Catriona : being a sequel to 'Kidnapped' : being memoirs of the further adventures of David Balfour at home and abroad

Front matter

Uniform with this Work. The Master of Ballantrae. By R. L. Stevenson. Illustrated. The Black Arrow. By R. L. Stevenson. Illustrated. Treasure Island. By R. L. Stevenson. Illustrated. Kidnapped. By R. L. Stevenson. Illustrated. Catriona. Ey R. L. Stevenson. Illustrated. Island Nights' Entertainments. By R. L. Stevenson Illustrated. The Wrecker. By R. L. Stevenson and Lloyd Osbobne. Illustrated. King Solomon's Mines. By H. Rider Haggard. Illustrated. Cassell & Company, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London. 3IB— 2.98. TEE ADVENTURES OF DAVID BALFOUR. PART TWO: CATRIONA. BY THE SAME AUTHOR. An Inland Voyage. Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes. Teavels with a Donkey. VlRGIN-BUS PUEEISQUE. Fa-Œllae Studies op Men and Books. New Arabian Nights. Teeasuee Island. The Silverado Squatters. A Child's Garden op Veese.

Prince Otto. The Strange Case of De. Jekyll and Me. Hyde, The Meeey Men. TJndeewoods. Memoeies and Portraits. The Black Aeeow. Ballads. The Master op Ballantrae. Father Dahien: an Open Letter. Across the Plains. A Footnote to History. Island Nights' Entertainments. The Adventures of David Balfour. Part II. Cateiona. (With Mrs. Stevenson.) More New Arabian Nights: The Dynamiter. (With Mr. Lloyd Osbourne.) The Wrong Box. The Wrecker. The Ebb Tide. (With Mr. W. E. Henley.) Three Plays. " SHE DROPPED ME ONE OF HER CURTSEYS, "WHICH WERE extraordinary taking" (p. 287). THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID BALFOUR CATKIONA A SEQUEL TO "KIDNAPPED" BEING MEMOIRS OF THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF DAVID BALFOUR AT HOME AND ABROAD In which are set forth hit Misfortunes anent the Appin Murder; his Troubles with Lord Advocate Grant; Captivity on the Bass Rock; Journey into Holland and France; and singular Relations with James Moee Drummond or MacGregor, a Son of the notorious Rob Roy, and his Daughter Catriona.

Written by Himself, and now set forth by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON With SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS by W. B. HOLE, R.S.A. TWENTY-NINTH THOUSAND CASSELL and COMPANY, Limited LONDON, PARIS & MELBOURNE 1898 ALL rights reserved First Edition July 1893. Reprinted September 1893, January 1894. February 1894, July 1894, 1896, 1898. DEDICATION. ®o CHARLES BAXTER, Writer to the Signet. My Dear Charles, It is the fate of sequels to disappoint those who have waited for them ; and my David, having been left to kick his heels for more than a lustre in the British Linen Company's office, must expect his late re-appearance to be greeted with hoots, if not with missiles. Yet, when I remember the days of our explorations, I am not without hope. There should be left in our native city some seed of the elect ; some long-legged, hot-headed youth must repeat to-day our dreams and wanderings of so many years ago ; he will relish the pleasure, which should have been ours, to follow among named streets and numbered houses the country walks of David Balfour, to identify Dean, and Silvermills, and Broughton, and Hope Park, and Pilrig, and poor old Lochend — if it still be standing, and the Figgate Whins — if there be any of V!

