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28 - Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty eight. I go in quest of my inheritance.
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  Speaker 1: I made what change I could in my appearance, and
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  Speaker 1: blithe was I to look in the glass and find
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  Speaker 1: the beggar man a thing of the past, and David
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  Speaker 1: Balfour come to life again. And yet I was ashamed
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  Speaker 1: of the change too, and above all of the borrowed clothes.
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  Speaker 1: When I had done, mister rain Caller caught me on
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  Speaker 1: the stair, made me his compliments, and had me again
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  Speaker 1: into the cabinet. Sit, sit down, mister David, said he.
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  Speaker 1: And now you are looking a little more like yourself.
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  Speaker 1: Let me see if I can find you any news.
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  Speaker 1: You will be wondering, no doubt about your father and
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  Speaker 1: your uncle. To be sure, it is a singular tale,
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  Speaker 1: and the explanation is one that I blushed to have
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  Speaker 1: to offer you, for says he really, with embarrassment. The
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  Speaker 1: matter hinges on a love affair, truly said I. I
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  Speaker 1: cannot very well join that notion with my uncle. But
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  Speaker 1: your uncle, mister David, was not always old, replied the lawyer.
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  Speaker 1: And what may perhaps surprise you more, not always ugly.
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  Speaker 1: He had a fine, gallant air. People stood in their
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  Speaker 1: doors to look after him as he went by upon
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  Speaker 1: a metal horse. I have seen it with these eyes,
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  Speaker 1: and I ingenuously confess not altogether without envy, For I
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  Speaker 1: was a plain lad myself, and a plain man's son,
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  Speaker 1: And in those days it was a case of Odi
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  Speaker 1: ta k bellis s sabel. It sounds like a dream,
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  Speaker 1: said I ay, ay, said the lawyer. That is how
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  Speaker 1: it is with youth and age. Nor was that all.
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  Speaker 1: But he had a spirit of his own that seemed
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  Speaker 1: to promise great things in the future. In seventeen fifteen,
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  Speaker 1: what must he do but run away to join the rebels.
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  Speaker 1: It was your father that pursued him, found him in
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  Speaker 1: a ditch, and brought him back moltum dementum, to the
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  Speaker 1: mirth of the whole country. However, majora Canamus, the two
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  Speaker 1: lads fell in love, and that with the same lady.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Ebenezer, who was the admired and the beloved and
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  Speaker 1: the spoiled one, made no doubt, mighty certain of the victory.
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  Speaker 1: And when he found he had deceived himself, screamed like
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  Speaker 1: a peacock. The whole country heard of it. Now he
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  Speaker 1: lay sick at home, with his silly family standing round
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  Speaker 1: the bed in tears. Now he rode from public house
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  Speaker 1: to public house and shouted his sorrows into the lug
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  Speaker 1: of Tom Dick and Harry your father, mister David was
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  Speaker 1: a kind gentleman, but he was weak, dolefully weak. Took
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  Speaker 1: all this folly with a long countenance, and one day,
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  Speaker 1: by your leave, resigned the lady. She was no such fool, however,
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  Speaker 1: it's from her you must inherit your excellent good sense,
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  Speaker 1: and she refused to be bandied from one to another.
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  Speaker 1: Both got upon their knees to her, And the upshot
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  Speaker 1: of the matter for that while was that she showed
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  Speaker 1: both of them the door that wasn't August, dear me,
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  Speaker 1: the same year I came from college. The scene must
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  Speaker 1: have been highly farcical. I thought myself it was a
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  Speaker 1: silly business, but I could not forget my father had
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  Speaker 1: a hand in it. Surely, sir, it had some note
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  Speaker 1: of tragedy, said I. Why no, sir, not at all,
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  Speaker 1: returned the lawyer. For tragedy implies some ponderable matter in dispute,
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  Speaker 1: some dignus vendiche Nodus. And this piece of work was
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  Speaker 1: all about the petulance of a young ass that had
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  Speaker 1: been spoiled and wanted nothing so much as to be
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  Speaker 1: tied up and soundly belted. However, that was not your
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  Speaker 1: father's view, And the end of it was that from
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  Speaker 1: concession to concession on your father's part, and from one
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  Speaker 1: height to another of squalling sentimental selfishness upon your uncle's,
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  Speaker 1: they came at last to drive a sort of bargain
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  Speaker 1: from whose ill results you have recently been smarting. The
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  Speaker 1: one man took the lady, the other the estate. Now,
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  Speaker 1: mister David, they talk a great deal of charity and generosity,
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  Speaker 1: But in this disputable state of life, I often think
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  Speaker 1: the happiest consequences seem to flow when a gentleman consults
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  Speaker 1: his lawyer and takes all the law allows him. Anyhow,
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  Speaker 1: this piece of quixotry on your father's part, as it
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  Speaker 1: was unjust in itself, has brought forth a monstrous family
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  Speaker 1: of injustices. Your father and mother lived and died poor folk,
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  Speaker 1: you were poorly reared. And in the meanwhile, what a
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  Speaker 1: time it has been for the tenants on the estate
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  Speaker 1: of Shaw. And I might add, if it was a
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  Speaker 1: matter I cared much about, what a time for mister Ebenezer.
