robert falconer-第5章

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The　moment　his　eyes　fell　upon　the　two；　he　was　struck　by　a

resemblance　between　them。　　Shargar　was　right　under　the　lamp；　the　man

to　the　side　of　it；　so　that　Shargar　was　shadowed　by　its　frame；　and

the　man　was　in　its　full　light。　　The　latter　turned　away；　and　passing

Robert；　went　into　the　inn。



'Wha's　that？'　asked　Robert。



'I　dinna　ken；'　answered　Shargar。　'He　spak　to　me　or　ever　I　kent　he

was　there；　and　garred　my　hert　gie　sic　a　loup　'at　it　maist　fell　into

my　breeks。'



'And　what　said　he　to　ye？'



'He　said　was　the　deevil　at　my　lug；　that　I　did　naething　but　caw　my

han's　to　bits　upo'　my　shoothers。'



'And　what　said　ye　to　that？'



'I　said　I　wissed　he　was；　for　he　wad　aiblins　hae　some　spare　heat

aboot　him；　an'　I　hadna　freely　（quite）　eneuch。'



'Weel　dune；　Shargar！　　What　said　he　to　that？'



'He　leuch；　and　speirt　gin　I　wad　list；　and　gae　me　a　shillin'。'



'Ye　didna　tak　it；　Shargar？'　asked　Robert　in　some　alarm。



'Ay　did　I。　Catch　me　no　taking　a　shillin'！'



'But　they'll　haud　ye　till　't。'



'Na；　na。　　I'm　ower　shochlin'　（in…kneed）　for　a　sodger。　　But　that　man

was　nae　sodger。'



'And　what　mair　said　he？'



'He　speirt　what　I　wad　do　wi'　the　shillin'。'



'And　what　said　ye？'



'Ow！　syne　ye　cam'　oot；　and　he　gaed　awa'。'



'And　ye　dinna　ken　wha　it　was？'　repeated　Robert。



'It　was　some　like　my　brither；　Lord　Sandy；　but　I　dinna　ken；'　said

Shargar。



By　this　time　they　had　arrived　at　Yule　the　baker's　shop。



'Bide　ye　here；'　said　Robert；　who　happened　to　possess　a　few　coppers；

'till　I　gang　into　Eel's。'



Shargar　stood　again　and　shivered　at　the　door；　till　Robert　came　out

with　a　penny　loaf　in　one　hand；　and　a　twopenny　loaf　in　the　other。



'Gie's　a　bit；　Bob；'　said　Shargar。　'I'm　as　hungry　as　I　am　cauld。'



'Bide　ye　still；'　returned　Robert。　'There's　a　time　for　a'　thing；　and

your　time　's　no　come　to　forgather　wi'　this　loaf　yet。　　Does　na　it

smell　fine？　　It's　new　frae　the　bakehoose　no　ten　minutes　ago。　　I　ken

by　the　fin'　（feel）　o'　't。'



'Lat　me　fin'　't；'　said　Shargar；　stretching　out　one　hand；　and　feeling

his　shilling　with　the　other。



'Na。　Yer　han's　canna　be　clean。　　And　fowk　suld　aye　eat　clean；　whether

they　gang　clean　or　no。'



'I'll　awa'　in　an'　buy　ane　oot　o'　my　ain　shillin'；'　said　Shargar；　in

a　tone　of　resolute　eagerness。



'Ye'll　do　naething　o'　the　kin'；'　returned　Robert；　darting　his　hand

at　his　collar。　'Gie　me　the　shillin'。　　Ye'll　want　it　a'　or　lang。'



Shargar　yielded　the　coin　and　slunk　behind；　while　Robert　again　led

the　way　till　they　came　to　his　grandmother's　door。



'Gang　to　the　ga'le　o'　the　hoose　there；　Shargar；　and　jist　keek　roon'

the　neuk　at　me；　and　gin　I　whustle　upo'　ye；　come　up　as　quaiet　's　ye

can。　　Gin　I　dinna；　bide　till　I　come　to　ye。'



Robert　opened　the　door　cautiously。　　It　was　never　locked　except　at

night；　or　when　Betty　had　gone　to　the　well　for　water；　or　to　the

butcher's　or　baker's；　or　the　prayer…meeting；　upon　which　occasions

she　put　the　key　in　her　pocket；　and　left　her　mistress　a　prisoner。　　He

looked　first　to　the　right；　along　the　passage；　and　saw　that　his

grandmother's　door　was　shut；　then　across　the　passage　to　the　left；

and　saw　that　the　kitchen　door　was　likewise　shut；　because　of　the

cold；　for　its　normal　position　was　against　the　wall。　　Thereupon；

closing　the　door；　but　keeping　the　handle　in　his　hand；　and　the　bolt

drawn　back；　he　turned　to　the　street　and　whistled　soft　and　low。

Shargar　had；　in　a　moment；　dragged　his　heavy　feet；　ready　to　part

company　with　their　shoes　at　any　instant；　to　Robert's　side。　　He　bent

his　ear　to　Robert's　whisper。



'Gang　in　there；　and　creep　like　a　moose　to　the　fit　o'　the　stair。　　I

maun　close　the　door　ahin'　's；'　said　he；　opening　the　door　as　he

spoke。



'I'm　fleyt　（frightened）；　Robert。'



'Dinna　be　a　fule。　　Grannie　winna　bite　aff　yer　heid。　　She　had　ane

till　her　denner；　the　day；　an'　it　was　ill　sung　（singed）。'



