david elginbrod-第2部分

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words　entirely　disappeared　from　a　forehead　which　might　with　especial
justice　be　called　the　sky　of　her　face。

Meantime　David　emerged　upon　the　more　open　road；　and　bent　his　course；
still　through　fir…trees；　towards　a　house　for　whose　sake　alone　the
road　seemed　to　have　been　constructed。




CHAPTER　II。

DAVID　ELGINBROD　AND　THE　NEW　TUTOR。

　　　　　Concord　between　our　wit　and　will
Where　highest　notes　to　godliness　are　raised；
And　lowest　sink　not　down　to　jot　of　ill。

What　Languetus　taught　Sir　Philip　Sidney。


THE　ARCADIAThird　Eclogue。


The　House　of　Turriepuffit　stood　about　a　furlong　from　David's
cottage。　　It　was　the　abode　of　the　Laird；　or　landed　proprietor；　in
whose　employment　David　filled　several　offices　ordinarily　distinct。
The　estate　was　a　small　one；　and　almost　entirely　farmed　by　the　owner
himself；　who；　with　David's　help；　managed　to　turn　it　to　good　account。
Upon　week…days；　he　appeared　on　horseback　in　a　costume　more　fitted
for　following　the　plough；　but　he　did　not　work　with　his　own　hands；
and　on　Sundays　was　at　once　recognizable　as　a　country　gentleman。

David　was　his　bailiff　or　grieve；　to　overlook　the　labourers　on　the
estate；　his　steward　to　pay　them；　and　keep　the　farm　accounts；　his
head　gardenerfor　little　labour　was　expended　in　that　direction；
there　being　only　one　lady；　the　mistress　of　the　house；　and　she　no
patroness　of　useless　flowers：　David　was　in　fact　the　laird's　general
adviser　and　executor。

The　laird's　family；　besides　the　lady　already　mentioned；　consisted
only　of　two　boys；　of　the　ages　of　eleven　and　fourteen；　whom　he　wished
to　enjoy　the　same　privileges　he　had　himself　possessed；　and　to　whom；
therefore；　he　was　giving　a　classical　and　mathematical　education；　in
view　of　the　University；　by　means　of　private　tutors；　the　last　of
whomfor　the　changes　were　not　few；　seeing　the　salary　was　of　the
smallestwas　Hugh　Sutherland；　the　young　man　concerning　whom　David
Elginbrod　has　already　given　his　opinion。　　But　notwithstanding　the
freedom　he　always　granted　his　daughter；　and　his　good　opinion　of　Hugh
as　well；　David　could　not　help　feeling　a　little　anxious；　in　his　walk
along　the　road　towards　the　house；　as　to　what　the　apparent
acquaintance　between　her　and　the　new　tutor　might　evolve；　but　he　got
rid　of　all　the　difficulty；　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　by　saying　at
last：

〃What　richt　hae　I　to　interfere？　even　supposin'　I　wanted　to
interfere。　　But　I　can　lippen　weel　to　my　bonny　doo；　an'　for　the　rest；
she　maun　tak'　her　chance　like　the　lave　o's。　　An'　wha'　kens　but　it
micht　jist　be　stan'in'　afore　Him；　i'　the　very　get　that　He　meant　to
gang。　　The　Lord　forgie　me　for　speakin'　o'　chance；　as　gin　I　believed
in　ony　sic　havers。　　There's　no　fear　o'　the　lassie。　　Gude　mornin'
t'ye；　Maister　Sutherlan'。　　That's　a　braw　beuk　o'　ballants　ye　gae　the
len'　o'　to　my　Maggy；　this　mornin'；　sir。〃

Sutherland　was　just　entering　a　side…door　of　the　house　when　David
accosted　him。　　He　was　not　old　enough　to　keep　from　blushing　at
David's　words；　but；　having　a　good　conscience；　he　was　ready　with　a
good　answer。

