The Green Ray Read Online

Aristobulus Ursiclos—” said Sam.

“Whose happiness, it seems, depends upon your seeing the Green Ray, and—” continued Sib.

“No, simply because we are already in the month of August, and it will not be long before our Scotch skies are hidden by fogs! We must take advantage of the fine evenings still left us! When shall we go?”

It was very certain Miss Campbell was determined to see the Green Ray that year, and there was no time to be lost. What they had to do was to go at once to some place on the Scotch coast facing the west, to settle down there as comfortably as possible, to see the sun set every evening and to watch for its last ray, without a day’s delay. Perhaps then by some happy chance Miss Campbell would have her whim gratified, should the sky favour the observation, which is a rare occurrence—as the Morning Post justly remarked.

And this well-informed journal was quite right.

First of all they must choose some place on the western coast, where the phenomenon would be likely to be visible. Now to find that, they would be obliged to go beyond the Frith of Clyde.

In fact, the whole expanse of the Frith is full of obstacles, which limit the range of view. These are the Kyles of Bute, the peninsulas of Knapdale and Kintyre, the isles of Arran, Jura, Islay, and a number of rocky islets, which form a kind of archipelago all along the western coast of Argyleshire. It would be impossible to get a glimpse here of the sea-horizon, where one might observe the sunset.

So that if they did not wish to leave Scotland, they must go further north or further south to an open coast, and that before autumn set in.

It mattered very little to Miss Campbell where they went, were it to the coast of Ireland, France, Norway, Spain, or Portugal; she would go to any place wherever the last ray of the setting sun could be seen, and whether it were convenient to the brothers or not, they would be obliged to follow her.

Both uncles were eager to offer their opinions after having exchanged a shrewd glance.

“Well, dear Helena,” said Sam, “nothing can be easier than to satisfy you; let us go to Oban.”

“It is very certain no place could be better than Oban,” added Sib.

“Oban, let it be,” replied Miss Campbell; “but is there a clear sea-horizon at Oban?”

“If there is one anywhere!” said Sam.

“More likely two than one,” exclaimed Sib.

“Well, then, let us go!”

“In three days’ time,” said one uncle.

“In two,” said the other, who thought it wise to make this prudent concession.

“No, to-morrow,” insisted Miss Campbell, rising from her seat just as the dinner-bell rang.

“To-morrow. Yes. It shall be to-morrow!” assented Sam.

“We only wish we were there now!” put in Sib.

They spoke the truth, but wherefore this haste? Precisely because Aristobulus Ursiclos happened to be staying at Oban, and without being aware of this fact, Miss Campbell would be brought in contact with this young man, chosen by the brothers from among the most learned, and, little as they thought, the most tiresome of men. For these two scheming people imagined that Miss Campbell, after having uselessly tired her eyes with watching the sunsets, would weary of her strange caprice and end by giving her hand to the suitor of their choice! Even if Helena suspected that it was an arranged plan, she could hardly be annoyed at finding Aristobulus Ursiclos there.

“Betty!”

“Bess!”

“Betsey!”

These names again resounded through the hall; but this time Bess made her appearance, and received the order to get ready for their departure on the following day.

They must indeed make haste, for the barometer promised fair weather of some duration, and by starting the next day they would reach Oban in time to see the sun set.

Naturally all that day Bess and Partridge were as busy as possible making preparations for the journey. The housekeeper’s forty-seven keys jingled in her pocket like the bells of a Spanish mule. What wardrobes, what drawers there were to be opened and shut! Perhaps the house would be left empty for a long while, must they not take into account Miss Campbell’s caprices? And supposing this charming young lady was determined to see this Green Ray, and the Green Ray was not going to be seen so easily? Or supposing the horizon at Oban was not clear enough to enable her to do so? And supposing they should be obliged to look for another part of the coast either of Scotland, England, or Ireland? They were to start the following day, that was decided; but when would they return? In a month, a year, ten years?

“And what is the object of seeing this Green Ray,” inquired Bess of Partridge, who was doing his best to help her.

“I don’t know,” replied Partridge; “but there must be some good reason, for our young mistress never does anything without, as you well know, honey.”

