guy mannering-第72节

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st　of　Allonby。　His　baggage　he　pretended　to　expect　front　Wigton；　and　keeping　himself　as　much　within　doors　as　possible；　awaited　the　return　of　the　letters　which　he　had　sent　to　his　agent；　to　Delaserre；　and　to　his　Lieutenant…Colonel。　From　the　first　he　requested　a　supply　of　money；　he　conjured　Delaserre；　if　possible；　to　join　him　in　Scotland；　and　from　the　Lieutenant…Colonel　he　required　such　testimony　of　his　rank　and　conduct　in　the　regiment　as　should　place　his　character　as　a　gentleman　and　officer　beyond　the　power　of　question。　The　inconvenience　of　being　run　short　in　his　finances　struck　him　so　strongly；　that　he　wrote　to　Dinmont　on　that　subject；　requesting　a　small　temporary　loan；　having　no　doubt　that；　being　within　sixty　or　seventy　miles　of　his　residence；　he　should　receive　a　speedy　as　well　as　favourable　answer　to　his　request　of　pecuniary　accommodation；　which　was　owing；　as　he　stated；　to　his　having　been　robbed　after　their　parting。　And　then；　with　impatience　enough；　though　without　any　serious　apprehension；　he　waited　the　answers　of　these　various　letters。

It　must　be　observed；　in　excuse　of　his　correspondents；　that　the　post　was　then　much　more　tardy　than　since　Mr。　Palmer's　ingenious　invention　has　taken　place；　and　with　respect　to　honest　Dinmont　in　particular；　as　he　rarely　received　above　one　letter　a　quarter　（unless　during　the　time　of　his　being　engaged　in　a　lawsuit；　when　he　regularly　sent　to　the　post…town）；　his　correspondence　usually　remained　for　a　month　or　two　sticking　in　the　postmaster's　window；　among　pamphlets；　gingerbread；　rolls；　or　ballads；　according　to　the　trade　which　the　said　postmaster　exercised。　Besides；　there　was　then　a　custom；　not　yet　wholly　obsolete；　of　causing　a　letter；　from　one　town　to　another；　perhaps　within　the　distance　of　thirty　miles；　perform　a　circuit　of　two　hundred　miles　before　delivery；　which　had　the　combined　advantage　of　airing　the　epistle　thoroughly；　of　adding　some　pence　to　the　revenue　of　the　post…office；　and　of　exercising　the　patience　of　the　correspondents。　Owing　to　these　circumstances；　Brown　remained　several　days　in　Allonby　without　any　answers　whatever；　and　his　stock　of　money；　though　husbanded　with　the　utmost　economy；　began　to　wear　very　low；　when　he　received；　by　the　hands　of　a　young　fisherman；　the　following　letter

〃You　have　acted　with　the　most　cruel　indiscretion；　you　have　shown　how　little　I　can　trust　to　your　declarations　that　my　peace　and　happiness　are　dear　to　you；　and　your　rashness　has　nearly　occasioned　the　death　of　a　young　man　of　the　highest　worth　and　honour。　Must　I　say　more？must　I　add；　that　I　have　been　myself　ill　in　consequence　of　your　violence　and　its　effects？　And；　alas！　need　I　say　still　further；　that　I　have　thought　anxiously　upon　them　as　they　are　likely　to　affect　you；　although　you　have　given　me　such　slight　cause　to　do　so？　The　C。　is　gone　from　home　for　several　days；　Mr。　H。　is　almost　quite　recovered；　and　I　have　reason　to　think　that　the　blame　is　laid　in　a　quarter　different　from　that　where　it　is　deserved。　Yet　do　not　think　of　venturing　here。　Our　fate　has　been　crossed　by　accidents　of　a　nature　too　violent　and　terrible　to　permit　me　to　think　of　renewing　a　correspondence　which　has　so　often　threatened　the　most　dreadful　catastrophe。　Farewell；　therefore；　and　believe　that　no　one　can　wish　your　happiness　more　sincerely　than　J。　M。〃

This　letter　contained　that　species　of　advice；　which　is　frequently　given　for　the　precise　purpose　that　it　may　lead　to　a　directly　opposite　conduct　from　that　which　it　recommends。　At　least　so　thought　Brown；　who　immediately　asked　the　young　fisherman　if　he　came　from　Portanferry。

〃Ay；〃　said　the　lad；　〃I　am　auld　Willie　Johnstone's　son；　and　I　got　that　letter　frae　my　sister　Peggy；　that's　laundry…maid　at　Woodbourne。〃

〃My　good　friend；　when　do　you　sail？〃

〃With　the　tide　this　evening。〃

〃I'll　return　with　you；　but　as　I　do　not　desire　to　go　to　Portanferry；　I　wish　you　could　put　me　on　shore　somewhere　on　the　coast。〃

〃We　can　easily　do　that；〃　said　the　lad。

Although　the　price　of　provisions；　etc。；　was　then　very　moderate；　the　discharging　his　lodgings；　and　the　expense　of　his　living；　together　with　that　of　a　change　of　dress；　which　safety　as　well　as　a　proper　regard　to　his　external　appearance　rendered　necessary；　brought　Brown's　purse　to　a　very　low　ebb。　He　left　directions　at　the　post…office　that　his　letters　should　be　forwarded　to　Kippletringan；　whither　he　resolved　to　proceed；　and　reclaim　the　treasure　which　he　had　deposited　in　the　hands　of　Mrs。　Mac…Candlish。　He　also　felt　it　would　be　his　duty　to　assume　his　proper　character　as　soon　as　he　should　receive　the　necessary　evidence　for　supporting　it；　and；　as　an　officer　in　the　king's　service；　give　and　receive　every　explanation　which　might　be　necessary　with　young　Hazlewood。　If　he　is　not　very　wrong…headed　indeed；　he　thought；　he　must　allow　the　manner　in　which　I　acted　to　have　been　the　necessary　consequence　of　his　own　overbearing　conduct。

