robert falconer-第22章

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that　by　degrees　Robert　came　to　fancy　that　he　had　some　time　or　other

seen　a　woman　seated　at　each　of　those　silent　powers；　whose　single

hand　set　the　whole　frame　in　motion；　with　its　numberless　spindles　and

spools　rapidly　revolvinga　vague　mystery　of　endless　threads　in

orderly　complication；　out　of　which　came　some　desired；　to　him

unknown；　result；　so　that　the　whole　place　was　full　of　a　bewildering

tumult　of　work；　every　little　reel　contributing　its　share；　as　the

water…drops　clashing　together　make　the　roar　of　a　tempest。　　Now　all

was　still　as　the　church　on　a　week…day；　still　as　the　school　on　a

Saturday　afternoon。　　Nay；　the　silence　seemed　to　have　settled　down

like　the　dust；　and　grown　old　and　thick；　so　dead　and　old　that　the

ghost　of　the　ancient　noise　had　arisen　to　haunt　the　place。



Thither　would　Robert　carry　his　violin；　and　there　would　he　woo　her。



'I'm　thinkin'　I　maun　tak　her　wi'　me　the　nicht；　Sanders；'　he　said；

holding　the　fiddle　lovingly　to　his　bosom；　after　he　had　finished　his

next　lesson。



The　shoemaker　looked　blank。



'Ye're　no　gaein'　to　desert　me；　are　ye？'



'Na；　weel　I　wat！'　returned　Robert。　'But　I　want　to　try　her　at　hame。

I　maun　get　used　till　her　a　bittie；　ye　ken；　afore　I　can　du　onything

wi'　her。'



'I　wiss　ye　had　na　brought　her　here　ava。　　What　I　am　to　du　wantin'

her！'



'What　for　dinna　ye　get　yer　ain　back？'



'I　haena　the　siller；　man。　　And；　forbye；　I　doobt　I　wadna　be　that　sair

content　wi'　her　noo　gin　I　had　her。　　I　used　to　think　her　gran'。　　But

I'm　clean　oot　o'　conceit　o'　her。　　That　bonnie　leddy's　ta'en　't　clean

oot　o'　me。'



'But　ye　canna　hae　her　aye；　ye　ken；　Sanders。　　She's　no　mine。　　She's

my　grannie's；　ye　ken。'



'What's　the　use　o'　her　to　her？　　She　pits　nae　vailue　upon　her。　　Eh；

man；　gin　she　wad　gie　her　to　me；　I　wad　haud　her　i'　the　best　o'　shune

a'　the　lave　o'　her　days。'



'That　wadna　be　muckle；　Sanders；　for　she　hasna　had　a　new　pair　sin'

ever　I　mind。'



'But　I　wad　haud　Betty　in　shune　as　weel。'



'Betty　pays　for　her　ain　shune；　I　reckon。'



'Weel；　I　wad　haud　you　in　shune；　and　yer　bairns；　and　yer　bairns'

bairns；'　cried　the　soutar；　with　enthusiasm。



'Hoot；　toot；　man！　　Lang　or　that　ye'll　be　fiddlin'　i'　the　new

Jeroozlem。'



'Eh；　man！'　said　Alexander；　looking　uphe　had　just　cracked　the

roset…ends　off　his　hands；　for　he　had　the　upper　leather　of　a　boot　in

the　grasp　of　the　clams；　and　his　right　hand　hung　arrested　on　its

blind　way　to　the　awl'duv　ye　think　there'll　be　fiddles　there？　　I

thocht　they　war　a'　hairps；　a　thing　'at　I　never　saw；　but　it　canna　be

up　till　a　fiddle。'



'I　dinna　ken；'　answered　Robert；　'but　ye　suld　mak　a　pint　o'　seein'

for　yersel'。'



'Gin　I　thoucht　there　wad　be　fiddles　there；　faith　I　wad　hae　a　try。

It　wadna　be　muckle　o'　a　Jeroozlem　to　me　wantin'　my　fiddle。　　But　gin

there　be　fiddles；　I　daursay　they'll　be　gran'　anes。　　I　daursay　they

wad　gi'　me　a　new　aneI　mean　ane　as　auld　as　Noah's　'at　he　played　i'

the　ark　whan　the　de'il　cam'　in　by　to　hearken。　　I　wad　fain　hae　a　try。

Ye　ken　a'　aboot　it　wi'　that　grannie　o'　yours：　hoo's　a　body　to

begin？'



'By　giein'　up　the　drink；　man。'



'AyayayI　reckon　ye're　richt。　　Weel；　I'll　think　aboot　it　whan

ance　I'm　throu　wi'　this　job。　　That'll　be　neist　ook；　or　thereabouts；

or　aiblins　twa　days　efter。　　I'll　hae　some　leiser　than。'



Before　he　had　finished　speaking　he　had　caught　up　his　awl　and　begun

to　work　vigorously；　boring　his　holes　as　if　the　nerves　of　feeling

were　continued　to　the　point　of　the　tool；　inserting　the　bristles　that

served　him　for　needles　with　a　delicacy　worthy　of　soft…skinned

fingers；　drawing　through　the　rosined　threads　with　a　whisk；　and

untwining　them　with　a　crack　from　the　leather　that　guarded　his　hands。



'Gude　nicht　to　ye；'　said　Robert；　with　the　fiddle…case　under　his　arm。



The　shoemaker　looked　up；　with　his　hands　bound　in　his　threads。



'Ye're　no　gaein'　to　tak　her　frae　me　the　nicht？'



