robert falconer-第81节

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'An'　hoo　did　ye　like　it？'



'Man；　it　was　fine。　　I　thocht　I　was　a　gentleman　a'　at　ance。'



'Haud　ye　at　it；　man；'　said　Robert；　as　if　from　the　heights　of　age　and

experience；　'and　maybe　ye　will　be　a　gentleman　some　day。'



'Is　't　poassible；　Robert？　　A　crater　like　me　grow　intil　a　gentleman？'

said　Shargar；　with　wide　eyes。



'What　for　no？'　returned　Robert。



'Eh；　man！'　said　Shargar。



He　stood　up；　sat　down　again；　and　was　silent。



'For　ae　thing；'　resumed　Robert；　after　a　pause；　during　which　he　had

been　pondering　upon　the　possibilities　of　Shargar's　future'for　ae

thing；　I　doobt　whether　Dr。　Anderson　wad　hae　ta'en　ony　fash　aboot　ye；

gin　he　hadna　thocht　ye　had　the　makin'　o'　a　gentleman　i'　ye。'



'Eh；　man！'　said　Shargar。



He　stood　up　again；　sat　down　again；　and　was　finally　silent。



Next　day　Robert　went　to　see　Dr。　Anderson；　and　told　him　about

Ericson。　　The　doctor　shook　his　head；　as　doctors　have　done　in　such

cases　from　？sculapius　downwards。　　Robert　pressed　no　further

questions。



'Will　he　be　taken　care　of　where　he　is？'　asked　the　doctor。



'Guid　care　o'；'　answered　Robert。



'Has　he　any　money；　do　you　think？'



'I　hae　nae　doobt　he　has　some；　for　he's　been　teachin'　a'　the　summer。

The　like　o'　him　maun　an'　will　work　whether　they're　fit　or　no。'



'Well；　at　all　events；　you　write；　Robert；　and　give　him　the　hint　that

he's　not　to　fash　himself　about　money；　for　I　have　more　than　he'll

want。　　And　you　may　just　take　the　hint　yourself　at　the　same　time；

Robert；　my　boy；'　he　added　in；　if　possible；　a　yet　kinder　tone。



Robert's　way　of　showing　gratitude　was　the　best　way　of　all。　　He

returned　kindness　with　faith。



'Gin　I　be　in　ony　want；　doctor；　I'll　jist　rin　to　ye　at　ance。　　An'　gin

I　want　ower　muckle　ye　maun　jist　say　na。'



'That's　a　good　fellow。　　You　take　things　as　a　body　means　them。'



'But　hae　ye　naething　ye　wad　like　me　to　do　for　ye　this　session；　sir？'



'No。　I　won't　have　you　do　anything　but　your　own　work。　　You　have　more

to　do　than　you　had　last　year。　　Mind　your　work；　and　as　often　as　you

get　tired　over　your　books；　shut　them　up　and　come　to　me。　　You　may

bring　Shargar　with　you　sometimes；　but　we　must　take　care　and　not　make

too　much　of　him　all　at　once。'



'Ay；　ay；　doctor。　　But　he's　a　fine　crater；　Shargar；　an'　I　dinna　think

he'll　be　that　easy　to　blaud。　　What　do　you　think　he's　turnin'　ower　i'

that　reid　heid　o'　his　noo？'



'I　can't　tell　that。　　But　there's　something　to　come　out　of　the　red

head；　I　do　believe。　　What　is　he　thinking　of？'



'Whether　it　be　possible　for　him　ever　to　be　a　gentleman。　　Noo　I　tak

that　for　a　good　sign　i'　the　likes　o'　him。'



'No　doubt　of　it。　　What　did　you　say　to　him？'



'I　tellt　him　'at　hoo　I　didna　think　ye　wad　hae　ta'en　sae　muckle　fash

gin　ye　hadna　had　some　houps　o'　the　kin'　aboot　him。'



