chronicles of the canongate-第43部分

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appy　house　of　Glenlyon　the　curse　remains；　and　on　them　God　hath　avenged　it。〃

〃You　speak　like　the　Saxon　priest　already；〃　replied　his　mother；　〃will　you　not　better　stay；　and　ask　a　kirk　from　Macallum　Mhor；　that　you　may　preach　forgiveness　to　the　race　of　Dermid？〃

〃Yesterday　was　yesterday；〃　answered　Hamish；　〃and　to…day　is　to…　day。　　When　the　clans　are　crushed　and　confounded　together；　it　is　well　and　wise　that　their　hatreds　and　their　feuds　should　not　survive　their　independence　and　their　power。　　He　that　cannot　execute　vengeance　like　a　man；　should　not　harbour　useless　enmity　like　a　craven。　　Mother；　young　Barcaldine　is　true　and　brave。　　I　know　that　MacPhadraick　counselled　him　that　he　should　not　let　me　take　leave　of　you；　lest　you　dissuaded　me　from　my　purpose；　but　he　said；　'Hamish　MacTavish　is　the　son　of　a　brave　man；　and　he　will　not　break　his　word。'　　Mother；　Barcaldine　leads　an　hundred　of　the　bravest　of　the　sons　of　the　Gael　in　their　native　dress；　and　with　their　fathers'　armsheart　to　heartshoulder　to　shoulder。　　I　have　sworn　to　go　with　him。　　He　has　trusted　me；　and　I　will　trust　him。〃

At　this　reply；　so　firmly　and　resolvedly　pronounced；　Elspat　remained　like　one　thunderstruck；　and　sunk　in　despair。　　The　arguments　which　she　had　considered　so　irresistibly　conclusive；　had　recoiled　like　a　wave　from　a　rock。　　After　a　long　pause；　she　filled　her　son's　quaigh；　and　presented　it　to　him　with　an　air　of　dejected　deference　and　submission。

〃Drink；〃　she　said；　〃to　thy　father's　roof…tree；　ere　you　leave　it　for　ever；　and　tell　mesince　the　chains　of　a　new　King；　and　of　a　new　chief；　whom　your　fathers　knew　not　save　as　mortal　enemies；　are　fastened　upon　the　limbs　of　your　father's　sontell　me　how　many　links　you　count　upon　them？〃

Hamish　took　the　cup；　but　looked　at　her　as　if　uncertain　of　her　meaning。　　She　proceeded　in　a　raised　voice。　　〃Tell　me；〃　she　said；　〃for　I　have　a　right　to　know；　for　how　many　days　the　will　of　those　you　have　made　your　masters　permits　me　to　look　upon　you？　　In　other　words；　how　many　are　the　days　of　my　life？　　for　when　you　leave　me；　the　earth　has　nought　besides　worth　living　for！〃

〃Mother；〃　replied　Hamish　MacTavish；　〃for　six　days　I　may　remain　with　you；　and　if　you　will　set　out　with　me　on　the　fifth；　I　will　conduct　you　in　safety　to　your　new　dwelling。　　But　if　you　remain　here；　then　I　will　depart　on　the　seventh　by　daybreakthen；　as　at　the　last　moment；　I　MUST　set　out　for　Dunbarton；　for　if　I　appear　not　on　the　eighth　day；　I　am　subject　to　punishment　as　a　deserter；　and　am　dishonoured　as　a　soldier　and　a　gentleman。〃

〃Your　father's　foot；〃　she　answered；　〃was　free　as　the　wind　on　the　heathit　were　as　vain　to　say　to　him；　where　goest　thou？　　as　to　ask　that　viewless　driver　of　the　clouds；　wherefore　blowest　thou？　Tell　me　under　what　penalty　thou　mustsince　go　thou　must；　and　go　thou　wiltreturn　to　thy　thraldom？〃

〃Call　it　not　thraldom；　mother；　it　is　the　service　of　an　honourable　soldierthe　only　service　which　is　now　open　to　the　son　of　MacTavish　Mhor。〃

〃Yet　say　what　is　the　penalty　if　thou　shouldst　not　return？〃　replied　Elspat。

〃Military　punishment　as　a　deserter；〃　answered　Hamish；　writhing；　however；　as　his　mother　failed　not　to　observe；　under　some　internal　feelings；　which　she　resolved　to　probe　to　the　uttermost。

〃And　that；〃　she　said；　with　assumed　calmness；　which　her　glancing　eye　disowned；　〃is　the　punishment　of　a　disobedient　hound；　is　it　not？〃

〃Ask　me　no　more；　mother；〃　said　Hamish；　〃the　punishment　is　nothing　to　one　who　will　never　deserve　it。〃

