weir of hermiston-第11节

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who　is　so　good　as　to　pass　my　conduct　over　…　in　a　degree；　and　upon　the　

condition　that　I　am　to　leave　my　law　studies。〃　。　。　。







CHAPTER　V　…　WINTER　ON　THE　MOORS







I。　AT　HERMISTON





THE　road　to　Hermiston　runs　for　a　great　part　of　the　way　up　the　valley　of　

a　stream；　a　favourite　with　anglers　and　with　midges；　full　of　falls　and　

pools；　and　shaded　by　willows　and　natural　woods　of　birch。　　Here　and　

there；　but　at　great　distances；　a　byway　branches　off；　and　a　gaunt　

farmhouse　may　be　descried　above　in　a　fold　of　the　hill；　but　the　more　part　

of　the　time；　the　road　would　be　quite　empty　of　passage　and　the　hills　of　

habitation。　　Hermiston　parish　is　one　of　the　least　populous　in　Scotland；　

and；　by　the　time　you　came　that　length；　you　would　scarce　be　surprised　at　

the　inimitable　smallness　of　the　kirk；　a　dwarfish；　ancient　place　seated　

for　fifty；　and　standing　in　a　green　by　the　burn…side　among　two…score　

gravestones。　　The　manse　close　by；　although　no　more　than　a　cottage；　is　

surrounded　by　the　brightness　of　a　flower…garden　and　the　straw　roofs　of　

bees；　and　the　whole　colony；　kirk　and　manse；　garden　and　graveyard；　finds　

harbourage　in　a　grove　of　rowans；　and　is　all　the　year　round　in　a　great　

silence　broken　only　by　the　drone　of　the　bees；　the　tinkle　of　the　burn；　

and　the　bell　on　Sundays。　　A　mile　beyond　the　kirk　the　road　leaves　the　

valley　by　a　precipitous　ascent；　and　brings　you　a　little　after　to　the　

place　of　Hermiston；　where　it　comes　to　an　end　in　the　back…yard　before　the　

coach…house。　　All　beyond　and　about　is　the　great　field；　of　the　hills；　the　

plover；　the　curlew；　and　the　lark　cry　there；　the　wind　blows　as　it　blows　

in　a　ship's　rigging；　hard　and　cold　and　pure；　and　the　hill…tops　huddle　

one　behind　another　like　a　herd　of　cattle　into　the　sunset。



The　house　was　sixty　years　old；　unsightly；　comfortable；　a　farmyard　and　a　

kitchen…garden　on　the　left；　with　a　fruit　wall　where　little　hard　green　

pears　came　to　their　maturity　about　the　end　of　October。



The　policy　（as　who　should　say　the　park）　was　of　some　extent；　but　very　ill　

reclaimed；　heather　and　moorfowl　had　crossed　the　boundary　wall　and　spread　

and　roosted　within；　and　it　would　have　tasked　a　landscape　gardener　to　say　

where　policy　ended　and　unpolicied　nature　began。　　My　lord　had　been　led　by　

the　influence　of　Mr。　Sheriff　Scott　into　a　considerable　design　of　

planting；　many　acres　were　accordingly　set　out　with　fir；　and　the　little　

feathery　besoms　gave　a　false　scale　and　lent　a　strange　air　of　a　toy…shop　

to　the　moors。　　A　great；　rooty　sweetness　of　bogs　was　in　the　air；　and　at　

all　seasons　an　infinite　melancholy　piping　of　hill　birds。　　Standing　so　

high　and　with　so　little　shelter；　it　was　a　cold；　exposed　house；　splashed　

by　showers；　drenched　by　continuous　rains　that　made　the　gutters　to　spout；　

beaten　upon　and　buffeted　by　all　the　winds　of　heaven；　and　the　prospect　

would　be　often　black　with　tempest；　and　often　white　with　the　snows　of　

