donal grant-第53章

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castle　belongs　to　lady　Arctura；　and　she　has　a　right　to　ask　you　not
to　speak　of　it　to　any　one　without　her　permission。I　have　a　reason；
my　lady；〃　he　went　on；　turning　to　Arctura：　〃will　you；　please；　desire
Davie　to　attend　to　what　I　say。　I　will　immediately　explain　to　you；
but　I　do　not　want　Davie　to　know　my　reason　until　you　do。　You　can　on
the　instant　withdraw　your　prohibition；　should　you　not　think　my
reason　a　good　one。〃

〃Davie；〃　said　Arctura；　〃I　too　have　faith　in　Mr。　Grant：　I　beg　you
will　keep　all　this　a　secret　for　the　present。〃

〃Oh　surely；　cousin　Arkie！〃　said　Davie。　〃But；　Mr。　Grant；　why　should
you　make　Arkie　speak　to　me　too？〃

〃Because　the　thing　is　her　business；　not　mine。　Run　down　and　wait　for
me　in　my　room。　Go　steadily　over　the　bartizan；　mind。〃

Donal　turned　again　to　Arctura。

〃You　know　they　say　there　is　a　hidden　room　in　the　castle；　my　lady？〃

〃Do　you　believe　it？〃　she　returned。

〃I　think　there　may　be　such　a　place。〃

〃Surely　if　there　had　been；　it　would　have　been　found　long　ago。〃

〃They　might　have　said　that　on　the　first　report　of　the　discovery　of
America！〃

〃That　was　far　off；　and　across　a　great　ocean！〃

〃And　here　are　thick　walls；　and　hearts　careless　an　timid！Has　any
one　ever　set　in　earnest　about　finding　it？〃

〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃

〃Then　your　objection　falls　to　the　ground。　If　you　could　have　told　me
that　one　had　tried　to　find　the　place；　but　without　success；　I　would
have　admitted　some　force　in　it；　though　it　would　not　have　satisfied
me　without　knowing　the　plans　he　had　taken；　and　how　they　were　carried
out。　On　the　other　hand　it　may　have　been　known　to　many　who　held　their
peace　about　it。Would　you　not　like　to　know　the　truth　concerning
that　too？〃

〃I　should　indeed。　But　would　not　you　be　sorry　to　lose　another
mystery？〃

〃On　the　contrary；　there　is　only　the　rumour　of　a　mystery　now；　and　we
do　not　quite　believe　it。　We　are　not　at　liberty；　in　the　name　of　good
sense；　to　believe　it　yet。　But　if　we　find　the　room；　or　the　space　even
where　it　may　be；　we　shall　probably　find　also　a　mysterysomething
never　in　this　world　to　be　accounted　for；　but　suggesting　a　hundred
unsatisfactory　explanations。　But；　pardon　me；　I　do　not　in　the　least
presume　to　press　it。〃

Lady　Arctura　smiled。

〃You　may　do　what　you　please；〃　she　said。　〃If　I　seemed　for　a　moment　to
hesitate；　it　was　only　that　I　wondered　what　my　uncle　would　say　to　it。
I　should　not　like　to　vex　him。〃

〃Certainly　not；　but　would　he　not　be　pleased？〃

〃I　will　speak　to　him；　and　find　out。　He　hates　what　he　calls
superstition；　and　I　fancy　has　curiosity　enough　not　to　object　to　a
search。　I　do　not　think　he　would　consent　to　pulling　down；　but　short
of　that；　I　don't　think　he　will　mind。　I　should　not　wonder　if　he　even
joined　in　the　search。〃

Donal　thought　with　himself　it　was　strange　then　he　had　never
undertaken　one。　Something　told　him　the　earl　would　not　like　the
proposal。

〃But　tell　me；　Mr。　Granthow　would　you　set　about　it？〃　said　Arctura；
as　they　went　towards　the　tower。

〃If　the　question　were　merely　whether　or　not　there　was　such　a　room；
and　not　the　finding　of　it；〃

〃Excuse　mebut　how　could　you　tell　whether　there　was　or　was　not　such
a　room　except　by　searching　for　it？〃

〃By　determining　whether　there　was　or　was　not　some　space　in　the
castle　unaccounted　for。〃

〃I　do　not　see。〃

〃Would　you　mind　coming　to　my　room？　It　will　be　a　lesson　for　Davie
too！〃

She　assented；　and　Donal　gave　them　a　lesson　in　cubic　measure　and
content。　He　showed　them　how　to　reckon　the　space　that　must　lie　within
given　boundaries：　if　then　within　those　boundaries　they　could　not
find　so　much；　part　of　it　must　he　hidden。　If　they　measured　the　walls
of　the　castle；　allowing　of　course　for　their　thickness　and　every
irregularity；　and　from　that　calculated　the　space　they　must　hold；
then　measured　all　the　rooms　and　open　places　within　the　walls；
allowing　for　all　partitions；　and　having　again　calculated；　found　the
space　fall　short　of　what　they　had　from　the　outside　measurements　to
expect；　they　must　conclude　either　that　they　had　measured　or
calculated　wrong；　or　that　there　was　space　in　the　castle　to　which
they　had　no　access。

