donal grant-第67节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


It　the　young；　strong；　ruddy　shepherd；　the　defender　of　his　flock；　who
was　sent　by　God　to　kill　the　giant！　He　was　too　little　to　wear　Saul's
armour；　but　he　could　kill　a　man　too　big　to　wear　it！　Thus　meditated
Arctura　as　she　climbed　the　stair；　and　her　hope　and　courage　grew。

A　delicate　conscience；　sensitive　feelings；　and　keen　faculties；
subjected　to　the　rough　rasping　of　coarse；　self…satisfied；
unspiritual　natures；　had　almost　lost　their　equilibrium。　As　to
natural　condition　no　one　was　sounder　than　she；　yet　even　now　when　she
had　more　than　begun　to　see　its　falsehood；　a　headache　would　suffice
to　bring　her　afresh　under　the　influence　of　the　hideous　system　she
had　been　taught；　and　wake　in　her　all　kinds　of　deranging　doubts　and
consciousnesses。　Subjugated　so　long　to　the　untrue；　she　required　to
be　for　a　time；　until　her　spiritual　being　should　be　somewhat
individualized；　under　the　genial　influences　of　one　who　was　not
afraid　to　believe；　one　who　knew　the　master。　Nor　was　there　danger　to
either　so　long　as　he　sought　no　end　of　his　own；　so　long　as　he　desired
only　His　will；　so　long　as　he　could　say；　〃Whom　is　there　in　heaven　but
thee！　and　there　is　none　upon　earth　that　I　desire　besides　thee！〃

By　the　time　she　reached　the　top　she　was　radiantly　joyous　in　the
prospect　of　a　quiet　hour　with　him　whose　presence　and　words　always
gave　her　strength；　who　made　the　world　look　less　mournful；　and　the
will　of　God　altogether　beautiful；　who　taught　her　that　the　glory　of
the　Father's　love　lay　in　the　inexorability　of　its　demands；　that　it
is　of　his　deep　mercy　that　no　one　can　get　out　until　he　has　paid　the
uttermost　farthing。

They　stepped　upon　the　roof　and　into　the　gorgeous　afterglow　of　an
autumn　sunset。　The　whole　country；　like　another　sea；　was　flowing　from
that　that　well　of　colour；　in　tidal　waves　of　an　ever　advancing
creation。　Its　more　etherial　part；　rushing　on　above；　broke　on　the　old
roofs　and　chimneys　and　splashed　its　many　tinted　foam　all　over　them；
while　through　it　and　folded　in　it　came　a　cold　thin　wind　that　told　of
coming　death。　Arctura　breathed　a　deep　breath；　and　her　joy　grew。　It
is　wonderful　how　small　a　physical　elevation；　lifting　us　into　a
slightly　thinner　air；　serves　to　raise　the　human　spirits！　We　are　like
barometers；　only　work　the　other　way；　the　higher　we　go；　the　higher
goes　our　mercury。

They　stood　for　a　moment　in　deep　enjoyment；　then　simultaneously
turned　to　each　other。

〃My　lady；〃　said　Donal；　〃with　such　a　sky　as　that　out　there；　it　hardly
seems　as　if　there　could　be　such　a　thing　as　our　search　to…night！
Hollow　places；　hidden　away　for　evil　cause；　do　not　go　with　it　at　all！
There　is　the　story　of　gracious　invention　and　glorious　gift；　here　the
story　of　greedy　gathering　and　self…seeking；　which　all　concealment
involves！〃

〃But　there　may　be　nothing；　you　know；　Mr。　Grant！〃　said　Arctura；
troubled　for　the　house。

〃There　may　be　nothing。　But　if　there　is　such　a　room；　you　may　be　sure
it　has　some　relation　with　terrible　wrongwhat；　we　may　never　find
out；　or　even　the　traces　of　it。〃

