donal grant-第38章

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better　left　alone。〃

〃My　lord；〃　said　Donal；　〃I　can　listen　to　nothing　in　this　strain。〃

〃All　I　ask　ispromise　not　to　interfere。〃

〃I　will　not。〃

〃Thank　you。〃

〃My　lord；　you　mistake。　I　will　not　promise。　Nay；　I　will　interfere。
What　to　do；　I　do　not　now　know；　but　I　will　save　the　girl　if　I　can。〃

〃And　ruin　an　ancient　family！　You　think　nothing　of　that！〃

〃Its　honour；　my　lord；　will　be　best　preserved　in　that　of　the　girl。〃

〃Damn　you？　will　you　preach　to　me？〃

Notwithstanding　his　fierce　words；　Donal　could　not　help　seeing　or
imagining　an　almost　suppliant　look　in　his　eye。

〃You　must　do　as　I　tell　you　in　my　house；〃　he　went　on；　〃or　you　will
soon　see　the　outside　of　it。　Come：　marry　the　girl　yourselfshe　is
deuced　prettyand　I　will　give　you　five　hundred　pounds　for　your
wedding　journey。Poor　Davie！〃

〃Your　lordship　insults　me。〃

〃Then；　damn　you！　be　off　to　your　lessons；　and　take　your　insolent　face
out　of　my　sight。〃

〃If　I　remain　in　your　house；　my　lord；　it　is　for　Davie's　sake。〃

〃Go　away；〃　said　the　earl；　and　Donal　went。

He　had　hardly　closed　the　door　behind　him；　when　he　heard　a　bell　ring
violently；　and　ere　he　reached　the　bottom　of　the　stair；　he　met　the
butler　panting　up　as　fast　as　his　short　legs　and　red　nose　would
permit。　He　would　have　stopped　to　question　Donal；　who　hastened　past
him；　and　in　the　refuge　of　his　own　room；　sat　down　to　think。　Had　his
conventional　dignity　been　with　him　a　matter　of　importance；　he　would
have　left　the　castle　the　moment　he　got　his　things　together；　but　he
thought　much　more　of　Davie；　and　much　more　of　Eppy。

He　had　hardly　seated　himself　when　he　jumped　up　again：　he　must　see
Andrew　Comin！




CHAPTER　XXXVI。

A　NIGHT…WATCH。

When　he　reached　the　bottom　of　the　hill；　there　at　the　gate　was
Forgue；　walking　up　and　down；　apparently　waiting　for　him。　He　would
have　passed　him；　but　Forgue　stepped　in　front　of　him。

〃Grant；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　well　we　should　understand　each　other！〃

〃I　think；　my　lord；　if　you　do　not　yet　understand　me；　it　can　scarcely
be　my　fault。〃

〃What　did　my　father　say？〃

〃I　would　deliver　to　your　lordship　a　message　he　gave　me　for　you　but
for　two　reasonsone；　that　I　believe　he　changed　his　mind　though　he
did　not　precisely　say　so；　and　the　other；　that　I　will　not　serve　him
or　you　in　the　matter。〃

〃Then　you　intend　neither　to　meddle　nor　make？〃

〃That　is　my　affair；　my　lord。　I　will　not　take　your　lordship　into　my
confidence。〃

〃Don't　be　unreasonable；　now！　Do　get　off　your　high　horse。　Can't　you
understand　a　fellow？　Everybody　can't　keep　his　temper　as　you　do！　I
mean　the　girl　no　harm。〃

〃I　will　not　talk　with　you　about　her。　And　whatever　you　insist　on
saying　to　me；　I　will　use　against　you　without　scruple；　should
occasion　offer。〃

As　he　spoke　he　caught　a　look　on　Forgue's　face　which　revealed　somehow
that　it　was　not　for　him　he　had　been　waiting；　but　for　Eppy。　He　turned
and　went　back　towards　the　castle：　he　might　meet　her！　Forgue　called
after　him；　but　he　paid　no　heed。

As　he　hastened　up　the　hill；　not　so　much　as　the　rustle　of　bird　or
mouse　did　he　hear。　He　lingered　about　the　top　of　the　road　for　half　an
hour；　then　turned　and　went　to　the　cobbler's。

He　found　Doory　in　great　distress；　for　she　was　not　merely　sore
troubled　about　her　son's　child；　but　Andrew　was　in　bed　and　suffering
great　pain。　The　moment　Donal　saw　him　he　went　for　the　doctor。　He　said
a　rib　was　broken；　bound　him　up；　and　gave　him　some　medicine。　All　done
that　could　be　done；　Donal　sat　down　to　watch　beside　him。

