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a woman； standing by the door which opened upon the great staircase。
He supposed it at first to be one of the maids； but the servants
were so few compared with the size of the castle that one was seldom
to be met on stair or in passage； and besides； the form stood as if
waiting for some one！ As he drew nearer； he saw it was lady Arctura；
and would have passed with an obeisance。 But ere he could lay his
hand on the lock； hers was there to prevent him。 He then saw that
she was agitated； and that she had stopped him thus because her
voice had at the moment failed her。 The next moment； however； she
recovered it； and her self…possession as well。
〃Mr。 Grant；〃 she said； in a low voice； 〃I wish to speak to youif
you will allow me。〃
〃I am at your service； my lady；〃 answered Donal。
〃But we cannot here！ My uncle〃
〃Shall we go into the picture…gallery？〃 suggested Donal； 〃there is
moonlight there。〃
〃No； that would be still nearer my uncle。 His hearing is sometimes
preternaturally keen； and besides； as you know； he often walks there
after his evening meal。 Butexcuse me； Mr。 Grantyou will
understand me presentlyare youare you quite？〃
〃You mean； my ladyam I quite myself this evening！〃 said Donal；
wishing to help her with the embarrassing question： 〃I have drunk
nothing but water to…night。〃
With that she opened the door； and descended the stair； he
following； but as soon as the curve of the staircase hid the door
they had left； she stopped； and turning to him said；
〃I would not have you mistake me； Mr。 Grant！ I should be ashamed to
speak to you if〃
〃Indeed I am very sorry！〃 said Donal； 〃though hardly so much to
blame as I fear you think me。〃
〃You mistake me at once！ You suppose I imagine you took too much
wine last night！ It would be absurd。 I saw what you took！ But we
must not talk here。 Come。〃
She turned again； and going down； led the way to the housekeeper's
room。
They found her at work with her needle。
〃Mistress Brookes；〃 said lady Arctura； 〃I want to have a little talk
with Mr。 Grant； and there is no fire in the library： may we sit
here？〃
〃By all means！ Sit doon； my lady！ Why； bairn！ you look as cold as if
you had been on the roof！ There！ sit close to the fire； you're all
trem'lin'！〃
Lady Arctura obeyed like the child Mrs。 Brookes called her； and sat
down in the chair she gave up to her。
〃I've something to see efter i' the still…room；〃 said the
housekeeper。 〃You sit here and hae yer crack。 Sit doon； Mr。 Grant。
I'm glad to see you an' my lady come to word o' mooth at last。 I
began to think it wud never be！〃
Had Donal been in the way of looking to faces for the interpretation
of words and thoughts； he would have seen a shadow sweep over lady
Arctura's； followed by a flush； which he would have attributed to
displeasure at this utterance of the housekeeper。 But； with all his
experience of the world within； and all his unusually developed
power of entering into the feelings of others； he had never come to
pry into those feelings； or to study their phenomena for the sake of
possessing himself of them。 Man was by no means an open book to
him〃no； nor woman neither；〃 but he would have scorned to
supplement by such investigation what a lady chose to tell him。 He
sat looking into the fire； with an occasional upward glance； waiting
for what was to come； and saw neither shadow nor flush。 Lady Arctura
sat also gazing into the fire； and seemed in no haste to begin。
〃You are so good to Davie！〃 she said at length； and stopped。
〃No better than I have to be；〃 returned Donal。 〃Not to be good to
Davie would be to be a wretch。〃
〃You know； Mr。 Grant； I cannot agree with you！〃
〃There is no immediate necessity； my lady。〃
〃But I suppose one may be fair to another！〃 she went on； doubtingly；
〃and it is only fair to confess that he is much more manageable
since you came。 Only that is no good if it does not come from the
right source。〃
〃Grapes do not come from thorns； my lady。 We must not allow in evil
a power of good。〃
She did not reply。
〃He minds everything I say to him now；〃 she resumed。 〃What is it
makes him so good？I wish I had had such a tutor！〃
She stopped again： she had spoken out of the simplicity of her
thought； but the words when said looked to her as if they ought not
to have been said。
〃Something is working in her！〃 thought Donal。 〃She is so different！
Her voice is different！〃
〃But that is not what I wanted to speak to you about； Mr。 Grant；〃
she re…commenced； 〃though I did want you to know I was aware of
the improvement in Davie。 I wished to say something about my uncle。〃
Here followed another pause。
〃You may have remarked；〃 she said at length； 〃that； though we live
together； and he is my guardian； and the head of the house； there is
not much communication between us。〃
〃I have gathered as much： I ask no questions； but I cannot tell
Davie not to talk to me！〃
〃Of course not。Lord Morven is a strange man。 I do not understand
him； and I do not want to judge him； or make you judge him。 But I
must speak of a fact； concerning yourself； which I have no right to
keep from you。〃
Once more a pause followed。 There was nothing now of the grand dame
about Arctura。
〃Has nothing occurred to wake a doubt in you？〃 she said at last；
abruptly。 〃Have you not suspected him ofof using you in any way？〃
〃I have had an undefined ghost of a suspicion；〃 answered Donal。
〃Please tell me what you know。〃
〃I should know nothingalthough； my room being near his； I should
have been the more perplexed about some thingshad he not made an
experiment upon myself a year ago。〃
〃Is it possible？〃
〃I sometimes fancy I have not been so well since。 It was a great
shock to me when I came to myself：you see I am trusting you； Mr。
Grant！〃
〃I thank you heartily； my lady；〃 said Donal。
〃I believe；〃 continued lady Arctura； gathering courage； 〃that my
uncle is in the habit of taking some horrible drug for the sake of
its effect on his brain。 There are people who do so！ What it is I
don't know； and I would rather not know。 It is just as bad； surely；
as taking too much wine！ I have heard himself remark to Mr。
Carmichael that opium was worse than wine； for it destroyed the
moral sense more。 Mind I don't say it is opium he takes！〃
〃There are other things；〃 said Donal； 〃even worse！But surely you
do not mean he dared try anything of the sort on you！〃
〃I am sure he gave me something！ For； once that I dined with
him；but I cannot describe the effect it had upon me！ I think he
wanted to see its operation on one who did not even know she had
taken anything。 The influence of such things is a pleasant one； they
say； at first； but I would not go through such agonies as I had for
the world！〃
She ceased； evidently troubled by the harassing remembrance。 Donal
hastened to speak。
〃It was because of such a suspicion； my lady； that this evening I
would not even taste his wine。 I am safe to…night； I trust； from the
insanityI can call it nothing elsethat possessed me the last two
nights。〃
〃Was it very dreadful？〃 asked lady Arctura。
〃On the contrary； I had a sense of life and power such as I could
never of myself have im