christie johnstone-第7章

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menagerie　called　_L'Assemble'　Nationale。_

His　ears　had　rung　often　enough；　for　that　matter。　This　time　his　heart
beat。

He　had　been　in　the　principal　courts　of　Europe；　knew　what　a　handful　of
gentlefolks　call　〃the　World〃；　had　experienced　the　honeyed　words　of
courtiers；　the　misty　nothings　of　diplomatists；　and　the　innocent　prattle
of　mighty　kings。

But　hitherto　he　seemed　to　have　undergone　gibberish　and　jargon：

Gibberish　and　jargonPolitical！

Gibberish　and　jargonSocial！

Gibberish　and　jargonTheological！

Gibberish　and　jargonPositive！

People　had　been　pratingJess　had　spoken。

But；　it　is　to　be　observed；　he　was　under　the　double　effect　of　eloquence
and　novelty；　and；　so　situated；　we　overrate　things；　you　know。

That　night　he　made　a　provision　for　this　poor　woman；　in　case　he　should　die
before　next　week。

〃Who　knows？〃　said　he；　〃she　is　such　an　unlucky　woman。〃　Then　he　went　to
bed；　and　whether　from　the　widow's　blessing；　or　the　air　of　the　place；　he
slept　like　a　plowboy。

Leaving　Richard；　Lord　Ipsden；　to　work　out　the　Aberford　problemto
relieve　poor　people；　one　or　two　of　whom；　like　the　Rutherford；　were
grateful；　the　rest　acted　it　to　the　lifeto　receive　now　and　then　a　visit
from　Christina　Johnstone；　who　borrowed　every　mortal　book　in　his　house；
who　sold　him　fish；　invariably　cheated　him　by　the　indelible　force　of
habit；　and　then　remorsefully　undid　the　bargain；　with　a　peevish　entreaty
that　〃he　would　not　be　so　green；　for　there　was　no　doing　business　with
him〃to　be　fastened　upon　by　Flucker；　who；　with　admirable　smoothness　and
cunning；　wormed　himself　into　a　cabin…boy　on　board　the　yacht；　and
man…at…arms　ashore。

To　cruise　in　search　of　adventures；　and　meet　nothing　but　disappointments；
to　acquire　a　browner　tint；　a　lighter　step；　and　a　jacket；　our　story　moves
for　a　while　toward　humbler　personages。



CHAPTER　IV。


JESS　RUTHERFORD；　widow　of　Alexander　Johnstonefor　Newhaven　wives；　like
great　artists；　change　their　conditions　without　changing　their　nameswas
known　in　the　town　only　as　a　dour　wife；　a　sour　old　carline。　Whose　fault？

Do　wooden　faces　and　iron　tongues　tempt　sorrow　to　put　out　its　snails'
horns？

She　hardly　spoke　to　any　one；　or　any　one　to　her；　but　four　days　after　the
visit　we　have　described　people　began　to　bend　looks　of　sympathy　on　her；　to
step　out　of　their　way　to　give　her　a　kindly　good…morrow；　after　a　bit；　fish
and　meal　used　to　be　placed　on　her　table　by　one　neighbor　or　another；　when
she　was　out；　and　so　on。　She　was　at　first　behindhand　in　responding　to　all
this；　but　by　degrees　she　thawed　to　those　who　were　thawing　to　her。　Next；
Saunders　called　on　her；　and　showed　her　a　settlement；　made　for　her
benefit；　on　certain　lands　in　Lanarkshire。　She　was　at　ease　for　life。

The　Almighty　had　seen　her　all　these　years。

But　how　came　her　neighbors　to　melt？

Because　a　nobleman　had　visited　her。

Not　exactly；　dear　novel…reader。

This　was　it。

That　same　night；　by　a　bright　fire　lighting　up　snowy　walls；　burnished
copper；　gleaming　candlesticks；　and　a　dinner…table　floor；　sat　the　mistress
of　the　house；　Christie　Johnstone；　and　her　brother；　Flucker。

She　with　a　book；　he　with　his　reflections　opposite　her。

〃Lassie；　hae　ye　ony　siller　past　ye？〃

〃Ay；　lad；　an'　I　mean　to　keep　it！〃　The　baddish　boy　had　registered　a　vow　to
the　contrary；　and　proceeded　to　bleed　his　flint　（for　to　do　Christie
justice　the　process　was　not　very　dissimilar）。　Flucker　had　a　versatile
genius　for　making　money；　he　had　made　it　in　forty　different　ways；　by　land
and　sea；　tenpence　at　a　time。

〃I　hae　gotten　the　life　o'　Jess　Rutherford　till　ye；〃　said　he。

〃Giest　then。〃

〃I'm　seeking　half　a　crown　for　't；〃　said　he。

Now；　he　knew　he　should　never　get　half　a　crown；　but　he　also　knew　that　if
he　asked　a　shilling；　he　should　be　beaten　down　to　fourpence。

So　half　a　crown　was　his　first　bode。

The　enemy；　with　anger　at　her　heart；　called　up　a　humorous　smile；　and
saying；　〃An'　ye'll　get　saxpence；〃　went　about　some　household　matter；　in
reality；　to　let　her　proposal　rankle　in　Flucker。

Flucker　lighted　his　pipe　slowly；　as　one　who　would　not　do　a　sister　the
injustice　to　notice　so　trivial　a　proposition。

