robert falconer-第16章

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

dip。



'Luik　here；　Shargar！'　he　said　under　his　breath；　for　they　never　dared

to　speak　aloud　in　these　precincts'luik　here！　　What　can　there　be　in

this　box？　　Is't　a　bairnie's　coffin；　duv　ye　think？　　Luik　at　it。'



In　this　case　Shargar；　having　roamed　the　country　a　good　deal　more

than　Robert；　and　having　been　present　at　some　merry…makings　with　his

mother；　of　which　there　were　comparatively　few　in　that　country…side；

was　better　informed　than　his　friend。



'Eh！　　Bob；　duvna　ye　ken　what　that　is？　　I　thocht　ye　kent　a'　thing。

That's　a　fiddle。'



'That's　buff　an'　styte　（stuff　and　nonsense）；　Shargar。　　Do　ye　think　I

dinna　ken　a　fiddle　whan　I　see　ane；　wi'　its　guts　ootside　o'　'ts　wame；

an'　the　thoomacks　to　screw　them　up　wi'　an'　gar't　skirl？'



'Buff　an'　styte　yersel'！'　cried　Shargar；　in　indignation；　from　the

bed。　'Gie's　a　haud　o'　't。'



Robert　handed　him　the　case。　　Shargar　undid　the　hooks　in　a　moment；

and　revealed　the　creature　lying　in　its　shell　like　a　boiled　bivalve。



'I　tellt　ye　sae！'　he　exclaimed　triumphantly。　'Maybe　ye'll　lippen　to

me　（trust　me）　neist　time。'



'An'　I　tellt　you；'　retorted　Robert；　with　an　equivocation　altogether

unworthy　of　his　growing　honesty。　'I　was　cocksure　that　cudna　be　a

fiddle。　　There's　the　fiddle　i'　the　hert　o'　't！　　Losh！　　I　min'　noo。

It　maun　be　my　grandfather's　fiddle　'at　I　hae　heard　tell　o'。'



'No　to　ken　a　fiddle…case！'　reflected　Shargar；　with　as　much　of

contempt　as　it　was　possible　for　him　to　show。



'I　tell　ye　what；　Shargar；'　returned　Robert；　indignantly；　'ye　may　ken

the　box　o'　a　fiddle　better　nor　I　do；　but　de'il　hae　me　gin　I　dinna

ken　the　fiddle　itsel'　raither　better　nor　ye　do　in　a　fortnicht　frae

this　time。　　I　s'　tak'　it　to　Dooble　Sanny；　he　can　play　the　fiddle

fine。　　An'　I'll　play　't　too；　or　the　de'il　s'　be　in't。'



'Eh；　man；　that　'll　be　gran'！'　cried　Shargar；　incapable　of　jealousy。

'We　can　gang　to　a'　the　markets　thegither　and　gaither　baubees

（halfpence）。'



To　this　anticipation　Robert　returned　no　reply；　for；　hearing　Betty

come　in；　he　judged　it　time　to　restore　the　violin　to　its　case；　and

Betty's　candle　to　the　kitchen；　lest　she　should　invade　the　upper

regions　in　search　of　it。　　But　that　very　night　he　managed　to　have　an

interview　with　Dooble　Sanny；　the　shoemaker；　and　it　was　arranged

between　them　that　Robert　should　bring　his　violin　on　the　evening　at

which　my　story　has　now　arrived。



Whatever　motive　he　had　for　seeking　to　commence　the　study　of　music；

it　holds　even　in　more　important　matters　that；　if　the　thing　pursued

be　good；　there　is　a　hope　of　the　pursuit　purifying　the　motive。　　And

Robert　no　sooner　heard　the　fiddle　utter　a　few　mournful　sounds　in　the

hands　of　the　soutar；　who　was　no　contemptible　performer；　than　he

longed　to　establish　such　a　relation　between　himself　and　the　strange

instrument；　that；　dumb　and　deaf　as　it　had　been　to　him　hitherto；　it

would　respond　to　his　touch　also；　and　tell　him　the　secrets　of　its

queerly…twisted　skull；　full　of　sweet　sounds　instead　of　brains。　　From

that　moment　he　would　be　a　musician　for　music's　own　sake；　and　forgot

utterly　what　had　appeared　to　him；　though　I　doubt　if　it　was；　the　sole

motive　of　his　desire　to　learnnamely；　the　necessity　of　retaining

his　superiority　over　Shargar。



What　added　considerably　to　the　excitement　of　his　feelings　on　the

occasion；　was　the　expression　of　reverence；　almost　of　awe；　with　which

the　shoemaker　took　the　instrument　from　its　case；　and　the　tenderness

with　which　he　handled　it。　　The　fact　was　that　he　had　not　had　a　violin

in　his　hands　for　nearly　a　year；　having　been　compelled　to　pawn　his

own　in　order　to　alleviate　the　sickness　brought　on　his　wife　by　his

own　ill…treatment　of　her；　once　that　he　came　home　drunk　from　a

wedding。　　It　was　strange　to　think　that　such　dirty　hands　should　be

able　to　bring　such　sounds　out　of　the　instrument　the　moment　he　got　it

safely　cuddled　under　his　cheek。　　So　dirty　were　they；　that　it　was

said　Dooble　Sanny　never　required　to　carry　any　rosin　with　him　for

fiddler's　need；　his　own　fingers　having　always　enough　upon　them　for

one　bow　at　least。　　Yet　the　points　of　those　fingers　never　lost　the

delicacy　of　their　touch。　　Some　people　thought　this　was　in　virtue　of

their　being　washed　only　once　a　weeka　custom　Alexander　justified　on

the　ground　that；　in　a　trade　like　his；　it　was　of　no　use　to　wash

oftener；　for　he　would　be　just　as　dirty　again　before　night。



The　moment　he　began　to　play；　the　face　of　the　soutar　grew　ecstatic。

He　stopped　at　the　very　first　note；　notwithstanding；　let　fall　his

arms；　the　one　with　the　bow；　the　other　with　the　violin；　at　his　sides；

and　said；　with　a　deep…drawn　respiration　and　lengthened　utterance：



'Eh！'



