weir of hermiston-第8节

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〃Archie；　you　and　me　has　to　have　a　talk。〃



It　was　at　this　sickening　moment　that　Archie's　courage；　for　the　first　and　

last　time；　entirely　deserted　him。　　〃I　have　an　appointment；〃　said　he。



〃It'll　have　to　be　broken；　then；〃　said　Hermiston；　and　led　the　way　into　

his　study。



The　lamp　was　shaded；　the　fire　trimmed　to　a　nicety；　the　table　covered　

deep　with　orderly　documents；　the　backs　of　law　books　made　a　frame　upon　

all　sides　that　was　only　broken　by　the　window　and　the　doors。



For　a　moment　Hermiston　warmed　his　hands　at　the　fire；　presenting　his　back　

to　Archie；　then　suddenly　disclosed　on　him　the　terrors　of　the　Hanging　

Face。



〃What's　this　I　hear　of　ye？〃　he　asked。



There　was　no　answer　possible　to　Archie。



〃I'll　have　to　tell　ye；　then；〃　pursued　Hermiston。　　〃It　seems　ye've　been　

skirting　against　the　father　that　begot　ye；　and　one　of　his　Maijesty's　

Judges　in　this　land；　and　that　in　the　public　street；　and　while　an　order　

of　the　Court　was　being　executit。　　Forbye　which；　it　would　appear　that　

ye've　been　airing　your　opeenions　in　a　Coallege　Debatin'　Society〃；　he　

paused　a　moment：　and　then；　with　extraordinary　bitterness；　added：　〃Ye　

damned　eediot。〃



〃I　had　meant　to　tell　you；〃　stammered　Archie。　　〃I　see　you　are　well　

informed。〃



〃Muckle　obleeged　to　ye；〃　said　his　lordship；　and　took　his　usual　seat。　　

〃And　so　you　disapprove　of　Caapital　Punishment？〃　he　added。



〃I　am　sorry；　sir；　I　do；〃　said　Archie。



〃I　am　sorry；　too；〃　said　his　lordship。　　〃And　now；　if　you　please；　we　shall　

approach　this　business　with　a　little　more　parteecularity。　　I　hear　that　

at　the　hanging　of　Duncan　Jopp　…　and；　man！　ye　had　a　fine　client　there　…　

in　the　middle　of　all　the　riff…raff　of　the　ceety；　ye　thought　fit　to　cry　

out；　‘This　is　a　damned　murder；　and　my　gorge　rises　at　the　man　that　

haangit　him。'　〃



〃No；　sir；　these　were　not　my　words；〃　cried　Archie。



〃What　were　yer　words；　then？〃　asked　the　Judge。



〃I　believe　I　said；　‘I　denounce　it　as　a　murder！'〃　said　the　son。　　〃I　beg　

your　pardon　…　a　God…defying　murder。　　I　have　no　wish　to　conceal　the　

truth；〃　he　added；　and　looked　his　father　for　a　moment　in　the　face。



〃God；　it　would　only　need　that　of　it　next！〃　cried　Hermiston。　　〃There　was　

nothing　about　your　gorge　rising；　then？〃



〃That　was　afterwards；　my　lord；　as　I　was　leaving　the　Speculative。　　I　said　

I　had　been　to　see　the　miserable　creature　hanged；　and　my　gorge　rose　at　

it。〃



〃Did　ye；　though？〃　said　Hermiston。　　〃And　I　suppose　ye　knew　who　haangit　

him？〃



〃I　was　present　at　the　trial；　I　ought　to　tell　you　that；　I　ought　to　

explain。　　I　ask　your　pardon　beforehand　for　any　expression　that　may　seem　

undutiful。　　The　position　in　which　I　stand　is　wretched；〃　said　the　unhappy　

hero；　now　fairly　face　to　face　with　the　business　he　had　chosen。　　〃I　have　

been　reading　some　of　your　cases。　　I　was　present　while　Jopp　was　tried。　　

It　was　a　hideous　business。　　Father；　it　was　a　hideous　thing！　　Grant　he　

