donal grant-第103节

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creature！　Now　I　know　there　was　more　life　in　her　trouble　than　in　my
content。　I　came　not　only　to　love　her；　but　to　look　up　to　her　as　a
saint：　if　ever　there　was　one；　it　was　she；　Mr。　Grant。　She　often　came
here　after　I　showed　her　that　poem。　She　used　to　walk　here　alone　in
the　twilight。　That　horrid　Miss　Carmichael！　she　was　the　plague　of　her
life！〃

〃She　was　God's　messengerto　buffet　her；　and　make　her　know　her　need
of　him。　Be　sure；　Miss　Graeme；　not　a　soul　can　do　without　him。〃

Here　Mr。　Graeme　joined　them。

〃I　do　not　think　the　earl　will　last　many　days；〃　said　Donal。　〃It　would
be　well；　it　seems　to　me；　at　once　upon　his　death　to　take　possession
of　the　house　in　the　town。　It　is　the　only　property　that　goes　with　the
title。　And　of　course　you　would　at　once　take　up　your　abode　in　the
castle！　You　will　find　in　the　earl's　papers　many　proofs；　I　imagine；
that　his　son　has　no　claim。　I　would　have　a　deed　of　gift　drawn　up；　but
would　rather　you　seemed　to　come　in　by　natural　succession。　We　are　not
bound　to　tell　the　world　everything；　we　are　only　bound　to　be　able
without　shame　to　tell　it　everything。　And　then　I　shall　have　a　favour
to　ask：　Morven　House；　down　in　the　town；　is　of　no　great　use　to　you：
let　me　rent　it　of　you。　I　should　like　to　live　there　and　have　a
school；　with　Davie　for　my　first　pupil。　When　we　get　another；　we　will
try　to　make　a　man　of　him　too。　We　will　not　care　so　much　about　making
a　great　scholar；　or　a　great　anything　of　him；　but　a　true　man。　We　will
try　to　help　the　whole　man　of　him　into　the　likeness　of　the　one　man。〃

Here　Mr。　Graeme　broke　in。

〃You　will　never　make　a　living　that　way！〃　he　said。

Donal　opened　his　eyes　and　looked　at　him。　Like　one　convicted　and
ashamed；　the　eyes　of　the　man　of　business　fell　before　those　of　the
man　of　God。

〃Ah；〃　said　Donal；　〃you　have　not　an　idea；　Mr。　Graeme；　on　how　little　I
could　live！Here；　you　had　better　take　the　will；〃　he　added；　pulling
it　from　his　pocket。

Mr。　Graeme　hesitated。

〃If　you　would　rather　not；　I　will　keep　it。　I　would　throw　it　in　the
fire；　but　either　you　or　I　must　keep　it　for　a　time　as　against　all
chances。〃

Mr。　Graeme　took　it。

That　night　the　earl　died。

Donal　wrote　to　Percy　that　his　father　was　dead。　Two　days　after；　he
appeared。　The　new　earl　met　him　in　the　hall。

〃Mr。　Graeme；〃　said　Percy；

〃I　am　lord　Morven；　Mr。　Graeme；〃　returned　his　lordship。

The　fellow　said　an　evil　word；　turned　on　his　heel；　and　left　them　to
bury　his　father　without　him。

The　funeral　over；　the　earl　turned　to　Donal　and　looked　him　in　the
face：　they　walked　back　to　the　castle　arm　in　arm；　and　from　that
moment　were　as　brothers。

Earl　Hector　did　nothing　of　importance　without　consulting　Donal；　and
Donal　had　the　more　influence　both　with　landlord　and　tenants　that　he
had　no　interest　in　the　property。

The　same　week　he　left　the　castle；　and　took　possession　of　Morven
House。　The　people　said　Mr。　Grant　had　played　his　cards　well：　had　they
known　what　he　had　really　done；　they　would　have　called　him　a　born
idiot。

Davie；　to　whom　no　calamity　could　be　overwhelming　so　long　as　he　had
Mr。　Grant；　accompanied　him　gladly；　more　than　content　to　live　with
him　till　he　went　to　college；　whither　the　earl　wished　to　send　him。
Donal　hindered　rather　than　sped　the　day。　When　it　came；　the　earl
would　have　had　him　go　too；　but　Donal　would　not。

〃I　have　done　what　I　can；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　time　he　should　walk
alone。〃

It　was　soon　evident　that　the　boy　would　not　disgrace　him。　There　is　no
certainty　as　to　how　deep　any　teaching　may　have　goneas　to　whether
it　has　reached　the　issues　of　life　or　not；　until　a　youth　is　left　by
himself；　and　has　to　choose　and　refuse　companions：　the　most　promising
youths　are　often　but　promisers。

With　the　full　concurrence　of　Miss　Graeme；　Donal　had　persuaded
mistress　Brookeseasy　persuasion　where　the　suggestion　was
enough！to　keep　house　for　him。　They　went　together；　and　together
unlocked　the　door　of　Morven　House。

Mistress　Brookes　said　the　place　was　in　an　awful　state。　There　was　not
much；　to　be　sure；　for　the　mason　to　do；　but　for　the　carpenter！　It　had
not　been　touched　for　generations！　He　must　go　away；　and　stay　away
till　she　summoned　him！

