the white people-第3章

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ge　hand；　it　did　not　quite　cover　a　dark…red　stain　on　the　embroideries　of　her　dress。　　Her　dress　was　brown；　and　she　had　brown　hair　and　soft　brown　eyes　like　a　little　doe's。　　The　moment　I　saw　her　I　loved　her。

The　black　horse　stopped　before　me。　　The　wild　troop　drew　up　and　waited　behind。　　The　great；　lean　rider　looked　at　me　a　moment；　and　then；　lifting　the　little　girl　in　his　long　arms；　bent　down　and　set　her　gently　on　her　feet　on　the　mossy　earth　in　the　mist　beside　me。　　I　got　up　to　greet　her；　and　we　stood　smiling　at　each　other。　　And　in　that　moment　as　we　stood　the　black　horse　moved　forward；　the　muffled　trampling　began　again；　the　wild　company　swept　on　its　way；　and　the　white　mist　closed　behind　it　as　if　it　had　never　passed。

Of　course　I　know　how　strange　this　will　seem　to　people　who　read　it；　but　that　cannot　be　helped　and　does　not　really　matter。　　It　was　in　that　way　the　thing　happened；　and　it　did　not　even　seem　strange　to　me。　　Anything　might　happen　on　the　mooranything。　　And　there　was　the　fair　little　girl　with　the　eyes　like　a　doe's。

I　knew　she　had　come　to　play　with　me；　and　we　went　together　to　my　house　among　the　bushes　of　broom　and　gorse　and　played　happily。　　But　before　we　began　I　saw　her　stand　and　look　wonderingly　at　the　dark…red　stain　on　the　embroideries　on　her　childish　breast。　　It　was　as　if　she　were　asking　herself　how　it　came　there　and　could　not　understand。　　Then　she　picked　a　fern　and　a　bunch　of　the　thick…growing　bluebells　and　put　them　in　her　girdle　in　such　a　way　that　they　hid　its　ugliness。

I　did　not　really　know　how　long　she　stayed。　　I　only　knew　that　we　were　happy；　and　that；　though　her　way　of　playing　was　in　some　ways　different　from　mine；　I　loved　it　and　her。　　Presently　the　mist　lifted　and　the　sun　shone；　and　we　were　deep　in　a　wonderful　game　of　being　hidden　in　a　room　in　a　castle　because　something　strange　was　going　to　happen　which　we　were　not　told　about。　　She　ran　behind　a　big　gorse　bush　and　did　not　come　back。　　When　I　ran　to　look　for　her　she　was　nowhere。　　I　could　not　find　her；　and　I　went　back　to　Jean　and　Angus；　feeling　puzzled。

〃Where　did　she　go？〃　I　asked　them；　turning　my　head　from　side　to　side。

They　were　looking　at　me　strangely；　and　both　of　them　were　pale。　　Jean　was　trembling　a　little。

〃Who　was　she；　Ysobel？〃　she　said。

〃The　little　girl　the　men　brought　to　play　with　me；〃　I　answered；　still　looking　about　me。

〃The　big　one　on　the　black　horse　put　her　down　the　big　one　with　the　star　here。〃　　I　touched　my　forehead　where　the　queer　scar　had　been。

For　a　minute　Angus　forgot　himself。　　Years　later　he　told　me。

〃Dark　Malcolm　of　the　Glen；〃　he　broke　out。　　〃Wee　Brown　Elspeth。〃

〃But　she　is　whitequite　white！〃　I　said。

〃Where　did　she　go？〃

Jean　swept　me　in　her　warm；　shaking　arms　and　hugged　me　close　to　her　breast。

〃She's　one　of　the　fair　ones；〃　she　said；　kissing　and　patting　me。　　〃She　will　come　again。　　She'll　come　often；　I　dare　say。　　But　she's　gone　now　and　we　must　go；　too。　　Get　up；　Angus；　man。　　We're　for　the　castle。〃

If　we　three　had　been　differentif　we　had　ever　had　the　habit　of　talking　and　asking　questions　we　might　surely　have　asked　one　another　questions　as　I　rode　on　Sheltie's　back；　with　Angus　leading　us。　　But　they　asked　me　nothing；　and　I　said　very　little　except　that　I　once　spoke　of　the　wild…looking　horsemen　and　their　pale；　joyous　faces。

〃They　were　glad；〃　was　all　I　said。

There　was　also　one　brief　query　from　Angus。

〃Did　she　talk　to　you；　bairnie？〃　he　said。

I　hesitated　and　stared　at　him　quite　a　long　time。　　Then　I　shook　my　head　and　answered；　slowly；　〃N…no。〃

Because　I　realized　then；　for　the　first　time；　that　we　had　said　no　words　at　all。　　But　I　had　known　what　she　wanted　me　to　understand；　and　she　had　known　what　I　might　have　said　to　her　if　I　had　spokenand　no　words　were　needed。　　And　it　was　better。

They　took　me　home　to　the　castle；　and　I　was　given　my　supper　and　put　to　bed。　　Jean　sat　by　me　until　I　fell　asleep；　she　was　obliged　to　sit　rather　a　long　time；　because　I　was　so　happy　with　my　memories　of　Wee　Brown　Elspeth　and　the　certainty　that　she　would　come　again。　　It　was　not　Jean's　words　which　had　made　me　sure。　　I　knew。

