'Forgive me, Mr. Pleydell, there is only one case upon record, Torrence
and Waldie. They were, you remember, resurrection-women, who had
promised to procure a child's body for some young surgeons. Being upon
honour to their employers, rather than disappoint the evening lecture
of the students, they stole a live child, murdered it, and sold the
body for three shillings and sixpence. They were hanged, but for the
murder, not for the plagium [Footnote: This is, in its circumstances
and issue, actually a case tried and reported.]--Your civil law has
carried you a little too far.'
'Well, sir, but in the meantime Mr. Mac-Morlan must commit you to the
county jail, in case this young man repeats the same story. Officers,
remove Mr. Glossin and Hatteraick, and guard them in different
apartments.'
Gabriel, the gipsy, was then introduced, and gave a distinct account of
his deserting from Captain Pritchard's vessel and joining the smugglers
in the action, detailed how Dirk Hatteraick set fire to his ship when
he found her disabled, and under cover of the smoke escaped with his
crew, and as much goods as they could save, into the cavern, where they
proposed to lie till nightfall. Hatteraick himself, his mate Vanbeest
Brown, and three others, of whom the declarant was one, went into the
adjacent woods to communicate with some of their friends in the
neighbourhood. They fell in with Kennedy unexpectedly, and Hatteraick
and Brown, aware that he was the occasion of their disasters, resolved
to murder him. He stated that he had seen them lay violent hands on the
officer and drag him through the woods, but had not partaken in the
assault nor witnessed its termination; that he returned to the cavern
by a different route, where he again met Hatteraick and his
accomplices; and the captain was in the act of giving an account how he
and Brown had pushed a huge crag over, as Kennedy lay groaning on the
beach, when Glossin suddenly appeared among them. To the whole
transaction by which Hatteraick purchased his secrecy he was witness.
Respecting young Bertram, he could give a distinct account till he went
to India, after which he had lost sight of him until he unexpectedly
met with him in Liddesdale. Gabriel Faa farther stated that he
instantly sent notice to his aunt Meg Merrilies, as well as to
Hatteraick, who he knew was then upon the coast; but that he had
incurred his aunt's displeasure upon the latter account. He concluded,
that his aunt had immediately declared that she would do all that lay
in her power to help young Ellangowan to his right, even if it should
be by informing against Dirk Hatteraick; and that many of her people
assisted her besides himself, from a belief that she was gifted with
supernatural inspirations. With the same purpose, he understood his
aunt had given to Bertram the treasure of the tribe, of which she had
the custody. Three or four gipsies, by the express command of Meg
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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