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them。　They　sought　a　way　out　of　their　difficulties；　and　thought　they
had　found　one；　when　in　reality　it　was　their　faith　in　God　himself
that　alone　got　them　out　of　the　prison　of　their　theories。　But　gladly
would　I　see　discomfited　such　as；　receiving　those　inventions　at　the
hundredth　hand；　and　moved　by　none　of　the　fervour　with　which　they
were　first　promulgated；　lay；　as　the　word　and　will　of　God；　lumps　of
iron　and　heaps　of　dust　upon　live；　beating；　longing　hearts　that　cry
out　after　their　God！〃

〃Oh；　I　do　hope　what　you　say　is　true！〃　panted　Arctura。　〃I　think　I
shall　die　if　I　find　it　is　not！〃

〃If　you　find　what　I　tell　you　untrue；　it　will　only　be　that　it　is　not
grand　and　free　and　bounteous　enough。　To　think　anything　too　good　to
be　true；　is　to　deny　Godto　say　the　untrue　may　be　better　than　the
truethat　there　might　be　a　greater　God　than　he。　Remember；　Christ　is
in　the　world　still；　and　within　our　call。〃

〃I　will　think　of　what　you　tell　me；〃　said　Arctura；　holding　out　her
hand。

〃If　anything　in　particular　troubles　you；〃　said　Donal；　〃I　shall　be
most　glad　to　help　you　if　I　can；　but　it　is　better　there　should　not　be
much　talking。　The　thing　lies　between　you　and　your　Father。〃

With　these　words　he　left　her。　Arctura　followed　slowly　to　the　house；
and　went　straight　to　her　room；　her　mind　filling　as　she　went　with
slow…reviving　strength　and　a　great　hope。　No　doubt　some　of　her　relief
came　from　the　departure　of　her　incubus　friend；　but　that　must　soon
have　vanished　in　fresh　sorrow；　save　for　the　hope　and　strength　to
which　this　departure　yielded　the　room。　She　trusted　that　by　the　time
she　saw　her　again　she　would　be　more　firmly　grounded　concerning　many
things；　and　able　to　set　them　forth　aright。　She　was　not　yet　free　of
the　notion　that　you　must　be　able　to　defend　your　convictions；　she
scarce　felt　at　liberty　to　say　she　believed　a　thing；　so　long　as　she
knew　an　argument　against　it　which　she　could　not　show　to　be　false。
Alas　for　our　beliefs　if　they　go　no　farther　than　the　poor　horizon　of
our　experience　or　our　logic；　or　any　possible　wording　of　the　beliefs
themselves！　Alas　for　ourselves　if　our　beliefs　are　not　what　we　shape
our　lives；　our　actions；　our　aspirations；　our　hopes；　our　repentances
by！

Donal　was　glad　indeed　to　hope　that　now　at　length　an　open　door　stood
before　the　poor　girl。　He　had　been　growing　much　interested　in　her；　as
one　on　whom　life　lay　heavy；　one　who　seemed　ripe　for　the　kingdom　of
heaven；　yet　in　whose　way　stood　one　who　would　neither　enter　herself；
nor　allow　her　to　enter　that　would。　She　was　indeed　fit　for　nothing
but　the　kingdom　of　heaven；　so　much　was　she　already　the　child　of　him
whom；　longing　after　him；　she　had　not　yet　dared　to　call　her　father。
His　regard　for　her　was　that　of　the　gentle　strong　towards　the　weak　he
would　help；　and　now　that　she　seemed　fairly　started　on　the　path　of
life；　the　path；　namely；　to　the　knowledge　of　him　who　is　the　life；　his
care　over　her　grew　the　more　tender。　It　is　the　part　of　the　strong　to
serve　the　weak；　to　minister　that　whereby　they　too　may　grow　strong。
But　he　rather　than　otherwise　avoided　meeting　her；　and　for　a　good
many　days　they　did　not　so　much　as　see　each　other。




CHAPTER　XLVI。

A　HORRIBLE　STORY。

The　health　of　the　earl　remained　fluctuating。　Its　condition　depended
much　on　the　special　indulgence。　There　was　hardly　any　sort　of
narcotic　with　which　he　did　not　at　least　make　experiment；　if　he　did
not　indulge　in　it。　He　made　no　pretence　even　to　himself　of　seeking
therein　the　furtherance　of　knowledge；　he　wanted　solely　to　find　how
this　or　that；　thus　or　thus　modified　or　combined；　would　contribute　to
his　living　a　life　such　as　he　would　have　it；　and　other　quite　than
that　ordered　for　him　by　a　power　which　least　of　all　powers　he　chose
to　acknowledge。　The　power　of　certain　drugs　he　was　eager　to
understand：　the　living　source　of　him　and　them　and　their
correlations；　he　scarcely　recognized。　This　came　of　no　hostility　to
religion　other　than　the　worst　hostility　of　allthat　of　a　life
irresponsive　to　its　claims。　He　believed　neither　like　saint　nor
devil；　he　believed　and　did　not　obey；　he　believed　and　did　not　yet
tremble。

The　one　day　he　was　better；　the　other　worse；　according；　as　I　say；　to
the　character　and　degree　of　his　indulgence。　At　one　time　it　much
affected　his　temper；　taking　from　him　all　mastery　of　himself；　at
another　made　him　so　dull　and　stupid；　that　he　resented　nothing　except
any　attempt　to　rouse　him　from　his　hebetude。　Of　these　differences　he
took　unfailing　note；　but　the　worst　influence　of　all　was　a　constant
one；　and　of　it　he　made　no　account：　however　the　drugs　might　vary　in
their　operations　upon　him；　to　one　thing　they　all　tendedthe
destruction　of　his　moral　nature。