Part I. The Lord Advocate

CHAPTEP. PAGE I. A Beggar on Horseback 1 II. The Highland Writer 13 III. I go to Pilrig 25 IV. Lord Advocate Prestongrange 35 V. In the Advocate's House 60 VI. Umquile the Master op Lovat 60 VII. I make A Fault in Honour 69 VIH. The Bravo 84 IX. The Heather on Fire 96 X. The Bed-headed Man 106 XI. The Wood by Silvermills 118 XII. On the March again with Alan .... 127 XIII. Gillane Sands 139 XIV. The Bass 151 XV. Black Andie's Tale of Tod Lapraik .... 162 XVI. The Missing Witnebb 177 XVII. The Memorial 189 XVIII. The Teed Ball 205 XIX. I AM MUCH IN THE HANDS OF THE LADIES . . . 218 XX. I CONTINUE TO MOVE IN GOOD SOCIETY .... 231 PAET H. FATHER AND DAUGHTER. XXI. The Voyage into Holland 245 XXII. Helvoetsluys 260 XXIII. Travels in Holland 270 XXIV. Full Story of a Copy of Heineccius .... 284 XXV.

The Betuen of James More 299 XXVI. The Threesome 307 XXVII. A Twosome 318 XXVIIL In wiuch I am Left Alone 327 XXIX. We iteet in Dunkirk 339 XXX. The Letter from the Ship 349 Conclusion LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE " All the while the three of them sought in their pockets " . .5 "'What did they suffer for?' I asked" 28 " ' And see here ! ' he cried, with a formidable slirill voice . . . ' It is the warrant for your arrest '" 65 " ' Tit you eff er hear where Alan Grigor sand the tangs ? ' said he " 88 " ' Saxpence had better take his broth with us, Catrine,' says she " 107 " ' The good man brought me my meat and a drop brandy, and a candle-do wp to eat it by, about eleeven,' said he " . .129 "With that I turned my back upon the soa and faced the sand-hills" 146 " There he sat, a muckle, fat, white hash of a man, like creish " . 167 "There is nothing here to be viewed but naked Campbell spite and scurvy Campbell intrigue " 192 " Down she went upon her knees to him " 227 " All Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills glinted above me " . 246 " Up she stood on the bulwarks, and held by a stay " . . . 263 " She dropped me one of her curtseys, which were extraordinary taking" 287 " ' You tell me she is here ? ' said he again " . . , . 301 " ' Eeep back, Davie ! Are ye daft ? '" 362 " Whom you were awakened out of your beds and brought down to the dining-hall to be presented to " .... CATRIONA.

PART I. THE LORD ADVOCATE.

Chapter I

A BEGGAR ON HORSEBACK. The 25th day of August, 1751, about two in the afternoon, I, David Balfour, came forth of the British Linen Company, a porter attending me with a bag of money, and some of the chief of these merchants bowing me from their doors. Two days before, and even so late as yestermorning, I was like a beggar man by the wayside, clad in rags, brought down to my last shillings, my companion a condemned traitor, a price set on my own head for a crime with the news of which the country rang. To-day I was served heir to my position in Hfe, a landed laird, a bank porter by me carrying my gold, recommendations in my pocket, and (in tbe words of the saying) the ball directly at my foot. There were two circumstances that served me as ballast to so much sail The first was the very B CATRIONA difficult and deadly business I had still to handle ; the second, the place that I was in.

The tall, black city, and the numbers and movement and noise of so many folk, made a new world for me, after the moor land braes, the sea-sands, and the still country-sides that I had frequented up to then. The throng of the citizens in particular abashed me. Rankeillor's son was short and small in the girth ; his clothes scarce held on me ; and it was plain I was ill qualified to strut in the front of a bank-porter. It was plain, if I did so, I should but set folk laughing, and (what was worse in my case) set them asking questions. So that I behooved to come by some clothes of my own, and in the meanwhile to walk by the porter's side, and put my hand on his arm as though we were a pair of friends. At a merchant's in the Luckenbooths, I had my self fitted out: none too fine, for I had no idea to appear like a beggar on horseback ; but comely and responsible, so that servants should respect me.

