donal grant-第58部分

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〃I　do　not　seeI　should　like　to　understand　how　that　has　to　do　with
it。〃

〃You　may　be　sure　the　Lord　took　the　position　in　life　in　which　it　was
most　possible　to　do　the　highest　good；　and　without　driving　the
argumentfor　every　work　has　its　own　specialtyit　seems　probable
that　the　true　ends　of　his　coming　will　still　be　better　furthered　from
the　standpoint　of　humble　circumstances；　than　from　that　of　rank　and
position。〃

〃You　always　speak；〃　said　Arctura；　〃as　if　there　were　only　the　things
Jesus　Christ　came　for　to　be　cared　about：is　there　nothing　but
salvation　worthy　a　human　being's　regard？〃

〃If　you　give　a　true　and　large　enough　meaning　to　the　word　salvation；
I　answer　you　at　once；　Nothing。　Only　in　proportion　as　a　man　is　saved；
will　he　do　the　work　of　the　world　arightthe　whole　design　of　which
is　to　rear　a　beautiful　blessed　family。　The　world　is　God's　nursery
for　his　upper　rooms。　Oneness　with　God　is　the　end　of　the　order　of
things。　When　that　is　attained；　we　shall　do　greater　things　than　the
Lord　himself　did　on　the　earth！But　was　not　that　苚lus？Listen！〃

There　came　a　low　prolonged　wail。

The　ladder　was　in　readiness；　Donal　set　it　up　in　haste；　climbed　to
the　cleft；　and　with　a　sheet　of　brown　paper　in　his　hands；　waited　the
next　cry　of　the　prisoned　chords。　He　was　beginning　to　get　tired　of
his　position；　when　suddenly　came　a　stronger　puff；　and　he　heard　the
music　distinctly　in　the　shaft　beside　him。　It　swelled　and　grew。　He
spread　the　sheet　of　paper　over　the　opening；　the　wind　blew　it　flat
against　the　chimney；　and　the　sound　instantly　ceased。　He　removed　it；
and　again　came　the　sound。　The　wind　continued；　and　grew　stronger；　so
that　they　were　able　to　make　the　simple　experiment　until　no　shadow　of
a　doubt　was　left：　they　had　discovered　the　source　of　the　music！　By
certain　dispositions　of　the　paper　they　were　even　able　to　modify　it。

Donal　descended；　and　said　to　Davie；

〃I　wish　you　not　to　say　a　word　about　this　to　any　one；　Davie；　before
lady　Arctura　or　I　give　you　leave。　You　have　a　secret　with　us　now。　The
castle　belongs　to　lady　Arctura；　and　she　has　a　right　to　ask　you　not
to　speak　of　it　to　any　one　without　her　permission。I　have　a　reason；
my　lady；〃　he　went　on；　turning　to　Arctura：　〃will　you；　please；　desire
Davie　to　attend　to　what　I　say。　I　will　immediately　explain　to　you；
but　I　do　not　want　Davie　to　know　my　reason　until　you　do。　You　can　on
the　instant　withdraw　your　prohibition；　should　you　not　think　my
reason　a　good　one。〃

〃Davie；〃　said　Arctura；　〃I　too　have　faith　in　Mr。　Grant：　I　beg　you
will　keep　all　this　a　secret　for　the　present。〃

〃Oh　surely；　cousin　Arkie！〃　said　Davie。　〃But；　Mr。　Grant；　why　should
you　make　Arkie　speak　to　me　too？〃

〃Because　the　thing　is　her　business；　not　mine。　Run　down　and　wait　for
me　in　my　room。　Go　steadily　over　the　bartizan；　mind。〃

Donal　turned　again　to　Arctura。

〃You　know　they　say　there　is　a　hidden　room　in　the　castle；　my　lady？〃

〃Do　you　believe　it？〃　she　returned。

〃I　think　there　may　be　such　a　place。〃

〃Surely　if　there　had　been；　it　would　have　been　found　long　ago。〃

〃They　might　have　said　that　on　the　first　report　of　the　discovery　of
America！〃

〃That　was　far　off；　and　across　a　great　ocean！〃

〃And　here　are　thick　walls；　and　hearts　careless　an　timid！Has　any
one　ever　set　in　earnest　about　finding　it？〃

〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃

〃Then　your　objection　falls　to　the　ground。　If　you　could　have　told　me
that　one　had　tried　to　find　the　place；　but　without　success；　I　would
have　admitted　some　force　in　it；　though　it　would　not　have　satisfied
me　without　knowing　the　plans　he　had　taken；　and　how　they　were　carried
out。　On　the　other　hand　it　may　have　been　known　to　many　who　held　their
peace　about　it。Would　you　not　like　to　know　the　truth　concerning
that　too？〃

〃I　should　indeed。　But　would　not　you　be　sorry　to　lose　another
mystery？〃

〃On　the　contrary；　there　is　only　the　rumour　of　a　mystery　now；　and　we
do　not　quite　believe　it。　We　are　not　at　liberty；　in　the　name　of　good
sense；　to　believe　it　yet。　But　if　we　find　the　room；　or　the　space　even
where　it　may　be；　we　shall　probably　find　also　a　mysterysomething
never　in　this　world　to　be　accounted　for；　but　suggesting　a　hundred
unsatisfactory　explanations。　But；　pardon　me；　I　do　not　in　the　least
presume　to　press　it。〃

Lady　Arctura　smiled。

〃You　may　do　what　you　please；〃　she　said。　〃If　I　seemed　for　a　moment　to
hesitate；　it　was　only　that　I　wondered　what　my　uncle　would　say　to　it。
I　should　not　like　to　vex　him。〃

〃Certainly　not；　but　would　he　not　be　pleased？〃

〃I　will　speak　to　him；　and　find　out。　He　hates　what　he　calls
superstition；　and　I　fancy　has　curiosity　enough　not　to　object　to　a
search。　I　do　not　think　he　would　consent　to　pulling　down；　but　short
of　that；　I　don't　think　he　will　mind。　I　should　not　wonder　if　he　even
joined　in　the　search。〃

Donal　thought　with　himself　it　was　strange　then　he　had　never
undertaken　one。　Something　told　him　the　earl　would　not　like　the
proposal。

〃But　tell　me；　Mr。　Granthow　would　you　set　about　it？〃　said　Arctura；
as　they　went　towards　the　tower。

〃If　the　question　were　merely　whether　or　not　there　was　such　a　room；
and　not　the　finding　of　it；〃

〃Excuse　mebut　how　could　you　tell　whether　there　was　or　was　not　such
a　room　except　by　searching　for　it？〃

〃By　determining　whether　there　was　or　was　not　some　space　in　the
castle　unaccounted　for。〃

〃I　do　not　see。〃

〃Would　you　mind　coming　to　my　room？　It　will　be　a　lesson　for　Davie
too！〃

She　assented；　and　Donal　gave　them　a　lesson　in　cubic　measure　and
content。　He　showed　them　how　to　reckon　the　space　that　must　lie　within
given　boundaries：　if　then　within　those　boundaries　they　could　not
find　so　much；　part　of　it　must　he　hidden。　If　they　measured　the　walls
of　the　castle；　allowing　of　course　for　their　thickness　and　every
irregularity；　and　from　that　calculated　the　space　they　must　hold；
then　measured　all　the　rooms　and　open　places　within　the　walls；
allowing　for　all　partitions；　and　having　again　calculated；　found　the
space　fall　short　of　what　they　had　from　the　outside　measurements　to
expect；　they　must　conclude　either　that　they　had　measured　or
calculated　wrong；　or　that　there　was　space　in　the　castle　to　which
they　had　no　access。

〃But；〃　continued　Donal；　when　they　had　in　a　degree　mastered　the　idea；
〃if　the　thing　was；　to　discover　the　room　itself；　I　should　set　about
it　in　a　different　way；　I　should　not　care　about　the　measuring。　I
would　begin　and　go　all　over　the　castle；　first　getting　the　outside
shape　right　in　my　head；　and　then　fitting　everything　inside　it　into
that　shape　of　it　in　my　brain。　If　I　came　to　a　part　I　could　not　so　fit
at　once；　I　would　examine　that　according　to　the　rules　I　have　given
you；　take　exact　measurements　of　the　angles　and　sides　of　the
different　rooms　and　passages；　and　find　whether　these　enclosed　more
space　than　I　could　at　once　discover　inside　them。But　I　need　not
follow　the　process　farther：　pulling　down　might　be　the　next　thing；
and　we　must　not　talk　of　that！〃

