登陆注册
4709100000139

第139章

"Weel," said the learnit man, whan he had h'ard a', "gien ye'll tak my advice, ye'll jist sen' an' howk up the heid, an' tak it intil the hoose wi' ye, an' lat it bide there whaur it was used sae lang to be;--do that, an' it's my opinion ye'll hear nae mair o' sic unruly gangin's on." The auld gentleman tuik the advice, kennin' no better. But it was the richt advice, for frae that moment the romour was ower, they had nae mair o' 't. They laid the heid in a decent bit box i' the cellar, an' there it remaint, weel content there to abide the day o' that jeedgment that'll set mony anither jeedgment to the richt-aboot; though what pleesur could be intil that cellar mair nor intil a hole i' the earth, is a thing no for me to say! So wi' that generation there was nae mair trouble.

"'But i' the coorse o' time cam first ane an' syne anither, wha forgot, maybe leuch at, the haill affair, an' didna believe a word o' the same. But they're but fules that gang again the experrience o' their forbeirs!--what wud ye hae but they wud beery the heid! An' what wud come o' that but an auld dismay het up again! Up gat the din, the rampaugin', the clankin', an' a', jist the same as 'afore!

But the minute that, frichtit at the consequences o' their folly, they acknowledged the property o' the ghaist in his ain heid, an' tuik it oot o' the earth an' intil the hoose again, a' was quaiet direc'ly--quaiet as hert could desire.'

"Sae that was the story!

"An' whan the lunch was ower, an' Mr. Harper was thinkin' the moment come whan they would order him to tak the heid, an' him trimlin' at the thoucht o' touchin' 't, an' lay't whaur it was--an' whaur it had sae aften been whan it had a sowl intil 't, the gentleman got up, an' says he til him, 'Be so good,' says he, 'as fetch me my hat-box from the hall.' Harper went an' got it as desired, an' the gentleman took an' unlockit it, an' roon' he turnt whaur he stood, an' up he tuik the skull frae the chimley-piece, neither as gien he lo'ed it nor feared it--as what reason had he to do either?--an' han'let it neither rouchly, nor wi' ony show o' mickle care, but intil the hat-box it gaed, willy, nilly, an' the lid shutten doon upo' 't, an' the key turnt i' the lock o' 't; an' as gien he wad mak the thing richt sure o' no bein' putten again whaur it had sic an objection to gang, up he tuik in his han' the hat-box, an' the contrairy heid i' the inside o' 't, an' awa' wi' him on his traivels, here awa' an' there awa' ower the face o' the globe: he was on his w'y to Spain, he said, at the moment; an' we saw nae mair o' him nor the heid, nor h'ard ever a soon' mair o' clankin', nor girnin', nor ony ither oonholy din.

"An' that's the trowth, mak o' 't what ye like, my leddy an' maister Grant!"

Mistress Brookes was silent, and for some time not a syllable was uttered by either listener. At last Donal spoke.

"It is a strange story, mistress Brookes," he said; "and the stranger that it would show some of the inhabitants of the other world apparently as silly after a hundred and fifty years as when first they arrived there."

"I can say naething anent that, sir," answered mistress Brookes;

"I'm no accoontable for ony inference 'at's to be drawn frae my ower true tale; an' doobtless, sir, ye ken far better nor me;--but whaur ye see sae mony folk draw oot the threid o' a lang life, an' never ae sensible thing, that they could help, done or said, what for should ye won'er gien noo an' than ane i' the ither warl' shaw himsel' siclike. Whan ye consider the heap o' folk that dees, an' hoo there maun be sae mony mair i' the ither warl' nor i' this, I confess for my pairt I won'er mair 'at we're left at peace at a', an' that they comena swarmin' aboot 's i' the nicht, like black doos. Ye'll maybe say they canna, an' ye'll maybe say they come; but sae lang as they plague me nae waur nor oor freen' upo' the tither side o' the wa', I canna say I care that mickle. But I think whiles hoo thae ghaists maun lauch at them that lauchs as gien there was nae sic craturs i' the warl'! For my pairt I naither fear them nor seek til them: I'll be ane wi' them mysel' afore lang!--only I wad sair wuss an' houp to gang in amo' better behavet anes nor them 'at gangs aboot plaguin' folk."

"You speak the best of sense, mistress Brookes," said Donal; "but I should like to understand why the poor hanged fellow should have such an objection to having his skull laid in the ground! Why had he such a fancy for his old bones? Could he be so closely associated with them that he could not get on without the plenty of fresh air they got him used to when they hung on the gallows? And why did it content him to have only his head above ground? It is bewildering!

