robert falconer-第95章

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Day　began　to　break　over　the　waves。　　They　gleamed　with　a　blue…gray

leaden　sheen。　　The　men　appeared　coming　along　the　harbour；　and

descended　by　a　stair　into　a　little　skiff；　where　a　barrel；　or

something　like　one；　lay　under　a　tarpaulin。　　Robert　bade　Shargar

good…bye；　and　followed。　　They　pushed　off；　rowed　out　into　the　bay；

and　lay　on　their　oars　waiting　for　the　vessel。　　The　light　grew　apace；

and　Robert　fancied　he　could　distinguish　the　two　horses　with　one

rider　against　the　sky　on　the　top　of　the　cliffs；　moving　northwards。

Turning　his　eyes　to　the　sea；　he　saw　the　canvas　of　the　brig；　and　his

heart　beat　fast。　　The　men　bent　to　their　oars。　　She　drew　nearer；　and

lay　to。　　When　they　reached　her　he　caught　the　rope　the　sailors　threw；

was　on　board　in　a　moment；　and　went　aft　to　the　captain。　　The　Dutchman

stared。　　In　a　few　words　Robert　made　him　understand　his　object；

offering　to　pay　for　his　passage；　but　the　good　man　would　not　hear　of

it。　　He　told　him　that　the　lady　and　gentleman　had　come　on　board　as

brother　and　sister：　the　baron　was　too　knowing　to　run　his　head　into

the　noose　of　Scotch　law。



'I　cannot　throw　him　over　the　board；'　said　the　skipper；　'and　what　am

I　to　do？　　I　am　afraid　it　is　of　no　use。　　Ah！　poor　thing！'



By　this　time　the　vessel　was　under　way。　　The　wind　freshened。　　Mysie

had　been　ill　ever　since　they　left　the　month　of　the　river：　now　she

was　much　worse。　　Before　another　hour　passed；　she　was　crying　to　be

taken　home　to　her　papa。　　Still　the　wind　increased；　and　the　vessel

laboured　much。



Robert　never　felt　better；　and　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　cause　of

