the black dwarf-第3节

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ough　his　garden；　and　was　showing　them；　with　much　pride　and　good…humour；　all　his　rich　and　tastefully　assorted　borders；　when　they　happened　to　stop　near　a　plot　of　cabbages　which　had　been　somewhat　injured　by　the　caterpillars。　　Davie；　observing　one　of　the　ladies　smile；　instantly　assumed　his　savage；　scowling　aspect；　rushed　among　the　cabbages；　and　dashed　them　to　pieces　with　his　KENT；　exclaiming；　'I　hate　the　worms；　for　they　mock　me！'

〃Another　lady；　likewise　a　friend　and　old　acquaintance　of　his；　very　unintentionally　gave　David　mortal　offence　on　a　similar　occasion。　　Throwing　back　his　jealous　glance　as　he　was　ushering　her　into　his　garden；　he　fancied　he　observed　her　spit；　and　exclaimed；　with　great　ferocity；　'Am　I　a　toad；　woman！　that　ye　spit　at　methat　ye　spit　at　me？'　　and　without　listening　to　any　answer　or　excuse；　drove　her　out　of　his　garden　with　imprecations　and　insult。　　When　irritated　by　persons　for　whom　he　entertained　little　respect；　his　misanthropy　displayed　itself　in　words；　and　sometimes　in　actions；　of　still　greater　rudeness；　and　he　used　on　such　occasions　the　most　unusual　and　singularly　savage　imprecations　and　threats。〃　＇SCOTS　MAGAZINE；　vol。　lxxx。　p。207。＇

Nature　maintains　a　certain　balance　of　good　and　evil　in　all　her　works；　and　there　is　no　state　perhaps　so　utterly　desolate；　which　does　not　possess　some　source　of　gratification　peculiar　to　itself；　This　poor　man；　whose　misanthropy　was　founded　in　a　sense　on　his　own　preternatural　deformity；　had　yet　his　own　particular　enjoyments。　　Driven　into　solitude；　he　became　an　admirer　of　the　beauties　of　nature。　　His　garden；　which　he　sedulously　cultivated；　and　from　a　piece　of　wild　moorland　made　a　very　productive　spot；　was　his　pride　and　his　delight；　but　he　was　also　an　admirer　of　more　natural　beauty：　　the　soft　sweep　of　the　green　hill；　the　bubbling　of　a　clear　fountain；　or　the　complexities　of　a　wild　thicket；　were　scenes　on　which　he　often　gazed　for　hours；　and；　as　he　said；　with　inexpressible　delight。　　It　was　perhaps　for　this　reason　that　he　was　fond　of　Shenstone's　pastorals；　and　some　parts　of　PARADISE　LOST。　　The　author　has　heard　his　most　unmusical　voice　repeat　the　celebrated　description　of　Paradise；　which　he　seemed　fully　to　appreciate。　　His　other　studies　were　of　a　different　cast；　chiefly　polemical。　　He　never　went　to　the　parish　church；　and　was　therefore　suspected　of　entertaining　heterodox　opinions；　though　his　objection　was　probably　to　the　concourse　of　spectators；　to　whom　he　must　have　exposed　his　unseemly　deformity。　　He　spoke　of　a　future　state　with　intense　feeling；　and　even　with　tears。　　He　expressed　disgust　at　the　idea；　of　his　remains　being　mixed　with　the　common　rubbish；　as　he　called　it；　of　the　churchyard；　and　selected　with　his　usual　taste　a　beautiful　and　wild　spot　in　the　glen　where　he　had　his　hermitage；　in　which　to　take　his　last　repose。　　He　changed　his　mind；　however；　and　was　finally　interred　in　the　common　burial…　ground　of　Manor　parish。

