第 26 节
作者:缘圆      更新:2024-07-17 14:42      字数:9322
  〃It was a cowardly cruel thing;〃 said one of the sisters; looking round;
  〃to harry a puir family to the bare wa's this gate。〃
  〃And leave us neither stirk nor   stot;〃 said the youngest brother;  who
  now entered; 〃nor sheep nor lamb; nor aught that eats grass and corn。〃
  〃If they had ony quarrel wi' us;〃 said Harry; the second brother; 〃were
  we na ready to have fought it out?            And that we should have been a' frae
  hame; too;ane and a' upon the hillOdd; an we had been at hame; Will
  Graeme's stamach shouldna hae wanted its morning; but it's biding him; is
  it na; Hobbie?〃
  〃Our neighbours hae taen a day at the Castleton to gree wi' him at the
  sight o' men;〃 said Hobbie; mournfully; 〃they behoved to have it a' their
  ain gate; or there was nae help to be got at their hands。〃
  〃To gree wi' him!〃        exclaimed both his brothers at once; 〃after siccan
  an act   of stouthrife as   hasna   been heard o'   in   the country  since   the   auld
  riding days!〃
  〃Very true; billies; and my blood was e'en boiling at it; but the sight o'
  Grace Armstrong has settled it brawly。〃
  〃But   the   stocking;   Hobbie'〃   said   John   Elliot;   〃we're   utterly   ruined。
  Harry  and   I   hae been   to   gather  what   was   on   the  outby  land;  and   there's
  scarce a cloot left。      I kenna how we're to carry onWe maun a' gang to
  the wars; I think。       Westburnflat hasna the means; e'en if he had the will;
  to make up our loss; there's nae mends to be got out o' him; but what ye
  take   out   o'   his   banes。 He   hasna   a   four…footed   creature   but   the   vicious
  blood thing he rides on; and that's sair trash'd wi' his night wark。 We are
  ruined stoop and roop。〃
  Hobbie cast a mournful glance on Grace Armstrong; who returned it
  with a downcast look and a gentle sigh。
  〃Dinna   be   cast   down;   bairns;〃   said   the   grandmother;   〃we   hae   gude
  friends that winna forsake us in adversity。            There's Sir Thomas Kittleloof
  is my third cousin by the mother's side; and he has come by a hantle siller;
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  and   been   made   a   knight…baronet   into   the   bargain;   for   being   ane   o'   the
  commissioners at the Union。〃
  〃He wadna gie a bodle to save us frae famishing;〃 said Hobbie; 〃and;
  if   he   did;   the  bread   that   I   bought   wi't   would   stick   in   my   throat;   when   I
  thought     it  was    part  of   the  price   of  puir   auld   Scotland's     crown    and
  independence。〃
  〃There's the Laird o' Dunder; ane o' the auldest families in Tiviotdale。〃
  〃He's in the tolbooth; motherhe's in the Heart of Mid…Louden for a
  thousand merk he borrowed from Saunders Wyliecoat the writer。〃
  〃Poor man!〃        exclaimed Mrs。 Elliot; 〃can we no send him something;
  Hobbie?〃
  〃Ye   forget;   grannie;   ye   forget   we   want   help   oursells;〃   said   Hobbie;
  somewhat peevishly。
  〃Troth did I; hinny;〃 replied the good…natured lady; 〃just at the instant;
  it's   sae   natural   to   think   on   ane's   blude   relations   before   themsells;But
  there's young Earnscliff。〃
  〃He has ower little o' his ain; and siccan a name to keep up; it wad be a
  shame;〃   said   Hobbie;   〃to   burden   him   wi'   our   distress。   And   I'll   tell   ye;
  grannie; it's needless to sit rhyming ower the style of a' your kith; kin; and
  allies;   as   if   there   was   a   charm   in   their   braw   names   to   do   us   good;   the
  grandees   hae   forgotten   us;   and   those   of   our   ain   degree   hae   just   little
  eneugh to gang on wi' themsells; ne'er a friend hae we that can; or will;
  help us to stock the farm again。〃
  〃Then;   Hobbie;   me   maun   trust   in   Him   that   can   raise   up   friends   and
  fortune out o' the bare moor; as they say。〃
  Hobbie sprung upon his feet。            〃Ye are right; grannie!〃 he exclaimed;
  〃ye are right。      I do ken a friend on the bare moor; that baith can and will
  help usThe turns o' this day hae dung my head clean hirdie…girdie。                   I left
  as   muckle     gowd     lying   on   Mucklestane…Moor         this   morning     as  would
  plenish the house and stock the Heugh…foot twice ower; and I am certain
