robert falconer-第28节

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change　yer　hose；　and　pit　on　a　pair　o'　slippers？'



Several　declined；　saying　they　would　wait　until　they　had　had　their

supper；　the　roads　had　been　quite　dry；　&c。；　&c。　　One　said　he　would；

and　another　said　his　feet　were　blistered。



'Hoot　awa'！'2　exclaimed　Miss　Letty。'Here；　Peggy！'　she　cried；　going

to　the　door；　'tak　a　pail　o'　het　watter　up　to　the　chackit　room。　　Jist

ye　gang　up；　Mr。　Cameron；　and　Peggy　'll　see　to　yer　feet。Noo；　sir；

will　ye　gang　to　yer　room　an'　mak　yersel'　comfortable？jist　as　gin

ye　war　at　hame；　for　sae　ye　are。'



She　addressed　the　stranger　thus。　　He　replied　in　a　low　indifferent

tone；



'No；　thank　you；　I　must　be　off　again　directly。'



He　was　from　Caithness；　and　talked　no　Scotch。



''Deed；　sir；　ye'll　do　naething　o'　the　kin'。　　Here　ye　s'　bide；　tho'　I

suld　lock　the　door。'



'Come；　come；　Ericson；　none　o'　your　nonsense！'　said　one　of　his

fellows。　'Ye　ken　yer　feet　are　sae　blistered　ye　can　hardly　put　ane　by

the　ither。It　was　a'　we　cud　du；　mem；　to　get　him　alang　the　last

mile。'



'That　s'　be　my　business；　than；'　concluded　Miss　Letty。



She　left　the　room；　and　returning　in　a　few　minutes；　said；　as　a　matter

of　course；　but　with　authority；



'Mr。　Ericson；　ye　maun　come　wi'　me。'



Then　she　hesitated　a　little。　　Was　it　maidenliness　in　the　waning

woman　of　five…and…forty？　　It　was；　I　believe；　for　how　can　a　woman

always　remember　how　old　she　is？　　If　ever　there　was　a　young　soul　in

God's　world；　it　was　Letty　Napier。　　And　the　young　man　was　tall　and

stately　as　a　Scandinavian　chief；　with　a　look　of　command；　tempered

with　patient　endurance；　in　his　eagle　face；　for　he　was　more　like　an

eagle　than　any　other　creature；　and　in　his　countenance　signs　of

suffering。　　Miss　Letty　seeing　this；　was　moved；　and　her　heart

swelled；　and　she　grew　conscious　and　shy；　and　turning　to　Robert；

said；



'Come　up　the　stair　wi'　's；　Robert；　I　may　want　ye。'



Robert　jumped　to　his　feet。　　His　heart　too　had　been　yearning　towards

the　stranger。



As　if　yielding　to　the　inevitable；　Ericson　rose　and　followed　Miss

Letty。　　But　when　they　had　reached　the　room；　and　the　door　was　shut

behind　them；　and　Miss　Letty　pointed　to　a　chair　beside　which　stood　a

little　wooden　tub　full　of　hot　water；　saying；　'Sit　ye　doon　there；　Mr。

Ericson；'　he　drew　himself　up；　all　but　his　graciously…bowed　head；　and

said；



'Ma'am；　I　must　tell　you　that　I　followed　the　rest　in　here　from　the

very　stupidity　of　weariness。　　I　have　not　a　shilling　in　my　pocket。'



'God　bless　me！'　said　Miss　Lettyand　God　did　bless　her；　I　am

sure'we　maun　see　to　the　feet　first。　　What　wad　ye　du　wi'　a　shillin'

gin　ye　had　it？　　Wad　ye　clap　ane　upo'　ilka　blister？'



Ericson　burst　out　laughing；　and　sat　down。　　But　still　he　hesitated。



'Aff　wi'　yer　shune；　sir。　　Duv　ye　think　I　can　wash　yer　feet　throu

ben'　leather？'　said　Miss　Letty；　not　disdaining　to　advance　her

fingers　to　a　shoe…tie。



'But　I'm　ashamed。　　My　stockings　are　all　in　holes。'



