第28章

类别:其他 作者:Sir Walter Scott字数:5399更新时间:18/12/22 09:36:37
Doeshealwaysresideinthatcave?’’ Out,no!it’spasttheskillofmantotellwherehe’stobefoundata’times;there’snotadern,nook,orcove,orcorri,inthewholecountry,thathe’snotacquaintedwith。’’ Anddoothersbesideyourmastershelterhim?’’ Mymaster?-_My_masterisinheaven,’’answeredEvanhaughtily;andthenimmediatelyassuminghisusualcivilityofmanner-ButyoumeanmyChief;-no,hedoesnotshelterDonaldBeanLean,noranythatarelikehim;heonlyallowshim(withasmile)woodandwater。’’ Nogreatboon,Ishouldthink,Evan,whenbothseemtobeveryplenty。’’ Ah!butyedinnaseethroughit。WhenIsaywoodandwater,Imeanthelochandtheland;andIfancyDonaldwouldbeputtill’tifthelairdweretolookforhimwi’threescoremeninthewoodofKailychatyonder;andifourboats,withascoreortwamair,weretocomedownthelochtoUaimhanRi,headedbymysell,oronyotherprettyman。’’ ButsupposeastrongpartycameagainsthimfromtheLowCountry,wouldnotyourChiefdefendhim?’’ Na,hewouldnotwarethesparkofaflintforhim-iftheycamewiththelaw。’’ AndwhatmustDonalddo,then?’’ Hebehovedtoridthiscountryofhimself,andfallback,itmaybe,overthemountuponLetterScriven。’’ Andifhewerepursuedtothatplace?’’ I’sewarranthewouldgotohiscousin’satRannoch。’’ Well,butiftheyfollowedhimtoRannoch?’’ That,’’quothEvan,isbeyondallbelief;and,indeed,totellyouthetruth,theredurstnotaLowlanderinallScotlandfollowthefrayagun-shotbeyondBally-Brough,unlesshehadthehelpofthe_SidierDhu。_’’ Whomdoyoucallso?’’ The_SidierDhu?_theblacksoldier;thatiswhattheycalltheindependentcompaniesthatwereraisedtokeeppeaceandlawintheHighlands。VichIanVohrcommandedoneofthemforfiveyears,andIwassergeantmyself,Ishallwarrantye。Theycallthem_SidierDhu,_becausetheywearthetartans-astheycallyourmen,KingGeorge’smen,_SidierRoy,_orredsoldiers。’’ Well,butwhenyouwereinKingGeorge’spay,Evan,youweresurelyKingGeorge’ssoldiers?’’ Troth,andyoumustaskVichIanVohraboutthat;forweareforhisking,andcarenotmuchwhichofthemitis。 Atanyrate,nobodycansayweareKingGeorge’smennow,whenwehavenotseenhispaythistwelvemonth。’’ Thislastargumentadmittedofnoreply,nordidEdwardattemptany;heratherchosetobringbackthediscoursetoDonaldBeanLean。DoesDonaldconfinehimselftocattle,ordoeshe_lift,_asyoucallit,anythingelsethatcomesinhisway?’’ Troth,he’snaenicebody,andhe’lljusttak’onything,butmostreadilycattle,horse,orliveChristians;forsheepareslowoftravel,andinsideplenishingiscumbroustocarry,andnoteasytoputawayforsillerinthiscountry。’’ Butdoeshecarryoffmenandwomen?’’ Out,ay。Didnotyehearhimspeako’thePerthbailie? ItcostthatbodyfivehundredmerkserehegottothesouthofBally-Brough。AndanceDonaldplayedaprettysport。<>ThereNoteI。Caterans。<!p130> wastobeablythebridalbetweentheLadyCramfeezer,inthehoweo’theMearns(shewastheauldlaird’swidow,andnosaeyoungasshehadbeenherself),andyoungGilliewhackit,whohadspenthisheirshipandmoveables,likeagentleman,atcock-matches,bull-baitings,horse-races,andthelike。Now,DonaldBeanLeanbeingawarethatthebridegroomwasinrequest,andwantingtocleikthecunzie(thatis,tohookthesiller),hecannilycarriedoffGilliewhackitaenightwhenhewasriding_dovering_hame(wi’themaltratherabunethemeal),andwiththehelpofhisgillieshegathimintothehillswiththespeedoflight,andthefirstplacehewakenedinwasthecoveofUaimhanRi。Sotherewasoldtodoaboutransomingthebridegroom;forDonaldwouldnotlowerafarthingofathousandpunds’’ Thedevil!’’ PundsScottish,yeshallunderstand。Andtheladyhadnotthesillerifshehadpawnedhergown;andtheyappliedtothegovernoro’StirlingCastle,andtothemajoro’theBlackWatch;andthegovernorsaid,itwasowerfartothenorthward,andoutofhisdistrict;andthemajorsaid,hismenwereganehametotheshearing,andhewouldnotcallthemoutbeforethevictualwasgotinforalltheCramfeezersinChristendom,letalanetheMearns,forthatitwouldprejudicethecountry。