donal grant-第101节

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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　cannot　but　be
together。〃

After　that　she　fell　into　a　deep　sleep；　and　slept　for　hours。　Then
suddenly　she　sat　up。　Donal　put　his　arm　behind　and　supported　her。　She
looked　a　little　wild；　shuddered；　murmured　something　he　could　not
understand；　then　threw　herself　back　into　his　arms。　Her　expression
changed　to　a　look　of　divinest；　loveliest　content；　and　she　was　gone。




CHAPTER　LXXXII。

THE　WILL。

When　her　will　was　read；　it　was　found　that；　except　some　legacies；　and
an　annuity　to　Mrs。　Brookes；　she　had　left　everything　to　Donal。

Mr。　Graeme；　rising　the　moment　the　lawyer　looked　up；　congratulated
Donalpolitely；　not　cordially；　and　took　his　leave。

〃If　you　are　walking　towards　home；〃　said　Donal；　〃I　will　walk　with
you。〃

〃I　shall　be　happy；〃　said　Mr。　Graemefeeling　it　not　a　little　hard
that　one　who　would　soon　be　heir　presumptive　to　the　title　should　have
to　tend　the　family　property　in　the　service　of　a　stranger　and　a
peasant。

〃Lord　Morven　cannot　live　long；〃　said　Donal　as　they　went。　〃It　is　not
to　be　wished　he　should。〃

Mr。　Graeme　returned　no　answer。　Donal　resumed。

〃I　think　I　ought　to　let　you　know　at　once　that　you　are　heir　to　the
title。〃

〃I　think　you　owe　the　knowledge　to　myself！〃　said　the　factor；　not
without　a　touch　of　contempt。

〃By　no　means；〃　rejoined　Donal：　〃on　presumption；　after　lord　Forgue；
you　told　me；after　lord　Morven；　I　tell　you。〃

〃I　am　at　a　loss　to　imagine　on　what　you　found　such　a　statement；〃　said
Graeme；　beginning　to　suspect　insanity。

〃Naturally；　no　one　knows　it　but　myself。　Lord　Morven　knows　that　his
son　cannot　succeed；　but　he　does　not　know　that　you　can。　I　am
prepared；　if　not　to　prove；　at　least　to　convince　you　that　he　and　his
son's　mother　were　not　married。〃

Mr。　Graeme　was　for　a　moment　silent。　Then　he　laughed　a　little
laughnot　a　pleasant　one。　〃Another　of　Time's　clownish　tricks！〃　he
said　to　himself：　〃the　earl　the　factor　on　the　family…estate！〃　Donal
did　not　like　the　way　he　took　it；　but　saw　how　natural　it　was。

〃I　hope　you　have　known　me　long　enough；〃　he　said；　〃to　believe　I　have
contrived　nothing？〃

〃Excuse　me；　Mr。　Grant：　the　whole　business　looks　suspicious。　The　girl
was　dying！　You　knew　it！〃

〃I　do　not　understand　you。〃

〃What　did　you　marry　her　for？〃

〃To　make　her　my　wife。〃

〃Pray　what　could　be　the　good　of　that　except？〃

〃Does　it　need　any　explanation　but　that　we　loved　each　other？〃

〃You　will　find　it　difficult　to　convince　the　world　that　such　was　your
sole　motive。〃

〃Having　no　care　for　the　opinion　of　the　world；　I　shall　be　satisfied
if　I　convince　you。　The　world　needs　never　hear　of　the　thing。　Would
you；　Mr。　Graeme；　have　had　me　not　marry　her；　because　the　world；
including　not　a　few　honest　men　like　yourself；　would　say　my　object
was　the　property？〃

〃Don't　put　the　question　to　me；　I　am　not　the　proper　person　to　answer
it。　There　is　not　a　man　in　a　hundred　millions　who　with　the　chance
would　not　have　done　the　same；　or　whom　all　the　rest　would　not　blame
for　doing　it。　It　would　have　been　better　for　you；　however；　that　there
had　been　no　will。〃

