donal grant-第114章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

〃Even　to　the　grinding　of　the　faces　of　the　poor？〃

〃I　have　nothing　to　do；　as　his　employ？　with　my　own　ideas　as　to　what
may　be　equitable。〃

He　drew　the　line　thus　hard　in　pure　opposition　to　Donal。

〃What　then　would　you　say　if　the　land　were　your　own？　Would　you　say
you　had　it　solely　for　your　own　and　your　family's　good；　or　for　that
of　the　tenants　as　well？〃

〃I　should　very　likely　reason　that　what　was　good　for　them　would　in
the　long　run　be　good　for　me　too。But　if　you　want　to　know　how　I　have
treated　the　tenants；　there　are　intelligent　men　amongst　them；　not　at
all　prejudiced　in　favour　of　the　factor！〃

〃I　wish　you　would　be　open　with　me；〃　said　Donal。

〃I　prefer　keeping　my　own　place；〃　rejoined　Mr。　Graeme。

〃You　speak　as　one　who　found　a　change　in　me；〃　returned　Donal。　〃There
is　none。〃

So　saying　he　shook　hands　with　him；　bade　him　good　morning；　and　turned
with　the　depression　of　failure。

〃I　did　not　lead　up　to　the　point　properly！〃　he　said　to　himself。




CHAPTER　LXXXIII。

INSIGHT。

Mr。　Graeme　was　a　good　sort　of　man；　and　a　gentleman；　but　he　was　not
capable　of　meeting　Donal　on　the　ground　on　which　he　approached　him：
on　that　level　he　had　never　set　foot。　There　is　nothing　more
disappointing　to　the　generous　man　than　the　way　in　which　his　absolute
frankness　is　met　by　the　man　of　the　worldalways　looking　out　for
motives；　and　imagining　them　after　what　is　in　himself。

There　was　great　confidence　between　the　brother　and　sister；　and　as　he
walked　homeward；　Mr。　Graeme　was　not　so　well　pleased　with　himself　as
to　think　with　satisfaction　on　the　report　of　the　interview　he　could
give　Kate。　He　did　not　accuse　himself　with　regard　to　anything　he　had
said；　but　he　felt　his　behaviour　influenced　by　jealousy　of　the
low…born　youth　who　had　supplanted　him。　For；　if　Percy　could　not
succeed　to　the　title；　neither　could　he　have　succeeded　to　the
property；　and　but　for　the　will　or　the　marriage；　perhaps　but　for　the
two　together；　he　would　himself　have　come　in　for　that　also！　The　will
was　worth　nothing　except　the　marriage　was　disputed：　annul　the
marriage；　and　the　will　was　of　force！

He　told　his　sister；　as　nearly　as　he　could；　all　that　had　passed
between　them。

〃If　he　wanted　me　to　talk　to　him；〃　he　said；　〃why　did　he　tell　me　that
about　Forgue？　It　was　infernally　stupid　of　him！　But　what's　bred　in
the　bone！　A　gentleman　's　not　made　in　a　day！〃

〃Nor　in　a　thousand　years；　Hector！〃　rejoined　his　sister。　〃Donal　Grant
is　a　gentleman　in　the　best　sense　of　the　word！　That　you　say　he　is
not；　lets　me　see　you　are　vexed　with　yourself。　He　is　a　little　awkward
sometimes；　I　confess；　but　only　when　he　is　looking　at　a　thing　from
some　other　point　of　view；　and　does　not　like　to　say　you　ought　to　have
been　looking　at　it　from　the　same。　And　you　can't　say　he　shuffles；　for
he　never　stops　till　he　has　done　his　best　to　make　you！What　have　you
been　saying　to　him；　Hector？〃

〃Nothing　but　what　I　have　told　you；　it's　rather　what　I　have　not　been
saying！〃　answered　her　brother。　〃He　would　have　had　me　open　out　to
him；　and　I　wouldn't。　How　could　I！　Whatever　I　said　that　pleased　him；
would　have　looked　as　if　I　wanted　to　secure　my　situation！　Hang　it
all！　I　have　a　good　mind　to　throw　it　up。　How　is　a　Graeme　to　serve
under　a　bumpkin？〃

〃The　man　is　not　a　bumpkin；　he　is　a　scholar　and　a　poet！〃　said　the
lady。

〃Pooh！　pooh！　What's　a　poet？〃

〃One　that　may　or　may　not　be　as　good　a　man　of　business　as　yourself
when　it　is　required　of　him。〃

〃Come；　come！　don't　you　turn　against　me；　Kate！　It's　hard　enough　to
bear　as　it　is！〃

Miss　Graeme　made　no　reply。　She　was　meditating　all　she　knew　of　Donal；
to　guide　her　to　the　something　to　which　she　was　sure　her　brother　had
not　let　him　come；　and　presently　she　made　him　recount　again　all　they
had　said　to　each　other。