Then　after　a　pause；　during　which　he　stood　motionless：



'The　crater　maun　be　a　Cry　Moany！　　Hear　till　her！'　he　added；　drawing

another　long　note。



Then；　after　another　pause：



'She's　a　Straddle　Vawrious　at　least！　　Hear　till　her。　　I　never　had

sic　a　combination　o'　timmer　and　catgut　atween　my　cleuks　（claws）

afore。'



As　to　its　being　a　Stradivarius；　or　even　a　Cremona　at　all；　the

testimony　of　Dooble　Sanny　was　not　worth　much　on　the　point。　　But　the

shoemaker's　admiration　roused　in　the　boy's　mind　a　reverence　for　the

individual　instrument　which　he　never　lost。



》From　that　day　the　two　were　friends。



Suddenly　the　soutar　started　off　at　full　speed　in　a　strathspey；　which

was　soon　lost　in　the　wail　of　a　Highland　psalm…tune；　giving　place　in

its　turn　to　'Sic　a　wife　as　Willie　had！'　　And　on　he　went　without

pause；　till　Robert　dared　not　stop　any　longer。　　The　fiddle　had

bewitched　the　fiddler。



'Come　as　aften　's　ye　like；　Robert；　gin　ye　fess　this　leddy　wi'　ye；'

said　the　soutar。



And　he　stroked　the　back　of　the　violin　tenderly　with　his　open　palm。



'But　wad　ye　hae　ony　objection　to　lat　it　lie　aside　ye；　and　lat　me

come　whan　I　can？'



'Objection；　laddie？　　I　wad　as　sune　objeck　to　lattin'　my　ain　wife　lie

aside　me。'



'Ay；'　said　Robert；　seized　with　some　anxiety　about　the　violin　as　he

remembered　the　fate　of　the　wife；　'but　ye　ken　Elspet　comes　aff　a'　the

waur　sometimes。'



Softened　by　the　proximity　of　the　wonderful　violin；　and　stung　afresh

by　the　boy's　words　as　his　conscience　had　often　stung　him　before；　for

he　loved　his　wife　dearly　save　when　the　demon　of　drink　possessed　him；

the　tears　rose　in　Elshender's　eyes。　　He　held　out　the　violin　to

Robert；　saying；　with　unsteady　voice：



'Hae；　tak　her　awa'。　　I　dinna　deserve　to　hae　sic　a　thing　i'　my　hoose。

But　hear　me；　Robert；　and　lat　hearin'　be　believin'。　　I　never　was　sae

drunk　but　I　cud　tune　my　fiddle。　　Mair　by　token；　ance　they　fand　me

lyin'　o'　my　back　i'　the　Corrie；　an'　the　watter；　they　say；　was　ower

a'　but　the　mou'　o'　me；　but　I　was　haudin'　my　fiddle　up　abune　my　heid；

and　de'il　a　spark　o'　watter　was　upo'　her。'



'It's　a　pity　yer　wife　wasna　yer　fiddle；　than；　Sanny；'　said　Robert；

with　more　presumption　than　wit。



''Deed　ye're　i'　the　richt；　there；　Robert。　　Hae；　tak'　yer　fiddle。'



''Deed　no；'　returned　Robert。　'I　maun　jist　lippen　（trust）　to　ye；

Sanders。　　I　canna　bide　langer　the　nicht；　but　maybe　ye'll　tell　me　hoo

to　haud　her　the　neist　time　'at　I　comewill　ye？'



'That　I　wull；　Robert；　come　whan　ye　like。　　An'　gin　ye　come　o'　ane　'at

cud　play　this　fiddle　as　this　fiddle　deserves　to　be　playt；　ye'll　do

me　credit。'



'Ye　min'　what　that　sumph　Lumley　said　to　me　the　ither　nicht；　Sanders；

aboot　my　grandfather？'



'Ay；　weel　eneuch。　　A　dish　o'　drucken　havers！'



'It　was　true　eneuch　aboot　my　great…grandfather；　though。'



'No！　　Was't　railly？'



'Ay。　He　was　the　best　piper　in　's　regiment　at　Culloden。　　Gin　they　had

a'　fouchten　as　he　pipit；　there　wad　hae　been　anither　tale　to　tell。

And　he　was　toon…piper　forby；　jist　like　you；　Sanders；　efter　they

took　frae　him　a'　'at　he　had。'



'Na！　heard　ye　ever　the　like　o'　that！　　Weel；　wha　wad　hae　thocht　it？

Faith！　we　maun　hae　you　fiddle　as　weel　as　yer　lucky…daiddy

pipit。But　here's　the　King　o'　Bashan　comin