guy mannering-第106节

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ill。〃

〃Never　fear；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃we'll　face　the　shock；　and　entertain　the　county　at　my　friend　Mrs。　Mac…Candlish's　to　boot。〃

〃And　choose　Jock　Jabos　for　your　master　of　horse？〃　replied　the　lawyer。

〃Perhaps　I　may。〃

〃And　where　is　Dandie；　the　redoubted　Lord　of　Liddesdale？〃　demanded　the　advocate。

〃Returned　to　his　mountains；　but　he　has　promised　Julia　to　make　a　descent　in　summer；　with　the　good　wife；　as　he　calls　her；　and　I　don't　know　how　many　children。〃

〃Oh；　the　curly…headed　varlets！　I　must　come　to　play　at　Blind　Harry　and　Hy　Spy　with　them。But　what　is　all　this？〃　added　Pleydell；　taking　up　the　plans；〃tower　in　the　centre　to　be　an　imitation　of　the　Eagle　Tower　at　Caernarvoncorps　de　logisthe　devil！wingswings？　why；　the　house　will　take　the　estate　of　Ellangowan　on　its　back；　and　fly　away　with　it！〃

〃Why　then；　we　must　ballast　it　with　a　few　bags　of　Sicca　rupees；〃　replied　the　Colonel。

〃Aha！　sits　the　wind　there？　Then　I　suppose　the　young　dog　carries　off　my　mistress　Julia？〃

〃Even　so；　counsellor。〃

〃These　rascals；　the　post…nati；　get　the　better　of　us　of　the　old　school　at　every　turn；〃　said　Mr。　Pleydell。　〃But　she　must　convey　and　make　over　her　interest　in　me　to　Lucy。〃

〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　am　afraid　your　flank　will　be　turned　there　too；〃　replied　the　Colonel。

〃Indeed？〃

〃Here　has　been　Sir　Robert　Hazlewood；〃　said　Mannering；　〃upon　a　visit　to　Bertram；　thinking；　and　deeming；　and　opining〃

〃O　Lord　I　pray　spare　me　the　worthy　Baronet's　triads！〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　continued　Mannering　to　make　short；　he　conceived　that　as　the　property　of　Singleside　lay　like　a　wedge　between　two　farms　of　his；　and　was　four　or　five　miles　separated　from　Ellangowan；　something　like　a　sale；　or　exchange；　or　arrangement　might　take　place。　to　the　mutual　convenience　of　both　parties。〃

〃Well；　and　Bertram〃

〃Why；　Bertram　replied；　that　he　considered　the　original　settlement　of　Mrs。　Margaret　Bertram　as　the　arrangement　most　proper　in　the　circumstances　of　the　family；　and　that　therefore　the　estate　of　Singleside　was　the　property　of　his　sister。〃

〃The　rascal！〃　said　Pleydell；　wiping　his　spectacles；　〃he'll　steal　my　heart　as　well　as　my　mistressEt　puis？〃

〃And　then；　Sir　Robert　retired　after　many　gracious　speeches；　but　last　week　he　again　took　the　field　in　force；　with　his　coach　and　six　horses；　his　laced　scarlet　waistcoat；　and　best　bob…wigall　very　grand；　as　the　good…boy　books　say。〃

〃Ay！　and　what　was　his　overture？〃　Why；　he　talked　with　great　form　of　an　attachment　on　the　part　of　Charles　Hazlewood　to　Miss　Bertram。〃

〃Ay；　ay；　he　respected　the　little　god　Cupid　when　he　saw　him　perched　on　the　Dun　of　Singleside。　And　is　poor　Lucy　to　keep　house　with　that　old　fool　and　his　wife；　who　is　just　the　knight　himself　in　petticoats？〃

〃Nowe　parried　that。　Singieside　House　is　to　be　repaired　for　the　young　people；　and　to　be　called　hereafter　Mount　Hazlewood。〃

