christie johnstone-第33章

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or　old；　that　heard　it。　And　she　went　to　him；　through　the　air　it　seemed；
but；　quick　as　she　was；　another　was　as　quick；　the　mother　had　seen　him
first；　and　she　was　there。　Christie　saw　nothing。　With　another　cry；　the
very　keynote　of　her　great　and　loving　heart；　she　flung　her　arms
roundMrs。　Gatty；　who　was　on　the　same　errand　as　herself。

〃Hearts　are　not　steel；　and　steel　is　bent；　Hearts　are　not　flint；　and　flint
is　rent。〃

The　old　woman　felt　Christie　touch　her。　She　turned　from　her　son　in　a
moment　and　wept　upon　her　neck。　Her　lover　took　her　hand　and　kissed　it；　and
pressed　it　to　his　bosom；　and　tried　to　speak　to　her；　but　all　he　could　do
was　to　sob　and　chokeand　kiss　her　hand　again。

〃My　daughter！〃　sobbed　the　old　woman。

At　that　word　Christie　clasped　her　quickly；　and　then　Christie　began　to
cry。

〃I　am　not　a　stone；〃　cried　Mrs。　Gatty。

〃I　gave　him　life；　but　you　have　saved　him　from　death。　Oh；　Charles；　never
make　her　repent　what　she　has　done　for　you。〃

She　was　a　woman；　after　all；　and　prudence　and　prejudice　melted　like　snow
before　her　heart。

There　were　not　many　dry　eyesleast　of　all　the　heroic　Lady　Barbara's。

The　three　whom　a　moment　had　made　one　were　becoming　calmer；　and　taking　one
another's　hands　for　life；　when　a　diabolical　sound　aroseand　what　was　it
but　Sandy　Liston；　who；　after　furious　resistance；　was　blubbering　with
explosive　but　short…lived　violence？　Having　done　it；　he　was　the　first　to
draw　everybody's　attention　to　the　phenomenon；　and　affecting　to　consider
it　a　purely　physical　attack；　like　a　_coup　de　soleil；_　or　so　on；　he
proceeded　instantly　to　Drysel's　for　his　panacea。

Lady　Barbara　enjoined　Lord　Ipsden　to　watch　these　people；　and　not　to　lose
a　word　they　said；　and；　after　she　had　insisted　upon　kissing　Christie；　she
went　off　to　her　carriage。　And　she　too　was　so　happy；　she　cried　three
distinct　times　on　her　way　to　Edinburgh。

Lord　Ipsden；　having　reminded　Gatty　of　his　engagement；　begged　him　to　add
his　mother　and　Christie　to　the　party；　and　escorted　Lady　Barbara　to　her
phaeton。

So　then　the　people　dispersed　by　degrees。

〃That　old　lady's　face　seems　familiar　to　me；〃　said　Lord　Ipsden；　as　he
stood　on　the　little　natural　platform　by　the　〃Peacock。〃　〃Do　you　know　who
she　is；　Saunders？〃

〃It　is　Peggy；　that　was　cook　in　your　lordship's　uncle's　time；　my　lord。　She
married　a　green…grocer；〃　added　Saunders；　with　an　injured　air。

〃Hech！　hech！〃　cried　Flucker；　〃Christie　has　ta'en　up　her　head　wi'　a　cook's
son。〃

Mrs。　Gatty　was　ushered　into　the　〃Peacock〃　with　mock　civility　by　Mr。
Saunders。　No　recognition　took　place；　each　being　ashamed　of　the　other　as
an　acquaintance。

The　next　arrival　was　a　beautiful　young　lady　in　a　black　silk　gown；　a　plain
but　duck…like　plaid　shawl；　who　proved　to　be　Christie　Johnstone；　in　her
Sunday　attire。

When　they　met；　Mrs。　Gatty　gave　a　little　scream　of　joy；　and　said：　〃Oh；　my
child；　if　I　had　seen　you　in　that　dress；　I　should　never　have　said　a　word
against　you。〃

〃Pars　minima　est　ipsa　puella　sui！〃

His　lordship　stepped　up　to　her；　took　off　his　hat；　and　said：　〃Will　Mrs。
Gatty　take　from　me　a　commission　for　two　pictures；　as　big　as　herself；　and
as　bonny？〃　added　he；　doing　a　little　Scotch。　He　handed　her　a　check；　and；
turning　to　Gatty；　added；　〃At　your　convenience；　sir；　_bien　entendu。〃_

〃Hech！　it's　for　five　hundred　pund；　Chairles。〃

〃Good　gear　gangs　in　little　book；〃*　said　Jean。

*Bulk。

〃Ay；　does　it；〃　replied　Flucker；　assuming　the　compliment。

〃My　lord！〃　said　the　artist；　〃you　treat　Art　like　a　prince；　and　she　shall
treat　you　like　a　queen。　When　the　sun　comes　out　again；　I　will　work　for　you
and　fame。　You　shall　have　two　things　painted；　every　stroke　loyally　in　the
sunlight。　In　spite　of　gloomy　winter　and　gloomier　London；　I　will　try　if　I
can't　hang　nature　and　summer　on　your　walls　forever。　As　for　me；　you　know　I
must　go　to　Gerard　Dow　and　Cuyp；　and　Pierre　de　Hoogh；　when　my　little　sand
is　run；　but　my　handwriting　shall　warm　your　children's　children's　hearts；
sir；　when　this　hand　is　dust。〃　His　eye　turned　inward；　he　walked　to　and
fro；　and　his　companions　died　out　of　his　sighthe　was　in　the　kingdom　of
art。

