第 3 节
作者:片片      更新:2021-02-27 00:51      字数:9322
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  REDGAUNTLET
  LETTER I
  DARSIE LATIMER TO ALAN FAIRFORD
  DUMFRIES。
  CUR ME EXANIMAS QUERELIS TUIS?  In plain English; Why do you deafen me with your croaking?  The disconsolate tone in which you bade me farewell at Noble House; 'The first stage on the road from Edinburgh to Dumfries via Moffat。' and mounted your miserable hack to return to your law drudgery; still sounds in my ears。  It seemed to say; 'Happy dog!  you can ramble at pleasure over hill and dale; pursue every object of curiosity that presents itself; and relinquish the chase when it loses interest; while I; your senior and your better; must; in this brilliant season; return to my narrow chamber and my musty books。'
  Such was the import of the reflections with which you saddened our parting bottle of claret; and thus I must needs interpret the terms of your melancholy adieu。
  And why should this be so; Alan?  Why the deuce should you not be sitting precisely opposite to me at this moment; in the same comfortable George Inn; thy heels on the fender; and thy juridical brow expanding its plications as a pun rose in your fancy?  Above all; why; when I fill this very glass of wine; cannot I push the bottle to you; and say; 'Fairford; you are chased!'  Why; I say; should not all this be; except because Alan Fairford has not the same true sense of friendship as Darsie Latimer; and will not regard our purses as common; as well as our sentiments?
  I am alone in the world; my only guardian writes to me of a large fortune which will be mine when I reach the age of twenty…five complete; my present income is; thou knowest; more than sufficient for all my wants; and yet thoutraitor as thou art to the cause of friendshipdost deprive me of the pleasure of thy society; and submittest; besides; to self…denial on thine own part; rather than my wanderings should cost me a few guineas more!  Is this regard for my purse; or for thine own pride?  Is it not equally absurd and unreasonable; whichever source it springs from?  For myself; I tell thee; I have; and shall have; more than enough for both。  This same methodical Samuel Griffiths; of Ironmonger Lane; Guildhall; London; whose letter arrives as duly as quarter…day; has sent me; as I told thee; double allowance for this my twenty…first birthday; and an assurance; in his brief fashion; that it will be again doubled for the succeeding years; until I enter into possession of my own property。  Still I am to refrain from visiting England until my twenty…fifth year expires; and it is recommended that I shall forbear all inquiries concerning my family; and so forth; for the present。
  Were it not that I recollect my poor mother in her deep widow's weeds; with a countenance that never smiled but when she looked on meand then; in such wan and woful sort; as the sun when he glances through an April cloud;were it not; I say; that her mild and matron…like form and countenance forbid such a suspicion; I might think myself the son of some Indian director; or rich citizen; who had more wealth than grace; and a handful of hypocrisy to boot; and who was breeding up privately; and obscurely enriching; one of whose existence he had some reason to be ashamed。  But; as I said before; I think on my mother; and am convinced as much as of the existence of my own soul; that no touch of shame could arise from aught in which she was implicated。  Meantime; I am wealthy; and I am alone; and why does my friend scruple to share my wealth?
