CHAPTER XXXI

THE MATTER IS STILL FURTHER DELAYED, BUT OUR ANXIETIES CONTINUE

“How often did I say to you in the old days, Barbara, that I had dark misgivings about the Silver Mine?” said my lady one day, resting her head upon her hand and looking weary and discouraged. “I knew not what it meant, but ever have I had the presentiment that it would be the cause of great misfortune, and behold it is come true!”

It was now the middle of August, and the negotiations in London had advanced considerably, but in no very satisfactory manner for Sir John. The post had just arrived, and I had found my Lady Erskine deep in her letters, from which she very obligingly read me some extracts. The situation certainly gave rise to much anxiety. In spite of Sir David Dalrymple’s verdict, the Ministers had been advised by their own lawyers to ignore the Scottish law of mines as to confiscature, so that our hopes in that direction were undermined; and as each party, King, Ministers, and Commons worked secretly in the matter, it seemed that much time would be lost before any decision could be come to.

“Dear madam,” cried I, in response to my lady’s remarks, “does not Mr. Campbell still have hope that it may turn to Sir John’s benefit? He has not lost heart, and why should we? He is determined to fight for it, and with the help of Mr. Erskine and Doctor Robin, may we not hope that something will be done?”

“My heart is very heavy,” she sighed, “and oh, the time is long--long! If I had but the assurance, Barbara, that my dear life would be restored to me safe and sound, I would almost consent to give them the information they desire, and let them do their worst. The absence of Sir John is still the bitterest part of all.”

“Courage, dear cousin!” I whispered, kneeling down beside her and encircling her with my arms, for the look in her eyes smote my heart, and I knew that I had no real comfort to give her. “Be patient a little longer and brave, madam, I pray.”

“The many difficulties that lie in our path keep recurring to my mind,” she said, rousing herself a little, “and I go over them to myself again and again. We know now that, in spite of all Mr. Campbell’s care, the Scots law of mines is to go for naught. The Government is eagerly anxious to make Sir John an outlaw, and lay hands on all his belongings. They are determined to send down the commission to see what is in the matter, and thereby we incur great danger; ‘for,’ says Patrick Campbell, ‘if they find nothing where they imagine mountains of silver, they will be very angry, and say there is no reason why Sir John should get his pardon, seeing he has nothing to give in return; if, on the other hand, they stumble on something of value, scruples will at once be raised--why should it not all be seized and made use of in payment of the public debts? The ministers fear the clamour of the House of Commons in these days, and there are signs that my Lord Townshend is not so secure as he thinks.’ You see, Barbara, Sir John is ‘between the devil and the deep sea,’ as the saying is, and nothing is less certain now than his pardon.”

I held my peace, depressed beyond measure by what I had heard.

“On the other hand,” she went on, “there are other difficulties which arise in my mind, knowing my dear husband as I do. Suppose the Prince of Wales prevails with his father to grant the remission, and the latter makes conditions too hard for Sir John to accept, what then? We are in a worse hole than before. Were they to insist upon his taking the oath of allegiance to King George, and renouncing all interest in his rightful King; or worse still, were they to question him in the hope of his turning spy, I am perfectly certain that Sir John would refuse to accept anything at their hands, and prefer rather to live and die an exile.”

“And _you_ would rather that he did so, madam,” cried I.

“Oh, without doubt, my dear, I would. I could not ask him to stain his honour, however much I should benefit. But can you wonder, child, that my heart is sore, thinking of all that may lie before us? Sir John is not a very young man, and my boys are ever in my thoughts.”

And with that she left me, going upstairs as I suspected to her praying-closet, where she was wont to seek comfort and help in all her troubles.

* * * * *

I will now tell you briefly of what took place at London, without waiting to describe the way in which each item of news reached us. The summer was nearly over, and it was fully a year since the beginning of that unlucky affair, which had brought nothing but loss and woe to so many. The unfortunate prisoners still lay in their dungeons, and from time to time we heard sorrowful tales of sickness and deaths among them. It had been decided, in a quite illegal way, that the Scots prisoners were to be tried at Carlisle in the autumn, chiefly, as we all knew, because no Scots jury could be trusted to condemn them; and this action greatly increased the rage and discontent against the Government, for all parties throughout the country acknowledged its injustice. Many blameless people were suffering privation, and bereavement, and bitter loss, and the state of our poor country was truly to be deplored. One piece of comfort my lady had, for old Colonel Erskine and his son, though still in the Fleet were, owing to the kindness of their friends, in good heart and fair health. Great hopes were held out of their final delivery (which indeed took place a couple of months later), seeing that nothing could be found against them.

