weir of hermiston-第23节

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one　ally　and　sympathiser　in　the　midst　of　that　general　union　of　disfavour　

that　surrounded；　watched；　and　waited　on　him　in　the　house　of　Hermiston；　

but　he　had　little　comfort　or　society　from　that　alliance；　and　the　demure　

little　maid　（twelve　on　her　last　birthday）　preserved　her　own　counsel；　and　

tripped　on　his　service；　brisk；　dumbly　responsive；　but　inexorably　

unconversational。　　For　the　others；　they　were　beyond　hope　and　beyond　

endurance。　　Never　had　a　young　Apollo　been　cast　among　such　rustic　

barbarians。　　But　perhaps　the　cause　of　his　ill…success　lay　in　one　trait　

which　was　habitual　and　unconscious　with　him；　yet　diagnostic　of　the　man。　　

It　was　his　practice　to　approach　any　one　person　at　the　expense　of　some　

one　else。　　He　offered　you　an　alliance　against　the　some　one　else；　he　

flattered　you　by　slighting　him；　you　were　drawn　into　a　small　intrigue　

against　him　before　you　knew　how。　　Wonderful　are　the　virtues　of　this　

process　generally；　but　Frank's　mistake　was　in　the　choice　of　the　some　one　

else。　　He　was　not　politic　in　that；　he　listened　to　the　voice　of　

irritation。　　Archie　had　offended　him　at　first　by　what　he　had　felt　to　be　

rather　a　dry　reception；　had　offended　him　since　by　his　frequent　absences。　　

He　was　besides　the　one　figure　continually　present　in　Frank's　eye；　and　it　

was　to　his　immediate　dependants　that　Frank　could　offer　the　snare　of　his　

sympathy。　　Now　the　truth　is　that　the　Weirs；　father　and　son；　were　

surrounded　by　a　posse　of　strenuous　loyalists。　　Of　my　lord　they　were　

vastly　proud。　　It　was　a　distinction　in　itself　to　be　one　of　the　vassals　

of　the　〃Hanging　Judge；〃　and　his　gross；　formidable　joviality　was　far　from　

unpopular　in　the　neighbourhood　of　his　home。　　For　Archie　they　had；　one　

and　all；　a　sensitive　affection　and　respect　which　recoiled　from　a　word　of　

belittlement。



Nor　was　Frank　more　successful　when　he　went　farther　afield。　　To　the　Four　

Black　Brothers；　for　instance；　he　was　antipathetic　in　the　highest　degree。　　

Hob　thought　him　too　light；　Gib　too　profane。　　Clem；　who　saw　him　but　for　a　

day　or　two　before　he　went　to　Glasgow；　wanted　to　know　what　the　fule's　

business　was；　and　whether　he　meant　to　stay　here　all　session　time！　　

〃Yon's　a　drone；〃　he　pronounced。　　As　for　Dand；　it　will　be　enough　to　

describe　their　first　meeting；　when　Frank　had　been　whipping　a　river　and　

the　rustic　celebrity　chanced　to　come　along　the　path。



〃I'm　told　you're　quite　a　poet；〃　Frank　had　said。



〃Wha　tell't　ye　that；　mannie？〃　had　been　the　unconciliating　answer。



〃O；　everybody！〃　says　Frank。



〃God！　　Here's　fame！〃　said　the　sardonic　poet；　and　he　had　passed　on　his　

way。



Come　to　think　of　it；　we　have　here　perhaps　a　truer　explanation　of　Frank's　

failures。　　Had　he　met　Mr。　Sheriff　Scott　he　could　have　turned　a　neater　

compliment；　because　Mr。　Scott　would　have　been　a　friend　worth　making。　　

Dand；　on　the　other　hand；　he　did　not　value　sixpence；　and　he　showed　it　

even　while　he　tried　to　flatter。　　Condescension　is　an　excellent　thing；　

