第105章

``Why, ye see,'' continued the mendicant, ``this Malcolm was weel helped by an uncle, a brother o' his father's, that was Prior o' St.Ruth here; and muckle treasure they gathered between them, to secure the succession of their house in the lands of Knockwinnock.Folk said that the monks in thae days had the art of multiplying metals--at ony rate, they were very rich.At last it came to this, that the young Wardour, that was Red-hand's son, challenged Misticot to fight with him in the lists as they ca'd them--that's no lists or tailor's runds and selvedges o' claith, but a palin'-thing they set up for them to fight in like game-cocks.Aweel, Misticot was beaten, and at his brother's mercy--but he wadna touch his life, for the blood of Knockwinnock that was in baith their veins: so Malcolm was compelled to turn a monk, and he died soon after in the priory, of pure despite and vexation.Naebody ever kenn'd whare his uncle the prior earded him, or what he did wi' his gowd and silver, for he stood on the right o' halie kirk, and wad gie nae account to onybody.But the prophecy gat abroad in the country, that whenever Misticot's grave was fund out, the estate of Knockwinnock should be lost and won.''

``Ach! mine goot old friend, Maister Edie, and dat is not so very unlikely, if Sir Arthurs will quarrel wit his goot friends to please Mr.Oldenbuck.--And so you do tink dat dis golds and silvers belonged to goot Mr.Malcolm Mishdigoat?''

``Troth do I, Mr.Dousterdeevil.''

``And you do believe dat dere is more of dat sorts behind?''

``By my certie do I--How can it be otherwise?--_Search--No.I_--that is as muckle as to say, search and ye'll find number twa.Besides, yon kist is only silver, and I aye heard that'

Misticot's pose had muckle yellow gowd in't.''

``Den, mine goot friends,'' said the adept, jumping up hastily, ``why do we not set about our little job directly?''

``For twa gude reasons,'' answered the beggar, who quietly kept his sitting posture;--``first, because, as I said before, we have naething to dig wi', for they hae taen awa the picks and shules; and, secondly, because there will be a wheen idle gowks coming to glower at the hole as lang as it is daylight, and maybe the laird may send somebody to fill it up--and ony way we wad be catched.But if you will meet me on this place at twal o'clock wi' a dark lantern, I'll hae tools ready, and we'll gang quietly about our job our twa sells, and naebody the wiser for't.''

``Be--be--but, mine goot friend,'' said Dousterswivel, from whose recollection his former nocturnal adventure was not to be altogether erased, even by the splendid hopes which Edie's narrative held forth, ``it is not so goot or so safe, to be about goot Maister Mishdigoat's grabe at dat time of night--you have forgot how I told you de spirits did hone and mone dere.Ido assure you, dere is disturbance dere.''

``If ye're afraid of ghaists,'' answered the mendicant, coolly, ``I'll do the job mysell, and bring your share o' the siller to ony place you like to appoint.''

``No--no--mine excellent old Mr.Edie,--too much trouble for you--I will not have dat--I will come myself--and it will be bettermost; for, mine old friend, it was I, Herman Dousterswivel, discovered Maister Mishdigoat's grave when I was looking for a place as to put away some little trumpery coins, just to play one little trick on my dear friend Sir Arthur, for a little sport and pleasures.Yes, I did take some what you call rubbish, and did discover Maister Mishdigoat's own monumentsh--It's like dat he meant I should be his heirs--so it would not be civility in me not to come mineself for mine inheritance.''

``At twal o'clock, then,'' said the mendicant, ``we meet under this tree.I'll watch for a while, and see that naebody meddles wi' the grave--it's only saying the laird's forbade it--then get my bit supper frae Ringan the poinder up by, and leave to sleep in his barn; and I'll slip out at night, and neer be mist.''

``Do so, mine goot Maister Edie, and I will meet you here on this very place, though all de spirits should moan and sneeze deir very brains out.''

So saying he shook hands with the old man, and with this mutual pledge of fidelity to their appointment, they separated for the present.