redgauntlet-第61节

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me　pretended　tie　of　guardianship　or　relationship；　which　he　does　not　deign　to　explain　but　which　he　seems　to　have　been　able　to　pass　current　on　a　silly　country　Justice　and　his　knavish　clerk；　a　right　to　direct　and　to　control　my　motions。　　The　danger　which　awaited　me　in　England；　and　which　I　might　have　escaped　had　I　remained　in　Scotland；　was　doubtless　occasioned　by　the　authority　of　this　man。　But　what　my　poor　mother　might　fear　for　me　as　a　childwhat　my　English　friend；　Samuel　Griffiths；　endeavoured　to　guard　against　during　my　youth　and　nonage；　is　now；　it　seems；　come　upon　me；　and；　under　a　legal　pretext；　I　am　detained　in　what　must　be　a　most　illegal　manner；　by　a　person；　foe；　whose　own　political　immunities　have　been　forfeited　by　his　conduct。　　It　matters　notmy　mind　is　made　up　neither　persuasion　nor　threats　shall　force　me　into　the　desperate　designs　which　this　man　meditates。　　Whether　I　am　of　the　trifling　consequence　which　my　life　hitherto　seems　to　intimate；　or　whether　I　have　（as　would　appear　from　my　adversary's　conduct）　such　importance；　by　birth　or　fortune；　as　may　make　me　a　desirable　acquisition　to　a　political　faction；　my　resolution　is　taken　in　either　case。　　Those　who　read　this　journal；　if　it　shall　be　perused　by　impartial　eyes；　shall　judge　of　me　truly；　and　if　they　consider　me　as　a　fool　in　encountering　danger　unnecessarily；　they　shall　have　no　reason　to　believe　me　a　coward　or　a　turncoat；　when　I　find　myself　engaged　in　it。　　I　have　been　bred　in　sentiments　of　attachment　to　the　family　on　the　throne　and　in　these　sentiments　I　will　live　and　die。　　I　have；　indeed；　some　idea　that　Mr。　Herries　has　already　discovered　that　I　am　made　of　different　and　more　unmalleable　metal　than　he　had　at　first　believed。　　There　were　letters　from　my　dear　Alan　Fairford；　giving　a　ludicrous　account　of　my　instability　of　temper；　in　the　same　pocket…book；　which；　according　to　the　admission　of　my　pretended　guardian；　fell　under　the　investigation　of　his　domestic　during　the　night　I　passed　at　Brokenburn；　where；　as　I　now　recollect；　my　wet　clothes；　with　the　contents　of　my　pockets；　were；　with　the　thoughtlessness　of　a　young　traveller；　committed　too　rashly　to　the　care　of　a　strange　servant。　And　my　kind　friend　and　hospitable　landlord；　Mr。　Alexander　Fairford；　may　also；　and　with　justice；　have　spoken　of　my　levities　to　this　man。　　But　he　shall　find　he　has　made　a　false　estimate　upon　these　plausible　grounds；　since

I　must　break　off　for　the　present。




CHAPTER　IX

LATIMER'S　JOURNAL；　IN　CONTINUATION

There　is　at　length　a　haltat　length　I　have　gained　so　much　privacy　as　to　enable　me　to　continue　my　journal。　　It　has　become　a　sort　of　task　of　duty　to　me；　without　the　discharge　of　which　I　do　not　feel　that　the　business　of　the　day　is　performed。　　True；　no　friendly　eye　may　ever　look　upon　these　labours；　which　have　amused　the　solitary　hours　of　an　unhappy　prisoner。　　Yet；　in　the　meanwhile；　the　exercise　of　the　pen　seems　to　act　as　a　sedative　upon　my　own　agitated　thoughts　and　tumultuous　passions。　　I　never　lay　it　down　but　I　rise　stronger　in　resolution；　more　ardent　in　hope。　　A　thousand　vague　fears；　wild　expectations；　and　indigested　schemes；　hurry　through　one's　thoughts　in　seasons　of　doubt　and　of　danger。　　But　by　arresting　them　as　they　flit　across　the　mind；　by　throwing　them　on　paper；　and　even　by　that　mechanical　act　compelling　ourselves　to　consider　them　with　scrupulous　and　minute　attention；　we　may　perhaps　escape　becoming　the　dupes　of　our　own　excited　imagination；　just　as　a　young　horse　is　cured　of　the　vice　of　starting　by　being　made　to　stand　still　and　look　for　some　time　without　any　interruption　at　the　cause　of　its　terror。

