robert falconer-第38章
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All at once he saw a tall man; in a blue coat and bright buttons;
about to open the lid of the bureau。 The same moment he saw a
little elderly man in a brown coat and a brown wig; by his side; who
sought to remove his hand from the lock。 Next appeared a huge
stalwart figure; in shabby old tartans; and laid his hand on the
head of each。 But the wonder widened and grew; for now came a
stately Highlander with his broadsword by his side; and an eagle's
feather in his bonnet; who laid his hand on the other Highlander's
arm。
When Robert looked in the direction whence this last had appeared;
the head of his grannie's bed had vanished; and a wild hill…side;
covered with stones and heather; sloped away into the distance。
Over it passed man after man; each with an ancestral air; while on
the gray sea to the left; galleys covered with Norsemen tore up the
white foam; and dashed one after the other up to the strand。 How
long he gazed; he did not know; but when he withdrew his eyes from
the extended scene; there stood the figure of his father; still
trying to open the lid of the bureau; his grandfather resisting him;
the blind piper with his hand on the head of both; and the stately
chief with his hand on the piper's arm。 Then a mist of
forgetfulness gathered over the whole; till at last he awoke and
found himself in the little wooden chamber at Bodyfauld; and not in
the visioned room。 Doubtless his loss of blood the day before had
something to do with the dream or vision; whichever the reader may
choose to consider it。 He rose; and after a good breakfast; found
himself very little the worse; and forgot all about his dream; till
a circumstance which took place not long after recalled it vividly
to his mind。
The enchantment of Bodyfauld soon wore off。 The boys had no time to
enter into the full enjoyment of country ways; because of those
weary lessons; over the getting of which Mrs。 Falconer kept as
strict a watch as ever; while to Robert the evening journey; his
violin and Miss St。 John left at Rothieden; grew more than tame。
The return was almost as happy an event to him as the first going。
Now he could resume his lessons with the soutar。
With Shargar it was otherwise。 The freedom for so much longer from
Mrs。 Falconer's eyes was in itself so much of a positive pleasure;
that the walk twice a day; the fresh air; and the scents and sounds
of the country; only came in as supplementary。 But I do not believe
the boy even then had so much happiness as when he was beaten and
starved by his own mother。 And Robert; growing more and more
absorbed in his own thoughts and pursuits; paid him less and less
attention as the weeks went on; till Shargar at length judged it for
a time an evil day on which he first had slept under old Ronald
Falconer's kilt。
CHAPTER XVIII。
NATURE PUTS IN A CLAIM。
Before the day of return arrived; Robert had taken care to remove
the violin from his bedroom; and carry it once more to its old
retreat in Shargar's garret。 The very first evening; however; that
grannie again spent in her own arm…chair; he hied from the house as
soon as it grew dusk; and made his way with his brown…paper parcel
to Sandy Elshender's。
Entering the narrow passage from which his shop door opened; and
hearing him hammering away at a sole; he stood and unfolded his
treasure; then drew a low sigh from her with his bow; and awaited
the result。 He heard the lap…stone fall thundering on the floor;
and; like a spider from his cavern; Dooble Sanny appeared in the
door; with the bend…leather in one hand; and the hammer in the
other。
'Lordsake; man! hae ye gotten her again? Gie's a grup o' her!' he
cried; dropping leather and hammer。
'Na; na;' returned Robert; retreating towards the outer door。 'Ye
maun sweir upo' her that; whan I want her; I sall hae her ohn demur;
or I sanna lat ye lay roset upo' her。'
'I swear 't; Robert; I sweir 't upo' her;' said the soutar
hurriedly; stretching out both his hands as if to receive some human
being into his embrace。
Robert placed the violin in those grimy hands。 A look of heavenly
delight dawned over the hirsute and dirt…besmeared countenance;
which drooped into tenderness as he drew the bow across the
instrument; and wiled from her a thin wail as of sorrow at their
long separation。 He then retreated into his den; and was soon sunk
in a trance; deaf to everything but the violin; from which no
entreaties of Robert; who longed for a lesson; could rouse him; so
that he had to go home grievously disappointed; and unrewarded for
the risk he had run in venturing the stolen visit。
Next time; however; he fared better; and he contrived so well that;
from the middle of June to the end of August; he had two lessons a
week; mostly upon the afternoons of holidays。 For these his master
thought himself well paid by the use of the instrument between。 And
Robert made great progress。
Occasionally he saw Miss St。 John in the garden; and once or twice
met her in the town; but her desire to find in him a pupil had been
greatly quenched by her unfortunate conjecture as to the cause of
his accident。 She had; however; gone so far as to mention the
subject to her aunt; who assured her that old Mrs。 Falconer would as
soon consent to his being taught gambling as music。 The idea;
therefore; passed away; and beyond a kind word or two when she met
him; there was no further communication between them。 But Robert
would often dream of waking from a swoon; and finding his head lying
on her lap; and her lovely face bending over him full of kindness
and concern。
By the way; Robert cared nothing for poetry。 Virgil was too
troublesome to be enjoyed; and in English he had met with nothing
but the dried leaves and gum…flowers of the last century。 Miss
Letty once lent him The Lady of the Lake; but before he had read the
first canto through; his grandmother laid her hands upon it; and;
without saying a word; dropped it behind a loose skirting…board in
the pantry; where the mice soon made it a ruin sad to behold。 For
Miss Letty; having heard from the woful Robert of its strange
disappearance; and guessing its cause; applied to Mrs。 Falconer for
the volume; who forthwith; the tongs aiding; extracted it from its
hole; and; without shade of embarrassment; held it up like a drowned
kitten before the eyes of Miss Letty; intending thereby; no doubt;
to impress her with the fate of all seducing spirits that should
attempt an entrance into her kingdom: Miss Letty only burst into
merry laughter over its fate。 So the lode of poetry failed for the
present from Robert's life。 Nor did it matter much; for had he not
his violin?
I have; I think; already indicated that his grandfather had been a
linen manufacturer。 Although that trade had ceased; his family had
still retained the bleachery belonging to it; commonly called the
bleachfield; devoting it now to the service of those large calico
manufactures which had ruined the trade in linen; and to the
whitening of such yarn as the country housewives still spun at home;
and the webs they got woven of it in private looms。 To Robert and
Shargar it was a wondrous pleasure when the pile of linen which the
week had accumulated at the office under the ga'le…room; was on
Saturday heaped high upon the base of a broad…wheeled cart; to get
up on it and be carried to the said bleachfield; which lay along the
bank of the river。 Soft laid and high…borne; gazing into the blue
sky; they traversed the streets in a holiday triumph; and although;
once arrived; the manager did not fail to get some labour out of
them; yet the store of amusement was endless。 The great wheel;
which drove the whole machinery; the plash…mill; or; more properly;
wauk…milla word Robert derived from the resemblance of the mallets
to two huge feet; and of their motion to walkingwith the water
plashing a