donal grant-第34节

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the　lass　think　the　mair　o'　him：　they　aye　side　wi'　the　ane　they　tak
to　be　ill…used！〃

〃I　thought　you　said　you　would　in　any　case　have　no　more　to　do　with
her！〃　said　Donal。

Kennedy　was　silent　for　a　moment。

〃A　body　may　tear　at　their　hert；〃　he　muttered；　〃but　gien　it　winna
come；　what's　the　guid　o'　sweirin'　oot　it　maun！〃

〃Well；〃　returned　Donal；　〃it　may　be　some　comfort　to　you　to　know　that；
for　the　present　at　least；　and　I　hope　for　altogether；　the　thing　is
put　a　stop　to。　　The　housekeeper　at　the　castle　knows　all　about　it；
and　she　and　I　will　do　our　best。　　Her　grandparents　know　too。　　Eppie
herself　and　lord　Forgue　have　both　of　them　promised　there　shall　be　no
more　of　it。　　And　I　do　believe；　Kennedy；　there　has　been　nothing　more
than　great　silliness　on　either　side。　　I　hope　you　will　not　forget
yourself　again。　　You　gave　me　a　promise　and　broke　it！〃

〃No　i'　the　letter；　sironly　i'　the　speerit！〃　rejoined　Kennedy：　〃I
gaedna　near　the　castel！〃

〃'Only　in　the　spirit！'　did　you　say；　Stephen？　　What　matters　the　word
but　for　the　spirit？　　The　Bible　itself　lets　the　word　go　any　time　for
the　spirit！　　Would　it　have　been　a　breach　of　your　promise　if　you　had
gone　to　the　castle　on　some　service　to　the　man　you　almost　murdered？
If　ever　you　lay　your　hand　on　the　lad　again；　I'll　do　my　best　to　give
you　over　to　justice。　　But　keep　quiet；　and　I'll　do　all　I　can　for
you。〃

Kennedy　promised　to　govern　himself；　and　they　parted　friends。




CHAPTER　XXVII。

THE　SOUL　OF　THE　OLD　GARDEN。

The　days　went　on　and　on；　and　still　Donal　saw　nothing；　or　next　to
nothing　of　the　earl。　　Thrice　he　met　him　on　the　way　to　the　walled
garden　in　which　he　was　wont　to　take　his　unfrequent　exercise；　on　one
of　these　occasions　his　lordship　spoke　to　him　courteously；　the　next
scarcely　noticed　him；　the　third　passed　him　without　recognition。
Donal；　who　with　equal　mind　took　everything　as　it　came；　troubled
himself　not　at　all　about　the　matter。　　He　was　doing　his　work　as　well
as　he　knew　how；　and　that　was　enough。

Now　also　he　saw　scarcely　anything　of　lord　Forgue　either；　he　no
longer　sought　his　superior　scholarship。　　Lady　Arctura　he　saw
generally　once　a　week　at　the　religion…lesson；　of　Miss　Carmichael
happily　nothing　at　all。　　But　as　he　grew　more　familiar　with　the
countenance　of　lady　Arctura；　it　pained　him　more　and　more　to　see　it
so　sad；　so　far　from　peaceful。　　What　might　be　the　cause　of　it？