〃But；〃　continued　Donal；　when　they　had　in　a　degree　mastered　the　idea；
〃if　the　thing　was；　to　discover　the　room　itself；　I　should　set　about
it　in　a　different　way；　I　should　not　care　about　the　measuring。　I
would　begin　and　go　all　over　the　castle；　first　getting　the　outside
shape　right　in　my　head；　and　then　fitting　everything　inside　it　into
that　shape　of　it　in　my　brain。　If　I　came　to　a　part　I　could　not　so　fit
at　once；　I　would　examine　that　according　to　the　rules　I　have　given
you；　take　exact　measurements　of　the　angles　and　sides　of　the
different　rooms　and　passages；　and　find　whether　these　enclosed　more
space　than　I　could　at　once　discover　inside　them。But　I　need　not
follow　the　process　farther：　pulling　down　might　be　the　next　thing；
and　we　must　not　talk　of　that！〃

〃But　the　thing　is　worth　doing；　is　it　not；　even　if　we　do　not　go　so
far　as　to　pull　down？〃

〃I　think　so。〃

〃And　I　think　my　uncle　will　not　object。Say　nothing　about　it　though；
Davie；　till　we　give　you　leave。〃

That　we　was　pleasant　in　Donal's　ears。

Lady　Arctura　rose；　and　they　all　went　down　together。　When　they
reached　the　hall；　Davie　ran　to　get　his　kite。

〃But　you　have　not　told　me　why　you　would　not　have　him　speak　of　the
music；〃　said　Arctura；　stopping　at　the　foot　of　the　great　stair。

〃Partly　because；　if　we　were　to　go　on　to　make　search　for　the　room；　it
ought　to　be　kept　as　quiet　as　possible；　and　the　talk　about　the　one
would　draw　notice　to　the　other；　and　partly　because　I　have　a　hope
that　the　one　may　even　guide　us　to　the　other。〃

〃You　will　tell　me　about　that　afterwards；〃　said　Arctura；　and　went　up
the　stair。

That　night　the　earl　had　another　of　his　wandering　fits；　also　all
night　the　wind　blew　from　the　south…east。

In　the　morning　Arctura　went　to　him　with　her　proposal。　The　instant　he
understood　what　she　wished；　his　countenance　grew　black　as　thunder。

〃What！〃　he　cried；　〃you　would　go　pulling　the　grand　old　bulk　to　pieces
for　the　sake　of　a　foolish　tale　about　the　devil　and　a　set　of
cardplayers！　By　my　soul；　I'll　be　damned　if　you　do！Not　while　I'm
above　ground　at　least！　That's　what　comes　of　putting　such　a　place　in
the　power　of　a　woman！　It's　sacrilege！　By　heaven；　I'll　throw　my
brother's　will　into　chancery　rather！〃

His　rage　was　such　as　to　compel　her　to　think　there　must　be　more　in　it
than　appeared。　The　wilderness　of　the　temper　she　had　roused　made　her
tremble；　but　it　also　woke　the　spirit　of　her　race；　and　she　repented
of　the　courtesy　she　had　shown　him：　she　had　the　right　to　make　what
investigations　she　pleased！　Her　father　would　not　have　left　her　the
property　without　good　reasons　for　doing　so；　and　of　those　reasons
some　might　well　have　lain　in　the　character　of　the　man　before　her！

Through　all　this　rage　the　earl　read　something　of　what　had　sent　the
blood　of　the　Graemes　to　her　cheek　and　brow。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　love；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　he　was　your　father；
he　was　my　brother！〃

〃He　is　my　father！〃　said　Arctura　coldly。

〃Dead　and　gone　and　all　but　forgotten！〃

〃No；　my　lord；　not　for　one　day　forgotten！　not　for　one　moment
unloved！〃

〃Ah；　well；　as　you　please！　but　because　you　love　his　memory　must　I
regard　him　as　a　Solon？　'T　is　surely　no　great　treason　to　reflect　upon
the　wisdom　of　a　dead　man！〃

