weir of hermiston-第17章

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he　was　recognised　by　others　who　were　and　who　had　become　famous。　　Walter　

Scott　owed　to　Dandie　the　text　of　the　〃Raid　of　Wearie〃　in　the　MINSTRELSY；　

and　made　him　welcome　at　his　house；　and　appreciated　his　talents；　such　as　

they　were；　with　all　his　usual　generosity。　　The　Ettrick　Shepherd　was　his　

sworn　crony；　they　would　meet；　drink　to　excess；　roar　out　their　lyrics　in　

each　other's　faces；　and　quarrel　and　make　it　up　again　till　bedtime。　　And　

besides　these　recognitions；　almost　to　be　called　official；　Dandie　was　

made　welcome　for　the　sake　of　his　gift　through　the　farmhouses　of　several　

contiguous　dales；　and　was　thus　exposed　to　manifold　temptations　which　he　

rather　sought　than　fled。　　He　had　figured　on　the　stool　of　repentance；　for　

once　fulfilling　to　the　letter　the　tradition　of　his　hero　and　model。　　His　

humorous　verses　to　Mr。　Torrance　on　that　occasion　…　〃Kenspeckle　here　my　

lane　I　stand〃　…　unfortunately　too　indelicate　for　further　citation；　ran　

through　the　country　like　a　fiery　cross　…　they　were　recited；　quoted；　

paraphrased；　and　laughed　over　as　far　away　as　Dumfries　on　the　one　hand　

and　Dunbar　on　the　other。



These　four　brothers　were　united　by　a　close　bond；　the　bond　of　that　mutual　

admiration　…　or　rather　mutual　hero…worship　…　which　is　so　strong　among　

the　members　of　secluded　families　who　have　much　ability　and　little　

culture。　　Even　the　extremes　admired　each　other。　　Hob；　who　had　as　much　

poetry　as　the　tongs；　professed　to　find　pleasure　in　Dand's　verses；　Clem；　

who　had　no　more　religion　than　Claverhouse；　nourished　a　heartfelt；　at　

least　an　open…mouthed；　admiration　of　Gib's　prayers；　and　Dandie　followed　

with　relish　the　rise　of　Clem's　fortunes。　　Indulgence　followed　hard　on　

the　heels　of　admiration。　　The　laird；　Clem；　and　Dand；　who　were　Tories　and　

patriots　of　the　hottest　quality；　excused　to　themselves；　with　a　certain　

bashfulness；　the　radical　and　revolutionary　heresies　of　Gib。　　By　another　

division　of　the　family；　the　laird；　Clem；　and　Gib；　who　were　men　exactly　

virtuous；　swallowed　the　dose　of　Dand's　irregularities　as　a　kind　of　clog　

or　drawback　in　the　mysterious　providence　of　God　affixed　to　bards；　and　

distinctly　probative　of　poetical　genius。　　To　appreciate　the　simplicity　

of　their　mutual　admiration　it　was　necessary　to　hear　Clem；　arrived　upon　

one　of　his　visits；　and　dealing　in　a　spirit　of　continuous　irony　with　the　

affairs　and　personalities　of　that　great　city　of　Glasgow　where　he　lived　

and　transacted　business。　　The　various　personages；　ministers　of　the　

church；　municipal　officers；　mercantile　big…wigs；　whom　he　had　occasion　to　

introduce；　were　all　alike　denigrated；　all　served　but　as　reflectors　to　

cast　back　a　flattering　side…light　on　the　house　of　Cauldstaneslap。　　The　

Provost；　for　whom　Clem　by　exception　entertained　a　measure　of　respect；　he　

would　liken　to　Hob。　〃He　minds　me　o'　the　laird　there；〃　he　would　say。　　〃He　

has　some　of　Hob's　grand；　whunstane　sense；　and　the　same　way　with　him　of　

steiking　his　mouth　when　he's　no　very　pleased。〃　　And　Hob；　all　

unconscious；　would　draw　down　his　upper　lip　and　produce；　as　if　for　

comparison；　the　formidable　grimace　referred　to。　　The　unsatisfactory　

incumbent　of　St。　Enoch's　Kirk　was　thus　briefly　dismissed：　〃If　he　had　but　

twa　fingers　o'　Gib's；　he　would　waken　them　up。〃　　And　Gib；　honest　man！　

would　look　down　and　secretly　smile。　　Clem　was　a　spy　whom　they　had　sent　

out　into　the　world　of　men。　　He　had　come　back　with　the　good　news　that　

there　was　nobody　to　compare　with　the　Four　Black　Brothers；　no　position　

that　they　would　not　adorn；　no　official　that　it　would　not　be　well　they　

should　replace；　no　interest　of　mankind；　secular　or　spiritual；　which　

would　not　immediately　bloom　under　their　supervision。　　The　excuse　of　

their　folly　is　in　two　words：　scarce　the　breadth　of　a　hair　divided　them　

from　the　peasantry。　　The　measure　of　their　sense　is　this：　that　these　

symposia　of　rustic　vanity　were　kept　entirely　within　the　family；　like　

some　secret　ancestral　practice。　　To　the　world　their　serious　faces　were　

