donal grant-第20节

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Attracted；　as　she　was　about　to　pass　him；　by　the　sound　of　what　was
none　the　less　like　the　Bible　from　the　solemn　crooning　way　in　which
Donal　read　it　to　the　congregation　of　his　listening　thoughts；　yet　was
certainly　not　the　Bible；　she　was　presently　fascinated　by　the　vague
terror　of　what　she　heard；　and　stood　absorbed：　without　much
originative　power；　she　had　an　imagination　prompt　and　delicate　and
strong　in　response。

Donal　had　but　a　glance　of　her；　his　eyes　returned　again　at　once　to
his　book；　and　he　sat　silent　and　motionless；　though　not　seeing　a
word。　　For　one　instant　she　stood　still；　then　he　heard　the　soft　sound
of　her　dress　as；　with　noiseless　foot；　she　stole　back；　and　took
another　way。

I　must　give　my　reader　a　shadow　of　her。　　She　was　rather　tall；
slender；　and　fair。　　But　her　hair　was　dark；　and　so　crinkly　that；　when
merely　parted；　it　did　all　the　rest　itself。　　Her　forehead　was　rather
low。　　Her　eyes　were　softly　dark；　and　her　features　very　regularher
nose　perhaps　hardly　large　enough；　or　her　chin。　　Her　mouth　was　rather
thin…lipped；　but　would　have　been　sweet　except　for　a　seemingly
habitual　expression　of　pain。　　A　pair　of　dark　brows　overhung　her
sweet　eyes；　and　gave　a　look　of　doubtful　temper；　yet　restored
something　of　the　strength　lacking　a　little　in　nose　and　chin。　　It　was
an　interestingnot　a　quite　harmonious　face；　and　in　happiness　might；
Donal　thought；　be　beautiful　even。　　Her　figure　was　eminently
gracefulas　Donal　saw　when　he　raised　his　eyes　at　the　sound　of　her
retreat。　　He　thought　she　needed　not　have　run　away　as　from　something
dangerous：　why　did　she　not　pass　him　like　any　other　servant　of　the
house？　　But　what　seemed　to　him　like　contempt　did　not　hurt　him。　　He
was　too　full　of　realities　to　be　much　affected　by　opinion　however
shown。　　Besides；　he　had　had　his　sorrow　and　had　learned　his　lesson。
He　was　a　poetbut　one　of　the　few　without　any　weak　longing　after
listening　ears。　　The　poet　whose　poetry　needs　an　audience；　can　be　but
little　of　a　poet；　neither　can　the　poetry　that　is　of　no　good　to　the
man　himself；　be　of　much　good　to　anybody　else。　　There　are　the
song…poets　and　the　life…poets；　or　rather　the　God…poems。　　Sympathy　is
lovely　and　dearchiefly　when　it　comes　unsought；　but　the　fame　after
which　so　many　would…be；　yea；　so　many　real　poets　sigh；　is　poorest
froth。　　Donal　could　sing　his　songs　like　the　birds；　content　with　the
blue　heaven　or　the　sheep　for　an　audienceor　any　passing　angel　that
cared　to　listen。　　On　the　hill…sides　he　would　sing　them　aloud；　but　it
was　of　the　merest　natural　necessity。　　A　look　of　estrangement　on　the
face　of　a　friend；　a　look　of　suffering　on　that　of　any　animal；　would
at　once　and　sorely　affect　him；　but　not　a　disparaging　expression　on
the　face　of　a　comparative　stranger；　were　she　the　loveliest　woman　he
had　ever　seen。　　He　was　little　troubled　about　the　world；　because
little　troubled　about　himself。

Lady　Arctura　and　lord　Forgue　lived　together　like　brother　and　sister；
apparently　without　much　in　common；　and　still　less　of
misunderstanding。　　There　would　have　been　more　chance　of　their　taking
a　fancy　to　each　other　if　they　had　not　been　brought　up　together；　they
were　now　little　together；　and　never　alone　together。

Very　few　visitors　came　to　the　castle；　and　then　only　to　call。　　Lord
Morven　seldom　saw　any　one；　his　excuse　being　his　health。

But　lady　Arctura　was　on　terms　of　intimacy　with　Sophia　Carmichael；
the　minister's　daughterto　whom　her　father　had　communicated　his
dissatisfaction　with　the　character　of　Donal；　and　poured　out　his
indignation　at　his　conduct。　　He　ought　to　have　left　the　parish　at
once！　whereas　he　had　instead　secured　for　himself　the　best；　the　only
situation　in　it；　without　giving　him　a　chance　of　warning　his
lordship！　　The　more　injustice　her　father　spoke　against　him；　the　more
Miss　Carmichael　condemned　him；　for　she　was　a　good　daughter；　and
looked　up　to　her　father　as　the　wisest　and　best　man　in　the　parish。
Very　naturally　therefore　she　repeated　his　words　to　lady　Arctura。
She　in　her　turn　conveyed　them　to　her　uncle。　　He　would　not；　however；
pay　much　attention　to　them。　　The　thing　was　done；　he　said。　　He　had
himself　seen　and　talked　with　Donal；　and　liked　him！　　The　young　man
had　himself　told　him　of　the　clergyman's　disapprobation！　　He　would
request　him　to　avoid　all　reference　to　religious　subjects！　　Therewith
he　dismissed　the　matter；　and　forgot　all　about　it。　　Anything
requiring　an　effort　of　the　will；　an　arrangement　of　ideas；　or　thought
as　to　mode；　his　lordship　would　not　encounter。　　Nor　was　anything　to
him　of　such　moment　that　he　must　do　it　at　once。　　Lady　Arctura　did　not
again　refer　to　the　matter：　her　uncle　was　not　one　to　take　liberties
withleast　of　all　to　press　to　action。　　But　she　continued　painfully
doubtful　whether　she　was　not　neglecting　her　duty；　trying　to　persuade
herself　that　she　was　waiting　only　till　she　should　have　something
definite　to　say　of　her　own　knowledge　against　him。

