redgauntlet-第65节

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as　absolutely　necessary；　since　it　was　plain　that　the　connexion　of　his　wife　with　the　suspected　party　was　likely　to　affect　his　impartiality　as　a　magistrate。

When　Alan　Fairford　arrived　at　Mount　Sharon；　Rachel　Geddes　hastened　to　meet　him；　almost　before　the　servant　could　open　the　door。　　She　drew　back　in　disappointment　when　she　beheld　a　stranger；　and　said；　to　excuse　her　precipitation；　that　'she　had　thought　it　was　her　brother　Joshua　returned　from　Cumberland。'

'Mr。　Geddes　is　then　absent　from　home？'　　said　Fairford；　much　disappointed　in　his　turn。

'He　hath　been　gone　since　yesterday；　friend；'　answered　Rachel；　once　more　composed　to　the　quietude　which　characterizes　her　sect；　but　her　pale　cheek　and　red　eye　giving　contradiction　to　her　assumed　equanimity。

'I　am；'　said　Fairford；　hastily；　'the　particular　friend　of　a　young　man　not　unknown　to　you；　Miss　Geddesthe　friend　of　Darsie　Latimerand　am　come　hither　in　the　utmost　anxiety；　having　understood　from　Provost　Crosbie；　that　he　had　disappeared　in　the　night　when　a　destructive　attack　was　made　upon　the　fishing…station　of　Mr。　Geddes。'

'Thou　dost　afflict　me；　friend；　by　thy　inquiries；'　said　Rachel；　more　affected　than　before；　'for　although　the　youth　was　like　those　of　the　worldly　generation；　wise　in　his　own　conceit；　and　lightly　to　be　moved　by　the　breath　of　vanity；　yet　Joshua　loved　him；　and　his　heart　clave　to　him　as　if　he　had　been　his　own　son。　　And　when　he　himself　escaped　from　the　sons　of　Belial；　which　was　not　until　they　had　tired　themselves　with　reviling；　and　with　idle　reproach；　and　the　jests　of　the　scoffer；　Joshua；　my　brother；　returned　to　them　once　and　again；　to　give　ransom　for　the　youth　called　Darsie　Latimer；　with　offers　of　money　and　with　promise　of　remission；　but　they　would　not　hearken　to　him。　　Also；　he　went　before　the　head　judge；　whom　men　call　the　sheriff；　and　would　have　told　him　of　the　youth's　peril；　but　he　would　in　no　way　hearken　to　him　unless　he　would　swear　unto　the　truth　of　his　words；　which　thing　he　might　not　do　without　sin；　seeing　it　is　written；　Swear　not　at　allalso；　that　our　conversation　shall　be　yea　or　nay。　　Therefore；　Joshua　returned　to　me　disconsolate；　and　said；　〃Sister　Rachel；　this　youth　hath　run　into　peril　for　my　sake；　assuredly　I　shall　not　be　guiltless　if　a　hair　of　his　head　be　harmed；　seeing　I　have　sinned　in　permitting　him　to　go　with　me　to　the　fishing　station　when　such　evil　was　to　be　feared。　　Therefore；　I　will　take　my　horse；　even　Solomon；　and　ride　swiftly　into　Cumberland；　and　I　will　make　myself　friends　with　Mammon　of　Unrighteousness；　among　the　magistrates　of　the　Gentiles；　and　among　their　mighty　men；　and　it　shall　come　to　pass　that　Darsie　Latimer　shall　be　delivered；　even　if　it　were　at　the　expense　of　half　my　substance。〃　　And　I　said；　〃Nay；　my　brother；　go　not；　for　they　will　but　scoff　at　and　revile　thee；　but　hire　with　thy　silver　one　of　the　scribes；　who　are　eager　as　hunters　in　pursuing　their　prey；　and　he　shall　free　Darsie　Latimer　from　the　men　of　violence　by　his　cunning；　and　thy　soul　shall　be　guiltless　of　evil　towards　the　lad。〃　　　But　he　answered　and　said；　〃I　will　not　be　controlled　in　this　matter。〃　　And　he　is　gone　forth　and　hath　not　returned；　and　I　fear　me　that　he　may　never　return；　for　though　he　be　peaceful；　as　becometh　one　who　holds　all　violence　as　offence　against　his　own　soul；　yet　neither　the　floods　of　water；　nor　the　fear　of　the　snare；　nor　the　drawn　sword　of　the　adversary　brandished　in　the　path；　will　overcome　his　purpose。　　Wherefore　the　Solway　may　swallow　him　up；　or　the　sword　of　the　enemy　may　devour　himnevertheless；　my　hope　is　better　in　Him　who　directeth　all　things；　and　ruleth　over　the　waves　of　the　sea；　and　overruleth　the　devices　of　the　wicked；　and　who　can　redeem　us　even　as　a　bird　from　the　fowler's　net。'

