weir of hermiston-第18章

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

court；　Hob　marched　on　in　awful　immobility。　　There　appeared　upon　the　face　

of　this　attitude　in　the　family　the　consequences　of　some　dreadful　feud。　　

Presumably　the　two　women　had　been　principals　in　the　original　encounter；　

and　the　laird　had　probably　been　drawn　into　the　quarrel　by　the　ears；　too　

late　to　be　included　in　the　present　skin…deep　reconciliation。



〃Kirstie；〃　said　Archie　one　day；　〃what　is　this　you　have　against　your　

family？〃



〃I　dinna　complean；〃　said　Kirstie；　with　a　flush。　〃I　say　naething。〃



〃I　see　you　do　not　…　not　even　good…day　to　your　own　nephew；〃　said　he。



〃I　hae　naething　to　be　ashamed　of；〃　said　she。　　〃I　can　say　the　Lord's　

prayer　with　a　good　grace。　　If　Hob　was　ill；　or　in　preeson　or　poverty；　I　

would　see　to　him　blithely。　　But　for　curtchying　and　complimenting　and　

colloguing；　thank　ye　kindly！〃



Archie　had　a　bit　of　a　smile：　he　leaned　back　in　his　chair。　　〃I　think　you　

and　Mrs。　Robert　are　not　very　good　friends；〃　says　he　slyly；　〃when　you　

have　your　India　shawls　on？〃



She　looked　upon　him　in　silence；　with　a　sparkling　eye　but　an　

indecipherable　expression；　and　that　was　all　that　Archie　was　ever　

destined　to　learn　of　the　battle　of　the　India　shawls。



〃Do　none　of　them　ever　come　here　to　see　you？〃　he　inquired。



〃Mr。　Archie；〃　said　she；　〃I　hope　that　I　ken　my　place　better。　　It　would　be　

a　queer　thing；　I　think；　if　I　was　to　clamjamfry　up　your　faither's　house　…　

that　I　should　say　it！　…　wi'　a　dirty；　black…a…vised　clan；　no　ane　o'　them　

it　was　worth　while　to　mar　soap　upon　but　just　mysel'！　　Na；　they're　all　

damnifeed　wi'　the　black　Ellwalds。　　I　have　nae　patience　wi'　black　folk。〃　　

Then；　with　a　sudden　consciousness　of　the　case　of　Archie；　〃No　that　it　

maitters　for　men　sae　muckle；〃　she　made　haste　to　add；　〃but　there's　

naebody　can　deny　that　it's　unwomanly。　　Long　hair　is　the　ornament　o'　

