donal grant-第64节

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CHAPTER　L。

A　SOUTH…EASTERLY　WIND。

One　morning；　Donal　in　the　schoolroom　with　Davie；　a　knock　came　to　the
door；　and　lady　Arctura　entered。

〃The　wind　is　blowing　from　the　south…east；〃　she　said。

〃Listen　then；　my　lady；　whether　you　can　hear　anything；〃　said　Donal。
〃I　fancy　it　is　a　very　precise　wind　that　is　wanted。〃

〃I　will　listen；〃　she　answered；　and　went。

The　day　passed；　and　he　heard　nothing　more。　He　was　at　work　in　his
room　in　the　warm　evening　twilight；　when　Davie　came　running　to　his
door；　and　said　Arkie　was　coming　up　after　him。　He　rose　and　stood　at
the　top　of　the　stair　to　receive　her。　She　had　heard　the　music；　she
saidvery　soft：　would　he　go　on　the　roof？

〃Where　were　you；　my　lady；〃　asked　Donal；　〃when　you　heard　it？　I　have
heard　nothing　up　here！〃

〃In　my　own　little　parlour；〃　she　replied。　〃It　was　very　faint；　but　I
could　not　mistake　it。〃

They　went　upon　the　roof。　The　wind　was　soft　and　low；　an　excellent
thing　in　winds。　They　knew　the　paths　of　the　roof　better　now；　and　had
plenty　of　light；　although　the　moon；　rising　large　and　round；　gave
them　little　of　hers　yet；　and　were　soon　at　the　foot　of　the　great
chimney…stack；　which　grew　like　a　tree　out　of　the　house。　There　they
sat　down　to　wait　and　hearken。

〃I　am　almost　sorry　to　have　made　this　discovery！〃　said　Donal。

〃Why？〃　asked　lady　Arctura。　〃Should　not　the　truth　be　found；　whatever
it　may　be？　You　at　least　think　so！〃

〃Most　certainly；〃　answered　Donal。　〃And　if　this　be　the　truth；　as　I
fully　expect　it　will　prove；　then　it　is　well　it　should　be　found　to
be。　But　I　should　have　liked　better　it　had　been　something　we　could
not　explain。〃

〃I　doubt　if　I　understand　you。〃

〃Things　that　cannot　be　explained　so　widen　the　horizon　around　us！
open　to　us　fresh　regions　for　question　and　answer；　for　possibility
and　delight！　They　are　so　many　kernels　of　knowledge　closed　in　the
hard　nuts　of　seeming　contradiction。You　know；　my　lady；　there　are
stories　of　certain　houses　being　haunted　by　a　mysterious　music
presaging　evil　to　the　family？〃

〃I　have　heard　of　such　music。　But　what　can　be　the　use　of　it？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　I　see　not　the　smallest　use　in　it。　If　it　were　of　use
it　would　surely　be　more　common！　If　it　were　of　use；　why　should　those
who　have　it　be　of　the　class　less　favoured；　so　to　speak；　of　the　Lord
of　the　universe；　and　the　families　of　his　poor　never　have　it？〃

〃Perhaps　for　the　same　reason　that　they　have　their　other　good　things
in　this　life！〃　said　Arctura。

〃I　am　answered；〃　confessed　Donal；　〃and　have　no　more　to　say。　These
tales；　if　they　require　of　us　a　belief　in　any　special　care　over　such
houses；　as　if　they　were　more　precious　in　the　eyes　of　God　than　the
poorest　cottage　in　the　land；　I　cast　them　from　me。〃

〃But；〃　said　Arctura；　in　a　deprecating　tone；　〃are　not　those　houses
which　have　more　influence　more　important　than　the　others？〃

〃Surelythose　which　have　more　good　influence。　But　such　are　rarely
the　great　houses　of　a　country。　Our　Lord　was　not　an　Asmonaean　prince；
but　the　son　of　a　humble　maiden；　his　reputed　father　a　working　man。〃

〃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　d