The Penance of John Logan, and two other tales

Front matter

THE PENANCE OF JOHN LOGAN, AND TWO OTHER TALES. THE PENANCE OF JOHN LOGAN, AND TWO OTHER TALES. I;Y WILLIAM BLACK, AUTHOR OF " THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A nOUSE-BOAT," F.TC. LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, LIMITED, %t. Surtstan's JEjoiisr, Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.C. 1889. [Ml rights reserved.] LONDON : 1'IUNTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARINO CROSS. CONTENTS. THE PENANCE OF JOHN LOGAN. CHATTER PAGE I. The Temptation ... ... ... 1 II. Remorse ... ... ... ... 18 111. A Pilgrimage ... .., ... ... 40 IV. A Friend in Need... ... ... 53 V. Absolution ... ... ... ... 68 ROMEO AND JULIET : A TALE OF TWO YOUNG FOOLS. I. "My Unfortunate Client" ... ... 95 II. JiMMIE ... ... ... ... 102 III. White Lies ... ... ... ... 112 IV. The Go-betweens ... ... ... 120 V. A Dinner Party ... ... ... 130 VI.

A Conspiracy ... ... ... 151 VII. "Well Counterfeited" ... ... VI CONTENTS. A SNOW IDYLL. CIIAPIEB 1-AGK I. Pictor Ignotus ... ... ... 181 II. A Summons ... ... ... 201 III. Severed ... ... ... 218 IV. A Eescue ... ... ... 233 V. A Game of Chess ... ... ... 252 VI. An Aider and Abettor ... ... 269 VII. The Capture of a King ... ... 284 VIII. Finale ... ... ... ... CHAPTEB I. THE TEMPTATION. The summer sea was shining fair and calm, a perfect mirror of the almost cloudless heavens overhead, as a small rowing-boat, occupied by a single person, was slowly approaching a lonely little island in the Outer Hebrides. The solitary rower was neither fisherman nor sailor, but merely a holiday-maker — a well-known banker from London, in fact — who was seeking rest and recreation in the West Highlands, and who had rather a fancy for going about all by himself and for exploring out-of-the-way neigh bourhoods.

He had heard a good deal of this Eilean-na-Keal — the Island of the Burying place — of its sculptured tombstones, its ancient chapel, its Saints' Well, and other relics and p. traces of the time when the early Christians made their first settlements in these sea solitudes; and on this pleasant morning, the water being like a sheet of glass, he thought he could not do better than hire a boat at the little village on the mainland where he chanced to be staying, and pull himself across. It is true that the nearer he got to the island, he found that there was a heavy tide running, and his labour at the oars was a much more arduous task than he had bargained for ; but eventually he managed to fight his way through, the boat at last shooting into a small and sheltered bay, well out of the current.

Chapter II. Remorse

Now, the chief public functionary of Harivaig and its neighbourhood was the parish school master ; and he it was who immediately took steps to apprise the relatives of the drowned man of what had happened. There was no difficulty about discovering who he was. His private address could not be found ; but his papers showed clearly enough that he was a partner in the banking firm of Ramsden, Holt, and Smith, of London ; and it was to them that the schoolmaster addressed his communi cation. Then the clothes of the stranger were brought back from the island, and also the boat in which he had rowed himself across. Finally, the owner of the nearest salmon-fishery sent four of his men as a search-party all along the coast ; but although they laboured at their task industriously for the better part of two days, no trace of the missing man could be found.

Indeed, they worked without hope : it was a matter almost of certainty that the body had been washed out to sea. REMORSE. 19 Meanwhile, old John Logan had more than once, and all by himself, been over to Eilean na-Keal, and each time he had stealthily made his way to the small ruined chapel, and taken forth the locket from its secret repository, and regarded its gleaming white and red stones. Moreover, he had accidentally discovered that it would open ; and inside he found the portrait of a pale-faced, delicate-featured lady, apparently of middle age. On making this discovery, he had hurriedly shut the trinket again — for the pale face seemed to be looking strangely at him ; and he had formed some dark resolution of removing it, either by gentle means or force, before the time came for presenting this pretty, bejewelled wedding-gift to his granddaughter.

But even when he restricted his contemplation to the outside — to the rich soft golden surface, and the glittering diamonds and rubies — there was not much joy in his heart. For one thing, a nameless terror seemed to seize him the moment he set foot on the island. He felt haunted by some mysterious presence ; however his anxious scrutiny might satisfy him that these indented shores were devoid of human life, he appeared to be always expecting some one ; when he walked across the lonely little knolls, on his way to the chapel, it was as if there were some living creature following him, close to his shoulder, unseen but felt. And in the dusk of the chapel itself, when he was crouching down, ready to thrust back the locket into the hole in the wall, he would listen intently, as if fearing some footstep without ; and then again, when he came forth into the daylight, his dazed eyes would furtively and swiftly look all around, to make sure that he was quite alone.

