guy mannering-第4部分

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g　account　of　her　is　extracted　from　the　letter　of　a　friend；　who　for　many　years　enjoyed　frequent　and　favourable　opportunities　of　observing　the　characteristic　peculiarities　of　the　Yetholm　tribes。'Madge　Gordon　was　descended　from　the　Faas　by　the　mother's　side；　and　was　married　to　a　Young。　She　was　a　remarkable　personage　of　a　very　commanding　presence；　and　high　stature；　being　nearly　six　feet　high。　She　had　a　large　aquiline　nose…penetrating　eyes；　even　in　her　old　age…bushy　hair；　that　hung　around　her　shoulders　from　beneath　a　gipsy　bonnet　of　straw…a　short　cloak　of　a　peculiar　fashion；　and　a　long　staff　nearly　as　tall　as　herself。　I　remember　her　well；every　week　she　paid　my　father　a　visit　for　her　awmous；　when　I　was　a　little　boy；　and　I　looked　upon　Madge　with　no　common　degree　of　awe；　and　terror。　When　she　spoke　vehemently　（for　she　made　loud　complaints）；　she　used　to　strike　her　staff　upon　the　floor；　and　throw　herself　into　an　attitude　which　it　was　impossible　to　regard　with　indifference。　She　used　to　say　that　she　could　bring　from　the　remotest　parts　of　the　island；　friends　to　revenge　her　quarrel；　while　she　sat　motionless　in　her　cottage；　and　she　frequently　boasted　that　there　was　a　time　when　she　was　of　still　more　considerable　importance；　for　there　were　at　her　wedding　fifty　saddled　asses；　and　unsaddled　asses　with。　out　number。　If　Jean　Gordon　was　the　prototype　of　the　character　of　Meg　Merrilies；　I　imagine　Madge　must　have　sat　to　the　unknown　author　as　the　representative　of　her　person。'　〃（Blackwood's　Magazine；　vol。　i。　p。　56。）

How　far　Blackwood's　ingenious　correspondent　was　right；　how　far　mistaken　in　his　conjecture；　the　reader　has　been　informed。

To　pass　to　a　character　of　a　very　different　description；　Dominie　Sampson；　the　reader　may　easily　suppose　that　a　poor；　modest；　humble　scholar；　who　has　won　his　way　through　the　classics；　yet　has　fallen　to　leeward　in　the　voyage　of　life；　is　no　uncommon　personage　in　a　country；　where　a　certain　portion　of　learning　is　easily　attained　by　those　who　are　willing　to　suffer　hunger　and　thirst　in　exchange　for　acquiring　Greek　and　Latin。　But　there　is　a　far　more　exact　prototype　of　the　worthy　Dominie；　upon　which　is　founded　the　part　which　he　performs　in　the　romance；　and　which；　for　certain　particular　reasons；　must　be　expressed　very　generally。

Such　a　preceptor　as　Mr。　Sampson　is　supposed　to　have　been；　was　actually　tutor　in　the　family　of　a　gentleman　of　considerable　property。　The　young　lads；　his　pupils；　grew　up　and　went　out　in　the　world；　but　the　tutor　continued　to　reside　in　the　family；　no　uncommon　circumstance　in　Scotland　（in　former　days）；　where　food　and　shelter　were　readily　afforded　to　humble　friends　and　dependants。　The　Laird's　predecessors　had　been　imprudent；　he　himself　was　passive　and　unfortunate。　Death　swept　away　his　sons；　whose　success　in　life　might　have　balanced　his　own　bad　luck　and　incapacity。　Debts　increased　and　funds　diminished；　until　ruin　came。　The　estate　was　sold；　and　the　old　man　was　about　to　remove　from　the　house　of　his　fathers；　to　go　he　knew　not　whither；　when；　like　an　old　piece　of　furniture；　which；　left　alone　in　its　wonted　corner；　may　hold　together　for　a　long　while；　but　breaks　to　pieces　on　an　attempt　to　move　it；　he　fell　down　on　his　own　threshold　under　a　paralytic　affection。