He　lay　still；　with　closed　eyes　and　white　face。　So　patient　was　he
that　his　very　pain　found　utterance　in　a　sort　of　blind　smile。　Donal
did　not　know　much　about　pain：　he　could　read　in　Andrew's　look　his
devotion　to　the　will　of　him　whose　being　was　his　peace；　but　he　did
not　know　above　what　suffering　his　faith　lifted　him；　and　held　him
hovering　yet　safe。　His　faith　made　him　one　with　life；　the　eternal
Lifeand　that　is　salvation。

In　closest　contact　with　the　divine；　the　original　relation　restored；
the　source　once　more　holding　its　issue；　the　divine　love　pouring
itself　into　the　deepest　vessel　of　the　man's　being；　itself　but　a
vessel　for　the　holding　of　the　diviner　and　divinest；　who　can　wonder
if　keenest　pain　should　not　be　able　to　quench　the　smile　of　the
prostrate！　Few　indeed　have　reached　the　point　of　health　to　laugh　at
disease；　but　are　there　none？　Let　not　a　man　say　because　he　cannot
that　no　one　can。

The　old　woman　was　very　calm；　only　every　now　and　then　she　would　lift
her　hands　and　shake　her　head；　and　look　as　if　the　universe　were　going
to　pieces；　because　her　husband　lay　there　by　the　stroke　of　the
ungodly。　And　if　he　had　lain　there　forgotten；　then　indeed　the
universe　would　have　been　going　to　pieces！　When　he　coughed；　every
pang　seemed　to　go　through　her　body　to　her　heart。　Love　is　as　lovely
in　the　old　as　in　the　younglovelier　when　in　them；　as　often；　it　is
more　sympathetic　and　unselfishthat　is；　more　true。

Donal　wrote　to　Mrs。　Brookes　that　he　would　not　be　home　that　night；
and　having　found　a　messenger　at　the　inn；　settled　himself　to　watch　by
his　friend。

The　hours　glided　quietly　over。　Andrew　slept　a　good　deal；　and　seemed
to　have　pleasant　visions。　He　was　finding　yet　more　saving。　Now　and
then　his　lips　would　move　as　if　he　were　holding　talk　with　some
friendly　soul。　Once　Donal　heard　the　murmured　words；　〃Lord；　I'm　a'
yer　ain；〃　and　noted　that　his　sleep　grew　deeper　thereafter。　He　did
not　wake　till　the　day　began　to　dawn。　Then　he　asked　for　some　water。
Seeing　Donal；　and　divining　that　he　had　been　by　his　bedside　all　the
night；　he　thanked　him　with　a　smile　and　a　little　nodwhich　somehow
brought　to　his　memory　certain　words　Andrew　had　spoken　on　another
occasion：　〃There's　ane；　an'　there's　a'；　an'　the　a'　's　ane；　an'　the
ane　's　a'。〃

When　Donal　reached　the　castle；　he　found　his　breakfast　and　Mrs。
Brookes　waiting　for　him。　She　told　him　that　Eppy；　meeting　her　in　the
passage　the　night　before；　had　burst　into　tears；　but　she　could　get
nothing　out　of　her；　and　had　sent　her　to　her　room；　this　morning　she
had　not　come　down　at　the　proper　time；　and　when　she　sent　after　her；
did　not　come：　she　went　up　herself；　and　found　her　determined　to　leave
the　castle　that　very　day；　she　was　now　packing　her　things　to　go；　nor
did　she　see　any　good　in　trying　to　prevent　her。

Donal　said　if　she　would　go　home；　there　was　plenty　for　her　to　do
there；　old　people's　bones　were　not　easy　to　mend；　and　it　would　be
some　time　before　her　grandfather　was　well　again！

Mrs。　Brookes　said　she　would　not　keep　her　now　if　she　begged　to　stay；
she　was　afraid　she　would　come　to　grief；　and　would　rather　she　went
home；　she　would　take　her　home　herself。

〃The　lass　is　no　an　ill　ane；〃　she　added：　〃　but　she　disna　ken　what　she
wud　be　at。　She　wants　some　o'　the　Lord's　ain　discipleen；　I'm
thinkin！〃

〃An'　that　ye　may　be　sure　she'll　get；　mistress　Brookes！〃　said　Donal。

Eppy　was　quite　ready　to　go　home　and　help　nurse　her　grandfather。　She
thought　her　conduct　must　by　this　time　be　the　talk　of　the　castle；　and
was　in　mortal　terror　of　lord　Morven。　All　the　domestics　feared
himit　would　be　hard　to　say　precisely　why；　it　came　in　part　of
seeing　him　so　seldom　that　he　had　almost　come　to　represent　the　ghost
some　said　lived　in　the　invisible　room　and　haunted　the　castle。

