weir of hermiston-第12节

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

must　not　be　supposed　that　the　quarrel　rested　with　the　wife　and　did　not　

take　in　the　husband　also　…　or　with　the　gardener's　sister；　and　did　not　

speedily　include　the　gardener　himself。　　As　the　upshot　of　all　this　petty　

quarrelling　and　intemperate　speech；　she　was　practically　excluded　（like　a　

lightkeeper　on　his　tower）　from　the　comforts　of　human　association；　except　

with　her　own　indoor　drudge；　who；　being　but　a　lassie　and　entirely　at　her　

mercy；　must　submit　to　the　shifty　weather　of　　〃the　mistress's〃　moods　

without　complaint；　and　be　willing　to　take　buffets　or　caresses　according　

to　the　temper　of　the　hour。　　To　Kirstie；　thus　situate　and　in　the　Indian　

summer　of　her　heart；　which　was　slow　to　submit　to　age；　the　gods　sent　this　

equivocal　good　thing　of　Archie's　presence。　　She　had　known　him　in　the　

cradle　and　paddled　him　when　he　misbehaved；　and　yet；　as　she　had　not　so　

much　as　set　eyes　on　him　since　he　was　eleven　and　had　his　last　serious　

illness；　the　tall；　slender；　refined；　and　rather　melancholy　young　

gentleman　of　twenty　came　upon　her　with　the　shock　of　a　new　acquaintance。　　

He　was　〃Young　Hermiston；〃　〃the　laird　himsel'　〃：　he　had　an　air　of　

distinctive　superiority；　a　cold　straight　glance　of　his　black　eyes；　that　

abashed　the　woman's　tantrums　in　the　beginning；　and　therefore　the　

possibility　of　any　quarrel　was　excluded。　　He　was　new；　and　therefore　

immediately　aroused　her　curiosity；　he　was　reticent；　and　kept　it　awake。　　

And　lastly　he　was　dark　and　she　fair；　and　he　was　male　and　she　female；　the　

everlasting　fountains　of　interest。



Her　feeling　partook　of　the　loyalty　of　a　clanswoman；　the　hero…worship　of　

a　maiden　aunt；　and　the　idolatry　due　to　a　god。　　No　matter　what　he　had　

asked　of　her；　ridiculous　or　tragic；　she　would　have　done　it　and　joyed　to　

do　it。　　Her　passion；　for　it　was　nothing　less；　entirely　filled　her。　　It　

was　a　rich　physical　pleasure　to　make　his　bed　or　light　his　lamp　for　him　

when　he　was　absent；　to　pull　off　his　wet　boots　or　wait　on　him　at　dinner　

when　he　returned。　　A　young　man　who　should　have　so　doted　on　the　idea；　

moral　and　physical；　of　any　woman；　might　be　properly　described　as　being　

in　love；　head　and　heels；　and　would　have　behaved　himself　accordingly。　　

But　Kirstie　…　though　her　heart　leaped　at　his　coming　footsteps　…　though；　

when　he　patted　her　shoulder；　her　face　brightened　for　the　day　…　had　not　a　

hope　or　thought　beyond　the　present　moment　and　its　perpetuation　to　the　

end　of　time。　　Till　the　end　of　time　she　would　have　had　nothing　altered；　

but　still　continue　delightedly　to　serve　her　idol；　and　be　repaid　（say　

twice　in　the　month）　with　a　clap　on　the　shoulder。



I　have　said　her　heart　leaped　…　it　is　the　accepted　phrase。　　But　rather；　

when　she　was　alone　in　any　chamber　of　the　house；　and　heard　his　foot　

passing　on　the　corridors；　something　in　her　bosom　rose　slowly　until　her　

breath　was　suspended；　and　as　slowly　fell　again　with　a　deep　sigh；　when　

the　steps　had　passed　and　she　was　disappointed　of　her　eyes'　desire。　　This　

perpetual　hunger　and　thirst　of　his　presence　kept　her　all　day　on　the　

alert。　　When　he　went　forth　at　morning；　she　would　stand　and　follow　him　

with　admiring　looks。　　As　it　grew　late　and　drew　to　the　time　of　his　return；

she　would　steal　forth　to　a　corner　of　the　policy　wall　and　be　seen　standing

there　sometimes　by　the　hour　together；　gazing　with　shaded　eyes；　waiting　the　

exquisite　and　barren　pleasure　of　his　view　a　mile　off　on　the　mountains。　　

When　at　night　she　had　trimmed　and　gathered　the　fire；　turned　down　his　

bed；　and　laid　out　his　night…gear　…　when　there　was　no　more　to　be　done　for　

the　king's　pleasure；　but　to　remember　him　fervently　in　her　usually　very　

tepid　prayers；　and　go　to　bed　brooding　upon　his　perfections；　his　future　

career；　and　what　she　should　give　him　the　next　day　for　dinner　…　there　

still　remained　before　her　one　more　opportunity；　she　was　still　to　take　in　

the　tray　and　say　good…night。　　Sometimes　Archie　would　glance　up　from　his　

book　with　a　preoccupied　nod　and　a　perfunctory　salutation　which　was　in　

truth　a　dismissal；　sometimes　…　and　by　degrees　more　often　…　the　volume　

would　be　laid　aside；　he　would　meet　her　coming　with　a　look　of　relief；　and　

the　conversation　would　be　engaged；　last　out　the　supper；　and　be　prolonged　

till　the　small　hours　by　the　waning　fire。　　It　was　no　wonder　that　Archie　

was　fond　of　company　after　his　solitary　days；　and　Kirstie；　upon　her　side；　

exerted　all　the　arts　of　her　vigorous　nature　to　ensnare　his　attention。　　

