robert falconer-第43章

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first　handful　of　barley　cut；　and　Shargar　was　there；　of　course。



It　was　a　glorious　day　of　blue　and　gold；　with　just　wind　enough　to　set

the　barley…heads　a…talking。　　But；　whether　from　the　heat　of　the　sun；

or　the　pain　of　his　foot　operating　on　the　general　discouragement

under　which　he　laboured；　Robert　turned　faint　all　at　once；　and

dragged　himself　away　to　a　cottage　on　the　edge　of　the　field。



It　was　the　dwelling　of　a　cottar；　whose　family　had　been　settled　upon

the　farm　of　Bodyfauld　from　time　immemorial。　　They　were；　indeed；　like

other　cottars；　a　kind　of　feudal　dependents；　occupying　an　acre　or　two

of　the　land；　in　return　for　which　they　performed　certain　stipulated

labour；　called　cottar…wark。　　The　greater　part　of　the　family　was

employed　in　the　work　of　the　farm；　at　the　regular　wages。



Alas　for　Scotland　that　such　families　are　now　to　seek！　　Would　that

the　parliaments　of　our　country　held　such　a　proportion　of

noble…minded　men　as　was　once　to　be　found　in　the　clay　huts　on　a

hill…side；　or　grouped　about　a　central　farm；　huts　whose　wretched　look

would　move　the　pity　of　many　a　man　as　inferior　to　their　occupants　as

a　King　Charles's　lap…dog　is　to　a　shepherd's　colley。　　The　utensils　of

their　life　were　mean　enough：　the　life　itself　was　often　elixir

vitaea　true　family　life；　looking　up　to　the　high；　divine　life。　　But

well　for　the　world　that　such　life　has　been　scattered　over　it；　east

and　west；　the　seed　of　fresh　growth　in　new　lands。　　Out　of　offence　to

the　individual；　God　brings　good　to　the　whole；　for　he　pets　no　nation；

but　trains　it　for　the　perfect　globular　life　of　all　nationsof　his

worldof　his　universe。　　As　he　makes　families　mingle；　to　redeem　each

from　its　family　selfishness；　so　will　he　make　nations　mingle；　and

love　and　correct　and　reform　and　develop　each　other；　till　the

planet…world　shall　go　singing　through　space　one　harmony　to　the　God

of　the　whole　earth。　　The　excellence　must　vanish　from　one　portion；

that　it　may　be　diffused　through　the　whole。　　The　seed　ripens　on　one

favoured　mound；　and　is　scattered　over　the　plain。　　We　console

ourselves　with　the　higher　thought；　that　if　Scotland　is　worse；　the

world　is　better。　　Yea；　even　they　by　whom　the　offence　came；　and　who

have　first　to　reap　the　woe　of　that　offence；　because　they　did　the

will　of　God　to　satisfy　their　own　avarice　in　laying　land　to　land　and

house　to　house；　shall　not　reap　their　punishment　in　having　their　own

will；　and　standing　therefore　alone　in　the　earth　when　the　good　of

their　evil　deeds　returns　upon　it；　but　the　tears　of　men　that　ascended

to　heaven　in　the　heat　of　their　burning　dwellings　shall　descend　in

the　dew　of　blessing　even　on　the　hearts　of　them　that　kindled　the

fire。'Something　too　much　of　this。'



Robert　lifted　the　latch；　and　walked　into　the　cottage。　　It　was　not

quite　so　strange　to　him　as　it　would　be　to　most　of　my　readers；　still；

he　had　not　been　in　such　a　place　before。　　A　girl　who　was　stooping　by

the　small　peat　fire　on　the　hearth　looked　up；　and　seeing　that　he　was

lame；　came　across　the　heights　and　hollows　of　the　clay　floor　to　meet

him。　　Robert　spoke　so　faintly　that　she　could　not　hear。



'What's　yer　wull？'　she　asked；　then；　changing　her　tone；'Eh！　ye're

no　weel；'　she　said。　'Come　in　to　the　fire。　　Tak　a　haud　o'　me；　and

come　yer　wa's　butt。'



She　was　a　pretty；　indeed　graceful　girl　of　about　eighteen；　with　the

elasticity　rather　than　undulation　of　movement　which　distinguishes

the　peasant　from　the　city　girl。　　She　led　him　to　the　chimla…lug　（the

ear　of　the　chimney）；　carefully　levelled　a　wooden　chair　to　the

inequalities　of　the　floor；　and　said；



'Sit　ye　doon。　　Will　I　fess　a　drappy　o'　milk？'



