donal grant-第38节

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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；　with　a　vague　thought　of　Eppy。

〃I　had　no　intention；〃　returned　his　lordship　with　cold　politeness；
〃of　troubling　you　concerning　lord　Forgue！〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　lord；〃　said　Donal。

〃Davie；　poor　boyhe　is　my　anxiety！〃　resumed　the　earl；　in　his
former　condescendingly　friendly；　half　sleepy　tone。　〃What　to　do　with
him；　I　have　not　yet　succeeded　in　determining。　If　the　church　of
Scotland　were　episcopal　now；　we　might　put　him　into　that：　he　would　be
an　honour　to　it！　But　as　it　has　no　dignities　to　confer；　it　is　not　the
place　for　one　of　his　birth　and　social　position。　A　few　shabby
hundreds　a　year；　and　the　associations　he　would　necessarily　be　thrown
into！However　honourable　the　profession　in　itself！〃　he　added；　with
a　bow　to　Donal；　apparently　unable　to　get　it　out　of　his　head　that　he
had　an　embryo…clergyman　before　him。

〃Davie　is　not　quite　a　man　yet；〃　said　Donal；　〃and　by　the　time　he
begins　to　think　of　a　profession；　he　will；　I　trust；　be　fit　to　make　a
choice：　the　boy　has　a　great　deal　of　common　sense。　If　your　lordship
will　pardon　me；　I　cannot　help　thinking　there　is　no　need　to　trouble
about　him。〃

〃It　is　very　well　for　one　in　your　position　to　think　in　that　way；　Mr。
Grant！　Men　like　you　are　free　to　choose；　you　may　make　your　bread　as
you　please。　But　men　in　our　position　are　greatly　limited　in　their
choice；　the　paths　open　to　them　are　few。　Tradition　oppresses　us。　We
are　slaves　to　the　dead　and　buried。　I　could　well　wish　I　had　been　born
in　your　humbler　but　in　truth　less　contracted　sphere。　Certain　r鬺es
are　not　open　to　you；　to　be　sure；　but　your　life　in　the　open　air；
following　your　sheep；　and　dreaming　all　things　beautiful　and　grand　in
the　world　beyond　you；　is　entrancing。　It　is　the　life　to　make　a　poet！〃

〃Or　a　king！〃　thought　Donal。　〃But　the　earl　would　have　made　a
discontented　shepherd！〃

The　man　who　is　not　content　where　he　is；　would　never　have　been
content　somewhere　else；　though　he　might　have　complained　less。

〃Take　another　glass　of　wine；　Mr。　Grant；〃　said　his　lordship；　filling
his　own　from　the　other　decanter。　〃Try　this；　I　believe　you　will　like
it　better。〃

〃In　truth；　my　lord；〃　answered　Donal；　〃I　have　drunk　so　little　wine
that　I　do　not　know　one　sort　from　another。〃

〃You　know　whisky　better；　I　daresay！　Would　you　like　some　now？　Touch
the　bell　behind　you。〃

〃No；　thank　you；　my　lord；　I　know　as　little　about　whisky：　my　mother
would　never　let　us　even　taste　it；　and　I　have　never　tasted　it。〃

〃A　new　taste　is　a　gain　to　the　being。〃

〃I　suspect；　however；　a　new　appetite　can　only　be　a　loss。〃

As　he　said　this；　Donal；　half　mechanically；　filled　a　glass　from　the
decanter　his　host　had　pushed　towards　him。

〃I　should　like　you；　though；〃　resumed　his　lordship；　after　a　short
pause；　〃to　keep　your　eyes　open　to　the　fact　that　Davie　must　do
something　for　himself。　You　would　then　be　able　to　let　me　know　by　and
by　what　you　think　him　fit　for！〃

〃I　will　with　pleasure；　my　lord。　Tastes　may　not　be　infallible　guides
to　what　is　fit　for　us；　but　they　may　lead　us　to　the　knowledge　of　what
we　are　fit　for。〃

