robert falconer-第15章

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made　upon　him　that　night　was　never　effaced。　　But；　indeed；　whatever

Falconer　heard　or　saw　was　something　more　to　him　than　it　would　have

been　to　anybody　else。



Elated；　though　awed；　by　the　vision；　he　felt　his　way　up　the　stair　in

the　new　darkness；　as　if　walking　in　a　holy　dream；　trod　as　if　upon

sacred　ground　as　he　crossed　the　landing　where　the　angel　had

stoodwent　up　and　up；　and　found　Shargar　wide　awake　with　expectant

hunger。　　He；　too；　had　caught　a　glimmer　of　the　light。　　But　Robert　did

not　tell　him　what　he　had　seen。　　That　was　too　sacred　a　subject　to

enter　upon　with　Shargar；　and　he　was　intent　enough　upon　his　supper

not　to　be　inquisitive。



Robert　left　him　to　finish　it　at　his　leisure；　and　returned　to　cross

his　grandmother's　room　once　more；　half　expecting　to　find　the　angel

standing　by　her　bedside。　　But　all　was　dark　and　still。　　Creeping　back

as　he　had　come；　he　heard　her　quiet；　though　deep；　breathing；　and　his

mind　was　at　ease　about　her　for　the　night。　　What　if　the　angel　he　had

surprised　had　only　come　to　appear　to　grannie　in　her　sleep？　　Why　not？

There　were　such　stories　in　the　Bible；　and　grannie　was　certainly　as

good　as　some　of　the　people　in　the　Bible　that　saw　angelsSarah；　for

instance。　　And　if　the　angels　came　to　see　grannie；　why　should　they

not　have　some　care　over　his　father　as　well？　　It　might　bewho　could

tell？



It　is　perhaps　necessary　to　explain　Robert's　vision。　　The　angel　was

the　owner　of　the　boxes　he　had　seen　at　The　Bear's　Head。　Looking

around　her　room　before　going　to　bed；　she　had　seen　a　trap　in　the

floor　near　the　wall；　and　raising　it；　had　discovered　a　few　steps　of　a

stair　leading　down　to　a　door。　　Curiosity　naturally　led　her　to

examine　it。　　The　key　was　in　the　lock。　　It　opened　outwards；　and　there

she　found　herself；　to　her　surprise；　in　the　heart　of　another

dwelling；　of　lowlier　aspect。　　She　never　saw　Robert；　for　while　he

approached　with　shoeless　feet；　she　had　been　glancing　through　the

open　door　of　the　gable…room；　and　when　he　knelt；　the　light　which　she

held　in　her　hand　had；　I　presume；　hidden　him　from　her。　　He；　on　his

part；　had　not　observed　that　the　moveless　door　stood　open　at　last。



I　have　already　said　that　the　house　adjoining　had　been　built　by

Robert's　father。　　The　lady's　room　was　that　which　he　had　occupied

with　his　wife；　and　in　it　Robert　had　been　born。　　The　door；　with　its

trap…stair；　was　a　natural　invention　for　uniting　the　levels　of　the

two　houses；　and　a　desirable　one　in　not　a　few　of　the　forms　which　the

weather　assumed　in　that　region。　　When　the　larger　house　passed　into

other　hands；　it　had　never　entered　the　minds　of　the　simple　people　who

occupied　the　contiguous　dwellings；　to　build　up　the　doorway　between。









CHAPTER　IX。



A　DISCOVERY。



The　friendship　of　Robert　had　gained　Shargar　the　favourable　notice　of

others　of　the　school…public。　　These　were　chiefly　of　those　who　came

from　the　country；　ready　to　follow　an　example　set　them　by　a　town　boy。

When　his　desertion　was　known；　moved　both　by　their　compassion　for

him；　and　their　respect　for　Robert；　they　began　to　give　him　some

portion　of　the　dinner　they　brought　with　them；　and　never　in　his　life

had　Shargar　fared　so　well　as　for　the　first　week　after　he　had　been

cast　upon　the　world。　　But　in　proportion　as　their　interest　faded　with

the　novelty；　so　their　appetites　reasserted　former　claims　of　use　and

wont；　and　Shargar　began　once　more　to　feel　the　pangs　of　hunger。　　For

all　that　Robert　could　manage　to　procure　for　him　without　attracting

the　attention　he　was　so　anxious　to　avoid；　was　little　more　than

sufficient　to　keep　his　hunger　alive；　Shargar　being　gifted　with　a

great　appetite；　and　Robert　having　no　allowance　of　pocket…money　from

his　grandmother。　　The　threepence　he　had　been　able　to　spend　on　him

were　what　remained　of　sixpence　Mr。　Innes　had　given　him　for　an

exercise　which　he　wrote　in　blank　verse　instead　of　in　prosean

achievement　of　which　the　school…master　was　proud；　both　from　his

reverence　for　Milton；　and　from　his　inability　to　compose　a　metrical

