weir of hermiston-第4节

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

with　hurried　steps；　and　appeared　in　the　dining…room；　where　Kirstie　was　

at　the　cleaning；　like　one　charged　with　an　important　errand。



〃Kirstie！〃　she　began；　and　paused；　and　then　with　conviction；　〃Mr。　Weir　

isna　speeritually　minded；　but　he　has　been　a　good　man　to　me。〃



It　was　perhaps　the　first　time　since　her　husband's　elevation　that　she　had　

forgotten　the　handle　to　his　name；　of　which　the　tender；　inconsistent　

woman　was　not　a　little　proud。　　And　when　Kirstie　looked　up　at　the　

speaker's　face；　she　was　aware　of　a　change。



〃Godsake；　what's　the　maitter　wi'　ye；　mem？〃　cried　the　housekeeper；　

starting　from　the　rug。



〃I　do　not　ken；〃　answered　her　mistress；　shaking　her　head。　　〃But　he　is　not　

speeritually　minded；　my　dear。〃



〃Here；　sit　down　with　ye！　　Godsake；　what　ails　the　wife？〃　cried　Kirstie；　

and　helped　and　forced　her　into　my　lord's　own　chair　by　the　cheek　of　the　

hearth。



〃Keep　me；　what's　this？〃　she　gasped。　　〃Kirstie；　what's　this？　　I'm　

frich'ened。〃



They　were　her　last　words。



It　was　the　lowering　nightfall　when　my　lord　returned。　　He　had　the　sunset　

in　his　back；　all　clouds　and　glory；　and　before　him；　by　the　wayside；　spied　

Kirstie　Elliott　waiting。　　She　was　dissolved　in　tears；　and　addressed　him　

in　the　high；　false　note　of　barbarous　mourning；　such　as　still　lingers　

modified　among　Scots　heather。



〃The　Lord　peety　ye；　Hermiston！　the　Lord　prepare　ye！〃　she　keened　out。　　

〃Weary　upon　me；　that　I　should　have　to　tell　it！〃



He　reined　in　his　horse　and　looked　upon　her　with　the　hanging　face。



〃Has　the　French　landit？〃　cried　he。



〃Man；　man；〃　she　said；　〃is　that　a'　ye　can　think　of？　　The　Lord　prepare　ye：　

the　Lord　comfort　and　support　ye！〃



〃Is　onybody　deid？〃　said　his　lordship。　　〃It's　no　Erchie？〃



〃Bethankit；　no！〃　exclaimed　the　woman；　startled　into　a　more　natural　tone。　　

〃Na；　na；　it's　no　sae　bad　as　that。　　It's　the　mistress；　my　lord；　she　just　

fair　flittit　before　my　e'en。　　She　just　gi'ed　a　sab　and　was　by　wi'　it。　　

Eh；　my　bonny　Miss　Jeannie；　that　I　mind　sae　weel！〃　　And　forth　again　upon　

that　pouring　tide　of　lamentation　in　which　women　of　her　class　excel　and　

over…abound。



Lord　Hermiston　sat　in　the　saddle　beholding　her。　　Then　he　seemed　to　

recover　command　upon　himself。



〃Well；　it's　something　of　the　suddenest；〃　said　he。　　〃But　she　was　a　

dwaibly　body　from　the　first。〃



And　he　rode　home　at　a　precipitate　amble　with　Kirstie　at　his　horse's　

heels。



Dressed　as　she　was　for　her　last　walk；　they　had　laid　the　dead　lady　on　her　

bed。　　She　was　never　interesting　in　life；　in　death　she　was　not　

impressive；　and　as　her　husband　stood　before　her；　with　his　hands　crossed　

behind　his　powerful　back；　that　which　he　looked　upon　was　the　very　image　

of　the　insignificant。



〃Her　and　me　were　never　cut　out　for　one　another；〃　he　remarked　at　last。　　

〃It　was　a　daft…like　marriage。〃　　And　then；　with　a　most　unusual　gentleness　

of　tone；　〃Puir　bitch；〃　said　he；　〃puir　bitch！〃　　Then　suddenly：　〃Where's　

