the black dwarf-第9节

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〃But　I　am　sure；　my　good　friend；　you　would　not　have　me　be　afraid　of　going　to　an　open　moor　in　broad　daylight？〃

〃I　dinna　ken；〃　said　the　good　old　dame；　〃I　wad　never　bid　son　or　friend　o'　mine　haud　their　hand　back　in　a　gude　cause；　whether　it　were　a　friend's　or　their　ainthat　should　be　by　nae　bidding　of　mine；　or　of　ony　body　that's　come　of　a　gentle　kindredBut　it　winna　gang　out　of　a　grey　head　like　mine；　that　to　gang　to　seek　for　evil　that's　no　fashing　wi'　you；　is　clean　against　law　and　Scripture。〃

Earnscliff　resigned　an　argument　which　he　saw　no　prospect　of　maintaining　with　good　effect；　and　the　entrance　of　supper　broke　off　the　conversation。　　Miss　Grace　had　by　this　time　made　her　appearance；　and　Hobbie；　not　without　a　conscious　glance　at　Earnscliff；　placed　himself　by　her　side。　　Mirth　and　lively　conversation；　in　which　the　old　lady　of　the　house　took　the　good…　humoured　share　which　so　well　becomes　old　age；　restored　to　the　cheeks　of　the　damsels　the　roses　which　their　brother's　tale　of　the　apparition　had　chased　away；　and　they　danced　and　sung　for　an　hour　after　supper　as　if　there　were　no　such　things　as　goblins　in　the　world。



CHAPTER　IV。

　I　am　Misanthropos；　and　hate　mankind；　　For　thy　part；　I　do　wish　thou　wert　a　dog；　　That　I　might　love　thee　something。　　　　　　　　TIMON　OF　ATHENS

On　the　following　morning；　after　breakfast；　Earnscliff　took　leave　of　his　hospitable　friends；　promising　to　return　in　time　to　partake　of　the　venison；　which　had　arrived　from　his　house。　　Hobbie；　who　apparently　took　leave　of　him　at　the　door　of　his　habitation；　slunk　out；　however；　and　joined　him　at　the　top　of　the　hill。

〃Ye'll　be　gaun　yonder；　Mr。　Patrick；　feind　o'　me　will　mistryst　you　for　a'　my　mother　says。　　I　thought　it　best　to　slip　out　quietly　though；　in　case　she　should　mislippen　something　of　what　we're　gaun　to　dowe　maunna　vex　her　at　nae　rateit　was　amaist　the　last　word　my　father　said　to　me　on　his　deathbed。〃

〃By　no　means；　Hobbie；〃　said　Earnscliff；　〃she　well　merits　all　your　attention。〃

〃Troth；　for　that　matter；　she　would　be　as　sair　vexed　amaist　for　you　as　for　me。　　But　d'ye　really　think　there's　nae　presumption　in　venturing　back　yonder？We　hae　nae　special　commission；　ye　ken。〃

〃If　I　thought　as　you　do；　Hobbie；〃　said　the　young　gentleman；　〃I　would　not　perhaps　enquire　farther　into　this　business；　but　as　I　am　of　opinion　that　preternatural　visitations　are　either　ceased　altogether；　or　become　very　rare　in　our　days；　I　am　unwilling　to　leave　a　matter　uninvestigated　which　may　concern　the　life　of　a　poor　distracted　being。〃

〃Aweel；　aweel；　if　ye　really　think　that；〃　answered　Hobbie　doubtfully〃And　it's　for　certain　the　very　fairiesI　mean　the　very　good　neighbours　themsells　（for　they　say　folk　suldna　ca'　them　fairies）　that　used　to　be　seen　on　every　green　knowe　at　e'en；　are　no　half　sae　often　visible　in　our　days。　　I　canna　depone　to　having　ever　seen　ane　mysell；　but；　I　ance　heard　ane　whistle　ahint　me　in　the　moss；　as　like　a　whaup　＇Curlew＇　as　ae　thing　could　be　like　anither。　　And　mony　ane　my　father　saw　when　he　used　to　come　hame　frae　the　fairs　at　e'en；　wi'　a　drap　drink　in　his　head；　honest　man。〃

