donal grant-第29章

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Graeme。

〃That　would　be　impossible。　　The　family　relations　are　for　the　sake　of
developing　a　love　rooted　in　a　far　deeper　though　less　recognized
relation。But　I　beg　your　pardon；　Miss　Graeme。　　Little　Davie　alone
is　my　pupil；　and　I　forget　myself。〃

〃I　am　very　glad　to　listen　to　you；〃　returned　Miss　Graeme。　〃I　cannot
say　I　am　prepared　to　agree　with　you。　　But　it　is　something；　in　this
out…of…the…way　corner；　to　hear　talk　from　which　it　is　even　worth
while　to　differ。〃

〃Ah；　you　can　have　that　here　if　you　will！〃

〃Indeed！〃

〃I　mean　talk　from　which　you　would　probably　differ。　　There　is　an　old
man　in　the　town　who　can　talk　better　than　ever　I　heard　man　before。
But　he　is　a　poor　man；　with　a　despised　handicraft；　and　none　heed
him。　　No　community　recognizes　its　great　men　till　they　are　gone。〃

〃Where　is　the　use　then　of　being　great？〃　said　Miss　Graeme。

〃To　be　great；〃　answered　Donal；　〃to　which　the　desire　to　be　known　of
men　is　altogether　destructive。　　To　be　great　is　to　seem　little　in　the
eyes　of　men。〃

Miss　Graeme　did　not　answer。　　She　was　not　accustomed　to　consider
things　seriously。　　A　good　girl　in　a　certain　true　sense；　she　had
never　yet　seen　that　she　had　to　be　better；　or　indeed　to　be　anything。
But　she　was　able　to　feel；　though　she　was　far　from　understanding
him；　that　Donal　was　in　earnest；　and　that　was　much。　　To　recognize
that　a　man　means　something；　is　a　great　step　towards　understanding
him。

〃What　a　lovely　garden　this　is！〃　remarked　Donal　after　the　sequent
pause。　〃I　have　never　seen　anything　like　it。〃

〃It　is　very　old…fashioned；〃　she　returned。　〃Do　you　not　find　it　very
stiff　and　formal？〃

〃Stately　and　precise；　I　should　rather　say。〃

〃I　do　not　mean　I　can　help　liking　itin　a　way。〃

〃Who　could　help　liking　it　that　took　his　feeling　from　the　garden
itself；　not　from　what　people　said　about　it！〃

〃You　cannot　say　it　is　like　nature！〃

〃Yes；　it　is　very　like　human　nature。　　Man　ought　to　learn　of　nature；
but　not　to　imitate　nature。　　His　work　is；　through　the　forms　that
Nature　gives　him；　to　express　the　idea　or　feeling　that　is　in　him。
That　is　far　more　likely　to　produce　things　in　harmony　with　nature；
than　the　attempt　to　imitate　nature　upon　the　small　human　scale。〃

〃You　are　too　much　of　a　philosopher　for　me！〃　said　Miss　Graeme。　〃I
daresay　you　are　quite　right；　but　I　have　never　read　anything　about
art；　and　cannot　follow　you。〃

〃You　have　probably　read　as　much　as　I　have。　　I　am　only　talking　out　of
what　necessity；　the　necessity　for　understanding　things；　has　made　me
think。　　One　must　get　things　brought　together　in　one's　thoughts；　if
only　to　be　able　to　go　on　thinking。〃

This　too　was　beyond　Miss　Graeme。　　The　silence　again　fell；　and　Donal
let　it　lie；　waiting　for　her　to　break　it　this　time。




CHAPTER　XXII。

A　TALK　ABOUT　GHOSTS。

But　again　he　was　the　first。

They　had　turned　and　gone　a　good　way　down　the　long　garden；　and　had
again　turned　towards　the　house。

〃This　place　makes　me　feel　as　I　never　felt　before；〃　he　said。　〃There
is　such　a　wonderful　sense　of　vanished　life　about　it。　　The　whole
garden　seems　dreaming　about　things　of　long　agowhen　troops　of
ladies；　now　banished　into　pictures；　wandered　about　the　place；　each
full　of　her　own　thoughts　and　fancies　of　life；　each　looking　at
everything　with　ways　of　thinking　as　old…fashioned　as　her　garments。
I　could　not　be　here　after　nightfall　without　feeling　as　if　every
walk　were　answering　to　unseen　feet；　as　if　every　tree　might　be　hiding
some　lovely　form；　returned　to　dream　over　old　memories。〃

〃Where　is　the　good　of　fancying　what　is　not　true？　　I　can't　care　for
what　I　know　to　be　nonsense！〃

She　was　glad　to　find　a　spot　where　she　could　put　down　the　foot　of
contradiction；　for　she　came　of　a　family　known　for　what　the
neighbours　called　common　sense；　and　in　the　habit　of　casting　contempt
upon　everything　characterized　as　superstition：　she　had　now　something
to　say　for　herself！

〃How　do　you　know　it　is　nonsense？〃　asked　Donald；　looking　round　in　her
face　with　a　bright　smile。

