robert falconer-第34节

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

the　extended　scene；　there　stood　the　figure　of　his　father；　still

trying　to　open　the　lid　of　the　bureau；　his　grandfather　resisting　him；

the　blind　piper　with　his　hand　on　the　head　of　both；　and　the　stately

chief　with　his　hand　on　the　piper's　arm。　　Then　a　mist　of

forgetfulness　gathered　over　the　whole；　till　at　last　he　awoke　and

found　himself　in　the　little　wooden　chamber　at　Bodyfauld；　and　not　in

the　visioned　room。　　Doubtless　his　loss　of　blood　the　day　before　had

something　to　do　with　the　dream　or　vision；　whichever　the　reader　may

choose　to　consider　it。　　He　rose；　and　after　a　good　breakfast；　found

himself　very　little　the　worse；　and　forgot　all　about　his　dream；　till

a　circumstance　which　took　place　not　long　after　recalled　it　vividly

to　his　mind。



The　enchantment　of　Bodyfauld　soon　wore　off。　　The　boys　had　no　time　to

enter　into　the　full　enjoyment　of　country　ways；　because　of　those

weary　lessons；　over　the　getting　of　which　Mrs。　Falconer　kept　as

strict　a　watch　as　ever；　while　to　Robert　the　evening　journey；　his

violin　and　Miss　St。　John　left　at　Rothieden；　grew　more　than　tame。

The　return　was　almost　as　happy　an　event　to　him　as　the　first　going。

Now　he　could　resume　his　lessons　with　the　soutar。



With　Shargar　it　was　otherwise。　　The　freedom　for　so　much　longer　from

Mrs。　Falconer's　eyes　was　in　itself　so　much　of　a　positive　pleasure；

that　the　walk　twice　a　day；　the　fresh　air；　and　the　scents　and　sounds

of　the　country；　only　came　in　as　supplementary。　　But　I　do　not　believe

the　boy　even　then　had　so　much　happiness　as　when　he　was　beaten　and

starved　by　his　own　mother。　　And　Robert；　growing　more　and　more

absorbed　in　his　own　thoughts　and　pursuits；　paid　him　less　and　less

attention　as　the　weeks　went　on；　till　Shargar　at　length　judged　it　for

a　time　an　evil　day　on　which　he　first　had　slept　under　old　Ronald

Falconer's　kilt。









CHAPTER　XVIII。



NATURE　PUTS　IN　A　CLAIM。



Before　the　day　of　return　arrived；　Robert　had　taken　care　to　remove

the　violin　from　his　bedroom；　and　carry　it　once　more　to　its　old

retreat　in　Shargar's　garret。　　The　very　first　evening；　however；　that

grannie　again　spent　in　her　own　arm…chair；　he　hied　from　the　house　as

soon　as　it　grew　dusk；　and　made　his　way　with　his　brown…paper　parcel

to　Sandy　Elshender's。



Entering　the　narrow　passage　from　which　his　shop　door　opened；　and

hearing　him　hammering　away　at　a　sole；　he　stood　and　unfolded　his

treasure；　then　drew　a　low　sigh　from　her　with　his　bow；　and　awaited

the　result。　　He　heard　the　lap…stone　fall　thundering　on　the　floor；

and；　like　a　spider　from　his　cavern；　Dooble　Sanny　appeared　in　the

door；　with　the　bend…leather　in　one　hand；　and　the　hammer　in　the

other。



'Lordsake；　man！　hae　ye　gotten　her　again？　　Gie's　a　grup　o'　her！'　he

cried；　dropping　leather　and　hammer。



'Na；　na；'　returned　Robert；　retreating　towards　the　outer　door。　'Ye

maun　sweir　upo'　her　that；　whan　I　want　her；　I　sall　hae　her　ohn　demur；

or　I　sanna　lat　ye　lay　roset　upo'　her。'



