donal grant-第19节

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out　of　it。〃

He　was　evidently　at　strife　with　himself：　he　knew　he　was　wrong；　but
could　not　yet　bring　himself　to　say　so。　　It　is　one　of　the　poorest　of
human　weaknesses　that　a　man　should　be　ashamed　of　saying　he　has　done
wrong；　instead　of　so　ashamed　of　having　done　wrong　that　he　cannot
rest　till　he　has　said　so；　for　the　shame　cleaves　fast　until　the
confession　removes　it。

Forgue　walked　away　a　step　or　two；　and　stood　with　his　back　to　Donal；
poking　the　point　of　his　stick　into　the　grass。　　All　at　once　he　turned
and　said：

〃I　will　apologize　if　you　will　tell　me　one　thing。〃

〃I　will　tell　you　whether　you　apologize　or　not；〃　said　Donal。　〃I　have
never　asked　you　to　apologize。〃

〃Tell　me　then　why　you　did　not　return　either　of　my　blows　yesterday。〃

〃I　should　like　to　know　why　you　askbut　I　will　answer　you：　simply
because　to　do　so　would　have　been　to　disobey　my　master。〃

〃That's　a　sort　of　thing　I　don't　understand。　　But　I　only　wanted　to
know　it　was　not　cowardice；　I　could　not　make　an　apology　to　a　coward。〃

〃If　I　were　a　coward；　you　would　owe　me　an　apology　all　the　same；　and
he　is　a　poor　creature　who　will　not　pay　his　debts。　　But　I　hope　it　is
not　necessary　I　should　either　thrash　or　insult　your　lordship　to
convince　you　I　fear　you　no　more　than　that　blackbird　there！〃

Forgue　gave　a　little　laugh。　　A　moment's　pause　followed。　　Then　he
held　out　his　hand；　but　in　a　half…hesitating；　almost　sheepish　way：

〃Well；　well！　shake　hands；〃　he　said。

〃No；　my　lord；〃　returned　Donal。　〃I　bear　your　lordship　not　the
slightest　ill…will；　but　I　will　shake　hands　with　no　one　in　a
half…hearted　way；　and　no　other　way　is　possible　while　you　are
uncertain　whether　I　am　a　coward　or　not。〃

So　saying；　he　threw　himself　again　upon　the　grass；　and　lord　Forgue
walked　away；　offended　afresh。

The　next　morning　he　came　into　the　school…room　where　Donal　sat　at
lessons　with　Davie。　　He　had　a　book　in　his　hand。

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　help　me　with　this　passage　in
Xenophon？〃

〃With　all　my　heart；〃　answered　Donal；　and　in　a　few　moments　had　him
out　of　his　difficulty。

But　instead　of　going；　his　lordship　sat　down　a　little　way　off；　and
went　on　with　his　readingsat　until　master　and　pupil　went　out；　and
left　him　sitting　there。　　The　next　morning　he　came　with　a　fresh
request；　and　Donal　found　occasion　to　approve　warmly　of　a　translation
he　proposed。　　From　that　time　he　came　almost　every　morning。　　He　was
no　great　scholar；　but　with　the　prospect　of　an　English　university
before　him；　thought　it　better　to　read　a　little。

The　housekeeper　at　the　castle　was　a　good　woman；　and　very　kind　to
Donal；　feeling　perhaps　that　he　fell　to　her　care　the　more　that　he　was
by　birth　of　her　own　class；　for　it　was　said　in　the　castle；　〃the　tutor
makes　no　pretence　to　being　a　gentleman。〃　　Whether　he　was　the　more　or
the　less　of　one　on　that　account；　I　leave　my　reader　to　judge
according　to　his　capability。　　Sometimes　when　his　dinner　was　served；
mistress　Brookes　would　herself　appear；　to　ensure　proper　attention　to
him；　and　would　sit　down　and　talk　to　him　while　he　ate；　ready　to　rise
and　serve　him　if　necessary。　　Their　early　days　had　had　something　in
common；　though　she　came　from　the　southern　highlands　of　green　hills
and　more　sheep。　　She　gave　him　some　rather　needful　information　about
the　family；　and　he　soon　perceived　that　there　would　have　been　less
peace　in　the　house　but　for　her　good　temper　and　good　sense。

