the black dwarf-第4章

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y　then　expressed　concerning　the　Author　of　WAVERLEY　and　the　subjects　of　his　Novels；　exposed　the　poor　woman　to　enquiries　which　gave　her　pain。　　When　pressed　about　her　brother's　peculiarities；　she　asked；　in　her　turn；　why　they　would　not　permit　the　dead　to　rest？　　To　others；　who　pressed　for　some　account　of　her　parents；　she　answered　in　the　same　tone　of　feeling。

The　author　saw　this　poor；　and；　it　may　be　said；　unhappy　man；　in　autumn　1797　being　then；　as　he　has　the　happiness　still　to　remain；　connected　by　ties　of　intimate　friendship　with　the　family　of　the　venerable　Dr。　Adam　Fergusson；　the　philosopher　and　historian；　who　then　resided　at　the　mansion…house　of　Halyards；　in　the　vale　of　Manor；　about　a　mile　from　Ritchie's　hermitage；　the　author　was　upon　a　visit　at　Halyards；　which　lasted　for　several　days；　and　was　made　acquainted　with　this　singular　anchorite；　whom　Dr。　Fergusson　considered　as　an　extraordinary　character；　and　whom　he　assisted　in　various　ways；　particularly　by　the　occasional　loan　of　books。　Though　the　taste　of　the　philosopher　and　the　poor　peasant　did　not；　it　may　be　supposed；　always　correspond；　＇I　remember　David　was　particularly　anxious　to　see　a　book；　which　he　called；　I　think；　LETTERS　TO　ELECT　LADIES；　and　which；　he　said；　was　the　best　composition　he　had　ever　read；　but　Dr。　Fergusson's　library　did　not　supply　the　volume。＇　　Dr。　Fergusson　considered　him　as　a　man　of　a　powerful　capacity　and　original　ideas；　but　whose　mind　was　thrown　off　its　just　bias　by　a　predominant　degree　of　self…love　and　self…　opinion；　galled　by　the　sense　of　ridicule　and　contempt；　and　avenging　itself　upon　society；　in　idea　at　least；　by　a　gloomy　misanthropy。

David　Ritchie；　besides　the　utter　obscurity　of　his　life　while　in　existence；　had　been　dead　for　many　years；　when　it　occurred　to　the　author　that　such　a　character　might　be　made　a　powerful　agent　in　fictitious　narrative。　　He；　accordingly；　sketched　that　of　Elshie　of　the　Mucklestane…Moor。　　The　story　was　intended　to　be　longer；　and　the　catastrophe　more　artificially　brought　out；　but　a　friendly　critic；　to　whose　opinion　I　subjected　the　work　in　its　progress；　was　of　opinion；　that　the　idea　of　the　Solitary　was　of　a　kind　too　revolting；　and　more　likely　to　disgust　than　to　interest　the　reader。　　As　I　had　good　right　to　consider　my　adviser　as　an　excellent　judge　of　public　opinion；　I　got　off　my　subject　by　hastening　the　story　to　an　end；　as　fast　as　it　was　possible；　and；　by　huddling　into　one　volume；　a　tale　which　was　designed　to　occupy　two；　have　perhaps　produced　a　narrative　as　much　disproportioned　and　distorted；　as　the　Black　Dwarf　who　is　its　subject。


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III。　　THE　BLACK　DWARF。


CHAPTER　I。

PRELIMINARY。

　Hast　any　philosophy　in　thee；　Shepherd？　　AS　YOU　LIKE　IT。

It　was　a　fine　April　morning　（excepting　that　it　had　snowed　hard　the　night　before；　and　the　ground　remained　covered　with　a　dazzling　mantle　of　six　inches　in　depth）　when　two　horsemen　rode　up　to　the　Wallace　Inn。　　The　first　was　a　strong；　tall；　powerful　man；　in　a　grey　riding…coat；　having　a　hat　covered　with　waxcloth；　a　huge　silver…mounted　horsewhip；　boots；　and　dreadnought　overalls。　　He　was　mounted　on　a　large　strong　brown　mare；　rough　in　coat；　but　well　in　condition；　with　a　saddle　of　the　yeomanry　cut；　and　a　double…　bitted　military　bridle。　　The　man　who　accompanied　him　was　apparently　his　servant；　he　rode　a　shaggy　little　grey　pony；　had　a　blue　bonnet　on　his　head；　and　a　large　check　napkin　folded　about　his　neck；　wore　a　pair　of　long　blue　worsted　hose　instead　of　boots；　had　his　gloveless　hands　much　stained　with　tar；　and　observed　an　air　of　deference　and　respect　towards　his　companion；　but　without　any　of　those　indications　of　precedence　and　punctilio　which　are　preserved　between　the　gentry　and　their　domestics。　　On　the　contrary；　the　two　travellers　entered　the　court…yard　abreast；　and　the　concluding　sentence　of　the　conversation　which　had　been　carrying　on　betwixt　them　was　a　joint　ejaculation；　〃Lord　guide　us；　an　this　weather　last；　what　will　come　o'　the　lambs！〃　　The　hint　was　sufficient　for　my　Landlord；　who；　advancing　to　take　the　horse　of　the　principal　person；　and　holding　him　by　the　reins　as　he　dismounted；　while　his　ostler　rendered　the　same　service　to　the　attendant；　welcomed　the　stranger　to　Gandercleugh；　and；　in　the　same　breath；　enquired；　〃What　news　from　the　south　hielands？〃