woman　ony　way；　we've　good　warrandise　for　that　…　it's　in　the　Bible　…　and　

wha　can　doubt　that　the　Apostle　had　some　gowden…haired　lassie　in　his　mind　

…　Apostle　and　all；　for　what　was　he　but　just　a　man　like　yersel'？〃







CHAPTER　VI　…　A　LEAF　FROM　CHRISTINA'S　PSALM…BOOK







ARCHIE　was　sedulous　at　church。　　Sunday　after　Sunday　he　sat　down　and　

stood　up　with　that　small　company；　heard　the　voice　of　Mr。　Torrance　

leaping　like　an　ill…played　clarionet　from　key　to　key；　and　had　an　

opportunity　to　study　his　moth…eaten　gown　and　the　black　thread　mittens　

that　he　joined　together　in　prayer；　and　lifted　up　with　a　reverent　

solemnity　in　the　act　of　benediction。　　Hermiston　pew　was　a　little　square　

box；　dwarfish　in　proportion　with　the　kirk　itself；　and　enclosing　a　table　

not　much　bigger　than　a　footstool。　　There　sat　Archie；　an　apparent　prince；　

the　only　undeniable　gentleman　and　the　only　great　heritor　in　the　parish；　

taking　his　ease　in　the　only　pew；　for　no　other　in　the　kirk　had　doors。　　

Thence　he　might　command　an　undisturbed　view　of　that　congregation　of　

solid　plaided　men；　strapping　wives　and　daughters；　oppressed　children；　

and　uneasy　sheep…dogs。　　It　was　strange　how　Archie　missed　the　look　of　

race；　except　the　dogs；　with　their　refined　foxy　faces　and　inimitably　

curling　tails；　there　was　no　one　present　with　the　least　claim　to　

gentility。　　The　Cauldstaneslap　party　was　scarcely　an　exception；　Dandie　

perhaps；　as　he　amused　himself　making　verses　through　the　interminable　

burden　of　the　service；　stood　out　a　little　by　the　glow　in　his　eye　and　a　

certain　superior　animation　of　face　and　alertness　of　body；　but　even　

Dandie　slouched　like　a　rustic。　　The　rest　of　the　congregation；　like　so　

many　sheep；　oppressed　him　with　a　sense　of　hob…nailed　routine；　day　

following　day　…　of　physical　labour　in　the　open　air；　oatmeal　porridge；　

peas　bannock　the　somnolent　fireside　in　the　evening；　and　the　night…long　

nasal　slumbers　in　a　box…bed。　　Yet　he　knew　many　of　them　to　be　shrewd　and　

humorous；　men　of　character；　notable　women；　making　a　bustle　in　the　world　

and　radiating　an　influence　from　their　low…browed　doors。　　He　knew　besides　

they　were　like　other　men；　below　the　crust　of　custom；　rapture　found　a　

way；　he　had　heard　them　beat　the　timbrel　before　Bacchus　…　had　heard　them　

shout　and　carouse　over　their　whisky…toddy；　and　not　the　most　Dutch…

bottomed　and　severe　faces　among　them　all；　not　even　the　solemn　elders　

themselves；　but　were　capable　of　singular　gambols　at　the　voice　of　love。　　

Men　drawing　near　to　an　end　of　life's　adventurous　journey　…　maids　

thrilling　with　fear　and　curiosity　on　the　threshold　of　entrance　…　women　

who　had　borne　and　perhaps　buried　children；　who　could　remember　the　

clinging　of　the　small　dead　hands　and　the　patter　of　the　little　feet　now　

silent　…　he　marvelled　that　among　all　those　faces　there　should　be　no　face　

of　expectation；　none　that　was　mobile；　none　into　which　the　rhythm　and　

poetry　of　life　had　entered。　　〃O　for　a　live　face；〃　he　thought；　and　at　

times　he　had　a　memory　of　Lady　Flora；　and　at　times　he　would　study　the　

living　gallery　before　him　with　despair；　and　would　see　himself　go　on　to　

waste　his　days　in　that　joyless　pastoral　place；　and　death　come　to　him；　

and　his　grave　be　dug　under　the　rowans；　and　the　Spirit　of　the　Earth　laugh　

out　in　a　thunder…peal　at　the　huge　fiasco。



On　this　particular　Sunday；　there　was　no　doubt　but　that　the　spring　had　

come　at　last。　　It　was　warm；　with　a　latent　shiver　in　the　air　that　made　

the　warmth　only　the　more　welcome。　　The　shallows　of　the　stream　glittered　

and　tinkled　among　bunches　of　primrose。　　Vagrant　scents　of　the　earth　

arrested　Archie　by　the　way　with　moments　of　ethereal　intoxication。　　The　

grey　Quakerish　dale　was　still　only　awakened　in　places　and　patches　from　

the　sobriety　of　its　winter　colouring；　and　he　wondered　at　its　beauty；　an　

essential　beauty　of　the　old　earth　it　seemed　to　him；　not　resident　in　

particulars　but　breathing　to　him　from　the　whole。　　He　surprised　himself　

by　a　sudden　impulse　to　write　poetry　…　he　did　so　sometimes；　loose；　

galloping　octo…syllabics　in　the　vein　of　Scott　…　and　when　he　had　taken　

his　place　on　a　boulder；　near　some　fairy　falls　and　shaded　by　a　whip　of　a　

tree　that　was　already　radiant　with　new　leaves；　it　still　more　surprised　

him　that　he　should　have　nothing　to　write。　　His　heart　perhaps　beat　in　

time　to　some　vast　indwelling　rhythm　of　the　universe。　　By　the　time　he　

came　to　a　corner　of　the　valley　and　could　see　the　kirk；　he　had　so　

lingered　by　the　way　that　the　first　psalm　was　finishing。　　The　nasal

psalmody；　full　of　turns　and　trills　and　graceless　graces；　seemed　the

essential　voice　of　the　kirk　itself　upraised　in　thanksgiving；　

〃Everything's　alive；〃　he　said；　and　again　cries　it　aloud；　〃thank　God；　

everything's　alive！〃　　He　lingered　yet　a　while　in　the　kirk…yard。　　A　tuft　

of　primroses　was　blooming　hard　by　the　leg　of　an　old　black　table　

tombstone；　and　he　stopped　to　contemplate　the　random　apologue。　　They　

stood　forth　on　the　cold　earth　with　a　trenchancy　of　contrast；　and　he　was　

struck　with　a　sense　of　incompleteness　in　the　day；　the　season；　and　the　

beauty　that　surrounded　him　…　the　chill　there　was　in　the　warmth；　the　

gross　black　clods　about　the　opening　primroses；　the　damp　earthy　smell　

that　was　everywhere　intermingled　with　the　scents。　　The　voice　of　the　aged　

Torrance　within　rose　in　an　ecstasy。　　And　he　wondered　if　Torrance　also　

felt　in　his　old　bones　the　joyous　influence　of　the　spring　morning；　

Torrance；　or　the　shadow　of　what　once　was　Torrance；　that　must　come　so　

soon　to　lie　outside　here　in　the　sun　and　rain　with　all　his　rheumatisms；　

while　a　new　minister　stood　in　his　room　and　thundered　from　his　own　

familiar　pulpit？　　The　pity　of　it；　and　something　of　the　chill　of　the　

grave；　shook　him　for　a　moment　as　he　made　haste　to　enter。



He　went　up　the　aisle　reverently；　and　took　his　place　in　the　pew　with　

lowered　eyes；　for　he　feared　he　had　already　offended　the　kind　old　

gentleman　in　the　pulpit；　and　was　sedulous　to　offend　no　further。　　He　

could　not　follow　the　prayer；　not　even　the　heads　of　it。　　Brightnesses

of　azure；　clouds　of　fragrance；　a　tinkle　of　falling