robert falconer-第66章

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life。



Ericson　had　waked　often；　and　Robert　had　administered　his　medicine

carefully。　　But　he　had　been　mostly　between　sleeping　and　waking；　and

had　murmured　strange　words；　whose　passing　shadows　rather　than

glimmers　roused　the　imagination　of　the　youth　as　with　messages　from

regions　unknown。



As　the　light　came　he　found　his　senses　going；　and　went　to　his　own

room　again　to　get　a　book　that　he　might　keep　himself　awake　by　reading

at　the　window。　　To　his　surprise　Shargar　was　gone；　and　for　a　moment

he　doubted　whether　he　had　not　been　dreaming　all　that　had　passed

between　them　the　night　before。　　His　plaid　was　folded　up　and　laid

upon　a　chair；　as　if　it　had　been　there　all　night；　and　his　Ainsworth

was　on　the　table。　　But　beside　it　was　the　money　Shargar　had　drawn

from　his　pockets。



About　nine　o'clock　Dr。　Anderson　arrived；　found　Ericson　not　so　much

worse　as　he　had　expected；　comforted　Robert；　and　told　him　he　must　go

to　bed。



'But　I　cannot　leave　Mr。　Ericson；'　said　Robert。



'Let　your　friendwhat's　his　odd　name？watch　him　during　the　day。'



'Shargar；　you　mean；　sir。　　But　that's　his　nickname。　　His　rale　name

they　say　his　mither　says；　is　George　Moraywi'　an　o　an'　no　a

u…r。Do　you　see；　sir？'　concluded　Robert　significantly。



'No；　I　don't；'　answered　the　doctor。



'They　say　he's　a　son　o'　the　auld　Markis's；　that's　it。　　His　mither's

a　randy　wife　'at　gangs　aboot　the　countrya　gipsy　they　say。　　There's

nae　doobt　aboot　her。　　An'　by　a'　accoonts　the　father's　likly　eneuch。'



'And　how　on　earth　did　you　come　to　have　such　a　questionable

companion？'



'Shargar's　as　fine　a　crater　as　ever　God　made；'　said　Robert　warmly。

'Ye'll　alloo　'at　God　made　him；　doctor；　though　his　father　an'　mither

thochtna　muckle　aboot　him　or　God　either　whan　they　got　him　atween

them？　　An'　Shargar　couldna　help　it。　　It　micht　ha'　been　you　or　me　for

that　maitter；　doctor。'



'I　beg　your　pardon；　Robert；'　said　Dr。　Anderson　quietly；　although

delighted　with　the　fervour　of　his　young　kinsman：　'I　only　wanted　to

know　how　he　came　to　be　your　companion。'



'I　beg　your　pardon；　doctorbut　I　thoucht　ye　was　some　scunnert　at

it；　an'　I　canna　bide　Shargar　to　be　luikit　doon　upo'。　　Luik　here；'　he

continued；　going　to　his　box；　and　bringing　out　Shargar's　little　heap

of　coppers；　in　which　two　sixpences　obscurely　shone；　'he　brocht　a'

that　hame　last　nicht；　an'　syne　sleepit　upo'　the　rug　i'　my　room

there。　　We'll　want　a'　'at　he　can　mak　an'　me　too　afore　we　get　Mr。

Ericson　up　again。'



'But　ye　haena　tellt　me　yet；'　said　the　doctor；　so　pleased　with　the

lad　that　he　relapsed　into　the　dialect　of　his　youth；　'hoo　ye　cam　to

forgather　wi'　'im。'



'I　tellt　ye　a'　aboot　it；　doctor。　　It　was　a'　my　grannie's　doin'；　God

bless　herfor　weel　he　may；　an'　muckle　she　needs　't。'



'Oh！　yes；　I　remember　now　all　your　grandmother's　part　in　the　story；'

returned　the　doctor。　'But　I　still　want　to　know　how　he　came　here。'



'She　was　gaein'　to　mak　a　taylor　o'　'm：　an'　he　jist　ran　awa'；　an'　cam

to　me。'



'It　was　too　bad　of　him　thatafter　all　she　had　done　for　him。'



'Ow；　'deed　no；　doctor。　　Even　whan　ye　boucht　a　man　an'　paid　for　him；

accordin'　to　the　Jewish　law；　ye　cudna　mak　a　slave　o'　'im　for

a'thegither；　ohn　him　seekin'　't　himsel'。Eh！　gin　she　could　only　get

my　father　hame！'　sighed　Robert；　after　a　pause。



'What　should　she　want　him　home　for？'　asked　Dr。　Anderson；　still

making　conversation。



'I　didna　mean　hame　to　Rothieden。　　I　believe　she　cud　bide　never

seein'　'im　again；　gin　only　he　wasna　i'　the　ill　place。　　She　has　awfu'

notions　aboot　burnin'　ill　sowls　for　ever　an'　ever。　　But　it's　no

hersel'。　　It's　the　wyte　o'　the　ministers。　　Doctor；　I　do　believe　she

wad　gang　an'　be　brunt　hersel'　wi'　a　great　thanksgivin'；　gin　it　wad

lat　ony　puir　crater　oot　o'　'tno　to　say　my　father。　　An'　I　sair

misdoobt　gin　mony　o'　them　'at　pat　it　in　her　heid　wad　do　as　muckle。

I'm　some　feared　they're　like　Paul　afore　he　was　convertit：　he　wadna

lift　a　stane　himsel'；　but　he　likit　weel　to　stan'　oot　by　an'　luik

on。'



