donal grant-第37节

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out　of　heart；　they　must　remember；　she　said；　that　they　had　been　young
themselves　once；　and　that　it　was　not　so　easy　to　forget　as　to　give
up。　But　she　would　keep　her　eyes　open！




CHAPTER　XXX。

LORD　MORVEN。

The　winter　came　at　last　in　good　earnestfirst　black　frost；　then
white　snow；　then　sleet　and　wind　and　rain；　then　snow　again；　which
fell　steady　and　calm；　and　lay　thick。　After　that　came　hard　frost；　and
brought　plenty　of　skating；　and　to　Davie　the　delight　of　teaching　his
master。　Donal　had　many　falls；　but　was　soon；　partly　in　virtue　of
those　same　falls；　a　very　decent　skater。　Davie　claimed　all　the　merit
of　his　successful　training；　and　when　his　master　did　anything
particularly　well；　would　remark　with　pride；　that　he　had　taught　him。
But　the　good　thing　in　it　for　Davie　was；　that　he　noted　the　immediate
faith　with　which　Donal　did　or　tried　to　do　what　he　told　him：　this
reacted　in　opening　his　mind　to　the　beauty　and　dignity　of　obedience；
and　went　a　long　way　towards　revealing　the　low　moral　condition　of　the
man　who　seeks　freedom　through　refusal　to　act　at　the　will　of　another。
He　who　does　so　will　come　by　degrees　to　have　no　will　of　his　own；　and
act　only　from　impulsewhich　may　be　the　will　of　a　devil。　So　Donal
and　Davie　grew　together　into　one　heart　of　friendship。　Donal　never
longed　for　his　hours　with　Davie　to　pass；　and　Davie　was　never　so
happy　as　when　with　Donal。　The　one　was　gently　leading　the　other　into
the　paths　of　liberty。　Nothing　but　the　teaching　of　him　who　made　the
human　soul　can　make　that　soul　free；　but　it　is　in　great　measure
through　those　who　have　already　learned　that　he　teaches；　and　Davie
was　an　apt　pupil；　promising　to　need　less　of　the　discipline　of
failure　and　pain　that　he　was　strong　to　believe；　and　ready　to　obey。

But　Donal　was　not　all　the　day　with　Davie；　and　latterly　had　begun　to
feel　a　little　anxious　about　the　time　the　boy　spent　away　from
himpartly　with　his　brother；　partly　with　the　people　about　the
stable；　and　partly　with　his　father；　who　evidently　found　the　presence
of　his　younger　son　less　irksome　to　him　than　that　of　any　other
person；　and　saw　more　of　him　than　of　Forgue：　the　amount　of　loneliness
the　earl　could　endure　was　amazing。　But　after　what　he　had　seen　and
heard；　Donal　was　most　anxious　concerning　his　time　with　his　father；
only　he　felt　it　a　delicate　thing　to　ask　him　about　it。　At　length；
however；　Davie　himself　opened　up　the　matter。

〃Mr。　Grant；〃　he　said　one　day；　〃I　wish　you　could　hear　the　grand
fairy…stories　my　papa　tells！〃

〃I　wish　I　might！〃　answered　Donal。

〃I　will　ask　him　to　let　you　come　and　hear。　I　have　told　him　you　can
make　fairy…tales　too；　only　he　has　quite　another　way　of　doing
it；and　I　must　confess；〃　added　Davie　a　little　pompously；　〃I　do　not
follow　him　so　easily　as　you。Besides；〃　he　added；　〃I　never　can　find
anything　in　what　you　call　the　cupboard　behind　the　curtain　of　the
story。　I　wonder　sometimes　if　his　stories　have　any　cupboard！I　will
ask　him　to…day　to　let　you　come。〃

