get the guard sent off from the custom-house; and then for the
grand cast of the dice. Everything must depend upon speed. How lucky that
Mannering has betaken himself to Edinburgh! His knowledge of this young
fellow is a most perilous addition to my dangers.' Here he suffered his
horse to slacken his pace. 'What if I should try to compound with the
heir? It's likely he might be brought to pay a round sum for restitution,
and I could give up Hatteraick. But no, no, no! there were too many eyes
on me--Hatteraick himself, and the gipsy sailor, and that old hag. No,
no! I must stick to my original plan.' And with that he struck his spurs
against his horse's flanks, and rode forward at a hard trot to put his
machines in motion.

CHAPTER XV
A prison is a house of care,
A place where none can thrive,
A touchstone true to try a friend,
A grave for one alive
Sometimes a place of right,
Sometimes a place of wrong,
Sometimes a place of rogues and thieves,
And honest men among

Inscription on Edinburgh Tolbooth

Early on the following morning the carriage which had brought Bertram to
Hazlewood House was, with his two silent and surly attendants, appointed
to convey him to his place of confinement at Portanferry. This building
adjoined to the custom-house established at that little seaport, and both
were situated so close to the sea-beach that it was necessary to defend
the back part with a large and strong rampart or bulwark of huge stones,
disposed in a slope towards the surf, which often reached and broke upon
them. The front was surrounded by a high wall, enclosing a small
courtyard, within which the miserable inmates of the mansion were
occasionally permitted to take exercise and air. The prison was used as a
house of correction, and sometimes as a chapel of ease to the county
jail, which was old, and far from being conveniently situated with
reference to the Kippletringan district of the county. Mac-Guffog, the
officer by whom Bertram had at first been apprehended, and who was now in
attendance upon him, was keeper of this palace of little-ease. He caused
the carriage to be drawn close up to the outer gate, and got out himself
to summon the warders. The noise of his rap alarmed some twenty or thirty
ragged boys, who left off sailing their mimic sloops and frigates in the
little pools of salt water left by the receding tide, and hastily crowded
round the vehicl