robert falconer-第12章

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for　him　to　hold　any　further　communication　with　Shargar。　　For　his

grandmother；　little　as　one　might　suspect　it　who　entered　the　parlour

in　the　daytime；　always　slept　in　that　same　room；　in　a　bed　closed　in

with　doors　like　those　of　a　large　press　in　the　wall；　while　Robert

slept　in　a　little　closet；　looking　into　a　garden　at　the　back　of　the

house；　the　door　of　which　opened　from　the　parlour　close　to　the　head

of　his　grandmother's　bed。　　It　was　just　large　enough　to　hold　a

good…sized　bed　with　curtains；　a　chest　of　drawers；　a　bureau；　a　large

eight…day　clock；　and　one　chair；　leaving　in　the　centre　about　five

feet　square　for　him　to　move　about　in。　　There　was　more　room　as　well

as　more　comfort　in　the　bed。　　He　was　never　allowed　a　candle；　for

light　enough　came　through　from　the　parlour；　his　grandmother　thought；

so　he　was　soon　extended　between　the　whitest　of　cold　sheets；　with　his

knees　up　to　his　chin；　and　his　thoughts　following　his　lost　father

over　all　spaces　of　the　earth　with　which　his　geography…book　had　made

him　acquainted。



He　was　in　the　habit　of　leaving　his　closet　and　creeping　through　his

grandmother's　room　before　she　was　awakeor　at　least　before　she　had

given　any　signs　to　the　small　household　that　she　was　restored　to

consciousness；　and　that　the　life　of　the　house　must　proceed。　　He

therefore　found　no　difficulty　in　liberating　Shargar　from　his　prison；

except　what　arose　from　the　boy's　own　unwillingness　to　forsake　his

comfortable　quarters　for　the　fierce　encounter　of　the　January　blast

which　awaited　him。　　But　Robert　did　not　turn　him　out　before　the　last

moment　of　safety　had　arrived；　for；　by　the　aid　of　signs　known　to

himself；　he　watched　the　progress　of　his　grandmother's　dressingan

operation　which　did　not　consume　much　of　the　morning；　scrupulous　as

she　was　with　regard　to　neatness　and　cleanlinessuntil　Betty　was

called　in　to　give　her　careful　assistance　to　the　final　disposition　of

the　mutch；　when　Shargar's　exit　could　be　delayed　no　longer。　　Then　he

mounted　to　the　foot　of　the　second　stair；　and　called　in　a　keen

whisper；



'Noo；　Shargar；　cut　for　the　life　o'　ye。'



