robert falconer-第59节

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know　how　he　came　to　be　your　companion。'



'I　beg　your　pardon；　doctorbut　I　thoucht　ye　was　some　scunnert　at

it；　an'　I　canna　bide　Shargar　to　be　luikit　doon　upo'。　　Luik　here；'　he

continued；　going　to　his　box；　and　bringing　out　Shargar's　little　heap

of　coppers；　in　which　two　sixpences　obscurely　shone；　'he　brocht　a'

that　hame　last　nicht；　an'　syne　sleepit　upo'　the　rug　i'　my　room

there。　　We'll　want　a'　'at　he　can　mak　an'　me　too　afore　we　get　Mr。

Ericson　up　again。'



'But　ye　haena　tellt　me　yet；'　said　the　doctor；　so　pleased　with　the

lad　that　he　relapsed　into　the　dialect　of　his　youth；　'hoo　ye　cam　to

forgather　wi'　'im。'



'I　tellt　ye　a'　aboot　it；　doctor。　　It　was　a'　my　grannie's　doin'；　God

bless　herfor　weel　he　may；　an'　muckle　she　needs　't。'



'Oh！　yes；　I　remember　now　all　your　grandmother's　part　in　the　story；'

returned　the　doctor。　'But　I　still　want　to　know　how　he　came　here。'



'She　was　gaein'　to　mak　a　taylor　o'　'm：　an'　he　jist　ran　awa'；　an'　cam

to　me。'



'It　was　too　bad　of　him　thatafter　all　she　had　done　for　him。'



'Ow；　'deed　no；　doctor。　　Even　whan　ye　boucht　a　man　an'　paid　for　him；

accordin'　to　the　Jewish　law；　ye　cudna　mak　a　slave　o'　'im　for

a'thegither；　ohn　him　seekin'　't　himsel'。Eh！　gin　she　could　only　get

my　father　hame！'　sighed　Robert；　after　a　pause。



'What　should　she　want　him　home　for？'　asked　Dr。　Anderson；　still

making　conversation。



'I　didna　mean　hame　to　Rothieden。　　I　believe　she　cud　bide　never

seein'　'im　again；　gin　only　he　wasna　i'　the　ill　place。　　She　has　awfu'

notions　aboot　burnin'　ill　sowls　for　ever　an'　ever。　　But　it's　no

hersel'。　　It's　the　wyte　o'　the　ministers。　　Doctor；　I　do　believe　she

wad　gang　an'　be　brunt　hersel'　wi'　a　great　thanksgivin'；　gin　it　wad

lat　ony　puir　crater　oot　o'　'tno　to　say　my　father。　　An'　I　sair

misdoobt　gin　mony　o'　them　'at　pat　it　in　her　heid　wad　do　as　muckle。

I'm　some　feared　they're　like　Paul　afore　he　was　convertit：　he　wadna

lift　a　stane　himsel'；　but　he　likit　weel　to　stan'　oot　by　an'　luik

on。'



A　deep　sigh；　almost　a　groan；　from　the　bed；　reminded　them　that　they

were　talking　too　much　and　too　loud　for　a　sick…room。　　It　was　followed

by　the　words；　muttered；　but　articulate；



'What's　the　good　when　you　don't　know　whether　there's　a　God　at　all？'



''Deed；　that's　verra　true；　Mr。　Ericson；'　returned　Robert。　'I　wish　ye

wad　fin'　oot　an'　tell　me。　　I　wad　be　blithe　to　hear　what　ye　had　to

say　anent　itgin　it　was　ay；　ye　ken。'



Ericson　went　on　murmuring；　but　inarticulately　now。



'This　won't　do　at　all；　Robert；　my　boy；'　said　Dr。　Anderson。　'You　must

not　talk　about　such　things　with　him；　or　indeed　about　anything。　　You

must　keep　him　as　quiet　as　ever　you　can。'



