david elginbrod-第21部分

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seized　him　like　a　fury；　beating　him　about　the　head　and　face　with　icy
wings；　till　he　was　almost　stunned。　　He　took　the　road　to　the　farm；
which　lay　through　the　fir…wood；　but　he　soon　became　aware　that　he　had
lost　his　way　and　might　tramp　about　in　the　fir…wood　till　daylight；　if
he　lived　as　long。　　Then；　thinking　of　Margaret；　he　lost　his　presence
of　mind；　and　rushed　wildly　along。　　He　thought　he　must　have　knocked
his　head　against　the　trunk　of　a　tree；　but　he　could　not　tell；　for　he
remembered　nothing　more　but　that　he　found　himself　dragging　Margaret；
with　his　arms　round　her；　through　the　snow；　and　nearing　the　light　in
the　cottage…window。　　Where　or　how　he　had　found　her；　or　what　the
light　was　that　he　was　approaching；　he　had　not　the　least　idea。　　He
had　only　a　vague　notion　that　he　was　rescuing　Margaret　from　something
dreadful。　　Margaret；　for　her　part；　had　no　recollection　of　reaching
the　fir…wood；　and　as；　long　before　morning；　all　traces　were
obliterated；　the　facts　remained　a　mystery。　　Janet　thought　that　David
had　some　wonderful　persuasion　about　it；　but　he　was　never　heard　even
to　speculate　on　the　subject。　　Certain　it　was；　that　Hugh　had　saved
Margaret's　life。　　He　seemed　quite　well　next　day；　for　he　was　of　a
very　powerful　and　enduring　frame　for　his　years。　　She　recovered　more
slowly；　and　perhaps　never　altogether　overcame　the　effects　of　Death's
embrace　that　night。　　From　the　moment　when　Margaret　was　brought　home；
the　storm　gradually　died　away；　and　by　the　morning　all　was　still；　but
many　starry　and　moonlit　nights　glimmered　and　passed；　before　that
snow　was　melted　away　from　the　earth；　and　many　a　night　Janet　awoke
from　her　sleep　with　a　cry；　thinking　she　heard　her　daughter　moaning；
deep　in　the　smooth　ocean　of　snow；　and　could　not　find　where　she　lay。

The　occurrences　of　this　dreadful　night　could　not　lessen　the　interest
his　cottage　friends　felt　in　Hugh；　and　a　long　winter　passed　with
daily　and　lengthening　communion　both　in　study　and　in　general
conversation。　　I　fear　some　of　my　younger　readers　will　think　my　story
slow；　and　say：　〃What！　are　they　not　going　to　fall　in　love　with　each
other　yet？　　We　have　been　expecting　it　ever　so　long。〃　　I　have　two
answers　to　make　to　this。　　The　first　is：　〃I　do　not　pretend　to　know　so
much　about　love　as　youexcuse　methink　you　do；　and　must　confess；　I
do　not　know　whether　they　were　in　love　with　each　other　or　not。〃　　The
second　is：　〃That　I　dare　not　pretend　to　understand　thoroughly　such　a
sacred　mystery　as　the　heart　of　Margaret；　and　I　should　feel　it　rather
worse　than　presumptuous　to　talk　as　if　I　did。　　Even　Hugh's　is　known
to　me　only　by　gleams　of　light　thrown；　now　and　then；　and　here　and
there；　upon　it。〃　　Perhaps　the　two　answers　are　only　the　same　answer
in　different　shapes。

Mrs。　Glasford；　however；　would　easily　answer　the　question；　if　an
answer　is　all　that　is　wanted；　for　she；　notwithstanding　the　facts　of
the　story；　which　she　could　not　fail　to　have　heard　correctly　from　the
best　authority；　and　notwithstanding　the　nature　of　the　night；　which
might　have　seemed　sufficient　to　overthrow　her　conclusions；　uniformly
remarked；　as　often　as　their　escape　was　alluded　to　in　her　hearing；

〃Lat　them　tak'　it　They　had　no　business　to　be　oot　aboot　thegither。〃




CHAPTER　XV。

TRANSITION。

Tell　me；　bright　boy；　tell　me；　my　golden　lad；
Whither　away　so　frolic？　　Why　so　glad？
What　all　thy　wealth　in　council？　all　thy　state？
Are　husks　so　dear？　troth；　'tis　a　mighty　rate。

RICHARD　CRASHAW。


The　long　Scotch　winter　passed　by　without　any　interruption　to　the
growing　friendship。　　But　the　spring　brought　a　change；　and　Hugh　was
separated　from　his　friends　sooner　than　he　had　anticipated；　by　more
than　six　months。　　For　his　mother　wrote　to　him　in　great　distress；　in
consequence　of　a　claim　made　upon　her　for　some　debt　which　his　father
had　contracted；　very　probably　for　Hugh's　own　sake。　　Hugh　could　not
bear　that　any　such　should　remain　undischarged；　or　that　his　father's
name　should　not　rest　in　peace　as　well　as　his　body　and　soul。　　He
requested；　therefore；　from　the　laird；　the　amount　due　to　him；　and
despatched　almost　the　whole　of　it　for　the　liquidation　of　this　debt；
so　that　he　was　now　as　unprovided　as　before　for　the　expenses　of　the
coming　winter　at　Aberdeen。　　But；　about　the　same　time；　a
fellow…student　wrote　to　him　with　news　of　a　situation　for　the　summer；
worth　three　times　as　much　as　his　present　one；　and　to　be　procured
through　his　friend's　interest。　　Hugh　having　engaged　himself　to　the
laird　only　for　the　winter；　although　he　had　intended　to　stay　till　the
commencement　of　the　following　session；　felt　that；　although　he　would
much　rather　remain　where　he　was；　he　must　not　hesitate　a　moment　to
accept　his　friend's　offer；　and　therefore　wrote　at　once。

