donal grant-第70章

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society！

Donal　took　advantage　of　the　first　pause　to　ask　whether　he　should　not
go　back　and　bring　the　papers：　he　would　run　all　the　way；　he　said。

〃No；　damn　you！〃　answered　the　earl。　〃Give　me　the　keysall　the
keyshouse…keys　and　all。　I　should　be　a　fool　myself　to　trust　such　a
fool　again！〃

As　Donal　was　laying　the　last　key　on　the　table　by　his　lordship's
bedside；　Simmons　appeared；　saying　lord　Forgue　desired　to　know　if　his
father　would　see　him。

〃Oh；　yes！　send　him　up！〃　cried　the　earl　in　a　fury。　〃All　the　devils　in
hell　at　once！〃

His　lordship's　rages　came　up　from　abysses　of　misery　no　man　knew　but
himself。

〃You　go　into　the　next　room；　Grant；〃　he　said；　〃and　wait　there　till　I
call　you。〃

Donal　obeyed；　took　a　book　from　the　table；　and　tried　to　read。　He
heard　the　door　to　the　passage　open　and　close　again；　and　then　the
sounds　of　voices。　By　degrees　they　grew　louder；　and　at　length　the
earl　roared　out；　so　that　Donal　could　not　help　hearing：

〃I'll　be　damned　soul　and　body　in　hell；　but　I'll　put　a　stop　to　this！
Why；　you　son　of　a　snake！　I　have　but　to　speak　the　word；　and　you
arewell；　what。　Yes；　I　will　hold　my　tongue；　but　not　if　he　crosses
me！By　God！　I　have　held　it　too　long　already！letting　you　grow　up
the　damnablest　ungrateful　dog　that　ever　snuffed　carrion！And　your
poor　father　periling　his　soul　for　you；　by　God；　you　rascal！〃

〃Thank　heaven；　you　cannot　take　the　title　from　me；　my　lord！〃　said
Forgue　coolly。　〃The　rest　you　are　welcome　to　give　to　Davie！　It　won't
be　too　much；　by　all　accounts！〃

〃Damn　you　and　your　title！　A　pretty　title；　ha；　ha；　ha！Why；　you
infernal　fool；　you　have　no　more　right　to　the　title　than　the　beggarly
kitchen…maid　you　would　marry！　If　you　but　knew　yourself；　you　would
crow　in　another　fashion！　Ha；　ha；　ha！〃

At　this　Donal　opened　the　door。

〃I　must　warn　your　lordship；〃　he　said；　〃that　if　you　speak　so　loud；　I
shall　hear　every　word。〃

〃Hear　and　be　damned　to　you！That　fellow　thereyou　see　him　standing
therethe　mushroom　that　he　is！　Good　God！　how　I　loved　his　mother！
and　this　is　the　way　he　serves　me！　But　there　was　a　Providence　in　the
whole　affair！　Never　will　I　disbelieve　in　a　Providence　again！　It　all
comes　out　right；　perfectly　right！　Small　occasion　had　I　to　be
breaking　heart　and　conscience　over　it　ever　since　she　left　me！　Hang
the　pinchbeck　rascal！　he's　no　more　Forgue　than　you　are；　Grant；　and
never　will　be　Morven　if　he　live　a　hundred　years！　He's　not　a　short
straw　better　than　any　bastard　in　the　street！　His　mother　was　the
loveliest　woman　ever　breathed！and　loved　meah；　God！　it　is
something　after　all　to　have　been　loved　soand　by　such　a　woman！a
woman；　by　God！　ready　and　willing　and　happy　to　give　up　everything　for
me！　Everything；　do　you　hear；　you　damned　rascal！　I　never　married　her！
Do　you　hear；　Grant？　I　take　you　to　witness；　mark　my　words：　we；　that
fellow's　mother　and　I；　were　never　marriedby　no　law；　Scotch；　or
French；　or　Dutch；　or　what　you　will！　He's　a　damned　bastard；　and　may
go　about　his　business　when　he　pleases。　Oh；　yes！　pray　do！　Marry　your
scullion　when　you　please！　You　are　your　own　masterentlrely　your　own
master！free　as　the　wind　that　blows　to　go　where　you　will　and　do
what　you　please！　I　wash　my　hands　of　you。　You'll　do　as　you
pleasewill　you？　Then　do；　and　please　me：　I　desire　no　better
revenge！　I　only　tell　you　once　for　all；　the　moment　I　know　for　certain
you've　married　the　wench；　that　moment　I　publish　to　the　worldthat
is；　I　acquaint　certain　gossips　with　the　fact；　that　the　next　lord
Morven　will　have　to　be　hunted　for　like　a　truffleha！　ha！　ha！〃

