robert falconer-第11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！


'Was　he　a　guid　piper；　grannie？'



'What　for　speir　ye　that？'



'Because　I　tauld　that　sunk；　Lumley'



'Ca'　naebody　names；　Robert。　　But　what　richt　had　ye　to　be　speikin'　to

a　man　like　that？'



'He　spak　to　me　first。'



'Whaur　saw　ye　him？'



'At　The　Boar's　Heid。'



'And　what　richt　had　ye　to　gang　stan'in'　aboot？　　Ye　oucht　to　ha'　gane

in　at　ance。'



'There　was　a　half…dizzen　o'　fowk　stan'in'　aboot；　and　I　bude

（behoved）　to　speik　whan　I　was　spoken　till。'



'But　ye　budena　stop　an'　mak'　ae　fule　mair。'



'Isna　that　ca'in'　names；　grannie？'



''Deed；　laddie；　I　doobt　ye　hae　me　there。　　But　what　said　the　fallow

Lumley　to　ye？'



'He　cast　up　to　me　that　my　grandfather　was　naething　but　a　blin'

piper。'



'And　what　said　ye？'



'I　daured　him　to　say　'at　he　didna　pipe　weel。'



'Weel　dune；　laddie！　　And　ye　micht　say　't　wi'　a　gude　conscience；　for

he　wadna　hae　been　piper　till　's　regiment　at　the　battle　o'　Culloden

gin　he　hadna　pipit　weel。　　Yon's　his　kilt　hingin'　up　i'　the　press　i'

the　garret。　　Ye'll　hae　to　grow；　Robert；　my　man；　afore　ye　fill　that。'



'And　whase　was　that　blue　coat　wi'　the　bonny　gowd　buttons　upo'　't？'

asked　Robert；　who　thought　he　had　discovered　a　new　approach　to　an

impregnable　hold；　which　he　would　gladly　storm　if　he　could。



'Lat　the　coat　sit。　　What　has　that　to　do　wi'　the　kilt？　　A　blue　coat

and　a　tartan　kilt　gang　na　weel　thegither。'



'Excep'　in　an　auld　press　whaur　naebody　sees　them。　　Ye　wadna　care；

grannie；　wad　ye；　gin　I　was　to　cut　aff　the　bonnie　buttons？'



'Dinna　lay　a　finger　upo'　them。　　Ye　wad　be　gaein'　playin'　at　pitch

and　toss　or　ither　sic　ploys　wi'　them。　　Na；　na；　lat　them　sit。'



'I　wad　only　niffer　them　for　bools　（exchange　them　for　marbles）。'



'I　daur　ye　to　touch　the　coat　or　onything　'ither　that's　i'　that

press。'



'Weel；　weel；　grannie。　　I　s'　gang　and　get　my　lessons　for　the　morn。'



'It's　time；　laddie。　　Ye　hae　been　jabberin'　ower　muckle。　　Tell　Betty

to　come　and　tak'　awa'　the　tay…things。'



Robert　went　to　the　kitchen；　got　a　couple　of　hot　potatoes　and　a

candle；　and　carried　them　up…stairs　to　Shargar；　who　was　fast　asleep。

But　the　moment　the　light　shone　upon　his　face；　he　started　up；　with

his　eyes；　if　not　his　senses；　wide　awake。



'It　wasna　me；　mither！　　I　tell　ye　it　wasna　me！'



And　he　covered　his　head　with　both　arms；　as　if　to　defend　it　from　a

shower　of　blows。



'Haud　yer　tongue；　Shargar。　　It's　me。'



But　before　Shargar　could　come　to　his　senses；　the　light　of　the　candle

falling　upon　the　blue　coat　made　the　buttons　flash　confused

suspicions　into　his　mind。



'Mither；　mither；'　he　said；　'ye　hae　gane　ower　far　this　time。　　There's

ower　mony　o'　them；　and　they're　no　the　safe　colour。　　We'll　be　baith

hangt；　as　sure's　there's　a　deevil　in　hell。'



As　he　said　thus；　he　went　on　trying　to　pick　the　buttons　from　the

coat；　taking　them　for　sovereigns；　though　how　he　could　have　seen　a

sovereign　at　that　time　in　Scotland　I　can　only　conjecture。　　But

Robert　caught　him　by　the　shoulders；　and　shook　him　awake　with　no

gentle　hands；　upon　which　he　began　to　rub　his　eyes；　and　mutter

sleepily：



'Is　that　you；　Bob？　　I　hae　been　dreamin'；　I　doobt。'



'Gin　ye　dinna　learn　to　dream　quaieter；　ye'll　get　you　and　me　tu　into

mair　trouble　nor　I　care　to　hae　aboot　ye；　ye　rascal。　　Haud　the　tongue

o'　ye；　and　eat　this　tawtie；　gin　ye　want　onything　mair。　　And　here's　a

bit　o'　reamy　cakes　tu　ye。　　Ye　winna　get　that　in　ilka　hoose　i'　the

toon。　　It's　my　grannie's　especial。'



Robert　felt　relieved　after　this；　for　he　had　eaten　all　the　cakes　Miss

Napier　had　given　him；　and　had　had　a　pain　in　his　conscience　ever

since。



'Hoo　got　ye　a　haud　o'　't？'　asked　Shargar；　evidently　supposing　he　had

stolen　it。



'She　gies　me　a　bit　noo　and　than。'



'And　ye　didna　eat　it　yersel'？　　Eh；　Bob！'



