guy mannering-第39节

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t　blawn　down；　but　yet　its　roots　are　in　the　earth；　and　it　hangs　ower　the　bit　burnmony　a　day　hae　I　wrought　my　stocking；　and　sat　on　my　sunkie　＇*a　Stool。＇　under　that　saugh。〃

〃Hout；　deills　i'　the　wife；　wi'　her　saughs；　and　her　sunkies；　and　EllangowansGodsake；　woman；　let　me　awaythere's　saxpence　t'ye　to　buy　half　a　mutchkin；　instead　o'　clavering　about　thae　auld…warld　stories。〃

〃Thanks　to　ye；　gudemanand　now　ye　hae　answered　a'　my　questions；　and　never　speired　wherefore　I　asked　thein；　I'll　gie　you　a　bit　canny　＇*Prudent＇　advice；　and　ye　maunna　speir　what　for　neither。　Tib　Mumps　will　be　out　wi'　the　stirrup…dram　in　a　gliffing　＇*Twinkling＇he'll　ask　ye　whether　ye　gang　ower　Willie's　brae；　or　through　Conscowthart　mosstell　her　ony　ane　ye　like；　but　be　sure　（speaking　low　and　emphatically）　to　tak　the　ane　ye　dinna　tell　her。〃　The　farmer　laughed　and　promised；　and　the　Gipsy　retreated。

〃Will　you　take　her　advice？〃　said　Brown；　who　had　been　an　attentive　listener　to　this　conversation。

〃That　will　I　nothe　randy　quean！Na；　I　had　far　rather　Tib　Mumps　kenn'd　which　way　I　was　gaun　than　herthough　Tib's　no　muckle　to　lippen　＇*Trust＇　to　neither；　and　I　would　advise　ye　on　no　account　to　stay　in　the　house　a'　night。〃

In　a　moment　after；　Tib；　the　landlady；　appeared　with　her　stirrup…cup；　which　was　taken　off。　She　then；　as　Meg　had　predicted；　inquired　whether　he　went　the　hill　or　the　moss　road。　He　answered；　the　latter；　and；　having　bid　Brown　good…bye；　and　again　told　him；　〃he　depended　on　seeing　him　at　Charlies…hope；　the　morn　at　latest；〃　he　rode　off　at　a　round　pace。



CHAPTER　XXIII。

　　Gallows　and　knock　are　too　powerful　on　the　highway。　　　　　Winter's　Tale

The　hint　of　the　hospitable　farmer　was　not　lost　on　Brown。　But；　while　he　paid　his　reckoning；　he　could　not　avoid　repeatedly　fixing　Iris　eyes　on　Meg　Merrilies。　She　was；　in　all　respects；　the　same　witch…like　figure　as　when　we　first　introduced　her　at　Ellangowan　Place。　Time　had　grizzled　her　raven　locks；　and　added　wrinkles　to　her　wild　features；　but　her　height　remained　erect；　and　her　activity　was　unimpaired。　It　was　remarked　of　this　woman；　as　of　others　of　the　same　description；　that　a　life　of　action；　though　not　of　labour；　gave　her　the　perfect　command　of　her　limbs　and　figure；　so　that　the　attitudes　into　which　she　most　naturally　threw　herself；　were　free；　unconstrained；　and　picturesque。　At　present；　she　stood　by　the　window　of　the　cottage；　her　person　drawn　up　so　as　to　show　to　full　advantage　her　masculine　stature；　and　her　head　somewhat　thrown　back；　that　the　large　bonnet；　with　which　her　face　was　shrouded；　might　not　interrupt　her　steady　gaze　at　Brown。　At　every　gesture　he　made；　and　every　tone　he　uttered；　she　seemed　to　give　an　almost　imperceptible　start。　On　his　part；　he　was　surprised　to　find　that　he　could　not　look　upon　this　singular　figure　without　some　emotion。　〃Have　I　dreamed　of　such　a　figure？〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃or　does　this　wild　and　singular…looking　woman　recall　to　my　recollection　some　of　the　strange　figures　I　have　seen　in　our　Indian　pagodas？〃

