christie johnstone-第11节

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anxiety　was　to　find　this　eighty　pounds　for　him。

It　is　a　Newhaven　idea　that　the　female　is　the　natural　protector　of　the
male；　and　this　idea　was　strengthened　in　her　case。

She　did　not　fully　comprehend　his　character　and　temperament；　but　she　saw；
by　instinct；　that　she　was　to　be　the　protector。　Besides；　as　she　was
twenty…one；　and　he　only　twenty…two；　she　felt　the　difference　between
herself；　a　woman；　and　him；　a　boy；　and　to　leave　him　to　struggle　unaided
out　of　his　difficulties　seemed　to　her　heartless。

Twice　she　opened　her　lips　to　engage　the　charitable　〃vile　count〃　in　his
cause；　but　shame　closed　them　again；　this　would　be　asking　a　personal
favor；　and　one　on　so　large　a　scale。

Several　days　passed　thus；　she　had　determined　not　to　visit　him　without
good　news。

She　then　began　to　be　surprised；　she　heard　nothing　from　him。

And　now　she　felt　something　that　prevented　her　calling　on　him。

But　Jean　Carnie　was　to　be　married；　and　the　next　day　the　wedding　party
were　to　spend　in　festivity　upon　the　island　of　Inch　Coombe。

She　bade　Jean　call　on　him；　and；　without　mentioning　her；　invite　him　to
this　party；　from　which；　he　must　know；　she　would　not　be　absent。

Jean　Carnie　entered　his　apartment；　and　at　her　entrance　his　mother；　who
took　for　granted　this　was　his　sweetheart；　whispered　in　his　ear　that　he
should　now　take　the　first　step；　and　left　him。

What　passed　between　Jean　Carnie　and　Charles　Gatty　is　for　another　chapter。



CHAPTER　IX。


A　YOUNG　viscount　with　income　and　person　cannot　lie　_perdu_　three　miles
from　Edinburgh。

First　one　discovers　him；　then　another；　then　twenty；　then　all　the　world；
as　the　whole　clique　is　modestly　called。

Before；　however；　Lord　Ipsden　was　caught；　he　had　acquired　a　browner　tint；
a　more　elastic　step；　and　a　stouter　heart。

The　Aberford　prescription　had　done　wonders　for　him。

He　caught　himself　passing　one　whole　day　without　thinking　of　Lady　Barbara
Sinclair。

But　even　Aberford　had　misled　him；　there　were　no　adventures　to　be　found　in
the　Firth　of　Forth；　most　of　the　days　there　was　no　wind　to　speak　of；　twice
it　blew　great　guns；　and　the　men　were　surprised　at　his　lordship　going　out；
but　nobody　was　in　any　danger　except　himself；　the　fishermen　had　all
slipped　into　port　before　matters　were　serious。

He　found　the　merchantmen　that　could　sail　creeping　on　with　three　reefs　in
their　mainsail；　and　the　Dutchmen　lying　to　and　breasting　it；　like　ducks　in
a　pond；　and　with　no　more　chance　of　harm。

On　one　of　these　occasions　he　did　observe　a　little　steam…tug；　going　about
a　knot　an　hour；　and　rolling　like　a　washing…tub。　He　ran　down　to　her；　and
asked　if　he　could　assist　her；　she　answered；　through　the　medium　of　a　sooty
animal　at　her　helm；　that　she　was　（like　our　universities）　〃satisfied　with
her　own　progress〃；　she　added；　being　under　intoxication；　〃that；　if　any
danger　existed；　her　scheme　was　to　drown　it　in　the　bo…o…owl；〃　and　two　days
afterward　he　saw　her　puffing　and　panting；　and　fiercely　dragging　a
gigantic　three…decker　out　into　deep　water；　like　an　industrious　flea
pulling　his　phaeton。

And　now　it　is　my　office　to　relate　how　Mr。　Flucker　Johnstone　comported
himself　on　one　occasion。

