weir of hermiston-第4章

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express　his　disappointment。　　〃Well；　ye　have　a　long　jaunt　before　ye　yet！〃　

he　might　observe；　yawning；　and　fall　back　on　his　own　thoughts　（as　like　as　

not）　until　the　time　came　for　separation；　and　my　lord　would　take　the　

decanter　and　the　glass；　and　be　off　to　the　back　chamber　looking　on　the　

Meadows；　where　he　toiled　on　his　cases　till　the　hours　were　small。　　There　

was　no　〃fuller　man〃　on　the　bench；　his　memory　was　marvellous；　though　

wholly　legal；　if　he　had　to　〃advise〃　extempore；　none　did　it　better；　yet　

there　was　none　who　more　earnestly　prepared。　　As　he　thus　watched　in　the　

night；　or　sat　at　table　and　forgot　the　presence　of　his　son；　no　doubt　but　

he　tasted　deeply　of　recondite　pleasures。　　To　be　wholly　devoted　to　some　

intellectual　exercise　is　to　have　succeeded　in　life；　and　perhaps　only　in　

law　and　the　higher　mathematics　may　this　devotion　be　maintained；　suffice　

to　itself　without　reaction；　and　find　continual　rewards　without　

excitement。　　This　atmosphere　of　his　father's　sterling　industry　was　the　

best　of　Archie's　education。　　Assuredly　it　did　not　attract　him；　assuredly　

it　rather　rebutted　and　depressed。　　Yet　it　was　still　present；　unobserved　

like　the　ticking　of　a　clock；　an　arid　ideal；　a　tasteless　stimulant　in　the　

boy's　life。



But　Hermiston　was　not　all　of　one　piece。　　He　was；　besides；　a　mighty　

toper；　he　could　sit　at　wine　until　the　day　dawned；　and　pass　directly　from　

the　table　to　the　bench　with　a　steady　hand　and　a　clear　head。　　Beyond　the　

third　bottle；　he　showed　the　plebeian　in　a　larger　print；　the　low；　gross　

accent；　the　low；　foul　mirth；　grew　broader　and　commoner；　he　became　less　

formidable；　and　infinitely　more　disgusting。　　Now；　the　boy　had　inherited　

from　Jean　Rutherford　a　shivering　delicacy；　unequally　mated　with　

potential　violence。　　In　the　playing…fields；　and　amongst　his　own　

companions；　he　repaid　a　coarse　expression　with　a　blow；　at　his　father's　

table　（when　the　time　came　for　him　to　join　these　revels）　he　turned　pale　

and　sickened　in　silence。　Of　all　the　guests　whom　he　there　encountered；　he　

had　toleration　for　only　one：　David　Keith　Carnegie；　Lord　Glenalmond。　　

Lord　Glenalmond　was　tall　and　emaciated；　with　long　features　and　long　

delicate　hands。　　He　was　often　compared　with　the　statue　of　Forbes　of　

Culloden　in　the　Parliament　House；　and　his　blue　eye；　at　more　than　sixty；　

preserved　some　of　the　fire　of　youth。　　His　exquisite　disparity　with　any　

of　his　fellow…guests；　his　appearance　as　of　an　artist　and　an　aristocrat　

stranded　in　rude　company；　riveted　the　boy's　attention；　and　as　curiosity　

and　interest　are　the　things　in　the　world　that　are　the　most　immediately　

and　certainly　rewarded；　Lord　Glenalmond　was　attracted　by　the　boy。



〃And　so　this　is　your　son；　Hermiston？〃　he　asked；　laying　his　hand　on　

Archie's　shoulder。　　〃He's　getting　a　big　lad。〃



〃Hout！〃　said　the　gracious　father；　〃just　his　mother　over　again　…　daurna　

say　boo　to　a　goose！〃



But　the　stranger　retained　the　boy；　talked　to　him；　drew　him　out；　found　in　

him　a　taste　for　letters；　and　a　fine；　ardent；　modest；　youthful　soul；　and　

encouraged　him　to　be　a　visitor　on　Sunday　evenings　in　his　bare；　cold；　

lonely　dining…room；　where　he　sat　and　read　in　the　isolation　of　a　bachelor　

grown　old　in　refinement。　　The　beautiful　gentleness　and　grace　of　the　old　

judge；　and　the　delicacy　of　his　person；　thoughts；　and　language；　spoke　to　

Archie's　heart　in　its　own　tongue。　　He　conceived　the　ambition　to　be　such　

another；　and；　when　the　day　came　for　him　to　choose　a　profession；　it　was　

in　emulation　of　Lord　Glenalmond；　not　of　Lord　Hermiston；　that　he　chose　

the　Bar。　　Hermiston　looked　on　at　this　friendship　with　some　secret　pride；　