While　he　embarrassed　himself　with　these　discussions；　and　the　hostess　was　engaged　in　rummaging　out　silver　in　change　of　half　a　guinea；　the　gipsy　suddenly　made　two　strides；　and　seized　Brown's　hand。　He　expected；　of　course；　a　display　of　her　skill　in　palmistry；　but　she　seemed　agitated　by　other　feelings。

〃Tell　me；〃　she　said；　'I　tell　me；　in　the　name　of　God；　young　man；　what　is　your　name；　and　whence　you　came？〃

〃My　name　is　Brown；　mother；　and　I　come　from　the　East　Indies。〃

〃From　the　East　Indies！〃　dropping　his　hand　with　a　sigh；　〃it　cannot　be　thenI　am　such　an　auld　fool；　that　everything　I　look　on　seems　the　thing　I　want　maist　to　see。　But　the　East　Indies！　that　cannot　beWeel；　be　what　ye　will；　ye　hae　a　face　and　a　tongue　that　puts　me　in　mind　of　auld　times。　Good…daymake　haste　on　your　road；　and　if　ye　see　ony　of　our　folk；　meddle　not　and　make　not；　and　they'll　do　you　nae　harm。〃

Brown；　who　had　by　this　time　received　his　change；　put　a　shilling　into　her　hand；　bade　his　hostess　farewell；　and；　taking　the　route　which　the　farmer　had　gone　before；　walked　briskly　on；　with　the　advantage　of　being　guided　by　the　fresh　hoof…prints　of　his　horse。

Meg　Merrilies　looked　after　him　for　some　time；　and　then　muttered　to　herself；　〃I　maun　see　that　lad　againand　I　maun　gang　back　to　Ellangowan　too。The　Laird's　deadaweel；　death　pays　a'　scoreshe　was　a　kind　man　ance。The　Sheriffs　flitted；　and　I　can　keep　canny　in　the　bushso　there's　no　muckle　hazard　o'　scouring　the　cramp…ring。　　＇*To　scour　the　cramp…ring；　is　said　metaphorically　for　being　thrown　into　fetters；　or；　generally；　into　prison。＇I　would　like　to　see　bonny　Ellangowan　again　or　I　die。〃

Brown；　meanwhile；　proceeded　northward　at　a　round　pace　along　the　moorish　tract　called　the　Waste　of　Cumberland。　He　passed　a　solitary　house；　towards　which　the　horseman　who　preceded　him　had　apparently　turned　up；　for　his　horse's　tread　was。　evident　in　that　direction。　A　little　farther；　he　seemed　to　have　returned　again　into　the　road。　Mr。　Dinmont　had　probably　made　a　visit　there　either　of　business　or　pleasureI　wish；　thought　Brown；　the　good　farmer　had　staid　till　I　came　up；　I　should　not　have　been　sorry　to　ask　him　a　few　questions　about　the　road；　which　seems　to　grow　wilder　and　wilder。

In　truth；　nature；　as　if　she　had　designed　this　tract　of　country　to　be　the　barrier　between　two　hostile　nations；　has　stamped　upon　it　n　character　of　wildness　and　desolation。　The　hills　are　neither　high　nor　rocky；　but　the　land　is　all　heath　and　morass；　the　huts　poor　and　mean；　and　at　a　great　distance　front　each　o；。　her。　Immediately　around；　them　there　is　generally　some　little　attempt　at　cultivation；　but　a　half…bred　foal　or　two；　straggling　about　with　shackles　on　their　hind　legs；　to　save　the　trouble　of　enclosures；　intimate　the　farmer's　chief　resource　to　be　the　breeding　of　horses。　The　people；　too；　are　of　a　ruder　and　more　inhospitable　class　than　are　elsewhere　to　be　found　in　Cumberland　arising　partly　from　their　own　habits；　partly　from　their　intermixture　with　vagrants　and　criminals；　who　make　this　wild　country　a　refuge　from　justice。

