preliminary chapter-第3章

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　　‘‘That's　not　my　fault；　Jack；''　replied　the　other；　whose　name　I　discovered
was　Hardie。　‘‘You　are　to　give　me　all　your　business；　you
know；　and　if　you　have　none；　the　learned　gentleman　here　knows
nothing　can　come　of　nothing。''

　　‘‘You　seem　to　have　brought　something　to　nothing　though；　in　the
case　of　that　honest　man。　He　looks　as　if　he　were　just　about　to　honour
with　his　residence　the　=Heart　of　Mid…Lothian。=''

　　‘‘You　are　mistaken…he　is　just　delivered　from　it。…Our　friend
here　looks　for　an　explanation。　Pray；　Mr。　Pattieson；　have　you　been
in　Edinburgh？''

　　I　answered　in　the　affirmative。

　　‘‘Then　you　must　have　passed；　occasionally　at　least；　though　probably
not　so　faithfully　as　I　am　doomed　to　do；　through　a　narrow　intricate
passage；　leading　out　of　the　north…west　corner　of　the　Parliament　Square；
and　passing　by　a　high　and　antique　building　with　turrets　and　iron
grates；

Making　good　the　saying　odd；
‘‘Near　the　church　and　far　from　God''…

　　Mr。　Halkit　broke　in　upon　his　learned　counsel；　to　contribute　his
moiety　to　the　riddle…‘‘Having　at　the　door　the　sign　of　the　Red
man''

　　‘‘And　being　on　the　whole；''　resumed　the　counsellor　interrupting
his　friend　in　his　turn；　‘‘a　sort　of　place　where　misfortune　is　happily
confounded　with　guilt；　where　all　who　are　in　wish　to　get　out''

　　‘‘And　where　none　who　have　the　good　luck　to　be　out；　wish　to　get　in；''
added　his　companion。

　　‘‘I　conceive　you；　gentlemen；''　replied　I；　‘‘you　mean　the　prison。''

　　‘‘The　prison；''　added　the　young　lawyer…‘‘You　have　hit　it…the
very　reverend　Tolbooth　itself；　and　let　me　tell　you；　you　are　obliged　to
us　for　describing　it　with　so　much　modesty　and　brevity；　for　with
whatever　amplifications　we　might　have　chosen　to　decorate　the　subject；
you　lay　entirely　at　our　mercy；　since　the　Fathers　Conscript　of　our　city
have　decreed　that　the　venerable　edifice　itself　shall　not　remain　in
existence　to　confirm　or　to　confute　its。''

　　‘‘Then　the　Tolbooth　of　Edinburgh　is　called　the　Heart　of　Mid…Lothian？''
said　I。

　　‘‘So　termed　and　reputed；　I　assure　you。''

　　‘‘I　think；''　said　I；　with　the　bashful　diffidence　with　which　a　man
lets　slip　a　pun　in　presence　of　his　superiors；　‘‘the　metropolitan　county
may；　in　that　case；　be　said　to　have　a　sad　heart。''

　　‘‘Right　as　my　glove；　Mr。　Pattieson；''　added　Mr。　Hardie；　‘‘and
a　close　heart；　and　a　hard　heart…Keep　it　up；　Jack。''

　　‘‘And　a　wicked　heart；　and　a　poor　heart；''　answered　Halkit；　doing
his　best。

　　‘‘And　yet　it　may　be　called　in　some　sort　a　strong　heart；　and　a　high
heart；''　rejoined　the　advocate。　‘‘You　see　I　can　put　you　both　out　of
heart。''

　　‘‘I　have　played　all　my　hearts；''　said　the　younger　gentleman。

　　‘‘Then　we'll　have　another　lead；''　answered　his　companion。…‘‘And
as　to　the　old　and　condemned　Tolbooth；　what　pity　the　same　honour
cannot　be　done　to　it　as　has　been　done　to　many　of　its　inmates。　Why
should　not　the　Tolbooth　have　its　‘Last　Speech；　Confession；　and　Dying
Words？'　The　old　stones　would　be　just　as　conscious　of　the　honour　as
many　a　poor　devil　who　has　dangled　like　a　tassel　at　the　west　end　of　it；
while　the　hawkers　were　shouting　a　confession　the　culprit　had　never
heard　of。''

　　‘‘I　am　afraid；''　said　I；　‘‘if　I　might　presume　to　give　my　opinion；
it　would　be　a　tale　of　unvaried　sorrow　and　guilt。''

　　‘‘Not　entirely；　my　friend；''　said　Hardie；　‘‘a　prison　is　a　world
within　itself；　and　has　its　own　business；　griefs；　and　joys；　peculiar　to
its　circle。　Its　inmates　are　sometimes　short…lived；　but　so　are　soldiers
on　service；　they　are　poor　relatively　to　the　world　without；　but　there　are
degrees　of　wealth　and　poverty　among　them；　and　so　some　are　relatively
rich　also。　They　cannot　stir　abroad；　but　neither　can　the　garrison　of
a　besieged　fort；　or　the　crew　of　a　ship　at　sea；　and　they　are　not　under
a　dispensation　quite　so　desperate　as　either；　for　they　may　have　as　much
food　as　they　have　money　to　buy；　and　are　not　obliged　to　work；　whether
they　have　food　or　not。''

