robert falconer-第30部分

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'Sit　down；'　she　saidso　kindlyand　Robert　sat　down　on　the　edge　of

a　chair。　　Then　she　left　the　room；　but　presently　returned　with　a

little　brandy。　'There；'　she　said；　offering　the　glass；　'that　will　do

you　good。'



'What　is　't；　mem？'



'Brandy。　　There's　water　in　it；　of　course。'



'I　daurna　touch　't。　　Grannie　cudna　bide　me　to　touch　't；'



So　determined　was　he；　that　Miss　St。　John　was　forced　to　yield。

Perhaps　she　wondered　that　the　boy　who　would　deceive　his　grandmother

about　a　violin　should　be　so　immovable　in　regarding　her　pleasure　in

the　matter　of　a　needful　medicine。　　But　in　this　fact　I　begin　to　see

the　very　Falconer　of　my　manhood's　worship。



'Eh；　mem！　gin　ye　wad　play　something　upo'　her；'　he　resumed；　pointing

to　the　piano；　which；　although　he　had　never　seen　one　before；　he　at

once　recognized；　by　some　hidden　mental　operation；　as　the　source　of

the　sweet　sounds　heard　at　the　window；　'it　wad　du　me　mair　guid　than　a

haill　bottle　o'　brandy；　or　whusky　either。'



'How　do　you　know　that？'　asked　Miss　St。　John；　proceeding　to　sponge

the　wound。



''Cause　mony's　the　time　I　hae　stud　oot　there　i'　the　street；

hearkenin'。　　Dooble　Sanny　says　'at　ye　play　jist　as　gin　ye　war　my

gran'father's　fiddle　hersel'；　turned　into　the　bonniest　cratur　ever

God　made。'



'How　did　you　get　such　a　terrible　cut？'



She　had　removed　the　hair；　and　found　that　the　injury　was　severe。



The　boy　was　silent。　　She　glanced　round　in　his　face。　　He　was　staring

as　if　he　saw　nothing；　heard　nothing。　　She　would　try　again。



'Did　you　fall？　　Or　how　did　you　cut　your　head？'



'Yes；　yes；　mem；　I　fell；'　he　answered；　hastily；　with　an　air　of

relief；　and　possibly　with　some　tone　of　gratitude　for　the　suggestion

of　a　true　answer。



'What　made　you　fall？'



Utter　silence　again。　　She　felt　a　kind　of　turnI　do　not　know　another

word　to　express　what　I　mean：　the　boy　must　have　fits；　and　either

could　not　tell；　or　was　ashamed　to　tell；　what　had　befallen　him。

Thereafter　she　too　was　silent；　and　Robert　thought　she　was　offended。

Possibly　he　felt　a　change　in　the　touch　of　her　fingers。



'Mem；　I　wad　like　to　tell　ye；'　he　said；　'but　I　daurna。'



'Oh！　never　mind；'　she　returned　kindly。



'Wad　ye　promise　nae　to　tell　naebody？'



'I　don't　want　to　know；'　she　answered；　confirmed　in　her　suspicion；

and　at　the　same　time　ashamed　of　the　alteration　of　feeling　which　the

discovery　had　occasioned。



An　uncomfortable　silence　followed；　broken　by　Robert。



'Gin　ye　binna　pleased　wi'　me；　mem；'　he　said；　'I　canna　bide　ye　to

gang　on　wi'　siccan　a　job　's　that。'



How　Miss　St。　John　could　have　understood　him；　I　cannot　think；　but　she

did。



'Oh！　very　well；'　she　answered；　smiling。　'Just　as　you　please。

Perhaps　you　had　better　take　this　piece　of　plaster　to　Betty；　and　ask

her　to　finish　the　dressing　for　you。'



