weir of hermiston-第28节
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herself； gallant； desperate little heart； she had accepted the command
of that supreme attraction like the call of fate and marched blindfold
on her doom。 But Archie； with his masculine sense of responsibility；
must reason； he must dwell on some future good； when the present good
was all in all to Kirstie； he must talk … and talk lamely； as necessity
drove him … of what was to be。 Again and again he had touched on
marriage； again and again been driven back into indistinctness by a
memory of Lord Hermiston。 And Kirstie had been swift to understand and
quick to choke down and smother the understanding； swift to leap up in
flame at a mention of that hope； which spoke volumes to her vanity and
her love； that she might one day be Mrs。 Weir of Hermiston； swift； also；
to recognise in his stumbling or throttled utterance the death…knell of
these expectations； and constant； poor girl！ in her large…minded
madness； to go on and to reck nothing of the future。 But these
unfinished references； these blinks in which his heart spoke； and his
memory and reason rose up to silence it before the words were well
uttered； gave her unqualifiable agony。 She was raised up and dashed
down again bleeding。 The recurrence of the subject forced her； for
however short a time； to open her eyes on what she did not wish to see；
and it had invariably ended in another disappointment。 So now again； at
the mere wind of its coming； at the mere mention of his father's name …
who might seem indeed to have accompanied them in their whole moorland
courtship； an awful figure in a wig with an ironical and bitter smile；
present to guilty consciousness … she fled from it head down。
〃Ye havena told me yet；〃 she said； 〃who was it spoke？〃
〃Your aunt for one；〃 said Archie。
〃Auntie Kirstie？〃 she cried。 〃And what do I care for my Auntie
Kirstie？〃
〃She cares a great deal for her niece；〃 replied Archie； in kind reproof。
〃Troth； and it's the first I've heard of it；〃 retorted the girl。
〃The question here is not who it is； but what they say； what they have
noticed；〃 pursued the lucid schoolmaster。 〃That is what we have to
think of in self…defence。〃
〃Auntie Kirstie； indeed！ A bitter； thrawn auld maid that's fomented
trouble in the country before I was born； and will be doing it still； I
daur say； when I'm deid！ It's in her nature； it's as natural for her as
it's for a sheep to eat。〃
〃Pardon me； Kirstie； she was not the only one；〃 interposed Archie。 〃I
had two warnings； two sermons； last night； both most kind and
considerate。 Had you been there； I promise you you would have grat； my
dear！ And they opened my eyes。 I saw we were going a wrong way。〃
〃Who was the other one？〃 Kirstie demanded。
By this time Archie was in the condition of a hunted beast。 He had
come； braced and resolute； he was to trace out a line of conduct for the
pair of them in a few cold； convincing sentences； he had now been there
some time； and he was still staggering round the outworks and undergoing
what he felt to be a savage cross…examination。
〃Mr。 Frank！〃 she cried。 〃What nex'； I would like to ken？〃
〃He spoke most kindly and truly。〃
〃What like did he say？〃
〃I am not going to tell you； you have nothing to do with that；〃 cried
Archie； startled to find he had admitted so much。
〃O； I have naething to do with it！〃 she repeated； springing to her feet。
〃A'body at Hermiston's free to pass their opinions upon me； but I have
naething to do wi' it！ Was this at prayers like？ Did ye ca' the grieve
into the consultation？ Little wonder if a'body's talking； when ye make
a'body yer confidants！ But as you say； Mr。 Weir； … most kindly； most
considerately； most truly； I'm sure； … I have naething to do with it。
And I think I'll better be going。 I'll be wishing you good evening； Mr。
Weir。〃 And she made him a stately curtsey； shaking as she did so from
head to foot； with the barren ecstasy of temper。
Poor Archie stood dumbfounded。 She had moved some steps away from him
before he recovered the gift of articulate speech。
〃Kirstie！〃 he cried。 〃O； Kirstie woman！〃
There was in his voice a ring of appeal； a clang of mere astonishment
that showed the schoolmaster was vanquished。
