robert falconer-第14章

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

round　the　corner　in　the　next　street；　had　a　visitor。



The　house　in　question　had　been　built　by　Robert's　father；　and　was；

compared　with　Mrs。　Falconer's　one…storey　house；　large　and　handsome。

Robert　had　been　born；　and　had　spent　a　few　years　of　his　life　in　it；

but　could　recall　nothing　of　the　facts　of　those　early　days。　　Some

time　before　the　period　at　which　my　history　commences　it　had　passed

into　other　hands；　and　it　was　now　quite　strange　to　him。　　It　had　been

bought　by　a　retired　naval　officer；　who　lived　in　it　with　his

wifethe　only　Englishwoman　in　the　place；　until　the　arrival；　at　The

Boar's　Head；　of　the　lady　so　much　admired　by　Dooble　Sanny。



Robert　was　up…stairs　when　Betty　emptied　her　news…bag；　and　so　heard

nothing　of　this　bit　of　gossip。　　He　had　just　assured　Shargar　that　as

soon　as　his　grandmother　was　asleep　he　would　look　about　for　what　he

could　find；　and　carry　it　up　to　him　in　the　garret。　　As　yet　he　had

confined　the　expenditure　out　of　Shargar's　shilling　to　twopence。



The　household　always　retired　earlyearlier　on　Saturday　night　in

preparation　for　the　Sabbathand　by　ten　o'clock　grannie　and　Betty

were　in　bed。　　Robert；　indeed；　was　in　bed　too；　but　he　had　lain　down

in　his　clothes；　waiting　for　such　time　as　might　afford　reasonable

hope　of　his　grandmother　being　asleep；　when　he　might　both　ease

Shargar's　hunger　and　get　to　sleep　himself。　　Several　times　he　got　up；

resolved　to　make　his　attempt；　but　as　often　his　courage　failed　and　he

lay　down　again；　sure　that　grannie　could　not　be　asleep　yet。　　When　the

clock　beside　him　struck　eleven；　he　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and

finally　rose　to　do　his　endeavour。



Opening　the　door　of　the　closet　slowly　and　softly；　he　crept　upon　his

hands　and　knees　into　the　middle　of　the　parlour；　feeling　very　much

like　a　thief；　as；　indeed；　in　a　measure　he　was；　though　from　a

blameless　motive。　　But　just　as　he　had　accomplished　half　the　distance

to　the　door；　he　was　arrested　and　fixed　with　terror；　for　a　deep　sigh

came　from　grannie's　bed；　followed　by　the　voice　of　words。　　He　thought

at　first　that　she　had　heard　him；　but　he　soon　found　that　he　was

mistaken。　　Still；　the　fear　of　discovery　held　him　there　on　all　fours；

like　a　chained　animal。　　A　dull　red　gleam；　faint　and　dull；　from　the

embers　of　the　fire；　was　the　sole　light　in　the　room。　　Everything　so

common　to　his　eyes　in　the　daylight　seemed　now　strange　and　eerie　in

the　dying　coals；　and　at　what　was　to　the　boy　the　unearthly　hour　of

the　night。



He　felt　that　he　ought　not　to　listen　to　grannie；　but　terror　made　him

unable　to　move。



'Och　hone！　och　hone！'　said　grannie　from　the　bed。　'I've　a　sair；　sair

hert。　　I've　a　sair　hert　i'　my　breist；　O　Lord！　thoo　knowest。　　My　ain

Anerew！　　To　think　o'　my　bairnie　that　I　cairriet　i'　my　ain　body；　that

sookit　my　breists；　and　leuch　i'　my　faceto　think　o'　'im　bein'　a

reprobate！　　O　Lord！　cudna　he　be　eleckit　yet？　　Is　there　nae　turnin'

o'　thy　decrees？　　Na；　na；　that　wadna　do　at　a'。　　But　while　there's

life　there's　houp。　　But　wha　kens　whether　he　be　alive　or　no？　　Naebody

can　tell。　　Glaidly　wad　I　luik　upon　's　deid　face　gin　I　cud　believe

that　his　sowl　wasna　amang　the　lost。　　But　eh！　the　torments　o'　that

place！　and　the　reik　that　gangs　up　for　ever　an'　ever；　smorin'

（smothering）　the　stars！　　And　my　Anerew　doon　i'　the　hert　o'　't

cryin'！　　And　me　no　able　to　win　till　him！　　O　Lord！　　I　canna　say　thy

will　be　done。　　But　dinna　lay　't　to　my　chairge；　for　gin　ye　was　a

mither　yersel'　ye　wadna　pit　him　there。　　O　Lord！　　I'm　verra

ill…fashioned。　　I　beg　yer　pardon。　　I'm　near　oot　o'　my　min'。　　Forgie

me；　O　Lord！　for　I　hardly　ken　what　I'm　sayin'。　　He　was　my　ain　babe；

my　ain　Anerew；　and　ye　gae　him　to　me　yersel'。　　And　noo　he's　for　the

finger　o'　scorn　to　pint　at；　an　ootcast　an'　a　wan'erer　frae　his　ain

country；　an'　daurna　come　within　sicht　o'　't　for　them　'at　wad　tak'

the　law　o'　'm。　　An'　it's　a'　drinkdrink　an'　ill　company！　　He　wad

hae　dune　weel　eneuch　gin　they　wad　only　hae　latten　him　be。　　What　for

maun　men　be　aye　drink…drinkin'　at　something　or　ither？　　I　never　want

it。　　Eh！　gin　I　war　as　young　as　whan　he　was　born；　I　wad　be　up　an'

awa'　this　verra　nicht　to　luik　for　him。　　But　it's　no　use　me　tryin'

