other than a most uncivilized nature. That which was fine in him
was constantly checked and held down by the gross; the merely animal
overpowered the spiritual; and it was only upon occasion that his
heavenly companion, the violin, could raise him a few feet above the
mire and the clay. She never succeeded in setting his feet on a
rock; while, on the contrary, he often dragged her with him into the
mire of questionable company and circumstances. Worthy Mr. Falconer
would have been horrified to see his umquhile modest companion in
such society as that into which she was now introduced at times.
But nevertheless the soutar was a good and patient teacher; and
although it took Robert rather more than a fortnight to redeem his
pledge to Shargar, he did make progress. It could not, however, be
rapid, seeing that an hour at a time, two evenings in the week, was
all that he could give to the violin. Even with this moderation,
the risk of his absence exciting his grandmother's suspicion and
inquiry was far from small.

And now, were those really faded old memories of his grandfather and
his merry kindness, all so different from the solemn benevolence of
his grandmother, which seemed to revive in his bosom with the
revivification of the violin? The instrument had surely laid up a
story in its hollow breast, had been dreaming over it all the time
it lay hidden away in the closet, and was now telling out its dreams
about the old times in the ear of the listening boy. To him also it
began to assume something of that mystery and life which had such a
softening, and, for the moment at least, elevating influence on his
master.

At length the love of the violin had grown upon him so, that he
could not but cast about how he might enjoy more of its company. It