donal grant-第57节

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of　the　old　pertness；　mingled　with　uneasiness。　The　phenomenon；
however；　was　so　intermittent　and　unpronounced；　as　to　be　manifest
only　to　eyes　familiar　with　her　looks　and　ways：　to　Donal　it　was　clear
that　the　relation　between　her　and　Forgue　was　resumed。　Yet　she　never
went　out　in　the　evening　except　sent　by　her　grandmother；　and　then　she
always　came　home　even　with　hasteanxious；　it　might　have　seemed；　to
avoid　suspicion。

It　was　the　custom　with　Donal　and　Davie　to　go　often　into　the　fields
and　woods　in　the　fine　weatherthey　called　this　their　observation
classto　learn　what　they　might　of　the　multitudinous　goings　on　in
this　or　that　of　Nature's　workshops：　there　each　for　himself　and　the
other　exercised　his　individual　powers　of　seeing　and　noting　and
putting　together。　Donal　knew　little　of　woodland　matters；　having　been
chiefly　accustomed　to　meadows　and　bare　hill…sides；　yet　in　the　woods
he　was　the　keener　of　the　two　to　observe；　and　could　the　better　teach
that　he　was　but　a　better　learner。

One　day；　as　they　were　walking　together　under　the　thin　shade　of　a
fir…thicket；　Davie　said；　with　a　sudden　change　of　subject

〃I　wonder　if　we　shall　meet　Forgue　to…day！　he　gets　up　early　now；　and
goes　out。　It　is　neither　to　fish　nor　shoot；　for　he　doesn't　take　his
rod　or　gun；　he　must　be　watching　or　looking　for　something！Shouldn't
you　say　so；　Mr。　Grant？〃

This　set　Donal　thinking。　Eppy　was　never　out　at　night；　or　only　for　a
few　minutes；　and　Forgue　went　out　early　in　the　morning！　But　if　Eppy
would　meet　him；　how　could　he　or　anyone　help　it？




CHAPTER　XLV。

A　LAST　ENCOUNTER。

Now　for　a　while；　Donal　seldom　saw　lady　Arctura；　and　when　he　did；
received　from　her　no　encouragement　to　address　her。　The　troubled　look
had　reappeared　on　her　face。　In　her　smile；　as　they　passed　in　hall　or
corridor；　glimmered　an　expression　almost　patheticsomething　like　an
appeal；　as　if　she　stood　in　sore　need　of　his　help；　but　dared　not　ask
for　it。　She　was　again　much　in　the　company　of　Miss　Carmichael；　and
Donal　had　good　cause　to　fear　that　the　pharisaism　of　her　would…be
directress　was　coming　down　upon　her　spirit；　not　like　rain　on　the
mown　grass；　but　like　frost　on　the　spring　flowers。　The　impossibility
of　piercing　the　Christian　pharisee　holding　the　traditions　of　the
elders；　in　any　vital　partso　pachydermatous　is　he　to　any　spiritual
argumentis　a　sore　trial　to　the　old　Adam　still　unslain　in　lovers　of
the　truth。　At　the　same　time　nothing　gives　patience　better
opportunity　for　her　perfect　work。　And　it　is　well　they　cannot　be
reached　by　argument　and　so　persuaded；　they　would　but　enter　the
circles　of　the　faithful　to　work　fresh　schisms　and　breed　fresh
imposthumes。

