Early in the morning I opened my eyes. I wasin a great room. The furniture was fine，and thewalls were decorated with leather. There were threelarge windows. In the past it had been a pleasantplace，but now dust and dirt and damp and insectscovered everything. Glass had fallen out of some ofthe windows.
The sun was shining outside，but I was cold. Iknocked and shouted. My uncle opened the door.
“Th e re is a we ll outs ide th e hous e ，”he said，“You ma y wa sh your fa ce the re ，if you wa nt.”
I washed，and went into the kitchen. UncleEbenezer had lit the fire，and was cooking porridge.
On the table there were two plates and twospoons，but only one cup of beer.
My uncle saw me looking at it .
“Will you ha ve some be e r？”he asked.
一 大早，我就醒来了。睁眼一看，卧室很宽敞。家具很精巧，四周墙上镶着皮子。房间里有三个大窗户，过去住在这儿肯定很舒服。可是现在，屋子里很潮湿，到处是灰尘、污垢和各种小虫。有几扇窗子上的玻璃也掉了。
外面阳光灿烂，可是我却感到很冷。我边敲门边喊，伯父开了门。
他说：“房子外面有一口井，你要洗脸，自己洗去吧。”
我洗了脸，走进厨房。埃比尼泽伯父已经生着了火，正在煮稀饭。
桌子上摆着两个盘子、两把勺子，但只有一杯啤酒。
伯父见我瞅着啤酒，便问道：
“你喝点啤酒吧?”
“I usua lly drink it，s ir ，”I said,“but don ’t troubleyours e lf.”
“我平时倒是喝点啤酒。不过，你别麻烦啦。”我说。
“No，no，”he said.“you sha ll ha ve some .”
He put another cup on the table，but he didnot get more beer. He poured half the beer from hisown cup into the second cup.
After breakfast，my uncle took a key andopened a drawer. He got out a clay pipe and sometobacco. He filled the pipe with tobacco，and lockedthe rest of it up again.
For some time he sat and smoked. Now andthen he asked me a question.
Once he asked：“Whe re is your mothe r？”I saidthat she was dead.
“Ah，”he said,“she wa s a pre tty girl！”
Then，after a pause，he said：“Wha t is thename of your frie n ds ？”
I told him they were Campbells，gentlemen ofa Highland family.
He thought for some minutes. Then he said：
“Da vid . my boy，I sha ll he lp you . P e rha ps I sha ll putyou into the a rmy，or ma ke yo u a minis te r of thec hurch. The Ba lfours a re a s good a s the High a ndCampbe lls . But I ne e d a little time to de cide your future. Me a nwhile ，s a y nothing to your frie nds . No le tters ，no me s s a ge s . If you do. the re ’s my door.”
“不麻烦，不麻烦，我要你喝一点。”他说。
他往桌子上又放了一个杯子，但却没有再拿啤酒，只是把自己杯子里的啤酒往第二个杯子里倒了一半。
早饭后，伯父取出一把钥匙，打开一个抽屉。他拿出一只陶制烟斗和一点烟叶，把烟斗装满以后，将剩下的烟叶又锁了起来。
他坐在那里抽了一会儿烟，偶而问我一个问题。
有一次，他问我：“你妈妈在哪儿?”我说妈妈已经死了。
他说：“啊，她长得可真漂亮！”
过了一会儿，他又问：“你的朋友都叫什么名字?”
我说牧师坎贝尔一家人都是我的朋友，他们是高地的一个高门贵族。
他寻思了一会儿之后说；“大卫，我的孩子，我会帮助你的。或者送你到军队服务，或者把你培养成牧师。咱们巴尔福家的人并不比高地的坎贝尔家族的人差。不过，决定你的前程需要一段时间。在事情没有决定之前，对你的朋友不要透露任何消息，不许写信，不许捎话。
要不，你休想呆在我这儿。”
“Unc le Ebe n e ze r，”I said,“I think you me a nwe ll，but I ha ve my prid e . If you s how me the door. Iwill go.”
He did not like this.
“Oh，”he said,“wa it a fe w da ys ，a nd I will he lpyou. But don’t te ll a nyone .”