〃It's　a　good　book；　Mr。　Elginbrod。　　It　will　do　her　no　harm；　though　it
be　ballads。〃

〃I'm　in　no　dreed　o'　that；　sir。　　Bairns　maun　hae　ballants。　　An'；　to
tell　the　truth；　sir；　I'm　no　muckle　mair　nor　a　bairn　in　that　respeck
mysel'。　　In　fac；　this　verra　mornin'；　at　the　beuk；　I　jist　thocht　I
was　readin'　a　gran'　godly　ballant；　an'　it　soundet　nane　the　waur　for
the　notion　o't。〃

〃You　should　have　been　a　poet　yourself；　Mr。　Elginbrod。〃

〃Na；　na；　I　ken　naething　aboot　yer　poetry。　　I　hae　read　auld　John
Milton　ower　an'　ower；　though　I　dinna　believe　the　half　o't；　but；　oh！
weel　I　like　some　o'　the　bonny　bitties　at　the　en'　o't。〃

〃Il　Penseroso；　for　instance？〃

〃Is　that　hoo　ye　ca't？　　I　ken't　weel　by　the　sicht；　but　hardly　by　the
soun'。　　I　aye　missed　the　name　o't；　an'　took　to　the　thing　itsel'。
Eh；　man！I　beg　yer　pardon；　sirbut　its　wonnerfu'　bonny！〃

〃I'll　come　in　some　evening；　and　we'll　have　a　chat　about　it；〃　replied
Sutherland。　〃I　must　go　to　my　work　now。〃

〃We'll　a'　be　verra　happy　to　see　you；　sir。　　Good　mornin'；　sir。〃

〃Good　morning。〃

David　went　to　the　garden；　where　there　was　not　much　to　be　done　in　the
way　of　education　at　this　season　of　the　year；　and　Sutherland　to　the
school…room；　where　he　was　busy；　all　the　rest　of　the　morning　and　part
of　the　afternoon；　with　Caesar　and　Virgil；　Algebra　and　Euclid；　food
upon　which　intellectual　babes　are　reared　to　the　stature　of　college
youths。

Sutherland　was　himself　only　a　youth；　for　he　had　gone　early　to
college；　and　had　not　yet　quite　completed　the　curriculum。　　He　was　now
filling　up　with　teaching；　the　recess　between　his　third　and　his
fourth　winter　at　one　of　the　Aberdeen　Universities。　　He　was　the　son
of　an　officer；　belonging　to　the　younger　branch　of　a　family　of　some
historic　distinction　and　considerable　wealth。　　This　officer；　though
not　far　removed　from　the　estate　and　title　as　well；　had　nothing　to
live　upon　but　his　half…pay；　for；　to　the　disgust　of　his　family；　he
had　married　a　Welsh　girl　of　ancient　descent；　in　whose　line　the
poverty　must　have　been　at　least　coeval　with　the　history；　to　judge
from　the　perfection　of　its　development　in　the　case　of　her　father；
and　his　relations　made　this　the　excuse　for　quarrelling　with　him；　so
relieving　themselves　from　any　obligations　they　might　have　been
supposed　to　lie　under；　of　rendering　him　assistance　of　some　sort　or
other。　　This；　however；　rather　suited　the　temperament　of　Major　Robert
Sutherland；　who　was　prouder　in　his　poverty　than　they　in　their
riches。　　So　he　disowned　them　for　ever；　and　accommodated　himself；
with　the　best　grace　in　the　world；　to　his　yet　more　straitened
circumstances。　　He　resolved；　however；　cost　what　it　might　in　pinching
and　squeezing；　to　send　his　son　to　college　before　turning　him　out　to
shift　for　himself。　　In　this　Mrs。　Sutherland　was　ready　to　support　him
to　the　utmost；　and　so　they　had　managed　to　keep　their　boy　at　college
for　three　sessions；　after　the　last　of　which；　instead　of　returning
home；　as　he　had　done　on　previous　occasions；　he　had　looked　about　him
for　a　temporary　engagement　as　tutor；　and　soon　found　the　situation　he
now　occupied　in　the　family　of　William　Glasford；　Esq。；　of
Turriepuffit；　where　he　intended　to　remain　no　longer　than　the
commencement　of　the　session；　which　would　be　his　fourth　and　last。　　To
what　he　should　afterwards　devote　himself　he　had　by　no　means　made　up
his　mind；　except　that　it　must　of　necessity　be　hard　work　of　some　kind
or　other。　　So　he　had　at　least　the　virtue　of　desiring　to　be
independent。　　His　other　goods　and　bads　must　come　out　in　the　course
of　the　story。　　His　pupils　were　rather　stupid　and　rather
good…natured；　so　that　their　temperament　operated　to　confirm　their
intellectual　condition；　and　to　render　the　labour　of　teaching　them
considerably　irksome。　　But　he　did　his　work　tolerably　well；　and　was
not　so　much　interested　in　the　result　as　to　be　pained　at　the　moderate
degree　of　his　success。　　At　the　time　of　which　I　write；　however；　the
probability　as　to　his　success　was　scarcely　ascertained；　for　he　had
been　only　a　fortnight　at　the　task。

