The laird's luck, and other fireside tales

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The Laird's Luck i

Three Men of Badajoz 6i

II

I anticipated no difficulty, and encountered none. The Gazette of January, 1815, announced that David Marie Joseph Mackenzie, gentleman, had been appointed to an ensigncy in the — th Regiment of Infantry (Moray Highlanders) ; and I timed my letter of congratulation to reach him with the news. Within a week he had joined us at Inverness, and was made v^'elcome.

I may say at once that during his brief period of service I could find no possible fault with his bearing as a soldier. From the tirst he took seriously to the calling of arms, and not only showed himself punctual on parade and in all the small duties of barracks, but displayed, in his reserved way, a zealous resolve to master whatever by book or conversation could be learned of the higher business of war. My junior officers — though when the test came, as it soon did, they acquitted themselves most creditably — showed, as a whole, just then no great promise. For the most part they were young lairds, like Mr. Mackenzie, or cadets of good Highland families ; but, unlike him, they had been allowed to run wild, and chafed under harness. One or two of them had the true Highland addiction to card-playing ; and though I set a pretty stern face against this curse — as I dare to call it — its effects were to be traced in late hours, more than one case of shirking " rounds," and a general slovenliness at morning parade.

In such company Mr. Mackenzie showed to advantage, and I soon began to value him as a likely officer. Nor, in my dissatisfaction with them, did it give me any uneasiness — as it gave me no surprise — to find that his brother-officers took less kindly to him. He kept a certain reticence of manner, which either came of a natural shyness or had been ingrained in him at the Roman Cathohc

THE LAIED'S LUGK 25

seminary. He was poor, too ; but povert}^ did not prevent his joining in all the regimental anmsements, figuring modestly but sufficiently on the subscription lists, and even taking a hand at cards for moderate stakes. Yet he made no headway, and his popularity diminished instead of growing. All this I noted, but without discovering any definite reason. Of his professional promise, on the other hand, there could be no question ; and the men liked and respected him.

Our senior ensign at this date was a Mr. Urquhart, the eldest son of a West Highland laird, and heir to a considerable estate. He had been in barracks when Mr. Mackenzie joined ; but a week later his father's sudden illness called for his presence at home, and I granted him a leave of absence, which was afterwards extended. I regretted this, not only for the sad occasion, but because it deprived the battalion for a time of one of its steadiest officers, and Mr. Mackenzie in particular of the chance to form a very useful friendship. For the two young men had (I thought) several qualities which might well attract them each to the other, and a common gravity of mind in contrast with their companions' prevalent and somewhat tiresome frivolity. Of the two I judged Mr. Urquhart (the elder by a year) to have the more stable character. He %vas a goodlooking, dark-complexioned young Highlander, with a serious expression which, without being gloomy,

26 THE LA TED'S LUGK

did not escape a touch of melancholy. I should judge this melancholy of Mr. Urquhart's constitutional, and the boyish suUenness which lingered on Mr. Mackenzie's equalh' handsome face to have been imposed rather by circumstances.

Mr. Urquhart rejoined us on the 24th of February, Two days later, as all the world knows, Napoleon made his escape from Elba ; and the next week or two made it certain not only that the Allies must fight, but that the British contingent must be drawn largely, if not in the main, from the second battalions then drilling up and down the country. The 29th of March brought us our marching orders ; and I will own that, while feeling no uneasiness about the great issue, I distrusted the share mv raw youngsters were to take in it.

On the 1 2th of April we were landed at Ostend, and at once marched up to Brussels, where we remained until the middle of June, having been assigned to the 5th (Picton's) Division of the Reserve. For some reason the Highland regiments had been massed into the Reserve, and were billeted about the capital, our own quarters lying between the 92nd (Cjordons) and General Kruse's Nassauers, whose lodgings stretched out along the Louvain road ; and although I could have wished some harder and more responsible service to get the Morays into training, I felt what advantage they derived from rubbing shoulders with the fine fellows of the 42nd, 79th, and 92nd, all First Battalions toughened by Peninsular work. The gaieties of life in Brussels during these two months have been described often enough ; but among the military they were chiefly confined to those officers whose means allowed them to keep the pace set by rich civilians, and the Morays played the part of amused spectators. Yet the work and the few gaieties which fell to our share, while adding to our experiences, broke up to some degree the old domestic habits of the battahon. Excepting on duty I saw less of Mr. Mackenzie and thought less about him ; he might be left now to be shaped by active service. But I was glad to find him often in company with Mr. Urquhart.