AndinthemeanwhileyellnohinderGilliewhackittotakethesmall-pox。TherewasnotthedoctorinPerthorStirlingwouldlooknearthepoorlad;andIcannotblamethem,forDonaldhadbeenmisguggledbyaneofthesedoctorsaboutParis,andhesworehewouldflingthefirstintothelochthathecatchedbeyondthePass。However,somecailliachs(thatis,oldwomen)thatwereaboutDonald’shand,nursedGilliewhackitsaeweel,thatbetweenthefreeopenairinthecoveandthefreshwhey,deilanhedidnotrecovermaybeasweelasifhehadbeenclosedinaglazedchamberandabedwithcurtains,andfedwithredwineandwhitemeat。AndDonaldwassaevexedaboutit,thatwhenhewasstoutandweel,heevensenthimfreehome,andsaidhewouldbepleasedwithonythingtheywouldliketogiehimfortheplagueandtroublewhich’hehadaboutGilliewhackittoanunkenn’ddegree。AndIcannottellyepreciselyhowtheysorted;buttheyagreedsaerightthatDonaldwasinvitedtodanceattheweddinginhisHighlandtrews,andtheysaidthattherewasneversaemicklesillerclinkedinhispurseeitherbeforeorsince。Andtothebootofallthat,Gilliewhackitsaid,that,betheevidencewhatitliked,ifhehadthelucktobeonDonald’sinquest,hewouldbringhiminguiltyofnothingwhatever,unlessitwerewilfularson,ormurderundertrust。’’ WithsuchbaldanddisjointedchatEvanwenton,illustratingtheexistingstateoftheHighlands,moreperhapstotheamusementofWaverleythanthatofourreaders。Atlength,afterhavingmarchedoverbankandbrae,mossandheather,Edward,thoughnotunacquaintedwiththeScottishliberalityincomputingdistance,begantothinkthatEvan’sfivemileswerenearlydoubled。HisobservationonthelargemeasurewhichtheScottishallowedoftheirland,incomparisontothecomputationoftheirmoney,wasreadilyansweredbyEvan,withthe,oldjest,Thedeiltakethemwhahavetheleastpintstoup。’’<> TheScotchareliberalincomputingtheirlandandliquor;theScottishpintcorrespondstotwoEnglishquarts。Asfortheircoin,everyoneknowsthecouplet- Howcantheroguespretendtosense? Theirpoundisonlytwentypence。’’ Andnowthereportofagunwasheard,andasportsmanwasseen,withhisdogsandattendant,attheupperendoftheglen。Shough,’’saidDugaldMahony,tat’staChief。’’ Itisnot,’’saidEvanimperiously。DoyouthinkhewouldcometomeetaSassenachDuinh-wasselinsuchawayasthat?’’ Butastheyapproachedalittlenearer,hesaid,withanappearanceofmortification,Anditisevenhe,sureenough; andhehasnothistailonafterall;-thereisnolivingcreaturewithhimbutCallumBeg。’’ Infact,FergusMac-Ivor,ofwhomaFrenchmanmighthavesaid,astrulyasofanymanintheHighlands,_Qu’ilconnoitbiensesgens,_’’hadnoideaofraisinghimselfintheeyesofanEnglishyoungmanoffortune,byappearingwitharetinueofidleHighlandersdisproportionedtotheoccasion。HewaswellawarethatsuchanunnecessaryattendancewouldseemtoEdwardratherludicrousthanrespectable;andwhilefewmenweremoreattachedtoideasofchieftainshipandfeudalpower,hewas,forthatveryreason,cautiousofexhibitingexternalmarksofdignity,unlessatthetimeandinthemannerwhentheyweremostlikelytoproduceanimposingeffect。Therefore,although,hadhebeentoreceiveabrotherchieftain,hewouldprobablyhavebeenattendedbyallthatretinuewhichEvandescribedwithsomuchunction,hejudgeditmorerespectabletoadvancetomeetWaverleywithasingleattendant,averyhandsomeHighlandboy,whocarriedhismaster’sshooting-pouchandhisbroadsword,withoutwhichheseldomwentabroad。 WhenFergusandWaverleymet,thelatterwasstruckwiththepeculiargraceanddignityoftheChieftain’sfigure。Abovethemiddlesize,andfinelyproportioned,theHighlanddress,whichheworeinitssimplestmode,setoffhispersontogreatadvantage。