Most　well…meaning　young　women　are　in　general　tolerably　happypartly
perhaps　because　they　have　few　or　no　aspirations；　not　troubling
themselves　about　what　alone　is　the　end　of　thoughtand　partly
perhaps　because　they　despise　the　sadness　ever　ready　to　assail　them；
as　something　unworthy。　　But　if　condemned　to　the　round　of　a
tormenting　theological　mill；　and　at　the　same　time　consumed　with
strenuous　endeavour　to　order　thoughts　and　feelings　according　to
supposed　requirements　of　the　gospel；　with　little　to　employ　them　and
no　companions　to　make　them　forget　themselves；　such　would　be　at　once
more　sad　and　more　worthy。　　The　narrow　ways　trodden　of　men　are
miserable；　they　have　high　walls　on　each　side；　and　but　an　occasional
glimpse　of　the　sky　above；　and　in　such　paths　lady　Arctura　was　trying
to　walk。　　The　true　way；　though　narrow；　is　not　unlovely：　most
footpaths　are　lovelier　than　high　roads。　　It　may　be　full　of　toil；　but
it　cannot　be　miserable。　　It　has　not　walls；　but　fields　and　forests
and　gardens　around　it；　and　limitless　sky　overhead。　　It　has　its
sorrows；　but　many　of　them　lie　only　on　its　borders；　and　they　that
leave　the　path　gather　them。　　Lady　Arctura　was　devouring　her　soul　in
silence；　with　such　effectual　help　thereto　as　the　self…sufficient
friend；　who　had　never　encountered　a　real　difficulty　in　her　life；
plenteously　gave　her。　　Miss　Carmichael　dealt　with　her　honestly
according　to　her　wisdom；　but　that　wisdom　was　foolishness；　she　said
what　she　thought　right；　but　was　wrong　in　what　she　counted　right；
nay；　she　did　what　she　thought　rightbut　no　amount　of　doing　wrong
right　can　set　the　soul　on　the　high　table…land　of　freedom；　or　endow
it　with　liberating　help。

The　autumn　passed；　and　the　winter　was　at　handa　terrible　time　to
the　old　and　ailing　even　in　tracts　nearer　the　sunto　the　young　and
healthy　a　merry　time　even　in　the　snows　and　bitter　frosts　of　eastern
Scotland。　　Davie　looked　chiefly　to　the　skating；　and　in　particular　to
the　pleasure　he　was　going　to　have　in　teaching　Mr。　Grant；　who　had
never　done　any　sliding　except　on　the　soles　of　his　nailed　shoes：　when
the　time　came；　he　acquired　the　art　the　more　rapidly　that　he　never
minded　what　blunders　he　made　in　learning　a　thing。　　The　dread　of
blundering　is　a　great　bar　to　success。

He　visited　the　Comins　often；　and　found　continual　comfort　and　help　in
their　friendship。　　The　letters　he　received　from　home；　especially
those　of　his　friend　sir　Gibbie；　who　not　unfrequently　wrote　also　for
Donal's　father　and　mother；　were　a　great　nourishment　to　him。

As　the　cold　and　the　nights　grew；　the　water…level　rose　in　Donal's
well；　and　the　poetry　began　to　flow。　　When　we　have　no　summer　without；
we　must　supply　it　from　within。　　Those　must　have　comfort　in
themselves　who　are　sent　to　help　others。　　Up　in　his　aerie；　like　an
eagle　above　the　low　affairs　of　the　earth；　he　led　a　keener　life；
breathed　the　breath　of　a　more　genuine　existence　than　the　rest　of　the
house。　　No　doubt　the　old　cobbler；　seated　at　his　last　over　a　mouldy
shoe；　breathed　a　yet　higher　air　than　Donal　weaving　his　verse；　or
reading　grand　old　Greek；　in　his　tower；　but　Donal　was　on　the　same
path；　the　only　path　with　an　infinite　endthe　divine　destiny。

He　had　often　thought　of　trying　the　old　man　with　some　of　the　best
poetry　he　knew；　desirous　of　knowing　what　receptivity　he　might　have
for　it；　but　always　when　with　him　had　hitherto　forgot　his　proposed
inquiry；　and　thought　of　it　again　only　after　he　had　left　him：　the
original　flow　of　the　cobbler's　life　put　the　thought　of　testing　it
out　of　his　mind。

One　afternoon；　when　the　last　of　the　leaves　had　fallen；　and　the
country　was　bare　as　the　heart　of　an　old　man　who　has　lived　to
himself；　Donal；　seated　before　a　great　fire　of　coal　and　boat…logs；
fell　a　thinking　of　the　old　garden；　vanished　with　the　summer；　but
living　in　the　memory　of　its　delight。　　All　that　was　left　of　it　at　the
foot　of　the　hill　was　its　corpse；　but　its　soul　was　in　the　heaven　of
Donal's　spirit；　and　there　this　night　gathered　to　itself　a　new　form。
It　grew　and　grew　in　him；　till　it　filled　with　its　thoughts　the　mind
of　the　poet。　　He　turned　to　his　table；　and　began　to　write：　with　many
emendations　afterwards；　the　result　was　this：

