donal grant-第75章

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memories。　There　again　was　the　lightning！　The　thunder　broke　with　a
great　bellowing　roar　among　the　roofs　and　chimneys。　It　was　to　his
mind！　He　went　out　on　the　roof；　and　mechanically　took　his　way　toward
the　nest　of　the　music。　At　the　base　of　the　chimneys　he　sat　down；　and
stared　into　the　darkness。　The　lightning　came；　he　saw　the　sea　lie
watching　like　a　perfect　peace　to　take　up　drift　souls；　and　the　land
bordering　it　like　a　waste　of　dread；　then　the　darkness　swallowed
both；　and　the　thunder　came　so　loud　that　it　not　only　deafened　but
seemed　to　blind　him　beyond　the　darkness；　that　his　brain　turned　to　a
lump　of　clay。　Then　came　a　silence；　and　the　silence　was　like　a　deeper
deafness。　But　from　the　deafness　burst　and　trickled　a　faint　doubtful
stream：　could　it　be　a　voice；　calling；　calling；　from　a　great
distance？　Was　he　the　fool　of　weariness　and　excitement；　or　did　he
actually　hear　his　own　name？　Whose　voice　could　it　be　but　lady
Arctura's；　calling　to　him　from　the　spirit　world！　They　had　killed
her；　and　she　was　calling　to　let　him　know　she　was　in　the　land　of
liberty！　With　that　came　another　flash　and　another　roar　of
thunderand　there　was　the　voice　again：　〃Mr。　Grant！　Mr。　Grant！　come；
come！　You　promised！〃　Did　he　actually　hear　the　words？　They　sounded　so
far　away　that　it　seemed　as　if　he　ought　not　to　hear　them。　But　could
the　voice　be　from　the　spirit…land？　Would　she　claim　his　promise
thence；　tempting　him　thither？　She　would　not！　And　she　knew　he　would
not　go　before　his　hour；　if　all　the　spirits　on　the　other　side　were
calling　him。　But　he　had　heard　of　voices　from　far　away；　while　those
who　called　were　yet　in　the　body！　If　she　would　but　say　whither；　he
would　follow　her　that　moment！　Once　more　it　came；　but　very　faint；　he
could　not　tell　what　it　said。　A　wail　of　the　ghost…music　followed
close。God　in　heaven！　could　she　be　down　in　the　chapel？　He　sprang　to
his　feet。　With　superhuman　energy　he　leapt　up　and　caught　the　edge　of
the　cleft；　drew　himself　up　till　his　mouth　reached　it；　and　cried
aloud；　〃Lady　Arctura！〃

There　came　no　answer。

〃I　am　stupid　as　death！〃　he　said　to　himself：　〃I　have　let　her　call　me
in　vain！〃

〃I　am　coming！〃　he　cried　again；　revived　with　sudden　joy。　He　dropped
on　the　roof；　and　sped　down　the　stair　to　the　door　that　opened　on　the
second　floor。　All　was　dark　as　underground；　but　he　knew　the　way　so
well　he　needed　but　a　little　guidance　from　his　hands。　He　hurried　to
lady　Arctura's　chamber；　and　the　spot　where　the　press　stood；　ready
with　one　shove　to　send　it　yards　out　of　his　way。　There　was　no　press
there！nothing　but　a　smooth；　cold；　damp　wall！　His　heart　sank　within
him。　Was　he　in　a　terrible　dream？　No；　no！　he　had　but　made　a
mistakehad　trusted　too　much　to　his　knowledge　of　the　house；　and　was
not　where　he　thought　he　was！　He　struck　a　light。　Alas！　alas！　he　was
where　he　had　intended！　It　was　her　room！　There　was　the　wardrobe；　but
nearer　the　door！　Where　it　had　stood　was　no　recess！nothing　but　a
great　patch　of　fresh　plaster！　It　was　no　dream；　but　a　true　horror！

Instinctively　clutching　his　skene　dhu；　he　darted　to　the　great　stair。
It　must　have　been　the　voice　of　Arctura　he　had　heard！　She　was　walled
up　in　the　chapel！

Down　the　stair；　with　swift　noiseless　foot　he　sped；　and　stopped　at
the　door　of　the　half…way　room。　It　was　locked！

There　was　but　one　way　left！　To　the　foot　of　the　stair　he　shot。　Good
heavens！　if　that　way　also　should　have　been　known　to　the　earl！　He
crept　through　the　little　door　underneath　the　stair；　feeling　with　his
hands　ere　his　body　was　through：　the　arch　was　open！　In　an　instant　he
was　in　the　crypt。

