donal grant-第93章

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the　earl　moaning　and　crying　on　this　side　of　it！〃

〃God　bless　me！〃　cried　the　good　woman。　〃I'm　no　easy　scaret；　but
that's　fearfu'　to　think　o'！〃

〃You　would　not　care　to　come　there　with　me？〃

〃No　the　nicht；　sir。　Come　to　my　room　again；　an'　I　s'　mak　ye　a　cup　o'
coffee；　an'　tell　ye　the　storyit's　a'　come　back　to　me　noothe
thing　'at　made　my　aunt　tell　me　aboot　the　buildin'　o'　this　wa'。
'Deed；　sir；　I　hae　hardly　a　doobt　the　thing　was　jist　as　ye　say！〃

They　went　to　her　room：　there　was　lady　Arctura　sitting　by　the　fire！

〃My　lady！〃　cried　the　housekeeper。　〃I　thoucht　I　left　ye　soon'
asleep！〃

〃So　I　was；　I　daresay；〃　answered　Arctura；　〃but　I　woke　again；　and
finding　you　had　not　come　up；　I　thought　I　would　go　down　to　you。　I　was
certain　you　and　Mr。　Grant　would　be　somewhere　together！　Have　you　been
discovering　anything　more？〃

Mrs。　Brookes　gave　Donal　a　look：　he　left　her　to　tell　as　much　or　as
little　as　she　pleased。

〃We　hae　been　prowlin'　aboot　the　hoose；　but　no　doon　yon'er；　my　lady。
I　think　you　an'　me　wad　do　weel　to　lea'　that　to　Mr。　Grant！〃

〃When　your　ladyship　is　quite　ready　to　have　everything　set　to
rights；〃　said　Donal；　〃and　to　have　a　resurrection　of　the　chapel；　then
I　shall　be　glad　to　go　with　you　again。　But　I　would　rather　not　even
talk　more　about　it　just　at　present。〃

〃As　you　please；　Mr。　Grant；〃　replied　lady　Arctura。　〃We　will　say
nothing　more　till　I　have　made　up　my　mind。　I　don't　want　to　vex　my
uncle；　and　I　find　the　question　rather　a　difficult　oneand　the　more
difficult　that　he　is　worse　than　usual。Will　you　not　come　to　bed
now；　mistress　Brookes？〃




CHAPTER　LXIV。

THE　GARLAND…ROOM。

All　through　the　terrible　time；　the　sense　of　help　and　comfort　and
protection　in　the　presence　of　the　young　tutor；　went　on　growing　in
the　mind　of　Arctura。　It　was　nothing　to　herwhat　could　it　be？that
he　was　the　son　of　a　very　humble　pair；　that　he　had　been　a　shepherd；
and　a　cow…herd；　and　a　farm　labourerless　than　nothing。　She　never
thought　of　the　facts　of　his　life　except　sympathetically；　seeking　to
enter　into　the　feelings　of　his　memorial　childhood　and　youth；　she
would　never　have　known　anything　of　those　facts　but　for　their　lovely
intimacies　of　all　sorts　with　Naturenature　divine；　human；　animal；
cosmical。　By　sharing　with　her　his　emotional　history；　Donal　had　made
its　facts　precious　to　her；　through　them　he　had　gathered　his　bestby
home　and　by　prayer；　by　mother　and　father；　by　sheep　and　mountains　and
wind　and　sky。　And　now　he　was　to　her　a　tower　of　strength；　a　refuge；　a
strong　city；　the　shadow　of　a　great　rock　in　a　weary　land。　She　trusted
him　the　more　that　he　never　invited　her　trustnever　put　himself
before　her；　for　always　before　her　he　set　Life；　the　perfect
heart…origin　of　her　and　his　yet　unperfected　humanity；　teaching　her
to　hunger　and　thirst　after　being　righteous　like　God；　with　the
assurance　of　being　filled。　She　had　once　trusted　in　Miss　Carmichael；
not　with　her　higher　being；　only　with　her　judgment；　and　both　her
judgment　and　her　friend　had　misled　her。　Donal　had　taught　her　that
obedience；　not　to　man　but　to　God；　was　the　only　guide　to　holy
liberty；　and　so　had　helped　her　to　break　the　bonds　of　those
traditions　which；　in　the　shape　of　authoritative　utterances　of　this
or　that　church；　lay　burdens　grievous　to　be　borne　upon　the　souls　of
men。　For　Christ；　against　all　the　churches；　seemed　to　her　to　express
Donal's　mission。　An　air　of　peace；　an　atmosphere　of　summer　twilight
after　the　going　down　of　the　sun；　seemed　to　her　to　precede　him　and
announce　his　approach　with　a　radiation　felt　as　rest。　She　questioned
herself　nowise　about　him。　Falling　in　love　was　a　thing　unsuggested　to
her；　if　she　was　in　what　is　called　danger；　it　was　of　a　better　thing。

The　next　day　she　did　not　appear：　mistress　Brookes　had　persuaded　her
to　keep　her　bed　again　for　a　day　or　two。　There　was　nothing　really　the
matter　with　her；　she　said　herself；　but　she　was　so　tired　she　did　not
care　to　lift　her　head　from　the　pillow。　She　had　slept　well；　and　was
troubled　about　nothing。　She　sent　to　beg　Mr。　Grant　to　let　Davie　go
and　read　to　her；　and　to　give　him　something　to　read；　good　for　him　as
well　as　for　her。