She　came　many　times。　　Through　all　my　childish　years　I　knew　that　she　would　come　and　play　with　me　every　few　daysthough　I　never　saw　the　wild　troopers　again　or　the　big；　lean　man　with　the　scar。　　Children　who　play　together　are　not　very　curious　about　one　another；　and　I　simply　accepted　her　with　delight。　　Somehow　I　knew　that　she　lived　happily　in　a　place　not　far　away。　　She　could　come　and　go；　it　seemed；　without　trouble。　　Sometimes　I　found　heror　she　found　me　upon　the　moor；　and　often　she　appeared　in　my　nursery　in　the　castle。　　When　we　were　together　Jean　Braidfute　seemed　to　prefer　that　we　should　be　alone；　and　was　inclined　to　keep　the　under…nurse　occupied　in　other　parts　of　the　wing　I　lived　in。　　I　never　asked　her　to　do　this；　but　I　was　glad　that　it　was　done。　　Wee　Elspeth　was　glad；　too。　　After　our　first　meeting　she　was　dressed　in　soft　blue　or　white；　and　the　red　stain　was　gone；　but　she　was　always　Wee　Brown　Elspeth　with　the　doelike　eyes　and　the　fair；　transparent　face；　the　very　fair　little　face。　　As　I　had　noticed　the　strange；　clear　pallor　of　the　rough　troopers；　so　I　noticed　that　she　was　curiously　fair。　　And　as　I　occasionally　saw　other　persons　with　the　same　sort　of　fairness；　I　thought　it　was　a　purity　of　complexion　special　to　some；　but　not　to　all。　　I　was　not　fair　like　that；　and　neither　was　any　one　else　I　knew。



CHAPTER　III

It　was　when　I　was　ten　years　old　that　Wee　Elspeth　ceased　coming　to　me；　and　though　I　missed　her　at　first；　it　was　not　with　a　sense　of　grief　or　final　loss。　　She　had　only　gone　somewhere。

It　was　then　that　Angus　Macayre　began　to　be　my　tutor。　　He　had　been　a　profound　student　and　had　lived　among　books　all　his　life。　　He　had　helped　Jean　in　her　training　of　me；　and　I　had　learned　more　than　is　usually　taught　to　children　in　their　early　years。　　When　a　grand　governess　was　sent　to　Muircarrie　by　my　guardian；　she　was　amazed　at　the　things　I　was　familiar　with；　but　she　abhorred　the　dark；　frowning　castle　and　the　loneliness　of　the　place　and　would　not　stay。　　In　fact；　no　governess　would　stay；　and　so　Angus　became　my　tutor　and　taught　me　old　Gaelic　and　Latin　and　Greek；　and　we　read　together　and　studied　the　ancient　books　in　the　library。　　It　was　a　strange　education　for　a　girl；　and　no　doubt　made　me　more　than　ever　unlike　others。　　But　my　life　was　the　life　I　loved。

When　my　guardian　decided　that　I　must　live　with　him　in　London　and　be　educated　as　modern　girls　were；　I　tried　to　be　obedient　and　went　to　him；　but　before　two　months　had　passed　my　wretchedness　had　made　me　so　ill　that　the　doctor　said　I　should　go　into　a　decline　and　die　if　I　were　not　sent　back　to　Muircarrie。

〃It's　not　only　the　London　air　that　seems　to　poison　her；〃　he　said　when　Jean　talked　to　him　about　me；　〃it　is　something　else。　　She　will　not　live；　that's　all。　　Sir　Ian　must　send　her　home。〃

As　I　have　said　before；　I　had　been　an　unattractive　child　and　I　was　a　plain；　uninteresting　sort　of　girl。　　I　was　shy　and　could　not　talk　to　people；　so　of　course　I　bored　them。　　I　knew　I　did　not　look　well　when　I　wore　beautiful　clothes。　　I　was　little　and　unimportant　and　like　a　reed　for　thinness。　　Because　I　was　rich　and　a　sort　of　chieftainess　I　ought　to　have　been　tall　and　rather　stately；　or　at　least　I　ought　to　have　had　a　bearing　which　would　have　made　it　impossible　for　people　to　quite　overlook　me。　　But；　any　one　could　overlook　mean　insignificant；　thin　girl　who　slipped　in　and　out　of　places　and　sat　and　stared　and　listened　to　other　people　instead　of　saying　things　herself；　I　liked　to　look　on　and　be　forgotten。　　It　interested　me　to　watch　people　if　they　did　not　notice　me。

Of　course；　my　relatives　did　not　really　like　me。　　How　could　they？　　They　were　busy　in　their　big　world　and　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　a　girl　who　ought　to　have　been　important　and　was　not。　　I　am　sure　that　in　secret　they　were　relieved　when　I　was　sent　back　to　Muircarrie。

After　that　the　life　I　loved　went　on　quietly。　　I　studied　with　Angus；　and　made　the　book…　walled　library　my　own　room。　　I　walked　and　rode　on　the　moor；　and　I　knew　the　people　who　lived　in　the　cottages　and　farms　on　the　estate。　　I　think　they　liked　me；　but　I　am　not　sure；　because　I　was　too　shy　to　seem　very　friendly。　　I　was　more　at　home　with　Feargus；　the　piper；　and　with　some　of　the　gardeners　than　I　was