chronicles of the canongate-第26章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


subjection　to　strangers；　and　the　death…sleep　of　the　soul　which　is　brought　on　by　what　she　regarded　as　slavery。

The　moral　principle　which　so　naturally　and　so　justly　occurs　to　the　mind　of　those　who　have　been　educated　under　a　settled　government　of　laws　that　protect　the　property　of　the　weak　against　the　incursions　of　the　strong；　was　to　poor　Elspat　a　book　sealed　and　a　fountain　closed。　　She　had　been　taught　to　consider　those　whom　they　call　Saxons　as　a　race　with　whom　the　Gael　were　constantly　at　war；　and　she　regarded　every　settlement　of　theirs　within　the　reach　of　Highland　incursion　as　affording　a　legitimate　object　of　attack　and　plunder。　　Her　feelings　on　this　point　had　been　strengthened　and　confirmed；　not　only　by　the　desire　of　revenge　for　the　death　of　her　husband；　but　by　the　sense　of　general　indignation　entertained；　not　unjustly；　through　the　Highlands　of　Scotland；　on　account　of　the　barbarous　and　violent　conduct　of　the　victors　after　the　battle　of　Culloden。　　Other　Highland　clans；　too；　she　regarded　as　the　fair　objects　of　plunder；　when　that　was　possible；　upon　the　score　of　ancient　enmities　and　deadly　feuds。

The　prudence　that　might　have　weighed　the　slender　means　which　the　times　afforded　for　resisting　the　efforts　of　a　combined　government；　which　had；　in　its　less　compact　and　established　authority；　been　unable　to　put　down　the　ravages　of　such　lawless　caterans　as　MacTavish　Mhor；　was　unknown　to　a　solitary　woman　whose　ideas　still　dwelt　upon　her　own　early　times。　　She　imagined　that　her　son　had　only　to　proclaim　himself　his　father's　successor　in　adventure　and　enterprise；　and　that　a　force　of　men；　as　gallant　as　those　who　had　followed　his　father's　banner；　would　crowd　around　to　support　it　when　again　displayed。　　To　her　Hamish　was　the　eagle　who　had　only　to　soar　aloft　and　resume　his　native　place　in　the　skies；　without　her　being　able　to　comprehend　how　many　additional　eyes　would　have　watched　his　flighthow　many　additional　bullets　would　have　been　directed　at　his　bosom。　　To　be　brief；　Elspat　was　one　who　viewed　the　present　state　of　society　with　the　same　feelings　with　which　she　regarded　the　times　that　had　passed　away。　　She　had　been　indigent；　neglected；　oppressed　since　the　days　that　her　husband　had　no　longer　been　feared　and　powerful；　and　she　thought　that　the　term　of　her　ascendence　would　return　when　her　son　had　determined　to　play　the　part　of　his　father。　　If　she　permitted　her　eye　to　glance　farther　into　futurity；　it　was　but　to　anticipate　that　she　must　be　for　many　a　day　cold　in　the　grave；　with　the　coronach　of　her　tribe　cried　duly　over　her；　before　her　fair…haired　Hamish　could；　according　to　her　calculation；　die　with　his　hand　on　the　basket…hilt　of　the　red　claymore。　　His　father's　hair　was　grey；　ere；　after　a　hundred　dangers；　he　had　fallen　with　his　arms　in　his　hands。　　That　she　should　have　seen　and　survived　the　sight　was　a　natural　consequence　of　the　manners　of　that　age。　　And　better　it　wassuch　was　her　proud　thoughtthat　she　had　seen　him　so　die；　than　to　have　witnessed　his　departure　from　life　in　a　smoky　hovel　on　a　bed　of　rotten　straw　like　an　over…worn　hound；　or　a　bullock　which　died　of　disease。　　But　the　hour　of　her　young；　her　brave　Hamish；　was　yet　far　distant。　　He　must　succeedhe　must　conquer　like　his　father。　　And　when　he　fell　at　lengthfor　she　anticipated　for　him　no　bloodless　deathElspat　would　ere　then　have　lain　long　in　the　grave；　and　could　neither　see　his　death…　struggle　nor　mourn　over　his　grave…sod。

With　such　wild　notions　working　in　her　brain；　the　spirit　of　Elspat　rose　to　its　usual　pitch；　or；　rather；　to　one　which　seemed　higher。　In　the　emphatic　language　of　Scripture；　which　in　that　idiom　does　not　greatly　differ　from　her　own；　she　arose；　she　washed　and　changed　her　apparel；　and　ate　bread；　and　was　refreshed。

