CHAPTER XV HOW GAVIN BIRSE PUT IT TO MAG LOWNIE

 In a wet day the rain gathered in blobs on the road that passed our garden. Then it crawled into the cart-tracks until the road was streaked¹ with water. Lastly, the water gathered in heavy yellow pools. If the on-ding still continued, clods of earth toppled from the garden dyke² into the ditch.

 

On such a day, when even the dulseman had gone into shelter, and the women scudded³ by with their wrappers over their heads, came Gavin Birse to our door. Gavin, who was the Glen Quharity post, was still young, but had never been quite the same man since some amateurs in the glen ironed his back for rheumatism⁴. I thought he had called to have a crack with me. He sent his compliments up to the attic⁵, however, by Leeby, and would I come and be a witness?

 

Gavin came up and explained. He had taken off his scarf and thrust it into his pocket, lest the rain should take the colour out of it. His boots cheeped, and his shoulders had risen to his ears. He stood steaming before my fire.

 

"If it's no' ower muckle to ask ye," he said, "I would like ye for a witness."

 

"A witness? But for what do you need a witness, Gavin?"

 

"I want ye," he said, "to come wi' me to Mag's, and be a witness."

 

Gavin and Mag Birse had been engaged for a year or more. Mag was the daughter of Janet Ogilvy, who was best remembered as the body that took the hill (that is, wandered about it) for twelve hours on the day Mr. Dishart, the Auld⁷ Licht minister, accepted a call to another church.

 

"You don't mean to tell me, Gavin," I asked, "that your marriage is to take place to-day?"

 

By the twist of his mouth I saw that he was only deferring⁸ a smile.

 

"Far frae that," he said.

 

"Ah, then, you have quarrelled, and I am to speak up for you?"

 

"Na, na," he said, "I dinna want ye to do that above all things. It would be a favour if ye could gie me a bad character."

 

This beat me, and, I daresay, my face showed it.

 

"I'm no' juist what ye would call anxious to marry Mag noo," said Gavin, without a tremor⁹.

 

I told him to go on.

 

"There's a lassie oot at Craigiebuckle," he explained, "workin' on the farm—Jeanie Luke by name. Ye may ha'e seen her?"

 

"What of her?" I asked, severely¹⁰.

 

"Weel," said Gavin, still unabashed, "I'm thinkin' noo 'at I would rather ha'e her."

 

Then he stated his case more fully¹¹.

 

"Ay, I thocht I liked Mag oncommon till I saw Jeanie, an' I like her fine yet, but I prefer the other ane. That state o' matters canna gang on for ever, so I came into Thrums the day to settle 't one wy or another."

 

"And how," I asked, "do you propose going about it? It is a somewhat delicate business."

 

"Ou, I see nae great difficulty in 't. I'll speir at Mag, blunt oot, if she'll let me aff. Yes, I'll put it to her plain."

 

"You're sure Jeanie would take you?"

 

"Ay; oh, there's nae fear o' that."

 

"But if Mag keeps you to your bargain?"

 

"Weel, in that case there's nae harm done."

 

"You are in a great hurry, Gavin?"

 

"Ye may say that; but I want to be married. The wifie I lodge¹² wi' canna last lang, an' I would like to settle doon in some place."

 

"So you are on your way to Mag's now?"

 

"Ay, we'll get her in atween twal' and ane."

 

"Oh, yes; but why do you want me to go with you?"

 

"I want ye for a witness. If she winna let me aff, weel and guid; and if she will, it's better to hae a witness in case she should go back on her word."

 

Gavin made his proposal briskly, and as coolly as if he were only asking me to go fishing; but I did not accompany him to Mag's. He left the house to look for another witness, and about an hour afterwards Jess saw him pass with Tammas Haggart. Tammas cried in during the evening to tell us how the mission prospered¹³.

 

"Mind ye," said Tammas, a drop of water hanging to the point of his nose, "I disclaim¹⁴ all responsibility in the business. I ken⁶ Mag weel for a thrifty¹⁵, respectable woman, as her mither was afore her, and so I said to Gavin when he came to speir me."

