donal grant-第113章

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With　some　careful　questioning；　to　satisfy　himself　that；　so　evidently
at　the　gate　of　death　she　yet　knew　perfectly　her　own　mind；and　not
without　some　shakes　of　the　head　revealing　disapprobation；　the
minister　did　as　he　was　requested；　and　wrote　a　certificate　of　the
fact；　which　was　duly　signed　and　witnessed。

And　if　he　showed　his　disapproval　yet　more　in　the　prayer　with　which
he　concluded　the　ceremony；　none　but　mistress　Brookes　showed
responsive　indignation。

The　bridegroom　gave　his　bride　one　gentle　kiss；　and　withdrew　with　the
clergyman。

〃Pardon　me　if　I　characterize　this　as　a　strange　proceeding！〃　said　the
latter。

〃Not　so　strange　perhaps　as　it　looks；　sir！〃　said　Donal。

〃On　the　very　brink　of　the　other　world！〃

〃The　other　world　and　its　brink　too　are　his　who　ordained　marriage！〃

〃For　this　world　only；〃　said　the　minister。

〃The　gifts　of　God　are　without　repentance；〃　said　Donal。

〃I　have　heard　of　you！〃　returned　the　clergyman。　〃You　are　one；　they
tell　me；　given　to　misusing　scripture。〃

He　had　conceived　a　painful　doubt　that　he　had　been　drawn　into　some
plot！

〃Sir！〃　said　Donal　sternly；　〃if　you　saw　any　impropriety　in　the
ceremony；　why　did　you　perform　it？　I　beg　you　will　now　reserve　your
remarks。　You　ought　to　have　made　them　before　or　not　at　all。　If　you　be
silent；　the　thing　will　probably　never　be　heard　of；　and　I　should
greatly　dislike　having　it　the　town…talk。〃

〃Except　I　see　reasonthat　is；　if　nothing　follow　to　render
disclosure　necessary；　I　shall　be　silent；〃　said　the　minister。

He　would　have　declined　the　fee　offered　by　Donal；　but　he　was　poor；
and　its　amount　prevailed：　he　accepted　it；　and　took　his　leave　with　a
stiffness　he　intended　for　dignity：　he　had　a　high　sense；　if　not　of
the　dignity　of　his　office；　at　least　of　the　dignity　his　office
conferred　on　him。

Donal　had　next　a　brief　interview　with　Mr。　Graeme。　The　factor　was　in
a　state　of　utter　bewilderment；　and　readily　yielded　Donal　a　promise
of　silence：　the　mere　whim　of　a　dying　girl；　it　had　better　be　ignored
and　forgotten！　As　to　Grant's　part　in　it　he　did　not　know　what　to
think。　It　could　not　affect　the　property；　he　thought：　it　could　hardly
be　a　marriage！　And　then　there　was　the　willof　the　contents　of　which
he　knew　nothing！　If　it　were　a　complete　marriage；　the　will　was　worth
nothing；　being　made　before　it！

I　will　not　linger　over　the　quiet；　sad　time　that　followed。　Donal　was
to　Arctura；　she　said；　father；　brother；　husband；　in　one。　Through　him
she　had　reaped　the　harvest　of　the　world；　in　spite　of　falsehood；
murder；　fear；　and　distrust！　She　lay　victorious　on　the　battlefield！

In　the　heart　of　her　bridegroom　reigned　a　peace　the　world　could　not
give　or　take　away。　He　loved　with　a　love　that　cast　the　love　of　former
days　into　the　shadow　of　a　sweet　but　undesired　remembrance。　A　long
twilight　life　lay　before　him；　but　he　would　have　plenty　to　do！　and
such　was　the　love　between　him　and　Arctura；　that　every　doing　of　the
will　of　God　was　as　the　tying　of　a　fresh　bond　between　him　and　her：
she　was　his　because　they　were　the　Father's；　whose　will　was　the　life
and　bond　of　the　universe。

〃I　think；〃　said　Donal；　that　same　night　by　her　bed；　〃when　my　mother
dies；　she　will　go　near　you：　I　will；　if　I　can；　send　you　a　message　by
her。　But　it　will　not　matter；　it　can　only　tell　you　what　you　will　know
well　enoughthat　I　love　you；　and　am　waiting　to　come　to　you。〃

The　stupidity　of　calling　oneself　a　Christian；　and　doubting　if　we
shall　know　our　friends　hereafter！　In　those　who　do　not　believe　such　a
doubt　is　more　than　natural；　but　in　those　who　profess　to　believe；　it
shows　what　a　ragged　scarecrow　is　the　thing　they　call　their
faithnot　worth　that　of　many　an　old　Jew；　or　that　of　here　and　there
a　pagan！

〃I　shall　not　be　far　from　you；　dear；　I　thinksometimes　at　least；〃
she　said；　speaking　very　low。　〃If　you　dream　anything　nice　about　me；
think　I　am　thinking　of　you。　If　you　should　dream　anything　not　nice；
think　something　is　lying　to　you　about　me。　I　do　not　know　if　I　shall
be　allowed　to　come　near　you；　but　if　I　amand　I　think　I　shall
besometimes；　I　shall　laugh　to　myself　to　think　how　near　I　am；　and
you　fancying　me　a　long　way　off！　But　any　way　all　will　be　well；　for
the　great　life；　our　God；　our　father；　is；　and　in　him　we　cannot　but　be
together。〃

