robert falconer-第14节

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

she　was　unwilling　to　betray　the　loopholes　of　her　eyes。　　Next　she

concluded；　for　half　a　day；　that　he　must　have　a　pair　of　rabbits

hidden　away　in　some　nook　or　otherpossibly　in　the　little　strip　of

garden　belonging　to　the　house。　　And　so　conjecture　followed

conjecture　for　a　whole　week；　during　which；　strange　to　say；　not　even

Betty　knew　that　Shargar　slept　in　the　house。　　For　so　careful　and

watchful　were　the　two　boys；　that　although　she　could　not　help

suspecting　something　from　the　expression　and　behaviour　of　Robert；

what　that　something　might　be　she　could　not　imagine；　nor　had　she　and

her　mistress　as　yet　exchanged　confidences　on　the　subject。　　Her

observation　coincided　with　that　of　her　mistress　as　to　the

disappearance　of　odds　and　ends　of　eatablespotatoes；　cold　porridge；

bits　of　oat…cake；　and　even；　on　one　occasion；　when　Shargar　happened

to　be　especially　ravenous；　a　yellow；　or　cured　and　half…dried；

haddock；　which　the　lad　devoured　raw；　vanished　from　her　domain。　　He

went　to　school　in　the　morning　smelling　so　strong　in　consequence；

that　they　told　him　he　must　have　been　passing　the　night　in　Scroggie's

cart；　and　not　on　his　horse's　back　this　time。



The　boys　kept　their　secret　well。



One　evening；　towards　the　end　of　the　week；　Robert；　after　seeing

Shargar　disposed　of　for　the　night；　proceeded　to　carry　out　a　project

which　had　grown　in　his　brain　within　the　last　two　days　in　consequence

of　an　occurrence　with　which　his　relation　to　Shargar　had　had

something　to　do。　　It　was　this：



The　housing　of　Shargar　in　the　garret　had　led　Robert　to　make　a　close

acquaintance　with　the　place。　　He　was　familiar　with　all　the　outs　and

ins　of　the　little　room　which　he　considered　his　own；　for　that　was　a

civilized；　being　a　plastered；　ceiled；　and　comparatively　well…lighted

little　room；　but　not　with　the　other；　which　was　three　times　its　size；

very　badly　lighted；　and　showing　the　naked　couples　from　roof…tree　to

floor。　　Besides；　it　contained　no　end　of　dark　corners；　with　which　his

childish　imagination　had　associated　undefined　horrors；　assuming　now

one　shape；　now　another。　　Also　there　were　several　closets　in　it；

constructed　in　the　angles　of　the　place；　and　several　cheststwo　of

which　he　had　ventured　to　peep　into。　　But　although　he　had　found　them

filled；　not　with　bones；　as　he　had　expected；　but　one　with　papers；　and

one　with　garments；　he　had　yet　dared　to　carry　his　researches　no

further。　　One　evening；　however；　when　Betty　was　out；　and　he　had　got

hold　of　her　candle；　and　gone　up　to　keep　Shargar　company　for　a　few

minutes；　a　sudden　impulse　seized　him　to　have　a　peep　into　all　the

closets。　　One　of　them　he　knew　a　little　about；　as　containing；　amongst

other　things；　his　father's　coat　with　the　gilt　buttons；　and　his

great…grandfather's　kilt；　as　well　as　other　garments　useful　to

Shargar：　now　he　would　see　what　was　in　the　rest。　　He　did　not　find

anything　very　interesting；　however；　till　he　arrived　at　the　last。

Out　of　it　he　drew　a　long　queer…shaped　box　into　the　light　of　Betty's

dip。



'Luik　here；　Shargar！'　he　said　under　his　breath；　for　they　never　dared

to　speak　aloud　in　these　precincts'luik　here！　　What　can　there　be　in

this　box？　　Is't　a　bairnie's　coffin；　duv　ye　think？　　Luik　at　it。'



In　this　case　Shargar；　having　roamed　the　country　a　good　deal　more

than　Robert；　and　having　been　present　at　some　merry…makings　with　his

mother；　of　which　there　were　comparatively　few　in　that　country…side；

was　better　informed　than　his　friend。



'Eh！　　Bob；　duvna　ye　ken　what　that　is？　　I　thocht　ye　kent　a'　thing。

That's　a　fiddle。'



'That's　buff　an'　styte　（stuff　and　nonsense）；　Shargar。　　Do　ye　think　I

dinna　ken　a　fiddle　whan　I　see　ane；　wi'　its　guts　ootside　o'　'ts　wame；

an'　the　thoomacks　to　screw　them　up　wi'　an'　gar't　skirl？'



'Buff　an'　styte　yersel'！'　cried　Shargar；　in　indignation；　from　the

bed。　'Gie's　a　haud　o'　't。'



Robert　handed　him　the　case。　　Shargar　undid　the　hooks　in　a　moment；

and　revealed　the　creature　lying　in　its　shell　like　a　boiled　bivalve。



'I　tellt　ye　sae！'　he　exclaimed　triumphantly。　'Maybe　ye'll　lippen　to

me　（trust　me）　neist　time。'



'An'　I　tellt　you；'　retorted　Robert；　with　an　equivocation　altogether

unworthy　of　his　growing　honesty。　'I　was　cocksure　that　cudna　be　a

fiddle。　　There's　the　fiddle　i'　the　hert　o'　't！　　Losh！　　I　min'　noo。

It　maun　be　my　grandfather's　fiddle　'at　I　hae　heard　tell　o'。'



