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weir of hermiston(赫米斯顿的魏尔)-第12章

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justice to himself。 I know … I believe faithfully; slavishly; after our talk … he 

will never ask me anything unjust。 I am proud to feel it; that we have that 



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much in common; I am proud to say it to you。〃 

     The Judge; with shining eyes; raised his tankard。 〃And I think perhaps 

that we might permit ourselves a toast;〃 said he。 〃I should like to propose 

the health of a man very different from me and very much my superior … a 

man     from    whom      I  have   often   differed;    who    has   often   (in  the   trivial 

expression) rubbed me the wrong way; but whom I have never ceased to 

respect   and;   I   may  add;   to   be   not   a   little   afraid   of。   Shall   I   give   you   his 

name?〃 

     〃The   Lord   Justice…Clerk;   Lord   Hermiston;〃   said Archie;   almost   with 

gaiety; and the pair drank the toast deeply。 

     It was not precisely easy to re…establish; after these emotional passages; 

the natural flow of conversation。 But the Judge eked out what was wanting 

with kind looks; produced his snuff…box (which was very rarely seen) to 

fill   in   a   pause;  and   at   last;   despairing of   any  further   social   success;  was 

upon the point of getting down a book to read a favourite passage; when 

there   came   a   rather   startling   summons   at   the   front   door;   and   Carstairs 

ushered   in   my   Lord   Glenkindie;   hot   from   a   midnight   supper。   I   am   not 

aware that Glenkindie was ever a beautiful object; being short; and gross… 

bodied;   and   with   an   expression   of   sensuality   comparable   to   a   bear's。 At 

that   moment;      coming     in   hissing   from   many   potations;       with   a  flushed 

countenance and blurred eyes; he was strikingly contrasted with the tall; 

pale; kingly figure of Glenalmond。 A rush of confused thought came over 

Archie … of shame that this was one of his father's elect friends; of pride; 

that at the least of it Hermiston could carry his liquor; and last of all; of 

rage; that he should have here under his eyes the man that had betrayed 

him。     And    then    that  too   passed     away;    and    he   sat   quiet;   biding    his 

opportunity。 

     The     tipsy    senator     plunged      at   once    into    an   explanation       with 

Glenalmond。 There   was   a   point   reserved   yesterday;   he   had   been   able   to 

make neither head nor tail of it; and seeing lights in the house; he had just 

dropped in for a glass of porter … and at this point he became aware of the 

third person。 Archie saw the cod's mouth and the blunt lips of Glenkindie 

gape at him for a moment; and the recognition twinkle in his eyes。 

     〃Who's   this?〃   said   he。   〃What?   is   this   possibly   you;   Don   Quickshot? 



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And how are ye? And how's your father? And what's all this we hear of 

you? It seems you're a most extraordinary leveller; by all tales。 No king; 

no   parliaments;   and   your   gorge   rises   at   the   macers;   worthy   men!   Hoot; 

toot! Dear; dear me! Your father's son too! Most rideeculous!〃 

     Archie   was   on   his   feet;   flushing   a   little   at   the   reappearance   of   his 

unhappy figure of speech; but perfectly self…possessed。 〃My lord … and you; 

Lord Glenalmond; my dear friend;〃 he began; 〃this is a happy chance for 

me; that I can make my confession and offer my apologies to two of you at 

once。〃 

     〃Ah;   but   I   don't   know   about   that。   Confession?   It'll   be   judeecial;   my 

young friend;〃 cried the jocular Glenkindie。 〃And I'm afraid to listen to ye。 

Think if ye were to make me a coanvert!〃 

     〃If   you   would   allow   me;   my   lord;〃   returned Archie;   〃what   I have   to 

say is very serious to me; and be pleased to be humorous after I am gone!〃 

     〃Remember;         I'll  hear   nothing     against    the   macers!〃      put   in   the 

incorrigible Glenkindie。 

     But Archie   continued   as   though   he   had   not   spoken。   〃I   have   played; 

both yesterday and to…day; a part for which I can only offer the excuse of 

youth。 I was so unwise as to go to an execution; it seems I made a scene at 

the gallows; not content with which; I spoke the same night in a college 

society against capital punishment。 This is the extent of what I have done; 

and in case you hear more alleged against me; I protest my innocence。 I 

have expressed my regret already to my father; who is so good as to pass 

my conduct over … in a degree; and upon the condition that I am to leave 

my law studies。〃 。 。 。 



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      CHAPTER V … WINTER ON THE 

