weir of hermiston-第3节

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summit　of　Black　Fell；　sometimes　like　the　mere　grass　top　of　a　hill；　

sometimes　（and　this　is　her　own　expression）　like　a　precious　jewel　in　the　

heavens。　　On　such　days；　upon　the　sudden　view　of　it；　her　hand　would　

tighten　on　the　child's　fingers；　her　voice　rise　like　a　song。　〃I　TO　THE　

HILLS！〃　she　would　repeat。　〃And　O；　Erchie；　are　nae　these　like　the　hills　

of　Naphtali？〃　and　her　tears　would　flow。



Upon　an　impressionable　child　the　effect　of　this　continual　and　pretty　

accompaniment　to　life　was　deep。　　The　woman's　quietism　and　piety　passed　

on　to　his　different　nature　undiminished；　but　whereas　in　her　it　was　a　

native　sentiment；　in　him　it　was　only　an　implanted　dogma。　　Nature　and　the　

child's　pugnacity　at　times　revolted。　　A　cad　from　the　Potterrow　once　

struck　him　in　the　mouth；　he　struck　back；　the　pair　fought　it　out　in　the　

back　stable　lane　towards　the　Meadows；　and　Archie　returned　with　a　

considerable　decline　in　the　number　of　his　front　teeth；　and　

unregenerately　boasting　of　the　losses　of　the　foe。　　It　was　a　sore　day　for　

Mrs。　Weir；　she　wept　and　prayed　over　the　infant　backslider　until　my　lord　

was　due　from　Court；　and　she　must　resume　that　air　of　tremulous　composure　

with　which　she　always　greeted　him。　　The　judge　was　that　day　in　an　

observant　mood；　and　remarked　upon　the　absent　teeth。



〃I　am　afraid　Erchie　will　have　been　fechting　with　some　of　they　blagyard　

lads；〃　said　Mrs。　Weir。



My　lord's　voice　rang　out　as　it　did　seldom　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　