If the time would but pass more quickly ! If the clays and weeks could be annihilated, and his granddaughter's wedding-morn be reached — then this precious thing would pass into her keeping, and would trouble his rest no more. For old John Logan had got into a perturbed and feverish state ; the drowning of the stranger had made a great commotion in this quiet neighbourhood ; and Logan, as the last person who had seen him, had to answer innumerable questions — that sometimes seemed to bewilder and frighten him by their unexpectedness. One morning the old man's granddaughter Jeannie was seated on the rude bench outside the cottage. She had got early finished with her household work, and now she was hemming REMORSE. some handkerchiefs — most likely part of her home-made trousseau — while she sung to her self the cheerful air of " I'll gang nae mair to yon town" without particular regard to the words.

She was a good-looking lass of the darker Celtic type — coal-black hair, a com plexion as fresh and clear as a June wild rose, dark blue-grey eyes with black lashes, and a pretty and smiling mouth. She was rather neatly dressed, and seemed very well content with herself; indeed, the neighbours were inclined to be indignant among themselves over the fashion in which old John Logan spoiled his pretty granddaughter. Neverthe less, Jeannie Logan (as she was called, though her name was properly Jeannie Carmichael) was a kind of favourite, and that despite the fact of her small house being kept a good deal more trim and tidy than any other in Harivaig. The old man came out of the cottage, and was going off for the shore, when his granddaughter stopped him. " Grandfather," said she (but she spoke in Gaelic), " will you not stay at home to-day ?

Archie is coming over from Usgary." " What should I stay at home for ? " was the answer (also in Gaelic). "When two young people are going to get married they have plenty to talk of by themselves; it does not need the old man of Ross to tell us that." The young woman's cheeks flushed a little, but she laughed all the same. "I know," she said, "that everyone thinks we talk of nothing but nonsense. Well, it is not of much consequence what any of them are thinking. But you remember, grandfather, that the valuing of the nets was to be done this week ; and Archie was writing to me that he would like to have your opinion." " My opinion ! " the old man said, testily. " What is the use of my opinion ? What do I know about herring-nets that I have not *\ *>> seen ? Their conversation was interrupted.

There was a sound of wheels — a most unusual sound in this unfrequented neighbourhood — and pre sently there came in sight a waggonette and two horses. As the carriage drove past, a clear enough view of the occupants could be obtained ; and these were seen to be a young lady of about seventeen or eighteen, fair-com plexioned, and in deep mourning, and a tall and elderly gentleman who sat opposite her in the body of the waggonette. The moment they REMORSE. 23 had gone by, Jeannie Logan turned eagerly to her grandfather. "Do you know who these are?" she said. " For I know. These must be the friends of the gentleman who was drowned. And they will be wanting to see you, grandfather — I am sure of it ; so you must go indoors at once, and put on a white collar, and your black coat." " But for what will they want to see me ?

" the old man said, with a quick look of appre hension on his face. " Well, you brought the news over from Eilean-na-Keal ; and you were the last that saw the gentleman, and spoke to him. I should not wonder if that was his daughter — poor young lady, this will be a sad day for her. Grandfather, go away and put on your black coat; for they will be coming to see you, or sending for you." And she was right. Not a quarter of an hour had elapsed when a messenger came from the inn to say that the daughter of the gentle man who had been drowned was there, and that she wished to see John Logan, if he would be so kind as to come along. In the meantime, the old man had taken his granddaughter's advice — indeed, he allowed himself to be governed by her in all such matters— and put on his Sunday clothes.

As he was setting out with the messenger, Jeannie Logan placed her hand on his arm for a moment, and said in a low voice, "Grandfather, I think the young lady will be for going over to Eilean-na-Keal. Well, if the people have any sense, they will not allow her, for it will break her heart." " Ay, ay ! " he said, eagerly. " You are a wise lass, Jeannie ; she should not go over to Eilean-na-Keal. No, no; what is the use of her going over to Eilean-na-Keal ? " And this is what he seemed to be pondering over all the way to the inn; for again and again he said in a half-muttering way to his companion. " Ay, she is a wise lass is Jeannie. She has an old head on young shoulders. Why should the young lady be for going over to Eilean-na- Keal ? " But when at length he reached the inn, and was ushered into the parlour where the strangers were, there was no more speech left in him.

