robert falconer-第108部分

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'You　here；　Robert！'　he　said。



'Yes；　I'm　here。　　Have　you　seen　her　yet？　　Is　she　here？'



'Wha　do　ye　think　's　speakin'　till　her　this　verra　minute？　　Look

there！'　　Shargar　said　in　a　low　voice；　suppressed　yet　more　to　hide

his　excitement。



Following　his　directions；　Robert　saw；　amidst　a　little　group　of

gentlemen　surrounding　a　seated　lady；　of　whose　face　he　could　not　get

a　peep；　a　handsome　elderly　man；　who　looked　more　fashionable　than　his

years　justified；　and　whose　countenance　had　an　expression　which　he

felt　repulsive。　　He　thought　he　had　seen　him　before；　but　Shargar　gave

him　no　time　to　come　to　a　conclusion　of　himself。



'It's　my　brither　Sandy；　as　sure　's　deith！'　he　said；　'and　he's　been

hingin'　aboot　her　ever　sin'　she　cam　in。　　But　I　dinna　think　she　likes

him　a'thegither　by　the　leuk　o'　her。'



'What　for　dinna　ye　gang　up　till　her　yersel'；　man？　　I　wadna　stan'

that　gin　'twas　me。'



'I'm　feared　'at　he　ken　me。　　He's　terrible　gleg。　　A'　the　Morays　are

gleg；　and　yon　marquis　has　an　ee　like　a　hawk。'



'What　does　't　maitter？　　Ye　hae　dune　naething　to　be　ashamed　o'　like

him。'



'Ay；　but　it's　this。　　I　wadna　hae　her　hear　the　trowth　aboot　me　frae

that　boar's　mou'　o'　his　first。　　I　wad　hae　her　hear　't　frae　my　ain；

an'　syne　she　canna　think　I　meant　to　tak　her　in。'



At　this　moment　there　was　a　movement　in　the　group。　　Shargar；

receiving　no　reply；　looked　round　at　Robert。　　It　was　now　Shargar's

turn　to　be　surprised　at　his　expression。



'Are　ye　seein'　a　vraith；　Robert？'　he　said。　'What　gars　ye　leuk　like

that；　man？'



'Oh！'　answered　Robert；　recovering　himself；　'I　thought　I　saw　some　one

I　knew。　　But　I'm　not　sure。　　I'll　tell　you　afterwards。　　We've　been

talking　too　earnestly。　　People　are　beginning　to　look　at　us。'



So　saying；　he　moved　away　towards　the　group　of　which　the　marquis

still　formed　one。　　As　he　drew　near　he　saw　a　piano　behind　Miss

Hamilton。　　A　sudden　impulse　seized　him；　and　he　yielded　to　it。　　He

made　his　way　to　the　piano；　and　seating　himself；　began　to　play　very

softlyso　softly　that　the　sounds　could　scarcely　be　heard　beyond　the

immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　instrument。　　There　was　no　change　on

