robert falconer-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　garret。　　Ye'll　hae　to　grow；　Robert；　my　man；　afore　ye　fill　that。'



'And　whase　was　that　blue　coat　wi'　the　bonny　gowd　buttons　upo'　't？'

asked　Robert；　who　thought　he　had　discovered　a　new　approach　to　an

impregnable　hold；　which　he　would　gladly　storm　if　he　could。



'Lat　the　coat　sit。　　What　has　that　to　do　wi'　the　kilt？　　A　blue　coat

and　a　tartan　kilt　gang　na　weel　thegither。'



'Excep'　in　an　auld　press　whaur　naebody　sees　them。　　Ye　wadna　care；

grannie；　wad　ye；　gin　I　was　to　cut　aff　the　bonnie　buttons？'



'Dinna　lay　a　finger　upo'　them。　　Ye　wad　be　gaein'　playin'　at　pitch

and　toss　or　ither　sic　ploys　wi'　them。　　Na；　na；　lat　them　sit。'



'I　wad　only　niffer　them　for　bools　（exchange　them　for　marbles）。'



'I　daur　ye　to　touch　the　coat　or　onything　'ither　that's　i'　that

press。'



'Weel；　weel；　grannie。　　I　s'　gang　and　get　my　lessons　for　the　morn。'



'It's　time；　laddie。　　Ye　hae　been　jabberin'　ower　muckle。　　Tell　Betty

to　come　and　tak'　awa'　the　tay…things。'



Robert　went　to　the　kitchen；　got　a　couple　of　hot　potatoes　and　a

candle；　and　carried　them　up…stairs　to　Shargar；　who　was　fast　asleep。

But　the　moment　the　light　shone　upon　his　face；　he　started　up；　with

his　eyes；　if　not　his　senses；　wide　awake。



'It　wasna　me；　mither！　　I　tell　ye　it　wasna　me！'



And　he　covered　his　head　with　both　arms；　as　if　to　defend　it　from　a

shower　of　blows。



'Haud　yer　tongue；　Shargar。　　It's　me。'



But　before　Shargar　could　come　to　his　senses；　the　light　of　the　candle

falling　upon　the　blue　coat　made　the　buttons　flash　confused

suspicions　into　his　mind。



'Mither；　mither；'　he　said；　'ye　hae　gane　ower　far　this　time。　　There's

ower　mony　o'　them；　and　they're　no　the　safe　colour。　　We'll　be　baith

hangt；　as　sure's　there's　a　deevil　in　hell。'



As　he　said　thus；　he　went　on　trying　to　pick　the　buttons　from　the

coat；　taking　them　for　sovereigns；　though　how　he　could　have　seen　a

sovereign　at　that　time　in　Scotland　I　can　only　conjecture。　　But

Robert　caught　him　by　the　shoulders；　and　shook　him　awake　with　no

gentle　hands；　upon　which　he　began　to　rub　his　eyes；　and　mutter

sleepily：



'Is　that　you；　Bob？　　I　hae　been　dreamin'；　I　doobt。'



'Gin　ye　dinna　learn　to　dream　quaieter；　ye'll　get　you　and　me　tu　into

mair　trouble　nor　I　care　to　hae　aboot　ye；　ye　rascal。　　Haud　the　tongue

o'　ye；　and　eat　this　tawtie；　gin　ye　want　onything　mair。　　And　here's　a

bit　o'　reamy　cakes　tu　ye。　　Ye　winna　get　that　in　ilka　hoose　i'　the

toon。　　It's　my　grannie's　especial。'



Robert　felt　relieved　after　this；　for　he　had　eaten　all　the　cakes　Miss

Napier　had　given　him；　and　had　had　a　pain　in　his　conscience　ever

since。



'Hoo　got　ye　a　haud　o'　't？'　asked　Shargar；　evidently　supposing　he　had

stolen　it。



'She　gies　me　a　bit　noo　and　than。'



'And　ye　didna　eat　it　yersel'？　　Eh；　Bob！'



