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第23章

st. ives-第23章

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was no doubt; at least; that I was supposed to have pushed the 

affair too seriously。  Our friends the enemy removed their wounded 

companion with undisguised consternation; and they were no sooner 

over the top of the brae; than Sim and Candlish roused up their 

wearied drove and set forth on a night march。



'I'm thinking Faa's unco bad;' said the one。



'Ay;' said the other; 'he lookit dooms gash。'



'He did that;' said the first。



And their weary silence fell upon them again。



Presently Sim turned to me。  'Ye're unco ready with the stick;' 

said he。



'Too ready; I'm afraid;' said I。  'I am afraid Mr。 Faa (if that be 

his name) has got his gruel。'



'Weel; I wouldnae wonder;' replied Sim。



'And what is likely to happen?' I inquired。



'Aweel;' said Sim; snuffing profoundly; 'if I were to offer an 

opeenion; it would not be conscientious。  For the plain fac' is; 

Mr。 St。 Ivy; that I div not ken。  We have had crackit heids … and 

rowth of them … ere now; and we have had a broken leg or maybe twa; 

and the like of that we drover bodies make a kind of a practice 

like to keep among oursel's。  But a corp we have none of us ever 

had to deal with; and I could set nae leemit to what Gillies micht 

consider proper in the affair。  Forbye that; he would be in raither 

a hobble himsel'; if he was to gang hame wantin' Faa。  Folk are 

awfu' throng with their questions; and parteecularly when they're 

no wantit。'



'That's a fac';' said Candlish。



I considered this prospect ruefully; and then making the best of 

it; 'Upon all which accounts;' said I; 'the best will be to get 

across the border and there separate。  If you are troubled; you can 

very truly put the blame upon your late companion; and if I am 

pursued; I must just try to keep out of the way。'



'Mr。 St。 Ivy;' said Sim; with something resembling enthusiasm; 'no' 

a word mair!  I have met in wi' mony kinds o' gentry ere now; I hae 

seen o' them that was the tae thing; and I hae seen o' them that 

was the tither; but the wale of a gentleman like you I have no sae 

very frequently seen the bate of。'



Our night march was accordingly pursued with unremitting diligence。  

The stars paled; the east whitened; and we were still; both dogs 

and men; toiling after the wearied cattle。  Again and again Sim and 

Candlish lamented the necessity: it was 'fair ruin on the bestial;' 

they declared; but the thought of a judge and a scaffold hunted 

them ever forward。  I myself was not so much to be pitied。  All 

that night; and during the whole of the little that remained before 

us of our conjunct journey; I enjoyed a new pleasure; the reward of 

my prowess; in the now loosened tongue of Mr。 Sim。  Candlish was 

still obdurately taciturn: it was the man's nature; but Sim; having 

finally appraised and approved me; displayed without reticence a 

rather garrulous habit of mind and a pretty talent for narration。  

The pair were old and close companions; co…existing in these 

endless moors in a brotherhood of silence such as I have heard 

attributed to the trappers of the west。  It seems absurd to mention 

love in connection with so ugly and snuffy a couple; at least; 

their trust was absolute; and they entertained a surprising 

admiration for each other's qualities; Candlish exclaiming that Sim 

was 'grand company!' and Sim frequently assuring me in an aside 

that for 'a rale; auld; stench bitch; there was nae the bate of 

Candlish in braid Scotland。'  The two dogs appeared to be entirely 

included in this family compact; and I remarked that their exploits 

and traits of character were constantly and minutely observed by 

the two masters。  Dog stories particularly abounded with them; and 

not only the dogs of the present but those of the past contributed 

their quota。  'But that was naething;' Sim would begin: 'there was 

a herd in Manar; they ca'd him Tweedie … ye'll mind Tweedie; 

Can'lish?'  'Fine; that!' said Candlish。  'Aweel; Tweedie had a dog 

… '  The story I have forgotten; I dare say it was dull; and I 

suspect it was not true; but indeed; my travels with the drove 

rendered me indulgent; and perhaps even credulous; in the matter of 

dog stories。  Beautiful; indefatigable beings! as I saw them at the 

end of a long day's journey frisking; barking; bounding; striking 

attitudes; slanting a bushy tail; manifestly playing to the 

spectator's eye; manifestly rejoicing in their grace and beauty … 

and turned to observe Sim and Candlish unornamentally plodding in 

the rear with the plaids about their bowed shoulders and the drop 

at their snuffy nose … I thought I would rather claim kinship with 

the dogs than with the men!  My sympathy was unreturned; in their 

eyes I was a creature light as air; and they would scarce spare me 

the time for a perfunctory caress or perhaps a hasty lap of the wet 

tongue; ere they were back again in sedulous attendance on those 

dingy deities; their masters … and their masters; as like as not; 

damning their stupidity。



Altogether the last hours of our tramp were infinitely the most 

agreeable to me; and I believe to all of us; and by the time we 

came to separate; there had grown up a certain familiarity and 

mutual esteem that made the parting harder。  It took place about 

four of the afternoon on a bare hillside from which I could see the 

ribbon of the great north road; henceforth to be my conductor。  I 

asked what was to pay。



'Naething;' replied Sim。



'What in the name of folly is this?' I exclaimed。  'You have led 

me; you have fed me; you have filled me full of whisky; and now you 

will take nothing!'



'Ye see we indentit for that;' replied Sim。



 'Indented?' I repeated; 'what does the man mean?'



'Mr。 St。 Ivy;' said Sim; 'this is a maitter entirely between 

Candlish and me and the auld wife; Gilchrist。  You had naething to 

say to it; weel; ye can have naething to do with it; then。'



'My good man;' said I; 'I can allow myself to be placed in no such 

ridiculous position。  Mrs。 Gilchrist is nothing to me; and I refuse 

to be her debtor。'



'I dinna exac'ly see what way ye're gaun to help it;' observed my 

drover。



'By paying you here and now;' said I。



'There's aye twa to a bargain; Mr。 St。 Ives;' said he。



'You mean that you will not take it?' said I。



'There or thereabout;' said he。  'Forbye; that it would set ye a 

heap better to keep your siller for them you awe it to。  Ye're 

young; Mr。 St。 Ivy; and thoughtless; but it's my belief that; wi' 

care and circumspection; ye may yet do credit to yoursel'。  But 

just you bear this in mind: that him that AWES siller should never 

GIE siller。'



Well; what was there to say?  I accepted his rebuke; and bidding 

the pair farewell; set off alone upon my southward way。



'Mr。 St。 Ivy;' was the last word of Sim; 'I was never muckle ta'en 

up in Englishry; but I think that I really ought to say that ye 

seem to me to have the makings of quite a decent lad。'









CHAPTER XI … THE GREAT NORTH ROAD





IT chanced that as I went down the hill these last words of my 

friend the drover echoed not unfruitfully in my head。  I had never 

told these men the least particulars as to my race or fortune; as 

it was a part; and the best part; of their civility to ask no 

questions: yet they had dubbed me without hesitation English。  Some 

strangeness in the accent they had doubtless thus explained。  And 

it occurred to me; that if I could pass in Scotland for an 

Englishman; I might be able to reverse the process and pass in 

England for a Scot。  I thought; if I was pushed to it; I could make 

a struggle to imitate the brogue; after my experience with Candlish 

and Sim; I had a rich provision of outlandish words at my command; 

and I felt I could tell the tale of Tweedie's dog so as to deceive 

a native。  At the same time; I was afraid my name of St。 Ives was 

scarce

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