the　storm　of　talk　that　filled　the　room。　　But　in　a　few　minutes　a　face

white　as　a　shroud　was　turned　round　upon　him　from　the　group　in　front；

like　the　moon　dawning　out　of　a　cloud。　　He　stopped　at　once；　saying　to

himself；　'I　was　right；'　and　rising；　mingled　again　with　the　crowd。　　A

few　minutes　after；　he　saw　Shargar　leading　Miss　Hamilton　out　of　the

room；　and　Lady　Janet　following。　　He　did　not　intend　to　wait　his

return；　but　got　near　the　door；　that　he　might　slip　out　when　he　should

re…enter。　　But　Shargar　did　not　return。　　For；　the　moment　she　reached

the　fresh　air；　Miss　Hamilton　was　so　much　better　that　Lady　Janet；

whose　heart　was　as　young　towards　young　people　as　if　she　had　never

had　the　unfortunate　love　affair　tradition　assigned　her；　asked　him　to

see　them　home；　and　he　followed　them　into　her　carriage。　　Falconer

left　a　few　minutes　after；　anxious　for　quiet　that　he　might　make　up

his　mind　as　to　what　he　ought　to　do。　　Before　he　had　walked　home；　he

had　resolved　on　the　next　step。　　But　not　wishing　to　see　Shargar　yet；

and　at　the　same　time　wanting　to　have　a　night's　rest；　he　went　home

only　to　change　his　clothes；　and　betook　himself　to　a　hotel　in　Covent

Garden。



He　was　at　Lady　Janet's　door　by　ten　o'clock　the　next　morning；　and

sent　in　his　card　to　Miss　Hamilton。　　He　was　shown　into　the

drawing…room；　where　she　came　to　him。



'May　I　presume　on　old　acquaintance？'　he　asked；　holding　out　his　hand。



She　looked　in　his　face　quietly；　took　his　hand；　pressed　it　warmly；

and　said；



'No　one　has　so　good　a　right；　Mr。　Falconer。　　Do　sit　down。'



He　placed　a　chair　for　her；　and　obeyed。



After　a　moment's　silence　on　both　sides：



'Are　you　aware；　Miss？'　he　said　and　hesitated。



'Miss　Hamilton；'　she　said　with　a　smile。　'I　was　Miss　Lindsay　when　you

knew　me　so　many　years　ago。　　I　will　explain　presently。'



Then　with　an　air　of　expectation　she　awaited　the　finish　of　his

sentence。



'Are　you　aware；　Miss　Hamilton；　that　I　am　Major　Moray's　oldest

friend？'



'I　am　quite　aware　of　it；　and　delighted　to　know　it。　　He　told　me　so

last　night。'



Somewhat　dismayed　at　this　answer；　Falconer　resumed；



'Did　Major　Moray　likewise　communicate　with　you　concerning　his　own

history？'



'He　did。　　He　told　me　all。'



Falconer　was　again　silent　for　some　moments。



'Shall　I　be　presuming　too　far　if　I　venture　to　conclude　that　my

friend　will　not　continue　his　visits？'



'On　the　contrary；'　she　answered；　with　the　same　delicate　blush　that

in　old　times　used　to　overspread　the　lovely　whiteness　of　her　face；　'I

expect　him　within　half…an…hour。'



'Then　there　is　no　time　to　be　lost；'　thought　Falconer。



'Without　presuming　to　express　any　opinion　of　my　own；'　he　said

quietly；　'a　social　code　far　less　severe　than　that　which　prevails　in

England；　would　take　for　granted　that　an　impassable　barrier　existed

between　Major　Moray　and　Miss　Hamilton。'



'Do　not　suppose；　Mr。　Falconer；　that　I　could　not　meet　Major　Moray's

honesty　with　equal　openness　on　my　side。'



