chronicles of the canongate-第32章

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　indulge　myself　with　a　closer　view。　　Donald　immediately　opened　the　chaise　door；　but　observed　it　was　rough　walking　down　the　brae；　and　that　I　would　see　the　tree　better　by　keeping　the　road　for　a　hundred　yards　farther；　when　it　passed　closer　to　the　spot；　for　which　he　seemed；　however；　to　have　no　predilection。　　〃He　knew；〃　he　said；　〃a　far　bigger　tree　than　that　nearer　Bunawe；　and　it　was　a　place　where　there　was　flat　ground　for　the　carriage　to　stand；　which　it　could　jimply　do　on　these　braes；　but　just　as　my　leddyship　liked。〃

My　ladyship　did　choose　rather　to　look　at　the　fine　tree　before　me　than　to　pass　it　by　in　hopes　of　a　finer；　so　we　walked　beside　the　carriage　till　we　should　come　to　a　point；　from　which；　Donald　assured　us；　we　might；　without　scrambling；　go　as　near　the　tree　as　we　chose；　〃though　he　wadna　advise　us　to　go　nearer　than　the　highroad。〃

There　was　something　grave　and　mysterious　in　Donald's　sun…browned　countenance　when　he　gave　us　this　intimation；　and　his　manner　was　so　different　from　his　usual　frankness；　that　my　female　curiosity　was　set　in　motion。　　We　walked　on　the　whilst；　and　I　found　the　tree；　of　which　we　had　now　lost　sight　by　the　intervention　of　some　rising　ground；　was　really　more　distant　than　I　had　at　first　supposed。　　〃I　could　have　sworn　now；〃　said　I　to　my　cicerone；　〃that　yon　tree　and　waterfall　was　the　very　place　where　you　intended　to　make　a　stop　to…day。〃

〃The　Lord　forbid！〃　　said　Donald　hastily。

〃And　for　what；　Donald？　　Why　should　you　be　willing　to　pass　so　pleasant　a　spot？〃

〃It's　ower　near　Dalmally；　my　leddy；　to　corn　the　beasts；　it　would　bring　their　dinner　ower　near　their　breakfast；　poor　things。　　An'　besides；　the　place　is　not　canny。〃

〃Oh！　　then　the　mystery　is　out。　　There　is　a　bogle　or　a　brownie；　a　witch　or　a　gyre…carlin；　a　bodach　or　a　fairy；　in　the　case？〃

〃The　ne'er　a　bit；　my　leddyye　are　clean　aff　the　road；　as　I　may　say。　　But　if　your　leddyship　will　just　hae　patience；　and　wait　till　we　are　by　the　place　and　out　of　the　glen；　I'll　tell　ye　all　about　it。　　There　is　no　much　luck　in　speaking　of　such　things　in　the　place　they　chanced　in。〃

I　was　obliged　to　suspend　my　curiosity；　observing；　that　if　I　persisted　in　twisting　the　discourse　one　way　while　Donald　was　twining　it　another；　I　should　make　his　objection；　like　a　hempen　cord；　just　so　much　the　tougher。　　At　length　the　promised　turn　of　the　road　brought　us　within　fifty　paces　of　the　tree　which　I　desired　to　admire；　and　I　now　saw　to　my　surprise；　that　there　was　a　human　habitation　among　the　cliffs　which　surrounded　it。　　It　was　a　hut　of　the　least　dimensions；　and　most　miserable　description　that　I　ever　saw　even　in　the　Highlands。　　The　walls　of　sod；　or　DIVOT；　as　the　Scotch　call　it；　were　not　four　feet　high；　the　roof　was　of　turf；　repaired　with　reeds　and　sedges；　the　chimney　was　composed　of　clay；　bound　round　by　straw　ropes；　and　the　whole　walls；　roof；　and　chimney；　were　alike　covered　with　the　vegetation　of　house…leek；　rye…grass；　and　moss　common　to　decayed　cottages　formed　of　such　materials。　　There　was　not　the　slightest　vestige　of　a　kale…yard；　the　usual　accompaniment　of　the　very　worst　huts；　and　of　living　things　we　saw　nothing；　save　a　kid　which　was　browsing　on　the　roof　of　the　hut；　and　a　goat；　its　mother；　at　some　distance；　feeding　betwixt　the　oak　and　the　river　Awe。

〃What　man；〃　I　could　not　help　exclaiming；　〃can　have　committed　sin　deep　enough　to　deserve　such　a　miserable　dwelling！〃

〃Sin　enough；〃　said　Donald　MacLeish；　with　a　half…suppressed　groan；　〃and　God　he　knoweth；　misery　enough　too。　　And　it　is　no　man's　dwelling　neither；　but　a　woman's。〃

〃A　woman's！〃　　I　repeated；　〃and　in　so　lonely　a　place！　　What　sort　of　a　woman　can　she　be？〃

〃Come　this　way；　my　leddy；　and　you　may　judge　that　for　yourself；〃　said　Donald。　　And　by　advancing　a　few　steps；　and　making　a　sharp　turn　to　the　left；　we　gained　a　sight　of　the　side　of　the　great　broad…breasted　oak；　in　the　direction　opposed　to　that　in　which　we　had　hitherto　seen　it。

