donal grant-第74节

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manthey　were　rough　times　thosetold　him　they　wanted　nothing　he
could　give　them；　and　to　go　about　his　business。　But　the　man；　who　was
something　obstinate；　I　dare　say；　and；　it　may　weel　be；　anxious　to　get
shelter；　as　much　for　the　nicht　bein'　gurly　as　to　sell　his　goods；
keepit　on　beggin'　an'　implorin'　to　lat　the　women…folk　at　the　least
luik　at　what　he　had　broucht。　At　last　the　butler；　oot　o'　a'　patience
wi'　the　man；　ga'e　him　a　great　shove　awa'　frae　the　door；　sae　that　the
poor　man　fell　doon　the　steps；　an'　bangt　the　door　to；　nor　ever　lookit
to　see　whether　the　man　gat　up　again　or　no。

〃'I'　the　mornin'　the　pedlar　they　faund　him　lyin'　deid　in　a　little
wud　or　shaw；　no　far　frae　the　hoose。　An'　wi'　that　up　got　the　cry；　an'
what　said　they　but　that　the　butler　had　murdert　him！　Sae　up　he　was
ta'en　an'　put　upo'　's　trial　for't。　An'　whether　the　man　was　not　likit
i'　the　country…side；　I　cannot　tell；'　said　the　gentleman；　'but　the
cry　was　against　him；　and　things　went　the　wrong　way　for　himand　that
though　no　one　aboot　the　hoose　believed　he　had　done　the　deed；　more
than　he　micht　hae　caused　his　death　by　pushin'　him　doon　the　steps。
An'　even　that　he　could　hardly　have　intendit；　but　only　to　get　quit　o'
him；　an'　likely　enough　the　man　was　weak；　perhaps　ill；　an'　the　weicht
o'　his　pack　on　his　back　pulled　him　as　he　pushed。'　Still；　efter　an'
a'an'　its　mysel'　'at's　sayin'　this；　no　the　gentleman；　my　ladyin
a　pairt　o'　the　country　like　that；　gey　an'　lanely；　it　was　not　the
nicht　to　turn　a　fallow　cratur　oot　in！　'The　butler　was；　at　the　same
time；　an　old　and　trusty　servan'；'　said　Mr。　Heywood；　'an'　his　master
was　greatly　concernt　aboot　the　thing。　It　is　impossible　at　this　time
o'　day；'　he　said；　'to　un'erstan'　hoo　such　a　thing　could　bei'　the
total　absence　o'　direc'　evidence；　but　the　short　an'　the　weary　lang
o'　't　was；　that　the　man　was　hangt；　an'　hung　in　irons　for　the　deed。

〃'An'　noo　ye　may　be　thinkin'　the　ghaist　o'　the　puir　pedlar　began　to
haunt　the　hoose；　but　naething　o'　the　kin'！　There　was　nae　disturbance
o'　that；　or　ony　ither　sort。　The　man　was　deid　an'　buried；　whaever　did
or　didna　kill　him；　an'　the　body　o'　him　that　was　said　to　hae　killed
him；　hung　danglin'　i'　the　win'；　an'　naither　o'　them　said　a　word　for
or　again　the　thing。