  sure Elshie wadna grudge us the use of it。〃
  〃Elshie!〃     said his grandmother in astonishment; 〃what Elshie do you
  mean?〃
  〃What      Elshie    should    I   mean;    but   Canny     Elshie;    the   Wight     o'
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  Mucklestane;〃 replied Hobbie。
  〃God forfend; my bairn; you should gang to fetch water out o' broken
  cisterns;   or   seek   for   relief   frae   them  that deal   wi'   the   Evil   One! There
  was   never   luck   in   their   gifts;   nor   grace   in   their   paths。 And   the   haill
  country kens that body Elshie's an unco man。               O; if there was the law; and
  the douce quiet administration of justice; that makes a kingdom flourish in
  righteousness; the like o' them suldna be suffered to live!              The wizard and
  the witch are the abomination and the evil thing in the land。〃
  〃Troth; mother;〃 answered Hobbie; 〃ye may say what ye like; but I am
  in the mind that witches and warlocks havena half the power they had lang
  syne; at least; sure am I; that ae ill…deviser; like auld Ellieslaw; or ae ill…
  doer;     like  that   dd    villain   Westburnflat;      is  a   greater    plague    and
  abomination in a country… side than a haill curnie o' the warst witches that
  ever   capered   on   a   broomstick;   or   played   cantrips   on   Fastern's   E'en。    It
  wad hae been lang or Elshie had burnt down my house and barns; and I am
  determined to   try  if   he   will   do   aught   to   build   them  up   again。   He's   weel
  kend a skilfu' man ower a' the country; as far as Brough under Stanmore。〃
  〃Bide   a   wee;   my  bairn;   mind   his   benefits havena   thriven   wi'   a'body。
  Jock Howden died o' the very same disorder Elshie pretended to cure him
  of; about the fa' o' the leaf; and though he helped Lambside's cow weel out
  o' the moor…ill; yet the louping…ill's been sairer amane; his sheep than ony
  season before。       And then I have heard he uses sic words abusing human
  nature; that's like a fleeing in the face of Providence; and ye mind ye said
  yoursell; the first time ye ever saw him; that he was mair like a bogle than
  a living thing。〃
  〃Hout;   mother;〃   said   Hobbie;   〃Elshie's   no   that   bad   a   chield;   he's   a
  grewsome spectacle for a crooked disciple; to be sure; and a rough talker;
  but his bark is waur than his bite; sae; if I had anes something to eat; for I
  havena had a morsel ower my throat this day; I wad streek mysell down
  for twa or three hours aside the beast; and be on and awa' to Mucklestane
  wi' the first skreigh o' morning。〃
  〃And what for no the night; Hobbie;〃 said Harry; 〃and I will ride wi'
  ye?〃
  〃My naig is tired;〃 said Hobbie。
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  〃Ye may take mine; then;〃 said John。
  〃But I am a wee thing wearied mysell。〃
  〃You wearied?〃        said Harry; 〃shame on ye!          I have kend ye keep the
  saddle four…and…twenty hours thegither; and ne'er sic a word as weariness
  in your wame。〃
  〃The night's   very  dark;〃 said   Hobbie;  rising and looking   through the
  casement of the cottage; 〃and; to speak truth; and shame the deil; though
  Elshie's a real honest fallow; yet somegate I would rather take daylight wi'
  me when I gang to visit him。〃
  This frank avowal put a stop to further argument; and Hobbie; having
  thus compromised matters between the rashness of his brother's counsel;
  and the timid cautions which he received from his grandmother; refreshed
  himself     with   such   food   as   the  cottage   afforded;    and;   after  a  cordial
  salutation all round; retired to the shed; and stretched himself beside his
  trusty palfrey。     His brothers shared between them some trusses of clean
  straw; disposed in the stall usually occupied by old Annaple's cow; and the
  females arranged themselves for repose as well as the accommodations of
  the cottage would permit。
  With   the   first   dawn   of   morning;   Hobbie   arose;   and;   having   rubbed
  down     and   saddled    his  horse;   he   set  forth  to  Mucklestane…Moor。         He
  avoided the company of either of his brothers; from an idea that the Dwarf
  was most propitious to those who visited him alone。
  〃The     creature;〃    said   he   to  himself;    as   he   went    along;    〃