〃To　me　it　is　something；〃　replied　Elspat；　〃since　I　know　better　than　thou；　that　where　there　is　power　to　inflict；　there　is　often　the　will　to　do　so　without　cause。　　I　would　pray　for　thee；　Hamish；　and　I　must　know　against　what　evils　I　should　beseech　Him　who　leaves　none　unguarded；　to　protect　thy　youth　and　simplicity。〃

〃Mother；〃　said　Hamish；　〃it　signifies　little　to　what　a　criminal　may　be　exposed；　if　a　man　is　determined　not　to　be　such。　　Our　Highland　chiefs　used　also　to　punish　their　vassals；　and；　as　I　have　heard；　severely。　　Was　it　not　Lachlan　MacIan；　whom　we　remember　of　old；　whose　head　was　struck　off　by　order　of　his　chieftain　for　shooting　at　the　stag　before　him？〃

〃Ay；〃　said　Elspat；　〃and　right　he　had　to　lose　it；　since　he　dishonoured　the　father　of　the　people　even　in　the　face　of　the　assembled　clan。　　But　the　chiefs　were　noble　in　their　ire；　they　punished　with　the　sharp　blade；　and　not　with　the　baton。　　Their　punishments　drew　blood；　but　they　did　not　infer　dishonour。　　Canst　thou　say；　the　same　for　the　laws　under　whose　yoke　thou　hast　placed　thy　freeborn　neck？〃

〃I　cannot；　motherI　cannot；〃　said　Hamish　mournfully。　　〃I　saw　them　punish　a　Sassenach　for　deserting　as　they　called　it；　his　banner。　　He　was　scourgedI　own　itscourged　like　a　hound　who　has　offended　an　imperious　master。　　I　was　sick　at　the　sightI　confess　it。　　But　the　punishment　of　dogs　is　only　for　those　worse　than　dogs；　who　know　not　how　to　keep　their　faith。〃

〃To　this　infamy；　however；　thou　hast　subjected　thyself；　Hamish；〃　replied　Elspat；　〃if　thou　shouldst　give；　or　thy　officers　take；　measure　of　offence　against　thee。　　I　speak　no　more　to　thee　on　thy　purpose。　　Were　the　sixth　day　from　this　morning's　sun　my　dying　day；　and　thou　wert　to　stay　to　close　mine　eyes；　thou　wouldst　run　the　risk　of　being　lashed　like　a　dog　at　a　postyes！　　unless　thou　hadst　the　gallant　heart　to　leave　me　to　die　alone；　and　upon　my　desolate　hearth；　the　last　spark　of　thy　father's　fire；　and　of　thy　forsaken　mother's　life；　to　be　extinguished　together！〃Hamish　traversed　the　hut　with　an　impatient　and　angry　pace。

〃Mother；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃concern　not　yourself　about　such　things。　　I　cannot　be　subjected　to　such　infamy；　for　never　will　I　deserve　it；　and　were　I　threatened　with　it；　I　should　know　how　to　die　before　I　was　so　far　dishonoured。〃

〃There　spoke　the　son　of　the　husband　of　my　heart！〃　　replied　Elspat；　and　she　changed　the　discourse；　and　seemed　to　listen　in　melancholy　acquiescence；　when　her　son　reminded　her　how　short　the　time　was　which　they　were　permitted　to　pass　in　each　other's　society；　and　entreated　that　it　might　be　spent　without　useless　and　unpleasant　recollections　respecting　the　circumstances　under　which　they　must　soon　be　separated。

Elspat　was　now　satisfied　that　her　son；　with　some　of　his　father's　other　properties；　preserved　the　haughty　masculine　spirit　which　rendered　it　impossible　to　divert　him　from　a　resolution　which　he　had　deliberately　adopted。　　She　assumed；　therefore；　an　exterior　of　apparent　submission　to　their　inevitable　separation；　and　if　she　now　and　then　broke　out　into　complaints　and　murmurs；　it　was　either　that　she　could　not　altogether　suppress　the　natural　impetuosity　of　her　temper；　or　because　she　had　the　wit　to　consider　that　a　total　and　unreserved　acquiescence　might　have　seemed　to　her　son　constrained　and　suspicious；　and　induced　him　to　watch　and　defeat　the　means　by　which　she　still　hoped　to　prevent　his　leaving　her。　Her　ardent　though　selfish　affection　for　her　son；　incapable　of　being　qualified　by　a　regard　for　the　true　interests　of　the　unfortunate　object　of　her　attachment；　resembled　the　instinctive　fondness　of　the　animal　race　for　their　offspring；　and　diving　little　farther　into　futurity　than　one　of　the　inferior　creatures；　she　only　felt　that　to　be　separated　from　Hamish　was　to　die。

In　the　brief　interval　permitted　them；　Elspat　exh