Earnscliff　was　somewhat　entertained　with　the　gradual　declension　of　superstition　from　one　generation　to　another　which　was　inferred　In　this　last　observation；　and　they　continued　to　reason　on　such　subjects；　until　they　came　in　sight　of　the　upright　stone　which　gave　name　to　the　moor。

〃As　I　shall　answer；〃　says　Hobbie；　〃yonder's　the　creature　creeping　about　yet！But　it's　daylight；　and　you　have　your　gun；　and　I　brought　out　my　bit　whingerI　think　we　may　venture　on　him。〃

〃By　all　manner　of　means；〃　said　Earnscliff；　〃but；　in　the　name　of　wonder；　what　can　he　be　doing　there？〃

〃Biggin　a　dry…stane　dyke；　I　think；　wi'　the　grey　geese；　as　they　ca'　thae　great　loose　stanesOdd；　that　passes　a'　thing　I　e'er　heard　tell　of！〃

As　they　approached　nearer；　Earnscliff　could　not　help　agreeing　with　his　companion。　　The　figure　they　had　seen　the　night　before　seemed　slowly　and　toilsomely　labouring　to　pile　the　large　stones　one　upon　another；　as　if　to　form　a　small　enclosure。　　Materials　lay　around　him　in　great　plenty；　but　the　labour　of　carrying　on　the　work　was　immense；　from　the　size　of　most　of　the　stones；　and　it　seemed　astonishing　that　he　should　have　succeeded　in　moving　several　which　he　had　already　arranged　for　the　foundation　of　his　edifice。　　He　was　struggling　to　move　a　fragment　of　great　size　when　the　two　young　men　came　up；　and　was　so　intent　upon　executing　his　purpose；　that　he　did　not　perceive　them　till　they　were　close　upon　him。　　In　straining　and　heaving　at　the　stone；　in　order　to　place　it　according　to　his　wish；　he　displayed　a　degree　of　strength　which　seemed　utterly　inconsistent　with　his　size　and　apparent　deformity。　Indeed；　to　judge　from　the　difficulties　he　had　already　surmounted；　he　must　have　been　of　Herculean　powers；　for　some　of　the　stones　he　had　succeeded　in　raising　apparently　required　two　men's　strength　to　have　moved　them。　　Hobbie's　suspicions　began　to　revive；　on　seeing　the　preternatural　strength　he　exerted。

〃I　am　amaist　persuaded　it's　the　ghaist　of　a　stane…masonsee　siccan　band…statnes　as　he's　laid　iAn　it　be　a　man；　after　a'；　I　wonder　what　he　wad　take　by　the　rood　to　build　a　march　dyke。　There's　ane　sair　wanted　between　Cringlehope　and　the　Shaws。　Honest　man〃　（raising　his　voice）；　〃ye　make　good　firm　wark　there？〃

The　being　whom　he　addressed　raised　his　eyes　with　a　ghastly　stare；　and；　getting　up　from　his　stooping　posture；　stood　before　them　in　all　his　native　and　hideous　deformity。　　His　head　was　of　uncommon　size；　covered　with　a　fell　of　shaggy　hair；　partly　grizzled　with　age；　his　eyebrows；　shaggy　and　prominent；　overhung　a　pair　of　small　dark；　piercing　eyes；　set　far　back　in　their　sockets；　that　rolled　with　a　portentous　wildness；　indicative　of　a　partial　insanity。　The　rest　of　his　features　were　of　the　coarse；　rough…hewn　stamp；　with　which　a　painter　would　equip　a　giant　in　romance；　to　which　was　added　the　wild；　irregular；　and　peculiar　expression；　so　often　seen　in　the　countenances　of　those　whose　persons　are　deformed。　　His　body；　thick　and　square；　like　that　of　a　man　of　middle　size；　was　mounted　upon　two　large　feet；　but　nature　seemed　to　have　forgotten　the　legs　and　the　thighs；　or　they　were　so　very　short　as　to　be　hidden　by　the　dress　which　he　wore。　　His　arms　were　long　and　brawny；　furnished　with　two　muscular　hands；　and；　where　uncovered　in　the　eagerness　of　his　labour；　were　shagged　with　coarse　black　hair。　　It　seemed　as　if　nature　had　originally　intended　the　separate　parts　of　his　body　to　be　the　members　of　a　giant；　but　had　afterwards　capriciously　assigned　them　to　the　person　of　a　dwarf；　so　ill　did　the　length　of　his　arms　and　the　iron　strength　of　his　frame　correspond　with　the　shortness　of　his　stature。　　His　clothing　was　a　sort　of　coarse　brown　tunic；　like　a　monk's　frock；　girt　round　him　with　a　belt　of　seal…skin。　　On　his　head　he　had　a　cap　made　of　badger's　skin；　or　some　other　rough　fur；　which　added　considerably　to　the　grotesque　effect　of　his　whole　appearance；　and　overshadowed　features；　whose　habitual　expression　seemed　that　of　sullen　malignant　misanthropy。

