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souls　are　naked　before　him；　and　not　ashamed。　Let　him　that　hears
understand！　if　he　understand　not；　let　him　hold　his　peace；　and　it
will　be　his　wisdom！　He　who　has　no　place　for　this　love　in　his
religion；　who　thinks　to　be　more　holy　without　it；　is　not　of　God's
mind　when　he　said；　〃Let　us　make　man！〃　He　may　be　a　saint；　but　he
cannot　be　a　man　after　God's　own　heart。　The　finished　man　is　the　saved
man。　The　saint　may　have　to　be　saved　from　more　than　sin。

〃When　shall　we　be　married？〃　asked　Donal。

〃Soon；　soon；〃　answered　Arctura。

〃To…morrow　then？〃

〃No；　not　to…morrow：　there　is　no　such　hastenow　that　we　understand
each　other；〃　she　added　with　a　rosy　smile。　〃I　want　to　be　married　to
you　before　I　die；　that　is　allnot　just　to…morrow；　or　the　next　day。〃

〃When　you　please；　my　love；〃　said　Donal。

She　laid　her　head　on　his　bosom。

〃We　are　as　good　as　married　now；〃　she　said：　〃we　know　that　each　loves
the　other！　How　I　shall　wait　for　you！　You　will　be　mine；　you　knowa
little　bit　minewon't　you？even　if　you　should　marry　some　beautiful
lady　after　I　am　gone？I　shall　love　her　when　she　comes。〃

〃Arctura！〃　said　Donal。




CHAPTER　LXXXI。

A　WILL　AND　A　WEDDING。

But　the　opening　of　the　windows　of　heaven；　and　the　unspeakable　rush
of　life　through　channels　too　narrow　and　banks　too　weak　to　hold　its
tide；　caused　a　terrible　inundation：　the　red　flood　broke　its　banks；
and　weakened　all　the　land。

Arctura　sent　for　Mr。　Graeme；　and　commissioned　him　to　fetch　the
family　lawyer　from　Edinburgh。　Alone　with　him　she　gave　instructions
concerning　her　will。　The　man　of　business　shrugged　his　shoulders；
laden　with　so　many　petty　weights；　bowed　down　with　so　many　falsest
opinions；　and　would　have　expostulated　with　her。

〃Sir！〃　she　said。

〃You　have　a　cousin　who　inherits　the　title！〃　he　suggested。

〃Mr。　Fortune；〃　she　returned；　〃it　may　be　I　know　as　much　of　my　family
as　you。　I　did　not　send　for　you　to　consult　you；　but　to　tell　you　how　I
would　have　my　will　drawn　up！〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　lady；〃　rejoined　the　lawyer；　〃but　there　are
things　which　may　make　it　one's　duty　to　speak　out。〃

〃Speak　then；　I　will　listenthat　you　may　ease　your　mind。〃

He　began　a　long；　common…sense；　worldly　talk　on　the　matter；　nor　once
repeated　himself。　When　he　stopped；

〃Now　have　you　eased　your　mind？〃　she　asked。

〃I　have；　my　lady。〃

〃Then　listen　to　me。　There　is　no　necessity　you　should　hurt　either
your　feelings　or　your　prejudices。　If　it　goes　against　your　conscience
to　do　as　I　wish；　I　will　not　trouble　you。〃

Mr。　Fortune　bowed；　took　his　instructions；　and　rose。

〃When　will　you　bring　it　me？〃　she　asked。

〃In　the　course　of　a　week　or　two；　my　lady。〃

〃If　it　is　not　in　my　hands　by　the　day　after　to…morrow；　I　will　send
for　a　gentleman　from　the　town　to　prepare　it。〃

〃You　shall　have　it；　my　lady；〃　said　Mr。　Fortune。

She　did　have　it；　and　it　was　signed　and　witnessed。

Then　she　sank　more　rapidly。　Donal　said　no　word　about　the　marriage：
it　should　be　as　she　pleased！　He　was　much　by　her　bedside；　reading　to
her　when　she　was　able　to　listen；　talking　to　her　or　sitting　silent
when　she　was　not。

