[The Antiquary by Sir Walter Scott]@TWC D-Link book
The Antiquary

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST
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Consider, mine honoured sir, that de spirits"-- Here Edie, who began to enter into the humour of the scene, uttered an extraordinary howl, being an exaltation and a prolongation of the most deplorable whine in which he was accustomed to solicit charity.
Dousterswivel flung himself on his knees--"Dear Sir Arthurs, let us go, or let me go!" "No, you cheating scoundrel!" said the knight, unsheathing the sword which he had brought for the purposes of the exorcism, "that shift shall not serve you--Monkbarns warned me long since of your juggling pranks--I will see this treasure before you leave this place, or I will have you confess yourself an impostor, or, by Heaven, I'll run this sword through you, though all the spirits of the dead should rise around us!" "For de lofe of Heaven be patient, mine honoured patron, and you shall hafe all de treasure as I knows of--yes, you shall indeed--But do not speak about de spirits--it makes dem angry." Edie Ochiltree here prepared himself to throw in another groan, but was restrained by Lovel, who began to take a more serious interest, as he observed the earnest and almost desperate demeanour of Sir Arthur.
Dousterswivel, having at once before his eyes the fear of the foul fiend, and the violence of Sir Arthur, played his part of a conjuror extremely ill, hesitating to assume the degree of confidence necessary to deceive the latter, lest it should give offence to the invisible cause of his alarm.

However, after rolling his eyes, muttering and sputtering German exorcisms, with contortions of his face and person, rather flowing from the impulse of terror than of meditated fraud, he at length proceeded to a corner of the building where a flat stone lay upon the ground, bearing upon its surface the effigy of an armed warrior in a recumbent posture carved in bas-relief.

He muttered to Sir Arthur, "Mine patrons, it is here--Got save us all!" Sir Arthur, who, after the first moment of his superstitious fear was over, seemed to have bent up all his faculties to the pitch of resolution necessary to carry on the adventure, lent the adept his assistance to turn over the stone, which, by means of a lever that the adept had provided, their joint force with difficulty effected.

No supernatural light burst forth from below to indicate the subterranean treasury, nor was there any apparition of spirits, earthly or infernal.
But when Dousterswivel had, with great trepidation, struck a few strokes with a mattock, and as hastily thrown out a shovelful or two of earth (for they came provided with the tools necessary for digging), something was heard to ring like the sound of a falling piece of metal, and Dousterswivel, hastily catching up the substance which produced it, and which his shovel had thrown out along with the earth, exclaimed, "On mine dear wort, mine patrons, dis is all--it is indeed; I mean all we can do to-night;"-- and he gazed round him with a cowering and fearful glance, as if to see from what corner the avenger of his imposture was to start forth.
"Let me see it," said Sir Arthur; and then repeated, still more sternly, "I will be satisfied--I will judge by mine own eyes." He accordingly held the object to the light of the lantern.

It was a small case, or casket,--for Lovel could not at the distance exactly discern its shape, which, from the Baronet's exclamation as he opened it, he concluded was filled with coin.


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