It　was　the　middle　of　the　month　of　April；　in　a　rather　backward
season。　　The　weather　had　been　stormy；　with　frequent　showers　of　sleet
and　snow。　　Old　winter　was　doing　his　best　to　hold　young　Spring　back
by　the　skirts　of　her　garment；　and　very　few　of　the　wild　flowers　had
yet　ventured　to　look　out　of　their　warm　beds　in　the　mould。
Sutherland；　therefore；　had　made　but　few　discoveries　in　the
neighbourhood。　　Not　that　the　weather　would　have　kept　him　to　the
house；　had　he　had　any　particular　desire　to　go　out；　but；　like　many
other　students；　he　had　no　predilection　for　objectless　exertion；　and
preferred　the　choice　of　his　own　weather　indoors；　namely；　from　books
and　his　own　imaginings；　to　an　encounter　with　the　keen　blasts　of　the
North；　charged　as　they　often　were　with　sharp　bullets　of　hail。　　When
the　sun　did　shine　out　between　the　showers；　his　cold　glitter　upon　the
pools　of　rain　or　melted　snow；　and　on　the　wet　evergreens　and　gravel
walks；　always　drove　him　back　from　the　window　with　a　shiver。　　The
house；　which　was　of　very　moderate　size　and　comfort；　stood　in　the
midst　of　plantations；　principally　of　Scotch　firs　and　larches；　some
of　the　former　old　and　of　great　growth；　so　that　they　had　arrived　at
the　true　condition　of　the　tree；　which　seems　to　require　old　age　for
the　perfection　of　its　idea。　　There　was　very　little　to　be　seen　from
the　windows　except　this　wood；　which；　somewhat　gloomy　at　almost　any
season；　was　at　the　present　cheerless　enough；　and　Sutherland　found　it
very　dreary　indeed；　as　exchanged　for　the　wide　view　from　his　own　home
on　the　side　of　an　open　hill　in　the　Highlands。

In　the　midst　of　circumstances　so　uninteresting；　it　is　not　to　be
wondered　at；　that　the　glimpse　of　a　pretty　maiden　should；　one
morning；　occasion　him　some　welcome　excitement。　　Passing　downstairs
to　breakfast；　he　observed　the　drawing…room　door　ajar；　and　looked　in
to　see　what　sort　of　a　room　it　was；　for　so　seldom　was　it　used　that　he
had　never　yet　entered　it。　　There　stood　a　young　girl；　peeping；　with
mingled　curiosity　and　reverence；　into　a　small　gilt…leaved　volume；
which　she　had　lifted　from　the　table　by　which　she　stood。　　He　watched
her　for　a　moment　with　some　interest；　when　she；　seeming　to　become
mesmerically