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weir of hermiston(赫米斯顿的魏尔)-第13章

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into Lord Glenalmond's dining…room; where he sat with a book upon his 

knee;    beside   three   frugal   coals  of  fire。  In  his  robes   upon    the  bench; 

Glenalmond had a certain air of burliness: plucked of these; it was a may… 

pole    of  a  man   that  rose   unsteadily   from   his   chair   to  give  his  visitor 

welcome。 Archie had suffered much in the last days; he had suffered again 

that evening; his face was white and drawn; his eyes wild and dark。 But 

Lord     Glenalmond      greeted    him   without    the  least  mark    of  surprise   or 

curiosity。 

     〃Come in; come in;〃 said he。 〃Come in and take a seat。 Carstairs〃 (to 

his servant); 〃make up the fire; and then you can bring a bit of supper;〃 

and again to Archie; with a very trivial accent: 〃I was half expecting you;〃 

he added。 

     〃No supper;〃 said Archie。 〃It is impossible that I should eat。〃 

     〃Not   impossible;〃   said   the   tall   old   man;   laying   his   hand   upon   his 

shoulder; 〃and; if you will believe me; necessary。〃 

     〃You know what brings me?〃 said Archie; as soon as the servant had 

left the room。 

     〃I have a guess; I have a guess;〃 replied Glenalmond。 〃We will talk of 

it presently … when Carstairs has come and gone; and you have had a piece 

of my good Cheddar cheese and a pull at the porter tankard: not before。〃 

     〃It is impossible I should eat〃 repeated Archie。 

     〃Tut; tut!〃 said Lord Glenalmond。 〃You have eaten nothing to…day; and 

I venture to add; nothing yesterday。 There is no case that may not be made 

worse; this   may  be   a   very  disagreeable business;  but if   you   were   to  fall 

sick   and   die;   it   would   be   still   more   so;   and   for   all   concerned   …   for   all 

concerned。〃 

     〃I see you must know all;〃 said Archie。 〃Where did you hear it?〃 

     〃In the   mart of scandal;  in the   Parliament House;〃   said   Glenalmond。 



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〃It runs riot below among the bar and the public; but it sifts up to us upon 

the bench; and rumour has some of her voices even in the divisions。〃 

     Carstairs returned at this moment; and rapidly laid out a little supper; 

during   which   Lord   Glenalmond   spoke   at   large   and   a   little   vaguely   on 

indifferent subjects; so that it might be rather said of him that he made a 

cheerful noise; than that he contributed to human conversation; and Archie 

sat upon   the other side;  not   heeding him;  brooding   over his   wrongs   and 

errors。 

     But   so   soon   as   the   servant   was   gone;   he   broke   forth   again   at   once。 

〃Who told my father? Who dared to tell him? Could it have been you?〃 

     〃No; it was not me;〃 said the Judge; 〃although … to be quite frank with 

you;   and   after   I   had   seen   and   warned   you   …   it   might   have   been   me   …   I 

believe it was Glenkindie。〃 

     〃That shrimp!〃 cried Archie。 

     〃As   you   say;   that   shrimp;〃   returned   my   lord;   〃although   really   it   is 

scarce a fitting mode of expression for one of the senators of the College 

of Justice。 We were hearing the parties in a long; crucial case; before the 

fifteen; Creech was moving at some length for an infeftment; when I saw 

Glenkindie lean forward to Hermiston with his hand over his mouth and 

make him a secret communication。 No one could have guessed its nature 

from your father: from Glenkindie; yes; his malice sparked out of him a 

little grossly。 But your father; no。 A man of granite。 The next moment he 

pounced   upon   Creech。   ‘Mr。   Creech;'   says   he;   ‘I'll   take   a   look   of   that 

sasine;'    and   for  thirty   minutes    after;〃   said  Glenalmond;       with   a  smile; 

〃Messrs。      Creech    and    Co。   were   fighting    a  pretty   up…hill   battle;  which 

resulted; I need hardly add; in their total rout。 The case was dismissed。 No; 

I doubt if ever I heard Hermiston better inspired。 He was literally rejoicing 

IN APICIBUS JURIS。〃 

     Archie   was   able   to   endure   no   longer。   He   thrust   his   plate   away   and 

interrupted the deliberate and insignificant stream of talk。 〃Here;〃 he said; 

〃I have made a fool of myself; if I have not made something worse。 Do 

you judge between us … judge between a father and a son。 I can speak to 

you; it is not like 。。。 I will tell you what I feel and what I mean to do; and 

you shall be the judge;〃 he repeated。 



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     〃I   decline   jurisdiction;〃   said   Glenalmond;   with   extreme   seriousness。 

〃But; my dear boy; if it will do you any good to talk; and if it will interest 

you at all to hear what I may choose to say when I have heard you; I am 

quite at your command。 Let an old man say it; for once; and not need to 

blush: I love you like a son。〃 

     There   came   a   sudden   sharp   sound   in Archie's   throat。   〃Ay;〃   he   cried; 

〃and   there   it   is!   Love!   Like   a   son!   And   how   do   you   think   I   love   my 

father?〃 

     〃Quietly; quietly;〃 says my lord。 

     〃I will be very quiet;〃 replied Archie。 〃And I will be baldly frank。 I do 

not love my father; I wonder sometimes if I do not hate him。 There's my 

shame; perhaps my sin; at least; and in the sight of God; not my fault。 How 

was I to love him? He has never spoken to me; never smiled upon me; I do 

not think he ever touched me。 You know the way he talks? You do not talk 

so; yet you can sit and hear him without shuddering; and I cannot。 My soul 

is sick   when he   begins  with it;   I could   smite   him in   the mouth。 And   all 

that's nothing。 I was at the trial of this Jopp。 You were not there; but you 

must have heard him often; the man's notorious for it; for being … look at 

my   position!   he's   my   father   and   this   is   how   I   have   to   speak   of   him   … 

notorious for being a brute and cruel and a coward。 Lord Glenalmond; I 

give you my word; when I came out of that Court; I longed to die … the 

shame of it was beyond my strength: but I … I …〃 he rose from his seat and 

began to pace the room in a disorder。 〃Well; who am I? A boy; who have 

never been tried; have never done anything except this twopenny impotent 

folly with my father。 But I tell you; my lord; and I know myself; I am at 

least that kind of a man … or that kind of a boy; if you prefer it … that I could 

die   in   torments   rather   than   that   any   one   should   suffer   as   that   scoundrel 

suffered。 Well; and what have I done? I see it now。 I have made a fool of 

myself; as I  said in   the beginning;   and I have  gone back;  and asked  my 

father's pardon; and placed myself wholly in his hands … and he has sent 

me to Hermiston;〃 with a wretched smile; 〃for life; I suppose … and wh
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