robert falconer-第41节

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tallest　and　slenderest　man　Robert　had　ever　seen。　　He　was

considerably　over　six　feet；　with　a　small　head；　and　delicate；　if　not

fine　features；　a　gentle　look　in　his　blue　eyes；　and　a　slow　clear

voice；　which　sounded　as　if　it　were　thinking　about　every　word　it

uttered。　　The　hot　sun　of　India　seemed　to　have　burned　out　everything

self…assertive；　leaving　him　quietly　and　rather　sadly　contemplative。



'Come　in；　come　in；'　repeated　Mr。　Lammie；　overflowing　with　glad

welcome。　'What'll　ye　hae？　　There's　a　frien'　o'　yer　ain；'　he

continued；　pointing　to　Robert；　'an'　a　fine　lad。'　　Then　lowering　his

voice；　he　added：　'A　son　o'　poor　Anerew's；　ye　ken；　doctor。'



The　boys　rose；　and　Dr。　Anderson；　stretching　his　long　arms　across　the

table；　shook　hands　kindly　with　Robert　and　Shargar。　　Then　he　sat　down

and　began　to　help　himself　to　the　cakes　（oat…cake）；　at　which　Robert

wondered；　seeing　there　was　'white　breid'　on　the　table。　　Miss　Lammie

presently　came　in　with　the　teapot　and　some　additional　dainties；　and

the　boys　took　the　opportunity　of　beginning　at　the　beginning　again。



Dr。　Anderson　remained　for　a　few　days　at　Bodyfauld；　sending　Shargar

to　Rothieden　for　some　necessaries　from　The　Boar's　Head；　where　he　had

left　his　servant　and　luggage。　　During　this　time　Mr。　Lammie　was　much

occupied　with　his　farm　affairs；　anxious　to　get　his　harvest　in　as

quickly　as　possible；　because　a　change　of　weather　was　to　be　dreaded；

so　the　doctor　was　left　a　good　deal　to　himself。　　He　was　fond　of

wandering　about；　but；　thoughtful　as　he　was；　did　not　object　to　the

companionship　which　Robert　implicitly　offered　him：　before　many　hours

were　over；　the　two　were　friends。



Various　things　attracted　Robert　to　the　doctor。　　First；　he　was　a

relation　of　his　own；　older　than　himself；　the　first　he　had　known

except　his　father；　and　Robert's　heart　was　one　of　the　most　dutiful。

Second；　or　perhaps　I　ought　to　have　put　this　first；　he　was　the　only

gentleman；　except　Eric　Ericson；　whose　acquaintance　he　had　yet　made。

Third；　he　was　kind　to　him；　and　gentle　to　him；　and；　above　all；

respectful　to　him；　and　to　be　respected　was　a　new　sensation　to　Robert

altogether。　　And　lastly；　he　could　tell　stories　of　elephants　and

tiger　hunts；　and　all　The　Arabian　Nights　of　India。　　He　did　not

volunteer　much　talk；　but　Robert　soon　found　that　he　could　draw　him

out。



But　what　attracted　the　man　to　the　boy？



'Ah！　　Robert；'　said　the　doctor　one　day；　sadly；　'it's　a　sore　thing　to

come　home　after　being　thirty　years　away。'



