weir of hermiston-第24章

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exchanged；　but　the　low；　moved　voices　in　which　they　passed　made　them　

sacred　in　the　memory。　　In　the　falling　greyness　of　the　evening　he　watched　

her　figure　winding　through　the　morass；　saw　it　turn　a　last　time　and　wave　

a　hand；　and　then　pass　through　the　Slap；　and　it　seemed　to　him　as　if　

something　went　along　with　her　out　of　the　deepest　of　his　heart。　　And　

something　surely　had　come；　and　come　to　dwell　there。　　He　had　retained　

from　childhood　a　picture；　now　half　obliterated　by　the　passage　of　time　

and　the　multitude　of　fresh　impressions；　of　his　mother　telling　him；　with　

the　fluttered　earnestness　of　her　voice；　and　often　with　dropping　tears；　

the　tale　of　the　〃Praying　Weaver；〃　on　the　very　scene　of　his　brief　tragedy　

and　long　repose。　　And　now　there　was　a　companion　piece；　and　he　beheld；　

and　he　should　behold　for　ever；　Christina　perched　on　the　same　tomb；　in　

the　grey　colours　of　the　evening；　gracious；　dainty；　perfect　as　a　flower；　

and　she　also　singing…





〃Of　old；　unhappy　far　off　things；

And　battles　long　ago；〃





of　their　common　ancestors　now　dead；　of　their　rude　wars　composed；　their　

weapons　buried　with　them；　and　of　these　strange　changelings；　their　

descendants；　who　lingered　a　little　in　their　places；　and　would　soon　be　

gone　also；　and　perhaps　sung　of　by　others　at　the　gloaming　hour。　　By　one　

of　the　unconscious　arts　of　tenderness　the　two　women　were　enshrined　

together　in　his　memory。　　Tears；　in　that　hour　of　sensibility；　came　into　

his　eyes　indifferently　at　the　thought　of　either；　and　the　girl；　from　

being　something　merely　bright　and　shapely；　was　caught　up　into　the　zone　

of　things　serious　as　life　and　death　and　his　dead　mother。　　So　that　in　all　

ways　and　on　either　side；　Fate　played　his　game　artfully　with　this　poor　

pair　of　children。　　The　generations　were　prepared；　the　pangs　were　made　

ready；　before　the　curtain　rose　on　the　dark　drama。



In　the　same　moment　of　time　that　she　disappeared　from　Archie；　there　

opened　before　Kirstie's　eyes　the　cup…like　hollow　in　which　the　farm　lay。　　

She　saw；　some　five　hundred　feet　below　her；　the　house　making　itself　

bright　with　candles；　and　this　was　a　broad　hint　to　her　to　hurry。　　For　

they　were　only　kindled　on　a　Sabbath　night　with　a　view　to　that　family　

worship　which　rounded　in　the　incomparable　tedium　of　the　day　and　brought　

on　the　relaxation　of　supper。　　Already　she　knew　that　Robert　must　be　

within…sides　at　the　head　of　the　table；　〃waling　the　portions〃；　for　it　was　

Robert　in　his　quality　of　family　priest　and　judge；　not　the　gifted　

Gilbert；　who　officiated。　　She　made　good　time　accordingly　down　the　steep　

ascent；　and　came　up　to　the　door　panting　as　the　three　younger　brothers；　

all　roused　at　last　from　slumber；　stood　together　in　the　cool　and　the　dark　

of　the　evening　with　a　fry　of　nephews　and　nieces　about　them；　chatting　and　

awaiting　the　expected　signal。　　She　stood　back；　she　had　no　mind　to　direct　

attention　to　her　late　arrival　or　to　her　labouring　breath。



〃Kirstie；　ye　have　shaved　it　this　time；　my　lass？〃　said　Clem。　　〃Whaur　were　

ye？〃



〃O；　just　taking　a　dander　by　mysel'；〃　said　Kirstie。



And　the　talk　continued　on　the　subject　of　the　American　War；　without　

further　reference　to　the　truant　who　stood　by　them　in　the　covert　of　the　

dusk；　thrilling　with　happiness　and　the　sense　of　guilt。



The　signal　was　given；　and　the　brothers　began　to　go　in　one　after　another；　

amid　the　jostle　and　throng　of　Hob's　children。



Only　Dandie；　waiting　till　the　last；　caught　Kirstie　by　the　arm。　　〃When　

did　ye　begin　to　dander　in　pink　hosen；　Mistress　Elliott？〃　he　whispered　

slyly。



She　looked　down；　she　was　one　blush。　　〃I　maun　have　forgotten　to　change　

them；〃　said　she；　and　went　into　prayers　in　her　turn　with　a　troubled　mind；　

between　anxiety　as　to　whether　Dand　should　have　observed　her　yellow　

stockings　at　church；　and　should　thus　detect　her　in　a　palpable　falsehood；　

and　shame　that　she　had　already　made　good　his　prophecy。　　She　remembered　

the　words　of　it；　how　it　was　to　be　when　she　had　gotten　a　jo；　and　that　

