robert falconer- 第96部分

The　woman　heard；　and　rushed　like　a　fury　towards　the　child。　　Falconer

too　ran；　and　caught　up　the　child。　　The　woman　gave　a　howl　and　rushed

towards　the　other。　　I　caught　up　that　one。　　With　a　last　shriek；　she

dashed　her　head　against　the　wall　of　the　public…house；　dropped　on　the

pavement；　and　lay　still。



Falconer　set　the　child　down；　lifted　the　wasted　form　in　his　arms；　and

carried　it　into　the　house。　　The　face　was　blue　as　that　of　a　strangled

corpse。　　She　was　dead。



'Was　she　a　married　woman？'　　Falconer　asked。



'It's　myself　can't　tell　you　sir；'　the　Irishwoman　answered。　'I　never

saw　any　boy　with　her。'



'Do　you　know　where　she　lived？'



'No；　sir。　　Somewhere　not　far　off；　though。　　The　children　will　know。'



But　they　stood　staring　at　their　mother；　and　we　could　get　nothing　out

of　them。　　They　would　not　move　from　the　corpse。



'I　think　we　may　appropriate　this　treasure…trove；'　said　Falconer；

turning　at　last　to　me；　and　as　he　spoke；　he　took　the　eldest　in　his

arms。　　Then；　turning　to　the　woman；　he　gave　her　a　card；　saying；　'If

any　inquiry　is　made　about　them；　there　is　my　address。Will　you　take

the　other；　Mr。　Gordon？'



I　obeyed。　　The　children　cried　no　more。　　After　traversing　a　few

streets；　we　found　a　cab；　and　drove　to　a　house　in　Queen　Square；

Bloomsbury。



Falconer　got　out　at　the　door　of　a　large　house；　and　rung　the　bell；

then　got　the　children　out；　and　dismissed　the　cab。　　There　we　stood　in

the　middle　of　the　night；　in　a　silent；　empty　square；　each　with　a

child　in　his　arms。　　In　a　few　minutes　we　heard　the　bolts　being

withdrawn。　　The　door　opened；　and　a　tall　graceful　form　wrapped　in　a

dressing…gown；　appeared。



'I　have　brought　you　two　babies；　Miss　St。　John；'　said　Falconer。　'Can

you　take　them？'



'To　be　sure　I　can；'　she　answered；　and　turned　to　lead　the　way。　'Bring

them　in。'



We　followed　her　into　a　little　back　room。　　She　put　down　her　candle；

and　went　straight　to　the　cupboard；　whence　she　brought　a　sponge…cake；

from　which　she　cut　a　large　piece　for　each　of　the　children。



'What　a　mercy　they　are；　Robert；those　little　gates　in　the　face！

Red　Lane　leads　direct　to　the　heart；'　she　said；　smiling；　as　if　she

rejoiced　in　the　idea　of　taming　the　little　wild　angelets。　'Don't　you

stop。　　You　are　tired　enough；　I　am　sure。　　I　will　wake　my　maid；　and

we'll　get　them　washed　and　put　to　bed　at　once。'



She　was　closing　the　door；　when　Falconer　turned。



'Oh！　　Miss　St。　John；'　he　said；　'I　was　forgetting。　　Could　you　go　down

to　No。　13　in　Soap　Laneyou　know　it；　don't　you？'



'Yes。　Quite　well。'



'Ask　for　a　girl　called　Nella　plain；　pock…marked　young　girland

take　her　away　with　you。'



'When　shall　I　go？'



'To…morrow　morning。　　But　I　shall　be　in。　　Don't　go　till　you　see　me。

Good…night。'



We　took　our　leave　without　more　ado。



'What　a　lady…like　woman　to　be　the　matron　of　an　asylum！'　　I　said。



Falconer　gave　a　little　laugh。



'That　is　no　asylum。　　It　is　a　private　house。'



'And　the　lady？'



'Is　a　lady　of　private　means；'　he　answered；　'who　prefers　Bloomsbury

to　Belgravia；　because　it　is　easier　to　do　noble　work　in　it。　　Her

heaven　is　on　the　confines　of　hell。'



'What　will　she　do　with　those　children？'



'Kiss　them　and　wash　them　and　put　them　to　bed。'