〃And　do　you　yourself；　Colonel；　propose　to　continue　at　Woodbourne？〃

〃Only　till　we　carry　these　plans　into　effect。　See；　here's　the　plan　of　my　Bungalow；　with　all　convenience　for　being　separate　and　sulky　when　I　please。〃

〃And；　being　situated；　as　I　see；　next　door　to　the　old　castle；　you　may　repair　Donagild's　tower　for　the　nocturnal　contemplation　of　the　celestial　bodies？　Bravo；　Colonel！〃

〃No；　no；　my　dear　counsellor！　here　ends　THE　ASTROLOGER。〃



NOTES

Note；　1。MUMPS'S　HA'。

IT　is　fitting　to　explain　to　the　reader　the　locality　described　in　this　chapter。　There　is；　or　rather　I　should　say　there　was；　a　little　inn；　called　Mumps's　Hall；　that　is；　being　interpreted；　Beggar's　Hotel；　near　to　Gilsland；　which　had　not　then　attained　its　present　fame　as　a　Spa。　It　was　a　hedge　alehouse；　where　the　Bolder　farmers　of　either　country　often　stopped　to　refresh　themselves　and　their　nags；　in　their　way　to　and　from　the　fairs　and　trysts　in　Cumberland；　and　especially　those　who　came　from　or　went　to　Scotland；　through　a　barren　and　lonely　district；　without　either　road　or　pathway；　emphatically　called　the　Waste　of　Bewcastle。　At　the　period　when　the　adventures　described　in　the　novel　are　supposed　to　have　taken　place；　there　were　many　instances　of　attacks　by　freebooters　on　those　who　travelled　through　this　wild；　district；　and　Mumps's　Ha'　had　a　bad　reputation　for　harbouring　the　banditti　who　committed　such　depredations。

An　old　and　sturdy　yeoman　belonging　to　the　Scottish　side；　by　surname　an　Armstrong　or　Elliot；　but　known　by　his　soubriquet　of　Fighting　Charlie　of　Liddesdale；　and　still　remembered　for　the　courage　he　displayed　in　the　frequent　frays　which　took　place　on　the　Border　fifty　or　sixty　years　since；　had　the　following　adventure　in　the　Waste；　which　suggested　the　idea　of　the　scene　in　the　text　。

Charlie　had　been　at　Stagshaw…bank　fair；　had　sold　his　sheep　or　cattle；　or　whatever　he　had　brought　to　market；　and　was　on　his　return　to　Liddesdale。　There　were　then　no　country　banks　where　cash　could　be　deposited；　and　bills　received　instead；　which　greatly　encouraged　robbery　in　that　wild　country；　as　the　objects　of　plunder　were　usually　fraught　with　gold。　The　robbers　had　spies　in　the　fair；　by　means　of　whom　they　generally　knew　whose　purse　was　best　stocked；　and　who　took　a　lonely　and　desolate　road　homeward；those；　in　short；　who　were　best　worth　robbing；　and　likely　to　be　most　easily　robbed。

All　this　Charlie　knew　full　well；　but　he　had　a　pair　of　excellent　pistols；　and　a　dauntless　heart。　He　stopped　at　Mumps's　Ha'；　notwithstanding　the　evil　character　of　the　place。　His　horse　was　accommodated　where　it　might　have　the　necessary　rest　and　feed　of　corn；　and　Charlie　himself；　a　dashing　fellow；　grew　gracious　with　the　landlady；　a　buxom　quean；　who　used　all　the　influence　in　her　power　to　induce　him　to　stop　all　night。　The　landlord　was　from　home；　she　said；　and　it　was　ill　passing　the　Waste；　as　twilight　must　needs　descend　on　him　before　he　gained　the　Scottish　side；　which　was　reckoned　the　safest。　But　Fighting　Charlie；　though　he　suffered　himself　to　be　detained　later　than　was　prudent；　did　not　account　Mumps's　Ha'　a　safe　place　to　quarter　in　during　the　night。　He　tore　himself　away；　therefore；　from　Meg's　good　fare　and　kind　words；　and　mounted　his　nag；　having　first　examined　his　pistols；　and　tried　by　the　ramrod　whether　the　charge　remained　in　them。

