robert falconer-第18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！



for　him　everywhere　before　that　occurred　to　him　as　a　last　chance。

Nor　would　he　have　found　him　even　then；　for　he　would　not　have

thought　of　his　being　inside　the　deserted　house；　had　not　Shargar

heard　his　footsteps　in　the　street。



He　started　up　from　his　stool　saying；　'That's　Bob！'　but　was　not　sure

enough　to　go　to　the　door：　he　might　be　mistaken；　it　might　be　the

landlord！　　He　heard　the　feet　stop　and　did　not　move；　but　when　he

heard　them　begin　to　go　away　again；　he　rushed　to　the　door；　and　bawled

on　the　chance　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　'Bob！　　Bob！'



'Eh！　ye　crater！'　said　Robert；　'ir　ye　there　efter　a'？



'Eh！　　Bob；'　exclaimed　Shargar；　and　burst　into　tears。　'I　thocht　ye

wad　come　efter　me。'



'Of　coorse；'　answered　Robert；　coolly。　'Come　awa'　hame。'



'Whaur　til？'　asked　Shargar　in　dismay。



'Hame　to　yer　ain　bed　at　my　grannie's。'



'Na；　na；'　said　Shargar；　hurriedly；　retreating　within　the　door　of　the

hovel。　'Na；　na；　Bob；　lad；　I　s'　no　du　that。　　She's　an　awfu'　wuman；

that　grannie　o'　yours。　　I　canna　think　hoo　ye　can　bide　wi'　her。　　I'm

weel　oot　o'　her　grups；　I　can　tell　ye。'



It　required　a　good　deal　of　persuasion；　but　at　last　Robert　prevailed

upon　Shargar　to　return。　　For　was　not　Robert　his　tower　of　strength？

And　if　Robert　was　not　frightened　at　his　grannie；　or　at　Betty；　why

should　he　be？　　At　length　they　entered　Mrs。　Falconer's　parlour；

Robert　dragging　in　Shargar　after　him；　having　failed　altogether　in

encouraging　him　to　enter　after　a　more　dignified　fashion。



It　must　be　remembered　that　although　Shargar　was　still　kilted；　he　was

not　the　less　trowsered；　such　as　the　trowsers　were。　　It　makes　my

heart　ache　to　think　of　those　trowsersnot　believing　trowsers

essential　to　blessedness　either；　but　knowing　the　superiority　of　the

old　Roman　costume　of　the　kilt。



No　sooner　had　Mrs。　Falconer　cast　her　eyes　upon　him　than　she　could

not　but　be　convinced　of　the　truth　of　Robert's　averment。



'Here　he　is；　grannie；　and　gin　ye　bena　saitisfeed　yet'



'Haud　yer　tongue；　laddie。　　Ye　hae　gi'en　me　nae　cause　to　doobt　yer

word。'



Indeed；　during　Robert's　absence；　his　grandmother　had　had　leisure　to

perceive　of　what　an　absurd　folly　she　had　been　guilty。　　She　had　also

had　time　to　make　up　her　mind　as　to　her　duty　with　regard　to　Shargar；

and　the　more　she　thought　about　it；　the　more　she　admired　the　conduct

of　her　grandson；　and　the　better　she　saw　that　it　would　be　right　to

follow　his　example。　　No　doubt　she　was　the　more　inclined　to　this

benevolence　that　she　had　as　it　were　received　her　grandson　back　from

the　jaws　of　death。



When　the　two　lads　entered；　from　her　arm…chair　Mrs。　Falconer　examined

Shargar　from　head　to　foot　with　the　eye　of　a　queen　on　her　throne；　and

a　countenance　immovable　in　stern　gentleness；　till　Shargar　would

gladly　have　sunk　into　the　shelter　of　the　voluminous　kilt　from　the

gaze　of　those　quiet　hazel　eyes。



At　length　she　spoke：



'Robert；　tak　him　awa'。'



'Whaur'll　I　tak　him　till；　grannie？'



'Tak　him　up　to　the　garret。　　Betty　'ill　ha'　ta'en　a　tub　o'　het　water

up　there　'gen　this　time；　and　ye　maun　see　that　he　washes　himsel'　frae

heid　to　fut；　or　he　s'　no　bide　an　'oor　i'　my　hoose。　　Gang　awa'　an'

see　till　't　this　minute。'



But　she　detained　them　yet　awhile　with　various　directions　in　regard

of　cleansing；　for　the　carrying　out　of　which　Robert　was　only　too　glad

to　give　his　word。　　She　dismissed　them　at　last；　and　Shargar　by　and　by

found　himself　in　bed；　clean；　and；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；