Donal　gladly　went　home　to　his　hills；　and　took　Davie　with　him。　He
told　his　father　and　mother；　sir　Gibbie　and　his　lady；　the　things　that
had　befallen　him；　and　every　one　approved　heartily　of　what　he　had
done。　His　mother　took　his　renunciation　of　the　property　as　a　matter
of　course。　All　agreed　it　should　not　be　spoken　of。　When　they　returned
to　Auchars；　sir　Gibbie　and　lady　Galbraith　went　with　them；　and　staid
for　some　weeks。　The　townsfolk　said　he　was　but　a　poor　baronet　that
could　not　speak　mortal　word。

Lord　Morven　and　Miss　Graeme　had　done　their　best　to　make　the　house
what　they　thought　Donal　would　like。　But　in　the　castle　they　kept　for
him　the　rooms　lady　Arctura　had　called　her　own。　There　he　gathered　the
books；　and　a　few　other　of　the　more　immediately　personal　possessions
of　his　wifeher　piano　for　oneupon　which　he　taught　himself　to　play
a　little；　and　thither　he　betook　himself　often　on　holidays；　and
always　on　Sunday　evenings。　What　went　on　then　I　leave　to　the
imagination　of　the　reader　who　knows　that　alone　one　may　meet　many；
sitting　still　may　travel　far；　and　silent　make　the　universe　hear。

Lord　Morven　kept　Larkie　for　Davie。　The　last　I　heard　of　Davie　was
that　he　was　in　India；　an　officer　in　the　army；　beloved　of　his　men；
and　exercising　a　most　beneficial　influence　on　his　regiment。　The
things　he　had　learned　he　had　so　learned　that　they　went　out　from　him；
finding　new　ground　in　which　to　root　and　grow。　In　his　day　and
generation　he　helped　the　coming　of　the　kingdom　of　truth　and
righteousness；　and　so　fulfilled　his　high　calling。

It　was　some　time　before　Donal　had　any　pupils；　and　he　never　had　many；
for　he　was　regarded　as　a　most　peculiar　man；　with　ideas　about
education　odd　in　the　extreme。　It　was　granted；　however；　that；　if　a
boy　stayed；　or　rather　if　he　allowed　him　to　stay　with　him　long
enough；　he　was　sure　to　turn　out　a　gentleman：　that　which　was　deeper
and　was　the　life　of　the　gentleman；　people　seldom　sawwould　seldom
have　valued　if　they　had　seen。　Most　parents　would　like　their　children
to　be　ladies　and　gentlemen；　that　they　should　be　sons　and　daughters
of　God；　they　do　not　care！

The　few　wise　souls　in　the　neighbourhood　know　Donal　as　the　heart　of
the　placethe　man　to　go　to　in　any　difficulty；　in　any　trouble　or
apprehension。

Miss　Carmichael　grew　by　degrees　less　talkative；　and　less　obtrusive
of　her　opinions。　After　some　years　she　condescended　to　marry　a　farmer
on　lord　Morven's　estate。　Their　only　child；　a　thoughtful　boy；　and　a
true　reader；　sought　the　company　of　the　grave　man　with　the　sweet
smile；　going　often　to　his　house　to　ask　him　about　this　or　that。　He
reminded　him　of　Davie；　and　grew　very　dear　to　him。　The　mother
discovering　that；　as　often　as　he　stole　away；　it　was　to　go　to　the
mastereverybody　called　him　the　maisterscolded　and　forbade。　But
the　prohibition　brought　such　a　time　of　tears　and　gloom　and　loss　of
appetite；　and　her　husband　so　little　shared　her　prejudices　against
the　master；　that　she　was　compelled　to　recall　it；　and　the　boy　went
and　went　as　before。　When　he　was　taken　ill；　and　on　his　deathbed；
nobody　could　make　him　happy　but　the　master；　he　almost　nursed　him
through　the　last　few　days　of　his　short　earthly　life。　But　the　mother
seemed　not　to　like　him　any　the　betterrather　to　regard　him　as
having　deprived　her　of　some　of　her　rights　in　the　love　of　her　boy。

Donal　is　still　a　present　power　of　heat　and　light　in　the　town　of
Auchars。　He　wears　the　same　solemn　look；　the　same　hovering　smile。
They　say　to　those　who　can　read　them；　〃I　know　in　whom　I　have
believed。〃　It　is　the　God　who　is　the　Father　of　the　Lord　that　he
believes　in。　His　life　is　hid　with　Christ　in　God；　and　he　has　no
anxiety　about　anything。　The　wheels　of　the　coming　chariot；　moving
fast　or　slow　to　fetch　him；　are　always　moving；　and　whether　it　arrive
at　night；　or　at　cock…crowing；　or　in　the　blaze　of　noon；　is　one　to
him。　He　is　ready　for　the　life　his　Arctura　knows。　〃God　is；〃　he　says；
〃and　all　is　well。〃　He　never　disputes；　rarely　seeks　to　convince。　〃I
will　let　what　light　I　have　shine；　but　disputation　is　smoke。　It　is　to
no　profit！And　I　do　like；〃　he　says；　〃to　give　and　to　get　the　good　of
things！〃










THE　END