christie johnstone-第34章

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relations　should　be　deuced　careful　not　to　cast　discredit　upon　one
another；　that　now　his　sister　was　to　be　a　lady；　it　was　repugnant　to　his
sense　of　right　to　be　a　fisherman　and　make　her　ladyship　blush　for　him；　on
the　contrary；　he　felt　it　his　duty　to　rise　to　such　high　consideration　that
she　should　be　proud　of　him。

Christie　acquiesced　at　once　in　this　position；　but　professed　herself
embarrassed　to　know　how　such　a　〃ne'er…do…weel〃　was　to　be　made　a　source　of
pride；　then　she　kissed　Flucker；　and　said；　in　a　tone　somewhat　inconsistent
with　the　above；　〃Tell　me；　my　laamb！〃

Her　lamb　informed　her　that　the　sea　has　many　paths；　some　of　them
disgraceful；　such　as　line　or　net　fishing；　and　the　periodical　laying　down；
on　rocky　shoals；　and　taking　up　again；　of　lobster…creels；　others；　superior
to　anything　the　dry　land　can　offer　in　importance　and　dignity　and　general
estimation；　such　as　the　command　of　a　merchant　vessel　trading　to　the　East
or　West　Indies。　Her　lamb　then　suggested　that　if　she　would　be　so　good　as
to　launch　him　in　the　merchant…service；　with　a　good　rig　of　clothes　and
money　in　his　pocket；　there　was　that　in　his　head　which　would　enable　him　to
work　to　windward　of　most　of　his　contemporaries。　He　bade　her　calculate
upon　the　following　results：　In　a　year　or　two　he　would　be　second　mate；　and
next　year　first　mate；　and　in　a　few　years　more　skipper！　Think　of　that；
lass！　Skipper　of　a　vessel；　whose　rig　he　generously　left　his　sister　free
to　determine；　premising　that　two　masts　were；　in　his　theory　of　navigation；
indispensable；　and　that　three　were　a　great　deal　more　like　Cocker　than
two。　This　led　to　a　general　consultation；　Flucker's　ambition　was　discussed
and　praised。　That　modest　young　gentleman；　in　spite　of　many　injunctions　to
the　contrary；　communicated　his　sister's　plans　for　him　to　Lord　Ipsden；　and
affected　to　doubt　their　prudence。　The　bait　took；　Lord　Ipsden　wrote　to　his
man　of　business；　and　an　unexpected　blow　fell　upon　the　ingenious　Flucker。
He　was　sent　to　school；　there　to　learn　a　little　astronomy；　a　little
navigation；　a　little　seamanship；　a　little　manners；　etc。；　in　the　mysteries
of　reading　and　writing　his　sister　had　already　perfected　him　by　dint　of
〃the　taws。〃　This　school　was　a　blow；　but　Flucker　was　no　fool；　he　saw　there
was　no　way　of　getting　from　school　to　sea　without　working。　So　he　literally
worked　out　to　sea。　His　first　voyage　was　distinguished　by　the　following
peculiarities：　Attempts　to　put　tricks　upon　this　particular　novice
generally　ended　in　the　laugh　turning　against　the　experimenters；　and
instead　of　drinking　his　grog；　which　he　hates；　he　secreted　it；　and　sold　it
for　various　advantages。　He　has　been　now　four　voyages。　When　he　comes
ashore；　instead　of　going　to　haunts　of　folly　and　vice；　he　instantly　bears
up　for　his　sister's　houseKensington　Gravel…pitswhich　he　makes　in　the
following　manner：　He　goes　up　the　riverHeaven　knows　where　allthis　he
calls　running　down　the　longitude；　then　he　lands；　and　bears　down　upon　the
Gravel…pits；　in　particular　knowledge　of　the　names　of　streets　he　is
deficient；　but　he　knows　the　exact　bearings　of　Christie's　dwelling。　He
tacks　and　wears　according　as　masonry　compels　him；　and　he　arrives　at　the
gate。　He　hails　the　house；　in　a　voice　that　brings　all　the　inhabitants　of
the　row　to　their　windows；　including　Christie；　he　is　fallen　upon　and
dragged　into　the　house。　The　first　thing　is；　he　draws　out　from　his　boots；
and　his　back；　and　other　hiding…places；　China　crape　and　marvelous　silk
handkerchiefs　for　Christie；　and　she　takes　from　his　pocket　a　mass　of
Oriental　sugar…plums；　with　which；　but　for　this　precaution；　she　knows　by
experience　he　would　poison　young　Charley；　and　soon　he　is　to　be　seen
sitting　with　his　hand　in　his　sister's；　and　she　lookng　like　a　mother　upon
his　handsome；　weather…beaten　face；　and　Gatty　opposite；　adoring　him　as　a
specimen　of　male　beauty；　and　sometimes　making　furtive　sketches　of　him。
And　then　the　tales　he　always　brings　with　him；　the　house　is　never　very
dull；　but　it　is　livelier　than　ever　when　this　inexhaustible　sailor　casts
anchor　in　it。

