christie johnstone-第23章

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the　Johnstone　uttered　this　word。

_Beeny　（in　a　voice　of　whining　surprise）。_　〃Hech！　what　a　spite　Flucker
Johnstone's　dochter　has　taen　against　us。〃

_Christie。_　〃Scairt！〃

_Beeny　（in　a　coaxing　voice；　and　moving　a　step）。_　〃Aweel！　what's　a'　your
paession；　my　boenny　woman？〃

_Christie。_　〃Scairt！〃

Beeny　retired　before　the　thunder　and　lightning　of　indignant　virtue。

Then　all　the　fishboys　struck　up　a　dismal　chant　of　victory。

〃Yoo…hooCusty's　won　the　dayBeeny's　scair_tit；〃_　going　up　on　the　last
syllable。

Christie　moved　slowly　away　toward　her　own　house；　but　before　she　could
reach　the　door　she　began　to　whimperlittle　fool。

Thereat　chorus　of　young　Athenians　chanted：

〃Yu…hoo！　come　back；　Beeny；　ye'll　maybe　win　yet。　Custy's　away　gree_tin〃_
_（going　up　on　the　last　syllable）。_

〃I'm　no　greetin；　ye　rude　bairns；〃　said　Christie；　bursting　into　tears；　and
retiring　as　soon　as　she　had　effected　that　proof　of　her　philosophy。

It　was　about　four　hours　later；　Christie　had　snatched　some　repose。　The
wind；　as　Flucker　prognosticated；　had　grown　into　a　very　heavy　gale；　and
the　Firth　was　brown　and　boiling。

Suddenly　a　clamor　was　heard　on　the　shore；　and　soon　after　a　fishwife　made
her　appearance；　with　rather　a　singular　burden。

Her　husband；　ladies；　_rien　que　cela。_

She　had　him　by　the　scruff　of　the　neck；　he　was　_dos…'a…dos；_　with　his
booted　legs　kicking　in　the　air；　and　his　fists　making　warlike　but　idle
demonstrations　and　his　mouth　uttering　ineffectual　bad　language。

This　worthy　had　been　called　a　coward　by　Sandy　Liston；　and　being　about　to
fight　with　him；　and　get　thrashed；　his　wife　had　whipped　him　up　and　carried
him　away；　she　now　flung　him　down；　at　some　risk　of　his　equilibrium。

〃Ye　are　not　fit　to　feicht　wi'　Sandy　Liston；〃　said　she；　〃if　ye　are　for
feichtin；　here's　for　ye。〃

As　a　comment　to　this　proposal；　she　tucked　up　the　sleeves　of　her　short
gown。　He　tried　to　run　by　her；　she　caught　him　by　the　bosom；　and　gave　him　a
violent　push；　that　sent　him　several　paces　backward；　he　looked　half
fierce；　half　astounded；　ere　he　could　quite　recover　himself；　his　little
servant　forced　a　pipe　into　his　hand；　and　he　smoked　contented　and
peaceable。

Before　tobacco　the　evil　passions　fall；　they　tell　me。

The　cause　of　this　quarrel　soon　explained　itself；　up　came　Sandy　Liston；
cursing　and　swearing。

〃What！　ye　hae　gotten　till　your　wife's；　that's　the　place　for　ye；　to　say
there's　a　brig　in　distress；　and　ye'll　let　her　go　on　the　rocks　under　your
noses。　But　what　are　ye　afraid　o'？　there's　na　danger？〃

〃Nae　danger！〃　said　one　of　the　reproached；　〃are　ye　fou？〃

〃Ye　are　fou　wi'　fear　yoursel'；　of　a'　the　beasts　that　crawl　the　airth；　a
cooward　is　the　ugliest；　I　think。〃

〃The　wifes　will　no　let　us；〃　said　one；　sulkily。

〃It's　the　woman　in　your　hairts　that　keeps　ye；〃　roared　Sandy　hoarsely；
〃curse　ye；　ye　are　sure　to　dee　ane　day；　and　ye　are　sure　to　be！〃　（a
past　participle）　〃soon　or　late；　what　signifies　when？　Oh！　curse　the　hour
ever　I　was　born　amang　sic　a　cooardly　crew。〃　_（Gun　at　sea。）_

〃There！〃

〃She　speaks　till　ye；　hersel'；　she　cries　for　maircy；　to　think　that；　of　a'
that　hear　ye　cry；　Alexander　Liston　is　the　only　mon　mon　enough　to　answer。〃
_（Gun。）_

〃You　are　mistaken；　Mr。　Alexander　Liston；〃　said　a　clear；　smart　voice；
whose　owner　had　mingled　unobserved　with　the　throng；　〃there　are　always　men
to　answer　such　occasions；　now；　my　lads；　your　boats　have　plenty　of　beam；
and；　well　handled；　should　live　in　any　sea；　who　volunteers　with　Alexander
Liston　and　me？〃

The　speaker　was　Lord　Ipsden。

The　fishwives　of　Newhaven；　more　accustomed　to　measure　men　than　poor
little　Lady　Barbara　Sinclair；　saw　in　this　man　what　in　point　of　fact　he
wasa　cool；　daring　devil；　than　whom　none　more　likely　to　lead　men　into
mortal　danger；　or　pull　them　through　it；　for　that　matter。

They　recognized　their　natural　enemy；　and　collected　together　against　him；
like　hens　at　the　sight　of　a　hawk。