'And　after　that？'



'Give　them　bread　and　milk　in　the　morning。'



'And　after　that？'



'Oh！　there's　time　enough。　　We'll　see。　　There's　only　one　thing　she

won't　do。'



'What　is　that？'



'Turn　them　out　again。'



A　pause　followed；　I　cogitating。



'Are　you　a　society；　then？'　　I　asked　at　length。



'No。　At　least　we　don't　use　the　word。　　And　certainly　no　other　society

would　acknowledge　us。'



'What　are　you；　then？'



'Why　should　we　be　anything；　so　long　as　we　do　our　work？'



'Don't　you　think　there　is　some　affectation　in　refusing　a　name？'



'Yes；　if　the　name　belongs　to　you？　　Not　otherwise。'



'Do　you　lay　claim　to　no　epithet　of　any　sort？'



'We　are　a　church；　if　you　like。　　There！'



'Who　is　your　clergyman？'



'Nobody。'



'Where　do　you　meet？'



'Nowhere。'



'What　are　your　rules；　then？'



'We　have　none。'



'What　makes　you　a　church？'



'Divine　Service。'



'What　do　you　mean　by　that？'



'The　sort　of　thing　you　have　seen　to…night。'



'What　is　your　creed？'



'Christ　Jesus。'



'But　what　do　you　believe　about　him？'



'What　we　can。　　We　count　any　belief　in　himthe　smallestbetter　than

any　belief　about　himthe　greatestor　about　anything　else　besides。

But　we　exclude　no　one。'



'How　do　you　manage　without？'



'By　admitting　no　one。'



'I　cannot　understand　you。'



'Well；　then：　we　are　an　undefined　company　of　people；　who　have　grown

into　human　relations　with　each　other　naturally；　through　one

attractive　forcelove　for　human　beings；　regarding　them　as　human

beings　only　in　virtue　of　the　divine　in　them。'



'But　you　must　have　some　rules；'　I　insisted。



'None　whatever。　　They　would　cause　us　only　trouble。　　We　have　nothing

to　take　us　from　our　work。　　Those　that　are　most　in　earnest；　draw　most

together；　those　that　are　on　the　outskirts　have　only　to　do　nothing；

and　they　are　free　of　us。　　But　we　do　sometimes　ask　people　to　help

usnot　with　money。'



'But　who　are　the　we？'



'Why　you；　if　you　will　do　anything；　and　I　and　Miss　St。　John　and

twenty　othersand　a　great　many　more　I　don't　know；　for　every　one　is

a　centre　to　others。　　It　is　our　work　that　binds　us　together。'



'Then　when　that　stops　you　drop　to　pieces。'



'Yes；　thank　God。　We　shall　then　die。　　There　will　be　no　corporate

bodywhich　means　a　bodied　body；　or　an　unsouled　body；　left　behind　to

simulate　life；　and　corrupt；　and　work　no　end　of　disease。　　We　go　to

ashes　at　once；　and　leave　no　corpse　for　a　ghoul　to　inhabit　and　make　a

vampire　of。　　When　our　spirit　is　dead；　our　body　is　vanished。'



'Then　you　won't　last　long。'



'Then　we　oughtn't　to　last　long。'



'But　the　work　of　the　world　could　not　go　on　so。'



'We　are　not　the　life　of　the　world。　　God　is。　　And　when　we　fail；　he

can　and　will　send　out　more　and　better　labourers　into　his

harvest…field。　　It　is　a　divine　accident　by　which　we　are　thus

associated。'



'But　surely　the　church　must　be　otherwise　constituted。'



'My　dear　sir；　you　forget：　I　said　we　were　a　church；　not　the　church。'



'Do　you　belong　to　the　Church　of　England？'



'Yes；　some　of　us。　　Why　should　we　not？　　In　as　much　as　she　has

faithfully　preserved　the　holy　records　and　traditions；　our

obligations　to　her　are　infinite。　　And　to　leave　her　would　be　to

quarrel；　and　start　a　thousand　vermiculate　questions；　as　Lord　Bacon

calls　them；　for　which　life　is　too　serious　in　my　eyes。　　I　have　no

time　for　that。'