I come now to the memorable night of June 15th, concerning which and the end it brought upon the festivities of Brussels so much has been written. All the world has heard of the Duchess of Richmond's ball, and seems to conspire in decking it out with pretty romantic fables. To contradict the most of these were waste of time ; but I may point out (i) that the ball was over and, I believe, all the company dispersed, before the actual alarm awoke the capital ; and (2) that all responsible officers gathered there shared the knowledge that such an alann was impending, might arrive at any moment, and v/ould almost certainly arrive within a few hours. News of the French advance across the frontier and attack on

General Zieteii's outposts had reached WelUngton at three o'clock that afternoon. It should have been brought five hours earlier ; but he gave his orders at once, and quietly, and already our troops were massing for defence upon Nivelles. We of the Resene had secret orders to hold ourselves prepared. Obedient to a hint from their Commander-in-chief, the generals of division and brigade who attended the Duchess's ball withdrew themselves early on various pleas. Her Grace had honoured me with an invitation, probably because I represented a Highland regiment ; and Highlanders (especially the Gordons, her brother's regiment) were much to the fore that night with reels, flings, and strathspeys. The man}- withdrawals warned me that something was in the wind, and after remaining just so long as seemed respectful I took leave of my hostess and walked homewards across the city as the clocks were striking eleven.

We of the Morays had our headquarters in a fairly large building — the Hotel de Liege — in time of peace a resort of commis-voyageurs of the better class. It boasted a roomy hall, out of which opened two coffee-rooms, converted by us into guard- and mess-room. A large drawing-room on the first floor overlooking the street served me for sleeping as well as working quarters, and to reach it I must pass the entresol, where a small apartment had been set aside for occasional uses. We

TEE LATBD'S LUCK 29

made it, for instance, our ante-room, and assembled there before mess ; a few would retire there for smoking or card-pla)'ing ; during the day it served as a waiting-room for messengers or anyone whose business could not be for the moment attended to.

I had paused at the entrance to put some small question to the sentry, when I heard the crash of a chair in this room, and two voices broke out in fierce altercation. An instant after, the mess-room door opened, and Captain Murray, without observing me, ran past me and up the stairs. As he reached the entresol, a voice — my brother's — called down from an upper landing, and demanded, " What's wrong there ? "

" I don't know, Major," Captain Murray answered, and at the same moment flung the door open. I was quick on his heels, and he wheeled round in some surprise at my voice, and to see me interposed between him and my brother, who had come running downstairs, and now stood behind my shoulder in the entrance.

" Shut the door," I commanded quickly. " Shut the door, and send away anyone you may hear outside. Now, gentlemen, explain yourselves, please."

Mr. Urquhart and Mr. Mackenzie faced each other across a small table, from which the cloth had been dragged and lay on the floor with a scattered pack of cards. The elder lad held a couple of cards in his hand ; he was white in the face.

"He cheated!" He swung round upon me in a kind of indignant fury, and tapped the cards with his forefinger.

I looked from him to the accused. Mackenzie's face was dark, almost purple, rather with rage (as it struck me) than with shame.

" It's a lie." He let out the words slowly, as if holding rein on his passion. " Twice he's said so, and twice I've called him a liar." He drew back for an instant, and then lost control of

himself. "If that's not enough ." He leapt

forward, and almost before Captain Murray could interpose had hurled himself upon Urquhart. The table between them went down with a crash, and Urquhart went staggering back from a blow which just missed his face and took him on the collar-bone before Murray threw both amis around the assailant.

"Mr. Mackenzie," said I, "you will consider yourself under arrest. Mr. Urquhart, you will hold yourself ready to give me a full explanation. Whichever of you may be in the right, this is a disgraceful business, and dishonouring to your regiment and the cloth you wear : so disgraceful, that I hesitate to call up the guard and expose it to more eyes than ours. If Mr. Mackenzie" — I turned to him again — " can behave himself like a gentleman, and accept the fact of his arrest without further trouble, the scandal can at least be postponed until I discover how much it is necessary to face. For the moment, sir, you are in charge of Captain Murray. Do you understand?"

He bent his head sullenly. "He shall fight me, whatever happens," he muttered.

I found it wise to pay no heed to this. "It will be best," I said to Murray, "to remain here with Mr. Mackenzie until I am ready for him. Mr. Urquhart may retire to his quarters, if he will — I advise it, indeed — but I shall require his attendance in a few minutes. You understand," I added significantly, "that for the present this affair remains strictly between ourselves." I knew well enough that, for all the King's regulations, a meeting would inevitably follow sooner or later, and will own I looked upon it as the proper outcome, between gentlemen, of such a quarrel. But it was not for me, their Colonel, to betray this knowledge or my feelings, and by imposing secrecy I put off for the time all the business of a formal challenge with seconds. So I left them, and requesting my brother to follow me, mounted to my own room. The door was no sooner shut than I turned on him.

