``The devil!'' exclaimed the Antiquary; and, sensible that his involuntary ejaculation of wonder was not over and above civil, he proceeded to qualify it by expressing his joy that Sir Arthur should have a sum of money to lay out when the commodity was so scarce.``And as for the mode of employing it,'' said he, pausing, ``the funds are low at present, as I said before, and there are good bargains of land to be had.But had you not better begin by clearing off encumbrances, Sir Arthur?--There is the sum in the personal bond--and the three notes of hand,'' continued he, taking out of the right-hand drawer of his cabinet a certain red memorandum-book, of which Sir Arthur, from the experience of former frequent appeals to it, abhorred the very sight--``with the interest thereon, amounting altogether to--let me see''--``To about a thousand pounds,'' said Sir Arthur, hastily;``you told me the amount the other day.''
``But there's another term's interest due since that, Sir Arthur, and it amounts (errors excepted) to eleven hundred and thirteen pounds, seven shillings, five pennies, and three-fourths of a penny sterling--But look over the summation yourself.''
``I daresay you are quite right, my dear sir,'' said the Baronet, putting away the book with his hand, as one rejects the old-fashioned civility that presses food upon you after you have eaten till you nauseate--``perfectly right, I dare say; and in the course of three days or less you shall have the full value --that is, if you choose to accept it in bullion.''
``Bullion! I suppose you mean lead.What the deuce!
have we hit on the vein then at last? But what could I do with a thousand pounds' worth, and upwards, of lead? The former abbots of Trotcosey might have roofed their church and monastery with it indeed--but for me''--``By bullion,'' said the Baronet, ``I mean the precious metals,--gold and silver.''
``Ay! indeed?--and from what Eldorado is this treasure to be imported?''
``Not far from hence,'' said Sir Arthur, significantly.``And naow I think of it, you shall see the whole process, on one small condition.''
``And what is that?'' craved the Antiquary.
``Why, it will be necessary for you to give me your friendly assistance, by advancing one hundred pounds or thereabouts.''
Mr.Oldbuck, who had already been grasping in idea the sum, principal and interest, of a debt which he had long regarded as wellnigh desperate, was so much astounded at the tables being so unexpectedly turned upon him, that he could only re-echo, in an accent of wo and surprise, the words, ``Advance one hundred pounds!''
``Yes, my good sir,'' continued Sir Arthur; ``but upon the best possible security of being repaid in the course of two or three days.''
There was a pause--either Oldbuck's nether jaw had not recovered its position, so as to enable him to utter a negative, or his curiosity kept him silent.
``I would not propose to you,'' continued Sir Arthur, ``to oblige me thus far, if I did not possess actual proofs of the reality of those expectations which I now hold out to you.
And I assure you, Mr.Oldbuck, that in entering fully upon this topic, it is my purpose to show my confidence in you, and my sense of your kindness on many former occasions.''
Mr.Oldbuck professed his sense of obligation, but carefully avoided committing himself by any promise of farther assistance.
``Mr.Dousterswivel,'' said Sir Arthur, ``having discovered''--Here Oldbuck broke in, his eyes sparkling with indignation.
``Sir Arthur, I have so often warned you of the knavery of that rascally quack, that I really wonder you should quote him to me.''
``But listen--listen,'' interrupted Sir Arthur in his turn, ``it will do you no harm.In short, Dousterswivel persuaded me to witness an experiment which he had made in the ruins of St.Ruth--and what do you think we found?''
``Another spring of water, I suppose, of which the rogue had beforehand taken care to ascertain the situation and source.''
``No, indeed--a casket of gold and silver coins--here they are.''
With that, Sir Arthur drew from his pocket a large ram's horn, with a copper cover, containing a considerable quantity of coins, chiefly silver, but with a few gold pieces intermixed.
The Antiquary's eyes glistened as he eagerly spread them out on the table.
``Upon my word--Scotch, English, and foreign coins, of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and some of them _rari --et rariores--etiam rarissimi!_ Here is the bonnet-piece of James V., the unicorn of James II.,--ay, and the gold festoon of Queen Mary, with her head and the Dauphin's.And these were really found in the ruins of St.Ruth?''
``Most assuredly--my own eyes witnessed it.''
``Well,'' replied Oldbuck; ``but you must tell me the when --the where-the how.''
``The when,'' answered Sir Arthur, ``was at midnight the last full moon--the where, as I have told you, in the ruins of St.Ruth's priory--the how, was by a nocturnal experiment of Dousterswivel, accompanied only by myself.''
``Indeed!'' said Oldbuck; ``and what means of discovery did you employ?''
``Only a simple suffumigation,'' said the Baronet, ``accompanied by availing ourselves of the suitable planetary hour.''
``Simple suffumigation? simple nonsensification--planetary hour? planetary fiddlestick! _Sapiens dominabitur astris._ My dear Sir Arthur, that fellow has made a gull of you above ground and under ground, and he would have made a gull of you in the air too, if he had been by when you was craned up the devil's turnpike yonder at Halket-head--to be sure the transformation would have been then peculiarly _apropos._''
``Well, Mr.Oldbuck, I am obliged to you for your indifferent opinion of my discernment; but I think you will give me credit for having seen what I _say_ I saw.''
``Certainly, Sir Arthur,'' said the Antiquary,--``to this extent at least, that I know Sir Arthur Wardour will not say he saw anything but what he _thought_ he saw.''