donal grant-第27节

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accustomed　to　a　very　different　tone　in　young　men。　　She　had　found
their　main　ambition　to　amuse；　to　talk　sense　about　other　matters　than
the　immediate　uses　of　this　world；　was　an　out…of…the…way　thing！　　I　do
not　say　Miss　Graeme；　even　on　the　subject　last　in　hand；　appreciated
the　matter　of　Donal's　talk。　　She　perceived　he　was　in　earnest；　and
happily　was　able　to　know　a　deep　pond　from　a　shallow　one；　but　her
best　thought　concerning　him　waswhat　a　strange　new　specimen　of
humanity　was　here！

The　appearance　of　her　brother　coming　down　the　walk；　put　a　stop　to
the　conversation。




CHAPTER　XXIII。

A　TRADITION　OF　THE　CASTLE。

〃Well；〃　he　said　as　he　drew　near；　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　two　getting
on　so　well！〃

〃How　do　you　know　we　are？〃　asked　his　sister；　with　something　of　the
antagonistic　tone　which　both　in　jest　and　earnest　is　too　common
between　near　relations。

〃Because　you　have　been　talking　incessantly　ever　since　you　met。〃

〃We　have　been　only　contradicting　each　other。〃

〃I　could　tell　that　too　by　the　sound　of　your　voices；　but　I　took　it
for　a　good　sign。〃

〃I　fear　you　heard　mine　almost　only！〃　said　Donal。　〃I　talk　too　much；
and　I　fear　I　have　gathered　the　fault　in　a　way　that　makes　it
difficult　to　cure。〃

〃How　was　it？〃　asked　Mr。　Graeme。

〃By　having　nobody　to　talk　to。　　I　learned　it　on　the　hill…side　with
the　sheep；　and　in　the　meadows　with　the　cattle。　　At　college　I　thought
I　was　nearly　cured　of　it；　but　now；　in　my　comparative　solitude　at　the
castle；　it　seems　to　have　returned。〃

〃Come　here；〃　said　Mr。　Graeme；　〃when　you　find　it　getting　too　much　for
you：　my　sister　is　quite　equal　to　the　task　of　re…curing　you。〃

〃She　has　not　begun　to　use　her　power　yet！〃　remarked　Donal；　as　Miss
Graeme；　in　hoydenish　yet　not　ungraceful　fashion；　made　an　attempt　to
box　the　ear　of　her　slanderous　brothera　proceeding　he　had
anticipated；　and　so　was　able　to　frustrate。

〃When　she　knows　you　better；〃　he　said；　〃you　will　find　my　sister　Kate
more　than　your　match。〃

〃If　I　were　a　talker；〃　she　answered；　〃Mr。　Grant　would　be　too　much　for
me：　he　quite　bewilders　me！　　What　do　you　think！　he　has　been　actually
trying　to　persuade　me〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Miss　Graeme；　I　have　been　trying　to　persuade　you
of　nothing。〃

〃What！　not　to　believe　in　ghosts　and　necromancy　and　witchcraft　and
the　evil　eye　and　ghouls　and　vampyres；　and　I　don't　know　what　all　out
of　nursery　stories　and　old　annuals？〃

〃I　give　you　my　word；　Mr。　Graeme；〃　returned　Donal；　laughing；　〃I　have
not　been　persuading　your　sister　of　any　of　these　things！　　I　am
certain　she　could　be　persuaded　of　nothing　of　which　she　did　not　first
see　the　common　sense。　　What　I　did　dwell　upon；　without　a　doubt　she
would　accept　it；　was　the　evident　fact　that　writing　and　printing　have
done　more　to　bring　us　into　personal　relations　with　the　great　dead；
than　necromancy；　granting　the　magician　the　power　he　claimed；　could
ever　do。　　For　do　we　not　come　into　contact　with　the　being　of　a　man
when　we　hear　him　pour　forth　his　thoughts　of　the　things　he　likes　best
to　think　about；　into　the　ear　of　the　universe？　　In　such　a　position
does　the　book　of　a　great　man　place　us！That　was　what　I　meant　to
convey　to　your　sister。〃

