weir of hermiston-第3章

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him。　　It　would　be　telling　us　all；　if　we　behaved　ourselves　in　our　several　

stations　the　way　your　faither　does　in　his　high　office；　and　let　me　hear　

no　more　of　any　such　disrespectful　and　undutiful　questions！　　No　that　you　

meant　to　be　undutiful；　my　lamb；　your　mother　kens　that　…　she　kens　it　

well；　dearie！〃　　And　so　slid　off　to　safer　topics；　and　left　on　the　mind　of　

the　child　an　obscure　but　ineradicable　sense　of　something　wrong。



Mrs。　Weir's　philosophy　of　life　was　summed　in　one　expression　…　

tenderness。　　In　her　view　of　the　universe；　which　was　all　lighted　up　with　

a　glow　out　of　the　doors　of　hell；　good　people　must　walk　there　in　a　kind　

of　ecstasy　of　tenderness。　　The　beasts　and　plants　had　no　souls；　they　were　

here　but　for　a　day；　and　let　their　day　pass　gently！　　And　as　for　the　

immortal　men；　on　what　black；　downward　path　were　many　of　them　wending；　

and　to　what　a　horror　of　an　immortality！　　〃Are　not　two　sparrows；〃　

〃Whosoever　shall　smite　thee；〃　〃God　sendeth　His　rain；〃　〃Judge　not；　that　

ye　be　not　judged〃　…　these　texts　made　her　body　of　divinity；　she　put　them　

on　in　the　morning　with　her　clothes　and　lay　down　to　sleep　with　them　at　

night；　they　haunted　her　like　a　favourite　air；　they　clung　about　her　like　

a　favourite　perfume。　　Their　minister　was　a　marrowy　expounder　of　the　law；　

and　my　lord　sat　under　him　with　relish；　but　Mrs。　Weir　respected　him　from　

far　off；　heard　him　（like　the　cannon　of　a　beleaguered　city）　usefully　

booming　outside　on　the　dogmatic　ramparts；　and　meanwhile；　within　and　out　

of　shot；　dwelt　in　her　private　garden　which　she　watered　with　grateful　

tears。　　It　seems　strange　to　say　of　this　colourless　and　ineffectual　

woman；　but　she　was　a　true　enthusiast；　and　might　have　made　the　sunshine　

and　the　glory　of　a　cloister。　　Perhaps　none　but　Archie　knew　she　could　be　

eloquent；　perhaps　none　but　he　had　seen　her　…　her　colour　raised；　her　

hands　clasped　or　quivering　…　glow　with　gentle　ardour。　　There　is　a　corner　

of　the　policy　of　Hermiston；　where　you　come　suddenly　in　view　of　the　

summit　of　Black　Fell；　sometimes　like　the　mere　grass　top　of　a　hill；　

sometimes　（and　this　is　her　own　expression）　like　a　precious　jewel　in　the　

heavens。　　On　such　days；　upon　the　sudden　view　of　it；　her　hand　would　

tighten　on　the　child's　fingers；　her　voice　rise　like　a　song。　〃I　TO　THE　

HILLS！〃　she　would　repeat。　〃And　O；　Erchie；　are　nae　these　like　the　hills　

of　Naphtali？〃　and　her　tears　would　flow。



Upon　an　impressionable　child　the　effect　of　this　continual　and　pretty　

accompaniment　to　life　was　deep。　　The　woman's　quietism　and　piety　passed　

on　to　his　different　nature　undiminished；　but　whereas　in　her　it　was　a　

native　sentiment；　in　him　it　was　only　an　implanted　dogma。　　Nature　and　the　

child's　pugnacity　at　times　revolted。　　A　cad　from　the　Potterrow　once　

struck　him　in　the　mouth；　he　struck　back；　the　pair　fought　it　out　in　the　

back　stable　lane　towards　the　Meadows；　and　Archie　returned　with　a　

considerable　decline　in　the　number　of　his　front　teeth；　and　

unregenerately　boasting　of　the　losses　of　the　foe。　　It　was　a　sore　day　for　

Mrs。　Weir；　she　wept　and　prayed　over　the　infant　backslider　until　my　lord　

was　due　from　Court；　and　she　must　resume　that　air　of　tremulous　composure　

with　which　she　always　greeted　him。　　The　judge　was　that　day　in　an　

observant　mood；　and　remarked　upon　the　absent　teeth。



〃I　am　afraid　Erchie　will　have　been　fechting　with　some　of　they　blagyard　

lads；〃　said　Mrs。　Weir。



My　lord's　voice　rang　out　as　it　did　seldom　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　

