robert falconer- 第14部分

considerin'　aboot　it。　　He'll　hae　some　ploy　o'　's　ain；　nae　doobt。

Laddies　will　be　laddies；　ye　ken；　mem。'



'I　doobt；　Betty；　ye'll　be　aidin'　an'　abettin'。　　An'　it　disna　become

yer　years；　Betty。'



'My　years　are　no　to　fin'　faut　wi'；　mem。　　They're　weel　eneuch。'



'That's　naething　to　the　pint；　Betty。　　What's　the　laddie　aboot？'



'Do　ye　mean　whan　he　gangs　up　the　stair；　mem？'



'Ay。　Ye　ken　weel　eneuch　what　I　mean。'



'Weel；　mem；　I　tell　ye　I　dinna　ken。　　An'　ye　never　heard　me　tell　ye　a

lee　sin'　ever　I　was　i'　yer　service；　mem。'



'Na；　nae　doonricht。　　Ye　gang　aboot　it　an'　aboot　it；　an'　at　last　ye

come　sae　near　leein'　that　gin　ye　spak　anither　word；　ye　wad　be　at　it；

and　it　jist　fleys　（frights）　me　frae　speirin'　ae　ither　question　at

ye。　　An'　that's　hoo　ye　win　oot　o'　't。　　But　noo　'at　it's　aboot　my　ain

oye　（grandson）；　I'm　no　gaein'　to　tyne　（lose）　him　to　save　a　woman　o'

your　years；　wha　oucht　to　ken　better；　an　sae　I'll　speir　at　ye；　though

ye　suld　be　driven　to　lee　like　Sawtan　himsel'。What's　he　aboot　whan

he　gangs　up　the　stair？　　Noo！'



'Weel；　as　sure's　deith；　I　dinna　ken。　　Ye　drive　me　to　sweirin'；　mem；

an'　no　to　leein'。'



'I　carena。　　Hae　ye　no　idea　aboot　it；　than；　Betty？'



'Weel；　mem；　I　think　sometimes　he　canna　be　weel；　and　maun　hae　a　tod

（fox）　in　's　stamack；　or　something　o'　that　nater。　　For　what　he　eats

is　awfu'。　　An'　I　think　whiles　he　jist　gangs　up　the　stair　to　eat　at

's　ain　wull。'



'That　jumps　wi'　my　ain　observations；　Betty。　　Do　ye　think　he　micht

hae　a　rabbit；　or　maybe　a　pair　o'　them；　in　some　boxie　i'　the　garret；

noo？'



'And　what　for　no；　gin　he　had；　mem？'



'What　for　no？　　Nesty　stinkin'　things！　　But　that's　no　the　pint。　　I

aye　hae　to　haud　ye　to　the　pint；　Betty。　　The　pint　is；　whether　he　has

rabbits　or　no？'



'Or　guinea…pigs；'　suggested　Betty。



'Weel。'



'Or　maybe　a　pup　or　twa。　　Or　I　kent　a　laddie　ance　'at　keepit　a　haill

faimily　o'　kittlins。　　Or　maybe　he　micht　hae　a　bit　lammie。　　There　was

an　uncle　o'　min'　ain'



'Haud　yer　tongue；　Betty！　　Ye　hae　ower　muckle　to　say　for　a'　the　sense

there's　intil　't。'



'Weel；　mem；　ye　speirt　questions　at　me。'



'Weel；　I　hae　had　eneuch　o'　yer　answers；　Betty。　　Gang　and　tell　Robert

to　come　here　direckly。'



Betty　went；　knowing　perfectly　that　Robert　had　gone　out；　and　returned

with　the　information。　　Her　mistress　searched　her　face　with　a　keen

eye。



'That　maun　hae　been　himsel'　efter　a'　whan　ye　thocht　ye　hard　the　door

gang；'　said　Betty。



'It's　a　strange　thing　that　I　suld　hear　him　benn　here　wi'　the　door

steekit；　an'　your　door　open　at　the　verra　door…cheek　o'　the　ither；

an'　you　no　hear　him；　Betty。　　And　me　sae　deif　as　weel！'



''Deed；　mem；'　retorted　Betty；　losing　her　temper　a　little；　'I　can　be

as　deif　's　ither　fowk　mysel'　whiles。'



When　Betty　grew　angry；　Mrs。　Falconer　invariably　grew　calm；　or；　at

least；　put　her　temper　out　of　sight。　　She　was　silent　now；　and

continued　silent　till　Betty　moved　to　return　to　her　kitchen；　when　she

said；　in　a　tone　of　one　who　had　just　arrived　at　an　important

resolution：



'Betty；　we'll　jist　awa'　up　the　stair　an'　luik。'