同类推荐
  • 杏庭摘稿

    杏庭摘稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 远庵僼禅师语录

    远庵僼禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明诗别裁集

    明诗别裁集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 烈皇小识

    烈皇小识

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 居卫

    居卫

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 吹梦的巨人

    吹梦的巨人

    苏菲睡不着。月光从窗帘的缝隙间照进来,正好照在她的枕头上。孤儿院的宿舍里,别的孩子早就睡着了。只有她睡不着,闭着眼睛,躺在床上一动不动。她尽量想睡着,但就是睡不着。整座房子很安静,没有一点儿声响。窗帘的后面,窗是敞开着的,外面的马路上,既没有行人,也没有汽车开过的声音。苏菲想不到夜晚会安静成这个样子,听大人们说,巫师就是在这个时候出现的。她走下床,想把窗帘的那道缝隙合起来,于是在床边的椅子上摸她的眼镜。苏菲的眼睛不好,不戴上它,简直什么也看不见。戴好眼镜,苏菲走到窗前。
  • 全能学习系统之好好学习

    全能学习系统之好好学习

    柳鲤回到了中考前一天有了重来一次的机会。她不需要,全忘了!
  • 关系学(历代经典文丛)

    关系学(历代经典文丛)

    在与周围的人相处时,我们既要热情又要谨慎,要经常站在他们的立场上为他们考虑,尽自己的所能来满足他们的欲求。他人在得到满足之后,就会对你有所回报。同时,别人对你的奉献,也能满足你的欲求。当这种奉献与回报保持平衡的时候,就是交际双方感觉最愉快的时候,同时也是获得最大利益的时候。只有通过这种原则建立起来的社会关系才是最稳定、最牢靠的。
  • 天命弑神

    天命弑神

    龙云大陆,一个强者无数的世界,这个世界似乎隐藏着巨大的秘密.........风萧一个地球上失落的青年,意外得到了一个系统,而龙云大陆也将因风萧的到来,而发生不可预测的动荡..........
  • 做最出色的经理人

    做最出色的经理人

    初出茅庐和久经沙场的职业经理必不可少的人生和职场指南。心理学、经济学和法律,这是经理人日常工作中时常涉及的三大领域。掌握了这三大领域的知识,也就等于拥有斩荆披棘的武器。我们只想对你说:请阅读这本书,这样,武器就永远在你手上。
  • 总裁先生,宠妻无度

    总裁先生,宠妻无度

    整个江城的人都知道,苏子矜最讨厌的人是裴凉钰,没有之一,她从来只视他如蛇蝎。苏子矜十八岁之前,裴凉钰是整个江城的神话。苏子矜十八岁之后,裴凉钰是她一个人的神话。“谁说江城的神话不会败?最后还不是落在了我的手掌心?”苏子矜得意洋洋的开口。“哦?是嘛,到底是谁落在了谁的手掌心还不好说呢。”某男抬手松了松领带,长臂一揽便将她扣在怀里。
  • 明伦汇编家范典妯娌部

    明伦汇编家范典妯娌部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 1936国足在柏林奥运

    1936国足在柏林奥运

    第三卷2018陆逐虎在俄罗斯世界杯,已经同步世界杯日程开始更新啦!敬请支持!(没看过前文的读者,直接从第三卷阅读也不影响。)自1936年奥运会、2014年世界杯蜕变归来后,作为中国队队长的陆逐虎,率领青年军征战2018俄罗斯世界杯。与前两次一出场就名动天下不同,陆逐虎这次却陷入“人设崩塌”“举国唾骂”的境地,究竟他能否再率领阿森纳、中国队这两只奇葩球队绝境求生?(1936年奥运会篇章已经完美终结啦!涉及1936年各场比赛的数据及过程,依据于民国《大公报》《申报》《香港华字日报》《出席第十一届世界运动会中华代表团报告》等文献及xudn大神《国足百年》,有据可查,可放心阅读。)
  • 前海会心学步浅痕

    前海会心学步浅痕

    本书系作者的戏曲评论集。“泛论”包括《“双百”,永久的总方针》、《改革开放三十年艺术工作感受》、《再修一道文化艺术的长城——20世纪艺术现象回述》、《外来艺术的民族化和传统艺术的现代化》等。“保护论”部分,作者认为戏曲艺术是一门动态艺术,应该动态保护,并且论述了昆剧、京剧、地方新兴剧种的保护问题。“创作论”是在学习张庚、郭汉城先生关于戏曲现代化论述的基础上,分别论述了传统戏的改编、古代戏和现代戏的创作。“编剧论”“导演论”“演员论”的几组文章,也都是在学习张庚的相关论述之后,对十几位有成就、有个性的剧作家、导演、表演艺术家所做的具体论述。
  • 答长安崔少府叔封游

    答长安崔少府叔封游

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。