“You have by this time the continuation of the drama,
down to the commencement of the third act, as I have your letter on the subject
of the first. You will understand that I only mean them as sketches; for the
first and second acts are too short, and both want much to combine them with
the third. I can easily add music to Miss
Devorgoil’s part. As to Braham, he is a beast of an actor, though an angel of a singer,
and truly I do not see what he could personify. Let me know, however, your
thoughts and wishes, and all shall be moulded to the best of my power to meet
them; the point is to make it take if we can; the rest
is all leather and prunella. A great many things must occur to you technically
better, in the way of alteration and improvement, and you know well that,
though too indolent to amend things on my own conviction, I am always ready to
make them meet my friends’ wishes if possible. We shall both
| 122 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. |
“I am now anxious to complete Abbotsford. I think I told you I mean to do nothing whatever to the present house, but to take it away altogether at some future time, so that I finish the upper story without any communication with Mrs Bedford’s ci-devant mansion, and shall place the opening in the lower story, wherever it will be most suitable for the new house, without regard to defacing the temporary drawingroom. I am quite feverish about the armoury. I have two pretty complete suits of armour, one Indian one, and a cuirassier’s, with boots, casque, &c.; many helmets, corslets, and steel caps, swords and poniards without end, and about a dozen of guns, ancient and modern. I have besides two or three battle-axes and maces, pikes and targets, a Highlander’s accoutrement complete, a great variety of branches of horns, pikes, bows and arrows, and the clubs and creases of Indian tribes. Mr Bullock promised to give some hint about the fashion of disposing all these matters; and now our spring is approaching, and I want but my plans to get on. I have reason to be proud of the finishing of my castle, for even of the tower for which I trembled, not a stone has been shaken by the late terrific gale, which blew a roof clear off in the neighbourhood. It was lying in the road like a saddle, as Tom Purdie expressed it. Neither has a slate been lifted, though about two yards of slating were stripped from the stables in the haugh, which you know were comparatively less exposed.
“I am glad to hear of Mrs
Terry’s improved health and good prospects. As for young
Master Mumble-
| LETTERS TO LAIDLAW. | 123 |