't。　　O　God！　ance　mair　I　pray　thee　to　turn　him　frae　the　error　o'　's

ways　afore　he　goes　hence　an'　isna　more。　　And　O　dinna　lat　Robert　gang

efter　him；　as　he's　like　eneuch　to　do。　　Gie　me　grace　to　haud　him

ticht；　that　he　may　be　to　the　praise　o'　thy　glory　for　ever　an'　ever。

Amen。'



Whether　it　was　that　the　weary　woman　here　fell　asleep；　or　that　she

was　too　exhausted　for　further　speech；　Robert　heard　no　more；　though

he　remained　there　frozen　with　horror　for　some　minutes　after　his

grandmother　had　ceased。　　This；　then；　was　the　reason　why　she　would

never　speak　about　his　father！　　She　kept　all　her　thoughts　about　him

for　the　silence　of　the　night；　and　loneliness　with　the　God　who　never

sleeps；　but　watches　the　wicked　all　through　the　dark。　　And　his　father

was　one　of　the　wicked！　　And　God　was　against　him！　　And　when　he　died

he　would　go　to　hell！　　But　he　was　not　dead　yet：　Robert　was　sure　of

that。　　And　when　he　grew　a　man；　he　would　go　and　seek　him；　and　beg　him

on　his　knees　to　repent　and　come　back　to　God；　who　would　forgive　him

then；　and　take　him　to　heaven　when　he　died。　　And　there　he　would　be

good；　and　good　people　would　love　him。



Something　like　this　passed　through　the　boy's　mind　ere　he　moved　to

creep　from　the　room；　for　his　was　one　of　those　natures　which　are

active　in　the　generation　of　hope。　　He　had　almost　forgotten　what　he

came　there　for；　and　had　it　not　been　that　he　had　promised　Shargar；　he

would　have　crept　back　to　his　bed　and　left　him　to　bear　his　hunger　as

best　he　could。　　But　now；　first　his　right　hand；　then　his　left　knee；

like　any　other　quadruped；　he　crawled　to　the　door；　rose　only　to　his

knees　to　open　it；　took　almost　a　minute　to　the　operation；　then

dropped　and　crawled　again；　till　he　had　passed　out；　turned；　and　drawn

the　door　to；　leaving　it　slightly　ajar。　　Then　it　struck　him　awfully

that　the　same　terrible　passage　must　be　gone　through　again。　　But　he

rose　to　his　feet；　for　he　had　no　shoes　on；　and　there　was　little

danger　of　making　any　noise；　although　it　was　pitch　darkhe　knew　the

house　so　well。　　With　gathering　courage；　he　felt　his　way　to　the

kitchen；　and　there　groped　about；　but　he　could　find　nothing　beyond　a

few　quarters　of　oat…cake；　which；　with　a　mug　of　water；　he　proceeded

to　carry　up　to　Shargar　in　the　garret。



When　he　reached　the　kitchen　door；　he　was　struck　with　amazement　and

for　a　moment　with　fresh　fear。　　A　light　was　shining　into　the　transe

from　the　stair　which　went　up　at　right　angles　from　the　end　of　it。　　He

knew　it　could　not　be　grannie；　and　he　heard　Betty　snoring　in　her　own

den；　which　opened　from　the　kitchen。　　He　thought　it　must　be　Shargar

who　had　grown　impatient；　but　how　he　had　got　hold　of　a　light　he　could

not　think。　　As　soon　as　he　turned　the　corner；　however；　the　doubt　was

changed　into　mystery。　　At　the　top　of　the　broad　low　stair　stood　a

woman…form　with　a　candle　in　her　hand；　gazing　about　her　as　if

wondering　which　way　to　go。　　The　light　fell　full　upon　her　face；　the

beauty　of　which　was　such　that；　with　her　dress；　which　was

whitebeing；　in　fact；　a　nightgownand　her　hair；　which　was　hanging

loose　about　her　shoulders　and　down　to　her　waist；　it　led　Robert　at

once　to　the　conclusion　（his　reasoning　faculties　already　shaken　by

the　events　of　the　night）　that　she　was　an　angel　come　down　to　comfort

his　grannie；　and　he　kneeled　involuntarily　at　the　foot　of　the　stair；

and　gazed　up　at　her；　with　the　cakes　in　one　hand；　and　the　mug　of

water　in　the　other；　like　a　meat…and…drink　offering。　　Whether　he　had

closed　his　eyes　or　bowed　his　head；　he　could　not　say；　but　he　became

suddenly　aware　that　the　angel　had　vanishedhe　knew　not　when；　how；

or　whither。　　This　for　a　time　confirmed　his　assurance　that　it　was　an

angel。　　And　although　he　was　undeceived　before　long；　the　impression

made　upon　him　that　night　was　never　effaced。　　But；　indeed；　whatever

Falconer　heard　o