redgauntlet-第21节

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els。　　Many　years　have　passed　away'　

'It　is　true；'　she　replied；　'yet　such　persons　may　understand　that　their　being　connived　at　depends　on　their　living　in　obscurity。　But　indeed　there　can　nothing　certain　be　known　among　these　rude　people。　　The　truth　is　not　in　themmost　of　them　participate　in　the　unlawful　trade　betwixt　these　parts　and　the　neighbouring　shore　of　England；　and　they　are　familiar　with　every　species　of　falsehood　and　deceit。'

'It　is　a　pity；'　I　remarked；　'your　brother　should　have　neighbours　of　such　a　description；　especially　as　I　understand　he　is　at　some　variance　with　them。'

'Where；　when；　and　about　what　matter？'　　answered　Miss　Geddes；　with　an　eager　and　timorous　anxiety；　which　made　me　regret　having　touched　on　the　subject。

I　told　her；　in　a　way　as　little　alarming　as　I　could　devise；　the　purport　of　what　passed　betwixt　this　Laird　of　the　Lakes　and　her　brother；　at　their　morning's　interview。

'You　affright　me　much；'　answered　she；　'it　is　this　very　circumstance　which　has　scared　me　in　the　watches　of　the　night。　When　my　brother　Joshua　withdrew　from　an　active　share　in　the　commercial　concerns　of　my　father；　being　satisfied　with　the　portion　of　worldly　substance　which　he　already　possessed；　there　were　one　or　two　undertakings　in　which　he　retained　an　interest；　either　because　his　withdrawing　might　have　been　prejudicial　to　friends；　or　because　he　wished　to　retain　some　mode　of　occupying　his　time。　　Amongst　the　more　important　of　these　is　a　fishing　station　on　the　coast；　where；　by　certain　improved　modes　of　erecting　snares；　opening　at　the　advance　of　the　tide；　and　shutting　at　the　reflux；　many　more　fish　are　taken　than　can　be　destroyed　by　those　who；　like　the　men　of　Broken…burn；　use　only　the　boat…net　and　spear；　or　fishing…rod。　　They　complain　of　these　tide…nets；　as　men　call　them；　as　an　innovation；　and　pretend　to　a　right　to　remove　and　destroy　them　by　the　strong　hand。　　I　fear　me；　this　man　of　violence；　whom　they　call　the　laird；　will　execute　these　his　threats；　which　cannot　be　without　both　loss　and　danger　to　my　brother。'

'Mr。　Geddes；'　said　I；　'ought　to　apply　to　the　civil；　magistrate；　there　are　soldiers　at　Dumfries　who　would　be　detached　for　his　protection。'

'Thou　speakest；　friend　Latimer；'　answered　the　lady；　'as　one　who　is　still　in　the　gall　of　bitterness　and　bond　of　iniquity。　　God　forbid　that　we　should　endeavour　to　preserve　nets　of　flax　and　stakes　of　wood；　or　the　Mammon　of　gain　which　they　procure　for　us；　by　the　hands　of　men　of　war　and　at　the　risk　of　spilling　human　blood。'

'I　respect　your　scruples；'　I　replied；　'but　since　such　is　your　way　of　thinking；　your　brother　ought　to　avert　the　danger　by　compromise　or　submission。'

'Perhaps　it　would　be　best；'　answered　Rachel；　'but　what　can　I　say？　Even　in　the　best…trained　temper　there　may　remain　some　leaven　of　the　old　Adam；　and　I　know　not　whether　it　is　this　or　a　better　spirit　that　maketh　my　brother　Joshua　determine；　that　though　he　will　not　resist　force　by　force；　neither　will　he　yield　up　his　right　to　mere　threats；　or　encourage　wrong　to　others　by　yielding　to　menaces。　　His　partners；　he　says；　confide　in　his　steadiness：　and　that　he　must　not　disappoint　them　by　yielding　up　their　right　for　the　fear　of　the　threats　of　man；　whose　breath　is　in　his　nostrils。'

This　observation　convinced　me　that　the　spirit　of　the　old　sharers　of　the　spoil　was　not　utterly　departed　even　from　the　bosom　of　the　peaceful　Quaker；　and　I　could　not　help　confessing　internally　that　Joshua　had　the　right；　when　he　averred　that　there　was　as　much　courage　in　sufferance　as　in　exertion。

As　we　approached　the　farther　end　of　the　willow　walk；　the　sullen　and　continuous　sound　of　the　dashing　waters　became　still　more　and　more　audible；　and　at　length　rendered　it　difficult　for　us　to　communicate　with　each　other。　　The　conversation　dropped；　but　apparently　my　companion　continued　to　dwell　upon　the　apprehensions　which　it　had　excited。　　At　the　bottom　of　the　walk　we　obtained　a　view　of　the　cascade；　where　the　swollen　brook　flung　itself　in　foam　and　tumult　over　the　natural　barrier　of　rock；　which　seemed　in　vain　to　attempt　to　bar　its　course。　　I　gazed　with　delight；　and；　turning　to　express　my　sentiment　to　my　companion；　I　observed　that　she　had　folded　her　hands　in　an　attitude　of　sorrowful　resignation；　which　showed　her　thoughts　were　far　from　the　scene　which　lay　before　her。　When　she　saw　that　her　abstraction　was　observed；　she　resumed　her　former　placidity　of　manner；　and　having　given　me　sufficient　time　to　admire　this　termination　of　our　sober　and　secluded　walk；　proposed　that　me　should　return　to　the　house　through　her　brother's　farm。　　'Even　we　Quakers；　as　we　are　called；　have　our　little　pride；'　she　said；　'and　my　brother　Joshua　would　not　forgive　me；　were　I　not　to　show　thee　the　fields　which　he　taketh　delight　to　cultivate　after　the　newest　and　best　fashion；　for　which；　I　promise　thee；　he　hath　received　much　praise　from　good　judges；　as　well　as　some　ridicule　from　those　who　think　it　folly　to　improve　on　the　customs　of　our　ancestors。'

