donal grant-第67章

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iron　stanchions　to　the　lower　windows；　and？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　the　house；　and　I　daresay　you　have　heard　the　story　of
itI　mean　how　it　fell　into　its　present　disgrace！　The　thing　happened
more　than　a　hundred　years　ago。　But　I　have　spent　some　nights　in　it
myself　notwithstanding。〃

〃I　should　like　to　hear　it；　my　lord；〃　said　Donal。

〃You　may　as　well　have　it　from　myself　as　from　another！　It　does　not
touch　any　of　us；　for　the　family　was　not　then　represented　by　the　same
branch　as　now；　I　might　else　be　thin…skinned　about　it。　No　mere
legend；　mind　you；　but　a　very　dreadful　fact；　which　resulted　in　the
abandonment　of　the　house！　I　think　it　time；　for　my　part；　that　it
should　be　forgotten　and　the　house　let。　It　was　before　the　castle　and
the　title　parted　company：　that　is　a　tale　worth　telling　too！　there
was　little　fair　play　in　either！　but　I　will　not　trouble　you　with　it
now。

〃Into　the　generation　then　above　ground；〃　the　earl　began；　assuming　a
book…tone　the　instant　he　began　to　narrate；　〃by　one　of　those　freaks
of　nature　specially　strange　and　more　inexplicable　than　the　rest；　had
been　born　an　original　savage。　You　know　that　the　old　type；　after　so
many　modifications　have　been　wrought　upon　it；　will　sometimes
reappear　in　its　ancient　crudity　amidst　the　latest　development　of　the
race；　animal　and　vegetable　too；　I　suppose！well；　so　it　was　now：　I
use　no　figure　of　speech　when　I　say　that　the　apparition；　the
phenomenon；　was　a　savage。　I　do　not　mean　that　he　was　an　exceptionally
rough　man　for　his　position；　but　for　any　position　in　the　Scotland　of
that　age。　No　doubt　he　was　regarded　as　a　madman；　and　used　as　a
madman；　but　my　opinion　is　the　more　philosophicalthat；　by　an　arrest
of　development；　into　the　middle　of　the　ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the
family　came　a　veritable　savage；　and　one　out　of　no　darkest　age　of
history；　but　from　beyond　all　recordout　of　the　awful　prehistoric
times。〃

His　lordship　visibly　and　involuntarily　shuddered；　as　at　the　memory
of　something　he　had　seen：　into　that　region　he　had　probably　wandered
in　his　visions。

〃He　was　a　fierce　and　furious　savageworse　than　anything　you　can
imagine。　The　only　sign　of　any　influence　of　civilization　upon　him　was
that　he　was　cowed　by　the　eye　of　his　keeper。　Never；　except　by　rarest
chance；　was　he　left　alone　and　awake：　no　one　could　tell　what　he　might
not　do！

〃He　was　of　gigantic　size；　with　coarse　black　hairthe　brawniest
fellow　and　the　ugliest；　they　sayfor　you　may　suppose　my　description
is　but　legendary：　there　is　no　portrait　of　him　on　our　walls！with　a
huge；　shapeless；　cruel；　greedy　mouth；〃

As　his　lordship　said　the　words；　Donal；　with　involuntary　insight；　saw
both　cruelty　and　greed　in　the　mouth　that　spoke；　though　it　was
neither　huge　nor　shapeless。

〃lips　hideously　red　and　large；　with　the　whitest　teeth　inside
them。I　give　you　the　description；〃　said　his　lordship；　who　evidently
lingered　not　without　pleasure　on　the　details　of　his　recital；　〃just
as　I　used　to　hear　it　from　my　old　nurse；　who　had　been　all　her　life　in
the　family；　and　had　it　from　her　mother　who　was　in　it　at　the
time。His　great　passion；　his　keenest　delight；　was　animal　food。　He
ate　enormouslymore；　it　was　said；　than　three　hearty　men。　An　hour
after　he　had　gorged　himself；　he　was　ready　to　gorge　again。　Roast　meat
was　his　main　delight；　but　he　was　fond　of　broth　also。He　must　have
been　more　like　Mrs。　Shelley's　creation　in　Frankenstein　than　any
other。　All　the　time　I　read　that　story；　I　had　the　vision　of　my
far…off　cousin　constantly　before　me；　as　I　saw　him　in　my　mind's　eye
when　my　nurse　described　him；　and　often　I　wondered　whether　Mrs。
Shelley　could　have　heard　of　him。In　an　earlier　age　and　more
practical；　they　would　have　got　rid　of　him　by　readier　and　more
thorough　means；　if　only　for　shame　of　having　brought　such　a　being
into　the　world；　but　they　sent　him　with　his　keeper；　a　little　man　with
a　powerful　eye；　to　that　same　house　down　in　the　town　there：　in　an
altogether　solitary　place　they　could　persuade　no　man　to　live　with
him。　At　night　he　was　always　secured　to　his　bed；　otherwise　his　keeper
would　not　have　had　courage　to　sleep；　for　he　was　as　cunning　as　he　was
hideous。　When　he　slept　during　the　day；　which　he　did　frequently　after
a　meal；　his　attendant　contented　himself　with　locking　his　door；　and
keeping　his　ears　awake。　At　such　times　only　did　he　venture　to　look　on
the　world：　he　would　step　just　outside　the　street…door；　but　would
neither　leave　it；　nor　shut　it　behind　him；　lest　the　savage　should
perhaps　escape　from　his　room；　bar　it；　and　set　the　house　on　fire。

