robert falconer-第13章

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had　learned　his　catechism；　when　he　was　roused　from　his　reverie　by　a

question　from　a　pale…faced　little　boy；　who　looked　up　to　him　as　a

great　authority。



'What　for　's　't　ca'd　the　Shorter　Carritchis；　Bob？'



''Cause　it's　no　fully　sae　lang's　the　Bible；'　answered　Robert；

without　giving　the　question　the　consideration　due　to　it；　and　was

proceeding　to　turn　the　matter　over　in　his　mind；　when　the　mental

process　was　arrested　by　a　shout　of　laughter。　　The　other　boys　had

tied　Shargar's　feet　to　the　desk　at　which　he　satlikewise　his　hands；

at　full　stretch；　then；　having　attached　about　a　dozen　strings　to　as

many　elf…locks　of　his　pale…red　hair；　which　was　never　cut　or　trimmed；

had　tied　them　to　various　pegs　in　the　wall　behind　him；　so　that　the

poor　fellow　could　not　stir。　　They　were　now　crushing　up　pieces　of

waste…paper；　not　a　few　leaves　of　stray　school…books　being　regarded

in　that　light；　into　bullets；　dipping　them　in　ink　and　aiming　then　at

Shargar's　face。



For　some　time　Shargar　did　not　utter　a　word；　and　Robert；　although

somewhat　indignant　at　the　treatment　he　was　receiving；　felt　as　yet　no

impulse　to　interfere；　for　success　was　doubtful。　　But；　indeed；　he　was

not　very　easily　roused　to　action　of　any　kind；　for　he　was　as　yet

mostly　in　the　larva…condition　of　character；　when　everything　is

transacted　inside。　　But　the　fun　grew　more　furious；　and　spot　after

spot　of　ink　gloomed　upon　Shargar's　white　face。　　Still　Robert　took　no

notice；　for　they　did　not　seem　to　be　hurting　him　much。　　But　when　he

saw　the　tears　stealing　down　his　patient　cheeks；　making　channels

through　the　ink　which　now　nearly　covered　them；　he　could　bear　it　no

longer。　　He　took　out　his　knife；　and　under　pretence　of　joining　in　the

sport；　drew　near　to　Shargar；　and　with　rapid　hand　cut　the　cordsall

but　those　that　bound　his　feet；　which　were　less　easy　to　reach　without

exposing　himself　defenceless。



The　boys　of　course　turned　upon　Robert。　　But　ere　they　came　to　more

than　abusive　words　a　diversion　took　place。



Mrs。　Innes；　the　school…master's　wifea　stout；　kind…hearted　woman；

the　fine　condition　of　whose　temperament　was　clearly　the　result　of

her　physical　prosperityappeared　at　the　door　which　led　to　the

dwelling…house　above；　bearing　in　her　hands　a　huge　tureen　of

potato…soup；　for　her　motherly　heart　could　not　longer　endure　the

thought　of　dinnerless　boys。　　Her　husband　being　engaged　at　a　parish

meeting；　she　had　a　chance　of　interfering　with　success。



But　ere　Nancy；　the　servant；　could　follow　with　the　spoons　and　plates；

Wattie　Morrison　had　taken　the　tureen；　and　out　of　spite　at　Robert；

had　emptied　its　contents　on　the　head　of　Shargar；　who　was　still　tied

by　the　feet；　with　the　words：　'Shargar；　I　anoint　thee　king　over　us；

and　here　is　thy　crown；'　giving　the　tureen；　as　he　said　so；　a　push　on

to　his　head；　where　it　remained。



Shargar　did　not　move；　and　for　one　moment　could　not　speak；　but　the

next　he　gave　a　shriek　that　made　Robert　think　he　was　far　worse

scalded　than　turned　out　to　be　the　case。　　He　darted　to　him　in　rage；

took　the　tureen　from　his　head；　and；　his　blood　being　fairly　up　now；

flung　it　with　all　his　force　at　Morrison；　and　felled　him　to　the

earth。　　At　the　same　moment　the　master　entered　by　the　street　door　and

his　wife　by　the　house　door；　which　was　directly　opposite。　　In　the

middle　of　the　room　the　prisoners　surrounded　the　fallen

tyrantRobert；　with　the　red　face　of　wrath；　and　Shargar；　with　a

complexion　the　mingled　result　of　tears；　ink；　and　soup；　which　latter

clothed　him　from　head　to　foot　besides；　standing　on　the　outskirts　of

the　group。　　I　need　not　follow　the　story　farther。　　Both　Robert　and

Morrison　got　a　lickin'；　and　if　Mr。　Innes　had　been　like　some

school…masters　of　those　times；　Shargar　would　not　have　escaped　his

share　of　the　evil　things　going。



》From　that　day　Robert　assumed　the　acknowledged　position　of　Shargar's

defender。　　And　if　there　was　pride　and　a　sense　of　propriety　mingled

with　his　advocacy　of　Shargar's　rights；　nay；　even　if　the　relation　was

