robert falconer-第13节

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hae　dune　weel　eneuch　gin　they　wad　only　hae　latten　him　be。　　What　for

maun　men　be　aye　drink…drinkin'　at　something　or　ither？　　I　never　want

it。　　Eh！　gin　I　war　as　young　as　whan　he　was　born；　I　wad　be　up　an'

awa'　this　verra　nicht　to　luik　for　him。　　But　it's　no　use　me　tryin'

't。　　O　God！　ance　mair　I　pray　thee　to　turn　him　frae　the　error　o'　's

ways　afore　he　goes　hence　an'　isna　more。　　And　O　dinna　lat　Robert　gang

efter　him；　as　he's　like　eneuch　to　do。　　Gie　me　grace　to　haud　him

ticht；　that　he　may　be　to　the　praise　o'　thy　glory　for　ever　an'　ever。

Amen。'



Whether　it　was　that　the　weary　woman　here　fell　asleep；　or　that　she

was　too　exhausted　for　further　speech；　Robert　heard　no　more；　though

he　remained　there　frozen　with　horror　for　some　minutes　after　his

grandmother　had　ceased。　　This；　then；　was　the　reason　why　she　would

never　speak　about　his　father！　　She　kept　all　her　thoughts　about　him

for　the　silence　of　the　night；　and　loneliness　with　the　God　who　never

sleeps；　but　watches　the　wicked　all　through　the　dark。　　And　his　father

was　one　of　the　wicked！　　And　God　was　against　him！　　And　when　he　died

he　would　go　to　hell！　　But　he　was　not　dead　yet：　Robert　was　sure　of

that。　　And　when　he　grew　a　man；　he　would　go　and　seek　him；　and　beg　him

on　his　knees　to　repent　and　come　back　to　God；　who　would　forgive　him

then；　and　take　him　to　heaven　when　he　died。　　And　there　he　would　be

good；　and　good　people　would　love　him。



Something　like　this　passed　through　the　boy's　mind　ere　he　moved　to

creep　from　the　room；　for　his　was　one　of　those　natures　which　are

active　in　the　generation　of　hope。　　He　had　almost　forgotten　what　he

came　there　for；　and　had　it　not　been　that　he　had　promised　Shargar；　he

would　have　crept　back　to　his　bed　and　left　him　to　bear　his　hunger　as

best　he　could。　　But　now；　first　his　right　hand；　then　his　left　knee；

like　any　other　quadruped；　he　crawled　to　the　door；　rose　only　to　his

knees　to　open　it；　took　almost　a　minute　to　the　operation；　then

dropped　and　crawled　again；　till　he　had　passed　out；　turned；　and　drawn

the　door　to；　leaving　it　slightly　ajar。　　Then　it　struck　him　awfully

that　the　same　terrible　passage　must　be　gone　through　again。　　But　he

rose　to　his　feet；　for　he　had　no　shoes　on；　and　there　was　little

danger　of　making　any　noise；　although　it　was　pitch　darkhe　knew　the

house　so　well。　　With　gathering　courage；　he　felt　his　way　to　the

kitchen；　and　there　groped　about；　but　he　could　find　nothing　beyond　a

few　quarters　of　oat…cake；　which；　with　a　mug　of　water；　he　proceeded

to　carry　up　to　Shargar　in　the　garret。



When　he　reached　the　kitchen　door；　he　was　struck　with　amazement　and

for　a　moment　with　fresh　fear。　　A　light　was　shining　into　the　transe

from　the　stair　which　went　up　at　right　angles　from　the　end　of　it。　　He

knew　it　could　not　be　grannie；　and　he　heard　Betty　snoring　in　her　own

den；　which　opened　from　the　kitchen。　　He　thought　it　must　be　Shargar

who　had　grown　impatient；　but　how　he　had　got　hold　of　a　light　he　could

not　think。　　As　soon　as　he　turned　the　corner；　however；　the　doubt　was

changed　into　mystery。　　At　the　top　of　the　broad　low　stair　stood　a

woman…form　with　a　candle　in　her　hand；　gazing　about　her　as　if

wondering　which　way　to　go。　　The　light　fell　full　upon　her　face；　the

beauty　of　which　was　such　that；　with　her　dress；　which　was

whitebeing；　in　fact；　a　nightgownand　her　hair；　which　was　hanging

loose　about　her　shoulders　and　down　to　her　waist；　it　led　Robert　at

once　to　the　conclusion　（his　reasoning　faculties　already　shaken　by

the　events　of　the　night）　that　she　was　an　angel　come　down　to　comfort

his　grannie；　and　he　kneeled　involuntarily　at　the　foot　of　the　stair；

and　gazed　up　at　her；　with　the　cakes　in　one　hand；　and　the　mug　of

water　in　the　other；　like　a　meat…and…drink　offering。　　Whether　he　had

closed　his　eyes　or　bowed　his　head；　he　could　not　say；　but　he　became

suddenly　aware　that　the　angel　had　vanishedhe　knew　not　when；　how；

or　whither。　　This　for　a　time　confirmed　his　assurance　that　it　was　an

angel。　　And　although　he　was　undeceived　before　long；　the　impression

made　upon　him　that　night　was　never　effaced。　　But；　indeed；　whatever

Falconer　heard　or　saw　was　something　more　to　him　than　it　would　have

been　to　anybody　else。



Elated；　though　awed；　by　the　vision；　he　felt　his　way　up　the　stair　in

the　new　darkness；　as　if　walking　in　a　holy　dream；　trod　as　if　upon

sacred　ground　as　he　crossed　the　landing　where　the　angel　had

stoodwent　up　and　up；　and　found　Shargar　wide　awake　with　expectant

hunger。　　He；　too；　had　caught　a　glimmer　of　the　light。　　But　Robert　did