〃Extremely　well　said！〃　returned　the　earl。

I　do　not　think　he　understood　in　the　least　what　Donal　meant。

〃Shall　I　try　how　he　takes　to　trigonometry？　He　might　care　to　learn
land…surveying！　Gentlemen　now；　not　unfrequently；　take　charge　of　the
properties　of　their　more　favoured　relatives。　There　is　Mr。　Graeme；
your　own　factor；　my　lorda　relative；　I　understand！〃

〃A　distant　one；〃　answered　his　lordship　with　marked　coldness；　〃the
degree　of　relationship　hardly　to　be　counted。〃

〃In　the　lowlands；　my　lord；　you　do　not　care　to　count　kin　as　we　do　in
the　highlands！　My　heart　warms　to　the　word　kinsman。〃

〃You　have　not　found　kinship　so　awkward　as　I；　possibly！〃　said　his
lordship；　with　a　watery　smile。　〃The　man　in　humble　position　may　allow
the　claim　of　kin　to　any　extent：　he　has　nothing；　therefore　nothing
can　be　taken　from　him！　But　the　man　who　has　would　be　the　poorest　of
the　clan　if　he　gave　to　every　needy　relation。〃

〃I　never　knew　the　man　so　poor；〃　answered　Donal；　〃that　he　had　nothing
to　give。　But　the　things　of　the　poor　are　hardly　to　the　purpose　of　the
predatory　relative。〃

〃'Predatory　relative！'a　good　phrase！〃　said　his　lordship；　with　a
sleepy　laugh；　though　his　eyes　were　wide　open。　His　lips　did　not　seem
to　care　to　move；　yet　he　looked　pleased。　〃To　tell　you　the　truth；〃　he
began　again；　〃at　one　period　of　my　history　I　gave　and　gave　till　I　was
tired　of　giving！　Ingratitude　was　the　sole　return。　At　one　period　I
had　large　possessionslarger　than　I　like　to　think　of　now：　if　I　had
the　tenth　part　of　what　I　have　given　away；　I　should　not　be　uneasy
concerning　Davie。〃

〃There　is　no　fear　of　Davie；　my　lord；　so　long　as　he　is　brought　up
with　the　idea　that　he　must　work　for　his　bread。〃

His　lordship　made　no　answer；　and　his　look　reminded　Donal　of　that　he
wore　when　he　came　to　his　chamber。　A　moment；　and　he　rose　and　began　to
pace　the　room。　An　indescribable　suggestion　of　an　invisible　yet
luminous　cloud　hovered　about　his　forehead　and　eyeswhich　latter；　if
not　fixed　on　very　vacancy；　seemed　to　have　got　somewhere　near　it。　At
the　fourth　or　fifth　turn　he　opened　the　door　by　which　he　had　entered；
continuing　a　remark　he　had　begun　to　Donalof　which；　although　he
heard　every　word　and　seemed　on　the　point　of　understanding　something；
he　had　not　caught　the　sense　when　his　lordship　disappeared；　still
talking。　Donal　thought　it　therefore　his　part　to　follow　him；　and
found　himself　in　his　lordship's　bedroom。　But　out　of　this　his
lordship　had　already　gone；　through　an　opposite　door；　and　Donal　still
following　entered　an　old　picture…gallery；　of　which　he　had　heard
Davie　speak；　but　which　the　earl　kept　private　for　his　exercise
indoors。　It　was　a　long；　narrow　place；　hardly　more　than　a　wide
corridor；　and　appeared　nowhere　to　afford　distance　enough　for　seeing
a　picture。　But　Donal　could　ill　judge；　for　the　sole　light　in　the
place　came　from　the　fires　and　candles　in　the　rooms　whose　doors　they
had　left　open　behind　them；　with　just　a　faint　glimmer　from　the
vapour…buried　moon；　sufficing　to　show　the　outline　of　window　after
window；　and　revealing　something　of　the　great　length　of　the　gallery。

