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Go to the ladies, and tell them that Nanty Ewart, of the JUMPING JENNY, has brought a young gentleman, charged with letters from Scotland to a certain gentleman of consequence in Cumberland that the soldiers are out, and the gentleman is very ill and if he is not received at Fairladies he must be left either to die at the gate, or to be taken, with all his papers about him, by the redcoats.
'Stay, sir, said Fairford; 'and know that I became acquainted with the contents of the paper without my consent I may even say, against my will; for Mr. Buonaventure' 'Who? demanded Redgauntlet, in a wild and alarmed manner 'WHOM was it you named? 'Father Buonaventure, said Alan, 'a Catholic priest, as I apprehend, whom I saw at the Misses Arthuret's house, called Fairladies.
'I consider myself as indebted for my life to the mistresses of Fairladies; and it would be a vile requital on my part to pry into or make known what I may have seen or heard under this hospitable roof. If I were to meet the Pretender himself in such a situation, he should, even at the risk of a little stretch to my loyalty, be free from any danger from my indiscretion.
On the next morning, when Fairford awoke, after no very refreshing slumbers, in which were mingled many wild dreams of his father and of Darsie Latimer, of the damsel in the green mantle and the vestals of Fairladies, of drinking small beer with Nanty Ewart and being immersed in the Solway with the JUMPING JENNY, he found himself in no condition to dispute the order of Mr.
Help me to make fast the gate, Richard, and thou shalt come down again to wait on it, lest there come more unwelcome visitors Not that you are unwelcome, young gentleman, for it is sufficient that you need such assistance as we can give you, to make you welcome to Fairladies only, another time would have done as well but, hem! I dare say it is all for the best.
'Misses Arthuret! Fairladies! A Catholic priest! Father Buonaventure! said Redgauntlet, repeating the words of Alan with astonishment. 'Is it possible that human rashness can reach such a point of infatuation? Tell me the truth, I conjure you, sir. I have the deepest interest to know whether this is more than an idle legend, picked up from hearsay about the country.
'Why, brother Nixon, thou art angry this morning, he replied; 'hast risen from thy wrong side, I think. You know, as well as I, that most of this mob is of the squire's own making gentlemen that come with their servants, and so forth, to meet him in the way of business, as old Tom Turnpenny says the very last that came was sent down with Dick Gardener from Fairladies.
But never mind; it will do I have known them take in a whole sloop's crew that were stranded on the sands. 'You may run some risk, though, by turning up to Fairladies; for I tell you they are all up through the country. 'Never mind I may chance to put some of them down again, said Nanty, cheerfully. 'Come, lads, bustle to your tackle. Are you all loaded?
At length, when his powers of sufferance were quite worn out, and he was about to implore them to leave him to his fate in the first cottage or shed or under a haystack or a hedge or anywhere, so he was left at ease, Collier, who rode ahead, passed back the word that they were at the avenue to Fairladies 'Was he to turn up?
But however delightful a residence for an invalid, Fairladies, as its present inmate became soon aware, was not so agreeable to a convalescent. When he dragged himself to the window so soon as he could crawl from bed, behold it was closely grated, and commanded no view except of a little paved court. This was nothing remarkable, most old Border houses having their windows so secured.
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