robert falconer-第33章

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assisting　the　birth　or　blowing　of　some　beautyand　then　she　raised

herself　with　a　lingering　look；　and　vanished　from　the　field　of　the

window。



But　ever　after　this；　when　the　evening　grew　dark；　Robert　would　steal

out　of　the　house；　leaving　his　book　open　by　his　grannie's　lamp；　that

its　patient　expansion　might　seem　to　say；　'He　will　come　back

presently；'　and　dart　round　the　corner　with　quick　quiet　step；　to　hear

if　Miss　St。　John　was　playing。　　If　she　was　not；　he　would　return　to

the　Sabbath　stillness　of　the　parlour；　where　his　grandmother　sat

meditating　or　reading；　and　Shargar　sat　brooding　over　the　freedom　of

the　old　days　ere　Mrs。　Falconer　had　begun　to　reclaim　him。　　There　he

would　seat　himself　once　more　at　his　bookto　rise　again　ere　another

hour　had　gone　by；　and　hearken　yet　again　at　her　window　whether　the

stream　might　not　be　flowing　now。　　If　he　found　her　at　her　instrument

he　would　stand　listening　in　earnest　delight；　until　the　fear　of　being

missed　drove　him　in：　this　secret　too　might　be　discovered；　and　this

enchantress　too　sent；　by　the　decree　of　his　grandmother；　into　the

limbo　of　vanities。　　Thus　strangely　did　his　evening　life　oscillate

between　the　two　peaceful　negations　of　grannie's　parlour　and　the

vital　gladness　of　the　unknown　lady's　window。　　And　skilfully　did　he

manage　his　retreats　and　returns；　curtailing　his　absences　with　such

moderation　that；　for　a　long　time；　they　awoke　no　suspicion　in　the

mind　of　his　grandmother。



I　suspect　myself　that　the　old　lady　thought　he　had　gone　to　his

prayers　in　the　garret。　　And　I　believe　she　thought　that　he　was

praying　for　his　dead　father；　with　which　most　papistical；　and；

therefore；　most　unchristian　observance；　she　yet　dared　not　interfere；

because　she　expected　Robert　to　defend　himself　triumphantly　with　the

simple　assertion　that　he　did　not　believe　his　father　was　dead。

Possibly　the　mother　was　not　sorry　that　her　poor　son　should　be

prayed　for；　in　case　he　might　be　alive　after　all；　though　she　could　no

longer　do　so　herselfnot　merely　dared　not；　but　persuaded　herself

that　she　would　not。　　Robert；　however；　was　convinced　enough；　and

hopeless　enough；　by　this　time；　and　had　even　less　temptation　to　break

the　twentieth　commandment　by　praying　for　the　dead；　than　his

grandmother　had；　for　with　all　his　imaginative　outgoings　after　his

father；　his　love　to　him　was　as　yet；　compared　to　that　father's

mother's；　'as　moonlight　unto　sunlight；　and　as　water　unto　wine。'



Shargar　would　glance　up　at　him　with　a　queer　look　as　he　came　in　from

these　excursions；　drop　his　head　over　his　task　again；　look　busy　and

miserable；　and　all　would　glide　on　as　before。



When　the　first　really　summer　weather　came；　Mr。　Lammie　one　day　paid

Mrs。　Falconer　a　second　visit。　　He　had　not　been　able　to　get　over　the

remembrance　of　the　desolation　in　which　he　had　left　her。　　But　he

could　do　nothing　for　her；　he　thought；　till　it　was　warm　weather。　　He

was　accompanied　by　his　daughter；　a　woman　approaching　the　further

verge　of　youth；　bulky　and　florid；　and　as　full　of　tenderness　as　her

large　frame　could　hold。　　After　much；　and；　for　a　long　time；

apparently　useless　persuasion；　they　at　last　believed　they　had

prevailed　upon　her　to　pay　them　a　visit　for　a　fortnight。　　But　she　had

only　retreated　within　another　of　her　defences。



'I　canna　leave　thae　twa　laddies　alane。　　They　wad　be　up　to　a'

mischeef。'



'There's　Betty　to　luik　efter　them；'　suggested　Miss　Lammie。



'Betty！'　returned　Mrs。　Falconer；　with　scorn。　'Betty's　naething　but　a

bairn　hersel'muckler　and　waur　faured　（worse　favoured）。'



'But　what　for　shouldna　ye　fess　the　lads　wi'　ye？'　suggested　Mr。

Lammie。



'I　hae　no　richt　to　burden　you　wi'　them。'



'Weel；　I　hae　aften　wonnert　what　gart　ye　burden　yersel'　wi'　that

Shargar；　as　I　understan'　they　ca'　him；'　said　Mr。　Lammie。



'Jist　naething　but　a　bit　o'　greed；'　returned　the　old　lady；　with　the

nearest　approach　to　a　smile　that　had　shown　itself　upon　her　face

since　Mr。　Lammie's　last　visit。



'I　dinna　understan'　that；　Mistress　Faukner；'　said　Miss　Lammie。



'I'm　sae　sure　o'　haein'　't　back　again；　ye　ken；wi'　interest；'

returned　Mrs。　Falconer。



'Hoo's　that？　　His　father　winna　con　ye　ony　thanks　for　haudin'　him　in

life。'



