robert falconer- 第55部分

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

ye　war　verra　kin'　to　me　ance；　and　tellt　me　lots　o'　storiesat

Bodyfauld；　ye　ken。'



'I'm　very　glad　to　see　you；　Robert；'　said　Dr。　Anderson。　'Of　course　I

remember　you　perfectly；　but　my　servant　did　not　bring　your　name；　and

I　did　not　know　but　it　might　be　the　other　boyI　forget　his　name。'



'Ye　mean　Shargar；　sir。　　It's　no　him。'



'I　can　see　that；'　said　the　doctor；　laughing；　'although　you　are

altered。　　You　have　grown　quite　a　man！　　I　am　very　glad　to　see　you；'

he　repeated；　shaking　hands　with　him　again。　'When　did　you　come　to

town？'



'I　hae　been　at　the　grammer　school　i'　the　auld　toon　for　the　last

three　months；'　said　Robert。



'Three　months！'　exclaimed　Dr。　Anderson。　'And　never　came　to　see　me

till　now！　　That　was　too　bad　of　you；　Robert。'



'Weel；　ye　see；　sir；　I　didna　ken　better。　　An'　I　had　a　heap　to　do；　an'

a'　for　naething；　efter　a'。　　But　gin　I　had　kent　'at　ye　wad　like　to

see　me；　I　wad　hae　likit　weel　to　come　to　ye。'



'I　have　been　away　most　of　the　summer；'　said　the　doctor；　'but　I　have

been　at　home　for　the　last　month。　　You　haven't　had　your　dinner；　have

you？'



'Weel；　I　dinna　exackly　ken　what　to　say；　sir。　　Ye　see；　I　wasna　that

sharp…set　the　day；　sae　I　had　jist　a　mou'fu'　o'　breid　and　cheese。

I'm　turnin'　hungry；　noo；　I　maun　confess。'



The　doctor　rang　the　bell。



'You　must　stop　and　dine　with　me。Johnston；'　he　continued；　as　his

servant　entered；　'tell　the　cook　that　I　have　a　gentleman　to　dinner

with　me　to…day；　and　she　must　be　liberal。'



'Guidsake；　sir！'　said　Robert；　'dinna　set　the　woman　agen　me。'



He　had　no　intention　of　saying　anything　humorous；　but　Dr。　Anderson

laughed　heartily。



'Come　into　my　room　till　dinner…time；'　he　said；　opening　the　door　by

which　he　had　entered。



To　Robert's　astonishment；　he　found　himself　in　a　room　bare　as　that　of

the　poorest　cottage。　　A　small　square　window；　small　as　the　window　in

John　Hewson's；　looked　out　upon　a　garden　neatly　kept；　but　now　'having

no　adorning　but　cleanliness。'　　The　place　was　just　the　benn　end　of　a

cottage。　　The　walls　were　whitewashed；　the　ceiling　was　of　bare

boards；　and　the　floor　was　sprinkled　with　a　little　white　sand。　　The

table　and　chairs　were　of　common　deal；　white　and　clean；　save　that　the

former　was　spotted　with　ink。　　A　greater　contrast　to　the　soft；　large；

richly…coloured　room　they　had　left　could　hardly　be　imagined。　　A　few

bookshelves　on　the　wall　were　filled　with　old　books。　　A　fire　blazed

cheerily　in　the　little　grate。　　A　bed　with　snow…white　coverlet　stood

in　a　recess。



'This　is　the　nicest　room　in　the　house；　Robert；'　said　the　doctor。

'When　I　was　a　student　like　you'



Robert　shook　his　head；



'I'm　nae　student　yet；'　he　said；　but　the　doctor　went　on：



'I　had　the　benn　end　of　my　father's　cottage　to　study　in；　for　he

treated　me　like　a　stranger…gentleman　when　I　came　home　from　college。

The　father　respected　the　son　for　whose　advantage　he　was　working

like　a　slave　from　morning　till　night。　　My　heart　is　sometimes　sore

with　the　gratitude　I　feel　to　him。　　Though　he's　been　dead　for　thirty

yearswould　you　believe　it；　Robert？well；　I　can't　talk　more　about

him　now。　　I　made　this　room　as　like　my　father's　benn　end　as　I　could；

and　I　am　happier　here　than　anywhere　in　the　world。'



