the black dwarf-第7章

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oters　and　hunters　lang　syne　Odd；　I　think　they　hae　killed　a'　the　deer　in　the　country；　for　my　part。〃

〃Well；　Hobbie；　I　have　shot　a　fat　buck；　and　sent　him　to　Earnscliff　this　morningyou　shall　have　half　of　him　for　your　grandmother。〃

〃Mony　thanks　to　ye；　Mr。　Patrick；　ye're　kend　to　a'　the　country　for　a　kind　heart。　　It　will　do　the　auld　wife's　heart　gudemair　by　token；　when　she　kens　it　comes　frae　youand　maist　of　a'　gin　ye'll　come　up　and　take　your　share；　for　I　reckon　ye　are　lonesome　now　in　the　auld　tower；　and　a'　your　folk　at　that　weary　Edinburgh。　　I　wonder　what　they　can　find　to　do　amang　a　wheen　ranks　o'　stane…　houses　wi'　slate　on　the　tap　o'　them；　that　might　live　on　their　ain　bonny　green　hills。〃

〃My　education　and　my　sisters'　has　kept　my　mother　much　in　Edinburgh　for　several　years；〃　said　Earnscliff；　〃but　I　promise　you　I　propose　to　make　up　for　lost　time。〃

〃And　ye'll　rig　out　the　auld　tower　a　bit；〃　said　Hobbie；　〃and　live　hearty　and　neighbour…like　wi'　the　auld　family　friends；　as　the　Laird　o'　Earnscliff　should？　　I　can　tell　ye；　my　mothermy　grandmother　I　meanbut；　since　we　lost　our　ain　mother；　we　ca'　her　sometimes　the　tane；　and　sometimes　the　totherbut；　ony　gate；　she　conceits　hersell　no　that　distant　connected　wi'　you。〃

〃Very　true；　Hobbie；　and　I　will　come　to　the　Heugh…foot　to　dinner　to…morrow　with　all　my　heart。〃

〃Weel；　that's　kindly　said！　　We　are　auld　neighbours；　an　we　were　nae　kinand　my　gude…dame's　fain　to　see　youshe　clavers　about　your　father　that　was　killed　lang　syne。〃

〃Hush；　hush；　Hobbienot　a　word　about　thatit's　a　story　better　forgotten。〃

〃I　dinna　kenif　it　had　chanced　amang　our　folk；　we　wad　hae　keepit　it　in　mind　mony　a　day　till　we　got　some　mends　for'tbut　ye　ken　your　ain　ways　best；　you　lairdsI　have　heard　say　that　Ellieslaw's　friend　stickit　your　sire　after　the　laird　himsell　had　mastered　his　sword。〃

〃Fie；　fie；　Hobbie；　it　was　a　foolish　brawl；　occasioned　by　wine　and　politicsmany　swords　were　drawnit　is　impossible　to　say　who　struck　the　blow。〃

〃At　ony　rate；　auld　Ellieslaw　was　aiding　and　abetting；　and　I　am　sure　if　ye　were　sae　disposed　as　to　take　amends　on　him；　naebody　could　say　it　was　wrang；　for　your　father's　blood　is　beneath　his　nailsand　besides　there's　naebody　else　left　that　was　concerned　to　take　amends　upon；　and　he's　a　prelatist　and　a　jacobite　into　the　bargainI　can　tell　ye　the　country　folk　look　for　something　atween　ye。〃

〃O　for　shame；　Hobbie！〃　　replied　the　young　Laird；　〃you；　that　profess　religion；　to　stir　your　friend　up　to　break　the　law；　and　take　vengeance　at　his　own　hand；　and　in　such　a　bogilly　bit　too；　where　we　know　not　what　beings　may　be　listening　to　us！〃