'No　to　ken　a　fiddle…case！'　reflected　Shargar；　with　as　much　of

contempt　as　it　was　possible　for　him　to　show。



'I　tell　ye　what；　Shargar；'　returned　Robert；　indignantly；　'ye　may　ken

the　box　o'　a　fiddle　better　nor　I　do；　but　de'il　hae　me　gin　I　dinna

ken　the　fiddle　itsel'　raither　better　nor　ye　do　in　a　fortnicht　frae

this　time。　　I　s'　tak'　it　to　Dooble　Sanny；　he　can　play　the　fiddle

fine。　　An'　I'll　play　't　too；　or　the　de'il　s'　be　in't。'



'Eh；　man；　that　'll　be　gran'！'　cried　Shargar；　incapable　of　jealousy。

'We　can　gang　to　a'　the　markets　thegither　and　gaither　baubees

（halfpence）。'



To　this　anticipation　Robert　returned　no　reply；　for；　hearing　Betty

come　in；　he　judged　it　time　to　restore　the　violin　to　its　case；　and

Betty's　candle　to　the　kitchen；　lest　she　should　invade　the　upper

regions　in　search　of　it。　　But　that　very　night　he　managed　to　have　an

interview　with　Dooble　Sanny；　the　shoemaker；　and　it　was　arranged

between　them　that　Robert　should　bring　his　violin　on　the　evening　at

which　my　story　has　now　arrived。



Whatever　motive　he　had　for　seeking　to　commence　the　study　of　music；

it　holds　even　in　more　important　matters　that；　if　the　thing　pursued

be　good；　there　is　a　hope　of　the　pursuit　purifying　the　motive。　　And

Robert　no　sooner　heard　the　fiddle　utter　a　few　mournful　sounds　in　the

hands　of　the　soutar；　who　was　no　contemptible　performer；　than　he

longed　to　establish　such　a　relation　between　himself　and　the　strange

instrument；　that；　dumb　and　deaf　as　it　had　been　to　him　hitherto；　it

would　respond　to　his　touch　also；　and　tell　him　the　secrets　of　its

queerly…twisted　skull；　full　of　sweet　sounds　instead　of　brains。　　From

that　moment　he　would　be　a　musician　for　music's　own　sake；　and　forgot

utterly　what　had　appeared　to　him；　though　I　doubt　if　it　was；　the　sole

motive　of　his　desire　to　learnnamely；　the　necessity　of　retaining

his　superiority　over　Shargar。



What　added　considerably　to　the　excitement　of　his　feelings　on　the

occasion；　was　the　expression　of　reverence；　almost　of　awe；　with　which

the　shoemaker　took　the　instrument　from　its　case；　and　the　tenderness

with　which　he　handled　it。　　The　fact　was　that　he　had　not　had　a　violin

in　his　hands　for　nearly　a　year；　having　been　compelled　to　pawn　his

own　in　order　to　alleviate　the　sickness　brought　on　his　wife　by　his

own　ill…treatment　of　her；　once　that　he　came　home　drunk　from　a

wedding。　　It　was　strange　to　think　that　such　dirty　hands　should　be

able　to　bring　such　sounds　out　of　the　instrument　the　moment　he　got　it

safely　cuddled　under　his　cheek。　　So　dirty　were　they；　that　it　was

said　Dooble　Sanny　never　required　to　carry　any　rosin　with　him　for

fiddler's　need；　his　own　fingers　having　always　enough　upon　them　for

one　bow　at　least。　　Yet　the　points　of　those　fingers　never　lost　the

delicacy　of　their　touch。　　Some　people　thought　this　was　in　virtue　of

their　being　washed　only　once　a　weeka　custom　Alexander　justified　on

the　ground　that；　in　a　trade　like　his；　it　was　of　no　use　to　wash

oftener；　for　he　would　be　just　as　dirty　again　before　night。



The　moment　he　began　to　play；　the　face　of　the　soutar　grew　ecstatic。

He　stopped　at　the　very　first　note；　notwithstanding；　let　fall　his

arms；　the　one　with　the　bow；　the　other　with　the　violin；　at　his　sides；

and　said；　with　a　deep…drawn　respiration　and　lengthened　utterance：



'Eh！'



Then　after　a　pause；　during　which　he　stood　motionless：



'The　crater　maun　be　a　Cry　Moany！　　Hear　till　her！'　he　added；　drawing

another　long　note。



Then；　after　another　pause：



'She's　a　Straddle　Vawrious　at　least！　　Hear　till　her。　　I　never　had

sic　a　combination　o'　timmer　and　catgut　atween　my　cleuks　（claws）

afore。'



As　to　its　being　a　Stradivarius；　or　even　a　Cremona　at　all；　the

testimony　of　Dooble　Sanny　was　not　worth　much　on　the　point。　　But　the

shoemaker's　admiration　roused　in　the　boy's　mind　a　reverence　for　the

individual　instrument　which　he　never　lost。



》From　that　day　the　two　were　friends。



Suddenly　the　soutar　started　off　at　full　speed　in　a　strathspey；　which

was　soon　lost　in　the　wail　of　a　Highland　psalm…tune；　giving　place　in

its　turn　to　'Sic　a　wife　as　Willie　had！'　　And　on　he　went　without

pause；　till　Robert　dared　not　stop　any　longer。　　The　fiddle　had

bewitched　the　fiddler。



'Come　as　aften　's　ye　like；　Robert；　gin　ye　fess　this　leddy　wi'　ye；'

said　the　soutar。



And　he　stroked　the　back　of　the　violin　tenderly　with　his　open　palm。



'But　wad　ye　hae　ony　objection　to　lat　it　lie　aside　ye；　and　lat　me

come　whan　I　can？'



'Objection；　laddie？　　I　wad　as　sune　objeck　to　lattin'　my　ain　wife　lie

aside　me。'



'Ay；'　said　Robert；　seized　with　some　anxi