第 27 节
作者:
尘小春 更新:2021-02-18 23:45 字数:9322
Richard。 Oh! oh! oh!〃 (A perfect flood of tears。)
〃Barbara! I regret nothing; this moment pays for all。〃
〃Well; then; I will! since you keep pressing me。 There; let me go; I must
be alone; I must tell the sea how unjust I was; and how happy I am; and
when you see me again you shall see the better side of your cousin
Barbara。〃
She was peremptory。 〃She had her folly and his merits to think over;〃 she
said; but she promised to pass through Newhaven; and he should put her
into her pony…phaeton; which would meet her there。
Lady Barbara was only a fool by the excess of her wit over her
experience; and Lord Ipsden's love was not misplaced; for she had a great
heart which she hid from little people。 I forgive her!
The resolutions she formed in company with the sea; having dismissed
Ipsden; and ordered her flunky into the horizon; will probably give our
viscount just half a century of conjugal bliss。
As he was going she stopped him and said: 〃Your friend had browner hands
than I have hitherto conceived possible。 _To tell the truth;_ I took them
for the claws of a mahogany table when he grappled youis that the term?
_C'est e'gal_I like him〃
She stopped him again。 〃Ipsden; in the midst of all this that poor man's
ship is broken。 I feel it is! You will buy him another; if you really
love mefor I like him。〃
And so these lovers parted for a time; and Lord Ipsden with a bounding
heart returned to Newhaven。 He went to entertain his late _vis…'a…vis_ at
the 〃Peacock。〃
Meantime a shorter and less pleasant _rencontre_ had taken place between
Leith and that village。
Gatty felt he should meet his lost sweetheart; and sure enough; at a turn
of the road Christie and Jean came suddenly upon him。
Jean nodded; but Christie took no notice of him; they passed him; he
turned and followed them; and said; 〃Christie!〃
〃What is your will wi' me?〃 said she; coldly。
〃II How pale you are!〃
〃I am no very weel。〃
〃She has been watching over muckle wi' Flucker;〃 said Jean。
Christie thanked her with a look。
〃I hope it is notnot〃
〃Nae fears; lad;〃 said she; briskly; 〃I dinna think that muckle o' ye。〃
〃And I think of nothing but you;〃 said he。
A deep flush crimsoned the young woman's brow; but she restrained
herself; and said icily: 〃Thaat's very gude o' ye; I'm sure。〃
Gatty felt all the contempt her manners and words expressed。 He bit his
lips。 The tear started to his eye。 〃You will forget me;〃 said he。 〃I do
not deserve to be remembered; but I shall never forget you。 I leave for
England。 I leave Newhaven forever; where I have been so happy。 I am going
at three o'clock by the steamboat。 Won't you bid me good…by?〃 He
approached her timidly。
〃Ay! that wull do;〃 cried she; 〃Gude be wi' ye; lad; I wish ye nae ill。〃
She gave a commanding gesture of dismissal; he turned away; and went
sadly from her。 She watched every motion when his back was turned。
〃That is you; Christie;〃 said Jean; 〃use the lads like dirt; an' they
think a' the mair o' ye。〃
〃Oh; Jean; my hairt's broken。 I'm just deeing for him。〃
〃Let me speak till him then;〃 said Jean; 〃I'll sune bring him till his
marrow…banes;〃 and she took a hasty step to follow him。
Christie held her fast。 〃I'd dee ere I'd give in till them。 Oh; Jean! I'm
a lassie clean flung awa; he has neither hairt nor spunk ava; yon lad!〃
Jean began to make excuses for him。 Christie inveighed against him。 Jean
spoke up for him with more earnestness。
Now observe; Jean despised the poor boy。
Christie adored him。
So Jean spoke for him; because women of every degree are often one solid
mass of tact; and Christie abused him; because she wanted to hear him
defended。
CHAPTER XVI。
RICHARD; LORD VISCOUNT IPSDEN; having dotted the seashore with sentinels;
to tell him of Lady Barbara's approach; awaited his guest in the
〃Peacock〃; but; as Gatty was a little behind time; he placed Saunders
sentinel over the 〃Peacock;〃 and strolled eastward; as he came out of the
〃Peacock;〃 Mrs。 Gatty came down the little hill in front; and also
proceeded eastward; meantime Lady Barbara and her escort were not far
from the New Town of Newhaven; on their way from Leith。
Mrs。 Gatty came down; merely with a vague fear。 She had no reason to
suppose her son's alliance with Christie either would or could be
renewed; but she was a careful player and would not give a chance away;
she found he was gone out unusually early; so she came straight to the
only place she dreaded; it was her son's last day in Scotland。 She had
packed his clothes; and he had inspired her with confidence by arranging
