donal grant-第80章

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I　to　get　rid　of　this　plaster　without　being　seen？〃

〃I　will　show　you　the　way　to　your　own　stair　without　going　downthe
way　we　came　once；　you　may　remember。　You　can　take　it　to　the　top　of
the　house　till　it　is　dark。But　I　do　not　feel　comfortable　about　my
uncle's　visit。　Can　it　be　that　he　suspects　something？　Perhaps　he
knows　all　about　the　chapeland　that　stair　too！〃

〃He　is　a　man　to　enjoy　having　a　secret！But　our　discovery　bears　out
what　we　were　saying　as　to　the　likeness　of　house　and　mandoes　it
not？〃

〃You　don't　mean　there　is　anything　like　that　in　me？〃　rejoined
Arctura；　looking　frightened。

〃You！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃But　I　mean　no　individual　application；〃　he
added；　〃except　as　reflected　from　the　general　truth。　This　house　is
like　every　human　soul；　and　so；　like　me　and　you　and　all　of　us。　We
have　found　the　chapel　of　the　house；　the　place　they　used　to　pray　to
God　in；　built　up；　lost；　forgotten；　filled　with　dust　and　dampand
the　mouldering　dead　lying　there　before　the　Lord；　waiting　to　be　made
live　again　and　praise　him！〃

〃I　said　you　meant　me！〃　murmured　Arctura；　with　a　faint；　sad　smile。

〃No；　the　time　is　past　for　that。　It　is　long　since　first　you　were
aware　of　the　dead　self　in　the　lost　chapel；　a　hungry　soul　soon　misses
both；　and　knows；　without　being　sure　of　it；　that　they　are　somewhere。
You　have　kept　searching　for　them　in　spite　of　all　persuasion　that　the
quest　was　foolish。〃

Arctura's　eyes　shone　in　her　pale　face；　but　they　shone　with　gathering
tears。　Donal　turned　away；　and　took　up　the　pail。　She　rose；　and　guided
him　to　his　tower…stair；　where　he　went　up　and　she　went　down。




CHAPTER　LVII。

THE　HOUSEKEEPER'S　ROOM。

As　the　clock　upon　the　schoolroom　chimney…piece　struck　the　hour；
Arctura　entered；　and　at　once　took　her　seat　at　the　table　with
Daviemuch　to　the　boy's　wonder　and　pleasure。　Donal　gave　her　a
Euclid；　and　set　her　a　task：　she　began　at　once　to　learn　itand　after
a　while　so　brief　that　Davie　stared　incredulous；　said；

〃If　you　please；　Mr。　Grant；　I　think　I　could　be　questioned　upon　it
now。〃

Less　than　a　minute　sufficed　to　show　Donal　that　she　thoroughly
understood　what　she　had　been　learning；　and　he　set　her　then　a　little
more。　By　the　time　their　work　was　over　he　had　not　a　doubt　left　that
suchlike　intellectual　occupation　would　greatly　subserve　all　phases
of　her　health。　With　entireness　she　gave　herself　to　the　thing　she　had
to　do；　and　Donal　thought　how　strong　must　be　her　nature；　to　work　so
calmly；　and　think　so　clearly；　after　what　she　had　gone　through　that
morning。

School　over；　and　Davie　gone　to　his　rabbits。

〃Mistress　Brookes　invites　us　to　supper　with　her；〃　said　lady　Arctura。
〃I　asked　her　to　ask　us。　I　don't　want　to　go　to　bed　till　I　am　quite
sleepy。　You　don't　mind；　do　you？〃

〃I　am　very　glad；　my　lady；〃　responded　Donal。

〃Don't　you　think　we　had　better　tell　her　all　about　it？〃

〃As　you　think　fit。　The　secret　is　in　no　sense　mine；　it　is　only　yours；
and　the　sooner　it　ceases　to　be　a　secret　the　better　for　all　of　us！〃

〃I　have　but　one　reason　for　keeping　it；〃　she　returned。

〃Your　uncle？〃

〃Yes；　I　know　he　will　be　annoyed。　But　there　may　be　other　reasons　why
I　should　reveal　the　thing。〃

〃There　may　indeed！〃　said　Donal。

〃Still；　I　should　be　sorry　to　offend　him　more　than　I　cannot　help。　If
he　were　a　man　like　my　father；　I　should　never　dream　of　going　against
him；　I　should　in　fact　leave　everything　to　him　he　cared　to　attend　to。
But　seeing　he　is　the　man　he　is；　it　would　be　absurd。　I　dare　not　let
him　manage　my　affairs　for　me　much　longer。　I　must　understand　for
myself　how　things　are　going。〃

〃You　will　not；　I　hope；　arrange　anything　without　the　presence　of　a
lawyer！　I　fear　I　have　less　confidence　in　your　uncle　than　you　have！〃

Arctura　made　no　reply；　and　Donal　was　afraid　he　had　hurt　her；　but　the
next　moment　she　looked　up　with　a　sad　smile；　and　said；

〃Well；　poor　man！　we　will　not　compare　our　opinions　of　him：　he　is　my
father's　brother；　and　I　shall　be　glad　not　to　offend　him。　But　my
father　would　have　reason　to　be　dissatisfied　if　I　left　everything　to
my　uncle　as　if　he　had　not　left　everything　to　me。　If　he　had　been
another　sort　of　man；　my　father　would　surely　have　left　the　estate　to
him！〃

