Transcript

028 - Chapter 6 · Pirate

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Speaker 1: Chapter six of the Pirate by Sir Walter Scott. The
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Speaker 1: slipovox recording is in the public domain. Read by Dion
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Speaker 1: Jine's Salt Lake City, Utah. No longer she wept, Her
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Speaker 1: tears were all spent despair. It was colme, and she
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Speaker 1: thought it content. She thought it content, But her cheek
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Speaker 1: it grew pale, and she drooped like a lily broke
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Speaker 1: down by the hail. Continuation of Old Robin Gray. The
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Speaker 1: condition of Minna much resembled that of the village heroine
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Speaker 1: in Lady Anne Lindsey's Beautiful Ballad. Her natural firmness of
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Speaker 1: mind prevented her from sinking under the pressure of the
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Speaker 1: horrible secret which haunted her while awake, and was yet
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Speaker 1: more tormenting during her broken and hurried slumber. There is
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Speaker 1: no grief so dreadful as that which we dare not communicate,
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Speaker 1: and in which we can neither ask nor desire sympathy.
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Speaker 1: And when to this is added the burden of a
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Speaker 1: guilty mystery to an innocent bosom, there is little wonder
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Speaker 1: that Mena's health should have sunk under the burden to
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Speaker 1: the friends around her, habits and manners, nay, her temper
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Speaker 1: seemed altered to such an extraordinary degree that it is
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Speaker 1: no wonder that some should have ascribed the change to
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Speaker 1: witchcraft and some to incipient madness. She became unable to
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Speaker 1: bear the solitude in which she formerly delighted to spend
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Speaker 1: her time. Yet when she hurried into society it was
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Speaker 1: without either joining in or attending to what passed. She
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Speaker 1: appeared wrapped in sad and even sullen abstraction, until her
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Speaker 1: attention was suddenly roused by some casual mention of the
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Speaker 1: name of Cleveland or of mordaunt Mertown, at which she
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Speaker 1: started with the horror of one who sees the lighted
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Speaker 1: match applied to a charged mind and expects to be
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Speaker 1: instantly involved in the effects of the explosion. And when
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Speaker 1: she observed that the discovery was not yet made, it
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Speaker 1: was so far from being a consolation that she almost
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Speaker 1: wished the worst were known, rather than endure the continued
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Speaker 1: agonies of suspense. Her conduct towards her sister was so
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Speaker 1: variable yet uniformly so painful to the kind hearted Brenda
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Speaker 1: that it seemed to all around one of the strongest
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Speaker 1: features of her malady. Sometimes Mena was impelled to seek
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Speaker 1: her sister's company, as if by the consciousness that they
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Speaker 1: were common sufferers by a misfortune of which she herself
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Speaker 1: alone could grasp the extent. And then suddenly the feeling
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Speaker 1: of the injury which Brenda had received through the supposed
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Speaker 1: agency of Cleveland, made her unable to bear her presence,
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Speaker 1: and still less to endure the consolation which her sister,
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Speaker 1: mistaking the nature of her melody, vainly endeavored to administer. Frequently,
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Speaker 1: also did it happen that, while Brenda was imploring her
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Speaker 1: sister to take comfort, she incautiously touched upon some subject
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Speaker 1: which thrilled to the very center of her soul, so that,
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Speaker 1: unable to conceal her agony, Mena would rush hastily from
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Speaker 1: the apartment. All these different moods, though they too much
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Speaker 1: resembled to one who knew not their real source, the
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Speaker 1: caprices of unkind estrangement, Brenda endured with such prevailing and
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Speaker 1: unruffled gentleness of disposition that Minot was frequently moved to
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Speaker 1: shed floods of tears upon her neck, and perhaps the
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Speaker 1: moments in which she did so, though embittered by the
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Speaker 1: recollection that her fatal secret concerned the destruction of Brenda's
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Speaker 1: happiness as well as her own, were still softened, as
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Speaker 1: they were, by sisterly affection. The most endurable moments of
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Speaker 1: this most miserable period of her life. The effects of
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Speaker 1: the alternations of moping, melancholy, fearful agitation, and bursts of
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Speaker 1: nervous feeling we were soon visible on the poor young
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Speaker 1: woman's face and person. She became pale and emaciated. Her
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Speaker 1: eye lost the steady, quiet look of happiness and innocence,
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Speaker 1: and was alternately dim and wild as she was acted
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Speaker 1: upon by a general feeling of her own distressful condition
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Speaker 1: or by some quicker and more poignant sense of agony.