She turned round on him。 〃What do ye Kirstie me for？〃 she retorted。
〃What have ye to do wi' me！ Gang to your ain freends and deave them！〃
He could only repeat the appealing 〃Kirstie！〃
〃Kirstie； indeed！〃 cried the girl； her eyes blazing in her white face。
〃My name is Miss Christina Elliott； I would have ye to ken； and I daur
ye to ca' me out of it。 If I canna get love； I'll have respect； Mr。
Weir。 I'm come of decent people； and I'll have respect。 What have I
done that ye should lightly me？ What have I done？ What have I done？
O； what have I done？〃 and her voice rose upon the third repetition。 〃I
thocht … I thocht … I thocht I was sae happy！〃 and the first sob broke
from her like the paroxysm of some mortal sickness。
Archie ran to her。 He took the poor child in his arms； and she nestled
to his breast as to a mother's； and clasped him in hands that were
strong like vices。 He felt her whole body shaken by the throes of
distress； and had pity upon her beyond speech。 Pity； and at the same
time a bewildered fear of this explosive engine in his arms； whose works
he did not understand； and yet had been tampering with。 There arose
from before him the curtains of boyhood； and he saw for the first time
the ambiguous face of woman as she is。 In vain he looked back over the
interview； he saw not where he had offended。 It seemed unprovoked； a
wilful convulsion of brute nature。 。 。 。
GLOSSARY
Ae； one。
Antinomian； one of a sect which holds that under the gospel dispensation
the moral law is not obligatory。
Auld Hornie； the Devil。
Ballant； ballad。
Bauchles； brogues； old shoes。
Bauld； bold。
Bees in their bonnet； eccentricities。
Birling； whirling。
Black…a…vised； dark…complexioned。
Bonnet…laird； small landed proprietor； yeoman。
Bool； ball。
Brae； rising ground。
Brig； bridge。
Buff； play buff on； to make a fool of； to deceive。
Burn； stream。
Butt end； end of a cottage。
Byre； cow…house。
Ca'； drive。
Caller； fresh。
Canna； cannot。
Canny； careful； shrewd。
Cantie； cheerful。
Carline； old woman。
Cauld； cold。
Chalmer； chamber。
Claes； clothes。
Clamjamfry； crowd。
Clavers； idle talk。
Cock…laird。 See Bonnet…laird。
Collieshangie； turmoil。
Crack； to converse。
Cuist； cast。
Cuddy； donkey。
Cutty； jade； also used playfully = brat。
Daft； mad； frolicsome。
Dander； to saunter。
Danders； cinders。
Daurna； dare not。
Deave； to deafen。
Denty； dainty。
Dirdum； vigour。
Disjaskit； worn out； disreputable…looking。
Doer； law agent。
Dour； hard。
Drumlie； dark。
Dunting； knocking。
Dwaibly； infirm； rickety。
Dule…tree； the tree of lamentation； the hanging…tree。
Earrand； errand。
Ettercap； vixen。
Fechting； fighting。
Feck； quantity； portion。
Feckless； feeble； powerless。
Fell； strong and fiery。
Fey； unlike yourself； strange； as if urged on by fate； or as persons are
observed to be in the hour of approaching death or disaster。
Fit； foot。
Flit； to depart。
Flyped； turned up； turned in…side out。
Forbye； in addition to。
Forgather； to fall in with。
Fower； four。
Fushionless； pithless； weak。
Fyle； to soil； to defile。
Fylement； obloquy； defilement。
Gaed； Went。
Gang； to go。
Gey an'； very。
Gigot； leg of mutton。
Girzie； lit。 diminutive of Grizel； here a playful nickname。
Glaur； mud。
Glint； glance； sparkle。
Gloaming； twilight。
Glower； to scowl。
Gobbets； small lumps。
Gowden； golden。
Gowsty； gusty。
Grat； wept。
Grieve； land…steward。
Guddle； to catch fish with the hands by groping under the stones or
banks。
Gumption； common sense； judgment。
Guid； good。
Gurley； stormy； surly。
Gyte； beside itself。
Hae； have； take。
Haddit； held。
Hale； whole。
Heels…ower…hurdie； heels over head。
Hinney； honey。
Hirstle； to bustle。
Hizzie； wench。
Howe； hollow。
Howl； hovel。
Hunkered； crouched。
Hypothec； lit。 in Scots law the furnishings of a house； and formerly the
produce and stock of a farm hypothecated by law to the landlord as
security for rent； colloquially 〃the whole structure；〃 〃the whole
concern。〃
Idleset； idleness。
Infeftment； a term in Scots law originally synonymous with investiture。
Jaud； jade。
Jeely…piece； a slice of bread and jelly。
Jennipers； juniper。
Jo； sweetheart。
Justifeed； executed； made the victim of justice。
Jyle； jail
Kebbuck； cheese。
Ken； to know。
Kenspeckle； conspicuous。
Kilted； tucked up。
Kyte； belly。
Laigh； low。
Laird； landed proprietor。
Lane； alone。
Lave； rest； remainder。
Linking； tri