This tall, fair-haired girl — whose face was wan and pale, and looked all the paler because of her deep mourning — when she came forward in a REMORSE. 25 pathetic kind of way to take his hand, startled him beyond measure. Had he not seen her before, or someone strangely like her ? And then in a bewildered fashion he thought of the face in the locket — the face that he had feared. This was the daughter, then : that, the mother. And he seemed incapable of meeting the steady glance of those plaintive eyes that regarded him so strangely ; he was breathless, irresolute, ner vous ; he intertwisted his fingers ; he had no answer for the questions which the elderly gentleman, the young lady's companion, put to him. The landlady, a placid-looking, middle aged woman, had taken the liberty of remaining in the room.

" He is not used to the English, sir," she said. " He will tell you when he thinks over it." " And will you not sit down ? " the young lady said very gently to him ; and she herself pulled out a chair from the wall. For her the violence of grief seemed over and gone ; she vvas outwardly resigned and calm ; it was only at times that tears swam into her eyes, and she appeared anxious to hide her emotion from these strangers. " Yes, sit down, and take your own time," her companion, who was a Mr. Holt, said to old John Logan. " Just think over it, and tell us at your leisure how Mr. Ramsden came to the island, and what he said to you, and what was the last you saw of him. You can understand that his daughter is very anxious to know." And then the old man, halting and hesitating at every few words, told his tale.

Except for the matter of his English, it ought to have come readily enough to him, for he had narrated it, to the minutest circumstances, again and again among the neighbours. It was notice able, however, that now he kept his eyes fixed on the ground, and that his narrative was a kind of appeal ; he was as a culprit endeavour ing to justify himself; and over and over he repeated that no man could have pulled harder than he did to try to reach the drowning swimmer. " Oh, I am sure of that — I am sure of that ! " the girl said, piteously. " And — we will not forget it." He did not appear to understand what she meant, so anxious was he to exonerate himself. " There wass the two points to go round," he repeated once more. " When I wass on the top of the land I wass nearer to him — oh, yes — and REMORSE. 27 I could hef run down to the watterside — and — and been nearer — but no use that would be.

I lies not been sweeming since I wass a young man ; I could not get out to him. And when I went back to the boat there wass the two points to go round — a long well it was to pull, and the tide running strong — and I pulled as well as I could. I pulled as hard as ever I wass pulling alii my life " " Indeed, I am sure you did your best ! " said she — for it seemed pitiable that this old man should think it needful to appeal to her and justify himself. " Well," said her companion, seeing that Logan's narrative had come to an end, " we have sent for a boat. Miss Ramsden would like to go across to the island ; and if you have time to come with us you could show her the place where you last saw her father. Will you add this further obligation to what we already owe you ? " Old Logan was stupefied.

In Gaelic he might have remonstrated, and pointed out that it would only be harrowing the feelings of the young lady ; but his English was not effective for any such purpose ; he had merely to acquiesce in silence ; and so it befell that when the salmon fisherman's boat, with a crew of four stalwart rowers, had been brought along, the orphaned girl and her friend, and old John Logan, too, went down to the shore, and pre sently were being taken across the smooth plain of water to Eilean-na-Keal. She was showing a wonderful fortitude. No sooner had she landed than she began asking the most particular questions — apparently anxious to construct for herself a complete picture of those last minutes of her father's life. Where did he pull his boat up on the beach ? Where was he, Logan ? What were her father's first words ?

In what direction did the two of them go to explore the island, and what was the subject of their talk ? Thus it was that the old man came to recall and repeat every single sentence that had been uttered between them. He told her of his complaints about Corstorphine. He told her of the approaching marriage of his granddaughter ; of the young man who wanted to purchase a share in a herring-smack ; of his own wish to help him in that matter ; of the small prices he was getting for the lobsters ; of his asking her father if he did not know Cor storphine, that perhaps he might remonstrate. " But you need not let that trouble you," she REMORSE. 29 said, gently ; " I will take care you have enough money to buy the share in the boat." He started somewhat, and stared at her. " You, Mem ? Oh, no, Mem !

I could not be thinking of tekking money from you ! " he said, with a curious earnestness that seemed to have something of dread in it. For during all the time that they had been coming over in the boat, and all the time he had been talking to her on the island, the con viction was growing deeper in his heart that he had robbed this grief-stricken girl, aud that without the possibility of restitution. When he had originally taken the locket it seemed the property of no one. Its owner was gone away out of this world ; he could never come back to reclaim it ; it did not belong to him any more. But now the old man knew that it belonged to this gentle-spoken young lady, who was over whelmed with her sorrow. That was her mother's portrait, sure enough. And here — although he had robbed her of what must be of exceeding value to her — here she was proposing to do him some substantial act of kindness.

