robert falconer-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



sober；　struck　in　with；



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



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

at　facetiousness。　　From　Lumley　it　meant　spite；　because　Robert's

praise　was　in　his　ears。



'I　dinna　preten'　to　ken　ae　hair　mair　than　ye　do　yersel'；　Mr。　Lumley；

and　that's　nae　sayin'　muckle；　surely；'　returned　Robert；　irritated　at

his　tone　more　than　at　his　words。



The　bystanders　laughed；　and　Lumley　flew　into　a　rage。



'Haud　yer　ill　tongue；　ye　brat；'　he　said。　'Wha'　are　ye　to　mak'　sic

remarks　upo'　yer　betters？　　A'body　kens　yer　gran'father　was　naething

but　the　blin'　piper　o'　Portcloddie。'



This　was　news　to　Robertprobably　false；　considering　the　quarter

whence　it　came。　　But　his　mother…wit　did　not　forsake　him。



'Weel；　Mr。　Lumley；'　he　answered；　'didna　he　pipe　weel？　　Daur　ye　tell

me　'at　he　didna　pipe　weel？as　weel's　ye　cud　hae　dune　't　yersel'；

noo；　Mr。　Lumley？'



The　laugh　again　rose　at　Lumley's　expense；　who　was　well　known　to　have

tried　his　hand　at　most　things；　and　succeeded　in　nothing。　　Dooble

Sanny　was　especially　delighted。



'De'il　hae　ye　for　a　de'il's　brat！　'At　I　suld　sweer！'　was　all

Lumley's　reply；　as　he　sought　to　conceal　his　mortification　by

attempting　to　join　in　the　laugh　against　himself。　　Robert　seized　the

opportunity　of　turning　away　and　entering　the　house。



'That　ane's　no　to　be　droont　or　brunt　aither；'　said　Lumley；　as　he

disappeared。



'He'll　no　be　hang't　for　closin'　your　mou'；　Mr。　Lumley；'　said　the

shoemaker。



Thereupon　Lumley　turned　and　followed　Robert　into　the　inn。



Robert　had　delivered　his　message　to　Miss　Napier；　who　sat　in　an

arm…chair　by　the　fire；　in　a　little　comfortable　parlour；　held　sacred

by　all　about　the　house。　　She　was　paralytic；　and　unable　to　attend　to

her　guests　further　than　by　giving　orders　when　anything　especial　was

referred　to　her　decision。　　She　was　an　old　ladynearly　as　old　as

Mrs。　Falconerand　wore　glasses；　but　they　could　not　conceal　the

kindness　of　her　kindly　eyes。　　Probably　from　giving　less　heed　to　a

systematic　theology；　she　had　nothing　of　that　sternness　which　first

struck　a　stranger　on　seeing　Robert's　grandmother。　　But　then　she　did

not　know　what　it　was　to　be　contradicted；　and　if　she　had　been

married；　and　had　had　sons；　perhaps　a　sternness　not　dissimilar　might

have　shown　itself　in　her　nature。



'Noo　ye　maunna　gang　awa'　till　ye　get　something；'　she　said；　after

taking　the　receipt　in　request　from　a　drawer　within　her　reach；　and

laying　it　upon　the　table。　　But　ere　she　could　ring　the　bell　which

stood　by　her　side；　one　of　her　servants　came　in。



'Please；　mem；'　she　said；　'Miss　Letty　and　Miss　Lizzy's　seein'　efter

the　bonny　leddy；　and　sae　I　maun　come　to　you。'



'Is　she　a'　that　bonny；　Meg？'　asked　her　mistress。



'Na；　na；　she's　nae　sae　fearsome　bonny；　but　Miss　Letty's　unco　ta'en

wi'　her；　ye　ken。　　An'　we　a'　say　as　Miss　Letty　says　i'　this　hoose。

But　that's　no　the　pint。　　Mr。　Lumley's　here；　seekin'　a　gill：　is　he

to　hae't？'



'Has　he　had　eneuch　already；　do　ye　think；　Meg？'



'I　dinna　ken　aboot　eneuch；　mem；　that's　ill　to　mizzer；　but　I　dinna

think　he's　had　ower　muckle。'



'Weel；　lat　him　tak'　it。　　But　dinna　lat　him　sit　doon。'



'Verra　weel；　mem；'　said　Meg；　and　departed。



'What　gars　Mr。　Lumley　say　'at　my　gran'father　was　the　blin'　piper　o'

Portcloddie？　　Can　ye　tell　me；　Miss　Naper？'　asked　Robert。



'Whan　said　he　that；　Robert？'



'Jist　as　I　cam　in。'



Miss　Napier　rang　the　bell。　　Another　maid　appeared。



'Sen'　Meg　here　direckly。'



Meg　came；　her　eyes　full　of　interrogation。



'Dinna　gie　Lumley　a　drap。　　Set　him　up　to　insult　a　young　gentleman　at

my　door…cheek！　　He　s'　no　hae　a　drap　here　the　nicht。　　He　's　had　ower

muckle；　Meg；　already；　an'　ye　oucht　to　hae　seen　that。'



''Deed；　mem；　he　's　had　mair　than　ower　muckle；　than；　for　there's

anither　gill　ower　the　thrapple　o'　'm。　　I　div　my　best；　mem；　but；

never　tastin'　mysel'；　I　canna　aye　tell　hoo　muckle　's　i'　the　wame　o'

a'　body　'at　comes　in。'



