Ronald Morton | Page 9

Eagleshay," she said, in a voice totally different to
that in which she had spoken to the factor. "Best quiet in your hut. The
old and infirm must be sheltered and fed; of that there is no doubt; but
let the evil-doer and idle beware. On them I shall have no mercy. Sandy
Redland, mark me: I will have no cruelty or oppression--remember that.
The instant you receive information respecting the strange ship, let me
know through Nanny Clousta."
There was a cowed look on the countenance of Sandy Redland as he
bowed, while his young mistress rose to retire.
Old Archy lifted up his hands, as if about to address her once more,
then he turned slowly round. "Ha, ha!" he muttered; "if she had yielded
to you, cruel factor, I'd have told her all I know, and made e'en her
proud spirit tremble; but she's been good and kind to an auld man, and
I'll say nothing."
On leaving the hall, Hilda Wardhill went at once to the turret chamber,
and from thence mounted to the platform on the summit of the tower.
Her first glance was up the Sound, where lay the stranger ship. The
sails were still closely furled; the boats were hoisted up; not a
movement of any sort appeared to be taking, place. The only object
stirring was a small boat, which just then was gliding rapidly close
under the headland on which the castle stood. A single rower sat in it,
who managed his oars with the skill which long practice gives. He
looked up, and seeing Miss Wardhill, flourished his oar as a salute,
which she returned with the slightest possible inclination of her head,
and then continued pacing up and down, while he pursued his course
till he entered the voe, and reached the castle landing-place, where he
was hid from view. Miss Wardhill continued her circumscribed walk
backwards and forwards across the top of the tower, now stopping to
look up the Sound at the ship, now casting her glance round the horizon,
speaking frequently to herself, and more than once sighing deeply, as if
there was some weight at her heart of which she longed to be relieved.

She had again stopped, and was looking at the beautiful ship in the
distance, when she started on hearing herself addressed--
"Good morrow, cousin Hilda," said the intruder, who had that instant
come up from the room below. "Engaged, as I expected, or you would
not be a woman, gazing with curiosity at the strange ship in the Sound,
wondering whence she came, and all about her."
She turned as he spoke, when he lifted a little gold-laced,
three-cornered hat from his head, and saluted her with a profound bow,
which might have appeared respectful in the extreme, had he not at the
same time indulged in a low chuckling laugh, the usual conclusion, it
seemed, of most of his sentences. His manner and appearance were
peculiar in the extreme: he was broad and large boned, but thin; and a
suit of brown cloth, with huge silver buttons, hung loosely about his
body; a wide shirt-frill stuck out in front, and his shirt collars reached
up to his ears. His gait was shuffling and shambling; he wore
knee-breeches and grey homespun stockings, and his shoes, which were
ornamented with silver buckles, were far too large for him, and of
course, even had he not had the propensity to do so, would have made
him shuffle his feet over the ground, his eyes were unusually large,
grey, and staring; and his hair, which was already so grey that its
original colour could scarcely be perceived, was cut short, and stood up
on end, all over his head like the quills of the porcupine; his forehead
was somewhat narrow, but his features were neither plain nor coarse;
there was, however, a startled, frightened look about them, and an
otherwise painful and indescribable expression, which told too plainly
that the ruling power of the intellect had been overthrown, and that the
living machine could no longer be altogether held responsible for its
acts. Such, in appearance, was Lawrence Brindister: had he been of
sane mind, he would have been the lord of Lunnasting and the broad
acres of several estates, both on the mainland of Shetland and in the
north of Scotland; but as he had, long before coming of age, given
undoubted signs of being totally incapable of managing his affairs, his
claims had been set aside in favour of his cousin, Margaret Brindister,
the next heir, married to Sir Marcus Wardhill. There had been, when
Sir Marcus married, three other heirs besides Lawrence, before

Margaret Brindister could succeed to the property: the same fever
within a few days carried off two of them; and