The mere thought of it terrified him, somehow. It seemed to aggravate his guilt. Had he not done her enough wrong ? And what would be the luck of the herring-smack if part of its pur chase-money came through his hands that were stained with crime ? They were approaching the ruined chapel — he rather lingering behind her. He was re luctant to go near ; he would not enter by the narrow porch ; he would have dissuaded her from going further if only he had dared. And yet what could have been more simple, if this anguish of remorse and contrition was becoming unbearable, than for him to have gone courageously forward and taken out the locket from its hiding-place, confessed his fault, and begged for her forgiveness ? She seemed a kind and sympathetic creature ; she was pro foundly grateful to him for the efforts, however futile, he had made to rescue her father.

Surely she would accept this, all the reparation he could make, and grant him pardon ? But that was not at all how the matter appeared to old John Logan. In his mind the English were a great and powerful and terrible people. Sailors had told him again and again of the vast men-of-war coming into the Clyde, of their enormous cannon, and of the thunder that shook the world when the huge guns were fired. The dread powers of government were KFUHRaE. :;l iu England : the Queen was there, and Parli;t niejit, itnd fclje TW&p that prisonatfi were thrown i n I < ■ And it' he Confessed t bat he had jol .1 ...I an English person, would lie not (fraggi I uwav to 1 1 uir stronger country, and pei0jai)3 hanged 1 -' Th>_- English were a sliong, temble, and vindictive race — so be had heard many a mii •-, m atones current in his bojfhood's da\-, Not to tht'm diittid lie appeal fnr luei-ey.

If lie rBAck this confession, her forgiveness would ;i\;iil him nothing ; the rfl^XOraMfi powers (j| the l:iw wmild seize liim, aud how would it he with his .Tenniiie if he wn-i t^kon away to the smith and hanged ? fffi ST0S less auxii >ns and pfitnilicd \\hen (lie yr.iuig lady came nut. oit the clia[iel, and onr-.. more suhraitted to his guidance. In fact, lliev were following afep by .-tfp the careless sannttj that her lather had little thought to be his last ; until, finally, Logan took her to the ridge over looking the Fatal bay, and showed her, as well as he could, the precise spot at. which tin drowning man had disappeared. It was so lonely, this outlook. She gazed upon it with a kind of shrinking terror. Calm as the sea was, it seemed a cruel, secret, dreadful thing. The silencewas awful.

She -:food there a long while ; and it was not until she was coining away that her forced composure entirely broke down. She had turned to cast one long, final, lingering glance towards these empty shores and the voiceless plain of the sea ; and it was perhaps some sense of her complete orphanhood that was borne in upon her, or perhaps a feeling that this was a last farewell. But she gave way altogether, and, sinking to the ground, buried her head in her hands, and sobbed and cried passionately and bitterly. " Edith ! " her companion said to her, and he put his hand gently on her shoulder. " Edith, come away now ! Indeed, you must come away ! He assisted her to rise ; and then, with bent head and uncertain footsteps, she made her way back to the boat. During the long pull to the mainland, she turned once or twice to regard the small island set amid the calm seas.

This was indeed farewell. Immediately on their arrival at the inn, Mr. Holt began to make preparations for their return to the south ; for it was useless allowing the girl to remain in this sad neighbourhood. He got his late partner's effects put together, and without much examination ; for, finding REMORSE. 33 watch, money, and papers all intact, he did not deem it necessary to make further inquiry, and it certainly never occurred to him at such a time to ask the bereaved daughter about trinkets. The men belonging to the salmon fishery were liberally rewarded for their two days' search. Then came the question of Logan ; and here it was fortunate that Archie MacEachran, who was to marry the old man's granddaughter, happened this very day to have come over from Usgary. Mr. Holt sent for him, and he came : a pleasant-looking, light haired young fellow he was, with a quick, alert eye, though he was somewhat bashful in manner.