〃I　think　that　would　hardly　do；〃　said　Donal。　〃Your　father　likes　to
tell　his　boy　fairy…tales；　but　he　might　not　care　to　tell　them　to　a
man。　You　must　remember；　too；　that　though　I　have　been　in　the　house
what　you　think　a　long　time；　your　father　has　seen　very　little　of　me；
and　might　feel　me　in　the　way：　invalids　do　not　generally　enjoy　the
company　of　strangers。　You　had　better　not　ask　him。〃

〃But　I　have　often　told　him　how　good　you　are；　Mr。　Grant；　and　how　you
can't　bear　anything　that　is　not　right；　and　I　am　sure　he　must　like
youI　don't　mean　so　well　as　I　do；　because　you　haven't　to　teach　him
anything；　and　nobody　can　love　anybody　so　well　as　the　one　he　teaches
to　be　good。〃

〃Still　I　think　you　had　better　leave　it　alone　lest　he　should　not　like
your　asking　him。　I　should　be　sorry　to　have　you　disappointed。〃

〃I　do　not　mind　that　so　much　as　I　used。　If　you　do　not　tell　me　I　am
not　to　do　it；　I　think　I　will　venture。〃

Donal　said　no　more。　He　did　not　feel　at　liberty；　from　his　own　feeling
merely；　to　check　the　boy。　The　thing　was　not　wrong；　and　something
might　be　intended　to　come　out　of　it！　He　shrank　from　the　least　ruling
of　events；　believing　man's　only　call　to　action　is　duty。　So　he　left
Davie　to　do　as　he　pleased。

〃Does　your　father　often　tell　you　a　fairy…tale？〃　he　asked。

〃Not　every　day；　sir。〃

〃What　time　does　he　tell　them？〃

〃Generally　when　I　go　to　him　after　tea。〃

〃Do　you　go　any　time　you　like？〃

〃Yes；　but　he　does　not　always　let　me　stay。　Sometimes　he　talks　about
mamma；　I　think；　but　only　coming　into　the　fairy…tale。He　has　told　me
one　in　the　middle　of　the　day！　I　think　he　would　if　I　woke　him　up　in
the　night！　But　that　would　not　do；　for　he　has　terrible　headaches。
Perhaps　that　is　what　sometimes　makes　his　stories　so　terrible　I　have
to　beg　him　to　stop！〃

〃And　does　he　stop？〃

〃WellnoI　don't　think　he　ever　does。When　a　story　is　once　begun；
I　suppose　it　ought　to　be　finished！〃

So　the　matter　rested　for　the　time。　But　about　a　week　after；　Donal
received　one　morning　through　the　butler　an　invitation　to　dine　with
the　earl；　and　concluded　it　was　due　to　Davie；　whom　he　therefore
expected　to　find　with　his　father。　He　put　on　his　best　clothes；　and
followed　Simmons　up　the　grand　staircase。　The　great　rooms　of　the
castle　were　on　the　first　floor；　but　he　passed　the　entrance　to　them；
following　his　guide　up　and　up　to　the　second　floor；　where　the　earl
had　his　own　apartment。　Here　he　was　shown　into　a　small　room；　richly
furnished　after　a　sombrely　ornate　fashion；　the　drapery　and　coverings
much　faded；　worn　even　to　shabbiness。　It　had　been　for　a　century　or　so
the　private　sitting…room　of　the　lady　of　the　castle；　but　was　now　used
by　the　earl；　perhaps　in　memory　of　his　wife。　Here　he　received　his
sons；　and　now　Donal；　but　never　any　whom　business　or　politeness
compelled　him　to　see。

There　was　no　one　in　the　room　when　Donal　entered；　but　after　about　ten
minutes　a　door　opened　at　the　further　end；　and　lord　Morven　appearing
from　his　bedroom；　shook　hands　with　him　with　some　faint　show　of
kindness。　Almost　the　same　moment　the　butler　entered　from　a　third
door；　and　said　dinner　waited。　The　earl　walked　on；　and　Donal
followed。　This　room　also　was　a　small　one。　The　meal　was　laid　on　a
little　round　table。　There　were　but　two　covers；　and　Simmons　alone　was
in　waiting。