Lady　Arctura　was　the　daughter　of　the　last　lord　Morven；　and　left　sole
heir　to　the　property；　Forgue　and　his　brother　Davie　were　the　sons　of
the　present　earl。　　The　present　lord　was　the　brother　of　the　last；　and
had　lived　with　him　for　some　years　before　he　succeeded。　　He　was　a　man
of　peculiar　and　studious　habits；　nobody　ever　seemed　to　take　to　him；
and　since　his　wife's　death；　his　health　had　been　precarious。　　Though
a　strange　man；　he　was　a　just　if　not　generous　master。　　His　brother
had　left　him　guardian　to　lady　Arctura；　and　he　had　lived　in　the
castle　as　before。　　His　wife　was　a　very　lovely；　but　delicate　woman；
and　latterly　all　but　confined　to　her　room。　　Since　her　death　a　great
change　had　passed　upon　her　husband。　　Certainly　his　behaviour　was
sometimes　hard　to　understand。

〃He　never　gangs　to　the　kirkno　ance　in　a　twalmonth！〃　said　Mrs。
Brookes。　〃Fowk　sud　be　dacent；　an'　wha　ever　h'ard　o'　dacent　fowk　'at
didna　gang　to　the　kirk　ance　o'　the　Sabbath！　　I　dinna　haud　wi'　gaein'
twise　mysel'：　ye　hae　na　time　to　read　yer　ain　chapters　gien　ye　do
that。　　But　the　man's　a　weel　behavet　man；　sae　far　as　ye　see；　naither
sayin'　nor　doin'　the　thing　he　shouldna：　what　he　may　think；　wha's　to
say！　the　mair　ten'er　conscience　coonts　itsel'　the　waur　sinner；　an'
I'm　no　gaein'　to　think　what　I　canna　ken！　　There's　some　'at　says　he
led　a　gey　lowse　kin'　o'　a　life　afore　he　cam　to　bide　wi'　the　auld
yerl；　he　was　wi'　the　airmy　i'　furreign　pairts；　they　say；　but　aboot
that　I　ken　naething。　　The　auld　yerl　was　something　o'　a　sanct
himsel'；　rist　the　banes　o'　'im！　　We're　no　the　jeedges　o'　the　leevin'
ony　mair　nor　o'　the　deid！　　But　I　maun　awa'　to　luik　efter　things；　a
minute's　an　hoor　lost　wi'　thae　fule　lasses。　　Ye're　a　freen'　o'
An'rew　Comin's；　they　tell　me；　sir：　I　dinna　ken　what　to　do　wi'　's
lass；　she's　that　upsettin'！　　Ye　wad　think　she　was　ane　o'　the　faimily
whiles；　an'　ither　whiles　she　's　that　silly！〃

〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　it！〃　said　Donal。　〃Her　grandfather　and　grandmother
are　the　best　of　good　people。〃

〃I　daursay！　　But　there's　jist　what　I　hae　seen：　them　'at　's　broucht
up　their　ain　weel　eneuch；　their　son's　bairn　they'll　jist　lat　gang。
Aither　they're　tired　o'　the　thing；　or　they　think　they're　safe。
They　hae　lippent　til　yoong　Eppy　a　heap　ower　muckle。　　But　I'm
naither　a　prophet　nor　the　son　o'　a　prophet；　as　the　minister　said
last　Sundayan'　said　well；　honest　man！　for　it's　the　plain　trowth：
he's　no　ane　o'　the　major　nor　yet　the　minor　anes！　　But　haud　him　oot
o'　the　pu'pit　an'　he　dis　no　that　ill。　　His　dochter　's　no　an　ill　lass
aither；　an'　a　great　freen'　o'　my　leddy's。　　But　I'm　clean　ashamed　o'
mysel'　to　gang　on　this　gait。　　Hae　ye　dune　wi'　yer　denner；　Mr。
Grant？Weel；　I'll　jist　sen'　to　clear　awa'；　an'　lat　ye　til　yer
lessons。〃