Erchie？〃



Kirstie　had　decoyed　him　to　her　room　and　given　him　〃a　jeely…piece。〃



〃Ye　have　some　kind　of　gumption；　too；〃　observed　the　judge；　and　considered　

his　housekeeper　grimly。　　〃When　all's　said；〃　he　added；　〃I　micht　have　done　

waur　…　I　micht　have　been　marriet　upon　a　skirting　Jezebel　like　you！〃



〃There's　naebody　thinking　of　you；　Hermiston！〃　cried　the　offended　woman。　　

〃We　think　of　her　that's　out　of　her　sorrows。　　And　could　SHE　have　done　

waur？　　Tell　me　that；　Hermiston　…　tell　me　that　before　her　clay…cauld　

corp！〃



〃Weel；　there's　some　of　them　gey　an'　ill　to　please；〃　observed　his　

lordship。







CHAPTER　II　…　FATHER　AND　SON







MY　Lord　Justice…Clerk　was　known　to　many；　the　man　Adam　Weir　perhaps　to　

none。　　He　had　nothing　to　explain　or　to　conceal；　he　sufficed　wholly　and　

silently　to　himself；　and　that　part　of　our　nature　which　goes　out　（too　

often　with　false　coin）　to　acquire　glory　or　love；　seemed　in　him　to　be　

omitted。　　He　did　not　try　to　be　loved；　he　did　not　care　to　be；　it　is　

probable　the　very　thought　of　it　was　a　stranger　to　his　mind。　　He　was　an　

admired　lawyer；　a　highly　unpopular　judge；　and　he　looked　down　upon　those　

who　were　his　inferiors　in　either　distinction；　who　were　lawyers　of　less　

grasp　or　judges　not　so　much　detested。　　In　all　the　rest　of　his　days　and　

doings；　not　one　trace　of　vanity　appeared；　and　he　went　on　through　life　

with　a　mechanical　movement；　as　of　the　unconscious；　that　was　almost　

august。



He　saw　little　of　his　son。　　In　the　childish　maladies　with　which　the　boy　

was　troubled；　he　would　make　daily　inquiries　and　daily　pay　him　a　visit；　

entering　the　sick…room　with　a　facetious　and　appalling　countenance；　

letting　off　a　few　perfunctory　jests；　and　going　again　swiftly；　to　the　

patient's　relief。　　Once；　a　court　holiday　falling　opportunely；　my　lord　

had　his　carriage；　and　drove　the　child　himself　to　Hermiston；　the　

customary　place　of　convalescence。　　It　is　conceivable　he　had　been　more　

than　usually　anxious；　for　that　journey　always　remained　in　Archie's　

memory　as　a　thing　apart；　his　father　having　related　to　him　from　beginning　

to　end；　and　with　much　detail；　three　authentic　murder　cases。　　Archie　went　

the　usual　round　of　other　Edinburgh　boys；　the　high　school　and　the　

college；　and　Hermiston　looked　on；　or　rather　looked　away；　with　scarce　an　

affectation　of　interest　in　his　progress。　　Daily；　indeed；　upon　a　signal　

after　dinner；　he　was　brought　in；　given　nuts　and　a　glass　of　port；　

regarded　sardonically；　sarcastically　questioned。　　〃Well；　sir；　and　what　

have　you　donn　with　your　book　to…day？〃　my　lord　might　begin；　and　set　him　

posers　in　law　Latin。　　To　a　child　just　stumbling　into　Corderius；　Papinian　

and　Paul　proved　quite　invincible。　　But　papa　had　memory　of　no　other。　　He　

was　not　harsh　to　the　little　scholar；　having　a　vast　fund　of　patience　

learned　upon　the　bench；　and　was　at　no　pains　whether　to　conceal　or　to　

express　his　disappointment。　　〃Well；　ye　have　a　long　jaunt　before　ye　yet！〃　