This　was　all　that　Fairford　could　learn　from　Miss　Geddes；　but　he　heard　with　pleasure　that　the　good　Quaker；　her　brother；　had　many　friends　among　those　of　his　own　profession　in　Cumberland；　and　without　exposing　himself　to　so　much　danger　as　his　sister　seemed　to　apprehend；　he　trusted　he　might　be　able　to　discover　some　traces　of　Darsie　Latimer。　　He　himself　rode　back　to　Dumfries；　having　left　with　Miss　Geddes　his　direction　in　that　place；　and　an　earnest　request　that　she　would　forward　thither　whatever　information　she　might　obtain　from　her　brother。

On　Fairford's　return　to　Dumfries；　he　employed　the　brief　interval　which　remained　before　dinner…time；　in　writing　an　account　of　what　had　befallen　Latimer　and　of　the　present　uncertainty　of　his　condition；　to　Mr。　Samuel　Griffiths；　through　whose　hands　the　remittances　for　his　friend's　service　had　been　regularly　made；　desiring　he　would　instantly　acquaint　him　with　such　parts　of　his　history　as　might　direct　him　in　the　search　which　he　was　about　to　institute　through　the　border　counties；　and　which　he　pledged　himself　not；　to　give　up　until　he　had　obtained　news　of　his　friend；　alive　or　dead；　The　young　lawyer's　mind　felt　easier　when　he　had　dispatched　this　letter。　　He　could　not　conceive　any　reason　why　his　friend's　life　should　be　aimed　at；　he　knew　Darsie　had　done　nothing　by　which　his　liberty　could　be　legally　affected；　and　although；　even　of　late　years；　there　had　been　singular　histories　of　men；　and　women　also；　who　had　been　trepanned；　and　concealed　in　solitudes　and　distant　islands　in　order　to　serve　some　temporary　purpose；　such　violences　had　been　chiefly　practised　by　the　rich　on　the　poor；　and　by　the　strong　on　the　feeble；　whereas；　in　the　present　case；　this　Mr。　Herries；　or　Redgauntlet；　being　amenable；　for　more　reasons　than　one；　to　the　censure　of　the　law；　must　be　the　weakest　in　any　struggle　in　which　it　could　be　appealed　to。　　It　is　true；　that　his　friendly　anxiety　whispered　that　the　very　cause　which　rendered　this　oppressor　less　formidable；　might　make　him　more　desperate。　　Still；　recalling　his　language；　so　strikingly　that　of　the　gentleman；　and　even　of　the　man　of　honour；　Alan　Fairford　concluded；　that　though；　in　his　feudal　pride；　Redgauntlet　might　venture　on　the　deeds　of　violence　exercised　by　the　aristocracy　in　other　times；　he　could　not　be　capable　of　any　action　of　deliberate　atrocity。　　And　in　these　convictions　he　went　to　dine　with　Provost　Crosbie；　with　a　heart　more　at　ease　than　might　have　been　expected。　＇See　Note　7。＇