CHAPTER　XVII。

LADY　ARCTURA。

It　was　now　almost　three　weeks　since　Donal　had　become　an　inmate　of
the　castle；　and　he　had　scarcely　set　his　eyes　on　the　lady　of　the
house。　　Once　he　had　seen　her　back；　and　more　than　once　had　caught　a
glimpse　of　her　profile；　but　he　had　never　really　seen　her　face；　and
they　had　never　spoken　to　each　other。

One　afternoon　he　was　sauntering　along　under　the　overhanging　boughs
of　an　avenue　of　beeches；　formerly　the　approach　to　a　house　in　which
the　family　had　once　lived；　but　which　had　now　another　entrance。　　He
had　in　his　hand　a　copy　of　the　Apocrypha；　which　he　had　never　seen
till　he　found　this　in　the　library。　　In　his　usual　fashion　he　had
begun　to　read　it　through；　and　was　now　in　the　book　called　the　Wisdom
of　Solomon；　at　the　17th　chapter；　narrating　the　discomfiture　of
certain　magicians。　　Taken　with　the　beauty　of　the　passage；　he　sat
down　on　an　old　stone…roller；　and　read　aloud。　　Parts　of　the　passage
were　thesethey　will　enrich　my　page：

〃For　they；　that　promised　to　drive　away　terrors　and　troubles　from　a
sick　soul；　were　sick　themselves　of　fear；　worthy　to　be　laughed　at。

〃。。。For　wickedness；　condemned　by　her　own　witness；　is　very　timorous；
and　being　pressed　with　conscience；　always　forecasteth　grievous
things。

〃。。。But　they　sleeping　the　same　sleep　that　night；　which　was　indeed
intolerable；　and　which　came　upon　them　out　of　the　bottoms　of
inevitable　hell；

〃Were　partly　vexed　with　monstrous　apparitions；　and　partly　fainted；
their　heart　failing　them：　for　a　sudden　fear；　and　not　looked　for；
came　upon　them。

〃So　then　whosoever　there　fell　down　was　straitly　kept；　shut　up　in　a
prison　without　iron　bars。

〃For　whether　he　were　husbandman；　or　shepherd；　or　a　labourer　in　the
field；　he　was　overtaken；　and　endured　that　necessity；　which　could　not
be　avoided：　for　they　were　all　bound　with　one　chain　of　darkness。

〃Whether　it　were　a　whistling　wind；　or　a　melodious　noise　of　birds
among　the　spreading　branches；　or　a　pleasing　fall　of　water　running
violently；

〃Or　a　terrible　sound　of　stones　cast　down；　or　a　running　that　could
not　be　seen　of　skipping　beasts；　or　a　roaring　voice　of　most　savage
wild　beasts；　or　a　rebounding　echo　from　the　hollow　mountains；　these
things　made　them　to　swoon　for　fear。

〃For　the　whole　world　shined　with　clear　light；　and　none　were　hindered
in　their　labour：

〃Over　them　only　was　spread　an　heavy　night；　an　image　of　that　darkness
which　should　afterward　receive　them：　but　yet　were　they　unto
themselves　more　grievous　than　the　darkness。〃

He　had　read　so　much；　and　stopped　to　think　a　little；　for　through　the
incongruity　of　it；　which　he　did　not　doubt　arose　from　poverty　of
imagination　in　the　translator；　rendering　him　unable　to　see　what　the
poet　meant；　ran　yet　an　indubitable　vein　of　awful　truth；　whether
fully　intended　by　the　writer　or　not　mattered　little　to　such　a　reader
as　Donalwhen；　lifting　his　eyes；　he　saw　lady　Arctura　standing
before　him　with　a　strange　listening　look。　　A　spell　seemed　upon　her；
her　face　was　white；　her　lips　white　and　a　little　parted。

Attracted；　as　she　was　about　to　pass　him；　by　the　sound　of　what　was
none　the　less　like　the　Bible　from　the