weir of hermiston-第14章

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her　place　was　on　the　hearth…rug　and　she　made　it　a　rostrum；　mimeing　her　

stories　as　she　told　them；　fitting　them　with　vital　detail；　spinning　them　

out　with　endless　〃quo'　he's〃　and　〃quo'　she's；〃　her　voice　sinking　into　a　

whisper　over　the　supernatural　or　the　horrific；　until　she　would　suddenly　

spring　up　in　affected　surprise；　and　pointing　to　the　clock；　〃Mercy；　Mr。　

Archie！〃　she　would　say；　〃whatten　a　time　o'　night　is　this　of　it！　　God　

forgive　me　for　a　daft　wife！〃　　So　it　befell；　by　good　management；　that　she　

was　not　only　the　first　to　begin　these　nocturnal　conversations；　but　

invariably　the　first　to　break　them　off；　so　she　managed　to　retire　and　not　

to　be　dismissed。





3。　A　BORDER　FAMILY





Such　an　unequal　intimacy　has　never　been　uncommon　in　Scotland；　where　the　

clan　spirit　survives；　where　the　servant　tends　to　spend　her　life　in　the　

same　service；　a　helpmeet　at　first；　then　a　tyrant；　and　at　last　a　

pensioner；　where；　besides；　she　is　not　necessarily　destitute　of　the　pride　

of　birth；　but　is；　perhaps；　like　Kirstie；　a　connection　of　her　master's；　

and　at　least　knows　the　legend　of　her　own　family；　and　may　count　kinship　

with　some　illustrious　dead。　　For　that　is　the　mark　of　the　Scot　of　all　

classes：　that　he　stands　in　an　attitude　towards　the　past　unthinkable　to　

Englishmen；　and　remembers　and　cherishes　the　memory　of　his　forebears；　

good　or　bad；　and　there　burns　alive　in　him　a　sense　of　identity　with　the　

dead　even　to　the　twentieth　generation。　　No　more　characteristic　instance　

could　be　found　than　in　the　family　of　Kirstie　Elliott。　　They　were　all；　

and　Kirstie　the　first　of　all；　ready　and　eager　to　pour　forth　the　

particulars　of　their　genealogy；　embellished　with　every　detail　that　

memory　had　handed　down　or　fancy　fabricated；　and；　behold！　from　every　

ramification　of　that　tree　there　dangled　a　halter。　　The　Elliotts　

themselves　have　had　a　chequered　history；　but　these　Elliotts　deduced；　

besides；　from　three　of　the　most　unfortunate　of　the　border　clans　…　the　

Nicksons；　the　Ellwalds；　and　the　Crozers。　　One　ancestor　after　another　

might　be　seen　appearing　a　moment　out　of　the　rain　and　the　hill　mist　upon　

his　furtive　business；　speeding　home；　perhaps；　with　a　paltry　booty　of　

lame　horses　and　lean　kine；　or　squealing　and　dealing　death　in　some　

moorland　feud　of　the　ferrets　and　the　wild　cats。　　One　after　another　

closed　his　obscure　adventures　in　mid…air；　triced　up　to　the　arm　of　the　

royal　gibbet　or　the　Baron's　dule…tree。　　For　the　rusty　blunderbuss　of　

Scots　criminal　justice；　which　usually　hurt　nobody　but　jurymen；　became　a　

weapon　of　precision　for　the　Nicksons；　the　Ellwalds；　and　the　Crozers。　　

The　exhilaration　of　their　exploits　seemed　to　haunt　the　memories　of　their　

descendants　alone；　and　the　shame　to　be　forgotten。　　Pride　glowed　in　their　

bosoms　to　publish　their　relationship　to　〃Andrew　Ellwald　of　the　

Laverockstanes；　called　‘Unchancy　Dand；'　who　was　justifeed　wi'　seeven　

mair　of　the　same　name　at　Jeddart　in　the　days　of　King　James　the　Sax。〃　　In　

all　this　tissue　of　crime　and　misfortune；　the　Elliotts　of　Cauldstaneslap　

had　one　boast　which　must　appear　legitimate：　the　males　were　gallows…

birds；　born　outlaws；　petty　thieves；　and　deadly　brawlers；　but；　according　

to　the　same　tradition；　the　females　were　all　chaste　and　faithful。　　The　

power　of　ancestry　on　the　character　is　not　limited　to　the　inheritance　of　

cells。　　If　I　buy　ancestors　by　the　gross　from　the　benevolence　of　Lyon　

King　of　Arms；　my　grandson　（if　he　is　Scottish）　will　feel　a　quickening　

emulation　of　their　deeds。　　The　men　of　the　Elliotts　were　proud；　lawless；　

violent　as　of　right；　cherishing　and　prolonging　a　tradition。　　In　like　

manner　with　the　women。　　And　the　woman；　essentially　passionate　and　

reckless；　who　crouched　on　the　rug；　in　the　shine　of　the　peat　fire；　

telling　these　tales；　had　cherished　through　life　a　wild　integrity　of　

virtue。



Her　father　Gilbert　had　been　deeply　pious；　a　savage　disciplinarian　in　the　

antique　style；　and　withal　a　notorious　smuggler。　　〃I　mind　when　I　was　a　

