weir of hermiston-第31章

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the　despair　of　all　girls　and　most　women；　was　now　completely　in　

possession　of　Archie。　　He　had　passed　a　night　of　sermons；　a　day　of　

reflection；　he　had　come　wound　up　to　do　his　duty；　and　the　set　mouth；　

which　in　him　only　betrayed　the　effort　of　his　will；　to　her　seemed　the　

expression　of　an　averted　heart。　　It　was　the　same　with　his　constrained　

voice　and　embarrassed　utterance；　and　if　so　…　if　it　was　all　over　…　the　

pang　of　the　thought　took　away　from　her　the　power　of　thinking。



He　stood　before　her　some　way　off。　　〃Kirstie；　there's　been　too　much　of　

this。　　We've　seen　too　much　of　each　other。〃　　She　looked　up　quickly　and　

her　eyes　contracted。　　〃There's　no　good　ever　comes　of　these　secret　

meetings。　　They're　not　frank；　not　honest　truly；　and　I　ought　to　have　seen　

it。　　People　have　begun　to　talk；　and　it's　not　right　of　me。　　Do　you　see？〃



〃I　see　somebody　will　have　been　talking　to　ye；〃　she　said　sullenly。



〃They　have；　more　than　one　of　them；〃　replied　Archie。



〃And　whae　were　they？〃　she　cried。　　〃And　what　kind　o'　love　do　ye　ca'　that；　

that's　ready　to　gang　round　like　a　whirligig　at　folk　talking？　　Do　ye　

think　they　havena　talked　to　me？〃



〃Have　they　indeed？〃　said　Archie；　with　a　quick　breath。　　〃That　is　what　I　

feared。　　Who　were　they？　　Who　has　dared　…　？〃



Archie　was　on　the　point　of　losing　his　temper。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　not　any　one　had　talked　to　Christina　on　the　matter；　

and　she　strenuously　repeated　her　own　first　question　in　a　panic　of　self…

defence。



〃Ah；　well！　what　does　it　matter？〃　he　said。　　〃They　were　good　folk　that　

wished　well　to　us；　and　the　great　affair　is　that　there　are　people　

talking。　　My　dear　girl；　we　have　to　be　wise。　　We　must　not　wreck　our　lives　

at　the　outset。　　They　may　be　long　and　happy　yet；　and　we　must　see　to　it；　

Kirstie；　like　God's　rational　creatures　and　not　like　fool　children。　　

There　is　one　thing　we　must　see　to　before　all。　　You're　worth　waiting　for；　

Kirstie！　worth　waiting　for　a　generation；　it　would　be　enough　reward。〃　…　

And　here　he　remembered　the　schoolmaster　again；　and　very　unwisely　took　to　

following　wisdom。　　〃The　first　thing　that　we　must　see　to；　is　that　there　

shall　be　no　scandal　about　for　my　father's　sake。　　That　would　ruin　all；　do　

ye　no　see　that？〃



Kirstie　was　a　little　pleased；　there　had　been　some　show　of　warmth　of　

sentiment　in　what　Archie　had　said　last。　　But　the　dull　irritation　still　

persisted　in　her　bosom；　with　the　aboriginal　instinct；　having　suffered　

herself；　she　wished　to　make　Archie　suffer。



And　besides；　there　had　come　out　the　word　she　had　always　feared　to　hear　

from　his　lips；　the　name　of　his　father。　　It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that；　