Thence to an armourer's, where I got a plain sword, to suit with my degree in life. I felt safer with the weapon, though (for one so ignorant of defence) it might be called an added danger. The porter, who was naturally a man of some experience, judged my accoutrement to be well chosen. " Naething kenspeckle,"* said he ; " plain, dacent claes. As for the rapier, nae doubt it sits wi' your degree ; but an I had been you, I would hae waned my siller better-gates than that." And he proposed I should buy winter-hosen from a wife * Conspicuous. A BEGGAR ON HORSEBACK 3 in the Cowgate-back, that was a cousin of his own, and made them " extraordinar endurable." But I had other matters on my hand more press ing. Here I was in this old, black city, which was for all the world hke a rabbit-warren, not only by the number of its indwellers, but the complication of its passages and holes.

It was indeed a place where no stranger had a chance to find a friend, let be another stranger. Suppose him even to hit on the right close, people dwelt so thronged in these tall houses, he might very well seek a day before he chanced on the right door. The ordinary course was to hire a lad they called a caddie, who was like a guide or pilot, led you where you had occasion, and (your errands being done) brought you again where you were lodging. But these caddies, being always employed in the same sort of services, and having it for obligation to be well informed of every house and person in the city, had grown to form a brotherhood of spies ; and I knew from tales of Mr. Campbell's how they communicated one with another, what a rage of curiosity they conceived as to their employer's business, and how they were hke eyes and fingers to the police.

It would be a piece of httle wisdom, the way I was now placed, to tack such a ferret to my tails. I had three visits to make, all immediately needful: to my kinsman Mr. Balfour of Pilrig, to Stewart the Writer that was Appin's agent, and to William Grant Esquire of Prestongrange, Lord Advo cate of Scotland. Mr. Balfour's was a non-committal visit ; and besides (Pilrig being in the country) I made bold to find the way to it myself, with the help CATRIONA. of my two legs and a Scots tongue. But the rest were in a different case. Not only was the visit to Appin's agent, in the midst of tbe cry about the Appin murder, dangerous in itself, but it was highly inconsistent with the other. I was like to have a bad enough time of it with my Lord Advocate Grant, the best of ways ; but to go to him hot-foot from Appin's agent, was little likely to mend my own affairs, and might prove the mere ruin of friend Alan's. The whole thing, besides, gave me a look of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds that was httle to my fancy.

I determined, therefore, to be done at once with Mr. Stewart and the whole Jacobitical side of my business, and to profit for that purpose by the guidance of the porter at my side. But it chanced I had scarce given him the address, when there came a sprinkle of rain — nothing to hurt, only for my new clothes — and we took shelter under a pend at the head of a close or alley. Being strange to what I saw, I stepped a little farther ia The narrow paved way descended swiftly. Prodigious tall houses sprang upon each side and bulged out, one storey beyond another, as they rose At the top only a ribbon of sky showed in. By what I could spy in the windows, and by the respectable persons that passed out and in, I saw the houses to be very well occupied ; and the whole appearance of the place interested me like a tale.

I was still gazing, when there came a sudden brisk tramp of feet in time and clash of steel behind me. Turning quickly, I was aware of a party of armed soldiers, and, in their midst, a tall man in a " ALL THE WHILE THE THREE OP THEM SOCGHT IN THEIR pockets " (p. 5). great-coat. He walked with a stoop that was hke a piece of courtesy, genteel and insinuating : he waved his hands plausibly as he went, and his face was sly and handsome. I thought his eye took me in, but could not meet it. This procession went by to a door in the close, which a serving-man in a fine livery set open ; and two of the soldier-lads carried the prisoner within, the rest lingering with their firelocks by the door. There can nothing pass in the streets of a city without some following of idle folk and children. It was so now ; but the more part melted away in continent until but three were left.

One was a girl ; she was dressed like a lady, and had a screen of the Drummond colours on her head ; but her comrades or (I should say) followers were ragged gillies, such as I had seen the matches of by the dozen in my High land journey. They all spoke together earnestly in Gaelic, the sound of which was pleasant in my ears for the sake of Alan; and though the rain was by again, and my porter plucked at me to be going, 1 even drew nearer where they were, to hsten The lady scolded sharply, the others making apologies and cringeing before her, so that I made sure she was come of a chiefs house. All the while the three of them sought in their pockets, and by what I could make out, they had the matter of half a farthing among the party ; which made me smile a httle to see ah Highland folk alike for fine obeisances and empty sporrans.