" Surely," I said, " this is a bad mistake or Urquhart's ? It's an incredible charge. From all I've seen of him, the lad would never be guilty ..." I paused, expecting his assent. To my surprise he did not give it, but stood fingering his cbin and, looking serious.

" I don't know," he answered un\\nllingly. " There are stories against him."

'^ What stories ? "

" Nothing definite." My brother hesitated. "It doesn't seem fair to him to repeat mere whispers. But the others don't hke him."

" Hence the whispers, perhaps. They have not reached me."

"They would not. He is known to be a favourite of yours. But they don't care to play with him." My brother stopped, met my look, and answered it with a shrug of the shoulders, adding, " He wins pretty constantly."

" Any definite charge before to-night's ? "

" Xo : at least, I think not. But Urquhart may have been put up to watch."

" Fetch him up, please," said I promptly ; and seating myself at the writing-table I lit candles (for the lamp was dim), made ready the writing materials and prepared to take notes of the evidence.

Mr. Urquhart presently entered, and I wheeled round in my chair to confront him. He was still exceedingly pale — paler, I thought, than I had left him. He seemed decidedly ill at ease, though not on his own account. His answer to my first question made me fairly leap in my chair.

"I wish," he said, *' to qualify my accusation of Mr. Mackenzie. That he cheated I have the evidence of my own eyes; but I am not sure how far he knew he was cheating."

TRE LAIRD'S LUGK 33

"Good heavens, sir!" I cried. "Do you know you have accused that young man of a villainy which must damn him for life ? And now you tell me " I broke off in sheer indignation.

" I know," he answered quietly. " The noise fetched you in upon us on the instant, and the mischief was done."

"Indeed, sir," I could not avoid sneering, "to most of us it would seem that the mischief was done when you accused a brother-officer of fraud to his face."

He seemed to reflect. " Yes, sir," he assented slowly ; " it is done. I saw him cheat : that I must persist in ; but I cannot say how far he was conscious of it. And since I cannot, I must take the consequences."

" Will you kindly inform us how it is possible for a player to cheat and not know that he is cheating?"

He bent his eyes on the carpet as if seeking an answer. It was long in coming. "No," he said at last, in a slow, dragging tone, " I cannot."

"Then you will at least tell us exactly what Mr. Mackenzie did."

Again there was a long pause. He looked at me straight, but with hopelessness in his eyes. "I fear you would not beheve me. It would not be worth while. If you can grant it, sir, I would ask time to decide."

" Mr. Urquhart," said I sternly, " are you aware

D you have brought against Mr. Mackenzie a charge under which no man of honour can hve easily for a moment ? You ask me without a word of evidence in substantiation to keep hbn in torture while I give you time. It is monstrous, and I beg to remind you that, unless your charge is proved, you can— and will — be broken for making it."

"I know it, sir," he answered firmly enough ; "and because I knew it, I asked — perhaps selfishly — for time. If you refuse, I will at least ask permission to see a priest before telling a story which I can scarcely expect you to believe." Mr. Urquhart too was a Roman Catholic.

But my temper for the moment was gone. " I see little chance," said I, "of keeping this scandal secret, and regret it the less if the consequences are to fall on a rash accuser. But just now I will have no meddling priest share the secret. For the present, one word more. Had you heard before this evening of any hints against Mr. Mackenzie's play ? "

He answered reluctantly, "Yes."

" And you set yourself to lay a trap for him ? "

" No, sir ; I did not. Unconsciously I may have been set on the watch : no, that is wrong — I did watch. But I swear it was in every hope and expectation of clearing him. He was my friend. Even when I saw, I had at first no intention to expose him until "

"That is enough, sir," I broke in, and turned to my brother. " I have no option but to put

Mr. Urquhart too under arrest. Kindly convey him back to his room, and send Captain Murray to me. He may leave Mr. Mackenzie in the eniresoL"

My brother led Urquhart out, and in a minute Captain MuiTay tapped at my door. He was an honest Scot, not too sharp-witted, but straight as a die. I am to show him this description, and he will cheerfully agi-ee with it.

"This is a hideous business, Murray," said I as he entered. "There's something wrong with Urquhart's story. Indeed, between ourselves it has the fatal weakness that he won't tell it."

Murray took half a minute to digest this : then he answered, "I don't know anything about Urquhart's story, sir. But there's something wrong about Urquhart." Here he hesitated.