〃I　shall　not　be　afraid；〃　she　said；　as　if　speaking　with　herself。　〃It
is　the　terrible　dreaming　that　makes　me　weak。　In　the　morning　I
tremble　as　if　I　had　been　in　the　hands　of　some　evil　power。〃

Donal　turned　his　eyes　upon　her。　How　thin　she　looked　in　the　last　of
the　sunlight！　A　pang　went　through　him　at　the　thought　that　one　day　he
might　be　alone　with　Davie　in　the　huge　castle；　untended　by　the
consciousness　that　a　living　light　and　loveliness　flitted　somewhere
about　its　gloomy　and　ungenial　walls。　But　he　would　not　think　the
thought！　How　that　dismal　Miss　Carmichael　must　have　worried　her！　When
the　very　hope　of　the　creature　in　his　creator　is　attacked　in　the　name
of　religion；　when　his　longing　after　a　living　God　is　met　with　the
offer　of　a　paltry　escape　from　hell；　how　is　the　creature　to　live！　It
is　God　we　want；　not　heaven；　his　righteousness；　not　an　imputed　one；
for　our　own　possession；　remission；　not　letting　off；　love；　not
endurance　for　the　sake　of　another；　even　if　that　other　be　the　one
loveliest　of　all。

They　turned　from　the　sunset　and　made　their　way　to　the　chimney…stack。
There　once　more　Donal　set　up　his　ladder。　He　tied　the　clock…weight　to
the　end　of　his　cord；　dropped　it　in；　and　with　a　little　management　got
it　through　the　wires。　It　went　down　and　down；　gently　lowered；　till
the　cord　was　all　out；　and　still　it　would　go。

〃Do　run　and　get　some　more；〃　said　Arctura。

〃You　do　not　mind　being　left　alone？〃

〃Noif　you　will　not　be　long。〃

〃I　will　run；〃　he　saidand　run　he　did；　for　she　had　scarcely　begun　to
feel　the　loneliness　when　he　returned　panting。

He　took　the　end　she　had　been　holding；　tied　on　the　fresh　cord　he　had
brought；　and　again　lowered　away。　As　he　was　beginning　to　fear　that
after　all　he　had　not　brought　enough；　the　weight　stopped；　resting；
and　drew　no　more。

〃If　only　we　had　eyes　in　that　weight；〃　said　Arctura；　〃like　the　snails
at　the　end　of　their　horns！〃

〃We　might　have　greased　the　bottom　of　the　weight；〃　said　Donal；　〃as
they　do　the　lead　when　they　want　to　know　what　kind　of　bottom　there　is
to　the　sea：　it　might　have　brought　up　ashes。　If　it　will　not　go　any
farther；　I　will　mark　the　string　at　the　mouth；　and　draw　it　up。〃

He　moved　the　weight　up　and　down　a　little；　it　rested　still；　and　he
drew　it　up。

〃Now　we　must　mark　off　it　the　height　of　the　chimney　above　the　parapet
wall；〃　he　said；　〃and　then　I　will　lower　the　weight　towards　the　court
below；　until　this　last　knot　comes　to　the　wall：　the　weight　will　then
show　us　on　the　outside　how　far　down　the　house　it　went　inside。Ah；　I
thought　so！〃　he　went　on；　looking　over　after　the　weight；　〃only　to
the　first　floor；　or　thereabouts！No；　I　think　it　is　lower！But
anyhow；　my　lady；　as　you　can　see；　the　place　with　which　the　chimney；
if　chimney　it　be；　communicates；　must　be　somewhere　about　the　middle
of　the　house；　and　perhaps　is　on　the　first　floor；　we　can't　judge　very
well　looking　down　from　here；　and　against　a　spot　where　are　no
windows。　Can　you　imagine　what　place　it　might　be？〃

〃I　cannot；〃　answered　Arctura；　〃but　I　could　go　into　every　room　on
that　floor　without　anyone　seeing　me。〃

〃Then　I　will　let　the　weight　down　the　chimney　again；　and　leave　it　for
you　to　see；　if　you　can；　below。　If　you　find　it；　we　must　do　something
else。〃

