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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
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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 that
place the way it has never been workit yet； ye must ken about the sheep
like a herd； ye must be my grieve there； and I'll see that I gain by ye。 Is
that understood？〃
〃I will do my best；〃 said Archie。
〃Well； then； I'll send Kirstie word the morn； and ye can go yourself the
day after；〃 said Hermiston。 〃And just try to be less of an eediot！〃 he
concluded with a freezing smile； and turned immediately to the papers on
his desk。
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CHAPTER IV … OPINIONS OF
THE BENCH
LATE the same night； after a disordered walk； Archie was admitted
into Lord Glenalmond's dining…room； where he sat with a book upon his
knee； beside three frugal coals of fire。 In his robes upon the bench；
Glenalmond had a certain air of burliness： plucked of these； it was a may…
pole of a man that rose unsteadily from his chair to give his visitor
welcome。 Archie had suffered much in the last days； he had suffered again
that evening； his face was white and drawn； his eyes wild and dark。 But
Lord Glenalmond greeted him without the least mark of surprise or
curiosity。
〃Come in； come in；〃 said he。 〃Come in and take a seat。 Carstairs〃 （to
his servant）； 〃make up the fire； and then you can bring a bit of supper；〃
and again to Archie； with a very trivial accent： 〃I was half expecting you；〃
he added。
〃No supper；〃 said Archie。 〃It is impossible that I should eat。〃
〃Not impossible；〃 said the tall old man； laying his hand upon his
shoulder； 〃and； if you will believe me； necessary。〃
〃You know what brings me？〃 said Archie； as soon as the servant had
left the room。
〃I have a guess； I have a guess；〃 replied Glenalmond。 〃We will talk of
it presently … when Carstairs has come and gone； and you have had a piece
of my good Cheddar cheese and a pull at the porter tankard： not before。〃
〃It is impossible I should eat〃 repeated Archie。
〃Tut； tut！〃 said Lord Glenalmond。 〃You have eaten nothing to…day； and
I venture to add； nothing yesterday。 There is no case that may not be made
worse； this may be a very disagreeable business； but if you were to fall
sick and die； it would be still more so； and for all concerned … for all
concerned。〃
〃I see you must know all；〃 said Archie。 〃Where did you hear it？〃
〃In the mart of scandal； in the Parliament House；〃 said Glenalmond。
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〃It runs riot below among the bar and the public； but it sifts up to us upon
the bench； and rumour has some of her voices even in the divisions。〃
Carstairs returned at this moment； and rapidly laid out a little supper；
during which Lord Glenalmond spoke at large and a little vaguely on
indifferent subjects； so that it might be rather said of him that he made a
cheerful noise； than that he contributed to human conversation； and Archie
sat upon the other side； not heeding him； brooding over his wrongs and
errors。
But so soon as the servant was gone； he broke forth again at once。
〃Who told my father？ Who dared to tell him？ Could it have been you？〃
〃No； it was not me；〃 said the Judge； 〃although … to be quite frank with
you； and after I had seen and warned you … it might have been me … I
believe it was Glenkindie。〃
〃That shrimp！〃 cried Archie。
〃As you say； that shrimp；〃 returned my lord； 〃although really it is
scarce a fitting mode of expression for one of the senators of the College
of Justice。 We were hearing the parties in a long； crucial case； before the
fifteen； Creech was moving at some length for an infeftment； when I saw
Glenkindie lean forward to Hermiston with his hand over his mouth and
make him a secret communication。 No one could have guessed its nature
from your father： from Glenkindie； yes； his malice sparked out of him a
little grossly。 But your father； no。 A man of granite。 The next moment he
pounced upon Creech。 ‘Mr。 Creech；' says he； ‘I'll take a look of that
sasine；' and for thirty minutes after；〃 said Glenalmond； with a smile；
〃Messrs。 Creech and Co。 were fighting a pretty up…hill battle； which
resulted； I need hardly add； in their total rout。 The case was dismissed。 No；
I doubt if ever I heard Hermiston better inspired。 He was literally rejoicing
IN APICIBUS JURIS。〃
Archie was able to endure no longer。 He thrust his plate away and
interrupted the deliberate and insignificant stream of talk。 〃Here；〃 he said；
〃I have made a fool of myself； if I have not made something worse。 Do
you judge between us … judge between a father and a son。 I can speak to
you； it is not like 。。。 I will tell you what I feel and what I mean to do； and
you shall be the judge；〃 he repeated。
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〃I decline jurisdiction；〃 said Glenalmond； with extreme seriousness。
〃But； my dear boy； if it will do you any good to talk； and if it will interest
you at all to hear what I may choose to say when I have heard you； I am
quite at your command。 Let an old man say it； for once； and not need to
blush： I love you like a son。〃
There came a sudden sharp sound in Archie's throat。 〃Ay；〃 he cried；
〃and there it is！ Love！ Like a son！ And how do you think I love my
father？〃
〃Quietly； quietly；〃 says my lord。
〃I will be very quiet；〃 replied Archie。 〃And I will be baldly frank。 I do
not love my father； I wonder sometimes if I do not hate him。 There's my
shame； perhaps my sin； at least； and in the sight of God； not my fault。 How
was I to love him？ He has never spoken to me； never smiled upon me； I do
not think he ever touched me。 You know the way he talks？ You do not talk
so； yet you can sit and hear him without shuddering； and I cannot。 My soul
is sick when he begins with it； I could smite him in the mouth。 And all
that's nothing。 I was at the trial of this Jopp。 You were not there； but you
must have heard him often； the man's notorious for it； for be