We were made anxious about this time by hearing that our little favourite, Lordy Erskine, was laid down with the small-pox, from which both his stepmother and her little daughter were suffering. He was indeed a most attractive child, and it was with great relief that we heard in good time of his complete recovery. And here I think I must tell you of Tommy’s spirited reply to General Stanhope, which, though you may have forgotten it, was much quoted at the time among his friends. When the Secretary one day, some weeks before the Earl of Mar left Scotland, was visiting Westminster School, his eye lighted on my young lord, and, being struck by his charming appearance, he inquired whose son he was. On being told, he went up to the boy, and asked him some questions as to how his studies were progressing. Tommy replied modestly, “Indifferently well.” Whereupon Mr. Stanhope, with what I must confess was very questionable taste, hoped that whatever my Lord Erskine learned at school, he would learn not to be a Rebel like his father. At that Tommy put his hands on his sides, and looking the General steadily in the face, said boldly, “Let me remind you, sir, that it is not yet decided _who_ are the Rebels!”

As his aunt, Lady Jean, remarked when telling us the story, the Government might deprive him of his estates, but they could not rob him of his good sense and ready wit.

* * * * *

The “Process of Outlawry” against Sir John was suddenly checked by the consideration that, although the Commissioners were sent to Alva, they might easily fail in their quest without the assistance of the owner. Mr. Campbell had taken care to enlarge upon Sir John’s wide and intimate knowledge of mining affairs, and indeed at that time he was one of the few gentlemen in Britain who had made the subject a matter of study. Having worked the coal upon his estate, and discovered the Silver Mine for himself, it was given out that he knew more of the geological conditions of the Ochil Range than any man living, and it occurred to Lord Townshend that to quarrel with the man that possessed such valuable knowledge was not the wisest policy; in fact, it might be compared to the folly of killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. He therefore, after consulting with the Prince of Wales--the King himself having gone over to Hanover on a holiday--sent for Mr. Campbell, and after some preliminaries, suggested that the best thing for all concerned was to persuade Sir John to return to Scotland to conduct the business himself. Mr. Campbell, always anxious to gain time, and to make things sure before committing his friends, said he would be obliged to lay the matter before Mr. Erskine, whom he was expecting immediately to visit him at London. My lord thereupon begged that Mr. Erskine be persuaded to call upon him on his arrival, to which proposition Mr. Campbell, nothing loth, agreed.

My lady, in the midst of her anxiety, was amused to learn that when Mr. Erskine was introduced to the Secretary that gentleman asked him point blank what information he could give about his brother’s Mine. But the future Lord Justice Clerk was too good a lawyer to fall into so simple a trap. He answered very firmly that, as he understood the disclosure of that affair was to be made the condition of some favour shown to Sir John, until he was assured of the extent and certainty of the benefit, he must beg to be excused from giving them any information. This reply, which was only what might have been expected, threw the Minister back to where he had been; so after much consultation and discussion, it was at last agreed that the Prince of Wales should grant a protection to Sir John for his return to Britain, at the same time writing to the King in Hanover for a warrant for his pardon, which would be delivered to him, signed and sealed, upon his presenting himself to Lord Townshend. Mr. Erskine and Mr. Campbell were at great pains to have the conditions made as plain as possible, for, they affirmed, it would be useless to expect Sir John to take oaths, or to give information against his inclination. A promise was then made that full discovery of the Mine was all that would be required of him, and my Lord Townshend suggested that a letter to this effect be intrusted to Sir Harry Stirling, and that he should set out forthwith to find his uncle and lay the matter before him.

We were all now able to breathe a little more freely, though our anxieties were by no means at an end. For close upon this came the news, that in spite of the promises of the Prince and the Minister, the Commissioners were still to be sent to spy out the land, and by no means would they be delayed until Sir John could send a reply. This excess of zeal was attributed to Haldane of Gleneagles, and as you can imagine, it did not tend to increase my lady’s love for that gentleman. However, backed by his friends in the House of Commons, Gleneagles was like to win his way, which prospect filled us with fear and trouble, as there was no saying what the result would be, should the Commissioners reach Alva before Sir John landed at London, and had his pardon in his hand.

Sir Isaac Newton was now approached, it being suggested that he should himself head the party of inquiry, and make investigation of the mines. But fortunately as it turned out, this wise and learned man raised objections to this scheme, affirming that as he was not skilled in such matters he would be of little use, and suggesting rather that someone bred up to that kind of work be sent instead of him. He spoke of the King’s Silver Mines in Hanover, and gave it as his opinion that an expert from that country should be chosen. This meeting with general approval, an express was despatched abroad to summon one, Dr. Justus Brandshagen, who was said to be a skilled engineer of mines.

