chronicles of the canongate-第22部分

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Such　were　the　last　words　of　my　guide's　drowsy；　uninteresting　tone　of　voice　and　glad　to　be　rid　of　him；　I　strode　out　stoutly；　in　despite　of　large　stones；　briers；　and　BAD　STEPS；　which　abounded　in　the　road　I　had　chosen。　　In　the　interim；　I　tried　as　much　as　I　could；　with　verses　from　Horace　and　Prior；　and　all　who　have　lauded　the　mixture　of　literary　with　rural　life；　to　call　back　the　visions　of　last　night　and　this　morning；　imagining　myself　settled　in　same　detached　farm　of　the　estate　of　Glentanner；

　　〃Which　sloping　hills　around　enclose　　　　Where　many　a　birch　and　brown　oak　grows；〃

when　I　should　have　a　cottage　with　a　small　library；　a　small　cellar；　a　spare　bed　for　a　friend；　and　live　more　happy　and　more　honoured　than　when　I　had　the　whole　barony。　　But　the　sight　of　Castle　Treddles　had　disturbed　all　my　own　castles　in　the　air。　　The　realities　of　the　matter；　like　a　stone　plashed　into　a　limpid　fountain；　had　destroyed　the　reflection　of　the　objects　around；　which；　till　this　act　of　violence；　lay　slumbering　on　the　crystal　surface；　and　I　tried　in　vain　to　re…establish　the　picture　which　had　been　so　rudely　broken。　　Well；　then；　I　would　try　it　another　way。　　I　would　try　to　get　Christie　Steele　out　of　her　PUBLIC；　since　she　was　not　striving　in　it；　and　she　who　had　been　my　mother's　governante　should　be　mine。　　I　knew　all　her　faults；　and　I　told　her　history　over　to　myself。

She　was　grand…daughter；　I　believeat　least　some　relativeof　the　famous　Covenanter　of　the　name；　whom　Dean　Swift's　friend；　Captain　Creichton；　shot　on　his　own　staircase　in　the　times　of　the　persecutions；　＇See　Note　2。Steele　a　Covenanter；　shot　by　Captain　Creichton。＇　and　had　perhaps　derived　from　her　native　stock　much　both　of　its　good　and　evil　properties。　　No　one　could　say　of　her　that　she　was　the　life　and　spirit　of　the　family；　though　in　my　mother's　time　she　directed　all　family　affairs。　　Her　look　was　austere　and　gloomy；　and　when　she　was　not　displeased　with　you；　you　could　only　find　it　out　by　her　silence。　　If　there　was　cause　for　complaint；　real　or　imaginary；　Christie　was　loud　enough。　　She　loved　my　mother　with　the　devoted　attachment　of　a　younger　sister；　but　she　was　as　jealous　of　her　favour　to　any　one　else　as　if　she　had　been　the　aged　husband　of　a　coquettish　wife；　and　as　severe　in　her　reprehensions　as　an　abbess　over　her　nuns。　　The　command　which　she　exercised　over　her　was　that；　I　fear；　of　a　strong　and　determined　over　a　feeble　and　more　nervous　disposition　and　though　it　was　used　with　rigour；　yet；　to　the　best　of　Christie　Steele's　belief；　she　was　urging　her　mistress　to　her　best　and　most　becoming　course；　and　would　have　died　rather　than　have　recommended　any　other。　　The　attachment　of　this　woman　was　limited　to　the　family　of　Croftangry；　for　she　had　few　relations；　and　a　dissolute　cousin；　whom　late　in　life　she　had　taken　as　a　husband；　had　long　left　her　a　widow。

To　me　she　had　ever　a　strong　dislike。　　Even　from　my　early　childhood　she　was　jealous；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　of　my　interest　in　my　mother's　affections。　　She　saw　my　foibles　and　vices　with　abhorrence；　and　without　a　grain　of　allowance；　nor　did　she　pardon　the　weakness　of　maternal　affection　even　when；　by　the　death　of　two　brothers；　I　came　to　be　the　only　child　of　a　widowed　parent。　　At　the　time　my　disorderly　conduct　induced　my　mother　to　leave　Glentanner；　and　retreat　to　her　jointure…house；　I　always　blamed　Christie　Steele　for　having　influenced　her　resentment　and　prevented　her　from　listening　to　my　vows　of　amendment；　which　at　times　were　real　and　serious；　and　might；　perhaps；　have　accelerated　that　change　of　disposition　which　has　since；　I　trust；　taken　place。　But　Christie　regarded　me　as　altogether　a　doomed　and　predestinated　child　of　perdition；　who　was　sure　to　hold　on　my　course；　and　drag　downwards　whosoever　might　attempt　to　afford　me　support。

