The King's Own Borderers: A Military Romance, Volume 1 (of 3) — John Shaqi
The King's Own Borderers: A Military Romance, Volume 1 (of 3)Grant, James
General
The King's Own Borderers: A Military Romance, Volume 1 (of 3)
Grant, James
Soldiers -- Fiction
He seated him on his knee at the breakfast-table n the library, and
strove, by all the art he was master of, to draw from him some clue,
as to the part of France in which his mother resided, but save a
knowledge of his own name, Quentin's recollections were few prior to
the terror he had experienced on the wreck. All beyond that seemed
vague, and his reminiscences were an odd jumble of a large town with
a cathedral where his mamma took him to hear Abbé Lebrun preach or
say mass--good M. l'Abbé Lebrun, who always gave him _bon-bons_, and
wore such large spectacles. Then there was a river with boats, a
bridge and a great mountain with a windmill, where he used to go with
his nurse when she visited the miller.
Then, there was a Chanoinesse who gave him painted toys; there were
some wicked soldiers, who burned a street and dragged away all the
people to die, and of these same soldiers he had a peculiar dread and
aversion. But whether they were ugly toys, or actors in some scene
the child had witnessed, Rohallion could not tell; he supposed the
affair referred to was some grim reality incident to the late
revolution. He could gather nothing more that afforded a clue; and
now as these memories were wakened in him, the faces of others came
with them; tears filled the child's fine dark eyes, and he entreated
piteously to have his mother brought to him and his nurse Nanette, or
have his father brought to him out of the sea; and thus perceiving
that nothing of certainty or value could be gleaned from him, his
protectors tacitly agreed to let the subject drop.
Breakfast was just over when Andrews announced Quartermaster Girvan
and Dominie Skaill, two individuals, who are perhaps bores in their
way, but are nevertheless necessary to us in the course of this
narrative.
They had heard of his lordship's arrival, and had "come to pay their
dutiful reverence," for something of the old feudal sentiment
lingered yet in Carrick, and a journey to Calcutta is a mere joke or
pleasure trip now, when compared with how the Scots of 1798 viewed
one to London, few prudent people attempting it without previously
making a will, and settling all their earthly affairs.
"Welcome, Girvan, and welcome, dominie," said Rohallion, shaking each
by the hand cordially; "I am glad to be at home again among you."
"Yea," replied the dominie, while rubbing one hand over the other,
and smiling blandly, as perhaps his scholars seldom saw him smile;
"your lordship has come back like Cincinnatus after the defeat of the
Volci and the Æqui, to plough turnips and plant gude kail on haugh
and rig--so welcome hame to Carrick, my lord."
The dominie had on his Sunday coat, with its huge flapped pockets;
his best three-cornered hat, bound with black braid, was under his
arm, and his square shoe-buckles shone like silver.
"And our little Frenchman has become quite a friend with your
lordship, I see," said Girvan, patting the child on the head.
"Quite--a splendid little fellow he is!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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