按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
think muckle'
But here； I presume； the thought of the added desolation of her
Andrew if she； too； were to forget him； as well as his Father in
heaven； checked the flow of her words。 She paused； and Robert took
up his parable and went on； first with yet another question。
'Duv ye think； grannie； that a body wad be allooed to speik a word
i' public； like； thereat the lang table； like； I mean？'
'What for no； gin it was dune wi' moedesty； and for a guid rizzon？
But railly； laddie； I doobt ye're haverin' a'thegither。 Ye hard
naething like that； I'm sure； the day； frae Mr。 Maccleary。'
'Na； na； he said naething aboot it。 But maybe I'll gang and speir
at him； though。'
'What aboot？'
'What I'm gaein' to tell ye； grannie。'
'Weel； tell awa'； and hae dune wi' 't。 I'm growin' tired o' 't。'
It was something else than tired she was growing。
'Weel； I'm gaein' to try a' that I can to win in there。'
'I houp ye will。 Strive and pray。 Resist the deevil。 Walk in the
licht。 Lippen not to yersel'； but trust in Christ and his
salvation。'
'Ay； ay； grannie。Weel'
'Are ye no dune yet？'
'Na。 I'm but jist beginnin'。'
'Beginnin'； are ye？ Humph！'
'Weel； gin I win in there； the verra first nicht I sit doon wi' the
lave o' them； I'm gaein' to rise up an' saythat is； gin the
Maister； at the heid o' the table； disna bid me sit doonan' say：
〃Brithers an' sisters； the haill o' ye； hearken to me for ae minute；
an'； O Lord！ gin I say wrang； jist tak the speech frae me； and I'll
sit doon dumb an' rebukit。 We're a' here by grace and no by merit；
save his； as ye a' ken better nor I can tell ye； for ye hae been
langer here nor me。 But it's jist ruggin' an' rivin' at my hert to
think o' them 'at's doon there。 Maybe ye can hear them。 I canna。
Noo； we hae nae merit； an' they hae nae merit； an' what for are we
here and them there？ But we're washed clean and innocent noo； and
noo； whan there's no wyte lying upo' oursel's； it seems to me that
we micht beir some o' the sins o' them 'at hae ower mony。 I call
upo' ilk ane o' ye 'at has a frien' or a neebor down yonner； to rise
up an' taste nor bite nor sup mair till we gang up a'thegither to
the fut o' the throne； and pray the Lord to lat's gang and du as the
Maister did afore 's； and beir their griefs； and cairry their
sorrows doon in hell there； gin it maybe that they may repent and
get remission o' their sins； an' come up here wi' us at the lang
last； and sit doon wi' 's at this table； a' throuw the merits o' oor
Saviour Jesus Christ； at the heid o' the table there。 Amen。〃'
Half ashamed of his long speech； half overcome by the feelings
fighting within him； and altogether bewildered； Robert burst out
crying like a baby； and ran out of the roomup to his own place of
meditation； where he threw himself on the floor。 Shargar； who had
made neither head nor tail of it all； as he said afterwards； sat
staring at Mrs。 Falconer。 She rose； and going into Robert's little
bedroom； closed the door； and what she did there is not far to seek。
When she came out； she rang the bell for tea； and sent Shargar to
look for Robert。 When he appeared； she was so gentle to him that it
woke quite a new sensation in him。 But after tea was over； she
said：
'Noo； Robert； lat's hae nae mair o' this。 Ye ken as weel 's I du
that them 'at gangs there their doom is fixed； and noething can
alter 't。 An' we're not to alloo oor ain fancies to cairry 's ayont
the Scripter。 We hae oor ain salvation to work oot wi' fear an'
trimlin'。 We hae naething to do wi' what's hidden。 Luik ye till 't
'at ye win in yersel'。 That's eneuch for you to min'。Shargar； ye
can gang to the kirk。 Robert's to bide wi' me the nicht。'
Mrs。 Falconer very rarely went to church； for she could not hear a
word； and found it irksome。
When Robert and she were alone together；
'Laddie；' she said； 'be ye waure o' judgin' the Almichty。 What
luiks to you a' wrang may be a' richt。 But it's true eneuch 'at we
dinna ken a'thing； an' he's no deid yetI dinna believe 'at he
isand he'll maybe win in yet。'
Here her voice failed her。 And Robert had nothing to say now。 He
had said all his say before。
'Pray； Robert； pray for yer father； laddie；' she resumed； 'for we
hae muckle rizzon to be anxious aboot 'im。 Pray while there's life
an' houp。 Gie the Lord no rist。 Pray till 'im day an' nicht； as I
du； that he wad lead 'im to see the error o' his ways； an' turn to
the Lord； wha's ready to pardon。 Gin yer mother had lived； I wad
hae had mair houp； I confess； for she was a braw leddy and a bonny；
and that sweet…tongued！ She cud hae wiled a maukin frae its lair
wi' her bonnie Hielan' speech。 I never likit to hear nane o' them
speyk the Erse （Irish； that is； Gaelic）； it was aye sae gloggie and
baneless； and I cudna unnerstan' ae word o' 't。 Nae mair cud yer
fatherhoot！ yer gran'father； I meanthough his father cud speyk
it weel。 But to hear yer mothermamma； as ye used to ca' her aye；
efter the new fashionto hear her speyk English； that was sweet to
the ear； for the braid Scotch she kent as little o' as I do o' the
Erse。 It was hert's care aboot him that shortent her days。 And a'
that'll be laid upo' him。 He'll hae 't a' to beir an' accoont for。
Och hone！ Och hone！ Eh！ Robert； my man； be a guid lad； an' serve
the Lord wi' a' yer hert； an' sowl； an' stren'th； an' min'； for gin
ye gang wrang； yer ain father 'll hae to beir naebody kens hoo
muckle o' the wyte o' 't； for he's dune naething to bring ye up i'
the way ye suld gang； an' haud ye oot o' the ill gait。 For the sake
o' yer puir father； haud ye to the richt road。 It may spare him a
pang or twa i' the ill place。 Eh； gin the Lord wad only tak me； and
lat him gang！'
Involuntarily and unconsciously the mother's love was adopting the
hope which she had denounced in her grandson。 And Robert saw it；
but he was never the man when I knew him to push a victory。 He said
nothing。 Only a tear or two at the memory of the wayworn man； his
recollection of whose visit I have already recorded； rolled down his
cheeks。 He was at such a distance from him！such an impassable
gulf yawned between them！that was the grief！ Not the gulf of
death； nor the gulf that divides hell from heaven； but the gulf of
abjuration by the good because of his evil ways。 His grandmother；
herself weeping fast and silently； with scarce altered countenance；
took her neatly…folded handkerchief from her pocket； and wiped her
grandson's fresh cheeks； then wiped her own withered face； and from
that moment Robert knew that he loved her。
Then followed the Sabbath…evening prayer that she always offered
with the boy； whichever he was； who kept her company。 They knelt
down together； side by side； in a certain corner of the room； the
same； I doubt not； in which she knelt at her private devotions；
before going to bed。 There she uttered a long extemp