robert falconer-第34章

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sunrise　of　faith；　in　which　he　would　know　that　for　the　eye　of　his　God

to　turn　away　from　him　for　one　moment　would　be　the　horror　of　the

outer　darkness。



Merriment；　however；　was　not　in　Robert's　thoughts；　and　still　less　was

mischief。　　For　the　latter；　whatever　his　grandmother　might　think；　he

had　no　capacity。　　The　world　was　already　too　serious；　and　was　soon　to

be　too　beautiful　for　mischief。　　After　that；　it　would　be　too　sad；　and

then；　finally；　until　death；　too　solemn　glad。　　The　moment　he　heard　of

his　grandmother's　intended　visit；　one　wild　hope　and　desire　and

intent　had　arisen　within　him。



When　Betty　came　to　the　parlour　door　to　lay　the　cloth　for　their

dinner；　she　found　it　locked。



'Open　the　door！'　she　cried；　but　cried　in　vain。　　From　impatience　she

passed　to　passion；　but　it　was　of　no　avail：　there　came　no　more

response　than　from　the　shrine　of　the　deaf　Baal。　For　to　the　boys　it

was　an　opportunity　not　at　any　risk　to　be　lost。　　Dull　Betty　never

suspected　what　they　were　about。　　They　were　ranging　the　place　like

two　tiger…cats　whose　whelps　had　been　carried　off　in　their

absencequesting；　with　nose　to　earth　and　tail　in　air；　for　the　scent

of　their　enemy。　　My　simile　has　carried　me　too　far：　it　was　only　a

dead　old　gentleman's　violin　that　a　couple　of　boys　was　afterbut

with　what　eagerness；　and；　on　the　part　of　Robert；　what　alternations

of　hope　and　fear！　　And　Shargar　was　always　the　reflex　of　Robert；　so

far　as　Shargar　could　reflect　Robert。　　Sometimes　Robert　would　stop；

stand　still　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　cast　a　mathematical　glance　of

survey　over　its　cubic　contents；　and　then　dart　off　in　another

inwardly　suggested　direction　of　search。　　Shargar；　on　the　other　hand；

appeared　to　rummage　blindly　without　a　notion　of　casting　the

illumination　of　thought　upon　the　field　of　search。　　Yet　to　him　fell

the　success。　　When　hope　was　growing　dim；　after　an　hour　and　a　half　of

vain　endeavour；　a　scream　of　utter　discordance　heralded　the

resurrection　of　the　lady　of　harmony。　　Taught　by　his　experience　of

his　wild　mother's　habits　to　guess　at　those　of　douce　Mrs。　Falconer；

Shargar　had　found　the　instrument　in　her　bed　at　the　foot；　between　the

feathers　and　the　mattress。　　For　one　happy　moment　Shargar　was　the

benefactor；　and　Robert　the　grateful　recipient　of　favour。　　Nor；　I　do

believe；　was　this　thread　of　the　still　thickening　cable　that　bound

them　ever　forgotten：　broken　it　could　not　be。



Robert　drew　the　recovered　treasure　from　its　concealment；　opened　the

case　with　trembling　eagerness；　and　was　stooping；　with　one　hand　on

the　neck　of　the　violin；　and　the　other　on　the　bow；　to　lift　them　from

it；　when　Shargar　stopped　him。



His　success　had　given　him　such　dignity；　that　for　once　he　dared　to

act　from　himself。



'Betty　'll　hear　ye；'　he　said。



'What　care　I　for　Betty？　　She　daurna　tell。　　I　ken　hoo　to　manage　her。'



'But　wadna　't　be　better　'at　she　didna　ken？'



'She's　sure　to　fin'　oot　whan　she　mak's　the　bed。　　She　turns　't　ower

and　ower　jist　like　a　muckle　tyke　（dog）　worryin'　a　rottan　（rat）。'



'De'il　a　bit　o'　her　s'　be　a　hair　wiser！　　Ye　dinna　play　tunes　upo'

the　boxie；　man。'



Robert　caught　at　the　idea。　　He　lifted　the　'bonny　leddy'　from　her

coffin；　and　while　he　was　absorbed　in　the　contemplation　of　her　risen

beauty；　Shargar　laid　his　hands　on　Boston's　Four…fold　State；　the

torment　of　his　life　on　the　Sunday　evenings　which　it　was　his　turn　to

spend　with　Mrs。　Falconer；　and　threw　it　as　an　offering　to　the　powers

of　Hades　into　the　case；　which　he　then　buried　carefully；　with　the

feather…bed　for　mould；　the　blankets　for　sod；　and　the　counterpane

studiously　arranged　for　stone；　over　it。　　He　took　heed；　however；　not

to　let　Robert　know　of　the　substitution　of　Boston　for　the　fiddle；

because　he　knew　Robert　could　not　tell　a　lie。　　Therefore；　when　he

murmured　over　the　volume　some　of　its　own　words　which　he　had　read　the

preceding　Sunday；　it　was　in　a　quite　inaudible　whisper：　'Now　is　it

good　for　nothing　but　to　cumber　the　ground；　and　furnish　fuel　for

Tophet。'



