第 53 节
作者:套牢      更新:2021-02-20 15:34      字数:9321
  come and go in the brain of a child!before it will let a man know
  wherein one face differeth from another face in glory!  I suspect;
  however; that for such purposes it is rather music than articulation
  that is needfulthat; with a hope of these finer results; the
  language must rather be turned into music than logically extended。
  The next morning he awoke at early dawn; hearing the birds at his
  window。  He rose and went out。  The air was clear and fresh as a
  new…made soul。  Bars of mottled cloud were bent across the eastern
  quarter of the sky; which lay like a great ethereal ocean ready for
  the launch of the ship of glory that was now gliding towards its
  edge。  Everything was waiting to conduct him across the far horizon
  to the south; where lay the stored…up wonder of his coming life。
  The lark sang of something greater than he could tell; the wind got
  up; whispered at it; and lay down to sleep again; the sun was at
  hand to bathe the world in the light and gladness alone fit to
  typify the radiance of Robert's thoughts。  The clouds that formed
  the shore of the upper sea were already burning from saffron into
  gold。  A moment more and the first insupportable sting of light
  would shoot from behind the edge of that low blue hill; and the
  first day of his new life would be begun。  He watched; and it came。
  The well…spring of day; fresh and exuberant as if now first from
  the holy will of the Father of Lights; gushed into the basin of the
  world; and the world was more glad than tongue or pen can tell。  The
  supernal light alone; dawning upon the human heart; can exceed the
  marvel of such a sunrise。
  And shall life itself be less beautiful than one of its days?  Do
  not believe it; young brother。  Men call the shadow; thrown upon the
  universe where their own dusky souls come between it and the eternal
  sun; life; and then mourn that it should be less bright than the
  hopes of their childhood。  Keep thou thy soul translucent; that thou
  mayest never see its shadow; at least never abuse thyself with the
  philosophy which calls that shadow life。  Or; rather would I say;
  become thou pure in heart; and thou shalt see God; whose vision
  alone is life。
  Just as the sun rushed across the horizon he heard the tramp of a
  heavy horse in the yard; passing from the stable to the cart that
  was to carry his trunk to the turnpike road; three miles off; where
  the coach would pass。  Then Miss Lammie came and called him to
  breakfast; and there sat the farmer in his Sunday suit of black;
  already busy。  Robert was almost too happy to eat; yet he had not
  swallowed two mouthfuls before the sun rose unheeded; the lark sang
  unheeded; and the roses sparkled with the dew that bowed yet lower
  their heavy heads; all unheeded。  By the time they had finished; Mr。
  Lammie's gig was at the door; and they mounted and followed the
  cart。  Not even the recurring doubt and fear that hollowness was at
  the heart of it all; for that God could not mean such reinless
  gladness; prevented the truth of the present joy from sinking deep
  into the lad's heart。  In his mind he saw a boat moored to a rock;
  with no one on board; heaving on the waters of a rising tide; and
  waiting to bear him out on the sea of the unknown。  The picture
  arose of itself: there was no paradise of the west in his
  imagination; as in that of a boy of the sixteenth century; to
  authorize its appearance。  It rose again and again; the dew
  glittered as if the light were its own; the sun shone as he had
  never seen him shine before; the very mare that sped them along held
  up her head and stepped out as if she felt it the finest of
  mornings。  Had she also a future; poor old mare?  Might there not be
  a paradise somewhere? and if in the furthest star instead of
  next…door America; why; so much the more might the Atlantis of the
  nineteenth century surpass Manoa the golden of the seventeenth!
