robert falconer-第123章

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an'　it　helpit；　as　ye　ken；　to　haud　me　alive　to　face　him　this　day。No

liar；　my　lord；　but　a　bastard；　thank　heaven。'　　Then；　with　a　laugh；　he

instantly　added；　'Gin　I　had　been　ain　brither　to　you；　my　lord；　God

only　knows　what　a　rascal　I　micht　hae　been。'



'By　God；　you　shall　answer　for　your　damned　insolence；'　said　the

marquis；　and；　lifting　his　riding…whip　from　the　table　where　he　had

laid　it；　he　approached　his　brother。



Mysie　rang　the　bell。



'Haud　yer　han'；　Sandy；'　cried　Shargar。　'I　hae　faced　mair　fearsome

foes　than　you。　　But　I　hae　some　faimily…feelin'；　though　ye　hae　nane：

I　wadna　willin'ly　strike　my　brither。'



As　he　spoke；　he　retreated　a　little。　　The　marquis　came　on　with　raised

whip。　　But　Falconer　stepped　between；　laid　one　of　his　great　hands　on

the　marquis's　chest；　and　flung　him　to　the　other　end　of　the　room；

where　he　fell　over　an　ottoman。　　The　same　moment　the　servant　entered。



'Ask　your　mistress　to　oblige　me　by　coming　to　the　drawing…room；'　said

Mysie。



The　marquis　had　risen；　but　had　not　recovered　his　presence　of　mind

when　Lady　Janet　entered。　　She　looked　inquiringly　from　one　to　the

other。



'Please；　Lady　Janet；　will　you　ask　the　Marquis　of　Boarshead　to　leave

the　house；'　said　Mysie。



'With　all　my　hert；'　answered　Lady　Janet；　'and　the　mair　that　he's　a

kin'　o'　a　cousin　o'　my　ain。　　Gang　yer　wa's；　Sandy。　　Ye're　no　fit

company　for　decent　fowk；　an'　that　ye　wad　ken　yersel'；　gin　ye　had　ony

idea　left　o'　what　decency　means。'



Without　heeding　her；　the　marquis　went　up　to　Falconer。



'Your　card；　sir。'



Lady　Janet　followed　him。



''Deed　ye　s'　get　nae　cairds　here；'　she　said；　pushing　him　aside。　'So

you　allow　your　friends　to　insult　me　in　your　own　house　as　they

please；　cousin　Janet？'　said　the　marquis；　who　probably　felt　her

opposition　the　most　formidable　of　all。



''Deed　they　canna　say　waur　o'　ye　nor　I　think。　　Gang　awa'；　an'

repent。　　Consider　yer　gray　hairs；　man。'



This　was　the　severest　blow　he　had　yet　received。　　He　left　the　room；

'swearing　at　large。'



