memoir of fleeming jenkin-第28节

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got　with　educational　intent；　and　it　served　its　purpose　so　well；　and　

the　boys　knew　their　business　so　practically；　that　when　the　summer　

was　at　an　end；　Fleeming；　Mrs。　Jenkin；　Frewen　the　engineer；　Bernard　

the　stoker；　and　Kenneth　Robertson　a　Highland　seaman；　set　forth　in　

her　to　make　the　passage　south。　　The　first　morning　they　got　from　

Loch　Broom　into　Gruinard　bay；　where　they　lunched　upon　an　island；　

but　the　wind　blowing　up　in　the　afternoon；　with　sheets　of　rain；　it　

was　found　impossible　to　beat　to　sea；　and　very　much　in　the　situation　

of　castaways　upon　an　unknown　coast；　the　party　landed　at　the　mouth　

of　Gruinard　river。　　A　shooting　lodge　was　spied　among　the　trees；　

there　Fleeming　went；　and　though　the　master；　Mr。　Murray；　was　from　

home；　though　the　two　Jenkin　boys　were　of　course　as　black　as　

colliers；　and　all　the　castaways　so　wetted　through　that；　as　they　

stood　in　the　passage；　pools　formed　about　their　feet　and　ran　before　

them　into　the　house；　yet　Mrs。　Murray　kindly　entertained　them　for　

the　night。　　On　the　morrow；　however；　visitors　were　to　arrive；　there　

would　be　no　room　and；　in　so　out…of…the…way　a　spot；　most　probably　no　

food　for　the　crew　of　the　PURGLE；　and　on　the　morrow　about　noon；　with　

the　bay　white　with　spindrift　and　the　wind　so　strong　that　one　could　

scarcely　stand　against　it；　they　got　up　steam　and　skulked　under　the　

land　as　far　as　Sanda　Bay。　　Here　they　crept　into　a　seaside　cave；　and　

cooked　some　food；　but　the　weather　now　freshening　to　a　gale；　it　was　

plain　they　must　moor　the　launch　where　she　was；　and　find　their　way　

overland　to　some　place　of　shelter。　　Even　to　get　their　baggage　from　

on　board　was　no　light　business；　for　the　dingy　was　blown　so　far　to　

leeward　every　trip；　that　they　must　carry　her　back　by　hand　along　the　

beach。　　But　this　once　managed；　and　a　cart　procured　in　the　

neighbourhood；　they　were　able　to　spend　the　night　in　a　pot…house　on　

Ault　Bea。　　Next　day；　the　sea　was　unapproachable；　but　the　next　they　

had　a　pleasant　passage　to　Poolewe；　hugging　the　cliffs；　the　falling　

swell　bursting　close　by　them　in　the　gullies；　and　the　black　scarts　

that　sat　like　ornaments　on　the　top　of　every　stack　and　pinnacle；　

looking　down　into　the　PURGLE　as　she　passed。　　The　climate　of　

Scotland　had　not　done　with　them　yet：　　for　three　days　they　lay　

storm…stayed　in　Poolewe；　and　when　they　put　to　sea　on　the　morning　of　

the　fourth；　the　sailors　prayed　them　for　God's　sake　not　to　attempt　

the　passage。　　Their　setting　out　was　indeed　merely　tentative；　but　

presently　they　had　gone　too　far　to　return；　and　found　themselves　

committed　to　double　Rhu　Reay　with　a　foul　wind　and　a　cross　sea。　　