But　now　to　get　up　through　the　opening　into　the　passage
abovestopped　with　a　heavy　slab！　He　sprang　at　the　steep　slope　of
the　window…sill；　but　there　was　no　hold；　and　as　often　as　he　sprang　he
slipped　down　again。　He　tried　and　tried　until　he　was　worn　out　and
almost　in　despair。　She　might　be　dying！　he　was　close　to　her！　he　could
not　reach　her！　He　stood　still　for　a　moment　to　think。　To　his　mind
came　the　word；　〃He　that　believeth　shall　not　make　haste。〃　He　thought
with　himself；　〃God　cannot　help　men　with　wisdom　when　their　minds　are
in　too　great　a　tumult　to　hear　what　he　says！〃　He　tried　to　lift　up　his
heart　and　make　a　silence　in　his　soul。

As　he　stood　he　seemed　to　see；　through　the　dark；　the　gloomy　place　as
it　first　appeared　when　he　threw　in　the　lighted　letter。　All　at　once
he　started　from　his　quiescence；　dropped　on　his　hands　and　knees；　and
crawled　until　he　found　the　flat　stone　like　a　gravestone。　Out　came
his　knife；　and　he　dug　away　the　earth　at　one　end；　until　he　could　get
both　hands　under　it。　Then　he　heaved　it　from　the　floor；　and　shifting
it　along；　got　it　under　the　opening　in　the　wall。




CHAPTER　LXXIV。

A　MORAL　FUNGUS。

Spiritual　insanity；　cupidity；　cruelty；　and　possibly　immediate
demoniacal　temptation　had　long　been　working　in　and　on　a　mind　that
had　now　ceased　almost　to　distinguish　between　the　real　and　the
unreal。　Every　man　who　bends　the　energies　of　an　immortal　spirit　to
further　the　ends　and　objects　of　his　lower　being；　fails　so　to
distinguish；　but　with　the　earl　the　blindness　had　wrought　outward　as
well　as　inwardly；　so　that　he　was　even　unable；　during　considerable
portions　of　his　life；　to　tell　whether　things　took　place　outside　or
inside　him。　Nor　did　this　trouble　himhe　was　past　caring。　He　would
argue　that　what　equally　affected　him　had　an　equal　right　to　be　by　him
regarded　as　existent。　He　paid　no　heed　to　the　different　natures　of
the　two　kinds　of　existence；　their　different　laws；　and　the　different
demands　they　made　upon　the　two　consciousnesses；　he　had　in　fact；　by　a
long　course　of　disobedience　growing　to　utter　disuse　of　conscience；
arrived　nearly　at　non…individuality。　In　regard　to　what　was　outside
him　he　was　but　a　mirror；　in　regard　to　what　was　inside　him　a　mere
vessel　of　imperfectly　interacting　forces。　And　now　his　capacities　and
incapacities　together　had　culminated　in　a　hideous　plot；　in　which　it
would　be　hard　to　say　whether　the　folly；　the　crime；　or　the　cunning
predominated：　he　had　made　up　his　mind　that；　if　the　daughter　of　his
brother　refused　to　wed　her　cousin；　and　so　carry　out　what　he　asserted
to　have　been　the　declared　wish　of　her　father；　she　should　go　after
her　father；　and　leave　her　property　to　the　next　heir；　so　that　if　not
in　one　way　then　in　another　the　law　of　nature　might　be　fulfilled；　and
title　and　property　united　without　the　intervention　of　a　marriage。　As
to　any　evil　that　therein　might　be　imagined　to　befall　his　niece；　he
quoted　the　words　of　Hamlet〃Since　no　man　has　ought　of　what　he
leaves；　what　is't　to　leave　betimes？〃she　would　be　no　worse　than　she
must　have　been　when　the　few　years　of　her　natural　pilgrimage　were　of
necessity　over：　the　difference　to　her　was　not　worth　thinking　of
beside　the　difference　to　the　family！　At　the　same　time　perhaps　a
scare　might　serve；　and　she　would　consent　to　marry　Forgue　to　escape　a
frightful　end！

The　moment　Donal　was　gone；　he　sent　Forgue　to　London；　and　set　himself
to　overcome　the　distrust　of　him　which　he　could　not　but　see　had　for
some　time　been　growing　in　her。　With　the　sweet　prejudices　of　a　loving
nature　to　assist　him；　he　soon　prevailed　so　far　that；　without　much
entreaty；　she　consented　to　accompany　him　to　Londonfor　a　month　or
so；　he　said；　while　Davie　was　gone。　The　proposal　had　charms　for　her：
she　had　been　there　with　her　father　when　a　mere　child；　and　never
since。　She　wrote　to　Donal　to　let　him　know：　how　it　was　that　her
letter　never　reached　him；　it　is　hardly　needful　to　inquire。