By　the　time　Donal　overtook　the　earl；　he　was　some　distance　down；
holding　straight　on　into　the　long　dusk；　and　still　talking。

〃This　is　my　favourite　promenade；〃　he　said；　as　if　brought　to　himself
by　the　sound　of　Donal's　overtaking　steps。　〃After　dinner　always；　Mr。
Grant；　wet　weather　or　dry；　still　or　stormy；　I　walk　here。　What　do　I
care　for　the　weather！　It　will　be　time　when　I　am　old　to　consult　the
barometer！〃

Donal　wondered　a　little：　there　seemed　no　great　hardihood　in　the
worst　of　weather　to　go　pacing　a　picture…gallery；　where　the　fiercest
storm　that　ever　blew　could　send　in　only　little　threads　of　air
through　the　chinks　of　windows　and　doors！

〃Yes；〃　his　lordship　went　on；　〃I　taught　myself　hardship　in　my
boyhood；　and　I　reap　the　fruits　of　it　in　my　prime！Come　up　here：　I
will　show　you　a　prospect　unequalled。〃

He　stopped　in　front　of　a　large　picture；　and　began　to　talk　as　if
expatiating　on　the　points　of　a　landscape　outspread　before　him。　His
remarks　belonged　to　something　magnificent；　but　whether　they　were
applicable　to　the　picture　Donal　could　not　tell；　there　was　light
enough　only　to　give　a　faint　gleam　to　its　gilded　frame。

〃Reach　beyond　reach！〃　said　his　lordship；　〃endless！　infinite！　How
would　not　poor　Maldon；　with　his　ever　fresh　ambition　after　the
unattainable；　have　gloated　on　such　a　scene！　In　Nature　alone　you
front　success！　She　does　what　she　means！　She　alone　does　what　she
means！〃

〃If；〃　said　Donal；　more　for　the　sake　of　confirming　the　earl's
impression　that　he　had　a　listener；　than　from　any　idea　that　he　would
listen〃if　you　mean　the　object　of　Nature　is　to　present　us　with
perfection；　I　cannot　allow　she　does　what　she　intends：　you　rarely　see
her　produce　anything　she　would　herself　call　perfect。　But　if　her
object　be　to　make　us　behold　perfection　with　the　inner　eye；　this
object　she　certainly　does　gain；　and　that　just　by　stopping　short
of〃

He　did　not　finish　the　sentence。　A　sudden　change　was　upon　him；
absorbing　him　so　that　he　did　not　even　try　to　account　for　it：
something　seemed　to　give　way　in　his　headas　if　a　bubble　burst　in
his　brain；　and　from　that　moment　whatever　the　earl　said；　and　whatever
arose　in　his　own　mind；　seemed　to　have　outward　existence　as　well。　He
heard　and　knew　the　voice　of　his　host；　but　seemed　also　in　some
inexplicable　way；　which　at　the　time　occasioned　him　no　surprise；　to
see　the　things　which　had　their　origin　in　the　brain　of　the　earl。
Whether　he　went　in　very　deed　out　with　him　into　the　night；　he　did　not
knowhe　felt　as　if　he　had　gone；　and　thought　he　had　notbut　when　he
woke　the　next　morning　in　his　bed　at　the　top　of　the　tower；　which　he
had　no　recollection　of　climbing；　he　was　as　weary　as　if　he　had　been
walking　the　night　through。




CHAPTER　XXXI。

BEWILDERMENT。

His　first　thought　was　of　a　long　and　delightful　journey　he　had　made
on　horseback　with　the　earlthrough　scenes　of　entrancing　interest
and　variety；with　the　present　result　of　a　strange　weariness；　almost
misery。　What　had　befallen　him？　Was　the　thing　a　fact　or　a　fancy？　If