'I　thocht　he　was　comin'　till　himsel'；'　returned　Robert。　'But　I　will

tak　care；　I　assure　ye；　doctor。　　Only　I'm　feared　I　may　fa'　asleep　the

nicht；　for　I　was　dooms　sleepy　this　mornin'。'



'I　will　send　Johnston　as　soon　as　I　get　home；　and　you　must　go　to　bed

when　he　comes。'



''Deed；　doctor；　that　winna　do　at　a'。　　It　wad　be　ower　mony　strange

faces　a'thegither。　　We'll　get　Mistress　Fyvie　to　luik　till　'im　the

day；　an'　Shargar　canna　work　the　morn；　bein'　Sunday。　　An'　I'll　gang

to　my　bed　for　fear　o'　doin'　waur；　though　I　doobt　I　winna　sleep　i'

the　daylicht。'



Dr。　Anderson　was　satisfied；　and　went　homecogitating　much。　　This

boy；　this　cousin　of　his；　made　a　vortex　of　good　about　him　into　which

whoever　came　near　it　was　drawn。　　He　seemed　at　the　same　time　quite

unaware　of　anything　worthy　in　his　conduct。　　The　good　he　did　sprung

from　some　inward　necessity；　with　just　enough　in　it　of　the　salt　of

choice　to　keep　it　from　losing　its　savour。　　To　these　cogitations　of

Dr。　Anderson；　I　add　that　there　was　no　conscious　exercise　of　religion

in　itfor　there　his　mind　was　all　at　sea。　　Of　course　I　believe

notwithstanding　that　religion　had　much；　I　ought　to　say　everything；

to　do　with　it。　　Robert　had　not　yet　found　in　God　a　reason　for　being

true　to　his　fellows；　but；　if　God　was　leading　him　to　be　the　man　he

became；　how　could　any　good　results　of　this　leading　be　other　than

religion？　　All　good　is　of　God。　Robert　began　where　he　could。　　The

first　table　was　too　high　for　him；　he　began　with　the　second。　　If　a

man　love　his　brother　whom　he　hath　seen；　the　love　of　God　whom　he　hath

not　seen；　is　not　very　far　off。　　These　results　in　Robert　were　the

first　outcome　of　divine　facts　and　influencesthey　were　the　buds　of

the　fruit　hereafter　to　be　gathered　in　perfect　devotion。　　God　be

praised　by　those　who　know　religion　to　be　the　truth　of　humanityits

own　truth　that　sets　it　freenot　binds；　and　lops；　and　mutilates　it！

who　see　God　to　be　the　father　of　every　human　soulthe　ideal　Father；

not　an　inventor　of　schemes；　or　the　upholder　of　a　court　etiquette　for

whose　use　he　has　chosen　to　desecrate　the　name　of　justice！



To　return　to　Dr。　Anderson。　　I　have　had　little　opportunity　of　knowing

his　history　in　India。　　He　returned　from　it　half…way　down　the　hill　of

life；　sad；　gentle；　kind；　and　rich。　　Whence　his　sadness　came；　we　need

not　inquire。　　Some　woman　out　in　that　fervid　land　may　have　darkened

his　storydarkened　it　wronglessly；　it　may　be；　with　coldness；　or

only　with　death。　　But　to　return　home　without　wife　to　accompany　him

or　child　to　meet　him；to　sit　by　his　riches　like　a　man　over　a　fire

of　straws　in　a　Siberian　frost；　to　know　that　old　faces　were　gone　and

old　hearts　changed；　that　the　pattern　of　things　in　the　heavens　had

melted　away　from　the　face　of　the　earth；　that　the　chill　evenings　of

autumn　were　settling　down　into　longer　and　longer　nights；　and　that　no

hope　lay　any　more　beyond　the　mountainssurely　this　was　enough　to

make　a　gentle…minded　man　sad；　even　if　the　individual　sorrows　of　his

history　had　gathered　into　gold　and　purple　in　the　west。　　I　say　west

advisedly。　　For　we　are　journeying；　like　our　globe；　ever　towards　the

east。　　Death　and　the　west　are　behind　usever　behind　us；　and