From　half…past　eleven　in　the　morning　until　half…past　five　at　night；　

they　were　in　immediate　and　unceasing　danger。　　Upon　the　least　

mishap；　the　PURGLE　must　either　have　been　swamped　by　the　seas　or　

bulged　upon　the　cliffs　of　that　rude　headland。　　Fleeming　and　

Robertson　took　turns　baling　and　steering；　Mrs。　Jenkin；　so　violent　

was　the　commotion　of　the　boat；　held　on　with　both　hands；　Frewen；　by　

Robertson's　direction；　ran　the　engine；　slacking　and　pressing　her　to　

meet　the　seas；　and　Bernard；　only　twelve　years　old；　deadly　sea…sick；　

and　continually　thrown　against　the　boiler；　so　that　he　was　found　

next　day　to　be　covered　with　burns；　yet　kept　an　even　fire。　　It　was　a　

very　thankful　party　that　sat　down　that　evening　to　meat　in　the　Hotel　

at　Gairloch。　　And　perhaps；　although　the　thing　was　new　in　the　

family；　no　one　was　much　surprised　when　Fleeming　said　grace　over　

that　meal。　　Thenceforward　he　continued　to　observe　the　form；　so　that　

there　was　kept　alive　in　his　house　a　grateful　memory　of　peril　and　

deliverance。　　But　there　was　nothing　of　the　muff　in　Fleeming；　he　

thought　it　a　good　thing　to　escape　death；　but　a　becoming　and　a　

healthful　thing　to　run　the　risk　of　it；　and　what　is　rarer；　that　

which　he　thought　for　himself；　he　thought　for　his　family　also。　　In　

spite　of　the　terrors　of　Rhu　Reay；　the　cruise　was　persevered　in　and　

brought　to　an　end　under　happier　conditions。



One　year；　instead　of　the　Highlands；　Alt　Aussee；　in　the　Steiermark；　

was　chosen　for　the　holidays；　and　the　place；　the　people；　and　the　

life　delighted　Fleeming。　　He　worked　hard　at　German；　which　he　had　

much　forgotten　since　he　was　a　boy；　and　what　is　highly　

characteristic；　equally　hard　at　the　patois；　in　which　he　learned　to　

excel。　　He　won　a　prize　at　a　Schutzen…fest；　and　though　he　hunted　

chamois　without　much　success；　brought　down　more　interesting　game　in　

the　shape　of　the　Styrian　peasants；　and　in　particular　of　his　gillie；　

Joseph。　　This　Joseph　was　much　of　a　character；　and　his　appreciations　

of　Fleeming　have　a　fine　note　of　their　own。　　The　bringing　up　of　the　

boys　he　deigned　to　approve　of：　　'FAST　SO　GUT　WIE　EIN　BAUER；'　was　

his　trenchant　criticism。　　The　attention　and　courtly　respect　with　

which　Fleeming　surrounded　his　wife；　was　something　of　a　puzzle　to　

the　philosophic　gillie；　he　announced　in　the　village　that　Mrs。　

Jenkin　…　DIE　SILBERNE　FRAU；　as　the　folk　had　prettily　named　her　from　

some　silver　ornaments　…　was　a　'GEBORENE　GRAFIN'　who　had　married　

beneath　her；　and　when　Fleeming　explained　what　he　called　the　English　

theory　（though　indeed　it　was　quite　his　own）　of　married　relations；　

Joseph；　admiring　but　unconvinced；　avowed　it　was　'GAR　SCHON。'　　