〃How？〃

〃It　makes　it　look　the　more　like　a　scheme：the　will　might　have　been
disputed。〃

〃Why　do　you　saymight　have　been？〃

〃Because　it　is　not　worth　disputing　now。　If　the　marriage　stands；　it
annuls　the　will。〃

〃I　did　not　know；　and　I　suppose　she　did　not　know　either。　Or　perhaps
she　wanted　to　make　the　thing　sure：　if　the　marriage　was　not　enough；
the　will　would　beshe　may　have　thought。　But　I　knew　nothing　of　it。〃

〃You　did　not？〃

〃Of　course　I　did　not。〃

Mr。　Graeme　held　his　peace。　For　the　first　time　he　doubted　Donal's
word。

〃But　I　wanted　to　have　a　little　talk　with　you；〃　resumed　Donal。　〃I
want　to　know　whether　you　think　your　duty　all　to　the　owner　of　the
land；　or　in　any　measure　to　the　tenants　also。〃

〃That　is　easy　to　answer：　one　employed　by　the　landlord　can　owe　the
tenant　nothing。〃

It　was　not　just　the　answer　he　would　have　given　to　another
questioner。

〃Do　you　not　owe　him　justice？〃　asked　Donal。

〃Every　legal　advantage　I　ought　to　take　for　my　employer。〃

〃Even　to　the　grinding　of　the　faces　of　the　poor？〃

〃I　have　nothing　to　do；　as　his　employ？　with　my　own　ideas　as　to　what
may　be　equitable。〃

He　drew　the　line　thus　hard　in　pure　opposition　to　Donal。

〃What　then　would　you　say　if　the　land　were　your　own？　Would　you　say
you　had　it　solely　for　your　own　and　your　family's　good；　or　for　that
of　the　tenants　as　well？〃

〃I　should　very　likely　reason　that　what　was　good　for　them　would　in
the　long　run　be　good　for　me　too。But　if　you　want　to　know　how　I　have
treated　the　tenants；　there　are　intelligent　men　amongst　them；　not　at
all　prejudiced　in　favour　of　the　factor！〃

〃I　wish　you　would　be　open　with　me；〃　said　Donal。

〃I　prefer　keeping　my　own　place；〃　rejoined　Mr。　Graeme。

〃You　speak　as　one　who　found　a　change　in　me；〃　returned　Donal。　〃There
is　none。〃

So　saying　he　shook　hands　with　him；　bade　him　good　morning；　and　turned
with　the　depression　of　failure。

〃I　did　not　lead　up　to　the　point　properly！〃　he　said　to　himself。




CHAPTER　LXXXIII。

INSIGHT。

Mr。　Graeme　was　a　good　sort　of　man；　and　a　gentleman；　but　he　was　not
capable　of　meeting　Donal　on　the　ground　on　which　he　approached　him：
on　that　level　he　had　never　set　foot。　There　is　nothing　more
disappointing　to　the　generous　man　than　the　way　in　which　his　absolute
frankness　is　met　by　the　man　of　the　worldalways　looking　out　for
motives；　and　imagining　them　after　what　is　in　himself。

There　was　great　confidence　between　the　brother　and　sister；　and　as　he
walked　homeward；　Mr。　Graeme　was　not　so　well　pleased　with　himself　as
to　think　with　satisfaction　on　the　report　of　the　interview　he　could
give　Kate。　He　did　not　accuse　himself　with　regard　to　anything　he　had
said；　but　he　felt　his　behaviour　influenced　by　jealousy　of　the
low…born　youth　who　had　supplanted　him。　For；　if　Percy　could　not
succeed　to　the　title；　neither　could　he　have　succeeded　to　the
property；　and　but　for　the　will　or　the　marriage；　perhaps　but　for　the
two　together；　he　would　himself　have　come　in　for　that　also！　The　will
was　worth　nothing　except　the　marriage　was　disputed：　annul　the
marriage；　and　the　will　was　of　force！