〃I　wish　you　good　day；　my　lord！〃　said　Arctura；　very　angry；　and　left
him。

But　when　presently　she　found　that　she　could　not　lift　up　her　heart　to
her　father　in　heaven；　gladly　would　she　have　sent　her　anger　from　her。
Was　it　not　plainly　other　than　good；　when　it　came　thus　between　her
and　the　living　God！　All　day　at　intervals　she　had　to　struggle　and
pray　against　it；　a　great　part　of　the　night　she　lay　awake　because　of
it；　but　at　length　she　pitied　her　uncle　too　much　to　be　very　angry
with　him　any　more；　and　so　fell　asleep。

In　the　morning　she　found　that　all　sense　of　his　having　authority　over
her　had　vanished；　and　with　it　her　anger。　She　saw　also　that　it　was
quite　time　she　took　upon　herself　the　duties　of　a　landowner。　What
could　Mr。　Grant　think　of　herdoing　nothing　for　her　people！　But　she
could　do　little　while　her　uncle　received　the　rents　and　gave　orders
to　Mr。　Graeme！　She　would　take　the　thing　into　her　own　hands！　In　the
meantime；　Mr。　Grant　should；　if　he　pleased；　go　on　quietly　with　his
examination　of　the　house。

But　she　could　not　get　her　interview　with　her　uncle　out　of　her　head；
and　was　haunted　with　vague　suspicions　of　some　dreadful　secret　about
the　house　belonging　to　the　present　as　well　as　the　past。　Her　uncle
seemed　to　have　receded　to　a　distance　incalculable；　and　to　have　grown
awful　as　he　receded。　She　was　of　a　nature　almost　too　delicately
impressionable；　she　not　only　felt　things　keenly；　but　retained　the
sting　of　them　after　the　things　were　nearly　forgotten。　But　then　the
swift　and　rare　response　of　her　faculties　arose　in　no　small　measure
from　this　impressionableness。　At　the　same　time；　but　for　instincts
and　impulses　derived　from　her　race；　her　sensitiveness　might　have
degenerated　into　weakness。




CHAPTER　LI。

A　DREAM。

One　evening；　as　Donal　was　walking　in　the　little　avenue　below　the
terraces；　Davie；　who　was　now　advanced　to　doing　a　little　work　without
his　master's　immediate　supervision；　came　running　to　him　to　say　that
Arkie　was　in　the　schoolroom　and　wanted　to　see　him。

He　hastened　to　her。

〃A　word　with　you；　please；　Mr。　Grant；〃　she　said。

Donal　sent　the　boy　away。

〃I　have　debated　with　myself　all　day　whether　I　should　tell　you；〃　she
beganand　her　voice　trembled　not　a　little；　〃but　I　think　I　shall　not
be　so　much　afraid　to　go　to　bed　if　I　do　tell　you　what　I　dreamt　last
night。〃

Her　face　was　very　pale；　and　there　was　a　quiver　about　her　mouth：　she
seemed　ready　to　burst　into　tears。

〃Do　tell　me；〃　said　Donal　sympathetically。

〃Do　you　think　it　very　silly　to　mind　one's　dreams？〃　she　asked。

〃Silly　or　not；〃　answered　Donal；　〃as　regards　the　general　run　of
dreams；　it　is　plain　you　have　had　one　that　must　be　minded。　What　we
must　mind；　it　cannot　be　silly　to　mind。〃

〃I　am　in　no　mood；　I　fear；　for　philosophy；〃　she　rejoined；　trying　to
smile。　〃It　has　taken　such　a　hold　of　me　that　I　cannot　get　rid　of　it；
and　there　is　no　one　I　could　tell　it　to　but　you；　any　one　else　would
laugh　at　me；　but　you　never　laugh　at　anybody！

〃I　went　to　bed　as　well　as　usual；　only　a　little　troubled　about　my
uncle's　strangeness；　and　soon　fell　asleep；　to　find　myself　presently
in　a　most　miserable　place。　It　was　like　a　brick…fieldbut　a　deserted
brick…field。　Heaps　of　broken　and　half…burnt　bricks　were　all　about。
For　miles　and　miles　they　stretched　around　me。　I　walked　fast　to　get
out　of　it。　Nobody　was　near　or　in　sight；　there　was　not　a　sign　of
human　habitation　from　horizon　to　horizon。

〃All　at　once　I　saw　before　me　a　dreary　church。　It　was　old；
tumble…down；　and　dirtynot　in　the　least　venerablevery　uglya
huge　building　without　shape；　like　most　of　our　churches。　I　shrank
from　the　look　of　it：　it　was　more　horrible　to　me　than　I　could　account
for；　I　feared　it。　But　I　must　go　inwhy；　I　did　not　know；　but　I　must：
the　dream　itself　compelled　me。

〃I　went　in。　It　looked　as　if　nobody　had　crossed　its　threshold　for　a
hundred　years。　The　pews　were　mouldering　away；　the　canopy　over　the
pulpit　had　half　fallen；　and　rested　its　edge　on　the　book…board；　the
great