〃And；〃　said　Mr。　Graeme；　〃she　was　not　such　a　goose　as　to　fail　of
understanding　you；　however　she　may　have　chosen　to　put　on　the　garb　of
stupidity。〃

〃I　am　sure；〃　persisted　Kate；　〃Mr。　Grant　talked　so　as　to　make　me
think　he　believed　in　necromancy　and　all　that　sort　of　thing！〃

〃That　may　be；〃　said　Donal；　〃but　I　did　not　try　to　persuade　you　to
believe。〃

〃Oh；　if　you　hold　me　to　the　letter！〃　cried　Miss　Graeme；　colouring　a
little。〃It　would　be　impossible　to　get　on　with　such　a　man；〃　she
thought；　〃for　he　not　only　preached　when　you　had　no　pulpit　to　protect
you　from　him；　but　stuck　so　to　his　text　that　there　was　no　amusement
to　be　got　out　of　the　business！〃

She　did　not　know　that　if　she　could　have　met　him；　breaking　the
ocean…tide　of　his　thoughts　with　fitting　opposition；　his　answers
would　have　come　short　and　sharp　as　the　flashes　of　waves　on　rocks。

〃If　Mr。　Grant　believes　in　such　things；〃　said　Mr。　Graeme；　〃he　must
find　himself　at　home　in　the　castle；　every　room　of　which　way　well　be
the　haunt　of　some　weary　ghost！〃

〃I　do　not　believe；〃　said　Donal；　〃that　any　work　of　man's　hands；
however　awful　with　crime　done　in　it；　can　have　nearly　such　an
influence　for　belief　in　the　marvellous；　as　the　still　presence　of
live　Nature。　　I　never　saw　an　old　castle　beforeat　least　not　to　make
any　close　acquaintance　with　it；　but　there　is　not　an　aspect　of　the
grim　old　survival　up　there；　interesting　as　every　corner　of　it　is；
that　moves　me　like　the　mere　thought　of　a　hill…side　with　the　veil　of
the　twilight　coming　down　over　it；　making　of　it　the　last　step　of　a
stair　for　the　descending　foot　of　the　Lord。〃

〃Surely；　Mr。　Grant；　you　do　not　expect　such　a　personal　advent！〃　said
Miss　Graeme。

〃I　should　not　like　to　say　what　I　do　or　don't　expect；〃　answered
Donaland　held　his　peace；　for　he　saw　he　was　but　casting
stumbling…blocks。

The　silence　grew　awkward；　and　Mr。　Graeme's　good　breeding　called　on
him　to　say　something；　he　supposed　Donal　felt　himself　snubbed　by　his
sister。

〃If　you　are　fond　of　the　marvellous；　though；　Mr。　Grant；〃　he　said；
〃there　are　some　old　stories　about　the　castle　would　interest　you。
One　of　them　was　brought　to　my　mind　the　other　day　in　the　town。　　It
is　strange　how　superstition　seems　to　have　its　ebbs　and　flows！　　A
story　or　legend　will　go　to　sleep；　and　after　a　time　revive　with　fresh
interest；　no　one　knows　why。〃

〃Probably；〃　said　Donal；　〃it　is　when　the　tale　comes　to　ears　fitted
for　its　reception。　　They　are　now　in　many　counties　trying　to　get
together　and　store　the　remnants　of　such　tales：　possibly　the　wind　of
some　such　inquiry　may　have　set　old　people　recollecting；　and　young
people　inventing。　　That　would　account　for　a　good　dealwould　it
not？〃

〃Yes；　but　not　for　all；　I　think。　　There　has　been　no　such　inquiry　made
anywhere　near　us；　so　far　as　I　am　aware。　　I　went　to　the　Morven　Arms
last　night　to　meet　a　tenant；　and　found　the　tradesmen　were　talking；
over　their　toddy；　of　various　events　at　the　castle；　and　especially　of
one；　the　most　frightful　of　all。　　It　should　have　been　forgotten　by
this　time；　for　the　ratio　of　forgetting；　increases。〃