                                   MOORS 



     I。 AT HERMISTON 

       THE road to Hermiston runs for a great part of the way up the valley 

of   a   stream;   a   favourite   with   anglers   and   with   midges;   full   of   falls   and 

pools; and shaded by willows and natural woods of birch。 Here and there; 

but at great distances; a byway branches off; and a gaunt farmhouse may 

be descried above in a fold of the hill; but the more part of the time; the 

road    would     be  quite   empty     of  passage     and   the  hills   of  habitation。 

Hermiston parish is one of the least populous in Scotland; and; by the time 

you   came   that   length;   you   would   scarce   be   surprised   at   the   inimitable 

smallness      of  the  kirk;  a  dwarfish;    ancient    place   seated   for  fifty;  and 

standing   in   a   green   by   the   burn…side   among   two…score   gravestones。   The 

manse   close   by;   although   no   more   than   a   cottage;   is   surrounded   by   the 

brightness of a flower…garden and the straw roofs of bees; and the whole 

colony; kirk and manse; garden and graveyard; finds harbourage in a grove 

of rowans; and is all the year round in a great silence broken only by the 

drone of the bees; the tinkle of the burn; and the bell on Sundays。 A mile 

beyond   the   kirk   the   road   leaves   the   valley   by   a   precipitous   ascent;   and 

brings you a little after to the place of Hermiston; where it comes to an end 

in the back…yard before the coach…house。 All beyond and about is the great 

field; of the hills; the plover; the curlew; and the lark cry there; the wind 

blows as it blows in a ship's rigging; hard and cold and pure; and the hill… 

tops huddle one behind another like a herd of cattle into the sunset。 

     The house was sixty years old; unsightly; comfortable; a farmyard and 

a kitchen…garden on the left; with a fruit wall where little hard green pears 

came to their maturity about the end of October。 

     The policy (as who should say the park) was of some extent; but very 

ill   reclaimed;   heather   and   moorfowl   had   crossed   the   boundary   wall   and 

spread and roosted within; and it would have tasked a landscape gardener 

to say where policy ended and unpolicied nature began。 My lord had been 



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led   by   the   influence   of   Mr。   Sheriff   Scott   into   a   considerable   design   of 

planting;     many    acres   were    accordingly   set    out  with    fir;  and  the  little 

feathery besoms gave a false scale and lent a strange air of a toy…shop to 

the   moors。   A   great;   rooty   sweetness   of   bogs   was   in   the   air;   and   at   all 

seasons an infinite melancholy piping of hill birds。 Standing so high and 

with so little shelter; it was a cold; exposed house; splashed by showers; 

drenched by continuous rains that made the gutters to spout; beaten upon 

and buffeted by all the winds of heaven; and the prospect would be often 

black   with   tempest;   and   often   white   with   the   snows   of   winter。   But   the 

house was wind and weather proof; the hearths were kept bright; and the 

rooms pleasant with live fires of peat; and Archie might sit of an evening 

and hear the squalls bugle on the moorland; and watch the fire prosper in 

the earthy fuel; and the smoke winding up the chimney; and drink deep of 

the pleasures of shelter。 

     Solitary as the place was; Archie did not want neighbours。 Every night; 

if he chose; he might go down to the manse and share a 〃brewst〃 of toddy 

with the minister … a hare…brained ancient gentleman; long and light   and 

still active; though his knees were loosened with age; and his voice broke 

continually in childish trebles … and his lady wife; a heavy; comely dame; 

without a word to say for herself beyond good…even and good…day。 H
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