Robert　took　the　plaster　mechanically；　and；　sick　at　heart　and

speechless；　rose　to　go；　forgetting　even　his　bonny　leddy　in　his

grief。



'You　had　better　take　your　violin　with　you；'　said　Miss　St。　John；

urged　to　the　cruel　experiment　by　a　strong　desire　to　see　what　the

strange　boy　would　do。



He　turned。　　The　tears　were　streaming　down　his　odd　face。　　They　went

to　her　heart；　and　she　was　bitterly　ashamed　of　herself。



'Come　along。　　Do　sit　down　again。　　I　only　wanted　to　see　what　you

would　do。　　I　am　very　sorry；'　she　said；　in　a　tone　of　kindness　such　as

Robert　had　never　imagined。



He　sat　down　instantly；　saying；



'Eh；　mem！　it's　sair　to　bide；'　meaning；　no　doubt；　the　conflict

between　his　inclination　to　tell　her　all；　and　his　duty　to　be　silent。



The　dressing　was　soon　finished；　his　hair　combed　down　over　it；　and

Robert　looking　once　more　respectable。



'Now；　I　think　that　will　do；'　said　his　nurse。



'Eh；　thank　ye；　mem！'　answered　Robert；　rising。　'Whan　I'm　able　to　play

upo'　the　fiddle　as　weel　's　ye　play　upo'　the　piana；　I'll　come　and

play　at　yer　window　ilka　nicht；　as　lang　's　ye　like　to　hearken。'



She　smiled；　and　he　was　satisfied。　　He　did　not　dare　again　ask　her　to

play　to　him。　　But　she　said　of　herself；　'Now　I　will　play　something　to

you；　if　you　like；'　and　he　resumed　his　seat　devoutly。



When　she　had　finished　a　lovely　little　air；　which　sounded　to　Robert

like　the　touch　of　her　hands；　and　her　breath　on　his　forehead；　she

looked　round；　and　was　satisfied；　from　the　rapt　expression　of　the

boy's　countenance；　that　at　least　he　had　plenty　of　musical

sensibility。　　As　if　despoiled　of　volition；　he　stood　motionless　till

she　said；



'Now　you　had　better　go；　or　Betty　will　miss　you。'



