robert falconer-第56章

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effectual　calling　and　the　perseverance　of　the　saints　could　be　lawful

in　a　world　that　was　under　the　wrath　and　curse　of　God。　Robert　waited

in　vain　for　a　reply。



'Gang　yer　wa's；'　she　said　at　length。　'Mr。　Innes　and　me　has　some

business　to　mak　an　en'　o'；　an'　we　want　nae　assistance。'



Robert　rejoined　Shargar；　who　was　still　bemoaning　the　loss　of　his

sovereign。　　His　face　brightened　when　he　saw　its　well…known　yellow

shine　once　more；　but　darkened　again　as　soon　as　Robert　told　him　to

what　service　it　was　now　devoted。



'It's　my　ain；'　he　said；　with　a　suppressed　expostulatory　growl。



Robert　threw　the　coin　on　the　floor。



'Tak　yer　filthy　lucre！'　he　exclaimed　with　contempt；　and　turned　to

leave　Shargar　alone　in　the　garret　with　his　sovereign。



'Bob！'　　Shargar　almost　screamed；　'tak　it；　or　I'll　cut　my　throat。'



This　was　his　constant　threat　when　he　was　thoroughly　in　earnest。



'Cut　it；　an'　hae　dune　wi'　't；'　said　Robert　cruelly。



Shargar　burst　out　crying。



'Len'　me　yer　knife；　than；　Bob；'　he　sobbed；　holding　out　his　hand。



Robert　burst　into　a　roar　of　laughter；　caught　up　the　sovereign　from

the　floor；　sped　with　it　to　the　baker's；　who　refused　to　change　it

because　he　had　no　knowledge　of　anything　representing　the　sum　of

twenty　shillings　except　a　pound…note；　succeeded　in　getting　silver

for　it　at　the　bank；　and　then　ran　to　the　soutar's。



After　he　left　the　parlour；　the　discussion　of　his　fate　was　resumed

and　finally　settled　between　his　grandmother　and　the　school…master。

The　former；　in　regard　of　the　boy's　determination　to　befriend　the

shoemaker　in　the　matter　of　music　as　well　as　of　money；　would　now　have

sent　him　at　once　to　the　grammar…school　in　Old　Aberdeen；　to　prepare

for　the　competition　in　the　month　of　November；　but　the　latter

persuaded　her　that　if　the　boy　gave　his　whole　attention　to　Latin　till

the　next　summer；　and　then　went　to　the　grammar…school　for　three

months　or　so；　he　would　have　an　excellent　chance　of　success。　　As　to

the　violin；　the　school…master　said；　wisely　enough：



'He　that　will　to　Cupar　maun　to　Cupar；　and　gin　ye　kep　（intercept）　him

upo'　the　shore…road；　he'll　tak　to　the　hill…road；　an'　I　s'　warran'　a

braw　lad　like　Robert　'll　get　mony　a　ane　in　Ebberdeen　'll　be　ready

eneuch　to　gie　him　a　lift　wi'　the　fiddle；　and　maybe　tak　him　into　waur

company　nor　the　puir　bed…ridden　soutar；　an'　wi'　you　an'　me　to　hing

on　to　the　tail　o'　'im　like；　he　canna　gang　ower　the　scar　（cliff）

afore　he　learns　wit。'