Falconer　followed　him；　but　what　came　of　it　nobody　ever　heard。



Major　and　Miss　Hamilton　were　married　within　three　months；　and　went

out　to　India　together；　taking　Nancy　Kennedy　with　them。









CHAPTER　X。



A　NEOPHYTE。



Before　many　months　had　passed；　without　the　slightest　approach　to　any

formal　recognition；　I　found　myself　one　of　the　church　of　labour　of

which　Falconer　was　clearly　the　bishop。　　As　he　is　the　subject；　or

rather　object　of　my　book；　I　will　now　record　a　fact　which　may　serve

to　set　forth　his　views　more　clearly。　　I　gained　a　knowledge　of　some

of　the　circumstances；　not　merely　from　the　friendly　confidences　of

Miss　St。　John　and　Falconer；　but　from　being　a　kind　of　a　Scotch　cousin

of　Lady　Janet　Gordon；　whom　I　had　taken　an　opportunity　of　acquainting

with　the　relation。　　She　was　old…fashioned　enough　to　acknowledge　it

even　with　some　eagerness。　　The　ancient　clan…feeling　is　good　in　this；

that　it　opens　a　channel　whose　very　existence　is　a　justification　for

the　flow　of　simply　human　feelings　along　all　possible　levels　of

social　position。　　And　I　would　there　were　more　of　it。　　Only　something

better　is　coming　instead　of　ita　recognition　of　the　infinite

brotherhood　in　Christ。　　All　other　relations；　all　attempts　by

churches；　by　associations；　by　secret　societiesof　Freemasons　and

others；　are　good　merely　as　they　tend　to　destroy　themselves　in　the

wider　truth；　as　they　teach　men　to　be　dissatisfied　with　their

limitations。　　But　I　wander；　for　I　mentioned　Lady　Janet　now；　merely

to　account　for　some　of　the　information　I　possess　concerning　Lady

Georgina　Betterton。



I　met　her　once　at　my　so…called　cousin's；　whom　she　patronized　as　a

dear　old　thing。　　To　my　mind；　she　was　worth　twenty　of　her；　though　she

was　wrinkled　and　Scottishly　sententious。　'A　sweet　old　bat；'　was

another　epithet　of　Lady　Georgina's。　　But　she　came　to　see　her；

notwithstanding；　and　did　not　refuse　to　share　in　her　nice　little

dinners；　and　least　of　all；　when　Falconer　was　of　the　party；　who　had

been　so　much　taken　with　Lady　Janet's　behaviour　to　the　Marquis　of

Boarshead；　just　recorded；　that　he　positively　cultivated　her

acquaintance　thereafter。



Lady　Georgina　was　of　an　old　familyan　aged　family；　indeed；　so　old；

in　fact；　that　some　envious　people　professed　to　think　it　decrepit

with　age。　　This；　however；　may　well　be　questioned　if　any　argument

bearing　on　the　point　may　be　drawn　from　the　person　of　Lady　Georgina。

She　was　at　least　as　tall　as　Mary　St。　John；　and　very　handsomeonly

with　somewhat　masculine　features　and　expression。　　She　had　very

sloping　shoulders　and　a　long　neck；　which　took　its　finest　curves　when

she　was　talking　to　inferiors：　condescension　was　her　forte。　　Of　the

admiration　of　the　men；　she　had　had　more　than　enough；　although　either

they　were　afraid　to　go　farther；　or　she　was　hard　to　please。



She　had　never　contemplated　anything　admirable　long　enough　to

comprehend　it；　she　had　never　looked　up　to　man　or　woman　with　anything

like　reverence；　she　saw　too　quickly　and　too　keenly　into　the　foibles

of　all　who　came　near　her　to　care　to　look　farther　for　their　virtues。

If　she　had　ever　been　humbled；　and　thence　taught　to　look　up；　she

might　by　this　time　have　been　a　grand　woman；　worthy　of　a　great　man's

worship。　　She　patronized　Miss　St。　John；　considerably　to　her

amusement；　and　nothing　to　her　indignation。　　Of　course　she　could　not

understand　her。　　She　had　a　vague　notion　of　how　she　spent　her　time；

and　believing　a　certain　amount　of　fanaticism　essential　to　religion；

wondered　how　so　sensible　and　ladylike　a　person　as　Miss　St。　John

could　go　in　for　it。



Meeting　Falconer　at　Lady　Janet's；　she　was　taken　with　him。　　Possibly

she　recognized　in　him　a　strength　that　would　have　made　him　her

master；　if　he　had　cared　for　such　a　distinction；　but　nothing　she

could　say　attracted　more　than　a　passing　attention　on　his　part。

Falconer　was　out　of　her　sphere；　and　her　influences　were　powerless

to　reach　him。



At　length　she　began　to　have　a　glimmering　of　the　relation　of　labour

between　Miss　St。　John　and　him；　and　applied　to　the　former　for　some

enlightenment。　　But　Miss　St。　John　was　far　from　explicit；　for　she　had

no　desire　for　such　assistance　as　Lady　Georgina's。　　What　motives　next

led　her　to　seek　the　interview　I　am　now　about　to　record；　I　cannot

satisfactorily　explain；　but　I　will　hazard　a　conjecture　or　two；

although　I　doubt　if　she　understood　them　thoroughly　herself。



She　was；　if　not　blasée；　at　least　ennuyée；　and　began　to　miss

excitement；　and　feel　blindly　about　her　for　something　to　make　life

interesting。　　She　was　gifted　with　far　more　capacity　than　had　ever

been　exercised；　and　was　of　a　large　enough　nature　to　have　grown

sooner　weary　of　trifles　than　most　women　of　her　class。　　She　might

have　been　an　artist；　but　she　drew　like　a　young　lady；　she　might　have

been　a　prophetess；　and　Byron　was　her　greatest　poet。　　It　is　no　wonder

that　she　wanted　something　she　had　not　got。



Since　she　had　been　foiled　in　her　attempt　on　Miss　St。　John；　which　she

attributed　to　jealousy；　she　had；　in　quite　another　circle；　heard

strange；　wonderful；　even　romantic　stories　about　Falconer　and　his

doings　among　the　poor。　　A　new　world　seemed　to　open　before　her

longing　gazea　world；　or　a　calenture；　a　mirage？　for　would　she　cross

the　'wandering　fields　of　barren　foam；'　to　reach　the　green　grass　that

did　wave　on　the　far　shore？　the　dewless　desert　to　reach　the　fair

water　that　did　lie　leagues　beyond　its　pictured　sweetness？　　But　I

think；　mingled　with　whatever　motives　she　may　have　had；　there　must

have　been　some　desire　to　be　a　nobler；　that　is　a　more　useful　woman

than　she　had　been。



She　had　not　any　superabundance　of　feminine　delicacy；　though　she　had

plenty　of　good…breeding；　and　she　trusted　to　her　position　in　society

to　cover　the　eccentricity　of　her　present　undertaking。



One　morning　after　breakfast　she　called　upon　Falconer；　and　accustomed

to　visits　from　all　sorts　of　people；　Mrs。　Ashton　showed　her　into　his

sitting…room　without　even　asking　her　name。　　She　f