but　it　is　strange　how　one…sided　the　pleasure　of　it　is！　　He　who　goes　

fishing　among　the　Scots　peasantry　with　condescension　for　a　bait　will　

have　an　empty　basket　by　evening。



In　proof　of　this　theory　Frank　made　a　great　success　of　it　at　the　

Crossmichael　Club；　to　which　Archie　took　him　immediately　on　his　arrival；　

his　own　last　appearance　on　that　scene　of　gaiety。　　Frank　was　made　welcome　

there　at　once；　continued　to　go　regularly；　and　had　attended　a　meeting　（as　

the　members　ever　after　loved　to　tell）　on　the　evening　before　his　death。　　

Young　Hay　and　young　Pringle　appeared　again。　　There　was　another　supper　at　

Windiclaws；　another　dinner　at　Driffel；　and　it　resulted　in　Frank　being　

taken　to　the　bosom　of　the　county　people　as　unreservedly　as　he　had　been　

repudiated　by　the　country　folk。　　He　occupied　Hermiston　after　the　manner　

of　an　invader　in　a　conquered　capital。　　He　was　perpetually　issuing　from　

it；　as　from　a　base；　to　toddy　parties；　fishing　parties；　and　dinner　

parties；　to　which　Archie　was　not　invited；　or　to　which　Archie　would　not　

go。　　It　was　now　that　the　name　of　The　Recluse　became　general　for　the　

young　man。　　Some　say　that　Innes　invented　it；　Innes；　at　least；　spread　it　

abroad。



〃How's　all　with　your　Recluse　to…day？〃　people　would　ask。



〃O；　reclusing　away！〃　Innes　would　declare；　with　his　bright　air　of　saying　

something　witty；　and　immediately　interrupt　the　general　laughter　which　he　

had　provoked　much　more　by　his　air　than　his　words；　〃Mind　you；　it's　all　

very　well　laughing；　but　I'm　not　very　well　pleased。　　Poor　Archie　is　a　

good　fellow；　an　excellent　fellow；　a　fellow　I　always　liked。　　I　think　it　

small　of　him　to　take　his　little　disgrace　so　hard；　and　shut　himself　up。　　

'Grant　that　it　is　a　ridiculous　story；　painfully　ridiculous；'　I　keep　

telling　him。　　'Be　a　man！　　Live　it　down；　man！'　　But　not　he。　　Of　course；　

it's　just　solitude；　and　shame；　and　all　that。　　But　I　confess　I'm　

beginning　to　fear　the　result。　　It　would　be　all　the　pities　in　the　world　

if　a　really　promising　fellow　like　Weir　was　to　end　ill。　　I'm　seriously　

tempted　to　write　to　Lord　Hermiston；　and　put　it　plainly　to　him。〃



〃I　would　if　I　were　you；〃　some　of　his　auditors　would　say；　shaking　the　

head；　sitting　bewildered　and　confused　at　this　new　view　of　the　matter；　so　

deftly　indicated　by　a　single　word。　　〃A　capital　idea！〃　they　would　add；　

and　wonder　at　the　APLOMB　and　position　of　this　young　man；　who　talked　as　a　

matter　of　course　of　writing　to　Hermiston　and　correcting　him　upon　his　

private　affairs。



And　Frank　would　proceed；　sweetly　confidential：　〃I'll　give　you　an　idea；　

now。　　He's　actually　sore　about　the　way　that　I'm　received　and　he's　left　

out　in　the　county　…　actually　jealous　and　sore。　　I've　rallied　him　and　

I've　reasoned　with　him；　told　him　that　every　one　was　most　kindly　inclined　

towards　him；　told　him　even　that　I　was　received　merely　because　I　was　his　

guest。　　But　it's　no　use。　　He　will　neither　accept　the　invitations　he　

gets；　nor　stop　brooding　about　the　ones　where　he's　left　out。　　What　I'm　

