chronicles of the canongate-第16部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ne　so　painful；　when　the　physician　laid　his　hand　on　my　sleeve。　　〃Stop；〃　he　said；　〃there　is　a　change。〃

There　was；　indeed；　and　a　marked　one。　　A　faint　glow　spread　over　his　pallid　featuresthey　seemed　to　gain　the　look　of　intelligence　which　belongs　to　vitalityhis　eye　once　more　kindledhis　lip　colouredand　drawing　himself　up　out　of　the　listless　posture　he　had　hitherto　maintained；　he　rose　without　assistance。　　The　doctor　and　the　servant　ran　to　give　him　their　support。　　He　waved　them　aside；　and　they　were　contented　to　place　themselves　in　such　a　position　behind　as　might　ensure　against　accident；　should　his　newly…acquired　strength　decay　as　suddenly　as　it　had　revived。

〃My　dear　Croftangry；〃　he　said；　in　the　tone　of　kindness　of　other　days；　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　returned。　　You　find　me　but　poorly；　but　my　little　niece　here　and　Dr。　　are　very　kind。　　God　bless　you；　my　dear　friend！　　We　shall　not　meet　again　till　we　meet　in　a　better　world。〃

I　pressed　his　extended　hand　to　my　lipsI　pressed　it　to　my　bosom　I　would　fain　have　flung　myself　on　my　knees；　but　the　doctor；　leaving　the　patient　to　the　young　lady　and　the　servant；　who　wheeled　forward　his　chair；　and　were　replacing　him　in　it；　hurried　me　out　of　the　room。　　〃My　dear　sir；〃　he　said；　〃you　ought　to　be　satisfied；　you　have　seen　our　poor　invalid　more　like　his　former　self　than　he　has　been　for　months；　or　than　he　may　be　perhaps　again　until　all　is　over。　　The　whole　Faculty　could　not　have　assured　such　an　interval。　　I　must　see　whether　anything　can　be　derived　from　it　to　improve　the　general　health。　　Pray；　begone。〃　　The　last　argument　hurried　me　from　the　spot；　agitated　by　a　crowd　of　feelings；　all　of　them　painful。

When　I　had　overcome　the　shock　of　this　great　disappointment；　I　renewed　gradually　my　acquaintance　with　one　or　two　old　companions；　who；　though　of　infinitely　less　interest　to　my　feelings　than　my　unfortunate　friend；　served　to　relieve　the　pressure　of　actual　solitude；　and　who　were　not　perhaps　the　less　open　to　my　advances　that　I　was　a　bachelor　somewhat　stricken　in　years；　newly　arrived　from　foreign　parts；　and　certainly　independent；　if　not　wealthy。

I　was　considered　as　a　tolerable　subject　of　speculation　by　some；　and　I　could　not　be　burdensome　to　any。　　I　was　therefore；　according　to　the　ordinary　rule　of　Edinburgh　hospitality；　a　welcome　guest　in　several　respectable　families。　　But　I　found　no　one　who　could　replace　the　loss　I　had　sustained　in　my　best　friend　and　benefactor。　　I　wanted　something　more　than　mere　companionship　could　give　me；　and　where　was　I　to　look　for　it？　　Among　the　scattered　remnants　of　those　that　had　been　my　gay　friends　of　yore？　Alas！

　　〃Many　a　lad　I　loved　was　dead；　　　　And　many　a　lass　grown　old。〃

Besides；　all　community　of　ties　between　us　had　ceased　to　exist；　and　such　of　former　friends　as　were　still　in　the　world　held　their　life　in　a　different　tenor　from　what　I　did。

Some　had　become　misers；　and　were　as　eager　in　saving　sixpence　as　ever　they　had　been　in　spending　a　guinea。　　Some　had　turned　agriculturists；　their　talk　was　of　oxen；　and　they　were　only　fit　companions　for　graziers。　　Some　stuck　to　cards；　and　though　no　longer　deep　gamblers；　rather　played　small　game　than　sat　out。　This　I　particularly　despised。　　The　strong　impulse　of　gaming；　alas！　　I　had　felt　in　my　time。　　It　is　as　intense　as　it　is　criminal；　but　it　produces　excitation　and　interest；　and　I　can　conceive　how　it　should　become　a　passion　with　strong　and　powerful　minds。　　But　to　dribble　away　life　in　exchanging　bits　of　painted　pasteboard　round　a　green　table　for　the　piddling　concern　of　a　few　shillings；　can　only　be　excused　in　folly　or　superannuation。　　It　is　like　riding　on　a　rocking…horse；　where　your　utmost　exertion　never　carries　you　a　foot　forward；　it　is　a　kind　of　mental　treadmill；　where　you　are　perpetually　climbing；　but　can　never　rise　an　inch。　From　these　hints；　my　readers　will　perceive　I　am　incapacitated　for　one　of　the　pleasures　of　old　age；　which；　though　not　mentioned　by　Cicero；　is　not　the　least　frequent　resource　in　the　present　day　the　club…room；　and　the　snug　hand　at　whist。