Shargar　was　somewhat　overpowered　at　this　fresh　proof　of　Robert's

friendship。　　But　Robert　was　still　more　ashamed　of　what　he　had　not

done。



He　took　the　blue　coat　carefully　from　the　bed；　and　hung　it　in　its

place　again；　satisfied　now；　from　the　way　his　grannie　had　spoken；　or；

rather；　declined　to　speak；　about　it；　that　it　had　belonged　to　his

father。



'Am　I　to　rise？'　asked　Shargar；　not　understanding　the　action。



'Na；　na；　lie　still。　　Ye'll　be　warm　eneuch　wantin'　thae　sovereigns。

I'll　lat　ye　oot　i'　the　mornin'　afore　grannie's　up。　　And　ye　maun

mak'　the　best　o't　efter　that　till　it's　dark　again。　　We'll　sattle　a'

aboot　it　at　the　schuil　the　morn。　　Only　we　maun　be　circumspec'；　ye

ken。'



'Ye　cudna　lay　yer　han's　upo'　a　drap　o'　whusky；　cud　ye；　Bob？'



Robert　stared　in　horror。　　A　boy　like　that　asking　for　whisky！　and　in

his　grandmother's　house；　too！



'Shargar；'　he　said　solemnly；　'there's　no　a　drap　o'　whusky　i'　this

hoose。　　It's　awfu'　to　hear　ye　mention　sic　a　thing。　　My　grannie　wad

smell　the　verra　name　o'　't　a　mile　awa'。　　I　doobt　that's　her　fit　upo'

the　stair　a'ready。'



Robert　crept　to　the　door；　and　Shargar　sat　staring　with　horror；　his

eyes　looking　from　the　gloom　of　the　bed　like　those　of　a

half…strangled　dog。　　But　it　was　a　false　alarm；　as　Robert　presently

returned　to　announce。



'Gin　ever　ye　sae　muckle　as　mention　whusky　again；　no　to　say　drink　ae

drap　o'　't；　you　and　me　pairt　company；　and　that　I　tell　you；　Shargar；'

said　he；　emphatically。



'I'll　never　luik　at　it；　I'll　never　mint　at　dreamin'　o'　't；'　answered

Shargar；　coweringly。　'Gin　she　pits　't　intil　my　moo'；　I'll　spit　it

oot。　　But　gin　ye　strive　wi'　me；　Bob；　I'll　cut　my　throatI　will；　an'

that'll　be　seen　and　heard　tell　o'。'