'He　that　giveth　to　the　poor　lendeth　to　the　Lord；　ye　ken；　Miss

Lammie。'



'Atweel；　gin　ye　like　to　lippen　to　that　bank；　nae　doobt　ae　way　or

anither　it'll　gang　to　yer　accoont；'　said　Miss　Lammie。



'It　wad　ill　become　us；　ony　gait；'　said　her　father；　'nae　to　gie　him

shelter　for　your　sake；　Mrs。　Faukner；　no　to　mention　ither　names；　sin'

it's　yer　wull　to　mak　the　puir　lad　ane　o'　the　family。They　say　his

ain　mither's　run　awa'　an'　left　him。'



''Deed　she's　dune　that。'



'Can　ye　mak　onything　o'　'im？'



'He's　douce　eneuch。　　An'　Robert　says　he　does　nae　that　ill　at　the

schuil。'



'Weel；　jist　fess　him　wi'　ye。　　We'll　hae　some　place　or　ither　to　put

him　intil；　gin　it　suld　be　only　a　shak'…doon　upo'　the　flure。'



'Na；　na。　　There's　the　schuilin'what's　to　be　dune　wi'　that？'



'They　can　gang　i'　the　mornin'；　and　get　their　denner　wi'　Betty　here；

and　syne　come　hame　to　their　fower…hoors　（four　o'clock　tea）　whan　the

schule's　ower　i'　the　efternune。　'Deed；　mem；　ye　maun　jist　come　for

the　sake　o'　the　auld　frien'ship　atween　the　faimilies。'



'Weel；　gin　it　maun　be　sae；　it　maun　be　sae；'　yielded　Mrs。　Falconer；

with　a　sigh。



She　had　not　left　her　own　house　for　a　single　night　for　ten　years。

Nor　is　it　likely　she　would　have　now　given　in；　for　immovableness　was

one　of　the　most　marked　of　her　characteristics；　had　she　not　been　so

broken　by　mental　suffering；　that　she　did　not　care　much　about

anything；　least　of　all　about　herself。



Innumerable　were　the　instructions　in　propriety　of　behaviour　which

she　gave　the　boys　in　prospect　of　this　visit。　　The　probability　being

that　they　would　behave　just　as　well　as　at　home；　these　instructions

were　considerably　unnecessary；　for　Mrs。　Falconer　was　a　strict

enforcer　of　all　social　rules。　　Scarcely　less　unnecessary　were　the

directions　she　gave　as　to　the　conduct　of　Betty；　who　received　them

all　in　erect　submission；　with　her　hands　under　her　apron。　　She　ought

to　have　been　a　young　girl　instead　of　an　elderly　woman；　if　there　was

any　propriety　in　the　way　her　mistress　spoke　to　her。　　It　proved　at

least　her　own　belief　in　the　description　she　had　given　of　her　to　Miss

Lammie。



'Noo；　Betty；　ye　maun　be　dooce。　　An'　dinna　stan'　at　the　door　i'　the

gloamin'。　　An'　dinna　stan'　claikin'　an'　jawin'　wi'　the　ither　lasses

whan　ye　gang　to　the　wall　for　watter。　　An'　whan　ye　gang　intil　a　chop；

dinna　hae　them　sayin'　ahint　yer　back；　as　sune's　yer　oot　again；

〃She's　her　ain　mistress　by　way　o'；〃　or　sic　like。　　An'　min'　ye　hae

worship　wi'　yersel'；　whan　I'm　nae　here　to　hae　't　wi'　ye。　　Ye　can

come　benn　to　the　parlour　gin　ye　like。　　An'　there's　my　muckle

Testament。　　And　dinna　gie　the　lads　a'　thing　they　want。　　Gie　them

plenty　to　ait；　but　no　ower　muckle。　　Fowk　suld　aye　lea'　aff　wi'　an

eppiteet。'



Mr。　Lammie　brought　his　gig　at　last；　and　took　grannie　away　to

Bodyfauld。　　When　the　boys　returned　from　school　at　the　dinner…hour；

it　was　to　exult　in　a　freedom　which　Robert　had　never　imagined　before。

But　even　he　could　not　know　what　a　relief　it　was　to　Shargar　to　eat

without　the　awfully　calm　eyes　of　Mrs。　Falconer　watching；　as　it

seemed　to　him；　the　progress　of　every　mouthful　down　that　capacious

throat　of　his。　　The　old　lady　would　have　been　shocked　to　learn　how

the　imagination　of　the　ill…mothered　lad　interpreted　her　care　over

him；　but　she　would　not　have　been　surprised　to　know　that　the　two　were

merry　in　her　absence。　　She　knew　that；　in　some　of　her　own　moods；　it

would　be　a　relief　to　think　that　that　awful　eye　of　God　was　not　upon

her。　　But　she　little　thought　that　even　in　the　lawless　proceedings

about　to　follow；　her　Robert；　who　now　felt　such　a　relief　in　her

absence；　would　be　walking　straight　on；　though　blindly；　towards　a

sunrise　of　faith；　in　which　he　would　know　that　for　the　eye　of　his　God

to　turn　away　from　him　for　one　moment　would　be　the　horror　of