〃Hush；　hush！〃　　said　Hobbie；　drawing　nearer　to　his　companion；　〃I　was　nae　thinking　o'　the　like　o'　themBut　I　can　guess　a　wee　bit　what　keeps　your　hand　up；　Mr。　Patrick；　we　a'　ken　it's　no　lack　o'　courage；　but　the　twa　grey　een　of　a　bonny　lass；　Miss　Isabel　Vere；　that　keeps　you　sae　sober。〃

〃I　assure　you；　Hobbie；〃　said　his　companion；　rather　angrily；　〃I　assure　you　you　are　mistaken；　and　it　is　extremely　wrong　of　you；　either　to　think　of；　or　to　utter；　such　an　idea；　I　have　no　idea　of　permitting　freedoms　to　be　carried　so　far　as　to　connect　my　name　with　that　of　any　young　lady。〃

〃Why；　there　nowthere　now！〃　　retorted　Elliot；　〃did　I　not　say　it　was　nae　want　o'　spunk　that　made　ye　sae　mim？Weel；　weel；　I　meant　nae　offence；　but　there's　just　ae　thing　ye　may　notice　frae　a　friend。　　The　auld　Laird　of　Ellieslaw　has　the　auld　riding　blood　far　hetter　at　his　heart　than　ye　haetroth；　he　kens　naething　about　thae　newfangled　notions　o'　peace　and　quietnesshe's　a'　for　the　auld…warld　doings　o'　lifting　and　laying　on；　and　he　has　a　wheen　stout　lads　at　his　back　too；　and　keeps　them　weel　up　in　heart；　and　as　fu'　o'　mischief　as　young　colts。　　Where　he　gets　the　gear　to　do't　nane　can　say；　he　lives　high；　and　far　abune　his　rents　here；　however；　he　pays　his　waySae；　if　there's　ony　out…break　in　the　country；　he's　likely　to　break　out　wi'　the　firstand　weel　does　he　mind　the　auld　quarrels　between　ye；　I'm　surmizing　he'll　be　for　a　touch　at　the　auld　tower　at　Earnscliff。〃

〃Well；　Hobbie；〃　answered　the　young　gentleman；　〃if　he　should　be　so　ill　advised；　I　shall　try　to　make　the　old　tower　good　against　him；　as　it　has　been　made　good　by　my　betters　against　his　betters　many　a　day　ago。〃

〃Very　rightvery　rightthat's　speaking　like　a　man　now；〃　said　the　stout　yeoman；　〃and；　if　sae　should　be　that　this　be　sae；　if　ye'll　just　gar　your　servant　jow　out　the　great　bell　in　the　tower；　there's　me；　and　my　twa　brothers；　and　little　Davie　of　the　Stenhouse；　will　be　wi'　you；　wi'　a'　the　power　we　can　make；　in　the　snapping　of　a　flint。〃

〃Many　thanks；　Hobbie；〃　answered　Earnscliff；　〃but　I　hope　we　shall　have　no　war　of　so　unnatural　and　unchristian　a　kind　in　our　time。〃

〃Hout；　sir；　hout；〃　replied　Elliot；　〃it　wad　be　but　a　wee　bit　neighbour　war；　and　Heaven　and　earth　would　make　allowances　for　it　in　this　uncuItivated　placeit's　just　the　nature　o'　the　folk　and　the　landwe　canna　live　quiet　like　Loudon　folkwe　haena　sae　muckle　to　do。　　It's　impossible。〃

〃Well；　Hobbie；〃　said　the　Laird；　〃for　one　who　believes　so　deeply　as　you　do　in　supernatural　appearances；　I　must　own　you　take　Heaven　in　your　own　hand　rather　audaciously；　considering　where　we　are　walking。〃

