robert falconer-第36节

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holidays　with　him。　　It　was　fortunate　for　Robert　that　he　was　in　the

room　when　Mr。　Lammie　presented　his　petition；　otherwise　he　would

never　have　heard　of　it　till　the　day　of　departure　arrived；　and　would

thus　have　lost　all　the　delights　of　anticipation。　　In　frantic　effort

to　control　his　ecstasy；　he　sped　to　the　garret；　and　with　trembling

hands　tied　the　second　joint　of　the　day　to　the　tail　of　the

dragonthe　first　time　he　had　ever　broken　the　law　of　its　accretion。

Once　broken；　that　law　was　henceforth　an　object　of　scorn；　and　the

tail　grew　with　frightful　rapidity。　　It　was　indeed　a　great　dragon。

And　none　of　the　paltry　fields　about　Rothieden　should　be　honoured

with　its　first　flight；　but　from　Bodyfauld　should　the　majestic　child

of　earth　ascend　into　the　regions　of　upper　air。



My　reader　may　here　be　tempted　to　remind　me　that　Robert　had　been　only

too　glad　to　return　to　Rothieden　from　his　former　visit。　　But　I　must

in　my　turn　remind　him　that　the　circumstances　were　changed。　　In　the

first　place；　the　fiddle　was　substituted　for　grannie；　and　in　the

second；　the　dragon　for　the　school。



The　making　of　this　dragon　was　a　happy　thing　for　Shargar；　and　a　yet

happier　thing　for　Robert；　in　that　it　introduced　again　for　a　time

some　community　of　interest　between　them。　　Shargar　was　happier　than

he　had　been　for　many　a　day　because　Robert　used　him；　and　Robert　was

yet　happier　than　Shargar　in　that　his　conscience；　which　had

reproached　him　for　his　neglect　of　him；　was　now　silent。　　But　not　even

his　dragon　had　turned　aside　his　attentions　from　his　violin；　and　many

were　the　consultations　between　the　boys　as　to　how　best　she　might　be

transported　to　Bodyfauld；　where　endless　opportunities　of　holding

communion　with　her　would　not　be　wanting。　　The　difficulty　was　only

how　to　get　her　clear　of　Rothieden。



The　play　commenced　on　a　Saturday；　but　not　till　the　Monday　were　they

to　be　set　at　liberty。　　Wearily　the　hours　of　mental　labour　and　bodily

torpidity　which　the　Scotch　called　the　Sabbath　passed　away；　and　at

length　the　millennial　morning　dawned。　　Robert　and　Shargar　were　up

before　the　sun。　　But　strenuous　were　the　efforts　they　made　to

suppress　all　indications　of　excitement；　lest　grannie；　fearing　the

immoral　influence　of　gladness；　should　give　orders　to　delay　their

departure　for　an　awfully　indefinite　period；　which　might　be　an　hour；

a　day；　or　even　a　week。　　Horrible　conception！　　Their　behaviour　was　so

decorous　that　not　even　a　hinted　threat　escaped　the　lips　of　Mrs。

Falconer。



They　set　out　three　hours　before　noon；　carrying　the　great　kite；　and

Robert's　school　bag；　of　green　baize；　full　of　sundries：　a　cart　from

Bodyfauld　was　to　fetch　their　luggage　later　in　the　day。　　As　soon　as

they　were　clear　of　the　houses；　Shargar　lay　down　behind　a　dyke　with

the　kite；　and　Robert　set　off　at　full　speed　for　Dooble　Sanny's　shop；

making　a　half…circuit　of　the　town　to　avoid　the　chance　of　being　seen

by　grannie　or　Betty。　　Having　given　due　warning　before；　he　found　the

brown…paper　parcel　ready　for　him；　and　carried　it　off　in　fearful

triumph。　　He　joined　Shargar　in　safety；　and　they　set　out　on　their

journey　as　rich　and　happy　a　pair　of　tramps　as　ever　tramped；　having

six　weeks　of　their　own　in　their　pockets　to　spend　and　not　spare。



A　hearty　welcome　awaited　them；　and　they　were　soon　revelling　in　the

glories　of　the　place；　the　first　instalment　of　which　was　in　the　shape

of　curds　and　cream；　with　oatcake　and　butter；　as　much　as　they　liked。

After　this　they　would　'e'en　to　it　like　French　falconers'　with　their

kite；　for　the　wind　had　been　blowing　bravely　all　the　morning；　having

business　to　do　with　the　harvest。　　The　season　of　stubble　not　yet

arrived；　they　were　limited　to　the　pasturage　and　moorland；　which；

however；　large　as　their　kite　was；　were　spacious　enough。　　Slowly　the

great…headed　creature　arose　from　the　hands　of　Shargar；　and　ascended

about　twenty　feet；　when；　as　if　seized　with　a　sudden　fit　of　wrath　or

fierce　indignation；　it　turned　right　round　and　dashed　itself　with

headlong　fury　to　the　earth；　as　if　sooner　than　submit　to　such

influences　a　moment　longer　it　would　beat　out　its　brains　at　once。



'It　hasna　half　tail　eneuch；'　cried　Robert。　'It's　queer　'at　things

winna　gang　up　ohn　hauden　them　doon。　　Pu'　a　guid　han'fu'　o'　clover；

Shargar。　　She's　had　her　fa'；　an'　noo　she'll　gang　up　a'　richt。　　She's

nane　the　waur　o'　't。'