　　‘‘But　what　variety　of　incident；''　said　I　（not　without　a　secret　view
to　my　present　task）；　‘‘could　possibly　be　derived　from　such　a　work　as
you　are　pleased　to　talk　of？''

　　‘‘Infinite；''　replied　the　young　advocate。　‘‘Whatever　of　guilt；
crime；　imposture；　folly；　unheard…of　misfortunes；　and　unlooked…for
change　of　fortune；　can　be　found　to　chequer　life；　my　Last　Speech　of
the　Tolbooth　should　illustrate　with　examples　sufficient　to　gorge　even
the　public's　all…devouring　appetite　for　the　wonderful　and　horrible。
The　inventor　of　fictitious　narratives　has　to　rack　his　brains　for　means
to　diversify　his　tale；　and　after　all　can　hardly　hit　upon　characters　or
incidents　which　have　not　been　used　again　and　again；　until　they　are
familiar　to　the　eye　of　the　reader；　so　that　the　development；　_enlvement；_
the　desperate　wound　of　which　the　hero　never　dies；　the　burning　fever
from　which　the　heroine　is　sure　to　recover；　become　a　mere　matter　of
course。　I　join　with　my　honest　friend　Crabbe；　and　have　an　unlucky
propensity　to　hope；　when　hope　is　lost；　and　to　rely　upon　the　cork…jacket；
which　carries　the　heroes　of　romance　safe　through　all　the　billows　of
affliction。''　He　then　declaimed　the　following　passage；　rather　with　too
much　than　too　little　emphasis：…

Much　have　I　feared；　but　am　no　more　afraid；
When　some　chaste　beauty　by　some　wretch　betrayed；
Is　drawn　away　with　such　distracted　speed；
That　she　anticipates　a　dreadful　deed。
Not　so　do　I…Let　solid　walls　impound
The　captive　fair；　and　dig　a　moat　around；
Let　there　be　brazen　locks　and　bars　of　steel；
And　keepers　cruel；　such　as　never　feel；
With　not　a　single　note　the　purse　supply；
And　when　she　begs；　let　men　and　maids　deny；
Be　windows　there　from　which　she　dare　not　fall；
And　help　so　distant；　'tis　in　vain　to　call；
Still　means　of　freedom　will　some　Power　devise；
And　from　the　baffled　ruffian　snatch　his　prize。

　　‘‘The　end　of　uncertainty；''　he　concluded；　‘‘is　the　death　of　interest；
and　hence　it　happens　that　no　one　now　reads　novels。''

　　‘‘Hear　him；　ye　gods！''　returned　his　companion。　‘‘I　assure　you；
Mr。　Pattieson；　you　will　hardly　visit　this　learned　gentleman；　but　you
are　likely　to　find　the　new　novel　most　in　repute　lying　on　his　table；…
snugly　intrenched；　however；　beneath　Stair's　Institutes；　or　an　open
volume　of　Morrison's　Decisions。''

　　‘‘Do　I　deny　it？''　said　the　hopeful　jurisconsult；　‘‘or　wherefore
should　I；　since　it　is　well　known　these　Delilahs　seduce　my　wisers　and
my　betters？　May　they　not　be　found　lurking　amidst　the　multiplied
memorials　of　our　most　distinguished　counsel；　and　even　peeping　from
under　the　cushion　of　a　judge's　arm…chair？　Our　seniors　at　the　bar；
within　the　bar；　and　even　on　the　bench；　read　novels；　and；　if　not　belied；
some　of　them　have　written　novels　into　the　bargain。　I　only　say；　that
I　read　from　habit　and　from　indolence；　not　from　real　interest；　that；
like　ancient　Pistol　devouring　his　leek；　I　read　and　swear　till　I　get　to
the　end　of　the　narrative。　But　not　so　in　the　real　records　of　human
vagaries…not　so　in　the　State　Trials；　or　in　the　Books　of　Adjournal；
where　every　now　and　then　you　read　new　pages　of　the　human　heart；
and　turns　of　fortune　far　beyond　what　the　boldest　novelist　ever　attempted
to　produce　from　the　coinage　of　his　brain。''

　　‘‘And　for　such　narratives；''　I　asked；　‘‘you　suppose　the　History　of
the　Prison　of　Edinburgh　might　afford　appropriate　materials？''

　　‘‘In　a　degree　unusually　ample；　my　dear　sir；''　said　Hardie…
‘‘Fill　your　glass；　however；　in　the　meanwhile。　Was　it　not　for　many
years　the　place　in　which　the　Scottish　parliament　met？　Was　it　not
James's　place　of　refuge；　when　the　mob；　inflamed　by　a　seditious
preacher；　broke；　forth；　on　him　with　the　cries　of　‘The　sword　of　the　Lord
and　of　Gideon…bring　forth　the　wicked　Haman？'　Since　that　time
how　many　hearts　have　throbbed　within　these　walls；　as　the　tolling　of
the　neighbouring　bell　announced　to　them　how　fast　the　sands　of　their
life　were　ebbing；　how　many　must　have　sunk　at　the　sound…how　many
were　supported　by　stubborn　pride　and　dogged　resolution…how　many
by　the　consolations　of　religion？　Have　there　not　been　some；　who；
looking　back　on　the　motives　of　their　crimes；　were　scarce　able　to　understand
how　they　should　have　had　such　temptation　as　to　seduce　them
from　virtue；　and　have　there　not；　perhaps；　been　others；　who；　sensib