'You　said　well。　　Tell　him　from　me　that　I　expect　him　to　be　a

gentleman。　　And　by　the　way；　Robert；　do　try　a　little；　as　I　think　I

said　to　you　once　before；　to　speak　English。　　I　don't　mean　that　you

should　give　up　Scotch；　you　know。'



'Weel；　sir；　I　hae　been　tryin'；　but　what　am　I　to　do　whan　ye　speyk　to

me　as　gin　ye　war　my　ain　father？　　I　canna　min'　upo'　a　word　o'　English

whan　ye　do　that。'



Dr。　Anderson　laughed；　but　his　eyes　glittered。



Robert　found　Shargar　busy　over　his　Latin　version。　　With　a　'Weel；

Shargar；'　he　took　his　books　and　sat　down。　　A　few　moments　after；

Shargar　lifted　his　head；　stared　a　while　at　Robert；　and　then　said；



'Duv　you　railly　think　it；　Robert？'



'Think　what？　　What　are　ye　haverin'　at；　ye　gowk？'



'Duv　ye　think　'at　I　ever　could　grow　intil　a　gentleman？'



'Dr。　Anderson　says　he　expecs　't　o'　ye。'



'Eh；　man！'



A　long　pause　followed；　and　Shargar　spoke　again。



'Hoo　am　I　to　begin；　Robert？'



'Begin　what？'



'To　be　a　gentleman。'



Robert　scratched　his　head；　like　Brutus；　and　at　length　became

oracular。



'Speyk　the　truth；'　he　said。



'I'll　do　that。　　But　what　abootmy　father？'



'Naebody　'ill　cast　up　yer　father　to　ye。　　Ye　need　hae　nae　fear　o'

that。'



'My　mither；　than？'　suggested　Shargar；　with　hesitation。



'Ye　maun　haud　yer　face　to　the　fac'。'



'Ay；　ay。　　But　gin　they　said　onything；　ye　kenaboot　her。'



'Gin　ony　man…body　says　a　word　agen　yer　mither；　ye　maun　jist　knock

him　doon　upo'　the　spot。'



'But　I　michtna　be　able。'



'Ye　could　try；　ony　gait。'



'He　micht　knock　me　down；　ye　ken。'



'Weel；　gae　doon　than。'



'Ay。'