She　longed　eagerly　for　the　return　of　her　son；　but　she　now　longed　not　with　the　bitter　anxiety　of　doubt　and　apprehension。　　She　said　to　herself　that　much　must　be　done　ere　he　could　in　these　times　arise　to　be　an　eminent　and　dreaded　leader。　　Yet　when　she　saw　him　again；　she　almost　expected　him　at　the　head　of　a　daring　band；　with　pipes　playing　and　banners　flying；　the　noble　tartans　fluttering　free　in　the　wind；　in　despite　of　the　laws　which　had　suppressed；　under　severe　penalties；　the　use　of　the　national　garb　and　all　the　appurtenances　of　Highland　chivalry。　　For　all　this；　her　eager　imagination　was　content　only　to　allow　the　interval　of　some　days。

From　the　moment　this　opinion　had　taken　deep　and　serious　possession　of　her　mind；　her　thoughts　were　bent　upon　receiving　her　son　at　the　head　of　his　adherents　in　the　manner　in　which　she　used　to　adorn　her　hut　for　the　return　of　his　father。

The　substantial　means　of　subsistence　she　had　not　the　power　of　providing；　nor　did　she　consider　that　of　importance。　　The　successful　caterans　would　bring　with　them　herds　and　flocks。　　But　the　interior　of　her　hut　was　arranged　for　their　reception；　the　usquebaugh　was　brewed　or　distilled　in　a　larger　quantity　than　it　could　have　been　supposed　one　lone　woman　could　have　made　ready。　Her　hut　was　put　into　such　order　as　might；　in　some　degree；　give　it　the　appearance　of　a　day　of　rejoicing。　　It　was　swept　and　decorated；　with　boughs　of　various　kinds；　like　the　house　of　a　Jewess　upon　what　is　termed　the　Feast　of　the　Tabernacles。　　The　produce　of　the　milk　of　her　little　flock　was　prepared　in　as　great　variety　of　forms　as　her　skill　admitted；　to　entertain　her　son　and　his　associates　whom　she；　expected　to　receive　along　with　him。

But　the　principal　decoration；　which　she　sought　with　the　greatest　toil；　was　the　cloud…berry；　a　scarlet　fruit；　which　is　only　found　on　very　high　hills；　and　these　only　in　small　quantities。　　Her　husband；　or　perhaps　one　of　his　forefathers；　had　chosen　this　as　the　emblem　of　his　family；　because　it　seemed　at　once　to　imply；　by　its　scarcity；　the　smallness　of　their　clan；　and；　by　the　places　in　which　it　was　found；　the　ambitious　height　of　their　pretensions。

For　the　time　that　these　simple　preparations　of　welcome　endured；　Elspat　was　in　a　state　of　troubled　happiness。　　In　fact；　her　only　anxiety　was　that　she　might　be　able　to　complete　all　that　she　could　do　to　welcome　Hamish　and　the　friends　who　she　supposed　must　have　attached　themselves　to　his　band；　before　they　should　arrive　and　find　her　unprovided　for　their　reception。

But　when　such　efforts　as　she　could　make　had　been　accomplished；　she　once　more　had　nothing　left　to　engage　her　save　the　trifling　care　of　her　goats；　and　when　these　had　been　attended　to；　she　had　only　to　review　her　little　preparations；　renew　such　as　were　of　a　transitory　nature；　replace　decayed　branches　and　fading　boughs；　and　then　to　sit　down　at　her　cottage…door　and　watch　the　road　as　it　ascended　on　the　one　side　from　the　banks　of　the　Awe；　and　on　the　other　wound　round　the　heights　of　the　mountain；　with　such　a　degree　of　accommodation　to　hill　and　level　as　the　plan　of　the　military　engineer　permitted。　　While　so　occupied；　her　imagination；　anticipating　the　future　from　recollections　of　the　past；　formed　out　of　the　morning　mist　or　the　evening　cloud　the　wild　forms　of　an　advancing　band；　which　were　then　called　〃Sidier　Dhu〃　（dark　soldiers）；　dressed　in　their　native　tartan；　and　so　named　to　distinguish　them　from　the　scarlet　ranks　of　the　British　army。　　In　this　occupation　she　spent　many　hours　of　each　morning　and　evening。