" Speak out, man," said I : "in confidence. That's understood."

"Well, sir," said he, "Urquhart won't fight."

" Ah ! so that question came up, did it ? " I asked, looking at him sharply.

He was not abashed, but answered, with a twinkle in his eye, " I believe, sir, you gave me no orders to stop their talking, and in a case like this— between youngsters — some question of a meeting would naturally come up. You see, I know both the lads. Urquhart I really like ; but he didn't show up well, I must own — to be fair to the other, who is in the worse fix."

" I am not so sure of that," I commented ; "but go on."

He seemed surprised. " Indeed, Colonel ? Well,'' he resumed, "I being the sort of fellow they could talk before, a meeting was discussed. The question was how to arrange it without seconds — that is, without breaking your orders and dragging in outsiders. For Mackenzie wanted blood at once, and for awhile Urquhart seemed just as eager. All of a sudden, when . . . ." here he broke off suddenly, not wishing to commit himself.

" Tell me only what you think necessary," said I.

He thanked me. " That is what I wanted," he said. " Well, all of a sudden, when we had found out a way and Urquhart was discussing it, he pulled himself up in the middle of a sentence, and with his eyes fixed on the other — a most curious look it was — he waited while you could count ten, and, 'No,' says he, 'I'll not fight you at once' — for we had been arranging something of the sort — 'not to-night, anyway, nor to-morrow,' he says. ' I'll fight you ; but I won't have your blood on my head in that way.' Those were his words. I have no notion what he meant ; but he kept repeating them, and would not explain, though Mackenzie tried him hard and was for shooting across the table. He was repeating them when the Major interrupted us and called him up."

" He has behaved ill from the first," said I. "To me the whole affair begins to look like an abominable plot against Mackenzie. Certainly I cannot entertain a suspicion of his guilt upon a bare assertion which Urquhart declines to back with a tittle of evidence."

"The devil he does!" mused Captain Murray. "That looks bad for him. And yet, sir, I'd sooner trust Urquhart than Mackenzie, and if the case lies against Urquhart "

"It will assuredly break him," I put in, "unless he can prove the charge, or that he was honestly mistaken."

" Then, sir," said the Captain, " I'll have to show you this. It's ugly, but it's only justice."

He pulled a sovereign from his pocket and pushed it on the wTiting-table under my nose.

" What does this mean ? "

" It is a marked one," said he.

" So I perceive." I had picked up the coin and was examining it.

" I found it just now," he continued, " in the room below. The upsetting of the table had scattered Mackenzie's stakes about the floor."

" You seem to have a pretty notion of evidence ! " I observed sharply. " I don't know what accusation this coin may carry ; but why need it be Mackenzie's ? He might have won it from Urquhart."

" I thought of that," was the answer. " But no money had changed hands. I enquired. The quarrel arose over the second deal, and as a matter of fact Urquhart had laid no money on the table, but made a pencil-note of the few shillings he lost by

the first hand. You ma}' remember, sir, how the

table stood when you entered."

I reflected. " Yes, my recollection bears you out.

Do I gather that you have confronted Mackenzie

with this ? "

" No. I found it and slipped it quietly into my

pocket. I thought we had trouble enough on hand

for the moment."

" Who marked this coin ? "

" Young Fraser, sir, in my presence. He has been losing small sums, he declares, by pilfering. We suspected one of the orderlies."

" In this connection you had no suspicion of Mr. Mackenzie ? "

" None, sir." He considered for a moment, and added : " There was a curious thing happened three weeks ago over my watch. It found its way one night to Mr. Mackenzie's quarters. He brought it to me in the morning; said it was lying, when he awoke, on the table beside his bed. He seemed utterly puzzled. He had been to one or two already to discover the owner. We joked him about it, the more by token that his own watch had broken down the day before and was away at the mender's. The whole thing was queer, and has not been explained. Of course in that instance he was innocent : everything proves it. It just occurred to me as worth mentioning, because in both instances the lad may have been the Aictim of a trick."

" I am glad you did so," I said ; " though just now it does not throw any hght that I can see." I rose and paced the room. "Mr. Mackenzie had better be confronted with this, too, and hear your evidence. It's best he should know the worst against him ; and if he be guilty it may move him to confession."

" Certainly, sir," Captain Murray assented. " Shall I fetch him ? "

" No, remain where you are," I said ; " I will go for him myself."