A　deep　sigh；　almost　a　groan；　from　the　bed；　reminded　them　that　they

were　talking　too　much　and　too　loud　for　a　sick…room。　　It　was　followed

by　the　words；　muttered；　but　articulate；



'What's　the　good　when　you　don't　know　whether　there's　a　God　at　all？'



''Deed；　that's　verra　true；　Mr。　Ericson；'　returned　Robert。　'I　wish　ye

wad　fin'　oot　an'　tell　me。　　I　wad　be　blithe　to　hear　what　ye　had　to

say　anent　itgin　it　was　ay；　ye　ken。'



Ericson　went　on　murmuring；　but　inarticulately　now。



'This　won't　do　at　all；　Robert；　my　boy；'　said　Dr。　Anderson。　'You　must

not　talk　about　such　things　with　him；　or　indeed　about　anything。　　You

must　keep　him　as　quiet　as　ever　you　can。'



'I　thocht　he　was　comin'　till　himsel'；'　returned　Robert。　'But　I　will

tak　care；　I　assure　ye；　doctor。　　Only　I'm　feared　I　may　fa'　asleep　the

nicht；　for　I　was　dooms　sleepy　this　mornin'。'



'I　will　send　Johnston　as　soon　as　I　get　home；　and　you　must　go　to　bed

when　he　comes。'



''Deed；　doctor；　that　winna　do　at　a'。　　It　wad　be　ower　mony　strange

faces　a'thegither。　　We'll　get　Mistress　Fyvie　to　luik　till　'im　the

day；　an'　Shargar　canna　work　the　morn；　bein'　Sunday。　　An'　I'll　gang

to　my　bed　for　fear　o'　doin'　waur；　though　I　doobt　I　winna　sleep　i'

the　daylicht。'



Dr。　Anderson　was　satisfied；　and　went　homecogitating　much。　　This

boy；　this　cousin　of　his；　made　a　vortex　of　good　about　him　into　which

whoever　came　near　it　was　drawn。　　He　seemed　at　the　same　time　quite

unaware　of　anything　worthy　in　his　conduct。　　The　good　he　did　sprung

from　some　inward　necessity；　with　just　enough　in　it　of　the　salt　of

choice　to　keep　it　from　losing　its　savour。　　To　these　cogitations　of

Dr。　Anderson；　I　add　that　there　was　no　conscious　exercise　of　religion

in　itfor　there　his　mind　was　all　at　sea。　　Of　course　I　believe

notwithstanding　that　religion　had　much；　I　ought　to　say　everything；

to　do　with　it。　　Robert　had　not　yet　found　in　God　a　reason　for　being

true　to　his　fellows；　but；　if　God　was　leading　him　to　be　the　man　he

became；　how　could　any　good　results　of　this　leading　be　other　than

religion？　　All　good　is　of　God。　Robert　began　where　he　could。　　The

first　table　was　too　high　for　him；　he　began　with　the　second。　　If　a

man　love　his　brother　whom　he　hath　seen；　the　love　of　God　whom　he　hath

not　seen；　is　not　very　far　off。　　These　results　in　Robert　were　the

first　outcome　of　divine　facts　and　influencesthey　were　the　buds　of

the　fruit　hereafter　to　be　gathered　in　perfect　devotion。　　God　be

praised　by　those　who　know　religion　to　be　the　truth　of　humanityits

own　truth　that　sets　it　freenot　binds；　and　lops；　and　mutilates　it！

who　see　God　to　be　the　father　of　every　human　soulthe　ideal　Father；

not　an　inventor　of　schemes；　or　the　upholder　of　a　court　etiquette　for

whose　use　he　has　chosen　to　desecrate　the　name　of　justice！



To　return　to　Dr。　Anderson。　　I　have　had　little　opportunity　of　knowing

his　history　in　India。　　He　returned　from　it　half…way　down　the　hill　of

life；　sad；　gentle；　kind；　and　rich。　　Whence　his　sadness　came；　we　need

not　inquire。　　Some　woman　out　in　that　fervid　land　may　have　darkened

his　storydarkened　it　wronglessly；　it　may　be；　with　coldness；　or

only　with　death。　　But　to　return　home　without　wife　to　accompany　him

or　child　to　meet　him；to　sit　by　his　riches　like　a　man　over　a　fire

of　straws　in　a　Siberian　frost；　to　know　that　old　faces　were　gone　and

old　hearts　changed；　that　the　pattern　of　things　in　the　heavens　had

melted　away　from　the　face　of　the　earth；　that　the　chill　evenings　of

autumn　were　settling　down　into　longer　and　longer　nights；　and　that　no

hope　lay　any　more　beyond　the　mountainssurely　this　was　enough　to

make　a　gentle…minded　man　sad；　even　if　the　individual　sorrows　of　his

history　had　gathered　into　gold　and　purple　in　the　west。　　I　say　west

advisedly。　　For　we　are　journeying；　like　our　globe；　ever　towards　the

east。　　Death　and　the　west　are　behind　usever　behind　us；　and

settling　into　the　unchangeable。



It　was　natural　that　he　should　be　interested　in　the　fine　promise　of

Robert；　in　whom　he　saw　revived　the　hopes　of　his　own