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david elginbrod-第7章

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〃Your mother will never forgive me if you get into a scrape with
that smooth…faced hussy; and if her father; honest man hasn't eyes
enough in his head; other people haveay; an' tongues too; Mr。
Sutherland。〃

Hugh was on the point of forgetting his manners; and consigning all
the above mentioned organs to perdition; but he managed to restrain
his wrath; and merely said that Margaret was one of the best girls
he had ever known; and that there was no possible danger of any kind
of scrape with her。  This mode of argument; however; was not
calculated to satisfy Mrs。 Glasford。  She returned to the charge。

〃She's a sly puss; with her shy airs and graces。  Her father's jist
daft wi' conceit o' her; an' it's no to be surprised if she cast a
glamour ower you。  Mr。 Sutherland; ye're but young yet。〃

Hugh's pride presented any alliance with a lassie who had herded the
laird's cows barefoot; and even now tended their own cow; as an all
but inconceivable absurdity; and he resented; more than he could
have thought possible; the entertainment of such a degrading idea in
the mind of Mrs。 Glasford。  Indignation prevented him from replying;
while she went on; getting more vernacular as she proceeded。

〃It's no for lack o' company 'at yer driven to seek theirs; I'm
sure。  There's twa as fine lads an' gude scholars as ye'll fin' in
the haill kintra…side; no to mention the laird and mysel'。〃

But Hugh could bear it no longer; nor would he condescend to excuse
or explain his conduct。

〃Madam; I beg you will not mention this subject again。〃

〃But I will mention 't; Mr。 Sutherlan'; an' if ye'll no listen to
rizzon; I'll go to them 'at maun do't。〃

〃I am accountable to you; madam; for my conduct in your house; and
for the way in which I discharge my duty to your childrenno
further。〃

〃Do ye ca' that dischairgin' yer duty to my bairns; to set them the
example o' hingin' at a quean's 鈖ron…strings; and fillin' her lug
wi' idle havers?  Ca' ye that dischairgin' yer duty?  My certie! a
bonny dischairgin'!〃

〃I never see the girl but in her father and mother's presence。〃

〃Weel; weel; Mr。 Sutherlan';〃 said Mrs。 Glasford; in a final tone;
and trying to smother the anger which she felt she had allowed to
carry her further than was decorous; 〃we'll say nae mair aboot it at
present; but I maun jist speak to the laird himsel'; an' see what he
says till 't。〃

And; with this threat; she walked out of the room in what she
considered a dignified manner。

Hugh was exceedingly annoyed at this treatment; and thought; at
first; of throwing up his situation at once; but he got calmer by
degrees; and saw that it would be to his own loss; and perhaps to
the injury of his friends at the cottage。  So he took his revenge by
recalling the excited face of Mrs。 Glasford; whose nose had got as
red with passion as the protuberance of a turkey…cock when gobbling
out its unutterable feelings of disdain。  He dwelt upon this
soothing contemplation till a fit of laughter relieved him; and he
was able to go and join his pupils as if nothing had happened。

Meanwhile the lady sent for David; who was at work in the garden;
into no less an audience…chamber than the drawing…room; the revered
abode of all the tutelar deities of the house; chief amongst which
were the portraits of the laird and herself: he; plethoric and
wrapped in voluminous folds of neckerchiefshe long…necked; and
lean; and bare…shouldered。  The original of the latter work of art
seated herself in the most important chair in the room; and when
David; after carefully wiping the shoes he had already wiped three
times on his way up; entered with a respectful but no wise
obsequious bow; she ordered him; with the air of an empress; to shut
the door。  When he had obeyed; she ordered him; in a similar tone;
to be seated; for she sought to mingle condescension and
conciliation with severity。

〃David;〃 she then began; 〃I am informed that ye keep open door to
our Mr。 Sutherland; and that he spends most forenichts in your
company。〃

〃Weel; mem; it's verra true;〃 was all David's answer。  He sat in an
expectant attitude。

〃Dawvid; I wonner at ye!〃 returned Mrs。 Glasford; forgetting her
dignity; and becoming confidentially remonstrative。 〃Here's a young
gentleman o' talans; wi' ilka prospeck o' waggin' his heid in a
poopit some day; an' ye aid an' abet him in idlin' awa' his time at
your chimla…lug; duin' waur nor naething ava!  I'm surprised at ye;
Dawvid。  I thocht ye had mair sense。〃

David looked out of his clear; blue; untroubled eyes; upon the
ruffled countenance of his mistress; with an almost paternal smile。

〃Weel; mem; I maun say I dinna jist think the young man's in the
warst o' company; when he's at our ingle…neuk。  An' for idlin' o'
his time awa'; it's weel waurd for himsel'; forby for us; gin holy
words binna lees。〃

