robert falconer-第132章

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to　the　mouth　of　the　court；　where　a　cab；　evidently　of　a　sort　with　the

neighbourhood；　was　waiting　for　us。　　I　got　in。　　Job　was　shutting　the

door。



'Come　along　with　me；　Job；'　I　said。　'I'm　going　straight　to　Mr。

Falconer's。　　He　will　like　to　see　you；　especially　after　your　kindness

to　me。'



'Well；　I　don't　mind　if　I　do　look　arter　you　a　little　longer；　for　to

tell　the　truth；'　said　Job；　as　he　opened　the　door；　and　got　in　beside

me；　'I　don't　over　and　above　like　the　look　of　thehorse。'



'It's　no　use　trying　to　rob　me　over　again；'　I　said；　but　he　gave　no

reply。　　He　only　shouted　to　the　cabman　to　drive　to　John　Street；

telling　him　the　number。



I　can　scarcely　recall　anything　more　till　we　reached　Falconer's

chambers。　　Job　got　out　and　rang　the　bell。　　Mrs。　Ashton　came　down。

Her　master　was　not　come　home。



'Tell　Mr。　Falconer；'　I　said；　'that　I'm　all　right；　only　I　couldn't

make　anything　of　it。'



'Tell　him；'　growled　Job；　'that　he's　got　his　head　broken；　and　won't

be　out　o'　bed　to…morrow。　　That's　the　way　with　them　fine…bred　ones。

They　lies　a…bed　when　the　likes　o'　me　must　go　out　what　they　calls

a…custamongering；　broken　head　and　all。'



'You　shall　stay　at　home　for　a　week　if　you　like；　Jobthat　is　if　I've

got　enough　to　give　you　a　week's　earnings。　　I'm　not　sure　though　till

I　look；　for　I'm　not　a　rich　man　any　more　than　yourself。'



'Rubbish！'　said　Job　as　he　got　in　again；　'I　was　only　flummuxing　the

old　un。　　Bless　your　heart；　sir；　I　wouldn't　stay　innot　for　nothink。

Not　for　a　bit　of　a　pat　on　the　crown；　nohow。　　Home　ain't　none　so

nice　a　place　to　go　snoozing　innohow。　　Where　do　you　go　to；

gov'nor？'



I　told　him。　　When　I　got　out；　and　was　opening　the　door；　leaning　on

his　arm；　I　said　I　was　very　glad　they　hadn't　taken　my　keys。



'Slicer　nor　Savoury　Sam　neither's　none　the　better　o'　you；　and　I

hopes　you're　not　much　the　worse　for　them；'　said　Job；　as　he　put　into

my　hands　my　purse　and　watch。　'Count　it；　gov'nor；　and　see　if　it's　all

right。　　Them　pusses　is　mannyfactered　express　for　the　convenience　o'

the　fakers。　　Take　my　advice；　sir；　and　keep　a　yellow　dump　（sovereign）

in　yer　coat…tails；　a　flatch　yenork　（half…crown）　in　yer　waistcoat；

and　yer　yeneps　（pence）　in　yer　breeches。　　You　won't　lose　much　nohow

then。　　Good…night；　sir；　and　I　wish　you　better。'



'But　I　must　give　you　something　for　plaster；'　I　said。　'You'll　take　a

yellow　dump；　at　least？'



'We'll　talk　about　that　another　day；'　said　Job；　and　with　a　second

still　heartier　good…night；　he　left　me。　　I　managed　to　crawl　up　to　my

room；　and　fell　on　my　bed　once　more　fainting。　　But　I　soon　recovered

sufficiently　to　undress　and　get　into　it。　　I　was　feverish　all　night

and　next　day；　but　towards　evening　begun　to　recover。



I　kept　expecting　Falconer　to　come　and　inquire　after　me；　but　he　never

came。　　Nor　did　he　appear　the　next　day　or　the　next；　and　I　began　to　be

very　uneasy　about　him。　　The　fourth　day　I　sent　for　a　cab；　and　drove

to　John　Street。　　He　was　at　home；　but　Mrs。　Ashton；　instead　of　showing

me　into　his　room；　led　me　into　her　kitchen；　and　left　me　there。



A　minute　after；　Falconer　came　to　me。　　The　instant　I　saw　him　I

understood　it　all。　　I　read　it　in　his　face：　he　had　found　his　father。









CHAPTER　XII。



ANDREW　AT　LAST。



Having　at　length　persuaded　the　woman　to　go　with　him；　Falconer　made

her　take　his　arm；　and　led　her　off　the　bridge。　　In　Parliament　Street

he　was　looking　about　for　a　cab　as　they　walked　on；　when　a　man　he　did

not　know；　stopped；　touched　his　hat；　and　addressed　him。



'I'm　thinkin'；　sir；　ye'll　be　sair　wantit　at　hame　the　nicht　It　wad　be

better　to　gang　at　ance；　an'　lat　the　puir　fowk　luik　efter　themsels

for　ae　nicht。'



'I'm　sorry　I　dinna　ken　ye；　man。　　Do　ye　ken　me？'



'Fine　that；　Mr。　Falconer。　　There's　mony　ane　kens　you　and　praises

God。'



'God　be　praised！'　returned　Falconer。　'Why　am　I　wanted　at　home？'