The　friends　（chiefly　artists）　who　used　to　leave　at　9：30；　stay　till
eleven；　for　an　intelligent　sailor　is　better　company　than　two　lawyers；　two
bishops；　three　soldiers；　and　four　writers　of　plays　and　tales；　all　rolled
together。　And　still　he　tells　Christie　he　shall　command　a　vessel　some　day；
and　leads　her　to　the　most　cheering　inferences　from　the　fact　of　his
prudence　and　his　general　width…awake；　in　particular　he　bids　her　contrast
with　him　the　general　fate　of　sailors；　eaten　up　by　land…sharks；
particularly　of　the　female　gender；　whom　he　demonstrates　to　be　the　worst
enemies　poor　Jack　has；　he　calls　these　sunken　rocks；　fire…ships　and　other
metaphors。　He　concludes　thus：　〃You　are　all　the　lass　I　mean　to　have　till
I'm　a　skipper；　and　then　I'll　bear　up　alongside　some　pretty；　decent　lass；
like　yourself；　Christie；　and　we'll　sail　in　company　all　our　lives；　let　the
wind　blow　high　or　low。〃　Such　is　the　gracious　Flucker　become　in　his
twentieth　year。　Last　voyage；　with　Christie's　aid；　he　produced　a　sextant
of　his　own；　and　〃made　it　twelve　o'clock〃　（with　the　sun's　consent；　I
hope）；　and　the　eyes　of　authority　fell　upon　him。　So；　who　knows？　perhaps　he
may　one　day；　sail　a　ship；　and；　if　he　does；　he　will　be　prouder　and　happier
than　if　we　made　him　monarch　of　the　globe。

To　return　to　our　chiefs；　Mrs。　Gatty　gave　her　formal　consent　to　her　son's
marriage　with　Christie　Johnstone。

There　were　examples。　Aristocracy　had　ere　now　condescended　to　wealth；
earls　had　married　women　rich　by　tallow…importing　papas；　and　no　doubt；　had
these　same　earls　been　consulted　in　Gatty's　case；　they　would　have　decided
that　Christie　Johnstone；　with　her　real　and　funded　property；　was　not　a
villainous　match　for　a　green　grocer's　son；　without　a　rapp；*　but　Mrs。
Gatty　did　not　reason　so；　did　not　reason　at　all；　luckily；　her　heart　ran
away　with　her　judgment；　and；　her　judgment　ceasing　to　act；　she　became　a
wise　woman。

*A　diminutive　German　coin。

The　case　was　peculiar。　Gatty　was　a　artist　_pur　sang_and　Christie；　who
would　not　have　been　the　wife　for　a　_petit　maitre；_　was　the　wife　of　wives
for　him。

He　wanted　a　beautiful　wife　to　embellish　his　canvas；　disfigured　hitherto
by　an　injudicious　selection　of　models；　a　virtuous　wife　to　be　his　crown；　a
prudent　wife　to　save　him　from　ruin；　a　cheerful　wife　to　sustain　his
spirits；　drooping　at　times　by　virtue　of　his　artist's　temperament；　an
intellectual　wife　to　preserve　his　children　from　being　born　dolts　and　bred
dunces；　and　to　keep　his　own　mind　from　sharpening　to　one　point；　and　so
contracting　and　becoming　monomaniacal。　And　he　found　all　these　qualities；
together　with　the　sun　and　moon　of　human　existencetrue　love　and　true
religionin　Christie　Johnstone。

In　similar　cases；　foolish　men　have　set　to　work　to　make；　in　six　months；
their　diamond　of　nature；　the　exact　cut　and　gloss　of　other　men's　pastes；
and；　nervously　watching　the　process；　have　suffered　torture；　luckily
Charles　Gatty　was　not　wise　enough　for　this；　he　saw　nature　had
distinguished　her　he　loved　beyond　her　fellows；　here；　as　elsewhere；　he　had
faith　in　naturehe　believed　that　Christie　would　charm　everybody　of　eye；
and　ear；　and　mind；　and　heart；　that　approached　her；　he　admired　her　as　she
was；　and　left　her　to　polish　herself；　if　she　chose。　He　did　well；　she　came
to　London　with　a　fine　mind；　a　broad　brogue；　a　delicate　ear；　she　observed
how　her　husband's　friends　spoke；　and　in　a　very　few　months　she　had　toned
down　her　Scotch　to　a　rich　Ionic　coloring；　which　her　womanly　instinct　will
never　let　her　exchange　for　the　thin；　vinegar　accents　that　are　too
prevalent　in　English　and　French　society；　and　in　other　respects　she
caught；　by　easy　gradation；　the　tone　of　the　new　society　to　which　her
marriage　introduced　her；　without；　however；　losing　her　charming　self。

The　wise　dowager　lodges　hard　by；　having　resisted　an　invitation　to　be　in
the　same　house；　she　comes　to　that　house　to　assist　the　young　wife　with　her
experience；　and　to　be　welcomenot　to　interfere　every　minute；　and　tease
her；　she　loves　her　daughter…in…law　almost　as　much　as　she　does　her　son；
and　she　is　happy　because　he　bids　fair　to　be　an　immortal　painter；　and；
above　all；　a　gentleman；　and　she；　a　wifely　wife；　a　motherly　mother；　and；
above　all；　a　lady。

Thi