'Weel；　mem；　I　hae　nae　objections。'



'Nae　objections！　　What　for　suld　you　or　ony　ither　body　hae　ony

objections　to　me　gaein'　whaur　I　like　i'　my　ain　hoose？　　Umph！'

exclaimed　Mrs。　Falconer；　turning　and　facing　her　maid。



'In　coorse；　mem。　　I　only　meant　I　had　nae　objections　to　gang　wi'　ye。'



'And　what　for　suld　you　or　ony　ither　woman　that　I　paid　twa　pun'　five

i'　the　half…year　till；　daur　to　hae　objections　to　gaein'　whaur　I

wantit　ye　to　gang　i'　my　ain　hoose？'



'Hoot；　mem！　it　was　but　a　slip　o'　the　tonguenaething　mair。'



'Slip　me　nae　sic　slips；　or　ye'll　come　by　a　fa'　at　last；　I　doobt；

Betty；'　concluded　Mrs。　Falconer；　in　a　mollified　tone；　as　she　turned

and　led　the　way　from　the　room。



They　got　a　candle　in　the　kitchen　and　proceeded　up…stairs；　Mrs。

Falconer　still　leading；　and　Betty　following。　　They　did　not　even　look

into　the　ga'le…room；　not　doubting　that　the　dignity　of　the　best

bed…room　was　in　no　danger　of　being　violated　even　by　Robert；　but　took

their　way　upwards　to　the　room　in　which　he　kept　his

school…booksalmost　the　only　articles　of　property　which　the　boy

possessed。　　Here　they　found　nothing　suspicious。　　All　was　even　in　the

best　possible　ordernot　a　very　wonderful　fact；　seeing　a　few　books

and　a　slate　were　the　only　things　there　besides　the　papers　on　the

shelves。



What　the　feelings　of　Shargar　must　have　been　when　he　heard　the　steps

and　voices；　and　saw　the　light　approaching　his　place　of　refuge；　we

will　not　change　our　point　of　view　to　inquire。　　He　certainly　was　as

little　to　be　envied　at　that　moment　as　at　any　moment　during　the　whole

of　his　existence。



The　first　sense　Mrs。　Falconer　made　use　of　in　the　search　after

possible　animals　lay　in　her　nose。　　She　kept　snuffing　constantly；

but；　beyond　the　usual　musty　smell　of　neglected　apartments；　had　as

yet　discovered　nothing。　　The　moment　she　entered　the　upper　garret；

however



'There's　an　ill…faured　smell　here；　Betty；'　she　said；　believing　that

they　had　at　last　found　the　trail　of　the　mystery；　'but　it's　no　like

the　smell　o'　rabbits。　　Jist　luik　i'　the　nuik　there　ahin'　the　door。'



'There's　naething　here；'　responded　Betty。



'Roon　the　en'　o'　that　kist　there。　　I　s'　luik　into　the　press。'



As　Betty　rose　from　her　search　behind　the　chest　and　turned　towards

her　mistress；　her　eyes　crossed　the　cavernous　opening　of　the　bed。

There；　to　her　horror；　she　beheld　a　face　like　that　of　a　galvanised

corpse　staring　at　her　from　the　darkness。　　Shargar　was　in　a　sitting

posture；　paralysed　with　terror；　waiting；　like　a　fascinated　bird；

till　Mrs。　Falconer　and　Betty　should　make　the　final　spring　upon　him；

and　do　whatever　was　equivalent　to　devouring　him　upon　the　spot。　　He

had　sat　up　to　listen　to　the　noise　of　their　ascending　footsteps；　and

fear　had　so　overmastered　him；　that　he　either　could　not；　or　forgot

that　he　could　lie　down　and　cover　his　head　with　some　of　the　many

garments　scattered　around　him。



'I　didna　say　whusky；　did　I？'　he　kept　repeating　to　himself；　in　utter

imbecility　of　fear。



'The　Lord　preserve　's！'　exclaimed　Betty；　the　moment　she　could　speak；

for　during　the　first　few　seconds；　having　caught　the　infection　of

Shargar's　expression；　she　stood　equally　paralysed。　'The　Lord

preserve　's！'　she　repeated。



'Ance　is　eneuch；'　said　Mrs。　Falconer；　sharply；　turning　round　to　see

what　the　cause　of　Betty's　ejaculation　might　be。



I　have　said　that　she　was　dim…sighted。　　The　candle　they　had　was

little　better　than　a　penny　dip。　　The　bed　was　darker　than　the　rest　of

the　room。　　Shargar's　face　had　none　of　the　more　distinctive

characteristics　of　manhood　upon　it。



'Gude　preserve　's！'　exclaimed　Mrs。　Falconer　in　her　turn：　'it's　a

wumman。'