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Speaker 1: Her very features seemed to change and become sharp and eager,
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Speaker 1: and her voice, which in its ordinary tones was low
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Speaker 1: and placid, now sometimes sunk in indistinct mutterings, and sometimes
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Speaker 1: was raised beyond the natural key in hasty and abrupt exclamations.
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Speaker 1: When in company with others, she was sullenly silent, and
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Speaker 1: when she ventured into solitude was observed, for it was
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Speaker 1: now thought very proper to watch her on such occasions
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Speaker 1: to speak much to herself. The pharmacy of the islands
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Speaker 1: was in vain resorted to by Mena's anxious father sages
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Speaker 1: of both sexes, who knew the virtues of every herb
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Speaker 1: which drinks the dew, and augmented those virtues by words
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Speaker 1: of might used while they prepared and applied the medicines
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Speaker 1: were attended with no benefit, and Magnus, in the utmost anxiety,
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Speaker 1: was at last induced to have recourse to the advice
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Speaker 1: of his kinswoman Norna of the Fitful head, although owing
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Speaker 1: to circumstances noticed in the course of the story, there
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Speaker 1: was at this time some estrangement between them. His first
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Speaker 1: application was in vain. Norna was then at her usual
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Speaker 1: place of residence upon the bad seacoast, near the headland
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Speaker 1: from which she usually took her designation, but although Eric
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Speaker 1: Scambister himself brought the message, she refused positively to see
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Speaker 1: him or to return any answer. Madness was angry at
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Speaker 1: the slight put upon his messenger and message, but his
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Speaker 1: anxiety on Minna's account, as well as the respect which
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Speaker 1: he had for Norna's real misfortunes and imputed wisdom and power,
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Speaker 1: prevented him from indulging. On the present occasion. His usual
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Speaker 1: irritability of disposition on the contrary, he determined to make
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Speaker 1: an application to his kinswoman in his own person. He
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Speaker 1: kept his purpose, however, to himself, and only desired his
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Speaker 1: daughters to be in readiness to attend him upon a
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Speaker 1: visit to a relation whom he had not seen for
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Speaker 1: some time time, and directed them at the same time
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Speaker 1: to carry some provisions along with them, as the journey
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Speaker 1: was distant, and they might perhaps find their friend unprovided,
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Speaker 1: unaccustomed to ask explanations of his pleasure, and hoping that
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Speaker 1: exercise and the amusement of such an excursion might be
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Speaker 1: of service to her sister Brenda, upon whom all household
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Speaker 1: and family charges now devolved, caused the necessary preparations to
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Speaker 1: be made for the expedition, and on the next morning
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Speaker 1: they were engaged in tracing the long and tedious course
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Speaker 1: of beach and of moorland, which only varied by occasional
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Speaker 1: patches of oates and barley where a little ground had
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Speaker 1: been selected for cultivation. Divided Burgwestra from the northwestern extremity
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Speaker 1: of the mainland, as the principal island is called, which
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Speaker 1: turned dominates in the cape called Fitful Head, as the
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Speaker 1: southwestern point ends in the cape of Sumburg. On they
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Speaker 1: went through wild and over walled the u Dollar bestriding
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Speaker 1: a strong, square made, well barreled palfrey of Norwegian breed,
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Speaker 1: somewhat taller and yet as stout as the ordinary ponies
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Speaker 1: of the country. While Minna and Brenda, famed amongst other
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Speaker 1: accomplishments for their horsemanship, rode two of those hardy animals,
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Speaker 1: which bred and reared with more pains than is usually bestowed,
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Speaker 1: showed both by the neatness of their form and their activity,
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Speaker 1: that the race, so much and so carelessly neglected, is
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Speaker 1: capable of being improved into beauty without losing anything of
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Speaker 1: its spirit or vigor. They were attended by two servants
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Speaker 1: on horseback and two on foot, secure that the last
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Speaker 1: circumstance would be no delay to their journey, because a
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Speaker 1: great part of the way was so rugged or so marshy,
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Speaker 1: that the horses could only move at a foot pace,
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Speaker 1: and that whenever they met with any considerable tract of
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Speaker 1: hard and even ground, they had only to borrow from
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Speaker 1: the nearest herd of ponies the use of a couple
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Speaker 1: for the accommodation of these pedestrians. The journey was a
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Speaker 1: melancholy one, and little conversation passed, except when the U Dollar,
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Speaker 1: pressed by impatience and vexation, urged his pony to a
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Speaker 1: quick pace, and, again, recollecting Minna's weak state of health,
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Speaker 1: slackened to a walk, and reiterated enquiries how she felt
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Speaker 1: herself and whether the fatigue was not too much for her.