All　this　time；　save　during　the　alarm　of　Mrs。　Falconer's　approach；

when　he　sat　with　a　mouthful　of　hot　potato；　unable　to　move　his　jaws

for　terror；　and　the　remnant　arrested　half…way　in　its　progress　from

his　mouth　after　the　biteall　this　time　Shargar　had　been　devouring

the　provisions　Robert　had　brought　him；　as　if　he　had　not　seen　food

that　day。　　As　soon　as　they　were　finished；　he　begged　for　a　drink　of

water；　which　Robert　managed　to　procure　for　him。　　He　then　left　him

for　the　night；　for　his　longer　absence　might　have　brought　his

grandmother　after　him；　who　had　perhaps　only　too　good　reasons　for

being　doubtful；　if　not　suspicious；　about　boys　in　general；　though

certainly　not　about　Robert　in　particular。　　He　carried　with　him　his

books　from　the　other　garret…room　where　he　kept　them；　and　sat　down　at

the　table　by　his　grandmother；　preparing　his　Latin　and　geography　by

her　lamp；　while　she　sat　knitting　a　white　stocking　with　fingers　as

rapid　as　thought；　never　looking　at　her　work；　but　staring　into　the

fire；　and　seeing　visions　there　which　Robert　would　have　given

everything　he　could　call　his　own　to　see；　and　then　would　have　given

his　life　to　blot　out　of　the　world　if　he　had　seen　them。　　Quietly　the

evening　passed；　by　the　peaceful　lamp　and　the　cheerful　fire；　with　the

Latin　on　the　one　side　of　the　table；　and　the　stocking　on　the　other；

as　if　ripe　and　purified　old　age　and　hopeful　unstained　youth　had　been

the　only　extremes　of　humanity　known　to　the　world。　　But　the　bitter

wind　was　howling　by　fits　in　the　chimney；　and　the　offspring　of　a

nobleman　and　a　gipsy　lay　asleep　in　the　garret；　covered　with　the

cloak　of　an　old　Highland　rebel。



At　nine　o'clock；　Mrs。　Falconer　rang　the　bell　for　Betty；　and　they　had

worship。　　Robert　read　a　chapter；　and　his　grandmother　prayed　an

extempore　prayer；　in　which　they　that　looked　at　the　wine　when　it　was

red　in　the　cup；　and　they　that　worshipped　the　woman　clothed　in

scarlet　and　seated　upon　the　seven　hills；　came　in　for　a　strange

mixture；　in　which　the　vengeance　yielded　only　to　the　pity。



'Lord；　lead　them　to　see　the　error　of　their　ways；'　she　cried。　'Let

the　rod　of　thy　wrath　awake　the　worm　of　their　conscience　that　they

may　know　verily　that　there　is　a　God　that　ruleth　in　the　earth。　　Dinna

lat　them　gang　to　hell；　O　Lord；　we　beseech　thee。'



As　soon　as　prayers　were　over；　Robert　had　a　tumbler　of　milk　and　some

more　oat…cake；　and　was　sent　to　bed；　after　which　it　was　impossible

for　him　to　hold　any　further　communication　with　Shargar。　　For　his

grandmother；　little　as　one　might　suspect　it　who　entered　the　parlour

in　the　daytime；　always　slept　in　that　same　room；　in　a　bed　closed　in

with　doors　like　those　of　a　large　press　in　the　wall；　while　Robert

slept　in　a　little　closet；　looking　into　a　garden　at　the　back　of　the

house；　the　door　of　which　opened　from　the　parlour　close　to　the　head

of　his　grandmother's　bed。　　It　was　just　large　enough　to　hold　a

good…sized　bed　with　curtains；　a　chest　of　drawers；　a　bureau；　a　large

eight…day　clock；　and　one　chair；　leaving　in　the　centre　about　five

feet　square　for　him　to　move　about　in。　　There　was　more　room　as　well

as　more　comfort　in　the　bed。　　He　was　never　allowed　a　candle；　for

light　enough　came　through　from　the　parlour；　his　grandmother　thought；

so　he　was　soon　extended　between　the　whitest　of　cold　sheets；　with　his

knees　up　to　his　chin；　and　his　thoughts　following　his　lost　father

over　all　spaces　of　the　earth　with　which　his　geography…book　had　made

him　acquainted。



He　was　in　the　habit　of　leaving　his　closet　and　creeping　through　his

grandmother's　room　before　she　was　awakeor　at　least　before　she　had

given　any　signs　to　the　small　household　that　she　was　restored　to

consciousness；　and　that　the　life　of　the　house　must　proceed。　　He

therefore　found　no　difficulty　in　liberating　Shargar　from　his　prison；

except　what　arose　from　the　boy's　own　unwillingness　to　forsake　his

comfortable　quarters　for　the　fierce　encounter　of　the　January　blast

which　awaited　him。　　But　Robert　did　not　turn　him　out　before　the　last

moment　of　safety　had　arrived；　for；　by　the　aid　of　signs　known　to

himself；　he　watched　the　progress　of　his　grandmother's　dressingan

operation　which　did　not　consume　much　of　the　morning；　scrupulous　as

she　was　with　regard　to　neatness　and　cleanlinessuntil　Betty　was

called　in　to　give　her　careful　assistance　to　the　final　disposition　of

the　mutch；　when　Shargar's　exit　could　be　delayed　no　longer。　　Then　he

mounted　to　the　foot　of　the　second　stair；　and　called　in　a　keen

whisper；



'Noo