Joseph's　cousin；　Walpurga　Moser；　to　an　orchestra　of　clarionet　and　

zither；　taught　the　family　the　country　dances；　the　Steierisch　and　

the　Landler；　and　gained　their　hearts　during　the　lessons。　　Her　

sister　Loys；　too；　who　was　up　at　the　Alp　with　the　cattle；　came　down　

to　church　on　Sundays；　made　acquaintance　with　the　Jenkins；　and　must　

have　them　up　to　see　the　sunrise　from　her　house　upon　the　Loser；　

where　they　had　supper　and　all　slept　in　the　loft　among　the　hay。　　The　

Mosers　were　not　lost　sight　of；　Walpurga　still　corresponds　with　Mrs。　

Jenkin；　and　it　was　a　late　pleasure　of　Fleeming's　to　choose　and　

despatch　a　wedding　present　for　his　little　mountain　friend。　　This　

visit　was　brought　to　an　end　by　a　ball　in　the　big　inn　parlour；　the　

refreshments　chosen；　the　list　of　guests　drawn　up；　by　Joseph；　the　

best　music　of　the　place　in　attendance；　and　hosts　and　guests　in　

their　best　clothes。　　The　ball　was　opened　by　Mrs。　Jenkin　dancing　

Steierisch　with　a　lordly　Bauer；　in　gray　and　silver　and　with　a　

plumed　hat；　and　Fleeming　followed　with　Walpurga　Moser。



There　ran　a　principle　through　all　these　holiday　pleasures。　　In　

Styria　as　in　the　Highlands；　the　same　course　was　followed：　　Fleeming　

threw　himself　as　fully　as　he　could　into　the　life　and　occupations　of　

the　native　people；　studying　everywhere　their　dances　and　their　

language；　and　conforming；　always　with　pleasure；　to　their　rustic　

etiquette。　　Just　as　the　ball　at　Alt　Aussee　was　designed　for　the　

taste　of　Joseph；　the　parting　feast　at　Attadale　was　ordered　in　every　

particular　to　the　taste　of　Murdoch　the　Keeper。　　Fleeming　was　not　

one　of　the　common；　so…called　gentlemen；　who　take　the　tricks　of　

their　own　coterie　to　be　eternal　principles　of　taste。　　He　was　aware；　

on　the　other　hand；　that　rustic　people　dwelling　in　their　own　places；　

follow　ancient　rules　with　fastidious　precision；　and　are　easily　

shocked　and　embarrassed　by　what　（if　they　used　the　word）　they　would　

have　to　call　the　vulgarity　of　visitors　from　town。　　And　he；　who　was　

so　cavalier　with　men　of　his　own　class；　was　sedulous　to　shield　the　

more　tender　feelings　of　the　peasant；　he；　who　could　be　so　trying　in　

a　drawing…room；　was　even　punctilious　in　the　cottage。　　It　was　in　all　

respects　a　happy　virtue。　　It　renewed　his　life；　during　these　

holidays；　in　all　particulars。　　It　often　entertained　him　with　the　

discovery　of　strange　survivals；　as　when；　by　the　orders　of　Murdoch；　

Mrs。　Jenkin　must　publicly　taste　of　every　dish　before　it　was　set　

before　her　guests。　　And　thus　to　throw　himself　into　a　fresh　life　and　

a　new　school　of　manners　was　a　grateful　exercise　of　Fleeming's　

mimetic　instinct；　and　to　the　pleasures　of　the　open　air；　of　

hardships　supported；　of　dexterities　improved　and　displayed；　and　of　

plain　and　elegant　society；　added　a　spice　of　drama。





II。





Fleeming　was　all　his　life　a　lover　of　the　play　and　all　that　belonged　

to　it。　　Dramatic　literature　he　knew　fully。　　He　was　one　of　the　not　

very　numerous　people　who　can　read　a　play：　　a　knack；　the　fruit　of　

much　knowledge　and　some　imagination；　comparable　to　that　of　reading　

score。　　Few　men　better　understood　the　artificial　principles　on　

which　a　play　is　good　or　bad；　few　more　unaffectedly　enjoyed　a　piece　

of　any　merit　of　construction。　　His　own　play　was　conceived　with　a　

double　design；　for　he　had　long　been　filled　with　his　theory　of　the　

true　story　of　Griselda；　used　to　gird　at　Father　Chaucer　for　his　

misconception；　and　was；　perhaps　first　of　all；　moved　by　the　desire　

to　do　justice　to　the　Marquis　of　Saluces；　and　perhaps　only　in　the　

second　place；　by　the　wish　to　treat　a　story　（as　he　phrased　it）　like　

a　sum　in　arithmetic。　　I　do　not　think　he　quite　succeeded；　but　I　must　

own　myself　no　fit　judge。　　Fleeming　and　I　w