christie johnstone-第12章

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Every　day　saw　a　repetition　of　these　dialogues；　in　which　genius　made
gallant　bursts　into　the　air；　and　strong；　hard　sense　caught　him　on　his
descent；　and　dabbed　glue　on　his　gauzy　wings。

Old　age　and　youth　see　life　so　differently。　To　youth；　it　is　a　story…book；
in　which　we　are　to　command　the　incidents；　and　be　the　bright　exceptions　to
one　rule　after　another。

To　age　it　is　an　almanac；　in　which　everything　will　happen　just　as　it　has
happened　so　many　times。

To　youth；　it　is　a　path　through　a　sunny　meadow。

To　age；　a　hard　turnpike：

Whose　travelers　must　be　all　sweat　and　dust；　when　they　are　not　in　mud　and
drenched：

Which　wants　mending　in　many　places；　and　is　mended　with　sharp　stones。

Gatty　would　not　yield　to　go　down　to　Newhaven　and　take　a　step　against　his
love；　but　he　yielded　so　far　as　to　remain　passive；　and　see　whether　this
creature　was　necessary　to　his　existence　or　not。　Mrs。　G。　scouted　the　idea。
〃He　was　to　work；　and　he　would　soon　forget　her。〃　Poor　boy！　he　wanted　to
work；　his　debt　weighed　on　him；　a　week's　resolute　labor　might　finish　his
first　picture　and　satisfy　his　creditor。　The　subject　was　an　interior。　He
set　to　work；　he　stuck　to　work；　he　glued　to　work；　his　bodybut　his　heart？

Ah；　my　poor　fellow；　a　much　slower　horse　than　Gatty　will　go　by　you；　ridden
as　you　are　by　a　leaden　heart。

Tu　nihil　invita　facies　pingesve　Minerva。


It　would　not　lower　a　mechanical　dog's　efforts；　but　it　must　yours。

He　was　unhappy。　He　heard　only　one　side　for　days；　that　side　was
recommended　by　his　duty；　filial　affection；　and　diffidence　of　his　own　good
sense。

He　was　brought　to　see　his　proceedings　were　eccentric；　and　that　it　is
destruction　to　be　eccentric。

He　was　made　a　little　ashamed　of　what　he　had　been　proud　of。

He　was　confused　and　perplexed；　he　hardly　knew　what　to　think　or　do；　he
collapsed；　and　all　his　spirit　was　fast　leaving　him；　and　then　he　felt
inclined　to　lean　on　the　first　thing　he　could　find；　and　nothing　came　to
hand　but　his　mother。

Meantime；　Christie　Johnstone　was　also　thinking　of　him；　but　her　single
anxiety　was　to　find　this　eighty　pounds　for　him。

It　is　a　Newhaven　idea　that　the　female　is　the　natural　protector　of　the
male；　and　this　idea　was　strengthened　in　her　case。

She　did　not　fully　comprehend　his　character　and　temperament；　but　she　saw；
by　instinct；　that　she　was　to　be　the　protector。　Besides；　as　she　was
twenty…one；　and　he　only　twenty…two；　she　felt　the　difference　between
herself；　a　woman；　and　him；　a　boy；　and　to　leave　him　to　struggle　unaided
out　of　his　difficulties　seemed　to　her　heartless。

Twice　she　opened　her　lips　to　engage　the　charitable　〃vile　count〃　in　his
cause；　but　shame　closed　them　again；　this　would　be　asking　a　personal
favor；　and　one　on　so　large　a　scale。

Several　days　passed　thus；　she　had　determined　not　to　visit　him　without
good　news。

She　then　began　to　be　surprised；　she　heard　nothing　from　him。

And　now　she　felt　something　that　prevented　her　calling　on　him。

But　Jean　Carnie　was　to　be　married；　and　the　next　day　the　wedding　party
were　to　spend　in　festivity　upon　the　island　of　Inch　Coombe。

She　bade　Jean　call　on　him；　and；　without　mentioning　her；　invite　him　to
this　party；　from　which；　he　must　know；　she　would　not　be　absent。

Jean　Carnie　entered　his　apartment；　and　at　her　entrance　his　mother；　who
took　for　granted　this　was　his　sweetheart；　whispered　in　his　ear　that　he
should　now　take　the　first　step；　and　left　him。

What　passed　between　Jean　Carnie　and　Charles　Gatty　is　for　another　chapter。



CHAPTER　IX。


A　YOUNG　viscount　with　income　and　person　cannot　lie　_perdu_　three　miles
from　Edinburgh。

First　one　discovers　him；　then　another；　then　twenty；　then　all　the　world；
as　the　whole　clique　is　modestly　called。

Before；　however；　Lord　Ipsden　was　caught；　he　had　acquired　a　browner　tint；
a　more　elastic　step；　and　a　stouter　heart。

The　Aberford　prescription　had　done　wonders　for　him。

He　caught　himself　passing　one　whole　day　without　thinking　of　Lady　Barbara
Sinclair。