but　openly　with　the　intolerance　of　scorn。　　He　scarce　lost　an　opportunity　

to　put　them　down　with　a　rough　jape；　and；　to　say　truth；　it　was　not　

difficult；　for　they　were　neither　of　them　quick。　　He　had　a　word　of　

contempt　for　the　whole　crowd　of　poets；　painters；　fiddlers；　and　their　

admirers；　the　bastard　race　of　amateurs；　which　was　continually　on　his　

lips。　　〃Signor　Feedle…eerie！〃　he　would　say。　　〃O；　for　Goad's　sake；　no　

more　of　the　Signor！〃



〃You　and　my　father　are　great　friends；　are　you　not？〃　asked　Archie　once。



〃There　is　no　man　that　I　more　respect；　Archie；〃　replied　Lord　Glenalmond。　　

〃He　is　two　things　of　price。　　He　is　a　great　lawyer；　and　he　is　upright　as　

the　day。〃



〃You　and　he　are　so　different；〃　said　the　boy；　his　eyes　dwelling　on　those　

of　his　old　friend；　like　a　lover's　on　his　mistress's。



〃Indeed　so；〃　replied　the　judge；　〃very　different。　　And　so　I　fear　are　you　

and　he。　　Yet　I　would　like　it　very　ill　if　my　young　friend　were　to　

misjudge　his　father。　　He　has　all　the　Roman　virtues：　Cato　and　Brutus　were　

such；　I　think　a　son's　heart　might　well　be　proud　of　such　an　ancestry　of　

one。〃



〃And　I　would　sooner　he　were　a　plaided　herd；〃　cried　Archie；　with　sudden　

bitterness。



〃And　that　is　neither　very　wise；　nor　I　believe　entirely　true；〃　returned　

Glenalmond。　　〃Before　you　are　done　you　will　find　some　of　these　

expressions　rise　on　you　like　a　remorse。　　They　are　merely　literary　and　

decorative；　they　do　not　aptly　express　your　thought；　nor　is　your　thought　

clearly　apprehended；　and　no　doubt　your　father　（if　he　were　here）　would　

say；　〃Signor　Feedle…eerie！〃



With　the　infinitely　delicate　sense　of　youth；　Archie　avoided　the　subject　

from　that　hour。　　It　was　perhaps　a　pity。　　Had　he　but　talked　…　talked　

freely　…　let　himself　gush　out　in　words　（the　way　youth　loves　to　do　and　

should）；　there　might　have　been　no　tale　to　write　upon　the　Weirs　of　

Hermiston。　　But　the　shadow　of　a　threat　of　ridicule　sufficed；　in　the　

slight　tartness　of　these　words　he　read　a　prohibition；　and　it　is　likely　

that　Glenalmond　meant　it　so。



Besides　the　veteran；　the　boy　was　without　confidant　or　friend。　　Serious　

and　eager；　he　came　through　school　and　college；　and　moved　among　a　crowd　

of　the　indifferent；　in　the　seclusion　of　his　shyness。　　He　grew　up　

handsome；　with　an　open；　speaking　countenance；　with　graceful；　youthful　

ways；　he　was　clever；　he　took　prizes；　he　shone　in　the　Speculative　

Society。　　It　should　seem　he　must　become　the　centre　of　a　crowd　of　

friends；　but　something　that　was　in　part　the　delicacy　of　his　mother；　in　

part　the　austerity　of　his　father；　held　him　aloof　from　all。　　It　is　a　

fact；　and　a　strange　one；　that　among　his　contemporaries　Hermiston's　son　

was　thought　to　be　a　chip　of　the　old　block。　　〃You're　a　friend　of　Archie　

Weir's？〃　said　one　to　Frank　Innes；　and　Innes　replied；　with　his　usual　

flippancy　and　more　than　his　usual　insight：　〃I　know　Weir。　but　I　never　met　

Archie。〃　　No　one　had　met　Archie；　a　malady　most　incident　to　only　sons。　　

He　flew　his　private　signal；　and　none　heeded　it；　it　seemed　he　was　abroad　

in　a　world　from　which　the　very　hope　of　intimacy　was　banished；　and　he　

looked　round　about　him　on　the　concourse　of　his　fellow…students；　and　

forward　to　the　trivial　days　and　acquaintances　that　were　to　come；　without　

hope　or　interest。



As　time　went　on；　the　tough　and　rough　old　sinner　felt　himself　drawn　to　

the　son　of　his　loins　and　sole　continuator　of　his　new　family；　with　

softnesses　of　sentiment　that　he　could　hardly　credit　and　was　wholly　

impotent　to　express。　　With　a　face；　voice；　and　manner　trained　through　

forty　years　to　terrify　and　repel；　Rhadamanthus　may　be　great；　but　he　will　