It　was　done；　and　they　descended　together。　Donal　went　back　to　the
schoolroom；　not　expecting　to　see　her　again　till　the　next　day。　But　in
half　an　hour　she　came　to　him；　saying　she　had　been　into　every　room　on
that　floor；　both　where　she　thought　it　might　be；　and　where　she　knew
it　could　not　be；　and　had　not　seen　the　weight。

〃The　probability　then　is；〃　replied　Donal；　〃that　thereabout
somewherethere；　or　farther　down　in　that　neighbourhoodlies　the
secret；　but　we　cannot　be　sure；　for　the　weight　may　not　have　reached
the　bottom　of　the　shaft。　Let　us　think　what　we　shall　do　next。

He　placed　a　chair　for　her　by　the　fire。　They　had　the　room　to
themselves。




CHAPTER　LIII。

MISTRESS　BROOKES　UPON　THE　EARL。

They　were　hardly　seated　when　Simmons　appeared；　saying　he　had　been
looking　everywhere　for　her　ladyship；　for　his　lordship　was　taken　as
he　had　never　seen　him　before：　he　had　fainted　right　out　in　the
half…way　room；　and　he　could　not　get　him　to。

Having　given　orders　to　send　at　once　to　Auchars　for　the　doctor；　lady
Arctura　hastened　with　Donal　to　the　room　on　the　stair。　The　earl　was
stretched　motionless　and　pale　on　the　floor。　But　for　a　slight
twitching　in　one　muscle　of　the　face；　they　might　have　concluded　him
dead。　They　tried　to　get　something　down　his　throat；　but　without
success。　The　men　carried　him　up　to　his　chamber。

He　began　to　come　to　himself；　and　lady　Arctura　left　him；　telling
Simmons　to　come　to　the　library　when　he　could；　and　let　them　know　how
he　was。

In　about　an　hour　he　came：　the　doctor　had　been；　and　his　master　was
better。

〃Do　you　know　any　cause　for　the　attack？〃　asked　her　ladyship。

〃I'll　tell　you　all　about　it；　my　lady；　so　far　as　I　know；〃　answered
the　butler。　〃I　was　there　in　that　room　with　himI　had　taken　him
some　accounts；　and　was　answering　some　questions　about　them；　when　all
at　once　there　came　a　curious　noise　in　the　wall。　I　can't　think　what
it　wasan　inward　rumbling　it　was；　that　seemed　to　go　up　and　down　the
wall　with　a　sort　of　groaning；　then　stopped　a　while；　and　came　again。
It　sounded　nothing　very　dreadful　to　me；　perhaps　if　it　had　been　in
the　middle　of　the　night；　I　mightn't　have　liked　it。　His　lordship
started　at　the　first　sound　of　it；　turned　pale　and　gasped；　then　cried
out；　laid　his　hand　on　his　heart；　and　rolled　off　his　chair。　I　did
what　I　could　for　him；　but　it　wasn't　like　one　of　his　ordinary
attacks；　and　so　I　came　to　your　ladyship。　He's　such　a　ticklish
subject；　you　see；　my　lady！　It's　quite　alarming　to　be　left　alone　with
him。　It's　his　heart；　and　you　know；　my　ladyI　should　be　sorry　to
frighten　you；　but　you　know；　Mr。　Grant；　a　gentleman　with　that
complaint　may　go　off　any　moment。　I　must　go　back　to　him　now；　my　lady；
if　you　please。〃

Arctura　turned　and　looked　at　Donal。

〃We　must　be　careful；〃　he　said。

〃We　must；〃　she　answered。　〃Just　thereabout　is　one　of　the　few　places
in　the　house　where　you　hear　the　music。〃

〃And　thereabout　the　music…chimney　goes　down！　That　is　settled！　But
why　should　my　lord　be　frightened　so？〃

〃I　cannot　tell。　He　is　not　like　other　people；　you