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  Speaker 1: And yet that is certainly the strangest part of all,
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  Speaker 1: said I that a man's nature should thus change, True,
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  Speaker 1: said mister Rankeyler. And yet I imagine it was natural enough.
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  Speaker 1: He could not think that he had played a handsome part.
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  Speaker 1: Those who knew the story gave him the cold shoulder.
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  Speaker 1: Those who knew it not, seeing one brother disappear and
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  Speaker 1: the other succeed in the estate, raised a cry of murder,
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  Speaker 1: so that upon all sides he found himself evited. Money
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  Speaker 1: was all he got by his bargain. Well, he came
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  Speaker 1: to think the more of money. He was selfish when
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  Speaker 1: he was young. He is selfish now that he is old.
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  Speaker 1: And the latter end of all these pretty manners and
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  Speaker 1: fine feelings you have seen for yourself, well, sir, I
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  Speaker 1: and in all this, what is my position? The state
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  Speaker 1: is yours beyond a doubt, replied the lawyer. It matters
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  Speaker 1: nothing what your father signed. You are the heir of entail.
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  Speaker 1: But your uncle is a man to fight the indefensible,
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  Speaker 1: and it would be likely your identity that he would
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  Speaker 1: call in question. A lawsuit is always expensive, and have
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  Speaker 1: family lawsuit always scandalous. Besides which, if any of your
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  Speaker 1: doings with your friend, mister Thompson were to come out,
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  Speaker 1: we might find that we had burned our fingers. The kidnapping,
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  Speaker 1: to be sure, would be a court card upon our side,
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  Speaker 1: if we could only prove it. But it may be
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  Speaker 1: difficult to prove. And my advice upon the whole is
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  Speaker 1: to make a very easy bargain with your uncle, perhaps
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  Speaker 1: even leaving him at Shaw's, where he has taken root
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  Speaker 1: for a quarter of a century, and contenting yourself in
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  Speaker 1: the meanwhile with a fair provision. I told him I
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  Speaker 1: was very willing to be easy, and that to carry
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  Speaker 1: family concerns before the public was a step from which
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  Speaker 1: I was naturally much averse. In the meantime, thinking to myself,
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  Speaker 1: I began to see the outlines of that scheme on
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  Speaker 1: which we afterwards acted the great affair. I asked is
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  Speaker 1: to bring home to him the kidnapping, surely, said mister Rankeyler,
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  Speaker 1: And if possible, out of court for mark you here,
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  Speaker 1: mister David. We could no doubt find some men of
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  Speaker 1: the Covenant who would swear to your reclusion. But once
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  Speaker 1: they were in the box we could no longer check
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  Speaker 1: their testimony. And some word of your friend, mister Thompson
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  Speaker 1: must certainly crop out which from what you have let fall,
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  Speaker 1: I cannot think to be desirable. Well, Sir said I,
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  Speaker 1: here is my way of it, and I opened my
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  Speaker 1: plot to him. But this would seem to involve my
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  Speaker 1: meeting the men, Thompson says he. When I had done,
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  Speaker 1: I think so indeed, Sir said, I, dear doctor, cries
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  Speaker 1: he rubbing his brow. Dear doctor, No, mister David, I
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  Speaker 1: am afraid your scheme is it admissible? I say nothing
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  Speaker 1: against your friend, mister Thompson. I know nothing about him,
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  Speaker 1: and if I did mark this, mister David, it would
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  Speaker 1: be my duty to lay hands on him. Now I
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  Speaker 1: put it to you, is it wise to meet? He
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  Speaker 1: may have matters to his charge. He may not have
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  Speaker 1: told you all. His name may not be even Thompson
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  Speaker 1: cries the lawyer twinkling, For some of these fellows will
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  Speaker 1: pick up names by the roadside, as another would gather haws.