he　might　observe；　yawning；　and　fall　back　on　his　own　thoughts　（as　like　as　

not）　until　the　time　came　for　separation；　and　my　lord　would　take　the　

decanter　and　the　glass；　and　be　off　to　the　back　chamber　looking　on　the　

Meadows；　where　he　toiled　on　his　cases　till　the　hours　were　small。　　There　

was　no　〃fuller　man〃　on　the　bench；　his　memory　was　marvellous；　though　

wholly　legal；　if　he　had　to　〃advise〃　extempore；　none　did　it　better；　yet　

there　was　none　who　more　earnestly　prepared。　　As　he　thus　watched　in　the　

night；　or　sat　at　table　and　forgot　the　presence　of　his　son；　no　doubt　but　

he　tasted　deeply　of　recondite　pleasures。　　To　be　wholly　devoted　to　some　

intellectual　exercise　is　to　have　succeeded　in　life；　and　perhaps　only　in　

law　and　the　higher　mathematics　may　this　devotion　be　maintained；　suffice　

to　itself　without　reaction；　and　find　continual　rewards　without　

excitement。　　This　atmosphere　of　his　father's　sterling　industry　was　the　

best　of　Archie's　education。　　Assuredly　it　did　not　attract　him；　assuredly　

it　rather　rebutted　and　depressed。　　Yet　it　was　still　present；　unobserved　

like　the　ticking　of　a　clock；　an　arid　ideal；　a　tasteless　stimulant　in　the　

boy's　life。



But　Hermiston　was　not　all　of　one　piece。　　He　was；　besides；　a　mighty　

toper；　he　could　sit　at　wine　until　the　day　dawned；　and　pass　directly　from　

the　table　to　the　bench　with　a　steady　hand　and　a　clear　head。　　Beyond　the　

third　bottle；　he　showed　the　plebeian　in　a　larger　print；　the　low；　gross　

accent；　the　low；　foul　mirth；　grew　broader　and　commoner；　he　became　less　

formidable；　and　infinitely　more　disgusting。　　Now；　the　boy　had　inherited　

from　Jean　Rutherford　a　shivering　delicacy；　unequally　mated　with　

potential　violence。　　In　the　playing…fields；　and　amongst　his　own　

companions；　he　repaid　a　coarse　expression　with　a　blow；　at　his　father's　

table　（when　the　time　came　for　him　to　join　these　revels）　he　turned　pale　

and　sickened　in　silence。　Of　all　the　guests　whom　he　there　encountered；　he　

had　toleration　for　only　one：　David　Keith　Carnegie；　Lord　Glenalmond。　　

Lord　Glenalmond　was　tall　and　emaciated；　with　long　features　and　long　

delicate　hands。　　He　was　often　compared　with　the　statue　of　Forbes　of　

Culloden　in　the　Parliament　House；　and　his　blue　eye；　at　more　than　sixty；　

preserved　some　of　the　fire　of　youth。　　His　exquisite　disparity　with　any　

of　his　fellow…guests；　his　appearance　as　of　an　artist　and　an　aristocrat　

stranded　in　rude　company；　riveted　the　boy's　attention；　and　as　curiosity　

and　interest　are　the　things　in　the　world　that　are　the　most　immediately　

and　certainly　rewarded；　Lord　Glenalmond　was　attracted　by　the　boy。



〃And　so　this　is　your　son；　Hermiston？〃　he　asked；　laying　his　hand　on　

Archie's　shoulder。　　〃He's　getting　a　big　lad。〃



〃Hout！〃　said　the　gracious　father；　〃just　his　mother　over　again　…　daurna　

say　boo　to　a　goose！〃



But　the　stranger　retained　the　boy；　talked　to　him；　drew　him　out；　found　in　

him　a　taste　for　letters；　and　a　fine；　ardent；　modest；　youthful　soul；　and　

encouraged　him　to　be　a　vi