“Partridge,” said she, “I am of your opinion that there is some secret in this whim of Miss Campbell’s, of which we have no idea.”

“What is it?”

“Ah! who knows? Unless it is to postpone her uncles’ plans.”

“Really, I cannot think,” resumed Partridge, “why the masters are so taken up with this Mr. Ursiclos! Now, do you consider him a suitable husband for our young mistress?”

“You may be sure, Partridge,” replied Bess, “if he does not entirely satisfy her, she will never marry him. She will say something pretty to her uncles, and give them a kiss, and they will be quite surprised that they ever thought of this suitor for a moment. For my own part, I think very little of him.”

“No more than I do, honey.”

“Look here, Partridge, Miss Campbell’s heart is like this drawer, safely locked, and she only has the key, which she must give up before it can be opened.”

“Unless they take it from her!” added Partridge, with an approving smile.

“They will never take it from her, unless she likes,” replied Bess; “and may the wind carry my cap to the top of St. Mungo’s steeple, if ever our young mistress marries this Mr. Ursiclos!”

“A Southron!” cried Partridge, “who, though he was born in Scotland, has always lived the other side of the Tweed!”

Dame Bess shook her head. These two Highlanders understood each other well. They would hardly allow that the Lowlands were part of old Caledonia. Decidedly they were not in favour of this projected marriage; they hoped Miss Campbell would do better. It might be very suitable; but that did not seem enough to please them.

“After all, Partridge,” continued Dame Bess, “the customs of the old clans were the best, and it’s my belief that marriages were happier then than they are now-a-days.”

“You never said a truer word in your life, my dear,” gravely replied Partridge; “they thought more of the heart, and not so much of the purse in those days. Money, of course, is all very well, but affection is better!”

“Yes, Partridge, and they were careful above everything to know each other well before they married! Do you remember what used to take place at St. Olla’s fair at Kirkwall? All the time it lasted, from the beginning of August, the young people coupled off; and these couples were called “brother and sister of the first of August.” Brother and sister! Now wasn’t that a good way of preparing them for becoming husband and wife? And, upon my word, this is the very day the fair used to open! God grant the old custom may be revived.”

“And so say I!” replied Partridge. “If the masters had only met with some nice young ladies in that way, they would never have escaped matrimony, and Miss Campbell would now have two aunts to look after her.”

“I quite agree with you, Partridge,” said Dame Bess; “but if you could couple off Miss Campbell with Mr. Ursiclos to-day, I’ll warrant that in a week’s time you would not find them together.”

Without dwelling upon the inconveniences which might arise from this familiarity, authorized by the ancient customs of Kirkwall, which have now died out, it must be acknowledged that Dame Bess was perhaps right in her statements. However, Miss Campbell and Arsitobulus Ursiclos were not brother and sister of the first of August, and if their marriage ever took place, they would have no chance of knowing each other as they might have done, had they gone through the test of St. Olla’s fair!

Be this as it may, fairs are now held for business and not for match-making. So we must leave Dame Bess and Partridge to their regrets, who lost not a moment while they talked.

The departure was decided on, and the place of resort chosen. The brothers and Miss Campbell would figure the next day under the heading of “Departures and Arrivals” in the fashionable papers, as having left for Oban. But which route were they to take? This matter had now to be arranged.

There are two different ways of going to this little town, which is some distance north-west of Glasgow.

The first is by road. One goes to Bowling, then past Dumbarton, and, skirting Loch Leven, touches at Balloch, the extreme end of Loch Lomond; crossing this most beautiful of the Scotch lakes, with its thirty isles lying between those historic shores, teeming with memories of MacGregor, MacFarlane, Rob Roy, and Robert Bruce, Dalmally is reached; from thence, following a road which winds round, and very often half way up the mountain side, overhanging torrents and fords, across the first range of the Grampian Hills, through undulating glens of heather, diversified with firs, oaks, larches, and birches, the wondering tourist at last finds himself at Oban, where the coast is as picturesque as any along the shores of the Atlantic.

It is a charming excursion which every traveller in Scotland has made, or ought to make; but as for sea-horizon, along this route, there is none; so when the uncles proposed going this way to Miss Campbell, they met with very little success.

The second route is both by river and sea.