The　tutor　awakened　as　from　a　dream。　He　saw　his　patron　dead；　and　that　his　patron's　only　remaining　child；　an　elderly　woman；　now　neither　graceful　nor　beautiful；　if　she　had　ever　been　either　the　one　or　the　other；　had　by　this　calamity　become　a　homeless　and　penniless　orphan。　He　addressed　her　nearly　in　the　words　which　Dominie　Sampson　uses　to　Miss　Bertram；　and　professed　his　determination　not　to　leave　her。　Accordingly；　roused　to　the　exercise　of　talents　which　had　long　slumbered；　he　opened　a　little　school；　and　supported　his　patron's　child　for　the　rest　of　her　life；　treating　her　with　the　same　humble　observance　and　devoted　attention　which　he　had　used　towards　her　in　the　days　of　her　prosperity。

Such　is　the　outline　of　Dominie　Sampson's　real　story；　in　which　there　is　neither　romantic　incident　nor　sentimental　passion；　but　which；　perhaps；　from　the　rectitude　and　simplicity　of　character　which　it　displays；　may　interest　the　heart　and　fill　the　eye　of　the　reader　as　irresistibly　as　if　it　respected　distresses　of　a　more　dignified　or　refined　character。

These　preliminary　notices　concerning　the　tale　of　Guy　Mannering；　and　some　of　the　characters　introduced；　may　save　the　author　and　reader；　in　the　present　instance；　the　trouble　of　writing　and　perusing　a　long　string　of　detached　notes。




CHAPTER　I。

　　He　could　not　deny；　that　looking　round　upon　the　dreary　　　region；　and　seeing　nothing　but　bleak　fields；　and　naked　　　trees；　hills　obscured　by　fogs；　and　flats　covered　with　　　inundations；　he　did　for　some　time　suffer　melancholy　to　　　prevail　on　him；　and　wished　himself　again　safe　at　　　homeTravels　of　Will　Marvel；　Idler；　No。　49。

It　was　in　the　beginning　of　the　month　of　November；　17；　when　a　young　English　gentleman；　who　had　just　left　the　university　of　Oxford；　made　use　of　the　liberty　afforded　him；　to　visit　some　parts　of　the　north　of　England；　and　curiosity　extended　his　tour　into　the　adjacent　frontier　of　the　sister　country。　He　had　visited；　on　the　day　that　opens　our　history；　some　monastic　ruins　in　the　county　of　Dumfries；　and　spent　much　of　the　day　in　making　drawings　of　them　from　different　points；　so　that；　on　mounting　his　horse　to　resume　his　journey；　the　brief　and　gloomy　twilight　of　the　season　had　already　commenced。　His　way　lay　through　a　wide　tract　of　black　moss；　extending　for　miles　on　each　side　and　before　him。　Little　eminences　arose　like　islands　on　its　surface；　bearing　here　and　there　patches　of　corn；　which　even　at　this　season　was　green；　and　sometimes　a　but；　or　farm…house；　shaded　by　a　willow　or　two；　and　surrounded　by　large　elder　bushes。　These　insulated　dwellings　communicated　with　each　other　by　winding　passages　through　the　moss；　impassable　by　any　but　the　natives　themselves。　The　public　road；　however；　was　tolerably　well　made　and　safe；　so　that　the　prospect　of　being　benighted　brought　with　it　no　real　danger。　Still　it　is　uncomfortable　to　travel；　alone　and　in　the　dark；　through　an　unknown　country；　and　there　are　few　ordinary　occasions　upon　which　Fancy　frets　herself　so　much　as　in　a　situation　like　that　of　Mannering。