At　nine　o'clock　they　met　in　the　housekeeper's　roomlow…ceiled；
large；　lined　almost　round　with　oak　presses；　which　were　mistress
Brookes's　delight。　She　welcomed　them　as　to　her　own　house；　and　made
an　excellent　hostess。

But　Donal　would　not　mix　the　tumbler　of　toddy　she　would　have　had　him
take。　For　one　thing　he　did　not　like　his　higher　to　be　operated　upon
from　his　lower：　it　made　him　feel　as　if　possessed　by　a　not　altogether
real　self。　But　the　root　of　his　objection　lay　in　the　teaching　of　his
mother。　The　things　he　had　learned　of　his　parents　were　to　him　his
patent　of　nobility；　vouchers　that　he　was　honourably　descended：　of
his　birth　he　was　as　proud　as　any　man。　And　hence　this　night　he　was
led　to　talk　of　his　father　and　mother；　and　the　things　of　his
childhood。　He　told　Arctura　all　about　the　life　he　had　led；　how　at　one
time　he　kept　cattle　in　the　fields；　at　another　sheep　on　the
mountains；　how　it　came　that　he　was　sent　to　college；　and　all　the
story　of　sir　Gibbie。　The　night　wore　on。　Arctura　listeneddid
nothing　but　listen；　she　was　enchanted。　And　it　surprised　Donal
himself　to　find　how　calmly　he　could　now　look　back　upon　what　had
seemed　to　threaten　an　everlasting　winter　of　the　soul。　It　was　indeed
the　better　thing　that　Ginevra　should　be　Gibbie's　wife！

A　pause　had　come；　and　he　had　fallen　into　a　brooding　memory　of　things
gone　by；　when　a　sudden　succession　of　quick　knocks　fell　on　his　ear。
He　startedstrangely　affected。　Neither　of　his　companions　took
notice　of　it；　though　it　was　now　past　one　o'clock。　It　was　like　a
knocking　with　knuckles　against　the　other　side　of　the　wall　of　the
room。

〃What　can　that　be？〃　he　said；　listening　for　more。

〃H'ard　ye　never　that　'afore；　maister　Grant？〃　said　the　housekeeper。
〃I　hae　grown　sae　used　til't　my　ears　hardly　tak　notice　o'　't！〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Donal。

〃Ay；　what　is't？　Tell　ye　me　that　gien　ye　can！〃　she　returned　〃It's
jist　a　chappin'；　an'　God's　trowth　it's　a'　I　ken　aboot　the　same！　It
comes；　I　believe　I'm　safe　to　say；　ilka　nicht；　but　I　couldna　tak　my
aith　upo'　't；　I　hae　sae　entirely　drappit　peyin'　ony　attention　til't。
There's　things　aboot　mony　an　auld　hoose；　maister　Grant；　'at'll　tak
the　day　o'　judgment　to　explain　them。　But　sae　lang　as　they　keep　to
their　ain　side　o'　the　wa'；　I　dinna　see　I　need　trible　my　heid　aboot
them。　Efter　the　experrience　I　had　as　a　yoong　lass；　awa'　doon　in
Englan'　yon'er；　at　a　place　my　auntie　got　me　intilfor　she　kenned　a
heap　o'　gran'　fowk　throuw　bein'　hersel'　sae　near　conneckit　wi'　them
as　hoosekeeper　i'　the　castel　hereefter　that；　I'm　sayin；'　I　wadna
need　to　be　that　easy　scaret？〃

〃What　was　it？〃　said　lady　Arctura。　〃I　don't　think　you　ever　told　me。〃

〃No；　my　dear　lady；　I　wud　never　hae　thocht　o'　tellin'　ye　ony　sic
story　sae　lang　as　ye　was　ower　yoong　no　to　be　frichtit　at　it；　for
'deed　I　think　they're　muckle　to　blame　'at　tells　bairns　the　varra
things　they're　no　fit　to　hear；　an'　fix　the　dreid　'afore　the　sense。
But　I　s'　tell　ye　the　noo；　gien　ye　care　to　hear。　It's　a　some　awsome
story；　but　there's　something　unco　fulish…like　intil't　as　weel。　I
canna　say　I　think　muckle　'o　craturs　'at　trible　their　heids　aboot
their　heids！But　that's　tellin'　'aforehan'！〃

Here　the　good　woman　paused　thoughtful。

〃I　am　longing　to　hear　your　story；　mistress　Brookes；〃　said　Donal；
supposing　she　needed　encouragement。

〃I'm　but　thinkin'　hoo　to　begin；〃　she　returned；　〃sae　as　to　gie　ye　a
richt　haud　o'　the　thing。I'm　thinkin'　I　canna　do　better　nor　jist
tell　't　as　it　cam　to　mysel'！Weel；　ye　see；　I　was　but　a　yoong　lass；
abootweel；　I　micht　be　twenty；　mair　or　less；　whan　I　gaed　til　the
place　I　speak　o'。　It　was　awa'　upo'　the　borders　o'　Wales；　like　as
gien　folk　ower　there　i'　Perth　war　doobtfu'　whether　sic　or　sic　a
place　was　i'　the　hielan's　or　the　lowlan's。　The　maister　o'　the　hoose
was　a　yoong　man　awa'　upo'　's　traivels；　I　kenna　whaursomewhaur　upo'
the　continent；　but　that's　a　mickle　word；　an'　as　he　had　the　intention
o'　bein'　awa'　for　some　time　to　come；　no　carin'　to　settle　doon　aff
han'　an'　luik　efter　his　ain；　there　was　but　ane　gey　auld　wuman　to
hoosekeep；　an'　me　to　help　her；　an'　a　man　or