Poor　deluded　Shargar；　thinking　himself　safer　under　any　form　than

that　which　he　actually　bore；　attempted　no　protest　against　the

mistake。　　But；　indeed；　he　was　incapable　of　speech。　　The　two　women

flew　upon　him　to　drag　him　out　of　bed。　　Then　first　recovering　his

powers　of　motion；　he　sprung　up　in　an　agony　of　terror；　and　darted　out

between　them；　overturning　Betty　in　his　course。



'Ye　rouch　limmer！'　cried　Betty；　from　the　floor。　'Ye　lang…leggit

jaud！'　she　added；　as　she　roseand　at　the　same　moment　Shargar　banged

the　street…door　behind　him　in　his　terror'I　wat　ye　dinna　carry　yer

coats　ower　syde　（too　long）！'



For　Shargar；　having　discovered　that　the　way　to　get　the　most　warmth

from　Robert's　great…grandfather's　kilt　was　to　wear　it　in　the　manner

for　which　it　had　been　fabricated；　was　in　the　habit　of　fastening　it

round　his　waist　before　he　got　into　bed；　and　the　eye　of　Betty；　as　she

fell；　had　caught　the　swing　of　this　portion　of　his　attire。



But　poor　Mrs。　Falconer；　with　sunken　head；　walked　out　of　the　garret

in　the　silence　of　despair。　　She　went　slowly　down　the　steep　stair；

supporting　herself　against　the　wall；　her　round…toed　shoes　creaking

solemnly　as　she　went；　took　refuge　in　the　ga'le…room；　and　burst　into

a　violent　fit　of　weeping。　　For　such　depravity　she　was　not　prepared。

What　a　terrible　curse　hung　over　her　family！　　Surely　they　were　all

reprobate　from　the　womb；　not　one　elected　for　salvation　from　the

guilt　of　Adam's　fall；　and　therefore　abandoned　to　Satan　as　his

natural　prey；　to　be　led　captive　of　him　at　his　will。　　She　threw

herself　on　her　knees　at　the　side　of　the　bed；　and　prayed

heart…brokenly。　　Betty　heard　her　as　she　limped　past　the　door　on　her

way　back　to　her　kitchen。



Meantime　Shargar　had　rushed　across　the　next　street　on　his　bare　feet

into　the　Crookit　Wynd；　terrifying　poor　old　Kirstan　Peerie；　the

divisions　betwixt　the　compartments　of　whose　memory　had　broken　down；

into　the　exclamation　to　her　next　neighbour；　Tam　Rhin；　with　whom　she

was　trying　to　gossip：



'Eh；　Tammas！　that'll　be　ane　o'　the　slauchtert　at　Culloden。'



He　never　stopped　till　he　reached　his　mother's　deserted

abodestrange　instinct！　　There　he　ran　to　earth　like　a　hunted　fox。

Rushing　at　the　door；　forgetful　of　everything　but　refuge；　he　found

it　unlocked；　and　closing　it　behind　him；　stood　panting　like　the　hart

that　has　found　the　water…brooks。　　The　owner　had　looked　in　one　day　to

see　whether　the　place　was　worth　repairing；　for　it　was　a　mere

outhouse；　and　had　forgotten　to　turn　the　key　when　he　left　it。　　Poor

Shargar！　　Was　it　more　or　less　of　a　refuge　that　the　mother　that　bore

him　was　not　there　either　to　curse　or　welcome　his　return？　　Lessif

we　may　judge　from　a　remark　he　once　made　in　my　hearing　many　long

years　after：



'For；　ye　see；'　he　said；　'a　mither's　a　mither；　be　she　the　verra

de'il。'



Searching　about　in　the　dark；　he　found　the　one　article　unsold　by　the

landlord；　a　stool；　with　but　two　of　its　natural　three　legs。　　On　this

he　balanced　himself　and　waitedsimply　for　what　Robert　would　do；　for

his　faith　in　Robert　was　unbounded；　and　he　had　no　other　hope　on

earth。　　But　Shargar　was　not　miserable。　　In　that　wretched　hovel；　his

bare　feet　clasping　the　clay　floor　in