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第21章

weir of hermiston-第21章

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triumph prevailed over the recollection of minor lapses and mistakes。  

She had kilted her gown; as she did usually at that rugged pass; but 

when she spied Archie still standing and gazing after her; the skirts 

came down again as if by enchantment。  Here was a piece of nicety for 

that upland parish; where the matrons marched with their coats kilted in 

the rain; and the lasses walked barefoot to kirk through the dust of 

summer; and went bravely down by the burn…side; and sat on stones to 

make a public toilet before entering!  It was perhaps an air wafted from 

Glasgow; or perhaps it marked a stage of that dizziness of gratified 

vanity; in which the instinctive act passed unperceived。  He was looking 

after!  She unloaded her bosom of a prodigious sigh that was all 

pleasure; and betook herself to run。  When she had overtaken the 

stragglers of her family; she caught up the niece whom she had so 

recently repulsed; and kissed and slapped her; and drove her away again; 

and ran after her with pretty cries and laughter。  Perhaps she thought 

the laird might still be looking!  But it chanced the little scene came 

under the view of eyes less favourable; for she overtook Mrs。 Hob 

marching with Clem and Dand。



〃You're shurely fey; lass!〃 quoth Dandie。



〃Think shame to yersel'; miss!〃 said the strident Mrs。 Hob。  〃Is this

the gait to guide yersel' on the way hame frae kirk?  You're shiirely

no sponsible the day!  And anyway I would mind my guid claes。〃



〃Hoot!〃 said Christina; and went on before them head in air; treading 

the rough track with the tread of a wild doe。



She was in love with herself; her destiny; the air of the hills; the 

benediction of the sun。  All the way home; she continued under the 

intoxication of these sky…scraping spirits。  At table she could talk 

freely of young Hermiston; gave her opinion of him off…hand and with a 

loud voice; that he was a handsome young gentleman; real well mannered 

and sensible…like; but it was a pity he looked doleful。  Only … the 

moment after … a memory of his eyes in church embarrassed her。  But for 

this inconsiderable check; all through meal…time she had a good 

appetite; and she kept them laughing at table; until Gib (who had 

returned before them from Crossmichael and his separative worship) 

reproved the whole of them for their levity。



Singing 〃in to herself〃 as she went; her mind still in the turmoil of a 

glad confusion; she rose and tripped upstairs to a little loft; lighted 

by four panes in the gable; where she slept with one of her nieces。  The 

niece; who followed her; presuming on 〃Auntie's〃 high spirits; was 

flounced out of the apartment with small ceremony; and retired; smarting 

and half tearful; to bury her woes in the byre among the hay。  Still 

humming; Christina divested herself of her finery; and put her treasures 

one by one in her great green trunk。  The last of these was the psalm…book;

it was a fine piece; the gift of Mistress Clem; in distinct old…faced type;

on paper that had begun to grow foxy in the warehouse … not by service …

and she was used to wrap it in a handkerchief every Sunday after its

period of service was over; and bury it end…wise at the head of her

trunk。  As she now took it in hand the book fell open where the leaf

was torn; and she stood and gazed upon that evidence of her bygone

discomposure。  There returned again the vision of the two brown eyes

staring at her; intent and bright; out of that dark corner of the kirk。  

The whole appearance and attitude; the smile; the suggested gesture of

young Hermiston came before her in a flash at the sight of the torn

page。  〃I was surely fey!〃 she said; echoing the words of Dandie; and

at the suggested doom her high spirits deserted her。  She flung herself

prone upon the bed; and lay there; holding the psalm…book in her hands

for hours; for the more part in a mere stupor of unconsenting pleasure

and unreasoning fear。  The fear was superstitious; there came up again

and again in her memory Dandie's ill…omened words; and a hundred grisly

and black tales out of the immediate neighbourhood read her a commentary

on their force。  The pleasure was never realised。  You might say the

joints of her body thought and remembered; and were gladdened; but her

essential self; in the immediate theatre of consciousness; talked

feverishly of something else; like a nervous person at a fire。  The

image that she most complacently dwelt on was that of Miss Christina

in her character of the Fair Lass of Cauldstaneslap; carrying all before

her in the straw…coloured frock; the violet mantle; and the yellow cobweb

stockings。  Archie's image; on the other hand; when it presented itself

was never welcomed … far less welcomed with any ardour; and it was exposed

at times to merciless criticism。  In the long vague dialogues she held in

her mind; often with imaginary; often with unrealised interlocutors;

Archie; if he were referred to at all came in for savage handling。  He

was described as 〃looking like a stork;〃 〃staring like a caulf;〃 〃a face

like a ghaist's。〃  〃Do you call that manners?〃 she said; or; 〃I soon put

him in his place。〃 〃 ‘MISS CHRISTINA; IF YOU PLEASE; MR。  WEIR!' says I;

and just flyped up my skirt tails。〃  With gabble like this she would 

entertain herself long whiles together; and then her eye would perhaps 

fall on the torn leaf; and the eyes of Archie would appear again from 

the darkness of the wall; and the voluble words deserted her; and she 

would lie still and stupid; and think upon nothing with devotion; and be 

sometimes raised by a quiet sigh。  Had a doctor of medicine come into 

that loft; he would have diagnosed a healthy; well…developed; eminently 

vivacious lass lying on her face in a fit of the sulks; not one who had 

just contracted; or was just contracting; a mortal sickness of the mind 

which should yet carry her towards death and despair。  Had it been a 

doctor of psychology; he might have been pardoned for divining in the 

girl a passion of childish vanity; self…love IN EXCELSIS; and no more。  

It is to be understood that I have been painting chaos and describing 

the inarticulate。  Every lineament that appears is too precise; almost 

every word used too strong。  Take a finger…post in the mountains on a 

day of rolling mists; I have but copied the names that appear upon the 

pointers; the names of definite and famous cities far distant; and now 

perhaps basking in sunshine; but Christina remained all these hours; as 

it were; at the foot of the post itself; not moving; and enveloped in 

mutable and blinding wreaths of haze。



The day was growing late and the sunbeams long and level; when she sat 

suddenly up; and wrapped in its handkerchief and put by that psalm…book 

which had already played a part so decisive in the first chapter of her 

love…story。  In the absence of the mesmerist's eye; we are told nowadays 

that the head of a bright nail may fill his place; if it be steadfastly 

regarded。  So that torn page had riveted her attention on what might 

else have been but little; and perhaps soon forgotten; while the ominous 

words of Dandie … heard; not heeded; and still remembered … had lent to 

her thoughts; or rather to her mood; a cast of solemnity; and that idea 

of Fate … a pagan Fate; uncontrolled by any Christian deity; obscure; 

lawless; and august … moving indissuadably in the affairs of Christian 

men。  Thus even that phenomenon of love at first sight; which is so rare 

and seems so simple and violent; like a disruption of life's tissue; may 

be decomposed into a sequence of accidents happily concurring。



She put on a grey frock and a pink kerchief; looked at herself a moment 

with approval in the small square of glass that served her for a toilet 

mirror; and went softly downstairs through the sleeping house that 

resounded with the sound of afternoon snoring。  Just outside the door; 

Dandie was sitting with a book in his h

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