'Weel；　ye　s'　get　a　clean　pair　to　put　on　the　morn；　an'　I'll　darn　them

'at　ye　hae　on；　gin　they　be　worth　darnin'；　afore　ye　gangan'　what

are　ye　sae　camstairie　（unmanageable）　for？　　A　body　wad　think　ye　had　a

clo'en　fit　in　ilk　ane　o'　thae　bits　o'　shune　o'　yours。　　I　winna

promise　to　please　yer　mither　wi'　my　darnin'　though。'



'I　have　no　mother　to　find　fault　with　it；'　said　Ericson。



'Weel；　a　sister's　waur。'



'I　have　no　sister；　either。'



This　was　too　much　for　Miss　Letty。　　She　could　keep　up　the　bravado　of

humour　no　longer。　　She　fairly　burst　out　crying。　　In　a　moment　more

the　shoes　and　stockings　were　off；　and　the　blisters　in　the　hot　water。

Miss　Letty's　tears　dropped　into　the　tub；　and　the　salt　in　them　did

not　hurt　the　feet　with　which　she　busied　herself；　more　than　was

necessary；　to　hide　them。



But　no　sooner　had　she　recovered　herself　than　she　resumed　her　former

tone。



'A　shillin'！　said　ye？　　An'　a'　thae　greedy　gleds　（kites）　o'

professors　to　pay；　that　live　upo'　the　verra　blude　and　banes　o'

sair…vroucht　students！　　Hoo　cud　ye　hae　a　shillin'　ower？　　Troth；　it's

nae　wonner　ye　haena　ane　left。　　An'　a'　the　merchan's　there　jist

leevin'　upo'　ye！　　Lord　hae　a　care　o'　's！　sic　bonnie　feet！Wi'

blisters　I　mean。　　I　never　saw　sic　a　sicht　o'　raw　puddin's　in　my

life。　　Ye're　no　fit　to　come　doon　the　stair　again。'



All　the　time　she　was　tenderly　washing　and　bathing　the　weary　feet。

When　she　had　dressed　them　and　tied　them　up；　she　took　the　tub　of

water　and　carried　it　away；　but　turned　at　the　door。



'Ye'll　jist　mak　up　yer　min'　to　bide　a　twa　three　days；'　she　said；

'for　thae　feet　cudna　bide　to　be　carried；　no　to　say　to　carry　a　weicht

like　you。　　There's　naebody　to　luik　for　ye；　ye　ken。　　An'　ye're　no　to

come　doon　the　nicht。　　I'll　sen'　up　yer　supper。　　And　Robert　there　'll

bide　and　keep　ye　company。'