He　proceeded　a　mile　or　two；　at　a　round　trot；　When；　as　the　Waste　stretched　black　before　him　apprehensions　began　to　awaken　in　his　mind；　partly　arising　out　of　Meg's　unusual　kindness；　which　he　could　not　help　thinking　had　rather　a　suspicious　appearance。　He；　therefore；　resolved　to　reload　his　pistols；　lest　the　powder　had　become　damp；　but　what　was　his　surprise；　when　he　drew　the　charge；　to　find　neither　powder　nor　ball；　while　each　barrel　had　been　carefully　filled　with　bore；　up　to　the　space　which　the　loading　had　occupied！　and；　the　priming　of　the　weapons　being　left　untouched；　nothing　but　actually　drawing　and　examining　the　charge　could　have　discovered　the　inefficiency　of　his　arms　till　the　fatal　minute　arrived　when　their　services　were　required。　Charlie　bestowed　a　hearty　Liddesdale　curse　on　his　landlady；　and　reloadedhis　pistols　with　care　and　accuracy；　having　now　no　doubt　that　he　was　to　be　waylaid　and　assaulted。　He　was　not　far　engaged　in　the　Waste；　which　was　then；　and　is　now；　traversed　only　by　such　routes　as　are　described　in　the　text；　when　two　or　three　fellows；　disguised　and　variously　armed；　started　from　a　moss…hag；　while；　by　a　glance　behind　him　for；　marching；　as　the　Spaniard　says；　with　his　beard　on　his　shoulder；　he　reconnoitred　in　every　direction；　Charlie　instantly　saw　retreat　was　impossible；　as　other　two　stout　men　appeared　behind　him　at　some　distance。　The　Borderer　lost　not　a　moment　in　taking　his　resolution；　and　boldly　trotted　against　his　enemies　in　front；　who　called　loudly　on　him　to　stand　and　deliver；　Charlie　spurred　on；　and　presented　his　pistol。　〃D…n　your　pistol；〃　cried　the　foremost　robber；　whom　Charlie　to　his　dying　day　protested　he　believed　to　have　been　the　landlord　of　Mumps's　Ha'。　〃D…n　your　pistolcare　not　a　curse　for　it。〃〃Ay；　lad；〃　said　the　deep　voice　of　Fighting　Charlie；　〃but　the　tow's　out　now。〃　He　had　no　occasion　to　utter　another　word；　the　rogues；　surprised　at　finding　a　man　of　redoubted　courage　well　armed；　instead　of　being　defenceless；　took　to　the　moss　in　every　direction；　and　he　passed　on　his　way　without　further　molestation。

The　author　has　heard　this　story　told　by　persons　who　received　it　from　Fighting　Charlie　himself；　he　has　also　heard　that　Mumps's　Ha'　was　afterwards　the　scene　of　some　other　atrocious　villainy；　for　which　the　people　of　the　house　suffered。　But　these　are　all　tales　of　at　least　half　a　century　old；　and　the　Waste　has　been　for　many　years　as　safe　as　any　place　in　the　kingdom。

Note　II。DANDIE　DINMONT。

The　author　may　here　remark；　that　the　character　of　Dandie　Dinmont　was　drawn　from　no　individual。　A　dozen；　at　least；　of　stout　Liddesdale　yeomen　with　whom　he　has　been　acquainted；　and　whose　hospitality　he　has　shared　in　his　rambles　through　that　wild　country；　at　a　time　when　it　was　totally　inaccessible　save　in　the　manner　described　in　the　text；　might　lay　claim　to　be　the　prototype　of　the　rough；　but　faithful。　hospitable；　and　generous　farmer。　But　one　circumstance　occasioned　the　name　to　be　fixed　upon　a　most　respectable　individual　of　this　class；　now　no　more。　Mr。　James　Davidson　of　Hindlee；　a　tenant　of　Lord　Douglas；　besides　the　points　of　blunt　honesty；　personal　strength；　and　hardihood；　designed　t