pictures; etc。; himself; she had no idea he was packing for his departure
from this life; not Edinburgh only。
She came then to Newhaven with no serious misgivings; for; even if her
son had again vacillated; she saw that; with Christie's pride and her own
firmness; the game must be hers in the end; but; as I said before; she
was one who played her cards closely; and such seldom lose。
But my story is with the two young fishwives; who; on their return from
Leith; found themselves at the foot of the New Town; Newhaven; some
minutes before any of the other persons who; it is to be observed; were
approaching it from different points; they came slowly in; Christie in
particular; with a listlessness she had never; known till this last week;
for some days her strength had failed herit was Jean that carried the
creel nowbefore; Christie; in the pride of her strength; would always
do more than her share of their joint labor。 Then she could hardly be
forced to eat; and what she did eat was quite tasteless to her; and sleep
left her; and in its stead came uneasy slumbers; from which she awoke
quivering from head to foot。
Oh! perilous venture of those who love one object with the whole heart。
This great but tender heart was breaking day by day。
Well; Christie and Jean; strolling slowly into the New Town of Newhaven;
found an assemblage of the natives all looking seaward; the fishermen;
except Sandy Liston; were away at the herring fishery; but all the boys
and women of the New Town were collected; the girls felt a momentary
curiosity; it proved; however; to be only an individual swimming in
toward shore from a greater distance than usual。
A little matter excites curiosity in such places。
The man's head looked like a spot of ink。
Sandy Liston was minding his own business; lazily mending a skait…net;
which he had attached to a crazy old herring…boat hauled up to rot。
Christie sat down; pale and languid; by him; on a creepie that a lass who
had been baiting a line with mussels had just vacated; suddenly she
seized Jean's arm with a convulsive motion; Jean looked upit was the
London steamboat running out from Leith to Granton Pier to take up her
passengers for London。 Charles Gatty was going by that boat; the look of
mute despair the poor girl gave went to Jean's heart; she ran hastily
from the group; and cried out of sight for poor Christie。
A fishwife; looking through a telescope at the swimmer; remarked: 〃He's
coming in fast; he's a gallant swimmer; yon
〃Can he dee't?〃 inquired Christie of Sandy Liston。
〃Fine thaat;〃 was the reply; 〃he does it aye o' Sundays when ye are at
the kirk。〃
〃It's no oot o' the kirk window ye'll hae seen him; Sandy; my mon;〃 said
a young fishwife。
〃Rin for my glass ony way; Flucker;〃 said Christie; forcing herself to
take some little interest。
Flucker brought it to her; she put her hand on his shoulder; got slowly
up; and stood on the creepie and adjusted the focus of her glass; after a
short view; she said to Flucker:
〃Rin and see the nook。〃 She then leveled her glass again at the swimmer。
Flucker informed her the nook said 〃half eleven〃Scotch for 〃half past
ten。〃
Christie whipped out a well…thumbed almanac。
〃Yon nook's aye ahint;〃 said she。 She swept the sea once more with her
glass; then brought it together with a click; and jumped off the stool。
Her quick intelligence viewed the matter differently from all the others。
〃Noow;〃 cried she; smartly; 〃wha'll lend me his yawl?〃
〃Hets! dinna be sae interferin'; lassie;〃 said a fishwife。
〃Hae nane o' ye ony spunk?〃 said Christie; taking no notice of the woman。
〃Speak; laddies!〃
〃M' uncle's yawl is at the pier…head; ye'll get her; my woman;〃 said a
boy。
〃A schell'n for wha's first on board;〃 said Christie; holding up the
coin。
〃Come awa'; Flucker; we'll hae her schell'n;〃 and these two worthies
instantly effected a false start。
〃It's no under your jackets;〃 said Christie; as she dashed after them
like the wind。
〃Haw! haw! haw!〃 laughed Sandy。
〃What's her business picking up a mon against his will?〃 said a woman。
〃She's an awfu' lassie;〃 whined another。 The examination of the swimmer
was then continued; and the crowd increased; some would have it he was
rapidly approaching; others that he made little or no way。
〃Wha est?〃 said another。
〃It's a lummy;〃 said a girl。
〃Na! it's no a lummy;〃 said another。
Christie's boat was now seen standing out from the pier。 Sandy Liston;
casting a contemptuous look on all the rest; lifted himself lazily into
the herring…boat and lo