'Ye're　no　fit　for　the　place；　Meg；　that's　a　fac'。'



At　this　charge　Meg　took　no　offence；　for　she　had　been　in　the　place

for　twenty　years。　　And　both　mistress　and　maid　laughed　the　moment

they　parted　company。



'Wha's　this　'at's　come　the　nicht；　Miss　Naper；　'at　they're　sae　ta'en

wi'？'　asked　Robert。



'Atweel；　I　dinna　ken　yet。　　She's　ower　bonnie　by　a'　accoonts　to　be

gaein'　about　her　lane　（alone）。　　It's　a　mercy　the　baron's　no　at　hame。

I　wad　hae　to　lock　her　up　wi'　the　forks　and　spunes。'



'What　for　that？'　asked　Robert。



But　Miss　Napier　vouchsafed　no　further　explanation。　　She　stuffed　his

pockets　with　sweet　biscuits　instead；　dismissed　him　in　haste；　and

rang　the　bell。



'Meg；　whaur　hae　they　putten　the　stranger…leddy？'



'She's　no　gaein'　to　bide　at　our　hoose；　mem。'



'What　say　ye；　lass？　　She's　never　gaein'　ower　to　Lucky　Happit's；　is

she？'



'Ow　na；　mem。　　She's　a　leddy；　ilka　inch　o'　her。　　But　she's　some　sib

（relation）　to　the　auld　captain；　and　she's　gaein'　doon　the　street　as

sune's　Caumill's　ready　to　tak　her　bit　boxes　i'　the　barrow。　　But　I

doobt　there'll　be　maist　three　barrowfu's　o'　them。'



'Atweel。　　Ye　can　gang。'









CHAPTER　IV。



SHARGAR。



Robert　went　out　into　the　thin　drift；　and　again　crossing　the　wide

desolate…looking　square；　turned　down　an　entry　leading　to　a　kind　of

court；　which　had　once　been　inhabited　by　a　well…to…do　class　of　the

townspeople；　but　had　now　fallen　in　estimation。　　Upon　a　stone　at　the

door　of　what　seemed　an　outhouse　he　discovered　the　object　of　his

search。



'What　are　ye　sittin'　there　for；　Shargar？'



Shargar　is　a　word　of　Gaelic　origin；　applied；　with　some　sense　of　the

ridiculous；　to　a　thin；　wasted；　dried…up　creature。　　In　the　present

case　it　was　the　nickname　by　which　the　boy　was　known　at　school；　and；

indeed；　where　he　was　known　at　all。



'What　are　ye　sittin'　there　for；　Shargar？　　Did　naebody　offer　to　tak

ye　in？'



'Na；　nane　o'　them。　　I　think　they　maun　be　a'　i'　their　beds。　　I'm　most

dreidfu'　cauld。'



The　fact　was；　that　Shargar's　character；　whether　by　imputation　from

his　mother；　or　derived　from　his　own　actions；　was　none　of　the　best。

The　consequence　was；　that；　although　scarcely　one　of　the　neighbours

would　have　allowed　him　to　sit　there　all　night；　each　was　willing　to

wait　yet　a　while；　in　the　hope　that　somebody　else's　humanity　would

give　in　first；　and　save　her　from　the　necessity　of　offering　him　a

seat　by　the　fireside；　and　a　share　of　the　oatmeal　porridge　which

probably　would　be　scanty　enough　for　her　own　household。　　For　it　must

be　borne　in　mind　that　all　the　houses　in　the　place　were　occupied　by

poor　people；　with　whom　the　one　virtue；　Charity；　was；　in　a　measure；

at　home；　and　amidst　many　sins；　cardinal　and　other；　managed　to　live

in　even　some　degree　of　comfort。



'Get　up；　than；　Shargar；　ye　lazy　beggar！　　Or　are　ye　frozen　to　the

door…stane？　　I　s'　awa'　for　a　kettle　o'　bilin'　water　to　lowse　ye。'



'Na；　na；　Bob。　I'm　no　stucken。　　I'm　only　some　stiff　wi'　the　cauld；

for　wow；　but　I　am　cauld！'　said　Shargar；　rising　with　difficulty。　'Gie

's　a　haud　o'　yer　han'；　Bob。'



Robert　gave　him　his　hand；　and　Shargar　was　straightway　upon　his　feet。



'Come　awa'　noo；　as　fest　and　as　quaiet　's　ye　can。'



'What　are　ye　gaein'　to　du　wi'　me；　Bob？'



'What's　that　to　you；　Shargar？'



'Naything。　　Only　I　wad　like　to　ken。'



'Hae　patience；　and　ye　will　ken。　　Only　mind　ye　do　as　I　tell　ye；　and

dinna　speik　a　word。'



Shargar　followed　in　silence。



On　the　way　Robert　remembered　that　Miss　Napier　had　not；　after　all；

given　him　the　receipt　for　which　his　grandmother　had　sent　him。　　So　he

returned　to　The　Boar's　Head；　and；　while　he　went　in；　left　Shargar　in

the　archway；　to　shiver；　and　try　in　vain　to　warm　his　hands　by　the

alternate　plans　of　slapping　them　on　the　opposite　arms；　and　hiding

them　under　them。



When　Robert　came　out；　he　saw　a　man　talking　to　him　under　the　lamp。

The　moment　his　eyes　fell　upon　the　two；　he　was　struck　by　a

resemblance　be