Scotland/Scots > Wilson's tales of the Borders and of Scotland > Volume 3

BILL STANLEY ; OR A SAILORS STORY. 13
! them asunder, William Stanley was dragged to the boat,
, and borne on board the frigate.
“Well, twelve months passed, after the impressment of
I William Stanley, and Squire Wates found that his wealth
j offered no temptation to Mary Danvers, to enable him to
1 effect her ruin. He, however, had inveigled her father
into his meshes; and, through the pretended failure of the
' mercantile speculation in which Villars and old Danvers
1 had been engaged, the former brought a claim of five hun-
j dred pounds against the latter, who had lost his all. And
the plan of the villains was, that Villars should cast the old
man into prison, and that Wates should come forward, and
professing to pay the debt, set the father at liberty, and
obtain, through the daughter’s gratitude, what her virtue
spurned. To ensure success to this master-stroke of their
wickedness, it was to be attended by a mcck-marriage, in
which Boatswain Rigby (the frigate to which he belonged
being again lying off Tynemouth), was, for a consideration,
to officiate as chaplain.
“ It was on the very day that this piece of iniquity was
i hatched, that Jack Jenkins, having returned—and having
learned from his wife, and from Mary Danvers, of some of
! the attempts that had been made by Squire Wates, during
i his absence, and since the impressment of his comrade—
hurried to the house of the old rascal, with a rope’s end in
his hand. He found the street door open, and, without
knocking, he went to the foot of the stairs, and demanded
to see Squire Wates.
“ ‘ You can’t see him, fellow,’ said a portly, pampered
man-servant.
“ ‘ Can’t see him!’ roared Jack; ‘ he shall see me presently,
and feel me too. So, come along, Mr. Powdered-pate; shew
me where he is, or I’ll capsize you head and heels.’
“ The old villain, himself, hearing the uproar, came
blustering out of a room, crying—‘Who are you, fellow?