  The gig and the cart reached the road together。  One of the men who
  had accompanied the cart took the gig; and they were left on the
  road…side with Robert's trunk and boxthe latter a present from
  Miss Lammie。
  Their places had been secured; and the guard knew where he had to
  take them up。  Long before the coach appeared; the notes of his
  horn; as like the colour of his red coat as the blindest of men
  could imagine; came echoing from the side of the heathery; stony
  hill under which they stood; so that Robert turned wondering; as if
  the chariot of his desires had been coming over the top of
  Drumsnaig; to carry him into a heaven where all labour was delight。
  But round the corner in front came the four…in…hand red mail
  instead。  She pulled up gallantly; the wheelers lay on their hind
  quarters; and the leaders parted theirs from the pole; the boxes
  were hoisted up; Mr。 Lammie climbed; and Robert scrambled to his
  seat; the horn blew; the coachman spake oracularly; the horses
  obeyed; and away went the gorgeous symbol of sovereignty careering
  through the submissive region。  Nor did Robert's delight abate
  during the journeycertainly not when he saw the blue line of the
  sea in the distance; a marvel and yet a fact。
  Mrs。 Falconer had consulted the Misses Napier; who had many
  acquaintances in Aberdeen; as to a place proper for Robert; and
  suitable to her means。  Upon this point Miss Letty; not without a
  certain touch of design; as may appear in the course of my story;
  had been able to satisfy her。  In a small house of two floors and a
  garret; in the old town; Mr。 Lammie took leave of Robert。
  It was from a garret window still; but a storm…window now that
  Robert lookedeastward across fields and sand…hills; to the blue
  expanse of watersnot blue like southern seas; but slaty blue; like
  the eyes of northmen。  It was rather dreary; the sun was shining
  from overhead now; casting short shadows and much heat; the dew was
  gone up; and the lark had come down; he was alone; the end of his
  journey was come; and was not anything very remarkable。  His
  landlady interrupted his gaze to know what he would have for dinner;
  but he declined to use any discretion in the matter。  When she left
  the room he did not return to the window; but sat down upon his box。
  His eye fell upon the other; a big wooden cube。  Of its contents he
  knew nothing。  He would amuse himself by making inquisition。  It was
  nailed up。  He borrowed a screwdriver and opened it。  At the top lay
  a linen bag full of oatmeal; underneath that was a thick layer of
  oat…cake; underneath that two cheeses; a pound of butter; and six
  pots of jam; which ought to have tasted of roses; for it came from
  the old garden where the roses lived in such sweet companionship
  with the currant bushes; underneath that; &c。; and underneath; &c。;
  a box which strangely recalled Shargar's garret; and one of the
  closets therein。  With beating heart he opened it; and lo; to his
  marvel; and the restoration of all the fair day; there was the
  violin which Dooble Sanny had left him when he forsook her forsome
  one or other of the queer instruments of Fra Angelico's angels?
  In a flutter of delight he sat down on his trunk again and played
  the most mournful of tunes。  Two white pigeons; which had been
  talking to each other in the heat on the roof; came one on each side
  of the window and peeped into the room; and out between them; as he
  played; Robert saw the sea; and the blue sky above it。  Is it any
  wonder that; instead of turning to the lying pages and contorted
  sentences of the Livy which he had already unpacked from his box; he
  forgot all about school; and college; and bursary; and went on
  playing till his landlady brought up his dinner; which he swallowed
  hastily that he might return to the spells of his enchantress!
  CHAPTER V。
  THE COMPETITION。
  I could linger with gladness even over this part of my hero's
  history。  If the school work; was dry it was thorough。  If that
  academy had no sweetly shadowing trees; if it did stand within a
  parallelogram of low stone walls; containing a roughly…gravelled
  court; if all the region about suggested hot stones and sandbeyond
  still was the sea and the sky; and that court; morning and
  afternoon; was filled with the shouts of eager boys; kicking the
  football with mad rushings to and fro; and sometimes with wounds and
  faintingsfit symbol of the equally resultless ambition with which
  many of them would follow the game of life in the years to come。
  Shock…headed Highland colts; and rough Lowland steers as many of
  them were; out of that group; out of the roughest of them; would
  emerge in time a few gentlemennot of the type of your trim;
  self…contained; clerical exquisitebut large…hearted; courteous
  gentlemen; for whom a man may thank God。 And if the master was stern
  and hard; he was true; if the pupils feared him; they yet cared to
  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