I　will　not　attempt　to　describe　the　parting。　　It　was　very　quiet；　but
very　solemn　and　sad。　　Janet　showed　far　more　distress　than　Margaret；
for　she　wept　outright。　　The　tears　stood　in　David's　eyes；　as　he
grasped　the　youth's　hand　in　silence。　　Margaret　was　very　pale；　that
was　all。　　As　soon　as　Hugh　disappeared　with　her　father；　who　was　going
to　walk　with　him　to　the　village　through　which　the　coach　passed；　she
hurried　away；　and　went　to　the　fir…wood　for　comfort。

Hugh　found　his　new　situation　in　Perthshire　very　different　from　the
last。　　The　heads　of　the　family　being　themselves　a　lady　and　a
gentleman；　he　found　himself　a　gentleman　too。　　He　had　more　to　do；　but
his　work　left　him　plenty　of　leisure　notwithstanding。　　A　good　portion
of　his　spare　time　he　devoted　to　verse…making；　to　which　he　felt　a
growing　impulse；　and　whatever　may　have　been　the　merit　of　his
compositions；　they　did　him　intellectual　good　at　least；　if　it　were
only　through　the　process　of　their　construction。　　He　wrote　to　David
after　his　arrival；　telling　him　all　about　his　new　situation；　and
received　in　return　a　letter　from　Margaret；　written　at　her　father's
dictation。　　The　mechanical　part　of　letter…writing　was　rather
laborious　to　David；　but　Margaret　wrote　well；　in　consequence　of　the
number　of　papers；　of　one　sort　and　another；　which　she　had　written　for
Hugh。　Three　or　four　letters　more　passed　between　them　at　lengthening
intervals。　　Then　they　ceasedon　Hugh's　side　first；　until；　when　on
the　point　of　leaving　for　Aberdeen；　feeling　somewhat
conscience…stricken　at　not　having　written　for　so　long；　he　scribbled
a　note　to　inform　them　of　his　approaching　departure；　promising　to　let
them　know　his　address　as　soon　as　he　found　himself　settled。　　Will　it
be　believed　that　the　session　went　by　without　the　redemption　of　this
pledge？　　Surely　he　could　not　have　felt；　to　any　approximate　degree；
the　amount　of　obligation　he　was　under　to　his　humble　friends。
Perhaps；　indeed；　he　may　have　thought　that　the　obligation　was
principally　on　their　side；　as　it　would　have　been；　if　intellectual
assistance　could　outweigh　heart…kindness；　and　spiritual　impulse　and
enlightenment；　for；　unconsciously　in　a　great　measure　to　himself；　he
had　learned　from　David　to　regard　in　a　new　and　more　real　aspect；　many
of　those　truths　which　he　had　hitherto　received　as　true；　and　which
yet　had　till　then　produced　in　him　no　other　than　a　feeling　of　the
common…place　and　uninteresting　at　the　best。

Besides　this；　and　many　cognate　advantages；　a　thousand　seeds　of　truth
must　have　surely　remained　in　his　mind；　dropped　there　from　the　same
tongue　of　wisdom；　and　only　waiting　the　friendly　aid　of　a　hard
winter；　breaking　up　the　cold；　selfish　clods　of　clay；　to　share　in　the
loveliness　of　a　new　spring；　and　be　perfected　in　the　beauty　of　a　new
summer。

However　this　may　have　been；　it　is　certain　that　he　forgot　his　old
friends　far　more　than　he　himself　could　have　thought　it　possible　he
should；　for；　to　make　the　best　of　it；　youth　is　easily　attracted　and
filled　with　the　present　show；　and　easily　forgets　that　which；　from
distance　in　time　or　space；　has　no　show　to　show。　　Spending　his
evenings　in　the　midst　of　merry　faces；　and　ready　tongues　fluent　with
the　tones　of　jollity；　if　not　always　of　wit；　which　glided　sometimes
into　no　too　earnest　discussion　of　the　difficult　subjects　occupying
their　student　hours；　surrounded　by　the　vapours　of　whisky…toddy；　and
the　smoke　of　cutty　pipes；　till　far　into　the　short　hours；　then
hurrying　home；　and　lapsing　into　unrefreshing　slumbers　over　intended
study；　or　sitting　up　all　night　to　prepare　the　tasks　which　had　been
neglected　for　a　ball　or　an　evening　with　Wilson；　the　great
interpreter　of　Scottish　songit　is　hardly　to　be　wondered　at　that　he
should　lose　the　finer　consciousness　of　higher　powers　and　deeper
feelings；　not　from　any　behaviour　in　itself　wrong；　but　from　the
hurry；　noise；　and　tumult　in　the　streets　of　life；　that；　penetrating
too　deep　into　the　house　of　life；　dazed　and　stupefied　the　silent　and
lonely　watcher　in　the　chamber　of　conscience；　far　apart。　　He　had　no
time　to　think　or　feel。

The　session　drew　to　a　close。　　He　eschewed　all　idleness；　shut　himself
up；　after　class　hours；　with　his　books；　ate　little；　studied　hard；
slept　irregularly；　working　always　best　between　midnight　and　two　in
the　morning；　carried　the　first　honours　in　most　of　his　classes；　and
at　length　breathed　freely；　but　with　a　dizzy　brain；　and　a　face　that
revealed；　in　pale　cheeks；　and　red；　weary　eyes；　the　results　of　an
excess　of　mental　labouran　excess　which　is　as　injurious　as　any
other　kind　of　intemper