〃One　beautiful　Sunday　morning；　the　brute；　after　a　good　breakfast；
had　fallen　asleep　on　his　bed；　and　the　keeper　had　gone　down　stairs；
and　was　standing　in　the　street　with　the　door　open　behind　him。　All
the　people　were　at　church；　and　the　street　was　empty　as　a　desert。　He
stood　there　for　some　time；　enjoying　the　sweet　air　and　the　scent　of
the　flowers；　went　in　and　got　a　light　to　his　pipe；　put　coals　on　the
fire；　saw　that　the　hugh　cauldron　of　broth　which　the　cook　had　left　in
his　charge　when　he　went　to　churchit　was　to　serve　for　dinner　and
supper　bothwas　boiling　beautifully；　went　back；　and　again　took　his
station　in　front　of　the　open　door。　Presently　came　a　neighbour　woman
from　her　house；　leading　by　the　hand　a　little　girl　too　young　to　go　to
church。　She　stood　talking　with　him　for　some　time。

〃Suddenly　she　cried；　'Good　Lord！　what's　come　o'　the　bairn？'　The　same
instant　came　one　piercing　shriekfrom　some　distance　it　seemed。　The
mother　darted　down　the　neighbouring　close。　But　the　keeper　saw　that
the　door　behind　him　was　shut；　and　was　filled　with　horrible　dismay。
He　darted　to　an　entrance　in　the　close；　of　which　he　always　kept　the
key　about　him；　and　went　straight　to　the　kitchen。　There　by　the　fire
stood　the　savage；　gazing　with　a　fixed　fishy　eye　of　rapture　at　the
cauldron；　which　the　steam；　issuing　in　little　sharp　jets　from　under
the　lid；　showed　to　be　boiling　furiously；　with　grand　prophecy　of
broth。　Ghastly　horror　in　his　very　bones；　the　keeper　lifted　the
lidand　there；　beside　the　beef；　with　the　broth　bubbling　in　waves
over　her；　lay　the　child！　The　demon　had　torn　off　her　frock；　and
thrust　her　into　the　boiling　liquid！

〃There　rose　such　an　outcry　that　they　were　compelled　to　put　him　in
chains　and　carry　him　no　one　knew　whither；　but　nurse　said　he　lived　to
old　age。　Ever　since；　the　house　has　been　uninhabited；　with；　of
course；　the　reputation　of　being　haunted。　If　you　happen　to　be　in　its
neighbourhood　when　it　begins　to　grow　dark；　you　may　see　the　children
hurry　past　it　in　silence；　now　and　then　glancing　back　in　dread；　lest
something　should　have　opened　the　never…opened　door；　and　be　stealing
after　them。　They　call　that　something　The　Red　Etin；only　this　ogre
was　black；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　red　was　the　proper　colour　for　him。〃

〃It　is　a　horrible　story！〃　said　Donal。

〃I　want　you　to　go　to　the　house　for　me：　you　do　not　mind　going；　do
you？〃

〃Not　in　the　least；〃　answered　Donal。

〃I　want　you　to　search　a　certain　bureau　there　for　some　papers。By
the　way；　have　you　any　news　to　give　me　about　Forgue？〃

〃No；　my　lord；〃　answered　Donal。　〃I　do　not　even　know　whether　or　not
they　meet；　but　I　am　afraid。〃

〃Oh；　I　daresay；〃　rejoined　his　lordship；　〃the　whim　is　wearing　off！
One　pellet　drives　out　another。　Behind　the　love　in　the　popgun　came
the　conviction　that　it　would　be　simple　ruin！　But　we　Graemes　are
stiff…necked　both　to　God　and　man；　and　I　don't　trust　him　much。〃

〃He　gave　you　no　promise；　if　you　remember；　my　lord。〃

〃I　remember　very　well；　why　the　deuce　should　I　not　remember？　I　am　not
in　the　way　of　forgetting　things！　No；　by　God！　nor　forgiving　them
either！　Where　there's　anything　to　forgive　there's　no　fear　of　my
forgetting！〃

He　followed　the　utterance　with　a　laugh；　as　if　he　would　have　it　pass
for　a　joke；　but　there　was　no　ring　in　the　laugh。

He　then　gave　Donal　detailed　instructions　as　to　where　the　bureau
stood；　how　he　was　to　open　it　with　a　curious　key　which　he　told　him
where　to　find　in　the　room；　how　also　to　open　the　secret　part　of　the
bureau　in　which　the　papers　lay。

〃Forget！〃　he　echoed；　turning　and　sweeping　back　on　his　trail；　〃I　have
not　been　in　that　house　for　twenty　years：　you　can　judge　whether　I
forget！No！〃　he　added　with　an　oath；　〃if　I　found　myself　forgetting　I
should　think　it　time　to　look　out；　but　the