donal grant-第71章

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pride　of　this　world。　One　who　could　be　so　cast　down；　was　hardly　one；
alas；　of　whom　to　expect　any　greatness　of　action！　He　was　not　likely
to　have　honesty　or　courage　enough　to　decline　a　succession　that　was
not　hiseven　though　it　would　leave　his　way　clear　to　marry　Eppy。
Whether　any　of　Forgue's　misery　arose　from　the　fact　that　Donal　had
been　present　at　the　exposure　of　his　position；　Donal　could　not　tell；
but　he　could　hardly　fail　to　regard　him　as　a　dangerous　holder　of　his
secretone　who　would　be　more　than　ready　to　take　hostile　action　in
the　matter！　At　the　same　time；　such　had　seemed　the　paralysing
influence　of　the　shock　upon　him；　that　Donal　doubted　if　he　had　been；
at　any　time　during　the　interview；　so　much　aware　of　his　presence　as
not　to　have　forgotten　it　entirely　before　he　came　to　himself。　Had　he
remembered　the　fact；　would　he　not　have　come　to　him　to　attempt
securing　his　complicity？　If　he　meant　to　do　right；　why　did　he
hesitate？there　was　but　one　way；　and　that　plain　before　him！

But　presently　Donal　began　to　see　many　things　an　equivocating　demon
might　urge：　the　claims　of　his　mother；　the　fact　that　there　was　no
near　heirhe　did　not　even　know　who　would　come　in　his　place；　that　he
would　do　as　well　with　the　property　as　another；　that　he　had　been
already　grievously　wronged；　that　his　mother's　memory　would　be　yet
more　grievously　wronged；　that　the　marriage　had　been　a　marriage　in
the　sight　of　God；　and　as　such　he　surely　of　all　men　was　in　heaven's
right　to　regard　it！　and　his　mother　had　been　the　truest　of　wives　to
his　father！　These　things　and　more　Donal　saw　he　might　plead　with
himself；　and　if　he　was　the　man　he　had　given　him　no　small　ground　to
think；　he　would　in　all　probability　listen　to　them。　He　would　recall
or　assume　the　existence　of　many　precedents　in　the　history　of　noble
families；　he　would　say　that；　knowing　the　general　character　of　their
heads；　no　one　would　believe　a　single　noble　family　without　at　least
one　unrecorded；　undiscovered；　or　well　concealed　irregularity　in　its
descent；　and　he　would　judge　it　the　cruellest　thing　to　have　let　him
know　the　blighting　fact；　seeing　that　in　ignorance　he　might　have
succeeded　with　a　good　conscience。

But　what　kind　of　a　father　was　this；　thought　Donal；　who　would　thus
defile　his　son's　conscience！　he　had　not　done　it　in　mere　revenge；　but
to　gain　his　son's　submission　as　well！　Whether　the　poor　fellow　leaned
to　the　noble　or　ignoble；　it　was　no　marvel　he　should　wander　about
looking　scarce　worthy　the　name　of　man！　If　he　would　but　come　to　him
that　he　might　help　him！　He　could　at　least　encourage　him　to　refuse
the　evil　and　choose　the　good！　But　even　if　he　would　receive　such
help；　the　foregone　passages　between　them　rendered　it　sorely
improbable　it　would　ever　fall　to　him　to　afford　it！

That　his　visits　to　Eppy　were　intermitted；　Donal　judged　from　her
countenance　and　bearing；　and　if　he　hesitated　to　sacrifice　his　own
pride　to　the　truth；　it　could　not　be　without　contemplating　as
possible　the　sacrifice　of　her　happiness　to　a　lie。　In　such　delay　he
could　hardly　be　praying　〃Lead　me　not　into　temptation：〃　if　not
actively　tempting　himself；　he　was　submitting　to　be　tempted；　he　was
lingering　on　the　evil　shore。

Andrew　Comin　staid　yet　a　weekslowly；　gently　fading　out　into
lifedarkening　into　eternal　dayforgetting　into　knowledge　itself。
Donal　was　by　his　side　when　he　went；　but　little　was　done　or　said；　he
crept　into　the　open　air　in　his　sleep；　to　wake　from　the　dreams　of
life　and　the　dreams　of　death　and　the　dreams　of　sleep　all　at　once；
and　see　them　mingling　together　behind　him　like　a　broken
waveblending　into　one　vanishing　dream　of　a　troubled；　yet；　oh；　how
precious　night　past　and　gone！

Once；　about　an　hour　before　he　went；　Donal　heard　him　murmur；　〃When　I
wake　I　am　still　with　thee！〃

Doory　was　perfectly　calm。　When　he　gave　his　last　sigh；　she　sighed
too；　said；　〃I　winna　be　lang；　Anerew！〃　and　said　no　more。　Eppy　wept
bitterly。

Donal　went　every　day　to　see　them　till　the　funeral　was　over。　It　was
surprising　how　many　of　the　town's　folk　attended　it。　Most　of　them　had
regarded　the　cobbler　as　a　poor　talkative　enthusiast　with　far　more
tongue　than　brains！　Because　they　were　so　far　behind　and　beneath　him；
they　saw　him　very　small！

