robert falconer-第33节

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'Oh；　yes；　I　do！'　returned　Miss　St。　John；　smiling；　and　Robert　could

not　withstand　the　smile。



'Weel；　tak　care　o'　her；　as　ye　wad　o'　yer　ain　sel'；　mem；'　he　said；

yielding。



He　was　now　much　better；　and　before　he　had　been　two　minutes　in　the

open　air；　insisted　that　he　was　quite　well。　　When　they　reached

Captain　Forsyth's　garden　he　again　held　out　his　hands　for　his　violin。



'No；　no；'　said　his　new　friend。　'You　wouldn't　have　Betty　see　you　like

that；　would　you？'



'No；　mem；　but　I'll　put　in　the　fiddle　at　my　ain　window；　and　she　sanna

hae　a　chance　o'　seein'　't；'　answered　Robert；　not　understanding　her；

for　though　he　felt　a　good　deal　of　pain；　he　had　no　idea　what　a

dreadful　appearance　he　presented。



'Don't　you　know　that　you　have　a　wound　on　your　head？'　asked　Miss　St。

John。



'Na！　hev　I？'　said　Robert；　putting　up　his　hand。　'But　I　maun

gangthere's　nae　help　for　't；'　he　added。'Gin　I　cud　only　win　to　my

ain　room　ohn　Betty　seen　me！Eh！　mem；　I　hae　blaudit　（spoiled）　a'　yer

bonny　goon。　　That's　a　sair　vex。'



'Never　mind　it；'　returned　Miss　St。　John；　smiling。　'It　is　of　no

consequence。　　But　you　must　come　with　me。　　I　must　see　what　I　can　do

for　your　head。　　Poor　boy！'



'Eh；　mem！　but　ye　are　kin'！　　Gin　ye　speik　like　that　ye'll　gar　me

greit。　　Naebody　ever　spak'　to　me　like　that　afore。　　Maybe　ye　kent　my

mamma。　　Ye're　sae　like　her。'



This　word　mamma　was　the　only　remnant　of　her　that　lingered　in　his

speech。　　Had　she　lived　he　would　have　spoken　very　differently。　　They

were　now　walking　towards　the　house。



'No；　I　did　not　know　your　mamma。　　Is　she　dead？'



'Lang　syne；　mem。　　And　sae　they　tell　me　is　yours。'



'Yes；　and　my　father　too。　　Your　father　is　alive；　I　hope？'



Robert　made　no　answer。　　Miss　St。　John　turned。



The　boy　had　a　strange　look；　and　seemed　struggling　with　something　in

his　throat。　　She　thought　he　was　going　to　faint　again；　and　hurried

him　into　the　drawing…room。　　Her　aunt　had　not　yet　left　her　room；　and

her　uncle　was　out。



'Sit　down；'　she　saidso　kindlyand　Robert　sat　down　on　the　edge　of

a　chair。　　Then　she　left　the　room；　but　presently　returned　with　a

little　brandy。　'There；'　she　said；　offering　the　glass；　'that　will　do

you　good。'



'What　is　't；　mem？'



'Brandy。　　There's　water　in　it；　of　course。'



'I　daurna　touch　't。　　Grannie　cudna　bide　me　to　touch　't；'



So　determined　was　he；　that　Miss　St。　John　was　forced　to　yield。

Perhaps　she　wondered　that　the　boy　who　would　deceive　his　grandmother

about　a　violin　should　be　so　immovable　in　regarding　her　pleasure　in

the　matter　of　a　needful　medicine。　　But　in　this　fact　I　begin　to　see

the　very　Falconer　of　my　manhood's　worship。



'Eh；　mem！　gin　ye　wad　play　something　upo'　her；'　he　resumed；　pointing

to　the　piano；　which；　although　he　had　never　seen　one　before；　he　at

once　recognized；　by　some　hidden　mental　operation；　as　the　source　of

the　sweet　sounds　heard　at　the　window；　'it　wad　du　me　mair　guid　than　a

haill　bottle　o'　brandy；　or　whusky　either。'



