donal grant-第31章

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one；　the　most　frightful　of　all。　　It　should　have　been　forgotten　by
this　time；　for　the　ratio　of　forgetting；　increases。〃

〃I　should　like　much　to　hear　it！〃　said　Donal。

〃Do　tell　him；　Hector；〃　said　Miss　Graeme；　〃and　I　will　watch　his
hair。〃

〃It　is　the　hair　of　those　who　mock　at　such　things　you　should　watch；〃
returned　Donal。　〃Their　imagination　is　so　rarely　excited　that；　when
it　is；　it　affects　their　nerves　more　than　the　belief　of　others
affects　theirs。〃

〃Now　I　have　you！〃　cried　Miss　Graeme。　〃There　you　confess　yourself　a
believer！〃

〃I　fear　you　have　come　to　too　general　a　conclusion。　　Because　I
believe　the　Bible；　do　I　believe　everything　that　comes　from　the
pulpit？　　Some　tales　I　should　reject　with　a　contempt　that　would
satisfy　even　Miss　Graeme；　of　others　I　should　say'These　seem　as　if
they　might　be　true；'　and　of　still　others；　'These　ought　to　be　true；　I
think。'But　do　tell　me　the　story。〃

〃It　is　not；〃　replied　Mr。　Graeme；　〃a　very　peculiar　onecertainly　not
peculiar　to　our　castle；　though　unique　in　some　of　its　details；　a
similar　legend　belongs　to　several　houses　in　Scotland；　and　is　to　be
found；　I　fancy；　in　other　countries　as　well。　　There　is　one　not　far
from　here；　around　whose　dark　basementsor　hoary　battlementswho
shall　say　which？floats　a　similar　tale。　　It　is　of　a　hidden　room；
whose　position　or　entrance　nobody　knows。　　Whether　it　belongs　to　our
castle　by　right　I　cannot　tell。〃

〃A　species　of　report；〃　said　Donal；　〃very　likely　to　arise　by　a　kind
of　cryptogamic　generation！　　The　common　people；　accustomed　to　the
narrowest　dwellings；　gazing　on　the　huge　proportions　of　the　place；
and　upon　occasion　admitted；　and　walking　through　a　succession　of
rooms　and　passages；　to　them　as　intricate　and　confused　as　a
rabbit…warren；　must　be　very　ready；　I　should　think；　to　imagine　the
existence　within　such　a　pile；　of　places　unknown　even　to　the
inhabitants　of　it　themselves！But　I　beg　your　pardon：　do　tell　us　the
story。〃

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　said　Kate；　〃you　perplex　me！　　I　begin　to　doubt　if　you
have　any　principles。　　One　moment　you　take　one　side　and　the　next　the
other！〃

〃No；　no；　I　but　love　my　own　side　too　well　to　let　any　traitors　into
its　ranks：　I　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　lies。〃

〃They　are　all　lies　together！〃

〃Then　I　want　to　hear　this　one；〃　said　Donal。

〃I　daresay　you　have　heard　it　before！〃　remarked　Mr。　Graeme；　and
began。

〃It　was　in　the　earldom　of　a　certain　recklessly　wicked　wretch；　who
not　only　robbed　his　poor　neighbours；　and　even　killed　them　when　they
opposed　him；　but　went　so　far　as　to　behave　as　wickedly　on　the　Sabbath
as　on　any　other　day　of　the　week。　　Late　one　Saturday　night；　a　company
were　seated　in　the　castle；　playing　cards；　and　drinking；　and　all　the
time　Sunday　was　drawing　nearer　and　nearer；　and　nobody　heeding。　　At
length　one　of　them；　seeing　the　hands　of　the　clock　at　a　quarter　to
twelve；　made　the　remark　that　it　was　time　to　stop。　　He　did　not
mention　the　sacred　day；　but　all　knew　what　he　meant。　　The　earl
laughed；　and　said；　if　he　was　afraid　of　the　kirk…session；　he　might
go；　and　another　would　take　his　hand。　　But　the　man　sat　still；　and
said　no　more　till　the　clock　gave　the　warning。　　Then　he　spoke　again；
and　said　the　day　was　almost　out；　and　they　ought　not　to　go　on　playing
into　the　Sabbath。　　And　as　he　uttered　the　word；　his　mouth　was　pulled
all　on　one　side。　　But　the　earl　struck　his　fist　on　the　table；　and
swore　a　great　oath　that　if　any　man　rose　he　would　run　him　through。
'What　care　I　for　the　Sabbath！'　he　said。　'I　gave　you　your　chance　to
go；'　he　added；　turning　to　the　man　who　had　spoken；　who　was　dressed　in
black　like　a　minister；　'and　you　would　not　take　it：　now　you　shall　sit
where　you　are。'　　He　glared　fiercely　at　him；　and　the　man　returned　him
an　equally　fiery　stare。　　And　now　first　they　began　to　discover　what；
through　the　fumes　of　the　whisky　and　the　smoke　of　the　pine…torches；
they　had　not　observed；　namely；　that　none　of　them　knew　the　man；　or
had　ever　seen　him　before。　　They　looked　at　him；　and　could　not　turn
their　eyes　from　him；　and　a　cold　terror　began　to　creep　through　their
vitals。　　He　kept　his　fierce　scornful　look　fixed　on　the　earl　for　a
moment；　and　then　spoke。　'And　I　gave　you　your　chance；'　he　said；　'and
you　would　not　take　it：　now　you　shall　sit　still　where　you　are；　and　no
Sabbath　shall　you　ever　see。'　　The　clock　began　to　strike；　and　the
man's　mouth　came　straight　again。　　But　when　the　hammer　had　struck
eleven　times；　it　struck　no　more；　and　the　clock　stopped。　'This　day
twelvemonth；'　said　the　man；　'you　shall　see　me　again；　and　so　every
year　till　your　time　is　up。　　I　hope　you　will　enjoy　your　game！'　　The
earl　would　have　sprung　to　his　feet；　but　could　not　stir；　and　the　man
was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　　He　was　gone；　taking　with　him　both　door　and
windows　of　the　roomnot　as　Samson　carried　off　the　gates　of　Gaza；
however；　for　he　left　not　the　least　sign　of　where　they　had　been。
》From　that　day　to　this　no　one　has　been　able　to　find　the　room。　　There
the　wicked　earl　and　his　companions　still　sit；　playing　with　the　same
pack　of　cards；　and　waiting　their　doom。　　It　has　been　said　that；　on
that　same　day　of　the　yearonly；　unfortunately；　testimony　differs　as
to　the　dayshouts　of　drunken　laughter　may　be　heard　issuing　from
somewhere　in　the　castle；　but　as　to　the　direction　whence　they　come；
none　can　ever　agree。　　That　is　the　story。〃