Arctura　had　at　once　told　mistress　Brookes　the　relation　in　which　she
and　Donal　stood　to　each　other。　It　cost　the　good　woman　many　tears；
for　she　thought　such　a　love　one　of　the　saddest　things　in　a　sad
world。　Neither　Arctura　nor　Donal　thought　so。

The　earl　at　this　time　was　a　little　better；　though　without　prospect
of　even　temporary　recovery。　He　had　grown　much　gentler；　and　sadness
had　partially　displaced　his　sullenness。　He　seemed　to　have　become　in
a　measure　aware　of　the　bruteness　of　the　life　he　had　hitherto　led：　he
must　have　had　a　glimpse　of　something　better。　It　is　wonderful　what
the　sickness　which　human　stupidity　regards　as　the　one　evil　thing；
can　do　towards　redemption！　He　showed　concern　at　his　niece's　illness；
and　had　himself　carried　down　every　other　day　to　see　her　for　a　few
minutes。　She　received　him　always　with　the　greatest　gentleness；　and
he　showed　something　that　seemed　like　genuine　affection　for　her。

It　was　a　morning　in　the　month　of　May

　　　　　The　naked　twigs　were　shivering　all　for　cold

when　Donal；　who　had　been　with　Arctura　the　greater　part　of　the　night；
and　now　lay　on　the　couch　in　a　neighbouring　room；　heard　Mrs。　Brookes
call　him。

〃My　lady　wants　you；　sir；〃　she　said。

He　started　up；　and　went　to　her。

〃Send　for　the　minister；〃　she　whispered；　〃not　Mr。　Carmichael；　he
does　not　know　you。　Send　for　Mr。　Graeme　too：　he　and　mistress　Brookes
will　be　witnesses。　I　must　call　you　husband　once　before　I　die！〃

〃I　hope　you　will　many　a　time　after！〃　he　returned。

She　smiled　on　him　with　a　look　of　love　unutterable。

〃Mind；〃　she　said；　holding　out　her　arms　feebly；　but　drawing　him　fast
to　her　bosom；　〃that　this　is　how　I　love　you！　When　you　see　me　dull　and
stupid；　and　I　hardly　look　at　youfor　though　death　makes　bright；
dying　makes　stupidthen　say　to　yourself；　'This　is　not　how　she　loves
me；　it　is　only　how　she　is　dying！　She　loves　me　and　knows　itand　by
and　by　will　be　able　to　show　it！'〃

They　were　precious　words　both　then　and　afterwards！

With　some　careful　questioning；　to　satisfy　himself　that；　so　evidently
at　the　gate　of　death　she　yet　knew　perfectly　her　own　mind；and　not
without　some　shakes　of　the　head　revealing　disapprobation；　the
minister　did　as　he　was　requested；　and　wrote　a　certificate　of　the
fact；　which　was　duly　signed　and　witnessed。

And　if　he　showed　his　disapproval　yet　more　in　the　prayer　with　which
he　concluded　the　ceremony；　none　but　mistress　Brookes　showed
responsive　indignation。

The　bridegroom　gave　his　bride　one　gentle　kiss；　and　withdrew　with　the
clergyman。

〃Pardon　me　if　I　characterize　this　as　a　strange　proceeding！〃　said　the
latter。

〃Not　so　strange　perhaps　as　it　looks；　sir！〃　said　Donal。

〃On　the　very　brink　of　the　other　world！〃

〃The　other　world　and　its　brink　too　are　his　who　ordained　marriage！〃

〃For　this　world　only；〃　said　the　minister。

〃The　gifts　of　God　are　without　repentance；〃　said　Donal。

〃I　have　heard　of　you！〃　returned　the　clergyman。　〃You　are　one；　they
tell　me；　given　to　misusing　scripture。〃

