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david elginbrod-第3章

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season。  The weather had been stormy; with frequent showers of sleet
and snow。  Old winter was doing his best to hold young Spring back
by the skirts of her garment; and very few of the wild flowers had
yet ventured to look out of their warm beds in the mould。
Sutherland; therefore; had made but few discoveries in the
neighbourhood。  Not that the weather would have kept him to the
house; had he had any particular desire to go out; but; like many
other students; he had no predilection for objectless exertion; and
preferred the choice of his own weather indoors; namely; from books
and his own imaginings; to an encounter with the keen blasts of the
North; charged as they often were with sharp bullets of hail。  When
the sun did shine out between the showers; his cold glitter upon the
pools of rain or melted snow; and on the wet evergreens and gravel
walks; always drove him back from the window with a shiver。  The
house; which was of very moderate size and comfort; stood in the
midst of plantations; principally of Scotch firs and larches; some
of the former old and of great growth; so that they had arrived at
the true condition of the tree; which seems to require old age for
the perfection of its idea。  There was very little to be seen from
the windows except this wood; which; somewhat gloomy at almost any
season; was at the present cheerless enough; and Sutherland found it
very dreary indeed; as exchanged for the wide view from his own home
on the side of an open hill in the Highlands。

In the midst of circumstances so uninteresting; it is not to be
wondered at; that the glimpse of a pretty maiden should; one
morning; occasion him some welcome excitement。  Passing downstairs
to breakfast; he observed the drawing…room door ajar; and looked in
to see what sort of a room it was; for so seldom was it used that he
had never yet entered it。  There stood a young girl; peeping; with
mingled curiosity and reverence; into a small gilt…leaved volume;
which she had lifted from the table by which she stood。  He watched
her for a moment with some interest; when she; seeming to become
mesmerically aware that she was not alone; looked up; blushed
deeply; put down the book in confusion; and proceeded to dust some
of the furniture。  It was his first sight of Margaret。  Some of the
neighbours were expected to dinner; and her aid was in requisition
to get the grand room of the house prepared for the occasion。  He
supposed her to belong to the household; till; one day; feeling
compelled to go out for a stroll; he caught sight of her so occupied
at the door of her father's cottage; that he perceived at once that
must be her home: she was; in fact; seated upon a stool; paring
potatoes。  She saw him as well; and; apparently ashamed at the
recollection of having been discovered idling in the drawing…room;
rose and went in。  He had met David once or twice about the house;
and; attracted by his appearance; had had some conversation with
him; but he did not know where he lived; nor that he was the father
of the girl whom he had seen。




CHAPTER III。

THE DAISY AND THE PRIMROSE。

Dear secret Greenness; nursed below
  Tempests and winds and winter nights!
Vex not that but one sees thee grow;
  That One made all these lesser lights。

HENRY VAUGHAN。


It was; of course; quite by accident that Sutherland had met
Margaret in the fir…wood。  The wind had changed during the night;
and swept all the clouds from the face of the sky; and when he
looked out in the morning; he saw the fir…tops waving in the
sunlight; and heard the sound of a south…west wind sweeping through
them with the tune of running waters in its course。  It is a
well…practised ear that can tell whether the sound it hears be that
of gently falling waters; or of wind flowing through the branches of
firs。  Sutherland's heart; reviving like a dormouse in its hole;
began to be joyful at the sight of the genial motions of Nature;
telling of warmth and blessedness at hand。  Some goal of life; vague
but sure; seemed to glimmer through the appearances around him; and
to stimulate him to action。  Be dressed in haste; and went out to
meet the Spring。  He wandered into the heart of the wood。  The
sunlight shone like a sunset upon the red trunks and boughs of the
old fir…trees; but like the first sunrise of the world upon the new
green fringes that edged the young shoots of the larches。  High up;
hung the memorials of past summers in the rich brown tassels of the
clustering cones; while the ground under foot was dappled with
sunshine on the fallen fir…needles; and the great fallen cones which
had opened to scatter their autumnal seed; and now lay waiting for
decay。  Overhead; the tops whence they had fallen; waved in the
wind; as in welcome of the Spring; with that peculiar swinging
motion which made the poets of the sixteenth century call them
〃sailing pines。〃  The wind blew cool; but not cold; and was filled
with a delicious odour from the earth; which Sutherland took as a
sign that she was coming alive at last。  And the Spring he went out
to meet; met him。  For; first; at the foot of a tree; he spied a
tiny primrose; peeping out of its rough; careful leaves; and he
wondered how; by any metamorphosis; such leaves could pass into such
a flower。  Had he seen the mother of the next spring…messenger he
was about to meet; the same thought would have returned in another
form。  For; next; as he passed on with the primrose in his hand;
thinking it was almost cruel to pluck it; the Spring met him; as if
in her own shape; in the person of Margaret; whom he spied a little
way off; leaning against the stem of a Scotch fir; and looking up to
its top swaying overhead in the first billows of the outburst ocean
of life。  He went up to her with some shyness; for the presence of
even a child…maiden was enough to make Sutherland shypartly from
the fear of startling her shyness; as one feels when drawing near a
couching fawn。  But she; when she heard his footsteps; dropped her
eyes slowly from the tree…top; and; as if she were in her own
sanctuary; waited his approach。  He said nothing at first; but
offered her; instead of speech; the primrose he had just plucked;
which she received with a smile of the eyes only; and the sweetest
〃thank you; sir;〃 he had ever heard。  But while she held the
primrose in her hand; her eyes wandered to the book which; according
to his custom; Sutherland had caught up as he left the house。  It
was the only well…bound book in his possession; and the eyes of
Margaret; not yet tutored by experience; naturally expected an
entrancing page within such beautiful boards; for the gayest
bindings she had seen; were those of a few old annuals up at the
houseand were they not full of the most lovely tales and pictures?
In this case; however; her expectation was not vain; for the volume
was; as I have already disclosed; Coleridge's Poems。

Seeing her eyes fixed upon the book〃Would you like to read it?〃
said he。

〃If you please; sir;〃 answered Margaret; her eyes brightening with
the expectation of deliglit。

〃Are you fond of poetry?〃

Her face fell。  The only poetry she knew was the Scotch Psalms and
Paraphrases; and such last…century verses as formed the chief part
of the selections in her school…books; for this was a very retired
parish; and the newer books had not yet reached its school。  She had
hoped chiefly for tales。

〃I dinna ken much about poetry;〃 she answered; trying to speak
English。 〃There's an old book o't on my father's shelf; but the
letters o't are auld…fashioned; an' I dinna care aboot it。〃

〃But this is quite easy to read; and very beautiful;〃 said Hugh。

The girl's eyes glistened for a moment; and this was all her reply。

〃Would you like to read it?〃 resumed Hugh; seeing no further answer
was on the road。

She held out her hand towards the volume。  When he; in his turn;
held the volume towards her hand; she almost snatched it from him;
and ran towards the house; without a word of thanks or
leave…takingwhether from eagerness; or doubt of the propriety of
accepting the offer; Hugh could not conjecture。  He stood for some
moments looking after her; and then r

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