〃What do ye mean; Dawvid?〃 said the lady rather sharply; for she
loved no riddles。

〃I mean this; mem: that the young man is jist actin' the pairt o'
Peter an' John at the bonny gate o' the temple; whan they said:
'Such as I have; gie I thee;' an' gin' it be more blessed to gie
than to receive; as Sant Paul says 'at the Maister himsel' said; the
young man 'ill no be the waur aff in's ain learnin'; that he
impairts o't to them that hunger for't。〃

〃Ye mean by this; Dawvid; gin ye could express yersel' to the pint;
'at the young man; wha's ower weel paid to instruck my bairns;
neglecks them; an' lays himsel' oot upo' ither fowk's weans; wha hae
no richt to ettle aboon the station in which their Maker pat them。〃

This was uttered with quite a religious fervour of expostulation;
for the lady's natural indignation at the thought of Meg Elginbrod
having lessons from her boys' tutor; was cowed beneath the quiet
steady gaze of the noble…minded peasant father。

〃He lays himsel' oot mair upo' the ither fowk themsels' than upo'
their weans; mem; though; nae doubt; my Maggy comes in for a gude
share。  But for negleckin' o' his duty to you; mem; I'm sure I kenna
hoo that can be; for it was only yestreen 'at the laird himsel' said
to me; 'at hoo the bairns had never gotten on naething like it wi'
ony ither body。〃

〃The laird's ower ready wi's clavers;〃 quoth the laird's wife;
nettled to find herself in the wrong; and forgetful of her own and
her lord's dignity at once。 〃But;〃 she pursued; 〃all I can say is;
that I consider it verra improper o' you; wi' a young lass…bairn; to
encourage the nichtly veesits o' a young gentleman; wha's sae far
aboon her in station; an' dootless will some day be farther yet。〃

〃Mem!〃 said David; with dignity; 〃I'm willin' no to understan' what
ye mean。  My Maggy's no ane 'at needs luikin' efter; an' a body had
need to be carefu' an' no interfere wi' the Lord's herdin'; for he
ca's himsel' the Shepherd o' the sheep; an' wee! as I loe her I maun
lea' him to lead them wha follow him wherever he goeth。  She'll be
no ill guidit; and I'm no gaeing to kep her at ilka turn。〃

〃Weel; weel! that's yer ain affair; Dawvid; my man;〃 rejoined Mrs。
Glasford; with rising voice and complexion。 〃A' 'at I hae to add is
jist this: 'at as lang as my tutor veesits her〃

〃He veesits her no more than me; mem;〃 interposed David; but his
mistress went on with dignified disregard of the interruption

〃Veesits her; I canna; for the sake o' my own bairns; an' the morals
o' my hoosehold; employ her aboot the hoose; as I was in the way o'
doin' afore。  Good mornin'; Dawvid。  I'll speak to the laird
himsel'; sin' ye'll no heed me。〃

〃It's more to my lassie; mem; excuse me; to learn to unnerstan' the
works o' her Maker; than it is to be employed in your household。
Mony thanks; mem; for what ye hev' done in that way afore; an' good
mornin' to ye; mem。  I'm sorry we should hae ony misunderstandin';
but I canna help it for my pairt。〃

With these words David withdrew; rather anxious about the
consequences to Hugh of this unpleasant interference on the part of
Mrs。 Glasford。  That lady's wrath kept warm without much nursing;
till the laird came home; when she turned the whole of her battery
upon him; and kept up a steady fire until he yielded; and promised
to turn his upon David。  But he had more common…sense than his wife
in some things; and saw at once how ridiculous it would be to treat
the affair as of importance。  So; the next time he saw David; he
addressed him half jocularly:

〃Weel; Dawvid; you an' the mistress hae been haein' a bit o' a
dispute thegither; eh?〃

〃Weel; sir; we warna a'thegither o' ae min';〃 said David; with a
smile。

〃Weel; weel; we maun humour her; ye ken; or it may be the waur for
us a'; ye ken。〃  And the laird nodded with humorous significance。

〃I'm sure I sud be glaid; sir; but this is no sma' maitter to me an'
my Maggie; for we're jist gettin' food for the verra sowl; sir; frae
him an' his beuks。〃

〃Cudna ye be content wi the beuks wi'out the man; Dawvid?〃

〃We sud mak' but sma' progress; sir; that get。〃

The laird began to be a little nettled himself at David's stiffness
about such a small matter; and held his peace。  David resumed:

〃Besides; sir; that's a maitter for the young man to sattle; an' no
for me。  It wad ill beco
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