robert falconer-第67节

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airm；　for　it　gangs　wallopin'　aboot；　an'　that　canna　be　guid　for　the

stickin'　o'　't　thegither　again。'



'My　poor　boy！　you　don't　think　I'm　going　to　leave　you　here；　do　you？'

said　the　doctor；　proceeding　to　open　the　carriage…door。



'But　whaur's　the　hamper？'　said　Shargar；　looking　about　him　in　dismay。



'The　coachman　has　got　it　on　the　box；'　answered　the　doctor。



'Eh！　that'll　never　do。　　Gin　thae　rampaugin'　brutes　war　to　tak　a

start　again；　what　wad　come　o'　the　bit　basket？　　I　maun　get　it　doon

direckly。'



'Sit　still。　　I　will　get　it　down；　and　deliver　it　myself。'　　As　he

spoke　the　doctor　got　out。



'Tak　care　o'　't；　sir；　tak　care　o'　't。　　William　Walker　said　there　was

a　jar　o'　drained　hinney　i'　the　basket；　an'　the　bairns　wad　miss　't

sair　gin　't　war　spult。'



'I　will　take　good　care　of　it；'　responded　the　doctor。



He　delivered　the　basket；　returned　to　the　carriage；　and　told　the

coachman　to　drive　home。



'Whaur　are　ye　takin'　me　till？'　exclaimed　Shargar。　'Willie　hasna

payed　me　for　the　parcel。'



'Never　mind　Willie。　　I'll　pay　you；'　said　the　doctor。



'But　Robert　wadna　like　me　to　tak　siller　whaur　I　did　nae　wark　for

't；'　objected　Shargar。　'He's　some　pernickety　（precise）Robert。　　But

I'll　jist　say　'at　ye　garred　me；　doctor。　　Maybe　that　'll　saitisfee

him。　　An'　faith！　　I'm　queer　aboot　my　left　fin　here。'



'We'll　soon　set　it　all　right；'　said　the　doctor。



When　they　reached　his　house　he　led　the　way　to　his　surgery；　and　there

put　the　broken　limb　in　splints。　　He　then　told　Johnston　to　help　the

patient　to　bed。



'I　maun　gang　hame；'　objected　Shargar。　'What　wad　Robert　think？'



'I　will　tell　him　all　about　it；'　said　the　doctor。



'Yersel；　sir？'　stipulated　Shargar。



'Yes；　myself。'



'Afore　nicht？'



'Directly；'　answered　the　doctor；　and　Shargar　yielded。



'But　what　will　Robert　say？'　were　his　last　words；　as　he　fell　asleep；

appreciating；　no　doubt；　the　superiority　of　the　bed　to　his　usual　lair

upon　the　hearthrug。



Robert　was　delighted　to　hear　how　well　Shargar　had　acquitted　himself。

Followed　a　small　consultation　about　him；　for　the　accident　had

ripened　the　doctor's　intentions　concerning　the　outcast。



'As　soon　as　his　arm　is　sound　again；　he　shall　go　to　the

grammar…school；'　he　said。



'An'　the　college？'　asked　Robert。



'I　hope　so；'　answered　the　doctor。　'Do　you　think　he　will　do　well？　　He

has　plenty　of　courage；　at　all　events；　and　that　is　a　fine　thing。'



'Ow　ay；'　answered　Robert；　'he's　no　ill　aff　for　smeddum

（spirit）that　is；　gin　it　be　for　ony　ither　body。　　He　wad　never　lift

a　han'　for　himsel'；　an'　that's　what　garred　me　tak　till　him　sae

muckle。　　He's　a　fine　crater。　　He　canna　gang　him　lane；　but　he'll　gang

wi'　onybodyand　haud　up　wi'　him。'



'What　do　you　think　him　fit　for；　then？'