〃I　tell　you；　Hector；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃you　never　made　such　a　fool　of
yourself　in　your　life！　If　I　know　human　nature；　that　man　is　different
from　any　other　you　have　had　to　do　with。　It　will　take　a　woman；　a
better　woman　than　your　sister；　I　confess；　to　understand　him；　but　I
see　a　little　farther　into　him　than　you　do。　He　is　a　man　who；　never
having　had　money　enough　to　learn　the　bad　uses　of　it；　and　never
having　formed　habits　it　takes　money　to　supply；　having　no　ambition；
living　in　books　not　in　places；　and　for　pleasure　having　more　at　his
command　in　himself　than　the　richesthe　is　a　man　who；　I　say；　would
find　money　an　impediment　to　his　happiness；　for　he　must　have　a　sense
of　duty　with　regard　to　it　which　would　interfere　with　everything　he
liked　best。　Besides；　though　he　does　not　care　a　straw　for　the
judgment　of　the　world　where　it　differs　from　him；　he　would　be　sorry
to　seem　to　go　against　that　judgment　where　he　agrees　with　it：
scorning　to　marry　any　woman　for　her　money；　he　would　not　have　the
world　think　he　had　done　so。〃

〃Ah；　Katey；　there　I　have　you！　The　world　would　entirely　approve　of
his　doing　that！〃

〃I　will　take　a　better　position　then：he　would　not　willingly　seem　to
have　done　a　thing　he　himself　despises。　The　man　believes　himself　sent
into　the　world　to　teach　it　something：　he　would　not　have　it　thrown　in
his　teeth　that；　after　all；　he　looks　to　the　main　chance　as　keenly　as
another！　He　would　starve　before　he　would　have　men　say　soyes；　even
say　so　falsely。　I　am　as　sure　he　did　not　marry　lady　Arctura　for　her
money；　as　I　am　sure　lord　Forgue；　or　you；　Hector；　would　have　done　it
if　you　had　had　a　chance。There！My　conviction　is　that　the　bumpkin
sought　a　fit　opening　to　tell　you　that　the　will　was　to　go　for
nothing；　and　that　no　word　need　be　said　about　the　marriage。　You　know
he　made　you　promise　not　to　mention　itonly　I　wormed　it　out　of　you！〃

〃That's　just　like　you　women！　The　man　you　take　a　fancy　to　is　always
head　and　shoulders　above　other　men！〃

〃As　you　take　it　so；　I　will　tell　you　more：　that　man　will　never　marry
again！〃

〃Wait　a　bit。　Admiration　is　sometimes　mutual：　who　knows　but　he　may
ask　you　next！〃

〃If　he　did　ask　me；　I　might　take　him；　but　I　should　never　think　so
much　of　him！〃

〃Heroic　Kate！〃

〃If　you　had　been　a　little　more　heroic；　Hector；　you　would　have
responded　to　himand　found　it　considerably　to　your　advantage。〃

〃You　don't　imagine　I　would　be　indebted〃

〃Hush！　Hush！　Don't　pledge　yourself　in　a　hurryeven　to　me！〃　said
Kate。　〃Leave　as　wide　a　sea…margin　about　your　boat　as　you　may。　You
don't　know　what　you　would　or　would　not。　Mr。　Grant　knows；　but　you　do
not。〃

〃Mr。　Grant　again！Well！〃

〃Well！we　shall　see！〃

And　they　soon　did。　For　that　same　evening　Donal　called；　and　asked　to
see　Miss　Graeme。

〃I　am　sorry　my　brother　is　gone　down　to　the　town；〃　she　said。

〃It　was　you　I　wanted　to　see；〃　he　answered。　〃I　wish　to　speak　openly
to　you；　for　I　imagine　you　will　understand　me　better　than　your
brother。　Perhaps　I　ought　rather　to　sayI　shall　be　better　able　to
explain　myself　to　you。〃

There　was　that　in　his　countenance　which　seemed　to　seize　and　hold
hera　calm　exaltation；　as　of　a　man　who　had　outlived　weakness　and
was　facing　the　eternal。　The　spirit　of　a　smile　hovered　about　his
mouth　and　eyes；　embodying　itself　now　and　then　in　a　grave；　sweet；
satisfied　smile：　the　man　seemed　full　of　content；　not　with　himself；
but　with　something　he　would　gladly　share。

〃I　have　been　talking　with　your　brother；〃　he　said；　after　a　brief
pause。

〃I　know；〃　she　answered。　〃I　am　afraid　he　did　not　meet　you　as　he
ought。　He　is　a　good　and　honourable　man；　but　like　most　men　he　needs　a
moment　to　pull　himself　together。　Few　men；　Mr。　Grant；　when　suddenly
called　upon；　answer　from　the　best　that　is　in　them。〃

〃The　fact　is　simply　this；〃　resumed　Donal：　〃I　do　not　want　the　Morven
property。　I　thank　God　for　lady　Arctura：　what　was　hers　I　do　not
desire。〃

〃But　may　it　not　be　your　duty　to　take　it；　Mr。　Grant？Pardon　me　for
suggesting　duty　to　one　who　always　acts　from　it。〃

〃I　have　reflected；　and　do　not　think　God　wants　me　to　take　it。　Because
she　is　mine；　ought　I　of　necessity　to　be　enslaved　to　all　her
accidents？　Must　I；　because　I　love　her；　hoard　her　gowns　and　shoes？〃

Then　first　Miss　Graeme　noted　that　he　never　spoke　of　his　wife　as　in
the　past。

〃But　there　are　others　to　be　considered；〃　she　replied。　〃You　have　made
me　think　about　many　things；　Mr。　Grant！　My　brother　and　I　have　had
many　talks　as　to　what　we　would