'What　ane　o'？'



'A　sheep's　heid；　ye　gowk　（fool）。　　Gang　in　direckly。'



Shargar　persisted　no　longer；　but；　taking　about　four　steps　a　minute；

slunk　past　the　kitchen　like　a　thiefnot　so　carefully；　however；　but

that　one　of　his　soles　yet　looser　than　the　other　gave　one　clap　upon

the　flagged　passage；　when　Betty　straightway　stood　in　the　kitchen

door；　a　fierce　picture　in　a　deal　frame。　　By　this　time　Robert　had

closed　the　outer　door；　and　was　following　at　Shargar's　heels。



'What's　this？'　she　cried；　but　not　so　loud　as　to　reach　the　ears　of

Mrs。　Falconer；　for；　with　true　Scotch　foresight；　she　would　not

willingly　call　in　another　power　before　the　situation　clearly

demanded　it。　'Whaur's　Shargar　gaein'　that　gait？'



'Wi'　me。　　Dinna　ye　see　me　wi'　him？　　I'm　nae　a　thief；　nor　yet's

Shargar。'



'There　may　be　twa　opingons　upo'　that；　Robert。　　I　s'　jist　awa'　benn

to　the　mistress。　　I　s'　hae　nae　sic　doin's　i'　my　hoose。'



'It's　nae　your　hoose；　Betty。　　Dinna　lee。'



'Weel；　I　s'　hae　nae　sic　things　gang　by　my　kitchie　door。　　There；

Robert！　what　'll　ye　mak'　o'　that？　　There's　nae　offence；　there；　I

houp；　gin　it　suldna　be　a'thegither　my　ain　hoose。　　Tak　Shargar　oot　o'

that；　or　I　s'　awa'　benn　the　hoose；　as　I　tell　ye。'



Meantime　Shargar　was　standing　on　the　stones；　looking　like　a

terrified　white　rabbit；　and　shaking　from　head　to　foot　with　cold　and

fright　combined。



'I'll　tak　him　oot　o'　this；　but　it's　up　the　stair；　Betty。　　An'　gin　ye

gang　benn　the　hoose　aboot　it；　I　sweir　to　ye；　as　sure　's　death；　I'll

gang　doon　to　Muckledrum　upo'　Setterday　i'　the　efternune。'



'Gang　awa'　wi'　yer　havers。　　Only　gin　the　mistress　speirs　onything

aboot　it；　what　am　I　to　say？'



'Bide　till　she　speirs。　　Auld　Spunkie　says；　〃Ready…made　answers　are

aye　to　seek。〃　　And　I　say；　Betty；　hae　ye　a　cauld　pitawta　（potato）？'



'I'll　luik　and　see。　　Wadna　ye　like　it　het　up？'



'Ow　ay；　gin　ye　binna　lang　aboot　it。'



Suddenly　a　bell　rang；　shrill　and　peremptory；　right　above　Shargar's

head；　causing　in　him　a　responsive　increase　of　trembling。



'Haud　oot　o'　my　gait。　　There's　the　mistress's　bell；'　said　Betty。



'Jist　bide　till　we're　roon'　the　neuk　and　on　to　the　stair；'　said

Robert；　now　leading　the　way。



Betty　watched　them　safe　round　the　corner　before　she　made　for　the

parlour；　little　thinking　to　what　she　had　become　an　unwilling

accomplice；　for　she　never　imagined　that　more　than　an　evening's　visit

was　intended　by　Shargar；　which　in　itself　seemed　to　her　strange　and

improper　enough　even　for　such　an　eccentric　boy　as　Robert　to

encourage。



Shargar　followed　in　mortal　terror；　for；　like　Christian　in　The

Pilgrim's　Progress；　he　had　no　armour　to　his　back。　　Once　round　the

corner；　two　strides　of　three　steps　each　took　them　to　the　top　of　the

first　stair；　Shargar　knocking　his　head　in　the　darkness　against　the

never…opened　door。　　Again　three　strides　brought　them　to　the　top　of

the　second　flight；　and　turning　once　more；　still　to　the　right；　Robert

led　Shargar　up　the　few　steps　into　the　higher　of　the　two　garrets。



Here　there　was　just　glimmer　enough　from　the　sky　to　discover　the

hollow　of　a　close　bedstead；　built　in　under　the　sloping　roof；　which

served　it　for　a　tester；　while　the　two　ends　and　most　of　the　front

were　boarded　up　to　the　roof。　　This　bedstead　fortunately　was　not　so

bare　as　the　one　in　the　other　room；　although　it　had　not　been　used　for

many　years；　for　an　old　mattress　covered　the　boards　with　which　it　was

bottomed。



'Gang　in　there；　Shargar。　　Ye'll　be　warmer　there　than　upo'　the

door…step　ony　gait。　　Pit　aff　yer　shune。'



Shargar　obeyed；　full　of　delight　at　finding　himself　in　such　good

quarters。　　Robert　went　to　a　forsaken　press　in　the　room；　and　brought

out　an　ancient　cloak　of　tartan；　of　the　same　form　as　what　is　now

called　an　Inverness　cape；　a　blue　dress…coat；　with　plain　gilt

buttons；　which　shone　even　now　in　the　all　but　darkness；　and　several

other　garments；　amongst　them　a　kilt；　and　heaped　them　over　Shargar　as

he　lay　on　the　mattress。　　He　then　handed　him　the　twopenny　and　the

penny　loaves；　which　were　all　his　stock　had　reached　to　the　purchase