She　vanished；　and　a　moment　after；　Peggy　appeared　with　a

salamanderthat　is　a　huge　poker；　ending　not　in　a　point；　but　a

red…hot　ace　of　spadeswhich　she　thrust　between　the　bars　of　the

grate；　into　the　heart　of　a　nest　of　brushwood。　　Presently　a　cheerful

fire　illuminated　the　room。



Ericson　was　seated　on　one　chair；　with　his　feet　on　another；　his　head

sunk　on　his　bosom；　and　his　eyes　thinking。　　There　was　something　about

him　almost　as　powerfully　attractive　to　Robert　as　it　had　been　to　Miss

Letty。　　So　he　sat　gazing　at　him；　and　longing　for　a　chance　of　doing

something　for　him。　　He　had　reverence　already；　and　some　love；　but　he

had　never　felt　at　all　as　he　felt　towards　this　man。　　Nor　was　it　as

the　Chinese　puzzlers　called　Scotch　metaphysicians；　might　have

represented　ita　combination　of　love　and　reverence。　　It　was　the

recognition　of　the　eternal　brotherhood　between　him　and　one　nobler

than　himselfhence　a　lovely　eager　worship。



Seeing　Ericson　look　about　him　as　if　he　wanted　something；　Robert

started　to　his　feet。



'Is　there　onything　ye　want；　Mr。　Ericson？'　he　said；　with　service

standing　in　his　eyes。



'A　small　bundle　I　think　I　brought　up　with　me；'　replied　the　youth。



It　was　not　there。　　Robert　rushed　down…stairs；　and　returned　with

ita　nightshirt　and　a　hairbrush　or　so；　tied　up　in　a　blue　cotton

handkerchief。　　This　was　all　that　Robert　was　able　to　do　for　Ericson

that　evening。



He　went　home　and　dreamed　about　him。　　He　called　at　The　Boar's　Head

the　next　morning　before　going　to　school；　but　Ericson　was　not　yet　up。

When　he　called　again　as　soon　as　morning　school　was　over；　he　found

that　they　had　persuaded　him　to　keep　his　bed；　but　Miss　Letty　took　him

up　to　his　room。　　He　looked　better；　was　pleased　to　see　Robert；　and

spoke　to　him　kindly。　　Twice　yet　Robert　called　to　inquire　after　him

that　day；　and　once　more　he　saw　him；　for　he　took　his　tea　up　to　him。



The　next　day　Ericson　was　much　better；　received　Robert　with　a　smile；

and　went　out　with　him　for　a　stroll；　for　all　his　companions　were

gone；　and　of　some　students　who　had　arrived　since　he　did　not　know

any。　　Robert　took　him　to　his　grandmother；　who　received　him　with

stately　kindness。　　Then　they　went　out　again；　and　passed　the　windows

of　Captain　Forsyth's　house。　　Mary　St。　John　was　playing。　　They　stood

for　a　moment；　almost　involuntarily；　to　listen。　　She　ceased。



'That's　the　music　of　the　spheres；'　said　Ericson；　in　a　low　voice；　as

they　moved　on。



'Will　you　tell　me　what　that　means？'　asked　Robert。　'I've　come　upon　't

ower　an'　ower　in　Milton。'



Thereupon　Ericson　explained　to　him　what　Pythagoras　had　taught　about

the　stars　moving　in　their　great　orbits　with　sounds　of　awful　harmony；

too　grandly　loud　for　the　human　organ　to　vibrate　in　response　to　their

musichence　unheard　of　men。　　And　Ericson　spoke　as　if　he　believed

it。　　But　after　he　had　spoken；　his　face　grew　sadder　than　ever；　and；

as　if　to　change　the　subject；　he　said；　abruptly；



'What　a　fine　old　lady　your　grandmother　is；　Robert！'



'Is　she？'　returned　Robert。



'I　don't　mean　to　say　she's　like　Miss　Letty；'　said　Ericson。　'She's　an

angel！'



A　long　pause　followed。　　Robert's　thoughts　went　roaming　in　their

usual　haunts。



'Do　you　think；　Mr。　Ericson；'　he　said；　at　length；　taking　up　the　old

question　still　floating　unanswered　in　his　mind；　'do　you　think　if　a

devil　was　to　repent　God　would　forgive　him？'



Ericson　turned　and　looked　at　him。　　Their　eyes　met。　　The　youth

wondered　at　the　boy。　　He　had　recognized　in　him　a　younger　brother；

one　who　had　begun　to　ask　questions；　calling　them　out　into　the　deaf

and　dumb　abyss　of　the　universe。



'If　God　was　as　good　as　I　would　like　him　to　be；　the　devils　themselves

would　repent；'　he　said；　turning　away。



Then　he　turned　again；　and　looking　down　upon　Robert　like　a　sorrowful

eagle　from　a　crag　over　its　harried　nest；　said；



'If　I　only　knew　that　God　was　as　good　asthat　woman；　I　should　die

content。'



Robert　heard　words　of　blasphemy　from　the　mouth　of　an　angel；　but　his

respect　for　Ericson　compelled　a　reply。



'What　woman；　Mr。　Ericson？'　he　asked。



'I　mean　Miss　Letty；　of　course。'



'But　surely　ye　dinna　think　God's　nae　as　guid　as　she　is？　　Surely　he's

as　good　as　he　can　be。　　He　is　good；