Heworethetrews,orclosetrowsers,madeoftartan,chequedscarletandwhite;inotherparticulars,hisdressstrictlyresembledEvan’s,exceptingthathehadnoweaponsaveadirk,veryrichlymountedwithsilver。Hispage,aswehavesaid,carriedhisclaymore;andthefowling-piece,whichheheldinhishand,seemedonlydesignedforsport。Hehadshotinthecourseofhiswalksomeyoungwild-ducks,as,thoughclose-timewasthenunknown,thebroodsofgrousewereyettooyoungforthesportsman。HiscountenancewasdecidedlyScottish,withallthepeculiaritiesofthenorthernphysiognomy,butyethadsolittleofitsharshnessandexaggeration,thatitwouldhavebeenpronouncedinanycountryextremelyhandsome。 Themartialairofthebonnet,withasingleeagle’sfeatherasadistinction,addedmuchtothemanlyappearanceofhishead,whichwasbesidesornamentedwithafarmorenaturalandgracefulclusterofcloseblackcurlsthaneverwereexposedtosaleinBondStreet。 Anairofopennessandaffabilityincreasedthefavourableimpressionderivedfromthishandsomeanddignifiedexterior。 Yetaskilfulphysiognomistwouldhavebeenlesssatisfiedwiththecountenanceonthesecondthanonthefirstview。Theeyebrowandupperlipbespokesomethingofthehabitofperemptorycommandanddecisivesuperiority。Evenhiscourtesy,thoughopen,frank,andunconstrained,seemedtoindicateasenseofpersonalimportance;and,uponanycheckoraccidentalexcitation,asudden,thoughtransient,louroftheeye,showedahasty,haughty,andvindictivetemper,notlesstobedreadedbecauseitseemedmuchunderitsowner’scommand。Inshort,thecountenanceoftheChieftainresembledasmilingsummer,day,inwhich,notwithstanding,wearemadesensiblebycertain,thoughslightsigns,thatitmaythunderandlightenbeforethecloseofevening。 Itwasnot,however,upontheirfirstmeetingthatEdwardhadanopportunityofmakingtheselessfavourableremarks。 TheChiefreceivedhimasafriendoftheBaronofBradwardine,withtheutmostexpressionofkindness,andobligationforthevisit;upbraidedhimgentlywithchoosingsorudeanabodeashehaddonethenightbefore;andenteredintoalivelyconversationwithhimaboutDonaldBean’shousekeeping,butwithouttheleasthintastohispredatoryhabits,ortheimmediateoccasionofWaverley’svisit,atopicwhich,astheChiefdidnotintroduceit,ourheroalsoavoided。WhiletheywalkedmerrilyontowardsthehouseofGlennaquoich,Evan,whonowfellrespectfullyintotherear,followedwithCallumBegandDugaldMahony。 WeshalltaketheopportunitytointroducethereadertosomeparticularsofFergusMac-Ivor’scharacterandhistory,whichwerenotcompletelyknowntoWaverleytillafteraconnection,which,thougharisingfromacircumstancesocasual,hadforalengthoftimethedeepestinfluenceuponhischaracter,actions,andprospects。Butthis,beinganimportantsubject,mustformthe Theingeniouslicentiate,FranciscodeUbeda,whenhecommencedhishistoryofLaPicaraJustinaDiez,-which,bytheway,isoneofthemostrarebooksofSpanishliterature,- complainedofhispenhavingcaughtupahair,andforthwithbegins,withmoreeloquencethancommonsense,anaffectionateexpostulationwiththatusefulimplement,upbraidingitwithbeingthequillofagoose,-abirdinconstantbynature,asfrequentingthethreeelementsofwater,earth,andair,indifferently,andbeing,ofcourse,toonethingconstantnever。’’ NowIprotesttothee,gentlereader,thatIentirelydissentfromFranciscodeUbedainthismatter,andholditthemostusefulqualityofmypen,thatitcanspeedilychangefromgravetogay,andfromdescriptionanddialoguetonarrativeandcharacter。Sothat,ifmyquilldisplaynootherpropertiesofitsmother-goosethanhermutability,trulyIshallbewellpleased;andIconceivethatyou,myworthyfriend,willhavenooccasionfordiscontent。Fromthejargon,therefore,oftheHighlandgillies,IpasstothecharacteroftheirChief。Itisanimportantexamination,andtherefore,likeDogberry,wemustsparenowisdom。