While　they　ate　and　drank；　which　his　lordship　did　sparingly；　not　a
word　was　spoken。　Donal　would　have　found　it　embarrassing　had　he　not
been　prepared　for　the　peculiar。　His　lordship　took　no　notice　of　his
guest；　leaving　him　to　the　care　of　the　butler。　He　looked　very　white
and　wornDonal　thought　a　good　deal　worse　than　when　he　saw　him
first。　His　cheeks　were　more　sunken；　his　hair　more　gray；　and　his　eyes
more　wearywith　a　consuming　fire　in　them　that　had　no　longer　much
fuel　and　was　burning　remnants。　He　stooped　over　his　plate　as　if　to
hide　the　operation　of　eating；　and　drank　his　wine　with　a　trembling
hand。　Every　movement　indicated　indifference　to　both　his　food　and　his
drink。

At　length　the　more　solid　part　of　the　meal　was　removed；　and　they　were
left　alone；　fruit　upon　the　table；　and　two　wine…decanters。　From　one
of　them　the　earl　helped　himself；　then　passed　it　to　Donal；　saying；

〃You　are　very　good　to　my　little　Davie；　Mr。　Grant！　He　is　full　of　your
kindness　to　him。　There　is　nobody　like　you！〃

〃A　little　goes　a　long　way　with　Davie；　my　lord；〃　answered　Donal。

〃Then　much　must　go　a　longer　way！〃　said　the　earl。

There　was　nothing　remarkable　in　the　words；　yet　he　spoke　them　with
the　difficulty　a　man　accustomed　to　speak；　and　to　weigh　his　words；
might　find　in　clothing　a　new　thought　to　his　satisfaction。　The　effort
seemed　to　have　tried　him；　and　he　took　a　sip　of　wine。　This；　however；
he　did　after　every　briefest　sentence　he　uttered：　a　sip　only　he　took；
nothing　like　a　mouthful。

Donal　told　him　that　Davie；　of　all　the　boys　he　had　known；　was　far　the
quickest；　and　that　just　because　he　was　morally　the　most　teachable。

〃You　greatly　gratify　me；　Mr。　Grant；〃　said　the　earl。　〃I　have　long
wished　such　a　man　as　you　for　Davie。　If　only　I　had　known　you　when
Forgue　was　preparing　for　college！〃

〃I　must　have　been　at　that　time　only　at　college　myself；　my　lord！〃

〃True！　true！〃

〃But　for　Davie；　it　is　a　privilege　to　teach　him！〃

〃If　only　it　might　last　a　while！〃　returned　the　earl。　〃But　of　course
you　have　the　church　in　your　eye！〃

〃My　lord；　I　have　not。〃

〃What！〃　cried　his　lordship　almost　eagerly；　〃you　intend　giving　your
life　to　teaching？〃

〃My　lord；〃　returned　Donal；　〃I　never　trouble　myself　about　my　life。
Why　should　we　burden　the　mule　of　the　present　with　the　camel…load　of
the　future。　I　take　what　comeswhat　is　sent　me；　that　is。〃

〃You　are　right；　Mr。　Grant！　If　I　were　in　your　position；　I　should
think　just　as　you　do。　But；　alas；　I　have　never　had　any　choice！〃

〃Perhaps　your　lordship　has　not　chosen　to　choose！〃　Donal　was　on　the
point　of　saying；　but　bethought　himself　in　time　not　to　hazard　the
remark。

〃If　I　were　a　rich　man；　Mr。　Grant；〃　the　earl　continued；　〃I　would
secure　your　services　for　a　time　indefinite；　but；　as　every　one　knows；
not　an　acre　of　the　property　belongs　to　me；　or　goes　with　the　title。
Davie；　dear　boy；　will　have　nothing　but　a　thousand　or　two。　The
marriage　I　have　in　view　for　lord　Forgue　will　arrange　a　future　for
him。〃

〃I　hope　there　will　be　some　love　in　the　marriage！〃　said　Donal
uneasily；　wit