After　that　she　fell　into　a　deep　sleep；　and　slept　for　hours。　Then
suddenly　she　sat　up。　Donal　put　his　arm　behind　and　supported　her。　She
looked　a　little　wild；　shuddered；　murmured　something　he　could　not
understand；　then　threw　herself　back　into　his　arms。　Her　expression
changed　to　a　look　of　divinest；　loveliest　content；　and　she　was　gone。




CHAPTER　LXXXII。

THE　WILL。

When　her　will　was　read；　it　was　found　that；　except　some　legacies；　and
an　annuity　to　Mrs。　Brookes；　she　had　left　everything　to　Donal。

Mr。　Graeme；　rising　the　moment　the　lawyer　looked　up；　congratulated
Donalpolitely；　not　cordially；　and　took　his　leave。

〃If　you　are　walking　towards　home；〃　said　Donal；　〃I　will　walk　with
you。〃

〃I　shall　be　happy；〃　said　Mr。　Graemefeeling　it　not　a　little　hard
that　one　who　would　soon　be　heir　presumptive　to　the　title　should　have
to　tend　the　family　property　in　the　service　of　a　stranger　and　a
peasant。

〃Lord　Morven　cannot　live　long；〃　said　Donal　as　they　went。　〃It　is　not
to　be　wished　he　should。〃

Mr。　Graeme　returned　no　answer。　Donal　resumed。

〃I　think　I　ought　to　let　you　know　at　once　that　you　are　heir　to　the
title。〃

〃I　think　you　owe　the　knowledge　to　myself！〃　said　the　factor；　not
without　a　touch　of　contempt。

〃By　no　means；〃　rejoined　Donal：　〃on　presumption；　after　lord　Forgue；
you　told　me；after　lord　Morven；　I　tell　you。〃

〃I　am　at　a　loss　to　imagine　on　what　you　found　such　a　statement；〃　said
Graeme；　beginning　to　suspect　insanity。

〃Naturally；　no　one　knows　it　but　myself。　Lord　Morven　knows　that　his
son　cannot　succeed；　but　he　does　not　know　that　you　can。　I　am
prepared；　if　not　to　prove；　at　least　to　convince　you　that　he　and　his
son's　mother　were　not　married。〃

Mr。　Graeme　was　for　a　moment　silent。　Then　he　laughed　a　little
laughnot　a　pleasant　one。　〃Another　of　Time's　clownish　tricks！〃　he
said　to　himself：　〃the　earl　the　factor　on　the　family…estate！〃　Donal
did　not　like　the　way　he　took　it；　but　saw　how　natural　it　was。

〃I　hope　you　have　known　me　long　enough；〃　he　said；　〃to　believe　I　have
contrived　nothing？〃

〃Excuse　me；　Mr。　Grant：　the　whole　business　looks　suspicious。　The　girl
was　dying！　You　knew　it！〃

〃I　do　not　understand　you。〃

〃What　did　you　marry　her　for？〃

〃To　make　her　my　wife。〃

〃Pray　what　could　be　the　good　of　that　except？〃

〃Does　it　need　any　explanation　but　that　we　loved　each　other？〃

〃You　will　find　it　difficult　to　convince　the　world　that　such　was　your
sole　motive。〃

〃Having　no　care　for　the　opinion　of　the　world；　I　shall　be　satisfied
if　I　convince　you。　The　world　needs　never　hear　of　the　thing。　Would
you；　Mr。　Graeme；　have　had　me　not　marry　her；　because　the　world；
including　not　a　few　honest　men　like　yourself；　would　say　my　object
was　the　property？〃

〃Don't　put　the　question　to　me；　I　am　not　the　proper　person　to　answer
it。　There　is　not　a　man　in　a　hundred　millions　who　with　the　chance
would　not　have　done　the　same；　or　whom　all　the　rest　would　not　blame
for　doing　it。　It　would　have　been　better　for　you；　however；　that　there
had　been　no　will。〃

〃How？〃

〃It　makes　it　look　the　more　like　a　scheme：the　will　might　have　been
disputed。〃

〃Why　do　you　saymight　have　been？〃

〃Because　it　is　not　worth　disputing　now。　If　the　marriage　stands；　it
annuls　the　will。〃

〃I　did　not　know；　and　I　suppose　she　did　not　know　either。　Or　perhaps
she　wanted　to　make　the　thing　sure：　if　the　marriage　was　not　enough；
the　will　would　beshe　may　have　thought。　But　I　knew　nothing　of　it。〃

〃You　did　not？〃

〃Of　course　I　did　not。〃

Mr。　Graeme　held　his　peace。　For　the　first　time　he　doubted　Donal's
word。

〃But　I　wanted　to　have　a　little　talk　with　you；〃　resumed　Donal。　〃I
want　to　know　whether　you　think　your　duty　all　to　the　owner　of　the
land；　or　in　any　measure　to　the　tenants　also。〃

〃That　is　easy　to　answer：　one　employed　by　the　landlord　can　owe　the
tenant　nothing。〃

It　was　not　just　the　answer　he　would　have　given　to　another
questioner。

〃Do　you　not　owe　him　justice？〃　asked　Donal。

〃Every　legal　advantage　I　ought　to　take　for　my　employer。〃

〃Even　to　the　grindi