afraid　of　is　that　the　wound's　ulcerating。　　He　had　always　one　of　those　

dark；　secret；　angry　natures　…　a　little　underhand　and　plenty　of　bile　…　

you　know　the　sort。　　He　must　have　inherited　it　from　the　Weirs；　whom　I　

suspect　to　have　been　a　worthy　family　of　weavers　somewhere；　what's　the　

cant　phrase？　…　sedentary　occupation。　　It's　precisely　the　kind　of　

character　to　go　wrong　in　a　false　position　like　what　his　father's　made　

for　him；　or　he's　making　for　himself；　whichever　you　like　to　call　it。　　And　

for　my　part；　I　think　it　a　disgrace；〃　Frank　would　say　generously。



Presently　the　sorrow　and　anxiety　of　this　disinterested　friend　took　

shape。　　He　began　in　private；　in　conversations　of　two；　to　talk　vaguely　of　

bad　habits　and　low　habits。　　〃I　must　say　I'm　afraid　he's　going　wrong　

altogether；〃　he　would　say。　　〃I'll　tell　you　plainly；　and　between　

ourselves；　I　scarcely　like　to　stay　there　any　longer；　only；　man；　I'm　

positively　afraid　to　leave　him　alone。　　You'll　see；　I　shall　be　blamed　for　

it　later　on。　　I'm　staying　at　a　great　sacrifice。　　I'm　hindering　my　

chances　at　the　Bar；　and　I　can't　blind　my　eyes　to　it。　　And　what　I'm　

afraid　of　is　that　I'm　going　to　get　kicked　for　it　all　round　before　all's　

done。　　You　see；　nobody　believes　in　friendship　nowadays。〃



〃Well；　Innes；〃　his　interlocutor　would　reply；　〃it's　very　good　of　you；　I　

must　say　that。　　If　there's　any　blame　going；　you'll　always　be　sure　of　MY　

good　word；　for　one　thing。〃



〃Well；〃　Frank　would　continue；　〃candidly；　I　don't　say　it's　pleasant。　　He　

has　a　very　rough　way　with　him；　his　father's　son；　you　know。　　I　don't　say　

he's　rude　…　of　course；　I　couldn't　be　expected　to　stand　that　…　but　he　

steers　very　near　the　wind。　　No；　it's　not　pleasant；　but　I　tell　ye；　man；　

in　conscience　I　don't　think　it　would　be　fair　to　leave　him。　　Mind　you；　I　

don't　say　there's　anything　actually　wrong。　　What　I　say　is　that　I　don't　

like　the　looks　of　it；　man！〃　and　he　would　press　the　arm　of　his　momentary　

confidant。



In　the　early　stages　I　am　persuaded　there　was　no　malice。　　He　talked　but　

for　the　pleasure　of　airing　himself。　　He　was　essentially　glib；　as　becomes　

the　young　advocate；　and　essentially　careless　of　the　truth；　which　is　the　

mark　of　the　young　ass；　and　so　he　talked　at　random。　　There　was　no　

particular　bias；　but　that　one　which　is　indigenous　and　universal；　to　

flatter　himself　and　to　please　and　interest　the　present　friend。　　And　by　

thus　milling　air　out　of　his　mouth；　he　had　presently　built　up　a　

presentation　of　Archie　which　was　known　and　talked　of　in　all　corners　of　

the　county。　　Wherever　there　was　a　residential　house　and　a　walled　garden；　

wherever　there　was　a　dwarfish　castle　and　a　park；　wherever　a　quadruple　

cottage　by　the　ruins　of　a　peel…tower　showed　an　old　family　going　down；　

and　wherever　a　handsome　villa　with　a　carriage　approach　and　a　shrubbery　

marked　the　coming　up　of　a　new　one　…　probably　on　the　wheels　of　machinery　

…　Archie　began　to　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　dark；　perhaps　a　vicious　

mystery；　and　the　future　developments　of　his　career　t