winter。　　But　the　house　was　wind　and　weather　proof；　the　hearths　were　kept　

bright；　and　the　rooms　pleasant　with　live　fires　of　peat；　and　Archie　might　

sit　of　an　evening　and　hear　the　squalls　bugle　on　the　moorland；　and　watch　

the　fire　prosper　in　the　earthy　fuel；　and　the　smoke　winding　up　the　

chimney；　and　drink　deep　of　the　pleasures　of　shelter。



Solitary　as　the　place　was；　Archie　did　not　want　neighbours。　　Every　night；　

if　he　chose；　he　might　go　down　to　the　manse　and　share　a　〃brewst〃　of　toddy　

with　the　minister　…　a　hare…brained　ancient　gentleman；　long　and　light　and　

still　active；　though　his　knees　were　loosened　with　age；　and　his　voice　

broke　continually　in　childish　trebles　…　and　his　lady　wife；　a　heavy；　

comely　dame；　without　a　word　to　say　for　herself　beyond　good…even　and　

good…day。　　Harum…scarum；　clodpole　young　lairds　of　the　neighbourhood　paid　

him　the　compliment　of　a　visit。　　Young　Hay　of　Romanes　rode　down　to　call；　

on　his　crop…eared　pony；　young　Pringle　of　Drumanno　came　up　on　his　bony　

grey。　　Hay　remained　on　the　hospitable　field；　and　must　be　carried　to　bed；　

Pringle　got　somehow　to　his　saddle　about　3　A。M。；　and　（as　Archie　stood　

with　the　lamp　on　the　upper　doorstep）　lurched；　uttered　a　senseless　view…

holloa；　and　vanished　out　of　the　small　circle　of　illumination　like　a　

wraith。　　Yet　a　minute　or　two　longer　the　clatter　of　his　break…neck　flight　

was　audible；　then　it　was　cut　off　by　the　intervening　steepness　of　the　

hill；　and　again；　a　great　while　after；　the　renewed　beating　of　phantom　

horse…hoofs；　far　in　the　valley　of　the　Hermiston；　showed　that　the　horse　

at　least；　if　not　his　rider；　was　still　on　the　homeward　way。



There　was　a　Tuesday　club　at　the　〃Cross…keys〃　in　Crossmichael；　where　the　

young　bloods　of　the　country…side　congregated　and　drank　deep　on　a　

percentage　of　the　expense；　so　that　he　was　left　gainer　who　should　have　

drunk　the　most。　　Archie　had　no　great　mind　to　this　diversion；　but　he　took　

it　like　a　duty　laid　upon　him；　went　with　a　decent　regularity；　did　his　

manfullest　with　the　liquor；　held　up　his　head　in　the　local　jests；　and　got　

home　again　and　was　able　to　put　up　his　horse；　to　the　admiration　of　

Kirstie　and　the　lass　that　helped　her。　　He　dined　at　Driffel；　supped　at　

Windielaws。　　He　went　to　the　new　year's　ball　at　Huntsfield　and　was　made　

welcome；　and　thereafter　rode　to　hounds　with　my　Lord　Muirfell；　upon　whose　

name；　as　that　of　a　legitimate　Lord　of　Parliament；　in　a　work　so　full　of　

Lords　of　Session；　my　pen　should　pause　reverently。　　Yet　the　same　fate　

attended　him　here　as　in　Edinburgh。　　The　habit　of　solitude　tends　to　

perpetuate　itself；　and　an　austerity　of　which　he　was　quite　unconscious；　

and　a　pride　which　seemed　arrogance；　and　perhaps　was　chiefly　shyness；　

discouraged　and　offended　his　new　companions。　　Hay　did　not　return　more　

than　twice；　Pringle　never　at　all；　and　there　came　a　time　when　Archie　even　

desisted　from　the　Tuesday　Club；　and　became　in　all　things　…　what　he　had　

had　the　name　of　almost　from　the　first　…　the　Recluse　of　Hermiston。

High…nosed　Miss　Pringle　of　Drumanno　and　high…stepping　Miss　Marshall　of　

