donal grant-第21章

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not　reach　the　sun；　exhaled　in　longing。　　Over　grass　which　fondled　his
feet　like　the　lap　of　an　old　nurse；　he　walked　slowly　round　the　bed　of
the　roses；　turning　again　towards　the　house。　　But　there；　half…way
between　him　and　it；　was　the　lady　of　the　garden　descending　to　meet
him！not　ancient　like　the　garden；　but　young　like　its　flowers；
light…footed；　and　full　of　life。

Prepared　by　her　brother　to　be　friendly；　she　met　him　with　a　pleasant
smile；　and　he　saw　that　the　light　which　shone　in　her　dark　eyes　had　in
it　rays　of　laughter。　　She　had　a　dark；　yet　clear　complexion；　a　good
forehead；　a　nose　after　no　recognized　generation　of　noses；　yet　an
attractive　one；　a　mouth　larger　than　to　human　judgment　might　have
seemed　necessary；　yet　a　right　pleasing　mouth；　with　two　rows　of
lovely　teeth。　　All　this　Donal　saw　approach　without　dismay。　　He　was
no　more　shy　with　women　than　with　men；　while　none　the　less　his
feeling　towards　them　partook　largely　of　the　reverence　of　the　ideal
knight　errant。　　He　would　not　indeed　have　been　shy　in　the　presence　of
an　angel　of　God；　for　his　only　courage　came　of　truth；　and　clothed　in
the　dignity　of　his　reverence；　he　could　look　in　the　face　of　the
lovely　without　perturbation。　　He　would　not　have　sought　to　hide　from
him　whose　voice　was　in　the　garden；　but　would　have　made　haste　to　cast
himself　at　his　feet。

Bonnet　in　hand　he　advanced　to　meet　Kate　Graeme。　　She　held　out　to　him
a　well…shaped；　good…sized　hand；　not　ignorant　of　workcapable　indeed
of　milking　a　cow　to　the　cow's　satisfaction。　　Then　he　saw　that　her
chin　was　strong；　and　her　dark　hair　not　too　tidy；　that　she　was　rather
tall；　and　slenderly　conceived　though　plumply　carried　out。　　Her　light
approach　pleased　him。　　He　liked　the　way　her　foot　pressed　the　grass。
If　Donal　loved　anything　in　the　green　world；　it　was　neither　roses
nor　hollyhocks；　nor　even　sweet　peas；　but　the　grass　that　is　trodden
under　foot；　that　springs　in　all　waste　places；　and　has　so　often　to　be
glad　of　the　dews　of　heaven　to　heal　the　hot　cut　of　the　scythe。　　He
had　long　abjured　the　notion　of　anything　in　the　vegetable　kingdom
being　without　some　sense　of　life；　without　pleasure　and　pain　also；　in
mild　form　and　degree。




CHAPTER　XXI。

A　FIRST　MEETING。

He　took　her　hand；　and　felt　it　an　honest　onea　safe；　comfortable
hand。

〃My　brother　told　me　he　had　brought　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　am　glad　to　see
you。〃

〃You　are　very　kind；〃　said　Donal。　　How　did　either　of　you　know　of　my
existence？　　A　few　minutes　back；　I　was　not　aware　of　yours。〃

Was　it　a　rude　utterance？　　He　was　silent　a　moment　with　the　silence
that　promises　speech；　then　added

〃Has　it　ever　struck　you　how　many　born　friends　there　are　in　the　world
who　never　meetpersons　to　love　each　other　at　first　sight；　but　who
never　in　this　world　have　that　sight？〃

〃No；〃　returned　Miss　Graeme；　with　a　merrier　laugh　than　quite
responded　to　the　remark；　〃I　certainly　never　had　such　a　thought。　　I
take　the　people　that　come；　and　never　think　of　those　who　do　not。　　But
of　course　it　must　be　so。〃

〃To　be　in　the　world　is　to　have　a　great　many　brothers　and　sisters　you
do　not　know！〃　said　Donal。

〃My　mother　told　me；〃　she　rejoined；　〃of　a　man　who　had　had　so　many
wives　and　children　that　his　son；　whom　she　had　met；　positively　did
not　know　all　his　brothers　and　sisters。〃

〃I　suspect；〃　said　Donal；　〃we　have　to　know　our　brothers　and　sisters。〃

〃I　do　not　understand。〃

〃We　have　even　got　to　feel　a　man　is　our　brother　the　moment　we　see
him；〃　pursued　Donal；　enhancing　his　former　remark。

〃That　sounds　alarming！〃　said　Miss　Graeme；　with　another　laugh。　〃My
little　heart　feels　not　large　enough　to　receive　so　many。〃

