donal grant-第66章

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conclusion；　lady　Arctura；　but　it　is　time　it　should　end　when　you
speak　so　to　one　who　has　been　doing　her　best　for　so　long　to　enlighten
you！　If　this　be　the　first　result　of　your　new　gospelwell！　Remember
who　said；　'If　an　angel　from　heaven　preach　any　other　gospel　to　you
than　I　have　preached；　let　him　be　accursed！〃

She　turned　back。

〃Oh；　Sophia；　do　not　leave　me　so！〃　cried　Arctura。

But　she　was　already　yards　away；　her　skirt　making　a　small　whirlwind
that　went　after　her　through　the　withered　leaves。　Arctura　burst　into
tears；　and　sat　down　at　the　foot　of　one　of　the　great　beeches。　Miss
Carmichael　never　looked　behind　her。　She　met　Donal　again；　for　he　too
had　turned：　he　uncovered；　but　she　took　no　heed。　She　had　done　with
him！　Her　poor　Arctura。

Donal　was　walking　gently　on；　thinking；　with　closed　book；　when　the
wind　bore　to　his　ear　a　low　sob　from　Arctura。　He　looked　up；　and　saw
her：　she　sat　weeping　like　one　rejected。　He　could　not　pass　or　turn
and　leave　her　thus！　She　heard　his　steps　in　the　withered　leaves；
glanced　up；　dropped　her　head　for　a　moment；　then　rose　with　a　feeble
attempt　at　a　smile。　Donal　understood　the　smile：　she　would　not　have
him　troubled　because　of　what　had　taken　place！

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　she　said；　coming　towards　him；　〃St。　Paul　laid　a　curse
upon　even　an　angel　from　heaven　if　he　preached　any　other　gospel　than
his！　It　is　terrible！〃

〃It　is　terrible；　and　I　say　amen　to　it　with　all　my　heart；〃　returned
Donal。　〃But　the　gospel　you　have　received　is　not　the　gospel　of　Paul；
it　is　one　substituted　for　itand　that　by　no　angel　from　heaven；　but
by　men　with　hide…bound　souls；　who；　in　order　to　get　them　into　their
own　intellectual　pockets；　melted　down　the　ingots　of　the　kingdom；　and
re…cast　them　in　moulds　of　wretched　legalism；　borrowed　of　the　Romans
who　crucified　their　master。　Grand；　childlike；　heavenly　things　they
must　explain；　forsooth；　after　vulgar　worldly　notions　of　law　and
right！　But　they　meant　well；　seeking　to　justify　the　ways　of　God　to
men；　therefore　the　curse　of　the　apostle　does　not　fall；　I　think；　upon
them。　They　sought　a　way　out　of　their　difficulties；　and　thought　they
had　found　one；　when　in　reality　it　was　their　faith　in　God　himself
that　alone　got　them　out　of　the　prison　of　their　theories。　But　gladly
would　I　see　discomfited　such　as；　receiving　those　inventions　at　the
hundredth　hand；　and　moved　by　none　of　the　fervour　with　which　they
were　first　promulgated；　lay；　as　the　word　and　will　of　God；　lumps　of
iron　and　heaps　of　dust　upon　live；　beating；　longing　hearts　that　cry
out　after　their　God！〃

〃Oh；　I　do　hope　what　you　say　is　true！〃　panted　Arctura。　〃I　think　I
shall　die　if　I　find　it　is　not！〃

〃If　you　find　what　I　tell　you　untrue；　it　will　only　be　that　it　is　not
grand　and　free　and　bounteous　enough。　To　think　anything　too　good　to
be　true；　is　to　deny　Godto　say　the　untrue　may　be　better　than　the
truethat　there　might　be　a　greater　God　than　he。　Remember；　Christ　is
in　the　world　still；　and　within　our　call。〃

〃I　will　think　of　what　you　tell　me；〃　said　Arctura；　holding　out　her
hand。

〃If　anything　in　particular　troubles　you；〃　said　Donal；　〃I　shall　be
most　glad　to　help　you　if　I　can；　but　it　is　better　there　should　not　be
much　talking。　The　thing　lies　between　you　and　your　Father。〃

With　these　words　he　left　her。　Arctura　followed　slowly　to　the　house；
and　went　straight　to　her　room；　her　mind　filling　as　she　went　with
slow…reviving　strength　and　a　great　hope。　No　doubt　some　of　her　relief
came　from　the　departure　of　her　incubus　friend；　but　that　must　soon
have　vanished　in　fresh　sorrow；　save　for　the　hope　and　strength　to
which　this　departure　yielded　the　room。　She　trusted　that　by　the　time
she　saw　her　again　she　would　be　more　firmly　grounded　concerning　many
things；　and　able　to　set　them　forth　aright。　She　was　not　yet　free　of
the　notion　that　you　must　be　able　to　defend　your　convictions；　she
scarce　felt　at　liberty　to　say　she　believed　a　thing；　so　long　as　she
knew　an　argument　against　it　which　she　could　not　show　to　be　false。
Alas　for　our　beliefs　if　they　go　no　farther　than　the　poor　horizon　of
our　experience　or　our　logic；　or　any　possible　wording　of　the　beliefs
themselves！　Alas　for　ourselves　if　our　beliefs　are　not　what　we　shape
our　lives；　our　actions；　our　aspirations；　our　hopes；　our　repentances
by！