during　so　many　days　with　a　love　avowed　between　them；　some　reference　had　

not　been　made　to　their　conjoint　future。　　It　had　in　fact　been　often　

touched　upon；　and　from　the　first　had　been　the　sore　point。　　Kirstie　had　

wilfully　closed　the　eye　of　thought；　she　would　not　argue　even　with　

herself；　gallant；　desperate　little　heart；　she　had　accepted　the　command　

of　that　supreme　attraction　like　the　call　of　fate　and　marched　blindfold　

on　her　doom。　　But　Archie；　with　his　masculine　sense　of　responsibility；　

must　reason；　he　must　dwell　on　some　future　good；　when　the　present　good　

was　all　in　all　to　Kirstie；　he　must　talk　…　and　talk　lamely；　as　necessity　

drove　him　…　of　what　was　to　be。　　Again　and　again　he　had　touched　on　

marriage；　again　and　again　been　driven　back　into　indistinctness　by　a　

memory　of　Lord　Hermiston。　　And　Kirstie　had　been　swift　to　understand　and　

quick　to　choke　down　and　smother　the　understanding；　swift　to　leap　up　in　

flame　at　a　mention　of　that　hope；　which　spoke　volumes　to　her　vanity　and　

her　love；　that　she　might　one　day　be　Mrs。　Weir　of　Hermiston；　swift；　also；　

to　recognise　in　his　stumbling　or　throttled　utterance　the　death…knell　of　

these　expectations；　and　constant；　poor　girl！　in　her　large…minded　

madness；　to　go　on　and　to　reck　nothing　of　the　future。　　But　these　

unfinished　references；　these　blinks　in　which　his　heart　spoke；　and　his　

memory　and　reason　rose　up　to　silence　it　before　the　words　were　well　

uttered；　gave　her　unqualifiable　agony。　　She　was　raised　up　and　dashed　

down　again　bleeding。　　The　recurrence　of　the　subject　forced　her；　for　

however　short　a　time；　to　open　her　eyes　on　what　she　did　not　wish　to　see；　

and　it　had　invariably　ended　in　another　disappointment。　　So　now　again；　at　

the　mere　wind　of　its　coming；　at　the　mere　mention　of　his　father's　name　…　

who　might　seem　indeed　to　have　accompanied　them　in　their　whole　moorland　

courtship；　an　awful　figure　in　a　wig　with　an　ironical　and　bitter　smile；　

present　to　guilty　consciousness　…　she　fled　from　it　head　down。



〃Ye　havena　told　me　yet；〃　she　said；　〃who　was　it　spoke？〃



〃Your　aunt　for　one；〃　said　Archie。



〃Auntie　Kirstie？〃　she　cried。　　〃And　what　do　I　care　for　my　Auntie　

Kirstie？〃



〃She　cares　a　great　deal　for　her　niece；〃　replied　Archie；　in　kind　reproof。



〃Troth；　and　it's　the　first　I've　heard　of　it；〃　retorted　the　girl。



〃The　question　here　is　not　who　it　is；　but　what　they　say；　what　they　have　

noticed；〃　pursued　the　lucid　schoolmaster。　　〃That　is　what　we　have　to　

think　of　in　self…defence。〃



〃Auntie　Kirstie；　indeed！　　A　bitter；　thrawn　auld　maid　that's　fomented　

trouble　in　the　country　before　I　was　born；　and　will　be　doing　it　still；　I　

daur　say；　when　I'm　deid！　　It's　in　her　nature；　it's　as　natural　for　her　as　

it's　for　a　sheep　to　eat。〃



〃Pardon　me；　Kirstie；　she　was　not　the　only　one；〃　interposed　Archie。　　〃I　

had　two　warnings；　two　sermons；　last　night；　both　most　kind　and　

considerate。　　Had　you　been　there；　I　promise　you　you　would　have　grat；　my　

dear！　　And　they　opened　my　eyes。　　I　saw　we　were　going　a　wrong　way。〃



〃Who　was　the　other　one？〃　Kirstie　demanded。



By　this　time　Archie　was　in　the　condition　of　a　hunted　beast。　　He　had　

come；　braced　and　resolute；　he　was　to　trace　out　a　line　of　conduct　for　the　

pair　of　them　in　a　few　cold；　convincing　sentences；　he　had　now　been　there　

some　time；　and　he　was　still　staggering　round　the　outworks　and　undergoing　

what　he　felt　to　be　a　savage　cross…examination。



〃Mr。　Frank！〃　she　cried。　　〃What　nex'；　I　would　like　to　ken？〃



〃He　spoke　most　kindly　and　truly。〃



〃What　like　did　he　say？〃



〃I　am　not　going　to　tell　you；　you　have　nothing　to　do　with　that；〃　cried　

Archie；　startled　to　find　he　had　admitted　so　much。



〃O；　I　have　naething　to　do　with　it！〃　she　repeated；　springing　to　her　feet。　　

〃A'body　at　Hermiston's　free　to　pass　their　opinions　upon　me；　but　I　have　

naething　to　do　wi'　it！　　Was　this　at　prayers　like？　　Did　ye　ca'　the　grieve　

into　the　consultation？　　Little　wonder　if　a'body's　talking；　when　ye　make　

a'body　yer　confidants！　　But　as　you　say；　Mr。　Weir；　…　most　kindly；　most　

considerately；　most　truly；　I'm　sure；　…　I　have　naething　to　do　with　it。　　

And　I　think　I'll　better　be　going。　　I'll　be　wishing　you　good　evening；　Mr。　

Weir。〃　　And　she　made　him　a　stately　curtsey；　shaking　as　she　did　so　from　

head　to　foot；　with　the　barren　ecstasy　of　temper。



Poor　Archie　stood　dumbfounded。　　She　had　moved　some　steps　away　from　him　

before　he　recovered　the　gift　of　articulate　speech。



〃Kirstie！〃　he　cried。　　〃O；　Kirstie　woman！〃



There　was　in　his　voice　a　ring　of　appeal；　a　clang　of　mere　astonishment　

that　showed　the　schoolmaster　was　vanquished。



She　turned　round　on　him。　　〃What　do　ye　Kirstie　me　for？〃　she　retorted。　　

〃What　have　ye　to　do　wi'　me！　　Gang　to　your　ain　freends　and　deave　them！〃



He　could　only　repeat　the　appealing　〃Kirstie！〃



〃Kirstie；　indeed！〃　cried　the　girl；　her　eyes　blazing　in　her　white　face。　　

〃My　name　is　Miss　Christina　Elliott；　I　would　have　ye　to　ken；　and　I　daur　

ye　to　ca'　me　out　of　it。　　If　I　canna　get　love；　I'll　have　respect；　Mr。　

Weir。　　I'm　come　of　decent　people；　and　I'll　have　respect。　　What　have　I　

done　that　ye　should　lightly　me？　　What　have　I　done？　　What　have　I　done？　　

O；　what　have　I　done？〃　and　her　voice　rose　upon　the　third　repetition。　　〃I　

thocht　…　I　thocht　…　I　thocht　I　was　sae　happy！〃　and　the　first　sob　broke　

from　her　like　the　paroxysm　of　some　mortal　sickness