〃A　very　good　one！〃　said　Donal。　〃I　wonder　what　the　ground　of　it　is！
It　must　have　had　its　beginning！〃

〃Then　you　don't　believe　it？〃　said　Miss　Graeme。

〃Not　quite；〃　he　replied。　〃But　I　have　myself　had　a　strange　experience
up　there。〃

〃What！　you　have　seen　something？〃　cried　Miss　Graeme；　her　eyes　growing
bigger。

〃No；　I　have　seen　nothing；〃　answered　Donal；　〃only　heard
something。One　night；　the　first　I　was　there　indeed；　I　heard　the
sound　of　a　far…off　musical　instrument；　faint　and　sweet。〃

The　brother　and　sister　exchanged　looks。　　Donal　went　on。

〃I　got　up　and　felt　my　way　down　the　winding　stairI　sleep　at　the　top
of　Baliol's　towerbut　at　the　bottom　lost　myself；　and　had　to　sit
down　and　wait　for　the　light。　　Then　I　heard　it　again；　but　seemed　no
nearer　to　it　than　before。　　I　have　never　heard　it　since；　and　have
never　mentioned　the　thing。　　I　presume；　however；　that　speaking　of　it
to　you　can　do　no　harm。　　You　at　least　will　not　raise　any　fresh
rumours　to　injure　the　respectability　of　the　castle！　　Do　you　think
there　is　any　instrument　in　it　from　which　such　a　sound　might　have
proceeded？　　Lady　Arctura　is　a　musician；　I　am　told；　but　surely　was
not　likely　to　be　at　her　piano　'in　the　dead　waste　and　middle　of　the
night'！〃

〃It　is　impossible　to　say　how　far　a　sound　may　travel　in　the　stillness
of　the　night；　when　there　are　no　other　sound…waves　to　cross　and　break
it。〃

〃That　is　all　very　well；　Hector；〃　said　his　sister；　〃but　you　know　Mr。
Grant　is　neither　the　first　nor　the　second　that　has　heard　that
sound！〃

〃One　thing　is　pretty　clear；〃　said　her　brother；　〃it　can　have　nothing
to　do　with　the　revellers　at　their　cards！　　The　sound　reported　is　very
different　from　any　attributed　to　them！〃

〃Are　you　sure；〃　suggested　Donal；　〃that　there　was　not　a　violin　shut
up　with　them？　　Even　if　none　of　them　could　play；　there　has　been　time
enough　to　learn。　　The　sound　I　heard　might　have　been　that　of　a
ghostly　violin。　　Though　like　that　of　a　stringed　instrument；　it　was
different　from　anything　I　had　ever　heard　beforeexcept　perhaps
certain　equally　inexplicable　sounds　occasionally　heard　among　the
hills。〃

They　went　on　talking　about　the　thing　for　a　while；　pacing　up　and　down
the　garden；　the　sun　hot　above　their　heads；　the　grass　cool　under
their　feet。

〃It　is　enough；〃　said　Miss　Graeme；　with　a　rather　forced　laugh；　〃to
make　one　glad　the　castle　does　not　go　with　the　title。〃

〃Why　so？〃　asked　Donal。

〃Because；〃　she　answered；　〃were　anything　to　happen　to　the　boys　up
there；　Hector　would　come　in　for　the　title。〃

〃I'm　not　of　my　sister's　mind！〃　said　Mr。　Graeme；　laughing　more
genuinely。　〃A　title　with　nothing　to　keep　it　up　is　a　simple
misfortune。　　I　certainly　should　not　take　out　the　patent。　　No　wise
man　would　lay　claim　to　a　title　without　the　means　to　make　it
respected。〃

〃Have　we　come　to　that！〃　exclaimed　Donal。　〃Must　even　the　old　titles
of　the　country　be　buttressed　into　respectability　with　money？　　Away
in　quiet　places；　reading　old　history　b