Then　he　made　her　a　bow　in　which　awkwardness　and　grace　were　curiously

mingled；　and　taking　up　his　precious　parcel；　and　holding　it　to　his

bosom　as　if　it　had　been　a　child　for　whom　he　felt　an　access　of

tenderness；　he　slowly　left　the　room　and　the　house。



Not　even　to　Shargar　did　he　communicate　his　adventure。　　And　he　went

no　more　to　the　deserted　factory　to　play　there。　　Fate　had　again

interposed　between　him　and　his　bonny　leddy。



When　he　reached　Bodyfauld　he　fancied　his　grandmother's　eyes　more

watchful　of　him　than　usual；　and　he　strove　the　more　to　resist　the

weariness；　and　even　faintness；　that　urged　him　to　go　to　bed。　　Whether

he　was　able　to　hide　as　well　a　certain　trouble　that　clouded　his

spirit　I　doubt。　　His　wound　he　did　manage　to　keep　a　secret；　thanks　to

the　care　of　Miss　St。　John；　who　had　dressed　it　with　court…plaster。



When　he　woke　the　next　morning；　it　was　with　the　consciousness　of

having　seen　something　strange　the　night　before；　and　only　when　he

found　that　he　was　not　in　his　own　room　at　his　grandmother's；　was　he

convinced　that　it　must　have　been　a　dream　and　no　vision。　　For　in　the

night；　he　had　awaked　there　as　he　thought；　and　the　moon　was　shining

with　such　clearness；　that　although　it　did　not　shine　into　his　room；

he　could　see　the　face　of　the　clock；　and　that　the　hands　were　both

together　at　the　top。　　Close　by　the　clock　stood　the　bureau；　with　its

end　against　the　partition　forming　the　head　of　his　grannie's　bed。



All　at　once　he　saw　a　tall　man；　in　a　blue　coat　and　bright　buttons；

about　to　open　the　lid　of　the　bureau。　　The　same　moment　he　saw　a

little　elderly　man　in　a　brown　coat　and　a　brown　wig；　by　his　side；　who

sought　to　remove　his　hand　from　the　lock。　　Next　appeared　a　huge

stalwart　figure；　in　shabby　old　tartans；　and　laid　his　hand　on　the

head　of　each。　　But　the　wonder　widened　and　grew；　for　now　came　a

stately　Highlander　with　his　broadsword　by　his　side；　and　an　eagle's

feather　in　his　bonnet；　who　laid　his　hand　on　the　other　Highlander's

arm。



When　Robert　looked　in　the　direction　whence　this　last　had　appeared；

the　head　of　his　grannie's　bed　had　vanished；　and　a　wild　hill…side；

covered　with　stones　and　heather；　sloped　away　into　the　distance。

Over　it　passed　man　after　man；　each　with　an　ancestral　air；　while　on

the　gray　sea　to　the　left；　galleys　covered　with　Norsemen　tore　up　the

white　foam；　and　dashed　one　after　the　other　up　to　the　strand。　　How

long　he　gazed；　he　did　not　know；　but　when　he　withdrew　his　eyes　from

the　extended　scene；　there　stood　the　figure　of　his　father；　still

trying　to　open　the　lid　of　the　bureau；　his　grandfather　resisting　him；

the　blind　piper　with　his　hand　on　the　head　of　both；　and　the　stately

chief　with　his　hand　on　the　piper's　arm。　　Then　a　mist　of

forgetfulness　gathered　over　the　whole；　till　at　last　he　awoke　and

found　himself　in　the　little　wooden　chamber　at　Bodyfauld；　and　not　in

the　visioned　room。　　Doubtless　his　loss　of　blood　the　day　before　had

something　to　do　with　the　dream　or　vision；　whichever　the　reader　may

choose　to　consider　it。　　He　rose；　and　after　a　good　breakfast；　found

himself　very　little　the　worse；　and　forgot　all　about　his　dream；　till

a　circumstance　which　took　place　not　long　after　recalled　it　vividly

to　his　mind。



The　enchantment　of　Bodyfauld　soon　wore　off。　　The　boys　had　no　time　to

enter　into　the　full　enjoyment　of　country　ways；　because　of　those

weary　lessons；　over　the　getting　of　which　Mrs。　Falconer　kept　as

strict　a　watch　as　ever；　while　to　Robert　the　evening　journey；　his

violin　and　Miss　St。　John　left　at　Rothieden；　grew　more　than　tame。

The　return　was　almost　as　happy　an　event　to　him　as　the　first　going。

Now　he　could　resume　his　lessons　with　the　soutar。



With　Shargar　it　was　otherwise。　　The　freedom　for　so　much　longer　from

Mrs。　Falconer's　eyes　was　in　itself　so　much　of　a　positive　pleasure；

that　the　walk　twice　a　day；　the　fresh　air；　and　the　scents　and　sounds

of　the　country；　only　came　in　as　supplementary。　　But　I　do　not　believe

the　boy　even　then　had　so　much　happiness　as　when　he　was　beaten　and

starved　by　his　own　mother。　　And　Robert；　growing　more　and　more

absorbed　in　his　own　thoughts　and　pursuits；　paid　him　less　and　less

attention　as　the　weeks　went　on；　till　Shargar　at　length　judged　it　for

a　time　an　evil　day　on　which　he　first　had　slept　under　old　Ronald

Falconer's　kilt。









CHAPTER　XVIII。



NATURE　PUTS　IN　A　CLAIM。



Before　the　day　of　return　arrived；　Robert　had　taken　care　to　remove

the　violin　from　his　bedroom；　and　carry　it　once　more　to　its　old

retreat　in　Shargar's　garret。　　The　very　first　evening；　however；　that

grannie　again　spent　in　her　own　arm…chair；　he　hied　from　the　house　as

soon　as　it　grew　dusk；　and　made　his　way　with　his　brown…paper　parcel

to　Sandy　Elshender's。



Entering　the　narrow　passage　from　which　his　shop　door　opened；　and

hearing　him　hammering　away　at　a　sole；　he　stood　and　unfolded　his

treasure；　then　drew　a　low　sigh　from　her　with　his　bow；　and　awaited

the　result。　　He　heard　the　lap…stone　fall　thundering　on　the　floor；

and；　like　a　spider　from　his　cavern；　Dooble　Sanny　appeared　in　the

door；　with　the　bend…leather　in　one　hand；　and　the　hammer　in　the

other。



'Lordsake；　man！　hae　ye　gotten　her　again？　　Gie's　a　grup　o'　her！'　he

cried；　dropping　leather　and　hammer。



'Na；　na；'　returned　Robert；　retreating　towards　the　outer　door。　'Ye

maun　sweir　upo'　her　that；　whan　I　want　her；　I　sall　hae　her　ohn　demur；

or　I　sanna　lat　ye　lay　roset　upo'　her。'



'I　swear　't；　Robert；　I　sweir　't　up