The　author　has　invested　Wise　Elshie　with　some　qualities　which　made　him　appear；　in　the　eyes　of　the　vulgar；　a　man　possessed　of　supernatural　power。　　Common　fame　paid　David　Ritchie　a　similar　compliment；　for　some　of　the　poor　and　ignorant；　as　well　as　all　the　children；　in　the　neighbourhood；　held　him　to　be　what　is　called　uncanny。　　He　himself　did　not　altogether　discourage　the　idea；　it　enlarged　his　very　limited　circle　of　power；　and　in　so　far　gratified　his　conceit；　and　it　soothed　his　misanthropy；　by　increasing　his　means　of　giving　terror　or　pain。　　But　even　in　a　rude　Scottish　glen　thirty　years　back；　the　fear　of　sorcery　was　very　much　out　of　date。

David　Ritchie　affected　to　frequent　solitary　scenes；　especially　such　as　were　supposed　to　be　haunted；　and　valued　himself　upon　his　courage　in　doing　so。　　To　be　sure　he　had　little　chance　of　meeting　anything　more　ugly　than　himself。　　At　heart；　he　was　superstitious；　and　planted　many　rowans　（mountain　ashes）　around　his　hut；　as　a　certain　defence　against　necromancy。　　For　the　same　reason；　doubtless；　he　desired　to　have　rowan…trees　set　above　his　grave。

We　have　stated　that　David　Ritchie　loved　objects　of　natural　beauty。　　His　only　living　favourites　were　a　dog　and　a　cat；　to　which　he　was　particularly　attached；　and　his　bees；　which　he　treated　with　great　care。　　He　took　a　sister；　latterly；　to　live　in　a　hut　adjacent　to　his　own；　but　he　did　not　permit　her　to　enter　it。　She　was　weak　in　intellect；　but　not　deformed　in　person；　simple；　or　rather　silly；　but　not；　like　her　brother；　sullen　or　bizarre。　David　was　never　affectionate　to　her；　it　was　not　in　his　nature；　but　he　endured　her。　　He　maintained　himself　and　her　by　the　sale　of　the　product　of　their　garden　and　bee…hives；　and；　latterly；　they　had　a　small　allowance　from　the　parish。　　Indeed；　in　the　simple　and　patriarchal　state　in　which　the　country　then　was；　persons　in　the　situation　of　David　and　his　sister　were　sure　to　be　supported。　They　had　only　to　apply　to　the　next　gentleman　or　respectable　farmer；　and　were　sure　to　find　them　equally　ready　and　willing　to　supply　their　very　moderate　wants。　　David　often　received　gratuities　from　strangers；　which　he　never　asked；　never　refused；　and　never　seemed　to　consider　as　an　obligation。　　He　had　a　right；　indeed；　to　regard　himself　as　one　of　Nature's　paupers；　to　whom　she　gave　a　title　to　be　maintained　by　his　kind；　even　by　that　deformity　which　closed　against　him　all　ordinary　ways　of　supporting　himself　by　his　own　labour。　　Besides；　a　bag　was　suspended　in　the　mill　for　David　Ritchie's　benefit；　and　those　who　were　carrying　home　a　melder　of　meal；　seldom　failed　to　add　a　GOWPEN　＇Handful＇　to　the　alms…bag　of　the　deformed　cripple。　　In　short；　David　had　no　occasion　for　money；　save　to　purchase　snuff；　his　only　luxury；　in　which　he　indulged　himself　liberally。　　When　he　died；　in　the　beginning　of　the　present　century；　he　was　found　to　have　hoarded　about　twenty　pounds；　a　habit　very　consistent　with　his　disposition；　for　wealth　is　power；　and　power　was　what　David　Ritchie　desired　to　possess；　as　a　compensation　for　his　exclusion　from　human　society。

His　sister　survived　till　the　publication　of　the　tale　to　which　this　brief　notice　forms　the　introduction；　and　the　author　is　sorry　to　learn　that　a　sort　of　〃local　sympathy；〃　and　the　curiosity　then　expressed　concerning　the　Author　of　WAVERLEY　and　the　subjects　of　his　Novels；　exposed　the　poor　woman　to　enquiries　which　gave　her　pain。　　When　pressed　about　her　brother's　peculiarities；　she　asked；　in　her　turn；　why　they　would　not　permit　the　dead　to　rest？　　To　others；　who　pressed　for　some　account　of　her　parents；　she　answered　in　the　same　tone　of　feeling。