was　vile；　why　should　you　hunt　him　with　a　vileness　equal　to　his　own？　　It　

was　done　with　glee　…　that　is　the　word　…　you　did　it　with　glee；　and　I　

looked　on；　God　help　me！　with　horror。〃



〃You're　a　young　gentleman　that　doesna　approve　of　Caapital　Punishment；〃　

said　Hermiston。　〃Weel；　I'm　an　auld　man　that　does。　　I　was　glad　to　get　

Jopp　haangit；　and　what　for　would　I　pretend　I　wasna？　　You're　all　for　

honesty；　it　seems；　you　couldn't　even　steik　your　mouth　on　the　public　

street。　　What　for　should　I　steik　mines　upon　the　bench；　the　King's　

officer；　bearing　the　sword；　a　dreid　to　evil…doers；　as　I　was　from　the　

beginning；　and　as　I　will　be　to　the　end！　　Mair　than　enough　of　it！　　

Heedious！　　I　never　gave　twa　thoughts　to　heediousness；　I　have　no　call　to　

be　bonny。　　I'm　a　man　that　gets　through　with　my　day's　business；　and　let　

that　suffice。〃



The　ring　of　sarcasm　had　died　out　of　his　voice　as　he　went　on；　the　plain　

words　became　invested　with　some　of　the　dignity　of　the　Justice…seat。



〃It　would　be　telling　you　if　you　could　say　as　much；〃　the　speaker　resumed。　　

〃But　ye　cannot。　　Ye've　been　reading　some　of　my　cases；　ye　say。　　But　it　

was　not　for　the　law　in　them；　it　was　to　spy　out　your　faither's　nakedness；　

a　fine　employment　in　a　son。　　You're　splairging；　you're　running　at　lairge　

in　life　like　a　wild　nowt。　　It's　impossible　you　should　think　any　longer　

of　coming　to　the　Bar。　　You're　not　fit　for　it；　no　splairger　is。　　And　

another　thing：　son　of　mines　or　no　son　of　mines；　you　have　flung　fylement　

in　public　on　one　of　the　Senators　of　the　Coallege　of　Justice；　and　I　would　

make　it　my　business　to　see　that　ye　were　never　admitted　there　yourself。　　

There　is　a　kind　of　a　decency　to　be　observit。　　Then　comes　the　next　of　it　

…　what　am　I　to　do　with　ye　next？　　Ye'll　have　to　find　some　kind　of　a　

trade；　for　I'll　never　support　ye　in　idleset。　　What　do　ye　fancy　ye'll　be　

fit　for？　　The　pulpit？　　Na；　they　could　never　get　diveenity　into　that　

bloackhead。　　Him　that　the　law　of　man　whammles　is　no　likely　to　do　muckle　

better　by　the　law　of　God。　　What　would　ye　make　of　hell？　　Wouldna　your　

gorge　rise　at　that？　　Na；　there's　no　room　for　splairgers　under　the　fower　

quarters　of　John　Calvin。　　What　else　is　there？　　Speak　up。　　Have　ye　got　

nothing　of　your　own？〃



〃Father；　let　me　go　to　the　Peninsula；〃　said　Archie。　　〃That's　all　I'm　fit　

for　…　to　fight。〃



〃All？　quo'　he！〃　returned　the　Judge。　　〃And　it　would　be　enough　too；　if　I　

thought　it。　　But　I'll　never　trust　ye　so　near　the　French；　you　that's　so　

Frenchi…feed。〃



〃You　do　me　injustice　there；　sir；〃　said　Archie。　　〃I　am　loyal；　I　will　not　

boast；　but　any　interest　I　may　have　ever　felt　in　the　French　…　〃



〃Have　ye　been　so　loyal　to　me？〃　interrupted　his　father。



There　came　no　reply。



〃I　think　not；〃　continued　Hermiston。　　〃And　I　would　send　no　man　to　be　a　

servant　to　the　King；　God　bless　him！　that　has　proved　such　a　shauchling　

son　to　his　own　faither。　　You　can　splairge　here　on　Edinburgh　street；　and　

where's　the　hairm？　　It　doesna　play　buff　on　me！　　And　if　there　were　twenty　

