st. ives-第19节

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though　he　walked　with　an　ugly　roll　and　no　great　appearance　of　

speed；　he　could　cover　the　around　at　a　good　rate　when　he　wanted　to。　　

Each　looked　at　the　other：　I　with　natural　curiosity；　he　with　a　great　

appearance　of　distaste。　　I　have　heard　since　that　his　heart　was　

entirely　set　against　me；　he　had　seen　me　kneel　to　the　ladies；　and　

diagnosed　me　for　a　'gesterin'　eediot。'



'So；　ye're　for　England；　are　ye？'　said　he。



I　told　him　yes。



'Weel；　there's　waur　places；　I　believe；'　was　his　reply；　and　he　

relapsed　into　a　silence　which　was　not　broken　during　a　quarter　of　an　

hour　of　steady　walking。



This　interval　brought　us　to　the　foot　of　a　bare　green　valley；　which　

wound　upwards　and　backwards　among　the　hills。　　A　little　stream　came　

down　the　midst　and　made　a　succession　of　clear　pools；　near　by　the　

lowest　of　which　I　was　aware　of　a　drove　of　shaggy　cattle；　and　a　man　

who　seemed　the　very　counterpart　of　Mr。　Sim　making　a　breakfast　upon　

bread　and　cheese。　　This　second　drover　（whose　name　proved　to　be　

Candlish）　rose　on　our　approach。



'Here's　a　mannie　that's　to　gang　through　with　us；'　said　Sim。　　'It　

was　the　auld　wife；　Gilchrist；　wanted　it。'



'Aweel；　aweel；'　said　the　other；　and　presently；　remembering　his　

manners；　and　looking　on　me　with　a　solemn　grin；　'A　fine　day！'　says　

he。



I　agreed　with　him；　and　asked　him　how　he　did。



'Brawly；'　was　the　reply；　and　without　further　civilities；　the　pair　

proceeded　to　get　the　cattle　under　way。　　This；　as　well　as　almost　all　

the　herding；　was　the　work　of　a　pair　of　comely　and　intelligent　dogs；　

directed　by　Sim　or　Candlish　in　little　more　than　monosyllables。　　

Presently　we　were　ascending　the　side　of　the　mountain　by　a　rude　

green　track；　whose　presence　I　had　not　hitherto　observed。　　A　

continual　sound　of　munching　and　the　crying　of　a　great　quantity　of　

moor　birds　accompanied　our　progress；　which　the　deliberate　pace　and　

perennial　appetite　of　the　cattle　rendered　wearisomely　slow。　　In　the　

midst　my　two　conductors　marched　in　a　contented　silence　that　I　could　

not　but　admire。　　The　more　I　looked　at　them；　the　more　I　was　

impressed　by　their　absurd　resemblance　to　each　other。　　They　were　

dressed　in　the　same　coarse　homespun；　carried　similar　sticks；　were　

equally　begrimed　about　the　nose　with　snuff；　and　each　wound　in　an　

identical　plaid　of　what　is　called　the　shepherd's　tartan。　　In　a　back　

view　they　might　be　described　as　indistinguishable；　and　even　from　

the　front　they　were　much　alike。　　An　incredible　coincidence　of　

humours　augmented　the　impression。　　Thrice　and　four　times　I　

attempted　to　pave　the　way　for　some　exchange　of　thought；　sentiment；　

or　…　at　the　least　of　it　…　human　words。　　An　AY　or　an　NHM　was　the　

sole　return；　and　the　topic　died　on　the　hill…side　without　echo。　　I　

can　never　deny　that　I　was　chagrined；　and　when；　after　a　little　more　

walking；　Sim　turned　towards　me　and　offered　me　a　ram's　horn　of　

snuff；　with　the　question　'Do　ye　use　it？'　I　answered；　with　some　

animation；　'Faith；　sir；　I　would　use　pepper　to　introduce　a　little　

cordiality。'　　But　even　this　sally　failed　to　reach；　or　at　least　

failed　to　soften；　my　companions。



At　this　rate　we　came　to　the　summit　of　a　ridge；　and　saw　the　track　

descend　in　front　of　us　abruptly　into　a　desert　vale；　about　a　league　

in　length；　and　closed　at　the　farther　end　by　no　less　barren　

hilltops。　　Upon　this　point　of　vantage　Sim　came　to　a　halt；　took　off　

his　hat；　and　mopped　his　brow。



'Weel；'　he　said；　'here　we're　at　the　top　o'　Howden。'



'The　top　o'　Howden；　sure　eneuch；'　said　Candlish。



'Mr。　St。　Ivey；　are　ye　dry？'　said　the　first。



'Now；　really；'　said　I；　'is　not　this　Satan　reproving　sin？'



'What　ails　ye；　man？'　said　he。　　'I'm　offerin'　ye　a　dram。'



'Oh；　if　it　be　anything　to　drink；'　said　I；　'I　am　as　dry　as　my　

neighbours。'



Whereupon　Sim　produced　from　the　corner　of　his　plaid　a　black　bottle；　

and　we　all　drank　and　pledged　each　other。　　I　found　these　gentlemen　

followed　upon　such　occasions　an　invariable　etiquette；　which　you　may　

be　certain　I　made　haste　to　imitate。　　Each　wiped　his　mouth　with　the　

back　of　his　left　hand；　held　up　the　bottle　in　his　right；　remarked　

with　emphasis；　'Here's　to　ye！'　and　swallowed　as　much　of　the　spirit　

as　his　fancy　prompted。　　This　little　ceremony；　which　was　the　nearest　

thing　to　manners　I　could　perceive　in　either　of　my　companions；　was　

repeated　at　becoming　intervals；　generally　after　an　ascent。　　

Occasionally　we　shared　a　mouthful　of　ewe…milk　cheese　and　an　

inglorious　form　of　bread；　which　I　understood　（but　am　far　from　

engaging　my　honour　on　the　point）　to　be　called　'shearer's　bannock。'　　

