robert falconer-第20节

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the　ark　whan　the　de'il　cam'　in　by　to　hearken。　　I　wad　fain　hae　a　try。

Ye　ken　a'　aboot　it　wi'　that　grannie　o'　yours：　hoo's　a　body　to

begin？'



'By　giein'　up　the　drink；　man。'



'AyayayI　reckon　ye're　richt。　　Weel；　I'll　think　aboot　it　whan

ance　I'm　throu　wi'　this　job。　　That'll　be　neist　ook；　or　thereabouts；

or　aiblins　twa　days　efter。　　I'll　hae　some　leiser　than。'



Before　he　had　finished　speaking　he　had　caught　up　his　awl　and　begun

to　work　vigorously；　boring　his　holes　as　if　the　nerves　of　feeling

were　continued　to　the　point　of　the　tool；　inserting　the　bristles　that

served　him　for　needles　with　a　delicacy　worthy　of　soft…skinned

fingers；　drawing　through　the　rosined　threads　with　a　whisk；　and

untwining　them　with　a　crack　from　the　leather　that　guarded　his　hands。



'Gude　nicht　to　ye；'　said　Robert；　with　the　fiddle…case　under　his　arm。



The　shoemaker　looked　up；　with　his　hands　bound　in　his　threads。



'Ye're　no　gaein'　to　tak　her　frae　me　the　nicht？'



'Ay　am　I；　but　I'll　fess　her　back　again。　　I'm　no　gaein'　to　Jericho

wi'　her。'



'Gang　to　Hecklebirnie　wi'　her；　and　that's　three　mile　ayont　hell。'



'Na；　we　maun　win　farther　nor　that。　　There　canna；　be　muckle　fiddlin'

there。'



'Weel；　tak　her　to　the　new　Jeroozlem。　　I　s'　gang　doon　to　Lucky

Leary's；　and　fill　mysel'　roarin'　fou；　an'　it'll　be　a'　your　wyte

（blame）。'



'I　doobt　ye'll　get　the　straiks　（blows）　though。　　Or　maybe　ye　think

Bell　'ill　tak　them　for　ye。'



Dooble　Sanny　caught　up　a　huge　boot；　the　sole　of　which　was　filled

with　broad…headed　nails　as　thick　as　they　could　be　driven；　and；　in　a

rage；　threw　it　at　Robert　as　he　darted　out。　　Through　its　clang

against　the　door…cheek；　the　shoemaker　heard　a　cry　from　the

instrument。　　He　cast　everything　from　him　and　sprang　after　Robert。

But　Robert　was　down　the　wynd　like　a　long…legged　grayhound；　and

Elshender　could　only　follow　like　a　fierce　mastiff。　　It　was　love　and

grief；　though；　and　apprehension　and　remorse；　not　vengeance；　that

winged　his　heels。　　He　soon　saw　that　pursuit　was　vain。



'Robert！　　Robert！'　he　cried；　'I　canna　win　up　wi'　ye。　　Stop；　for

God's　sake！　　Is　she　hurtit？'



Robert　stopped　at　once。



'Ye　hae　made　a　bonny　leddy　o'　hera　lameter　（cripple）　I　doobt；　like

yer　wife；'　he　answered；　with　indignation。



'Dinna　be　aye　flingin'　a　man's　fau'ts　in　's　face。　　It　jist　maks　him

'at　he　canna；　bide　himsel'　or　you　eyther。　　Lat's　see　the　bonny

crater。'



Robert　complied；　for　he　too　was　anxious。　　They　were　now　standing　in

the　space　in　front　of　Shargar's　old　abode；　and　there　was　no　one　to

be　seen。　　Elshender　took　the　box；　opened　it　carefully；　and　peeped　in

with　a　face　of　great　apprehension。



'I　thocht　that　was　a'！'　he　said　with　some　satisfaction。　'I　kent　the

string　whan　I　heard　it。　　But　we'll　sune　get　a　new　thairm　till　her；'

