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'Objection； laddie？ I wad as sune objeck to lattin' my ain wife lie
aside me。'
'Ay；' said Robert； seized with some anxiety about the violin as he
remembered the fate of the wife； 'but ye ken Elspet comes aff a' the
waur sometimes。'
Softened by the proximity of the wonderful violin； and stung afresh
by the boy's words as his conscience had often stung him before； for
he loved his wife dearly save when the demon of drink possessed him；
the tears rose in Elshender's eyes。 He held out the violin to
Robert； saying； with unsteady voice：
'Hae； tak her awa'。 I dinna deserve to hae sic a thing i' my hoose。
But hear me； Robert； and lat hearin' be believin'。 I never was sae
drunk but I cud tune my fiddle。 Mair by token； ance they fand me
lyin' o' my back i' the Corrie； an' the watter； they say； was ower
a' but the mou' o' me； but I was haudin' my fiddle up abune my heid；
and de'il a spark o' watter was upo' her。'
'It's a pity yer wife wasna yer fiddle； than； Sanny；' said Robert；
with more presumption than wit。
''Deed ye're i' the richt； there； Robert。 Hae； tak' yer fiddle。'
''Deed no；' returned Robert。 'I maun jist lippen （trust） to ye；
Sanders。 I canna bide langer the nicht； but maybe ye'll tell me hoo
to haud her the neist time 'at I comewill ye？'
'That I wull； Robert； come whan ye like。 An' gin ye come o' ane 'at
cud play this fiddle as this fiddle deserves to be playt； ye'll do
me credit。'
'Ye min' what that sumph Lumley said to me the ither nicht； Sanders；
aboot my grandfather？'
'Ay； weel eneuch。 A dish o' drucken havers！'
'It was true eneuch aboot my great…grandfather； though。'
'No！ Was't railly？'
'Ay。 He was the best piper in 's regiment at Culloden。 Gin they had
a' fouchten as he pipit； there wad hae been anither tale to tell。
And he was toon…piper forby； jist like you； Sanders； efter they
took frae him a' 'at he had。'
'Na！ heard ye ever the like o' that！ Weel； wha wad hae thocht it？
Faith！ we maun hae you fiddle as weel as yer lucky…daiddy
pipit。But here's the King o' Bashan comin' efter his butes； an'
them no half dune yet！' exclaimed Dooble Sanny； settling in haste to
his awl and his lingel （Fr。 ligneul）。 'He'll be roarin' mair like a
bull o' the country than the king o' 't。'
As Robert departed； Peter Ogg came in； and as he passed the window；
he heard the shoemaker averring：
'I haena risen frae my stule sin' ane o'clock； but there's a sicht
to be dune to them； Mr。 Ogg。'
Indeed； Alexander ab Alexandro； as Mr。 Innes facetiously styled him；
was in more ways than one worthy of the name of Dooble。 There
seemed to be two natures in the man； which all his music had not yet
been able to blend。
CHAPTER X。
ANOTHER DISCOVERY IN THE GARRET。
Little did Robert dream of the reception that awaited him at home。
Almost as soon as he had left the house； the following events began
to take place。
The mistress's bell rang； and Betty 'gaed benn the hoose to see what
she cud be wantin'；' whereupon a conversation ensued。
'Wha was that at the door； Betty？' asked Mrs。 Falconer； for Robert
had not shut the door so carefully as he ought； seeing that the
deafness of his grandmother was of much the same faculty as her
blindness。
Had Robert not had a hold of Betty by the forelock of her years； he
would have been unable to steal any liberty at all。 Still Betty had
a conscience； and although she would not offend Robert if she could
help it； yet she would not lie。
''Deed； mem； I canna jist distinckly say 'at I heard the door；' she
answered。
'Whaur's Robert？' was her next question。
'He's generally up the stair aboot this hoor； memthat is； whan
he's no i' the parlour at 's lessons。'
'What gangs he sae muckle up the stair for； Betty； do ye ken？ It's
something by ordinar' wi' 'm。'
''Deed I dinna ken； mem。 I never tuik it into my heid to gang
considerin' aboot it。 He'll hae some ploy o' 's ain； nae doobt。
Laddies will be laddies； ye ken； mem。'
'I doobt； Betty； ye'll be aidin' an' abettin'。 An' it disna become
yer years； Betty。'
'My years are no to fin' faut wi'； mem。 They're weel eneuch。'
'That's naething to the pint； Betty。 What's the laddie aboot？'
'Do ye mean whan he gangs up the stair； mem？'
'Ay。 Ye ken weel eneuch what I mean。'
'Weel； mem； I tell ye I dinna ken。 An' ye never heard me tell ye a