His　lordship　and　Jean　entered　the　〃Peacock；〃　followed　by　Flucker；　who
merely　lingered　at　the　door　to　moralize　as　follows：

〃Hech！　hech！　isna　thaat　lamentable？　Christie's　mon's　as　daft　as　a　drunk
weaver。〃

But　one　stayed　quietly　behind；　and　assumed　that　moment　the　office　of　her
life。

〃Ay！〃　he　burst　out　again；　〃the　resources　of　our　art　are　still　unfathomed！
Pictures　are　yet　to　be　painted　that　shall　refresh　men's　inner　souls；　and
help　their　hearts　against　the　artificial　world；　and　charm　the　fiend　away；
like　David's　harp！！　The　world；　after　centuries　of　lies；　will　give　nature
and　truth　a　trial。　What　a　paradise　art　will　be；　when　truths；　instead　of
lies；　shall　be　told　on　paper；　on　marble；　on　canvas；　and　on　the　boards！！！〃

〃Dinner's　on　the　boarrd；〃　murmured　Christie；　alluding　to　Lord　Ipsden's
breakfast；　〃and　I　hae　the　charge　o'　ye；〃　pulling　his　sleeve　hard　enough
to　destroy　the　equilibrium　of　a　flea。

〃Then　don't　let　us　waste　our　time　here。　Oh；　Christie！〃

〃What　est；　my　laddy？〃

〃I'm　so　preciously　hungry！！！！〃

〃C…way*　then！〃

*　Come　away。

Off　they　ran；　hand　in　hand；　sparks　of　beauty；　love　and　happiness　flying
all　about　them。



CHAPTER　XVII。


〃THERE　is　nothing　but　meeting　and　parting　in　this　world！〃　and　you　may　be
sure　the　incongruous　personages　of　our　tale　could　not　long　be　together。
Their　separate　paths　had　met　for　an　instant　in　one　focus；　furnished　then
and　there　the　matter　of　an　eccentric　story；　and　then　diverged　forever。

Our　lives　have　a　general　current；　and　also　an　episode　or　two；　and　the
episodes　of　a　commonplace　life　are　often　rather　startling；　in　like　manner
this　tale　is　not　a　specimen；　but　an　episode　of　Lord　Ipsden　and　Lady
Barbara；　who　soon　after　this　married　and　lived　like　the　rest　of　the　_beau
monde。_　In　so　doing；　they　passed　out　of　my　hands；　such　as　wish　to　know
how　viscounts　and　viscountesses　feed　and　sleep；　and　do　the　domestic　（so
called）；　and　the　social　（so　called）；　are　referred　to　the　fashionable
novel。　To　Mr。　Saunders；　for　instance；　who　has　in　the　press　one　of　those
cerberus…leviathans　of　fiction；　so　common　now；　incredible　as　folio　to
future　ages。　Saunders　will　take　you　by　the　hand；　and　lead　you　over
carpets　two　inches　thickunder　rosy　curtainsto　dinner…tables。　He　will
_fete_　you；　and　opera　you；　and　dazzle　your　young　imagination　with
_e'p'ergnes；_　and　salvers；　and　buhl　and　ormolu。　No　fishwives　or　painters
shall　intrude　upon　his　polished　scenes；　all　shall　be　as　genteel　as
himself。　Saunders　is　a　good　authority；　he　is　more　in　the　society；　and　far
more　in　the　confidence　of　the　great；　than　most　fashionable　novelists。　Mr。
Saunders's　work　will　be　in　three　volumes；　nine　hundred　and　ninety
pages！！！！！！

In　other　words；　this　single　work　of　this　ingenious　writer　will　equal　in
bulk　the　aggregate　of　all　the　writings　extant　by　Moses；　David；　Solomon；
Isaiah；　and　St。　Paul！！！

I　shall　not　venture　into　competition　with　this　behemoth　of　the　_salon；_　I
will　evaporate　in　thin　generalities。

Lord　Ipsden　then　lived　very　happily　with　Lady　Barbara；　whose　hero　he
straightway　became；　and　who　nobly　and　poetically　dotes　upon　him。　He　has
gone　into　political　life　to　please　her；　and　will　remain　thereto　please
himself。　They　were　both　very　grateful　to　Newhaven；　when　they　married　they
vowed　to　visit　it　twice　a　year；　and　mingle　a　fortnight's　simple　life　with
its　simple　scenes；　but　four　years　have　passed；　and　they　have　never　been
there　again；　and　I　dare　say　never　will；　but　when　Viscount　Ipsden　falls　in
with　a　brother　aristocrat　who　is　crushed　by　the　fiend　_ennui；_　he
remembers　Aberford；　and　condenses　his　famous　recipe　into　a　two…edged
hexameter；　which　will　make　my　learned　reader　laugh；　for　it　is　full　of
wisdom：

〃Diluculo　surgas！　miseris　succurrere　discas！！〃

Flucker　Johnstone　meditated　during　breakfast　upon　the　five　hundred
pounds；　and　regretted　he　had　not　years　ago　adopted　Mr。　Gatty's
profession；　some　days　afterward　he　invited　his　sister　to　a　conference。
Chairs　being　set；　Mr。　Flucker　laid　down　this　observation；　that　near
relations　should　be　deuced　careful　not　to　cast　discredit　upon　one
another；　that　now　his　sister　was　to　be　a