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Speaker 1: At noon, the party halted and partook of some refreshment
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Speaker 1: for which they had made ample provision, beside a pleasant spring,
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Speaker 1: the puareness of whose waters, however, did not suit the
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Speaker 1: U Dollar's palet until qualified by a liberal edition of
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Speaker 1: right nance. After he had a second yea and a
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Speaker 1: third time filled a large silver traveling cup embossed with
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Speaker 1: a German cupid smoking a pipe and a German bacchus
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Speaker 1: emptying his flask down the throat of a bear, he
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Speaker 1: began to become more talkative than vexation had permitted him
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Speaker 1: to be during the early part of their journey, and
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Speaker 1: thus addressed his daughters, Well, children, we are within a
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Speaker 1: league or two of Norman's dwelling, and we shall soon
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Speaker 1: see how the old spell mutterer will receive us. Minna
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Speaker 1: interrupted her father with a faint exclamation, while Brenda, surprised
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Speaker 1: to a great degree, exclaimed, is it than to Norna
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Speaker 1: that we are to make this visit Heaven forbid? And
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Speaker 1: wherefore should Heaven forbid? Said the u Dollar, knitting his brows.
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Speaker 1: Wherefore I would gladly know should Heaven forbid me to
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Speaker 1: visit my kinswoman whose skill may be of use to
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Speaker 1: your sister. If any woman in Zetland or Man either
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Speaker 1: can be of service to her, you are a fool, Brenda.
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Speaker 1: Your sister has more sense. Cheer up Minna. Thou wert ever,
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Speaker 1: wont to like her songs and stories, and used to
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Speaker 1: hang about her neck when little Brenda cried and ran
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Speaker 1: from her like a Spanish merchantman from a Dutch caper.
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Speaker 1: I wish she may not frighten me as much today, father,
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Speaker 1: replied Brenda, desirous of indulging Minna in her taciturn and
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Speaker 1: at the same time to amuse her father by sustaining
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Speaker 1: the conversation. I have heard so much of her dwelling
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Speaker 1: that I am rather alarmed at the thought of going
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Speaker 1: there uninvited. Thou art a fool, said Magnus, to think
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Speaker 1: that a visit from her kinsfolks can ever come amiss
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Speaker 1: to a kind hearty hateland heart like my cousin Nornis,
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Speaker 1: And now I think on it, I will be sworn.
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Speaker 1: That is the reason why she would not receive Eric scambuster.
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Speaker 1: It is many a long day since I have seen
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Speaker 1: her chimney smoke, and I have never carried you thither.
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Speaker 1: She hath indeed some right to call me unkind. But
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Speaker 1: I will tell her the truth, and that is that,
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Speaker 1: though such be the fashion, I do not think it
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Speaker 1: is fair or honest to eat up the substance of
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Speaker 1: lone women folks, as we do that of our brother
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Speaker 1: you dollars when we roll about from house to house
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Speaker 1: in the winter season, until we gather like a snowball
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Speaker 1: and eat up all wherever we come. There is no
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Speaker 1: fear of our putting Norna to any distress, just now,
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Speaker 1: replied Brenda, For I have ample provision of everything that
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Speaker 1: we can possibly need. Fish and bacon and salted mutton
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Speaker 1: and dried geese, more than we could eat in a week,
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Speaker 1: besides enough of liquor for you, father rite write, my
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Speaker 1: girl said the you dollar. A well found ship makes
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Speaker 1: a merry voyage. So we shall only want the kindness
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Speaker 1: of Norna's roof, and a little bedding for you. For
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Speaker 1: as to myself, my seacloak and honest dry boards of
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Speaker 1: Norway deal suit me better than your either down and mattresses.