〃And　would　you　really　entice　our　men　till　their　death？〃

〃My　life's　worth　as　much　as　theirs；　I　suppose。

〃Nae！　your　life！　it's　na　worth　a　button；　when　you　dee；　your　next　kin　will
dance；　and　wha'll　greet？　but　our　men　hae　wife　and　bairns　to　look　till。〃
_（Gun　at　sea。）_

〃Ah！　I　didn't　look　at　it　in　that　light；〃　said　Lord　Ipsden。　He　then
demanded　paper　and　ink；　Christie　Johnstone；　who　had　come　out　of　her
house；　supplied　it　from　her　treasures；　and　this　cool　hand　actually　began
to　convey　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　pounds　away；　upon　a　sheet　of　paper
blowing　in　the　wind；　when　he　had　named　his　residuary　legatee；　and
disposed　of　certain　large　bequests；　he　came　to　the　point

〃Christie　Johnstone；　what　can　these　people　live　on？　two　hundred　a　year？
living　is　cheap　hereconfound　the　wind！〃

〃Twahundred？　Fifty！　Vile　count。〃

〃Don't　call　me　vile　count。　I　am　Ipsden；　and　my　name's　Richard。　Now；　then；
be　smart　with　your　names。〃

Three　men　stepped　forward；　gave　their　names；　had　their　widows　provided
for；　and　went　for　their　sou'westers；　etc。

〃Stay；〃　said　Lord　Ipsden；　writing。　〃To　Christina　Johnstone；　out　of
respect　for　her　character；　one　thousand　pounds。〃

〃Richard！　dinna　gang；〃　cried　Christie；　〃oh；　dinna　gang；　dinna　gang；　dinna
gang；　it's　no　your　business。〃

〃Will　you　lend　me　your　papa's　Flushing　jacket　and　sou'wester；　my　dear？　If
I　was　sure　to　be　drowned；　I'd　go！〃

Christie　ran　in　for　them。

In　the　mean　time；　discomposed　by　the　wind；　and　by　feelings　whose
existence　neither　he；　nor　I；　nor　any　one　suspected；　Saunders；　after　a
sore　struggle　between　the　frail　man　and　the　perfect　domestic；　blurted
out：

〃My　lord；　I　beg　your　lordship's　pardon；　but　it　blows　tempestuous。〃

〃That　is　why　the　brig　wants　us；〃　was　the　reply。

〃My　lord；　I　beg　your　lordship's　pardon；〃　whimpered　Saunders。　〃But；　oh！　my
lord；　don't　go；　it's　all　very　well　for　fishermen　to　be　drowned；　it　is
their　business；　but　not　yours；　my　lord。〃

〃Saunders；　help　me　on　with　this　coat。〃

Christie　had　brought　it。

〃Yes；　my　lord；〃　said　Saunders；　briskly；　his　second　nature　reviving。

His　lordship；　while　putting　on　the　coat　and　hat；　undertook　to　cool　Mr。
Saunders's　aristocratic　prejudices。

〃Should　Alexander　Liston　and　I　be　drowned；〃　said　he；　coolly；　〃when　our
bones　come　ashore；　you　will　not　know　which　are　the　fisherman's　and　which
the　viscount's。〃　So　saying；　he　joined　the　enterprise。

〃I　shall　pray　for　ye；　lad；〃　said　Christie　Johnstone；　and　she　retired　for
that　purpose。

Saunders；　with　a　heavy　heart；　to　the　nearest　tavern；　to　prepare　an
account　of　what　he　called　〃Heroism　in　High　Life；〃　large　letters；　and　the
usual　signs　of　great　astonishment！！！！！　for　the　_Polytechnic　Magazine。_

The　commander　of　the　distressed　vessel　had　been　penny…wise。　He　had
declined　a　pilot　off　the　Isle　of　May；　trusting　to　fall　in　with　one　close
to　the　port　of　Leith；　but　a　heavy　gale　and　fog　had　come　on；　he　knew
himself　in　the　vicinity　of　dangerous　rocks；　and；　to　make　matters　worse；
his　ship；　old　and　sore　battered　by　a　long　and　stormy　voyage；　was　leaky；
and　unless　a　pilot　came　alongside；　his　fate　would　be；　either　to　founder；
or　run　upon　the　rocks；　where　he　must　expect　to　go　to　pieces　in　a　quarter
of　an　hour。

The　Newhaven　boat　lay　in　comparatively　smooth　water；　on　the　lee　side　of
the　pier。

Our　adventurers　got　into　her；　stepped　the　mast；　set　a　small　sail；　and　ran
out！　Sandy　Liston　held　the　sheet；　passed　once　round　the　belaying…pin；　and
whenever　a　larger　wave　than　usual　came　at　them；　he　slacked　the　sheet；　and
the　boat；　losing　her　way；　rose　gently；　like　a　cork；　upon　seas　that　had
seemed　about　to　swallow　her。

But　seen　from　the　shore　it　was　enough　to　make　the　most　experienced　wince；
so　completely　was　this　wooden　shell　lost　to　sight；　as　she　descended　from
a　wave；　that　each　time　her　reappearance　seemed　a　return　from　the　dead。

The　weather　was　mistythe　boat　was　soon　lost　sight　of；　the　story　remains
ashore。



CHAPTER　XIV。


IT　was　an　hour　later；　the　natives　of　the　New　Town　had　left　the　pier；　and
were　about　their　own　doors；　when　three　Buckhaven　fishermen　came　slowly　up
from　the　pier；　these　men　had　arrived　in　one　of　their　large　fishing…boats；
which　defy　all　weather。

The　men　came　slowly　up；　their　petticoat　trousers　were　drenched；　and　their
neck…handkerchiefs　and　hair　were　wet　with　spray。