He　waited　fresh　overtures。

They　did　not　come。

Christie　resumed　her　book。

Then　the　baddish　boy　fixed　his　eye　on　the　fire；　and　said　softly　and
thoughtfully　to　the　fire；　〃Hech；　what　a　heap　o'　troubles　yon　woman　has
come　through。〃

This　stroke　of　art　was　not　lost。　Christie　looked　up　from　her　book；
pretended　he　had　spoken　to　her；　gave　a　fictitious　yawn；　and　renewed　the
negotiation　with　the　air　of　one　disposed　to　kill　time。

She　was　dying　for　the　story。

Commerce　was　twice　broken　off　and　renewed　by　each　power　in　turn。

At　last　the　bargain　was　struck　at　fourteen…pence。

Then　Flucker　came　out；　the　honest　merchant。

He　had　listened　intently；　with　mercantile　views。

He　had　the　widow's　sorrows　all　off　pat。

He　was　not　a　bit　affected　himself；　but　by　pure　memory　he　remembered　where
she　had　been　most　agitated　or　overcome。

He　gave　it　Christie；　word　for　word；　and　even　threw　in　what　dramatists
call　〃the　business；〃　thus：

〃Here　ye　suld　greet〃

〃Here　ye'll　play　your　hand　like　a　geraffe。〃

〃Geraffe？　That's　a　beast；　I'm　thinking。〃

〃Na；　it's　the　thing　on　the　hill　that　makes　signals。〃

〃Telegraph；　ye　fulish　goloshen！〃

〃Oo　ay；　telegraph！　Geraffe　's　sunest　said　for　a'。〃

Thus　Jess　Rutherford's　life　came　into　Christie　Johnstone's　hands。

She　told　it　to　a　knot　of　natives　next　day；　it　lost　nothing；　for　she　was　a
woman　of　feeling；　and　by　intuition　an　artist　of　the　tongue。　She　was　the
best　_raconteur_　in　a　place　where　there　are　a　hundred；　male　and　female；
who　attempt　that　art。

The　next　day　she　told　it　again；　and　then　inferior　narrators　got　hold　of
it；　and　it　soon　circulated　through　the　town。

And　this　was　the　cause　of　the　sudden　sympathy　with　Jess　Rutherford。

As　our　prigs　would　say：

〃Art　had　adopted　her　cause　and　adorned　her　tale。〃


CHAPTER　V。

THE　fishing　village　of　Newhaven　is　an　unique　place；　it　is　a　colony　that
retains　distinct　features；　the　people　seldom　intermarry　with　their　Scotch
neighbors。

Some　say　the　colony　is　Dutch；　some　Danish；　some　Flemish。　The　character
and　cleanliness　of　their　female　costume　points　rather　to　the　latter。

Fish；　like　horse…flesh；　corrupts　the　mind　and　manners。

After　a　certain　age；　the　Newhaven　fishwife　is　always　a　blackguard；　and
ugly；　but　among　the　younger　specimens；　who　have　not　traded　too　much；　or
come　into　much　contact　with　larger　towns；　a　charming　modesty；　or　else
slyness　（such　as　no　man　can　distinguish　from　it；　so　it　answers　every
purpose）；　is　to　be　found；　combined　with　rare　grace　and　beauty。

It　is　a　race　of　women　that　the　northern　sun　peachifies　instead　of
rosewoodizing。

On　Sundays　the　majority　sacrifice　appearance　to　fashion；　these　turn　out
rainbows　of　silk；　satin　and　lace。　In　the　week　they　were　all　grace；　and　no
stays；　now　they　seem　all　stays　and　no　grace。　They　never　look　so　ill　as
when　they　change　their　〃costume〃　for　〃dress。〃

The　men　are　smart　fishermen；　distinguished　from　the　other　fishermen　of
the　Firth　chiefly　by　their　〃dredging　song。〃

This　old　song　is　money　to　them；　thus：

Dredging　is　practically　very　stiff　rowing　for　ten　hours。

Now　both　the　Newhaven　men　and　their　rivals　are　agreed　that　this　song
lifts　them　through　more　work　than　untuned　fishermen　can　manage。

I　have　heard　the　song；　and　seen　the　work　done　to　it；　and　incline　to　think
it　helps　the　oar；　not　only　by　keeping　the　time　true；　and　the　spirit
alive；　but　also　by　its　favorable　action　on　the　lungs。　It　is　sung　in　a
peculiar　way；　the　sound　is；　as　it　were；　expelled　from　the　chest　in　a　sort
of　musical　ejaculations；　and　the　like；　we　know；　was　done　by　the　ancient
gymnasts；　and　is　done　by　the　French　bakers；　in　lifting　their　enormous
dough；　and　by　our　paviors。

The　song；　in　itself；　does　not　contain　above　seventy　stock　verses；　but
these　perennial　lines　are　a　nucleus；　round　which　the　men　improvise　the
topics　of　the　day；　giving；　I　know　not　for　what　reason；　the　preference　to
such　as　verge　upon　indelicacy。

The　men　and　women　are　musical　and　narrative；　three　out　of　four　can　sing　a
song　or　tell　a　story；　and　they　omit　few　opportunities。

Males　and　females　suck　whisky　like　milk；