The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
"Ay, troth I am," said he.
"Open the carriage, then. You, gentlemen, get into it; in a short
time you'll be in a place of safety, and remember your promise to
the gipsy wife."
Bertram and Dinmont got in at once, followed by little Wasp, and
in a moment found themselves travelling at a breakneck pace,
neither of them knowing where on earth they were going to.
They were, in fact, on the way to Woodbourne, for the carriage had
been sent by Colonel Mannering, after he had read the letter which
the dominie brought him from Meg Merrilies. The note had given him
no intimation, however, of the persons who were to be conveyed in
the chaise to Woodbourne, merely telling him that it should bring
the folk that should ask if it were there in God's name.
As the colonel's clock was striking one that night the sound of
carriage wheels was heard in the distance, and in no long space
after, Bertram and Dinmont found themselves at Woodbourne.
Bewilderment and astonishment were depicted on the faces of all as
Bertram stepped into the parlour. The colonel saw before him the
man whom he supposed he had killed in India; Julia beheld her
lover; and Lucy Bertram at once recognised the person who had
fired upon young Hazlewood. Each one remained silent, not knowing
what to say, when the absent-minded dominie, looking up from a
book he had been studying in a corner, exclaimed:
"If the grave can give up the dead, that is my dear and honoured
master!"
A lawyer friend of the colonel's, a Mr. Pleydall, was staying at
Woodbourne that night, and he at once set about endeavouring to
solve the mystery. He questioned Bertram as to his recollections
of childhood, and elicited from him some of the incidents of his
early life, with which the reader is already acquainted. Amongst
the persons whom Bertram recalled, "there was," he said, "a tall,
thin, kind-tempered man, who used to teach me my letters and walk
with me."
On hearing this, the poor dominie could contain his feelings no
longer, and rising hastily from his chair, with clasped hands,
trembling limbs and streaming eyes, he called out aloud:
"Harry Bertram, look at me! Was I not the man?"
"Yes," said Bertram, starting from his seat as if a sudden light
had burst in upon his mind. "Yes, that was my very name, and that
is the voice and the figure of my kind old master!"
The following day Colonel Mannering and Mr. Pleydall succeeded in
getting Sir Robert Hazlewood to accept bail for Bertram. While
they were so engaged, Bertram, with his newly-found sister and
Miss Mannering, went walking to the castle of Ellangowan.
Close by the ruin they were suddenly confronted by Meg Merrilies,
who addressed Bertram, saying:
"Remember your promise, and follow me."
It was in vain that his sister and her companion urged him not to
go with the gipsy. He told them he must obey. Then, bidding them
good-bye, he started to follow Meg Merrilies, accompanied by
Dinmont, who had come up a few minutes before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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