robert falconer-第31节

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'Betty；　Bodyfauld　's　i'　the　perris　o'　Kettledrum。　　Min'　ye　that。'



Betty　glowered　and　said　nothing。



But　the　delight　of　the　walk　of　three　miles　over　hill　and　dale　and

moor　and　farm　to　Mr。　Lammie's！　　The　boys；　if　not　as　wild　as

coltsthat　is；　as　wild　as　most　boys　would　have　beenwere　only　the

more　deeply　excited。　　That　first　summer　walk；　with　a　goal　before

them；　in　all　the　freshness　of　the　perfecting　year；　was　something

which　to　remember　in　after　days　was　to　Falconer　nothing　short　of

ecstasy。　　The　westering　sun　threw　long　shadows　before　them　as　they

trudged　away　eastward；　lightly　laden　with　the　books　needful　for　the

morrow's　lessons。　　Once　beyond　the　immediate　purlieus　of　the　town

and　the　various　plots　of　land　occupied　by　its　inhabitants；　they

crossed　a　small　river；　and　entered　upon　a　region　of　little　hills；

some　covered　to　the　top　with　trees；　chiefly　larch；　others

cultivated；　and　some　bearing　only　heather；　now　nursing　in　secret　its

purple　flame　for　the　outburst　of　the　autumn。　　The　road　wound

between；　now　swampy　and　worn　into　deep　ruts；　now　sandy　and　broken

with　large　stones。　　Down　to　its　edge　would　come　the　dwarfed　oak；　or

the　mountain　ash；　or　the　silver　birch；　single　and　small；　but　lovely

and　fresh；　and　now　green　fields；　fenced　with　walls　of　earth　as　green

as　themselves；　or　of　stones　overgrown　with　moss；　would　stretch　away

on　both　sides；　sprinkled　with　busily…feeding　cattle。　　Now　they　would

pass　through　a　farm…steading；　perfumed　with　the　breath　of　cows；　and

the　odour　of　burning　peatso　fragrant！　though　not　yet　so　grateful

to　the　inner　sense　as　it　would　be　when　encountered　in　after　years

and　in　foreign　lands。　　For　the　smell　of　burning　and　the　smell　of

earth　are　the　deepest　underlying　sensuous　bonds　of　the　earth's

unity；　and　the　common　brotherhood　of　them　that　dwell　thereon。　　Now

the　scent　of　the　larches　would　steal　from　the　hill；　or　the　wind

would　waft　the　odour　of　the　white　clover；　beloved　of　his

grandmother；　to　Robert's　nostrils；　and　he　would　turn　aside　to　pull

her　a　handful。　　Then　they　clomb　a　high　ridge；　on　the　top　of　which

spread　a　moorland；　dreary　and　desolate；　brightened　by　nothing　save

'the　canna's　hoary　beard'　waving　in　the　wind；　and　making　it　look

even　more　desolate　from　the　sympathy　they　felt　with　the　forsaken

grass。　　This　crossed；　they　descended　between　young　plantations　of

firs　and　rowan…trees　and　birches；　till　they　reached　a　warm　house　on

the　side　of　the　slope；　with　farm…offices　and　ricks　of　corn　and　hay

all　about　it；　the　front　overgrown　with　roses　and　honeysuckle；　and　a

white…flowering　plant　unseen　of　their　eyes　hitherto；　and　therefore

full　of　mystery。　　From　the　open　kitchen　door　came　the　smell　of

something　good。　　But　beyond　all　to　Robert　was　the　welcome　of　Miss

Lammie；　whose　small　fat　hand　closed　upon　his　like　a　very

love…pudding；　after　partaking　of　which　even　his　grandmother's

stately　reception；　followed　immediately　by　the　words　'Noo　be　dooce；'

