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第62章

st. ives-第62章

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the elements of that stormy night。  The wind blew again in the 

tree…tops; a volley of cold sea…rain deluged the garden; and; as 

the deuce would have it; a gutter which had been hitherto choked up 

began suddenly to play upon my head and shoulders with the vivacity 

of a fountain。  We parted with a shock; I sprang to my feet; and 

she to hers; as though we had been discovered。  A moment after; but 

now both standing; we had again approached the window on either 

side。



'Flora;' I said; 'this is but a poor offer I can make you。'



She took my hand in hers and clasped it to her bosom。



'Rich enough for a queen!' she said; with a lift in her breathing 

that was more eloquent than words。  'Anne; my brave Anne!  I would 

be glad to be your maidservant; I could envy that boy Rowley。  But; 

no!' she broke off; 'I envy no one … I need not … I am yours。'



'Mine;' said I; 'for ever!  By this and this; mine!'



'All of me;' she repeated。  'Altogether and forever!'



And if the god were envious; he must have seen with mortification 

how little he could do to mar the happiness of mortals。  I stood in 

a mere waterspout; she herself was wet; not from my embrace only; 

but from the splashing of the storm。  The candles had guttered out; 

we were in darkness。  I could scarce see anything but the shining 

of her eyes in the dark room。  To her I must have appeared as a 

silhouette; haloed by rain and the spouting of the ancient Gothic 

gutter above my head。



Presently we became more calm and confidential; and when that 

squall; which proved to be the last of the storm; had blown by; 

fell into a talk of ways and means。  It seemed she knew Mr。 Robbie; 

to whom I had been so slenderly accredited by Romaine … was even 

invited to his house for the evening of Monday; and gave me a 

sketch of the old gentleman's character which implied a great deal 

of penetration in herself; and proved of great use to me in the 

immediate sequel。  It seemed he was an enthusiastic antiquary; and 

in particular a fanatic of heraldry。  I heard it with delight; for 

I was myself; thanks to M。 de Culemberg; fairly grounded in that 

science; and acquainted with the blazons of most families of note 

in Europe。  And I had made up my mind … even as she spoke; it was 

my fixed determination; though I was a hundred miles from saying it 

… to meet Flora on Monday night as a fellow…guest in Mr。 Robbie's 

house。



I gave her my money … it was; of course; only paper I had brought。  

I gave it her; to be her marriage…portion; I declared。



'Not so bad a marriage…portion for a private soldier;' I told her; 

laughing; as I passed it through the bars。



'O; Anne; and where am I to keep it?' she cried。  'If my aunt 

should find it!  What would I say!'



'Next your heart;' I suggested。



'Then you will always be near your treasure;' she cried; 'for you 

are always there!'



We were interrupted by a sudden clearness that fell upon the night。  

The clouds dispersed; the stars shone in every part of the heavens; 

and; consulting my watch; I was startled to find it already hard on 

five in the morning。









CHAPTER XXVII … THE SABBATH DAY





IT was indeed high time I should be gone from Swanston; but what I 

was to do in the meanwhile was another question。  Rowley had 

received his orders last night: he was to say that I had met a 

friend; and Mrs。 McRankine was not to expect me before morning。  A 

good enough tale in itself; but the dreadful pickle I was in made 

it out of the question。  I could not go home till I had found 

harbourage; a fire to dry my clothes at; and a bed where I might 

lie till they were ready。



Fortune favoured me again。  I had scarce got to the top of the 

first hill when I spied a light on my left; about a furlong away。  

It might be a case of sickness; what else it was likely to be … in 

so rustic a neighbourhood; and at such an ungodly time of the 

morning … was beyond my fancy。  A faint sound of singing became 

audible; and gradually swelled as I drew near; until at last I 

could make out the words; which were singularly appropriate both to 

the hour and to the condition of the singers。  'The cock may craw; 

the day may daw;' they sang; and sang it with such laxity both in 

time and tune; and such sentimental complaisance in the expression; 

as assured me they had got far into the third bottle at least。



I found a plain rustic cottage by the wayside; of the sort called 

double; with a signboard over the door; and; the lights within 

streaming forth and somewhat mitigating the darkness of the 

morning; I was enabled to decipher the inscription: 'The Hunters' 

Tryst; by Alexander Hendry。  Porter Ales; and British Spirits。  

Beds。'



My first knock put a period to the music; and a voice challenged 

tipsily from within。



'Who goes there?' it said; and I replied; 'A lawful traveller。'



Immediately after; the door was unbarred by a company of the 

tallest lads my eyes had ever rested on; all astonishingly drunk 

and very decently dressed; and one (who was perhaps the drunkest of 

the lot) carrying a tallow candle; from which he impartially 

bedewed the clothes of the whole company。  As soon as I saw them I 

could not help smiling to myself to remember the anxiety with which 

I had approached。  They received me and my hastily…concocted story; 

that I had been walking from Peebles and had lost my way; with 

incoherent benignity; jostled me among them into the room where 

they had been sitting; a plain hedgerow alehouse parlour; with a 

roaring fire in the chimney and a prodigious number of empty 

bottles on the floor; and informed me that I was made; by this 

reception; a temporary member of the SIX…FEET…HIGH CLUB; an 

athletic society of young men in a good station; who made of the 

Hunters' Tryst a frequent resort。  They told me I had intruded on 

an 'all…night sitting;' following upon an 'all…day Saturday tramp' 

of forty miles; and that the members would all be up and 'as right 

as ninepence' for the noonday service at some neighbouring church … 

Collingwood; if memory serves me right。  At this I could have 

laughed; but the moment seemed ill…chosen。  For; though six feet 

was their standard; they all exceeded that measurement 

considerably; and I tasted again some of the sensations of 

childhood; as I looked up to all these lads from a lower plane; and 

wondered what they would do next。  But the Six…Footers; if they 

were very drunk; proved no less kind。  The landlord and servants of 

the Hunters' Tryst were in bed and asleep long ago。  Whether by 

natural gift or acquired habit they could suffer pandemonium to 

reign all over the house; and yet lie ranked in the kitchen like 

Egyptian mummies; only that the sound of their snoring rose and 

fell ceaselessly like the drone of a bagpipe。  Here the Six…Footers 

invaded them … in their citadel; so to speak; counted the bunks and 

the sleepers; proposed to put me in bed to one of the lasses; 

proposed to have one of the lasses out to make room for me; fell 

over chairs; and made noise enough to waken the dead: the whole 

illuminated by the same young torch…bearer; but now with two 

candles; and rapidly beginning to look like a man in a snowstorm。  

At last a bed was found for me; my clothes were hung out to dry 

before the parlour fire; and I was mercifully left to my repose。



I awoke about nine with the sun shining in my eyes。  The landlord 

came at my summons; brought me my clothes dried and decently 

brushed; and gave me the good news that the Six…Feet…High Club were 

all abed and sleeping off their excesses。  Where they were bestowed 

was a puzzle to me until (as I was strolling about the garden patch 

waiting for breakfast) I came on a barn door; and; looking in; saw 

all the red face mixed in the straw like plums in a cake。  Quoth 

the stalwart maid who brought me my porridge and bade me

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