〃But　the　thing　is　worth　doing；　is　it　not；　even　if　we　do　not　go　so
far　as　to　pull　down？〃

〃I　think　so。〃

〃And　I　think　my　uncle　will　not　object。Say　nothing　about　it　though；
Davie；　till　we　give　you　leave。〃

That　we　was　pleasant　in　Donal's　ears。

Lady　Arctura　rose；　and　they　all　went　down　together。　When　they
reached　the　hall；　Davie　ran　to　get　his　kite。

〃But　you　have　not　told　me　why　you　would　not　have　him　speak　of　the
music；〃　said　Arctura；　stopping　at　the　foot　of　the　great　stair。

〃Partly　because；　if　we　were　to　go　on　to　make　search　for　the　room；　it
ought　to　be　kept　as　quiet　as　possible；　and　the　talk　about　the　one
would　draw　notice　to　the　other；　and　partly　because　I　have　a　hope
that　the　one　may　even　guide　us　to　the　other。〃

〃You　will　tell　me　about　that　afterwards；〃　said　Arctura；　and　went　up
the　stair。

That　night　the　earl　had　another　of　his　wandering　fits；　also　all
night　the　wind　blew　from　the　south…east。

In　the　morning　Arctura　went　to　him　with　her　proposal。　The　instant　he
understood　what　she　wished；　his　countenance　grew　black　as　thunder。

〃What！〃　he　cried；　〃you　would　go　pulling　the　grand　old　bulk　to　pieces
for　the　sake　of　a　foolish　tale　about　the　devil　and　a　set　of
cardplayers！　By　my　soul；　I'll　be　damned　if　you　do！Not　while　I'm
above　ground　at　least！　That's　what　comes　of　putting　such　a　place　in
the　power　of　a　woman！　It's　sacrilege！　By　heaven；　I'll　throw　my
brother's　will　into　chancery　rather！〃

His　rage　was　such　as　to　compel　her　to　think　there　must　be　more　in　it
than　appeared。　The　wilderness　of　the　temper　she　had　roused　made　her
tremble；　but　it　also　woke　the　spirit　of　her　race；　and　she　repented
of　the　courtesy　she　had　shown　him：　she　had　the　right　to　make　what
investigations　she　pleased！　Her　father　would　not　have　left　her　the
property　without　good　reasons　for　doing　so；　and　of　those　reasons
some　might　well　have　lain　in　the　character　of　the　man　before　her！

Through　all　this　rage　the　earl　read　something　of　what　had　sent　the
blood　of　the　Graemes　to　her　cheek　and　brow。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　love；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　he　was　your　father；
he　was　my　brother！〃

〃He　is　my　father！〃　said　Arctura　coldly。

〃Dead　and　gone　and　all　but　forgotten！〃

〃No；　my　lord；　not　for　one　day　forgotten！　not　for　one　moment
unloved！〃

〃Ah；　well；　as　you　please！　but　because　you　love　his　memory　must　I
regard　him　as　a　Solon？　'T　is　surely　no　great　treason　to　reflect　upon
the　wisdom　of　a　dead　man！〃

〃I　wish　you　good　day；　my　lord！〃　said　Arctura；　very　angry；　and　left
him。

But　when　presently　she　found　that　she　could　not　lift　up　her　heart　to
her　father　in　heaven；　gladly　would　she　have　sent　her　anger　from　her。
Was　it　not　plainly　other　than　good；　when　it　came　thus　between　her
and　the　living　God！　All　day　at　intervals　she　had　to　struggle　and
pray　against　it；　a　great　part　of　the　night　she　lay　awake　because　of
it；　but　at　length　she　pitied　her　uncle　too　much　to　be　very　angry
with　him　any　more；　and　so　fell　asleep。

In　the　morning　she　found　that　all　sense　of　his　having　authority　over
her　had　vanished；　and　with　it　her　anger。　She　saw　also　that　it　was
quite　time　she　took　upon　herself　the　duties　of　a　landowner。　What
could　Mr。　Grant　think　of　herdoing　nothing　for　her　people！　But　she
could　do　little　while　her　uncle　received　the　rents　and　gave　orders
to　Mr。　Graeme！　She　would　take　the　thing　into　her　own　hands！　In　the
meantime；　M