'Ay　am　I；　but　I'll　fess　her　back　again。　　I'm　no　gaein'　to　Jericho

wi'　her。'



'Gang　to　Hecklebirnie　wi'　her；　and　that's　three　mile　ayont　hell。'



'Na；　we　maun　win　farther　nor　that。　　There　canna；　be　muckle　fiddlin'

there。'



'Weel；　tak　her　to　the　new　Jeroozlem。　　I　s'　gang　doon　to　Lucky

Leary's；　and　fill　mysel'　roarin'　fou；　an'　it'll　be　a'　your　wyte

（blame）。'



'I　doobt　ye'll　get　the　straiks　（blows）　though。　　Or　maybe　ye　think

Bell　'ill　tak　them　for　ye。'



Dooble　Sanny　caught　up　a　huge　boot；　the　sole　of　which　was　filled

with　broad…headed　nails　as　thick　as　they　could　be　driven；　and；　in　a

rage；　threw　it　at　Robert　as　he　darted　out。　　Through　its　clang

against　the　door…cheek；　the　shoemaker　heard　a　cry　from　the

instrument。　　He　cast　everything　from　him　and　sprang　after　Robert。

But　Robert　was　down　the　wynd　like　a　long…legged　grayhound；　and

Elshender　could　only　follow　like　a　fierce　mastiff。　　It　was　love　and

grief；　though；　and　apprehension　and　remorse；　not　vengeance；　that

winged　his　heels。　　He　soon　saw　that　pursuit　was　vain。



'Robert！　　Robert！'　he　cried；　'I　canna　win　up　wi'　ye。　　Stop；　for

God's　sake！　　Is　she　hurtit？'



Robert　stopped　at　once。



'Ye　hae　made　a　bonny　leddy　o'　hera　lameter　（cripple）　I　doobt；　like

yer　wife；'　he　answered；　with　indignation。



'Dinna　be　aye　flingin'　a　man's　fau'ts　in　's　face。　　It　jist　maks　him

'at　he　canna；　bide　himsel'　or　you　eyther。　　Lat's　see　the　bonny

crater。'



Robert　complied；　for　he　too　was　anxious。　　They　were　now　standing　in

the　space　in　front　of　Shargar's　old　abode；　and　there　was　no　one　to

be　seen。　　Elshender　took　the　box；　opened　it　carefully；　and　peeped　in

with　a　face　of　great　apprehension。



'I　thocht　that　was　a'！'　he　said　with　some　satisfaction。　'I　kent　the

string　whan　I　heard　it。　　But　we'll　sune　get　a　new　thairm　till　her；'

he　added；　in　a　tone　of　sorrowful　commiseration　and　condolence；　as　he

took　the　violin　from　the　case；　tenderly　as　if　it　had　been　a　hurt

child。



One　touch　of　the　bow；　drawing　out　a　goul　of　grief；　satisfied　him

that　she　was　uninjured。　　Next　a　hurried　inspection　showed　him　that

there　was　enough　of　the　catgut　twisted　round　the　peg　to　make　up　for

the　part　that　was　broken　off。　　In　a　moment　he　had　fastened　it　to　the

tail…piece；　tightened　and　tuned　it。　　Forthwith　he　took　the　bow　from

the　case…lid；　and　in　jubilant　guise　he　expatiated　upon　the　wrong　he

had　done　his　bonny　leddy；　till　the　doors　and　windows　around　were

crowded　with　heads　peering　through　the　dark　to　see　whence　the　sounds

came；　and　a　little　child　toddled　across　from　one　of　the　lowliest

houses　with　a　ha'penny　for　the　fiddler。　　Gladly　would　Robert　have

restored　it　with　interest；　but；　alas！　there　was　no　interest　in　his

bank；　for　not　a　ha'penny　had　he　in　the　world。　　The　incident　recalled

Sandy　to　Rothieden　and　its　cares。　　He　restored　the　violin　to　its

case；　and　while　Robert　was　fearing　he　would　take　it　under　his　arm

and　walk　away　with　it；　handed　it　back　with　a　humble　sigh　and　a

'Praise　be　thankit；'　then；　without　another　word；　turned　and　went　to

his　lonely　stool　and　home　'untreasured　of　its　mistress。'　　Robert

went　home　too；　and　stole　like　a　thief　to　his　room。



The　next　day　was　a　Saturday；　which；　indeed；　was　the　real　old

Sabbath；　or　at　least　the　half　of　it；　to　the　schoolboys　of　Rothieden。

Even　Robert's　grannie　was　Jew　enough；　or　rather　Christian　enough；

to　respect　this　remnant　of　the　fourth　commandmentdivine　antidote

to　the　rest　of　the　godless　money…making　and　soul…saving　weekand　he

had　the　half…day　to　himself。　　So　as　soon　as　he　had　had　his　dinner；

he　managed　to　give　Shargar　the　slip；　left　him　to　the　inroads　of　a

desolate　despondency；　and　stole　away　to　the　old　factory…garden。　　The

key　of　that　he　had　managed　to　purloin　from　the　kitchen　where　it

hung；　nor　was　there　much　danger　of　its　absence　being　discovered；

seeing　that　in　winter　no　one　thought　of　the　garden。　　The　smuggling

of　the　violin　out　of　the　house　was　the　'dearest　danger'the　more　so

that　he　would　not　run　the　risk　of　carrying　her　out　unprotected；　and

it　was　altogether　a　bulky　venture　with　t