〃The　worst　of　it　is；〃　continued　Donal；　who　once　started　was　not
ready　to　draw　rein；　〃that　those　who　chiefly　advocate　this　extension
of　the　family　bonds；　begin　by　loving　their　own　immediate　relations
less　than　anybody　else。　　Extension　with　them　means　slackeningas　if
any　one　could　learn　to　love　more　by　loving　less；　or　go　on　to　do
better　without　doing　well！　　He　who　loves　his　own　little　will　not
love　others　much。〃

〃But　how　can　we　love　those　who　are　nothing　to　us？〃　objected　Miss
Graeme。

〃That　would　be　impossible。　　The　family　relations　are　for　the　sake　of
developing　a　love　rooted　in　a　far　deeper　though　less　recognized
relation。But　I　beg　your　pardon；　Miss　Graeme。　　Little　Davie　alone
is　my　pupil；　and　I　forget　myself。〃

〃I　am　very　glad　to　listen　to　you；〃　returned　Miss　Graeme。　〃I　cannot
say　I　am　prepared　to　agree　with　you。　　But　it　is　something；　in　this
out…of…the…way　corner；　to　hear　talk　from　which　it　is　even　worth
while　to　differ。〃

〃Ah；　you　can　have　that　here　if　you　will！〃

〃Indeed！〃

〃I　mean　talk　from　which　you　would　probably　differ。　　There　is　an　old
man　in　the　town　who　can　talk　better　than　ever　I　heard　man　before。
But　he　is　a　poor　man；　with　a　despised　handicraft；　and　none　heed
him。　　No　community　recognizes　its　great　men　till　they　are　gone。〃

〃Where　is　the　use　then　of　being　great？〃　said　Miss　Graeme。

〃To　be　great；〃　answered　Donal；　〃to　which　the　desire　to　be　known　of
men　is　altogether　destructive。　　To　be　great　is　to　seem　little　in　the
eyes　of　men。〃

Miss　Graeme　did　not　answer。　　She　was　not　accustomed　to　consider
things　seriously。　　A　good　girl　in　a　certain　true　sense；　she　had
never　yet　seen　that　she　had　to　be　better；　or　indeed　to　be　anything。
But　she　was　able　to　feel；　though　she　was　far　from　understanding
him；　that　Donal　was　in　earnest；　and　that　was　much。　　To　recognize
that　a　man　means　something；　is　a　great　step　towards　understanding
him。

〃What　a　lovely　garden　this　is！〃　remarked　Donal　after　the　sequent
pause。　〃I　have　never　seen　anything　like　it。〃

〃It　is　very　old…fashioned；〃　she　returned。　〃Do　you　not　find　it　very
stiff　and　formal？〃

〃Stately　and　precise；　I　should　rather　say。〃

〃I　do　not　mean　I　can　help　liking　itin　a　way。〃

〃Who　could　help　liking　it　that　took　his　feeling　from　the　garden
itself；　not　from　what　people　said　about　it！〃

〃You　cannot　say　it　is　like　nature！〃

〃Yes；　it　is　very　like　human　nature。　　Man　ought　to　learn　of　nature；
but　not　to　imitate　nature。　　His　work　is；　through　the　forms　that
Nature　gives　him；　to　express　the　idea　or　feeling　that　is　in　him。
That　is　far　more　likely　to　produce　things　in　harmony　with　nature；
than　the　attempt　to　imitate　nature　upon　the　small　human　scale。〃

〃You　are　too　much　of　a　philosopher　for　me！〃　said　Miss　Graeme。　〃I
daresay　you　are　quite　right；　but　I　have　never　read　anything　about
art；　and　cannot　follow　you。〃

〃You　have　probably　read　as　much　as　I　have。　　I　am　only　talking　out　of
what　necessity；　the　necessity　for　understanding　things；　has　made　me
think。　　One　must　get　things　brought　together　in　one's　thoughts；　if
only　to　be　able　to　go　on　thinking。〃

This　too　was　beyond　Miss　Graeme。　　The　silence　again　fell；　and　Donal
let　it　lie；　waiting　for　her　to　break　it　this　time。




CHAPTER　XXII。

A　TALK　ABOUT　GHOSTS。

But　again　he　was　the　first。

They　had　turned　and　gone　a　good　way　down　the　long　garden；　and　had
again　turned　towards　the　house。

〃This　place　makes　me　feel　as　I　never　felt　before；〃　he　said。　〃There
is　such　a　wonderful　sense　of　vanished　life　about　it。　　The　whole
garden　seems　dreaming　about　things　of　long　agowhen　troops　of
ladies；　now　banished　into　pictures；　wandered　about　the　place；　each
full　of　her　own　thoughts　and　fancies　of　life；　each　looking　at
everything　with　ways　of　thinking　as　old…fashioned　as　her　garments。
I　could　not　be　here　after　nightfall　without　feeling　as　if　every
walk　were　answering　to　unseen　feet；　as　if　every　tree　might　be　hiding
some　lovely　form；　returned　to　dream　over　old　memories。〃