By　this　time　Robert　was　perfectly　at　home。　　Before　the　dinner　was

ready　he　had　not　only　told　Dr。　Anderson　his　present　difficulty；　but

his　whole　story　as　far　back　as　he　could　remember。　　The　good　man

listened　eagerly；　gazed　at　the　boy　with　more　and　more　of　interest；

which　deepened　till　his　eyes　glistened　as　he　gazed；　and　when　a

ludicrous　passage　intervened；　welcomed　the　laughter　as　an　excuse　for

wiping　them。　　When　dinner　was　announced；　he　rose　without　a　word　and

led　the　way　to　the　dining…room。　　Robert　followed；　and　they　sat　down

to　a　meal　simple　enough　for　such　a　house；　but　which　to　Robert　seemed

a　feast　followed　by　a　banquet。　　For　after　they　had　done　eatingon

the　doctor's　part　a　very　meagre　performancethey　retired　to　his

room　again；　and　then　Robert　found　the　table　covered　with　a　snowy

cloth；　and　wine　and　fruits　arranged　upon　it。



It　was　far　into　the　night　before　he　rose　to　go　home。　　As　he　passed

through　a　thick　rain　of　pin…point　drops；　he　felt　that　although　those

cold　granite　houses；　with　glimmering　dead　face；　stood　like　rows　of

sepulchres；　he　was　in　reality　walking　through　an　avenue　of　homes。

Wet　to　the　skin　long　before　he　reached　Mrs。　Fyvie's　in　the　auld

toon；　he　was　notwithstanding　as　warm　as　the　under　side　of　a　bird's

wing。　　For　he　had　to　sit　down　and　write　to　his　grandmother　informing

her　that　Dr。　Anderson　had　employed　him　to　copy　for　the　printers　a

book　of　his　upon　the　Medical　Boards　of　India；　and　that　as　he　was

going　to　pay　him　for　that　and　other　work　at　a　rate　which　would

secure　him　ten　shillings　a　week；　it　would　be　a　pity　to　lose　a　year

for　the　chance　of　getting　a　bursary　next　winter。



The　doctor　did　want　the　manuscript　copied；　and　he　knew　that　the　only

chance　of　getting　Mrs。　Falconer's　consent　to　Robert's　receiving　any

assistance　from　him；　was　to　make　some　business　arrangement　of　the

sort。　　He　wrote　to　her　the　same　night；　and　after　mentioning　the

unexpected　pleasure　of　Robert's　visit；　not　only　explained　the

advantage　to　himself　of　the　arrangement　he　had　proposed；　but　set

forth　the　greater　advantage　to　Robert；　inasmuch　as　he　would　thus　be

able　in　some　measure　to　keep　a　hold　of　him。　　He　judged　that　although

Mrs。　Falconer　had　no　great　opinion　of　his　religion；　she　would　yet

consider　his　influence　rather　on　the　side　of　good　than　otherwise　in

the　case　of　a　boy　else　abandoned　to　his　own　resources。



The　end　of　it　all　was　that　his　grandmother　yielded；　and　Robert　was

straightway　a　Bejan；　or　Yellow…beak。



Three　days　had　he　been　clothed　in　the　red　gown　of　the　Aberdeen

student；　and　had　attended　the　Humanity　and　Greek　class…rooms。　　On

the　evening　of　the　third　day　he　was　seated　at　his　table　preparing

his　Virgil　for　the　next；　when　he　found　himself　growing　very　weary；

and　no　wonder；　for；　except　the　walk　of　a　few　hundred　yards　to　and

from　the　college；　he　had　had　no　open　air　for　those　three　days。　　It

was　raining　in　a　persistent　November　fashion；　and　he　thought　of　the

sea；　away　through　the　dark　and　the　rain；　tossing　uneasily。　　Should

he　pay　it　a　visit？　　He　sat　for　a　moment；



　　　　　This　way　and　that　dividing　the　swift　mind；4



when　his　eye　fell　on　his　violin。　　He　had　been　so　full　of　his　new

position　and　its　requirements；　that　he　had　not　touched　it　since　the

session　opened。　　Now　it　was　just　what　he　wanted。　　He　caught　it　up

eagerly；　and　began　to　play。　　The　power　of　the　music　seized　upon　him；

and　he　went　on　playing；　forgetful　of　everything　else；　till　a　string

broke。　　It　was　all　too　short　for　further　use。　　Regardless　of　the

rain　or　the　depth　of　darkness　to　be　traversed　before　he　could　find　a

music…shop；　he　caught　up　his　cap；　and　went　to　rush　from　the　house。



His　door　opened　immediately　on　the　top　step　of　the　stair；　without

any　landing。　　There　was　a　door　opposite；　to　which　likewise　a　few

steps　led　immediately　up。　　The　stairs　from　the　two　doors　united　a

little　below。　　So　near　were　the　doors　that　one　might　stride　across

the　fork。　　The　opposite　door　was　open；　and　in　it　stood　Eric　Ericson。









CHAPTER　VII。



ERIC　ERICSON。



Robert　sprang　across　the　dividing　chasm；　clasped　Ericson's　hand　in

both　of　his；　looked　up　into　his　face；　and　stood　speechless。　　Ericson

returned　the　salute　with　a　still　kindnesstender　and　still。　　His

face　was　like　a　gray　morning　sky　of　summer　from　whose　level

cloud…fields　rain　will　fall　before　noon。



'So　it　was　you；'　he　said；　'playing　the　violin　so　well？'



'I　was　doin'　my　best；'　answered　Robert。　'But　eh！　　Mr。　Ericson；　I　wad

hae　dune　better　gin　I　had　kent　ye　was　hearkenin'。'



'You　couldn't　do　better　than　your　best；'　returned　Eric；　smiling。



'Ay；　but　yer　best　micht　aye　grow　better；　ye　ken；'　persisted　Robert。



'Come　into　my　room；'　said　Ericson。　'This　is　Friday　night；　and　there

is　nothing　but　chapel　to…morrow。　　So　we'll　have　talk　instead　of

work。'



In　another　moment　they　were　seated　by　a　tiny　coal　fire　in　a　room　one

side　of　which　was　the　slope　of　the　roof；　with　a　large；　low　skylight

in　it　looking　seawards。　　The　sound　of　the　distant　waves；　unheard　in

Robert's　room；　beat　upon　the　drum　of　the　skylight；　through　all　the

world　of　mist　that　lay　between　it　and　themdimly；　vaguelybut　ever

and　again　with　a　swell　of　gathered　force；　that　made　the　distant

tumult　doubtful　no　more。



'I　am　sorry　I　have　nothing　to　offer　you；'　said　Ericson。



'You　remind　me　of　Peter　and　John　at　the　Beautiful　Gate　of　the

temple；'　returned　Robert；　attempting　to　speak　English　like　the

Northerner；　but　breaking　down　as　his　heart　got　the　better　of　him。

'Eh！　　Mr。　Ericson；　gin　ye　kent　what　it　is　to　me　to　see　the　face　o'

ye；　ye　wadna　speyk　like　that。　　Jist　lat　me　sit　an'　leuk　at　ye。　　I

want　nae　mair。'



A　smile　b