jamesclavell.noblehouse-第138章

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　〃Yes。〃
　Penelope　Dunross　sighed。　〃For　your　own　sanity；　Ian；　don't！　She's　very　sensible；　over　nineteen　。。。　well；　quite　sensible。　e　to　think　of　it　I　haven't　seen　her　all　day。　The　little　rotter　rushed　out　with　my　new　scarf　before　I　could　catch　her。　You　remember　the　blouse　I　lent　her？　I　found　it　scrumpled　up　on　her　bathroom　floor！　I　shall　be　very　glad　to　see　her　off　on　her　own　and　in　her　own　apartment。〃
　〃She's　too　young　for　God's　sake！〃
　〃I　don't　agree；　dear。　As　I　was　saying；　there's　really　nothing　you　can　do　about　progress；　and　the　pill　is　a　marvelous　fantastic　unbelievable　leap　forward。　You　really　must　be　more　sensible。　Please？〃
　〃It's　。。。　Christ；　it's　a　bit　sudden；　that's　all。〃
　She　laughed　outright。　〃If　we　were　talking　about　Glenna　I　could　unders…　Uh　for　God's　sake；　Ian；　I'm　only　joking！　It　never　really　occurred　to　me　that　you　wouldn't　have　presumed　Adryon　was　a　very　healthy；　well…adjusted　though　foul…tempered；　infuriating；　very　frustrated　young　lady；　most　of　whose　frustrations　spring　from　trying　to　please　us　with　our　old…fashioned　ideas。〃
　〃You're　right。〃　He　tried　to　sound　convincing　but　he　wasn't　and　he　said　sourly；　〃You're　right　even　so　。。。　you're　right。〃
　〃Laddie；　dinna　ye　think　ye'd　better　visit　our　Shrieking　Tree？〃　she　asked　with　a　smile。　It　was　an　ancient　clan　custom　in　the　old　country　that　somewhere　near　the　dwelling　of　the　oldest　woman　of　the　laird's　family　would　be　the　Shrieking　Tree。　When　Ian　was　young；　Granny　Dunross　was　the　oldest；　and　her　cottage　was　in　a　glade　in　the　hills　behind　Kilmarnock　in　Ayrshire　where　the　Struan　lands　were。　The　tree　was　a　great　oak。　It　was　the　tree　that　you　went　out　to　when　the　deevil　…　as　old　Granny　Dunross　called　it　…　when　the　deevil　was　with　you；　and　alone；　you　shrieked　whatever　curses　you　liked。　〃。。。　and　then；　lassie；〃　the　lovely　old　woman　had　told　her　the　first　night；　〃。。。　and　then；　lassie；　there　would　be　peace　in　the　home　and　never　a　body　has　need　to　really　curse　a　husband　or　wife　or　lover　or　child。　Aye；　just　a　wee　tree　and　the　tree　can　bear　all　the　curse　words　that　the　deevil　himself　invented。　。。。〃
　Penelope　was　remembering　how　old　Granny　Dunross　had　taken　her　into　her　heart　and　into　the　clan　from　the　first　moment。　That　was　just　after　she　and　Ian　were　married　and　visiting　for　the　second　time；　Ian　on　sick　leave；　still　on　crutches；　his　legs　badly　burned　but　healing；　the　rest　of　him　untouched　in　the　flaming　crash…landing　but　for　his　mad；　all…consuming　anger　at　being　grounded　forever；　she　so　pleased　secretly；　thanking　God　for　the　reprieve。
　〃But　whisht；　lassie；〃　Granny　Dunross　had　added　with　a　chuckle　that　night　when　the　winter　winds　were　whining　off　the　moors；　sleet　outside；　and　they　all　warm　and　toasty　in　front　of　the　great　fire；　safe　from　the　bombing；　well　fed　and　never　a　care　except　that　Ian　should　get　well　quickly；　〃。。。　there　was　a　time　when　this　Dunross　was　six　and；　och　aye；　he　had　a　terrible　temper　even　then　and　his　father　Colin　was　off　in　those　heathen　foreign　parts　as　always；　so　this　Dunross　would　e　to　Ayr　on　holiday　from　boarding　school。　Aye；　and　sometimes　he　would　e　to　see　me　and　I'd　tell　him　tales　o'　the　clan　and　his　grandfather　and　great…grandfather　but　this　time　nothing　would　take　away　the　deevil　that　possessed　him。　It　was　a　night　like　this　and　I　sent　him　out；　the　poor　wee　bairn；　aye　I　sent　him　out　to　the　Shrieking　Tree。　。。。〃　The　old　woman　had　chuckled　and　chuckled　and　sipped　whiskey　and　continued；　〃Aye　and　the　young　deevil　went　out；　cock　of　the　walk；　the　gale　under　his　kilt；　and　he　cursed　the　tree。　Och　aye；　surely　the　wee　beasties　in　the　forest　fled　before　his　wrath　and　then　he　came　back。　'Have　you　given　it　a　good　drubbing；'　I　asked　him。　'Aye；'　he　said　in　his　wee　voice。　'Aye；　Grandma；　I　gave　it　a　good　drubbing；　the　very　best　ever。'
　〃　'Good；'　I　said。　'And　now　you're　at　peace！'
　〃　'Well；　not　really；　Grandmother；　but　I　am　tired。'　And　then；　lassie；　at　that　moment；　there　was　an　almighty　crash　and　the　whole　house　shook　and　I　thought　it　was　the　end　of　the　world　but　the　wee　little　bairn　ran　out　to　see　what　had　happened　and　a　lightning　bolt　had　blasted　the　Shrieking　Tree　to　pieces。　'Och　aye；　Granny；'　he　said　in　his　piping　little　voice　when　he　came　back；　his　eyes　wide；　'that　really　was　the　very　best　I　ever　did。　Can　I　do　it　again！'　〃
