robert falconer-第106章

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The　fellow　saw　what　he　meant；　and　whipped　his　horse。　　Shargar　sprung

on　the　box；　and　dragged　him　down　all　but　headlong。



'Now；'　he　said；　'beg　my　mother's　pardon。'



'Be　damned　if　I　do；　&c。；　&c。；'　said　the　cabman。



'Then　defend　yourself；'　said　Shargar。　'Robert。'



Falconer　was　watching　it　all；　and　was　by　his　side　in　a　moment。



'Come　on；　you；　&c。；　&c。；'　cried　the　cabman；　plucking　up　heart　and

putting　himself　in　fighting　shape。　　He　looked　one　of　those　insolent

fellows　whom　none　see　discomfited　more　gladly　than　the　honest　men　of

his　own　class。　　The　same　moment　he　lay　between　his　horse's　feet。



Shargar　turned　to　Robert；　and　saying　only；　'There；　Robert！'　turned

again　towards　the　woman。　　The　cabman　rose　bleeding；　and；　desiring　no

more　of　the　same；　climbed　on　his　box；　and　went　off；　belabouring　his

horse；　and　pursued　by　a　roar　from　the　street；　for　the　spectators

were　delighted　at　his　punishment。



'Now；　mother；'　said　Shargar；　panting　with　excitement。



'What　ca'　they　ye？'　she　asked；　still　doubtful；　but　as　proud　of　being

defended　as　if　the　coarse　words　of　her　assailant　had　had　no　truth　in

them。　'Ye　canna　be　my　lang…leggit　Geordie。'



'What　for　no？'



'Ye're　a　gentleman；　faith！'



'An'　what　for　no；　again？'　returned　Shargar；　beginning　to　smile。



'Weel；　it's　weel　speired。　　Yer　father　was　ane　ony　gaitgin　sae　be

'at　ye　are　as　ye　say。'



Moray　put　his　head　close　to　hers；　and　whispered　some　words　that

nobody　heard　but　herself。



'It's　ower　lang　syne　to　min'　upo'　that；'　she　said　in　reply；　with　a

look　of　cunning　consciousness　ill　settled　upon　her　fine　features。

'But　ye　can　be　naebody　but　my　Geordie。　　Haith；　man！'　she　went　on；

regarding　him　once　more　from　head　to　foot；　'but　ye're　a　credit　to

me；　I　maun　alloo。　　Weel；　gie　me　a　sovereign；　an'　I　s'　never　come

near　ye。'



Poor　Shargar　in　his　despair　turned　half　mechanically　towards　Robert。

He　felt　that　it　was　time　to　interfere。



'You　forget；　mother；'　said　Shargar；　turning　again　to　her；　and

speaking　English　now；　'it　was　I　that　claimed　you；　and　not　you　that

claimed　me。'



She　seemed　to　have　no　idea　of　what　he　meant。



'Come　up　the　road　here；　to　oor　public；　an'　tak　a　glaiss；　wuman；'

said　Falconer。　'Dinna　haud　the　fowk　luikin'　at　ye。'



The　temptation　of　a　glass　of　something　strong；　and　the　hope　of

getting　money　out　of　them；　caused　an　instant　acquiescence。　　She　said

a　few　words　to　the　young　woman；　who　proceeded　at　once　to　tie　her

donkey's　head　to　the　tail　of　the　other　cart。



'Shaw　the　gait　than；'　said　the　elder；　turning　again　to　Falconer。



Shargar　and　he　led　the　way　to　St。　Paul's　Churchyard；　and　the　woman

followed　faithfully。　　The　waiter　stared　when　they　entered。



'Bring　a　glass　of　whisky；'　said　Falconer；　as　he　passed　on　to　their

private　room。　　When　the　whisky　arrived；　she　tossed　it　off；　and

looked　as　if　she　would　like　another　glass。



'Yer　father　'ill　hae　ta'en　ye　up；　I'm　thinkin'；　laddie？'　she　said；

turning　to　her　son。



'No；'　answered　Shargar；　gloomily。　'There's　the　man　that　took　me　up。'



'An'　wha　may　ye　be？'　she　asked；　turning　to　Falconer。



'Mr。　Falconer；'　said　Shargar。



'No　a　son　o'　Anerew　Faukner？'　she　asked　again；　with　evident

interest。



'The　same；'　answered　Robert。



'Well；　Geordie；'　she　said；　turning　once　more　to　her　son；　'it's　like

mither；　like　father　to　the　twa　o'　ye。'



'Did　you　know　my　father？'　asked　Robert；　eagerly。



Instead　of　answering　him　she　made　another　remark　to　her　son。



'He　needna　be　ashamed　o'　your　company；　ony　gaitqueer　kin'　o'　a

mither　'at　I　am。'



'He　never　was　ashamed　of　my　company；'　said　Shargar；　still　gloomily。



'Ay；　I　kent　yer　father　weel　eneuch；'　she　said；　now　answering

Robert'mair　by　token　'at　I　saw　him　last　nicht。　　He　was　luikin'　nae

that　ill。'



Robert　sprung　from　his　seat；　and　caught　her　by　the　arm。



'Ow！　ye　needna　gang　into　sic　a　flurry。　　He'll　no　come　near　ye；　I　s'

warran'。'