〃Not　nonsense　to　keep　imagining　what　nobody　can　see？〃

〃I　can　only　imagine　what　I　do　not　see。〃

〃Nobody　ever　saw　such　creatures　as　you　suppose　in　any　garden！　　Then
why　fancy　the　dead　so　uncomfortable；　or　so　ill　looked　after；　that
they　come　back　to　plague　us！〃

〃Plainly　they　have　never　plagued　you　much！〃　rejoined　Donal　laughing。
〃But　how　often　have　you　gone　up　and　down　these　walks　at　dead　of
night？〃

〃Never　once；〃　answered　Miss　Graeme；　not　without　a　spark　of
indignation。　〃I　never　was　so　absurd！〃

〃Then　there　may　be　a　whole　night…world　that　you　know　nothing　about。
You　cannot　tell　that　the　place　is　not　then　thronged　with　ghosts：
you　have　never　given　them　a　chance　of　appearing　to　you。　　I　don't　say
it　is　so；　for　I　know　nothing；　or　at　least　little；　about　such　things。
I　have　had　no　experience　of　the　sort　any　more　than　youand　I　have
been　out　whole　nights　on　the　mountains　when　I　was　a　shepherd。〃

〃Why　then　should　you　trouble　your　fancy　about　them？〃

〃Perhaps　just　for　that　reason。〃

〃I　do　not　understand　you。〃

〃I　mean；　because　I　can　come　into　no　communication　with　such　a　world
as　may　be　about　me；　I　therefore　imagine　it。　　If；　as　often　as　I
walked　abroad　at　night；　I　met　and　held　converse　with　the
disembodied；　I　should　use　my　imagination　little；　but　make　many　notes
of　facts。　　When　what　may　be　makes　no　show；　what　more　natural　than　to
imagine　about　it？　　What　is　the　imagination　here　for？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　　The　less　one　has　to　do　with　it　the　better。〃

〃Then　the　thing；　whatever　it　be；　should　not　be　called　a　faculty；　but
a　weakness！〃

〃Yes。〃

〃But　the　history　of　the　world　shows　it　could　never　have　made
progress　without　suggestions　upon　which　to　ground　experiments：
whence　may　these　suggestions　come　if　not　from　the　weakness　or
impediment　called　the　imagination？〃

Again　there　was　silence。　　Miss　Graeme　began　to　doubt　whether　it　was
possible　to　hold　rational　converse　with　a　man　who；　the　moment　they
began　upon　anything；　went　straight　aloft　into　some　high…flying
region　of　which　she　knew　and　for　which　she　cared　nothing。　　But
Donal's　unconscious　desire　was　in　reality　to　meet　her　upon　some
common　plane　of　thought。　　He　always　wanted　to　meet　his　fellow；　and
hence　that　abundance　of　speech；　which；　however　poetic　the　things　he
said；　not　a　few　called　prosiness。

〃I　should　think；〃　resumed　Miss　Graeme；　〃if　you　want　to　work　your
imagination；　you　will　find　more　scope　for　it　at　the　castle　than
here！　　This　is　a　poor　modern　place　compared　to　that。〃

〃It　is　a　poor　imagination；〃　returned　Donal；　〃that　requires　age　or
any　mere　accessory　to　rouse　it。　　The　very　absence　of　everything
external；　the　bareness　of　the　mere　humanity　involved；　may　in　itself
be　an　excitement　greater　than　any　accompaniment　of　the　antique　or
the　picturesque。　　But　in　this　old…fashioned　garden；　in　the　midst　of
these　old…fashioned　flowers；　with　all　the　gentlenesses　of
old…fashioned　life　suggested　by　them；　it　is　easier　to　imagine　the
people　themselves　than　where　all　is　so　cold；　hard；　severeso　much
on　the　defensive；　as　in　that　huge；　sullen　pile　on　the　hilltop。〃

〃I　am　afraid　you　find　it　dull　up　there！〃　said　Miss　Graeme。

〃Not　at　all；〃　replied　Donal；　〃I　have　there　a　most　interesting　pupil。
But　indeed　one　who　has　been　used　to　spend　day　after　day　alone；
clouds　and　heather　and　sheep　and　dogs　his　companions；　does　not
depend　much　for　pastime。　　Give　me　a　chair　and　a　table；　fire　enough
to　keep　me　from　shivering；　the　few　books　I　like　best　and　writing
materials；　and　I　am　absolutely　content。　　But　beyond　these　things　I
have　at　the　castle　a　fine　libraryuseless　no　doubt　for　most
purposes　of　modern　study；　but　full　of　precious　old　books。　　There　I
can　at　any　moment　be　in　the　best　of　company！　　There　is　more　of　the
marvellous　in　an　old　library　than　ever　any　magic　could　work！〃

〃I　do　not　quite　understand　you；〃　said　the　lady。

But　she　would　have　spoken　nearer　the　truth　if　she　had　said　she　had
not　a　glimmer　of　what　he　meant。

〃Let　me　explain！〃　said　Donal：　〃what　could　necromancy；　which　is　one
of　the　branches　of　magic；　do　for　one　at　the　best？〃

〃Well！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Graeme；　〃but　I　suppose　if　you　believe　in
ghosts；　you　may　as　well　believe　in　raising　them！〃

〃I　did　not　mean　to　start　any　question　about　belief；　I　only　wanted　to
su