But　even　Aberford　had　misled　him；　there　were　no　adventures　to　be　found　in
the　Firth　of　Forth；　most　of　the　days　there　was　no　wind　to　speak　of；　twice
it　blew　great　guns；　and　the　men　were　surprised　at　his　lordship　going　out；
but　nobody　was　in　any　danger　except　himself；　the　fishermen　had　all
slipped　into　port　before　matters　were　serious。

He　found　the　merchantmen　that　could　sail　creeping　on　with　three　reefs　in
their　mainsail；　and　the　Dutchmen　lying　to　and　breasting　it；　like　ducks　in
a　pond；　and　with　no　more　chance　of　harm。

On　one　of　these　occasions　he　did　observe　a　little　steam…tug；　going　about
a　knot　an　hour；　and　rolling　like　a　washing…tub。　He　ran　down　to　her；　and
asked　if　he　could　assist　her；　she　answered；　through　the　medium　of　a　sooty
animal　at　her　helm；　that　she　was　（like　our　universities）　〃satisfied　with
her　own　progress〃；　she　added；　being　under　intoxication；　〃that；　if　any
danger　existed；　her　scheme　was　to　drown　it　in　the　bo…o…owl；〃　and　two　days
afterward　he　saw　her　puffing　and　panting；　and　fiercely　dragging　a
gigantic　three…decker　out　into　deep　water；　like　an　industrious　flea
pulling　his　phaeton。

And　now　it　is　my　office　to　relate　how　Mr。　Flucker　Johnstone　comported
himself　on　one　occasion。

As　the　yacht　worked　alongside　Granton　Pier；　before　running　out；　the　said
Flucker　calmly　and　scientifically　drew　his　lordship's　attention　to　three
points：

The　direction　of　the　windthe　force　of　the　windand　his　opinion；　as　a
person　experienced　in　the　Firth；　that　it　was　going　to　be　worse　instead　of
better；　in　reply；　he　received　an　order　to　step　forward　to　his　place　in
the　cutterthe　immediate　vicinity　of　the　jib…boom。　On　this；　Mr。　Flucker
instantly　burst　into　tears。

His　lordship；　or；　as　Flucker　called　him　ever　since　the　yacht　came　down；
〃the　skipper；〃　deeming　that　the　higher　appellation；　inquired；　with　some
surprise；　what　was　the　matter　with　the　boy。

One　of　the　crew；　who；　by　the　by；　squinted；　suggested；　〃It　was　a　slight
illustration　of　the　passion　of　fear。〃

Flucker　confirmed　the　theory　by　gulping　out：　〃We'll　never　see　Newhaven
again。〃

On　this　the　skipper　smiled；　and　ordered　him　ashore；　somewhat
peremptorily。

Straightway　he　began　to　howl；　and；　saying；　〃It　was　better　to　be　drowned
than　be　the　laughing…stock　of　the　place；〃　went　forward　to　his　place；　on
his　safe　return　to　port；　this　young　gentleman　was　very　severe　on　open
boats；　which；　he　said　〃bred　womanish　notions　in　hearts　naturally
dauntless。　Give　me　a　lid　to　the　pot；〃　added　he；　〃and　I'll　sail　with　Old
Nick；　let　the　wind　blow　high　or　low。〃

The　Aberford　was　wrong　when　he　called　love　a　cutaneous　disorder。

There　are　cutaneous　disorders　that　take　that　name；　but　they　are　no　more
love　than　verse　is　poetry；

Than　patriotism　is　love　of　country；

Than　theology　is　religion；

Than　science　is　philosophy；

Than　paintings　are　pictures；

Than　reciting　on　the　boards　is　acting；

Than　physic　is　medicine

Than　bread　is　bread；　or　gold　goldin　shops。

Love　is　a　state　of　being；　the　beloved　object　is　our　center；　and　our
thoughts；　affections；　schemes　and　selves　move　but　round　it。

We　may　diverge　hither　or　thither；　but　the　golden　thread　still　holds　us。

Is　fair　or　dark　beauty　the　fairest？　The　world　cannot　decide；　but　love
shall　decide　in　a　moment。

A　halo　surrounds　her　we　love；　and　makes　beautiful　to　us　her　movements；
her　looks；　her　virtues；　her　faults；　her　nonsense；　her　affectation　and
herself；　and　that's　love；　doctor！

Lord　Ipsden　was　capable　of　loving　like　this；　but；　to　do　Lady　Barbara
justice；　she　had　done　much　to　freeze　the　germ　of　noble　passion；　she　had
not　killed；　but　she　had　benumbed　it。

〃Saunders；〃　said　Lord　Ipsden；　one　morning　after　breakfast；　〃have　you
entered　everything　in　your　diary？〃

〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

〃All　these　good　people's　misfortunes？〃

〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

〃Do　you　think　you　have　spelled　their　names　right？〃

〃Where　it　was　impossible；　my　lord；　I　substituted　an　English　appellation；
hidentical　in　meaning。〃

〃Have　you　entered　and　described　my　first　interview　with　Christie
Johnstone；　and　somebody　something？〃

〃Most　minutely；　my　lord。〃

〃How　I　turned　Mr。　Burke　into　poetryhow　she　listened　with　her　eyes　all
glisteninghow　they　made　me　talkhow　she　dropped　a　tear；　he！　he！　he！　at
the　death　of