robert falconer-第107节

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'Who　is　your　clergyman？'



'Nobody。'



'Where　do　you　meet？'



'Nowhere。'



'What　are　your　rules；　then？'



'We　have　none。'



'What　makes　you　a　church？'



'Divine　Service。'



'What　do　you　mean　by　that？'



'The　sort　of　thing　you　have　seen　to…night。'



'What　is　your　creed？'



'Christ　Jesus。'



'But　what　do　you　believe　about　him？'



'What　we　can。　　We　count　any　belief　in　himthe　smallestbetter　than

any　belief　about　himthe　greatestor　about　anything　else　besides。

But　we　exclude　no　one。'



'How　do　you　manage　without？'



'By　admitting　no　one。'



'I　cannot　understand　you。'



'Well；　then：　we　are　an　undefined　company　of　people；　who　have　grown

into　human　relations　with　each　other　naturally；　through　one

attractive　forcelove　for　human　beings；　regarding　them　as　human

beings　only　in　virtue　of　the　divine　in　them。'



'But　you　must　have　some　rules；'　I　insisted。



'None　whatever。　　They　would　cause　us　only　trouble。　　We　have　nothing

to　take　us　from　our　work。　　Those　that　are　most　in　earnest；　draw　most

together；　those　that　are　on　the　outskirts　have　only　to　do　nothing；

and　they　are　free　of　us。　　But　we　do　sometimes　ask　people　to　help

usnot　with　money。'



'But　who　are　the　we？'



'Why　you；　if　you　will　do　anything；　and　I　and　Miss　St。　John　and

twenty　othersand　a　great　many　more　I　don't　know；　for　every　one　is

a　centre　to　others。　　It　is　our　work　that　binds　us　together。'



'Then　when　that　stops　you　drop　to　pieces。'



'Yes；　thank　God。　We　shall　then　die。　　There　will　be　no　corporate

bodywhich　means　a　bodied　body；　or　an　unsouled　body；　left　behind　to

simulate　life；　and　corrupt；　and　work　no　end　of　disease。　　We　go　to

ashes　at　once；　and　leave　no　corpse　for　a　ghoul　to　inhabit　and　make　a

vampire　of。　　When　our　spirit　is　dead；　our　body　is　vanished。'



'Then　you　won't　last　long。'



'Then　we　oughtn't　to　last　long。'



'But　the　work　of　the　world　could　not　go　on　so。'



'We　are　not　the　life　of　the　world。　　God　is。　　And　when　we　fail；　he

can　and　will　send　out　more　and　better　labourers　into　his

harvest…field。　　It　is　a　divine　accident　by　which　we　are　thus

associated。'



'But　surely　the　church　must　be　otherwise　constituted。'



'My　dear　sir；　you　forget：　I　said　we　were　a　church；　not　the　church。'



'Do　you　belong　to　the　Church　of　England？'



'Yes；　some　of　us。　　Why　should　we　not？　　In　as　much　as　she　has

faithfully　preserved　the　holy　records　and　traditions；　our

obligations　to　her　are　infinite。　　And　to　leave　her　would　be　to

quarrel；　and　start　a　thousand　vermiculate　questions；　as　Lord　Bacon

calls　them；　for　which　life　is　too　serious　in　my　eyes。　　I　have　no

time　for　that。'



'Then　you　count　the　Church　of　England　the　Church？'　'Of　England；　yes；

of　the　universe；　no：　that　is　constituted　just　like　ours；　with　the

living　working　Lord　for　the　heart　of　it。'



'Will　you　take　me　for　a　member？'



'No。'



'Will　you　not；　if？'



'You　may　make　yourself　one　if　you　will。　　I　will　not　speak　a　word　to

gain　you。　　I　have　shown　you　work。　　Do　something；　and　you　are　of

Christ's　Church。'



We　were　almost　at　the　door　of　my　lodging；　and　I　was　getting　very

weary　in　body；　and　indeed　in　mind；　though　I　hope　not　in　heart。

Before　we　separated；　I　ventured　to　say；



'Will　you　tell　me　why　you　invited　me　to　come　and　see　you？　　Forgive

my　presumption；　but　you　seemed　to　seek　acquaintance　with　me；

although　you　did　make　me　address　you　first。'



He　laughed　gently；　and　answered　in　the　words　of　the　ancient

mariner：



　　　　　'The　moment　that　his　face　I　see；

　　　　　I　know　the　man　that　must　hear　me：

　　　　　To　him　my　tale　I　teach。'



Without　another　word；　he　shook　hands　with　me；　and　left　me。　　Weary　as

I　was；　I　stood　in　the　street　until　I　could　hear　his　footsteps　no

longer。









CHAPTER　IX。



THE　BROTHERS。



One　day；　as　Falconer　sat　at　a　late　breakfast；　Shargar　burst　into　his

room。　　Falconer　had　not　even　known　that　he　was　coming　home；　for　he

had　outstripped　the　letter　he　had　sent。　　He　had　his　arm　in　a　sling；

which　accounted　for　his　leave。



'Shargar！'　cried　Falconer；　starting　up　in　delight。



'Major　Shargar；　if　you　please。　　Give　me　all　my　honours；　Robert；'

said　Moray；　presenting　his　left　hand。



'I　congratulate　you；　my　boy。　　Well；　this　is　delightful！　　But　you　are

wounded。'



'Bulletbrokenthat's　all。　　It's　nearly　right　again。　　I'll　tell

you　about　it　by　and　by。　　I　am　too　full　of　something　else　to　talk

about　trifles　of　that　sort。　　I　want　you　to　help　me。'



