donal grant-第50章

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justice　I　always　intended。〃

〃What　your　lordship's　notion　o'　justice　may　be；　I　wull　not　trouble
you　to　explain；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃All　I　desire　for　the　present　is；
that　she　come　home　with　me。〃

〃Let　us　leave　the　matter　to　mistress　Brookes！〃　said　Forgue。　〃I　shall
easily　satisfy　her　that　there　is　no　occasion　for　any　hurry。　Believe
me；　you　will　only　bring　trouble　on　the　innocent！〃

〃Then　it　canna　be　on　you；　my　lord！　for　in　this　thing　you　have　not
behaved　as　a　gentleman　ought！〃　said　the　cobbler。

〃You　dare　tell　me　so！〃　cried　Forgue；　striding　up　to　the　little　old
man；　as　if　he　would　sweep　him　away　with　the　very　wind　of　his
approach。

〃Yes；　for　else　how　should　I　say　it　to　another；　an'　that　may　soon　be
necessar'！〃　answered　the　cobbler。　〃Didna　yer　lordship　promise　an　en'
to　the　haill　meeserable　affair？〃

〃I　remember　nothing　of　the　sort。〃

〃You　did　to　me！〃　said　Donal。

〃Do　hold　your　tongue；　Grant；　and　don't　make　things　worse。　To　you　I
can　easily　explain　it。　Besides；　you　have　nothing　to　do　with　it　now
this　good　fellow　has　taken　it　up。　It　is　quite　possible；　besides；　to
break　one's　word　to　the　ear　and　yet　keep　it　to　the　sense。〃

〃The　only　thing　to　justify　that　suggestion；〃　said　Donal；　〃would　be
that　you　had　married　Eppy；　or　were　about　to　marry　her！〃

Eppy　would　have　spoken；　but　she　only　gave　a　little　cry；　for　Forgue
put　his　hand　over　her　mouth。

〃You　hold　your　tongue！〃　he　said；　〃you　will　only　complicate　matters！〃

〃And　there's　another　point；　my　lord；〃　resumed　Donal：　〃you　say　I　have
nothing　to　do　now　with　the　affair：　if　not　for　my　friend's　sake；　I
have　for　my　own。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃That　I　am　in　the　house　a　paid　servant；　and　must　not　allow　anything
mischievous　to　go　on　in　it　without　acquainting　my　master。〃

〃You　acknowledge；　Mr。　Grant；　that　you　are　neither　more　nor　less　than
a　paid　servant；　but　you　mistake　your　duty　as　such：　I　shall　be　happy
to　explain　it　to　you。You　have　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　what
goes　on　in　the　house；　you　have　but　to　mind　your　work。　I　told　you
before；　you　are　my　brother's　tutor；　not　mine！　To　interfere　with　what
I　do；　is　nothing　less　than　a　piece　of　damned　impertinence！〃

〃That　impertinence；　however；　I　intend　to　be　guilty　of　the　moment　I
can　get　audience　of　your　father。〃

〃You　will　not；　if　I　give　you　such　explanation　as　satisfies　you　I
have　done　the　girl　no　harm；　and　mean　honestly　by　her！〃　said　Forgue
in　a　confident；　yet　somewhat　conciliatory　tone。

〃In　any　case；〃　returned　Donal；　〃you　having　once　promised；　and　then
broken　your　promise；　I　shall　without　fail　tell　your　father　all　I
know。〃

〃And　ruin　her；　and　perhaps　me　too；　for　life？〃

〃The　truth　will　ruin　only　those　that　ought　to　be　ruined！〃　said
Donal。

Forgue　sprang　upon　him；　and　struck　him　a　heavy　blow　between　the
eyes。　He　had　been　having　lessons　in　boxing　while　in　Edinburgh；　and
had　confidence　in　himself。　It　was　a　well…planted　blow；　and　Donal
unprepared　for　it。　He　staggered　against　the　wall；　and　for　a　moment
could　neither　see　nor　think：　all　he　knew　was　that　there　was
something　or　other　he　had　to　attend　to。　His　lordship；　excusing
himself　perhaps　on　the　ground　of　necessity；　there　being　a　girl　in
the　case；　would　have　struck　him　again；　but　Andrew　threw　himself
between；　and　received　the　blow　for　him。

As　Donal　came　to　himself；　he　heard　a　groan　from　the　ground；　and
looking；　saw　Andrew　at　his　feet；　and　understood。

〃Dear　old　man！〃　he　said；　〃he　dared　to　strike　you！〃

〃He　didna　mean　't；〃　returned　Andrew　feebly。　〃Are　ye　winnin'　ower　't；
sir？　He　gae　ye　a　terrible　ane！　Ye　micht　hae　h'ard　it　across　the
street！〃

〃I　shall　be　all　right　in　a　minute！〃　answered　Donal；　wiping　the　blood
out　of　his　eyes。　〃I've　a　good　hard　head；　thank　God！But　what　has
become　of　them？〃

〃Ye　didna　think　he　wud　be　waitin'　to　see　's　come　to　oorsel's！〃　said
the　cobbler。

With　Donal's　help；　and　great　difficulty；　he　rose；　and　they　stood
looking　at　each　other　through　the　starlight；　bewildered　and
uncertain。　The　cobbler　was　the　first　to　recover　his　wits。