'Gie　me　a　drink　o'　water；　gin　ye　please；'　said　Robert。



She　brought　it。　　He　drank；　and　felt　better。　　A　baby　woke　in　a　cradle

on　the　other　side　of　the　fire；　and　began　to　cry。　　The　girl　went　and

took　him　up；　and　then　Robert　saw　what　she　was　like。　　Light…brown

hair　clustered　about　a　delicately…coloured　face　and　hazel　eyes。

Later　in　the　harvest　her　cheeks　would　be　ruddynow　they　were

peach…coloured。　　A　white　neck　rose　above　a　pink　print　jacket；　called

a　wrapper；　and　the　rest　of　her　visible　dress　was　a　blue　petticoat。

She　ended　in　pretty；　brown　bare　feet。　　Robert　liked　her；　and　began

to　talk。　　If　his　imagination　had　not　been　already　filled；　he　would

have　fallen　in　love　with　her；　I　dare　say；　at　once；　for；　except　Miss

St。　John；　he　had　never　seen　anything　he　thought　so　beautiful。　　The

baby　cried　now　and　then。



'What　ails　the　bairnie？'　he　asked。



'Ow；　it's　jist　cuttin'　its　teeth。　　Gin　it　greits　muckle；　I　maun　jist

tak　it　oot　to　my　mither。　　She'll　sune　quaiet　it。　　Are　ye　haudin'

better？'



'Hoot；　ay。　　I'm　a'　richt　noo。　　Is　yer　mither　shearin'？'



'Na。　She's　gatherin'。　　The　shearin'　's　some　sair　wark　for　her　e'en

noo。　　I　suld　hae　been　shearin'；　but　my　mither　wad　fain　hae　a　day　o'

the　hairst。　　She　thocht　it　wud　du　her　gude。　　But　I　s'　warran'　a　day

o'　't　'll　sair　（satisfy）　her；　and　I　s'　be　at　it　the　morn。　　She's

been　unco　dowie　（ailing）　a'　the　summer；　and　sae　has　the　bairnie。'



'Ye　maun　hae　had　a　sair　time　o'　't；　than。'



'Ay；　some。　　But　I　aye　got　some　sleep。　　I　jist　tuik　the　towie

（string）　into　the　bed　wi'　me；　and　whan　the　bairnie　grat；　I　waukit；

an'　rockit　it　till　't　fell　asleep　again。　　But　whiles　naething　wad　du

but　tak　him　till　's　mammie。'



All　the　time　she　was　hushing　and　fondling　the　child；　who　went　on

fretting　when　not　actually　crying。



'Is　he　yer　brither；　than？'　asked　Robert。



'Ay；　what　ither？　　I　maun　tak　him；　I　see。　　But　ye　can　sit　there　as

lang　's　ye　like；　and　gin　ye　gang　afore　I　come　back；　jist　turn　the

key　'i　the　door　to　lat　onybody　ken　that　there's　naebody　i'　the

hoose。'



Robert　thanked　her；　and　remained　in　the　shadow　by　the　chimney；　which

was　formed　of　two　smoke…browned　planks　fastened　up　the　wall；　one　on

each　side；　and　an　inverted　wooden　funnel　above　to　conduct　the　smoke

through　the　roof。　　He　sat　for　some　time　gloomily　gazing　at　a　spot　of

sunlight　which　burned　on　the　brown　clay　floor。　　All　was　still　as

death。　　And　he　felt　the　white…washed　walls　even　more　desolate　than

if　they　had　been　smoke…begrimed。



Looking　about　him；　he　found　over　his　head　something　which　he　did　not

understand。　　It　was　as　big　as　the　stump　of　a　great　tree。　　Apparently

it　belonged　to　the　structure　of　the　cottage；　but　he　could　not；　in

the　imperfect　light；　and　the　dazzling　of　the　sun…spot　at　which　he

had　been　staring；　make　out　what　it　was；　or　how　it　came　to　be　up

thereunsupported　as　far　as　he　could　see。　　He　rose　to　examine　it；

lifted　a　bit　of　tarpaulin　which　hung　before　it；　and　found　a　rickety

box；　suspended　by　a　rope　from　a　great　nail　in　the　wall。　　It　had　two

shelves　in　it　full　of　books。



Now；　although　there　were　more　books　in　Mr。　Lammie's　house　than　in

his　grandmother's；　the　only　one　he　had　found　that　in　the　least

enticed　him　to　read；　was　a　translation　of　George　Buchanan's　History

of　Scotland。　　This　he　had　begun　to　read　faithfully；　believing　every

word　of　it；　but　had　at　last　broken　down　at　the　fiftieth　king　or　so。

Imagine；　then；　the　moon　that　arose　on　the　boy　when；　having　pulled　a

ragged　and　thumb…worn　book　from　among　those　of　James　Hewson　the

cottar；　he；　for　the　first　time；　found　himself　in　the　midst　of　The

Arabian　Nights。　　I　shrink　from　all　attempt　to　set　forth　in　words　the

rainbow…coloured　delight　that　coruscated　in　his　brain。　　When　Jessie

Hewson　returned；　she　found　him　seated　where　she　had　left　him；　so

buried　in　his　volume　that　he　did　not　lift　his　head　when　she　entered。



'Ye　hae　gotten　a　buik；'　she　said。



'Ay　have　I；'　answered　Robert；　decisively。



'It's　a　fine　buik；　that。　　Did　ye　ever　see　't　afore？'



'Na；　never。'



'There's　three　wolums　o'　't　about；　here　and　there；'　said　Jessie；　and

with　the　child　on　one　arm；　she　proceeded　with　the　other　hand　to

search　for　them　in　the　crap　o'　the　wa'；　that　is；　on　the　top　of　the

wall　where　the　rafters　rest。



There　she　found　two　or　three　books；　which；　after　examining　them；　she

placed　on　the