But　Donal　had　begun　to　think　that　he　had　been　too　forbearing　towards
the　hideous　doctrines　advocated　by　Miss　Carmichael。　It　is　one　thing
where　evil　doctrines　are　quietly　held；　and　the　truth　associated　with
them　assimilated　by　good　people　doing　their　best　with　what　has　been
taught　them；　and　quite　another　thing　where　they　are　forced　upon　some
shrinking　nature；　weak　to　resist　through　the　very　reverence　which　is
its　excellence。　The　finer　nature；　from　inability　to　think　another　of
less　pure　intent　than　itself；　is　often　at　a　great　disadvantage　in
the　hands　of　the　coarser。　He　made　up　his　mind　that；　risk　as　it　was
to　enter　into　disputations　with　a　worshipper　of　the　letter；　inasmuch
as　for　argument　the　letter　is　immeasurably　more　available　than　the
spiritfor　while　the　spirit　lies　in　the　letter　unperceived；　it　has
no　force；　and　the　letter…worshipper　is　incapable　of　seeing　that　God
could　not　possibly　mean　what　he　makes　of　itnotwithstanding　the
risk；　he　resolved　to　hold　himself　ready；　and　if　anything　was　given
him；　to　cry　it　out　and　not　spare。　Nor　had　he　long　resolved　ere　the
opportunity　came。

It　had　come　to　be　known　that　Donal　frequented　the　old　avenue；　and　it
was　with　intent；　in　the　pride　of　her　acquaintance　with　scripture；
and　her　power　to　use　it；　that　Miss　Carmichael　one　afternoon　led　her
unwilling；　rather　recusant；　and　very　unhappy　disciple　thither：　she
sought　an　encounter　with　him：　his　insolence　towards　the
old…established　faith　must　be　confounded；　his　obnoxious　influence　on
Arctura　frustrated！　It　was　a　bright　autumnal　day。　The　trees　were
sorely　bereaved；　but　some　foliage　yet　hung　in　thin　yellow　clouds
upon　their　patient　boughs。　There　was　plenty　of　what　Davie　called
scushlin；　that　is　the　noise　of　walking　with　scarce　lifted　feet
amongst　the　thick…lying　withered　leaves。　But　less　foliage　means　more
sunlight。

Donal　was　sauntering　along；　his　book　in　his　hand；　now　and　then
reading　a　little；　now　and　then　looking　up　to　the　half…bared
branches；　now　and　then；　like　Davie；　sweeping　a　cloud　of　the　fallen
multitude　before　him。　He　was　in　this　childish　act　when；　looking　up；
he　saw　the　two　ladies　approaching；　he　did　not　see　the　peculiar
glance　Miss　Carmichael　threw　her　companion：　〃Behold　your　prophet！〃
it　said。　He　would　have　passed　with　lifted　bonnet；　but　Miss
Carmichael　stopped；　smiling：　her　smile　was　bright　because　it　showed
her　good　teeth；　but　was　not　pleasant　because　it　showed　nothing　else。

〃Glorying　over　the　fallen；　Mr。　Grant？〃　she　said。

Donal　in　his　turn　smiled。

〃That　is　not　Mr。　Grant's　way；〃　said　Arctura；　〃so　far　at　least　as　I
have　known　him！〃

〃How　careless　the　trees　are　of　their　poor　children！〃　said　Miss
Carmichael；　affecting　sympathy　for　the　leaves。

〃Pardon　me；〃　said　Donal；　〃if　I　grudge　them　your　pity：　there　is
nothing　more　of　children　in　those　leaves　than　there　is　in　the　hair
that　falls　on　the　barber's　floor。〃

〃It　is　not　very　gracious　to　pull　a　lady　up　so　sharply！〃　returned
Miss　Carmichael；　still　smiling：　〃I　spoke　poetically。〃

〃There　is　no　poetry　in　what　is　not　true；〃　rejoined　Donal。　〃Those　are
not　the　children　of　the　tree。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　Miss　Carmichael；　a　little　surprised　to　find　their
foils　crossed　already；　〃a　tree　has　no　children！　but〃

〃A　tree　no　children！〃　exclaimed　Donal。　〃What　then　are　all　those
beech…nuts　under　the　leaves？　Are　they　not　the　children　of　the　tree？〃

〃Yes；　and　lost　like　the　leaves！〃　sighed　Miss　Carmichael。

〃Why　do　you　say　they　are　lost？　They　must　fulfil　the　end　for　which
they　were　made；　and　if　so；　they　cannot　be　lost。〃