As　the　yacht　worked　alongside　Granton　Pier；　before　running　out；　the　said
Flucker　calmly　and　scientifically　drew　his　lordship's　attention　to　three
points：

The　direction　of　the　windthe　force　of　the　windand　his　opinion；　as　a
person　experienced　in　the　Firth；　that　it　was　going　to　be　worse　instead　of
better；　in　reply；　he　received　an　order　to　step　forward　to　his　place　in
the　cutterthe　immediate　vicinity　of　the　jib…boom。　On　this；　Mr。　Flucker
instantly　burst　into　tears。

His　lordship；　or；　as　Flucker　called　him　ever　since　the　yacht　came　down；
〃the　skipper；〃　deeming　that　the　higher　appellation；　inquired；　with　some
surprise；　what　was　the　matter　with　the　boy。

One　of　the　crew；　who；　by　the　by；　squinted；　suggested；　〃It　was　a　slight
illustration　of　the　passion　of　fear。〃

Flucker　confirmed　the　theory　by　gulping　out：　〃We'll　never　see　Newhaven
again。〃

On　this　the　skipper　smiled；　and　ordered　him　ashore；　somewhat
peremptorily。

Straightway　he　began　to　howl；　and；　saying；　〃It　was　better　to　be　drowned
than　be　the　laughing…stock　of　the　place；〃　went　forward　to　his　place；　on
his　safe　return　to　port；　this　young　gentleman　was　very　severe　on　open
boats；　which；　he　said　〃bred　womanish　notions　in　hearts　naturally
dauntless。　Give　me　a　lid　to　the　pot；〃　added　he；　〃and　I'll　sail　with　Old
Nick；　let　the　wind　blow　high　or　low。〃

The　Aberford　was　wrong　when　he　called　love　a　cutaneous　disorder。

There　are　cutaneous　disorders　that　take　that　name；　but　they　are　no　more
love　than　verse　is　poetry；

Than　patriotism　is　love　of　country；

Than　theology　is　religion；

Than　science　is　philosophy；

Than　paintings　are　pictures；

Than　reciting　on　the　boards　is　acting；

Than　physic　is　medicine

Than　bread　is　bread；　or　gold　goldin　shops。

Love　is　a　state　of　being；　the　beloved　object　is　our　center；　and　our
thoughts；　affections；　schemes　and　selves　move　but　round　it。

We　may　diverge　hither　or　thither；　but　the　golden　thread　still　holds　us。

Is　fair　or　dark　beauty　the　fairest？　The　world　cannot　decide；　but　love
shall　decide　in　a　moment。

A　halo　surrounds　her　we　love；　and　makes　beautiful　to　us　her　movements；
her　looks；　her　virtues；　her　faults；　her　nonsense；　her　affectation　and
herself；　and　that's　love；　doctor！

Lord　Ipsden　was　capable　of　loving　like　this；　but；　to　do　Lady　Barbara
justice；　she　had　done　much　to　freeze　the　germ　of　noble　passion；　she　had
not　killed；　but　she　had　benumbed　it。

〃Saunders；〃　said　Lord　Ipsden；　one　morning　after　breakfast；　〃have　you
entered　everything　in　your　diary？〃

〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

〃All　these　good　people's　misfortunes？〃

〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

〃Do　you　think　you　have　spelled　their　names　right？〃

〃Where　it　was　impossible；　my　lord；　I　substituted　an　English　appellation；
hidentical　in　meaning。〃

〃Have　you　entered　and　described　my　first　interview　with　Christie
Johnstone；　and　somebody　something？〃

〃Most　minutely；　my　lord。〃

〃How　I　turned　Mr。　Burke　into　poetryhow　she　listened　with　her　eyes　all
glisteninghow　they　made　me　talkhow　she　dropped　a　tear；　he！　he！　he！　at
the　death　of　the　first　baronhow　shocked　she　was　at　the　king　striking
him　when　he　was　dying；　to　make　a　knight…banneret　of　the　poor　old　fellow？〃

