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know how he came to be your companion。'
'I beg your pardon； doctorbut I thoucht ye was some scunnert at
it； an' I canna bide Shargar to be luikit doon upo'。 Luik here；' he
continued； going to his box； and bringing out Shargar's little heap
of coppers； in which two sixpences obscurely shone； 'he brocht a'
that hame last nicht； an' syne sleepit upo' the rug i' my room
there。 We'll want a' 'at he can mak an' me too afore we get Mr。
Ericson up again。'
'But ye haena tellt me yet；' said the doctor； so pleased with the
lad that he relapsed into the dialect of his youth； 'hoo ye cam to
forgather wi' 'im。'
'I tellt ye a' aboot it； doctor。 It was a' my grannie's doin'； God
bless herfor weel he may； an' muckle she needs 't。'
'Oh！ yes； I remember now all your grandmother's part in the story；'
returned the doctor。 'But I still want to know how he came here。'
'She was gaein' to mak a taylor o' 'm： an' he jist ran awa'； an' cam
to me。'
'It was too bad of him thatafter all she had done for him。'
'Ow； 'deed no； doctor。 Even whan ye boucht a man an' paid for him；
accordin' to the Jewish law； ye cudna mak a slave o' 'im for
a'thegither； ohn him seekin' 't himsel'。Eh！ gin she could only get
my father hame！' sighed Robert； after a pause。
'What should she want him home for？' asked Dr。 Anderson； still
making conversation。
'I didna mean hame to Rothieden。 I believe she cud bide never
seein' 'im again； gin only he wasna i' the ill place。 She has awfu'
notions aboot burnin' ill sowls for ever an' ever。 But it's no
hersel'。 It's the wyte o' the ministers。 Doctor； I do believe she
wad gang an' be brunt hersel' wi' a great thanksgivin'； gin it wad
lat ony puir crater oot o' 'tno to say my father。 An' I sair
misdoobt gin mony o' them 'at pat it in her heid wad do as muckle。
I'm some feared they're like Paul afore he was convertit： he wadna
lift a stane himsel'； but he likit weel to stan' oot by an' luik
on。'
A deep sigh； almost a groan； from the bed； reminded them that they
were talking too much and too loud for a sick…room。 It was followed
by the words； muttered； but articulate；
'What's the good when you don't know whether there's a God at all？'
''Deed； that's verra true； Mr。 Ericson；' returned Robert。 'I wish ye
wad fin' oot an' tell me。 I wad be blithe to hear what ye had to
say anent itgin it was ay； ye ken。'
Ericson went on murmuring； but inarticulately now。
'This won't do at all； Robert； my boy；' said Dr。 Anderson。 'You must
not talk about such things with him； or indeed about anything。 You
must keep him as quiet as ever you can。'
'I thocht he was comin' till himsel'；' returned Robert。 'But I will
tak care； I assure ye； doctor。 Only I'm feared I may fa' asleep the
nicht； for I was dooms sleepy this mornin'。'
'I will send Johnston as soon as I get home； and you must go to bed
when he comes。'
''Deed； doctor； that winna do at a'。 It wad be ower mony strange
faces a'thegither。 We'll get Mistress Fyvie to luik till 'im the
day； an' Shargar canna work the morn； bein' Sunday。 An' I'll gang
to my bed for fear o' doin' waur； though I doobt I winna sleep i'
the daylicht。'
Dr。 Anderson was satisfied； and went homecogitating much。 This
boy； this cousin of his； made a vortex of good about him into which
whoever came near it was drawn。 He seemed at the same time quite
unaware of anything worthy in his conduct。 The good he did sprung
from some inward necessity； with just enough in it of the salt of
choice to keep it from losing its savour。 To these cogitations of
Dr。 Anderson； I add that there was no conscious exercise of religion
in itfor there his mind was all at sea。 Of course I believe
notwithstanding that religion had much； I ought to say everything；
to do with it。 Robert had not yet found in God a reason for being
true to his fellows； but； if God was leading him to be the man he
became； how could any good results of this leading be other than
religion？ All good is of God。 Robert began where he could。 The
first table was too high for him； he began with the second。 If a
man love his brother whom he hath seen； the love of God whom he hath
not seen； is not very far off。 These results in Robert were the
first outcome of divine facts and influencesthey were the buds of
the fruit hereafter to be gathered in perfect devotion。 God be
praised by those who know religion to be the truth of humanityits