He　looked　up　at　the　sky；　then　all　around　at　the　hills：　the　face　of

Nature　alone　remained　the　same。　　Then　his　glance　fell　on　Robert；　and

he　saw　a　pair　of　black　eyes　looking　up　at　him；　brimful　of　tears。

And　thus　the　man　was　drawn　to　the　boy。



Robert　worshipped　Dr。　Anderson。　　As　long　as　he　remained　their

visitor；　kite　and　violin　and　all　were　forgotten；　and　he　followed　him

like　a　dog。　　To　have　such　a　gentleman　for　a　relation；　was　grand

indeed。　　What　could　he　do　for　him？　　He　ministered　to　him　in　all

manner　of　triflesa　little　to　the　amusement　of　Dr。　Anderson；　but

more　to　his　pleasure；　for　he　saw　that　the　boy　was　both　large…hearted

and　lowly…minded：　Dr。　Anderson　had　learned　to　read　character；　else

he　would　never　have　been　the　honour　to　his　profession　that　he　was。



But　all　the　time　Robert　could　not　get　him　to　speak　about　his　father。

He　steadily　avoided　the　subject。



When　he　went　away；　the　two　boys　walked　with　him　to　The　Boar's　Head；

caught　a　glimpse　of　his　Hindoo　attendant；　much　to　their　wonderment；

received　from　the　doctor　a　sovereign　apiece　and　a　kind　good…bye；　and

returned　to　Bodyfauld。



Dr。　Anderson　remained　a　few　days　longer　at　Rothieden；　and　amongst

others　visited　Mrs。　Falconer；　who　was　his　first　cousin。　　What　passed

between　them　Robert　never　heard；　nor　did　his　grandmother　even　allude

to　the　visit。　　He　went　by　the　mail…coach　from　Rothieden　to　Aberdeen；

and　whether　he　should　ever　see　him　again　Robert　did　not　know。



He　flew　his　kite　no　more　for　a　while；　but　betook　himself　to　the　work

of　the　harvest…field；　in　which　he　was　now　able　for　a　share。　　But　his

violin　was　no　longer　neglected。



Day　after　day　passed　in　the　delights　of　labour；　broken　for　Robert　by

The　Arabian　Nights　and　the　violin；　and　for　Shargar　by　attendance

upon　Miss　Lammie；　till　the　fields　lay　bare　of　their　harvest；　and　the

night…wind　of　autumn　moaned　everywhere　over　the　vanished　glory　of

the　country；　and　it　was　time　to　go　back　to　school。









CHAPTER　XXIII。



AN　AUTO　DA　Fé。



The　morning　at　length　arrived　when　Robert　and　Shargar　must　return　to

Rothieden。　　A　keen　autumnal　wind　was　blowing　far…off　feathery　clouds

across　a　sky　of　pale　blue；　the　cold　freshened　the　spirits　of　the

boys；　and　tightened　their　nerves　and　muscles；　till　they　were　like

bow…strings。　　No　doubt　the　winter　was　coming；　but　the　sun；　although

his　day's　work　was　short　and　slack；　was　still　as　clear　as　ever。　　So

gladsome　was　the　world；　that　the　boys　received　the　day　as　a　fresh

holiday；　and　strenuously　forgot　to…morrow。　　The　wind　blew　straight

from　Rothieden；　and　between　sun　and　wind　a　bright　thought　awoke　in

Robert。　　The　dragon　should　not　be　carriedhe　should　fly　home。



After　they　had　said　farewell；　in　which　Shargar　seemed　to　suffer　more

than　Robert；　and　had　turned　the　corner　of　the　stable；　they　heard　the

good　farmer　shouting　after　them；



'There'll　be　anither　hairst　neist　year；　boys；'　which　wonderfully

restored　their　spirits。　　When　they　reached　the　open　road；　Robert

laid　his　violin　carefully　into　a　broom…bush。　　Then　the　tail　was

unrolled；　and　the　dragon　ascended　steady　as　an　angel　whose　work　is

done。　　Shargar　took　the　stick　at　the　end　of　the　string；　and　Robert

resumed　his　violin。　　But　the　creature　was　hard　to　lead　in　such　a

wind；　so　they　made　a　loop　on　the　string；　and　passed　it　round

Shargar's　chest；　and　he　tugged　the　dragon　home。　　Robert　longed　to

take　his　share　in　the　struggle；　but　he　could　not　trust　his　violin　to

Shargar；　and　so　had　to　walk　beside　ingloriously。　　On　the　way　they

laid　their　plans　for　the　accommodation　of　the　dragon。　　But　the

violin　was　the　greater　difficulty。　　Robert　would　not　hear　of　the

factory；　for　reasons　best　known　to　himself；　and　there　were　serious

objections　to　taking　it　to　Dooble　Sanny。　　It　was　resolved　that　the

only　way　was　to　seize　the　right　moment；　and　creep　upstairs　with　it

before　presenting　themselves　to　Mrs。　Falconer。　　Their　intended

man？uvres　with　the　kite　would　favour　the　concealment　of　this　stroke。



Before　they　entered　the　town　they　drew　in　the　kite　a　little　way；　and

cut　off　a　dozen　yards　of　the　string；　which　Robert　put　in　his　pocket；

with　a　stone　tied　to　the　end。　　When　they　reached　the　house；　Shargar

went　into　the　little　garden　and　tied　the　string　of　the　kite　to　the

paling　between　that　and　Captain　Forsyth's。　　Robert　opened　the　street

door；　and　having　turned　his　head　on　all　sides　like　a　thief；　darted

with　his　violin　up　the　stairs。　　Having　laid　his　treasure　in　one　of

the　presses　in　Shargar's　garret；　he　went　to　his　own；　and　from　the

skylight　threw　the　stone　down　into　the　captain's　garden；　fastening

the　other　end　of　the　string　to　the　bedstead。　　Escaping　as　cautiously

as　he　had　entered；　he　passed　hurriedly　into　their　neighbour's

garden；　found　the　stone；　and　joined　Shargar。　　The　ends　were　soon

united；　and　the　kite　let　go。　　It　sunk　for　a　moment；　then；　arrested

by　the　bedstead；　towered　again　to　its　former　'pride　of　place；'

sailing　over　Rothieden；　grand　and　unconcerned；　in　the　wastes　of　air。



But　the　end　of　its　tether　was　in　Robert's　garret。　　And　that　was　to

him　a　sense　of　power；　a　thought　of　glad　mystery。　　There　was

henceforth；　while　the　dragon　flew；　a　relation　between　the　desolate

little　chamber；　in　that　lowly　house　buried　among　so　many　more

aspiring　abodes；　and　the　unmeasured　depths　and　spaces；　the　stars；

and　the　unknown　heavens。　　And　in　the　next　chamber　lay　the　fiddle

free　once　more；yet　another　magical　power　whereby　his　spirit　could

forsake　the　earth　and　mount　heavenwards。



All　that　night；　all　the　next　day；　all　the　next　night；　the　dragon

flew。



Not　one　smile　broke　over　the　face　of　the　old　lady　as　she　received

them。　　Was　it　because　she　did　not　know　what　acts　of　disobedience；

what　breaches　of　the　moral　law；　the　two　children　of　possible

perdition　might　have　committed　while　they　were　beyond　her　care；　and

she　must　not　run　the　risk　of　smiling　upon　iniquity？　　I　think　it　was

rather　that　there　was　no　smile　in　her　religion；　which；　while　it

developed　the　power　of　a　darkened　conscience；　overlaid　and

half…smothered　all　the　lovelier　impulses　of　her　grand　nature。　　How

could　she　smile？　　Did　not　the　world　lie　under　the　wrath　and　curse　of

God？　　Was　not　her　own　son　in　hell　for　ever？　　Had　not　the　blood　of

the　Son　of　God　been　shed　for　him　in　vain？　　Had　not　God　meant　that　it

should　be　in　vain？　　For　by　the　gift　of　his　Spirit　could　he　not　have

enabled　him　to　accept　the　offered　pardon？　　And　for　anything　she

knew；　was　not　Robert　going　after　him　to　th