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  Speaker 1: You must be the judge, Sir said I. But it
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  Speaker 1: was clear my plan had taken hold upon his fancy,
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  Speaker 1: for he kept musing to himself till we were called
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  Speaker 1: to dinner, and the company of missus Rankeuyler and that
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  Speaker 1: lady had scarce left us again to ourselves and a
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  Speaker 1: bottle of wine. Ere he was back harping on my proposal.
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  Speaker 1: When and where was I to meet my friend mister Thompson?
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  Speaker 1: Was I sure of mister T's discretion? Supposing we could
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  Speaker 1: catch the old fox tripping? Would I consent to such
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  Speaker 1: and such a term of an agreement? These and the
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  Speaker 1: like questions he kept asking at long intervals, while he
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  Speaker 1: thoughtfully rolled his wine upon his tongue. When I had
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  Speaker 1: answered all of them, seemingly to his contentment, he fell
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  Speaker 1: into a still deeper muse, even the claret being now forgotten.
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  Speaker 1: Then he got a sheet of paper and a pencil
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  Speaker 1: and set to work, writing and weighing every word, and
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  Speaker 1: at last touched a bell and had his clerk into
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  Speaker 1: the chamber. Torrents said he, I must have this written
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  Speaker 1: out fair against to night, and when it is done,
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  Speaker 1: you will be so kind as to put on your
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  Speaker 1: hat and be read to come along with this gentleman
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  Speaker 1: and me, for you will probably be wanted as a witness.
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  Speaker 1: What sir, cried I, as soon as the clerk was gone,
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  Speaker 1: are you to venture it? Why so it would appear,
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  Speaker 1: says he, filling his glass. But let us speak no
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  Speaker 1: more of business. The very sight of Torrance brings in
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  Speaker 1: my head a little troll matter of some years ago,
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  Speaker 1: when I had made a tryst with the poor oaf
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  Speaker 1: at the cross of Edinburgh. Each had gone his proper errand,
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  Speaker 1: and when it came four o'clock Torrance had been taking
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  Speaker 1: a glass and did not know his master, And I,
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  Speaker 1: who had forgot my spectacles, was so blind without them,
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  Speaker 1: that I give you my word, I did not know
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  Speaker 1: my own clerk. And thereupon he laughed heartily. I said
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  Speaker 1: it was an odd chance, and smiled out of politeness.
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  Speaker 1: But what held me all the afternoon in wonder He
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  Speaker 1: kept returning and dwelling on this story, and telling it
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  Speaker 1: again with fresh details and laughter, so that I began
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  Speaker 1: at last to be quite put out of countenance and
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  Speaker 1: feel ashamed for my friend's folly. Towards the time I
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  Speaker 1: had appointed with Allan, we set out from the house,
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  Speaker 1: mister Rangkeuyler and I arm in arm, and Torrents following behind,
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  Speaker 1: with the deed in his pocket and a covered basket
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  Speaker 1: in his hand. All through the town the lawyer was
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  Speaker 1: bowing right and left, and continually being buttonholed by gentlemen
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  Speaker 1: on matters of burg or private business, and I could
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  Speaker 1: see he was one greatly looked up to in the county.
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  Speaker 1: At last we were clear of the houses and began
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  Speaker 1: to go along the side of the haven and towards
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  Speaker 1: the Haw's Inn and the Fairy Pier, the scene of
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  Speaker 1: my misfortune. I could not look upon the place without emotion,
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  Speaker 1: recalling how many that had been there with me that
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  Speaker 1: day were now no more ransom taken. I could hope
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  Speaker 1: from the evil to come. Shuan passed where I dared
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  Speaker 1: not follow him, and the poor souls that had gone
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  Speaker 1: down with the brig in her last plunge. All these
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  Speaker 1: and the brig herself I had outlived and come through
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  Speaker 1: these hardships and fearful perils without scathe. My only thought
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  Speaker 1: should have been of gratitude. And yet I could not
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  Speaker 1: behold the place without sorrow for others and a chill
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  Speaker 1: of recollected fear. I was so thinking when upon a
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  Speaker 1: sudden mister Wrangkeeler cried out, clapped his hand to his pockets,
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  Speaker 1: and began to laugh. Why he cries, if this be
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  Speaker 1: not a forcical adventure. After all that I said, I
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  Speaker 1: have forgot my glesses At that, of course, I understood
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: the purpose of his anecdote, and knew that if he
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: had left his spectacles at home, it had been done
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  Speaker 1: on purpose so that he might have the benefit of
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  Speaker 1: Allan's help without the awkwardness of recognizing him. And indeed
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  Speaker 1: it was well thought upon. For now supposed things to
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  Speaker 1: go the very worst. How could Rangkyler swear to my
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  Speaker 1: friend's identity, or how be made to bear damaging evidence
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  Speaker 1: against myself? For all that he had been a long
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  Speaker 1: while of finding out his wont and had spoken to
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  Speaker 1: and recognized a good few persons as we came through
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  Speaker 1: the town, and I had little doubt myself that he
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  Speaker 1: saw reasonably well. As soon as we were past the haws,
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  Speaker 1: where I recognized the landlord smoking his pipe at the door,
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  Speaker 1: and was amazed to see him look no older, mister
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  Speaker 1: Rangkeyler changed the order of march, walking behind with torrents
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  Speaker 1: and sending me forward in the manner of a scout.