'How　do　you　know　that？'　asked　Miss　St。　John；　proceeding　to　sponge

the　wound。



''Cause　mony's　the　time　I　hae　stud　oot　there　i'　the　street；

hearkenin'。　　Dooble　Sanny　says　'at　ye　play　jist　as　gin　ye　war　my

gran'father's　fiddle　hersel'；　turned　into　the　bonniest　cratur　ever

God　made。'



'How　did　you　get　such　a　terrible　cut？'



She　had　removed　the　hair；　and　found　that　the　injury　was　severe。



The　boy　was　silent。　　She　glanced　round　in　his　face。　　He　was　staring

as　if　he　saw　nothing；　heard　nothing。　　She　would　try　again。



'Did　you　fall？　　Or　how　did　you　cut　your　head？'



'Yes；　yes；　mem；　I　fell；'　he　answered；　hastily；　with　an　air　of

relief；　and　possibly　with　some　tone　of　gratitude　for　the　suggestion

of　a　true　answer。



'What　made　you　fall？'



Utter　silence　again。　　She　felt　a　kind　of　turnI　do　not　know　another

word　to　express　what　I　mean：　the　boy　must　have　fits；　and　either

could　not　tell；　or　was　ashamed　to　tell；　what　had　befallen　him。

Thereafter　she　too　was　silent；　and　Robert　thought　she　was　offended。

Possibly　he　felt　a　change　in　the　touch　of　her　fingers。



'Mem；　I　wad　like　to　tell　ye；'　he　said；　'but　I　daurna。'



'Oh！　never　mind；'　she　returned　kindly。



'Wad　ye　promise　nae　to　tell　naebody？'



'I　don't　want　to　know；'　she　answered；　confirmed　in　her　suspicion；

and　at　the　same　time　ashamed　of　the　alteration　of　feeling　which　the

discovery　had　occasioned。



An　uncomfortable　silence　followed；　broken　by　Robert。



'Gin　ye　binna　pleased　wi'　me；　mem；'　he　said；　'I　canna　bide　ye　to

gang　on　wi'　siccan　a　job　's　that。'



How　Miss　St。　John　could　have　understood　him；　I　cannot　think；　but　she

did。



'Oh！　very　well；'　she　answered；　smiling。　'Just　as　you　please。

Perhaps　you　had　better　take　this　piece　of　plaster　to　Betty；　and　ask

her　to　finish　the　dressing　for　you。'



Robert　took　the　plaster　mechanically；　and；　sick　at　heart　and

speechless；　rose　to　go；　forgetting　even　his　bonny　leddy　in　his

grief。



'You　had　better　take　your　violin　with　you；'　said　Miss　St。　John；

urged　to　the　cruel　experiment　by　a　strong　desire　to　see　what　the

strange　boy　would　do。



He　turned。　　The　tears　were　streaming　down　his　odd　face。　　They　went

to　her　heart；　and　she　was　bitterly　ashamed　of　herself。



'Come　along。　　Do　sit　down　again。　　I　only　wanted　to　see　what　you

would　do。　　I　am　very　sorry；'　she　said；　in　a　tone　of　kindness　such　as

Robert　had　never　imagined。



He　sat　down　instantly；　saying；



'Eh；　mem！　it's　sair　to　bide；'　meaning；　no　doubt；　the　conflict

between　his　inclination　to　tell　her　all；　and　his　duty　to　be　silent。



The　dressing　was　soon　finished；　his　hair　combed　down　over　it；　and

Robert　looking　once　more　respectable。



'Now；　I　think　that　will　do；'　said　his　nurse。



'Eh；　thank　ye；　mem！'　answered　Robert；　rising。　'Whan　I'm　able　to　play

upo'　the　fiddle　as　weel　's　ye　play　upo'　the　piana；　I'll　come　and

play　at　yer　window　ilka　nicht；　as　lang　's　ye　like　to　hearken。'