〃What　needs　I　care　for　the　Mucklestane…Moor　ony　mair　than　ye　do　yoursell；　Earnscliff？〃　　said　Hobbie；　something　offended；　〃to　be　sure；　they　do　say　there's　a　sort　o'　worricows　and　lang…nebbit　things　about　the　land；　but　what　need　I　care　for　them？　　I　hae　a　good　conscience；　and　little　to　answer　for；　unless　it　be　about　a　rant　amang　the　lasses；　or　a　splore　at　a　fair；　and　that's　no　muckle　to　speak　of。　　Though　I　say　it　mysell；　I　am　as　quiet　a　lad　and　as　peaceable〃

〃And　Dick　Turnbull's　head　that　you　broke；　and　Willie　of　Winton　whom　you　shot　at？〃　　said　his　travelling　companion。

〃Hout；　Earnscliff；　ye　keep　a　record　of　a'　men's　misdoings　Dick's　head's　healed　again；　and　we're　to　fight　out　the　quarrel　at　Jeddart；　on　the　Rood…day；　so　that's　like　a　thing　settled　in　a　peaceable　way；　and　then　I　am　friends　wi'　Willie　again；　puir　chieldit　was　but　twa　or　three　hail　draps　after　a'。　　I　wad　let　onybody　do　the　like　o't　to　me　for　a　pint　o'　brandy。　　But　Willie's　lowland　bred；　poor　fallow；　and　soon　frighted　for　himsellAnd；　for　the　worricows；　were　we　to　meet　ane　on　this　very　bit〃

〃As　is　not　unlikely；〃　said　young　Earnscliff；　〃for　there　stands　your　old　witch；　Hobbie。〃

〃I　say；〃　continued　Elliot；　as　if　indignant　at　this　hint〃I　say；　if　the　auld　carline　hersell　was　to　get　up　out　o'　the　grund　just　before　us　here；　I　would　think　nae　mairBut；　gude　preserve　us；　Earnscliff；　what　can　yon；　be！〃



CHAPTER　III。

　Brown　Dwarf；　that　o'er　the　moorland　strays；　　Thy　name　to　Keeldar　tell！　　〃The　Brown　Man　of　the　Moor；　that　stays　　Beneath　the　heather…bell。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　LEYDEN

The　object　which　alarmed　the　young　farmer　in　the　middle　of　his　valorous　protestations；　startled　for　a　moment　even　his　less　prejudiced　companion。　　The　moon；　which　had　arisen　during　their　conversation；　was；　in　the　phrase　of　that　country；　wading　or　struggling　with　clouds；　and　shed　only　a　doubtful　and　occasional　light。　　By　one　of　her　beams；　which　streamed　upon　the　great　granite　column　to　which　they　now　approached；　they　discovered　a　form；　apparently　human；　but　of　a　size　much　less　than　ordinary；　which　moved　slowly　among　the　large　grey　stones；　not　like　a　person　intending　to　journey　onward；　but　with　the　slow；　irregular；　flitting　movement　of　a　being　who　hovers　around　some　spot　of　melancholy　recollection；　uttering　also；　from　time　to　time；　a　sort　of　indistinct　muttering　sound。　　This　so　much　resembled　his　idea　of　the　motions　of　an　apparition；　that　Hobbie　Elliot；　making　a　dead　pause；　while　his　hair　erected　itself　upon　his　scalp；　whispered　to　his　companion；　〃It's　Auld　Ailie　hersell！　　Shall　I　gie　her　a　shot；　in　the　name　of　God？〃

〃For　Heaven's　sake；　no；〃　said　his　companion；　holding　down　the　weapon　which　he　was　about　to　raise　to　the　aim〃for　Heaven's　sake；　no；　it's　some　poor　distracted　creature。〃

〃Ye're　distracted　yoursell；　for　thinking　of　going　so　near　to　her；〃　said　Elliot；　holding　his　companion　in　his　turn；　as　he　prepared　to　advance。　　〃We'll　aye　hae　time　to　pit　ower　a　bit　prayer　（an　I　could　but　mind　ane）　afore　she　comes　this　length　God！　　she's　in　nae　hurry；〃　continued　he；　growing　bolder　from　his