donal grant-第85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！


not　too　attentive；　jolly　with　Davie；　distant　with　Donal；　polite　to
all。　Donal　could　hardly　receive　the　evidence　of　his　senses：　he　would
have　wondered　more　had　he　known　every　factor　in　the　change。　All
about　him　seemed　to　say　it　should　not　be　his　fault　if　the　follies　of
his　youth　remained　unforgotten；　and　his　airy　carriage　sat　well　upon
him。　None　the　less　Donal　felt　there　was　no　restoration　of　the　charm
which　had　at　first　attracted　him；　that　was　utterly　vanished。　He　felt
certain　he　had　been　going　down　hill；　and　was　now；　instead　of
negatively；　consciously　and　positively　untrue。

With　gradations　undefined；　but　not　unmarked　of　Donal；　as　if　the　man
found　himself　under　influences　of　which　the　youth　had　been　unaware；
he　began　to　show　himself　not　indifferent　to　the　attractions　of　his
cousin。　He　expressed　concern　that　her　health　was　not　what　it　had
been；　sought　her　in　her　room　when　she　did　not　appear；　professed　an
interest　in　knowing　what　books　she　was　reading；　and　what　were　her
studies　with　Donal；　behaved　like　a　good　brother…cousin；　who　would
not　be　sorry　to　be　something　more。

And　now　the　earl；　to　the　astonishment　of　the　household；　began　to
appear　at　table；　and；　apparently　as　a　consequence　of　this；　Donal　was
requested　rather　than　invited　to　take　his　meals　with　the　familynot
altogether　to　his　satisfaction；　seeing　he　could　not　only　read　while
he　ate　alone；　but　could　get　through　more　quickly；　and　have　the　time
thus　saved；　for　things　of　greater　consequence。　His　presence　made　it
easier　for　lord　Forgue　to　act　his　part；　and　the　manners　he　brought
to　the　front　left　little　to　be　desired。　He　bowed　to　the　judgment　of
Arctura；　and　seemed　to　welcome　that　of　his　father；　to　whom　he　was
now　as　respectful　as　moralist　could　desire。　Yet　he　sometimes　faced　a
card　he　did　not　mean　to　show：　who　that　is　not　absolutely　true　can
escape　the　mishap！there　was　condescension　in　his　politeness　to
Donal！　and　this；　had　there　been　nothing　else；　would　have　been　enough
to　revolt　Arctura。　But　in　truth　he　impressed　her　altogether　as　a　man
of　outsides；　she　felt　that　she　did　not　see　the　man　he　was；　but　the
nearest　approach　he　could　make　to　the　man　he　would　be　taken　for。　He
was　gracious；　dignified；　responsive；　kind；　amusing；　accurate；
readyeverything　but　true。　He　would　make　of　his　outer　man　all　but
what　it　was　meant　fora　revelation　of　the　inner。　It　was　that
notwithstanding。　He　was　a　man　dressed　in　a　man；　and　his　dress　was　a
revelation　of　much　that　he　was；　while　he　intended　it　only　to　show
much　that　he　was　not。　No　man　can　help　unveiling　himself；　however
long　he　may　escape　even　his　own　detection。　There　is　nothing　covered
that　shall　not　be　revealed。　Things　were　meant　to　come　out；　and　be
read；　and　understood；　in　the　face　of　the　universe。　The　soul　of　every
man　is　as　a　secret　book；　whose　content　is　yet　written　on　its　cover
for　the　reading　of　the　wise。　How　differently　is　it　read　by　the　fool；
whose　very　understanding　is　a　misunderstanding！　He　takes　a　man　for　a
God　when　on　the　point　of　being　eaten　up　of　worms！　he　buys　for　thirty
pieces　of　silver　him　whom　the　sepulchre　cannot　hold！　Well　for　those
in　the　world　of　revelation；　who　give　their　sins　no　quarter　in　this！

Forgue　had　been　in　Edinburgh　a　part　of　the　time；　in　England　another
part。　He　had　many　things　to　tell　of　the　people　he　had　seen；　and　the
sports　he　had　shared　in。　He　had　developed　and　enlarged　a　vein　of
gentlemanly　satire；　which　he　kept　supplied　by　the　observation　and
analysis　of　the　peculiarities；　generally　weaknesses；　of　others。
These；　as　a　matter　of　course；　he　judged　merely　by　the　poor　standard
of　society：　questioned　concerning　any　upon　the　larger　human　scale；
he　could　give　no　account　of　them。　To　Donal's　eyes；　the　man　was　a
shallow　pool　whose　surface　brightness　concealed　the　muddy　bottom。




CHAPTER　LXVII。

THE　BREAKFAST…ROOM。

Two　years　before；　lady　Arctura　had　been　in　the　habit　of　riding　a
good　deal；　but　after　an　accident　to　a　favourite　horse　for　which　she
blamed　herself；　she　had　scarcely　ridden　at　all。　It　was　quite　as
much；　however；　from　the　influence　of　Miss　Carmichael　upon　her
spirits；　that　she　had　forsaken　the　exercise。　Partly　because　her
uncle　was　neither　much　respected　nor　much　liked；　she　had　visited
very　little；　and　after　mental　trouble　assailed　her；　growing　under
the　false　prescriptions　of　the　soul…doctor　she　had　called　in；　she
withdrew　more　and　more；　avoiding　even　company　she　would　have
enjoyed；　and　which　would　before　now　have　led　her　to　resume　it。