'I　swear　't；　Robert；　I　sweir　't　upo'　her；'　said　the　soutar

hurriedly；　stretching　out　both　his　hands　as　if　to　receive　some　human

being　into　his　embrace。



Robert　placed　the　violin　in　those　grimy　hands。　　A　look　of　heavenly

delight　dawned　over　the　hirsute　and　dirt…besmeared　countenance；

which　drooped　into　tenderness　as　he　drew　the　bow　across　the

instrument；　and　wiled　from　her　a　thin　wail　as　of　sorrow　at　their

long　separation。　　He　then　retreated　into　his　den；　and　was　soon　sunk

in　a　trance；　deaf　to　everything　but　the　violin；　from　which　no

entreaties　of　Robert；　who　longed　for　a　lesson；　could　rouse　him；　so

that　he　had　to　go　home　grievously　disappointed；　and　unrewarded　for

the　risk　he　had　run　in　venturing　the　stolen　visit。



Next　time；　however；　he　fared　better；　and　he　contrived　so　well　that；

from　the　middle　of　June　to　the　end　of　August；　he　had　two　lessons　a

week；　mostly　upon　the　afternoons　of　holidays。　　For　these　his　master

thought　himself　well　paid　by　the　use　of　the　instrument　between。　　And

Robert　made　great　progress。



Occasionally　he　saw　Miss　St。　John　in　the　garden；　and　once　or　twice

met　her　in　the　town；　but　her　desire　to　find　in　him　a　pupil　had　been

greatly　quenched　by　her　unfortunate　conjecture　as　to　the　cause　of

his　accident。　　She　had；　however；　gone　so　far　as　to　mention　the

subject　to　her　aunt；　who　assured　her　that　old　Mrs。　Falconer　would　as

soon　consent　to　his　being　taught　gambling　as　music。　　The　idea；

therefore；　passed　away；　and　beyond　a　kind　word　or　two　when　she　met

him；　there　was　no　further　communication　between　them。　　But　Robert

would　often　dream　of　waking　from　a　swoon；　and　finding　his　head　lying

on　her　lap；　and　her　lovely　face　bending　over　him　full　of　kindness

and　concern。



By　the　way；　Robert　cared　nothing　for　poetry。　　Virgil　was　too

troublesome　to　be　enjoyed；　and　in　English　he　had　met　with　nothing

but　the　dried　leaves　and　gum…flowers　of　the　last　century。　　Miss

Letty　once　lent　him　The　Lady　of　the　Lake；　but　before　he　had　read　the

first　canto　through；　his　grandmother　laid　her　hands　upon　it；　and；

without　saying　a　word；　dropped　it　behind　a　loose　skirting…board　in

the　pantry；　where　the　mice　soon　made　it　a　ruin　sad　to　behold。　　For

Miss　Letty；　having　heard　from　the　woful　Robert　of　its　strange

disappearance；　and　guessing　its　cause；　applied　to　Mrs。　Falconer　for

the　volume；　who　forthwith；　the　tongs　aiding；　extracted　it　from　its

hole；　and；　without　shade　of　embarrassment；　held　it　up　like　a　drowned

kitten　before　the　eyes　of　Miss　Letty；　intending　thereby；　no　doubt；

to　impress　her　with　the　fate　of　all　seducing　spirits　that　should

attempt　an　entrance　into　her　kingdom：　Miss　Letty　only　burst　into

merry　laughter　over　its　fate。　　So　the　lode　of　poetry　failed　for　the

present　from　Robert's　life。　　Nor　did　it　matter　much；　for　had　he　not

his　violin？



I　have；　I　think；　already　indicated　that　his　grandfather　had　been　a

linen　manufacturer。　　Although　that　trade　had　ceased；　his　family　had

still　retained　the　bleachery　belonging　to　it；　commonly　called　the

bleachfield；　devoting　it　now　to　the　service　of　those　large　calico

manufactures　which　had　ruined　the　trade　in　linen；　and　to　the

whitening　of　such　yarn　as　the　country　housewives　still　spun　at　home；

and　the　webs　they　got　woven　of　it　in　private　looms。　　To　Robert　and

Shargar　it　was　a　wondrous　pleasure　when　the　pile　of　linen　which　the

week　had　accumulated　at　the　office　under　the　ga'le…room；　was　on

Saturday　heaped　high　upon　the　base　of　a　broad…wheeled　cart；　to　get

up　on　it　and　be　carried　to　the　said　bleachfield；　which　lay　along　the

bank　of　the　river。　　Soft　laid　and　high…borne；　gazing　into　the　blue

sky；　they　traversed　the　streets　in　a　holiday　triumph；　and　although；

once　arrived；　the　manager　did　not　fail　to　get　some　labour　out　of

them；　yet　the　store　of　amusement　was　endless。　　The　great　wheel；

which　drove　the　whole　machinery；　the　plash…mill；　or；　more　properly；

wauk…milla　word　Robert　derived　from　the　resemblance　of　the　mallets

to　two　huge　feet；　and　of　their　motion　to　walkingwith　the　water

plashing　and　squirting　from　the　blows　of　their　heels；　the　beatles

thundering　in　arpeggio　upon　the　huge　cylinder　round　which　the　white

cloth　was　woundeach　was　haunted　in　its　turn　and　season。　　The

pleasure　of　the　water　itself　was　inexhaustible。　　Here　sweeping　in　a

mass　along　the　race；　there　divided　into　branches　and　hurrying

through　the　walls　of　the　various　houses；　here　sliding　through　a

wooden　channel　across　the　floor　to　fall　into　the　river　in　a

half…concealed　cataract；　there　bubbling　up　through　the　bottom　of　a

huge　wooden　cave　or　vat；　there　resting　placid　in　another；　here

gurgling　along　a　spout；　there　flowing　in　a　narrow　canal　through　the

green　expanse　of　the　well…mown　bleaehfield；　or　lifted　from　it　in

narrow　curved　wooden　scoops；　like　fairy　canoes　with　long　handles；

and　flung　in　showers　over　the　outspread　yarnthe　water　was　an

endless　delight。



It　is　strange　how　some　individual　broidery　or　figure　upon　Nature's

garment　will　delight　a　boy　long　before　he　has　ever　looked　Nature　in

the　face；　or　begun　to　love　herself。　　But　Robert　was　soon　to　become

dimly　conscious　of　a　life　within　these　thingsa　life　not　the　less

real　that　its　operations　on　his　mind　had　been　long　unrecognized。



On　the　grassy　bank　of　the　gently…flowing　river；　at　the　other　edge　of

whose　level　the　little　canal　squabbled　along；　and　on　the　grassy　brae

which　rose　immediately　from　the　canal；　were　stretched；　close　beside

each　other；　with　scarce　a　stripe　of　green　betwixt；　the　long　white

webs　of　linen；　fastened　down　to　the　soft　mossy　ground　with　wooden

pegs；　whose　tops　were　twisted　into　their　edges。　　Strangely　would

they　billow　in　the　wind　sometimes；　like　sea…waves；　frozen　and

enchanted　flat；　seeking　to　rise　and　wallow　in　the　wind　with

conscious　depth　and　whelming　mass。　　But　generally　they　lay　supine；

saturated　with　light　and　its　cleansing　power。　　Falconer's　jubilation

in　the　white　and　green　of　a　little　boat；　as　we　lay；　one　bright

mor