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第26章

weir of hermiston-第26章

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Hob thought him too light; Gib too profane。  Clem; who saw him but for a 

day or two before he went to Glasgow; wanted to know what the fule's 

business was; and whether he meant to stay here all session time!  

〃Yon's a drone;〃 he pronounced。  As for Dand; it will be enough to 

describe their first meeting; when Frank had been whipping a river and 

the rustic celebrity chanced to come along the path。



〃I'm told you're quite a poet;〃 Frank had said。



〃Wha tell't ye that; mannie?〃 had been the unconciliating answer。



〃O; everybody!〃 says Frank。



〃God!  Here's fame!〃 said the sardonic poet; and he had passed on his 

way。



Come to think of it; we have here perhaps a truer explanation of Frank's 

failures。  Had he met Mr。 Sheriff Scott he could have turned a neater 

compliment; because Mr。 Scott would have been a friend worth making。  

Dand; on the other hand; he did not value sixpence; and he showed it 

even while he tried to flatter。  Condescension is an excellent thing; 

but it is strange how one…sided the pleasure of it is!  He who goes 

fishing among the Scots peasantry with condescension for a bait will 

have an empty basket by evening。



In proof of this theory Frank made a great success of it at the 

Crossmichael Club; to which Archie took him immediately on his arrival; 

his own last appearance on that scene of gaiety。  Frank was made welcome 

there at once; continued to go regularly; and had attended a meeting (as 

the members ever after loved to tell) on the evening before his death。  

Young Hay and young Pringle appeared again。  There was another supper at 

Windiclaws; another dinner at Driffel; and it resulted in Frank being 

taken to the bosom of the county people as unreservedly as he had been 

repudiated by the country folk。  He occupied Hermiston after the manner 

of an invader in a conquered capital。  He was perpetually issuing from 

it; as from a base; to toddy parties; fishing parties; and dinner 

parties; to which Archie was not invited; or to which Archie would not 

go。  It was now that the name of The Recluse became general for the 

young man。  Some say that Innes invented it; Innes; at least; spread it 

abroad。



〃How's all with your Recluse to…day?〃 people would ask。



〃O; reclusing away!〃 Innes would declare; with his bright air of saying 

something witty; and immediately interrupt the general laughter which he 

had provoked much more by his air than his words; 〃Mind you; it's all 

very well laughing; but I'm not very well pleased。  Poor Archie is a 

good fellow; an excellent fellow; a fellow I always liked。  I think it 

small of him to take his little disgrace so hard; and shut himself up。  

'Grant that it is a ridiculous story; painfully ridiculous;' I keep 

telling him。  'Be a man!  Live it down; man!'  But not he。  Of course; 

it's just solitude; and shame; and all that。  But I confess I'm 

beginning to fear the result。  It would be all the pities in the world 

if a really promising fellow like Weir was to end ill。  I'm seriously 

tempted to write to Lord Hermiston; and put it plainly to him。〃



〃I would if I were you;〃 some of his auditors would say; shaking the 

head; sitting bewildered and confused at this new view of the matter; so 

deftly indicated by a single word。  〃A capital idea!〃 they would add; 

and wonder at the APLOMB and position of this young man; who talked as a 

matter of course of writing to Hermiston and correcting him upon his 

private affairs。



And Frank would proceed; sweetly confidential: 〃I'll give you an idea; 

now。  He's actually sore about the way that I'm received and he's left 

out in the county … actually jealous and sore。  I've rallied him and 

I've reasoned with him; told him that every one was most kindly inclined 

towards him; told him even that I was received merely because I was his 

guest。  But it's no use。  He will neither accept the invitations he 

gets; nor stop brooding about the ones where he's left out。  What I'm 

afraid of is that the wound's ulcerating。  He had always one of those 

dark; secret; angry natures … a little underhand and plenty of bile … 

you know the sort。  He must have inherited it from the Weirs; whom I 

suspect to have been a worthy family of weavers somewhere; what's the 

cant phrase? … sedentary occupation。  It's precisely the kind of 

character to go wrong in a false position like what his father's made 

for him; or he's making for himself; whichever you like to call it。  And 

for my part; I think it a disgrace;〃 Frank would say generously。



Presently the sorrow and anxiety of this disinterested friend took 

shape。  He began in private; in conversations of two; to talk vaguely of 

bad habits and low habits。  〃I must say I'm afraid he's going wrong 

altogether;〃 he would say。  〃I'll tell you plainly; and between 

ourselves; I scarcely like to stay there any longer; only; man; I'm 

positively afraid to leave him alone。  You'll see; I shall be blamed for 

it later on。  I'm staying at a great sacrifice。  I'm hindering my 

chances at the Bar; and I can't blind my eyes to it。  And what I'm 

afraid of is that I'm going to get kicked for it all round before all's 

done。  You see; nobody believes in friendship nowadays。〃



〃Well; Innes;〃 his interlocutor would reply; 〃it's very good of you; I 

must say that。  If there's any blame going; you'll always be sure of MY 

good word; for one thing。〃



〃Well;〃 Frank would continue; 〃candidly; I don't say it's pleasant。  He 

has a very rough way with him; his father's son; you know。  I don't say 

he's rude … of course; I couldn't be expected to stand that … but he 

steers very near the wind。  No; it's not pleasant; but I tell ye; man; 

in conscience I don't think it would be fair to leave him。  Mind you; I 

don't say there's anything actually wrong。  What I say is that I don't 

like the looks of it; man!〃 and he would press the arm of his momentary 

confidant。



In the early stages I am persuaded there was no malice。  He talked but 

for the pleasure of airing himself。  He was essentially glib; as becomes 

the young advocate; and essentially careless of the truth; which is the 

mark of the young ass; and so he talked at random。  There was no 

particular bias; but that one which is indigenous and universal; to 

flatter himself and to please and interest the present friend。  And by 

thus milling air out of his mouth; he had presently built up a 

presentation of Archie which was known and talked of in all corners of 

the county。  Wherever there was a residential house and a walled garden; 

wherever there was a dwarfish castle and a park; wherever a quadruple 

cottage by the ruins of a peel…tower showed an old family going down; 

and wherever a handsome villa with a carriage approach and a shrubbery 

marked the coming up of a new one … probably on the wheels of machinery 

… Archie began to be regarded in the light of a dark; perhaps a vicious 

mystery; and the future developments of his career to be looked for with 

uneasiness and confidential whispering。  He had done something 

disgraceful; my dear。  What; was not precisely known; and that good kind 

young man; Mr。 Innes; did his best to make light of it。  But there it 

was。  And Mr。 Innes was very anxious about him now; he was really 

uneasy; my dear; he was positively wrecking his own prospects because he 

dared not leave him alone。  How wholly we all lie at the mercy of a 

single prater; not needfully with any malign purpose!  And if a man but 

talks of himself in the right spirit; refers to his virtuous actions by 

the way; and never applies to them the name of virtue; how easily his 

evidence is accepted in the court of public opinion!



All this while; however; there was a more poisonous ferment at work 

between the two lads; which came late indeed to the surface; but had 

modified and magnified their dissensions from the first。  To an idle; 

shallow; easy…going customer like Fra

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