〃'But　the　hert　o'　the　man's　maister　was　sair。　He　couldna　help　aye
thinkin'　that　maybe　he　was　to　blame；　an'　micht　hae　done　something
mair　nor　he　thoucht　o'　at　the　time　to　get　the　puir　man　aff；　for　he
was　absolutely　certain　that；　hooever　rouch　he　micht　hae　been；　an'
hooever　he　micht　hae　been　the　cause　o'　deith　to　the　troublesome
pedlar；　he　hadna　meant　to　kill　him；　it　was；　in　pairt　at　least；　an
accident；　an'　he　thoucht　the　hangin'　o'　'im　for　't　was　hard　lines。
The　maister　was　an　auld　man；　nearhan'　auchty；　an'　tuik　things　the
mair　seriously；　I　daursay；　that　he　wasna　that　far　frae　the　grave
they　had　sent　the　puir　butler　til　afore　his　timegien　that　could　be
said　o'　ane　whause　grave　was　wi'　the　weather…cock！　An'　aye　he　tuik
himsel'　to　task　as　to　whether　he　ouchtna　to　hae　dune　something
mairgane　to　the　king　maybefor　he　couldna　bide　the　thoucht　o'　the
puir　man　that　had　waitit　upon　him　sae　lang　an'　faithfu'；　hingin'　an'
swingin'　up　there；　an'　the　flesh　drappin'　aff　the　banes　o'　'im；　an'
still　the　banes　hingin'　there；　an'　swingin'　an'　creakin'　an'　cryin'！
The　thoucht；　I　say；　was　sair　upo'　the　auld　man。　But　the　time　passed；
an'　I　kenna　hoo　lang　or　hoo　short　it　may　tak　for　a　body　in　sic　a
position　to　come　asun'er；　but　at　last　the　banes　began　to　drap；　an'
as　they　drappit；　there　they　layat　the　fut　o'　the　gallows；　for
naebody　caret　to　meddle　wi'　them。　An'　whan　that　cam　to　the　knowledge
o'　the　auld　gentleman；　he　sent　his　fowk　to　gether　them　up　an'　bury
them　oot　o'　sicht。　An'　what　was　left　o'　the　body；　the　upper　pairt；
hauden　thegither　wi'　the　irons；　maybeI　kenna　weel　hoo；　hung　an'
swung　there　still；　in　ilk　win'　that　blew。　But　at　the　last；　oot　o'
sorrow；　an'　respec'　for　the　deid；　hooever　he　dee'd；　his　auld　maister
sent　quaietly　ae　mirk　nicht；　an'　had　the　lave　o'　the　banes　taen　doon
an'　laid　i'　the　earth。

〃'But　frae　that　moment；　think　ye　there　was　ony　peace　i'　the　hoose？　A
clankin'　o'　chains　got　up；　an'　a　howlin'；　an'　a　compleenin'　an'　a
creakin'　like　i'　the　win'sic　a　stramash　a'thegither；　that　the
hoose　was　no　fit　to　be　leevit　in　whiles；　though　it　was　sometimes
waur　nor　ither　times；　an'　some　thoucht　it　had　to　do　wi'　the　airt　the
win'　blew：　aboot　that　I　ken　naething。　But　it　gaed　on　like　that　for
months；　maybe　years；'Mr。　Harper　wasna　sure　hoo　lang　the　gentleman
said'till　the　auld　man　'maist　wished　himsel'　in　o'　the　grave　an'
oot　o'　the　trouble。

〃'At　last　ae　day　cam　an　auld　man　to　see　himno　sae　auld　as　himsel'；
but　ane　he　had　kenned　whan　they　wur　at　the　college　thegither。　An'
this　was　a　man　that　had　travelled　greatly；　an'　was　weel　learnt　in　a
heap　o'　things　ordinar'　fowk；　that　gies　themsel's　to　the　lan'；　an'
the　growin'　o'　corn；　an'　beasts；　ir　no　likely　to　ken　mickle　aboot。
He　saw　his　auld　freen'　was　in　trouble；　an'　didna　carry　his　age
calm…like　as　was　nat'ral；　an'　sae　speirt　him　what　was　the　matter。
An'　he　told　him　the　whole　story；　frae　the　hangin'　to　the　bangin'。
〃Weel；〃　said　the　learnit　man；　whan　he　had　h'ard　a'；　〃gien　ye'll　tak
my　advice；　ye'll　jist　sen'　an'　howk　up　the　heid；　an'　tak　it　intil
the　hoose　wi'　ye；　an'　lat　it　bide　there　whaur　it　was　used　sae　lang
to　be；do　that；　an'　it's　my　opinion　ye'll　hear　nae　mair　o'　sic
unruly　gangin's　on。〃　The　auld　gentleman　tuik　the　advice；　kennin'　no
better。　But　it　was　the　richt　advice；　for　frae　that　moment　the　romour
was　ower；　they　had　nae　mair　o'　't。　They　laid　the　heid　in　a　decent
bit　box　i'　the　cellar；　an'　there　it　remaint；　weel　content　there　to
abide　the　day　o'　that　jeedgment　that'll　set　mony　anither　jeedgment
to　the　richt…aboot；　though　what　pleesur　could　be　intil　that　cellar
mair　nor　intil　a　hole　i'　the　earth；　is　a　thing　no　for　me　to　say！　So
wi'　that　generation　there　was　nae　mair　trouble。