CHAPTER　IV。

It　was　in　vain　that　Elspat's　eyes　surveyed　the　distant　path　by　the　earliest　light　of　the　dawn　and　the　latest　glimmer　of　the　twilight。　　No　rising　dust　awakened　the　expectation　of　nodding　plumes　or　flashing　arms。　　The　solitary　traveller　trudged　listlessly　along　in　his　brown　lowland　greatcoat；　his　tartans　dyed　black　or　purple；　to　comply　with　or　evade　the　law　which　prohibited　their　being　worn　in　their　variegated　hues。　　The　spirit　of　the　Gael；　sunk　and　broken　by　the　severe　though　perhaps　necessary　laws；　that　proscribed　the　dress　and　arms　which　he　considered　as　his　birthright；　was　intimated　by　his　drooping　head　and　dejected　appearance。　　Not　in　such　depressed　wanderers　did　Elspat　recognise　the　light　and　free　step　of　her　son；　now；　as　she　concluded；　regenerated　from　every　sign　of　Saxon　thraldom。　　Night　by　night；　as　darkness　came；　she　removed　from　her　unclosed　door；　to　throw　herself　on　her　restless　pallet；　not　to　sleep；　but　to　watch。　　The　brave　and　the　terrible；　she　said；　walk　by　night。　　Their　steps　are　heard　in　darkness；　when　all　is　silent　save　the　whirlwind　and　the　cataract。　　The　timid　deer　comes　only　forth　when　the　sun　is　upon　the　mountain's　peak；　but　the　bold　wolf　walks　in　the　red　light　of　the　harvest…moon。　　She　reasoned　in　vain；　her　son's　expected　summons　did　not　call　her　from　the　lowly　couch　where　she　lay　dreaming　of　his　approach。　　Hamish　came　not。

〃Hope　deferred；〃　saith　the　royal　sage；　〃maketh　the　heart　sick；〃　and　strong　as　was　Elspat's　constitution；　she　began　to　experience　that　it　was　unequal　to　the　toils　to　which　her　anxious　and　immoderate　affection　subjected　her；　when　early　one　morning　the　appearance　of　a　traveller　on　the　lonely　mountain…road；　revived　hopes　which　had　begun　to　sink　into　listless　despair。　　There　was　no　sign　of　Saxon　subjugation　about　the　stranger。　　At　a　distance　she　could　see　the　flutter　of　the　belted…plaid　that　drooped　in　graceful　folds　behind　him；　and　the　plume　that；　placed　in　the　bonnet；　showed　rank　and　gentle　birth。　　He　carried　a　gun　over　his　shoulder；　the　claymore　was　swinging　by　his　side　with　its　usual　appendages；　the　dirk；　the　pistol；　and　the　SPORRAN　MOLLACH。　　＇The　goat…skin　pouch；　worn　by　the　Highlanders　round　their　waist。＇　　Ere　yet　her　eye　had　scanned　all　these　particulars；　the　light　step　of　the　traveller　was　hastened；　his　arm　was　waved　in　token　of　recognitiona　moment　more；　and　Elspat　held　in　her　arms　her　darling　son；　dressed　in　the　garb　of　his　ancestors；　and　looking；　in　her　maternal　eyes；　the　fairest　among　ten　thousand！

The　first　outpouring　of　affection　it　would　be　impossible　to　describe。　　Blessings　mingled　with　the　most　endearing　epithets　which　her　energetic　language　affords　in　striving　to　express　the　wild　rapture　of　Elspat's　joy。　　Her　board　was　heaped　hastily　with　all　she　had　to　offer；　and　the　mother　watched　the　young　soldier；　as　he　partook　of　the　refreshment；　with　feelings　how　similar　to；　yet　how　different　from；　those　with　which　she　had　seen　him　draw　his　first　sustenance　from　her　bosom！

When　the　tumult　of　joy　was　appeased；　Elspat　became　anxious　to　know　her　son's　adventures　since　they　parted；　and　could　not　help　greatly　censuring　his　rashness　for　traversing　the　hills　in　the　Highland　dress　in　the　broad　sunshine；　when　the　penalty　was　so　heavy；　and　so　many　red　soldiers　were　abroad　in　the　country。

〃Fear　not　for　me；　mother；〃　said　Hamish；　in　a　tone　designed　to　relieve　her　anxiety；　and　yet　somewhat　embarrassed；　〃I　may　wear　the　BREACAN　＇That　which　is　variegatedthat　is；　the　tartan。＇　at　the　gate　of　Fort…Augustus；　if　I　like　it。〃

〃Oh；　be　not　too　daring；　my　beloved　Hamish；　though　it　be　the　fault　which　best　becomes　thy　father's　sonyet　be　not　too　daring！　Alas！　　they　fight　not　now　as　in　former　days；　with　fair　weapons　and　on　equal　terms；　but　take　odds　of　numbers　and　of　arms；　so　that　the　feeble　and　the　strong　are　alike　levelled　by　the　shot　of　a　boy。　　And　do　not　think　me　unworthy　to　be　called　your　father's　widow　and　your　mother　because　I　speak　thus；　for　God　knoweth；　that；　man　to　man；　I　would　peril　thee　against　the　best　in　Breadalbane；　and　broad　Lorn　besides。〃

〃I　assure　you；　my　dearest　mother；〃　replied　Ham