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Speaker 1: So that Norna will have the pleasure of seeing us
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Speaker 1: without having a stivers worth of trouble. I wish she
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Speaker 1: may think it a pleasure, sir, replied Brenda. Why what
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Speaker 1: does the girl mean in the name of the martyr,
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Speaker 1: replied Magnus Troyle. Dost thou think my kinswoman is a
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Speaker 1: heathen who will not rejoice to see her own flesh
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Speaker 1: and blood. I would I were as sure of a
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Speaker 1: good year's fishing. No, no, I only fear we may
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Speaker 1: find her from home at present, for she is often
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Speaker 1: a wanderer, and all with thinking overmuch on what can
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Speaker 1: never be helped. Minna sighed deeply as her father spoke,
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Speaker 1: and the u dollar went on, dost thou sigh at that,
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Speaker 1: my girl? Why tis the fault of half the world?
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Speaker 1: Let it never be thine own. Another suppressed sigh intimated
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Speaker 1: that the caution came too late. I believe you are
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Speaker 1: afraid of my cousin as well as Brenda is said
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Speaker 1: the you Dollar, gazing on her pale countenance. If so,
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Speaker 1: speak the word, and we will return back again, as
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Speaker 1: if we had the wind on our quarter and were
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Speaker 1: running fifteen knots by the line. Do, for Heaven's sake, sister,
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Speaker 1: let us return, said Brenda imploringly. You know you remember,
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Speaker 1: you must be well aware that Norna can do not
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Speaker 1: to help you. It is but too true, said Minna
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Speaker 1: in a subdued voice. But I know not. She may
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Speaker 1: answer a question, a question that only the miserable dare
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Speaker 1: ask of the miserable. Nay, my kinswoman is no miser
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Speaker 1: answered the eu Dollar, who only heard the beginning of
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Speaker 1: the word. A good income she has both in Orkney
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Speaker 1: and here, and many A fair lispand of butter is
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Speaker 1: paid to her. But the poor have the best share
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Speaker 1: of it, and shame fall the Zetlander who begrudges them
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Speaker 1: the rest she spends. I WoT not how in her
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Speaker 1: journeys through the islands, but you will laugh to see
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Speaker 1: her house. And Nick Strumpfer, whom she calls pacolet. Many
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Speaker 1: folks think Nick is the devil, but he is flesh
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Speaker 1: and blood like any of us. His father lived in Gramsey.
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Speaker 1: I shall be glad to see Nick again. While the
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Speaker 1: u dollar thus ran on Brenda, who, in recompense for
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Speaker 1: a less portion of imagination than her sister, was gifted
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Speaker 1: with sound common sense, was debating with herself the probable
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Speaker 1: effect of this visit on her sister's health. She came
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Speaker 1: finally to the resolution of speaking with her father aside
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Speaker 1: upon the first occasion which their journey should afford to him.
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Speaker 1: She determined to communicate the whole particulars of their nocturnal
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Speaker 1: interview with Norna, to which, among other agitating causes, she
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Speaker 1: attributed the depression of menaced spirits, and then make himself
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Speaker 1: the judge whether he ought to persist in his visit
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Speaker 1: to a person so singular and expose his daughter to
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Speaker 1: all the shock which her nerves might possibly receive from
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Speaker 1: the interview. Just as she had arrived at this conclusion,
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Speaker 1: her father, dashing the crumbs from his laced waistcoat with
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Speaker 1: one hand and receiving with the other a fourth cup
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Speaker 1: of brandy and water, drank devoutly to the success of
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Speaker 1: their voyage, and ordered all to be in readiness to
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Speaker 1: set forward. Whilst they were saddling their ponies, Brenda with
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Speaker 1: some difficulty contrived to make her father understand she wished
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Speaker 1: to speak with him in private, no small surprise to
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Speaker 1: the honest you Dollar, who, though secret as the grave
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Speaker 1: in the very few things where he considered secrecy as
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Speaker 1: of importance, was so far from practicing mystery in general
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Speaker 1: that his most important affairs were often discussed by him
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Speaker 1: openly in presence of his whole family, servants included. But
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Speaker 1: far greater was his astonishment when remaining purposely with his
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Speaker 1: daughter Brenda a little in the wake, as he termed it,
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Speaker 1: of the other writers, he heard the whole account of
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Speaker 1: Nrna's visit to Burgwestra, and of the communication with which
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Speaker 1: she had then astounded his daughters. For a long time,
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Speaker 1: he could utter nothing but interjections, and ended with a
