robert falconer-第49章

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ill…mainnert　scraich　o'　a　fiddle。'



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

never　gae　a　scraich　in　her　life　'cep'　whan　she　was　han'let　in　a

mainner　unbecomin'。　　But　we　s'　say　nae　mair　aboot　her；　for　she's

gane；　an'　no　by　a　fair　strae…deith　（death　on　one's　own　straw）

either。　　She　had　nae　blude　to　cry　for　vengeance；　but　the　snappin'　o'

her　strings　an'　the　crackin'　o'　her　banes　may　hae　made　a　cry　to　gang

far　eneuch　notwithstandin'。'



The　old　woman　seemed　for　one　moment　rebuked　under　her　grandson's

eloquence。　　He　had　made　a　great　stride　towards　manhood　since　the

morning。



'The　fiddle's　my　ain；'　she　said；　in　a　defensive　tone。　'And　sae　is

the　fact'ry；'　she　added；　as　if　she　had　not　quite　reassured　herself

concerning　it。



'The　fiddle's　yours　nae　mair；　grannie。　　And　for　the　fact'ryye

winna　believe　me：　gang　and　see　yersel'。'



Therewith　Robert　retreated　to　his　garret。



When　he　opened　the　door　of　it；　the　first　thing　he　saw　was　the　string

of　his　kite；　which；　strange　to　tell；　so　steady　had　been　the　wind；

was　still　up　in　the　airstill　tugging　at　the　bedpost。　　Whether　it

was　from　the　stinging　thought　that　the　true　sky…soarer；　the　violin；

having　been　devoured　by　the　jaws　of　the　fire…devil；　there　was　no

longer　any　significance　in　the　outward　and　visible　sign　of　the

dragon；　or　from　a　dim　feeling　that　the　time　of　kites　was　gone　by　and

manhood　on　the　threshold；　I　cannot　tell；　but　he　drew　his　knife　from

his　pocket；　and　with　one　down…stroke　cut　the　string　in　twain。　　Away

went　the　dragon；　free；　like　a　prodigal；　to　his　ruin。　　And　with　the

dragon；　afar　into　the　past；　flew　the　childhood　of　Robert　Falconer。

He　made　one　remorseful　dart　after　the　string　as　it　swept　out　of　the

skylight；　but　it　was　gone　beyond　remeid。　　And　never　more；　save　in

twilight　dreams；　did　he　lay　hold　on　his　childhood　again。　　But　he

knew　better　and　better；　as　the　years　rolled　on；　that　he　approached　a

deeper　and　holier　childhood；　of　which　that　had　been　but　the　feeble

and　necessarily　vanishing　type。



As　the　kite　sank　in　the　distance；　Mrs。　Falconer　issued　from　the

house；　and　went　down　the　street　towards　the　factory。



Before　she　came　back　the　cloth　was　laid　for　dinner；　and　Robert　and

Shargar　were　both　in　the　parlour　awaiting　her　return。　　She　entered

heated　and　dismayed；　went　into　Robert's　bedroom；　and　shut　the　door

hastily。　　They　heard　her　open　the　old　bureau。　　In　a　moment　after　she

came　out　with　a　more　luminous　expression　upon　her　face　than　Robert

had　ever　seen　it　bear。　　It　was　as　still　as　ever；　but　there　was　a

strange　light　in　her　eyes；　which　was　not　confined　to　her　eyes；　but

shone　in　a　measure　from　her　colourless　forehead　and　cheeks　as　well。

It　was　long　before　Robert　was　able　to　interpret　that　change　in　her

look；　and　that　increase　of　kindness　towards　himself　and　Shargar；

apparently　such　a　contrast　with　the　holocaust　of　the　morning。　　Had

they　both　been　Benjamins　they　could　not　have　had　more　abundant

platefuls　than　she　gave　them　that　day。　　And　when　they　left　her　to

return　to　school；　instead　of　the　usual　'Noo　be　douce；'　she　said；　in

gentle；　almost　loving　tones；　'Noo；　be　good　lads；　baith　o'　ye。'



