donal grant-第106章

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〃What　the　devil　are　you　doing　here？〃　he　said。

〃They　told　me　in　the　town　you　were　in　England；　my　lord！〃

〃I　wrote　to　you；〃　said　the　earl；　〃that　we　were　gone　to　London；　and
that　you　need　be　in　no　haste　to　return。　I　trust　you　have　not　brought
Davie　with　you？〃

〃I　have　not；　my　lord。〃

〃Then　make　what　haste　back　to　him　you　can。　He　must　not　be　alone　with
bumpkins！　You　may　stay　there　with　him　till　I　send　for　youonly　mind
you　go　on　with　your　studies。　Now　be　off。　I　am　at　home　but　for　a　few
hours　on　business；　and　leave　again　by　the　afternoon　coach！〃

〃I　do　not　go；　my　lord；　until　I　have　seen　my　mistress。〃

〃Your　mistress！　Who；　pray；　is　your　mistress！〃

〃I　am　no　longer　in　your　service；　my　lord。〃

〃Then　what；　in　the　name　of　God；　have　you　done　with　my　son？〃

〃In　good　time；　my　lord；　when　you　have　told　me　where　my　mistress　is！
I　am　in　this　house　as　lady　Arctura's　servant；　and　I　desire　to　know
where　I　shall　find　her。〃

〃In　London。〃

〃What　address；　please　your　lordship？　I　will　wait　her　orders　here。〃

〃You　will　leave　this　house　at　once；〃　said　the　earl。　〃I　will　not　have
you　here　in　both　her　ladyship's　absence　and　my　own。〃

〃My　lord；　I　am　not　ignorant　how　things　stand：　I　am　in　lady　Arctura's
house；　and　here　I　remain　till　I　receive　her　commands。〃

〃Very　well！　By　all　means！〃

〃I　ask　you　again　for　her　address；　my　lord。〃

〃Find　it　for　yourself。　You　will　not　obey　my　orders：　am　I　to　obey
yours？〃

He　turned　on　his　heel；　and　flung　to　his　door。

Donal　went　to　lady　Arctura。　She　was　in　the　sitting…room；　anxiously
waiting　his　return。　She　had　heard　their　voices；　but　nothing　that
passed。　He　told　her　what　he　had　done；　then　produced　his　provisions；
and　together　they　prepared　their　breakfast。　By　and　by　they　heard　the
earl　come　from　his　room；　go　here　and　there　through　the　still　house；
and　return　to　his　apartment。

In　the　afternoon　he　left　the　house。　They　watched　him　awayill　able；
apparently；　even　to　crawl　along。　He　went　down　the　hill；　nor　once
lifted　his　head。　They　turned　and　looked　at　each　other。　Profound　pity
for　the　wretched　old　man　was　the　feeling　of　both。　It　was　followed　by
one　of　intense　relief　and　liberty。

〃You　would　like　to　be　rid　of　me　now；　my　lady；〃　said　Donal；　〃but　I
don't　see　how　I　can　leave　you。　Shall　I　go　and　fetch　Miss
Carmichael？〃

〃No；　certainly；〃　answered　Arctura。　〃I　cannot　apply　to　her。〃

〃It　would　be　a　pity　to　lose　the　advantage　of　your　uncle's　not
knowing　what　has　become　of　you。〃

〃I　wonder　what　he　will　do　next！　If　I　were　to　die　now；　the　property
would　be　his；　and　then　Forgue's！〃

〃You　can　will　it　away；　I　suppose；　my　lady！〃　answered　Donal。

Arctura　stood　thoughtful。

〃Is　Forgue　a　bad　man；　Mr。　Grant？〃

〃I　dare　not　trust　him；〃　answered　Donal。

〃Do　you　think　he　had　any　knowledge　of　this　plot　of　his　father's？〃

〃I　cannot　tell。　I　do　not　believe　he　would　have　left　you　to　die　in
the　chapel。〃




CHAPTER　LXXVIII。

RESTORATION。

The　same　afternoon；　while　Donal　was　reading　to　Arctura　in　the
library；　there　came　a　loud　ringing　of　the　door…bell。　Donal　ran　to
see；　and　to　his　great　delight；　there　was　mistress　Brookes；　half　wild
with　anxious　terror。

〃Is　my　leddy　safe？〃　she　criedthen　clasped　Donal　in　her　arms　and
embraced　him　as　if　he　had　been　her　son。

》From　the　moment　she　discovered　herself　fooled；　she　had　been
imagining　all　manner　of　terrible　thingsyet　none　so　terrible　as　the
truth。　There　was　no　end　to　her　objurgations；　exclamations；
anathemas；　and　interjections。

〃Now　I　can　leave　you　in　peace；　my　lady！〃　said　Donal；　who　had　not
resumed　his　seat。

〃Noo　ye　can　bide　whaur　ye　are；　an'　be　thankfu'！〃　said　mistress
Brookes。　〃Wha　daur　meddle　wi'　ye；　an'　me　i'　the　hoose！　An'　wha　kens
what　the　mad　yerl；　for　mad　I　s'　uphaud　him；　an'　fit　only　to　be
lockit　upwha　kens　what　he　may　do　neist！　Maister　Grant；　I　cannot
lat　ye　oot　o'　the　hoose。〃

〃I　was　only　going　as　far　as　mistress　Comin's；〃　replied　Donal。

〃Weel；　ye　can　gang；　but　min'　ye're　hame　i'　gude　time！〃

〃I　thought　of　putting　up　there；　but　I　will　do　as　my　lady　pleases。〃

〃Come　home；〃　said　Arctura。

Donal　went；　and　the　first　person　he　saw　when　he　entered　the　house
was　Eppy。　She　turned　instantly　away；　and　left　the　room：　he　could　not
help　seeing　why。

