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With a nod of the head as self-important as decisive he turned his back. "At all events," said Malcolm, "you will say nothing about it before you hear from one of us again?" "I mak nae promises," answered Girnel from behind his own back. A howl arose from the rest. "Ye promised a'ready," said Blue Peter. "Na, I didna that: I said never a word."
"Well," continued the Antiquary, "I would bet a trifle there was not a kolb kerl, or bondsman, or peasant, ascriptus glebae, died upon the monks' territories down here, but John of the Girnel saw them fairly and decently interred." "Ay, but if it like your honour, they say he had mair to do wi' the births than the burials. Ha! ha! ha!" with a gleeful chuckle.
It is evident enough, however, that the lords themselves had no urgent interest in the preservation of the ancient buildings, and that Knox cared little for any of these things. The watch of the preacher at the door of the Bishop's girnel or storehouse, keeping back the rioters by his exhortations, is a curious illustration of this point.
"I have papers signed by my father, the late marquis, and sealed and witnessed by well-known gentlemen of the neighborhood." "Whaur are they?" said Girnel, holding out his hand. "I don't carry such valuable things about me," answered Malcolm. "But if you go with the rest you shall see them afterward." "I'll du naething i' the dark," persisted Girnel. "Whan I see the peppers I'll ken what to du."
Besides, he was piqued in honour to show that he himself was not governed by womankind "Sit ye down, sit ye down, sit ye down, man," he reiterated; "an ye part so, I would I might never draw a cork again, and here comes out one from a prime bottle of strong ale right anno domini none of your Wassia Quassia decoctions, but brewed of Monkbarns barley John of the Girnel never drew a better flagon to entertain a wandering minstrel, or palmer, with the freshest news from Palestine. And to remove from your mind the slightest wish to depart, know, that if you do so, your character as a gallant knight is gone for ever.
"Ye maunna tak it ill, my lord," said Peter, "gien the laads be ta'en aback wi' the news. It's a some suddent shift o' the win', ye see, my lord." "I wuss yer lordship weel," thereupon said one, and held out his hand. "Lang life to yer lordship!" said another. Each spoke a hearty word and shook hands with him all except Girnel, who held back, looking on with his right hand in his trouser-pocket.
The Bishop's servants that same night began to fortify the place again, and began to do violence to some that were carrying away such baggage as they could come by. The Bishop's girnel was kept the first night by the labours of John Knox, who by exhortation removed such as would violentlie have made irruption.
It's sic a doon-come, but we maun be hainin' seein' Leevie's lost her jo, and no ither way clear oot o' the bit. I'm seein' a toom girnel and done beef here lang afore next Martinmas."
He was one who always took the opposite side a tolerably honest and trustworthy soul, with a good many knots and pieces of crossgrain in the timber of him. His old Adam was the most essential and thorough of dissenters, always arguing and disputing, especially on theological questions. "Na," said Girnel, "ye maun saitisfee me first wha ye are, an' what ye want o' me.
"Lays down many rules of mortification," proceeded the dauntless Antiquary; "but I never heard that they were quite so rigorously practised Bear witness my predecessor, John of the Girnel, or the jolly Abbot, who gave his name to this apple, my lord."
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