 

"Ay, mony a pirn has 'Lisbeth filled to me," said Hendry, settling down to a reminiscence.

 

"No to be ower hard on Gavin," continued Tammas, forestalling¹⁶ Hendry, "he took what I said in guid part; but aye when I stopped speakin' to draw breath, he says, 'The queistion is, will ye come wi' me?' He was michty made up in 's mind."

 

"Weel, ye went wi' him," suggested Jess, who wanted to bring Tammas to the point.

 

"Ay," said the stone-breaker, "but no in sic a hurry as that."

 

He worked his mouth round and round, to clear the course, as it were, for a sarcasm¹⁷.

 

"Fowk often say," he continued, "'at 'am quick beyond the ordinar' in seeing the humorous side o' things."

 

Here Tammas paused, and looked at us.

 

"So ye are, Tammas," said Hendry. "Losh, ye mind hoo ye saw the humorous side o' me wearin' a pair o' boots 'at wisna marrows¹⁸! No, the ane had a toe-piece on, an' the other hadna."

 

"Ye juist wore them sometimes when ye was delvin'," broke in Jess, "ye have as guid a pair o' boots as ony in Thrums."

 

"Ay, but I had worn them," said Hendry, "at odd times for mair than a year, an' I had never seen the humorous side o' them. Weel, as fac as death (here he addressed me), Tammas had juist seen them twa or three times when he saw the humorous side o' them. Syne¹⁹ I saw their humorous side, too, but no till Tammas pointed²⁰ it oot."

 

"That was naething," said Tammas, "naething ava to some things I've done."

 

"But what aboot Mag?" said Leeby.

 

"We wasna that length, was we?" said Tammas. "Na, we was speakin' aboot the humorous side. Ay, wait a wee, I didna mention the humorous side for naething."

 

He paused to reflect.

 

"Oh, yes," he said at last, brightening up, "I was sayin' to ye hoo quick I was to see the humorous side o' onything. Ay, then, what made me say that was 'at in a clink (flash) I saw the humorous side o' Gavin's position."

 

"Man, man," said Hendry, admiringly, "and what is't?"

 

"Oh, it's this, there's something humorous in speirin' a woman to let ye aff so as ye can be married to another woman."

 

"I daursay there is," said Hendry, doubtfully.

 

"Did she let him aff?" asked Jess, taking the words out of Leeby's mouth.

 

"I'm comin' to that," said Tammas. "Gavin proposes to me after I had haen my laugh—"

 

"Yes," cried Hendry, banging the table with his fist, "it has a humorous side. Ye're richt again, Tammas."

 

"I wish ye wadna blatter (beat) the table," said Jess, and then Tammas proceeded.

 

"Gavin wanted me to tak' paper an' ink an' a pen wi' me, to write the proceedins doon, but I said, 'Na, na, I'll tak' paper, but no nae ink nor nae pen, for there'll be ink an' a pen there.' That was what I said."

 

"An' did she let him aff?" asked Leeby.

 

"Weel," said Tammas, "aff we goes to Mag's hoose, an' sure enough Mag was in. She was alone, too; so Gavin, no to waste time, juist sat doon for politeness' sake, an' syne rises up again; an says he, 'Marget Lownie, I hae a solemn question to speir at ye, namely this. Will you, Marget Lownie, let me, Gavin Birse, aff?'"

 

"Mag would start at that?"

 

"Sal, she was braw an' cool. I thocht she maun ha'e got wind o' his intentions aforehand, for she juist replies, quiet-like, 'Hoo do ye want aff, Gavin?'

 

"'Because,' says he, like a book, 'my affections has undergone a change.'

 

"'Ye mean Jean Luke,' says Mag.

 

"'That is wha I mean,' says Gavin, very strait-forrard."

 

"But she didna let him aff, did she?"

 

"Na, she wasna the kind. Says she, 'I wonder to hear ye, Gavin, but 'am no goin' to agree to naething o' that sort.'

 

"'Think it ower,' says Gavin.

 

"'Na, my mind's made up,' said she.

 

"'Ye would sune get anither man,' he says, earnestly.