This　remarkable　Dwarf　gazed　on　the　two　youths　in　silence；　with　a　dogged　and　irritated　look；　until　Earnscliff；　willing　to　soothe　him　into　better　temper；　observed；　〃You　are　hard　tasked；　my　friend；　allow　us　to　assist　you。〃

Elliot　and　he　accordingly　placed　the　stone；　by　their　joint　efforts；　upon　the　rising　wall。　　The　Dwarf　watched　them　with　the　eye　of　a　taskmaster；　and　testified；　by　peevish　gestures；　his　impatience　at　the　time　which　they　took　in　adjusting　the　stone。　He　pointed　to　anotherthey　raised　it　alsoto　a　third；　to　a　fourththey　continued　to　humour　him；　though　with　some　trouble；　for　he　assigned　them；　as　if　intentionally；　the　heaviest　fragments　which　lay　near。

〃And　now；　friend；〃　said　Elliot；　as　the　unreasonable　Dwarf　indicated　another　stone　larger　than　any　they　had　moved；　〃Earnscliff　may　do　as　he　likes；　but　be　ye　man　or　be　ye　waur；　deil　be　in　my　fingers　if　I　break　my　back　wi'　heaving　thae　stanes　ony　langer　like　a　barrow…man；　without　getting　sae　muckle　as　thanks　for　my　pains。〃

〃Thanks！〃　　exclaimed　the　Dwarf；　with　a　motion　expressive　of　the　utmost　contempt〃Theretake　them；　and　fatten　upon　them！　　Take　them；　and　may　they　thrive　with　you　as　they　have　done　with　meas　they　have　done　with　every　mortal　worm　that　ever　heard　the　word　spoken　by　his　fellow　reptile！　Henceeither　labour　or　begone！〃

〃This　is　a　fine　reward　we　have；　Earnscliff；　for　building　a　tabernacle　for　the　devil；　and　prejudicing　our　ain　souls　into　the　bargain；　for　what　we　ken。〃

〃Our　presence；〃　answered　Earnscliff；　〃seems　only　to　irritate　his　frenzy；　we　had　better　leave　him；　and　send　some　one　to　provide　him　with　food　and　necessaries。〃

They　did　so。　　The　servant　dispatched　for　this　purpose　found　the　Dwarf　still　labouring　at　his　wall；　but　could　not　extract　a　word　from　him。　　The　lad；　infected　with　the　superstitions　of　the　country；　did　not　long　persist　in　an　attempt　to　intrude　questions　or　advice　on　so　singular　a　figure；　but　having　placed　the　articles　which　he　had　brought　for　his　use　on　a　stone　at　some　distance；　he　left　them　at　the　misanthrope's　disposal。

The　Dwarf　proceeded　in　his　labours；　day　after　day；　with　an　assiduity　so　incredible　as　to　appear　almost　supernatural。　　In　one　day　he　often　seemed　to　have　done　the　work　of　two　men；　and　his　building　soon　assumed　the　app