house。　　〃I'll　have　norm　of　that；　sir！〃　he　cried。　　〃Do　you　hear　me？　…　

nonn　of　that！　　No　son　of　mine　shall　be　speldering　in　the　glaur　with　any　

dirty　raibble。〃



The　anxious　mother　was　grateful　for　so　much　support；　she　had　even　feared　

the　contrary。　　And　that　night　when　she　put　the　child　to　bed　…　〃Now；　my　

dear；　ye　see！〃　she　said；　〃I　told　you　what　your　faither　would　think　of　

it；　if　he　heard　ye　had　fallen　into　this　dreidful　sin；　and　let　you　and　me　

pray　to　God　that　ye　may　be　keepit　from　the　like　temptation　or　

strengthened　to　resist　it！〃



The　womanly　falsity　of　this　was　thrown　away。　　Ice　and　iron　cannot　be　

welded；　and　the　points　of　view　of　the　Justice…Clerk　and　Mrs。　Weir　were　

not　less　unassimilable。　　The　character　and　position　of　his　father　had　

long　been　a　stumbling…block　to　Archie；　and　with　every　year　of　his　age　

the　difficulty　grew　more　instant。　　The　man　was　mostly　silent；　when　he　

spoke　at　all；　it　was　to　speak　of　the　things　of　the　world；　always　in　a　

worldly　spirit；　often　in　language　that　the　child　had　been　schooled　to　

think　coarse；　and　sometimes　with　words　that　he　knew　to　be　sins　in　

themselves。　　Tenderness　was　the　first　duty；　and　my　lord　was　invariably　

harsh。　　God　was　love；　the　name　of　my　lord　（to　all　who　knew　him）　was　

fear。　　In　the　world；　as　schematised　for　Archie　by　his　mother；　the　place　

was　marked　for　such　a　creature。　　There　were　some　whom　it　was　good　to　

pity　and　well　（though　very　likely　useless）　to　pray　for；　they　were　named　

reprobates；　goats；　God's　enemies；　brands　for　the　burning；　and　Archie　

tallied　every　mark　of　identification；　and　drew　the　inevitable　private　

inference　that　the　Lord　Justice…Clerk　was　the　chief　of　sinners。



The　mother's　honesty　was　scarce　complete。　　There　was　one　influence　she　

feared　for　the　child　and　still　secretly　combated；　that　was　my　lord's；　

and　half　unconsciously；　half　in　a　wilful　blindness；　she　continued　to　

undermine　her　husband　with　his　son。　　As　long　as　Archie　remained　silent；　

she　did　so　ruthlessly；　with　a　single　eye　to　heaven　and　the　child's　

salvation；　but　the　day　came　when　Archie　spoke。　　It　was　1801；　and　Archie　

was　seven；　and　beyond　his　years　for　curiosity　and　logic；　when　he　brought　

the　case　up　openly。　　If　judging　were　sinful　and　forbidden；　how　came　papa　

to　be　a　judge？　to　have　that　sin　for　a　trade？　to　bear　the　name　of　it　for　

a　distinction？



〃I　can't　see　it；〃　said　the　little　Rabbi；　and　wagged　his　head。



Mrs。　Weir　abounded　in　commonplace　replies。



〃No；　I　cannae　see　it；〃　reiterated　Archie。　　〃And　I'll　tell　you　what；　

mamma；　I　don't　think　you　and　me's　justifeed　in　staying　with　him。〃



The　woman　awoke　to　remorse；　she　saw　herself　disloyal　to　her　man；　her　

sovereign　and　bread…winner；　in　whom　（with　what　she　had　of　worldliness）　

she　took　a　certain　subdued　pride。　　She　expatiated　in　reply　on　my　lord's　

honour　and　greatness；　his　useful　services　in　this　world　of　sorrow　and　

wrong；　and　the　place　in　which　he　stood；　far　above　where　babes　and　

innocents　could　hope　to　see　or　criticise。　　But　she　had　builded　too　well　

…　Archie　had　his　answers　pat：　Were　not　babes　and　innocents　the　type　of　

the　kingdom　of　heaven？　　Were　not　honour　and　greatness　the　badges　of　the　

world？　　And　at　any　rate；　how　about　the　mob　that　had　once　seethed　about　

the　carriage？



〃It's　all　very　fine；〃　he　concluded；　〃but　in　my　opinion　papa　has　no　right　

to　be　it。　　And　it　seems　that's　not　the　worst　yet　of　it。　　It　seems　he's　

called　〃The　Hanging　judge〃　…　it　seems　he's　crooool。　　I'll　tell　you　what　

it　is；　mamma；　there's　a　tex'　borne　in　upon　me：　It　were　better　for　that　

man　if　a　milestone　were　bound　upon　his　back　and　him　flung　into　the　

deepestmost　pairts　of　the　sea。〃



〃O；　my　lamb；　ye　must　never　say　the　like　of　that！〃　she　cried。　〃Ye're　to　

