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hear from his lips； the name of his father。 It is not to be supposed that；
during so many days with a love avowed between them； some reference
had not been made to their conjoint future。 It had in fact been often
touched upon； and from the first had been the sore point。 Kirstie had
wilfully closed the eye of thought； she would not argue even with herself；
gallant； desperate little heart； she had accepted the command of that
supreme attraction like the call of fate and marched blindfold on her doom。
But Archie； with his masculine sense of responsibility； must reason； he
must dwell on some future good； when the present good was all in all to
Kirstie； he must talk … and talk lamely； as necessity drove him … of what
was to be。 Again and again he had touched on marriage； again and again
been driven back into indistinctness by a memory of Lord Hermiston。 And
Kirstie had been swift to understand and quick to choke down and smother
the understanding； swift to leap up in flame at a mention of that hope；
which spoke volumes to her vanity and her love； that she might one day be
Mrs。 Weir of Hermiston； swift； also； to recognise in his stumbling or
throttled utterance the death…knell of these expectations； and constant；
poor girl！ in her large…minded madness； to go on and to reck nothing of the
future。 But these unfinished references； these blinks in which his heart
spoke； and his memory and reason rose up to silence it before the words
were well uttered； gave her unqualifiable agony。 She was raised up and
dashed down again bleeding。 The recurrence of the subject forced her； for
however short a time； to open her eyes on what she did not wish to see；
and it had invariably ended in another disappointment。 So now again； at
the mere wind of its coming； at the mere mention of his father's name …
who might seem indeed to have accompanied them in their whole
moorland courtship； an awful figure in a wig with an ironical and bitter
smile； present to guilty consciousness … she fled from it head down。
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〃Ye havena told me yet；〃 she said； 〃who was it spoke？〃
〃Your aunt for one；〃 said Archie。
〃Auntie Kirstie？〃 she cried。 〃And what do I care for my Auntie
Kirstie？〃
〃She cares a great deal for her niece；〃 replied Archie； in kind reproof。
〃Troth； and it's the first I've heard of it；〃 retorted the girl。
〃The question here is not who it is； but what they say； what they have
noticed；〃 pursued the lucid schoolmaster。 〃That is what we have to think
of in self…defence。〃
〃Auntie Kirstie； indeed！ A bitter； thrawn auld maid that's fomented
trouble in the country before I was born； and will be doing it still； I daur
say； when I'm deid！ It's in her nature； it's as natural for her as it's for a
sheep to eat。〃
〃Pardon me； Kirstie； she was not the only one；〃 interposed Archie。 〃I
had two warnings； two sermons； last night； both most kind and considerate。
Had you been there； I promise you you would have grat； my dear！ And
they opened my eyes。 I saw we were going a wrong way。〃
〃Who was the other one？〃 Kirstie demanded。
By this time Archie was in the condition of a hunted beast。 He had
come； braced and resolute； he was to trace out a line of conduct for the
pair of them in a few cold； convincing sentences； he had now been there
some time； and he was still staggering round the outworks and undergoing
what he felt to be a savage cross…examination。
〃Mr。 Frank！〃 she cried。 〃What nex'； I would like to ken？〃
〃He spoke most kindly and truly。〃
〃What like did he say？〃
〃I am not going to tell you； you have nothing to do with that；〃 cried
Archie； startled to find he had admitted so much。
〃O； I have naething to do with it！〃 she repeated； springing to her feet。
〃A'body at Hermiston's free to pass their opinions upon me； but I have
naething to do wi' it！ Was this at prayers like？ Did ye ca' the grieve into
