robert falconer-第17章

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

pipit。But　here's　the　King　o'　Bashan　comin'　efter　his　butes；　an'

them　no　half　dune　yet！'　exclaimed　Dooble　Sanny；　settling　in　haste　to

his　awl　and　his　lingel　（Fr。　ligneul）。　'He'll　be　roarin'　mair　like　a

bull　o'　the　country　than　the　king　o'　't。'



As　Robert　departed；　Peter　Ogg　came　in；　and　as　he　passed　the　window；

he　heard　the　shoemaker　averring：



'I　haena　risen　frae　my　stule　sin'　ane　o'clock；　but　there's　a　sicht

to　be　dune　to　them；　Mr。　Ogg。'



Indeed；　Alexander　ab　Alexandro；　as　Mr。　Innes　facetiously　styled　him；

was　in　more　ways　than　one　worthy　of　the　name　of　Dooble。　　There

seemed　to　be　two　natures　in　the　man；　which　all　his　music　had　not　yet

been　able　to　blend。









CHAPTER　X。



ANOTHER　DISCOVERY　IN　THE　GARRET。



Little　did　Robert　dream　of　the　reception　that　awaited　him　at　home。

Almost　as　soon　as　he　had　left　the　house；　the　following　events　began

to　take　place。



The　mistress's　bell　rang；　and　Betty　'gaed　benn　the　hoose　to　see　what

she　cud　be　wantin'；'　whereupon　a　conversation　ensued。



'Wha　was　that　at　the　door；　Betty？'　asked　Mrs。　Falconer；　for　Robert

had　not　shut　the　door　so　carefully　as　he　ought；　seeing　that　the

deafness　of　his　grandmother　was　of　much　the　same　faculty　as　her

blindness。



Had　Robert　not　had　a　hold　of　Betty　by　the　forelock　of　her　years；　he

would　have　been　unable　to　steal　any　liberty　at　all。　　Still　Betty　had

a　conscience；　and　although　she　would　not　offend　Robert　if　she　could

help　it；　yet　she　would　not　lie。



''Deed；　mem；　I　canna　jist　distinckly　say　'at　I　heard　the　door；'　she

answered。



'Whaur's　Robert？'　was　her　next　question。



'He's　generally　up　the　stair　aboot　this　hoor；　memthat　is；　whan

he's　no　i'　the　parlour　at　's　lessons。'



'What　gangs　he　sae　muckle　up　the　stair　for；　Betty；　do　ye　ken？　　It's

something　by　ordinar'　wi'　'm。'



''Deed　I　dinna　ken；　mem。　　I　never　tuik　it　into　my　heid　to　gang

considerin'　aboot　it。　　He'll　hae　some　ploy　o'　's　ain；　nae　doobt。

Laddies　will　be　laddies；　ye　ken；　mem。'



'I　doobt；　Betty；　ye'll　be　aidin'　an'　abettin'。　　An'　it　disna　become

yer　years；　Betty。'



'My　years　are　no　to　fin'　faut　wi'；　mem。　　They're　weel　eneuch。'



'That's　naething　to　the　pint；　Betty。　　What's　the　laddie　aboot？'



'Do　ye　mean　whan　he　gangs　up　the　stair；　mem？'



'Ay。　Ye　ken　weel　eneuch　what　I　mean。'



'Weel；　mem；　I　tell　ye　I　dinna　ken。　　An'　ye　never　heard　me　tell　ye　a

lee　sin'　ever　I　was　i'　yer　service；　mem。'



'Na；　nae　doonricht。　　Ye　gang　aboot　it　an'　aboot　it；　an'　at　last　ye

come　sae　near　leein'　that　gin　ye　spak　anither　word；　ye　wad　be　at　it；

and　it　jist　fleys　（frights）　me　frae　speirin'　ae　ither　question　at

ye。　　An'　that's　hoo　ye　win　oot　o'　't。　　But　noo　'at　it's　aboot　my　ain

oye　（grandson）；　I'm　no　gaein'　to　tyne　（lose）　him　to　save　a　woman　o'

your　years；　wha　oucht　to　ken　better；　an　sae　I'll　speir　at　ye；　though

ye　suld　be　driven　to　lee　like　Sawtan　himsel'。What's　he　aboot　whan

he　gangs　up　the　stair？　　Noo！'



'Weel；　as　sure's　deith；　I　dinna　ken。　　Ye　drive　me　to　sweirin'；　mem；

an'　no　to　leein'。'



'I　carena。　　Hae　ye　no　idea　aboot　it；　than；　Betty？'



'Weel；　mem；　I　think　sometimes　he　canna　be　weel；　and　maun　hae　a　tod

（fox）　in　's　stamack；　or　something　o'　that　nater。　　For　what　he　eats

is　awfu'。　　An'　I　think　whiles　he　jist　gangs　up　the　stair　to　eat　at

's　ain　wull。'



'That　jumps　wi'　my　ain　observations；　Betty。　　Do　ye　think　he　micht

hae　a　rabbit；　or　maybe　a　pair　o'　them；　in　some　boxie　i'　the　garret；

noo？'



'And　what　for　no；　gin　he　had；　mem？'



'What　for　no？　　Nesty　stinkin'　things！　　But　that's　no　the　pint。　　I

aye　hae　to　haud　ye　to　the　pint；　Betty。　　The　pint　is；　whether　he　has

rabbits　or　no？'



'Or　guinea…pigs；'　suggested　Betty。



'Weel。'