Now　Robert　had　been　building　castles　for　Shargar　out　of　the　hopes

which　the　doctor's　friendliness　had　given　him。　　Therefore　he　was

ready　with　his　answer。



'Gin　ye　cud　ensure　him　no　bein'　made　a　general　o'；　he　wad　mak　a

gran'　sojer。　　Set's　face　foret；　and　say　〃quick　mairch；〃　an'　he'll　ca

his　bagonet　throu　auld　Hornie。　　But　lay　nae　consequences　upo'　him；

for　he　cudna　stan'　unner　them。'



Dr。　Anderson　laughed；　but　thought　none　the　less；　and　went　home　to

see　how　his　patient　was　getting　on。









CHAPTER　XIV。



MYSIE'S　FACE。



Meantime　Ericson　grew　better。　　A　space　of　hard；　clear　weather；　in

which　everything　sparkled　with　frost　and　sunshine；　did　him　good。

But　not　yet　could　he　use　his　brain。　　He　turned　with　dislike　even

from　his　friend　Plato。　　He　would　sit　in　bed　or　on　his　chair　by　the

fireside　for　hours；　with　his　hands　folded　before　him；　and　his

eyelids　drooping；　and　let　his　thoughts　flow；　for　he　could　not　think。

And　that　these　thoughts　flowed　not　always　with　other　than　sweet

sounds　over　the　stones　of　question；　the　curves　of　his　lip　would

testify　to　the　friendly；　furtive　glance　of　the　watchful　Robert。

None　but　the　troubled　mind　knows　its　own　consolations；　and　I

believe　the　saddest　life　has　its　own　presencehowever　it　may　be

unrecognized　as　suchof　the　upholding　Deity。　　Doth　God　care　for　the

hairs　that　perish　from　our　heads？　　To　a　mind　like　Ericson's　the

remembered　scent；　the　recurring　vision　of　a　flower　loved　in

childhood；　is　enough　to　sustain　anxiety　with　beauty；　for　the　lovely

is　itself　healing　and　hope…giving；　because　it　is　the　form　and

presence　of　the　true。　　To　have　such　a　presence　is　to　be；　and　while　a

mind　exists　in　any　high　consciousness；　the　intellectual　trouble　that

springs　from　the　desire　to　know　its　own　life；　to　be　assured　of　its

rounded　law　and　security；　ceases；　for　the　desire　itself　falls　into

abeyance。



But　although　Ericson　was　so　weak；　he　was　always　able　and　ready　to

help　Robert　in　any　difficulty　not　unfrequently　springing　from　his

imperfect　preparation　in　Greek；　for　while　Mr。　Innes　was　an　excellent

Latin　scholar；　his　knowledge　of　Greek　was　too　limited　either　to

compel　learning　or　inspire　enthusiasm；　And　with　the　keen　instinct　he

possessed　in　everything　immediate　between　man　and　man；　Robert　would

sometimes　search　for　a　difficulty　in　order　to　request　its　solution；

for　then　Ericson　would　rouse　himself　to　explain　as　few　men　could

have　explained：　where　a　clear　view　was　to　be　had　of　anything；

Ericson　either　had　it　or　knew　that　he　had　it　not。　　Hence　Robert's

progress　was　good；　for　one　word　from　a　wise　helper　will　clear　off　a

whole　atmosphere　of　obstructions。



At　length　one　day　when　Robert　came　home　he　found　him　seated　at　the

table；　with　his　slate；　working　away　at　the　Differential　Calculus。

After　this　he　recovered　more　rapidly；　and　ere　another　week　was　over

began　to　attend　one　class　a　day。　　He　had　been　so　far　in　advance

before；　that　though　he　could　not　expect　prizes；　there　was　no　fear　of

his　passing。



One　morning；　Robert；　coming　out　from　a　lecture；　saw　Ericson　in　the

