Read Ebook: Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature Science and Art No. 736 February 2 1878 by Various Chambers Robert Editor Chambers William Editor

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Ebook has 154 lines and 20471 words, and 4 pages

Editor: William Chambers Robert Chambers

MISS STIRLING GRAHAM.

'There was a blazing fire, and wax-lights on the table; he had laid down his book, and seemed to be in the act of joining the ladies in the drawing-room before dinner. The Lady Pitlyal was announced, and he stepped forward a few paces to receive her. She was a sedate-looking little woman of an inquisitive law-loving countenance; a mouth in which not a vestige of a tooth was to be seen, and a pair of old-fashioned spectacles on her nose.... She was dressed in an Irish poplin of silver gray, a white Cashmere shawl, a mob-cap with a band of thin muslin that fastened it below the chin, and a small black silk bonnet that shaded her eyes from any glare of light. Her right hand was supported by an antique gold-headed cane, and she leant with the other on the arm of her daughter.

"Weel," replied her Ladyship, "I am come to tak' a word o' the law frae you.

"My husband, the late Ogilvy of Pitlyal, among other property which he left to me, was a house and a yard at the town-end of Kirriemuir, also a kiln and a malt-barn.

"The kiln and the barn were rented by a man they ca'd John Playfair, and John Playfair subset them to anither man they ca'd Willy Cruickshank, and Willy Cruickshank purchased a cargo of damaged lint, and ye widna hinder Willy to dry the lint upon the kiln, and the lint took low and kindled the cupples, and the slates flew aff, and a' the flooring was brunt to the ground, and naething left standin' but the bare wa's.

"Has it been in any of the Courts?"

"Ou ay; it has been in the Shirra Court of Forfar; and Shirra Duff was a gude man, and he kent me, and would ha' gien't in my favour, but that clattering creature Jamie L'Amy cam' in, and he gave it against me."

"I have no doubt Mr L'Amy would give a very fair decision."

"It wasna a fair decision when he gae it against me."

"That is what many people think in your circumstances."

"The minister of Blairgowrie is but a fule body, and advised me no to gae to the law."

"I think he gave you a very sensible advice."

"It was onything but that; and mind, if you dinna gie't in my favour, I'll no be sair pleased."

'Mr Jeffrey smiled, and said he would not promise to do that, and then inquired if she had any papers.

"Ou ay, I have a great bundle of papers, and I'll come back at any hour you please to appoint, and bring them wi' me."

"It will not be necessary for you to return yourself; you can send them to me."

"And wha would you recommend to me for an agent in the business?"

"That I cannot tell; it is not my province to recommend an agent."

"Then how will Robert Smith of Balharry do?"

"Very well; very good man indeed; and you may bid him send me the papers."

'Meantime her Ladyship drew from her pocket a large old-fashioned leather pocket-book with silver clasps, out of which she presented him a letter directed to himself. He did not look into it, but threw it carelessly on the table. She now offered him a pinch of snuff from a massive gold box, and then selected another folded paper from the pocket-book, which she presented to him, saying: "Here is a prophecie that I would like you to look at and explain to me."

'Here, then, with a smile at the oddity of the request, and a mixture of impatience in his manner, he read the following lines, while she interrupted him occasionally to remark upon their meaning:

When the crown and the head shall disgrace ane anither, And the Bishops on the Bench shall gae a' wrang thegither; When Tory or Whig, Fills the judge's wig; When the Lint o' the Miln Shall reek on the kiln; O'er the Light of the North, When the Glamour breaks forth, And its wild-fire so red With the daylight is spread; When woman shrinks not from the ordeal of tryal, There is triumph and fame to the House of Pitlyal.

'Here Mr Jeffrey put on a smile, half serious half quizzical, and said: "I suppose it would not be necessary for the gentleman to change his name."

"It would be weel worth his while, sir; she has a very gude estate, and she's a very bonny lassie, and she's equally related baith to Airlie and Strathmore; and a'body in our part of the warld ca's her the Rosebud of Pitlyal."

'Mr Jeffrey smiled as his eyes met the glance of the beautiful flower that was so happily placed before him; but the Rosebud herself returned no sign of intelligence.