'Then　you　count　the　Church　of　England　the　Church？'　'Of　England；　yes；

of　the　universe；　no：　that　is　constituted　just　like　ours；　with　the

living　working　Lord　for　the　heart　of　it。'



'Will　you　take　me　for　a　member？'



'No。'



'Will　you　not；　if？'



'You　may　make　yourself　one　if　you　will。　　I　will　not　speak　a　word　to

gain　you。　　I　have　shown　you　work。　　Do　something；　and　you　are　of

Christ's　Church。'



We　were　almost　at　the　door　of　my　lodging；　and　I　was　getting　very

weary　in　body；　and　indeed　in　mind；　though　I　hope　not　in　heart。

Before　we　separated；　I　ventured　to　say；



'Will　you　tell　me　why　you　invited　me　to　come　and　see　you？　　Forgive

my　presumption；　but　you　seemed　to　seek　acquaintance　with　me；

although　you　did　make　me　address　you　first。'



He　laughed　gently；　and　answered　in　the　words　of　the　ancient

mariner：



　　　　　'The　moment　that　his　face　I　see；

　　　　　I　know　the　man　that　must　hear　me：

　　　　　To　him　my　tale　I　teach。'



Without　another　word；　he　shook　hands　with　me；　and　left　me。　　Weary　as

I　was；　I　stood　in　the　street　until　I　could　hear　his　footsteps　no

longer。









CHAPTER　IX。



THE　BROTHERS。



One　day；　as　Falconer　sat　at　a　late　breakfast；　Shargar　burst　into　his

room。　　Falconer　had　not　even　known　that　he　was　coming　home；　for　he

had　outstripped　the　letter　he　had　sent。　　He　had　his　arm　in　a　sling；

which　accounted　for　his　leave。



'Shargar！'　cried　Falconer；　starting　up　in　delight。



'Major　Shargar；　if　you　please。　　Give　me　all　my　honours；　Robert；'

said　Moray；　presenting　his　left　hand。



'I　congratulate　you；　my　boy。　　Well；　this　is　delightful！　　But　you　are

wounded。'



'Bulletbrokenthat's　all。　　It's　nearly　right　again。　　I'll　tell

you　about　it　by　and　by。　　I　am　too　full　of　something　else　to　talk

about　trifles　of　that　sort。　　I　want　you　to　help　me。'



He　then　rushed　into　the　announcement　that　he　had　fallen　desperately

in　love　with　a　lady　who　had　come　on　board　with　her　maid　at　Malta；

where　she　had　been　spending　the　winter。　　She　was　not　very　young；

about　his　own　age；　but　very　beautiful；　and　of　enchanting　address。

How　she　could　have　remained　so　long　unmarried　he　could　not　think。

It　could　not　be　but　that　she　had　had　many　offers。　　She　was　an

heiress；　too；　but　that　Shargar　felt　to　be　a　disadvantage　for　him。

All　the　progress　he　could　yet　boast　of　was　that　his　attentions　had

not　been；　so　far　as　he　could　judge；　disagreeable　to　her。　　Robert

thought　even　less　of　the　latter　fact　than　Shargar　himself；　for　he

did　not　believe　there　were　many　women　to　whom　Shargar's　attentions

would　be　disagreeable：　they　must　always　be　simple　and　manly。　　What

was　more　to　the　point；　she　had　given　him　her　address　in　London；　and

he　was　going　to　call　upon　her　the　next　day。　　She　was　on　a　visit　to

Lady　Janet　Gordon；　an　elderly　spinster；　who　lived　in　Park…street。



'Are　you　quite　sure　she's　not　an　adventuress；　Shargar？'



'It's　o'　no　mainner　o'　use　to　tell　ye　what　I'm　sure　or　no　sure　o'；

Robert；　in　sic　a　case。　　But　I'll　manage；　somehoo；　'at　ye　sall　see

her　yersel'；　an'　syne　I'll　speir　back　yer　ain　queston　at　ye。'



'Weel；　hae　ye　tauld　her　a'　aboot　yersel'？'



'No！'　answered　Shargar；　growing　suddenly　pale。　'I　never　thocht　aboot

that。　　But　I　had　no　richt；　for　a'　that　passed；　to　intrude　mysel'

upo'　her　to　that　extent