One　cannot　help　reflecting　what　an　indifferent　trifle　the　funeral；
whether　plain　to　bareness；　as　in　Scotland；　or　lovely　with　meaning　as
often　in　England；　is　to　the　spirit　who　has　but　dropt　his　hurting
shoes　on　the　weary　road；　dropt　all　the　dust　and　heat；　dropt　the　road
itself；　yea　the　world　of　his　pilgrimagewhich　never　was；　never
could　be；　never　was　meant　to　be　his　country；　only　the　place　of　his
sojourningin　which　the　stateliest　house　of　marble　can　be　but　a
tentcannot　be　a　house；　yet　less　a　home。　Man　could　never　be　made　at
home　here；　save　by　a　mutilation；　a　depression；　a　lessening　of　his
being；　those　who　fancy　it　their　home；　will　come；　by　growth；　one　day
to　feel　that　it　is　no　more　their　home　than　its　mother's　egg　is　the
home　of　the　lark。

For　some　time　Donal's　savings　continued　to　support　the　old　woman　and
her　grand…daughter。　But　ere　long　Doory　got　so　much　to　do　in　the　way
of　knitting　stockings　and　other　things；　and　was　set　to　so　many　light
jobs　by　kindly　people　who　respected　her　more　than　her　husband
because　they　saw　her　less　extraordinary；　that　she　seldom　troubled
him。　Miss　Carmichael　offered　to　do　what　she　could　to　get　Eppy　a
place；　if　she　answered　certain　questions　to　her　satisfaction。　How
she　liked　her　catechizing　I　do　not　know；　but　she　so　far　satisfied
her　interrogator　that　she　did　find　her　a　place　in　Edinburgh。　She
wept　sore　at　leaving　Auchars；　but　there　was　no　help：　rumour　had　been
more　cruel　than　untrue；　and　besides　there　was　no　peace　for　her　near
the　castle。　Not　once　had　lord　Forgue　sought　her　since　he　gave　her　up
to　Donal；　and　she　thought　he　had　then　given　her　up　altogether。
Notwithstanding　his　kindness　to　her　house；　she　all　but　hated
Donalperhaps　the　more　nearly　that　her　conscience　told　he　had　done
nothing　but　what　was　right。

Things　returned　into　the　old　grooves　at　the　castle；　but　the　happy
thought　of　his　friend　the　cobbler；　hammering　and　stitching　in　the
town　below；　was　gone　from　Donal。　True；　the　craftsman　was　a　nobleman
now；　but　such　he　had　always　been！

Forgue　mooned　about；　doing　nothing；　and　recognizing　no　possible　help
save　in　what　was　utter　defeat。　If　he　had　had　any　faith　in　Donal；　he
might　have　had　help　fit　to　make　a　man　of　him；　which　he　would　have
found　something　more　than　an　earl。　Donal　would　have　taught　him　to
look　things　in　the　face；　and　call　them　by　their　own　names。　It　would
have　been　the　redemption　of　his　being。　To　let　things　be　as　they
truly　are；　and　act　with　truth　in　respect　of　them；　is　to　be　a　man。
But　Forgue　showed　little　sign　of　manhood；　present　or　to　come。

He　was　much　on　horseback；　now　riding　furiously　over　everything；　as
if　driven　by　the　very　fiend；　now　dawdling　along　with　the　reins　on
the　neck　of　his　weary　animal。　Donal　once　met　him　thus　in　a　narrow
lane。　The　moment　Forgue　saw　him；　he　pulled　up　his　horse's　head；
spurred　him　hard；　and　came　on　as　if　he　did　not　see　him。　Donal　shoved
himself　into　the　hedge；　and　escaped　with　a　little　mud。




CHAPTER　L。

A　SOUTH…EASTERLY　WIND。

One　morning；　Donal　in　the　schoolroom　with　Davie；　a　knock　came　to　the
door；　and　lady　Arctura　entered。

〃The　wind　is　blowing　from　the　south…east；〃　she　said。

〃Listen　then；　my　lady；　whether　you　can　hear　anything；〃　said　Donal。
〃I　fancy　it　is　a　very　precise　wind　that　is　wanted。〃

〃I　will　listen；〃　she　answered；　and　went。

The　day　passed；　and　he　heard　nothing　more。　He　was　at　work　in　his
room　in　the　warm　evening　twilight；　when　Davie　came　running　to　his
door；　and　said　Arkie　was　coming　up　after　him。　He　rose　and　stood　at
the　top　of　the　stair　to　receive　her。　She　had　heard　the　music；　she
saidvery　soft：　would　he　go　on　the　roof？

〃Where　were　you；　my　lady；〃　asked　Donal；　〃when　you　heard　it？　I　have
heard　nothing　up　here！〃

〃In　my　own　little　parlour；〃　she　replied。　〃It　was　very　faint；　but　I
could　not　mistake　it。〃

They　went　upon　the　roof。　The　wind　was　soft　and　low；　an　excellent
thing　in　winds。　They　knew　the　paths　of　the　roof　better　now；　and　had
plenty　of　light；　although　the　moon；　rising　large　and　round；　gave
them　little　of　hers