could　not　chill　the　warmth　in　his　bosom。



I　know　but　one　writer　whose　pen　would　have　been　able　worthily　to　set

forth　the　delights　of　the　first　few　days　at　BodyfauldJean　Paul。

Nor　would　he　have　disdained　to　make　the　gladness　of　a　country

school…boy　the　theme　of　that　pen。　　Indeed；　often　has　he　done　so。　　If

the　writer　has　any　higher　purpose　than　the　amusement　of　other　boys；

he　will　find　the　life　of　a　country　boy　richer　for　his　ends　than　that

of　a　town　boy。　　For　example；　he　has　a　deeper　sense　of　the　marvel　of

Nature；　a　tenderer　feeling　of　her　feminality。　　I　do　not　mean　that

the　other　cannot　develop　this　sense；　but　it　is　generally　feeble；　and

there　is　consequently　less　chance　of　its　surviving。　　As　far　as　my

experience　goes；　town　girls　and　country　boys　love　Nature　most。　　I

have　known　town　girls　love　her　as　passionately　as　country　boys。

Town　boys　have　too　many　books　and　pictures。　　They　see　Nature　in

mirrorsinvaluable　privilege　after　they　know　herself；　not　before。

They　have　greater　opportunity　of　observing　human　nature；　but　here

also　the　books　are　too　many　and　various。　　They　are　cleverer　than

country　boys；　but　they　are　less　profound；　their　observation　may　be

quicker；　their　perception　is　shallower。　　They　know　better　what　to　do

on　an　emergency；　they　know　worse　how　to　order　their　ways。　　Of

course；　in　this；　as　in　a　thousand　other　matters；　Nature　will　burst

out　laughing　in　the　face　of　the　would…be　philosopher；　and　bringing

forward　her　town　boy；　will　say；　'Look　here！'　　For　the　town　boys　are

Nature's　boys　after　all；　at　least　so　long　as　doctrines　of

self…preservation　and　ambition　have　not　turned　them　from　children　of

the　kingdom　into　dirt…worms。　　But　I　must　stop；　for　I　am　getting　up

to　the　neck　in　a　bog　of　discrimination。　　As　if　I　did　not　know　the

nobility　of　some　townspeople；　compared　with　the　worldliness　of　some

country　folk。　　I　give　it　up。　　We　are　all　good　and　all　bad。　　God　mend

all。　　Nothing　will　do　for　Jew　or　Gentile；　Frenchman　or　Englishman；

Negro　or　Circassian；　town　boy　or　country　boy；　but　the　kingdom　of

heaven　which　is　within　him；　and　must　come　thence　to　the　outside　of

him。



To　a　boy　like　Robert　the　changes　of　every　day；　from　country　to　town

with　the　gay　morning；　from　town　to　country　with　the　sober

eveningfor　country　as　Rothieden　might　be　to　Edinburgh；　much　more

was　Bodyfauld　country　to　Rothiedenwere　a　source　of　boundless

delight。　　Instead　of　houses；　he　saw　the　horizon；　instead　of　streets

or　walled　gardens；　he　roamed　over　fields　bathed　in　sunlight　and

wind。　　Here　it　was　good　to　get　up　before　the　sun；　for　then　he　could

see　the　sun　get　up。　　And　of　all　things　those　evening　shadows

lengthening　out　over　the　grassy　wildernessesfor　fields　of　a　very

moderate　size　appeared　such　to　an　imagination　ever　ready　at　the

smallest　hint　to　ascend　its　solemn　thronewere　a　deepening　marvel。

Town　to　country　is　what　a　ceiling　is　to　a　c？lum。









CHAPTER　XVII。



ADVENTURES。



Grannie's　first　action　every　evening；　the　moment　the　boys　entered

the　room；　was　to　glance　up　at　the　clock；　that　she　might　see　whether

they　had　arrived　in　reasonable　time。　　This　was　not　pleasant；　because

it　admonished　Robert　how　impossible　it　was　for　him　to　have　a　lesson

on　his　own　violin　so　long　as　the　visit　to　Bodyfauld　lasted。　　If　they

had　only　been　allowed　to　sleep　at　Rothieden；　what　a　universe　of

freedom　would　have　been　theirs！　　As　it　was；　he　had　but　two　hours　to

himself；　pared　at　both　ends；　in　the　middle　of　the　day。　　Dooble　Sanny

might　have　given　him　a　lesson　at　that　time；　but　he　did　not　dare　to

carry　his　instrument　through　the　streets　of　Rothieden；　for　the

proceeding　would　be　certain　to　come　to　his　grandmother's　ears。

Several　days　passed　indeed　before　he　made　up　his　mind　as　to　how　he

was　to　reap　any　immediate　benefit　from　the　recovery　of　the　violin。

For　after　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　run　the　risk　of　successive

mid…day　solos　in　the　old　factoryhe　was　not　prepared　to　carry　the

instrument　through　the　streets；　or　be　seen　entering　the　place　with

it。



But　the　factory　lay　at　the　opposite　corner　of　a　quadrangle　of

gardens；　the　largest　of　which　belonged　to　itself；　and　the　corner　of

this　garden　touched　the　corner　of　Captain　Forsyth's；　which　had

formerly　belonged　to　Andrew　Falconer：　he　had　had　a　door　made　in　the

walls　at　the　point　of　junction；　so　that　he　could　go　from　his　house

to　his　business　across　his　own　property：　if　this　door　were　not

locked；　and　Robert　could　pass　without　offence；　what　a　north…west

passage　it　would　be　for　him！　　The　little　garden　belonging　to　his

grandmother's　house　had　only　a　slight　wooden　fence　to　divide　it　from

the　other；　and　even　in　this　fence　there　was　a　little　gate：　he　would

only　have　to　run　along　Captain　Forsyth's　top　walk　to　reach　the　door。

The　blessed　thought　came　to　him　as　he　lay　in　bed　at　Bodyfauld：　he

would　attempt　the　passage　the　very　next　day。



With　his　violin　in　its　paper　under　his　arm；　he　sped　like　a　hare　from

gate　to　door；　found　it　not　even　latched；　only　pushed　to　and　rusted

into　such　rest　as　it　was　dangerous　to　the　hinges　to　disturb。　　He

opened　it；　however；　without　any　accident；　and　passed　through；　then

closing　it　behind　him；　took　his　way　more　leisurely　through　the

tangled　grass　of　his　grandmother's　property。　　When　he　reached　the

factory；　he　judged　it　prudent　to　search　out　a　more　secret　nook；　one

more　full　of　silence；　that　is；　whence　the　sounds　would　be　less

certain　to　reach　the　ears　of　the　passers　by；　and　came　upon　a　small

room；　near　the　top；　which　had　been　the　manager's　bedroom；　and　which；

as　he　judged　from　what　seemed　the　signs　of　ancient　occupation；　a

cloak　hanging　on　the　wall；　and　the　ashes　of　a　fire　lying　in　the

grate；　nobody　had　entered　for　years：　it　was　the　safest　place　in　the

world。　　He　undid　his　instrument　carefully；　tuned　its　strings

tenderly；　and　soon　found　that　his　former　facility；　such　as　it　was；

had　not　ebbed　away　beyond　recovery。　　Hastening　back　as　he　came；　he

was　just　in　time　for　his　dinner；　and　narrowly　escaped　encountering

Betty　in　the