Donal　did　not　see　Davie　again　till　the　next　morning。

〃Oh；　Mr。　Grant！〃　he　said；　〃you　never　saw　anything　so　pretty　as　Arkie
is　in　bed！　She　is　so　white；　and　so　sweet！　and　she　speaks　with　a
voice　so　gentle　and　low！　She　was　so　kind　to　me　for　going　to　read　to
her！　I　never　saw　anybody　like　her！　She　looks　as　if　she　had　just　said
her　prayers；　and　God　had　told　her　she　should　have　everything　she
wanted。〃

Donal　wondered　a　little；　but　hoped　more。　Surely　she　must　be　finding
rest　in　the　consciousness　of　God！　But　why　was　she　so　white？　Was　she
going　to　die？　A　pang　shot　to　his　heart：　if　she　were　to　go　from　the
castle；　it　would　be　hard　to　stay　in　it；　even　for　the　sake　of　Davie！
Donal；　no　more　than　Arctura；　imagined　himself　fallen　in　love：　he　had
loved　once；　and　his　heart　had　not　yet　done　achingthough　more　with
the　memory　than　the　presence　of　pain！　He　was　utterly　satisfied　with
what　the　Father　of　the　children　had　decreed；　and　would　never　love
again！　But　he　did　not　seek　to　hide　from　himself　that　the　friendship
of　lady　Arctura；　and　the　help　she　sought　and　he　gave；　had　added　a
fresh　and　strong　interest　to　his　life。　At　the　first　dawn　of　power　in
his　heart；　when　he　began　to　make　songs　in　the　fields　and　on　the
hills；　he　had　felt　that　to　brighten　with　true　light　the　clouded
lives　of　despondent　brothers　and　sisters　was　the　one　thing　worthest
living　for：　it　was　what　the　Lord　came　into　the　world　for；　neither
had　his　trouble　made　him　forget　itfor　more　than　one　week　or　so：
while　the　pain　was　yet　gnawing　grievously；　he　woke　to　it　again　with
self…accusationalmost　self…contempt。　To　have　helped　this　lovely
creature；　whose　life　had　seemed　lapt　in　an　ever　closer…clasping
shroud　of　perplexity；　was　a　thing　to　be　glad　ofnot　to　the　day　of
his　death；　but　to　the　never…ending　end　of　his　life！　was　an　honour
conferred　upon　him　by　the　Father；　to　last　for　evermore！　For　he　had
helped　to　open　a　human　door　for　the　Lord　to　enter！　she　within　heard
him　knock；　but；　trying；　was　unable　to　open！　To　be　God's　helper　with
our　fellows　is　the　one　high　calling；　the　presence　of　God　in　the
house　the　one　high　condition。

At　the　end　of　a　week　Arctura　was　better；　and　able　to　see　Donal。　She
had　had　mistress　Brookes's　bed　moved　into　the　same　room　with　her
own；　and　had　made　the　dressing…room　into　a　sitting…room。　It　was
sunny　and　pleasantthe　very　place；　Donal　thought；　he　would　have
chosen　for　her。　The　bedroom　too；　which　the　housekeeper　had　persuaded
her　to　take　when　she　left　her　own；　was　one　of　the　largest　in　the
castlethe　Garland…roomold…fashioned；　of　course；　but　as　cheerful
as　stateliness　would　permit；　with　gorgeous　hangings　and　great
picturesfar　from　homely；　but　with　sun　in　it　half　the　day。　Donal
congratulated　her　on　the　change。　She　had　been　prevented　from　making
one　sooner；　she　said；　by　the　dread　of　owing　any　comfort　to
circumstance：　it　might　deceive　her　as　to　her　real　condition！

〃It　could　not　deceive　God；　though；〃　answered　Donal；　〃who　fills　with
righteousness　those　who　hunger　after　it。　It　is　pride　to　refuse
anything　that　might　help　us　to　know　him；　and　of　all　things　his
sun…lit　world　speaks　of　the　father　of　lights！　If　that　makes　us
happier；　it　makes　us　fitter　to　understand　him；　and　he　can　easily
send　what　cloud　may　be　needful　to　temper　it。　We　must　not　make　our
own　world；　inflict　our　own　punishments；　or　order　our　own
instruction；　we　must　simply　obey　the　voice　in　our　hearts；　and　take
lovingly　what　he　sends。〃

The　next　day　she　told　him　she　had　had　a　beautiful　night；　full　of　the
loveliest　dreams。　One　of　them　was；　that　a　child　came　out　of　a　grassy
hillock　by　the　wayside；　called　her　mamma；　and　said　she　was　much
obliged　to　her　for　taking　her　off　the　cold　stone；　and　making　her　a
butterfly；　and　with　that　the　child　spread　out　gorgeous　and　great
wings　and　soared　up　to　a　white　cloud；　and　there　sat　laughing　merrily
to　her。

Every　afternoon　Davie　read　to　her；　and　thence　Donal　gained　a
dutythat　of　finding　suitable　pabulum　for　the　two。　He　was　not
widely　read　in　light　literature；　and　it　made　necessary　not　a　little
exploration　in　the　region　of　it。




CHAPTER　LXV。

THE　WALL。

On　the