It chanced the girl turned suddenly about, so that I saw her face for the first time. There is no greater CATRIONA wonder than the way the face of a young woman fits in a man's mind, and stays there, and he could never tell you why ; it just seems it was the thing he wanted. She had wonderful bright eyes hke stars, and I daresay the eyes had a part in it ; but what I remember the most clearly was the way her lips were a trifle open as she turned. And whatever was the cause, I stood there staring like a fool. On her side, as she had not known there was anyone so near, she looked at me a httle longer, and perhaps with more surprise, than was entirely civil It went through my country head she might be wondering at my new clothes ; with that, I blushed to my hair, and at the sight of my colouring it is to be supposed she drew her own conclusions, for she moved her gillies farther down the close, and they fell again to this dispute where I could hear no more of it.

I had often admired a lassie before then, if scarce so sudden and strong; and it was rather my dis position to withdraw than to come forward, for I was much in fear of mockery from the womenkind. You would have thought I had now all the more reason t<> pursue my common practice, since I had met this young lady in the city street, seemingly following a prisoner, and accompanied with two very ragged indecent-like Highlandmen. But there was here a different ingredient; it was plain the girl thought I had been prying in her secrets; and with my new clothes and sword, and at the top of my new fortunes, this was more than I could swallow. The beggar on horseback could not bear to be thrust down so low, or at the least of it, not by this young lady. I followed, accordingly, and took off my new hat to her, the best that I was able.

" Madam," said I, " I think it only fair to myself to let you understand I have no Gaehc. It is true I was listening, for I have friends of my own across the Highland line, and the sound of that tongue comes friendly; but for your private affairs, if you had spoken Greek, I might have had more guess at them." She made me a httle, distant curtsey. " There is no harm done," said she, with a pretty accent, most like the English (but more agreeable). "A cat may look at a king." " I do not mean to offend," said I. " I have no skill of city manners ; I never before this day set foot inside the doors of Edinburgh Take me for a country lad — it's what I am; and I would rather I told you than you found it out." " Indeed, it will be a very unusual thing for strangers to be speaking to each other on the causeway," she rephed.

"But if you are landward* bred it will be different. I am as landward as yourself; I am Highland as you see, and think myself the farther from my home." " It is not yet a week since I passed the line," said I. " Less than a week ago I was on the braes of Balwhidder." " Balwhither ? " she cries. " Come ye from Bal whither ? The name of it makes all there is of me rejoice. You will not have been long there, and not known some of our friends or family ? " •Country. CATRIONA. "I lived with a very honest, kind man called Duncan Dhu Maclaren," I rephed. " Well I know Duncan, and you give him the true name ! " she said ; " and if he is an honest man, his wife is honest indeed." " Ay," said I, " they are fine people, and the place is a bonny place." " Where in the great world is such another ? " she cries ; " I am loving the smell of that place and the roots that grow there."

I was infinitely taken with the spirit of the maid. "I could be wishing I had brought you a spray of that heather," says I. " And though I did ill to speak with you at the first, now it seems we have common acquaintance, I make it my petition you will not forget me. David Balfour is the name I am known by. This is my lucky day, when I have just come into a landed estate, and am not very long out of a deadly peril I wish you would keep my name in mind for the sake of Balwhidder," said I, " and I will yours for the sake of my lucky day." " My name is not spoken," she rephed, with a great deal of haughtiness. " More than a hundred years it has not gone upon men's tongues, save for a blink. I am nameless like the Folk of Peace.* Catriona Drummond is the one I use." Now indeed I knew where I was standing.