'Or　maybe　a　pup　or　twa。　　Or　I　kent　a　laddie　ance　'at　keepit　a　haill

faimily　o'　kittlins。　　Or　maybe　he　micht　hae　a　bit　lammie。　　There　was

an　uncle　o'　min'　ain'



'Haud　yer　tongue；　Betty！　　Ye　hae　ower　muckle　to　say　for　a'　the　sense

there's　intil　't。'



'Weel；　mem；　ye　speirt　questions　at　me。'



'Weel；　I　hae　had　eneuch　o'　yer　answers；　Betty。　　Gang　and　tell　Robert

to　come　here　direckly。'



Betty　went；　knowing　perfectly　that　Robert　had　gone　out；　and　returned

with　the　information。　　Her　mistress　searched　her　face　with　a　keen

eye。



'That　maun　hae　been　himsel'　efter　a'　whan　ye　thocht　ye　hard　the　door

gang；'　said　Betty。



'It's　a　strange　thing　that　I　suld　hear　him　benn　here　wi'　the　door

steekit；　an'　your　door　open　at　the　verra　door…cheek　o'　the　ither；

an'　you　no　hear　him；　Betty。　　And　me　sae　deif　as　weel！'



''Deed；　mem；'　retorted　Betty；　losing　her　temper　a　little；　'I　can　be

as　deif　's　ither　fowk　mysel'　whiles。'



When　Betty　grew　angry；　Mrs。　Falconer　invariably　grew　calm；　or；　at

least；　put　her　temper　out　of　sight。　　She　was　silent　now；　and

continued　silent　till　Betty　moved　to　return　to　her　kitchen；　when　she

said；　in　a　tone　of　one　who　had　just　arrived　at　an　important

resolution：



'Betty；　we'll　jist　awa'　up　the　stair　an'　luik。'



'Weel；　mem；　I　hae　nae　objections。'



'Nae　objections！　　What　for　suld　you　or　ony　ither　body　hae　ony

objections　to　me　gaein'　whaur　I　like　i'　my　ain　hoose？　　Umph！'

exclaimed　Mrs。　Falconer；　turning　and　facing　her　maid。



'In　coorse；　mem。　　I　only　meant　I　had　nae　objections　to　gang　wi'　ye。'



'And　what　for　suld　you　or　ony　ither　woman　that　I　paid　twa　pun'　five

i'　the　half…year　till；　daur　to　hae　objections　to　gaein'　whaur　I

wantit　ye　to　gang　i'　my　ain　hoose？'



'Hoot；　mem！　it　was　but　a　slip　o'　the　tonguenaething　mair。'



'Slip　me　nae　sic　slips；　or　ye'll　come　by　a　fa'　at　last；　I　doobt；

Betty；'　concluded　Mrs。　Falconer；　in　a　mollified　tone；　as　she　turned

and　led　the　way　from　the　room。



They　got　a　candle　in　the　kitchen　and　proceeded　up…stairs；　Mrs。

Falconer　still　leading；　and　Betty　following。　　They　did　not　even　look

into　the　ga'le…room；　not　doubting　that　the　dignity　of　the　best

bed…room　was　in　no　danger　of　being　violated　even　by　Robert；　but　took

their　way　upwards　to　the　room　in　which　he　kept　his

school…booksalmost　the　only　articles　of　property　which　the　boy

possessed。　　Here　they　found　nothing　suspicious。　　All　was　even　in　the

best　possible　ordernot　a　very　wonderful　fact；　seeing　a　few　books

and　a　slate　were　the　only　things　there　besides　the　papers　on　the

shelves。



What　the　feelings　of　Shargar　must　have　been　when　he　heard　the　steps

and　voices；　and　saw　the　light　approaching　his　place　of　refuge；　we

will　not　change　our　point　of　view　to　inquire。　　He　certainly　was　as

little　to　be　envied　at　that　moment　as　at　any　moment　during　the　whole

of　his　existence。



The　first　sense　Mrs。　Falconer　made　use　of　in　the　search　after

possible　animals　lay　in　her　nose。　　She　kept　snuffing　constantly；

but；　beyond　the　usual　musty　smell　of　neglected　apartments；　had　as

yet　discovered　nothing。　　The　moment　she　entered　the　upper　garret；

however



'There's　an　ill…faured　smell　here；　Betty；'　she　said；　believing　that

they　had　at　last　found　the　trail　of　the　mystery；　'but　it's　no　like

the　smell　o'　rabbits。　　Jist　luik　i'　the　nuik　there　ahin'　the　door。'



'There's　naething　here；'　responded　Betty。



'Roon　the　en'　o'　that　kist　there。　　I　s'　luik　into　the　press。'



As　Betty　rose　from　her　search　behind　the　chest　and　turned　towards

her　mistress；　her　eyes　crossed　the　cavernous　opening　of　the　bed。

There；　to　her　horror；　she　beheld　a　face　like　that　of　a　galvanised

corpse　staring　at　her　from　the　darkness。　　Shargar　was　in　a　sitting

posture；　paralysed　with　terror；　waiting；　like　a　fascinated　bird；

till　Mrs。　Falconer　and　Betty　should　make　the　final　spring　upon　him；

and　do　whatever　was　equivalent　to　devouring　him　upon　the　spot。　　He

had　sat　up　to　listen　to　the　noise　of　their　ascending　footsteps；　and

fear　had　so　overmastered　him；　that　he　either　could　not；　or　forgot

that　he　could　lie　down　and　cover　his　head　with　some　of　the　many

garments　scattered　around　him。



'I　didna