〃I　should　like　much　to　hear　it！〃　said　Donal。

〃Do　tell　him；　Hector；〃　said　Miss　Graeme；　〃and　I　will　watch　his
hair。〃

〃It　is　the　hair　of　those　who　mock　at　such　things　you　should　watch；〃
returned　Donal。　〃Their　imagination　is　so　rarely　excited　that；　when
it　is；　it　affects　their　nerves　more　than　the　belief　of　others
affects　theirs。〃

〃Now　I　have　you！〃　cried　Miss　Graeme。　〃There　you　confess　yourself　a
believer！〃

〃I　fear　you　have　come　to　too　general　a　conclusion。　　Because　I
believe　the　Bible；　do　I　believe　everything　that　comes　from　the
pulpit？　　Some　tales　I　should　reject　with　a　contempt　that　would
satisfy　even　Miss　Graeme；　of　others　I　should　say'These　seem　as　if
they　might　be　true；'　and　of　still　others；　'These　ought　to　be　true；　I
think。'But　do　tell　me　the　story。〃

〃It　is　not；〃　replied　Mr。　Graeme；　〃a　very　peculiar　onecertainly　not
peculiar　to　our　castle；　though　unique　in　some　of　its　details；　a
similar　legend　belongs　to　several　houses　in　Scotland；　and　is　to　be
found；　I　fancy；　in　other　countries　as　well。　　There　is　one　not　far
from　here；　around　whose　dark　basementsor　hoary　battlementswho
shall　say　which？floats　a　similar　tale。　　It　is　of　a　hidden　room；
whose　position　or　entrance　nobody　knows。　　Whether　it　belongs　to　our
castle　by　right　I　cannot　tell。〃

〃A　species　of　report；〃　said　Donal；　〃very　likely　to　arise　by　a　kind
of　cryptogamic　generation！　　The　common　people；　accustomed　to　the
narrowest　dwellings；　gazing　on　the　huge　proportions　of　the　place；
and　upon　occasion　admitted；　and　walking　through　a　succession　of
rooms　and　passages；　to　them　as　intricate　and　confused　as　a
rabbit…warren；　must　be　very　ready；　I　should　think；　to　imagine　the
existence　within　such　a　pile；　of　places　unknown　even　to　the
inhabitants　of　it　themselves！But　I　beg　your　pardon：　do　tell　us　the
story。〃

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　said　Kate；　〃you　perplex　me！　　I　begin　to　doubt　if　you
have　any　principles。　　One　moment　you　take　one　side　and　the　next　the
other！〃

〃No；　no；　I　but　love　my　own　side　too　well　to　let　any　traitors　into
its　ranks：　I　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　lies。〃

〃They　are　all　lies　together！〃

〃Then　I　want　to　hear　this　one；〃　said　Donal。

〃I　daresay　you　have　heard　it　before！〃　remarked　Mr。　Graeme；　and
began。

〃It　was　in　the　earldom　of　a　certain　recklessly　wicked　wretch；　who
not　only　robbed　his　poor　neighbours；　and　even　killed　them　when　they
opposed　him；　but　went　so　far　as　to　behave　as　wickedly　on　the　Sabbath
as　on　any　other　day　of　the　week。　　Late　one　Saturday　night；　a　company
were　seated　in　the　castle；　playing　cards；　and　drinking；　and　all　the
time　Sunday　was　drawing　nearer　and　nearer；　and　nobody　heeding。　　At
length　one　of　them；　seeing　the　hands　of　the　clock　at　a　quarter　to
twelve；　made　the　remark　that　it　was　time　to　stop。　　He　did　not
mention　the　sacred　day；　but　all　knew　what　he　meant。　　The　earl
laughed；　and　said；　if　he　was　afraid　of　the　kirk…session；　he　might
go；　and　another　would　take　his　hand。　　But　the　man　sat　still；　and
said　no　more　till　the　clock　gave　the　warning。　　Then　he　spoke　again；