To　return　to　my　old　companions。　　Some　frequented　public　assemblies；　like　the　ghost　of　Beau　Nash；　or　any　other　beau　of　half　a　century　back；　thrust　aside　by　tittering　youth；　and　pitied　by　those　of　their　own　age。　　In　fine；　some　went　into　devotion；　as　the　French　term　it；　and　others；　I　fear；　went　to　the　devil；　a　few　found　resources　in　science　and　letters；　one　or　two　turned　philosophers　in　a　small　way；　peeped　into　microscopes；　and　became　familiar　with　the　fashionable　experiments　of　the　day；　some　took　to　reading；　and　I　was　one　of　them。

Some　grains　of　repulsion　towards　the　society　around　mesome　painful　recollections　of　early　faults　and　folliessome　touch　of　displeasure　with　living　mankindinclined　me　rather　to　a　study　of　antiquities；　and　particularly　those　of　my　own　country。　　The　reader；　if　I　can　prevail　on　myself　to　continue　the　present　work；　will　probably　be　able　to　judge　in　the　course　of　it　whether　I　have　made　any　useful　progress　in　the　study　of　the　olden　times。

I　owed　this　turn　of　study；　in　part；　to　the　conversation　of　my　kind　man　of　business；　Mr。　Fairscribe；　whom　I　mentioned　as　having　seconded　the　efforts　of　my　invaluable　friend　in　bringing　the　cause　on　which　my　liberty　and　the　remnant　of　my　property　depended　to　a　favourable　decision。　　He　had　given　me　a　most　kind　reception　on　my　return。　　He　was　too　much　engaged　in　his　profession　for　me　to　intrude　on　him　often；　and　perhaps　his　mind　was　too　much　trammelled　with　its　details　to　permit　his　being　willingly　withdrawn　from　them。　　In　short；　he　was　not　a　person　of　my　poor　friend　Sommerville's　expanded　spirit；　and　rather　a　lawyer　of　the　ordinary　class　of　formalists；　but　a　most　able　and　excellent　man。　When　my　estate　was　sold！　　he　retained　some　of　the　older　title…　deeds；　arguing；　from　his　own　feelings；　that　they　would　be　of　more　consequence　to　the　heir　of　the　old　family　than　to　the　new　purchaser。　　And　when　I　returned　to　Edinburgh；　and　found　him　still　in　the　exercise　of　the　profession　to　which　he　was　an　honour；　he　sent　to　my　lodgings　the　old　family　Bible；　which　lay　always　on　my　father's　table；　two　or　three　other　mouldy　volumes；　and　a　couple　of　sheepskin　bags　full　of　parchments　and　papers；　whose　appearance　was　by　no　means　inviting。

The　next　time　I　shared　Mr。　Fairscribe's　hospitable　dinner；　I　failed　not　to　return　him　due　thanks　for　his　kindness；　which　acknowledgment；　indeed；　I　proportioned　rather　to　the　idea　which　I　knew　he　entertained　of　the　value　of　such　things；　than　to　the　interest　with　which　I　myself　regarded　them。　　But　the　conversation　turning　on　my　family；　who　were　old　proprietors　in　the　Upper　Ward　of　Clydesdale；　gradually　excited　some　interest　in　my　mind　and　when　I　retired　to　my　solitary　parlour；　the　first　thing　I　did　was　to　look　for　a　pedigree　or　sort　of　history　of　the　family　or　House　of　Croftangry；　once　of　that　Ilk；　latterly　of　Glentanner。　　The　discoveries　which　I　made　shall　enrich　the　next　chapter。



CHAPTER　II。

IN　WHICH　MR。　CROFTANGRY　CONTINUES　HIS　STORY。

　　〃What's　property；　dear　Swift？　　I　see　it　alter　　　　From　you　to　me；　from　me　to　Peter　Walter。〃

〃CroftangryCroftandrewCroftanridgeCroftandgrey　for　sa　mony　wise　hath　the　name　been　spellitis　weel　known　to　be　ane　house　of　grit　antiquity；　and　it　is　said　that　King　Milcolumb；　or　Malcolm；