And　now　we　must　suppose　him　once　more　embarked　on　the　Solway　frith。　The　wind　was　adverse；　attended　by　some　rain；　and　they　struggled　against　it　without　much　assistance　from　the　tide。　The　boat　was　heavily　laden　with　goods　（part　of　which　were　probably　contraband）；　and　laboured　deep　in　the　sea。　Brown；　who　had　been　bred　a　sailor；　and　was　indeed　skilled　in　most　athletic　exercises；　gave　his　powerful　and　effectual　assistance　in　rowing；　or　occasionally　in　steering　the　boat；　and　his　advice　in　the　management；　which　became　the　more　delicate　as　the　wind　increased；　and；　being　opposed　to　the　very　rapid　tides　of　that　coast；　made　the　voyage　perilous。　At　length；　after　spending　the　whole　night　upon　the　frith；　they　were　at　morning　within　sight　of　a　beautiful　bay　upon　the　Scottish　coast。　The　weather　was　now　more　mild。　The　snow；　which　had　been　for　some　time　waning；　had　given　way　entirely　under　the　fresh　gale　of　the　preceding　night。　The　more　distant　hills；　indeed；　retained　their　snowy　mantle；　but　all　the　open　country　was　cleared；　unless　where　a　few　white　patches　indicated　that　it　had　been　drifted　to　an　uncommon　depth。　Even　under　its　wintry　appearance；　the　shore　was　highly　interesting。　The　line　of　sea…coast；　with　all　its　varied　curves；　indentures；　and　embayments；　swept　away　from　the　sight　on　either　hand；　in　that　varied；　intricate；　yet　graceful　and　easy　line；　which　the　eye　loves　so　well　to　pursue。　And　it　was　no　less　relieved　and　varied　in　elevation　than　in　outline　by　the　different　forms　of　the　shore；　the　beach　in　some　places　being　edged　by　steep　rocks；　and　in　others　rising　smoothly　from　the　sands　in　easy　and　swelling　slopes。　Buildings　of　different　kinds　caught　and　reflected　the　wintry　sunbeams　of　a　December　morning；　and　the　woods；　though　now　leafless；　gave　relief　and　variety　to　the　landscape。　Brown　felt　that　lively　and　awakening　interest　which　taste　and　sensibility　always　derive　from　the　beauties　of　nature；　when　opening　suddenly　to　the　eye；　after　the　dulness　and　gloom　of　a　night　voyage。　Perhaps；for　who　can　presume　to　analyse　that　inexplicable　feeling　which　binds　the　person　born　in　a　mountainous　country　to　his　native　hills；perhaps　some　early　associations；　retaining　their　effect　long　after　the　cause　was　forgotten；　mingled　in　the　feelings　of　pleasure　with　which　he　regarded　the　scene　before　him。

〃And　what；〃　said　Brown　to　the　boatman；　〃is　the　name　of　that　fine　cape；　that　stretches　into　the　sea　with　its　sloping　banks　and　hillocks　of　wood；　and　forms　the　right　side　of　the　bay？〃

〃Warroch　Point；〃　answered　the　lad。

〃And　that　old　castle；　my　friend；　with　the　modern　house　situated　just　beneath　it？　It　seems　at　this　distance　a　very　large　building。〃

〃That's　the　Auld　Place；　sir；　and　that's　the　New　Place　below　it。　We'll　land　you　there　if　you　like。〃

〃I　should　like　it　of　all　things。　I　must　visit　that　ruin　before　I　continue　my　journey。〃

〃Ay；　it's　a　queer　auld　bit；〃　said　the　fisherman　and　that　highest　tower　is　a　gude　landmark　as　far　as　Ramsay　in　Man；　and　the　Point　of　Ayrthere　was　muckle　fighting　about　the　place　lang　syne。〃

Brown　would　have　inquired　into　further　particulars；　but　a　fisherman　is　seldom　an　antiquary。　His　boatman's　local　knowledge　was　summed　up　in　the　information　already　given；　〃that　it　was　a　grand　landmark；　and　that　there　had　been　muckle　fighting　about　the　bit　lang　syne。〃

〃I　shall　learn　more　of　it；〃　said　Brown　to　himself；　〃when　I　get　ashore。〃

The　boat　continued　its　course　close　under　the　point　upon　which　the　castle　was　situated；　which　frowned　from　the　summit　of　its　rocky　site　upon　the　still　agitated　waves　of　the　bay　beneath。　〃I　believe；〃　said　the　steersman；　〃ye'll　get　ashore　here　as　dry　as　ony　gate。　＇*Any　place＇　There's　a　place　where　their　berlins　and　galleys；　as　they　ca'd　them；　used　to　lie　in　lang　syne；　but　it's　no　used　now；　because　it's　ill　carrying　gudes　up　the　narrow　stairs；　or　ower　the　rocks。　Whiles　of　a　moon…light　night　I　have　landed　articles　there；　though。〃

While　he　thus　spoke；　they　pulled　round　a　point　of　rock；　and　found　a　very　small　harbour；　partly　formed　by　nature；　partly　by　the　indefatigable　labour　of　the　ancient　inhabitants　of　the　castle；　who；　as　the　fisherman　observed；　had　found　it　essential　for　the　protection　of　their　boats　and　small　craft；　thou…h　it　could　not　receive　vessels　of　any　burden。　The　two　points　of　rock　which　formed　the　access　approached　each　other　so　nearly；　that　only　one　boat　could　enter　at　a　time…。　On　each　side　were　still　remaining　two　i