　　　　　THE　OLD　GARDEN。

　　　　　　　　　　I。

I　stood　in　an　ancient　garden
　　With　high　red　walls　around；
Over　them　gray　and　green　lichens
　　In　shadowy　arabesque　wound。

The　topmost　climbing　blossoms
　　On　fields　kine…haunted　looked　out；
But　within　were　shelter　and　shadow；
　　And　daintiest　odours　about。

There　were　alleys　and　lurking　arbours
　　Deep　glooms　into　which　to　dive；
The　lawns　were　as　soft　as　fleeces
　　Of　daisies　I　counted　but　five。

The　sun…dial　was　so　aged
　　It　had　gathered　a　thoughtful　grace；
And　the　round…about　of　the　shadow
　　Seemed　to　have　furrowed　its　face。

The　flowers　were　all　of　the　oldest
　　That　ever　in　garden　sprung；
Red；　and　blood…red；　and　dark　purple；
　　The　rose…lamps　flaming　hung。

Along　the　borders　fring閐
　　With　broad　thick　edges　of　box；
Stood　fox…gloves　and　gorgeous　poppies；
　　And　great…eyed　hollyhocks。

There　were　junipers　trimmed　into　castles；
　　And　ash…trees　bowed　into　tents；
For　the　garden；　though　ancient　and　pensive；
　　Still　wore　quaint　ornaments。

It　was　all　so　stately　fantastic；
　　Its　old　wind　hardly　would　stir：
Young　Spring；　when　she　merrily　entered；
　　Must　feel　it　no　place　for　her！

　　　　　　　　　　II。

I　stood　in　the　summer　morning
　　Under　a　cavernous　yew；
The　sun　was　gently　climbing；
　　And　the　scents　rose　after　the　dew。

I　saw　the　wise　old　mansion；
　　Like　a　cow　in　the　noonday…heat；
Stand　in　a　pool　of　shadows
　　That　rippled　about　its　feet。

Its　windows　were　oriel　and　latticed；
　　Lowly　and　wide　and　fair；
And　its　chimneys　like　clustered　pillars
　　Stood　up　in　the　thin　blue　air。

White　doves；　like　the　thoughts　of　a　lady；
　　Haunted　it　in　and　out；
With　a　train　of　green　and　blue　comets；
　　The　peacock　went　marching　about。

The　birds　in　the　trees　were　singing
　　A　song　as　old　as　the　world；
Of　love　and　green　leaves　and　sunshine；
　　And　winter　folded　and　furled。

They　sang　that　never　was　sadness
　　But　it　melted　and　passed　away；
They　sang　that　never　was　darkness
　　But　in　came　the　conquering　day。

And　I　knew　that　a　maiden　somewhere；
　　In　a　sober　sunlit　gloom；
In　a　nimbus　of　shining　garments；
　　An　aureole　of　white…browed　bloom；

Looked　out　on　the　garden　dreamy；
　　And　knew　not　that　it　was　old；
Looked　past　the　gray　and　the　sombre；
　　And　saw　but　the　green　and　the　gold。

　　　　　　　　　　III。

I　stood　in　the　gathering　twilight；
　　In　a　gently　blowing　wind；
And　the　house　looked　half　uneasy；
　　Like　one　that　was　left　behind。

The　roses　had　lost　their　redness；
　　And　cold　the　grass　had　grown；
At　roost　were　the　pigeons　and　peacock；
　　And　the　dial　was　dead　gray　stone。

The　world　by　the　gathering　twilight
　　In　a　gauzy　dusk　was　clad；
It　went　in　through　my　eyes　to　my　spirit；
　　And　made　me　a　little　sad。