He　had　conceived　a　painful　doubt　that　he　had　been　drawn　into　some
plot！

〃Sir！〃　said　Donal　sternly；　〃if　you　saw　any　impropriety　in　the
ceremony；　why　did　you　perform　it？　I　beg　you　will　now　reserve　your
remarks。　You　ought　to　have　made　them　before　or　not　at　all。　If　you　be
silent；　the　thing　will　probably　never　be　heard　of；　and　I　should
greatly　dislike　having　it　the　town…talk。〃

〃Except　I　see　reasonthat　is；　if　nothing　follow　to　render
disclosure　necessary；　I　shall　be　silent；〃　said　the　minister。

He　would　have　declined　the　fee　offered　by　Donal；　but　he　was　poor；
and　its　amount　prevailed：　he　accepted　it；　and　took　his　leave　with　a
stiffness　he　intended　for　dignity：　he　had　a　high　sense；　if　not　of
the　dignity　of　his　office；　at　least　of　the　dignity　his　office
conferred　on　him。

Donal　had　next　a　brief　interview　with　Mr。　Graeme。　The　factor　was　in
a　state　of　utter　bewilderment；　and　readily　yielded　Donal　a　promise
of　silence：　the　mere　whim　of　a　dying　girl；　it　had　better　be　ignored
and　forgotten！　As　to　Grant's　part　in　it　he　did　not　know　what　to
think。　It　could　not　affect　the　property；　he　thought：　it　could　hardly
be　a　marriage！　And　then　there　was　the　willof　the　contents　of　which
he　knew　nothing！　If　it　were　a　complete　marriage；　the　will　was　worth
nothing；　being　made　before　it！

I　will　not　linger　over　the　quiet；　sad　time　that　followed。　Donal　was
to　Arctura；　she　said；　father；　brother；　husband；　in　one。　Through　him
she　had　reaped　the　harvest　of　the　world；　in　spite　of　falsehood；
murder；　fear；　and　distrust！　She　lay　victorious　on　the　battlefield！

In　the　heart　of　her　bridegroom　reigned　a　peace　the　world　could　not
give　or　take　away。　He　loved　with　a　love　that　cast　the　love　of　former
days　into　the　shadow　of　a　sweet　but　undesired　remembrance。　A　long
twilight　life　lay　before　him；　but　he　would　have　plenty　to　do！　and
such　was　the　love　between　him　and　Arctura；　that　every　doing　of　the
will　of　God　was　as　the　tying　of　a　fresh　bond　between　him　and　her：
she　was　his　because　they　were　the　Father's；　whose　will　was　the　life
and　bond　of　the　universe。

〃I　think；〃　said　Donal；　that　same　night　by　her　bed；　〃when　my　mother
dies；　she　will　go　near　you：　I　will；　if　I　can；　send　you　a　message　by
her。　But　it　will　not　matter；　it　can　only　tell　you　what　you　will　know
well　enoughthat　I　love　you；　and　am　waiting　to　come　to　you。〃

The　stupidity　of　calling　oneself　a　Christian；　and　doubting　if　we
shall　know　our　friends　hereafter！　In　those　who　do　not　believe　such　a
doubt　is　more　than　natural；　but　in　those　who　profess　to　believe；　it
shows　what　a　ragged　scarecrow　is　the　thing　they　call　their
faithnot　worth　that　of　many　an　old　Jew；　or　that　of　here　and　there
a　pagan！

〃I　shall　not　be　far　from　you；　dear；　I　thinksometimes　at　least；〃
she　said；　speaking　very　low。　〃If　you　dream　anything　nice　about　me；
think　I　am　thinking　of　you。　If　you　should　dream　anything　not　nice；
think　something　is　lying　to　you　about　me。　I　do　not　know　if　I　shall
be　allowed　to　come　near　you；　but　if　I　amand　I　think　I　shall
besometimes；　I　shall　laugh　to　myself　to　think　how　near　I　am；　and
you　fancying　me　a　long　way　off！　But　any　way　all　will　be　well；　for
the　great　life；　our　God；　our　father；　is；　and　in　him　we　canno