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Speaker 1: thousand curses on his kinswoman's folly in telling his daughters
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Speaker 1: such a history of horror. I have often heard, said
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Speaker 1: the U Dollar, that she was quite mad, with all
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Speaker 1: her wisdom and all her knowledge of the seasons. And
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Speaker 1: by the bones of my namesake, the Martyr, I begin
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Speaker 1: now to believe it, most assuredly. I know no more
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Speaker 1: how to steer than if I had lost my compass
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Speaker 1: had I known this before we set out, I think
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Speaker 1: I had remained at home. But now that we have
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Speaker 1: come so far, and that Norna expects us expects us,
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Speaker 1: father said, Brenda, how can that be possible? Why that
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Speaker 1: I know not? But she that can tell how the
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Speaker 1: wind is to blow can't tell which way we are
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Speaker 1: desired to ride. She must not be provoked. Perhaps she
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Speaker 1: has done my family this ill for the words I
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Speaker 1: had with her about that lad Mordaunt Mertown. And if so,
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Speaker 1: she can undo it again, And so she shall, or
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Speaker 1: I will know the cause. Wherefore, But I will try
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Speaker 1: fair words first. Finding it thus settled that they were
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Speaker 1: to go forward, Brenda endeavored next to learn from her
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Speaker 1: father whether Norna's tale was founded in reality. He shook
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Speaker 1: his head, groaned bitterly, and in a few words acknowledged
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Speaker 1: that the whole, so far as concerned her intrigue with
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Speaker 1: the stranger and her father's death, of which she became
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Speaker 1: the accidental and most innocent cause, was a matter of
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Speaker 1: sad and indisputable truth for her infant. He said, he
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Speaker 1: could never, by any means learned what became of it.
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Speaker 1: Her infant, exclaimed, Brenda, she spoke not a word of
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Speaker 1: her infant, then I wish my tongue had been blistered,
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Speaker 1: said the U Dollar when I told you of it,
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Speaker 1: I see that young and old a man has no
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Speaker 1: better chance of keeping a secret from you women than
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Speaker 1: an eel to keep himself in his hold when he
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Speaker 1: is sniggled with a loop of horsehair. Sooner or later
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Speaker 1: the fisher teases him out of his hole, when he
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Speaker 1: has once the noose round his neck. But the infant,
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Speaker 1: my father, said Brenda, still insisting on the particulars of
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Speaker 1: this extraordinary story, what became of it? Carried off I
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Speaker 1: fancy by the black guard vand answered the U Dollar
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Speaker 1: with a gruff accent, which plainly betokened how weary he
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Speaker 1: was of the subject by Vaughan, said Brenda, the lover
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Speaker 1: of poor Norna, doubtless, what sort of man was he? Father?
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Speaker 1: Why much like other men, I fancy, answered the U Dollar,
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Speaker 1: I never saw him in my life. He kept company
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Speaker 1: with the Scottish families at Kirkwall, and I with the
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Speaker 1: good old Norse folk. Ah. If Norna had dwelt always
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Speaker 1: amongst her own kin, and not kept company with her
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Speaker 1: Scottish acquaintance, she would have known nothing of Vaughan, and
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Speaker 1: things might have been otherwise. But then I should have
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Speaker 1: known nothing of your blessed mother, Brenda. And that, he said,
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Speaker 1: his large blue eyes shining with tear, would have saved
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Speaker 1: me a short joy and a long sorrow. Norna could
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Speaker 1: but ILL have supplied my mother's place to you, father,
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Speaker 1: as a companion and a friend. That is, judging from
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Speaker 1: all I have heard, said Brenda, with some hesitation, but
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Speaker 1: madness softened by recollections of his beloved wife, answered her
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Speaker 1: with more indulgence than she expected. I would have been content,
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Speaker 1: he said, to have wedded Norna at that time, it
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Speaker 1: would have been the soldering of an old quarrel, the
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Speaker 1: healing of an old sore. All our blood relations wished it,
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Speaker 1: and situated as I was, especially not having seen your
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Speaker 1: blessed mother, I had little will to oppose their counsels.
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Speaker 1: You must not judge of Norna or of me by
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Speaker 1: such an appearance as we now present to you. She
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Speaker 1: was young and beautiful, and I gain some as a
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Speaker 1: highland bug, and little caring what haven I made for having,
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Speaker 1: as I thought more than one under my lee, Norna
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Speaker 1: preferred this man bond, and as I have told you before.
