robert falconer-第3章

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set；　miles　of　frozen　vapour　came　between　him　and　this　part　of　the

world；　and　his　light　was　never　very　powerful　so　far　north　at　this

season　of　the　year。



Robert　turned　into　the　kitchen；　and　began　to　put　on　his　shoes。　　He

had　made　up　his　mind　what　to　do。



'Ye're　never　gaein'　oot；　Robert？'　said　Betty；　in　a　hoarse　tone　of

expostulation。



''Deed　am　I；　Betty。　　What　for　no？'



'You　'at's　been　in　a'　day　wi'　a　sair　heid！　　I'll　jist　gang　benn　the

hoose　and　tell　the　mistress；　and　syne　we'll　see　what　she'll　please

to　say　till　't。'



'Ye'll　do　naething　o'　the　kin'；　Betty。　　Are　ye　gaein'　to　turn

clash…pyet　（tell…tale）　at　your　age？'



'What　ken　ye　aboot　my　age？　　There's　never　a　man…body　i'　the　toon

kens　aught　aboot　my　age。'



'It's　ower　muckle　for　onybody　to　min'　upo'　（remember）；　is　't；

Betty？'



'Dinna　be　ill…tongued；　Robert；　or　I'll　jist　gang　benn　the　hoose　to

the　mistress。'



'Betty；　wha　began　wi'　bein'　ill…tongued？　　Gin　ye　tell　my　grandmither

that　I　gaed　oot　the　nicht；　I'll　gang　to　the　schuilmaister　o'

Muckledrum；　and　get　a　sicht　o'　the　kirstenin'　buik；　an'　gin　yer　name

binna　there；　I'll　tell　ilkabody　I　meet　'at　oor　Betty　was　never

kirstened；　and　that'll　be　a　sair　affront；　Betty。'



'Hoot！　was　there　ever　sic　a　laddie！'　said　Betty；　attempting　to　laugh

it　off。　'Be　sure　ye　be　back　afore　tay…time；　'cause　yer　grannie　'ill

be　speirin'　efter　ye；　and　ye　wadna　hae　me　lee　aboot　ye？'



'I　wad　hae　naebody　lee　about　me。　　Ye　jist　needna　lat　on　'at　ye　hear

her。　　Ye　can　be　deif　eneuch　when　ye　like；　Betty。　　But　I　s'　be　back

afore　tay…time；　or　come　on　the　waur。'



Betty；　who　was　in　far　greater　fear　of　her　age　being　discovered　than

of　being　unchristianized　in　the　search；　though　the　fact　was　that　she

knew　nothing　certain　about　the　matter；　and　had　no　desire　to　be

enlightened；　feeling　as　if　she　was　thus　left　at　liberty　to　hint　what

she　pleased；Betty；　I　say；　never　had　any　intention　of　going　'benn

the　hoose　to　the　mistress。'　　For　the　threat　was　merely　the　rod　of

terror　which　she　thought　it　convenient　to　hold　over　the　back　of　the

boy；　whom　she　always　supposed　to　be　about　some　mischief　except　he

were　in　her　own　presence　and　visibly　reading　a　book：　if　he　were

reading　aloud；　so　much　the　better。　　But　Robert　likewise　kept　a　rod

for　his　defence；　and　that　was　Betty's　age；　which　he　had　discovered

to　be　such　a　precious　secret　that　one　would　have　thought　her　virtue

depended　in　some　cabalistic　manner　upon　the　concealment　of　it。　　And；

certainly；　nature　herself　seemed　to　favour　Betty's　weakness；　casting

such　a　mist　about　the　number　of　her　years　as　the　goddesses　of　old

were　wont　to　cast　about　a　wounded　favourite；　for　some　said　Betty　was

forty；　others　said　she　was　sixty…five；　and；　in　fact；　almost

everybody　who　knew　her　had　a　different　belief　on　the　matter。



By　this　time　Robert　had　conquered　the　difficulty　of　induing　boots　as

hard　as　a　thorough　wetting　and　as　thorough　a　drying　could　make　them；

and　now　stood　prepared　to　go。　　His　object　in　setting　out　was　to　find

the　boy　whom　his　grandmother　had　driven　from　the　door　with　a　hastier

and　more　abject　flight　than　she　had　in　the　least　intended。　　But；　if

his　grandmother　should　miss　him；　as　Betty　suggested；　and　inquire

where　he　had　been；　what　was　he　to　say？　　He　did　not　mind　misleading

his　grannie；　but　he　had　a　great　objection　to　telling　her　a　lie。　　His

grandmother　herself　delivered　him　from　this　difficulty。



'Robert；　come　here；'　she　called　from　the　parlour　door。　　And　Robert

obeyed。



'Is　't　dingin'　on；　Robert？'　she　asked。



'No；　grannie；　it's　only　a　starnie　o'　drift。'



The　meaning　of　this　was　that　there　was　no　fresh　snow　falling；　or

beating　on；　only　a　little　surface　snow　blowing　about。



'Weel；　jist　pit　yer　shune　on；　man；　and　rin　up　to　Miss　Naper's　upo'

the　Squaur；　and　say　to　Miss　Naper；　wi'　my　compliments；　that　I　wad　be

sair　obleeged　till　her　gin　she　wad　len'　me　that　fine　receipt　o'　hers

for　crappit　heids；　and　I'll　sen'　't　back　safe　the　morn's　mornin'。

Rin；　noo。'



