 'ye hae mony a time been happy in the same manner wi' your own children?' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'I had something else to tak up my mind,' replied the old man gruffly, not altogether pleased to see the lawyer, and apprehensive of some new animadversions. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Nae doubt, yours has been an eydent and industrious life,' said Mr. Keelevin, 'and hitherto it has na been without a large share o' comfort. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Ye canna, however, expek a greater constancy in fortune and the favour o' Providence than falls to the common lot of man; and ye maun lay your account to meet wi' troubles and sorrows as weel as your neighbours.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | This was intended by the speaker as a prelude to the tidings he had brought, and was said in a mild and sympathetic manner; but the heart of Claud, galled and skinless by the corrosion of his own thoughts, felt it as a reproach, and he interrupted him sharply. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'What ken ye, Mr. Keelevin, either o' my trumps or my troubles?' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | And he subjoined, in his austerest and most emphatic manner, 'The inner man alone knows, |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | whether, in the gifts o' fortune, he has gotten gude, or but only gowd. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mr. Keelevin, I hae lived long eneugh to mak an observe on prosperity,--the whilk is, that the doited and heedless world is very ready to mistak the smothering growth of the ivy, on a doddered stem, for the green boughs o' a sound and nourishing tree.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | To which Walter added singingly, as he swung his child by the arms,-- 'Near planted by a river, Which in his season yields his fruit, And his leaf fadeth never.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'But no to enter upon any controversy, Mr. Walkinshaw,' said Mr. Keelevin,--'ye'll no hae heard the day how your son Charles is?' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'No,' replied Claud, with a peculiarly impressive accent; 'but, at the latest last night, the gudewife sent word he was very ill.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'I'm greatly concerned about him,' resumed the lawyer, scarcely aware of the address with which, in his simplicity, he was moving on towards the fatal communication; 'I am greatly concerned about him, but mair for his young children--they'll be very helpless orphans, Mr. Walkinshaw.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'I ken that,' was the stern answer, uttered with such a dark and troubled look, that it quite daunted Mr. Keelevin at the moment from proceeding. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Ye ken that!' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | cried Walter, pausing, and setting down the child on the floor, and seating himself beside it; 'how do ye ken |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | that, father?' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The old man eyed him for a moment with a fierce and strong aversion, and, turning to Mr. Keelevin, shook his head, but said nothing. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'What's done, is done, and canna be helped,' resumed the lawyer; 'but reparation may yet, by some sma cost and cooking, be made; and I hope Mr. Walkinshaw, considering what has happened, ye'll do your duty.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'I'll sign nae papers,' interposed Walter; 'I'll do nothing to wrang my wee Betty Bodle,'--and he fondly kissed the child. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | Mr. Keelevin looked compassionately at the natural, and then, turning to his father, said,-- 'I hae been this morning to see Mr. Charles.' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Weel, and how is he?' exclaimed the father eagerly. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | The lawyer, for about the term of a minute, made no reply, but looked at him steadily in the face, and then added solemnly,-- 'He's no more!' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | At first the news seemed to produce scarcely any effect; the iron countenance of the old man underwent no immediate change--he only remained immoveable in the position in which he had received the shock; but presently Mr. Keelevin saw that he did not fetch his breath, and that his lips began to contract asunder, and to expose his yellow teeth with the grin almost of a skull. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | 'Heavens preserve us, Mr. Walkinshaw!' |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | cried Mr. Keelevin, rising to his assistance; but, in the same moment, the old man uttered a groan so deep and dreadful, so strange and superhuman, that Walter snatched up his child, and rushed in terror out of the room. |
44,573 | The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy | After this earthquake-struggle, he in some degree recovered himself, and the lawyer returned to his chair, where he remained some time silent. |
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