robert falconer-第48章

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and　her　black　woollen　shawl；　took　her　green　cotton　umbrella；　which

served　her　for　a　staff；　and；　refusing　Betty's　proffered　assistance；

set　out　for　Dooble　Sanny's　shop。



As　she　drew　near　she　heard　the　sounds　of　his　violin。　　When　she

entered；　he　laid　his　auld　wife　carefully　aside；　and　stood　in　an

expectant　attitude。



'Mr。　Elshender；　I　want　to　be　at　the　boddom　o'　this；'　said　Mrs。

Falconer。



'Weel；　mem；　gang　to　the　boddom　o'　't；'　returned　Dooble　Sanny；

dropping　on　his　stool；　and　taking　his　stone　upon　his　lap　and

stroking　it；　as　if　it　had　been　some　quadrupedal　pet。　　Full　of　rough

but　real　politeness　to　women　when　in　good　humour；　he　lost　all　his

manners　along　with　his　temper　upon　the　slightest　provocation；　and

her　tone　irritated　him。



'Hoo　cam　Robert's　shune　to　be　i'　your　shop？'



'Somebody　bude　till　hae　brocht　them；　mem。　　In　a'　my　expairience；　and

that's　no　sma'；　I　never　kent　pair　o'　shune　gang　ohn　a　pair　o'　feet

i'　the　wame　o'　them。'



'Hoots！　what　kin'　o'　gait　's　that　to　speyk　till　a　body？　　Whase　feet

was　inside　the　shune？'



'De'il　a　bit　o'　me　kens；　mem。'



'Dinna　sweir；　whatever　ye　du。'



'De'il　but　I　will　sweir；　mem；　an'　gin　ye　anger　me；　I'll　jist　sweir

awfu'。'



'I'm　sure　I　hae　nae　wuss　to　anger　ye；　man！　　Canna　ye　help　a　body　to

win　at　the　boddom　o'　a　thing　ohn　angert　an'　sworn？'



'Weel；　I　kenna　wha　brocht　the　shune；　as　I　tellt　ye　a'ready。'



'But　they　wantit　nae　men'in'。'



'I　micht　hae　men't　them　an'　forgotten　't；　mem。'



'Noo　ye're　leein'。'



'Gin　ye　gang　on　that　gait；　mem；　I　winna　speyk　a　word　o'　trowth　frae

this　moment　foret。'



'Jist　tell　me　what　ye　ken　aboot　thae　shune；　an'　I'll　no　say　anither

word。'



'Weel；　mem；　I'll　tell　ye　the　trowth。　　The　de'il　brocht　them　in　ae

day　in　a　lang　taings；　and　says　he；　〃Elshender；　men'　thae　shune　for

puir　Robby　Faukner；　an'　dooble…sole　them　for　the　life　o'　ye；　for

that　auld　luckie…minnie　o'　his　'ill　sune　hae　him　doon　oor　gait；　and

the　grun'　's　het　i'　the　noo；　an'　I　dinna　want　to　be　ower　sair　upon

him；　for　he's　a　fine　chield；　an'　'll　mak　a　fine　fiddler　gin　he　live

lang　eneuch。〃'