Mr. Holt had arranged to see him alone. " I understand you are to marry John Logan's granddaughter," the banker said to him forth with, " and that there is some question of your buying a share in a herring-smack. Now, Miss Ramsden is very much interested in the old man — and grateful to him for having done what he could to rescue her father when he was drowning ; and she would like to do some thing to show her gratitude. He seemed dis turbed when she suggested money; I don't know why that should be so ; but it has D occurred to me that it might be managed in this way — he intends helping you to buy the share in the boat " " Ay, but there's the two ways of it," said this young man eagerly, and he could speak English freely enough, if still with a considerable accent ; "he wass wanting me to tek the money ahltogether, and I did not like the look of that, for he has not mich, and the look of it would be that I was being paid for marrying his granddaughter.

No, I said, I will tek a loan of the money, and I will pay you back. The Kate and Bella is a lucky boat ; the Macdowell brothers that hef her, each one of them hass money in the savings-bank ; and now that one of them thinks he can do better by buying sheep and tekking them to the trysts, it is a good chance for me to get his share in the smack. Old John Logan — well, he will be wanting his own savings when he gets too old to look after the lobster-traps ; and besides that he will hef to be paying some young girl to mind the house for him, when Jeannie Logan comes to me. But if he will lend me the money, ferry well ; and I will pay him back when I can." "I think you take a very sensible view of REMORSE. the situation," the banker said. " How much is this loan that you require ? " " Well, I hef got ahl the money except about twenty-four pounds."

" Twenty-four pounds," Mr. Holt repeated. " Miss Ramsden thought of giving the old man something bigger than that. However, it can be managed in this way : we will make you a loan of fifty pounds, and you will covenant to pay it back to John Logan, in instalments — extending over three years if you like. We will tell him that we have advanced you this loan on his account — to give you a fair start in your married life — and to preserve his small savings for his own need ; and I dare say he won't mind taking the money in that indirect way." " Not him, sir," the young man said, with a smile. " He knows the value of money as well as anyone. Some of them will be for saying that old John Logan is not ferry wise in the head ; but I think he is clever enough about that ; he can tell you ferry well what is due to him for interest, and how the book stands — that I know fine !

" " That's all right, then," Mr. Holt said, rising — and the other rose too, and stepped towards the door. " There will be some papers for you to sign. Write your full name and address on an envelope, and leave it for me with the land lady before you go. You will hear later on." "I thank ye, sir; I thank ye," the young man said; but even with the door open he lingered, standing there shamefacedly. " There's — there's something more," he stam mered. " Maybe — I don't know how to say it, but if you were to tell the young lady that we thanked her for her kindness — and — and more than that— that there's not one of us — not one 0f ug but would rather not hef it at ahl if we could get her father back to her alive." The banker stepped forward and took the young man's hand for a moment. "I will give her the message.

She is a kind-hearted girl. In this case I think her kindness has been well bestowed." And so the strangers went away ; and the little hamlet of Harivaig returned to its normal condition of slumberous quiet. But this peace brought no comfort to the mind of old John Loo-an. Ever before him was the remembrance of the grief-stricken young lady, pale and sad eyed, who had accompanied him over the island; and he knew that the portrait of her REMORSE. mother, that by right belonged to her, was hidden away in the small chapel, and that he dared not bring it forth into the light. He had lost all intention now of giving the jewelled trinket to his granddaughter Jeannie, to adorn her on her wedding day. Even if the portrait were cut out, and deep buried in the earth, there would be something about the locket itself that he could not face.

It was no longer flotsam and jetsam ; it belonged to the beautiful, gentle hearted girl who had been so kind to him and his : he had robbed her — as a requital of her bounty towards them. The neighbours remarked that old John Logan was growing still more strange in his ways. He had hardly a word for anyone now. He seemed morose and depressed ; he would not even talk about the purchase of the share in the Kate and Bella — though that was known to be a great thing for young MacEachran and Jeannie Logan ; and he did not go over to Eilean-na-Keal as often as he used to do, even when the weather was quite fine. Moreover, in the little Free Church building half-way on the road to Usgary, to which the Harivaig people walked every Sabbath morning, they noticed that, more than once, when the Minister was making a fervent appeal to the consciences of his people, John Logan, with downbent head, would answer with a perfectly audible moan.

Some said that the old man was grown odder than ever in his ways simply because of the solitary life that he led out at the lobster baskets. Others hinted that the sight of the stranger drowning had frightened him, and that he had never been quite the same since. While others again maintained that it was merely the going away of his granddaughter that was preying on his mind, and that he would soon get accustomed to it, once the wedding was over. " Grandfather," said Jeannie Logan to him one night — an open Bible was lying on the table before him, and she had heard him sigh heavily once or twice, as if in great distress or pain, " grandfather, is there anything wrong with you ? " " There is something wrong with me," he answered, in the Gaelic, " that will never be made right in this world."