the　Mains　were　understood　to　have　had　a　difference　of　opinion　about　him　

the　day　after　the　ball　…　he　was　none　the　wiser；　he　could　not　suppose　

himself　to　be　remarked　by　these　entrancing　ladies。　　At　the　ball　itself　

my　Lord　Muirfell's　daughter；　the　Lady　Flora；　spoke　to　him　twice；　and　the　

second　time　with　a　touch　of　appeal；　so　that　her　colour　rose　and　her　

voice　trembled　a　little　in　his　ear；　like　a　passing　grace　in　music。　　He　

stepped　back　with　a　heart　on　fire；　coldly　and　not　ungracefully　excused　

himself；　and　a　little　after　watched　her　dancing　with　young　Drumanno　of　

the　empty　laugh；　and　was　harrowed　at　the　sight；　and　raged　to　himself　

that　this　was　a　world　in　which　it　was　given　to　Drumanno　to　please；　and　

to　himself　only　to　stand　aside　and　envy。　　He　seemed　excluded；　as　of　

right；　from　the　favour　of　such　society　…　seemed　to　extinguish　mirth　

wherever　he　came；　and　was　quick　to　feel　the　wound；　and　desist；　and　

retire　into　solitude。　　If　he　had　but　understood　the　figure　he　presented；　

and　the　impression　he　made　on　these　bright　eyes　and　tender　hearts；　if　he　

had　but　guessed　that　the　Recluse　of　Hermiston；　young；　graceful；　well　

spoken；　but　always　cold；　stirred　the　maidens　of　the　county　with　the　

charm　of　Byronism　when　Byronism　was　new；　it　may　be　questioned　whether　

his　destiny　might　not　even　yet　have　been　modified。　　It　may　be　

questioned；　and　I　think　it　should　be　doubted。　　It　was　in　his　horoscope　

to　be　parsimonious　of　pain　to　himself；　or　of　the　chance　of　pain；　even　to　

the　avoidance　of　any　opportunity　of　pleasure；　to　have　a　Roman　sense　of　

duty；　an　instinctive　aristocracy　of　manners　and　taste；　to　be　the　son　of　

Adam　Weir　and　Jean　Rutherford。





2。　KIRSTIE





Kirstie　was　now　over　fifty；　and　might　have　sat　to　a　sculptor。　　Long　of　

limb；　and　still　light　of　foot；　deep…breasted；　robust…loined；　her　golden　

hair　not　yet　mingled　with　any　trace　of　silver；　the　years　had　but　

caressed　and　embellished　her。　　By　the　lines　of　a　rich　and　vigorous　

maternity；　she　seemed　destined　to　be　the　bride　of　heroes　and　the　mother　

of　their　children；　and　behold；　by　the　iniquity　of　fate；　she　had　passed　

through　her　youth　alone；　and　drew　near　to　the　confines　of　age；　a　

childless　woman。　　The　tender　ambitions　that　she　had　received　at　birth　

had　been；　by　time　and　disappointment；　diverted　into　a　certain　barren　

zeal　of　industry　and　fury　of　interference。　　She　carried　her　thwarted　

ardours　into　housework；　she　washed　floors　with　her　empty　heart。　　If　she　

could　not　win　the　love　of　one　with　love；　she　must　dominate　all　by　her　

temper。　　Hasty；　wordy；　and　wrathful；　she　had　a　drawn　quarrel　with　most　

of　her　neighbours；　and　with　the　others　not　much　more　than　armed　

neutrality。　　The　grieve's　wife　had　been　〃sneisty〃；　the　sister　of　the　

gardener　who　kept　house　for　him　had　shown　herself　〃upsitten〃；　and　she　

wrote　to　Lord　Hermiston　about　once　a　year　demanding　the　discharge　of　the　

offenders；　and　justifying　the　demand　by　much　wealth　of　detail。　　For　it　

must　not　be　suppo