The　conclusion　at　which　Falconer　did　arrive　was　that　his　grandmother

had　hurried　home　to　see　whether　the　title…deeds　of　the　factory　were

still　in　her　possession；　and　had　found　that　they　were　gonetaken；

doubtless；　by　her　son　Andrew。　　At　whatever　period　he　had

appropriated　them；　he　must　have　parted　with　them　but　recently。　　And

the　hope　rose　luminous　that　her　son　had　not　yet　passed　into　the

region　'where　all　life　dies；　death　lives。'　　Terrible　consolation！

Terrible　creed；　which　made　the　hope　that　he　was　still　on　this　side

of　the　grave　working　wickedness；　light　up　the　face　of　the　mother；

and　open　her　hand　in　kindness。　　Is　it　suffering；　or　is　it

wickedness；　that　is　the　awful　thing？　'Ah！　but　they　are　both　combined

in　the　other　world。'　　And　in　this　world　too；　I　answer；　only；

according　to　Mrs。　Falconer's　creed；　in　the　other　world　God；　for　the

sake　of　the　suffering；　renders　the　wickedness　eternal！



The　old　factory　was　in　part　pulled　down；　and　out　of　its　remains　a

granary　constructed。　　Nor　did　the　old　lady　interpose　a　word　to

arrest　the　alienation　of　her　property。









CHAPTER　XXIV。



BOOT　FOR　BALE。



Mary　St。　John　was　the　orphan　daughter　of　an　English　clergyman；　who

had　left　her　money　enough　to　make　her　at　least　independent。　　Mrs。

Forsyth；　hearing　that　her　niece　was　left　alone　in　the　world；　had

concluded　that　her　society　would　be　a　pleasure　to　herself　and　a

relief　to　the　housekeeping。　　Even　before　her　father's　death；　Miss

St。　John；　having　met　with　a　disappointment；　and　concluded　herself

dead　to　the　world；　had　been　looking　about　for　some　way　of　doing

good。　　The　prospect　of　retirement；　therefore；　and　of　being　useful　to

her　sick　aunt；　had　drawn　her　northwards。



She　was　now　about　six…and…twenty；　filled　with　two　passionsone　for

justice；　the　other　for　music。　　Her　griefs　had　not　made　her　selfish；

nor　had　her　music　degenerated　into　sentiment。　　The　gentle　style　of

the　instruction　she　had　received　had　never　begotten　a　diseased

self…consciousness；　and　if　her　religion　lacked　something　of　the

intensity　without　which　a　character　like　hers　could　not　be　evenly

balanced；　its　force　was　not　spent　on　the　combating　of　unholy　doubts

and　selfish　fears；　but　rose　on　the　wings　of　her　music　in　gentle

thanksgiving。　　Tears　had　changed　her　bright…hued　hopes　into　a

dove…coloured　submission；　through　which　her　mind　was　passing　towards

a　rainbow　dawn　such　as　she　had　never　dreamed　of。　　To　her　as　yet　the

Book　of　Common　Prayer　contained　all　the　prayers　that　human　heart　had

need　to　offer；　what　things　lay　beyond　its　scope　must　lie　beyond　the

scope　of　religion。　　All　such　things　must　be　parted　with　one　day；　and

if　they　had　been　taken　from　her　very　soon；　she　was　the　sooner　free

from　the　painful　necessity　of　watching　lest　earthly　love　should

remove　any　of　the　old　landmarks　dividing　what　was　God's　from　what

was　only　man's。　　She　had　now　retired　within　the　pale　of　religion；

and　left　the　rest　of　her　being；　as　she　thought；　'to　dull

forgetfulness　a　prey。'



She　had　little　comfort　in　the　society　of　her　aunt。　　Indeed；　she　felt

strongly　tempted　to　return　again　to　England　the　same　month；　and　seek

a　divine　service　elsewhere。　　But　it　was　not　at　all　so　easy　then　as

it　is　now　for　a　woman　to　find　the　opportunity　of　being　helpful　in

the　world　of　suffering。



Mrs。　Forsyth　was　one　of　those　women　who　get　their　own　way　by　the

very　vis　inertiae　of　their　silliness。　　No　argument　could　tell　upon

her。　　She　was　so　incapable　of　seeing　anything　noble　that　her　perfect

satisfaction　with　everything　she　herself　thought；　said；　or　did；

remained　unchallenged。　　She　had　just　illness　enough　to　swell　her

feeling　of　importance。　　She　looked　down　upon　Mrs。　Falconer　from　such

an　immeasurable　height　that　she　could　not　be　indignant　with　her　for

anything；　she　only　vouchsafed　a　laugh　now　and　then　at　her　oddities；

holding　no　further　communication　with　her　than　a　condescending　bend

of　the　neck　when　they　happened　to　meet；　which　was　not　once　a　year。

But；　indeed；　she　would　have　patronized　the　angel　Gabriel；　if　she

had　had　a　chance；　and　no　doubt　given　him　a　hint　or　two　upon　the

proper　way　of　praising　God。　For　the　rest；　she　was　good…tempered；

looked　comfortable；　and　quarrelled　with　nobody　but　her　rough　honest

old　bear　of　a　husband；　whom；　in　his　seventieth　year；　she　was　always

trying　to　teach　good　manners；　with　the　frequent　result　of　a　storm　of

swearing。



But　now　Mary　St。　John　was　thoroughly　interested　in　the　strange　boy

whose　growing　musical　pinions　were　ever　being　clipped　by　the　shears

of　unsympathetic　age　and　crabbed　religion；　and　the　idea　of　doing

something　for　him　to　make　up　for　the　injustice　of　his　grandmother

awoke　in　her　a　slight　glow　of　that　interest　in　life　which　she　sought

only　in　doing　good。　　But　although　ere　long　she　came　to　love　the　boy

very