settling　into　the　unchangeable。



It　was　natural　that　he　should　be　interested　in　the　fine　promise　of

Robert；　in　whom　he　saw　revived　the　hopes　of　his　own　youth；　but　in　a

nature　at　once　more　robust　and　more　ideal。　　Where　the　doctor　was

refined；　Robert　was　strong；　where　the　doctor　was　firm　with　a

firmness　he　had　cultivated；　Robert　was　imperious　with　an

imperiousness　time　would　mellow；　where　the　doctor　was　generous　and

careful　at　once；　Robert　gave　his　mite　and　forgot　it。　　He　was　rugged

in　the　simplicity　of　his　truthfulness；　and　his　speech　bewrayed　him

as　altogether　of　the　people；　but　the　doctor　knew　the　hole　of　the　pit

whence　he　had　been　himself　digged。　　All　that　would　fall　away　as　the

spiky　shell　from　the　polished　chestnut；　and　be　reabsorbed　in　the

growth　of　the　grand　cone…flowering　tree；　to　stand　up　in　the　sun　and

wind　of　the　years　a　very　altar　of　incense。　　It　is　no　wonder；　I

repeat；　that　he　loved　the　boy；　and　longed　to　further　his　plans。　　But

he　was　too　wise　to　overwhelm　him　with　a　cataract　of　fortune　instead

of　blessing　him　with　the　merciful　dew　of　progress。



'The　fellow　will　bring　me　in　for　no　end　of　expense；'　he　said；

smiling　to　himself；　as　he　drove　home　in　his　chariot。　'The　less　he

means　it　the　more　unconscionable　he　will　be。　　There's　that

Ericsonbut　that　isn't　worth　thinking　of。　　I　must　do　something　for

that　queer　protégé　of　his；　thoughthat　Shargar。　　The　fellow　is　as

good　as　a　dog；　and　that's　saying　not　a　little　for　him。　　I　wonder　if

he　can　learnor　if　he　takes　after　his　father　the　marquis；　who　never

could　spell。　　Well；　it　is　a　comfort　to　have　something　to　do　worth

doing。　　I　did　think　of　endowing　a　hospital；　but　I'm　not　sure　that　it

isn't　better　to　endow　a　good　man　than　a　hospital。　　I'll　think　about

it。　　I　won't　say　anything　about　Shargar　either；　till　I　see　how　he

goes　on。　　I　might　give　him　a　job；　though；　now　and　then。　　But　where

to　fall　in　with　himprowling　about　after　jobs？'



He　threw　himself　back　in　his　seat；　and　laughed　with　a　delight　he　had

rarely　felt。　　He　was　a　providence　watching　over　the　boys；　who

expected　nothing　of　him　beyond　advice　for　Ericson！　　Might　there　not

be　a　Providence　that　equally　transcended　the　vision　of　men；　shaping

to　nobler　ends　the　blocked…out　designs　of　their　rough…hewn　marbles？



His　thoughts　wandered　back　to　his　friend　the　Brahmin；　who　died

longing　for　that　absorption　into　deity　which　had　been　the　dream　of

his　life：　might　not　the　Brahmin　find　the　grand　idea　shaped　to　yet

finer　issues　than　his　aspiration　had　dared　contemplate？might　he

not　inherit　in　the　purification　of　his　will　such　an　absorption　as

should　intensify　his　personality？









CHAPTER　IX。



A　HUMAN　SOUL。



Ericson　lay　for　several　weeks；　during　which　time　Robert　and　Shargar

were　his　only　nurses。　　They　contrived；　by　abridging　both　rest　and

labour；　to　give　him　constant　attendance。　　Shargar　went　to　bed　early

and　got　up　early；　so　as　to　let　Robert　have　a　few　hours'　sleep　before

his　classes　began。　　Robert　again　slept　in　the　evening；　after　Shargar

came　home；　and　made　up　for　the　time　by　reading　while　he　sat　by　his

friend。　　Mrs。　Fyvie's　attendance　was　in