between　a　pair　of　linen　sheetsnot　altogether　to　his　satisfaction；

for　mere　order　and　comfort　were　substituted　for　adventure　and

success。



But　greater　trials　awaited　him。　　In　the　morning　he　was　visited　by

Brodie；　the　tailor；　and　Elshender；　the　shoemaker；　both　of　whom　he

held　in　awe　as　his　superiors　in　the　social　scale；　and　by　them

handled　and　measured　from　head　to　feet；　the　latter　included；　after

which　he　had　to　lie　in　bed　for　three　days；　till　his　clothes　came

home；　for　Betty　had　carefully　committed　every　article　of　his　former

dress　to　the　kitchen　fire；　not　without　a　sense　of　pollution　to　the

bottom　of　her　kettle。　　Nor　would　he　have　got　them　for　double　the

time；　had　not　Robert　haunted　the　tailor；　as　well　as　the　soutar；　like

an　evil　conscience；　till　they　had　finished　them。　　Thus　grievous　was

Shargar's　introduction　to　the　comforts　of　respectability。　　Nor　did

he　like　it　much　better　when　he　was　dressed；　and　able　to　go　about；

for　not　only　was　he　uncomfortable　in　his　new　clothes；　which；　after

the　very　easy　fit　of　the　old　ones；　felt　like　a　suit　of　plate…armour；

but　he　was　liable　to　be　sent　for　at　any　moment　by　the　awful

sovereignty　in　whose　dominions　he　found　himself；　and　which；　of

course；　proceeded　to　instruct　him　not　merely　in　his　own　religious

duties；　but　in　the　religious　theories　of　his　ancestors；　if；　indeed；

Shargar's　ancestors　ever　had　any。　　And　now　the　Shorter　Catechism

seemed　likely　to　be　changed　into　the　Longer　Catechism；　for　he　had　it

Sundays　as　we'll　as　Saturdays；　besides　Alleine's　Alarm　to　the

Unconverted；　Baxter's　Saint's　Rest；　Erskine's　Gospel　Sonnets；　and

other　books　of　a　like　kind。　　Nor　was　it　any　relief　to　Shargar　that

the　gloom　was　broken　by　the　incomparable　Pilgrim's　Progress　and　the

Holy　War；　for　he　cared　for　none　of　these　things。　　Indeed；　so　dreary

did　he　find　it　all；　that　his　love　to　Robert　was　never　put　to　such　a

severe　test。　　But　for　that；　he　would　have　run　for　it。　　Twenty　times

a　day　was　he　so　tempted。



At　school；　though　it　was　better；　yet　it　was　bad。　　For　he　was　ten

times　as　much　laughed　at　for　his　new　clothes；　though　they　were　of

the　plainest；　as　he　had　been　for　his　old　rags。　　Still　he　bore　all

the　pangs　of　unwelcome　advancement　without　a　grumble；　for　the　sake

of　his　friend　alone；　whose　dog　he　remained　as　much　as　ever。　　But　his

past　life　of　cold　and　neglect；　and　hunger　and　blows；　and

homelessness　and　rags；　began　to　glimmer　as　in　the　distance　of　a

vaporous　sunset；　and　the　loveless　freedom　he　had　then　enjoyed　gave

it　a　bloom　as　of　summer…roses。



I　wonder　whether　there　may　not　have　been　in　some　unknown　corner　of

the　old　lady's　mind　this　lingering　remnant　of　paganism；　that；　in

reclaiming　the　outcast　from　the　error　of　his　ways；　she　was　making　an

offering　acceptable　to　that　God　whom　her　mere　prayers　could　not　move

to　look　with　favour　upon　her　prodigal　son　Andrew。　　Nor　from　her　own

acknowledged　religious　belief　as　a　background　would　it　have　stuck　so

fiery　off　either。　　Indeed；　it　might　have　been　a　partial　corrective

of　some　yet　more　dreadful　articles　of　her　creed；which　she　held；　be

it　remembered；　because　she　could　not　help　it。









CHAPTER　XI。



PRIVATE　INTERVIEWS。



The　winter　passed　slowly　away。　　Robert　and　Shargar　went　to　school

together；　and　learned　their　lessons　together　at　Mrs。　Falconer's

table。　　Shargar　soon　learned　to　behave　with　tolerable　propriety；　was

obedient；　as　far　as　eye…service　went；　looked　as　queer　as　ever；　did

what　he　pleased；　which　was　nowise　very　wicked；　the　moment　he　was　out

of　the　old　lady's　sight；　was　well　fed　and　well　cared　for；　and　when

he　was　asked　how　he　was；　gave　the　invariable　answer：　'Middlin'。'　　He

was　not　very　happy。



There　was　little　communication　in　words　between　the　two　boys；　for

the　one　had　not　much　to　say；　and　the　pondering　fits　of　the　other

grew　rather　than　relaxed　in　frequency　and　intensity。　　Yet　amongst

chance　acquaintances　in　the　town　Robert　had　the　character　of　a　wag；

of　which　he　was　totally　unaware　himself。　　Indeed；　although　he　had

more　than　the　ordinary　share　of　humour；　I　suspect　it　was　not　so　much

his　fun　as　his　earnest　that　got　him　the　character；　for　he　would　say

such　altogether　unheard…of　and　strange　things；　that　the　only　way

they　were　capable　of　accounting　for　him　was　as　a　humorist。



'Eh！'　he　said　once　to　Elshender；　during　a　pause　common　to　a

thunder…storm　and　a　lesson　on　the　violin　'eh！　wadna　ye　like　to　be　up

in　that　clood　wi'　a　spaud；　turnin'　ower　the　divots　and　catchin'　the

flashes　lyin'　aneath　them　like　lang　reid　fiery　worms？'



'Ay；　man；　but　gin　ye　luik　up　to　the　cloods　that　gait；　ye'll　never　be

muckle　o'　a　fiddler。'



This　was　merely　an　outbreak　of　that　insolence　of　advice　so　often

shown　to　the　young　from　no　vantage…ground　but　that　of　age　and

faithlessness；　reminding　one　of　the　'jigging　fool'　who　interfered

between　Brutus　and　Cassius　on　the　sole　ground　that　he　had　seen　more

years　than　they。　　As　if　ever　a　fiddler　that　did　not　look　up　to　the

clouds　would　be　anything　but　a　catgut…scraper！　　Even　Elshender's

fiddle　was　the　one　angel　that　held　back　the　heavy　curtain　of　his

gross　nature；　and　let　the　sky　shine　through。　　He　ought　to　have　been

set　fiddling　every　Sunday　morning；　and　from　his　fiddling　dragged

straight　to　church。　　It　was　the　only　thing　man　could　have　done　for

his　conversion；　for　then　his　heart　was　open；　But　I　fear　the　prayers

would　have　closed　it　before　the　sermon　came。　　He　should　rather　have

been　compelled　to　take　his　fiddle　to　church　with　him；