Shargar　was　somewhat　overpowered　at　this　fresh　proof　of　Robert's

friendship。　　But　Robert　was　still　more　ashamed　of　what　he　had　not

done。



He　took　the　blue　coat　carefully　from　the　bed；　and　hung　it　in　its

place　again；　satisfied　now；　from　the　way　his　grannie　had　spoken；　or；

rather；　declined　to　speak；　about　it；　that　it　had　belonged　to　his

father。



'Am　I　to　rise？'　asked　Shargar；　not　understanding　the　action。



'Na；　na；　lie　still。　　Ye'll　be　warm　eneuch　wantin'　thae　sovereigns。

I'll　lat　ye　oot　i'　the　mornin'　afore　grannie's　up。　　And　ye　maun

mak'　the　best　o't　efter　that　till　it's　dark　again。　　We'll　sattle　a'

aboot　it　at　the　schuil　the　morn。　　Only　we　maun　be　circumspec'；　ye

ken。'



'Ye　cudna　lay　yer　han's　upo'　a　drap　o'　whusky；　cud　ye；　Bob？'



Robert　stared　in　horror。　　A　boy　like　that　asking　for　whisky！　and　in

his　grandmother's　house；　too！



'Shargar；'　he　said　solemnly；　'there's　no　a　drap　o'　whusky　i'　this

hoose。　　It's　awfu'　to　hear　ye　mention　sic　a　thing。　　My　grannie　wad

smell　the　verra　name　o'　't　a　mile　awa'。　　I　doobt　that's　her　fit　upo'

the　stair　a'ready。'



Robert　crept　to　the　door；　and　Shargar　sat　staring　with　horror；　his

eyes　looking　from　the　gloom　of　the　bed　like　those　of　a

half…strangled　dog。　　But　it　was　a　false　alarm；　as　Robert　presently

returned　to　announce。



'Gin　ever　ye　sae　muckle　as　mention　whusky　again；　no　to　say　drink　ae

drap　o'　't；　you　and　me　pairt　company；　and　that　I　tell　you；　Shargar；'

said　he；　emphatically。



'I'll　never　luik　at　it；　I'll　never　mint　at　dreamin'　o'　't；'　answered

Shargar；　coweringly。　'Gin　she　pits　't　intil　my　moo'；　I'll　spit　it

oot。　　But　gin　ye　strive　wi'　me；　Bob；　I'll　cut　my　throatI　will；　an'

that'll　be　seen　and　heard　tell　o'。'



All　this　time；　save　during　the　alarm　of　Mrs。　Falconer's　approach；

when　he　sat　with　a　mouthful　of　hot　potato；　unable　to　move　his　jaws

for　terror；　and　the　remnant　arrested　half…way　in　its　progress　from

his　mouth　after　the　biteall　this　time　Shargar　had　been　devouring

the　provisions　Robert　had　brought　him；　as　if　he　had　not　seen　food

that　day。　　As　soon　as　they　were　finished；　he　begged　for　a　drink　of

water；　which　Robert　managed　to　procure　for　him。　　He　then　left　him

for　the　night；　for　his　longer　absence　might　have　brought　his

grandmother　after　him；　who　had　perhaps　only　too　good　reasons　for

being　doubtful；　if　not　suspicious；　about　boys　in　general；　though

certainly　not　about　Robert　in　particular。　　He　carried　with　him　his

books　from　the　other　garret…room　where　he　kept　them；　and　sat　down　at

the　table　by　his　grandmother；　preparing　his　Latin　and　geography　by

her　lamp；　while　she　sat　knitting　a　white　stocking　with　fingers　as

rapid　as　thought；　never　looking　at　her　work；　but　staring　into　the

fire；　and　seeing　visions　there　which　Robert　would　have　given

everything　he　could　call　his　own　to　see；　and　then　would　have　given

his　life　to　blot　out　of　the　world　if　he　had　seen　them。　　Quietly　the

evening　passed；　by　the　peaceful　lamp　and　the　cheerful　fire；　with　the

Latin　on　the　one　side　of　the　table；　and　the　stocking　on　the　other；

as　if　ripe　and　purified　old　age　and　hopeful　unstained　youth　had　been

the　only　extremes　of　humanity　known　to　the　world。　　But　the　bitter

wind　was　howling　by　fits　in　the　chimney；　and　the　offspring　of　a

nobleman　and　a　gipsy　lay　asleep　in　the　garret；　covered　with　the

cloak　of　an　old　Highland　rebel。



At　nine　o'clock；　Mrs。　Falconer　rang　the　bell　for　Betty；　and　they　had

worship。　　Robert　read　a　chapter；　and　his　grandmother　prayed　an

extempore　prayer；　in　which　they　that　looked　at　the　wine　when　it　was

red　in　the　cup；　and　they　that　worshipped　the　woman　clothed　in

scarlet　and　seated　upon　the　seven　hills；　came　in　for　a　strange

mixture；　in　which　the　vengeance　yielded　only　to　the　pity。



'Lord；　lead　them　to　see　the　error　of　their　ways；'　she　cried。　'Let

the　rod　of　thy　wrath　awake　the　worm　of　their　conscience　that　they

may　know　verily　that　there　is　a　God　that　ruleth　in　the　earth。　　Dinna

lat　them　gang　to　hell；　O　Lord；　we　beseech　thee。'



As　soon　as　prayers　were　over；　Robert　had　a　tumbler　of　milk　and　some

more　oat…cake；　and　was　sent　to　bed；　after　which　it　was　impossible

for　him　to　hold　any　further　commun