　Ian　had　laughed。　〃That's　all　a　story；　I　don't　remember　that　at　all。　You're　making　it　up；　Granny！〃
　〃Whisht　on　you！　You　were　five　or　six　and　the　next　day　we　went　into　the　glade　and　picked　the　new　tree；　the　one　you'll　see　tomorrow；　lassie；　and　blessed　it　in　the　clan's　name　and　I　told　young　Ian　to　be　a　mite　more　careful　next　time！〃
　They　had　laughed　together　and　then；　later　that　night；　she　had　woken　up　to　find　Ian　gone　and　his　crutches　gone。　She　had　watched　and　waited。　When　he　came　back　he　was　soaked　but　tired　and　at　peace。　She　pretended　sleep　until　he　was　in　bed　again。　Then　she　turned　to　him　and　gave　him　all　the　warmth　she　had。
　〃Remember；　lassie；〃　Granny　Dunross　had　said　to　her　privately　the　day　they　left；　〃if　ye　want　to　keep　your　marriage　sweet；　make　sure　this　Dunross　always　has　a　Shrieking　Tree　nearby。　Dinna　be　afeared。　Pick　one；　always　pick　one　wherever　you　go。　This　Dunross　needs　a　Shrieking　Tree　close　by　though　he'll　never　admit　it　and　will　never　use　it　but　rarely。　He's　like　the　Dirk。　He's　too　strong。　。。。〃
　So　wherever　they　had　gone　they　had　had　one。　Penelope　had　insisted。　Once；　in　Chungking；　where　Dunross　had　been　sent　to　be　an　Allied　liaison　officer　after　he　was　well　again；　she　had　made　a　bamboo　their　Shrieking　Tree。　Here　in　Hong　Kong　it　was　a　huge　jacaranda　that　dominated　the　whole　garden。　〃Don't　you　think　you　should　pay　her　a　wee　visit？〃　The　tree　was　always　a　her　for　him　and　a　him　for　her。　Everyone　should　have　a　Shrieking　Tree；　Penelope　thought。　Everyone。
　〃Thanks；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　okay　now。〃
　〃How　did　Granny　Dunross　have　so　much　wisdom　and　stay　so　marvelous　after　so　much　tragedy　in　her　life？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Perhaps　they　built　them　stronger　in　those　days。〃
　〃I　miss　her。〃　Granny　Dunross　was　eighty…five　when　she　died。　She　was　Agnes　Struan　when　she　married　her　cousin　Dirk　Dunross　…　Dirk　McCloud　Dunross；　whom　his　mother　Winifred；　Dirk　Struan's　only　daughter；　had　named　after　her　father　in　remembrance。　Dirk　Dunross　had　been　fourth　tai…pan　and　he　had　been　lost　at　sea　in　Sunset　Cloud　driving　her　homeward。　He　was　only　forty…two　when　he　was　lost；　she　thirty…one。　She　never　married　again。　They　had　had　three　sons　and　one　daughter。　Two　of　her　sons　were　killed　in　World　War　I；　the　eldest　at　Gallipoli　at　twenty…one；　the　other　gassed　at　Ypres　in　Flanders；　nineteen。　Her　daughter　Anne　had　married　Gaston　deVille；　Jacques's　father。　Anne　had　died　in　the　London　bombing　where　all　the　deVilles　had　fled　except　Jacques　who　had　stayed　in　France　and　fought　the　Nazis　with　the　Maquis。　Colin；　the　last　of　her　sons；　Ian's　father；　also　had　three　sons　and　a　daughter；　Kathren。　Two　sons　also　were　killed　in　World　War　II。　Kathren's　first　husband；　Ian's　squadron　leader；　was　killed　in　the　Battle　of　Britain。　〃So　many　deaths；　violent　deaths；〃　Penelope　said　sadly。　〃To　see　them　all　born　and　all　die　。。。　terrible。　Poor　Granny！　Yet　when　she　died　she　seemed　to　go　so　peacefully　with　that　lovely　smile　of　hers。〃
　〃Perhaps　it　was　joss。　But　the　others；　that　was　joss　too。　They　only　did　what　they　had　to；　Penn。　After　all；　our　family　history's　ordinary　in　that。　We're　British。　War's　been　a　way　of　life　for　centuries。　Look　at　your　family　…　one　of　your　uncles　was　lost　at　sea　in　the　navy　in　the　Great　War；　another　in　the　last　at　El　Alamein；　your　parents　killed　in　the　blitz　。。。　all　very　ordinary。〃　His　voice　hardened。　〃It's　not　easy　to　explain　to　any　outsider；　is　it？〃
　〃No。　We　all　had　to　grow　up　so　quickly；　didn't　we；　Ian？〃　He　nodded　and　after　a　moment　she　said；　〃You'd　better　dress　for　dinner；　dear；　you'll　be　late。〃
　〃e　on；　Penn；　for　God's　sake；　you　take　an　hour　longer　than　me。　We'll　put　in　a　quick　appearance　and　leave　directly　after　chow。　Wh…　〃　The　phone　rang　and　he　picked　it　up。　〃Yes？　Oh　hello；　Mr。　Deland。〃
　〃Good　evening；　tai…pan。　I　wish　to　report　about　Mme。　deVille's　daughter　and　son…in…law；　M。　Escary。〃
　〃Yes；　please　go　ahead。〃
　〃I　am　sad　to　have　the　dishonor　of　bringing　such　bad　tidings。　The　accident　was　a；　how　do　you　say；　sideswipe　on　the　upper　Corniche　just