〃'But　i'　the　coorse　o'　time　cam　first　ane　an'　syne　anither；　wha
forgot；　maybe　leuch　at；　the　haill　affair；　an'　didna　believe　a　word
o'　the　same。　But　they're　but　fules　that　gang　again　the　experrience
o'　their　forbeirs！what　wud　ye　hae　but　they　wud　beery　the　heid！　An'
what　wud　come　o'　that　but　an　auld　dismay　het　up　again！　Up　gat　the
din；　the　rampaugin'；　the　clankin'；　an'　a'；　jist　the　same　as　'afore！
But　the　minute　that；　frichtit　at　the　consequences　o'　their　folly；
they　acknowledged　the　property　o'　the　ghaist　in　his　ain　heid；　an'
tuik　it　oot　o'　the　earth　an'　intil　the　hoose　again；　a'　was　quaiet
direc'lyquaiet　as　hert　could　desire。'

〃Sae　that　was　the　story！

〃An'　whan　the　lunch　was　ower；　an'　Mr。　Harper　was　thinkin'　the　moment
come　whan　they　would　order　him　to　tak　the　heid；　an'　him　trimlin'　at
the　thoucht　o'　touchin'　't；　an'　lay't　whaur　it　wasan'　whaur　it　had
sae　aften　been　whan　it　had　a　sowl　intil　't；　the　gentleman　got　up；
an'　says　he　til　him；　'Be　so　good；'　says　he；　'as　fetch　me　my　hat…box
from　the　hall。'　Harper　went　an'　got　it　as　desired；　an'　the　gentleman
took　an'　unlockit　it；　an'　roon'　he　turnt　whaur　he　stood；　an'　up　he
tuik　the　skull　frae　the　chimley…piece；　neither　as　gien　he　lo'ed　it
nor　feared　itas　what　reason　had　he　to　do　either？an'　han'let　it
neither　rouchly；　nor　wi'　ony　show　o'　mickle　care；　but　intil　the
hat…box　it　gaed；　willy；　nilly；　an'　the　lid　shutten　doon　upo'　't；　an'
the　key　turnt　i'　the　lock　o'　't；　an'　as　gien　he　wad　mak　the　thing
richt　sure　o'　no　bein'　putten　again　whaur　it　had　sic　an　objection　to
gang；　up　he　tuik　in　his　han'　the　hat…box；　an'　the　contrairy　heid　i'
the　inside　o'　't；　an'　awa'　wi'　him　on　his　traivels；　here　awa'　an'
there　awa'　ower　the　face　o'　the　globe：　he　was　on　his　w'y　to　Spain；
he　said；　at　the　moment；　an'　we　saw　nae　mair　o'　him　nor　the　heid；　nor
h'ard　ever　a　soon'　mair　o'　clankin'；　nor　girnin'；　nor　ony　ither
oonholy　din。

〃An'　that's　the　trowth；　mak　o'　't　what　ye　like；　my　leddy　an'　maister
Grant！〃

Mistress　Brookes　was　silent；　and　for　some　time　not　a　syllable　was
uttered　by　either　listener。　At　last　Donal　spoke。

〃It　is　a　strange　story；　mistress　Brookes；〃　he　said；　〃and　the
stranger　that　it　would　show　some　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　other
world　apparently　as　silly　after　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　as　when
first　they　arrived　there。〃

〃I　can　say　naething　anent　that；　sir；〃　answered　mistress　Brookes；
〃I'm　no　accoontable　for　ony　inference　'at's　to　be　drawn　frae　my　ower
true　tale；　an'　doobtless；　sir；　ye　ken　far　better　nor　me；but　whaur
ye　see　sae　mony　folk　draw　oot　the　threid　o'　a　lang　life；　an'　never
ae　sensible　thing；　that　they　could　help；　done　or　said；　what　for
should　ye　won'er　gien　noo　an'　than　ane　i'　the　ither　warl'　shaw
himsel'　siclike。　Whan　ye　consider　the　heap　o'　folk　that　dees；　an'
hoo　there　maun　be　sae　mony　mair　i'　the　ither　warl'　nor　i'　this；　I
confess　for　my　pairt　I　won'er　mair　'at　we're　left　at　peace　at　a'；
an'　that　they　comena　swarmin'　aboot　's　i'　the　nicht；　like　black
doos。　Ye'll　maybe　say　they　canna；　an'　ye'll　maybe　say　they　come；　but
sae　lang　as　they　plague　me　nae　waur　nor　oor　freen'　upo'　the　tither
side　o'　the　wa'；　I　canna　say　I　care　that　mickle。　But　I　think　whiles
hoo　thae　ghaists　maun　lauch　at　them　that　lauchs　as　gien　there　was
nae　sic　craturs　i'　the　warl'！　For　my　pair