line　himself。　　And　how　and　when　he　should　ever　possess　another　penny

was　even　unimaginable。　　Shargar's　shilling　was　likewise　spent。　　So

Robert　could　but　go　on　pocketing　instead　of　eating　all　that　he

dared；　watching　anxiously　for　opportunity　of　evading　the　eyes　of　his

grandmother。　　On　her　dimness　of　sight；　however；　he　depended　too

confidently　after　all；　for　either　she　was　not　so　blind　as　he　thought

she　was；　or　she　made　up　for　the　defect　of　her　vision　by　the　keenness

of　her　observation。　　She　saw　enough　to　cause　her　considerable

annoyance；　though　it　suggested　nothing　inconsistent　with　rectitude

on　the　part　of　the　boy；　further　than　that　there　was　something

underhand　going　on。　　One　supposition　after　another　arose　in　the　old

lady's　brain；　and　one　after　another　was　dismissed　as　improbable。

First；　she　tried　to　persuade　herself　that　he　wanted　to　take　the

provisions　to　school　with　him；　and　eat　them　therea　proceeding　of

which　she　certainly　did　not　approve；　but　for　the　reproof　of　which

she　was　unwilling　to　betray　the　loopholes　of　her　eyes。　　Next　she

concluded；　for　half　a　day；　that　he　must　have　a　pair　of　rabbits

hidden　away　in　some　nook　or　otherpossibly　in　the　little　strip　of

garden　belonging　to　the　house。　　And　so　conjecture　followed

conjecture　for　a　whole　week；　during　which；　strange　to　say；　not　even

Betty　knew　that　Shargar　slept　in　the　house。　　For　so　careful　and

watchful　were　the　two　boys；　that　although　she　could　not　help

suspecting　something　from　the　expression　and　behaviour　of　Robert；

what　that　something　might　be　she　could　not　imagine；　nor　had　she　and

her　mistress　as　yet　exchanged　confidences　on　the　subject。　　Her

observation　coincided　with　that　of　her　mistress　as　to　the

disappearance　of　odds　and　ends　of　eatablespotatoes；　cold　porridge；

bits　of　oat…cake；　and　even；　on　one　occasion；　when　Shargar　happened

to　be　especially　ravenous；　a　yellow；　or　cured　and　half…dried；

haddock；　which　the　lad　devoured　raw；　vanished　from　her　domain。　　He

went　to　school　in　the　morning　smelling　so　strong　in　consequence；

that　they　told　him　he　must　have　been　passing　the　night　in　Scroggie's

cart；　and　not　on　his　horse's　back　this　time。



The　boys　kept　their　secret　well。



One　evening；　towards　the　end　of　the　week；　Robert；　after　seeing

Shargar　disposed　of　for　the　night；　proceeded　to　carry　out　a　project

which　had　grown　in　his　brain　within　the　last　two　days　in　consequence

of　an　occurrence　with　which　his　relation　to　Shargar　had　had

something　to　do。　　It　was　this：



The　housing　of　Shargar　in　the　garret　had　led　Robert　to　make　a　close

acquaintance　with　the　place。　　He　was　familiar　with　all　the　outs　and

ins　of　the　little　room　which　he　considered　his　own；　for　that　was　a

civilized；　being　a　plastered；　ceiled；　and　comparatively　well…lighted

little　room；　but　not　with　the　other；　which　was　three　times　its　size；

very　badly　lighted；　and　showing　the　naked　couples　from　roof…tree　to

floor。　　Besides；　it　contained　no　end　of　dark　corners；　with　which　his

childish　imagination　had　associated　undefined　horrors；　assuming　now

one　shape；　now　another。　　Also　there　were　several　closets　in　it；

constructed　in　the　angles　of　the　place；　and　several　cheststwo　of

which　he　had　ventured　to　peep　into。　　But　although　he　had　found　them

filled；　not　with　bones；　as　he　had　expected；　but　one　with　papers；　and

one　with　garments；　he　had　yet　dared　to　carry　his　researches　no

further。　　One　evening；　however；　when　Betty　was　out；　and　he　had　got

hold　of　her　candle；　and　gone　up　to　keep　Shargar　company　for　a　few

minutes；　a　sudden　impulse　seized　him　to　have　a　peep　into　all　the

closets。　　One　of　them　he　knew　a　little　about；　as　containing；　amongst

other　things；　his　father's　coat　with　the　gilt　buttons；　and　his

great…grandfather's　kilt；　as　well　as　other　garments　useful　to

Shargar：　now　he　would　see　what　was　in　the　rest。　　He　did　not　find

anything　very　interesting；　however；　till　he　arrived　at　the　last。

Out　of　it　he　drew　a　long　queer…shaped　box　into　the　light　of　Betty's

dip。



'Luik　here；　Shargar！'