Weir of Hermiston: An Unfinished Romance

upon the bench, Glenalmond had a certain air of burliness: plucked of these, it was a may-pole of a man that rose unsteadily from his chair to give his visitor welcome. Archie had suffered m

rvant), "make up the fire, and then you can bring a bit of supper," and agai

hie. "It is impossibl

, laying his hand upon his shoulder, "a

said Archie, as soon as the

it presently-when Carstairs has come and gone, and you have had a piece

e I should eat"

erday. There is no case that may not be made worse; this may be a very disagreeable business, but if

all," said Archie. "W

runs riot below among the bar and the public, but it sifts up to us up

little vaguely on indifferent subjects, so that it might be rather said of him that he made a cheerful noise, than that he

forth again at once. "Who told my father? Wh

uite frank with you, and after I had seen and warned y

imp!" cri

rmiston with his hand over his mouth and make him a secret communication. No one could have guessed its nature from your father: from Glenkindie, yes, his malice sparked out of him a little grossly. But your father, no. A man of granite. The next moment he pounced upon Creech. 'Mr. Creech,' says he, 'I'll take a look o

he said, "I have made a fool of myself, if I have not made something worse. Do you judge between us-judge between a father and a son.

ny good to talk, and if it will interest you at all to hear what I may choose to say when I have heard you,

oat. "Ay," he cried, "and there it is! Love! Li

uietly," sa

ou were not there, but you must have heard him often; the man's notorious for it, for being-look at my position! he's my father and this is how I have to speak of him-notorious for being a brute and cruel and a coward. Lord Glenalmond, I give you my word, when I came out of that Court, I longed to die-the shame of it was beyond my strength: but I-I-" he rose from his seat and began to pace the room in a disorder. "Well, who am I? A boy, who have never been tried, have never done anything except this twopenny impotent folly with my father. But I tell you, my l

blaming you; indeed I rather admire! But there fall to be offered one or two observations on the case which occur to me and which (if you will listen to them dispassionately) may be the means of inducing you to view the matter more calmly. First of all, I cannot acquit you of a good deal of what is called intolerance. You seem to have been very much offended because your father talks a little sculduddery after dinner, which it is perfectly licit for him to do, and which (although

ie, but no smile

ved in; I would have put my hand in the fire, I would have gone to the cross for him; and when it came to trial he was gradually pictured before me, by undeniable probation, in the light of so gross, so cold-blooded, and so black-hearted a villain, that I had a mind to have cast my brief upon the table. I was then boiling against the man with even a more tropical temperature than I had been boiling for him. But I said to myself: 'No, you

d be better dead. But who are we to know all the springs of God's unfortunate creatures? Who are we to trust ourselves where

said Glenalmond. "And yet, do you

alk with him to-ni

sing so," sa

ry big," pursued the son. "Yes, he is big. He never spoke about h

, it cannot in any way help that you should brood upon it, and I sometimes wonder wh

u mean?" a

me who we were to know all the springs of God's unfortunate creatures. You applied that, as I understood, to capital cases only. But does it-I ask myself-does it not a

alk of punishing the

d Glenalmond. "But I think we d

ve punished him

lmond bowe

is, I think he feels it! How much, who can t

e of it," sai

to you, then?

replied

That was to him. And now I pledge myself to you, in the sight of God, that I will close my mouth on capital punishment and al

ll," said

ay down enough of my conceit. But as regards him, whom I have publicly insult

almond. "Only by obedience, pun

ve it," answered Archie. "I off

o you your honest heart." At that, he kissed the young man upon the forehead in a gracious, distant, antiquated way; and instantly launched, with a marked change of voice, into another s

I know-I believe faithfully, slavishly, after our talk-he will never ask me anything unju

e the health of a man very different from me and very much my superior-a man from whom I have often differed, who has often (in the trivial expre

on," said Archie, almost with gaiety;

startling summons at the front door, and Carstairs ushered in my Lord Glenkindie, hot from a midnight supper. I am not aware that Glenkindie was ever a beautiful object, being short, and gross-bodied, and with an expression of sensuality comparable to a bear's. At that moment, coming in hissing from many potations, with a flushed countenance and blurred eyes, he was strikingly contraste

r head nor tail of it, and seeing lights in the house, he had just dropped in for a glass of porter-and at this point he became aware of the

's all this we hear of you? It seems you're a most extraordinary leveller, by all tales. No king, no parliaments,

perfectly self-possessed. "My lord-and you, Lord Glenalmond, my dear friend," he began, "this is

al, my young friend," cried the jocular Glenkindie. "And I'm a

ie, "what I have to say is very serious to me;

against the macers!" put in

made a scene at the gallows; not content with which, I spoke the same night in a college society against capital punishment. This is the extent of what I have done, and in case you hear more alleged ag