The　author　saw　this　poor；　and；　it　may　be　said；　unhappy　man；　in　autumn　1797　being　then；　as　he　has　the　happiness　still　to　remain；　connected　by　ties　of　intimate　friendship　with　the　family　of　the　venerable　Dr。　Adam　Fergusson；　the　philosopher　and　historian；　who　then　resided　at　the　mansion…house　of　Halyards；　in　the　vale　of　Manor；　about　a　mile　from　Ritchie's　hermitage；　the　author　was　upon　a　visit　at　Halyards；　which　lasted　for　several　days；　and　was　made　acquainted　with　this　singular　anchorite；　whom　Dr。　Fergusson　considered　as　an　extraordinary　character；　and　whom　he　assisted　in　various　ways；　particularly　by　the　occasional　loan　of　books。　Though　the　taste　of　the　philosopher　and　the　poor　peasant　did　not；　it　may　be　supposed；　always　correspond；　＇I　remember　David　was　particularly　anxious　to　see　a　book；　which　he　called；　I　think；　LETTERS　TO　ELECT　LADIES；　and　which；　he　said；　was　the　best　composition　he　had　ever　read；　but　Dr。　Fergusson's　library　did　not　supply　the　volume。＇　　Dr。　Fergusson　considered　him　as　a　man　of　a　powerful　capacity　and　original　ideas；　but　whose　mind　was　thrown　off　its　just　bias　by　a　predominant　degree　of　self…love　and　self…　opinion；　galled　by　the　sense　of　ridicule　and　contempt；　and　avenging　itself　upon　society；　in　idea　at　least；　by　a　gloomy　misanthropy。

David　Ritchie；　besides　the　utter　obscurity　of　his　life　while　in　existence；　had　been　dead　for　many　years；　when　it　occurred　to　the　author　that　such　a　character　might　be　made　a　powerful　agent　in　fictitious　narrative。　　He；　accordingly；　sketched　that　of　Elshie　of　the　Mucklestane…Moor。　　The　story　was　intended　to　be　longer；　and　the　catastrophe　more　artificially　brought　out；　but　a　friendly　critic；　to　whose　opinion　I　subjected　the　work　in　its　progress；　was　of　opinion；　that　the　idea　of　the　Solitary　was　of　a　kind　too　revolting；　and　more　likely　to　disgust　than　to　interest　the　reader。　　As　I　had　good　right　to　consider　my　adviser　as　an　excellent　judge　of　public　opinion；　I　got　off　my　subject　by　hastening　the　story　to　an　end；　as　fast　as　it　was　possible；　and；　by　huddling　into　one　volume；　a　tale　which　was　designed　to　occupy　two；　have　perhaps　produced　a　narrative　as　much　disproportioned　and　distorted；　as　the　Black　Dwarf　who　is　its　subject。


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III。　　THE　BLACK　DWARF。


CHAPTER　I。

PRELIMINARY。

　Hast　any　philosophy　in　thee；　Shepherd？　　AS　YOU　LIKE　IT。

It　was　a　fine　April　morning　（excepting　that　it　had　snowed　hard　the　night　before；　and　the　ground　remained　covered　with　a　dazzling　mantle　of　six　inches　in　depth）　when　two　horsemen　rode　up　to　the　Wallace　Inn。　　The　first　was　a　strong；　tall；　powerful　man；　in　a　grey　riding…coat；　having　a　hat　covered　with　waxcloth；　a　huge　silver…mounted　horsewhip；　boots；　and　dreadnought　overalls。　　He　was　mounted　on　a　large　strong　brown　mare；　rough　in　coat；　but　well　in　condition；　with　a　saddl