It　was　the　easier　for　Eppy　to　go　home　that　her　grandmother　needed
her；　and　that　her　grandfather　would　not　be　able　to　say　much　to　her。
She　was　an　affectionate　girl；　and　yet　her　grandfather's　condition
roused　in　her　no　indignation；　for　the　love　of　being　loved　is　such　a
blinding　thing；　that　the　greatest　injustice　from　the　dearest　to　the
next　dearest　will　by　some　natures　be　readily　tolerated。　God　help　us！
we　are　a　mean　setand　meanest　the　man　who　is　ablest　to　justify
himself！

Mrs。　Brookes；　having　prepared　a　heavy　basket　of　good　things　for　Eppy
to　carry　home　to　her　grandmother；　and　made　it　the　heavier　for　the
sake　of　punishing　her　with　the　weight　of　it；　set　out　with　her；
saying　to　herself；

〃The　jaud　wants　a　wheen　harder　wark　nor　I　hae　hauden　till　her　han'；
an'　doobtless　it's　preparin'　for　her！〃

She　was　kindly　received；　without　a　word　of　reproach；　by　her
grandmother；　the　sufferer；　forgetful　of；　or　forgiving　her　words　of
rejection　in　the　garden；　smiled　when　she　came　near　his　bedside；　and
she　turned　away　to　conceal　the　tears　she　could　not　repress。　She
loved　her　grand…parents；　and　she　loved　the　young　lord；　and　she　could
not　get　the　two　loves　to　dwell　together　peaceably　in　her　minda
common　difficulty　with　our　weak；　easily　divided；　hardly　united
naturesfrangible；　friable；　readily　distorted！　It　needs　no　less
than　God　himself；　not　only　to　unite　us　to　one　another；　but　to　make　a
whole　of　the　ill…fitting；　roughly　disjointed　portions　of　our
individual　beings。　Tearfully　but　diligently　she　set　about　her
duties；　and　not　only　the　heart；　but　the　limbs　and　joints　of　her
grandmother　were　relieved　by　her　presence；　while　doubtless　she
herself　found　some　refuge　from　anxious　thought　in　the　service　she
rendered。　What　she　saw　as　her　probable　future；　I　cannot　say；　one
hour　her　confidence　in　her　lover's　faithfulness　would　be　complete；
the　next　it　would　be　dashed　with　huge　blots　of　uncertainty；　but　her
grandmother　rejoiced　over　her　as　out　of　harm's　way。




CHAPTER　XXXVII。

LORD　FORGUE　AND　LADY　ARCTURA。

At　the　castle　things　fell　into　their　old　routine。　Nothing　had　been
arranged　between　lord　Forgue　and　Eppy；　and　he　seemed　content　that　it
should　be　so。　Mrs。　Brookes　told　him　that　she　had　gone　home：　he　made
neither　remark　nor　inquiry；　manifesting　no　interest。

It　would　be　well　his　father　should　not　see　it　necessary　to　push
things　farther！　He　did　not　want　to　turn　out　of　the　castle！　Without
means；　what　was　he　to　do？　The　marriage　could　not　be　to…day　or
to…morrow！　and　in　the　meantime　he　could　see　Eppy；　perhaps　more
easily　than　at　the　castle！　He　would　contrive！　He　was　sorry　he　had
hurt　the　old　fellow；　but　he　could　not　help　it！　he　would　get　in　the
way！　Things　would　have　been　much　worse　if　he　had　not　got　first　to
his　father！　He　would　wait　a　bit；　and　see　what　would　turn　up！　For　the
tutor…fellow；　he　must　not　quarrel　with　him　downright！　No　good　would
come　of　that！　In　the　end　he　would　have　his　way！　and　that　in　spite　of
them　all！

But　what　he　really　wanted　he　did　not　know。　He　only　knew；　or
imagined；　that　he　was　over　head　and　ears　in　love　with　the　girl：　what
was　to　come　of　it　was　all　in　the　clouds。　He　had　said　he　meant　to
marry　her；　but　to　that　statement　he　had　been　driven；　more　than　he
knew；　by　the　desire　to　escape　the　contempt　of　the　tutor　he　scorned；
and　he　rejoiced　that　he　had　at　least　discomfited　him。　He　knew　that
if　he　did　marry　Eppy；　or　any　one　else　of　whom　his　father　did　not
approve；　he　had　nothing　to　look　for　but　absolute　poverty；　for　he
knew　no　way　to　earn　money；　he　was　therefore　unprepared　to　defy　him
immediatelywhatever　he　might　do　by　and　by。　He　said　to　himself
sometimes　that　he　was　as　willing　as　any　man　to　work　for　his　wife　if
only　he　knew　how；　but　when　he　said　so；　had　he　always　a　clear　vision
of　Eppy　as　the　wife　in　prospect？　Alas；　it　would　take　years　to　make
him　able　to　earn　even　a　woman's　wages！　It　would　be　a　fine　thing　for
a　lord　to　labour　like　a　common　man　for　the　support　of　a　child　of　the
people　for　whom　he　had　sacrificed　everything；　but　where　was　the
possibility？　When　thoughts　lik