There　remains　but　one　risk；　which　is　that　of　discovery。　　But　besides　the　small　characters；　in　which　my　residence　in　Mr。　Fairford's　house　enabled　me　to　excel；　for　the　purpose　of　transferring　as　many　scroll　sheets　as　possible　to　a　huge　sheet　of　stamped　paper；　I　have；　as　I　have　elsewhere　intimated；　had　hitherto　the　comfortable　reflection　that　if　the　record　of　my　misfortunes　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　him　by　whom　they　are　caused；　they　would；　without　harming　any　one；　show　him　the　real　character　and　disposition　of　the　person　who　has　become　his　prisonerperhaps　his　victim。　　Now；　however；　that　other　names；　and　other　characters；　are　to　be　mingled　with　the　register　of　my　own　sentiments；　I　must　take　additional　care　of　these　papers；　and　keep　them　in　such　a　manner　that；　in　case　of　the　least　hazard　of　detection；　I　may　be　able　to　destroy　them　at　a　moment's　notice。　　I　shall　not　soon　or　easily　forget　the　lesson　I　have　been　taught；　by　the　prying　disposition　which　Cristal　Nixon；　this　man's　agent　and　confederate；　manifested　at　Brokenburn；　and　which　proved　the　original　cause　of　my　sufferings。

My　laying　aside　the　last　sheet　of　my　journal　hastily　was　occasioned　by　the　unwonted　sound　of　a　violin；　in　the　farmyard　beneath　my　windows。　　It　will　not　appear　surprising　to　those　who　have　made　music　their　study；　that；　after　listening　to　a　few　notes；　I　became　at　once　assured　that　the　musician　was　no　other　than　the　itinerant；　formerly　mentioned　as　present　at　the　destruction　of　Joshua　Geddes's　stake…nets；　the　superior　delicacy　and　force　of　whose　execution　would　enable　me　to　swear　to　his　bow　amongst　a　whole　orchestra。　　I　had　the　less　reason　to　doubt　his　identity；　because　he　played　twice　over　the　beautiful　Scottish　air　called　Wandering　Willie；　and　I　could　not　help　concluding　that　he　did　so　for　the　purpose　of　intimating　his　own　presence；　since　what　the　French　called　the　nom　de　guerre　of　the　performer　was　described　by　the　tune。

Hope　will　catch　at　the　most　feeble　twig　for　support　in　extremity。　I　knew　this　man；　though　deprived　of　sight；　to　be　bold；　ingenious；　and　perfectly　capable　of　acting　as　a　guide。　　I　believed　I　had　won　his　goodwill；　by　having；　in　a　frolic；　assumed　the　character　of　his　partner；　and　I　remembered　that　in　a　wild；　wandering；　and　disorderly　course　of　life；　men；　as　they　become　loosened　from　the　ordinary　bonds　of　civil　society；　hold　those　of　comradeship　more　closely　sacred；　so　that　honour　is　sometimes　found　among　thieves；　and　faith　and　attachment　in　such　as　the　law　has　termed　vagrants。　The　history　of　Richard　Coeur　de　Lion　and　his　minstrel；　Blondel；　rushed；　at　the　same　time；　on　my　mind；　though　I　could　not　even　then　suppress　a　smile　at　the　dignity　of　the　example　when　applied　to　a　blind　fiddler　and　myself。　　Still　there　was　something　in　all　this　to　awaken　a　hope　that；　if　I　could　open　a　correspondence　with　this　poor　violer；　he　might　be　useful　in　extricating　me　from　my　present　situation。