He　burst　into　a　fiendish　fit　of　laughter；　and　fell　back　on　his
pillow；　dark　with　rage　and　the　unutterable　fury　that　made　of　his
being　a　volcano。　The　two　men　had　been　standing　dumb　before　him；
Donal　pained　for　the　man　on　whom　this　phial　of　devilish　wrath　had
been　emptied；　he　white　and　trembling　with　dismayan　abject
creature；　crushed　by　a　cruel　parent。　When　his　father　ceased；　he
still　stood；　still　said　nothing：　power　was　gone　from　him。　He　grew
ghastly；　uttered　a　groan；　and　wavered。　Donal　supported　him　to　a
chair；　he　dropped　into　it；　and　leaned　back；　with　streaming　face。　It
was　miserable　to　think　that　one　capable　of　such　emotion　concerning
the　world's　regard；　should　be　so　indifferent　to　what　alone　can
affect　a　manthe　nature　of　his　actionsso　indifferent　to　the　agony
of　another　as　to　please　himself　at　all　risk　to　her；　although　he
believed　he　loved　her；　and　perhaps　did　love　her　better　than　any　one
else　in　the　world。　For　Donal　did　not　at　all　trust　him　regarding
Eppyless　now　than　ever。　But　these　thoughts　went　on　in　him　almost
without　his　thinking　them；　his　attention　was　engrossed　with　the
passionate　creatures　before　him。

The　father　too　seemed　to　have　lost　the　power　of　motion；　and　lay　with
his　eyes　closed；　breathing　heavily。　But　by　and　by　he　made　what　Donal
took　for　a　sign　to　ring　the　bell。　He　did　so；　and　Simmons　came。　The
moment　he　entered；　and　saw　the　state　his　master　was　in；　he　hastened
to　a　cupboard；　took　thence　a　bottle；　poured　from　it　something
colourless；　and　gave　it　to　him　in　water。　It　brought　him　to　himself。
He　sat　up　again；　and　in　a　voice　hoarse　and　terrible　said：

〃Think　of　what　I　have　told　you；　Forgue。　Do　as　I　would　have　you；　and
the　truth　is　safe；　take　your　way　without　me；　and　I　will　take　mine
without　you。　Go。〃

Donal　went。　Forgue　did　not　move。

What　was　Donal　to　do　or　think　now？　Perplexities　gathered　upon　him。
Happily　there　was　time　for　thought；　and　for　prayer；　which　is　the
highest　thinking。　Here　was　a　secret　affecting　the　youth　his　enemy；
and　the　boy　his　friend！　affecting　society　itselfthat　society
which；　largely　capable　and　largely　guilty　of　like　sins；　yet　visits
with　such　unmercy　the　sins　of　the　fathers　upon　the　children；　the
sins　of　the　offender　upon　the　offended！　But　there　is　another　who
visits　them；　and　in　another　fashion！　What　was　he　to　do？　Was　he　to
hold　his　tongue　and　leave　the　thing　as　not　his；　or　to　speak　out　as
he　would　have　done　had　the　case　been　his　own？　Ought　the　chance　to　be
allowed　the　nameless　youth　of　marrying　his　cousin？　Ought　the　next
heir　to　the　lordship　to　go　without　his　title？　Had　they　not　both　a
claim　upon　Donal　for　the　truth？　Donal　thought　little　of　such　things
himself；　but　did　that　affect　his　duty　in　the　matter？　He　might　think
little　of　money；　but　would　he　therefore　look　on　while　a　pocket　was
picked？

On　reflection　he　saw；　however；　that　there　was　no　certainty　the　earl
was　speaking　the　truth；　for　anything　he　knew　of　him；　he　might　be
inventing　the　statement　in　order　to　have　his　way　with　his　son！　For
in　either　case　he　was　a　double…dyed　villian；　and　if　he　spoke　the
truth　was　none　the　less　capable　of　lying。




CHAPTER　XLIX。

FILIAL　RESPONSE。

One　thing　then　was　clear　to　Donal；　that　for　the　present　he　had
nothing　to　do　with　the　affair。　Supposing　the　earl's　assertion　true；
there　was　at　present　no　question　as　to　the　succession；　before　such
question　could　arise；　Forgue　might　be　dead；　before　that；　his　father
might　himself　have　disclosed　the　secret；　while；　the　longer　Donal
thought　about　it；　the　greater　was　his　doubt　whether　he　had　spoken
the　truth。　The　man　who　could　so　make　such　a　statement　to　his　son
concerning　his　mother；　must　indeed　have　been　capable　of　the
wickedness　assumed！　but　also　the　man　who　could　make　such　a　statement
was　surely　vile　enough　to　lie！　The　thing　remained　uncertain；　and　he
was　assuredly　not　called　upon　to　act！

But　how　would　Forgue　carry　himself？　His　behaviour　now　would　decide
or　at　least　determine　his　character。　If　he　were　indeed　as　honourable
as　he　wished　to　be　thought；　he　would　tell　Eppy　what　had　occurred；
and　set　himself　at　once　to　find　some　way　of　earning　his　and　her
bread；　or　at　least　to　become　capable　of　earning　it。　He　did　not　seem
to　cherish　any　doubt　of　the　truth　of　what　had　fallen　in　rage　from
his　father's　lips；　for；　to　judge　by　his　appearance；　to　the　few　and
brief　glances　Donal　had　of　him　during　the　next　week　or　so；　the　iron
had　sunk　into　his　soul：　he　looked　more　wretched　than　Donal　could
have　believed　it　possible　for　man　to　beabject　quite。　It　manifested
very　plainly　what　a　miserable　thing；　how　weak　and　weakening；　is　the
pride　of　this　world。　One　who　could　be　so　cast　down；　was　hardly　one；
alas；　of　whom　to　expect　any　greatnes