CHAPTER　XI

NARRATIVE　OF　ALAN　FAIRFORD；　CONTINUED

Five　minutes　had　elapsed　after　the　town　clock　struck　two；　before　Alan　Fairford；　who　had　made　a　small　detour　to　put　his　letter　into　the　post…house；　reached　the　mansion　of　Mr。　Provost　Crosbie；　and　was　at　once　greeted　by　the　voice　of　that　civic　dignitary；　and　the　rural　dignitary　his　visitor；　as　by　the　voices　of　men　impatient　for　their　dinner。

'Come　away；　Mr。　Fairfordthe　Edinburgh　time　is　later　than　ours；'　said　the　provost。

And；　'Come　away；　young　gentleman；'　said　the　laird；　'I　remember　your　father　weel　at　the　Cross　thirty　years　agoI　reckon　you　are　as　late　in　Edinburgh　as　at　London；　four　o'clock　hourseh？'

'Not　quite　so　degenerate；'　replied　Fairford；　'but　certainly　many　Edinburgh　people　are　so　ill…advised　as　to　postpone　their　dinner　till　three；　that　they　may　have　full　time　to　answer　their　London　correspondents。'

'London　correspondents！'　　said　Mr。　Maxwell；　'and　pray　what　the　devil　have　the　people　of　Auld　Reekie　to　do　with　London　correspondents？'　　＇Not　much　in　those　days；　for　within　my　recollection　the　London　post；　was　brought　north　in　a　small　mail…　cart；　and　men　are　yet　as　live　who　recollect　when　it　came　down　with　only　one　single　letter　for　Edinburgh；　addressed　to　the　manager　of　the　British　Linen　Company。＇

'The　tradesmen　must　have　their　goods；'　said　Fairford。

'Can　they　not　buy　our　own　Scottish　manufactures；　and　pick　their　customers　pockets　in　a　more　patriotic　manner？'

'Then　the　ladies　must　have　fashions；'　said　Fairford。

'Can　they　not　busk　the　plaid　over　their　heads；　as　their　mothers　did？　　A　tartan　screen；　and　once　a　year　a　new　cockernony　from　Paris；　should　serve　a　countess。　　But　ye　have　not　many　of　them　left；　I　thinkMareschal；　Airley；　Winton；　Vemyss；　Balmerino；　all　passed　and　goneaye；　aye；　the　countesses　and　ladies　of　quality　will　scarce　take　up　too　much　of　your　ball…room　floor　with　their　quality　hoops　nowadays。'

'There　is　no　want　of　crowding；　however；　sir；'　said　Fairford；　'they　begin　to　talk　of　a　new　Assembly　room。'

'A　new　Assembly　room！'　　said　the　old　Jacobite　laird'UmphI　mind　quartering　three　hundred　men　in　the　old　Assembly　room　＇I　remember　hearing　this　identical　answer　given　by　an　old　Highland　gentleman　of　the　Forty…Five；　when　he　heard　of　the　opening　of　the　New　Assembly　Rooms　in　George　Street。＇But　come；　comeI'll　ask　no　more　questionsthe　answers　all　smell　of　new　lords　new　lands；　and　do　but　spoil　my　appetite；　which　were　a　pity；　since　here　comes　Mrs。　Crosbie　to　say　our　mutton's　ready。'

It　was　even　so。　　Mrs。　Crosbie　had　been　absent；　like　Eve；　'on　hospitable　cares　intent；'　a　duty　which　she　did　not　conceive　herself　exempted　from；　either　by　the　dignity　of　her　husband's　rank　in　the　municipality；　or　the　splendour　of　her　Brussels　silk　gown；　or　even　by　the　more　highly　prized　lustre　of　her　birth；　for　she　was　born　a　Maxwell；　and　allied；　as　her　husband　often　informed　his　friends；　to　several　of　the　first　families　in　the　county。　　She　had　been　handsome；　and　was　still　a　portly；　good…looking　woman　of　her　years；　and　though　her　peep　into　the　kitchen　had　somewhat　heightened　her　complexion；　it　was　no　more　than　a