that　would　be　for　good　and　evil。　　〃Will　I　have　gotten　my　jo　now？〃　she　

thought　with　a　secret　rapture。



And　all　through　prayers；　where　it　was　her　principal　business　to　conceal　

the　pink　stockings　from　the　eyes　of　the　indifferent　Mrs。　Hob　…　and　all　

through　supper；　as　she　made　a　feint　of　eating　and　sat　at　the　table　

radiant　and　constrained　…　and　again　when　she　had　left　them　and　come　into　

her　chamber；　and　was　alone　with　her　sleeping　niece；　and　could　at　last　

lay　aside　the　armour　of　society　…　the　same　words　sounded　within　her；　the　

same　profound　note　of　happiness；　of　a　world　all　changed　and　renewed；　of　

a　day　that　had　been　passed　in　Paradise；　and　of　a　night　that　was　to　be　

heaven　opened。　　All　night　she　seemed　to　be　conveyed　smoothly　upon　a　

shallow　stream　of　sleep　and　waking；　and　through　the　bowers　of　Beulah；　

all　night　she　cherished　to　her　heart　that　exquisite　hope；　and　if；　

towards　morning；　she　forgot　it　a　while　in　a　more　profound　

unconsciousness；　it　was　to　catch　again　the　rainbow　thought　with　her　

first　moment　of　awaking。







CHAPTER　VII　…　ENTER　MEPHISTOPHELES







TWO　days　later　a　gig　from　Crossmichael　deposited　Frank　Innes　at　the　

doors　of　Hermiston。　　Once　in　a　way；　during　the　past　winter；　Archie；　in　

some　acute　phase　of　boredom；　had　written　him　a　letter。　　It　had　contained　

something　in　the　nature　of　an　invitation　or　a　reference　to　an　invitation　

…　precisely　what；　neither　of　them　now　remembered。　　When　Innes　had　

received　it；　there　had　been　nothing　further　from　his　mind　than　to　bury　

himself　in　the　moors　with　Archie；　but　not　even　the　most　acute　political　

heads　are　guided　through　the　steps　of　life　with　unerring　directness。　　

That　would　require　a　gift　of　prophecy　which　has　been　denied　to　man。　　For　

instance；　who　could　have　imagined　that；　not　a　month　after　he　had　

received　the　letter；　and　turned　it　into　mockery；　and　put　off　answering　

it；　and　in　the　end　lost　it；　misfortunes　of　a　gloomy　cast　should　begin　to　

thicken　over　Frank's　career？　　His　case　may　be　briefly　stated。　　His　

father；　a　small　Morayshire　laird　with　a　large　family；　became　

recalcitrant　and　cut　off　the　supplies；　he　had　fitted　himself　out　with　

the　beginnings　of　quite　a　good　law　library；　which；　upon　some　sudden　

losses　on　the　turf；　he　had　been　obliged　to　sell　before　they　were　paid　

for；　and　his　bookseller；　hearing　some　rumour　of　the　event；　took　out　a　

warrant　for　his　arrest。　　Innes　had　early　word　of　it；　and　was　able　to　

take　precautions。　　In　this　immediate　welter　of　his　affairs；　with　an　

unpleasant　charge　hanging　over　him；　he　had　judged　it　the　part　of　

prudence　to　be　off　instantly；　had　written　a　fervid　letter　to　his　father　

at　Inverauld；　and　put　himself　in　the　coach　for　Crossmichael。　　Any　port　

in　a　storm！　　He　was　manfully　turning　his　back　on　the　Parliament　House　

and　its　gay　babble；　on　porter　and　oysters；　the　race…course　and　the　ring；　

and　manfully　prepared；　until　these　clouds　should　have　blown　by；　to　share　

a　living　grave　with　Archie　Weir　at　Hermiston。



To　do　him　justice；　he　was　no　less　surprised　to　be　going　than　Archie　was　

to　see　him　come；　and　he　carried　off　his　wonder　with　an　infinitely　better　

grace。



〃Well；　here　I　am！〃　said　he；　as　he　alighted。　　〃Pylades　has　come　to　

Orestes　at　last。　　By　the　way；　did　you　get　my　answer？　　No？　　How　very　

provoking！　　Well；　here　I　am　to　answer　for　myself；　and　that's　better　

still。〃



〃I　am　very　glad　to　see　you；　of　course；〃　said　Archie。　　〃I　make　you　

heartily　welcome；　of　course。　　But　you　surely　have　not　come　to　stay；　with　

the　Courts　still　sitting；　is　that　not　most　unwise？〃



〃Damn　the　Courts！〃　says　Frank。　　〃What　are　the　Courts　to　friendship　and　a　

little　fishing？〃



And　so　it　was　agreed　that　he　was　to　stay；　with　no　term　to　the　visit　but　

the　term　which　he　had　privily　set　to　it　himself　…　the　day；　namely；　when　

his　father　should　have　come　down　with　the　dust；　and　he　should　be　able　to　

pacify　the　bookseller。　　On　such　vague　conditions　there　began　for　these　

two　young　men　（who　were