Liddell till now, except in Doric lays,
Tuned1 to her murmurs2 by her love-sick swains,
Unknown in song, though not a purer stream
Rolls towards the western main
Art of Preserving Health.
The present store-farmers of the south of Scotland are a much more refined race than their fathers, and the manners I am now to describe have either altogether disappeared or are greatly modified. Without losing the rural simplicity3 of manners, they now cultivate arts unknown to the former generation, not only in the progressive improvement of their possessions but in all the comforts of life. Their houses are more commodious4, their habits of life regulated so as better to keep pace with those of the civilised world, and the best of luxuries, the luxury of knowledge, has gained much ground among their hills during the last thirty years. Deep drinking, formerly5 their greatest failing, is now fast losing ground; and, while the frankness of their extensive hospitality continues the same, it is, generally speaking, refined in its character and restrained in its excesses.
‘Deil’s in the wife,’ said Dandie Dinmont, shaking off his spouse’s embrace, but gently and with a look of great affection; ‘deil’s in ye, Ailie; d’ye no see the stranger gentleman?’
Ailie turned to make her apology — ‘Troth, I was sae weel pleased to see the gudeman, that — but, gude gracious! what’s the matter wi’ ye baith?’ for they were now in her little parlour, and the candle showed the streaks6 of blood which Dinmont’s wounded head had plentifully7 imparted to the clothes of his companion as well as to his own. ‘Ye’ve been fighting again, Dandie, wi’ some o’ the Bewcastle horse-coupers! Wow, man, a married man, wi’ a bonny family like yours, should ken8 better what a father’s life’s worth in the warld’; the tears stood in the good woman’s eyes as she spoke9.
‘Whisht! whisht! gudewife,’ said her husband, with a smack10 that had much more affection than ceremony in it; ‘never mind, never mind; there’s a gentleman that will tell you that, just when I had ga’en up to Lourie Lowther’s, and had bidden the drinking of twa cheerers, and gotten just in again upon the moss11, and was whigging cannily12 awa hame, twa landloupers jumpit out of a peat-hag on me or I was thinking, and got me down, and knevelled me sair aneuch, or I could gar my whip walk about their lugs13; and troth, gudewife, if this honest gentleman hadna come up, I would have gotten mair licks than I like, and lost mair siller than I could weel spare; so ye maun be thankful to him for it, under God.’ With that he drew from his side-pocket a large greasy14 leather pocket-book, and bade the gudewife lock it up in her kist.
‘God bless the gentleman, and e’en God bless him wi’ a’ my heart; but what can we do for him, but to gie him the meat and quarters we wadna refuse to the poorest body on earth — unless (her eye directed to the pocketbook, but with a feeling of natural propriety15 which made the inference the most delicate possible), unless there was ony other way — ‘ Brown saw, and estimated at its due rate, the mixture of simplicity and grateful generosity16 which took the downright way of expressing itself, yet qualified17 with so much delicacy18; he was aware his own appearance, plain at best, and now torn and spattered with blood, made him an object of pity at least, and perhaps of charity. He hastened to say his name was Brown, a captain in the —— regiment19 of cavalry20, travelling for pleasure, and on foot, both from motives21 of independence and economy; and he begged his kind landlady22 would look at her husband’s wounds, the state of which he had refused to permit him to examine. Mrs. Dinmont was used to her husband’s broken heads more than to the presence of a captain of dragoons. She therefore glanced at a table-cloth not quite clean, and conned23 over her proposed supper a minute or two, before, patting her husband on the shoulder, she bade him sit down for ‘a hard-headed loon24, that was aye bringing himsell and other folk into collie-shangies.’
When Dandie Dinmont, after executing two or three caprioles, and cutting the Highland25 fling, by way of ridicule26 of his wife’s anxiety, at last deigned27 to sit down and commit his round, black, shaggy bullet of a head to her inspection28, Brown thought he had seen the regimental surgeon look grave upon a more trifling29 case. The gudewife, however, showed some knowledge of chirurgery; she cut away with her scissors the gory30 locks whose stiffened31 and coagulated clusters interfered32 with her operations, and clapped on the wound some lint33 besmeared with a vulnerary salve, esteemed34 sovereign by the whole dale (which afforded upon fair nights considerable experience of such cases); she then fixed35 her plaster with a bandage, and, spite of her patient’s resistance, pulled over all a night-cap, to keep everything in its right place. Some contusions on the brow and shoulders she fomented36 with brandy, which the patient did not permit till the medicine had paid a heavy toll37 to his mouth. Mrs. Dinmont then simply, but kindly38, offered her assistance to Brown.
He assured her he had no occasion for anything but the accommodation of a basin and towel.
‘And that’s what I should have thought of sooner,’ she said; ‘and I did think o’t, but I durst na open the door, for there’s a’ the bairns, poor things, sae keen to see their father.’