'A third time she asked the question, and in a more audible key; when he replied, with a kind of suppressed laugh: "There is Mr Nasmyth, north corner of St Andrew Square, a very good dentist; and there is Mr Hutchins, corner of Hanover and George Street."

'She requested he would give her their names on a slip of paper. He rose and walked to the table, wrote down both the directions, which he folded and presented to her.

'She now rose to take leave. The bell was rung, and when the servant entered, his master desired him to see if the Lady Pitlyal's carriage was at the door.

'There was not a coach within sight, and another had to be sent for from a distant stand of coaches. It was by this time past the hour of dinner, and there seemed no hope of being rid of his visitors.

'Her Ladyship said she was in no hurry, as they had had tea, and were going to the play, and hoped he would accompany them. He said he had not yet had his dinner.

"What is the play to-night?" said she.

"We read your buke, sir!"

"I am certainly very much obliged to you."

'Still no carriage was heard. Another silence ensued, until it bethought her Ladyship to amuse him with the politics of the country.

'The door was closed, and the order given to drive to Gibb's Hotel, whence they hastened with all speed to Lord Gillies's, where the party waited dinner for them, and hailed the fulfilment of the "Prophecie of Pitlyal."

'Mr Jeffrey, in the meantime, impatient for his dinner, joined the ladies in the drawing-room.

"What in the world has detained you?" said Mrs Jeffrey.

'He ran down-stairs for the letter, hoping it would throw some light upon the subject, but it was only a blank sheet of paper, containing a fee of three guineas.

'They amused themselves with the relation; but it was not until the day after that he found out who the ladies really were. He laughed heartily, and promised to aid them in any other scene they liked to devise.' He returned the fee with an amusing characteristic letter, in which he concluded with best wishes for the cure of her Ladyship's corns.

With similar dexterity, this marvellously clever lady figures on nearly a dozen different occasions in town and country, sometimes in one guise and sometimes in another, mystifying even the most incredulous by her manoeuvres.

About the best Mystification recorded is that in which as a daughter of a poor man, Sandy Reid in the Canongate, the lady imposed on Sir William Fettes, who had been Lord Provost in Edinburgh, and left a fortune to endow a college which is now in successful operation. We let Miss Stirling Graham relate the adventure.

'I once got half-a-crown from Sir William Fettes when he was dining with a few friends at his sister, Mrs Bruce's. She and Lady Fettes put it into my head to ask charity from him, in the character of a daughter of an old companion of his, whose name was Sandy Reid. And whether Sandy Reid ever had a daughter was nothing to the purpose. Sir William had lost sight of the man, and I had no previous knowledge that ever such a person was in existence. Dressed in a smart bonnet and shawl belonging to Lord Gillies's housekeeper, I boldly rang the door-bell, and demanded of the servant if I could get a word of Sir William.

'On the message being carried up-stairs, the ladies desired that the person who wished to speak with Sir William might be shewn into Mrs Bruce's dressing-room, where behind the window-curtains were stationed a merry party of some half-a-dozen listeners.

'Enter Sir William. "Well, my good woman, what is your business with me?" "To ask your help, sir, in behalf of the widow and the fatherless." "And pray who are you?"

"I am the daughter of ane Sandy Reid, who was weel kenned to your honour; his father lived next door to your father in the Canongate." "Ay, are you the daughter of Sandy Reid?"

"I am proud to say sae." "And what has reduced you to this plight, my good woman?" "Just an ill marriage, Sir William." "I am sorry for that; but you say you are a widow." "I am no' just a widow; but my husband has run aff wi' another woman." "That is very unfortunate; but what is your husband?" "A soldier, sir." "An officer of the soldiers you mean, I suppose?"

"Na, na, Sir William; he is but a single soldier." "And did Sandy Reid's daughter marry a single soldier?" --"It is o'er true, Sir William; but he was a bonny man, and I ne'er thought he would forsake me." "And did your father consent to your marrying a single soldier?" "Oh, no, Sir William; but it was ordained."

"Have you any family, or any means of living?" "I have five boys; and I wash and iron, and do all I can to get bread to them." "Where do you live?"

"In Elder Street." "In Elder Street! that seems to me rather an expensive part of the town for a person in your circumstances."

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