the consultation？ Little wonder if a'body's talking； when ye make a'body
yer confidants！ But as you say； Mr。 Weir； … most kindly； most considerately；
most truly； I'm sure； … I have naething to do with it。 And I think I'll better
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be going。 I'll be wishing you good evening； Mr。 Weir。〃 And she made him
a stately curtsey； shaking as she did so from head to foot； with the barren
ecstasy of temper。
Poor Archie stood dumbfounded。 She had moved some steps away
from him before he recovered the gift of articulate speech。
〃Kirstie！〃 he cried。 〃O； Kirstie woman！〃
There was in his voice a ring of appeal； a clang of mere astonishment
that showed the schoolmaster was vanquished。
She turned round on him。 〃What do ye Kirstie me for？〃 she retorted。
〃What have ye to do wi' me！ Gang to your ain freends and deave them！〃
He could only repeat the appealing 〃Kirstie！〃
〃Kirstie； indeed！〃 cried the girl； her eyes blazing in her white face。
〃My name is Miss Christina Elliott； I would have ye to ken； and I daur ye
to ca' me out of it。 If I canna get love； I'll have respect； Mr。 Weir。 I'm come
of decent people； and I'll have respect。 What have I done that ye should
lightly me？ What have I done？ What have I done？ O； what have I done？〃
and her voice rose upon the third repetition。 〃I thocht … I thocht … I thocht I
was sae happy！〃 and the first sob broke from her like the paroxysm of
some mortal sickness。
Archie ran to her。 He took the poor child in his arms； and she nestled
to his breast as to a mother's； and clasped him in hands that were strong
like vices。 He felt her whole body shaken by the throes of distress； and had
pity upon her beyond speech。 Pity； and at the same time a bewildered fear
of this explosive engine in his arms； whose works he did not understand；
and yet had been tampering with。 There arose from before him the curtains
of boyhood； and he saw for the first time the ambiguous face of woman as
she is。 In vain he looked back over the interview； he saw not where he had
offended。 It seemed unprovoked； a wilful convulsion of brute nature。 。 。 。
GLOSSARY
Ae； one。 Antinomian； one of a sect which holds that under the gospel
dispensation the moral law is not obligatory。 Auld Hornie； the Devil。
Ballant； ballad。 Bauchles； brogues； old shoes。 Bauld； bold。 Bees in
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their bonnet； eccentricities。 Birling； whirling。 Black…a…vised； dark…
complexioned。 Bonnet…laird； small landed proprietor； yeoman。 Bool； ball。
Brae； rising ground。 Brig； bridge。 Buff； play buff on； to make a fool of； to
deceive。 Burn； stream。 Butt end； end of a cottage。 Byre； cow…house。
Ca'； drive。 Caller； fresh。 Canna； cannot。 Canny； careful； shrewd。 Cantie；
cheerful。 Carline； old woman。 Cauld； cold。 Chalmer； chamber。 Claes；
clothes。 Clamjamfry； crowd。 Clavers； idle talk。 Cock…laird。 See Bonnet…
laird。 Collieshangie； turmoil。 Crack； to converse。 Cuist； cast。 Cuddy；
donkey。 Cutty； jade； also used playfully = brat。
Daft； mad； frolicsome。 Dander； to saunter。 Danders； cinders。 Daurna；
dare not。 Deave； to deafen。 Denty； dainty。 Dirdum； vigour。 Disjaskit； worn
out； disreputable…looking。 Doer； law agent。 Dour； hard。 Drumlie； dark。
Dunting； knocking。 Dwaibly； infirm； rickety。 Dule…tree； the tree of
lamentation； the hanging…tree。
Earrand； errand。 Ettercap； vixen。
Fechting； fighting。 Feck； quantity； portion。 Feckless； feeble； powerless。
Fell； strong and fiery。 Fey； unlike yourself； strange； as if urged on by fate；
or as persons are observed to be in the hour of approaching death or
disaster。 Fit； foot。 Flit； to depart。 Flyped； turned up； turned in…side out。
Forbye； in addition to。 Forgather； to fall in with。 Fower； four。 Fushionless；
pithless； weak。 Fyle； to soil； to defile。 Fylement； obloquy； defilement。
Gaed； Went。 Gang； to go。 Gey an'； very。 Gigot； leg of mutton。