 

"'Hoo do I ken that?' she speirs, rale sensibly, I thocht, for men's no sae easy to get.

 

"''Am sure o' 't,' Gavin says, wi' michty conviction in his voice, 'for ye're bonny to look at, an' weel-kent for bein' a guid body.'

 

"'Ay,' says Mag, 'I'm glad ye like me, Gavin, for ye have to tak me.'"

 

"That put a clincher on him," interrupted Hendry.

 

"He was loth to gie in," replied Tammas, "so he says, 'Ye think 'am a fine character, Marget Lownie, but ye're very far mista'en. I wouldna wonder but what I was lossin' my place some o' thae days, an' syne whaur would ye be?—Marget Lownie,' he goes on, ''am nat'rally lazy an' fond o' the drink. As sure as ye stand there, 'am a reglar deevil!'"

 

"That was strong language," said Hendry, "but he would be wantin' to fleg (frighten) her?"

 

"Juist so, but he didna manage 't, for Mag says, 'We a' ha'e oor faults, Gavin, an' deevil or no deevil, ye're the man for me!'

 

"Gavin thocht a bit," continued Tammas, "an' syne he tries her on a new tack²¹. 'Marget Lownie,' he says, 'yer father's an auld man noo, an' he has naebody but yersel to look after him. I'm thinkin' it would be kind o' cruel o' me to tak ye awa frae him?'"

 

"Mag wouldna be ta'en wi' that; she wasna born on a Sawbath," said Jess, using one of her favourite sayings.

 

"She wasna," answered Tammas. "Says she, 'Hae nae fear on that score, Gavin; my father's fine willin' to spare me!'"

 

"An' that ended it?"

 

"Ay, that ended it."

 

"Did ye tak it doun in writin'?" asked Hendry.

 

"There was nae need," said Tammas, handing round his snuff-mull. "No, I never touched paper. When I saw the thing was settled, I left them to their coortin'. They're to tak a look at Snecky Hobart's auld hoose the nicht. It's to let."

 

1 streaked   

adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白，脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句

2 dyke   

n.堤，水坝，排水沟

参考例句：

• If one sheep leap over the dyke,all the rest will follow.一只羊跳过沟，其余的羊也跟着跳。
• One ant-hole may cause the collapse of a thousand-li dyke.千里长堤，溃于蚁穴。

3 scudded   

v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• White clouds scudded across the sky. 白云在天空疾驰而过。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Clouds scudded across the sky driven by high winds. 劲风吹着飞云掠过天空。 来自辞典例句

4 rheumatism   

n.风湿病

参考例句：

• The damp weather plays the very devil with my rheumatism.潮湿的天气加重了我的风湿病。
• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。

5 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

6 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

7 auld   

adj.老的，旧的

参考例句：

• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？
• The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。

8 deferring   

v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• Recently, the Supreme Court has focused on an additional reason for deferring to administrative agencies. 最近，最高法院强调了尊重行政机构的另一种理由。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Think of it as deferring part of the compiler's job to runtime. 可以认为这是将编译器的部分工作延迟到了运行时。 来自互联网

9 tremor   

n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震

参考例句：

• There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
• A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。

10 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

13 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

14 disclaim   

v.放弃权利，拒绝承认

参考例句：

• Scientists quickly disclaim the possibility.科学家们立刻否认了这种可能性。
• The manufacturers disclaim all responsibility for damage caused by misuse.使用不当而造成的损坏，生产厂家不负任何责任。

15 thrifty   

adj.节俭的；兴旺的；健壮的

参考例句：

• Except for smoking and drinking,he is a thrifty man.除了抽烟、喝酒，他是个生活节俭的人。
• She was a thrifty woman and managed to put aside some money every month.她是个很会持家的妇女，每月都设法存些钱。

16 forestalling   

v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的现在分词 )

参考例句：

17 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。

18 marrows   

n.骨髓（marrow的复数形式）

参考例句：

19 syne   

adv.自彼时至此时，曾经

参考例句：

• The meeting ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.大会以唱《友谊地久天长》结束。
• We will take a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne.让我们为了过去的好时光干一杯友谊的酒。

20 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

21 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。