He　then　rushed　into　the　announcement　that　he　had　fallen　desperately

in　love　with　a　lady　who　had　come　on　board　with　her　maid　at　Malta；

where　she　had　been　spending　the　winter。　　She　was　not　very　young；

about　his　own　age；　but　very　beautiful；　and　of　enchanting　address。

How　she　could　have　remained　so　long　unmarried　he　could　not　think。

It　could　not　be　but　that　she　had　had　many　offers。　　She　was　an

heiress；　too；　but　that　Shargar　felt　to　be　a　disadvantage　for　him。

All　the　progress　he　could　yet　boast　of　was　that　his　attentions　had

not　been；　so　far　as　he　could　judge；　disagreeable　to　her。　　Robert

thought　even　less　of　the　latter　fact　than　Shargar　himself；　for　he

did　not　believe　there　were　many　women　to　whom　Shargar's　attentions

would　be　disagreeable：　they　must　always　be　simple　and　manly。　　What

was　more　to　the　point；　she　had　given　him　her　address　in　London；　and

he　was　going　to　call　upon　her　the　next　day。　　She　was　on　a　visit　to

Lady　Janet　Gordon；　an　elderly　spinster；　who　lived　in　Park…street。



'Are　you　quite　sure　she's　not　an　adventuress；　Shargar？'



'It's　o'　no　mainner　o'　use　to　tell　ye　what　I'm　sure　or　no　sure　o'；

Robert；　in　sic　a　case。　　But　I'll　manage；　somehoo；　'at　ye　sall　see

her　yersel'；　an'　syne　I'll　speir　back　yer　ain　queston　at　ye。'



'Weel；　hae　ye　tauld　her　a'　aboot　yersel'？'



'No！'　answered　Shargar；　growing　suddenly　pale。　'I　never　thocht　aboot

that。　　But　I　had　no　richt；　for　a'　that　passed；　to　intrude　mysel'

upo'　her　to　that　extent。'



'Weel；　I　reckon　ye're　richt。　　Yer　wounds　an'　yer　medals　ought　to

weigh　weel　against　a'　that。　　There's　this　comfort　in　't；　that　gin

she　bena　richt　weel　worthy　o'　ye；　auld　frien'；　she　winna　tak　ye。'



Shargar　did　not　seem　to　see　the　comfort　of　it。　　He　was　depressed　for

the　remainder　of　the　day。　　In　the　morning　he　was　in　wild　spirits

again。　　Just　before　he　started；　however；　he　said；　with　an　expression

of　tremulous　anxiety；



'Oucht　I　to　tell　her　a'　at　ancealreadyabootaboot　my　mither？'



'I　dinna　say　that。　　Maybe　it　wad　be　equally　fair　to　her　and　to

yersel'　to　lat　her　ken　ye　a　bit　better　afore　ye　do　that。We'll

think　that　ower。Whan　ye　gang　doon　the　stair；　ye'll　see　a　bit

brougham　at　the　door　waitin'　for　ye。　　Gie　the　coachman　ony　orders　ye

like。　　He's　your　servant　as　lang　's　ye're　in　London。　　Commit　yer　way

to　the　Lord；　my　boy。'



Though　Shargar　did　not　say　much；　he　felt　strengthened　by　Robert's

truth　to　meet　his　fate　with　something　of　composure。　　But　it　was　not

to　be　decided　that　day。　　Therein　lay　some　comfort。



He　returned　in　high　spirits　still。　　He　had　been　graciously　received

both　by　Miss　Hamilton　and　her　hostessa　kind…hearted　old　lady；　who

spoke　Scotch　with　the　pure　tone　of　a　gentlewoman；　he　saida　treat

not　to　be　had　once　in　a　twelvemonth。　　She　had　asked　him　to　go　to

dinner　in　the　evening；　and　to　bring　his　friend　with　him。　　Robert；

however；　begged　him　to　make　his　excuse；　as　he　had　an　engagement

ina　very　different　sort　of　place。



When　Shargar　returned；　Robert　had　not　come　in。　　He　was　too　excited

to　go　to　bed；　and　waited　for　him。　　It　was　two　o'clock　before　he　came

home。　　Shargar　told　him　there　was　to　be　a　large　party　at　Lady

Patterdale's　the　next　evening　but　one；　and　Lady　Janet　had　promised

to　procure　him　an　invitation。



The　next　morning　Robert　went　to　see　Mary　St。　John；　and　asked　if　she

knew　anything　of　Lady　Patterdale；　and　whether　she　could　get　him　an

invitation。　　Miss　St。　John　did　not　know　her；　but　she　thought　she

could　manage　it　for　him。　　He　told　her　all　about　Shargar；　for　whose

sake　he　wished　to　see　Miss　Hamilton　before　consenting　to　be

introduced　to　her。　　Miss　St。　John　set　out　at　once；　and　Falconer

received　a　card　the　next　day。　　When　the　evening　came；　he　allowed

Shargar　to　set　out　alone　in　his　brougham；　and　followed　an　hour　later

in　a　hansom。



When　he　reached　the　house；　the　rooms　were　tolerably　filled；　and　as

several　parties　had　arrived　just　before　him；　he　managed　to　enter

without　being　announced。　　After　a　little　while　he　caught　sight　of

Shargar。　　He　stood　alone；　almost　in　a　corner；　with　a　strange；　rather

raised　expression　in　his　eyes。　　Falconer　could　not　see　the　object　to

which　they　were　directed。　　Certainly；　their　look　was　not　that　of

love。　　He　made　his　way　up　to　him　and　laid　his　hand　on　his　arm。

Shargar　betrayed　no　little　astonishment　when　he　saw　him。



'You　here；　Robert！'　he　said。



'Yes；　I'm　here。　　Have　you　seen　her　yet？　　Is　she　here？'



'Wha　do　ye　think