donal grant-第61章

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curves　of　the　stair；　but　at　last　they　saw　him　with　it　on　his
shoulder　coming　over　a　distant　roof。

〃Now　we　shall　see！〃　he　said；　as　he　leaned　it　up　against　the　chimney；
and　stood　panting。

〃You　have　tired　yourself！〃　said　lady　Arctura。

〃Where's　the　harm；　my　lady？　A　man　must　get　tired　a　few　times　before
he　lies　down！〃　rejoined　Donald　lightly。

Said　Davie；

〃Must　a　woman；　Mr。　Grant；　marry　a　man　she　does　not　love？〃

〃No；　certainly；　Davie。〃

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　said　Arctura；　in　dread　of　what　Davie　might　say　next；
〃what　do　you　take　to　be　the　duty　of　one　inheriting　a　property？　Ought
a　woman　to　get　rid　of　it；　or　attend　to　it　herself？〃

Donal　thought　a　little。

〃We　must　first　settle　the　main　duty　of　property；〃　he　said；　〃and　that
I　am　hardly　prepared　to　do。〃

〃Is　there　not　a　duty　owing　to　your　family？〃

〃There　are　a　thousand　duties　owing　to　your　family。〃

〃I　don't　mean　those　you　are　living　with　merely；　but　those　also　who
transmitted　the　property　to　you。　This　property　belongs　to　my　family
rather　than　to　me；　and　if　I　had　had　a　brother　it　would　have　gone　to
him：　should　I　not　do　better　for　the　family　by　giving　it　up　to　the
next　heir？　I　am　not　disinterested　in　starting　the　question；
possession　and　power　are　of　no　great　importance　in　my　eyes；　they　are
hindrances　to　me。〃

〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　Donal；　〃that　the　fact　that　you　would　not　have
succeeded　had　there　been　a　son；　points　to　the　fact　of　a　disposer　of
events：　you　were　sent　into　the　world　to　take　the　property。　If　so；
God　expects　you　to　perform　the　duties　of　it；　they　are　not　to　be　got
rid　of　by　throwing　the　thing　aside；　or　giving　them　to　another　to　do
for　you。　If　your　family　and　not　God　were　the　real　giver　of　the
property；　the　question　you　put　might　arise；　but　I　should　hardly　take
interest　enough　in　it　to　be　capable　of　discussing　it。　I　understand
my　duty　to　my　sheep　or　cattle；　to　my　master；　to　my　father　or　mother；
to　my　brother　or　sister；　to　my　pupil　Davie　here；　I　owe　my　ancestors
love　and　honour；　and　the　keeping　of　their　name　unspotted；　though
that　duty　is　forestalled　by　a　higher；　but　as　to　the　property　they
leave　behind　them；　over　which　they　have　no　more　power；　and　which　now
I　trust　they　never　think　about；　I　do　not　see　what　obligation　I　can
be　under　to　them　with　regard　to　it；　other　than　is　comprised　in　the
duties　of　the　property　itself。〃

〃But　a　family　is　not　merely　those　that　are　gone　before；　there　are
those　that　will　come　after！〃

〃The　best　thing　for　those　to　come　after；　is　to　receive　the　property
with　its　duties　performed；　with　the　light　of　righteousness　radiating
from　it。〃

〃But　what　then　do　you　call　the　duties　of　property？〃

〃In　what　does　the　property　consist？〃

〃In　land；　to　begin　with。〃

〃If　the　land　were　of　no　value；　would　the　possession　of　it　involve
duties？〃

〃I　suppose　not。〃

〃In　what　does　the　value　of　the　land　consist？〃

Lady　Arctura　did　not　attempt　an　answer　to　the　question；　and　Donal；
after　a　little　pause；　resumed。

〃If　you　valued　things　as　the　world　values　them；　I　should　not　care　to
put　the　question；　but　I　fear　you　may　have　some　lingering　notion
that；　though　God's　way　is　the　true　way；　the　world's　way　must　not　be
disregarded。　One　thing；　however；　is　certainthat　nothing　that　is
against　God's　way　can　be　true。　The　value　of　property　consists　only
in　its　being　means；　ground；　or　material　to　work　his　will　withal。
There　is　no　success　in　the　universe　but　in　his　will　being　done。〃

Arctura　was　silent。　She　had　inherited　prejudices　which；　while　she
hated　selfishness；　were　yet　thoroughly　selfish。　Such　are　of　the
evils　in　us　hardest　to　get　rid　of。　They　are　even　cherished　for　a
lifetime　by　some　of　the　otherwise　loveliest　of　souls。　Knowing　that
herein　much　thought　would　be　necessary　for　her；　and　that　she　would
think；　Donal　went　no　farther：　a　house　must　have　its　foundation
settled　before　it　is　built　upon；　argument　where　the　grounds　of　it
are　at　all　in　dispute　is　worse　than　useless。

