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Catriona-Part23_ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON(1850-1894)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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"If I had known you were such a mosstrooper you should have tasted

longer of the Bass," says he.



"Speaking of which, my lord, I return your letter." And I gave him the

enclosure in the counterfeit hand.



"There was the cover also with the seal," said he.

"I have it not," said I. "It bore not even an address, and could not



compromise a cat. The second enclosure I have, and with your

permission, I desire to keep it."



I thought he winced a little, but he said nothing to the point. "To-

morrow," he resumed, "our business here is to be finished, and I



proceed by Glasgow. I would be very glad to have you of my party, Mr

David."



"My lord . . ." I began.

"I do not deny it will be of service to me," he interrupted. "I desire



even that, when we shall come to Edinburgh, you should alight at my

house. You have very warm friends in the Miss Grants, who will be



overjoyed to have you to themselves. If you think I have been of use

to you, you can thus easily repay me, and so far from losing, may reap



some advantage by the way. It is not every strange young man who is

presented in society by the King's Advocate."



Often enough already (in our brief relations) this gentleman had caused

my head to spin; no doubt but what for a moment he did so again now.



Here was the old fiction still maintained of my particular favour with

his daughters, one of whom had been so good as to laugh at me, while



the other two had scarce deigned to remark the fact of my existence.

And now I was to ride with my lord to Glasgow; I was to dwell with him



in Edinburgh; I was to be brought into society under his protection!

That he should have so much good-nature as to forgive me was surprising



enough; that he could wish to take me up and serve me seemed

impossible; and I began to seek some ulterior meaning. One was plain.



If I became his guest, repentance was excluded; I could never think

better of my present design and bring any action. And besides, would



not my presence in his house draw out the whole pungency of the

memorial? For that complaint could not be very seriously regarded, if



the person chiefly injured was the guest of the official most

incriminated. As I thought upon this I could not quite refrain from



smiling.

"This is in the nature of a countercheck to the memorial?" said I.



"You are cunning, Mr. David," said he, "and you do not wholly guess

wrong the fact will be of use to me in my defence. Perhaps, however,



you underrate friendly sentiments, which are perfectlygenuine. I have

a respect for you, David, mingled with awe," says he, smiling.



"I am more than willing, I am earnestlydesirous to meet your wishes,"

said I. "It is my design to be called to the Bar, where your



lordship's countenance would be invaluable; and I am besides sincerely

grateful to yourself and family for different marks of interest and of



indulgence. The difficulty is here. There is one point in which we

pull two ways. You are trying to hang James Stewart, I am trying to



save him. In so far as my riding with you would better your lordship's

defence, I am at your lordships orders; but in so far as it would help



to hang James Stewart, you see me at a stick."

I thought he swore to himself. "You should certainly be called; the



Bar is the true scene for your talents," says he, bitterly, and then

fell a while silent. "I will tell you," he presently resumed, "there



is no question of James Stewart, for or against, James is a dead man;

his life is given and taken - bought (if you like it better) and sold;



no memorial can help - no defalcation of a faithful Mr. David hurt him.

Blow high, blow low, there will be no pardon for James Stewart: and



take that for said! The question is now of myself: am I to stand or

fall? and I do not deny to you that I am in some danger. But will Mr.



David Balfour consider why? It is not because I pushed the case unduly

against James; for that, I am sure of condonation. And it is not



because I have sequestered Mr. David on a rock, though it will pass

under that colour; but because I did not take the ready and plain path,



to which I was pressed repeatedly, and send Mr. David to his grave or

to the gallows. Hence the scandal - hence this damnedmemorial,"



striking the paper on his leg. "My tenderness for you has brought me

in this difficulty. I wish to know if your tenderness to your own



conscience is too great to let you help me out of it."

No doubt but there was much of the truth in what he said; if James was






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