house。　　〃I'll　have　norm　of　that；　sir！〃　he　cried。　　〃Do　you　hear　me？　…　

nonn　of　that！　　No　son　of　mine　shall　be　speldering　in　the　glaur　with　any　

dirty　raibble。〃



The　anxious　mother　was　grateful　for　so　much　support；　she　had　even　feared　

the　contrary。　　And　that　night　when　she　put　the　child　to　bed　…　〃Now；　my　

dear；　ye　see！〃　she　said；　〃I　told　you　what　your　faither　would　think　of　

it；　if　he　heard　ye　had　fallen　into　this　dreidful　sin；　and　let　you　and　me　

pray　to　God　that　ye　may　be　keepit　from　the　like　temptation　or　

strengthened　to　resist　it！〃



The　womanly　falsity　of　this　was　thrown　away。　　Ice　and　iron　cannot　be　

welded；　and　the　points　of　view　of　the　Justice…Clerk　and　Mrs。　Weir　were　

not　less　unassimilable。　　The　character　and　position　of　his　father　had　

long　been　a　stumbling…block　to　Archie；　and　with　every　year　of　his　age　

the　difficulty　grew　more　instant。　　The　man　was　mostly　silent；　when　he　

spoke　at　all；　it　was　to　speak　of　the　things　of　the　world；　always　in　a　

worldly　spirit；　often　in　language　that　the　child　had　been　schooled　to　

think　coarse；　and　sometimes　with　words　that　he　knew　to　be　sins　in　

themselves。　　Tenderness　was　the　first　duty；　and　my　lord　was　invariably　

harsh。　　God　was　love；　the　name　of　my　lord　（to　all　who　knew　him）　was　

fear。　　In　the　world；　as　schematised　for　Archie　by　his　mother；　the　place　

was　marked　for　such　a　creature。　　There　were　some　whom　it　was　good　to　

pity　and　well　（though　very　likely　useless）　to　pray　for；　they　were　named　

reprobates；　goats；　God's　enemies；　brands　for　the　burning；　and　Archie　

tallied　every　mark　of　identification；　and　drew　the　inevitable　private　

inference　that　the　Lord　Justice…Clerk　was　the　chief　of　sinners。



The　mother's　honesty　was　scarce　complete。　　There　was　one　influence　she　

feared　for　the　child　and　still　secretly　combated；　that　was　my　lord's；　

and　half　unconsciously；　half　in　a　wilful　blindness；　she　continued　to　

undermine　her　husband　with　his　son。　　As　long　as　Archie　remained　silent；　

she　did　so　ruthlessly；　with　a　single　eye　to　heaven　and　the　child's　

salvation；　but　the　day　came　when　Archie　spoke。　　It　was　1801；　and　Archie　

was　seven；　and　beyond　his　years　for　curiosity　and　logic；　when　he　brought　

the　case　up　openly。　　If　judging　were　sinful　and　forbidden；　how　came　papa　

to　be　a　judge？　to　have　that　sin　for　a　trade？　to　bear　the　name　of　it　for　

a　distinction？



〃I　can't　see　it；〃　said　the　little　Rabbi；　and　wagged　his　head。



Mrs。　Weir　abounded　in　commonplace　replies。



〃No；　I　cannae　see　it；〃　reiterated　Archie。　　〃And　I'll　tell　you　what；　

mamma；　I　don't　think　you　and　me's　justifeed　in　staying　with　him。〃



The　woman　awoke　to　remorse；　she　saw　herself　disloyal　to　her　man；　her　

sovereign　and　bread…winner；　in　whom　（with　what　she　had　of　worldliness）　

she　took　a　certain　subdued　pride。　　She　expatiated　in　reply　on　my　lord's　

honour　and　greatness；　his　useful　services　in　this　world　of　sorrow　and　

wrong；　and　the　place　in　which　he　stood；　far　above　where　babes　and　

innocents　could　hope　to　see　or　criticise。　　But　she　had　builded　too　well　

…　Archie　had　his　answers　pat：　Were　not　babes　and　innocents　the　type　of　

the　kingdom　of　heaven？　　Were　not　honour　and　greatness　the　badges　of　the　

world？　　And　at　any　rate；　how　about　the　mob　that　had　once　seethed　about　

the　carriage？



〃It's　all　very　fine；〃　he　concluded；　〃but　in　my　opinion　papa　has　no　right　

to　be　it。　　And　it　seems　that's　not　the　worst　yet　of　it。　　It　seems　he's　

called　〃The　Hanging　judge〃　…　it　seems　he's　crooool。　　I'll　tell　you　what　

it　is；　mamma；　there's　a　tex'　borne　in　upon　me：　It　were　better　for　that　

man　if　a　milestone　were　bound　upon　his　back　and　him　flung　into　the　

deepestmost　pairts　of　the　sea。〃



〃O；　my　lamb；　ye　must　never　say　the　like　of　that！〃　she　cried。　〃Ye're　to　

honour　faither　and　mother；　dear；　that　your　days　may　be　long　in　the　land。　　

It's　Atheists　that　cry　out　against　him　…　French　Atheists；　Erchie！　　Ye　

would　never　surely　even　yourself　down　to　be　saying　the　same　thing　as　

French　Atheists？　　It　would　break　my　heart　to　think　that　of　you。　　And　O；　

Erchie；　here　are'na　YOU　setting　up　to　JUDGE？　　And　have　ye　no　forgot　

God's　plain　command　…　the　First　with　Promise；　dear？　　Mind　you　upon　the　

beam　and　the　mote！〃



Having　thus　carried　the　war　into　the　enemy's　camp；　the　terrified　lady　

breathed　again。　　And　no　doubt　it　is　easy　thus　to　circumvent　a　child　with　

catchwords；　but　it　may　be　questioned　how　far　it　is　effectual。　　An　

instinct　in　his　breast　detects　the　quibble；　and　a　voice　condemns　it。　　He　

will　instantly　submit；　pr