Mrs。　Falconer　left　the　shop　without　another　word；　but　with　an　awful

suspicion　which　the　last　heedless　words　of　the　shoemaker　had　aroused

in　her　bosom。　　She　left　him　bursting　with　laughter　over　his

lapstone。　　He　caught　up　his　fiddle　and　played　The　De'il's　i'　the

Women　lustily　and　with　expression。　　But　he　little　thought　what　he

had　done。



As　soon　as　she　reached　her　own　room；　she　went　straight　to　her　bed

and　disinterred　the　bonny　leddy's　coffin。　　She　was　gone；　and　in　her

stead；　horror　of　horrors！　lay　in　the　unhallowed　chest　that　body　of

divinity　known　as　Boston's　Fourfold　State。　　Vexation；　anger；

disappointment；　and　grief　possessed　themselves　of　the　old　woman's

mind。　　She　ranged　the　house　like　the　'questing　beast'　of　the　Round

Table；　but　failed　in　finding　the　violin　before　the　return　of　the

boys。　　Not　a　word　did　she　say　all　that　evening；　and　their　oppressed

hearts　foreboded　ill。　　They　felt　that　there　was　thunder　in　the

clouds；　a　sleeping　storm　in　the　air；　but　how　or　when　it　would　break

they　had　no　idea。



Robert　came　home　to　dinner　the　next　day　a　few　minutes　before

Shargar。　　As　he　entered　his　grandmother's　parlour；　a　strange　odour

greeted　his　sense。　　A　moment　more；　and　he　stood　rooted　with　horror；

and　his　hair　began　to　rise　on　his　head。　　His　violin　lay　on　its　back

on　the　fire；　and　a　yellow　tongue　of　flame　was　licking　the　red　lips

of　a　hole　in　its　belly。　　All　its　strings　were　shrivelled　up　save

one；　which　burst　as　he　gazed。　　And　beside；　stern　as　a　Druidess；　sat

his　grandmother　in　her　chair；　feeding　her　eyes　with　grim

satisfaction　on　the　detestable　sacrifice。　　At　length　the　rigidity　of

Robert's　whole　being　relaxed　in　an　involuntary　howl　like　that　of　a

wild　beast；　and　he　turned　and　rushed　from　the　house　in　a　helpless

agony　of　horror。　　Where　he　was　going　he　knew　not；　only　a　blind

instinct　of　modesty　drove　him　to　hide　his　passion　from　the　eyes　of

men。



》From　her　window　Miss　St。　John　saw　him　tearing　like　one　demented

along　the　top　walk　of　the　captain's　garden；　and　watched　for　his

return。　　He　came　far　sooner　than　she　expected。



Before　he　arrived　at　the　factory；　Robert　began　to　hear　strange

sounds　in　the　desolate　place。　　When　he　reached　the　upper　floor；　he

found　men　with　axe　and　hammer　destroying　the　old　woodwork；　breaking

the　old　jennies；　pitching　the　balls　of　lead　into　baskets；　and

throwing　the　spools　into　crates。　　Was　there　nothing　but　destruction

in　the　world？　　There；　most　horrible！　his　'bonny　leddy'　dying　of

flames；　and　here；　the　temple　of　his　refuge　torn　to　pieces　by

unhallowed　hands！　　What　could　it　mean？　　Was　his　grandmother's

vengeance　here　too？　　But　he　did　not　care。　　He　only　felt　like　the

dove　sent　from　the　ark；　that　there　was　no　rest　for　the　sole　of　his

foot；　that　there　was　no　place　to　hide　his　head　in　his　agonythat　he

was　naked　to　the　universe；　and　like　a　heartless　wild　thing　hunted

till　its　brain　is　of　no　more　use；　he　turned　and　rushed　back　again

upon　his　track。　　At　one　end　was　the　burning　idol；　at　the　other　the

desecrated　temple。



No　sooner　had　he　entered　the　captain's　garden　than　Miss　St。　John　met

him。



'What　is　the　matter　with　you；　Robert？'　she　asked；　kindly。



'Oh；　mem！'　gasped　Robert；　and　burst　into　a　very　storm　of　weeping。



It　was　long　before　he　could　speak。　　He　cowered　before　Miss　St。　John

as　if　conscious　of　an　unfriendly　presence；　and　seeking　to　shelter

himself　by　her　tall　figure　from　his　grandmother's　eyes。　　For　who

could　tell　but　at　the　moment　she　might　be　gazing　upon　him　from　some

window；　or　even　from　the　blue　vault　above？　　There　was　no　escaping

her。　　She　was　the　all…seeing　eye　personifiedthe　eye　of　the　God　of

the　theologians　of　his　country；　always　searching　out　the　evil；　and

refusing　to　acknowledge　the　good。　　Yet　so　gentle　and　faithful　was

the　heart　of　Robert；　that　he　never　thought　of　her　as　cruel。　　He　took

it　for　granted　that　somehow　or　other　she　must　be　right。　　Only　what　a

terrible　thing　such　righteousness　was！　　He　stood　and　wept　before　the

lady。



Her　heart　was　sore　for　the　despairing　boy。　　She　drew　him　to　a　little

summer…seat。　　He　entered　with　her；　and　sat　down；　weeping　still。　　She

did　her　best　to　soothe　him。　　At　last；　sorely　interrupted　by　sobs；　he

managed　to　let　her　know　the　fate　of　his　'bonnie　leddy。'　　But　when　he

came　to　the　words；　'She's　burnin'　in　there　upo'　granny's　fire；'　he

broke　out　once　more　with　that　wild　howl　of　despair；　and　then；

ashamed　of　himself；　ceased　weeping　altogether；　though　he　could　not

help　the　intrusion　of　certain　chokes　and　sobs　upon　his　otherwise

even；　though　low　and　sad　speech。



Knowing　nothing　of　Mrs。　Falconer's　character；　Miss　St。　John　set　her

down　as　a　cruel　and　heartless　as　well　as　tyrannical　and　bigoted　old

woman；　and　took　the　mental　position　of　enmity　towards　her。　　In　a

gush　of　motherly　indignation　she　kissed　Robert　on　the　forehead。



》From　that　chrism　he　arose　a　king。



He　dried　his　eyes；　not　another　sob　even　broke　from　him；　he　gave　one

look；　but　no　word　of　gratitude；　to　Miss　St。　John；　bade　her　good…bye；

and　walked　composedly　into　his　grandmother's　parlour；　where　the　neck

of　the　violin　yet　lay　upon　the　fire　only　half　consumed。　　The　rest

had　vanished　utterly。



'What　are　they　duin'　doon　at　the　fact'ry；　grannie？'　he　asked。



'What's　wha　duin'；　laddie？'　returned　his　grandmother；　curtly。



'They're　takin'　't　doon。'



'Takin'　what　doon？'　she　returned；　with　raised　voice。



'Takin'　doon　the　hoose。'



The　old　woman　rose。



'Robert；　ye　may　hae　spite　in　yer　hert　for　what　I　hae　dune　this

mornin'；　but　I　cud　do　no　ither。　　An'　it's　an　ill　thing　to　tak　sic

amen's　o'　me；　as　gin　I　had　dune　wrang；　by　garrin'　me　troo　'at　yer

grandfather's　property　was　to　gang　the　gait　o'　's　auld；　useless；

ill…mainnert　scraich　o'　a　fiddle。'



'She　was　the　bonniest　fiddle　i'　the　country…side；　grannie。　　And　she

nev