quadrangle　talking　to　an　elderly　gentleman。　　When　they　met　in　the

afternoon　Ericson　told　him　that　that　was　Mr。　Lindsay；　and　that　he

had　asked　them　both　to　spend　the　evening　at　his　house。　　Robert　would

go　anywhere　to　be　with　his　friend。



He　got　out　his　Sunday　clothes；　and　dressed　himself　with　anxiety：　he

had　visited　scarcely　at　all；　and　was　shy　and　doubtful。　　He　then　sat

down　to　his　books；　till　Ericson　came　to　his　doordressed；　and　hence

in　Robert's　eyes　ceremoniala　stately；　graceful　gentleman。　　Renewed

awe　came　upon　him　at　the　sight；　and　renewed　gratitude。　　There　was　a

flush　on　Ericson's　cheek；　and　a　fire　in　his　eye。　　Robert　had　never

seen　him　look　so　grand。　　But　there　was　a　something　about　him　that

rendered　him　uneasya　look　that　made　Ericson　seem　strange；　as　if

his　life　lay　in　some　far…off　region。



'I　want　you　to　take　your　violin　with　you；　Robert；'　he　said。



'Hoots！'　returned　Robert；　'hoo　can　I　do　that？　　To　tak　her　wi'　me　the

first　time　I　gang　to　a　strange　hoose；　as　gin　I　thocht　a'body　wad

think　as　muckle　o'　my　auld　wife　as　I　do　mysel'！　　That　wadna　be

mainnerswad　it　noo；　Mr。　Ericson？'



'But　I　told　Mr。　Lindsay　that　you　could　play　well。　　The　old　gentleman

is　fond　of　Scotch　tunes；　and　you　will　please　him　if　you　take　it。'



'That　maks　a'　the　differ；'　answered　Robert。



'Thank　you；'　said　Ericson；　as　Robert　went　towards　his　instrument；

and；　turning；　would　have　walked　from　the　house　without　any

additional　protection。



'Whaur　are　ye　gaein'　that　gait；　Mr。　Ericson？　　Tak　yer　plaid；　or

ye'll　be　laid　up　again；　as　sure's　ye　live。'



'I'm　warm　enough；'　returned　Ericson。



'That's　naething。　　The　cauld　's　jist　lyin'　i'　the　street　like　a

verra　deevil　to　get　a　grup　o'　ye。　　Gin　ye　dinna　pit　on　yer　plaid；　I

winna　tak　my　fiddle。'



Ericson　yielded；　and　they　set　out　together。



I　will　account　for　Ericson's　request　about　the　violin。



He　went　to　the　episcopal　church　on　Sundays；　and　sat　where　he　could

see　Mysiesat　longing　and　thirsting　ever　till　the　music　returned。

Yet　the　music　he　never　heard；　he　watched　only　its　transmutation

into　form；　never　taking　his　eyes　off　Mysie's　face。　　Reflected　thence

in　a　metamorphosed　echo；　he　followed　all　its　changes。　　Never　was　one

powerless　to　produce　it　more　strangely　responsive　to　its　influence。

She　had　no　voice；　she　had　never　been　taught　the　use　of　any

instrument。　　A　world　of　musical　feeling　was　pent　up　in　her；　and

music　raised　the　suddener　storms　in　her　mobile　nature；　that　she　was

unable　to　give　that　feeling　utterance。　　The　waves　of　her　soul　dashed

the　more　wildly　against　their　shores；　inasmuch　as　those　shores　were

precipitous；　and　yielded　no　outlet　to　the　swelling　waters。　　It　was

that　his　soul　might　hover　like　a　bird　of　Paradise　over　the　lovely

changes　of　her　countenance；　changes　more　lovely　and　frequent　than

those　of　an　English　May；　that　Ericson　persuaded　Robert　to　take　his

violin。



The　last　of　the　sunlight　was　departing；　and　a　large　full　moon　was

growing　through　the　fog　on　the　horizon。　　The　sky　was　almost　clear　of

clouds；　and　the　air　was　cold　and　penetrating。　　Robert　drew　Eri