Still；　though　I　knew　such　had　been　Christie's　prejudices　against　me　in　other　days；　yet　I　thought　enough　of　time　had　since　passed　away　to　destroy　all　of　them。　　I　knew　that　when；　through　the　disorder　of　my　affairs；　my　mother　underwent　some　temporary　inconvenience　about　money　matters；　Christie；　as　a　thing　of　course；　stood　in　the　gap；　and　having　sold　a　small　inheritance　which　had　descended　to　her；　brought　the　purchase　money　to　her　mistress；　with　a　sense　of　devotion　as　deep　as　that　which　inspired　the　Christians　of　the　first　age；　when　they　sold　all　they　had；　and　followed　the　apostles　of　the　church。　　I　therefore　thought　that　we　might；　in　old　Scottish　phrase；　〃let　byganes　be　byganes；〃　and　begin　upon　a　new　account。　　Yet　I　resolved；　like　a　skilful　general；　to　reconnoitre　a　little　before　laying　down　any　precise　scheme　of　proceeding；　and　in　the　interim　I　determined　to　preserve　my　incognito。



CHAPTER　IV。

MR。　CROFTANGRY　BIDS　ADIEU　TO　CLYDESDALE。

　　Alas；　how　changed　from　what　it　once　had　been！　　　'Twas　now　degraded　to　a　common　inn。　　　　GAY。

An　hour's　brisk　walking；　or　thereabouts；　placed　me　in　front　of　Duntarkin；　which　had　also；　I　found；　undergone　considerable　alterations；　though　it　had　not　been　altogether　demolished　like　the　principal　mansion。　　An　inn…yard　extended　before　the　door　of　the　decent　little　jointure…house；　even　amidst　the　remnants　of　the　holly　hedges　which　had　screened　the　lady's　garden。　　Then　a　broad；　raw…looking；　new…made　road　intruded　itself　up　the　little　glen；　instead　of　the　old　horseway；　so　seldom　used　that　it　was　almost　entirely　covered　with　grass。　　It　is　a　great　enormity；　of　which　gentlemen　trustees　on　the　highways　are　sometimes　guilty；　in　adopting　the　breadth　necessary　for　an　avenue　to　the　metropolis；　where　all　that　is　required　is　an　access　to　some　sequestered　and　unpopulous　district。　　I　do　not　say　anything　of　the　expensethat　the　trustees　and　their　constituents　may　settle　as　they　please。　But　the　destruction　of　silvan　beauty　is　great　when　the　breadth　of　the　road　is　more　than　proportioned　to　the　vale　through　which　it　runs；　and　lowers；　of　course；　the　consequence　of　any　objects　of　wood　or　water；　or　broken　and　varied　ground；　which　might　otherwise　attract　notice　and　give　pleasure。　　A　bubbling　runnel　by　the　side　of　one　of　those　modern　Appian　or　Flaminian　highways　is　but　like　a　kennel；　the　little　hill　is　diminished　to　a　hillockthe　romantic　hillock　to　a　molehill；　almost　too　small　for　sight。

Such　an　enormity；　however；　had　destroyed　the　quiet　loneliness　of　Duntarkin；　and　intruded　its　breadth　of　dust　and　gravel；　and　its　associations　of　pochays　and　mail…coaches；　upon　one　of　the　most　sequestered　spots　in　the　Middle　Ward　of　Clydesdale。　　The　house　was　old　and　dilapidated；　and　looked　sorry　for　itself；　as　if　sensible　of　a　derogation；　but　the　sign　was　strong　and　new；　and　brightly　painted；　displaying　a　heraldic　shield　（three　shuttles　in　a　field　diapre）；　a　web　partly　unfolded　for　crest；　and　two　stout　giants　for　supporters；　each　one　holding　a　weaver's　beam　proper。　To　have　displayed　this　monstrous　emblem　on　the　front　of　the　house　might　have　hazarded　bringing　down　the　wall；　but　for　certain　would　have　blocked　up　one　or　two　windows。　　It　was　therefore　established　independent　of　the　mansion；　being　displayed　in　an　iron　framework；　and　suspended　upon　two　posts；　with　as　much　wood　and　iron　about　it　as　would　have　builded　a　brig；　and　there　it　hung；　creaking；　groaning；　and　screaming　in　every　blast　of　wind；　and　frightening　for　five　miles'　distance；　for