donal grant-第68章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


forget！No！〃　he　added　with　an　oath；　〃if　I　found　myself　forgetting　I
should　think　it　time　to　look　out；　but　there　is　no　sign　of　that　yet；
thank　God！　There！　take　the　keys；　and　be　off！　Simmons　will　give　you
the　key　of　the　house。　You　had　better　take　that　of　the　door　in　the
close：　it　is　easier　to　open。〃

Donal　went　away　wondering　at　the　pleasure　his　frightful　tale
afforded　the　earl：　he　had　seemed　positively　to　gloat　over　the
details　of　it！　These　were　much　worse　than　I　have　recorded：　he　showed
special　delight　in　narrating　how　the　mother　took　the　body　of　her
child　out　of　the　pot！

He　sought　Simmons　and　asked　him　for　the　key。　The　butler　went　to　find
it；　but　returned　saying　he　could　not　lay　his　hands　upon　it；　there
was；　however；　the　key　of　the　front　door：　it　might　prove　stiff！　Donal
took　it；　and　having　oiled　it　well；　set　out　for　Morven　House。　But　on
his　way　he　turned　aside　to　see　the　Comins。

Andrew　looked　worse；　and　he　thought　he　must　be　sinking。　The　moment
he　saw　Donal　he　requested　they　might　be　left　alone　for　a　few
minutes。

〃My　yoong　freen'；〃　he　said；　〃the　Lord　has　fauvoured　me　greatly　in
grantin'　my　last　days　the　licht　o'　your　coontenance。　I　hae　learnt　a
heap　frae　ye　'at　I　kenna　hoo　I　could　hae　come　at　wantin'　ye。〃

〃Eh；　An'rew！〃　interrupted　Donal；　〃I　dinna　weel　ken　hoo　that　can　be；
for　it　aye　seemt　to　me　ye　had　a'　the　knowledge　'at　was　gaein'！〃

〃The　man　can　ill　taich　wha's　no　gaein'　on　learnin'；　an'　maybe　whiles
he　learns　mair　frae　his　scholar　nor　the　scholar　learns　frae　him。　But
it's　a'　frae　the　Lord；　the　Lord　is　that　speeritan'　first　o'　a'　the
speerit　o'　obeddience；　wi'oot　which　there's　no　learnin'。　Still；　my
son；　it　may　comfort　ye　a　wee　i'　the　time　to　come；　to　think　the　auld
cobbler　Anerew　Comin　gaed　intil　the　new　warl'　fitter　company　for　the
help　ye　gied　him　afore　he　gaed。　May　the　Lord　mak　a　sicht　o'　use　o'
ye！　Fowk　say　a　heap　aboot　savin'　sowls；　but　ower　aften；　I　doobt；
they　help　to　tak　frae　them　the　sense　o'　hoo　sair　they're　in　want　o'
savin'。　Surely　a　man　sud　ken　in　himsel'　mair　an'　mair　the　need　o'
bein'　saved；　till　he　cries　oot　an'　shoots；　'I　am　saved；　for　there's
nane　in　h'aven　but　thee；　an'　there's　nane　upo'　the　earth　I　desire
besides　thee！　Man；　wuman；　child；　an'　live　cratur；　is　but　a　portion
o'　thee；　whauron　to　lat　the　love　o'　thee　rin　ower！'　Whan　a　man　can
say　that；　he's　saved；　an'　no　till　than；　though　for　lang　years　he　may
hae　been　aye　comin'　nearer　to　that　goal　o'　a'　houp；　the　hert　o'　the
father　o'　me；　an'　you；　an'　Doory；　an'　Eppy；　an'　a'　the　nations　o'
the　earth！〃

He　stopped　weary；　but　his　eyes；　fixed　on　Donal；　went　on　where　his
voice　had　ended；　and　for　a　time　Donal　seemed　to　hear　what　his　soul
was　saying；　and　to　hearken　with　content。　But　suddenly　their　light
went　out；　the　old　man　gave　a　sigh；　and　said：

〃It's　ower　for　this　warl'；　my　freen'。　It's　comin'the　hoor　o'
darkness。　But　the　thing　'at's　true　whan　the　licht　shines；　is　as　true
i'　the　dark：　ye　canna　work；　that's　a'。　God　'ill　gie　me　grace　to　lie
still。　It's　a'　ane。　I　wud　lie　jist　as　I　used　to　sit；　i'　the　days
whan　I　men'it　fowk's　shune；　an'　Doory　happent　to　tak　awa'　the　licht
for　a　moment；I　wud　sit　aye　luikin'　doon　throuw　the　mirk　at　my
wark；　though　I　couldna　see　a　stime　o'　't；　the　alison　（awl）　i'　my
han'　ready　to　put　in　the　neist　steek　the　moment　the　licht　fell　upo'
the　spot　whaur　it　was　to　gang。　That's　hoo　I　wud　lie　whan　I'm　deein'；
jist　waitin'　for　the　licht；　no　for　the　dark；　an'　makin'　an
incense…offerin'　o'　my　patience　whan　I　hae　naething　ither　to　offer；
naither　thoucht　nor　glaidness　nor　sorrow；　naething　but　patience
burnin'　in　pain。　He'll　accep'　that；　for；　my　son；　the　maister's　jist
as　easy　to　please　as　he's　ill　to　saitisfee。　Ye　hae　seen　a　mither
ower　her　wee　lassie's　sampler？　She'll　praise　an'　praise　't；　an'　be
richt　pleast　wi'　't；　but　wow　gien　she　was　to　be　content　wi'　the
thing　in　her　han'！　the　lassie's　man；　whan　she　cam　to　hae　ane；　wud
hae　an　ill　time　o'　't　wi'　his　hose　an'　his　sarks！　But　noo　I　hae　a
fauvour　to　beg　o'　yeno　for　my　sake　but　for　hers：　gien　ye　hae　the
warnin'；　ye'll　be　wi'　me　whan　I　gang？　It　may　be　a　comfort　to
mysel'I　dinna　kennane　can　tell　'at　hasna　dee'd　aforenor　even
than；　for　deiths　are　sae　different！doobtless　Lazarus's　twa　deiths
war　far　frae　alike！but　it'll　be　a　great　comfort　to　DooryI'm
clear　upo'　that。　She　winna　fin'　hersel'　sae　lanesome　like；　losin'
sicht　o'　her　auld　man；　gien　the　freen'　o'　his　hert　be　aside　her　whan
he　gangs。〃

