I followed the indication.The stone, which had been built sideways into the wall, offered traces of heraldic sculpture.At once there came a wild idea into my mind: his appearance tallied with Flora's description of Mr.Robbie; a knowledge of heraldry would go far to clinch the proof; and what could be more desirable than to scrape an informal acquaintance with the man whom I must approach next day with my tale of the drovers, and whom I yet wished to please? I stooped in turn.
'A chevron,' I said; 'on a chief three mullets? Looks like Douglas, does it not?'
'Yes, sir, it does; you are right,' said he: 'it DOES look like Douglas; though, without the tinctures, and the whole thing being so battered and broken up, who shall venture an opinion? But allow me to be more personal, sir.In these degenerate days I am astonished you should display so much proficiency.'
'O, I was well grounded in my youth by an old gentleman, a friend of my family, and I may say my guardian,' said I; 'but I have forgotten it since.God forbid I should delude you into thinking me a herald, sir! I am only an ungrammatical *******.'
'And a little modesty does no harm even in a herald,' says my new acquaintance graciously.
In short, we fell together on our onward way, and maintained very amicable discourse along what remained of the country road, past the suburbs, and on into the streets of the New Town, which was as deserted and silent as a city of the dead.The shops were closed, no vehicle ran, cats sported in the midst of the sunny causeway;
and our steps and voices re-echoed from the quiet houses.It was the high-water, full and strange, of that weekly trance to which the city of Edinburgh is subjected: the apotheosis of the SAWBATH;
and I confess the spectacle wanted not grandeur, however much it may have lacked cheerfulness.There are few religious ceremonies more imposing.As we thus walked and talked in a public seclusion the bells broke out ringing through all the bounds of the city, and the streets began immediately to be thronged with decent church-
goers.
'Ah!' said my companion, 'there are the bells! Now, sir, as you are a stranger I must offer you the hospitality of my pew.I do not know whether you are at all used with our Scottish form; but in case you are not I will find your places for you; and Dr.Henry Gray, of St.Mary's (under whom I sit), is as good a preacher as we have to show you.'
This put me in a quandary.It was a degree of risk I was scarce prepared for.Dozens of people, who might pass me by in the street with no more than a second look, would go on from the second to the third, and from that to a final recognition, if I were set before them, immobilised in a pew, during the whole time of service.An unlucky turn of the head would suffice to arrest their attention.
'Who is that?' they would think: 'surely I should know him!' and, a church being the place in all the world where one has least to think of, it was ten to one they would end by remembering me before the benediction.However, my mind was made up: I thanked my obliging friend, and placed myself at his disposal.
Our way now led us into the north-east quarter of the town, among pleasant new faubourgs, to a decent new church of a good size, where I was soon seated by the side of my good Samaritan, and looked upon by a whole congregation of menacing faces.At first the possibility of danger kept me awake; but by the time I had assured myself there was none to be apprehended, and the service was not in the least likely to be enlivened by the arrest of a French spy, I had to resign myself to the task of listening to Dr.
Henry Gray.
As we moved out, after this ordeal was over, my friend was at once surrounded and claimed by his acquaintances of the congregation;
and I was rejoiced to hear him addressed by the expected name of Robbie.
So soon as we were clear of the crowd - 'Mr.Robbie?' said I, bowing.
'The very same, sir,' said he.
'If I mistake not, a lawyer?'
'A writer to His Majesty's Signet, at your service.'
'It seems we were predestined to be acquaintances!' I exclaimed.
'I have here a card in my pocket intended for you.It is from my family lawyer.It was his last word, as I was leaving, to ask to be remembered kindly, and to trust you would pass over so informal an introduction.'
And I offered him the card.
'Ay, ay, my old friend Daniel!' says he, looking on the card.'And how does my old friend Daniel?'
I gave a favourable view of Mr.Romaine's health.
'Well, this is certainly a whimsical incident,' he continued.'And since we are thus met already - and so much to my advantage! - the ******st thing will be to prosecute the acquaintance instantly.
Let me propose a snack between sermons, a bottle of my particular green seal - and when nobody is looking we can talk blazons, Mr.
Ducie!' - which was the name I then used and had already incidentally mentioned, in the vain hope of provoking a return in kind.
'I beg your pardon, sir: do I understand you to invite me to your house?' said I.
'That was the idea I was trying to convey,' said he.'We have the name of hospitable people up here, and I would like you to try mine.'
'Mr.Robbie, I shall hope to try it some day, but not yet,' I replied.'I hope you will not misunderstand me.My business, which brings me to your city, is of a peculiar kind.Till you shall have heard it, and, indeed, till its issue is known, I should feel as if I had stolen your invitation.'
'Well, well,' said he, a little sobered, 'it must be as you wish, though you would hardly speak otherwise if you had committed homicide! Mine is the loss.I must eat alone; a very pernicious thing for a person of my habit of body, content myself with a pint of skinking claret, and meditate the discourse.But about this business of yours: if it is so particular as all that, it will doubtless admit of no delay.'
'I must confess, sir, it presses,' I acknowledged.
'Then, let us say to-morrow at half-past eight in the morning,'