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weir of hermiston-第12章

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head nor tail of it; and seeing lights in the house; he had just dropped 

in for a glass of porter … and at this point he became aware of the 

third person。  Archie saw the cod's mouth and the blunt lips of 

Glenkindie gape at him for a moment; and the recognition twinkle in his 

eyes。



〃Who's this?〃 said he。  〃What? is this possibly you; Don Quickshot?  And 

how are ye?  And how's your father?  And what's all this we hear of you?  

It seems you're a most extraordinary leveller; by all tales。  No king; 

no parliaments; and your gorge rises at the macers; worthy men!  Hoot; 

toot!  Dear; dear me!  Your father's son too!  Most rideeculous!〃



Archie was on his feet; flushing a little at the reappearance of his 

unhappy figure of speech; but perfectly self…possessed。  〃My lord … and 

you; Lord Glenalmond; my dear friend;〃 he began; 〃this is a happy chance 

for me; that I can make my confession and offer my apologies to two of 

you at once。〃



〃Ah; but I don't know about that。  Confession?  It'll be judeecial; my 

young friend;〃 cried the jocular Glenkindie。  〃And I'm afraid to listen 

to ye。  Think if ye were to make me a coanvert!〃



〃If you would allow me; my lord;〃 returned Archie; 〃what I have to say 

is very serious to me; and be pleased to be humorous after I am gone!〃



〃Remember; I'll hear nothing against the macers!〃 put in the 

incorrigible Glenkindie。



But Archie continued as though he had not spoken。  〃I have played; both 

yesterday and to…day; a part for which I can only offer the excuse of 

youth。  I was so unwise as to go to an execution; it seems I made a 

scene at the gallows; not content with which; I spoke the same night in 

a college society against capital punishment。  This is the extent of 

what I have done; and in case you hear more alleged against me; I 

protest my innocence。  I have expressed my regret already to my father; 

who is so good as to pass my conduct over … in a degree; and upon the 

condition that I am to leave my law studies。〃 。 。 。







CHAPTER V … WINTER ON THE MOORS







I。 AT HERMISTON





THE road to Hermiston runs for a great part of the way up the valley of 

a stream; a favourite with anglers and with midges; full of falls and 

pools; and shaded by willows and natural woods of birch。  Here and 

there; but at great distances; a byway branches off; and a gaunt 

farmhouse may be descried above in a fold of the hill; but the more part 

of the time; the road would be quite empty of passage and the hills of 

habitation。  Hermiston parish is one of the least populous in Scotland; 

and; by the time you came that length; you would scarce be surprised at 

the inimitable smallness of the kirk; a dwarfish; ancient place seated 

for fifty; and standing in a green by the burn…side among two…score 

gravestones。  The manse close by; although no more than a cottage; is 

surrounded by the brightness of a flower…garden and the straw roofs of 

bees; and the whole colony; kirk and manse; garden and graveyard; finds 

harbourage in a grove of rowans; and is all the year round in a great 

silence broken only by the drone of the bees; the tinkle of the burn; 

and the bell on Sundays。  A mile beyond the kirk the road leaves the 

valley by a precipitous ascent; and brings you a little after to the 

place of Hermiston; where it comes to an end in the back…yard before the 

coach…house。  All beyond and about is the great field; of the hills; the 

plover; the curlew; and the lark cry there; the wind blows as it blows 

in a ship's rigging; hard and cold and pure; and the hill…tops huddle 

one behind another like a herd of cattle into the sunset。



The house was sixty years old; unsightly; comfortable; a farmyard and a 

kitchen…garden on the left; with a fruit wall where little hard green 

pears came to their maturity about the end of October。



The policy (as who should say the park) was of some extent; but very ill 

reclaimed; heather and moorfowl had crossed the boundary wall and spread 

and roosted within; and it would have tasked a landscape gardener to say 

where policy ended and unpolicied nature began。  My lord had been led by 

the influence of Mr。 Sheriff Scott into a considerable design of 

planting; many acres were accordingly set out with fir; and the little 

feathery besoms gave a false scale and lent a strange air of a toy…shop 

to the moors。  A great; rooty sweetness of bogs was in the air; and at 

all seasons an infinite melancholy piping of hill birds。  Standing so 

high and with so little shelter; it was a cold; exposed house; splashed 

by showers; drenched by continuous rains that made the gutters to spout; 

beaten upon and buffeted by all the winds of heaven; and the prospect 

would be often black with tempest; and often white with the snows of 

winter。  But the house was wind and weather proof; the hearths were kept 

bright; and the rooms pleasant with live fires of peat; and Archie might 

sit of an evening and hear the squalls bugle on the moorland; and watch 

the fire prosper in the earthy fuel; and the smoke winding up the 

chimney; and drink deep of the pleasures of shelter。



Solitary as the place was; Archie did not want neighbours。  Every night; 

if he chose; he might go down to the manse and share a 〃brewst〃 of toddy 

with the minister … a hare…brained ancient gentleman; long and light and 

still active; though his knees were loosened with age; and his voice 

broke continually in childish trebles … and his lady wife; a heavy; 

comely dame; without a word to say for herself beyond good…even and 

good…day。  Harum…scarum; clodpole young lairds of the neighbourhood paid 

him the compliment of a visit。  Young Hay of Romanes rode down to call; 

on his crop…eared pony; young Pringle of Drumanno came up on his bony 

grey。  Hay remained on the hospitable field; and must be carried to bed; 

Pringle got somehow to his saddle about 3 A。M。; and (as Archie stood 

with the lamp on the upper doorstep) lurched; uttered a senseless view…

holloa; and vanished out of the small circle of illumination like a 

wraith。  Yet a minute or two longer the clatter of his break…neck flight 

was audible; then it was cut off by the intervening steepness of the 

hill; and again; a great while after; the renewed beating of phantom 

horse…hoofs; far in the valley of the Hermiston; showed that the horse 

at least; if not his rider; was still on the homeward way。



There was a Tuesday club at the 〃Cross…keys〃 in Crossmichael; where the 

young bloods of the country…side congregated and drank deep on a 

percentage of the expense; so that he was left gainer who should have 

drunk the most。  Archie had no great mind to this diversion; but he took 

it like a duty laid upon him; went with a decent regularity; did his 

manfullest with the liquor; held up his head in the local jests; and got 

home again and was able to put up his horse; to the admiration of 

Kirstie and the lass that helped her。  He dined at Driffel; supped at 

Windielaws。  He went to the new year's ball at Huntsfield and was made 

welcome; and thereafter rode to hounds with my Lord Muirfell; upon whose 

name; as that of a legitimate Lord of Parliament; in a work so full of 

Lords of Session; my pen should pause reverently。  Yet the same fate 

attended him here as in Edinburgh。  The habit of solitude tends to 

perpetuate itself; and an austerity of which he was quite unconscious; 

and a pride which seemed arrogance; and perhaps was chiefly shyness; 

discouraged and offended his new companions。  Hay did not return more 

than twice; Pringle never at all; and there came a time when Archie even 

desisted from the Tuesday Club; and became in all things … what he had 

had the name of almost from the first … the Recluse of Hermiston。

High…nosed Miss Pringle of Drumanno and high…stepping Miss Marshall of 

the Mains were understood to have had a difference of opinion about him 

the day after the ball … he

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