In all broad Scotland there was but the one name pro scribed, and that was the name of the Macereeors. Yet so far from fleeing this undesirable acquaintancy, I plunged the deeper in. 'The Fairie3. * I have been sitting with one who was in the same case with yourself," said I, " and I think he will be one of your friends. They called him Robin Oig." " Did ye so ? " cries she. " Ye met Rob ? " " I passed the night with him," said I. " He is a fowl of the night," said she. " There was a set of pipes there," I went on, " so you may judge if the time passed." " You should be no enemy, at all events," said she. " That was his brother there a moment since, with the red soldiers round him. It is him that I call father." " Is it so ? " cried I. " Are you a daughter of James More's ? " " All the daughter that he has," says she : " the daughter of a prisoner; that I should forget it so, even for one hour, to talk with strangers !

" Here one of the gillies addressed her in what he had of English, to know what " she " (meaning by that himself) was to do about " ta sneeshin." I took some note of him for a short, bandy-legged, red haired, big-headed man, that I was to know more of to my cost. "There can be none the day, Neil," she replied. " How will you get ' sneeshin,' wanting siller ? It will teach you another time to be more careful ; and I think James More will not be very well pleased with Neil of the Tom" " Miss Drummond," I said, " I told you I was in my lucky day. Here I am, and a bank-porter at my tail. And remember I have had the hospitality of your own country of Balwhidder." CATRIONA. " It was not one of my people gave it," said she. "Ah, well," said I, "but I am owing your uncle at least for some springs upon the pipes.

Besides which, I have offered myself to be your friend, and you have been so forgetful that you did not refuse me in the proper time." " If it had been a great sum, it might have done you honour," said she ; " but I wiU tell you what this is. James More hes shackled in prison ; but this time past, they will be bringing him down here daily to the Advocate's. . . ." " The Advocate's ? " I cried. " Is that . . . ? " " It is the house of the Lord Advocate Grant of Prestongrange," said she. "There they bring my father one time and another, for what purpose I have no thought in my mind ; but it seems there is some hope dawned for him. All this same time they will not let me be seeing him, nor yet him write; and we wait upon the King's street to catch him ; and now we give him his snuff as he goes by, and now some thing else.

And here is this son of trouble, Neil, son of Duncan, has lost my fourpenny-piece that was to buy that snuff, and James More must go wanting, and will think his daughter has forgotten him." I took sixpence from my pocket, gave it to NeiL and bade him go about his errand. Then to her, " That sixpence came with me by Balwhidder," said I. " Ah ! " she said, " you are a friend to the Gregara ! " " I would not like to deceive you either," said I. " I know very little of the Gregara and less of James More and his doings, but since the while I have been standing in this close, I seem to know something of yourself; and if you will just say 'a friend to Miss Catriona ' I will see you are the less cheated." " The one cannot be without the other," said she. " I will even try," said I. " And what will you be thinking of myself ?

" she cried, " to be holding my hand to the first stranger ! " " I am thinking nothing but that you are a good daughter," said I. " I must not be without repaying it," she said ; " Where is it you stop ? " " To tell the truth, I am stopping nowhere yet," said I, " being not full three hours in the city ; but if you will give me your direction, I will be so bold as come seeking my sixpence for myself." " Will I can trust you for that ? " she asked. " You need have httle fear," said I. " James More could not bear it else," said she. " 1 stop beyond the village of Dean, on the north side of the water, with Mrs. Drummond-Ogilvy of Allardyce, who is my near friend and will be glad to thank you." " You are to see me then, so soon as what I have to do permits," said 1 ; and the remembrance of Alan rolling in again upon my mind, I made haste to say fareweU.