not　tell　him　what　he　had　seen。　　That　was　too　sacred　a　subject　to

enter　upon　with　Shargar；　and　he　was　intent　enough　upon　his　supper

not　to　be　inquisitive。



Robert　left　him　to　finish　it　at　his　leisure；　and　returned　to　cross

his　grandmother's　room　once　more；　half　expecting　to　find　the　angel

standing　by　her　bedside。　　But　all　was　dark　and　still。　　Creeping　back

as　he　had　come；　he　heard　her　quiet；　though　deep；　breathing；　and　his

mind　was　at　ease　about　her　for　the　night。　　What　if　the　angel　he　had

surprised　had　only　come　to　appear　to　grannie　in　her　sleep？　　Why　not？

There　were　such　stories　in　the　Bible；　and　grannie　was　certainly　as

good　as　some　of　the　people　in　the　Bible　that　saw　angelsSarah；　for

instance。　　And　if　the　angels　came　to　see　grannie；　why　should　they

not　have　some　care　over　his　father　as　well？　　It　might　bewho　could

tell？



It　is　perhaps　necessary　to　explain　Robert's　vision。　　The　angel　was

the　owner　of　the　boxes　he　had　seen　at　The　Bear's　Head。　Looking

around　her　room　before　going　to　bed；　she　had　seen　a　trap　in　the

floor　near　the　wall；　and　raising　it；　had　discovered　a　few　steps　of　a

stair　leading　down　to　a　door。　　Curiosity　naturally　led　her　to

examine　it。　　The　key　was　in　the　lock。　　It　opened　outwards；　and　there

she　found　herself；　to　her　surprise；　in　the　heart　of　another

dwelling；　of　lowlier　aspect。　　She　never　saw　Robert；　for　while　he

approached　with　shoeless　feet；　she　had　been　glancing　through　the

open　door　of　the　gable…room；　and　when　he　knelt；　the　light　which　she

held　in　her　hand　had；　I　presume；　hidden　him　from　her。　　He；　on　his

part；　had　not　observed　that　the　moveless　door　stood　open　at　last。



I　have　already　said　that　the　house　adjoining　had　been　built　by

Robert's　father。　　The　lady's　room　was　that　which　he　had　occupied

with　his　wife；　and　in　it　Robert　had　been　born。　　The　door；　with　its

trap…stair；　was　a　natural　invention　for　uniting　the　levels　of　the

two　houses；　and　a　desirable　one　in　not　a　few　of　the　forms　which　the

weather　assumed　in　that　region。　　When　the　larger　house　passed　into

other　hands；　it　had　never　entered　the　minds　of　the　simple　people　who

occupied　the　contiguous　dwellings；　to　build　up　the　doorway　between。









CHAPTER　IX。



A　DISCOVERY。



The　friendship　of　Robert　had　gained　Shargar　the　favourable　notice　of

others　of　the　school…public。　　These　were　chiefly　of　those　who　came

from　the　country；　ready　to　follow　an　example　set　them　by　a　town　boy。

When　his　desertion　was　known；　moved　both　by　their　compassion　for

him；　and　their　respect　for　Robert；　they　began　to　give　him　some

portion　of　the　dinner　they　brought　with　them；　and　never　in　his　life

had　Shargar　fared　so　well　as　for　the　first　week　after　he　had　been

cast　upon　the　world。　　But　in　proportion　as　their　interest　faded　with

the　novelty；　so　their　appetites　reasserted　former　claims　of　use　and

wont；　and　Shargar　began　once　more　to　feel　the　pangs　of　hunger。　　For

all　that　Robert　could　manage　to　procure　for　him　without　attracting

the　attention　he　was　so　anxious　to　avoid；　was　little　more　than

sufficient　to　keep　his　hunger　alive；　Shargar　being　gifted　with　a

great　appetite；　and　Robert　having　no　allowance　of　pocket…money　from

his　grandmother。　　The　threepence　he　had　been　able　to　spend　on　him

were　what　remained　of　sixpence　Mr。　Innes　had　given　him　for　an

exercise　which　he　wrote　in　blank　verse　instead　of　in　prosean

achievement　of　which　the　school…master　was　proud；　both　from　his

reverence　for　Milton；　and　from　his　inability　to　compose　a　metrical

line　himself。　　And　how　and　when　he　should　ever　possess　another　penny

was　even　unimaginable。　　Shargar's　shilling　was　likewise　spent。　　So

Robert　could　but　go　on　pocketing　instead　of　eating　all　that　he

dared；　watching　anxiously　for　opportunity　of　evading　the　eyes　of　his

grandmother。　　On　her　dimness　of　sight；　however；　he　depended　too

confidently　after　all；　for　either　she　was　not　so　blind　as　he　thought

she　was；　or　she　made　up　for　the　defect　of　her　vision　by　the　keenness

of　her　observation。　　She　saw　enough　to　cause　her　considerable

annoyance；　though　it　suggested　nothing　inconsistent　with　rectitude

on　the　part　of　the　boy；　further　than　that　there　was　something

underhand　going　on。　　One　supposition　after　another　arose　in　the　old

lady's　brain；　and　one　after　another　was　dismissed　as　improbable。

First；　she　tried　to　persuade　herself　that　he　wanted　to　take　the

provisions　to　school　with　him；　and　eat　them　therea　proceeding　of

which　she　certainly　did　not　approve；　but　for　the　reproof　of　which

she　was