robert falconer-第31章

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woman　never　thought　of　measuring　The　Star　against　The　Boar's　Head。

More　than　one　comical　story　had　been　the　result　of　this　law　of　The

Boar's　Head；　unalterable　almost　as　that　of　the　Medes　and　Persians。

I　say　almost；　for　to　one　class　of　the　footfaring　community　the

official　ice　about　the　hearts　of　the　three　women　did　thaw；　yielding

passage　to　a　full　river　of　hospitality　and　generosity；　and　that　was

the　class　to　which　these　wayfarers　belonged。



Well　may　Scotland　rejoice　in　her　universities；　for　whatever　may　be

said　against　their　systemI　have　no　complaint　to　makethey　are

divine　in　their　freedom：　men　who　follow　the　plough　in　the　spring　and

reap　the　harvest　in　the　autumn；　may；　and　often　do；　frequent　their

sacred　precincts　when　the　winter　comesso　fierce；　yet　so

welcomeso　severe；　yet　so　blessedopening　for　them　the　doors　to

yet　harder　toil　and　yet　poorer　fare。　　I　fear；　however；　that　of　such

there　will　be　fewer　and　fewer；　seeing　one　class　which　supplied　a

portion　of　them　has　almost　vanished　from　the　countrythat　class

which　was　its　truest；　simplest；　and　noblest　strengththat　class

which　at　one　time　rendered　it　something　far　other　than　ridicule　to

say　that　Scotland　was　pre…eminently　a　God…fearing　nationI　mean　the

class　of　cottars。



Of　this　class　were　some　of　the　footfaring　company。　　But　there　were

others　of　more　means　than　the　men　of　this　lowly　origin；　who　either

could　not　afford　to　travel　by　the　expensive　coaches；　or　could　find

none　to　accommodate　them。　　Possibly　some　preferred　to　walk。　　However

this　may　have　been；　the　various　groups　which　at　the　beginning　and

close　of　the　session　passed　through　Rothieden　weary　and　footsore；

were　sure　of　a　hearty　welcome　at　The　Boar's　Head。　And　much　the　men

needed　it。　　Some　of　them　would　have　walked　between　one　and　two

hundred　miles　before　completing　their　journey。



Robert　made　a　circuit；　and；　fleet　of　foot；　was　in　Miss　Napier's

parlour　before　the　travellers　made　their　appearance　on　the　square。

When　they　knocked　at　the　door；　Miss　Letty　herself　went　and　opened

it。



'Can　ye　tak　's　in；　mem？'　was　on　the　lips　of　their　spokesman；　but

Miss　Letty　had　the　first　word。



'Come　in；　come　in；　gentlemen。　　This　is　the　first　o'　ye；　and　ye're

the　mair　welcome。　　It's　like　seein'　the　first　o'　the　swallows。　　An'

sic　a　day　as　ye　hae　had　for　yer　lang　traivel！'　she　went　on；　leading

the　way　to　her　sister's　parlour；　and　followed　by　all　the　students；

of　whom　the　one　that　came　hindmost　was　the　most　remarkable　of　the

groupat　the　same　time　the　most　weary　and　downcast。



Miss　Napier　gave　them　a　similar　welcome；　shaking　hands　with　every

one　of　them。　　She　knew　them　all　but　the　last。　　To　him　she

involuntarily　showed　a　more　formal　respect；　partly　from　his

appearance；　and　partly　that　she　had　never　seen　him　before。　　The

whisky…bottle　was　brought　out；　and　all　partook；　save　still　the　last。

Miss　Lizzie　went　to　order　their　supper。



'Noo；　gentlemen；'　said　Miss　Letty；　'wad　ony　o'　ye　like　to　gang　an'

change　yer　hose；　and　pit　on　a　pair　o'　slippers？'



Several　declined；　saying　they　would　wait　until　they　had　had　their

supper；　the　roads　had　been　quite　dry；　&c。；　&c。　　One　said　he　would；

and　another　said　his　feet　were　blistered。



'Hoot　awa'！'2　exclaimed　Miss　Letty。'Here；　Peggy！'　she　cried；　going

to　the　door；　'tak　a　pail　o'　het　watter　up　to　the　chackit　room。　　Jist

ye　gang　up；　Mr。　Cameron；　and　Peggy　'll　see　to　yer　feet。Noo；　sir；

will　ye　gang　to　yer　room　an'　mak　yersel'　comfortable？jist　as　gin

ye　war　at　hame；　for　sae　ye　are。'



She　addressed　the　stranger　thus。　　He　replied　in　a　low　indifferent

tone；



'No；　thank　you；　I　must　be　off　again　directly。'



He　was　from　Caithness；　and　talked　no　Scotch。



''Deed；　sir；　ye'll　do　naething　o'　the　kin'。　　Here　ye　s'　bide；　tho'　I

suld　lock　the　door。'



'Come；　come；　Ericson；　none　o'　your　nonsense！'　said　one　of　his

fellows。　'Ye　ken　yer　feet　are　sae　blistered　ye　can　hardly　put　ane　by

the　ither。It　was　a'　we　cud　du；　mem；　to　get　him　alang　the　last

mile。'



'That　s'　be　my　business；　than；'　concluded　Miss　Letty。



She　left　the　room；　and　returning　in　a　few　minutes；　said；　as　a　matter

of　course；　but　with　authority；



'Mr。　Ericson；　ye　maun　come　wi'　me。'