〃Where　is　the　good　of　fancying　what　is　not　true？　　I　can't　care　for
what　I　know　to　be　nonsense！〃

She　was　glad　to　find　a　spot　where　she　could　put　down　the　foot　of
contradiction；　for　she　came　of　a　family　known　for　what　the
neighbours　called　common　sense；　and　in　the　habit　of　casting　contempt
upon　everything　characterized　as　superstition：　she　had　now　something
to　say　for　herself！

〃How　do　you　know　it　is　nonsense？〃　asked　Donald；　looking　round　in　her
face　with　a　bright　smile。

〃Not　nonsense　to　keep　imagining　what　nobody　can　see？〃

〃I　can　only　imagine　what　I　do　not　see。〃

〃Nobody　ever　saw　such　creatures　as　you　suppose　in　any　garden！　　Then
why　fancy　the　dead　so　uncomfortable；　or　so　ill　looked　after；　that
they　come　back　to　plague　us！〃

〃Plainly　they　have　never　plagued　you　much！〃　rejoined　Donal　laughing。
〃But　how　often　have　you　gone　up　and　down　these　walks　at　dead　of
night？〃

〃Never　once；〃　answered　Miss　Graeme；　not　without　a　spark　of
indignation。　〃I　never　was　so　absurd！〃

〃Then　there　may　be　a　whole　night…world　that　you　know　nothing　about。
You　cannot　tell　that　the　place　is　not　then　thronged　with　ghosts：
you　have　never　given　them　a　chance　of　appearing　to　you。　　I　don't　say
it　is　so；　for　I　know　nothing；　or　at　least　little；　about　such　things。
I　have　had　no　experience　of　the　sort　any　more　than　youand　I　have
been　out　whole　nights　on　the　mountains　when　I　was　a　shepherd。〃

〃Why　then　should　you　trouble　your　fancy　about　them？〃

〃Perhaps　just　for　that　reason。〃

〃I　do　not　understand　you。〃

〃I　mean；　because　I　can　come　into　no　communication　with　such　a　world
as　may　be　about　me；　I　therefore　imagine　it。　　If；　as　often　as　I
walked　abroad　at　night；　I　met　and　held　converse　with　the
disembodied；　I　should　use　my　imagination　little；　but　make　many　notes
of　facts。　　When　what　may　be　makes　no　show；　what　more　natural　than　to
imagine　about　it？　　What　is　the　imagination　here　for？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　　The　less　one　has　to　do　with　it　the　better。〃

〃Then　the　thing；　whatever　it　be；　should　not　be　called　a　faculty；　but
a　weakness！〃

〃Yes。〃

〃But　the　history　of　the　world　shows　it　could　never　have　made
progress　without　suggestions　upon　which　to　ground　experiments：
whence　may　these　suggestions　come　if　not　from　the　weakness　or
impediment　called　the　imagination？〃

Again　there　was　silence。　　Miss　Graeme　began　to　doubt　whether　it　was
possible　to　hold　rational　converse　with　a　man　who；　the　moment　they
began　upon　anything；　went　straight　aloft　into　some　high…flying
region　of　which　she　knew　and　for　which　she　cared　nothing。　　But
Donal's　unconscious　desire　was　in　reality　to　meet　her　upon　some
common　plane　of　thought。　　He　always　wanted　to　meet　his　fellow；　and
hence　that　abundance　of　speech；　which；　however　poetic　the　things　he
said；　not　a　few　called　prosiness。

〃I　should　think；〃　resumed　Miss　Graeme；　〃if　you　want　to　work　your
imagination；　you　will　find　more　scope　for　it　at　the　castle　than
here！　　This　is　a　poor　modern　place　compared　to　that。〃

〃It　is　a　poor　imagination；〃　returned　Donal；　〃that　requires　age　or
any　mere　accessory　to　rouse　it。　　The　very　absence　of　everything
external；　the　bareness　of　the　mere　humanity　involved；　may　in　itself
be　an　excitement　greater　than　any　accompaniment　of　the　antique　or
the　picturesque。　　But　in　this　old…fashioned　garden；　in　the　midst　of
these　old…fashioned　flowers；　with　all　the　gentlenesses　of
old…fashioned　life　suggested　by　them；　it　is　easier　to　imagine　the
people　themselves　than　where　all　is　so　cold；　hard；　severeso　much
on　the　defensive；　as　in　that　huge；　sullen　pile　on　the　hilltop。〃

〃I　am　afraid　you　find　it　dull　up　there！〃　said　Miss　Graeme。

〃Not　at　all；〃　replied　Donal；　〃I　have　there　a　most　interesting　pupil。
But　i