the provost-第6部分

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He　looked　a　little　dumfoundered　at　this　salutation；　and　was　at　a　loss　for　an　answer；　so　I　continued　…

〃If　your　designs　be　honourable；　and　no　doubt　they　are；　now's　your　time；　strike　while　the　iron's　hot。　　By　the　death　of　the　doctor；　the　kirk's　vacant；　the　town…council　have　the　patronage；　and；　if　ye　marry　Miss　Lizy；　my　interest　and　influence　shall　not　be　slack　in　helping　you　into　the　poopit。〃　　In　short；　out　of　what　passed　that　night；　on　the　Monday　following　Mr　Pittle　and　Miss　Lizy　were　married；　and　by　my　dexterity；　together　with　the　able　help　I　had　in　Bailie　M'Lucre；　he　was　in　due　season　placed　and　settled　in　the　parish；　and　the　next　year　more　than　fifty　acres　of　the　town…moor　were　inclosed　on　a　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　years'　tack　at　an　easy　rate　between　me　and　the　bailie；　he　paying　the　half　of　the　expense　of　the　ditching　and　rooting　out　of　the　whins；　and　it　was　acknowledged　by　every　one　that　saw　it；　that　there　had　not　been　a　greater　improvement　for　many　years　in　all　the　country　side。　　But　to　the　best　actions　there　will　be　adverse　and　discontented　spirits；　and；　on　this　occasion；　there　were　not　wanting　persons　naturally　of　a　disloyal　opposition　temper；　who　complained　of　the　inclosure　as　a　usurpation　of　the　rights　and　property　of　the　poorer　burghers。　　Such　revilings；　however；　are　what　all　persons　in　authority　must　suffer；　and　they　had　only　the　effect　of　making　me　button　my　coat；　and　look　out　the　crooser　to　the　blast。



CHAPTER　IXAN　EXECUTION



The　attainment　of　honours　and　dignities　is　not　enjoyed　without　a　portion　of　trouble　and　care；　which；　like　a　shadow；　follows　all　temporalities。　　On　the　very　evening　of　the　same　day　that　I　was　first　chosen　to　be　a　bailie；　a　sore　affair　came　to　light；　in　the　discovery　that　Jean　Gaisling　had　murdered　her　bastard　bairn。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　donsie　mother；　that　could　gie　no　name　to　her　gets；　of　which　she　had　two　laddies；　besides　Jean。　　The　one　of　them　had　gone　off　with　the　soldiers　some　time　before；　the　other；　a　douce　well…　behaved　callan；　was　in　my　lord's　servitude；　as　a　stable　boy　at　the　castle。　　Jeanie　herself　was　the　bonniest　lassie　in　the　whole　town；　but　light…headed；　and　fonder　of　outgait　and　blether　in　the　causey　than　was　discreet　of　one　of　her　uncertain　parentage。　　She　was；　at　the　time　when　she　met　with　her　misfortune；　in　the　service　of　Mrs　Dalrymple；　a　colonel's　widow；　that　came　out　of　the　army　and　settled　among　us　on　her　jointure。

This　Mrs　Dalrymple；　having　been　long　used　to　the　loose　morals　of　camps　and　regiments；　did　not　keep　that　strict　hand　over　poor　Jeanie；　and　her　other　serving　lass；　that　she　ought　to　have　done；　and　so　the　poor　guileless　creature　fell　into　the　snare　of　some　of　the　ne'er…do…　weel　gentlemen　that　used　to　play　cards　at　night　with　Mrs　Dalrymple。　The　truths　of　the　story　were　never　well　known；　nor　who　was　the　father；　for　the　tragical　issue　barred　all　enquiry；　but　it　came　out　that　poor　Jeanie　was　left　to　herself；　and；　being　instigated　by　the　Enemy；　after　she　had　been　delivered；　did；　while　the　midwife's　back　was　turned；　strangle　the　baby　with　a　napkin。　　She　was　discovered　in　the　very　fact；　with　the　bairn　black　in　the　face　in　the　bed　beside　her。

