Catriona was
like a wooden doll; James More breathed hard, his face was dotted
with white spots, and his nose upon one side. As soon as I came
in, the girl looked at him with a steady, clear, dark look that
might have been followed by a blow. It was a hint that was more
contemptuous than a command, and I was surprised to see James More
accept it. It was plain he had had a master talking-to; and I
could see there must be more of the devil in the girl than I had
guessed, and more good humour about the man than I had given him
the credit of.
He began, at least, calling me Mr. Balfour, and plainly speaking
from a lesson; but he got not very far, for at the first pompous
swell of his voice, Catriona cut in.
"I will tell you what James More is meaning," said she. "He means
we have come to you, beggar-folk, and have not behaved to you very
well, and we are ashamed of our ingratitude and ill-behaviour. Now
we are wanting to go away and be forgotten; and my father will have
guided his gear so ill, that we cannot even do that unless you will
give us some more alms. For that is what we are, at an events,
beggar-folk and sorners."
"By your leave, Miss Drummond," said I, "I must speak to your
father by myself."
She went into her own room and shut the door, without a word or a
look.
"You must excuse her, Mr. Balfour," says James More. "She has no
delicacy."
"I am not here to discuss that with you," said I, "but to be quit
of you. And to that end I must talk of your position. Now, Mr.
Drummond, I have kept the run of your affairs more closely than you
bargained for. I know you had money of your own when you were
borrowing mine. I know you have had more since you were here in
Leyden, though you concealed it even from your daughter."
"I bid you beware. I will stand no more baiting," he broke out.
"I am sick of her and you. What kind of a damned trade is this to
be a parent! I have had expressions used to me--" There he broke
off. "Sir, this is the heart of a soldier and a parent," he went
on again, laying his hand on his bosom, "outraged in both
characters--and I bid you beware."
"If you would have let me finish," says I, "you would have found I
spoke for your advantage."
"My dear friend," he cried, "I know I might have relied upon the
generosity of your character."
"Man! will you let me speak?" said I. "The fact is that I cannot
win to find out if you are rich or poor. But it is my idea that
your means, as they are mysterious in their source, so they are
something insufficient in amount; and I do not choose your daughter
to be lacking. If I durst speak to herself, you may be certain I
would never dream of trusting it to you; because I know you like
the back of my hand, and all your blustering talk is that much wind
to me. However, I believe in your way you do still care something
for your daughter after all; and I must just be doing with that
ground of confidence, such as it is."
Whereupon, I arranged with him that he was to communicate with me,
as to his whereabouts and Catriona's welfare, in consideration of
which I was to serve him a small stipend.
He heard the business out with a great deal of eagerness; and when
it was done, "My dear fellow, my dear son," he cried out, "this is
more like yourself than any of it yet! I will serve you with a
soldier's faithfulness--"
"Let me hear no more of it!" says I. "You have got me to that
pitch that the bare name of soldier rises on my stomach. Our
traffic is settled; I am now going forth and will return in one
half-hour, when I expect to find my chambers purged of you."
I gave them good measure of time; it was my one fear that I might
see Catriona again, because tears and weakness were ready in my
heart, and I cherished my anger like a piece of dignity. Perhaps
an hour went by; the sun had gone down, a little wisp of a new moon
was following it across a scarlet sunset; already there were stars
in the east, and in my chambers, when at last I entered them, the
night lay blue.