weir of hermiston-第24部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


…　Archie　began　to　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　dark；　perhaps　a　vicious　

mystery；　and　the　future　developments　of　his　career　to　be　looked　for　with　

uneasiness　and　confidential　whispering。　　He　had　done　something　

disgraceful；　my　dear。　　What；　was　not　precisely　known；　and　that　good　kind　

young　man；　Mr。　Innes；　did　his　best　to　make　light　of　it。　　But　there　it　

was。　　And　Mr。　Innes　was　very　anxious　about　him　now；　he　was　really　

uneasy；　my　dear；　he　was　positively　wrecking　his　own　prospects　because　he　

dared　not　leave　him　alone。　　How　wholly　we　all　lie　at　the　mercy　of　a　

single　prater；　not　needfully　with　any　malign　purpose！　　And　if　a　man　but　

talks　of　himself　in　the　right　spirit；　refers　to　his　virtuous　actions　by　

the　way；　and　never　applies　to　them　the　name　of　virtue；　how　easily　his　

evidence　is　accepted　in　the　court　of　public　opinion！



All　this　while；　however；　there　was　a　more　poisonous　ferment　at　work　

between　the　two　lads；　which　came　late　indeed　to　the　surface；　but　had　

modified　and　magnified　their　dissensions　from　the　first。　　To　an　idle；　

shallow；　easy…going　customer　like　Frank；　the　smell　of　a　mystery　was　

attractive。　　It　gave　his　mind　something　to　play　with；　like　a　new　toy　to　

a　child；　and　it　took　him　on　the　weak　side；　for　like　many　young　men　

coming　to　the　Bar；　and　before　they　had　been　tried　and　found　wanting；　he　

flattered　himself　he　was　a　fellow　of　unusual　quickness　and　penetration。　　

They　knew　nothing　of　Sherlock　Holmes　in　those　days；　but　there　was　a　good　

deal　said　of　Talleyrand。　　And　if　you　could　have　caught　Frank　off　his　

guard；　he　would　have　confessed　with　a　smirk　that；　if　he　resembled　any　

one；　it　was　the　Marquis　de　Talleyrand…Perigord。　　It　was　on　the　occasion　

of　Archie's　first　absence　that　this　interest　took　root。　　It　was　vastly　

deepened　when　Kirstie　resented　his　curiosity　at　breakfast；　and　that　same　

afternoon　there　occurred　another　scene　which　clinched　the　business。　　He　

was　fishing　Swingleburn；　Archie　accompanying　him；　when　the　latter　looked　

at　his　watch。



〃Well；　good…bye；〃　said　he。　　〃I　have　something　to　do。　　See　you　at　

dinner。〃



〃Don't　be　in　such　a　hurry；〃　cries　Frank。　　〃Hold　on　till　I　get　my　rod　up。　　

I'll　go　with　you；　I'm　sick　of　flogging　this　ditch。〃



And　he　began　to　reel　up　his　line。



Archie　stood　speechless。　　He　took　a　long　while　to　recover　his　wits　under　

this　direct　attack；　but　by　the　time　he　was　ready　with　his　answer；　and　

the　angle　was　almost　packed　up；　he　had　become　completely　Weir；　and　the　

hanging　face　gloomed　on　his　young　shoulders。　　He　spoke　with　a　laboured　

composure；　a　laboured　kindness　even；　but　a　child　could　see　that　his　mind　

was　made　up。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Innes；　I　don't　want　to　be　disagreeable；　but　let　us　