  Are you not my only friend?  and have you not acquired a right to share my wealth?  Answer me that; Alan Fairford。  When I was brought from the solitude of my mother's dwelling into the tumult of the Gaits' Class at the High Schoolwhen I was mocked for my English accentsalted with snow as a Southernrolled in the gutter for a Saxon pock…pudding;who; with stout arguments and stouter blows; stood forth my defender?why; Alan Fairford。  Who beat me soundly when I brought the arrogance of an only son; and of course a spoiled urchin; to the forms of the little republic? why; Alan。  And who taught me to smoke a cobbler; pin a losen; head a bicker; and hold the bannets?'Break a window; head a skirmish with stones; and hold the bonnet; or handkerchief; which used to divide High School boys when fighting。'  Alan; once more。 If I became the pride of the Yards; and the dread of the hucksters in the High School Wynd; it was under thy patronage; and; but for thee; I had been contented with humbly passing through the Cowgate Port; without climbing over the top of it; and had never seen the KITTLE NINE…STEPS nearer than from Bareford's Parks。  'A pass on the very brink of the Castle rock to the north; by which it is just possible for a goat; or a High School boy; to turn the corner of the building where it rises from the edge of the precipice。  This was so favourite a feat with the 'hell and neck boys' of the higher classes; that at one time sentinels were posted to prevent its repetition。  One of the nine…steps was rendered more secure because the climber could take hold of the root of a nettle; so precarious were the means of passing this celebrated spot。  The manning the Cowgate Port; especially in snowball time; was also a choice amusement; as it offered an inaccessible station for the boys who used these missiles to the annoyance of the passengers。  The gateway is now demolished; and probably most of its garrison lie as low as the fortress。  To recollect that the author himself; however naturally disqualified; was one of those juvenile dreadnoughts; is a sad reflection to one who cannot now step over a brook without assistance。'
  You taught me to keep my fingers off the weak; and to clench my fist against the strongto carry no tales out of schoolto stand forth like a true manobey the stern order of a PANDE MANUM; and endure my pawmies without wincing; like one that is determined not to be the better for them。  In a word; before I knew thee; I knew nothing。
  At college it was the same。  When I was incorrigibly idle; your example and encouragement roused me to mental exertion; and showed me the way to intellectual enjoyment。  You made me an historian; a metaphysician (INVITA MINERVA)nay; by Heaven!  you had almost made an advocate of me; as well as of yourself。  Yes; rather than part with you; Alan; I attended a weary season at the Scotch Law Class; a wearier at the Civil; and with what excellent advantage; my notebook; filled with caricatures of the professors and my fellow students; is it not yet extant to testify?
  Thus far have I held on with thee untired;
  and; to say truth; purely and solely that I might travel the same road with thee。  But it will not do; Alan。  By my faith; man; I could as soon think of being one of those ingenious traders who cheat little Master Jackies on the outside of the partition with tops; balls; bats; and battledores; as a member of the long…robed fraternity within; who impose on grown country gentlemen with bouncing brocards of law。  'The Hall of the Parliament House of Edinburgh was; in former days; divided into two unequal portions by a partition; the inner side of which was consecrated to the use of the Courts of Justice and the gentlemen of the law; while the outer division was occupied by the stalls of stationers; toymen; and the like; as in a modern bazaar。  From the old play of THE PLAIN DEALER; it seems such was formerly the case with Westminster Hall。  Minos has now purified his courts in both cities from all traffic but his own。'  Now; don't you read this to your worthy father; Alanhe loves me well enough; I know; of a Saturday night; but he thinks me but idle company for any other day of the week。  And here; I suspect; lies your real objection to taking a ramble with me through the southern counties in this delicious weather。  I know the good gentleman has hard thoughts of me for being so unsettled as to leave Edinburgh before the Session rises; perhaps; too; he quarrels a littleI will not say with my want of ancestry; but with my want of connexions。  He reckons me a lone thing in this world; Alan; and so; in good truth; I am; and it seems a reason to him why you should not attach yourself to me; that I can claim no interest in the general herd。
  Do not suppose I forget what I owe him; for permitting me to shelter for four years under his roof:  My obligations to him are not the less; but the greater; if he never heartily loved me。  He is angry; too; that I will not; or cannot; be a lawyer; and; with reference to you; considers my disinclination that way as PESSIMI EXEMPLI; as he might say。
  But he need not be afraid that a lad of your steadiness will be influenced by such a reed shaken by the winds as I am。  You will go on doubting with Dirleton; and resolving those doubts with Stewart; ''Sir John Nisbett of Dirleton's DOUBTS AND QUESTIONS UPON THE LAW; ESPECIALLLY OF SCOTLAND;' and 'Sir James Stewart's DIRLETON'S DOUBTS AND QUESTIONS ON THE LAW OF SCOTLAND RESOLVED AND ANSWERED;' are works of authority in Scottish jurisprudence。 As is generally the case; the doubts are held more in respect than the solution。'  until the cramp speech  'Till of late years; every advocate who catered at the Scottish bar made a Latin address to the Court; faculty; and audience; in set te