And　down　came　the　poor　fellow；　with　long　gliding　steps；　ragged　and

reluctant；　and；　without　a　word　or　a　look；　launched　himself　out　into

the　cold；　and　sped　away　he　knew　not　whither。　　As　he　left　the　door；

the　only　suspicion　of　light　was　the　dull　and　doubtful　shimmer　of　the

snow　that　covered　the　street；　keen　particles　of　which　were　blown　in

his　face　by　the　wind；　which；　having　been　up　all　night；　had　grown

very　cold；　and　seemed　delighted　to　find　one　unprotected　human　being

whom　it　might　badger　at　its　own　bitter　will。　　Outcast　Shargar！

Where　he　spent　the　interval　between　Mrs。　Falconer's　door　and　that

of　the　school；　I　do　not　know。　　There　was　a　report　amongst　his

school…fellows　that　he　had　been　found　by　Scroggie；　the　fish…cadger；

lying　at　full　length　upon　the　back　of　his　old　horse；　which；　either

from　compassion　or　indifference；　had　not　cared　to　rise　up　under　the

burden。　　They　said　likewise　that；　when　accused　by　Scroggie　of

housebreaking；　though　nothing　had　to　be　broken　to　get　in；　only　a

string　with　a　peculiar　knot；　on　the　invention　of　which　the　cadger

prided　himself；　to　be　undone；　all　that　Shargar　had　to　say　in　his

self…defence　was；　that　he　had　a　terrible　sair　wame；　and　that　the

horse　was　warmer　nor　the　stanes　i'　the　yard；　and　he　had　dune　him　nae

ill；　nae　even　drawn　a　hair　frae　his　tailwhich　would　have　been　a

difficult　feat；　seeing　the　horse's　tail　was　as　bare　as　his　hoof。









CHAPTER　VII。



ROBERT　TO　THE　RESCUE！



That　Shargar　was　a　parish　scholarwhich　means　that　the　parish　paid

his　fees；　although；　indeed；　they　were　hardly　worth　payingmade　very

little　difference　to　his　position　amongst　his　school…fellows。　　Nor

did　the　fact　of　his　being　ragged　and　dirty　affect　his　social

reception　to　his　discomfort。　　But　the　accumulated　facts　of　the

oddity　of　his　personal　appearance；　his　supposed　imbecility；　and　the

bad　character　borne　by　his　mother；　placed　him　in　a　very　unenviable

relation　to　the　tyrannical　and　vulgar…minded　amongst　them。

Concerning　his　person；　he　was　long；　and；　as　his　name　implied；　lean；

with　pale…red　hair；　reddish　eyes；　no　visible　eyebrows　or　eyelashes；

and　very　pale　facein　fact；　he　was　half…way　to　an　Albino。　　His　arms

and　legs　seemed　of　equal　length；　both　exceedingly　long。　　The

handsomeness　of　his　mother　appeared　only　in　his　nose　and　mouth；

which　were　regular　and　good；　though　expressionless；　and　the　birth　of

his　father　only　in　his　small　delicate　hands　and　feet；　of　which　any

girl　who　cared　only　for　smallness；　and　heeded　neither　character　nor

strength；　might　have　been　proud。　　His　feet；　however；　were　supposed

to　be　enormous；　from　the　difficulty　with　which　he　dragged　after　him

the　huge　shoes　in　which　in　winter　they　were　generally　encased。



The　imbecility；　like　the　large　feet；　was　only　imputed。　　He　certainly

was　not　brilliant；　but　neither　did　he　make　a　fool　of　himself　in　any

of　the　few　branches　of　learning　of　which　the　parish…scholar　came　in

for　a　share。　　That　which　gained　him　the　imputation　was　the　fact　that

his　nature　was　without　a　particle　of　the　aggressive；　and　all　its

defensive　of　as　purely　negative　a　character　as　was　possible。　　Had　he

been　a　dog；　he　would　never　have　thought　of　doing　anything　for　his

own　protection　beyond　turning　up　his　four　legs　in　silent　appeal　to

the　mercy　of　the　heavens。　　He　was　an　absolute　sepulchre　in　the

swallowing　of　oppression　and　ill…usage。　　It　vanished　in　him。　　There

was　no　echo　of　complaint；　no　murmur　of　resentment　from　the　hollows

of　that　soul。　　The　blows　that　fell　upon　him　resounded　not；　and　no

one　but　God　remembered　them。



His　mother　made　her　living　as　she　herself　best　knew；　with　occasional

well…begrudged　assistance　from　the　parish。　　Her　chief　resource　was

no　doubt　begging　from　house　to　house　for　the　handful　of　oatmeal

which　was　the　recognized；　and；　in　the　court　of　custom…taught

conscience；　the　legalized　dole　upon　which　every　beggar　had　a　claim；

and　if　she　picked　up　at　the　same　time　a　chicken；　or　a　boy's　rabbit；

or　any　other　stray　luxury；　she　was　only　following　the　general　rule

of　society；　that　your　first　duty　is　to　take　care　of　yourself。　　She

was　generally　regarded　as　a　gipsy；　but　I　doubt　if　she　had　any　gipsy

blood　in　her　veins。　　She　was　simply　a　tramper；　with　occasional　fits

of　localization。　　Her　worst　fault　was　the　way　she　treated　her　son；

whom　she　starved　apparently　that　she　might　continue　able　to　beat

him。



The　particular　occasion　which　led　to　the　recognition　of　the　growing

relation　between　Robert　and　Shargar　was　the　following。　　Upon　a

certain　Saturdaysome　sidereal　power　inimical　to　boys　must　have

been　in　the　ascendanta　Saturday　of　brilliant　but　intermittent

sunshine；　the　white　clouds　seen　from　the　school　windows　indicating

by　their　rapid　transit　across　those　fields　of　vision　that　fresh

breezes　friendly　to　kites；　or　draigons；　as　they　were　called　at

Rothieden；　were　frolicking　in　the　upper　regionsnearly　a　dozen　boys

were　kept　in　for　not　being　able　to　pay　down　from　memory　the　usual

instalment　of　Shorter　Catechism　always　due　at　the　close　of　the　week。

Amongst　these　boys　were　Robert　and　Shargar。　　Sky…revealing　windows

and　locked　door　were　too　painful；　and　in　proportion　as　the　feeling

of　having　nothing　to　do　increased；　the　more　uneasy　did　the　active

element　in　the　boys　become；　and　the　more　ready　to　break　out　into

some　abnormal　manifestation。　　Everythingsun；　wind；　cloudswas

busy　out　of　doors；　and　calling　to　them　to　come　and　join　the　fun；　and

activity　at　the　same　moment　excited　and　restrained　naturally　turns

to　mischief。　　Most　of　them　had　already　learned　the　obnoxious

taskone　quarter　of　an　hour　was　enough　for　thatand　now　what

should　they　do　next？　　The　eyes　of　three　or　four　of　the　eldest　of

them　fell　simultaneously　upon　Shargar。



Robert　was　sitting　plunged　in　one　of　his　day…dreams；　for　he；　too；

had　learned　his　catechism；　when　he　was　roused　from　his　reverie　by　a

question　from　a　pale…faced　little　bo