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A Legend of Montrose-Part9_WALTER SCOTT(1771-1832)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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scarce eat up all the cattle that's going on the castle mains."

"Teil care an they did," said Donald, "an that were the warst



o't, for we have a wheen canny trewsmen here that wadna let us

want if there was a horned beast atween this and Perth. But this



is a warse job--it's nae less than a wager."

"A wager!" repeated Lord Menteith, with some surprise.



"Troth," continued Donald, to the full as eager to tell his news

as Lord Menteith was curious to hear them, "as your lordship is a



friend and kinsman o' the house, an' as ye'll hear eneugh o't in

less than an hour, I may as weel tell ye mysell. Ye sall be



pleased then to know, that when our Laird was up in England where

he gangs oftener than his friends can wish, he was biding at the



house o' this Sir Miles Musgrave, an' there was putten on the

table six candlesticks, that they tell me were twice as muckle as



the candlesticks in Dunblane kirk, and neither airn, brass, nor

tin, but a' solid silver, nae less;--up wi' their English pride,



has sae muckle, and kens sae little how to guide it! Sae they

began to jeer the Laird, that he saw nae sic graith in his ain



poor country; and the Laird, scorning to hae his country put down

without a word for its credit, swore, like a gude Scotsman, that



he had mair candlesticks, and better candlesticks, in his ain

castle at hame, than were ever lighted in a hall in Cumberland,



an Cumberland be the name o' the country."

"That was patriotically said," observed Lord Menteith.



"Fary true," said Donald; "but her honour had better hae hauden

her tongue: for if ye say ony thing amang the Saxons that's a



wee by ordinar, they clink ye down for a wager as fast as a

Lowland smith would hammer shoon on a Highland shelty. An' so



the Laird behoved either to gae back o' his word, or wager twa

hunder merks; and sa he e'en tock the wager, rather than be



shamed wi' the like o' them. And now he's like to get it to pay,

and I'm thinking that's what makes him sae swear to come hame at



e'en."

"Indeed," said Lord Menteith, "from my idea of your family plate,



Donald, your master is certain to lose such a wager."

"Your honour may swear that; an' where he's to get the siller I



kenna, although he borrowed out o' twenty purses. I advised him

to pit the twa Saxon gentlemen and their servants cannily into



the pit o' the tower till they gae up the bagain o' free gude-

will, but the Laird winna hear reason."



Allan here started up, strode forward, and interrupted the

conversation, saying to the domestic in a voice like thunder,



"And how dared you to give my brother such dishonourable advice?

or how dare you to say he will lose this or any other wager which



it is his pleasure to lay?"

"Troth, Allan M'Aulay," answered the old man, "it's no for my



father's son to gainsay what your father's son thinks fit to say,

an' so the Laird may no doubt win his wager. A' that I ken



against it is, that the teil a candlestick, or ony thing like it,

is in the house, except the auld airn branches that has been here



since Laird Kenneth's time, and the tin sconces that your father

gard be made by auld Willie Winkie the tinkler, mair be token



that deil an unce of siller plate is about the house at a', forby

the lady's auld posset dish, that wants the cover and ane o' the



lugs."

"Peace, old man!" said Allan, fiercely; "and do you, gentlemen,



if your refection is finished, leave this apartment clear; I must

prepare it for the reception of these southern guests."



"Come away," said the domestic, pulling Lord Menteith by the

sleeve; "his hour is on him," said he, looking towards Allan,



"and he will not be controlled."

They left the hall accordingly, Lord Menteith and the Captain



being ushered one way by old Donald, and the two attendants

conducted elsewhere by another Highlander. The former had



scarcely reached a sort of withdrawing apartment ere they were

joined by the lord of the mansion, Angus M'Aulay by name, and his



English guests. Great joy was expressed by all parties, for Lord

Menteith and the English gentlemen were well known to each other;



and on Lord Menteith's introduction, Captain Dalgetty was well

received by the Laird. But after the first burst of hospitable



congratulation was over, Lord Menteith could observe that there

was a shade of sadness on the brow of his Highland friend.



"You must have heard," said Sir Christopher Hall, "that our fine

undertaking in Cumberland is all blown up. The militia would not






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