Urged　more　or　less　all　his　life　by　a　sort　of　innate　rebellion
against　social　law；　he　had　done　great　wrongswhether　also　committed
what　are　called　crimes；　I　cannot　tell：　no　repentance　had　followed
the　remorse　their　consequences　had　sometimes　occasioned。　And　now　the
possibility　of　remorse　even　was　gradually　forsaking　him。　Such　a　man
belongs　rather　to　the　kind　demoniacal　than　the　kind　human；　yet　so
long　as　nothing　occurs　giving　to　his　possible　an　occasion　to　embody
itself　in　the　actual；　he　may　live　honoured；　and　die　respected。　There
is　always；　not　the　less；　the　danger　of　his　real　nature；　or　rather
unnature；　breaking　out　in　this　way　or　that　diabolical。

Although　he　went　so　little　out　of　the　house；　and　apparently　never
beyond　the　grounds；　he　yet　learned　a　good　deal　at　times　of　things
going　on　in　the　neighbourhood：　Davie　brought　him　news；　so　did
Simmons；　and　now　and　then　he　would　have　an　interview　with　his　half
acknowledged　relative；　the　factor。

One　morning　before　he　was　up；　he　sent　for　Donal；　and　requested　him
to　give　Davie　a　half…holiday；　and　do　something　for　him　instead。

〃You　know；　or　perhaps　you　don't　know；　that　I　have　a　house　in　the
town；〃　he　said；　〃the　only　house；　indeed；　now　belonging　to　the
earldoma　not　very　attractive　house　which　you　must　have　seenon
the　main　street；　a　little　before　you　come　to　the　Morven　Arms。〃

〃I　believe　I　know　the　house；　my　lord；〃　answered　Donal；　〃with　strong
iron　stanchions　to　the　lower　windows；　and？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　the　house；　and　I　daresay　you　have　heard　the　story　of
itI　mean　how　it　fell　into　its　present　disgrace！　The　thing　happened
more　than　a　hundred　years　ago。　But　I　have　spent　some　nights　in　it
myself　notwithstanding。〃

〃I　should　like　to　hear　it；　my　lord；〃　said　Donal。

〃You　may　as　well　have　it　from　myself　as　from　another！　It　does　not
touch　any　of　us；　for　the　family　was　not　then　represented　by　the　same
branch　as　now；　I　might　else　be　thin…skinned　about　it。　No　mere
legend；　mind　you；　but　a　very　dreadful　fact；　which　resulted　in　the
abandonment　of　the　house！　I　think　it　time；　for　my　part；　that　it
should　be　forgotten　and　the　house　let。　It　was　before　the　castle　and
the　title　parted　company：　that　is　a　tale　worth　telling　too！　there
was　little　fair　play　in　either！　but　I　will　not　trouble　you　with　it
now。

〃Into　the　generation　then　above　ground；〃　the　earl　began；　assuming　a
book…tone　the　instant　he　began　to　narrate；　〃by　one　of　those　freaks
of　nature　specially　strange　and　more　inexplicable　than　the　rest；　had
been　born　an　original　savage。　You　know　that　the　old　type；　after　so
many　modifications　have　been　wrought　upon　it；　will　sometimes
reappear　in　its　ancient　crudity　amidst　the　latest　development　of　the
race；　animal　and　vegetable　too；　I　suppose！well；　so　it　was　now：　I
use　no　figure　of　speech　when　I　say　that　the　apparition；　the
phenomenon；　was　a　savage。　I　do　not　mean　that　he　was　an　exceptionally
rough　man　for　his　position；　but　for　any　position　in　the　Scotland　of
that　age。　No　doubt　he　was　regarded　as　a　madman；　and　used　as　a
madman；　but　my　opinion　is　the　more　philosophicalthat；　by　an　arrest
of　development；　into　the　middle　of　the　ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the
family　came　a　veritable　savage；　and　one　out　of　no　darkest　age　of
history；　but　from　beyond　all　recordout　of　the　awful　prehistoric
times。〃

His　lordship　visibly　and　involuntarily　shuddered；　as　at　the　memory
of　something　he　had　seen：　into　that　region　he　had　probably　wandered
in　his　visions。

〃He　was　a　fierce　and　furious　savageworse　than　anything　you　can
imagine。　The　only　sign　of　any　influence　of　civilization　upon　him　was
that　he　was　cowed　by　the　eye　of　his　keeper。　Never；　except　by　rarest
chance；　was　he　left　alone　and　awake：　no　one　could　tell　what　he　might
not　do！

〃He　was　of　gigantic　size；　with　coarse　black　hairthe　brawniest
fellow　and　the　ugliest；　they　sayfor　you　may　suppose　my　description
is　but　legendary：　there　is　no　portrait　of　him　on　our　walls！with　a
huge；　shapeless；　cruel；　greedy　mouth；〃

As　his　lordship　said　the　words；　Donal；　with　involuntary　insight；　saw
both　cruelty　and　greed　in　the　mouth　that　spoke；　though　it　was
neither　huge　nor　shapeless。

〃lips　hideously　red　and　large；　with　the　whitest　teeth　inside
them。I　give　you　the　description；〃　said　his　lordship；　who　evidently
lingered　not　without　pleasure　on　the　details　of　his　recital；　〃just
as　I　used　to　hear　it　from　my　old　nurse；　who　had　been　all　her　life　in
the　family；　and　had　it　from　her　mother　who　was　in　it　at　the
time。His　great　passion；　his　keenest　delight；　was　animal　food。　He
ate　enormouslymore；　it　was　said；　than　three　hearty　men