own truth that sets it freenot binds； and lops； and mutilates it！
who see God to be the father of every human soulthe ideal Father；
not an inventor of schemes； or the upholder of a court etiquette for
whose use he has chosen to desecrate the name of justice！
To return to Dr。 Anderson。 I have had little opportunity of knowing
his history in India。 He returned from it half…way down the hill of
life； sad； gentle； kind； and rich。 Whence his sadness came； we need
not inquire。 Some woman out in that fervid land may have darkened
his storydarkened it wronglessly； it may be； with coldness； or
only with death。 But to return home without wife to accompany him
or child to meet him；to sit by his riches like a man over a fire
of straws in a Siberian frost； to know that old faces were gone and
old hearts changed； that the pattern of things in the heavens had
melted away from the face of the earth； that the chill evenings of
autumn were settling down into longer and longer nights； and that no
hope lay any more beyond the mountainssurely this was enough to
make a gentle…minded man sad； even if the individual sorrows of his
history had gathered into gold and purple in the west。 I say west
advisedly。 For we are journeying； like our globe； ever towards the
east。 Death and the west are behind usever behind us； and
settling into the unchangeable。
It was natural that he should be interested in the fine promise of
Robert； in whom he saw revived the hopes of his own youth； but in a
nature at once more robust and more ideal。 Where the doctor was
refined； Robert was strong； where the doctor was firm with a
firmness he had cultivated； Robert was imperious with an
imperiousness time would mellow； where the doctor was generous and
careful at once； Robert gave his mite and forgot it。 He was rugged
in the simplicity of his truthfulness； and his speech bewrayed him
as altogether of the people； but the doctor knew the hole of the pit
whence he had been himself digged。 All that would fall away as the
spiky shell from the polished chestnut； and be reabsorbed in the
growth of the grand cone…flowering tree； to stand up in the sun and
wind of the years a very altar of incense。 It is no wonder； I
repeat； that he loved the boy； and longed to further his plans。 But
he was too wise to overwhelm him with a cataract of fortune instead
of blessing him with the merciful dew of progress。
'The fellow will bring me in for no end of expense；' he said；
smiling to himself； as he drove home in his chariot。 'The less he
means it the more unconscionable he will be。 There's that
Ericsonbut that isn't worth thinking of。 I must do something for
that queer protégé of his； thoughthat Shargar。 The fellow is as
good as a dog； and that's saying not a little for him。 I wonder if
he can learnor if he takes after his father the marquis； who never
could spell。 Well； it is a comfort to have something to do worth
doing。 I did think of endowing a hospital； but I'm not sure that it
isn't better to endow a good man than a hospital。 I'll think about
it。 I won't say anything about Shargar either； till I see how he
goes on。 I might give him a job； though； now and then。 But where
to fall in with himprowling about after jobs？'
He threw himself back in his seat； and laughed with a delight he had
rarely felt。 He was a providence watching over the boys； who
expected nothing of him beyond advice for Ericson！ Might there not
be a Providence that equally transcended the vision of men； shaping
to nobler ends the blocked…out designs of their rough…hewn marbles？
His thoughts wandered back to his friend the Brahmin； who died
longing for that absorption into deity which had been the dream of
his life： might not the Brahmin find the grand idea shaped to yet
finer issues than his aspiration had dared contemplate？might he
not inherit in the purification of his will such an absorption as
should intensify his personality？
CHAPTER IX。
A HUMAN SOUL。
Ericson lay for several weeks； during which time Robert and Shargar
were his only nurses。 They contrived； by abridging both rest and
labour； to give him constant attendance。 Shargar went to bed early
and got up early； so as to let Robert have a few hours' sleep before
his classes began。 Robert again slept in the evening； after Shargar
came home； and made up for the time by reading while he sat by his
friend。 Mrs。 Fyvie's attendance was in