The　heinousness　of　the　crime　can　by　no　possibility　be　lessened；　but　the　beauty　of　the　mother；　her　tender　years；　and　her　light…　headedness；　had　won　many　favourers；　and　there　was　a　great　leaning　in　the　hearts　of　all　the　town　to　compassionate　her；　especially　when　they　thought　of　the　ill　example　that　had　been　set　to　her　in　the　walk　and　conversation　of　her　mother。　　It　was　not；　however；　within　the　power　of　the　magistrates　to　overlook　the　accusation；　so　we　were　obligated　to　cause　a　precognition　to　be　taken；　and　the　search　left　no　doubt　of　the　wilfulness　of　the　murder。　　Jeanie　was　in　consequence　removed　to　the　tolbooth；　where　she　lay　till　the　lords　were　coming　to　Ayr；　when　she　was　sent　thither　to　stand　her　trial　before　them；　but；　from　the　hour　she　did　the　deed；　she　never　spoke。

Her　trial　was　a　short　procedure；　and　she　was　cast　to　be　hangedand　not　only　to　be　hanged；　but　ordered　to　be　executed　in　our　town；　and　her　body　given　to　the　doctors　to　make　an　atomy。　　The　execution　of　Jeanie　was　what　all　expected　would　happen；　but　when　the　news　reached　the　town　of　the　other　parts　of　the　sentence；　the　wail　was　as　the　sough　of　a　pestilence；　and　fain　would　the　council　have　got　it　dispensed　with。　　But　the　Lord　Advocate　was　just　wud　at　the　crime；　both　because　there　had　been　no　previous　concealment；　so　as　to　have　been　an　extenuation　for　the　shame　of　the　birth；　and　because　Jeanie　would　neither　divulge　the　name　of　the　father；　nor　make　answer　to　all　the　interrogatories　that　were　put　to　herstanding　at　the　bar　like　a

dumbie；　and　looking　round　her；　and　at　the　judges；　like　a　demented　creature；　and　beautiful　as　a　Flanders'　baby。　　It　was　thought　by　many；　that　her　advocate　might　have　made　great　use　of　her　visible　consternation；　and　pled　that　she　was　by　herself；　for　in　truth　she　had　every　appearance　of　being　so。　　He　was；　however；　a　dure　man；　no　doubt　well　enough　versed　in　the　particulars　and　punctualities　of　the　law　for　an　ordinary　plea；　but　no　of　the　right　sort　of　knowledge　and　talent　to　take　up　the　case　of　a　forlorn　lassie；　misled　by　ill　example　and　a　winsome　nature；　and　clothed　in　the　allurement　of　loveliness；　as　the　judge　himself　said　to　the　jury。

On　the　night　before　the　day　of　execution；　she　was　brought　over　in　a　chaise　from　Ayr　between　two　town…officers；　and　placed　again　in　our　hands；　and　still　she　never　spoke。

Nothing　could　exceed　the　compassion　that　every　one　had　for　poor　Jeanie；　so　she　wasna　committed　to　a　common　cell；　but　laid　in　the　council…room；　where　the　ladies　of　the　town　made　up　a　comfortable　bed　for　her；　and　some　of　them　sat　up　all　night　and　prayed　for　her；　but　her　thoughts　were　gone；　and　she　sat　silent。

In　the　morning；　by　break　of　day；　her　wanton　mother；　that　had　been　trolloping　in　Glasgow；　came　to　the　tolbooth　door；　and　made　a　dreadful　wally…waeing；　and　the　ladies　were　obligated；　for　the　sake　of　peace；　to　bid　her　be　let　in。　　But　Jeanie　noticed　her　not；　still　sitting　with　her　eyes　cast　down；　waiting　the　coming　on　of　the　hour　of　her　doom。　　The　wicked　mother　first　tried　to　rouse　her　by　weeping　and　distraction；　and　then　she　took　to　upbraiding；　but　Jeanie　seemed　to　heed　her　not；　save　only　once；　and　then　she　but　looked　at　the　misleart　tinkler；　and　shook　her　head。　　I　happened　to　come　into　the　room　at　this　time；　and　seeing　all　the　charitable　ladies　weeping　around；　and　the　randy　mother　talking　to　the　poor　lassie　as　loudly　and　vehement　as　if　she　had　been　both　deaf　and　sullen；　I　commanded　the　officers；　with　a　voice　of　authority；　to　remove　the　mother；　by　which　we　had　for　a　season　peace；　till　the　hour　came。