He　turned　to　his　ladder；　set　it　right；　mounted；　and　peered　into　the
opening。　At　the　length　of　his　arm　he　could　reach　the　wires　Davie　had
described：　they　were　taut；　and　free　of　rustwere　therefore　not　iron
or　steel。　He　saw　also　that　a　little　down　the　shaft　a　faint　light
came　in　from　the　opposite　side：　there　was　another　opening　somewhere！
Next　he　saw　that　each　following　stringfor　strings　he　already
counted　themwas　placed　a　little　lower　than　that　before　it；　so　that
their　succession　was　inclined　to　the　other　side　of　the
shaftapparently　in　a　plane　between　the　two　openings；　that　a
draught　might　pass　along　their　plane：　this　must　surely　be　the
instrument　whence　the　music　flowed！　He　descended。

〃Do　you　know；　my　lady；〃　he　asked　Arctura；　〃how　the　aeolian　harp　is
placed　for　the　wind　to　wake　it？〃

〃The　only　one　I　have　seen；〃　she　answered；　〃was　made　to　fit　into　a
window；　the　lower　sash　was　opened　just　wide　enough　to　let　it　in；　so
that　the　wind　entering　must　pass　across　the　strings。〃

Then　Donal　was　all　but　certain。

〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　after　describing　what　he　had　seen；　〃we　cannot
be　absolutely　sure　without　having　been　here　with　the　music；　and
having　experimented　by　covering　and　uncovering　the　opening；　and　for
that　we　must　wait　a　south…easterly　wind。〃




CHAPTER　XLII。

COMMUNISM。

But　Donal　did　not　feel　that　even　then　would　he　have　exhausted　the
likelihood　of　discovery。　That　the　source　of　the　music　that　had　so
long　haunted　the　house　was　an　aeolian　harp　in　a　chimney　that　had
never　or　scarcely　been　used；　might　be　enough　to　satisfy　some；　but　he
wanted　to　know　as　well　why；　if　this　was　a　chimney；　it　neither　had
been　nor　was　used；　and　to　what　room　it　was　a　chimney。　For　the
question　had　come　to　himmight　not　the　music　hold　some　relation
with　the　legend　of　the　lost　room？

Inquiry　after　legendary　lore　had　drawn　nearer　and　nearer；　and　the
talk　about　such　as　belonged　to　the　castle　had　naturally　increased。
In　this　talk　was　not　seldom　mentioned　a　ghost；　as　yet　seen　at　times
about　the　place。　This　Donal　attributed　to　glimpses　of　the　earl　in
his　restless　night…walks；　but　by　the　domestics；　both　such　as　had
seen　something　and　such　as　had　not；　the　apparition　was　naturally
associated　with　the　lost　chamber；　as　the　place　whence　the　spectre
issued；　and　whither　he　returned。

Donal's　spare　hours　were　now　much　given　to　his　friend　Andrew　Comin。
The　good　man　had　so　far　recovered　as　to　think　himself　able　to　work
again；　but　he　soon　found　it　was　little　he　could　do。　His　strength　was
gone；　and　the　exertion　necessary　to　the　lightest　labour　caused　him
pain。　It　was　sad　to　watch　him　on　his　stool；　now　putting　in　a　stitch；
now　stopping　because　of　the　cough　which　so　sorely　haunted　his　thin；
wind…blown　tent。　His　face　had　grown　white　and　thin；　and　he　had
nearly　lost　his　merriment；　though　not　his　cheerfulness；　he　never
looked　other　than　content。　He　had　made　up　his　mind　he　was　not　going
to　get　better；　but　to　go　home　through　a　lingering　illness。　He　was
ready　to　go　and　ready　to　linger；　as　God　pleased。

There　was　nothing　wonderful　in　this；　but　to　some　good　people　even　it
did　appear　wonderful　that　he　showed　no　uneasiness　as　to　how　Doory
would　fare　when　he　was　gone。　The　house　was　indeed　their　own；　but
there　was　no　money　in　itnot　even　enough　to　pay　the　taxes；　and　if
she　sold　it；　the　price　would　not　be　enough　to　live　upon。　The
neighbours　were　severe　on　Andrew's　imagined　indifference　to　his
wife's　future；　and　it　was　in　their　eyes　a　shame　to　be　so　cheerful　on
the　brink　of　the　grave。　Not　one　of　them　had　done　more　than　peep　into
the　world　of　faith　in　which　Andrew　lived。　Not　one　of　them　could　have
understood　that　for　Andrew　to　allow　the　least　danger　of　evil　to　his
Doory；　would　have　been　to　behold　the　universe　rocking　on　the
slippery　shoulders　of　Chance。

A　little　moan　escaping　her　as　she　looked　one　evening　into　her
money…teapot；　made　Donal　ask　her　a　question　or　two。　She　confessed
that　she　had　but　sixpence　left。　Now　Donal　had　spent　next　to　nothing
since　he　came；　and　had　therefore　a　few　pounds　in　hand。　His　father
and　mother　had　sent　back　what　he　sent　them；　as　being　in　need　of
nothing：　sir　Gibbie　was　such　a　good　son　to　them　that　they　were
living　in　what　they　counted　luxury：　Robert　doubted　whether　he　was
not　ministering　to　the