'Hm！'　was　the　old　lady's　comprehensive　response。



It　was　further　arranged　that　Robert　should　be　informed　of　their

conclusion；　and　so　roused　to　effort　in　anticipation　of　the　trial

upon　which　his　course　in　life　must　depend。



Nothing　could　have　been　better　for　Robert　than　the　prospect　of　a

college　education。　　But　his　first　thought　at　the　news　was　not　of　the

delights　of　learning　nor　of　the　honourable　course　that　would　ensue；

but　of　Eric　Ericson；　the　poverty…stricken；　friendless　descendant　of

yarls　and　sea…rovers。　　He　would　see　himthe　only　man　that

understood　him！　　Not　until　the　passion　of　this　thought　had　abated；

did　he　begin　to　perceive　the　other　advantages　before　him。　　But　so

practical　and　thorough　was　he　in　all　his　proposals　and　means；　that

ere　half…an…hour　was　gone；　he　had　begun　to　go　over　his　Rudiments

again。　　He　now　wrote　a　version；　or　translation　from　English　into

Latin；　five　times　a　week；　and　read　Caeser；　Virgil；　or　Tacitus；　every

day。　　He　gained　permission　from　his　grandmother　to　remove　his　bed　to

his　own　garret；　and　there；　from　the　bedstead　at　which　he　no　longer

kneeled；　he　would　often　rise　at　four　in　the　morning；　even　when　the

snow　lay　a　foot　thick　on　the　skylight；　kindle　his　lamp　by　means　of　a

tinder…box　and　a　splinter　of　wood　dipped　in　sulphur；　and　sitting

down　in　the　keen　cold；　turn　half　a　page　of　Addison　into　something　as

near　Ciceronian　Latin　as　he　could　effect。　　This　would　take　him　from

an　hour　and　a　half　to　two　hours；　when　he　would　tumble　again　into

bed；　blue　and　stiff；　and　sleep　till　it　was　time　to　get　up　and　go　to

the　morning　school　before　breakfast。　　His　health　was　excellent；　else

it　could　never　have　stood　such　treatment。









CHAPTER　III。



'THE　END　CROWNS　ALL'。



His　sole　relaxation　almost　lay　in　the　visit　he　paid　every　evening　to

the　soutar　and　his　wife。　　Their　home　was　a　wretched　place；　but

notwithstanding　the　poverty　in　which　they　were　now　sunk；　Robert　soon

began　to　see　a　change；　like　the　dawning　of　light；　an　alba；　as　the

Italians　call　the　dawn；　in　the　appearance　of　something　white　here

and　there　about　the　room。　　Robert's　visits　had　set　the　poor　woman

trying　to　make　the　place　look　decent。　　It　soon　became　at　least

clean；　and　there　is　a　very　real　sense　in　which　cleanliness　is　next

to　godliness。　　If　the　people　who　want　to　do　good　among　the　poor

would　give　up　patronizing　them；　would　cease　from　trying　to　convert

them　before　they　have　gained　the　smallest　personal　influence　with

them；　would　visit　them　as　those　who　have　just　as　good　a　right　to　be

here　as　they　have；　it　would　be　all　the　better　for　both；　perhaps

chiefly　for　themselves。



For　the　first　week　or　so；　Alexander；　unable　either　to　work　or　play；

and　deprived　of　his　usual　consolation　of　drink；　was　very　testy　and

unmanageable。　　If　Robert；　who　strove　to　do　his　best；　in　the　hope　of

alleviating　the　poor　fellow's　sufferingschiefly　those　of　the

mindhappened　to　mistake　the　time　or　to　draw　a　false　note　from　the

violin；　Sandy　would　swear　as　if　he　had　been　the　Grand　Turk　and

Robert　one　of　his　slaves。　　But　Robert　was　too　vexed　with　himself；

when　he　gave　occasion　to　such　an　outburst；　to　mind　the　outburst

itself。　　And　invariably　when　such　had　taken　place；　the　shoemaker

would　ask　forgiveness　before　he　went。　　Holding　out　his　left　hand；

from　which　nothing　could　efface　the　stains　of　rosin　and　lamp…black

and　heel…ball；　save　the　sweet　cleansing　of　mother…earth；　he　would

say；



'Robert；　ye'll　jist　pit　the　sweirin'　doon　wi'　the　lave　（rest）；　an'

score　't　oot　a'thegither。　　I'm　an　ill…tongued　vratch；　an'　I'm

beginnin'　to　see　't。　　But；　man；　ye're　jist　behavin'　to　me　like　God

himsel'；　an'　gin　it　warna　for　you；　I　wad　jist　lie　here　roarin'　an'

greitin'　an'　damnin'　frae　mornin'　to　nicht。Ye　will　be　in　the

morn's　nightwillna　ye？'　he　would　always　end　by　asking　with　some

anxiety。



'Of　coorse　I　will；'　Robert　would　answer。



'Gude　nicht；　than；　gude　nicht。I'll　try　and　get　a　sicht　o'　my　sins

ance　mair；'　he　added；　one　evening。　'Gin　I　could　only　be　a　wee　bit

sorry　for　them；　I　reckon　he　wad　forgie　me。　　Dinna　ye　think　he　wad；

Robert？'



'Nae　doobt；　nae　doobt；'　answered　Robert　hurriedly。　'They　a'　say　'at

gin　a　man　repents　the　richt　gait；　he'll　forgie　him。'



He　could　not　say　more　than　'They　say；'　for　his　own　horizon　was　all

dark；　and　even　in　saying　this　much　he　felt　like　a　hypocrite。　　A

terrible　waste；　heaped　thick　with　the　potsherds　of　hope；　lay　outside

that　door　of　prayer　which　he　had；　as　he　thought；　nailed　up　for　ever。



'An'　what　is　the　richt　gait？'　asked　the　soutar。



''Deed；　that's　mair　nor　I　ken；　Sandy；'　answered　Robert　mournfully。



'Weel；　gin　ye　dinna　ken；　what's　to　come　o'　me？'　said　Alexander

anxiously。



'Ye　maun　speir　at　himsel'；'　returned　Robert；　'an'　jist　tell　him　'at

ye　dinna　ken；　but　ye'll　do　onything　'at　he　likes。'



With　these　words　he　took　his　leave　hurriedly；　somewhat　amazed　to

find　that　he　had　given　the　soutar　the　strange　advice　to　try　just

what　he　had　tried　so　unavailingly　himself。　　And　stranger　still；　he

found　himself；　before　he　reached　home；　praying　once　more　in　his

heartboth　for　Dooble　Sanny　and　for　himself。　　From　that　hour　a

faint　hope　was　within　him　that　some　day　he　might　try　again；　though

he　dared　not　yet　encounter　such　effort　and　agony。



All　this　time　he　had　never　doubted　that　there　was　God；　nor　had　he

ventured　to　say　within　himself　that　perhaps　God　was　not　good；　he　had

simply　come　to　the　conclusion　that　for　him　there　was　no　approach　to

the　fountain　of　his　bein