This　was　all　the　instruction　Robert　ever　gave　Shargar　in　the　duties

of　a　gentleman。　　And　I　doubt　whether　Shargar　sought　further

enlightenment　by　direct　question　of　any　one。　　He　worked　harder　than

ever；　grew　cleanly　in　his　person；　even　to　fastidiousness；　tried　to

speak　English；　and　a　wonderful　change　gradually；　but　rapidly；　passed

over　his　outer　man。　　He　grew　taller　and　stronger；　and　as　he　grew

stronger；　his　legs　grew　straighter；　till　the　defect　of　approximating

knees；　the　consequence　of　hardship；　all　but　vanished。　　His　hair

became　darker；　and　the　albino　look　less　remarkable；　though　still　he

would　remind　one　of　a　vegetable　grown　in　a　cellar。



Dr。　Anderson　thought　it　well　that　he　should　have　another　year　at　the

grammar…school　before　going　to　college。Robert　now　occupied

Ericson's　room；　and　left　his　own　to　Shargar。



Robert　heard　every　week　from　Miss　St。　John　about　Ericson。　　Her

reports　varied　much；　but　on　the　whole　he　got　a　little　better　as　the

winter　went　on。　　She　said　that　the　good　women　at　The　Boar's　Head

paid　him　every　attention：　she　did　not　say　that　almost　the　only　way

to　get　him　to　eat　was　to　carry　him　delicacies　which　she　had　prepared

with　her　own　hands。



She　had　soon　overcome　the　jealousy　with　which　Miss　Letty　regarded

her　interest　in　their　guest；　and　before　many　days　had　passed　she

would　walk　into　the　archway　and　go　up　to　his　room　without　seeing　any

one；　except　the　sister　whom　she　generally　found　there。　　By　what

gradations　their　intimacy　grew　I　cannot　inform　my　reader；　for　on　the

events　lying　upon　the　boundary　of　my　story；　I　have　received　very

insufficient　enlightenment；　but　the　result　it　is　easy　to　imagine。　　I

have　already　hinted　at　an　early　disappointment　of　Miss　St。　John。　She

had　grown　greatly　since；　and　her　estimate　of　what　she　had　lost　had

altered　considerably　in　consequence。　　But　the　change　was　more　rapid

after　she　became　acquainted　with　Ericson。　　She　would　most　likely

have　found　the　young　man　she　thought　she　was　in　love　with　in　the

days　gone　by　a　very　commonplace　person　now。　　The　heart　which　she　had

considered　dead　to　the　world　had；　even　before　that　stormy　night　in

the　old　house；　begun　to　expostulate　against　its　owner's　mistake；　by

asserting　a　fair　indifference　to　that　portion　of　its　past　history。

And　now；　to　her　large　nature　the　simplicity；　the　suffering；　the

patience；　the　imagination；　the　grand　poverty　of　Ericson；　were

irresistibly　attractive。　　Add　to　this　that　she　became　his　nurse；　and

soon　saw　that　he　was　not　indifferent　to　herand　if　she　fell　in　love

with　him　as　only　a　full…grown　woman　can　love；　without　Ericson's　lips

saying　anything　that　might　not　by　Love's　jealousy　be　interpreted　as

only　of　grateful　affection；　why　should　she　not？



And　what　of　Marjory　Lindsay？　　Ericson　had　not　forgotten　her。　　But

the　brightest　star　must　grow　pale　as　the　sun　draws　near；　and　on

Ericson　there　were　two　suns　rising　at　once　on　the　low　sea…shore　of

life　whereon　he　had　been　pacing　up　and　down　moodily　for

three…and…twenty　years；　listening　evermore　to　the　unprogressive　rise

and　fall　of　the　tidal　waves；　all　talking　of　the　eternal；　all　unable

to　reveal　itthe　sun　of　love　and　the　sun　of　death。　　Mysie　and　he

had　never　met。　　She　pleased　his　imagination；　she　touched　his　heart

with　her　helplessness；　but　she　gave　him　no　welcome　to　the　shrine　of

her　beauty：　he　loved　through　admiration　and　pity。　　He　broke　no　faith

to　her；　for　he　had　never　offered　her　any　save　in　looks；　and　she　had

not　accepted　it。　　She　was　but　a　sickly　plant　grown　in　a　hot…house。

On　his　death…bed　he　found　a　woman　a　hiding…place　from　the　wind；　a

covert　from　the　tempest；　the　shadow　of　a　great　rock　in　a　weary　land！

A　strong　she…angel　with　mighty　wings；　Mary　St。　John　came　behind　him

as　he　fainted　out　of　life；　tempered　the　burning　heat　of　the　Sun　of

Death；　and　laid　him　to　sleep　in　the　cool　twilight　of　her　glorious

shadow。　　In　the　stead　of　trouble　about　a　wilful；　thoughtless　girl；

he　found　repose　and　protection　and　motherhood　in　a　great…hearted

woman。



For　Ericson's　sake；　Robert　made　some　effort　to　preserve　the

acquaintance　of　Mr。　Lindsay　and　his　daughter。　　But　he　could　hardly

keep　up　a　conversation　with　Mr。　Lindsay；　and　Mysie　showed　herself

utterly　indifferent　to　him　even　in　the　way　of　common　friendship。　　He

told　her　of　Ericson's　illness：　she　said　she　was　sorry　to　hear　it；

and　looked　miles　away。　　He　could　never　get　within　a　certain

atmosphere　ofwhat　shall　I　call　it？　avertedness　that　surrounded

her。　　She　had　always　lived　in　a　dream　of　unrealities；　and　th