'Tell　me　where　he　is；'　said　Robert。　'Where　did　you　see　him？　　I'll

gie　ye　a'　'at　I　hae　gin　ye'll　tak　me　till　him。'



'Hooly！　hooly！　　Wha's　to　gang　luikin'　for　a　thrum　in　a　hay…sow？'

returned　she；　coolly。　'I　only　said　'at　I　saw　him。'



'But　are　ye　sure　it　was　him？'　asked　Falconer。



'Ay；　sure　eneuch；'　she　answered。



'What　maks　ye　sae　sure？'



''Cause　I　never　was　vrang　yet。　　Set　a　man　ance　atween　my　twa　een；

an'　that　'll　be　twa　'at　kens　him　whan　's　ain　mither　's　forgotten

'im。'



'Did　you　speak　to　him？'



'Maybe　ay；　an'　maybe　no。　　I　didna　come　here　to　be　hecklet　afore　a

jury。'



'Tell　me　what　he's　like；'　said　Robert；　agitated　with　eager　hope。



'Gin　ye　dinna　ken　what　he's　like；　what　for　suld　ye　tak　the　trouble

to　speir？　　But　'deed　ye'll　ken　what　he's　like　whan　ye　fa'　in　wi'

him；'　she　added；　with　a　vindictive　laughvindictive　because　he　had

given　her　only　one　glass　of　strong　drink。



With　the　laugh　she　rose；　and　made　for　the　door。　　They　rose　at　the

same　moment　to　detain　her。　　Like　one　who　knew　at　once　to　fight　and

flee；　she　turned　and　stunned　them　as　with　a　blow。



'She's　a　fine　yoong　thing；　yon　sister　o'　yours；　Geordie。　　She'll　be

worth　siller　by　the　time　she's　had　a　while　at　the　schuil。'



The　men　looked　at　each　other　aghast。　　When　they　turned　their　eyes

she　had　vanished。　　They　rushed　to　the　door；　and；　parting；　searched

in　both　directions。　　But　they　were　soon　satisfied　that　it　was　of　no

use。　　Probably　she　had　found　a　back　way　into　Paternoster　Row；　whence

the　outlets　are　numerous。









CHAPTER　IV。



THE　DOCTOR'S　DEATH。



But　now　that　Falconer　had　a　ground；　even　thus　shadowy；　for　hopingI

cannot　say　believingthat　his　father　might　be　in　London；　he　could

not　return　to　Aberdeen。　　Moray；　who　had　no　heart　to　hunt　for　his

mother；　left　the　next　day　by　the　steamer。　　Falconer　took　to

wandering　about　the　labyrinthine　city；　and　in　a　couple　of　months

knew　more　about　the　metropolisthe　west　end　exceptedthan　most

people　who　had　lived　their　lives　in　it。　　The　west　end　is　no　doubt　a

considerable　exception　to　make；　but　Falconer　sought　only　his　father；

and　the　west　end　was　the　place　where　he　was　least　likely　to　find

him。　　Day　and　night　he　wandered　into　all　sorts　of　places：　the　worse

they　looked　the　more　attractive　he　found　them。　　It　became　almost　a

craze　with　him。　　He　could　not　pass　a　dirty　court　or　low…browed

archway。　　He　might　be　there。　　Or　he　might　have　been　there。　　Or　it

was　such　a　place　as　he　would　choose　for　shelter。　　He　knew　to　what

such　a　life　as　his　must　have　tended。



At　first　he　was　attracted　only　by　tall　elderly　men。　　Such　a　man　he

would　sometimes　follow　till　his　following　made　him　turn　and　demand

his　object。　　If　there　was　no　suspicion　of　Scotch　in　his　tone；

Falconer　easily　apologized。　　If　there　was；　he　made　such　replies　as

might　lead　to　some　betrayal。　　He　could　not　defend　the　course　he　was

adopting：　it　had　not　the　shadow　of　probability　upon　its　side。　　Still

the　greatest　successes　the　world　has　ever　beheld　had　been　at　one

time　the　greatest　improbabilities！　　He　could　not　choose　but　go　on；

for　as　yet　he　could　think　of　no　other　way。



Neither　could　a　man　like　Falconer　long　confine　his　interest　to　this

immediate　object；　especially　after　he　had；　in　following　it；　found

opportunity　of　being　useful。　　While　he　still　made　it　his　main　object

to　find　his　father；　that　object　became　a　centre　from　which　radiated

a　thousand　influences　upon　those　who　were　as　sheep　that　had　no

shepherd。　　He　fell　back　into　his　old　ways　at　Aberdeen；　only　with　a

boundless　sphere　to　work　in；　and　with　the　hope　of　finding　his　father

to　hearten　him。　　He　haunted　the　streets　at　night；　went　into　all

places　of　entertainment；　often　to　the　disgust　of　senses　and　soul；

and　made　his　way　into　the　lowest　forms　of　life　without　introduction

or　protection。



There　was　a　certain　stately　air　of　the　hills　about　him　which　was

often　mistaken　for　country　inexperience；　and　men　thought　in

consequence　to　make　gain　or　game　of　him。　　But