I could not but think, even as I did so, that we had made extraordinary free upon short acquaintance, and chat a really wise young lady would have shown herself more backward. I think it was the bank porter that put me from this ungallant train of thought. " I thoucht ye had been a lad of some kind o' CATRIO>.A. sense," he began, shooting out his lips. "Ye're no hkely to gang far this gate. A fule and his siller's shune parted. Eh, but ye're a green callant!" he cried, "an' a veecious, tae! Cleikin' up wi' baubee joes!" " If you dare to speak of the young lady. . . ." 1 began. " Leddy I" he cried. " Haud us and safe us, whatten leddy? Ca' thon a leddy? The toun's fu' o' them. Leddies ! Man, it's weel seen ye're no very acquant in Embro ! " A clap of anger took me. " Here," said I, " lead me where I told you, and keep your foul mouth shut !

" He did not wholly obey me, for though he no more addressed me directly, he sang at me as he went in a very impudent manner of innuendo, and with an exceedingly ill voice and ear — " As Jlally Lee cam doun the street, her capuchin did flee. She cuist a look ahint her to see her negligee. And we're a' gaun oast and wast, we're a' gann ajca, We're a' gaun cast sad wast courtin' Mally Les."

Chapter II. The Highland Writer

Mr. Charles Stewart the Writer dwelt at the top of the longest stair that ever mason set a hand to ; fifteen flights of it, no less ; and when I had come to his door, and a clerk had opened it, and told me his master was within, I had scarce breath enough to send my porter packing. " Awa' east and wast wi' ye ! " said I, took the money bag out of his hands, and foUowed the clerk in. The outer room was an office with the clerk's chair at a table spread with law papers. In the inner chamber, which opened from it, a httle brisk man sat poring on a deed, from which he scarce raised his eyes upon my entrance ; indeed, he stiU kept his finger in the place, as though prepared to show me out and fall again to his studies. This pleased me httle enough ; and what pleased me less, I thought the clerk was in a good posture to overhear what should pass between us.

I asked if he was Mr. Charles Stewart the Writer. "The same," says he; "and if the question is equaUy fair, who may you be yourself ? " "You never heard teU of my name nor of me either," said 1, "but I bring you a token from a friend CATRIONA. that you know well That you know well," I repeated, lowering my voice, " but maybe are not just so keen to hear from at this present being. And the bits of business that I have to propone to you are rather in the nature of being confidential In short, I would like to think we were quite private." He rose without more words, casting down his paper hke a man Ul-pleased, sent forth his clerk of an errand, and shut to the house-door behind him. " Now, sir," said he, returning, " speak out your mind and fear nothing ; though before you begin," he cries out, " I teU you mine misgives me !

I tell you beforehand, ye're either a Stewart or a Stewart sent ye. A good name it is, and one it would iU become my father's son to lightly. But I begin to grue at the sound of it." "My name is called Balfour," said I, "David Balfour of Shaws. As for him that sent me, I wiU let his token speak" And I showed the sUver button. " Put it in your pocket, sir ! " cries he. " Ye need name no names. The deevU's buckie, I ken the button of him ! And de'il hae't ! Where is he now?" I told him I knew not where Alan was, but he had some sure place (or thought he had) about the north side, where he was to he until a ship was found for him ; and how and where he had appointed to be spoken with. " It's been always my opinion that I would hang in a tow for this family of mine," he cried, "and, dod ! I believe the day's come now !

Get a ship for THE HIGHLAND WRITER. him, quot' he I And who's to pay for it ? The man's daft ! " " That is my part of the affair, Mr. Stewart," said I. " Here is a bag of good money, and if more be wanted, more is to be had where it came from." " I needn't ask your politics," said he. " Ye need not," said I, smihng, " for I'm as big a Whig as grows." "Stop a bit, stop a bit," says Mr. Stewart. " What's aU this ? A Whig ? Then why are you here with Alan's button ? and what kind of a black-foot traffic is this that I find ye out in, Mr. Whig ? Here is a forfeited rebel and an accused murderer, with two hundred pounds on his hfe, and ye ask me to meddle in his business, and then tell me ye're a Whig ! I have no mind of any such Whigs before, though I've kent plenty of them." " He's a forfeited rebel, the more's the pity/' said I, " for the man's my friend.