his　sea…faring；　would　have　thoroughly　enjoyed　it。　　He　put　on　some

sea…going　clothes　of　the　captain's；　and　set　himself　to　take　his

share　in　working　the　brig；　in　which　he　was　soon　proficient　enough　to

be　useful。　　When　the　sun　rose；　they　were　in　a　tossing　wilderness　of

waves。　　With　the　sunrise；　Robert　began　to　think　he　had　been　guilty

of　a　great　folly。　　For　what　could　he　do？　　How　was　he　to　prevent　the

girl　from　going　off　with　her　lover　the　moment　they　landed？　　But　his

poor　attempt　would　verify　his　willingness。



The　baron　came　on　deck　now　and　then；　looking　bored。　　He　had　not

calculated　on　having　to　nurse　the　girl。　　Had　Mysie　been　well；　he

could　have　amused　himself　with　her；　for　he　found　her　ignorance

interesting。　　As　it　was；　he　felt　injured；　and　indeed　disgusted　at

the　result　of　the　experiment。



On　the　third　day　the　wind　abated　a　little；　but　towards　night　it　blew

hard　again；　and　it　was　not　until　they　reached　the　smooth　waters　of

the　Scheldt　that　Mysie　made　her　appearance　on　deck；　looking

dreadfully　ill；　and　altogether　like　a　miserable；　unhappy　child。　　Her

beauty　was　greatly　gone；　and　Lord　Rothie　did　not　pay　her　much

attention。



Robert　had　as　yet　made　no　attempt　to　communicate　with　her；　for　there

was　scarcely　a　chance　of　her　concealing　a　letter　from　the　baron。

But　as　soon　as　they　were　in　smooth　water；　he　wrote　one；　telling　her

in　the　simplest　language　that　the　baron　was　a　bad　man；　who　had

amused　himself　by　making　many　women　fall　in　love　with　him；　and　then

leaving　them　miserable：　he　knew　one　of　them　himself。



Having　finished　his　letter；　he　began　to　look　abroad　over　the　smooth

water；　and　the　land　smooth　as　the　water。　　He　saw　tall　poplars；　the

spires　of　the　forest；　and　rows　of　round…headed　dumpy　trees；　like

domes。　　And　he　saw　that　all　the　buildings　like　churches；　had　either

spires　like　poplars；　or　low　round　domes　like　those　other　trees。　　The

domes　gave　an　eastern　aspect　to　the　country。　　The　spire　of　Antwerp

cathedral　especially　had　the　poplar　for　its　model。　　The　pinnacles

which　rose　from　the　base　of　each　successive　start　of　its　narrowing

height　were　just　the　clinging；　upright　branches　of　the　poplara

lovely　instance　of　Art　following　Nature's　suggestion。









CHAPTER　XXIII。



ROBERT　FINDS　A　NEW　INSTRUMENT。



At　length　the　vessel　lay　alongside　the　quay；　and　as　Mysie　stepped

from　its　side　the　skipper　found　an　opportunity　of　giving　her

Robert's　letter。　　It　was　the　poorest　of　chances；　but　Robert　could

think　of　no　other。　　She　started　on　receiving　it；　but　regarding　the

skipper's　significant　gestures　put　it　quietly　away。　　She　looked

anything　but　happy；　for　her　illness　had　deprived　her　of　courage；　and

probably　roused　her　conscience。　　Robert　followed　the　pair；　saw　them

enter　The　Great　Labourerwhat　could　the　name　mean？　could　it　mean

The　Good　Shepherd？and　turned　away　helpless；　objectless　indeed；　for

he　had　done　all　that　he　could；　and　that　all　was　of　no　potency。　　A

world　of　innocence　and　beauty　was　about　to　be　hurled　from　its　orbit

of　light　into　the　blackness　of　outer　chaos；　he　knew　it；　and　was

unable　to　speak　word　or　do　deed　that　should　frustrate　the　power　of　a

devil　who　so　loved　himself　that　he　counted　it　an　honour　to　a　girl　to

have　him　for　her　ruin。　　Her　after　life　had　no　significance　for　him；

save　as　a　trophy　of　his　victory。　　He　never　perceived　that　such

victory　was　not　yielded　to　him；　that　he　gained　it　by　putting　on　the

garments　of　light；　that　if　his　inward　form　had　appeared　in　its　own

ugliness；　not　one　of　the　women　whose　admiration　he　had　secured　would

not　have　turned　from　him　as　from　the　monster　of　an　old　tale。



Robert　wandered　about　till　he　was　so　weary　that　his　head　ached　with

weariness。　　At　length　he　came　upon　the　open　space　before　the

cathedral；　whence　the　poplar…spire　rose　aloft　into　a　blue　sky

flecked　with　white　clouds。　　It　was　near　sunset；　and　he　could　not　see

the　sun；　but　the　upper　half　of　the　spire　shone　glorious　in　its

radiance。　　From　the　top　his　eye　sank　to　the　base。　　In　the　base　was　a

little　door　half　open。　　Might　not　that　be　the　lowly　narrow　entrance

through　the　shadow　up　to　the　sun…filled　air？　　He　drew　near　with　a

kind　of　tremor；　for　never　before　had　he　gazed　upon　visible　grandeur

growing　out　of　the　human　soul；　in　the　majesty　of　everlastingnessa

tree　of　the　Lord's　planting。　　Where　had　been　but　an　empty　space　of

air　and　light　and　darkness；　had　risen；　and　had　stood　for　ages；　a

mighty　wonder　awful　to　the　eye；　solid　to　the　hand。　　He　peeped

through　the　opening　of　the　door：　there　was　the　foot　of　a

stairmarvellous　as　the　ladder　of　Jacob's　dreamturning　away

towards　the　unknown。　　He　pushed　the　door　and　entered。　　A　man

appeared　and　barred　his　advance。　　Robert　put　his　hand　in　his　pocket

and　drew　out　some　silver。　　The　man　took　one　piecelooked　at

itturned　it　overput　it　in　his　pocket；　and　led　the　way　up　the

stair。　　Robert　followed　and　followed　and　followed。



He　came　out　of　stone　walls　upon　an　airy　platform　whence　the　spire

ascended　heavenwards。　　His　conductor　led　upward　still；　and　he

followed；　winding　within　a　spiral　network　of　stone；　through　which

all　the　world　looked　in。　　Another　platform；　and　yet　another　spire

springing　from　its　basement。　　Still　up　they　went；　and　at　length

stood　on　a　circle　of　stone　surrounding　like　a　coronet　the　last　base

of　the　spire　which　lifted　its　apex　untrodden。　　Then　Robert　turned

and　looked　below。　　He　grasped　the　stones　before　him。　　The　loneliness

was　awful。



There　was　nothing　between　him　and　the　roofs　of　the　houses；　four

hundred　feet　below；　but　the　spot　where　he　stood。　　The　whole　city；

with　its　red　roofs；　lay　under　him。　　He　stood　uplifted　on　the　genius

of　the　builder；　and　the　town　beneath　him　was　a　toy。　　The　all　but

featureless　flat　spread　forty　miles　on　every　side；　and　the　roofs　of

the　largest　buildings　below　were　as　dovecots。　　But　the　space　between

was　alive　with　aweso　vast；　so　real！



He　turned　and　descended；　winding　through　the　network　of　stone　which

was　all　between　him　and　space。　　The　object　of　the　architect　must

have　been　to　melt　away　the　material　from　before　the　eyes　of　the

spirit。　　He　hung　in　the　air　in　a　cloud　of　stone。　　As　he　came　in　his

descent　within　the　ornaments　of　one　of　the　basements；　he　found

himself　looking　through　two　thicknesses　of　stone　lace　on　the　nearing

city。　　Down　there　was　the　beast　of　prey　and　his　victim；　but　for　the

moment　he　was　above　the　region　o