And　that　may　be　said　to　have　concluded　our　whole　active　intercourse　

for　the　first　day。



I　had　the　more　occasion　to　remark　the　extraordinarily　desolate　

nature　of　that　country；　through　which　the　drove　road　continued；　

hour　after　hour　and　even　day　after　day；　to　wind。　　A　continual　

succession　of　insignificant　shaggy　hills；　divided　by　the　course　of　

ten　thousand　brooks；　through　which　we　had　to　wade；　or　by　the　side　

of　which　we　encamped　at　night；　infinite　perspectives　of　heather；　

infinite　quantities　of　moorfowl；　here　and　there；　by　a　stream　side；　

small　and　pretty　clumps　of　willows　or　the　silver　birch；　here　and　

there；　the　ruins　of　ancient　and　inconsiderable　fortresses　…　made　

the　unchanging　characters　of　the　scene。　　Occasionally；　but　only　in　

the　distance；　we　could　perceive　the　smoke　of　a　small　town　or　of　an　

isolated　farmhouse　or　cottage　on　the　moors；　more　often；　a　flock　of　

sheep　and　its　attendant　shepherd；　or　a　rude　field　of　agriculture　

perhaps　not　yet　harvested。　　With　these　alleviations；　we　might　

almost　be　said　to　pass　through　an　unbroken　desert　…　sure；　one　of　

the　most　impoverished　in　Europe；　and　when　I　recalled　to　mind　that　

we　were　yet　but　a　few　leagues　from　the　chief　city　（where　the　law　

courts　sat　every　day　with　a　press　of　business；　soldiers　garrisoned　

the　castle；　and　men　of　admitted　parts　were　carrying　on　the　practice　

of　letters　and　the　investigations　of　science）；　it　gave　me　a　

singular　view　of　that　poor；　barren；　and　yet　illustrious　country　

through　which　I　travelled。　　Still　more；　perhaps；　did　it　commend　the　

wisdom　of　Miss　Gilchrist　in　sending　me　with　these　uncouth　

companions　and　by　this　unfrequented　path。



My　itinerary　is　by　no　means　clear　to　me；　the　names　and　distances　I　

never　clearly　knew；　and　have　now　wholly　forgotten；　and　this　is　the　

more　to　be　regretted　as　there　is　no　doubt　that；　in　the　course　of　

those　days；　I　must　have　passed　and　camped　among　sites　which　have　

been　rendered　illustrious　by　the　pen　of　Walter　Scott。　　Nay；　more；　I　

am　of　opinion　that　I　was　still　more　favoured　by　fortune；　and　have　

actually　met　and　spoken　with　that　inimitable　author。　　Our　encounter　

was　of　a　tall；　stoutish；　elderly　gentleman；　a　little　grizzled；　and　

of　a　rugged　but　cheerful　and　engaging　countenance。　　He　sat　on　a　

hill　pony；　wrapped　in　a　plaid　over　his　green　coat；　and　was　

accompanied　by　a　horse…woman；　his　daughter；　a　young　lady　of　the　

most　charming　appearance。　　They　overtook　us　on　a　stretch　of　heath；　

reined　up　as　they　came　alongside；　and　accompanied　us　for　perhaps　a　

quarter　of　an　hour　before　they　galloped　off　again　across　the　

hillsides　to　our　left。　　Great　was　my　amazement　to　find　the　

unconquerable　Mr。　Sim　thaw　immediately　on　the　accost　of　this　

strange　gentleman；　who　hailed　him　with　a　ready　familiarity；　

proceeded　at　once　to　discuss　with　him　the　trade　of　droving　and　the　

prices　of　cattle；　and　did　not　disdain　to　take　a　pinch　from　the　

inevitable　ram's　horn。　　Presently　I　was　aware　that　the　stranger's　

eye　was　directed　on　myself；　and　there　ensued　a　conversation；　some　

of　which　I　could　not　help　overhearing　at　the　time；　and　the　rest　

have　pieced　together　more　or　less　plausibly　from　the　report　of　Sim。



'Surely　that　must　be　an　AMATEUR　DROVER　ye　have　gotten　there？'　the　

gentleman　seems　to　have　asked。



Sim　replied；　I　was　a　young　gentleman　that　had　a　reason　of　his　own　

to　travel　privately。



'Well；　well；　ye　must　tell　me　nothing　of　that。　　I　am　in　the　law；　you　

know；　and　TACE　is　the　Latin　for　a　candle；'　answered　the　gentleman。　　

'But　I　hope　it's　nothing　bad。'



Sim　told　him　it　was　no　more　than　debt。



'Oh；　Lord；　if　that　be　all！'　cried　the　gentleman；　and　turning　to　

myself；　'Well；　sir；'　he　added；　'I　understand　you　are　taking　a　tramp　

through　our　forest　here　for　the　pleasure　of　the　thing？'



'Why；　yes；　sir；'　said　I；　'and　I　must　say　I　am　very　well　

entertained。'



'I　envy　you；'　said　he。　　'I　have　jogged　many　miles　of　it　myself　when　

I　was　younger。　　My　youth　lies　buried　about　here　under　every　

heather…bush；　like　the　soul　of　the　licentiate　Lucius。　　But　you　

should　have　a　guide。　　The　pleasure　of　this　country　is　much　in　the　

legends；　which　grow　as　plentiful　as　blackberries。'　　And　directing　

my　attention　to　a　little　fragment　of　a　broken　wall　no　greater　than　

a　tombstone；　he　told　me　for　an　example　a　story　of　its　earlier　

inhabitants。　　Years　after　it　chanced　th