bairn　getting　mony　a　skelp　and　being　shoo'd　to　bed　like　pou'try；〃　she　

would　say。　　〃That　would　be　when　the　lads　and　their　bit　kegs　were　on　the　

road。　　We've　had　the　riffraff　of　two…three　counties　in　our　kitchen；　

mony's　the　time；　betwix'　the　twelve　and　the　three；　and　their　lanterns　

would　be　standing　in　the　forecourt；　ay；　a　score　o'　them　at　once。　　But　

there　was　nae　ungodly　talk　permitted　at　Cauldstaneslap。　　My　faither　was　

a　consistent　man　in　walk　and　conversation；　just　let　slip　an　aith；　and　

there　was　the　door　to　ye！　　He　had　that　zeal　for　the　Lord；　it　was　a　fair　

wonder　to　hear　him　pray；　but　the　family　has　aye　had　a　gift　that　way。〃　　

This　father　was　twice　married；　once　to　a　dark　woman　of　the　old　Ellwald　

stock；　by　whom　he　had　Gilbert；　presently　of　Cauldstaneslap；　and；　

secondly；　to　the　mother　of　Kirstie。　　〃He　was　an　auld　man　when　he　married　

her；　a　fell　auld　man　wi'　a　muckle　voice　…　you　could　hear　him　rowting　

from　the　top　o'　the　Kye…skairs；〃　she　said；　〃but　for　her；　it　appears　she　

was　a　perfit　wonder。　　It　was　gentle　blood　she　had；　Mr。　Archie；　for　it　

was　your　ain。　　The　country…side　gaed　gyte　about　her　and　her　gowden　hair。　　

Mines　is　no　to　be　mentioned　wi'　it；　and　there's　few　weemen　has　mair　hair　

than　what　I　have；　or　yet　a　bonnier　colour。　　Often　would　I　tell　my　dear　

Miss　Jeannie　…　that　was　your　mother；　dear；　she　was　cruel　ta'en　up　about　

her　hair；　it　was　unco'　tender；　ye　see　…　'Houts；　Miss　Jeannie；'　I　would　

say；　'just　fling　your　washes　and　your　French　dentifrishes　in　the　back　o'　

the　fire；　for　that's　the　place　for　them；　and　awa'　down　to　a　burn　side；　

and　wash　yersel'　in　cauld　hill　water；　and　dry　your　bonny　hair　in　the　

caller　wind　o'　the　muirs；　the　way　that　my　mother　aye　washed　hers；　and　

that　I　have　aye　made　it　a　practice　to　have　wishen　mines　…　just　you　do　

what　I　tell　ye；　my　dear；　and　ye'll　give　me　news　of　it！　　Ye'll　have　hair；　

and　routh　of　hair；　a　pigtail　as　thick's　my　arm；'　I　said；　‘and　the　

bonniest　colour　like　the　clear　gowden　guineas；　so　as　the　lads　in　kirk'll　

no　can　keep　their　eyes　off　it！'　　Weel；　it　lasted　out　her　time；　puir　

thing！　　I　cuttit　a　lock　of　it　upon　her　corp　that　was　lying　there　sae　

cauld。　　I'll　show　it　ye　some　of　thir　days　if　ye're　good。　　But；　as　I　was　

sayin'；　my　mither　…　〃



On　the　death　of　the　father　there　remained　golden…haired　Kirstie；　who　

took　service　with　her　distant　kinsfolk；　the　Rutherfords；　and　black…a…

vised　Gilbert；　twenty　years　older；　who　farmed　the　Cauldstaneslap；　

married；　and　begot　four　sons　between　1773　and　1784；　and　a　daughter；　like　

a　postscript；　in　'97；　the　year　of　Camperdown　and　Cape　St。　Vincent。　　It　

seemed　it　was　a　tradition　in　the　family　to　wind　up　with　a　belated　girl。　　

In　1804；　at　the　age　of　sixty；　Gilbert　met　an　end　that　might　be　called　

heroic。　　He　was　due　home　from　market　any　time　from　eight　at　night　till　

five　in　the　morning；　and　in　any　condition　from　the　quarrelsome　to　the　

speechless；　for　he　maintained　to　that　age　the　goodly　customs　of　the　

Scots　farmer。　　It　was　known　on　this　occasion　that　he　had　a　good　bit　of　

money　to　bring　home；　the　word　had　gone　round　loosely。　　The　laird　had　

shown　his　guineas；　and　if　anybody　had　but　noticed　it；　there　was　an　ill…

looking；　vagabond　crew；　the　scum　of　Edinburgh；　that　drew　out　of　the　

market　long　ere　it　was　dusk　and　took　the　hill…road　by　Hermiston；　where　

it　was　not　to　be　believed　that　they　had　lawful　business。　　One　of　the　

country…side；　one　Dickieson；　they　took　with　them　to　be　their　guide；　and　

dear　he　paid　for　it！　　Of　a　sudden　in　the　ford　of　the　Broken　Dykes；　this　

vermin　clan　fell　on　the　laird；　six　to　one；　and　him　three　parts　asleep；　

having　drunk　hard。　　But　it　is　ill　to　catch　an　Elliott。

For　a　while；　in　the　night　and　the　black　water　that　was　deep　as　to　his　

saddle…girths；　he　wrought　with　his　staff　like　a　smith　at　his　stithy；　and　

great　was　the　sound　of　oaths　and　blows。　　With　that　the　ambuscade　was　

burst；　and　he　rode　for　home　with　a　pistol…ball　in　him；　three　knife　

wounds；　the　loss　of　his　front　teeth；　a　broken　rib　and　b