The　old　woman　welcomed　him　with　her　usual　cordiality；　but　not　her
usual　cheerfulness：　he　had　scarcely　noted　since　her　husband's　death
any　change　on　her　manner　till　now：　she　looked　weary　of　the　world。

She　sat　down；　smoothed　her　apron　on　her　knees；　gave　him　one　glance
in　the　face；　then　looked　down　at　her　hands；　and　said　nothing。

〃I　ken　what　ails　ye；　Doory；〃　said　Donal；　〃but　i'　the　name　o'　him
'at's　awa'；　hearken　til　me。The　lass　is　no　lost；　naither　is　the
Lord　asleep。　Yer　lamb　's　been　sair　misguidit；　sair　pluckit　o'　her
bonny　woo'；　but　gien　for　that　she　haud　the　closer　by　the　Lord's
flock；　she'll　ken　it　wasna　for　want　o'　his　care　the　tod　got　a　grup
o'　her。　It's　a　terrible　pity　for　the　bonny　cratur；　disgracin'　them
'at　aucht　her！　What　for　winna　yoong　fowk　believe　them　'at　speyks
true；　but　wull　believe　them　'at　tells　them　little　but　lees！　Still；
it's　no　as　gien　she　had　been　stealin'！　She's　wrangt　her　puir　sel'；
an'　she's　wrangt　us　a'；　an'　she's　wrangt　the　Lord；　but　for　a'　that
ye　canna　luik　doon　upon　her　as　upo'　the　man　'at's　grown　rich　at　the
cost　o'　his　neebours。　There's　mony　a　gran'　prood　leddy　'ill　hae　to
stan'　aside　to　lat　Eppy　pass　up；　whan　we're　'afore　the　richteous
judge。〃

〃Eh；　but　ye　speyk　like　my　Anerew！〃　cried　the　poor　woman；　wiping　her
old　eyes　with　her　rough　apron。　〃I　s'　do　what　I　can　for　her；　but
there's　no　hidin'　o'　't！〃

〃Hidin'　o'　't！〃　cried　Donal。　〃The　Lord　forbid！　Sic　things　are　no　to
be　hidden！　Sae　lang　's　she　's　i'　the　warl'；　the　thing　has　to　be
kenned　o'　a'　'at　come　nigh　her。　She　maun　beir　her　burden；　puir　lass！
The　Lord　he'll　lichten　't　til　her；　but　he'll　hae　naething　smugglet
up。　That's　no　the　w'y　o'　his　kingdom！I　suppose　there's　nae　doobt
wha？〃

〃Nane。　The　Lord　forbid！〃

Two　days　after；　Mr。　Graeme　and　his　sister　returned；　and　at　lady
Arctura's　request　took　up　their　abode　at　the　castle。　She　told　them
that　of　late　she　had　become　convinced　her　uncle　was　no　longer
capable　of　attending　to　her　affairs；　that　he　was　gone　to　London；
that　she　had　gone　away　with　him；　and　was　supposed　to　be　with　him
still；　though　she　had　returned；　and　he　did　not　know　where　she　was。
She　did　not　wish　him　to　know；　but　desired　for　the　present　to　remain
concealed。　She　had　her　reasons；　and　requested　therefore　as　a
personal　favour　that　they　would　not　once　or　to　any　one　allude　to　her
being　at　the　castle。　Mr。　Graeme　would　in　the　meantime　be　so　good　as
make　himself　acquainted；　so　far　as　possible；　with　the　state　of
affairs　between　her　and　her　uncle。

In　the　course　of　the　investigations　thereupon　following；　it　became
clear　that　a　large　portion　of　the　moneys　of　the　estate　received　by
his　lordship　were　nowise　accounted　for。　Lady　Arctura　directed　that
further　inquiry　should　in　the　meantime　be　stayed；　but　that　no　more
money　should　be　handed　over　to　him。

For　some　time　the　factor　heard　nothing　from　his　lordship。　At　length
came　instructions　as　to　the　forwarding　of　money；　Forgue　writing　and
his　father　signing。　Mr。　Graeme　replied；　excusing　himself　as　he
could；　but　sending　no　money。　They　wrote　again。　Again　he　excused
himself。　The　earl　threatened。　Mr。　Graeme　took　no　heed。　His　lordship
continued　to　demand　and　threaten；　but　neither　he　nor　his　son
appeared。　The　factor　at　length　wrote　that　he　would　pay　no　money　but
to　lady　Arctura。　The　earl　himself　wrote　in　reply；　sayinghad　he
been　out　of　the　country　that　he　did　not　know　she　was　dead　and　six
weeks　in　her　grave？　Again　the　factor　did　not　reply。

Donal　rode　back　to　Glashgar；　and　brought　Davie　home。　Lessons　were
resumed；　and　Arctura　took　her　full　share　in　them。

Soon　all　about　the　castle　was　bustle　and　labourmasons　and
carpenters　busy　from　morning　to　night。　The　wall　that　masked　the
windows　of　the　chapel　was　pulled　down；　the　windows；　of　stained
glass；　with　never　a　crack；　were　cleaned；　the　passage　under　them　was
opened　to　the　great　stair；　lady　Arctura　had　a　small　sweet…toned
organ　built　in　the　little　gallery；　and　the　mural　stair　from　her　own
room　opened　again；　that　she　m