For　a　time　she　persisted　in　refusing　to　ride　with　Forgue。　In　vain　he
offered　his　horse；　assuring　her　that　Davie's　pony　was　quite　able　to
carry　him；　she　had　no　inclination　to　ride；　she　said。　But　at　last　one
day；　lest　she　should　be　guilty　of　unkindness；　she　consented；　and　so
enjoyed　the　ridefelt；　indeed；　so　much　the　better　for　it；　that　she
did　not　thereafter　so　positively　as　before　decline　to　allow　her
cousin　to　look　out　for　a　horse　fit　to　carry　her；　and　Forgue；　taking
her　consent　for　granted；　succeeded；　with　the　help　of　the　factor；　in
finding　for　her　a　beautiful　creature；　just　of　the　sort　to　please
her。　Almost　at　sight　of　him　she　agreed　to　his　purchase。

This　put　Forgue　in　great　spirits；　and　much　contentment　with　himself。
He　did　not　doubt　that；　gaining　thus　opportunity　so　excellent；　he
would　quickly　succeed　in　withdrawing　her　from　the　absurd　influence
which；　to　his　dismay；　he　discovered　his　enemy　had　in　his　absence
gained　over　her。　He　ought　not　to　have　been　such　a　fool；　he　said　to
himself；　as　to　leave　the　poor　child　to　the　temptations　naturally
arising　in　such　a　dreary　solitude！　He　noted　with　satisfaction；
however；　that　the　parson's　daughter　seemed　to　have　forsaken　the
house。　And　now　at　last；　having　got　rid　of　the　folly　that　a　while
possessed　him；　he　was　prepared　to　do　his　duty　by　the　family；　and；　to
that　end；　would　make　unfaltering　use　of　the　fascinations　experience
had　taught　him　he　was；　in　a　most　exceptional　degree；　gifted　with！　He
would　at　once　take　Arctura's　education　in　his　own　hands；　and　give
his　full　energy　to　it！　She　should　speedily　learn　the　difference
between　the　assistance　of　a　gentleman　and　that　of　a　clotpoll！

He　had　in　England　improved　in　his　riding　as　well　as　his　manners；　and
knew　at　least　how　a　gentleman；　if　not　how　a　man；　ought　to　behave　to
the　beast　that　carried　him。　Also；　having　ridden　a　good　deal　with
ladies；　he　was　now　able　to　give　Arctura　not　a　few　hints　to　the
improvement　of　her　seat；　her　hand；　her　courage；　nor　was　there　any
nearer　road；　he　judged　from　what　he　knew　of　his　cousin；　to　her
confidence　and　gratitude；　than　showing　her　a　better　way　in　a　thing。

But　thinking　that　in　teaching　her　to　ride　he　could　make　her　forget
the　man　who　had　been　teaching　her　to　live；　he　was　not　a　little
mistaken　in　the　woman　he　desired　to　captivate。

He　did　not　yet　love　her　even　in　the　way　he　called　loving；　else　he
might　have　been　less　confident；　but　he　found　her　very　pleasing。
Invigorated　by　the　bright　frosty　air；　the　life　of　the　animal　under
her；　and　the　exultation　of　rapid　motion；　she　seemed　better　in
health；　more　merry　and　full　of　life；　than　he　had　ever　seen　her：　he
put　all　down　to　his　success　with　her。　He　was　incapable　of　suspecting
how　little　of　it　was　owing　to　him；　incapable　of　believing　how　much
to　the　fact　that　she　now　turned　to　the　father　of　spirits　without
fear；　almost　without　doubt；　thought　of　him　as　the　root　of　every
delight　of　the　worldat　the　heart　of　the　horse　she　rode；　in　the
wind　that　blew　joy　into　hers　as　she　swept　through　its　yielding
bosom；　knew　him　as　altogether　loving　and　true；　the　father　of　Jesus
Christ；　as　like　him　as　like　could　be　likemore　like　him　than　any
one　else　in　the　universe　could　be　like　anotherlike　him　as　only
eternal　son　can　be　like　eternal　father。

It　was　no　wonder　that　with　such　a　well　of　living　water　in　her　heart
she　should　be　gladmerry　even；　and　ready　for　anything　her　horse
could　do！　Flying　across　a　field　in　the　very　wildness　of　pleasure；
her　hair　streaming　behind　her；　and　her　pale　face　glowing；　she　would
now　and　then　take　a　jump　Forgue　declared　he　could　not　face　in　cold
blood：　he　did　not　know　how　far　from　cold　her　blood　was！　He　began　to
wonder　he　had　been　such　a　fool　as　neglect　her　forwell；　never
mind！and　to　feel　something　that　was　like　love；　and　was　indeed
admiration。　But　for　the　searing　brand　of　his　past；　he　might　have
loved　her　trulyas　a　man　may；　without　being　the　most　exalted　of
mortals；　for　in　love　we　are　beyond　our　ordinary　selves；　the　deep
thing　in　us　peers　up　into　the　human　air；　and　is　of　Godtherefore
cannot　live　long　in　the　mephitic　air　of　a　selfish　and　low　nature；
but　sinks　again　out　of　sight。

He　was　not　at　his　ease　with　Arctura；　he　was　afraid　of　her。　When　a
man　is　conscious　of　wrong；　knows　in　his　history　what　would　draw　a
hideous　smudge　over　the　portrait　he　would　present　to　the　eyes　of　her
he　would　please；　he　may　well　be　afraid　of　her。　He　makes　liberal
allowance　for　himself；　but　is　not　sure　she　will！　And　before　Forgue
lay　a　social　gulf　which　he　could　pass　only　on　the　narrow　plank　of
her　favour！　The　more　he　was　with　her；　the　more　he　admired　her；　the
more　he　desired　to　marry　her；　the　more　satisfied　he　grew　with　his
own　improvement；　the　more　determined　he　became　that　for　no　po