As　the　light　grew　faint　and　more　faint；　and　the　morass　appeared　blacker　and　blacker；　our　traveller　questioned　more　closely　each　chance　passenger　on　his　distance　from　the　village　of　Kippletringan；　where　he　proposed　to　quarter　for　the　night。　His　queries　were　usually　answered　by　a　counter…challenge　respecting　the　place　from　whence　he　came。　While　sufficient　daylight　remained　to　show　the　dress　and　appearance　of　a　gentleman；　these　cross　interrogatories　were　usually　put　in　the　form　of　a　case　supposed；　as；　〃Ye'll　hae　been　at　the　auld　abbey　o'　Halycross；　sir？　there's　mony　English　gentlemen；　gang　to　see　that。〃Or；　〃Your　honour　will　be　come　frae　the　house　o'　Pouderloupat？〃　But　when　the　voice　of　the　querist　alone　was　distinguishable；　the　response　usually　was；　〃Where　are　ye　coming　frae　at　sic　a　time　o'　night　as　the　like　o'　this？〃or；　〃Ye'll　no　be　o'　this　country；　freend？〃　The　answers；　when　obtained；　were　neither　very　reconcilable　to　each　other；　nor　accurate　in　the　information　which　they　afforded。　Kippletringan　was　distant　at　first　〃a　gey　bit〃；　＇*　Considerable　distance＇　then　the　〃gey　bit〃　was　more　accurately　described　as　〃ablins　＇*　Perhaps＇　three　mile〃；　then　the　〃three　mile〃　diminished　into　〃like　a　mile　and　a　bittock　〃；　then　extended　themselves　into　〃four　mile　or　thereawa〃；　and；　lastly；　a　female　voice；　having　hushed　a　waiting　infant　which　the　spokeswoman　carried　in　her　arms；　assured　Guy　Mannering；　〃It　was　a　weary　lang　gate　yet　to　Kippletringan；　and　unco　heavy　road　for　foot　passengers。〃　The　poor　hack　upon　which　Mannering　was　mounted　was　probably　of　opinion　that　it　suited　him　as　ill　as　the　female　respondent；　for　he　began　to　flag　very　much；　answered　each　application　of　the　spur　with　a　groan；　and　stumbled　at　every　stone　（and　they　were　not　few）　which　lay　in　his　road。

Mannering　now　grew　impatient。　He　was　occasionally　betrayed　into　a　deceitful　hope　that　the　end　of　his　journey　was　near；　by　the　apparition　of　a　twinkling　light　or　two；　but；　as　he　came　up；　he　was　disappointed　to　find　that　the　gleams　proceeded　from　some　of　those　farm…houses　which　occasionally　ornamented　the　surface　of　the　extensive　bog。　At　length；　to　complete　his　perplexity；　he　arrived　at　a　place　where　the　road　divided　into　two。　If　there　had　been　light　to　consult　the　relics　of　a　finger…post　which　stood　there；　it　would　have　been　of　little　avail；　as；　according　to　the　good　custom　of　North　Britain；　the　inscription　had　been　defaced　shortly　after　its　erection。　Our　adventurer　was　therefore　compelled；　like　a　knight…errant　of　old；　to　trust　to　the　sagacity　of　his　horse；　which；　without　any　demur；　chose　the　left…hand　path；　and　seemed　to　proceed　at　a　somewhat　livelier　pace　than　before；　affording　thereby　a　hope　that　he　knew　he　was　drawing　near　to　his　quarters　for　the　evening。　This　hope；　however；　was　not　speedily　accomplished；　and　Mannering；　whose　impatience　made　every　furlong　seem　three；　began　to　think　that　Kippletringan　was　actually　retreating　before　him　in　proportion　to　his　advance。

It　was　now　very　cloudy；　although　the　stars；　from　time　to　time；　shed　a　twinkling　and　uncertain　light。　Hitherto　nothing　had　broken　the　silence　around　him；　but　the　deep　cry　of　the　bog…blitter；　or　bull…of…the…bog；　a　large　species　of　bittern；　and　the　sighs　of　the　wind　as　it　passed　along　the　dreary　morass。　To　these　was　now　joined　the　distant　roar　of　the　ocean；　towards　which　the　traveller　seemed　to　be　fast　approaching。　This　was　no　circumstance　to　make　his　mind　easy。　Many　of　the　roads　in　that　country　lay　along　the　sea…beach；　and　were　liable　to　be　flooded　by　the　tides；　which　rise　with　great　height；and　advance　with　extreme　rapidity。　Others　were　intersected　with　creeks　and　small　inlets；　which　it　was　only　safe　to　pass　at　particular　times　of　the　tide。　Neither　circumstance　would　have　suited　a　dark　night；　a　fatigued　horse；　and　a　traveller　ignorant　of　his　road。　Mannering　resolved；　therefore；　definitely　to　halt　for　the　night　at　the　first　inhabited　place；　however　poor；　he　might　chance　to　reach；　unless　he　could　procure　a　guide　to　this　unlucky　village　of　Kippletringan。

A　miserable　hut　gave　him　an　opportunity　to　execute　hi