There　had　not　been　an　execution　in　the　town　in　the　memory　of　the　oldest　person　then　living；　the　last　that　suffered　was　one　of　the　martyrs　in　the　time　of　the　persecution；　so　that　we　were　not　skilled　in　the　business；　and　had　besides　no　hangman；　but　were　necessitated　to　borrow　the　Ayr　one。　　Indeed；　I　being　the　youngest　bailie；　was　in　terror　that　the　obligation　might　have　fallen　to　me。

A　scaffold　was　erected　at　the　Tron；　just　under　the　tolbooth　windows；　by　Thomas　Gimblet；　the　master…of…work；　who　had　a　good　penny　of　profit　by　the　job；　for　he　contracted　with　the　town…council；　and　had　the　boards　after　the　business　was　done　to　the　bargain；　but　Thomas　was　then　deacon　of　the　wrights；　and　himself　a　member　of　our　body。

At　the　hour　appointed；　Jeanie；　dressed　in　white；　was　led　out　by　the　town…officers；　and　in　the　midst　of　the　magistrates　from　among　the　ladies；　with　her　hands　tied　behind　her　with　a　black　riband。　　At　the　first　sight　of　her　at　the　tolbooth　stairhead；　a　universal　sob　rose　from　all　the　multitude；　and　the　sternest　e'e　couldna　refrain　from　shedding　a　tear。　　We　marched　slowly　down　the　stair；　and　on　to　the　foot　of　the　scaffold；　where　her　younger　brother；　Willy；　that　was　stable…boy　at　my　lord's；　was　standing　by　himself；　in　an　open　ring　made　round　him　in　the　crowd；　every　one　compassionating　the　dejected　laddie；　for　he　was　a　fine　youth；　and　of　an　orderly　spirit。

As　his　sister　came　towards　the　foot　of　the　ladder；　he　ran　towards　her；　and　embraced　her　with　a　wail　of　sorrow　that　melted　every　heart；　and　made　us　all　stop　in　the　middle　of　our　solemnity。　　Jeanie　looked　at　him；　（for　her　hands　were　tied；）　and　a　silent　tear　was　seen　to　drop　from　her　cheek。　　But　in　the　course　of　little　more　than　a　minute；　all　was　quiet；　and　we　proceeded　to　ascend　the　scaffold。　Willy；　who　had　by　this　time　dried　his　eyes；　went　up　with　us；　and　when　Mr　Pittle　had　said　the　prayer；　and　sung　the　psalm；　in　which　the　whole　multitude　joined；　as　it　were　with　the　contrition　of　sorrow；　the　hangman　stepped　forward　to　put　on　the　fatal　cap；　but　Willy　took　it　out　of　his　hand；　and　placed　it　on　his　sister　himself；　and　then　kneeling　down；　with　his　back　towards　her　closing　his　eyes　and　shutting　his　ears　with　his　hands；　he　saw　not　nor　heard　when　she　was　launched　into　eternity。

When　the　awful　act　was　over；　and　the　stir　was　for　the　magistrates　to　return；　and　the　body　to　be　cut　down；　poor　Willy　rose；　and　without　looking　round；　went　down　the　steps　of　the　scaffold；　the　multitude　made　a　lane　for　him　to　pass；　and　he　went　on　through　them　hiding　his　face；　and　gaed　straight　out　of　the　town。　　As　for　the　mother；　we　were　obligated；　in　the　course　of　the　same　year；　to　drum　her　out　of　the　town；　for　stealing　thirteen　choppin　bottles　from　William　Gallon's；　the　vintner's；　and　selling　them　for　whisky　to　Maggie　Picken；　that　was　tried　at　the　same　time　for　the　reset。



CHAPTER　XA　RIOT



Nothing　very　material；　after　Jeanie　Gaisling's　affair；　happened　in　the　town　till　the　time　of　my　first　provostry；　when　an　event　arose　with　an　aspect　of　exceeding　danger　to　the　lives　and　properties　of　the　whole　town。　　I　cannot　indeed　think　of　it　at　this　day；　though　age　has　cooled　me　down　in　all　concerns　to　a　spirit　of　composure；　without　feeling　the　blood　boil　in　my　veins；　so　greatly；　in　the　matter　alluded　to；　was　the　king's　dignity　and　the　rightful　government；　by　law　and　magistracy；　insulted　in　my　person。

From　time　out　of　mind；　it　had　been　an　ancient　and　commendable　custom　in　the　burgh；　to　have；　on　the　king's　birth…day；　a　large　bowl　of　punch　made　in　the　council…chamber；　in　order　and　to　the　end　and　effect