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

BILL STANLEY; OR A SAILOR’S STORY. 15
“ And so saying, lie began to lay the rope fiercely round
the shoulders of his victim; and, as the servants again
closed upon the sailor to rescue their master, he dashed
them to the ground, to the right and to the left, and finally
rushed out of the house, crying—‘ Who shall say that Jack
is the lad that would break his promise ? ’
“ I told you it was a part of the plot of Wates, that his
, confederate Villars, was to cast old Danvers into prison,
on account of the pretended debt. The old landlord was
1 sitting in the parlour of the Old Ship, trembling at the
jj horrors of a jail, and fearing every moment the entrance
of a sheriff’s officer to arrest him, while his wife and
! daughter endeavoured to comfort him, and he said mourn
; fully—‘ Wife, after being married thirty years as we have
been, I did not expect that we should have been parted
in this way. I did not think that, after toiling in the Old
Ship here for twenty years, to save a matter of money
for our daughter, I should lose all, and my hair grow
white in a prison. But it is of no use mourning about it .;
j for I question if those for whom we wished the money
i would have thanked us. I know I would not have seen a
father or mother of mine dragged to jail like a common
thief, if I by any means could have prevented it.’ And, as
he spoke, he cast a look of sorrow and upbraiding upon
Mary, who wept on her mother’s shoulder.
“ ‘ Don’t be cruel, husband,’ said his wife; ‘ how can
you distress our daughter ? I am sure she can’t help the
state we are reduced to, any more than I can. But 1
always said what all your jobbing and trafficking in com¬
pany with the bankrupt Villars, would end in. I know
thou’rt suffering enough, and we are all suffering; but
lon’t be reflecting upon our dear Mary, for a better child
lever parents had.’
* 11 an’t making reflections,’ replied he, peevishly; ‘ only
- m saying, I would not have stood so by my father. It is