〃News？〃　　said　the　farmer；　〃bad　eneugh　news；　I　think；an　we　can　carry　through　the　yowes；　it　will　be　a'　we　can　do；　we　maun　e'en　leave　the　lambs　to　the　Black　Dwarfs　care。〃

〃Ay；　ay；〃　subjoined　the　old　shepherd　（for　such　he　was）；　shaking　his　head；　〃he'll　be　unco　busy　amang　the　morts　this　season。〃

〃The　Black　Dwarf！〃　　said　MY　LEARNED　FRIEND　AND　PATRON；　Mr。　Jedediah　Cleishbotham；　〃and　what　sort　of　a　personage　may　he　be？〃

＇We　have；　in　this　and　other　instances；　printed　in　italics　（CAPITALS　in　this　etext）　some　few　words　which　the　worthy　editor；　Mr。　Jedediah　Cleishbotham；　seems　to　have　interpolated　upon　the　text　of　his　deceased　friend；　Mr。　Pattieson。　　We　must　observe；　once　for　all；　that　such　liberties　seem　only　to　have　been　taken　by　the　learned　gentleman　where　his　own　character　and　conduct　are　concerned；　and　surely　he　must　be　the　best　judge　of　the　style　in　which　his　own　character　and　conduct　should　be　treated　of。＇

〃Hout　awa；　man；〃　answered　the　farmer；　〃ye'll　hae　heard　o'　Canny　Elshie　the　Black　Dwarf；　or　I　am　muckle　mistaenA'　the　warld　tells　tales　about　him；　but　it's　but　daft　nonsense　after　a'I　dinna　believe　a　word　o't　frae　beginning　to　end。〃

〃Your　father　believed　it　unco　stievely；　though；〃　said　the　old　man；　to　whom　the　scepticism　of　his　master　gave　obvious　displeasure。

〃Ay；　very　true；　Bauldie；　but　that　was　in　the　time　o'　the　blackfacesthey　believed　a　hantle　queer　things　in　thae　days；　that　naebody　heeds　since　the　lang　sheep　cam　in。〃

〃The　mair's　the　pity；　the　mair's　the　pity；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃Your　father；　and　sae　I　have　aften　tell'd　ye；　maister；　wad　hae　been　sair　vexed　to　hae　seen　the　auld　peel…house　wa's　pu'd　down　to　make　park　dykes；　and　the　bonny　broomy　knowe；　where　he　liked　sae　weel　to　sit　at　e'en；　wi'　his　plaid　about　him；　and　look　at　the　kye　as　they　cam　down　the　loaning；　ill　wad　he　hae　liked　to　hae　seen　that　braw　sunny　knowe　a'　riven　out　wi'　the　pleugh　in　the　fashion　it　is　at　this　day。〃

〃Hout；　Bauldie；〃　replied　the　principal；　〃tak　ye　that　dram　the　landlord's　offering　ye；　and　never　fash　your　head　about　the　changes　o'　the　warld；　sae　lang　as　ye're　blithe　and　bien　yoursell。〃

〃Wussing　your　health；　sirs；〃　said　the　shepherd；　and　having　taken　off　his　glass；　and　observed　the　whisky　was　the　right　thing；　he　continued；　〃It's　no　for　the　like　o'　us　to　be　judging；　to　be　sure；　but　it　was　a　bonny　knowe　that　broomy　knowe；　and　an　unco　braw　shelter　for　the　lambs　in　a　severe　morning　like　this。〃

〃Ay；〃　said　his　patron；　〃but　ye　ken　we　maun　hae　turnips　for　the　lang　sheep；　billie；　and　muckle　hard　wark　to　get　them；　baith　wi'　the　pleugh　and　the　howe；　and　that　wad　sort　ill　wi'　sitting　on　the　broomy　knowe；　and　cracking　about　Black　Dwarfs；　and　siccan　clavers；　as　was　the　gate　lang　syne；　when　the　short　sheep　were　in　the　fashion。〃

〃Aweel；　aweel；　maister；〃　said　the　attendant；　〃short　sheep　had　short　rents；　I'm　thinking。〃

Here　my　WORTHY　AND　LEARNED　patron　again　interposed；　and　observed；　〃that　he　could　never　perceive　any　material　difference；　in　point　of　longitude；　between　one　sheep　and　another。〃

This　occasioned　a　loud　hoarse　laugh　on　the　part　of　the　farmer；　and　an　astonished　stare　on　the　part　of　the　shepherd。

〃It's　the　woo'；　man；it's　the　woo'；　and　no　the　beasts　themsells；　that　makes　them　be　ca'd　lang　or　short。　　I　believe　if　ye　were　to　measure　their　backs；　the　short　sheep　wad　be　rather　the　langer…　bodied　o'　the　twa；　but　it's　the　woo'　that　pays　the　rent　in　thae　days；　and　it　had　muckle　need。〃

〃Odd；　Bauldie　says　very　true；short　sheep　did　make　short　rents　my　father　paid　for　our　steading　just　threescore　punds；　and　it　stands　me　in　three　hundred；　plack　and　bawbee。And　that's　very　trueI　hae　nae　time　to　be　standing　here　claveringLandlord；　get　us　our　breakfast；　and　see　an'　get　the　yauds　fedI　am　for　doun　to　Christy　Wilson's；　to　see　if　him　and　me　can　gree　about　the　luckpenny　I　am　to　gie　him　for　his　year…aulds。　　We　had　drank　sax　mutchkins　to　the　making　the　bargain　at　St。　Boswell's　fair；　and　some　gate　we　canna　gree　upon　the　particulars　preceesely；　for　as　muckle　t