to the south west, beyond the common lade, belonged to Robert Wood, the brother of the coroner, and no great friend to Hew. His wife was Clare Buchanan. Here Hew could find no access, for the garden door was locked, and no one but the pigeons saw the other side.
‘This search is fruitless, Hew,’ Melville said at last. ‘The college is secure, and I cannot fault the servants. The bursars and economus were with us in the lecture hall. And there is no one else has access to these grounds.’
Hew paused to consider this. Of the three men in the college who had not been at the lecture, the kitchen boy and cook had shared an alibi; both had told the truth, or both of them had lied. The porterhad no witness but the horror on his face, and that was plain enough, as eloquent an advocate as he had ever heard. Andrew agreed with him. ‘The porter is as honest as the day is long, and he has ay been loyal, though he is not wise. I cannot for a moment think that he colludes in this, nor has he the wit to think up such a draucht. As for the cook and kitchen boy, in some form of conspiracy, God knows that I see phantoms daily in my dreams, but else all reason fled, I will not think this.’
‘What phantoms?’ wondered Hew.
Andrew’s answer was evasive. ‘I have not been sleeping well. It does not matter now. But I will not accuse the porter or the cook. This search has thrown up nothing. Let us go back to the gate.’
The others had returned, with nothing to report. Whatever bird had lighted its dark feathers on the hawthorn tree had already flown. Hew looked back into the quiet sunlight, sensing there was something, somewhere, he had missed. ‘Were it yet too much to hope for,’ grumbled Bartie Groat, ‘that we might go home? For some of us have dinner boards, waiting at our colleges.’
Melville had the porter open up the gate. ‘For certain, you must go. And those of you that lodge here, to the frater hall. I am right sorry, gentlemen, that you were discomfited by this piece of mischief. Once I have the perpetrator, I will make him known to you. He shall feel our wrath. Until then, I must ask you that none of you shall speak of it, else ye may spread confusion, terror and alarm. So we rise above, and shall defeat our enemies, whatsoever men, or devils, they may be.’
There were murmurs of assent, as the crowd began to drift. Hew heard Bartie mutter, ‘Aye, tis very like!’ He took his friend aside. ‘You never telt me, Bartie, why you came today. For certain it was not to listen to a wedding speech.’
‘You are like a hunting hound,’ Professor Groat complained, ‘that scents game on the wind. I have not seen such vigour in you since you went to Ghent. Tis plain enough to see that you are in your element. Aye, very well, the truth. An old man’s life is yet too shortto waste in venting spleen. I have put by my grudge. The truth is, I had hoped that Andrew Melville might support me in the fight against the faculty. I suppose you know that they are minded to discard my post?’
‘Bartie, I had no idea!’ Whatever Hew expected, it had not been this.
‘The fund will stretch to two professors, where it strains at three,’ Professor Groat explained. ‘My role is small and circumscribed, yet I maun confess to you, I know no other life. My best hope is the principals, to make a case for me. Else I maun be a pedagogue to some laird’s futless lad, too feeble or to doltish to endure the grammar school. Rude bairns will hide my handkerchers, put paddocks in my bed. If I am thocht superfluous, so shall I end my days.’
‘I’m quite sure,’ Hew insisted, ‘that it will not come to that, if there is any justice in the world.’
‘If you believed in justice, you would practise law, and not profess to peddle at the university. You ken as well as I do, justice is a sham, and there is nought of consequence rewarded in this life. Rich men prosper, brave men hang.’ Bartie blew his nose. ‘You should be careful,
‘This search is fruitless, Hew,’ Melville said at last. ‘The college is secure, and I cannot fault the servants. The bursars and economus were with us in the lecture hall. And there is no one else has access to these grounds.’
Hew paused to consider this. Of the three men in the college who had not been at the lecture, the kitchen boy and cook had shared an alibi; both had told the truth, or both of them had lied. The porterhad no witness but the horror on his face, and that was plain enough, as eloquent an advocate as he had ever heard. Andrew agreed with him. ‘The porter is as honest as the day is long, and he has ay been loyal, though he is not wise. I cannot for a moment think that he colludes in this, nor has he the wit to think up such a draucht. As for the cook and kitchen boy, in some form of conspiracy, God knows that I see phantoms daily in my dreams, but else all reason fled, I will not think this.’
‘What phantoms?’ wondered Hew.
Andrew’s answer was evasive. ‘I have not been sleeping well. It does not matter now. But I will not accuse the porter or the cook. This search has thrown up nothing. Let us go back to the gate.’
The others had returned, with nothing to report. Whatever bird had lighted its dark feathers on the hawthorn tree had already flown. Hew looked back into the quiet sunlight, sensing there was something, somewhere, he had missed. ‘Were it yet too much to hope for,’ grumbled Bartie Groat, ‘that we might go home? For some of us have dinner boards, waiting at our colleges.’
Melville had the porter open up the gate. ‘For certain, you must go. And those of you that lodge here, to the frater hall. I am right sorry, gentlemen, that you were discomfited by this piece of mischief. Once I have the perpetrator, I will make him known to you. He shall feel our wrath. Until then, I must ask you that none of you shall speak of it, else ye may spread confusion, terror and alarm. So we rise above, and shall defeat our enemies, whatsoever men, or devils, they may be.’
There were murmurs of assent, as the crowd began to drift. Hew heard Bartie mutter, ‘Aye, tis very like!’ He took his friend aside. ‘You never telt me, Bartie, why you came today. For certain it was not to listen to a wedding speech.’
‘You are like a hunting hound,’ Professor Groat complained, ‘that scents game on the wind. I have not seen such vigour in you since you went to Ghent. Tis plain enough to see that you are in your element. Aye, very well, the truth. An old man’s life is yet too shortto waste in venting spleen. I have put by my grudge. The truth is, I had hoped that Andrew Melville might support me in the fight against the faculty. I suppose you know that they are minded to discard my post?’
‘Bartie, I had no idea!’ Whatever Hew expected, it had not been this.
‘The fund will stretch to two professors, where it strains at three,’ Professor Groat explained. ‘My role is small and circumscribed, yet I maun confess to you, I know no other life. My best hope is the principals, to make a case for me. Else I maun be a pedagogue to some laird’s futless lad, too feeble or to doltish to endure the grammar school. Rude bairns will hide my handkerchers, put paddocks in my bed. If I am thocht superfluous, so shall I end my days.’
‘I’m quite sure,’ Hew insisted, ‘that it will not come to that, if there is any justice in the world.’
‘If you believed in justice, you would practise law, and not profess to peddle at the university. You ken as well as I do, justice is a sham, and there is nought of consequence rewarded in this life. Rich men prosper, brave men hang.’ Bartie blew his nose. ‘You should be careful,
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