“All right，”I said.“If you he lp me ，I s ha ll begra te ful.”
Then I told him the bed and bed clothes weredamp. I was used to a good bed.
“Is this my hous e or yours ?”he said sharply.
Then suddenly he stopped.
“No，no ，”he said,“I didn ’t me a n tha t. Mythings a re yours ，Da vid，a nd yours a re mine . Blood isthicke r th a n wa te r. The re is no one be s ide s you a ndme now，in the family.”
Then he talked about the family and its greatpast. He said his father had started ****** thehouse bigger“I s toppe d the work，”my uncle said.“Idon ’t like wa s ting mone y.”
His words made me remember Jennet Clouston’scurse. I gave him her message.
“S he is a ba d woma n！”he cried.“S he ha te sme be ca us e I drove he r out of he r c otta ge . I’ll punishhe r ！”
He opened a chest，and took out a very old but
我说：“埃比尼泽伯伯，我想你是出于好心，可我有我的自尊心。
你要是撵我走，我就走。”
他不喜欢我的态度，说：
“噢，等几天再说吧。我会帮你的忙的，不过谁也别告诉。”
我说：“好吧，你要是帮助我，我会感谢你的。”
随后我对他说我的床和被褥很潮湿。我在家里睡惯了舒适的床。
他厉声问道：“这是你的家还是我的家?”说完，他突然停住，改口道；“不，不，我不是那个意思。我的东西就是你的，大卫，你的也就是我的。亲不亲，一家人嘛。咱们家里除你和我，再没有别人了。”
接着，他扯起我们家族的事，吹嘘它过去如何显赫，并告诉我扩建这座房子是他父亲手里开始的。他说，“我把扩建工程停了下来，因为我不愿意乱花钱。”
他的话使我想起詹尼特·克劳斯顿的诅咒。我把她的话转达给了他。
他听了破门大骂道：“她是个****。我把她赶出了她的住房，所以她恨我。我要给她些厉害瞧瞧！”
他打开衣柜，取出一件很旧便
good blue coat and waistcoat，and a hat . He putthem on quickly and got a stick from the cupboard.
He locked the chest and the cupboard again andwent to the door. Then he stopped.
质地优良的蓝色上衣，一件坎肩和一顶帽子。他很快穿戴起来，又从小橱里拿出一根手杖。他锁上衣柜和小橱，朝门口走去，刚走几步，又停了下来。
“I ca n ’t le a ve you he re in the hou s e a lone ，”hesaid,“I mus t loc k you out.”
It was a great insult. I was very angry.“I amnot a thie f，s ir，”I said,“If yo u loc k me out we sha llne ve r be frie nds .”
His face was white and evil aid he was trembling，He went to the window for a minute. Then heturned and smiled at me.
“We ll，”he said,“I won’t go .”
“Unc le Ebe ne z e r，”I said,“I don ’t unde r s ta nd.
You ha te ha ving me in your h ous e . You don ’t likeme . Why d o yo u wa nt me he re ？Le t me go ba ck tomy frie nd s .”
“No ，no ，”he said,“I like you ve ry muc h. Youa re my ne phew a nd I will he lp you. Wa it a few da ys .
We sha ll be frie nds .”
“We ll，s ir，”I said,“you a re my re la tion a ndough t to h e lp me . I’ll s ta y a little time.”
他说：“我不能把你一人留在这座房子里，我得把你锁在外面。”
真是欺人太甚。我非常生气，说：“我不是小偷。你要是把我锁在外边，咱们就永远成不了朋友。”
他的脸色苍白，显出恶狠狠的样子，浑身都在发抖。他走到窗子旁边，呆了一小会儿。然后，他转身朝我微笑了一下，说：
“那么，我不走了。”
我说：“埃比尼泽伯伯，我弄不明白，你不愿意我待在你家里，也不喜欢我。那你让我在这里于什么？
让我回去找我那几位朋友吧。”
他说：“不，不，我很喜欢你，你是我的侄子，我会帮你的忙的。再等几天吧。咱们会成为朋友的。”
我说：“好吧，你是我的亲人，当然应该帮助我。我就待些日子吧。”