never　deformed　by　the　suspicion　of　any　simper　of　self…contentment。　　Yet　

it　was　known。　　〃They　hae　a　guid　pride　o'　themsel's！〃　was　the　word　in　the　

country…side。



Lastly；　in　a　Border　story；　there　should　be　added　their　〃two…names。〃　　Hob　

was　The　Laird。　〃Roy　ne　puis；　prince　ne　daigne〃；　he　was　the　laird　of　

Cauldstaneslap　…　say　fifty　acres　…　IPSISSIMUS。　　Clement　was　Mr。　Elliott；　

as　upon　his　door…plate；　the　earlier　Dafty　having　been　discarded　as　no　

longer　applicable；　and　indeed　only　a　reminder　of　misjudgment　and　the　

imbecility　of　the　public；　and　the　youngest；　in　honour　of　his　perpetual　

wanderings；　was　known　by　the　sobriquet　of　Randy　Dand。



It　will　be　understood　that　not　all　this　information　was　communicated　by　

the　aunt；　who　had　too　much　of　the　family　failing　herself　to　appreciate　

it　thoroughly　in　others。　　But　as　time　went　on；　Archie　began　to　observe　

an　omission　in　the　family　chronicle。



〃Is　there　not　a　girl　too？〃　he　asked。



〃Ay：　Kirstie。　　She　was　named　for　me；　or　my　grandmother　at　least　…　it's　

the　same　thing；〃　returned　the　aunt；　and　went　on　again　about　Dand；　whom　

she　secretly　preferred　by　reason　of　his　gallantries。



〃But　what　is　your　niece　like？〃　said　Archie　at　the　next　opportunity。



〃Her？　　As　black's　your　hat！　　But　I　dinna　suppose　she　would　maybe　be　what　

you　would　ca'　ILL…LOOKED　a'thegither。　　Na；　she's　a　kind　of　a　handsome　

jaud　…　a　kind　o'　gipsy；〃　said　the　aunt；　who　had　two　sets　of　scales　for　

men　and　women　…　or　perhaps　it　would　be　more　fair　to　say　that　she　had　

three；　and　the　third　and　the　most　loaded　was　for　girls。



〃How　comes　it　that　I　never　see　her　in　church？〃　said　Archie。



〃　'Deed；　and　I　believe　she's　in　Glesgie　with　Clem　and　his　wife。　　A　heap　

good　she's　like　to　get　of　it！　　I　dinna　say　for　men　folk；　but　where　

weemen　folk　are　born；　there　let　them　bide。　　Glory　to　God；　I　was　never　

far'er　from　here　than　Crossmichael。〃



In　the　meanwhile　it　began　to　strike　Archie　as　strange；　that　while　she　

thus　sang　the　praises　of　her　kinsfolk；　and　manifestly　relished　their　

virtues　and　（I　may　say）　their　vices　like　a　thing　creditable　to　herself；　

there　should　appear　not　the　least　sign　of　cordiality　between　the　house　

of　Hermiston　and　that　of　Cauldstaneslap。　　Going　to　church　of　a　Sunday；　

as　the　lady　housekeeper　stepped　with　her　skirts　kilted；　three　tucks　of　

her　white　petticoat　showing　below；　and　her　best　India　shawl　upon　her　

back　（if　the　day　were　fine）　in　a　pattern　of　radiant　dyes；　she　would　

sometimes　overtake　her　relatives　preceding　her　more　leisurely　in　the　

same　direction。　　Gib　of　course　was　absent：　by　skreigh　of　day　he　had　been　

gone　to　Crossmichael　and　his　fellow…heretics；　but　the　rest　of　the　family　

would　be　seen　marching　in　open　order：　Hob　and　Dand；　stiff…necked；　

straight…backed　six…footers；　with　severe　dark　faces；　and　their　plaids　

about　their　shoulders；　the　convoy　of　children　scattering　（in　a　state　of　

high　polish）　on　the　wayside；　and　every　now　and　again　collected　by　the　

shrill　summons　of　the　mother；　and　the　mother　herself；　by　a　suggestive　

circumstance　which　might　have　afforded　matter　of　thought　to　a　more　

experienced　observer　than　Archie；　wrapped　in　a　shawl　nearly　identical　

with　Kirstie's；　but　a　thought　more　gaudy　and　conspicuously　newer。　　At　

the　sight；　Kirstie　grew　more　tall　…　Kirstie　showed　her　classical　

profile；　nose　in　air　and　nostril　spread；　the　pure　blood　came　in　her　

cheek　evenly　in　a　delicate　living　pink。



〃A　braw　day　to　ye；　Mistress　Elliott；〃　said　she；　and　hostility　and　

gentility　were　nicely　mingled　in　her　tones。　　〃A　fine　day；　mem；〃　the　

laird's　wife　would　reply　with　a　miraculous　curtsey；　spreading　the　while　

her　plumage　…　setting　off；　in　other　words；　and　with　arts　unknown　to　the　

mere　man；　the　pattern　of　her　India　shawl。　　Behind　her；　the　whole　

Cauldstaneslap　contingent　marched　in　closer　order；　and　with　an　

indescribable　air　of　being　in　the　presence　of　the　foe；　and　while　Dandie　

saluted　his　aunt　with　a　certain　familiarity　as　of　one　who　was　well　in　

court；　Hob