I understood that Mr. Urquhart had retired to his own quarters or to my brother's, and that Mr. Mackenzie had been left in the entresol alone. But as I descended the stairs quietl}'- I heard within that room a voice which at first persuaded me he had compan}', and next that, left to himself, he had broken down and given way to the most childish w^ailing. The voice was so unlike his, or an}^ grown man's, that it arrested me on the lowermost stair against my will. It resembled rather the sobbing of an infant mingled with short strangled cries of contrition and despair.

" What shall I do ? What shall I do ? I didn't mean it — I meant to do good ! What shall I do?"

So much I heard (as I say) against my will, before my astonishment gave room to a sense of shame at pla5'ing, even for a moment, the eavesdropper upon the lad I was to judge. I stepped quickly to the door, and with a warning rattle (to give him time to recover himself) turned the handle and entered.

He was alone, lying back in an easy chair — not writhing there in anguish of mind, as I had fully expected, but sunk rather in a state of dull and hopeless apathy. To reconcile his attitude with the sounds I had just heard was merely impossible ; and it bewildered me worse than any in the long chain of bewildering incidents. For five seconds or so he appeared not to see me ; but when he grew aware his look changed suddenly to one of utter terror, and his eyes, shifting from me, shot a glance about the room as if he expected some new accusation to dart at him from the corners. His indignation and passionate defiance were gone : his eyes seemed to ask me, *' How much do you know ? " before he dropped them and stood before me, sullenly submissive.

" I want you upstairs," said I : " not to hear your defence on this charge, for Mr. Urquhart has not yet specified it. But there is another matter."

" Another ? " he echoed dully, and, I observed, without surprise.

I led the way back to the room where Captain Murray waited. "Can you tell me anything about this ? " I asked, pointing to the sovereign on the writing-table.

He shook his head, clearly puzzled, but anticipating mischief.

" The coin is marked, you see. I have reason to know that it was marked by its owner in order to detect a thief. Captain Murray found it just now among your stakes."

Somehow — for I liked the lad — I had not the heart to watch his face as I delivered this. I kept my eyes upon the coin, and waited, expecting an explosion — a furious denial, or at least a cry that he was the victim of a conspiracy. None came. I heard him breathing hard. After a long and very dreadful pause some words broke from him, so lowly uttered that my ears only just caught them.

" This too ? O my God ! "

I seated myself, the lad before me, and Captain Murray erect and rigid at the end of the table, "Listen, my lad," said I. "This wears an ugly look, but that a stolen coin has been found in your possession does not prove that you've stolen it."

" I did not. Sir, I swear to you on my honour, and before Heaven, that I did not."

" Very well," said I : " Captain Murra}' asserts that he found this among the mone^^s you had been staking at cards. Do j^ou question that assertion ? "

He answered almost without pondering. "No, sir. Captain Murray is a gentleman, and incapable of falsehood. If he says so, it was so."

"Very well again. Now, can you explain how this coin came into your possession ? "

At this he seemed to hesitate ; but answered at length, " No, I cannot explain."

" Have you any idea ? Or can you form any guess ? "

Again there was a long pause before the answer came in low and strained tones : " I can guess."

" What is your guess ? "

He lifted a hand and dropped it hopelessly. " You would not believe," he said.

I will own a suspicion flashed across my mind on hearing these words — the very excuse given a while ago by Mr. Urquhart — that the whole affair was a hoax and the two young men were in conspiracy to befool me. I dismissed it at once : the sight of Mr. Mackenzie's face was convincing. But my temper was gone,

" Believe you ? " I exclaimed. " You seem to think the one thing I can swallow as credible, even probable, is that an officer in the Morays has been pilfering and cheating at cards. Oddly enough, it's the last thing I'm going to believe without proof, and the last charge I shall pass without clearing it up to my satisfaction. Captain Murray, will you go and bring me Mr. Urquhart and the Major ? "

As Captain Murray closed the door I rose, and with my hands behind me took a turn across the room to the fireplace, then back to the writing-table.

" Mr. Mackenzie," I said, " before we go any further I wish you to believe that I am your friend as well as your Colonel. I did something to start you upon your career, and I take a warm interest in it. To believe you guilty of these charges will give me the keenest grief. However unlikely your defence may sound — and you seem to fear it — I will give it the best consideration I can. If you are innocent, you shall not find me prejudiced because many are against you and you are alone. Now, this coin " I turned to the table.

The coin was gone.

I stared at the place where it had lain ; then at the young man. He had not moved. My back had been turned for less than two seconds, and I could have sworn he had not budged from the square of carpet on which he had first taken his stand, and on which his feet were still planted. On the other hand, I was equally positive the incriminating coin had lain on the table at the moment I turned my back.