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  Speaker 1: I went up the hill, whistling from time to time
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  Speaker 1: my gallic air, and at length I had the pleasure
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  Speaker 1: to hear it answered, and to see Alan rise from
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  Speaker 1: behind a bush. He was somewhat dashed in spirits, having
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  Speaker 1: passed a long day alone skulking in the county, and
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  Speaker 1: made but a poor meal in an ale house near Dundas.
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  Speaker 1: But at the mere sight of my clothes he began
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  Speaker 1: to brighten up. And as soon as I had told
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  Speaker 1: him in what a forward state our manners were, and
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  Speaker 1: the part I looked to him to play in what remained,
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  Speaker 1: he sprang into a new man. And this is a
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  Speaker 1: very good notion of yours, said he. And I dared
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  Speaker 1: to say that you could lay your hands upon no
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  Speaker 1: better man to put it through than Alan Brick. It
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  Speaker 1: is not a thing, Markya, that any one could do,
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  Speaker 1: but takes a gentleman of penetration. But it sticks in
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  Speaker 1: my head. Your lawyer man will be somewhat wearying to
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  Speaker 1: see me, says Allan. Accordingly, I cried and waved on
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  Speaker 1: mister Rangkeler, who came up alone and was presented to
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  Speaker 1: my friend mister Thompson. Mister Thompson, I am pleased to
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  Speaker 1: meet you, said he. But I have forgotten my glasses,
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  Speaker 1: and our friend mister David here clapping me on the shoulder,
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  Speaker 1: will tell you that I am little better than blind,
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  Speaker 1: and that you must not be surprised if I passed
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  Speaker 1: you buy tomorrow, this, he said, thinking that Allan would
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  Speaker 1: be pleased. But the highlandman's vanity was ready to straddle
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  Speaker 1: at a less manner than that. Why, sir, says he stiffly,
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  Speaker 1: I would say it mattered the less, as we are
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  Speaker 1: met here for a particular end, to see justice stunned
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  Speaker 1: to mister Balfour, and by what I can see, not
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  Speaker 1: very likely to have much else in common. But I
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: accept your apology, which was a very proper one to make,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: and that is more than I could look for, mister Thompson,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: said Rancadler heartily. And now, as you and I are
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  Speaker 1: the chief actors in this enterprise, I think we should
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  Speaker 1: come into a nice agreement, to which end I propose
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: that you should lend me your arm, for what would
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: the dusk and the want of my glasses? I am
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: not very clear as to the path. And as for you,
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: mister David, you will find Torrents a pleasant kind of
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: body to speak with. Only let me remind you it's
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  Speaker 1: quite needless he should hear more of your adventures or
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: those of ahem, mister Thompson. Accordingly, these two went on
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  Speaker 1: ahead in very close talk, and Torrance and I brought
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  Speaker 1: up the rear. Night was quite come when we came
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: in view of the house of Shaws, ten had been
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: gone some time. It was dark and mild, with a
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: pleasant rustling wind in the southwest that covered the sound
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  Speaker 1: of our approach, And as we drew near we saw
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: no glimmer of light in any portion of the building.
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: It seemed my uncle was already in bed, which was
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: indeed the best thing for our arrangements. We made our
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: last whispered consultation some fifty yards away, and then the
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: lawyer and Torrance and I crept quietly up and crouched
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  Speaker 1: down beside the corner of the house. And as soon
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: as we were in our places, Allan strode to the
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: door without concealment, and began to knock. End of Chapter