Upon　the　next　attempt；　the　kite　rose　triumphantly。　　But　just　as　it

reached　the　length　of　the　string　it　shot　into　a　faster　current　of

air；　and　Robert　found　himself　first　dragged　along　in　spite　of　his

efforts；　and　then　lifted　from　his　feet。　　After　carrying　him　a　few

yards；　the　dragon　broke　its　string；　dropped　him　in　a　ditch；　and；

drifting　away；　went　fluttering　and　waggling　downwards　in　the

distance。



'Luik　whaur　she　gangs；　Shargar；'　cried　Robert；　from　the　ditch。



Experience　coming　to　his　aid；　Shargar　took　landmarks　of　the

direction　in　which　it　went；　and　ere　long　they　found　it　with　its　tail

entangled　in　the　topmost　branches　of　a　hawthorn　tree；　and　its　head

beating　the　ground　at　its　foot。　　It　was　at　once　agreed　that　they

would　not　fly　it　again　till　they　got　some　stronger　string。



Having　heard　the　adventure；　Mr。　Lammie　produced　a　shilling　from　the

pocket　of　his　corduroys；　and　gave　it　to　Robert　to　spend　upon　the

needful　string。　　He　resolved　to　go　to　the　town　the　next　morning　and

make　a　grand　purchase　of　the　same。　　During　the　afternoon　he　roamed

about　the　farm　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　revolving　if　not　many

memories；　yet　many　questions；　while　Shargar　followed　like　a　pup　at

the　heels　of　Miss　Lammie；　to　whom；　during　his　former　visit；　he　had

become　greatly　attached。



In　the　evening；　resolved　to　make　a　confidant　of　Mr。　Lammie；　and

indeed　to　cast　himself　upon　the　kindness　of　the　household　generally；

Robert　went　up　to　his　room　to　release　his　violin　from　its　prison　of

brown　paper。　　What　was　his　dismay　to　findnot　his　bonny　leddy；　but

her　poor　cousin；　the　soutar's　auld　wife！　　It　was　too　bad。　　Dooble

Sanny　indeed！



He　first　stared；　then　went　into　a　rage；　and　then　came　out　of　it　to

go　into　a　resolution。　　He　replaced　the　unwelcome　fiddle　in　the

parcel；　and　came　down…stairs　gloomy　and　still　wrathful；　but　silent。

The　evening　passed　over；　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　farmhouse　went

early　to　bed。　　Robert　tossed　about　fuming　on　his。　　He　had　not

undressed。



About　eleven　o'clock；　after　all　had　been　still　for　more　than　an

hour；　he　took　his　shoes　in　one　hand　and　the　brown　parcel　in　the

other；　and　descending　the　stairs　like　a　thief；　undid　the　quiet

wooden　bar　that　secured　the　door；　and　let　himself　out。　　All　was

darkness；　for　the　moon　was　not　yet　up；　and　he　felt　a　strange

sensation　of　ghostliness　in　himselfawake　and　out　of　doors；　when　he

ought　to　be　asleep　and　unconscious　in　bed。　　He　had　never　been　out　so

late　before；　and　felt　as　if　walking　in　the　region　of　the　dead；

existing　when　and　where　he　had　no　business　to　exist。　　For　it　was　the

time　Nature　kept　for　her　own　quiet；　and　having　once　put　her　children

to　bedhidden　them　away　with　the　world　wiped　out　of　themenclosed

them　in　her　ebony　box；　as　George　Herbert　saysshe　did　not　expect　to

have　her　hours　of　undress　and　meditation　intruded　upon　by　a

venturesome　school…boy。　　Yet　she　let　him　pass。　　He　put　on　his　shoes

and　hurried　to　the　road。　　He　heard　a　horse　stamp　in　the　stable；　and

saw　a　cat　dart　across　the　corn…yard　as　he　went　through。　　Those　were

all　the　signs　of　life　about　the　place。



It　was　a　cloudy　night　and　still。　　Nothing　was　to　be　heard　but　his

own　footsteps。　　The　cattle　in　the　fields　were　all　asleep。　　The　larch

and　spruce　trees　on　the　top　of　the　hill　by　the　foot　of　which　his

road　wound　were　still　as　clouds。　　He　could　just　see　the　sky　through

their　stems。　　It　was　washed　with　the　faintest　of　light；　for　the

moon；　far　below；　was　yet　climbing　towards　the　horizon。　　A　star　or

two　sparkled　where　the　clouds　broke；　but　so　little　light　was　there；

that；　until　he　had　passed　the　moorland　on　the　hill；　he　could　not　get

the　horror　of　moss…holes；　and　deep　springs　covered　with　treacherous

green；　out　of　his　head。　　But　he　never　thought　of　turning。　　When　the

fears　of　the　way　at　length　fell　back　and　allowed　his　own　thoughts　to

rise；　the　sense　of　a　presence；　or　of　something　that　might　grow　to　a

presence；　was　the　first　to　awake　in　him。　　The　stillness　seemed　to　be

thinking　all　around　his　head。　　But　the　way　grew　so　dark；　where　it

lay　through　a　corner　of　the　pine…wood；　that　he　had　to　feel　the　edge

of　the　road　with　his　foot　to　make　sure　that　he　was　keeping　upon　it；

and　the　sense　of　the　silence　vanished。　　Then　he　passed　a　farm；　and

the　motions　of　horses　came　through　the　dark；　and　a　doubtful　crow

from　a　young　inexperienced　cock；　who　did　not　yet　know　the　moon　from

the　sun。　　Then　a　sleepy　low　in　his　ear　startled　him；　and　made　him

quicken　his　pace　involuntarily。



By　the　time　he　reached　Rothieden　all　the　lights　were　out；　and　this

was　just　what　he　wanted。



The　economy　of　Dooble　Sanny's　abode　was　this：　the　o