So　much　were　the　men　of　these　districts　in　early　times　the　objects　of　suspicion　and　dislike　to　their　more　polished　neighbours；　that　there　was；　and　perhaps　still　exists；　a　by…law　of　the　corporation　of　Newcastle；　prohibiting　any　freeman　of　that　city　to　take　for　apprentice　a　native　of　certain　of　these　dales。　It　is　pithily　said；　〃Give　a　dog　an　ill　name　and　hang　him；〃　and　it　may　be　added；　if　you　give　a　man；　or　race　of　men；　an　ill　name；　they　are。　very　likely　to　do　something　that　deserves　hanging。　Of　this　Brown　had　heard　something；　and　suspected　more；　from　the　discourse　between　the　landlady；　Dinmont；　and　the　gipsy；　but　he　was　naturally　of　a　fearless　disposition；　had　nothing　about　him　that　could　tempt　the　spoiler；　and　trusted　to　get　through　the　Waste　with　daylight。　In　this；　last　particular；　however；　he　was　likely　to　be　disappointed。　The　way　proved　longer　than　he　had　anticipated；　and　the　horizon　began　to　grow　gloomy；　just　as　he　entered　upon　an　extensive　morass。

Choosing　his　steps　with　care　and　deliberation；　the　young　officer　proceeded　along　a　path　that　sometimes　sunk　between　two　broken　black　banks　of　moss　earth；　sometimes　crossed　narrow　but　deep　ravines　filled　with　a　consistence　between　mud　and　water；　and　sometimes　along　heaps　of　gravel　and　stones；　which　had　been　swept　together　when　some　torrent　or　water…spout　from　the　neighbouring　hills　overflowed　the　marshy　ground　below。　He　began　to　ponder　how　a　horseman　could　make　his　way　through　such　broken　ground；　the　traces　of　hoofs；　however；　were　still　visible；　he　even　thought　he　heard　their　sound　at　some　distance；　and；　convinced　that　Mr。　Dinmont's　progress　through　the　morass　must　be　still　slower　than　his　own；　he　resolved　to　push　on；　in　hopes　to　overtake　him；　and　have　the　benefit　of　his　knowledge　of　the　country。　At　this　moment　his　little　terrier　sprung　forward；　barking　most　furiously。

Brown　quickened　his　pace；　and；　attaining　the　summit　of　a　small　rising　ground；　saw　the　subject　of　the　dog's　alarm。　In　a　hollow　about　a　gunshot　below　him；　a　man；　whom　he　easily　recognised　to　be　Dinmont；　was　engaged　with　two　others　in　a　desperate　struggle。　He　was　dismounted；　and　defending　himself　as　he　best　could　with　the　butt　of　his　heavy　whip。　Our　traveller　hastened　on　to　his　assistance；　but；　ere　he　could　get　up；　a　stroke　had　levelled　the　farmer　with　the　earth；　and　one　of　the　robbers；　improving　his　victory；　struck　him　some　merciless　blows　on　the　head。　The　other　villain；　hastening　to　meet　Brown；　called　to　his　companion　to　come　along；　〃for　that　one's　content；〃　meaning；　probably；　past　resistance　or　complaint。　One　ruffian　was　armed　with　a　cutlass；　the　other　with　a　bludgeon；　but　as　the　road　was　pretty　narrow；　〃bar　firearms；〃　thought　Brown；　〃and　I　may　manage　them　well　enough。〃　They　met　accordingly；　with　the　most　murderous　threats　on　the　part　of　the　ruffians。　They　soon　found；　however；　that　their　near　opponent　was　equally　stout　and　resolute；　and；　after　exchanging　two　or　three　blows；　one　of　them　told　him　to　〃follow　his　nose　over　the　heath；　in　the　devil's　name；　for　they　had　nothing　to　say　to　him。〃

Brown　rejected　this　composition；　as　leaving　to　their　mercy　the　unfortunate　man　whom　they　were　about　to　pillage；　if　not　to　murder　outright；　and　the　skirmish　had　just　recommenced；　when　Dinmont　unexpectedly　recovered　his　senses；