robert falconer- 第54部分

please　him；　if　there　might　be　found　not　a　few　more　widely…read

scholars　than　he；　it　would　be　hard　to　find　a　better　teacher。



Robert　leaned　to　the　collar　and　laboured；　not　greatly　moved　by

ambition；　but　much　by　the　hope　of　the　bursary　and　the　college　life

in　the　near　distance。　　Not　unfrequently　he　would　rush　into　the　thick

of　the　football　game；　fight　like　a　maniac　for　one　short　burst；　and

then　retire　and　look　on。　　He　oftener　regarded　than　mingled。　　He

seldom　joined　his　fellows　after　school　hours；　for　his　work　lay　both

upon　his　conscience　and　his　hopes；　but　if　he　formed　no　very　deep

friendships　amongst　them；　at　least　he　made　no　enemies；　for　he　was

not　selfish；　and　in　virtue　of　the　Celtic　blood　in　him　was　invariably

courteous。　　His　habits　were　in　some　things　altogether　irregular。　　He

never　went　out　for　a　walk；　but　sometimes；　looking　up　from　his　Virgil

or　his　Latin　version；　and　seeing　the　blue　expanse　in　the　distance

breaking　into　white　under　the　viewless　wing　of　the　summer　wind；　he

would　fling　down　his　dictionary　or　his　pen；　rush　from　his　garret；

and　fly　in　a　straight　line；　like　a　sea…gull　weary　of　lake　and　river；

down　to　the　waste　shore　of　the　great　deep。　　This　was　all　that　stood

for　the　Arabian　Nights　of　moon…blossomed　marvel；　all　the　rest　was

Aberdeen　days　of　Latin　and　labour。



Slowly　the　hours　went；　and　yet　the　dreaded；　hoped…for　day　came

quickly。　　The　quadrangle　of　the　stone…crowned　college　grew　more

awful　in　its　silence　and　emptiness　every　time　Robert　passed　it；　and

the　professors'　houses　looked　like　the　sentry…boxes　of　the　angels　of

learning；　soon　to　come　forth　and　judge　the　feeble　mortals　who　dared

present　a　claim　to　their　recognition。　　October　faded　softly　by；　with

its　keen　fresh　mornings；　and　cold　memorial　green…horizoned　evenings；

whose　stars　fell　like　the　stray　blossoms　of　a　more　heavenly　world；

from　some　ghostly　wind　of　space　that　had　caught　them　up　on　its　awful

shoreless　sweep。　　November　came；　'chill　and　drear；'　with　its

heartless；　hopeless　nothingness；　but　as　if　to　mock　the　poor

competitors；　rose；　after　three　days　of　Scotch　mist；　in　a　lovely

'halcyon　day'　of　'St。　Martin's　summer；'　through　whose　long　shadows

anxious　young　faces　gathered　in　the　quadrangle；　or　under　the　arcade；

each　with　his　Ainsworth's　Dictionary；　the　sole　book　allowed；　under

his　arm。　　But　when　the　sacrist　appeared　and　unlocked　the　public

school；　and　the　black…gowned　professors　walked　into　the　room；　and

the　door　was　left　open　for　the　candidates　to　follow；　then　indeed　a

great　awe　fell　upon　the　assembly；　and　the　lads　crept　into　their

seats　as　if　to　a　trial　for　life　before　a　bench　of　the　incorruptible。

They　took　their　places；　a　portion　of　Robertson's　History　of

Scotland　was　given　them　to　turn　into　Latin；　and　soon　there　was

nothing　to　be　heard　in　the　assembly　but　the　turning　of　the　leaves　of

dictionaries；　and　the　scratching　of　pens　constructing　the　first

rough　copy　of　the　Latinized　theme。



It　was　done。　　Four　weary　hours；　nearly　five；　one　or　two　of　which

passed　like　minutes；　the　others　as　if　each　minute　had　been　an　hour；

went　by；　and　Robert；　in　a　kind　of　desperation；　after　a　final　reading

of　the　Latin；　gave　in　his　paper；　and　left　the　room。　　When　he　got

home；　he　asked　his　landlady　to　get　him　some　tea。　　Till　it　was　ready

he　would　take　his　violin。　　But　even　the　violin　had　grown　dull；　and

would　not　speak　freely。　　He　returned　to　the　torturetook　out　his

first　copy；　and　went　over　it　once　more。　　Horror　of　horrors！　a

maxie！that　is　a　maximus　error。　　Mary　Queen　of　Scots　had　been　left

so　far　behind　in　the　beginning　of　the　paper；　that　she　forgot　the

rights　of　her　sex　in　the　middle　of　it；　and　in　the　accusative　of　a

future　participle　passiveI　do　not　know　if　more　modern　grammarians

have　a　different　name　for　the　growthhad　submitted　to　be　dum；　and

her　rightful　dam　was　henceforth　and　for　ever　debarred。



He　rose；　rushed　out　of　the　house；　down　through　the　garden；　across

two　fields　and　a　wide　road；　across　the　links；　and　so　to　the　moaning

lip　of　the　seafor　it　was　moaning　that　night。　　From　the　last

bulwark　of　the　sandhills　he　dropped　upon　the　wet　sands；　and　there　he

paced　up　and　downhow　long；　God　only；　who　was　watching　him；

knewwith　the　low　limitless　form　of　the　murmuring　lip　lying　out　and

out　into　the　sinking　sky　like　the　life　that　lay　low　and　hopeless

before　him；　for　the　want　at　most　of　twenty　pounds　a　year　（that　was

the　highest　bursary　then）　to　lift　him　into　a　region　of　possible