he　added；　in　a　tone　of　sorrowful　commiseration　and　condolence；　as　he

took　the　violin　from　the　case；　tenderly　as　if　it　had　been　a　hurt

child。



One　touch　of　the　bow；　drawing　out　a　goul　of　grief；　satisfied　him

that　she　was　uninjured。　　Next　a　hurried　inspection　showed　him　that

there　was　enough　of　the　catgut　twisted　round　the　peg　to　make　up　for

the　part　that　was　broken　off。　　In　a　moment　he　had　fastened　it　to　the

tail…piece；　tightened　and　tuned　it。　　Forthwith　he　took　the　bow　from

the　case…lid；　and　in　jubilant　guise　he　expatiated　upon　the　wrong　he

had　done　his　bonny　leddy；　till　the　doors　and　windows　around　were

crowded　with　heads　peering　through　the　dark　to　see　whence　the　sounds

came；　and　a　little　child　toddled　across　from　one　of　the　lowliest

houses　with　a　ha'penny　for　the　fiddler。　　Gladly　would　Robert　have

restored　it　with　interest；　but；　alas！　there　was　no　interest　in　his

bank；　for　not　a　ha'penny　had　he　in　the　world。　　The　incident　recalled

Sandy　to　Rothieden　and　its　cares。　　He　restored　the　violin　to　its

case；　and　while　Robert　was　fearing　he　would　take　it　under　his　arm

and　walk　away　with　it；　handed　it　back　with　a　humble　sigh　and　a

'Praise　be　thankit；'　then；　without　another　word；　turned　and　went　to

his　lonely　stool　and　home　'untreasured　of　its　mistress。'　　Robert

went　home　too；　and　stole　like　a　thief　to　his　room。



The　next　day　was　a　Saturday；　which；　indeed；　was　the　real　old

Sabbath；　or　at　least　the　half　of　it；　to　the　schoolboys　of　Rothieden。

Even　Robert's　grannie　was　Jew　enough；　or　rather　Christian　enough；

to　respect　this　remnant　of　the　fourth　commandmentdivine　antidote

to　the　rest　of　the　godless　money…making　and　soul…saving　weekand　he

had　the　half…day　to　himself。　　So　as　soon　as　he　had　had　his　dinner；

he　managed　to　give　Shargar　the　slip；　left　him　to　the　inroads　of　a

desolate　despondency；　and　stole　away　to　the　old　factory…garden。　　The

key　of　that　he　had　managed　to　purloin　from　the　kitchen　where　it

hung；　nor　was　there　much　danger　of　its　absence　being　discovered；

seeing　that　in　winter　no　one　thought　of　the　garden。　　The　smuggling

of　the　violin　out　of　the　house　was　the　'dearest　danger'the　more　so

that　he　would　not　run　the　risk　of　carrying　her　out　unprotected；　and

it　was　altogether　a　bulky　venture　with　the　case。　　But　by　spying　and

speeding　he　managed　it；　and　soon　found　himself　safe　within　the　high

walls　of　the　garden。



It　was　early　spring。　　There　had　been　a　heavy　fall　of　sleet　in　the

morning；　and　now　the　wind　blew　gustfully　about　the　place。　　The

neglected　trees　shook　showers　upon　him　as　he　passed　under　them；

trampling　down　the　rank　growth　of　the　grass…walks。　　The　long　twigs

of　the　wall…trees；　which　had　never　been　nailed　up；　or　had　been　torn

down　by　the　snow　and　the　blasts　of　winter；　went　trailing　away　in　the

moan　of　the　fitful　wind；　and　swung　back　as　it　sunk　to　a　sigh。　　The

currant　and　gooseberry　bushes；　bare　and　leafless；　and　'shivering　all

for　cold；'　neither　reminded　him　of　the　feasts　of　the　past　summer；

nor　gave　him　any　hope　for　the　next。　　He　strode　careless　through　it

all　to　gain　the　door　at　the　bottom。　　It　yielded　to　a　push；　and　the

long　grass　streamed　in　over　the　threshold　as　he　entered。　　He　mounted

by　a　broad　stair　in　the　main　part　of　the　house；　passing　the　silent

clock　in　one　of　its　corners；　now　expiating　in　motionlessness　the

false　accusations　it　had　brought　against　the　work…people；　and　turned

into　the　chaos　of　machinery。



I　fear　that　my　readers　will　expect；　from　the　minuteness　with　which　I

recount　these　particulars；　that；　after　all；　I　am　going　to　describe　a

rendezvous　with　a　lady；　or　a　ghost　at　least。　　I　will　not　plead　in

excuse　that　I；　too；　have　been　infected　with　Sandy's　mode　of

regarding　her；　but　I　plead　that　in　the　mind　of　Robert　the　proceeding

was　involved　in　something　of　that　awe　and　mystery　with　which　a　youth

approaches　the　woman　he　loves。　　He　had　not　yet　arrived　at　the　period

when　the　feminine　assumes　its　paramount　influence；　combining　in

itself　all　that　music；　colour；　form；　odour；　can　suggest；　with

something　infinitely　higher　and　more　divine；　but　he　had　begun　to　be

haunted　with　some　vague　aspirations　towards　the　infinite；　of　which

his　attempts　on　the　violin　were　the　outcome。　　And　now　that　he　was　to

be　alone；　for　the　first　time；　with　this　wonderful　realizer　of　dreams

and　awakener　of　visions；　to　do　with　her　as　he　would；　to　hint　by

gentle　touches　at　the　thoughts　that　were　fluttering　in　his　soul；　and

listen　for　her　voice　that　by　the　echoes　in　which　she　strove　to

respond　he　might　know　that　she　understood　him；　it　was　no　wonder　if

he　felt　an　ethereal　foretaste　of　the　expectation　that　haunts　the

approach　of　souls。



But　I　am　not　even　going　to　describe　his　first　tête…à…tête　with　his

violin。　　Perhaps　he　returned　from　it　somewhat　disappointed。

Probably　he　found　her　coy；　unready　to　acknowledge　his　demands　on

her　attention。　　But　not　the　less　willingly　did　he　return　with　her　to

the　solitude　of　the　ruinous　factory。　　On　every　safe　occasion；

becoming　more　and　more　frequent　as　the　days　grew　longer；　he　repaired

thither；　and　every　time　returned　more　capable　of　drawing　the

coherence　of　melody　from　that　matrix　of　sweet　sounds。



At　length　the　people　about　began　to　say　that　the　factory　was

haunted；　that　the　ghost　of　old　Mr。　Falconer；　unable　to　repose　while

neglect　was　ruining　the　precious　results　of　his　industry；　visited

the　place　night　after　night；　and　solaced　his　disappointment　by

renewing　on　his　favourite　violin　strains　not　yet　forgotten　by　him　in

his　grave；　and　remembered　well　by　those　who　had　been　in　his　service；

not　a　few　of　whom　lived　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　forsaken

building。



One　gusty　afternoon；　like　the　first；　but　late　in　the　spring；　Robert

repaired　as　usual　to　this　his　secret　haunt。　　He　had　played　for　some

time；　and　now；　from　a　sudden　pause　of　impulse；　had　ceased；　and　begun

to　look　around　him。　　The　only　light　came　from　two　long　pale　cracks

in　the　rain…clouds　of　the　west。　　The　wind　was　blowing　through　the

broken　windows；　which　stretched　away　on　either　hand。　　A　dreary；

windy　gloom；　therefore；　pervaded　the　desolate　place；　and　in　the

dusk；　and　their　settled　order；　the　machines　looked　multitud