His　profession　furnished　me　with　some　hope　that　this　desired　communication　might　be　attained；　since　it　is　well　known　that；　in　Scotland；　where　there　is　so　much　national　music；　the　words　and　airs　of　which　are　generally　known；　there　is　a　kind　of　freemasonry　amongst　performers；　by　which　they　can；　by　the　mere　choice　of　a　tune；　express　a　great　deal　to　the　hearers。　　Personal　allusions　are　often　made　in　this　manner；　with　much　point　and　pleasantry；　and　nothing　is　more　usual　at　public　festivals；　than　that　the　air　played　to　accompany　a　particular　health　or　toast；　is　made　the　vehicle　of　compliment；　of　wit；　and　sometimes　of　satire。　　＇Every　one　must　remember　instances　of　this　festive　custom；　in　which　the　adaptation　of　the　tune　to　the　toast　was　remarkably　felicitous。　Old　Neil　Gow；　and　his　son　Nathaniel；　were　peculiarly　happy　on　such　occasions。＇

While　these　things　passed　through　my　mind　rapidly；　I　heard　my　friend　beneath　recommence；　for　the　third　time；　the　air　from　which　his　own　name　had　been　probably　adopted；　when　he　was　interrupted　by　his　rustic　auditors。

'If　thou　canst　play　no　other　spring　but　that；　mon；　ho　hadst　best　put　up　ho's　pipes　and　be　jogging。　　Squoire　will　be　back　anon；　or　Master　Nixon；　and　we'll　see　who　will　pay　poiper　then。'

Oho；　thought　I；　if　I　have　no　sharper　ears　than　those　of　my　friends　Jan　and　Dorcas　to　encounter；　I　may　venture　an　experiment　upon　them；　and；　as　most　expressive　of　my　state　of　captivity；　I　sang　two　or　three　lines　of　the　137th　Psalm

　　By　Babel's　streams　we　sat　and　wept。

The　country　people　listened　with　attention；　and　when　I　ceased；　I　heard　them　whisper　together　in　tones　of　commiseration；　'Lack…a…　day；　poor　soul！　　so　pretty　a　man　to　be　beside　his　wits！'

'An　he　be　that　gate；'　said　Wandering　Willie；　in　a　tone　calculated　to　reach　my　ears；　'I　ken　naething　will　raise　his　spirits　like　a　spring。'　　And　he　struck　up；　with　great　vigour　and　spirit；　the　lively　Scottish　air；　the　words　of　which　instantly　occurred　to　me　

　　Oh　whistle　and　I'll　come　t'ye；　my　lad；　　　Oh　whistle　and　I'll　come　t'ye；　my　lad；　　　Though　father　and　mother　and　a'　should　gae　mad；　　　Oh　whistle　and　I'll　come　t'ye；　my　lad。

I　soon　heard　a　clattering　noise　of　feet　in　the　courtyard；　which　I　concluded　to　be　Jan　and　Dorcas　dancing　a　jig　in　their　Cumberland　wooden　clogs。　　Under　cover　of　this　din；　I　endeavoured　to　answer　Willie's　signal　by　whistling；　as　loud　as　I　could…

　　Come　back　again　and　loe　me　　　When　a'　the　lave　are　gane。

He　instantly　threw　the　dancers　out；　by　changing　his　air　to

　　There's　my　thumb；　I'll　ne'er　beguile　thee。

I　no　longer　doubted　that　a　communication　betwixt　us　was　happily　established；　and　that；　if　I　had　an　opportunity　of　speaking　to　the　poor　musician；　I　should　find　him　willing　to　take　my　letter　to　the　post；　to　invoke　the　assistance　of　some