〃For　what　end　were　they　made？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　If　they　all　grew　up；　they　would　be　a　good　deal　in
the　way。〃

〃Then　you　say　there　are　more　seeds　than　are　required？〃

〃How　could　I；　when　I　do　not　know　what　they　are　required　for？　How　can
I　tell　that　it　is　not　necessary　for　the　life　of　the　tree　that　it
should　produce　them　all；　and　necessary　too　for　the　ground　to　receive
so　much　life…rent　from　the　tree！〃

〃But　you　must　admit　that　some　things　are　lost！〃

〃Yes；　surely！〃　answered　Donal。　〃Why　else　should　he　come　and　look
till　he　find？〃

No　such　answer　had　the　theologian　expected；　she　was　not　immediate
with　her　rejoinder。

〃But　some　of　them　are　lost　after　all！〃　she　said。

〃Doubtless；　there　are　sheep　that　will　keep　running　away。　But　he　goes
after　them　again。〃

〃He　will　not　do　that　for　ever！〃

〃He　will。〃

〃I　do　not　believe　it。〃

〃Then　you　do　not　believe　that　God　is　infinite！〃

〃I　do。〃

〃How　can　you？　Is　he　not　the　Lord　God　merciful　and　gracious？〃

〃I　am　glad　you　know　that。〃

〃But　if　his　mercy　and　his　graciousness　are　not　infinite；　then　he　is
not　infinite！〃

〃There　are　other　attributes　in　which　he　is　infinite。〃

〃But　he　is　not　infinite　in　all　his　attributes？　He　is　partly
infinite；　and　partly　finite！infinite　in　knowledge　and　power；　but
in　love；　in　forgiveness；　in　all　those　things　which　are　the　most
beautiful；　the　most　divine；　the　most　Christ…like；　he　is　finite；
measurable；　bounded；　small！〃

〃I　care　nothing　for　such　finite　reasoning。　I　take　the　word　of
inspiration；　and　go　by　that！〃

〃Let　me　hear　then；〃　said　Donal；　with　an　uplifting　of　his　heart　in
prayer；　for　it　seemed　no　light　thing　for　Arctura　which　of　them
should　show　the　better　reason。

Now　it　had　so　fallen　that　the　ladies　were　talking　about　the　doctrine
called　Adoption　when　first　they　saw　Donal；　whence　this　doctrine　was
the　first　to　occur　to　the　champion　of　orthodoxy　as　a　weapon
wherewith　to　foil　the　enemy。

〃The　most　precious　doctrine；　if　one　may　say　so；　in　the　whole　Bible；
is　that　of　Adoption。　God　by　the　mouth　of　his　apostle　Paul　tells　us
that　God　adopts　some　for　his　children；　and　leaves　the　rest。　If
because　of　this　you　say　he　is　not　infinite　in　mercy；　when　the　Bible
says　he　is；　you　are　guilty　of　blasphemy。〃

In　a　tone　calm　to　solemnity；　Donal　answered

〃God's　mercy　is　infinite；　and　the　doctrine　of　Adoption　is　one　of　the
falsest　of　false　doctrines。　In　bitter　lack　of　the　spirit　whereby　we
cry　Abba；　Father；　the　so…called　Church　invented　it；　and　it　remains；
a　hideous　mask　wherewith　false　and　ignorant　teachers　scare　God's
children　from　their　Father's　arms。〃

〃I　hate　sentimentmost　of　all　in　religion！〃　said　Miss　Carmichael
with　contempt。

〃You　shall　have　none；〃　returned　Donal。　〃Tell　me　what　is　meant　by
Adoption。〃

〃The　taking　of　children；〃　answered　Miss　Carmichael；　already　spying　a
rock　ahead；　〃and　treating　them　as　your　own。〃

〃Whose　children？〃　asked　Donal。

〃Anyone's。〃

〃Whose；〃　insisted　Donal；　〃are　the　children　whom　God　adopts？〃

She　was　on　the　rock；　and　a　little　staggered。　But　she　pulled