解:联立$\begin{cases} 4x - y = 5 \\ 3x + y = 9 \end{cases},$
两式相加得$7x=14,$解得$x=2.$
把$x=2$代入$4x - y=5,$得$8 - y=5,$解得$y=3.$
将$\begin{cases} x=2 \\ y=3 \end{cases}$代入$\begin{cases} ax + by = -1 \\ 3ax + 4by = 18 \end{cases},$得
$\begin{cases}2a + 3b = -1 & \mathrm{①} \\6a + 12b = 18 & \mathrm{②}\end{cases}$
②化简为$a + 2b = 3,$即$a=3-2b,$代入①得:
$2(3-2b)+3b=-1,$
$6 - 4b + 3b=-1,$
$-b=-7,$解得$b=7.$
把$b=7$代入$a=3-2b,$得$a=3-14=-11.$
所以$\begin{cases} a=-11 \\ b=7 \end{cases}$