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Speaker 1: It was perhaps the best kindness she could have done
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Speaker 1: to me. Ah, poor kinswoman, said Brenda, but believe you
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Speaker 1: father in the high powers which she claims in the
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Speaker 1: mysterious vision of the dwarf in the She was interrupted
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Speaker 1: in these questions by Magnus, to whom they were obviously displeasing.
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Speaker 1: I believe, Brenda, he said, according to the belief of
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Speaker 1: my forefathers. I pretend not to be a wiser man
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Speaker 1: than they were in their time, and they all believed
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Speaker 1: that in cases of great worldly distress, Providence opened the
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Speaker 1: eyes of the mind and afforded the sufferer's a vision
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Speaker 1: of futurity. It was but a trimming of the boat
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Speaker 1: with reverence. Here he touched his hat reverentially, and after
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Speaker 1: all the shifting of the ballet. Poor Norna is as
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Speaker 1: heavily loaded in the bows as ever was an orkney
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Speaker 1: man's yawl at the dog fishing. She has more than
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Speaker 1: affliction enough on board to balance whatever gift she may
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Speaker 1: have had in the midst of her calamity. They are
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Speaker 1: as painful to her poor soul as a crown of
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Speaker 1: thorns would be to her brows, though it were the
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Speaker 1: badge of the Empire of Denmark. And do you not, Brenda,
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Speaker 1: seek to be wiser than your father's Your sister Minna,
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Speaker 1: before she was so ill, had as much reverence for
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Speaker 1: whatever was produced in Norse as if it had been
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Speaker 1: in the Pope's bull which is all written in pure Latin.
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Speaker 1: Poor Norna, repeated Brenda. And her child was it never recovered?
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Speaker 1: What do I know of her child? Said the U Dollar,
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Speaker 1: more gruffly than before, except that she was very ill
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Speaker 1: both before and after the birth, though we kept her
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Speaker 1: as merry as we could, with pipe and harp and
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Speaker 1: so forth. The child had come before its time into
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Speaker 1: this bustling world, so it is likely it has been
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Speaker 1: long dead. But you know nothing of all these matters, Brenda.
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Speaker 1: So get along for a foolish girl, and ask no
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Speaker 1: more questions about what it does not become you to
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Speaker 1: inquire into. So saying, the U Dollar gave his sturdy
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Speaker 1: little Palfrey the spur, and cantering forward over rough and smooth,
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Speaker 1: while the pony's accuracy and firmness of step put all
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Speaker 1: difficulties of the path at secure defiance. He placed himself
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Speaker 1: soon by the side of the melancholy Minna, and permitted
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Speaker 1: her sister to have no farther share in his conversation
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Speaker 1: than as it was addressed to them jointly. She could
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Speaker 1: but comfort herself with the hope that, as Mena's disease
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Speaker 1: appeared to have its seat in the imagination, the remedies
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Speaker 1: recommended by Norna might have some chance of being effectual,
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Speaker 1: since in all probability they would be addressed to the
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Speaker 1: same faculty. Their way had hitherto held chiefly over moss,
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Speaker 1: and more varied occasionally by the necessity of making a
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Speaker 1: circuit around the heads of those long lagoons called Vose,
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Speaker 1: which ran up into and indent the country in such
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Speaker 1: a manner that though the mainland of Zeteland may be
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Speaker 1: thirty miles or more in length, there is perhaps no
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Speaker 1: part of it which is more than three miles distant
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Speaker 1: from the salt water. But they had now approached the
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Speaker 1: northwestern extremity of the Isle, and traveled along the top
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Speaker 1: of an immense ridge of rocks, which had for ages
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Speaker 1: withstood the rage of the northern Ocean and of all
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Speaker 1: the winds by which it was buffeted. At length, exclaimed
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Speaker 1: Magnus to his daughters. There is Norna's dwelling. Look up, Minna,
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Speaker 1: my love, for if this does not make you laugh,
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Speaker 1: nothing will saw you ever anything but an osprey that
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Speaker 1: would have made such a nest for herself, as that is,
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Speaker 1: by my name's sakes bones. There is not the like
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Speaker 1: of it that living thing ever dwelt in having no
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Speaker 1: wings and the use of reason, unless it chanced to
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Speaker 1: be the frauwah stack off Papa, where the King's daughter
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Speaker 1: of Norway was shut up to keep her from her lovers,
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Speaker 1: and all to little purpose. If the tale be true,
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Speaker 1: for Maidens, I would have you to want that it
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Speaker 1: is hard to keep flax. From the low end of
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Speaker 1: chapter six