Then　she　hesitated　a　little。　　Was　it　maidenliness　in　the　waning

woman　of　five…and…forty？　　It　was；　I　believe；　for　how　can　a　woman

always　remember　how　old　she　is？　　If　ever　there　was　a　young　soul　in

God's　world；　it　was　Letty　Napier。　　And　the　young　man　was　tall　and

stately　as　a　Scandinavian　chief；　with　a　look　of　command；　tempered

with　patient　endurance；　in　his　eagle　face；　for　he　was　more　like　an

eagle　than　any　other　creature；　and　in　his　countenance　signs　of

suffering。　　Miss　Letty　seeing　this；　was　moved；　and　her　heart

swelled；　and　she　grew　conscious　and　shy；　and　turning　to　Robert；

said；



'Come　up　the　stair　wi'　's；　Robert；　I　may　want　ye。'



Robert　jumped　to　his　feet。　　His　heart　too　had　been　yearning　towards

the　stranger。



As　if　yielding　to　the　inevitable；　Ericson　rose　and　followed　Miss

Letty。　　But　when　they　had　reached　the　room；　and　the　door　was　shut

behind　them；　and　Miss　Letty　pointed　to　a　chair　beside　which　stood　a

little　wooden　tub　full　of　hot　water；　saying；　'Sit　ye　doon　there；　Mr。

Ericson；'　he　drew　himself　up；　all　but　his　graciously…bowed　head；　and

said；



'Ma'am；　I　must　tell　you　that　I　followed　the　rest　in　here　from　the

very　stupidity　of　weariness。　　I　have　not　a　shilling　in　my　pocket。'



'God　bless　me！'　said　Miss　Lettyand　God　did　bless　her；　I　am

sure'we　maun　see　to　the　feet　first。　　What　wad　ye　du　wi'　a　shillin'

gin　ye　had　it？　　Wad　ye　clap　ane　upo'　ilka　blister？'



Ericson　burst　out　laughing；　and　sat　down。　　But　still　he　hesitated。



'Aff　wi'　yer　shune；　sir。　　Duv　ye　think　I　can　wash　yer　feet　throu

ben'　leather？'　said　Miss　Letty；　not　disdaining　to　advance　her

fingers　to　a　shoe…tie。



'But　I'm　ashamed。　　My　stockings　are　all　in　holes。'



'Weel；　ye　s'　get　a　clean　pair　to　put　on　the　morn；　an'　I'll　darn　them

'at　ye　hae　on；　gin　they　be　worth　darnin'；　afore　ye　gangan'　what

are　ye　sae　camstairie　（unmanageable）　for？　　A　body　wad　think　ye　had　a

clo'en　fit　in　ilk　ane　o'　thae　bits　o'　shune　o'　yours。　　I　winna

promise　to　please　yer　mither　wi'　my　darnin'　though。'



'I　have　no　mother　to　find　fault　with　it；'　said　Ericson。



'Weel；　a　sister's　waur。'



'I　have　no　sister；　either。'



This　was　too　much　for　Miss　Letty。　　She　could　keep　up　the　bravado　of

humour　no　longer。　　She　fairly　burst　out　crying。　　In　a　moment　more

the　shoes　and　stockings　were　off；　and　the　blisters　in　the　hot　water。

Miss　Letty's　tears　dropped　into　the　tub；　and　the　salt　in　them　did

not　hurt　the　feet　with　which　she　busied　herself；　more　than　was

necessary；　to　hide　them。



But　no　sooner　had　she　recovered　herself　than　she　resumed　her　former

tone。



'A　shillin'！　said　ye？　　An'　a'　thae　greedy　gleds　（kites）　o'

professors　to　pay；　that　live　upo'　the　verra　blude　and　banes　o'

sair…vroucht　students！　　Hoo　cud　ye　hae　a　shillin'　ower？　　Troth；　it's

nae　wonner　ye　haena　ane　left。　　An'　a'　the　merchan's　there　jist

leevin'　upo'　ye！　　Lord　hae　a　care　o'　's！　sic　bonnie　feet！Wi'

blisters　I　mean。　　I　never　saw　sic　a　sicht　o'　raw　puddin's　in　my

life。　　Ye're　no　fit　to　come　doon　the　stair　again。'



All　the　time　she　was　tenderly　washing　and　bathing　the　weary　feet。

When　she　had　dressed　them　and　tied　them　up；　she　took　the　tub　of

water　and　carried　it　away；　but　turned　at　the　door。



'Ye'll　jist　mak　up　yer　min'　to　bide　a　twa　three　days；'　she　said；

'for　thae　feet　cudna　bide　to　be　carried；　no　to　say　to　carry　a　weicht

like　you。　　There's　naebody　to　luik　for　ye；　ye　ken。　　An'　ye're　no　to

come　doon　the　nicht。　　I'll　sen'　up　yer　supper。　　And　Robert　there　'll

bide　and　keep　ye　company。'



She　vanished；　and　a　moment　after；　Peggy　appeared　with　a

salamanderthat　is　a　huge　poker；　ending　not　in　a　point；　but　a

red…hot　ace　of　spadeswhich　she　thrust　between　the　bars　of　the

grate；　into　the　heart　of　a　nest　of　brushwood。　　Presently　a　cheer