The　earl；　in　order；　he　said；　to　show　his　recognition　of　her　sweet
compliance；　made　arrangements　for　posting　it　all　the　way。　He　would
take　her　by　the　road　he　used　to　travel　himself　when　he　was　a　young
man：　she　should　judge　whether　more　had　not　been　lost　than　gained　by
rapidity！　Whatever　shortened　any　natural　process；　he　said；　simply
shortened　life　itself。　Simmons　should　go　before；　and　find　a　suitable
place　for　them！

They　were　hardly　gone　when　Mrs。　Brookes　received　a　letter
pretendedly　from　the　clergyman　of　the　parish；　in　a　remote　part　of
the　south；　where　her　mother；　now　a　very　old　woman；　lived；　saying　she
was　at　the　point　of　death；　and　could　not　die　in　peace　without　seeing
her　daughter。　She　went　at　once。

The　scheme　was　a　madman's；　excellently　contrived　for　the　instant
object；　but　with　no　outlook　for　immediately　resulting　perils。

After　the　first　night　on　the　road；　he　turned　across　country；　and　a
little　towards　home；　after　the　next　night；　he　drove　straight　back；
but　as　it　was　by　a　different　road；　Arctura　suspected　nothing。　When
they　came　within　a　few　hours　of　the　castle；　they　stopped　at　a　little
inn　for　tea；　there　he　contrived　to　give　her　a　certain　dose。　At　the
next　place　where　they　stopped；　he　represented　her　as　his　daughter
taken　suddenly　ill：　he　must　go　straight　home　with　her；　however　late
they　might　be。　Giving　an　imaginary　name　to　their　destination；　and
keeping　on　the　last　post…boy　who　knew　nothing　of　the　country；　he
directed　him　so　as　completely　to　bewilder　him；　with　the　result　that
he　set　them　down　at　the　castle　supposing　it　a　different　place；　and
in　a　different　part　of　the　country。　The　thing　was　after　the　earl's
own　heart；　he　delighted　in　making　a　fool　of　a　fellow…mortal。　He　sent
him　away　so　as　not　to　enter　the　town：　it　was　of　importance　his
return　should　not　be　known。

It　is　a　marvel　he　could　effect　what　followed；　but　he　had　the
remnants　of　great　strength；　and　when　under　influences　he　knew　too
well　how　to　manage；　was　for　the　time　almost　as　powerful　as　ever：　he
got　his　victim　to　his　room　on　the　stair；　and　thence　through　the　oak
door。




CHAPTER　LXXV。

THE　PORCH　OF　HADES。

When　Arctura　woke　from　her　unnatural　sleep；　she　lay　a　while　without
thought；　then　began　to　localize　herself。　The　last　place　she　recalled
was　the　inn　where　they　had　tea：　she　must　have　been　there　taken　ill；
she　thought；　and　was　now　in　a　room　of　the　same。　It　was　quite　dark：
they　might　have　left　a　light　by　her！　She　lay　comfortably　enough；　but
had　a　suspicion　that　the　place　was　not　over　clean；　and　was　glad　to
find　herself　not　undrest。　She　turned　on　her　side：　something　pulled
her　by　the　wrist。　She　must　have　a　bracelet　on；　and　it　was　entangled
in　the　coverlet！　She　tried　to　unclasp　it；　but　could　not：　which　of
her　bracelets　could　it　be？　There　was　something　attached　to　it！a
chaina　thick　chain！　How　odd！　What　could　it　mean？　She　lay　quiet；
slowly　waking　to　fuller　consciousness。Was　there　not　a　strange　air；
a　dull　odour　in　the　room？　Undefined　as　it　was；　she　had　smelt　it
before；　and　not　long　since！It　was　the　smell　of　the　lost
chapel！But　that　was　at　home　in　the　castle！　she　had　left　it　two
days　before！　Was　she　going　out　of　her　mind？

The　dew　of　agony　burst　from　her　forehead。　She　would　have　started　up；
but　was　pulled　hard　by　the　wrist！　She　cried　on　God。Yes；　she　was
lying　on　the　very　spot　where　that　heap　of　woman…dust　had　lain！　she
was　manacled　with　the　same　ring　from　which　that　woman's　arm　had
wastedthe　decay　of　centuries　her　slow　redeemer！　Her　being　recoiled
so　wildly　from　the　horror；　that　for　a　moment　she　seemed　on　the　edge
of　madness。　But　madness　is　not　the　sole　refuge　from　terror！　Where
the　door　of　the　spirit　has　once　been　opened　wide　to　God；　there　is
he；　the　present　help　in　time　of　trouble！　With　him　in　the　house；　it
is　not　only　that　we　need　fear　nothing；　but　tha