〃It's　o'　no　mainner　of　use；〃　he　said；　〃to　rouse　the　castel　wi'　hue
an'　cry！　What　hae　we　to　say　but　'at　we　faund　the　twa　i'　the　gairden
thegither！　It　wud　but　raise　a　clashthe　which；　fable　or　fac'；　wud
do　naething　for　naebody！　His　lordship　maun　be　loot　ken；　as　ye　say；
but　wull　his　lordship　believe　ye；　sir？　I'm　some　i'　the　min'　the
yoong　man　's　awa'　til's　faither　a'ready；　to　prejudeese　him　again'
onything　ye　may　say。〃

〃That　makes　it　the　more　necessary；〃　said　Donal；　〃that　I　should　go　at
once　to　his　lordship。　He　will　fall　out　upon　me　for　not　having　told
him　at　once；　but　I　must　not　mind　that：　if　I　were　not　to　tell　him
now；　he　would　have　a　good　case　against　me。〃

They　were　already　walking　towards　the　house；　the　old　man　giving　a
groan　now　and　then。　He　could　not　go　in；　he　said；　he　would　walk
gently　on；　and　Donal　would　overtake　him。

It　was　an　hour　and　a　half　before　Andrew　got　home；　and　Donal　had　not
overtaken　him。




CHAPTER　XXXV。

THE　EARL'S　BEDCHAMBER。

Having　washed　the　blood　from　his　face；　Donal　sought　Simmons。

〃His　lordship　can't　see　you　now；　I　am　sure；　sir；〃　answered　the
butler；　〃lord　Forgue　is　with　him。〃

Donal　turned　and　went　straight　up　to　lord　Morven's　apartment。　As　he
passed　the　door　of　his　bedroom　opening　on　the　corridor；　he　heard
voices　in　debate。　He　entered　the　sitting…room。　There　was　no　one
there。　It　was　not　a　time　for　ceremony。　He　knocked　at　the　door　of　the
bedroom。　The　voices　within　were　loud；　and　no　answer　came。　He　knocked
again；　and　received　an　angry　permission　to　enter。　He　entered；　closed
the　door　behind　him；　and　stood　in　sight　of　his　lordship；　waiting
what　should　follow。

Lord　Morven　was　sitting　up　in　bed；　his　face　so　pale　and　distorted
that　Donal　thought　elsewhere　he　should　hardly　have　recognized　it。
The　bed　was　a　large　four…post　bed；　its　curtains　were　drawn　close　to
the　posts；　admitting　as　much　air　as　possible。　At　the　foot　of　it
stood　lord　Forgue；　his　handsome；　shallow　face　flushed　with　anger；
his　right　arm　straight　down　by　his　side；　and　the　hand　of　it　clenched
hard。　He　turned　when　Donal　entered。　A　fiercer　flush　overspread　his
face；　but　almost　immediately　the　look　of　rage　yielded　to　one　of
determined　insult。　Possibly　even　the　appearance　of　Donal　was　a
relief　to　being　alone　with　his　father。

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　stammered　his　lordship；　speaking　with　pain；　〃you　are
well　come！just　in　time　to　hear　a　father　curse　his　son！〃

〃Even　such　a　threat　shall　not　make　me　play　a　dishonourable　part！〃
said　Forgue；　looking　however　anything　but　honourable；　for　the　heart；
not　the　brain；　moulds　the　expression。

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　resumed　the　father；　〃I　have　found　you　a　man　of　sense
and　refinement！　If　you　had　been　tutor　to　this　degenerate　boy；　the
worst　trouble　of　my　life　would　not　have　overtaken　me！〃

Forgue's　lip　curled；　but　he　did　not　speak；　and　his　father　went　on。

〃Here　is　this　fellow　come　to　tell　me　to　my　face　that　he　intends　the
ruin　and　disgrace　of　the　family　by　a　low　marriage！〃

〃It　will　not　be　the　first　time　it　has　been　so　disgraced！〃　retorted
the　son；　〃if　fresh　peasant…blood　be　indeed　a　disgrace　to　any
family！〃

〃Bah！　the　hussey　is　not　even　a　wholesome　peasant…girl！〃　cried　the
father。　〃Who　do　you　think　she　is；　Mr。　Grant？〃

〃I　do　not　need　to　guess；　my　lord；〃　replied　Donal。　〃I　came　now　to
inform　your　lordship　of　what　I　had　myself　seen。〃

〃She　must　leave　the　house　this　instant！〃

〃Then　I　too　leave　it；　my　lord！〃　said　Forgue。

〃Where's　your　money？〃　returned　the　earl　contemptuously。

Forgue　shifted　to　an　attack　upon　Donal。

〃Your　lordship　hardly　places　confidence　in　me；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　is
not　the　less　my　duty　to　warn　you　against　this　man：　months　ago　he
knew　what　was　going　on；　and　comes　to　tell　you　now　because　this
evening　I　chastised　him　for　his　rude　interference。〃

In　cooler　blood　lord　Forgue　would　not　have　shown　such　meanness；　but
passion　brings　to　the　front　the　thing　that　lurks。

〃And　it　is　no　doubt　to　the　necessity　for　forestalling　his　disclosure
that　I　owe　the　present　ingenuous　confession！〃　said　lord　Morven。
〃But　explain；　Mr。　Grant。〃

〃My　lord；〃　said　Donal　calmly；　〃I　became　aware　that　there　was
something　between　lord　Forgue　and　the　girl；　and　was　alarmed　for　the
girl：　she　is