登陆注册
5143100000003

第3章 I SET OFF UPON MY JOURNEY TO THE HOUSE OF SHAWS(1)

I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June,the year of grace 1751,when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father's house.

The sun began to shine upon the summit of the hills as I went down the road;and by the time I had come as far as the manse,the blackbirds were whistling in the garden lilacs,and the mist that hung around the valley in the time of the dawn was beginning to arise and die away.

Mr.Campbell,the minister of Essendean,was waiting for me by the garden gate,good man!He asked me if I had breakfasted;and hearing that I lacked for nothing,he took my hand in both of his and clapped it kindly under his arm.

"Well,Davie,lad,"said he,"I will go with you as far as the ford,to set you on the way."And we began to walk forward in silence.

"Are ye sorry to leave Essendean?"said he,after awhile.

"Why,sir,"said I,"if I knew where I was going,or what was likely to become of me,I would tell you candidly.Essendean is a good place indeed,and I have been very happy there;but then Ihave never been anywhere else.My father and mother,since they are both dead,I shall be no nearer to in Essendean than in the Kingdom of Hungary,and,to speak truth,if I thought I had a chance to better myself where I was going I would go with a good will.""Ay?"said Mr.Campbell."Very well,Davie.Then it behoves me to tell your fortune;or so far as I may.When your mother was gone,and your father (the worthy,Christian man)began to sicken for his end,he gave me in charge a certain letter,which he said was your inheritance.'So soon,'says he,'as I am gone,and the house is redd up and the gear disposed of'(all which,Davie,hath been done),'give my boy this letter into his hand,and start him off to the house of Shaws,not far from Cramond.That is the place I came from,'he said,'and it's where it befits that my boy should return.He is a steady lad,'your father said,'and a canny goer;and I doubt not he will come safe,and be well lived where he goes.'""The house of Shaws!"I cried."What had my poor father to do with the house of Shaws?""Nay,"said Mr.Campbell,"who can tell that for a surety?But the name of that family,Davie,boy,is the name you bear --Balfours of Shaws:an ancient,honest,reputable house,peradventure in these latter days decayed.Your father,too,was a man of learning as befitted his position;no man more plausibly conducted school;nor had he the manner or the speech of a common dominie;but (as ye will yourself remember)I took aye a pleasure to have him to the manse to meet the gentry;and those of my own house,Campbell of Kilrennet,Campbell of Dunswire,Campbell of Minch,and others,all well-kenned gentlemen,had pleasure in his society.Lastly,to put all the elements of this affair before you,here is the testamentary letter itself,superscrived by the own hand of our departed brother."He gave me the letter,which was addressed in these words:"To the hands of Ebenezer Balfour,Esquire,of Shaws,in his house of Shaws,these will be delivered by my son,David Balfour."My heart was beating hard at this great prospect now suddenly opening before a lad of seventeen years of age,the son of a poor country dominie in the Forest of Ettrick.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 清史

    清史

    “蔡东藩中华史”系列是蔡东藩所著历史演义的白话版,全书浩浩一千余回,写尽几度春秋,上起秦始皇,下至1920年,共记述了2166年的历史,共计11部1040回,约609万字。其内容跨越时间之长、人物之众、篇制之巨,堪称历史演义之最。被人誉为“一代史家,千秋神笔”。在史料的选择和运用上,蔡东藩以“正史”为主,兼采稗史、轶闻,他自称所编历史演义,“以正史为经,务求确凿;以逸闻为纬,不尚虚诬”,对稗史、逸闻等史料的使用极为谨慎,往往要“几经考证”。在体裁上突出“义以载事,即以道情”的特点,并且自写正文,自写批注,自写评述。
  • 服务决定一切

    服务决定一切

    服务决定成败,服务创造价值。一个没有服务观念,不提供优质服务的企业,必将被同行远远地甩在后面;而一个以服务为经营理念,以服务赢得顾客的企业,必然会遥遥领先于同行。服务决定一切!
  • 不乖,哈佛导师的自我突破心理学

    不乖,哈佛导师的自我突破心理学

    从小,被大人教导的我们都深信:“乖巧”就有理,“听从”便无罪。长大以后恍然发现,童年时期关于被表扬的经历,居然都只与满足了大人的期待有关——而不是你本来就很好。一直在压抑真实的自己,灵魂深处的不安感要如何摆脱?哈佛心理导师加藤谛三在本书中深层剖析了“乖孩子”在长大以后自我认同度低、迷茫、委曲求全、不敢走出舒适区等种种负面心理背后的深层心理成因,追溯到童年成长过程中抽丝剥茧,分析了家庭环境、父母的态度对成年后的你心理所造成的影响,提出了找回自信、实现自我价值的处世智慧,鼓励读者摆脱父母和他人的期待,接受不完美却真实的自己,喜欢上自己,勇敢追求自己所向往的生活。
  • 桂花树