This explained a great drumming and whining39 at the door of the little parlour, which had somewhat surprised Brown, though his kind landlady had only noticed it by fastening the bolt as soon as she heard it begin. But on her opening the door to seek the basin and towel (for she never thought of showing the guest to a separate room), a whole tide of white-headed urchins40 streamed in, some from the stable, where they had been seeing Dumple, and giving him a welcome home with part of their four-hours scones41; others from the kitchen, where they had been listening to old Elspeth’s tales and ballads42; and the youngest, half-naked, out of bed, all roaring to see daddy, and to inquire what he had brought home for them from the various fairs he had visited in his peregrinations. Our knight43 of the broken head first kissed and hugged them all round, then distributed whistles, penny-trumpets, and gingerbread, and, lastly, when the tumult44 of their joy and welcome got beyond bearing, exclaimed to his guest — ‘This is a’ the gude-wife’s fault, Captain; she will gie the bairns a’ their ain way.’
‘Me! Lord help me,’ said Ailie, who at that instant entered with the basin and ewer45, ‘how can I help it? I have naething else to gie them, poor things!’
Dinmont then exerted himself, and, between coaxing46, threats, and shoving, cleared the room of all the intruders excepting a boy and girl, the two eldest47 of the family, who could, as he observed, behave themselves ‘distinctly.’ For the same reason, but with less ceremony, all the dogs were kicked out excepting the venerable patriarchs, old Pepper and Mustard, whom frequent castigation48 and the advance of years had inspired with such a share of passive hospitality that, after mutual49 explanation and remonstrance50 in the shape of some growling51, they admitted Wasp52, who had hitherto judged it safe to keep beneath his master’s chair, to a share of a dried-wedder’s skin, which, with the wool uppermost and unshorn, served all the purposes of a Bristol hearth-rug.
The active bustle53 of the mistress (so she was called in the kitchen, and the gudewife in the parlour) had already signed the fate of a couple of fowls54, which, for want of time to dress them otherwise, soon appeared reeking55 from the gridiron, or brander, as Mrs. Dinmont denominated it. A huge piece of cold beef-ham, eggs, butter, cakes, and barley-meal bannocks in plenty made up the entertainment, which was to be diluted56 with home-brewed ale of excellent quality and a case-bottle of brandy. Few soldiers would find fault with such cheer after a day’s hard exercise and a skirmish to boot; accordingly Brown did great honour to the eatables. While the gudewife partly aided, partly instructed, a great stout57 servant girl, with cheeks as red as her top-knot, to remove the supper matters and supply sugar and hot water (which, in the damsel’s anxiety to gaze upon an actual live captain, she was in some danger of forgetting), Brown took an opportunity to ask his host whether he did not repent58 of having neglected the gipsy’s hint.
‘Wha kens59?’ answered he; ‘they’re queer deevils; maybe I might just have ‘scaped ae gang to meet the other. And yet I ‘ll no say that neither; for if that randy wife was coming to Charlie’s Hope, she should have a pint60 bottle o’ brandy and a pound o’ tobacco to wear her through the winter. They’re queer deevils; as my auld61 father used to say, they’re warst where they’re warst guided. After a’, there’s baith gude and ill about the gipsies.’
This, and some other desultory62 conversation, served as a ‘shoeing-horn’ to draw on another cup of ale and another ‘cheerer,’ as Dinmont termed it in his country phrase, of brandy and water. Brown then resolutely63 declined all further conviviality64 for that evening, pleading his own weariness and the effects of the skirmish, being well aware that it would have availed nothing to have remonstrated65 with his host on the danger that excess might have occasioned to his own raw wound and bloody66 coxcomb67. A very small bed-room, but a very clean bed, received the traveller, and the sheets made good the courteous68 vaunt of the hostess, ‘that they would be as pleasant as he could find ony gate, for they were washed wi’ the fairy-well water, and bleached69 on the bonny white gowans, and bittled by Nelly and herself, and what could woman, if she was a queen, do mair for them?’
They indeed rivalled snow in whiteness, and had, besides, a pleasant fragrance70 from the manner in which they had been bleached. Little Wasp, after licking his master’s hand to ask leave, couched himself on the coverlet at his feet; and the traveller’s senses were soon lost in grateful oblivion.
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tuned
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| adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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commodious
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| adj.宽敞的；使用方便的 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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cannily
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| 精明地 | |
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lugs
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| 钎柄 | |
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greasy
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| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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conned
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| adj.被骗了v.指挥操舵( conn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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loon
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| n.狂人 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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gory
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| adj.流血的；残酷的 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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lint
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| n.线头；绷带用麻布，皮棉 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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fomented
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| v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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urchins
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| n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆 | |
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scones
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| n.烤饼，烤小圆面包( scone的名词复数 ) | |
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ballads
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| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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44
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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ewer
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| n.大口水罐 | |
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coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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47
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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castigation
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| n.申斥，强烈反对 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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51
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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wasp
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| n.黄蜂，蚂蜂 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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54
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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diluted
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| 无力的，冲淡的 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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kens
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| vt.知道（ken的第三人称单数形式） | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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auld
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| adj.老的，旧的 | |
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desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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conviviality
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| n.欢宴，高兴，欢乐 | |
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remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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coxcomb
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| n.花花公子 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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