〃Your　lordship　will　find　all　the　particulars　exactly　related；〃　said
Saunders；　with　dry　pomp。

〃How　she　found　out　that　titles　are　but　breathhow　I　answeredsome
nonsense？〃

〃Your　lordship　will　find　all　the　topics　included。〃

〃How　she　took　me　for　a　madman？　And　you　for　a　prig？〃

〃The　latter　circumstance　eluded　my　memory；　my　lord。〃

〃But　when　I　told　her　I　must　relieve　only　one　poor　person　by　day；　she　took
my　hand。〃

〃Your　lordship　will　find　all　the　items　realized　in　this　book；　my　lord。〃

〃What　a　beautiful　book！〃

〃Alba　are　considerably　ameliorated；　my　lord。〃

〃Alba？〃

〃Plural　of　album；　my　lord；〃　explained　the　refined　factotum；　〃more
delicate；　I　conceive；　than　the　vulgar　reading。〃

Viscount　Ipsden　read　from

〃MR。　SAUNDERS'S　ALBUM。

〃To　illustrate　the　inelegance　of　the　inferior　classes；　two　juvenile
venders　of　the　piscatory　tribe　were　this　day　ushered　in；　and
instantaneously；　without　the　accustomed　preliminaries；　plunged　into　a
familiar　conversation　with　Lord　Viscount　Ipsden。

〃Their　vulgarity；　shocking　and　repulsive　to　myself；　appeared　to　afford
his　lordship　a　satisfaction　greater　than　he　derives　from　the　graceful
amenities　of　fashionable　association〃

~　〃Saunders；　I　suspect　you　of　something。〃

〃Me；　my　lord！〃

〃Yes。　Writing　in　an　annual。〃

〃I　do；　my　lord；〃　said　he；　with　benignant　_hauteur。_　〃It　appears　every
month_The　Polytechnic。〃_

〃I　thought　so！　you　are　polysyllabic；　Saunders；　_en　route！〃_

~　〃In　this　hallucination　I　find　it　difficult　to　participate；　associated
from　infancy　with　the　aristocracy；　I　shrink；　like　the　sensitive　plant；
from　contact　with　anything　vulgar。〃

~　〃I　see！　I　begin　to　understand　you；　Saunders。　Order　the　dog…cart；　and
Wordsworth's　mare　for　leader；　we'll　give　her　a　trial。　You　are　an　ass；
Saunders。〃

〃Yes；　my　lord；　I　will　order　Robert　to　tell　James　to　come　for　your
lordship's　commands　about　your　lordship's　vehicles。　（What　could　he　intend
by　a　recent　observation　of　a　discourteous　character？）〃

His　lordship　soliloquized。

〃I　never　observed　it　before；　but　Saunders　is　an　ass！　La　Johnstone　is　one
of　Nature's　duchesses；　and　she　has　made　me　know　some　poor　people　that
will　be　richer　than　the　rich　one　day；　and　she　has　taught　me　that　honey　is
to　be　got　from　bank…notesby　merely　giving　them　away。〃

Among　the　objects　of　charity　Lord　Ipsden　discovered　was　one　Thomas
Harvey；　a　maker　and　player　of　the　violin。　This　man　was　a　person　of　great
intellect；　he　mastered　every　subject　he　attacked。　By　a　careful
examination　of　all　the　points　that　various　fine…toned　instruments　had　in
common；　he　had　arrived　at　a　theory　of　sound；　he　made　violins　to
correspond；　and　was　remarkably　successful　in　insuring　that　which　had　been
too　hastily　ascribed　to　accidenta　fine　tone。

This　man；　who　was　in　needy　circumstances；　demonstrated　to　his　lordship
that　ten　pounds　would　make　his　fortune；　because　with　ten　pounds　he　could
set　up　a　shop；　instead　of　wo