Christie Johnstone Part 19

_Tal._ "All good violin players do like me; they prelude, not play tunes."

_Ips._ "Then Heaven be thanked for our blind fiddlers. You like syllables of sound in unmeaning rotation, and you despise its words, its purposes, its narrative feats; carry out your principle, it will show you where you are. Buy a dirty palette for a picture, and dream the alphabet is a poem."

_Lady Bar., to herself._ "Is this my cousin Richard?"

_Hither._ "Mind, Ipsden, you are a man of property, and there are such things as commissions _de lunatico."_

_Lady Bar._ "His defense will be that his friends p.r.o.nounced him insane."

_Ips._ "No; I shall subpoena Talbot's fiddle, cross-examination will get nothing out of that but, do, re, mi, fa."

_Lady Bar._ "Yes, it will; fa, mi, re, do."

_Tal._ "Violin, if you please."

_Lady Bar._ "Ask Fiddle's pardon, directly."

_Sound of fiddles is heard in the distance._

_Tal._ "How lucky for you, there are fiddles and tunes, and the natives you are said to favor, why not join them?"

_Ips. (shaking his head solemnly)._ "I dread to encounter another prelude."

_Hither._ "Come, I know you would like it; it is a wedding-party--two sea monsters have been united. The sailors and fishermen are all blue cloth and wash-leather gloves."

_Miss V._ "He! he!"

_Tal._ "The fishwives unite the colors of the rainbow--"

_Lady Bar._ "(And we all know how hideous they are)--to vulgar, blooming cheeks, staring white teeth, and sky-blue eyes."

_Mrs. V._ "How satirical you are, especially you, Lady Barbara."

Here Lord Ipsden, after a word to Lady Barbara, the answer to which did not appear to be favorable, rose, gave a little yawn, looked steadily at his companions without seeing them, and departed without seeming aware that he was leaving anybody behind him.

_Hither._ "Let us go somewhere where we can quiz the natives without being too near them."

_Lady Bar._ "I am tired of this unbroken solitude, I must go and think to the sea," added she, in a mock soliloquy; and out she glided with the same unconscious air as his lords.h.i.+p had worn.

The others moved off slowly together.

"Mamma," said Miss Vere, "I can't understand half Barbara Sinclair says."

"It is not necessary, my love," replied mamma; "she is rather eccentric, and I fear she is spoiling Lord Ipsden."

"Poor Lord Ipsden," murmured the lovely Vere, "he used to be so nice, and do like everybody else. Mamma, I shall bring some work the next time."

"Do, my love."

PICNIC NO. 2.

In a house, two hundred yards from this scene, a merry dance, succeeding a merry song, had ended, and they were in the midst of an interesting story; Christie Johnstone was the narrator. She had found the tale in one of the viscount's books--it had made a great impression on her.

The rest were listening intently. In a room which had lately been all noise, not a sound was now to be heard but the narrator's voice.

"Aweel, la.s.ses, here are the three wee kists set, the lads are to chuse--the ane that chuses reicht is to get Porsha, an' the lave to get the bag, and dee baitchelars--Flucker Johnstone, you that's sae clever--are ye for gowd, or siller, or leed?"

_1st Fishwife._ "Gowd for me!"

_2d ditto._ "The white siller's my taste."

_Flucker._ "Na! there's aye some deevelish trick in thir la.s.sie's stories. I shall ha to, till the ither lads hae chused; the mair part will put themsels oot, ane will hit it off reicht maybe, then I shall gie him a hidin' an' carry off the la.s.s. You-hoo!"

_Jean Carnie._ "That's you, Flucker."

_Christie Johnstone._ "And div ye really think we are gawn to let you see a' the world chuse? Na, lad, ye are putten oot o' the room, like witnesses."

_Flucker._ "Then I'd toss a penny; for gien ye trust to luck, she whiles favors ye, but gien ye commence to reason and argefy--ye're done!"

_Christie._ "The suitors had na your wit, my manny, or maybe they had na a penny to toss, sae ane chused the gowd, ane the siller; but they got an awfu' affront. The gold kist had just a skull intil't, and the siller a deed cuddy's head!"

_Chorus of Females._ "He! he! he!"

_Ditto of Males._ "Haw! haw! haw! haw! Ho!"

_Christie._ "An' Porsha putt.i.t the pair of gowks to the door. Then came Ba.s.sanio, the lad fra Veeneece, that Porsha loed in secret. Veeneece, la.s.ses, is a wonderful city; the streets o' 't are water, and the carriages are boats--that's in Chambers'."

_Flucker._ "Wha are ye making a fool o'?"

_Christie._ "What's wrang?"

_Flucker._ "Yon's just as big a lee as ever I heerd."

The words were scarcely out of his mouth ere he had reason to regret them; a severe box on the ear was administered by his indignant sister.

n.o.body pitied him.

_Christie._ "I'll laern yet' affront me before a' the company."

_Jean Carnie._ "Suppose it's a lee, there's nae silver to pay for it, Flucker."

_Christie._ "Jean, I never telt a lee in a' my days."

_Jean._ "There's ane to begin wi' then. Go ahead, Custy."

_Christie._ "She bade the music play for him, for music brightens thoucht; ony way, he chose the leed kist. Open'st and wasn't there Porsha's pictur, and a posy, that said:

'If you be well pleased with this, And hold your fortune for your bliss; Turn you where your leddy iss, And greet her wi' a loving--'" _(Pause)._