Falconer；　for　the　first　time　almost　in　his　life；　was　incapable　of

speech　from　bewilderment。　　But　Miss　Hamilton　did　not　in　the　least

enjoy　his　perplexity；　and　made　haste　to　rescue　both　him　and　herself。

With　a　blush　that　was　now　deep　as　any　rose；　she　resumed；



'But　I　owe　you　equal　frankness；　Mr。　Falconer。　　There　is　no　barrier

between　Major　Moray　and　myself　but　the　foolishno；

wickedindiscretion　of　an　otherwise　innocent　and　ignorant　girl。

Listen；　Mr。　Falconer：　under　the　necessity　of　the　circumstances　you

will　not　misjudge　me　if　I　compel　myself　to　speak　calmly。　　This；　I

trust；　will　be　my　final　penance。　　I　thought　Lord　Rothie　was　going　to

marry　me。　　To　do　him　justice；　he　never　said　so。　　Make　what　excuse

for　my　folly　you　can。　　I　was　lost　in　a　mist　of　vain　imaginations。　　I

had　had　no　mother　to　teach　me　anything；　Mr。　Falconer；　and　my　father

never　suspected　the　necessity　of　teaching　me　anything。　　I　was　very

ill　on　the　passage　to　Antwerp；　and　when　I　began　to　recover　a　little；

I　found　myself　beginning　to　doubt　both　my　own　conduct　and　his

lordship's　intentions。　　Possibly　the　fact　that　he　was　not　quite　so

kind　to　me　in　my　illness　as　I　had　expected；　and　that　I　felt　hurt　in

consequence；　aided　the　doubt。　　Then　the　thought　of　my　father

returning　and　finding　that　I　had　left　him；　came　and　burned　in　my

heart　like　fire。　　But　what　was　I　to　do？　　I　had　never　been　out　of

Aberdeen　before。　　I　did　not　know　even　a　word　of　French。　　I　was

altogether　in　Lord　Rothie's　power。　　I　thought　I　loved　him；　but　it

was　not　much　of　love　that　sea…sickness　could　get　the　better　of。

With　a　heart　full　of　despair　I　went　on　shore。　　The　captain　slipped

a　note　into　my　hand。　　I　put　it　in　my　pocket；　but　pulled　it　out　with

my　handkerchief　in　the　street。　　Lord　Rothie　picked　it　up。　　I　begged

him　to　give　it　me；　but　he　read　it；　and　then　tore　it　in　pieces。　　I

entered　the　hotel；　as　wretched　as　girl　could　well　be。　　I　began　to

dislike　him。　　But　during　dinner　he　was　so　kind　and　attentive　that　I

tried　to　persuade　myself　that　my　fears　were　fanciful。　　After　dinner

he　took　me　out。　　On　the　stairs　we　met　a　lady　whose　speech　was

Scotch。　　Her　maid　called　her　Lady　Janet。　　She　looked　kindly　at　me　as

I　passed。　　I　thought　she　could　read　my　face。　　I　remembered

afterwards　that　Lord　Rothie　turned　his　head　away　when　we　met　her。

We　went　into　the　cathedral。　　We　were　standing　under　that　curious

dome；　and　I　was　looking　up　at　its　strange　lights；　when　down　came　a

rain　of　bell…notes　on　the　roof　over　my　head。　　Before　the　first　tune

was　over；　I　seemed　to　expect　the　second；　and　then　the　third；　without

thinking　how　I　could　know　what　was　coming；　but　when　they　ended　with

the　ballad　of　the　Witch　Lady；　and　I　lifted　up　my　head　and　saw　that　I

was　not　by　my　father's　fireside；　but　in　Antwerp　Cathedral　with　Lord

Rothie；　despair　filled　me　with　a　half…insane　resolution。　　Happily

Lord　Rothie　was　at　some　little　distance　talking　to　a　priest　about

one　of　Rubens's　pictures。　　I　slipped　unseen　behind　the　nearest

pillar；　and　then　flew　from　the　church。　　How　I　got　to　the　hotel　I　do

not　know；　but　I　did　reach　it。　'Lady　Janet；'　was　all　I　could　say。

The　waiter　knew　the　name；　and　led　me　to　her　room。　　I　threw　myself

on　my　knees；　and　begged　her　to　save　me。　　She　assured　me　no　one

should　touch　me。　　I　gasped　'Lord　Rothie；'　and　fainted。　　When　I　came

to　myselfbut　I　need　not　tell　you　all　the　particulars。　　Lady　Janet

did　take　care　of　me。　　Till　last　night　I　never　saw　Lord　Rothie　again。

I　did　not　acknowledge　him；　but　he　persisted　in　talking　to　me；

behave　as　I　would；　and　I　saw　well　enough　that　he　knew　me。'



Falconer　took　her　hand　and　kissed　it。



'Thank　God；'　he　said。　'That　spire　was　indeed　the　haunt　of　angels　as

I　fancied　while　I　played　upon　those　bells。'



'I　knew　it　was　youthat　is；　I　was　sure　of　it　when　I　came　to　think

about　it；　but　at　the　time　I　took　it