This news enraged my Lady Erskine to such a degree that she could not contain her wrath, and as I was equally angry, we stormed together for several minutes till our feelings were somewhat relieved.

“And who,” she cried with fine scorn, pointing to Mr. Campbell’s letter, “who do you suppose is appointed guide and assistant to this German miner? Who, but our good friend and late trusty servant, Mr. James Hamilton!”

“Oh, madam,” cried I aghast, “’tis little short of an outrage! How will that man ever be able to look at you again? How dare he show his face within twenty miles of Alva? This indeed might be called adding insult to injury. I, for one, will never speak to him again.”

“Alas! Barbara,” said my lady, with tears of anger in her eyes, “’tis but the fulfilment of all his hopes, the clear result of all his scheming. For money he betrayed us, for money he will return, and I doubt not he will be able to brazen it out, and even to justify his conduct in the eyes of some people.”

An urgent letter was that day despatched to Mr. Erskine, begging him as he valued my lady’s friendship and his brother’s welfare, to lose no time in setting out for Holland, and having found Sir John (for we had not yet heard of his meeting with Sir Harry Stirling) to urge him with all the fervour and eloquence in his power to make no delay, but return at once to England, and secure the favour promised to him. How short a time lay before him none could tell, but it would be a monstrous wrong, now that the longed-for boon lay so near his grasp, to let it fail them through any lack of care. Should Sir John refuse to listen to reason, there was still the help of Doctor Robin and his master to fall back upon. “But oh,” she wrote, “do all you can to persuade him (and it’s _you_ that have the golden tongue) to listen to our wishes in the matter.”

A speedy reply was returned to her, saying that Mr. Erskine was on the eve of starting for the Hague, and assuring her that she might have full confidence in his endeavours, seeing that in this, his wishes jumped with her own. It showed the more devotion to his brother’s case, that Mr. Erskine had left his young wife at Tinwald in a delicate condition, and indeed she was brought to bed of her eldest son, while her husband was still abroad.

* * * * *

Nothing now was to be done but to await results, and all our minds were occupied by the question as to which should arrive first: Sir John in London to claim his pardon, or the Commissioners at Alva to make their investigations.

In this matter I have always believed that Providence interfered in our behalf, and my lady, I know, agreed with me, for as we learned afterwards, when Dr. Brandshagen (how we hated the poor man’s name, though no blame attached to him,) was at last ready to set out for Scotland, having been delayed at London waiting for money and instructions, at first it took him five days to find a ship that would carry him and his effects to Leith, and when he sailed on the 20th of September, he encountered such tempestuous weather, that he was three weeks and two days on the way. Twice were they overtaken by storms, in which they lost a mast each time, and thrice were they driven upon sand-banks, so that it was not till the 15th of October that he arrived in Edinburgh, where he had a conference with the Earl of Lauderdale, John Haldane of Gleneagles, and a friend of the latter, Mr. Drummond. But by that time, I am glad to say, it was too late for the mischief they were meditating, as I shall show you in the next chapter.

My lady wrote frequently to her husband during those trying weeks, but most if not all of her letters miscarried, for the last remaining one in the packet is a hasty fragment which I give you here. Short as it is, it serves to show you the state of the poor lady’s mind at this time, her one thought being the consent of Sir John to the terms proposed, and her fear that it would not be given in time.

LETTER XIX

Dr. Sr.

Amond bids me tell you she had yours of the 25th of August, but she regretes Ashton has not yet met with Sr. Harry S--g. He is yet in quest of him, and she hops you will both accept of the proffers that’s made, and soon let your friends know that you doe so. There is people soon to be sent down in quest, and if it were possible you could be here, it’s more in your power to manage with respect to the Garden than any other mortall.... I shall writ all to Duncan and Key, who will be more fit to advise you, for they seem not to be out of hope of getting the pardon expected as soon as your answer comes. The friends here say otherwise, and think H--y is gone to diswade you. There must be no delay in the case as you regard your interest, but be directed in the way and manner by Key and Duncan. God preserve and direct you.

Our friends in the Fleet, I have good reason to think, will be safe, but those here seem to have bitter things before them.... I am sorry you have not got all my letters, but Ashton’s is a great consolation in the midst of different troubles. Your children are well.

Dearest Creatur, let us have your answer soon, for these creatures will be down in eight or ten days, and what I shall doe, God knows! I am in great hast at present, but shall be more full next post.

So Dear, Adieu.