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！
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； Mr。 Grant should； if he pleased； go on quietly with his
examination of the house。
But she could not get her interview with her uncle out of her head；
and was haunted with vague suspicions of some dreadful secret about
the house belonging to the present as well as the past。 Her uncle
seemed to have receded to a distance incalculable； and to have grown
awful as he receded。 She was of a nature almost too delicately
impressionable； she not only felt things keenly； but retained the
sting of them after the things were nearly forgotten。 But then the
swift and rare response of her faculties arose in no small measure
from this impressionableness。 At the same time； but for instincts
and impulses derived from her race； her sensitiveness might have
degenerated into weakness。
CHAPTER LI。
A DREAM。
One evening； as Donal was walking in the little avenue below the
terraces； Davie； who was now advanced to doing a little work without
his master's immediate supervision； came running to him to