Robert　must　now　hide　the　violin　better　than　his　grannie　had　done；

while　at　the　same　time　it　was　a　more　delicate　necessity；　seeing　it

had　lost　its　shell；　and　he　shrunk　from　putting　her　in　the　power　of

the　shoemaker　again。　　It　cost　him　much　trouble　to　fix　on　the　place

that　was　least　unsuitable。　　First　he　put　it　into　the　well　of　the

clock…case；　but　instantly　bethought　him　what　the　awful　consequence

would　be　if　one　of　the　weights　should　fall　from　the　gradual　decay　of

its　cord。　　He　had　heard　of　such　a　thing　happening。　　Then　he　would

put　it　into　his　own　place　of　dreams　and　meditations。　　But　what　if

Betty　should　take　a　fancy　to　change　her　bed？　or　some　friend　of　his

grannie's　should　come　to　spend　the　night？　　How　would　the　bonny　leddy

like　it？　　What　a　risk　she　would　run！　　If　he　put　her　under　the　bed；

the　mice　would　get　at　her　stringsnay；　perhaps；　knaw　a　hole　right

through　her　beautiful　body。　　On　the　top　of　the　clock；　the　brass

eagle　with　outspread　wings　might　scratch　her；　and　there　was　not

space　to　conceal　her。　　At　length　he　concludedwrapped　her　in　a

piece　of　paper；　and　placed　her　on　the　top　of　the　chintz　tester　of

his　bed；　where　there　was　just　room　between　it　and　the　ceiling：　that

would　serve　till　he　bore　her　to　some　better　sanctuary。　　In　the

meantime　she　was　safe；　and　the　boy　was　the　blessedest　boy　in

creation。



These　things　done；　they　were　just　in　the　humour　to　have　a　lark　with

Betty。　　So　they　unbolted　the　door；　rang　the　bell；　and　when　Betty

appeared；　red…faced　and　wrathful；　asked　her　very　gravely　and

politely　whether　they　were　not　going　to　have　some　dinner　before　they

went　back　to　school：　they　had　now　but　twenty　minutes　left。　　Betty

was　so　dumfoundered　with　their　impudence　that　she　could　not　say　a

word。　　She　did　make　haste　with　the　dinner；　though；　and　revealed　her

indignation　only　in　her　manner　of　putting　the　things　on　the　table。

As　the　boys　left　her；　Robert　contented　himself　with　the　single

hint：



'Betty；　Bodyfauld　's　i'　the　perris　o'　Kettledrum。　　Min'　ye　that。'



Betty　glowered　and　said　nothing。



But　the　delight　of　the　walk　of　three　miles　over　hill　and　dale　and

moor　and　farm　to　Mr。　Lammie's！　　The　boys；　if　not　as　wild　as

coltsthat　is；　as　wild　as　most　boys　would　have　beenwere　only　the

more　deeply　excited。　　That　first　summer　walk；　with　a　goal　before

them；　in　all　the　freshness　of　the　perfecting　year；　was　something

which　to　remember　in　after　days　was　to　Falconer　nothing　short　of

ecstasy。　　The　westering　sun　threw　long　shadows　before　them　as　they

trudged　away　eastward；　lightly　laden　with　the　books　needful　for　the

morrow's　lessons。　　Once　beyond　the　immediate　purlieus　of　the　town

and　the　various　plots　of　land　occupied　by　its　inhabitants；　they

crossed　a　small　river；　and　entered　upon　a　region　of　little　hills；

some　covered　to　the　top　with　trees；　chiefly　larch；　others

cultivated；　and　some　bearing　only　heather；　now　nursing　in　secret　its

purple　flame　for　the　outburst　of　the　autumn。　　The　road　wound

between；　now　swampy　and　worn　into　deep　ruts；　now　sandy　and　broken

with　large　stones。　　Down　to　its　edge　would　come　the　dwarfed　oak；　or

the　mountain　ash；　or　the　silver　birch；　single　and　small；　but　lovely

and　fresh；　and　now　green　fields；　fenced　with　walls　of　earth　as　green

as　themselves；　or　of　stones　overgrown　with　moss；　would　stretch　away

on　both　sides；　sprinkled　with　busily…feeding　cattle。　　Now　they　would

pass　through　a　farm…steading；　perfumed　with　the　breath　of　cows；　and

the　odour　of　burning　peatso　fragrant！　though　not　yet　so　grateful

to　the　inner　sense　as　it　would　be　when　encountered　in　after　years

and　in　foreign　lands。　　For　the　smell　of　burning　and　the　smell　of

earth　are　the　deepest　underlying　sensuous　bonds　of　the　earth's

unity；　and　the　common　brotherhood　of　them　that　dwell　thereon。　　Now

the　scent　of　the　larches　would　steal　from　the　hill；　or　the　wind

would　waft　the　odour　of　the　white　clover；　beloved　of　his

grandmother；　to　Robert's　nostrils；　and　he　would　turn　aside　to　pull

her　a　handful。　　Then　the