〃If　she　keeps　her　old　wont；　she　will　be　there　at　this　hour　of　the　day；〃　said　Donald；　but　immediately　became　silent；　and　pointed　with　his　finger；　as　one　afraid　of　being　overheard。　　I　looked；　and　beheld；　not　without　some　sense　of　awe；　a　female　form　seated　by　the　stem　of　the　oak；　with　her　head　drooping；　her　hands　clasped；　and　a　dark…coloured　mantle　drawn　over　her　head；　exactly　as　Judah　is　represented　in　the　Syrian　medals　as　seated　under　her　palm…　tree。　　I　was　infected　with　the　fear　and　reverence　which　my　guide　seemed　to　entertain　towards　this　solitary　being；　nor　did　I　think　of　advancing　towards　her　to　obtain　a　nearer　view　until　I　had　cast　an　enquiring　look　on　Donald；　to　which　be　replied　in　a　half　whisper；　〃She　has　been　a　fearfu'　bad　woman；　my　leddy。〃

〃Mad　woman；　said　you；〃　replied　I；　hearing　him　imperfectly；　〃then　she　is　perhaps　dangerous？〃

〃Noshe　is　not　mad；〃　replied　Donald；　〃for　then　it　may　be　she　would　be　happier　than　she　is；　though　when　she　thinks　on　what　she　has　done；　and　caused　to　be　done；　rather　than　yield　up　a　hair…　breadth　of　her　ain　wicked　will；　it　is　not　likely　she　can　be　very　well　settled。　　But　she　neither　is　mad　nor　mischievous；　and　yet；　my　leddy；　I　think　you　had　best　not　go　nearer　to　her。〃　　And　then；　in　a　few　hurried　words；　he　made　me　acquainted　with　the　story　which　I　am　now　to　tell　more　in　detail。　　I　heard　the　narrative　with　a　mixture　of　horror　and　sympathy；　which　at　once　impelled　me　to　approach　the　sufferer；　and　speak　to　her　the　words　of　comfort；　or　rather　of　pity；　and　at　the　same　time　made　me　afraid　to　do　so。

This　indeed　was　the　feeling　with　which　she　was　regarded　by　the　Highlanders　in　the　neighbourhood；　who　looked　upon　Elspat　MacTavish；　or　the　Woman　of　the　Tree；　as　they　called　her；　as　the　Greeks　considered　those　who　were　pursued　by　the　Furies；　and　endured　the　mental　torment　consequent　on　great　criminal　actions。　They　regarded　such　unhappy　beings　as　Orestes　and　OEdipus；　as　being　less　the　voluntary　perpetrators　of　their　crimes　than　as　the　passive　instruments　by　which　the　terrible　decrees　of　Destiny　had　been　accomplished；　and　the　fear　with　which　they　beheld　them　was　not　unmingled　with　veneration。

I　also　learned　further　from　Donald　MacLeish；　that　there　was　some　apprehension　of　ill　luck　attending　those　who　had　the　boldness　to　approach　too　near；　or　disturb　the　awful　solitude　of　a　being　so　unutterably　miserablethat　it　was　supposed　that　whosoever　approached　her　must　experience　in　some　respect　the　contagion　of　her　wretchedness。

It　was　therefore　with　some　reluctance　that　Donald　saw　me　prepare　to　obtain　a　nearer　view　of　the　sufferer；　and　that　he　himself　followed　to　assist　me　in　the　descent　down　a　very　rough　path。　　I　believe　his　regard　for　me　conquered　some　ominous　feelings　in　his　own　breast；　which　connected　his　duty　on　this　occasion　with　the　presaging　fear　of　lame　horses；　lost　linch…pins；　overturns；　and　other　perilous　chances　of　the　postilion's　life。

I　am　not　sure　if　my　own　courage　would　have　carried　me　so　close　to　Elspat　had　he　not　followed。　　There　was　in　her　countenance　the　stern　abstraction　of　hopeless　and　overpowering　sorrow；　mixed　with　the　contending　feelings　of　remorse；　and　of　the　pride　which　struggled　to　conceal　it。　　She　guessed；　perhaps；　that　it　was　curiosity；　arising　out　of　her　uncommon　story；　which　induced　me　to　intrude　on　her　solitude；　and　she　could　not　be　pleased　that　a　fate　like　hers　had　been　the　theme　of　a　traveller's　amusement。　　Yet　the　look　with　which　she　regarded　me　was　one　of　scorn　instead　of　embarrassment。　　The　opinion　of　the　world　and　all　its　children　could　not　add　or　take　an　iota　from　her　load　of　misery；　and；　save　from　the　half　smile　that　seemed　to　intimate　the　contempt　of　a　being　rapt　by　the　very　intensity　of　her　affliction　above　the　sphere　of　ordinary　humanities；　she　seemed　as　indifferent　to　my　gaze；　as　if　she　had　been　a　dead　corpse　or　a　marble　statue。

Elspat　was　above　the　middle　stature。　　Her　hair；　now　grizzled；　was　still　profuse；　and　it　had　been　of　the　most　decided　black。　　So　were　her　eyes；　in　which；　contradicting　the　stern　and　rigid　features　of　her　countenance；　there　shone　the　wild　and　troubled　light　that　indicates　an　unsettled　mind。　　Her　hair　was　wrapt　round　a　silver　bodkin　with　some　attention　to　neatness；　and　her　dark　mantle　was　disposed　around　her　with　a　degree　of　taste；　though　the　materials　were　of　the　most　ordinary　sort。

After　gazing　on　this　victi