‘Let me see it,’ he said, ‘ye ne’er-do-weel limb of Satan—I’ll gar you satisfy the production, I trow—I’ll hae first and second diligence against you, ye deevil’s buckie!’
‘What dost thou want?’ said the Quaker, interfering; ‘why dost thou frighten the boy, friend Peebles?’
‘I gave the bastard a penny to buy me snuff,’ said the pauper, ‘and he has rendered no account of his intromissions; but I’ll gar him as gude.’
So saying, he proceeded forcibly to rifle the pockets of Benjie’s ragged jacket of one or two snares for game, marbles, a half-bitten apple, two stolen eggs (one of which Peter broke in the eagerness of his research), and various other unconsidered trifles, which had not the air of being very honestly come by. The little rascal, under this discipline, bit and struggled like a fox-cub, but, like that vermin, uttered neither cry nor complaint, till a note, which Peter tore from his bosom, flew as far as Lilias Redgauntlet, and fell at her feet. It was addressed to C. N.
‘It is for the villain Nixon.’ she said to Alan Fairford; ‘open it without scruple; that boy is his emissary; we shall now see what the miscreant is driving at.’
Little Benjie now gave up all further struggle, and suffered Peebles to take from him, without resistance, a shilling, out of which Peter declared he would pay himself principal and interest, and account for the balance. The boy, whose attention seemed fixed on something very different, only said, ‘Maister Nixon will murder me!’
Alan Fairford did not hesitate to read the little scrap of paper, on which was written, ‘All is prepared—keep them in play until I come up. You may depend on your reward.—C. C.’
‘Alas, my uncle—my poor uncle!’ said Lilias; ‘this is the result of his confidence. Methinks, to give him instant notice of his confidant’s treachery, is now the best service we can render all concerned—if they break up their undertaking, as they must now do, Darsie will be at liberty.’
In the same breath, they were both at the half-opened door of the room, Fairford entreating to speak with the Father Buonaventure, and Lilias, equally vehemently, requesting a moment’s interview with her uncle. While the sentinel hesitated what to do, his attention was called to a loud noise at the door, where a crowd had been assembled in consequence of the appalling cry, that the enemy were upon them, occasioned, as it afterwards proved, by some stragglers having at length discovered the dead bodies of Nanty Ewart and of Nixon.
Amid the confusion occasioned by this alarming incident, the sentinel ceased to attend, to his duty; and accepting Alan Fairford’s arm, Lilias found no opposition in penetrating even to the inner apartment, where the principal persons in the enterprise, whose conclave had been disturbed by this alarming incident, were now assembled in great confusion, and had been joined by the Chevalier himself.