And　now　what　was　she　to　conclude　from　his　reading　the　Apocrypha？
The　fact　was　not　to　be　interpreted　to　his　advantage：　was　he　not
reading　what　was　not　the　Bible　as　if　it　were　the　Bible；　and　when　he
might　have　been　reading　the　Bible　itself？　　Besides；　the　Apocrypha
came　so　near　the　Bible　when　it　was　not　the　Bible！　it　must　be　at
least　rather　wicked！　　At　the　same　time　she　could　not　drive　from　her
mind　the　impressiveness　both　of　the　matter　she　had　heard；　and　his
manner　of　reading　it：　the　strong　sound　of　judgment　and　condemnation
in　it　came　home　to　hershe　could　not　have　told　how　or　why；　except
generally　because　of　her　sins。　　She　was　one　of　thosenot　very　few　I
thinkwho　from　conjunction　of　a　lovely　conscience　with　an
ill…instructed　mind；　are　doomed　for　a　season　to　much　suffering。　　She
was　largely　different　from　her　friend：　the　religious　opinions　of　the
latterthey　were　in　reality　rather　metaphysical　than　religious；　and
bad　either　waythough　she　clung　to　them　with　all　the　tenacity　of　a
creature　with　claws；　occasioned　her　not　an　atom　of　mental
discomposure：　perhaps　that　was　in　part　why　she　clung　to　them！　they
were　as　she　would　have　them！　　She　did　not　trouble　herself　about　what
God　required　of　her；　beyond　holding　the　doctrine　the　holding　of
which　guaranteed；　as　she　thought；　her　future　welfare。　　Conscience
toward　God　had　very　little　to　do　with　her　opinions；　and　her　heart
still　less。　　Her　head　on　the　contrary；　perhaps　rather　her　memory；
was　considerably　occupied　with　the　matter；　nothing　she　held　had　ever
been　by　her　regarded　on　its　own　meritsthat　is；　on　its　individual
claim　to　truth；　if　it　had　been　handed　down　by　her　church；　that　was
enough；　to　support　it　she　would　search　out　text　after　text；　and
press　it　into　the　service。　　Any　meaning　but　that　which　the　church　of
her　fathers　gave　to　a　passage　must　be　of　the　devil；　and　every　man
opposed　to　the　truth　who　saw　in　that　meaning　anything　but　truth！　　It
was　indeed　impossible　Miss　Carmichael　should　see　any　meaning　but
that；　even　if　she　had　looked　for　it；　she　was　nowise　qualified　for
discovering　truth；　not　being　herself　true。　　What　she　saw　and　loved
in　the　doctrines　of　her　church　was　not　the　truth；　but　the　assertion；
and　whoever　questioned；　not　to　say　the　doctrine；　but　even　the
proving　of　it　by　any　particular　passage；　was　a　dangerous　person；　and
unsound。　　All　the　time　her　acceptance　and　defence　of　any　doctrine
made　not　the　slightest　difference　to　her　lifeas　indeed　how　should
it？

Such　was　the　only　friend　lady　Arctura　had。　　But　the　conscience　and
heart　of　the　younger　woman　were　alive　to　a　degree　that　boded　ill
either　for　the　doctrine　that　stinted　their　growth；　or　the　nature
unable　to　cast　it　off。　　Miss　Carmichael　was　a　woman　about
six…and…twentyand　had　been　a　woman；　like　too　many　Scotch　girls；
long　before　she　was　out　of　her　teensa　human　flower　cut　and
driedan　unpleasant　specimen；　and　by　no　means　valuable　from　its
scarcity。　　Self…sufficient；　assured；　with　scarce　shyness　enough　for
modesty；　handsome　and　hard；　she　was　essentially　a　self…glorious
Philistine；　nor　would　she　be　anything　better　till　something　was　sent
to　humble　her；　though　what　spiritual　engine　might　be　equal　to　the
task　was　not　for　man　to　imagine。　　She　was　clever；　but　her　cleverness
made　nobody　happier；　she　had　great　confidence；　but　her　confidence
gave　courage　to　no　one；　and　took　it　from　many；　she　had　little　fancy；
and　less　imagination　than　any　other　I　ever　knew。　　The　divine　wonder
was；　that　she　had　not　yet　driven　the　delicate；　truth…loving　Arctura
mad。　　From　her　childhood　she　had　had　the　ordering　of　all　her
opinions：　whatever　Sophy　Carmichael　said；　lady　Arctura　never　thought
of　questioning。　　A　lie　is　indeed　a　thing　in　its　nature　unbelievable；
but　there　is　a　false　belief　always　ready　to　receive　the　false　truth；
and　there　is　no　end　to　the　mischief　the　two　can　work。　　The　awful
punishment　of　untruth　in　the　inward　parts　is　that　the　man　is　given
over　to　believe　a　lie。

Lady　Arctura　was　in　herself　a　gentle　creature　who　shrank　from　either
giving　or　receiving　a　rough　touch；　but　she　had　an　inherited　pride；
by　herself　unrecognized　as　such；　which　made　her　capable　of　hurting
as　well　as　being　hurt。　　Next　to　the　doctrines　of　the　Scottish
church；　she　respected　her　own　family：　it　had　in　truth　no　other　claim
to　respect　than　that　its　little　good　and　much　evil　had　been　done
befo