She　smiled；　and　he　was　satisfied。　　He　did　not　dare　again　ask　her　to

play　to　him。　　But　she　said　of　herself；　'Now　I　will　play　something　to

you；　if　you　like；'　and　he　resumed　his　seat　devoutly。



When　she　had　finished　a　lovely　little　air；　which　sounded　to　Robert

like　the　touch　of　her　hands；　and　her　breath　on　his　forehead；　she

looked　round；　and　was　satisfied；　from　the　rapt　expression　of　the

boy's　countenance；　that　at　least　he　had　plenty　of　musical

sensibility。　　As　if　despoiled　of　volition；　he　stood　motionless　till

she　said；



'Now　you　had　better　go；　or　Betty　will　miss　you。'



Then　he　made　her　a　bow　in　which　awkwardness　and　grace　were　curiously

mingled；　and　taking　up　his　precious　parcel；　and　holding　it　to　his

bosom　as　if　it　had　been　a　child　for　whom　he　felt　an　access　of

tenderness；　he　slowly　left　the　room　and　the　house。



Not　even　to　Shargar　did　he　communicate　his　adventure。　　And　he　went

no　more　to　the　deserted　factory　to　play　there。　　Fate　had　again

interposed　between　him　and　his　bonny　leddy。



When　he　reached　Bodyfauld　he　fancied　his　grandmother's　eyes　more

watchful　of　him　than　usual；　and　he　strove　the　more　to　resist　the

weariness；　and　even　faintness；　that　urged　him　to　go　to　bed。　　Whether

he　was　able　to　hide　as　well　a　certain　trouble　that　clouded　his

spirit　I　doubt。　　His　wound　he　did　manage　to　keep　a　secret；　thanks　to

the　care　of　Miss　St。　John；　who　had　dressed　it　with　court…plaster。



When　he　woke　the　next　morning；　it　was　with　the　consciousness　of

having　seen　something　strange　the　night　before；　and　only　when　he

found　that　he　was　not　in　his　own　room　at　his　grandmother's；　was　he

convinced　that　it　must　have　been　a　dream　and　no　vision。　　For　in　the

night；　he　had　awaked　there　as　he　thought；　and　the　moon　was　shining

with　such　clearness；　that　although　it　did　not　shine　into　his　room；

he　could　see　the　face　of　the　clock；　and　that　the　hands　were　both

together　at　the　top。　　Close　by　the　clock　stood　the　bureau；　with　its

end　against　the　partition　forming　the　head　of　his　grannie's　bed。



All　at　once　he　saw　a　tall　man；　in　a　blue　coat　and　bright　buttons；

about　to　open　the　lid　of　the　bureau。　　The　same　moment　he　saw　a

little　elderly　man　in　a　brown　coat　and　a　brown　wig；　by　his　side；　who

sought　to　remove　his　hand　from　the　lock。　　Next　appeared　a　huge

stalwart　figure；　in　shabby　old　tartans；　and　laid　his　hand　on　the

head　of　each。　　But　the　wonder　widened　and　grew；　for　now　came　a

stately　Highlander　with　his　broadsword　by　his　side；　and　an　eagle's

feather　in　his　bonnet；　who　laid　his　hand　on　the　other　Highlander's

arm。



When　Robert　looked　in　the　direction　whence　this　last　had　appeared；

the　head　of　his　grannie's　bed　had　vanished；　and　a　wild　hill…side；

covered　with　stones　and　heather；　sloped　away　into　the　distance。

Over　it　passed　man　after　man；　each　with　an　ancestral　air；　while　on

the　gray　sea　to　the　left；　galleys　covered　with　Norsemen　tore　up　the

white　foam；　and　dashed　one　after　the　other　up　to　the　strand。　　How

long　he　gazed；　he　did　not　know；　but　when　he　withdrew　his　eyes　from

the　extended