Chapter 14

As, to the Autumn breeze's bugle sound,
Various and vague the dry leaves dance their round;
Or, from the garner-door, on ether borne,
The chaff flies devious from the winnow'd corn;
So vague, so devious, at the breath of heaven,
From their fix'd aim are mortal counsels driv'n.

Anonymous.

WE left Caleb Balderstone in the extremity of triumph at the success of
his various achievements for the honour of the house of Ravenswood. When
he had mustered and marshalled his dishes of divers kinds, a more royal
provision had not been seen in Wolf's Crag since the funeral feast
of its deceased lord. Great was the glory of the serving-man, as he
"decored" the old oaken table with a clean cloth, and arranged upon it
carbonaded venison and roasted wild-fowl, with a glance, every now and
then, as if to upbraid the incredulity of his master and his guests; and
with many a story, more or less true, was Lockhard that evening regaled
concerning the ancient grandeur of Wolf's Crag, and the sway of its
barons over the country in their neighbourhood.

"A vassal scarce held a calf or a lamb his ain, till he had first
asked if the Lord of Ravenswood was pleased to accept it; and they were
obliged to ask the lord's consent before they married in these days,
and mony a merry tale they tell about that right as weel as others. And
although," said Caleb, "these times are not like the gude auld times,
when authority had its right, yet true it is, Mr. Lockhard, and you
yoursell may partly have remarked, that we of the house of Ravenswood
do our endeavour in keeping up, by all just and lawful exertion of our
baronial authority, that due and fitting connexion betwixt superior and
vassal, whilk is in some danger of falling into desuetude, owing to the
general license and misrule of these present unhappy times."

"Umph!" said Mr. Lockhard; "and if I may inquire, Mr. Balderstone, pray
do you find your people at the village yonder amenable? for I must needs
say, that at Ravenswood Castle, now pertaining to my master the Lord
Keeper, ye have not left behind ye the most compliant set of tenantry."

"Ah! but Mr. Lockhard," replied Caleb, "ye must consider there has been
a change of hands, and the auld lord might expect twa turns frae them,
when the new-comer canna get ane. A dour and fractious set they were,
thae tenants of Ravenswood, and ill to live wi' when they dinna ken
their master; and if your master put them mad ance, the whole country
will not put them down."

"Troth," said Mr. Lockhard, "an such be the case, I think the wisest
thing for us a' wad be to hammer up a match between your young lord and
our winsome young leddy