Donal　was　glad　indeed　to　hope　that　now　at　length　an　open　door　stood
before　the　poor　girl。　He　had　been　growing　much　interested　in　her；　as
one　on　whom　life　lay　heavy；　one　who　seemed　ripe　for　the　kingdom　of
heaven；　yet　in　whose　way　stood　one　who　would　neither　enter　herself；
nor　allow　her　to　enter　that　would。　She　was　indeed　fit　for　nothing
but　the　kingdom　of　heaven；　so　much　was　she　already　the　child　of　him
whom；　longing　after　him；　she　had　not　yet　dared　to　call　her　father。
His　regard　for　her　was　that　of　the　gentle　strong　towards　the　weak　he
would　help；　and　now　that　she　seemed　fairly　started　on　the　path　of
life；　the　path；　namely；　to　the　knowledge　of　him　who　is　the　life；　his
care　over　her　grew　the　more　tender。　It　is　the　part　of　the　strong　to
serve　the　weak；　to　minister　that　whereby　they　too　may　grow　strong。
But　he　rather　than　otherwise　avoided　meeting　her；　and　for　a　good
many　days　they　did　not　so　much　as　see　each　other。




CHAPTER　XLVI。

A　HORRIBLE　STORY。

The　health　of　the　earl　remained　fluctuating。　Its　condition　depended
much　on　the　special　indulgence。　There　was　hardly　any　sort　of
narcotic　with　which　he　did　not　at　least　make　experiment；　if　he　did
not　indulge　in　it。　He　made　no　pretence　even　to　himself　of　seeking
therein　the　furtherance　of　knowledge；　he　wanted　solely　to　find　how
this　or　that；　thus　or　thus　modified　or　combined；　would　contribute　to
his　living　a　life　such　as　he　would　have　it；　and　other　quite　than
that　ordered　for　him　by　a　power　which　least　of　all　powers　he　chose
to　acknowledge。　The　power　of　certain　drugs　he　was　eager　to
understand：　the　living　source　of　him　and　them　and　their
correlations；　he　scarcely　recognized。　This　came　of　no　hostility　to
religion　other　than　the　worst　hostility　of　allthat　of　a　life
irresponsive　to　its　claims。　He　believed　neither　like　saint　nor
devil；　he　believed　and　did　not　obey；　he　believed　and　did　not　yet
tremble。

The　one　day　he　was　better；　the　other　worse；　according；　as　I　say；　to
the　character　and　degree　of　his　indulgence。　At　one　time　it　much
affected　his　temper；　taking　from　him　all　mastery　of　himself；　at
another　made　him　so　dull　and　stupid；　that　he　resented　nothing　except
any　attempt　to　rouse　him　from　his　hebetude。　Of　these　differences　he
took　unfailing　note；　but　the　worst　influence　of　all　was　a　constant
one；　and　of　it　he　made　no　account：　however　the　drugs　might　vary　in
their　operations　upon　him；　to　one　thing　they　all　tendedthe
destruction　of　his　moral　nature。

Urged　more　or　less　all　his　life　by　a　sort　of　innate　rebellion
against　social　law；　he　had　done　great　wrongswhether　also　committed
what　are　called　crimes；　I　cannot　tell：　no　repentance　had　followed
the　remorse　their　consequences　had　sometimes　occasioned。　And　now　the
possibility　of　remorse　even　was　gradually　forsaking　him。　Such　a　man
belongs　rather　to　the　kind　demoniacal　than　the　kind　human；　yet　so
long　as　nothing　occurs　giving　to　his　possible　an　occasion　to　embody
itself　in　the　actual；　he　may　live　honoured；　and　die　respected。　There
is　always；　not　the　less；　the　danger　of　his　real　nature；　or　rather
unnature；　breaking　out　in　this　way　or　that　diabolical。

Although　he　went　so　little　out　of　the　house；　and　apparently　never
beyond　the　grounds；　he　yet　learned　a　good　deal　at　times　of　things
going　on　in　the　neighbourhood：　Davie　brought　him　news；　so　did
Simmons；　and　now　and　then　he　would　have　an　interview　with　his　half
acknowledged　relative；　the　factor。

One　morning　before　he　was　up；　he　sent　for　Donal；　and　requested　him
to　give　Davie　a　half…holiday；　and　do　something　for　him　instead。

〃You　know；　or　perhaps　you　don't　know；　that　I　have　a　house　in　the
town；〃　he　said；　〃the　only　house；　indeed；　now　belonging　to　the
earldoma　not　very　attractive　house　which　you　must　have　seenon
the　main　street；　a　little　before　you　come　to　the　Morven　Arms。〃

〃I　believe　I　know　the　house；　my　lord；〃　answered　Donal；　〃with　strong
iron　stanchions　to　the　lower　windows；　and？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　the　house；　and　I　daresay　you　have　heard　the　stor