thousand　eediots　like　yourself；　sorrow　a　Duncan　Jopp　would　hang　the　

fewer。　　But　there's　no　splairging　possible　in　a　camp；　and　if　ye　were　to　

go　to　it；　you　would　find　out　for　yourself　whether　Lord　Well'n'ton　

approves　of　caapital　punishment　or　not。　　You　a　sodger！〃　he　cried；　with　a　

sudden　burst　of　scorn。　　〃Ye　auld　wife；　the　sodgers　would　bray　at　ye　like　

cuddies！〃



As　at　the　drawing　of　a　curtain；　Archie　was　aware　of　some　illogicality　in　

his　position；　and　stood　abashed。　　He　had　a　strong　impression；　besides；　

of　the　essential　valour　of　the　old　gentleman　before　him；　how　conveyed　it　

would　be　hard　to　say。



〃Well；　have　ye　no　other　proposeetion？〃　said　my　lord　again。



〃You　have　taken　this　so　calmly；　sir；　that　I　cannot　but　stand　ashamed；〃　

began　Archie。



〃I'm　nearer　voamiting；　though；　than　you　would　fancy；〃　said　my　lord。

The　blood　rose　to　Archie's　brow。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　should　have　said　that　you　had　accepted　my　affront。　

。　。　。　I　admit　it　was　an　affront；　I　did　not　think　to　apologise；　but　I　do；　

I　ask　your　pardon；　it　will　not　be　so　again；　I　pass　you　my　word　of　

honour。　。　。　。　I　should　have　said　that　I　admired　your　magnanimity　with　…　

this　…　offender；〃　Archie　concluded　with　a　gulp。



〃I　have　no　other　son；　ye　see；〃　said　Hermiston。　　〃A　bonny　one　I　have　

gotten！　　But　I　must　just　do　the　best　I　can　wi'　him；　and　what　am　I　to　do？　　

If　ye　had　been　younger；　I　would　have　wheepit　ye　for　this　rideeculous　

exhibeetion。　　The　way　it　is；　I　have　just　to　grin　and　bear。　　But　one　

thing　is　to　be　clearly　understood。　　As　a　faither；　I　must　grin　and　bear　

it；　but　if　I　had　been　the　Lord　Advocate　instead　of　the　Lord　Justice…

Clerk；　son　or　no　son；　Mr。　Erchibald　Weir　would　have　been　in　a　jyle　the　

night。〃



Archie　was　now　dominated。　　Lord　Hermiston　was　coarse　and　cruel；　and　yet　

the　son　was　aware　of　a　bloomless　nobility；　an　ungracious　abnegation　of　

the　man's　self　in　the　man's　office。　　At　every　word；　this　sense　of　the　

greatness　of　Lord　Hermiston's　spirit　struck　more　home；　and　along　with　it　

that　of　his　own　impotence；　who　had　struck　…　and　perhaps　basely　struck　…　

at　his　own　father；　and　not　reached　so　far　as　to　have　even　nettled　him。



〃I　place　myself　in　your　hands　without　reserve；〃　he　said。



〃That's　the　first　sensible　word　I've　had　of　ye　the　night；〃　said　

Hermiston。　　〃I　can　tell　ye；　that　would　have　been　the　end　of　it；　the　one　

way　or　the　other；　but　it's　better　ye　should　come　there　yourself；　than　

what　I　would　have　had　to　hirstle　ye。　　Weel；　by　my　way　of　it　…　and　my　way　

is　the　best　…　there's　just　the　one　thing　it's　possible　that　ye　might　be　

with　decency；　and　that's　a　laird。　　Ye'll　be　out　of　hairm's　way　at　the　

least　of　it。　　If　ye　have　to　rowt；　ye　can　rowt　amang　the　kye；　and　the　

maist　feck　of　the　caapital　punishmeiit　ye're　like　to　come　across'll　be　

guddling　trouts。　　Now；　I'm　for　no　idle　lairdies；　every　man　has　to　work；　

if　it's　only　at　peddling　ballants；　to　work；　or　to　be　wheeped；　or　to　be　

haangit。　　If　I　set　ye　down　at　Hermiston　I'll　have　to　see　you　work