scarce　be　engaging。　　It　is　a　fact　that　he　tried　to　propitiate　Archie；　

but　a　fact　that　cannot　be　too　lightly　taken；　the　attempt　was　so　

unconspicuously　made；　the　failure　so　stoically　supported。　　Sympathy　is　

not　due　to　these　steadfast　iron　natures。　　If　he　failed　to　gain　his　son's　

friendship；　or　even　his　son's　toleration；　on　he　went　up　the　great；　bare　

staircase　of　his　duty；　uncheered　and　undepressed。　　There　might　have　been　

more　pleasure　in　his　relations　with　Archie；　so　much　he　may　have　

recognised　at　moments；　but　pleasure　was　a　by…product　of　the　singular　

chemistry　of　life；　which　only　fools　expected。



An　idea　of　Archie's　attitude；　since　we　are　all　grown　up　and　have　

forgotten　the　days　of　our　youth；　it　is　more　difficult　to　convey。　　He　

made　no　attempt　whatsoever　to　understand　the　man　with　whom　he　dined　and　

breakfasted。　　Parsimony　of　pain；　glut　of　pleasure；　these　are　the　two　

alternating　ends　of　youth；　and　Archie　was　of　the　parsimonious。　　The　wind　

blew　cold　out　of　a　certain　quarter　…　he　turned　his　back　upon　it；　stayed　

as　little　as　was　possible　in　his　father's　presence；　and　when　there；　

averted　his　eyes　as　much　as　was　decent　from　his　father's　face。　　The　lamp　

shone　for　many　hundred　days　upon　these　two　at　table　…　my　lord；　ruddy；　

gloomy；　and　unreverent；　Archie　with　a　potential　brightness　that　was　

always　dimmed　and　veiled　in　that　society；　and　there　were　not；　perhaps；　

in　Christendom　two　men　more　radically　strangers。　　The　father；　with　a　

grand　simplicity；　either　spoke　of　what　interested　himself；　or　maintained　

an　unaffected　silence。　　The　son　turned　in　his　head　for　some　topic　that　

should　be　quite　safe；　that　would　spare　him　fresh　evidences　either　of　my　

lord's　inherent　grossness　or　of　the　innocence　of　his　inhumanity；　

treading　gingerly　the　ways　of　intercourse；　like　a　lady　gathering　up　her　

skirts　in　a　by…path。　　If　he　made　a　mistake；　and　my　lord　began　to　abound　

in　matter　of　offence；　Archie　drew　himself　up；　his　brow　grew　dark；　his　

share　of　the　talk　expired；　but　my　lord　would　faithfully　and　cheerfully　

continue　to　pour　out　the　worst　of　himself　before　his　silent　and　offended　

son。



〃Well；　it's　a　poor　hert　that　never　rejoices！〃　he　would　say；　at　the　

conclusion　of　such　a　nightmare　interview。　　〃But　I　must　get　to　my　plew…

stilts。〃　And　he　would　seclude　himself　as　usual　in　his　back　room；　and　

Archie　go　forth　into　the　night　and　the　city　quivering　with　animosity　and　

scorn。







CHAPTER　III　…　IN　THE　MATTER　OF　THE　HANGING　OF　DUNCAN　JOPP







IT　chanced　in　the　year　1813　that　Archie　strayed　one　day　into　the　

Justiciary　Court。　　The　macer　made　room　for　the　son　of　the　presiding　

judge。　　In　the　dock；　the　centre　of　men's　eyes；　there　stood　a　whey…

coloured；　misbegotten　caitiff；　Duncan　Jopp；　on　trial　for　his　life。　　His　

story；　as　it　was　raked　out　before　him　in　that　public　scene；　was　one　of　

disgrace　and　vice　and　cowardice；　the　very　nakedness　of　crime；　and　the　

creature　heard　and　it　seemed　at　times　as　though　he　understood　…　as　if　at　

times　he　forgot　the　horror　of　the　place　he　stood　in；　and　remembered　the　

shame　of　what　had　brought　him　there。　　He　kept　his　head　bowed　and　his　

hands　clutched　upon　the　rail；　his　hair　dropped　in　his　eyes　and　at　times　

he　flung　it　back；　and　now　he　glanced　about　the　audience　in　a　sudden　

fellness　of　terror；　and　now　looked　in　the　face　of　his　judge　and　gulped。　　

There　was　pinned　about　his　throat　a　piece　of　dingy　flannel；　and　this　it　

was　perhaps　that　turned　the　scale　in　Archie's　mind　between　disgust　and　

pity。　　The　creature　stood　in　a　vanishing　point；　yet　a　little　while；　and　

he　was　still　a　man；　and　had　eyes　and　apprehension；　yet　a　little　longer；　

and　with　a　last　sordid　piece　of　pageantry；　h