    桂花树

    李东文, 70后。1999年开始学习写作,以小说及情感专栏为主,曾在《天涯》《长城》《十月》《西湖》《长江文艺》等杂志发表小说,作品多次被《小说选刊》《中篇小说选刊》《读者》等转载。
  • 怪物:怪物的最大秘密(青少年科学探索营)

    怪物:怪物的最大秘密(青少年科学探索营)

    本书介绍了好吃懒做的海上盗贼、美丽的海洋之花、出没在喀纳斯湖的怪兽、相约投海自尽的旅鼠、世界上最大的珍珠贝、千古罕见的人腿鱼怪、奇异的双头蛇、蛇中之怪、蝙蝠孩之谜、使人起死回生的圣泉、会滴圣水的石棺等内容。
  • 佛说大悲空智金刚大教王仪轨经

    佛说大悲空智金刚大教王仪轨经

    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。
  • 妖孽王子:娇宠甜心俏丫头

    妖孽王子:娇宠甜心俏丫头

    执笔抒写属于我们的青春,他是著名的校园王子帅气多金,她是无名校草,一场误会让它们从此以后纠缠一生,我是来找你理论的,不是想要找你这个花花公子来聊天的。可恶!今日之仇我一定会报的。不报此仇本小姐的的名字就倒写过来。果然皇天不负有心人,三年后的今天。终于让我等到了……
  • 继子总裁

    继子总裁

    人生最悲惨的一件事情是什么?那就是一夜风流之后被人捉奸在床,而且捉奸的那个人就是将要和她步入婚姻殿堂的新郎;人生最悲惨的且让她有死的冲动是什么?那就是和她滚了一夜的男人居然是要和她结婚的男人的儿子——她的继子…面对勾引继母的罪名,男人张狂地说:我帮老头试试好不好用。Mygod,杀人不犯法的话,她一定会让他死去活来成千上万次的。既然是他认为的拜金女,那她就好好拜金一次让他悔不当初…但这个该死的男人狂妄得很,居然一次又一次勾引她这个还是青春美少女的继母…一次又一次地给她羞辱和难堪…若不是为了那块宝石,说什么她都不干了…看到这个男人欠扁的脸孔她一次又一次发誓,有朝一日她苏沫雪咸鱼翻身,一定会让这个该死的男人死的既悲惨又难看,让阎王都不敢收留他…片段一:男人不动声色地看着坐在他对面脸色惨白的小女人,邪魅地勾起薄唇,淡淡地开口:“你能确定你肚子里的孽子不是尔瑞或是尔其的?”“安尔凡……”苏沫雪咬唇,将惨白的唇咬出血珠出来,眼中闪着委屈的泪花,“我只有和你在一起过的,你明明知道……”“我什么都不知道。”安尔凡打断苏沫雪的话,从高级的皮夹里拿出一张白金卡扔给苏沫雪,面无表情地说道:“这里有五十万块钱,足够你打掉孩子了。”“什么?”苏沫雪震惊地望着安尔凡。他居然叫她打掉孩子,这个孩子流的血可是他的啊……片段二:病床上躺着脸色惨白的苏沫雪,整个人如植物人一般,一动不动,而床旁边的男人却暴怒地低吼着:“苏沫雪,你这个该死的女人,我不准你死,你敢不听我的话?我叫你醒来,听到了没有?快点醒来,否则我一定会让你死无葬身之地的,你听到了没,苏沫雪。”男人虽然低吼着,可眼中却闪着三十年来第一次出现的泪花。这个小女人居然敢不听他的话,就这样离开他了。该死的,他就是死也不会放过她的…….【潼言潼语】小潼的书友群:60686560(已满)潼窝:86104110(未满)欢迎亲们加入,小潼定会为大家竭力奉献精彩内容~~【推荐区】推荐小潼自己的作品:——《晚情》——《一朝为妃》——《夫人未成年》——《苏小小之妃错》——《流水落花情也去》——《我的相公是龙太子》【半价书区】:——《做我皇妃》(2.48元)——《脑残王妃》(1.81元)【友情链接】:——任逍遥《溺情》——烂番茄《医狂》——瑜玥《皇帝弃了种》
  • 戒爱

    戒爱

    我在你的掌心,刻下一个轮回的梦,往事成空,生生世世重重。阿雅到新学校的第一天,就遇上了很拽的校草楚尧,世界上就有一见钟情的故事,可是现实中的爱情往往不会太完美,在那所学校,还有阿雅同父异母的妹妹林龄,当年父亲抛弃阿雅出走,就是为了林龄。在和林龄成为好朋友的同时,阿雅也在一步步报复着......
  • 天下一家:网络联通世界(科学新导向丛书)

    天下一家:网络联通世界(科学新导向丛书)

    《天下一家:网络联通世界》一书从网络的基本知识出发,详细地介绍了网络科技的发展与用途,还包括校园网络对普及教育的重大作用。本书内容翔实、结构清晰、图文并茂,是一本实用性极强的网上冲浪参考书。