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about　it；　my　child！　The　fact　is　I　never　thought　of　your　taking　any
interest　in　the　matter；　I　had　naturally　lost　all　mine。　You　will
please　to　observe；　however；　I　have　only　restored　what　I　had　myself
disarrangednot　meddled　with　anything　belonging　to　the　castle！〃

〃But　now　you　have　the　masons　here；　why　not　go　on；　and　make　a　little
search　for　the　lost　room？〃　said　Arctura；　venturing　once　more。

〃We　might　pull　down　the　castle　and　be　none　the　wiser！　Bah！　the
building　up　of　half　the　closet　may　have　given　rise　to　the　whole
story！〃

〃Surely；　uncle；　the　legend　is　older　than　that！〃

〃It　may　be；　you　cannot　be　sure。　Once　a　going；　it　would　immediately
cry　back　to　a　remote　age。　Prove　that　any　one　ever　spoke　of　it　before
the　building　of　that　foolish　wall。〃

〃Surely　some　remember　hearing　it　long　before　that！〃

〃Nothing　is　more　treacherous　than　a　memory　confronted　with　a　general
belief；〃　said　the　earl；　and　took　his　leave。

The　next　morning　Arctura　went　to　see　the　alteration。　She　opened　the
door　of　the　little　room：　it　was　twice　its　former　size；　and　two
bureaus　were　standing　against　the　wall！　She　peeped　into　the　cupboard
at　the　end　of　it；　but　saw　nothing　there。

That　same　morning　she　made　up　her　mind　that　she　would　go　no　farther
at　present　in　regard　to　the　chapel：　it　would　be　to　break　with　her
uncle！

In　the　evening；　she　acquainted　Donal　with　her　resolve；　and　he　could
not　say　she　was　wrong。　There　was　no　necessity　for　opposing　her
unclethere　might　soon　come　one！　He　told　her　how　he　had　entered　the
closet　from　behind；　and　of　the　noise　he　had　made　the　night　before；
which　had　perhaps　led　to　the　opening　of　the　place；　but　he　did　not
tell　her　of　what　he　had　found　on　the　bureau。　The　time　might　come
when　he　must　do　so；　but　now　he　dared　not　render　her　relations　with
her　uncle　yet　more　uncomfortable；　neither　was　it　likely　such　a　woman
would　consent　to　marry　such　a　man　as　her　cousin　had　shown　himself；
when　that　danger　appeared；　it　would　be　time　to　interpose；　for　the
mere　succession　to　an　empty　title；　he　was　not　sure　that　he　was　bound
to　speak。　The　branch　which　could　produce　such　scions；　might　well　be
itself　a　false　graft　on　the　true　stem　of　the　family！if　not；　what
was　the　family　worth？　He　must　at　all　events　be　sure　it　was　his
business　before　he　moved　in　the　matter！




CHAPTER　LXVI。

PROGRESS　AND　CHANGE。

Things　went　on　very　quietly　for　a　time。　Arctura　grew　better；　resumed
her　studies；　and　made　excellent　progress。　She　would　have　worked
harder；　but　Donal　would　not　let　her。　He　hated　forcingeven　with　the
good　will　of　the　plant　itself。　He　believed　in　a　holy；　unhasting
growth。　God's　ways　want　God's　time。

Long　after；　people　would　sometimes　say　to　him

〃That　is　very　well　in　the　abstract；　but　in　these　days　of　hurry　a
young　fellow　would　that　way　be　left　ages　behind！〃

〃With　God；〃　would　Donal　say。

〃Tut；　tut！　the　thing　would　never　work！〃

〃For　your　ends；〃　Donal　would　answer；　〃it　certainly　would　never　work；
but　your　ends　are　not　those　of　the　universe！〃

〃I　do　not　pretend　they　are；　but　they　are　the　success　of　the　boy。〃

〃That　is　one　of　the　ends　of　the　universe；　and　your　reward　will　be　to
thwart　it　for　a　season。　I　decline　to　make　one　in　a　conspiracy
against　the　design　of　our　creator：　I　would　fain　die　loyal！〃

He　was　of　course　laughed　at；　and　not　a　little　despised；　as　an
extravagant　enthusiast。　But　those　who　laughed　found　it　hard　to　say
for　what　he　was　enthusiastic。　It　seemed　hardly　for　education；　when
he　would　even　do　what　he　could　sometimes　to　keep　a　pupil　back！　He
did　not　care　to　make　the　best　of　any　one！　The　truth　was；　Donal's
best　was　so　many　miles　a…head　of　theirs；　that　it　was　below　their
horizon　altogether。　If　there　be　any　relation　between　time　and　the
human　mind；　every　forcing　of　human　process；　whether　in　spirit　or
intellect；　is　hurtful；　a　retarding　of　God's　plan。

Lady　Arctura's　old　troubles　were　gradually　fading　into　the　limbo　of
vanities。　At　times；　however；　mostly　when　unwell；　they　would　come　in
upon　her　like　a　flood：　what　if；　after　all；　God　were　the　self…loving
being　theology　presenteda　being　from　whom　no　loving　human　heart
could　but　recoil　with　a　holy　dislike！　what　if　it　was　because　of　a
nature　specially　evil　that　she　could　not　accept　the　God　in　whom　the
priests　and　elders　of　her　people　believed！　But　again　and　again；　in
the　midst　of　profoundest　wretchedness　from　such　doubt；　had　a　sudden
flush　of　the　world's　beautythat　beauty　which　Jesus　has　told　us　to
consider　and　the　modern　pharisee　to　avoid；　broken　like　gentlest
mightiest　sunrise　through　the　hellish　fog；　and　she　had　felt　a　power
upon　her　as　from　the　heart　of　a　very　Goda　God　such　as　she　would
give　her　life　to　believe　inone　before　whom　she　would　cast　herself
in　speechless　adorationnot　of　his　greatnessof　that　she　felt
little；　but　of　his　lovingkindness；　the　gentleness　that　was　making
her　great。　Then　would　she　care　utterly　for　God　and　his　Christ；
nothing　for　what　men　said　about　them：　the　Lord　never　meant　his　lambs
to　be　under　the　tyranny　of　any；　least　of　all　the　tyranny　of　his　own
most　imperfect　church！　its　work　is　to　teach；　where　it　cannot　teach；
it　must　not　rule！　Then　would　God　appear　to　her　not　only　true；　but
realthe　heart　of　the　human；　to　which　she　could　cling；　and　so　rest。
The　corruption　of　all　religion　comes　of　leaving　the　human；　and　God
as　the　causing　Human；　for　something　imagined　holier。　Men　who　do　not
see　the　loveliness　of　the　Truth；　search　till　they　find　a　lie　they
can　call　lovely。　What　but　a　human　reality　could　the　heart　of　man
ever　love！　what　else　are　we　offered　in　Jesus　but　the　absolutely
human？　That　Jesus　has　two　natures　is　of　the　most　mischievous
fictions　of　theology。　The　divine　and　the　human　are　not　two。

Suddenly；　after　an　absence　of　months；　reappeared　lord
Forguecheerful；　manly；　on　the　best　terms　with　his　father；　and
plainly　willing　to　be　on　still　better　terms　with　his　cousin！　He　had
left　the　place　a　mooning　youth；　he　came　back　a　man　of　the
worldeasy　in　carriage；　courteous　in　manners；　serene　in　temper；
abounding　in　what　seemed　the　results　of　observation；　attentive　but
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