well…being。　　Suddenly　a　strange　phenomenon　appeared　within　him。　　The

subject　hitherto　became　the　object　to　a　new　birth　of　consciousness。

He　began　to　look　at　himself。　'There's　a　sair　bit　in　there；'　he

said；　as　if　his　own　bosom　had　been　that　of　another　mortal。　'What's

to　be　dune　wi'　't？　　I　doobt　it　maun　bide　it。　　Weel；　the　crater　had

better　bide　it　quaietly；　and　no　cry　oot。　　Lie　doon；　an'　hand　yer

tongue。　　Soror　tua　haud　meretrix　est；　ye　brute！'　　He　burst　out

laughing；　after　a　doubtful　and　ululant　fashion；　I　dare　say；　but　he

went　home；　took　up　his　auld　wife；　and　played　'Tullochgorum'　some

fifty　times　over；　with　extemporized　variations。



The　next　day　he　had　to　translate　a　passage　from　Tacitus；　after

executing　which　somewhat　heartlessly；　he　did　not　open　a　Latin　book

for　a　whole　week。　　The　very　sight　of　one　was　disgusting　to　him。　　He

wandered　about　the　New　Town；　along　Union　Street；　and　up　and　down　the

stairs　that　led　to　the　lower　parts；　haunted　the　quay；　watched　the

vessels；　learned　their　forms；　their　parts　and　capacities；　made

friends　with　a　certain　Dutch　captain　whom　he　heard　playing　the

violin　in　his　cabin；　and　on　the　whole；　notwithstanding　the　wretched

prospect　before　him；　contrived　to　spend　the　week　with　considerable

enjoyment。　　Nor　does　an　occasional　episode　of　lounging　hurt　a　life

with　any　true　claims　to　the　epic　form。



The　day　of　decision　at　length　arrived。　　Again　the　black…robed　powers

assembled；　and　again　the　hoping；　fearing　ladssome　of　them　not

lads；　men；　and　mere　boysgathered　to　hear　their　fate。　　Name　after

name　was　called　out；a　twenty　pound　bursary　to　the　first；　one　of

seventeen　to　the　next；　three　or　four　of　fifteen　and　fourteen；　and　so

on；　for　about　twenty；　and　still　no　Robert　Falconer。　　At　last；

lagging　wearily　in　the　rear；　he　heard　his　name；　went　up　listlessly；

and　was　awarded　five　pounds。　　He　crept　home；　wrote　to　his

grandmother；　and　awaited　her　reply。　　It　was　not　long　in　coming；　for

although　the　carrier　was　generally　the　medium　of　communication；　Miss

Letty　had　contrived　to　send　the　answer　by　coach。　　It　was　to　the

effect　that　his　grandmother　was　sorry　that　he　had　not　been　more

successful；　but　that　Mr。　Innes　thought　it　would　be　quite　worth　while

to　try　again；　and　he　must　therefore　come　home　for　another　year。



This　was　mortifying　enough；　though　not　so　bad　as　it　might　have　been。

Robert　began　to　pack　his　box。　　But　before　he　had　finished　it　he

shut　the　lid　and　sat　upon　it。　　To　meet　Miss　St。　John　thus　disgraced；

was　more　than　he　could　bear。　　If　he　remained；　he　had　a　chance　of

winning　prizes　at　the　end　of　the　session；　and　that　would　more　than

repair　his　honour。　　The　five　pound　bursars　were　privileged　in　paying

half　fees；　and　if　he　could　only　get　some　teaching；　he　could　manage。

But　who　would　employ　a　bejan　when　a　magistrand　might　be　had　for

next　to　nothing？　　Besides；　who　would　recommend　him？　　The　thought　of

Dr。　Anderson　flashed　into　his　mind；　and　he　rushed　from　the　house

without　even　knowing　where　he　lived。









CHAPTER　VI。



DR。　　ANDERSON　AGAIN。



At　the　Post…office　he　procured　the　desired　information　at　once。　　Dr。

Anderson　lived　in　Union　Street；　towards　the　western　end　of　it。



Away　went　Robert　to　find　the　house。　　That　was　easy。　　What　a　grand

house　of　smooth　granite　and　wide　approach　it　was！　　The　great　door

was　opened　by　a　man…servant；　who　looked　at　the　country　boy　from　head

to　foot。



'Is　the　doctor　in？'　asked　Robert。



'Yes。'



'I　wad　like　to　see　him。'



'Wha　will　I　say　wants　him？'



'Say　the　laddie　he　saw　at　Bodyfauld。'



The　man　left　Robert　in　the　hall；　which　was　spread　with　tiger　and

leopard　skins；　and　had　a　bright　fire　burning　in　a　large　stove。

Returning　presently；　he　led　him　through　noiseless　swing…doors

covered　with　cloth　into　a　large　library。　　Never　had　Robert　conceived

such　luxury。　　What　with　Turkey　carpet；　crimson　curtains；

easy…chairs；　grandly…bound　books　and　morocco…covered　writing…table；

it　seemed　the　very　ideal　of　comfort。　　But　Robert　liked　the　grandeur

too　much　to　be　abashed　by　it。



'Sit　ye　doon　there；'　said　the　servant；　'and　the　doctor　'ill　be　wi'

ye　in　ae　minute。'



He　was　hardly　out　of　the　room　before　a　door　opened　in　the　middle　of

the　books；　and　the　doctor　appeared　in　a　long　dressing…gown。　　He

looked　inquiringly　at　Robert　for　one　moment；　then　made　two　long

strides　like　a　pair　of　eager　compasses；　holding　out　his　hand。



'I'm　Robert　Faukner；'　said　the　boy。　'Ye'll　min'；　maybe；　doctor；　'at

ye　war　verra　kin'　to　me　an