As　she　spoke；　she　opened　a　low　door；　leading　through　a　moss　and　ivy…covered　wall；　the　boundary　of　the　pleasure…ground；　into　the　open　fields；　through　which　we　moved　by　a　convenient　path；　leading；　with　good　taste　and　simplicity；　by　stile　and　hedgerow；　through　pasturage；　and　arable；　and　woodland；　so　that　in　all　ordinary　weather；　the　good　man　might；　without　even　soiling　his　shoes；　perform　his　perambulation　round　the　farm。　　There　were　seats　also；　on　which　to　rest；　and　though　not　adorned　with　inscriptions；　nor　quite　so　frequent　in　occurrence　as　those　mentioned　in　the　account　of　the　Leasowes；　their　situation　was　always　chosen　with　respect　to　some　distant　prospect　to　be　commanded；　or　some　home…view　to　be　enjoyed。

But　what　struck　me　most　in　Joshua's　domain　was　the　quantity　and　the　tameness　of　the　game。　　The　hen　partridge　scarce　abandoned　the　roost；　at　the　foot　of　the　hedge　where　she　had　assembled　her　covey；　though　the　path　went　close　beside　her；　and　the　hare；　remaining　on　her　form；　gazed　at　us　as　we　passed；　with　her　full　dark　eye；　or　rising　lazily　and　hopping　to　a　little　distance；　stood　erect　to　look　at　us　with　more　curiosity　than　apprehension。　I　observed　to　Miss　Geddes　the　extreme　tameness　of　these　timid　and　shy　animals；　and　she　informed　me　that　their　confidence　arose　from　protection　in　the　summer；　and　relief　during　the　winter。

'They　are　pets；'　she　said；　'of　my　brother；　who　considers　them　as　the　better　entitled　to　his　kindness　that　they　are　a　race　persecuted　by　the　world　in　general。　　He　denieth　himself；'　she　said；　'even　the　company　of　a　dog；　that　these　creatures　may　here　at　least　enjoy　undisturbed　security。　　Yet　this　harmless　or　humane　propensity；　or　humour；　hath　given　offence；'　she　added；　'to　our　dangerous　neighbours。'

She　explained　this；　by　telling　me　that　my　host　of　the　preceding　night　was　remarkable　for　his　attachment　to　field…sports；　which　he　pursued　without　much　regard　to　the　wishes　of　the　individuals　over　whose　property　he　followed　them。　　The　undefined　mixture　of　respect　and　fear　with　which　he　was　generally　regarded　induced　most　of　the　neighbouring　land…holders　to　connive　at　what　they　would　perhaps　in　another　have　punished　as　a　trespass；　but　Joshua　Geddes　would　not　permit　the　intrusion　of　any　one　upon　his　premises；　and　as　he　had　before　offended　several　country　neighbours；　who；　because　he　would　neither　shoot　himself　nor　permit　others　to　do　so；　compared　him　to　the　dog　in　the　manger；　so　he　now　aggravated　the　displeasure　which　the　Laird　of　the　Lakes　had　already　conceived　against　him；　by　positively　debarring　him　from　pursuing　his　sport　over　his　grounds'So　that；'　said　Rachel　Geddes；　'I　sometimes　wish　our　lot　had　been　cast　elsewhere　than　in　these　pleasant　borders；　where；　if　we　had　less　of　beauty　around　us；　we　might　have　had　a　neighbourhood　of　peace　and；　goodwill。'

We　at　length　returned　to　the　house；　where　Miss　Geddes　showed　me　a　small　study；　containing　a　little　collection　of　books；　in　two　separate　presses。

'These；'　said　she；　pointing　to　the　smaller　press；　'will；　if　thou　bestowest　thy　leisure　upon　them；　do　thee　good；　and　these；'　pointing　to　the　other　and　larger　cabinet；　'can；　I　believe；　do　thee　little　harm。　　Some　of　our　people　do　indeed　hold；　that　every　writer　who　is　not　with　us　is　against　us；　but　brother　Joshua　is　mitigated　in　his　opinions；　and　correspondeth　with　our　friend　John　Scot　of　Amwell；　who　hath　himself　constructed　verses　well　approved　of　even　in　the　world。　　I　wish　thee　many　good　thoughts　till　our　family　meet　at　the　hour　of　dinner。'

Left　alone；　I　tried　both　collections；　the　first　consisted　entirely　of　religious　and　controversial　tracts；　and　the　latter　formed　a　small　selection　of　history　and　of　moral　writers；　both　in　prose　and　verse。

Neither　collection　promising　much　amusement；　thou　hast；　in　these　close　pages；　the　fruits　of　my　tediousness；　and　truly；　I　think；　writing　history　（one's　self　being　the　subject）　is　as　amusing　as　reading　that　of　foreign　countries；　at　any　time。

Sam；　still　more　drunk　than　sober；　arrived　in　due　time　with　my　portmanteau；　and　enabled　me　to　put　my　dress　into　order；　better　befitting　this　temple　of　cleanliness　and　decorum；　where　（to　conclude）　I　believe　I　shall　be　a　sojourner　more　days　than　one。　＇See　Note　1。＇

PS。I　have　noted　your　adventure；　as　you　home…bred　youths　may　perhaps　term　it；　concerning　the　visit　of　your　doughty　laird。　　We　travell