He　told　his　sister；　as　nearly　as　he　could；　all　that　had　passed
between　them。

〃If　he　wanted　me　to　talk　to　him；〃　he　said；　〃why　did　he　tell　me　that
about　Forgue？　It　was　infernally　stupid　of　him！　But　what's　bred　in
the　bone！　A　gentleman　's　not　made　in　a　day！〃

〃Nor　in　a　thousand　years；　Hector！〃　rejoined　his　sister。　〃Donal　Grant
is　a　gentleman　in　the　best　sense　of　the　word！　That　you　say　he　is
not；　lets　me　see　you　are　vexed　with　yourself。　He　is　a　little　awkward
sometimes；　I　confess；　but　only　when　he　is　looking　at　a　thing　from
some　other　point　of　view；　and　does　not　like　to　say　you　ought　to　have
been　looking　at　it　from　the　same。　And　you　can't　say　he　shuffles；　for
he　never　stops　till　he　has　done　his　best　to　make　you！What　have　you
been　saying　to　him；　Hector？〃

〃Nothing　but　what　I　have　told　you；　it's　rather　what　I　have　not　been
saying！〃　answered　her　brother。　〃He　would　have　had　me　open　out　to
him；　and　I　wouldn't。　How　could　I！　Whatever　I　said　that　pleased　him；
would　have　looked　as　if　I　wanted　to　secure　my　situation！　Hang　it
all！　I　have　a　good　mind　to　throw　it　up。　How　is　a　Graeme　to　serve
under　a　bumpkin？〃

〃The　man　is　not　a　bumpkin；　he　is　a　scholar　and　a　poet！〃　said　the
lady。

〃Pooh！　pooh！　What's　a　poet？〃

〃One　that　may　or　may　not　be　as　good　a　man　of　business　as　yourself
when　it　is　required　of　him。〃

〃Come；　come！　don't　you　turn　against　me；　Kate！　It's　hard　enough　to
bear　as　it　is！〃

Miss　Graeme　made　no　reply。　She　was　meditating　all　she　knew　of　Donal；
to　guide　her　to　the　something　to　which　she　was　sure　her　brother　had
not　let　him　come；　and　presently　she　made　him　recount　again　all　they
had　said　to　each　other。

〃I　tell　you；　Hector；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃you　never　made　such　a　fool　of
yourself　in　your　life！　If　I　know　human　nature；　that　man　is　different
from　any　other　you　have　had　to　do　with。　It　will　take　a　woman；　a
better　woman　than　your　sister；　I　confess；　to　understand　him；　but　I
see　a　little　farther　into　him　than　you　do。　He　is　a　man　who；　never
having　had　money　enough　to　learn　the　bad　uses　of　it；　and　never
having　formed　habits　it　takes　money　to　supply；　having　no　ambition；
living　in　books　not　in　places；　and　for　pleasure　having　more　at　his
command　in　himself　than　the　richesthe　is　a　man　who；　I　say；　would
find　money　an　impediment　to　his　happiness；　for　he　must　have　a　sense
of　duty　with　regard　to　it　which　would　interfere　with　everything　he
liked　best。　Besides；　though　he　does　not　care　a　straw　for　the
judgment　of　the　world　where　it　differs　from　him；　he　would　be　sorry
to　seem　to　go　against　that　judgment　where　he　agrees　with　it：
scorning　to　marry　any　woman　for　her　money；　he　would　not　have　the
world　think　he　had　done　so。〃

〃Ah；　Katey；　there　I　have　you！　The　world　would　entirely　approve　of
his　doing　that！〃

〃I　will　take　a　better　position　then：he　would　not　willingly　seem　to
have　done　a　thing　he　himself　despises。　The　man　believes　himself　sent
into　the　world　to　teach　it　something：　he　would　not　have　it　thrown　in
his　teeth　that；　after　all；　he　looks　to　the　main　chance　as　keen