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Weir of Hermiston-Part16_ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON(1850-1894)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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his exalted family. The single objection! for the four black brothers

are awkwardcustomers. If anything were to go wrong, Gib would gibber,



and Clem would prove inclement; and Dand fly in danders, and Hob blow up

in gobbets. It would be a Helliott of a business!"



"Very humorous, I am sure," said Archie.

"Well, I am trying to be so," said Frank. "It's none too easy in this



place, and with your solemn society, my dear fellow. But confess that

the milkmaid has found favour in your eyes, or resign all claim to be a



man of taste."

"It is no matter," returned Archie.



But the other continued to look at him, steadily and quizzically, and

his colour slowly rose and deepened under the glance, until not



impudence itself could have denied that he was blushing. And at this

Archie lost some of his control. He changed his stick from one hand to



the other, and - "O, for God's sake, don't be an ass!" he cried.

"Ass? That's the retortdelicate without doubt," says Frank. "Beware



of the homespun brothers, dear. If they come into the dance, you'll see

who's an ass. Think now, if they only applied (say) a quarter as much



talent as I have applied to the question of what Mr. Archie does with

his evening hours, and why he is so unaffectedly nasty when the



subject's touched on - "

"You are touching on it now," interrupted Archie with a wince.



"Thank you. That was all I wanted, an articulateconfession," said

Frank.



"I beg to remind you - " began Archie.

But he was interrupted in turn. "My dear fellow, don't. It's quite



needless. The subject's dead and buried."

And Frank began to talk hastily on other matters, an art in which he was



an adept, for it was his gift to be fluent on anything or nothing. But

although Archie had the grace or the timidity to suffer him to rattle



on, he was by no means done with the subject. When he came home to

dinner, he was greeted with a sly demand, how things were looking



"Cauldstaneslap ways." Frank took his first glass of port out after

dinner to the toast of Kirstie, and later in the evening he returned to



the charge again.

"I say, Weir, you'll excuse me for returning again to this affair. I've



been thinking it over, and I wish to beg you very seriously to be more

careful. It's not a safe business. Not safe, my boy," said he.



"What?" said Archie.

"Well, it's your own fault if I must put a name on the thing; but



really, as a friend, I cannot stand by and see you rushing head down

into these dangers. My dear boy," said he, holding up a warning cigar,



"consider! What is to be the end of it?"

"The end of what?" - Archie, helpless with irritation, persisted in this



dangerous and ungracious guard.

"Well, the end of the milkmaid; or, to speak more by the card, the end



of Miss Christina Elliott of the Cauldstaneslap."

"I assure you," Archie broke out, "this is all a figment of your



imagination. There is nothing to be said against that young lady; you

have no right to introduce her name into the conversation."



"I'll make a note of it," said Frank. "She shall henceforth be

nameless, nameless, nameless, Grigalach! I make a note besides of your



valuable testimony to her character. I only want to look at this thing

as a man of the world. Admitted she's an angel - but, my good fellow,



is she a lady?"

This was torture to Archie. "I beg your pardon," he said, struggling to



be composed, "but because you have wormed yourself into my confidence - "

"O, come!" cried Frank. "Your confidence? It was rosy but



unconsenting. Your confidence, indeed? Now, look! This is what I must

say, Weir, for it concerns your safety and good character, and therefore



my honour as your friend. You say I wormed myself into your confidence.

Wormed is good. But what have I done? I have put two and two together,



just as the parish will be doing tomorrow, and the whole of Tweeddale in

two weeks, and the black brothers - well, I won't put a date on that; it



will be a dark and stormy morning! Your secret, in other words, is poor




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