This　commission　fell　in　admirably　with　Robert's　plans；　and　he

started　at　once。









CHAPTER　III。



THE　BOAR'S　HEAD。



Miss　Napier　was　the　eldest　of　three　maiden　sisters　who　kept　the

principal　hostelry　of　Rothieden；　called　The　Boar's　Head；　from　which；

as　Robert　reached　the　square　in　the　dusk；　the　mail…coach　was　moving

away　with　a　fresh　quaternion　of　horses。　　He　found　a　good　many　boxes

standing　upon　the　pavement　close　by　the　archway　that　led　to　the

inn…yard；　and　around　them　had　gathered　a　group　of　loungers；　not　too

cold　to　be　interested。　　These　were　looking　towards　the　windows　of

the　inn；　where　the　owner　of　the　boxes　had　evidently　disappeared。



'Saw　ye　ever　sic　a　sicht　in　oor　toon　afore！'　said　Dooble　Sanny；　as

people　generally　called　him；　his　name　being　Alexander　Alexander；

pronounced；　by　those　who　chose　to　speak　of　him　with　the　ordinary

respect　due　from　one　mortal　to　another；　Sandy　Elshender。　　Double

Sandy　was　a　soutar；　or　shoemaker；　remarkable　for　his　love　of　sweet

sounds　and　whisky。　　He　was；　besides；　the　town…crier；　who　went　about

with　a　drum　at　certain　hours　of　the　morning　and　evening；　like　a

perambulating　clock；　and　also　made　public　announcements　of　sales；

losses；　&c。；　for　the　resta　fierce；　fighting　fellow　when　in　anger

or　in　drink；　which　latter　included　the　former。



'What's　the　sicht；　Sandy？'　asked　Robert；　coming　up　with　his　hands　in

the　pockets　of　his　trowsers。



'Sic　a　sicht　as　ye　never　saw；　man；'　returned　Sandy；　'the　bonniest

leddy　ever　man　set　his　ee　upo'。　　I　culd　na　hae　thocht　there　had　been

sic　a　woman　i'　this　warl'。'



'Hoot；　Sandy！'　said　Robert；　'a　body　wad　think　she　was　tint　（lost）

and　ye　had　the　cryin'　o'　her。　　Speyk　laicher；　man；　she'll　maybe　hear

ye。　　Is　she　i'　the　inn　there？'



'Ay　is　she；'　answered　Sandy。　'See　sic　a　warl'　o'　kists　as　she's

brocht　wi'　her；'　he　continued；　pointing　towards　the　pile　of　luggage。

'Saw　ye　ever　sic　a　bourach　（heap）？　　It　jist　blecks　（beats）　me　to

think　what　ae　body　can　du　wi'　sae　mony　kists。　　For　I　mayna　doobt　but

there's　something　or　ither　in　ilka　ane　o'　them。　　Naebody　wad　carry

aboot　toom　（empty）　kists　wi'　them。　　I　cannot　mak'　it　oot。'



The　boxes　might　well　surprise　Sandy；　if　we　may　draw　any　conclusions

from　the　fact　that　the　sole　implement　of　personal　adornment　which　he

possessed　was　two　inches　of　a　broken　comb；　for　which　he　had　to

search　when　he　happened　to　want　it；　in　the　drawer　of　his　stool；

among　awls；　lumps　of　rosin　for　his　violin；　masses　of　the　same

substance　wrought　into　shoemaker's　wax　for　his　ends；　and　packets　of

boar's　bristles；　commonly　called　birse；　for　the　same。



'Are　thae　a'　ae　body's？'　asked　Robert。



'Troth　are　they。　　They're　a'　hers；　I　wat。　　Ye　wad　hae　thocht　she　had

been　gaein'　to　The　Bothie；　but　gin　she　had　been　that；　there　wad　hae

been　a　cairriage　to　meet　her；'　said　Crookit　Caumill；　the　ostler。



The　Bothie　was　the　name　facetiously　given　by　Alexander；　Baron

Rothie；　son　of　the　Marquis　of　Boarshead；　to　a　house　he　had　built　in

the　neighbourhood；　chiefly　for　the　accommodation　of　his　bachelor

friends　from　London　during　the　shooting…season。



'Haud　yer　tongue；　Caumill；'　said　the　shoemaker。　'She's　nae　sic

cattle；　yon。'



'Haud　up　the　bit　bowat　（stable…lantern）；　man；　and　lat　Robert　here

see　the　direction　upo'　them。　　Maybe　he'll　mak'　something　o't。　　He's

a　fine　scholar；　ye　ken；'　said　another　of　the　bystanders。



The　ostler　held　the　lantern　to　the　card　upon　one　of　the　boxes；　but

Robert　found　only　an　M。；　followed　by　something　not　very　definite；

and　a　J。；　which　might　have　been　an　I。；　Rothieden；　Driftshire；

Scotland。



As　he　was　not　immediate　with　his　answer；　Peter　Lumley；　one　of　the

group；　a　lazy　ne'er…do…weel；　who　had　known　better　days；　but　never

better　manners；　and　was　seldom　quite　drunk；　and　seldomer　still　quite

sober；　struck　in　with；



'Ye　dinna　ken　a'　thing　yet；　ye　see；　Robbie。'



》From　Sandy　this　would　have　been　nothing　but　a　good…humoured