lee sin' ever I was i' yer service； mem。'
'Na； nae doonricht。 Ye gang aboot it an' aboot it； an' at last ye
come sae near leein' that gin ye spak anither word； ye wad be at it；
and it jist fleys （frights） me frae speirin' ae ither question at
ye。 An' that's hoo ye win oot o' 't。 But noo 'at it's aboot my ain
oye （grandson）； I'm no gaein' to tyne （lose） him to save a woman o'
your years； wha oucht to ken better； an sae I'll speir at ye； though
ye suld be driven to lee like Sawtan himsel'。What's he aboot whan
he gangs up the stair？ Noo！'
'Weel； as sure's deith； I dinna ken。 Ye drive me to sweirin'； mem；
an' no to leein'。'
'I carena。 Hae ye no idea aboot it； than； Betty？'
'Weel； mem； I think sometimes he canna be weel； and maun hae a tod
（fox） in 's stamack； or something o' that nater。 For what he eats
is awfu'。 An' I think whiles he jist gangs up the stair to eat at
's ain wull。'
'That jumps wi' my ain observations； Betty。 Do ye think he micht
hae a rabbit； or maybe a pair o' them； in some boxie i' the garret；
noo？'
'And what for no； gin he had； mem？'
'What for no？ Nesty stinkin' things！ But that's no the pint。 I
aye hae to haud ye to the pint； Betty。 The pint is； whether he has
rabbits or no？'
'Or guinea…pigs；' suggested Betty。
'Weel。'
'Or maybe a pup or twa。 Or I kent a laddie ance 'at keepit a haill
faimily o' kittlins。 Or maybe he micht hae a bit lammie。 There was
an uncle o' min' ain'
'Haud yer tongue； Betty！ Ye hae ower muckle to say for a' the sense
there's intil 't。'
'Weel； mem； ye speirt questions at me。'
'Weel； I hae had eneuch o' yer answers； Betty。 Gang and tell Robert
to come here direckly。'
Betty went； knowing perfectly that Robert had gone out； and returned
with the information。 Her mistress searched her face with a keen
eye。
'That maun hae been himsel' efter a' whan ye thocht ye hard the door
gang；' said Betty。
'It's a strange thing that I suld hear him benn here wi' the door
steekit； an' your door open at the verra door…cheek o' the ither；
an' you no hear him； Betty。 And me sae deif as weel！'
''Deed； mem；' retorted Betty； losing her temper a little； 'I can be
as deif 's ither fowk mysel' whiles。'
When Betty grew angry； Mrs。 Falconer invariably grew calm； or； at
least； put her temper out of sight。 She was silent now； and
continued silent till Betty moved to return to her kitchen； when she
said； in a tone of one who had just arrived at an important
resolution：
'Betty； we'll jist awa' up the stair an' luik。'
'Weel； mem； I hae nae objections。'
'Nae objections！ What for suld you or ony ither body hae ony
objections to me gaein' whaur I like i' my ain hoose？ Umph！'
exclaimed Mrs。 Falconer； turning and facing her maid。
'In coorse； mem。 I only meant I had nae objections to gang wi' ye。'
'And what for suld you or ony ither woman that I paid twa pun' five
i' the half…year till； daur to hae objections to gaein' whaur I
wantit ye to gang i' my ain hoose？'
'Hoot； mem！ it was but a slip o' the tonguenaething mair。'
'Slip me nae sic slips； or ye'll come by a fa' at last； I doobt；
Betty；' concluded Mrs。 Falconer； in a mollified tone； as she turned
and led the way from the room。
They got a candle in the kitchen and proceeded up…stairs； Mrs。
Falconer still leading； and Betty following。 They did not even look
into the ga'le…room； not doubting that the dignity of the best
bed…room was in no danger of being violated even by Robert； but took
their way upwards to the room in which he kept his
school…booksalmost the only articles of property which the boy
possessed。 Here they found nothing suspicious。 All was even in the
best possible ordernot a very wonderful fact； seeing a few books
and a slate were the only things there besides the papers on the
shelves。
What the feelings of Shargar must have been when he heard the steps
and voices； and saw the light approaching his place of refuge； we
will not change our point of view to inquire。 He certainly was as
little to be envied at that moment as at any moment during the whole
of his existence。
The first sense Mrs。 Falconer made use of in the search after
possible animals lay in her nose。 She kept snuffing constantly；
but； beyond the usual musty smell of neglected apartments； had as
yet discovered nothing。 The moment she entered the upper garret；
however
'There's