〃Please　God；　I'll　be　at　yer　comman'；〃　said　Donal。

〃Noo　cry　upo'　Doory；　for　I　wudna　see　less　o'　her　nor　I　may。　It　may
be　years　'afore　I　get　a　sicht　o'　her　lo'in'　face　again！　But　the　same
Lord　's　in　her　an'　i'　me；　an'　we　canna　far　be　sun'ert；　hooever　lang
the　time　'afore　we　meet　again。〃

Donal　called　Doory；　and　took　his　leave。




CHAPTER　XLVII。

MORVEN　HOUSE

Opposite　Morven　House　was　a　building　which　had　at　one　time　been　the
stables　to　it；　but　was　now　part　of　a　brewery；　a　high　wall　shut　it
off　from　the　street；　it　was　dinner…time　with　the　humbler　people　of
the　town；　and　there　was　not　a　soul　visible；　when　Donal　put　the　key
in　the　lock　of　the　front　door；　opened　it；　and　went　in：　he　had　timed
his　entrance　so；　desiring　to　avoid　idle　curiosity；　and　bring　no
gathering　feet　about　the　house。　Almost　on　tiptoe　he　entered　the
lofty　hall；　high　above　the　first　story。　The　dust　lay　thick　on　a
large　marble　tablebut　what　was　that？a　streak　across　it；　brushed
sharply　through　the　middle　of　the　dust！　It　was　strange！　But　he　would
not　wait　to　speculate　on　the　agent！　The　room　to　which　the　earl　had
directed　him　was　on　the　first　floor；　and　he　ascended　to　it　at
onceby　the　great　oak　staircase　which　went　up　the　sides　of　the
hall。

The　house　had　not　been　dismantled；　although　things　had　at　different
times　been　taken　from　it；　and　when　Donal　opened　a　leaf　of　shutter；
he　saw　tables　and　chairs　and　cabinets　inlaid　with　silver　and　ivory。
The　room　looked　stately；　but　everything　was　deep　in　dust；　carpets
and　curtains　were　thick　with　the　deserted　sepulchres　of　moths；　and
the　air　somehow　suggested　a　tomb：　Donal　thought　of　the　tombs　of　the
kings　of　Egypt　before　ravaging　conquerors　broke　into　them；　when　they
were　yet　full　of　all　such　gorgeous　furniture　as　great　kings　desired；
against　the　time　when　the　souls　should　return　to　reanimate　the
bodies　so　carefully　spiced　and　stored　to　welcome　them；　and　the　great
kings　would　be　themselves　again；　with　the　added　wisdom　of　the　dead
and　judged。　Conscious　of　a　curious　timidity；　feeling　a　kind　of
awesomeness　about　every　form　in　the　room；　he　stepped　softly　to　the
bureau；　applied　its　key；　and　following　carefully　the　directions　the
earl　had　given　him；　for　the　lock　was　Italian；　with　more　than　one
quip　and　crank　and　wanton　wile　about　it；　succeeded　in　opening　it。　He
had　no　difficulty　in　finding　its　secret　place；　nor　the　packet
concealed　in　it；　but　just　as　he　laid　his　hands　on　it；　he　was　aware
of　a　swift　passage　along　the　floor　without；　past　the　door　of　the
room；　and　apparently　up　the　next　stair。　There　was　nothing　he　could
distinguish　as　footsteps；　or　as　the　rustle　of　a　dress；　it　seemed　as
if　he　had　heard　but　a　disembodied　motion！　He　darted　to　the　door；
which　he　had　by　habit　closed　behind　him；　and　opened　it　noiselessly。
The　stairs　above　as　below　were　covered　with　thick　carpet：　any　light
human　foot　might　pass　without　a　sound；　only　haste　would　murmur　the
secret　to　the　troubled　air。

He　turned；　replaced　the　packet；　and　closed　the　bureau。　If　there　was
any　one　in　the　house；　he　must　know　it；　and　who　could　tell　what　might
follow！　It　was　the　merest　ghost　of　a　sound　he　had　heard；　but　he　must
go　after　it！　Some　intruder　might　be　using　the　earl's　house　for　his
own　purposes！

Going　softly　up；　he　paused　at　the　top　of　the　second　stair；　and
looked　around　him。　An　iron…clenched　door　stood　nearly　opposite　the
head　of　it；　and　at　the　farther　end　of　a　long　passage；　on　whose　sides
were　several　closed　doors；　was　one　partly　open。　From　that　direction
came　the　sound　of　a　little　movement；　and　then　of　low　voicesone
surely　that　of　a　woman！　It　flashed　upon　him　that　this　must　be　the
trysting…place　of　Eppy　and　Forgue。　Fearing　discovery　before　he
should　have　gathered　his　wits；　he　stepped　quietly　across　the　pass