honour　faither　and　mother；　dear；　that　your　days　may　be　long　in　the　land。　　

It's　Atheists　that　cry　out　against　him　…　French　Atheists；　Erchie！　　Ye　

would　never　surely　even　yourself　down　to　be　saying　the　same　thing　as　

French　Atheists？　　It　would　break　my　heart　to　think　that　of　you。　　And　O；　

Erchie；　here　are'na　YOU　setting　up　to　JUDGE？　　And　have　ye　no　forgot　

God's　plain　command　…　the　First　with　Promise；　dear？　　Mind　you　upon　the　

beam　and　the　mote！〃



Having　thus　carried　the　war　into　the　enemy's　camp；　the　terrified　lady　

breathed　again。　　And　no　doubt　it　is　easy　thus　to　circumvent　a　child　with　

catchwords；　but　it　may　be　questioned　how　far　it　is　effectual。　　An　

instinct　in　his　breast　detects　the　quibble；　and　a　voice　condemns　it。　　He　

will　instantly　submit；　privately　hold　the　same　opinion。　　For　even　in　

this　simple　and　antique　relation　of　the　mother　and　the　child；　

hypocrisies　are　multiplied。



When　the　Court　rose　that　year　and　the　family　returned　to　Hermiston；　it　

was　a　common　remark　in　all　the　country　that　the　lady　was　sore　failed。　　

She　seemed　to　loose　and　seize　again　her　touch　with　life；　now　sitting　

inert　in　a　sort　of　durable　bewilderment；　anon　waking　to　feverish　and　

weak　activity。　　She　dawdled　about　the　lasses　at　their　work；　looking　

stupidly　on；　she　fell　to　rummaging　in　old　cabinets　and　presses；　and　

desisted　when　half　through；　she　would　begin　remarks　with　an　air　of　

animation　and　drop　them　without　a　struggle。　　Her　common　appearance　was　

of　one　who　has　forgotten　something　and　is　trying　to　remember；　and　when　

she　overhauled；　one　after　another；　the　worthless　and　touching　mementoes　

of　her　youth；　she　might　have　been　seeking　the　clue　to　that　lost　thought。　　

During　this　period；　she　gave　many　gifts　to　the　neighbours　and　house　

lasses；　giving　them　with　a　manner　of　regret　that　embarrassed　the　

recipients。



The　last　night　of　all　she　was　busy　on　some　female　work；　and　toiled　upon　

it　with　so　manifest　and　painful　a　devotion　that　my　lord　（who　was　not　

often　curious）　inquired　as　to　its　nature。



She　blushed　to　the　eyes。　　〃O；　Edom；　it's　for　you！〃　she　said。　　〃It's　

slippers。　I　…　I　hae　never　made　ye　any。〃



〃Ye　daft　auld　wife！〃　returned　his　lordship。　　〃A　bonny　figure　I　would　

be；　palmering　about　in　bauchles！〃



The　next　day；　at　the　hour　of　her　walk；　Kirstie　interfered。　　Kirstie　took　

this　decay　of　her　mistress　very　hard；　bore　her　a　grudge；　quarrelled　with　

and　railed　upon　her；　the　anxiety　of　a　genuine　love　wearing　the　disguise　

of　temper。　　This　day　of　all　days　she　insisted　disrespectfully；　with　

rustic　fury；　that　Mrs。　Weir　should　stay　at　home。　　But；　〃No；　no；〃　she　

said；　〃it's　my　lord's　orders；〃　and　set　forth　as　usual。　　Archie　was　

visible　in　the　acre　bog；　engaged　upon　some　childish　enterprise；　the　

instrument　of　which　was　mire；　and　she　stood　and　looked　at　him　a　while　

like　one　about　to　call；　then　thought　otherwise；　sighed；　and　shook　her　

head；　and　proceeded　on　her　rounds　alone。　　The　house　lasses　were　at　the　

burnside　washing；　and　saw　her　pass　with　her　loose；　weary；　dowdy　gait。



〃She's　a　terrible　feckless　wife；　the　mistress！〃　said　the　one。



〃Tut；〃　said　the　other；　〃the　wumman's　seeck。〃



〃Weel；　I　canna　see　nae　differ　in　her；〃　returned　the　first。　〃A　

fushionless　quean；　a　feckless　carline。〃



The　poor　creature　thus　discussed　rambled　a　while　in　the　grounds　without　

a　purpose。　　Tides　in　her　mind　ebbed　and　flowed；　and　carried　her　

to　and　fro　like　seaweed。　　She　tried　a　path；　paused；　returned；　and　tried　

another；　questing；　forgetting　her　quest；　the　spirit　of　choice　extinct　in　

her　bosom；　or　devoid　of　sequency。　　On　a　sudden；　it　appeared　as　though　

she　had　remembered；　or　had　formed　a　resolution；　wheeled　about；　returned　

with　hurried　steps；　and　appeared　in　the　din