She　would　keep　back　some　piece　of　news　during　dinner　to　be　fired　off　

with　the　entrance　of　the　supper　tray；　and　form　as　it　were　the　LEVER　DE　

RIDEAU　of　the　evening's　entertainment。　　Once　he　had　heard　her　tongue　

wag；　she　made　sure　of　the　result。　　From　one　subject　to　another　she　moved　

by　insidious　transitions；　fearing　the　least　silence；　fearing　almost　to　

give　him　time　for　an　answer　lest　it　should　slip　into　a　hint　of　

separation。　　Like　so　many　people　of　her　class；　she　was　a　brave　narrator；　

her　place　was　on　the　hearth…rug　and　she　made　it　a　rostrum；　mimeing　her　

stories　as　she　told　them；　fitting　them　with　vital　detail；　spinning　them　

out　with　endless　〃quo'　he's〃　and　〃quo'　she's；〃　her　voice　sinking　into　a　

whisper　over　the　supernatural　or　the　horrific；　until　she　would　suddenly　

spring　up　in　affected　surprise；　and　pointing　to　the　clock；　〃Mercy；　Mr。　

Archie！〃　she　would　say；　〃whatten　a　time　o'　night　is　this　of　it！　　God　

forgive　me　for　a　daft　wife！〃　　So　it　befell；　by　good　management；　that　she　

was　not　only　the　first　to　begin　these　nocturnal　conversations；　but　

invariably　the　first　to　break　them　off；　so　she　managed　to　retire　and　not　

to　be　dismissed。





3。　A　BORDER　FAMILY





Such　an　unequal　intimacy　has　never　been　uncommon　in　Scotland；　where　the　

clan　spirit　survives；　where　the　servant　tends　to　spend　her　life　in　the　

same　service；　a　helpmeet　at　first；　then　a　tyrant；　and　at　last　a　

pensioner；　where；　besides；　she　is　not　necessarily　destitute　of　the　pride　

of　birth；　but　is；　perhaps；　like　Kirstie；　a　connection　of　her　master's；　

and　at　least　knows　the　legend　of　her　own　family；　and　may　count　kinship　

with　some　illustrious　dead。　　For　that　is　the　mark　of　the　Scot　of　all　

classes：　that　he　stands　in　an　attitude　towards　the　past　unthinkable　to　

Englishmen；　and　remembers　and　cherishes　the　memory　of　his　forebears；　

good　or　bad；　and　there　burns　alive　in　him　a　sense　of　identity　with　the　

dead　even　to　the　twentieth　generation。　　No　more　characteristic　instance　

could　be　found　than　in　the　family　of　Kirstie　Elliott。　　They　were　all；　

and　Kirstie　the　first　of　all；　ready　and　eager　to　pour　forth　the　

particulars　of　their　genealogy；　embellished　with　every　detail　that　

memory　had　handed　down　or　fancy　fabricated；　and；　behold！　from　every　

ramification　of　that　tree　there　dangled　a　halter。　　The　Elliotts　

themselves　have　had　a　chequered　history；　but　these　Elliotts　deduced；　

besides；　from　three　of　the　most　unfortunate　of　the　border　clans　…　the　

Nicksons；　the　Ellwalds；　and　the　Crozers。　　One　ancestor　after　another　

might　be　seen　appearing　a　moment　out　of　the　rain　and　the　hill　mist　upon　

his　furtive　business；　speeding　home；　perhaps；　with　a　paltry　booty　of　

lame　horses　and　lean　kine；　or　squealing　and　dealing　death　in　some　

moorland　feud　of　the　ferrets　and　the　wild　cats。　　One　after　another　

closed　his　obscure　adventures　in　mid…air；　triced　up　to　the　arm　of　the　

royal　gibbet　or　the　Baron's　dule…tree。　　For　the　rusty　blunderbuss　of　

Scots　criminal　justice；　which　usually　hurt　nobody　but　jurymen；　became　a　

weapon　of　precision　for　the　Nicksons；　the　Ellwalds；　and　the　Crozers。　　

The　exhilaration　of　their　exploits　seemed　to　haunt　the　memories　of　their　

descendants　alone；　and　the　shame　to　be　forgotten。　　Pride　glowed　in　their　

bosoms　to　publish　their　relationship　to　〃Andrew　Ellwald　of　the　

Laverockstanes；　called　‘Unchancy　Dand；'　who　was　justifeed　wi'　seeven　

mair　of　the　same　name　at　Jeddart　in　the　days　of　King　James　the　Sax。〃　　In　

all　this　tissue　of　crime　and　misfortune；　the　Elliotts　of　Cauldstaneslap　

had　one　boast　which　must　appear　legitimate：　the　males　were　gallows…

birds；　born　outlaws；　petty　thieves；　and　deadly　brawlers；　but；　according　

to　the　same　tradition；　the　females　were　all　chaste　and　faithful。　　The　

power　of　ancestry　on　the　character　is　not　limited　to　the　inheritance　of　

cells。　　If　I　buy　ancestors　by　the　gross　from　the　benevolence　of　Lyon　

King　of　Arms；　my　grandson　（if　he　is　Scottish）　will　feel　a　quickening　

emulation　of　their　deeds。　　The　men　of　the　Elliotts　were　proud；　lawless；　

violent　as　of　right；　cherishing　and　prolonging　a　tradition。　　In　like　

manner　with　the　women。　　And　the　woman；　essentially　passionate　and　

reckless；　who　crouched　on　the　rug；　in　the　shine　of　the　peat　fire；　

telling　these　tales；　had　cherished　through　life　a　wild　integrity　of　

virtue。



Her　father　Gilbert　had　been　deeply　pious；　a　savage　disciplinarian　in　the　

antique　style；　and　withal　a　notorious　smuggler。　　〃I　mind　when　I　was　a　

bairn