understand　one　another　from　the　beginning。　　When　I　want　your　company；　

I'll　let　you　know。〃



〃O！〃　cries　Frank；　〃you　don't　want　my　company；　don't　you？〃



〃Apparently　not　just　now；〃　replied　Archie。　　〃I　even　indicated　to　you　

when　I　did；　if　you'll　remember　…　and　that　was　at　dinner。　　If　we　two　

fellows　are　to　live　together　pleasantly　…　and　I　see　no　reason　why　we　

should　not　…　it　can　only　be　by　respecting　each　other's　privacy。　　If　we　

begin　intruding　…　〃



〃O；　come！　　I'll　take　this　at　no　man's　hands。　　Is　this　the　way　you　treat　

a　guest　and　an　old　friend？〃　cried　Innes。



〃Just　go　home　and　think　over　what　I　said　by　yourself；〃　continued　Archie；　

〃whether　it's　reasonable；　or　whether　it's　really　offensive　or　not；　and　

let's　meet　at　dinner　as　though　nothing　had　happened；　I'll　put　it　this　

way；　if　you　like　…　that　I　know　my　own　character；　that　I'm　looking　

forward　（with　great　pleasure；　I　assure　you）　to　a　long　visit　from　you；　

and　that　I'm　taking　precautions　at　the　first。　　I　see　the　thing　that　we　…　

that　I；　if　you　like　…　might　fall　out　upon；　and　I　step　in　and　OBSTO　

PRINCIPIIS。　　I　wager　you　five　pounds　you'll　end　by　seeing　that　I　mean　

friendliness；　and　I　assure　you；　Francie；　I　do；〃　he　added；　relenting。



Bursting　with　anger；　but　incapable　of　speech；　Innes　shouldered　his　rod；　

made　a　gesture　of　farewell；　and　strode　off　down　the　burn…side。　　Archie　

watched　him　go　without　moving。　　He　was　sorry；　but　quite　unashamed。　　He　

hated　to　be　inhospitable；　but　in　one　thing　he　was　his　father's　son。　　He　

had　a　strong　sense　that　his　house　was　his　own　and　no　man　else's；　and　to　

lie　at　a　guest's　mercy　was　what　he　refused。　　He　hated　to　seem　harsh。　　

But　that　was　Frank's　lookout。　　If　Frank　had　been　commonly　discreet；　he　

would　have　been　decently　courteous。　　And　there　was　another　

consideration。　　The　secret　he　was　protecting　was　not　his　own　merely；　it　

was　hers：　it　belonged　to　that　inexpressible　she　who　was　fast　taking　

possession　of　his　soul；　and　whom　he　would　soon　have　defended　at　the　cost　

of　burning　cities。　　By　the　time　he　had　watched　Frank　as　far　as　the　

Swingleburn…foot；　appearing　and　disappearing　in　the　tarnished　heather；　

still　stalking　at　a　fierce　gait　but　already　dwindled　in　the　distance　

into　less　than　the　smallness　of　Lilliput；　he　could　afford　to　smile　at　

the　occurrence。　　Either　Frank　would　go；　and　that　would　be　a　relief　…　or　

he　would　continue　to　stay；　and　his　host　must　continue　to　endure　him。　　

And　Archie　was　now　free　…　by　devious　paths；　behind　hillocks　and　in　the　

hollow　of　burns　…　to　make　for　the　trysting…place　where　Kirstie；　cried　

about　by　the　curlew　and　the　plover；　waited　and　burned　for　his　coming　by　

the　Covenanter's　stone。



Innes　went　off　down…hill　in　a　passion　of　resentment；　easy　to　be　

understood；　but　which　yielded　progressively　to　the　needs　of　his　

situation。　　He　cursed　Archie　for　a　cold…hearted；　unfriendly；　rude；　rude　

dog；　and　himself　still　more　passionately　for　a　fool　in　having　come　to　

Hermiston　when　he　might　have　sought　refuge　in　almost　any　other　house　in　

Scotland。　　But　the　step　once　taken；　was　practically　irretrievable。　　He　

had　no　more　ready　money　to　go　anywhere　else；　he　would　have　to　borrow　

from　Archie　the　next　club…night；　and　ill　as　he　thought　of　his　host's　

manners；　he　was　sure　of　his　practical　generosity。　　Frank's　resemblance　

to　Talleyrand　strikes　me　as　imaginary；　but　at　least　not　Talleyrand　

himself　could　have　more　obediently　taken　his　lesson　from　the　facts。　　He　

met　Archie　at　dinner　without　resentment；　almost　with　cordiality。　　You　

must　take　your　friends　as　you　find　them；　he　would　have　said。　　Archie　

couldn't　help　being　his　father's　son；　or　his　grandfather's；　the　

hypothetical　weaver's；　grandson。　　The　son　of　a　hunks；　he　was　still　a　

hunks　at　heart；　incapable　of　true　generosity　and　consideration；　but　he　

had　other　qualities　with　which　Frank　could　divert　himself　in　the　

meanwhile；　and　to　enjoy　which　it　was　necessary　that　Frank　should　keep　

his　temper。



So　excellently　was　it　controlled　that　he　awoke　next　morning　with　his　

head　full　of　a　different；　though　a　cognate　subject。　　What　was　Archie's　

little　game？　　Why　did　he　shun　Frank's　company？　　What　was　he　keeping　

secret？　　Was　he　keeping　tryst　with　somebody；　and　was　it　a　woman？　　It　

would　be　a　good　joke　and　a　fair　revenge　to　discover。　　To　that　task　he　

set　himself　with　a　great　deal　of　patience；　which　might　have　surprised　

his　friends；　for　he　had　been　always　credited　not　with　patience　so　much　

as　brilliancy；　and　little　by　little；　from　one　point　to　another；　he　at　

last　succeeded　in　piecing　out　the　situation。　　First　he　remarked　that；　

although　Archie　set　out　in　all　the　directions　of　the　compass；　he　always　

came　home　again　from　some　point　between　the　south　and　west。　　From　the　

study　of　a　map；　and　in　consideration　of　the　great　expanse　of　untenanted　

moorland　running　in　that　direction　towards　the　sources　of　the　Clyde；　he　

laid　his　finger　on　Cauldstaneslap　and　two　other　neighbouring　farms；　

Kingsmuirs　and　Polintarf。　　But　it　was　difficult　to　advance　farther。　　

With　his　rod　for　a　pretext；　he　vainly　visited　each　of　them　in　turn；　

nothing　was　to　be　seen　suspicious　about　this　trinity　of　moorland　

settlements。　　He　would　have　tried　to　follow　Archie；　had　it　been　the　

least　possible；　but　the　nature　of　the　land　precluded　the　idea。　　He　did　

the　next　best；　ensconced　himself　in　a　quiet　corner；　and　pursued　his　

movements　with　a　telescope。　　It　was　equally　in　vain；　and　he　soon　wearied　

of　his　futile　vigilance；　left　the　telescope　at　home；　and　had　almost　

given　the　matter　up　in　despair；　when；　on　the　twenty…seventh　day　of　his　

visit；　he　was　suddenly　confronted　with　the　person　whom　he　sought。　　The　

first　Sunday　Kirstie　had　managed　to　stay　away　from　kirk　on　some　pretext　

of　indisposition；　which　was　more　truly　modesty；　the　pleasure　of　

beholding　Archie　seeming　too　sacred；　too　vivid　for　that　public　place。　　

On　the　two　following；　Frank　had　himself　been　absent　on　some　of　his　

excursions　among　the　neighbouring　families。　　It　was　not　until　the　

fourth；　accordingly；　that　Frank　had　occasion　to　set　eyes　on　the　

enchantress。　　With　the　first　look；　all　hesitation　was　over。　　She　came　

with　the　Cauldstaneslap　party；　then　she　lived　at　Cauldstaneslap。　　Here　

was　Archie's　sec