''Deed　I　wad　raither　not　say；　sir。Hey！'



This　last　exclamation　was　addressed　to　a　cab　just　disappearing　down

King　Street　from　Whitehall。　　The　driver　heard；　turned；　and　in　a

moment　more　was　by　their　side。



'Ye　had　better　gang　into　her　an'　awa'　hame；　and　lea'　the　poor　lassie

to　me。　　I'll　tak　guid　care　o'　her。'



She　clung　to　Falconer's　arm。　　The　man　opened　the　door　of　the　cab。

Falconer　put　her　in；　told　the　driver　to　go　to　Queen　Square；　and　if

he　could　not　make　haste；　to　stop　the　first　cab　that　could；　got　in

himself；　thanked　his　unknown　friend；　who　did　not　seem　quite

satisfied；　and　drove　off。



Happily　Miss　St。　John　was　at　home；　and　there　was　no　delay。　　Neither

was　any　explanation　of　more　than　six　words　necessary。　　He　jumped

again　into　the　cab　and　drove　home。　　Fortunately　for　his　mood；　though

in　fact　it　mattered　little　for　any　result；　the　horse　was　fresh；　and

both　able　and　willing。



When　he　entered　John　Street；　he　came　to　observe　before　reaching　his

own　door　that　a　good　many　men　were　about　in　little　quiet

groupssome　twenty　or　so；　here　and　there。　　When　he　let　himself　in

with　his　pass…key；　there　were　two　men　in　the　entry。　　Without

stopping　to　speak；　he　ran　up　to　his　own　chambers。　　When　he　got　into

his　sitting…room；　there　stood　De　Fleuri；　who　simply　waved　his　hand

towards　the　old　sofa。　　On　it　lay　an　elderly　man；　with　his　eyes　half

open；　and　a　look　almost　of　idiocy　upon　his　pale；　puffed　face；　which

was　damp　and　shining。　　His　breathing　was　laboured；　but　there　was　no

further　sign　of　suffering。　　He　lay　perfectly　still。　　Falconer　saw　at

once　that　he　was　under　the　influence　of　some　narcotic；　probably

opium；　and　the　same　moment　the　all　but　conviction　darted　into　his

mind　that　Andrew　Falconer；　his　grandmother's　son；　lay　there　before

him。　　That　he　was　his　own　father　he　had　no　feeling　yet。　　He　turned

to　De　Fleuri。



'Thank　you；　friend；'　he　said。　'I　shall　find　time　to　thank　you。'



'Are　we　right？'　asked　De　Fleuri。



'I　don't　know。　　I　think　so；'　answered　Falconer；　and　without　another

word　the　man　withdrew。



His　first　mood　was　very　strange。　　It　seemed　as　if　all　the　romance

had　suddenly　deserted　his　life；　and　it　lay　bare　and　hopeless。　　He

felt　nothing。　　No　tears　rose　to　the　brim　of　their　bottomless

wellsthe　only　wells　that　have　no　bottom；　for　they　go　into　the

depths　of　the　infinite　soul。　　He　sat　down　in　his　chair；　stunned　as

to　the　heart　and　all　the　finer　chords　of　his　nature。　　The　man　on　the

horsehair　sofa　lay　breathingthat　was　all。　　The　gray　hair　about　the

pale　ill…shaven　face　glimmered　like　a　cloud　before　him。　　What　should

he　do　or　say　when　he　awaked？　　How　approach　this　far…estranged　soul？

How　ever　send　the　cry　of　father　into　that　fog…filled　world？　　Could

he　ever　have　climbed　on　those　knees　and　kissed　those　lips；　in　the

far…off　days　when　the　sun　and　the　wind　of　that　northern　atmosphere

made　his　childhood　blessed　beyond　dreams？　　The　actualthat　is　the

present　phase　of　the　ever…changinglooked　the　ideal　in　the　face；

and　the　mirror　that　held　them　both；　shook　and　quivered　at　the

discord　of　the　faces　reflected。　　A　kind　of　moral　cold　seemed　to

radiate　from　the　object　before　him；　and　chill　him　to　the　very　bones。

This　could　not　long　be　endured。　　He　fled　from　the　actual　to　the

source　of　all　the　idealto　that　Saviour　who；　the　infinite　mediator；

mediates　between　all　hopes　and　all　positions；　between　the　most

debased　actual　and　the　loftiest　ideal；　between　the　little　scoffer　of

St。　Giles's　and　his　angel　that　ever　beholds　the　face　of　the　Father

in　heaven。　　He　fell　on　his　knees；　and　spoke　to　God；　saying　that　he

had　made　this　man；　that　the　mark　of　his　fingers　was　on　the　man's

soul　somewhere。　　He　prayed　to　the　making　Spirit　to　bring　the　man　to

his　right　mind；　to　give　him　once　more　the　heart　of　a　child；　to　begin

him　yet　again　at　the　beginning。　　Then　at　last；　all　the　evil　he　had

done　and　suffered　would　but　swell　his　gratitude　to　Him　who　had

delivered　him　from　himself　and　his　own　deeds。　　Having　breathed　this

out　before　the　God　of　his　life；　Falconer　rose；　strengthened　to　meet

the　honourable　debased　soul　when　it　should　at　length　loo