not　altogether　free　from　some　amount　of　show…off　on　Robert's　part；　I

cannot　yet　help　thinking　that　it　had　its　share　in　that　development

of　the　character　of　Falconer　which　has　chiefly　attracted　me　to　the

office　of　his　biographer。　　There　may　have　been　in　it　the　exercise　of

some　patronage；　probably　it　was　not　pure　from　the　pride　of

beneficence；　but　at　least　it　was　a　loving　patronage　and　a　vigorous

beneficence；　and；　under　the　reaction　of　these；　the　good　which　in

Robert's　nature　was　as　yet　only　in　a　state　of　solution；　began　to

crystallize　into　character。



But　the　effect　of　the　new　relation　was　far　more　remarkable　on

Shargar。　　As　incapable　of　self…defence　as　ever；　he　was　yet　in　a

moment　roused　to　fury　by　any　attack　upon　the　person　or　the　dignity

of　Robert：　so　that；　indeed；　it　became　a　new　and　favourite　mode　of

teasing　Shargar　to　heap　abuse；　real　or　pretended；　upon　his　friend。

》From　the　day　when　Robert　thus　espoused　his　part；　Shargar　was

Robert's　dog。　　That　very　evening；　when　she　went　to　take　a　parting

peep　at　the　external　before　locking　the　door　for　the　night；　Betty

found　him　sitting　upon　the　door…step；　only；　however；　to　send　him

off；　as　she　described　it；　'wi'　a　flech1　in　's　lug　（a　flea　in　his

ear）。'　　For　the　character　of　the　mother　was　always　associated　with

the　boy；　and　avenged　upon　him。　　I　must；　however；　allow　that　those

delicate；　dirty　fingers　of　his　could　not　with　safety　be　warranted

from　occasional　picking　and　stealing。



At　this　period　of　my　story；　Robert　himself　was　rather　a

grotesque…looking　animal；　very　tall　and　lanky；　with　especially　long

arms；　which　excess　of　length　they　retained　after　he　was　full…grown。

In　this　respect　Shargar　and　he　were　alike；　but　the　long　legs　of

Shargar　were　unmatched　in　Robert；　for　at　this　time　his　body　was

peculiarly　long。　　He　had　large　black　eyes；　deep　sunk　even　then；　and

a　Roman　nose；　the　size　of　which　in　a　boy　of　his　years　looked

portentous。　　For　the　rest；　he　was　dark…complexioned；　with　dark　hair；

destined　to　grow　darker　still；　with　hands　and　feet　well　modelled；

but　which　would　have　made　four　feet　and　four　hands　such　as

Shargar's。



When　his　mind　was　not　oppressed　with　the　consideration　of　any

important　metaphysical　question；　he　learned　his　lessons　well；　when

such　was　present；　the　Latin　grammar；　with　all　its　attendant

servilities；　was　driven　from　the　presence　of　the　lordly　need。　　That

once　satisfied　in　spite　of　pandies　and　imprisonments；　he　returned

with　fresh　zest；　and；　indeed；　with　some　ephemeral　ardour；　to　the

rules　of　syntax　or　prosody；　though　the　latter；　in　the　mode　in　which

it　was　then　and　there　taught；　was　almost　as　useless　as　the　task　set

himself　by　a　worthy　lay…preacher　in　the　neighbourhoodof　learning

the　first　nine　chapters　of　the　first　Book　of　the　Chronicles；　in

atonement　for　having；　in　an　evil　hour　of　freedom　of　spirit；　ventured

to　suggest　that　such　lists　of　names；　even　although　forming　a　portion

of　Holy　Writ；　could　scarcely　be　reckoned　of　equally　divine　authority

with　St。　Paul's　Epistle　to　the　Romans。









CHAPTER　VIII。



THE　ANGEL　UNAWARES。



Although　Betty　seemed　to　hold　little　communication　with　the　outer

world；　she　yet　contrived　somehow　or　other　to　bring　home　what　gossip

was　going　to　the　ears　of　her　mistress；　who　had　very　few　visitors；

for；　while　her　neighbours　held　Mrs。　Falconer　in　great　and　evident

respect；　she　was　not　the　sort　of　person　to　sit　down　and　have　a　news

with。　　There　was　a　certain　sedate　self…contained　dignity　about　her

which　the　common　mind　felt　to　be　chilling　and　repellant；　and　from

any　gossip　of　a　personal　naturewhat　Betty　brought　her　always

exceptedshe　would　turn　away；　generally　with　the　words；　'Hoots！　　I

canna　bide　clashes。'



On　the　evening　following　that　of　Shargar's　introduction　to　Mrs。

Falconer's　house；　Betty　came　home　from　the　butcher'sfor　it　was

Saturday　night；　and　she　had　gone　to　fetch　the　beef　for　their

Sunday's　brothwith　the　news　that　the　people　next　door；　that　is；

round　the　corner　in　the　next　street；　had　a