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you fancying me a long way off！ But any way all will be well； for
the great life； our God； our father； is； and in him we cannot but be
together。〃
After that she fell into a deep sleep； and slept for hours。 Then
suddenly she sat up。 Donal put his arm behind and supported her。 She
looked a little wild； shuddered； murmured something he could not
understand； then threw herself back into his arms。 Her expression
changed to a look of divinest； loveliest content； and she was gone。
CHAPTER LXXXII。
THE WILL。
When her will was read； it was found that； except some legacies； and
an annuity to Mrs。 Brookes； she had left everything to Donal。
Mr。 Graeme； rising the moment the lawyer looked up； congratulated
Donalpolitely； not cordially； and took his leave。
〃If you are walking towards home；〃 said Donal； 〃I will walk with
you。〃
〃I shall be happy；〃 said Mr。 Graemefeeling it not a little hard
that one who would soon be heir presumptive to the title should have
to tend the family property in the service of a stranger and a
peasant。
〃Lord Morven cannot live long；〃 said Donal as they went。 〃It is not
to be wished he should。〃
Mr。 Graeme returned no answer。 Donal resumed。
〃I think I ought to let you know at once that you are heir to the
title。〃
〃I think you owe the knowledge to myself！〃 said the factor； not
without a touch of contempt。
〃By no means；〃 rejoined Donal： 〃on presumption； after lord Forgue；
you told me；after lord Morven； I tell you。〃
〃I am at a loss to imagine on what you found such a statement；〃 said
Graeme； beginning to suspect insanity。
〃Naturally； no one knows it but myself。 Lord Morven knows that his
son cannot succeed； but he does not know that you can。 I am
prepared； if not to prove； at least to convince you that he and his
son's mother were not married。〃
Mr。 Graeme was for a moment silent。 Then he laughed a little
laughnot a pleasant one。 〃Another of Time's clownish tricks！〃 he
said to himself： 〃the earl the factor on the family…estate！〃 Donal
did not like the way he took it； but saw how natural it was。
〃I hope you have known me long enough；〃 he said； 〃to believe I have
contrived nothing？〃
〃Excuse me； Mr。 Grant： the whole business looks suspicious。 The girl
was dying！ You knew it！〃
〃I do not understand you。〃
〃What did you marry her for？〃
〃To make her my wife。〃
〃Pray what could be the good of that except？〃
〃Does it need any explanation but that we loved each other？〃
〃You will find it difficult to convince the world that such was your
sole motive。〃
〃Having no care for the opinion of the world； I shall be satisfied
if I convince you。 The world needs never hear of the thing。 Would
you； Mr。 Graeme； have had me not marry her； because the world；
including not a few honest men like yourself； would say my object
was the property？〃
〃Don't put the question to me； I am not the proper person to answer
it。 There is not a man in a hundred millions who with the chance
would not have done the same； or whom all the rest would not blame
for doing it。 It would have been better for you； however； that there
had been no will。〃
〃How？〃
〃It makes it look the more like a scheme：the will might have been
disputed。〃
〃Why do you saymight have been？〃
〃Because it is not worth disputing now。 If the marriage stands； it
annuls the will。〃
〃I did not know； and I suppose she did not know either。 Or perhaps
she wanted to make the thing sure： if the marriage was not enough；
the will would beshe may have thought。 But I knew nothing of it。〃
〃You did not？〃
〃Of course I did not。〃
Mr。 Graeme held his peace。 For the first time he doubted Donal's
word。
〃But I wanted to have a little talk with you；〃 resumed Donal。 〃I
want to know whether you think your duty all to the owner of the
land； or in any measure to the tenants also。〃
〃That is easy to answer： one employed by the landlord can owe the
tenant nothing。〃
It was not just the answer he would have given to another
questioner。
〃Do you not owe him justice？〃 asked Donal。
〃Every legal advantage I ought to take for my employer。〃
〃Even to the grinding of the faces of the poor？〃
〃I have nothing to do； as his employ？ with my own ideas as to what
may be equitable。〃
He drew the line thus hard in pure opposition to Donal。
〃What then would you say if the land were your own？ Would you say
you had it solely for your own and your family's good； or for that
of the tenants as well？〃
〃I should very likely reason that what was good for them would in
the long run be good for me too。But if you want to know how I have
treated the tenants； there are intelligent men amongst them； not at
all prejudiced in favour of the factor！〃
〃I wish you would be open with me；〃 said Donal。
〃I prefer keeping my own place；〃 rejoined Mr。 Graeme。
〃You speak as one who found a change in me；〃 returned Donal。 〃There
is none。〃
So saying he shook hands with him； bade him good morning； and turned
with the depression of failure。
〃I did not lead up to the point properly！〃 he said to himself。
CHAPTER LXXXIII。
INSIGHT。
Mr。 Graeme was a good sort of man； and a gentleman； but he was not
capable of meeting Donal on the ground on which he approached him：
on that level he had never set foot。 There is nothing more
disappointing to the generous man than the way in which his absolute
frankness is met by the man of the worldalways looking out for
motives； and imagining them after what is in himself。
There was great confidence between the brother and sister； and as he
walked homeward； Mr。 Graeme was not so well pleased with himself as
to think with satisfaction on the report of the interview he could
give Kate。 He did not accuse himself with regard to anything he had
said； but he felt his behaviour influenced by jealousy of the
low…born youth who had supplanted him。 For； if Percy could not
succeed to the title； neither could he have succeeded to the
property； and but for the will or the marriage； perhaps but for the
two together； he would himself have come in for that also！ The will
was worth nothing except the marriage was disputed： annul the
marriage； and the will was of force！
He told his sister； as nearly as he could； all that had passed
between them。
〃If he wanted me to talk to him；〃 he said； 〃why did he tell me that
about Forgue？ It was infernally stupid of him！ But what's bred in
the bone！ A gentleman 's not made in a day！〃
〃Nor in a thousand years； Hector！〃 rejoined his sister。 〃Donal Grant
is a gentleman in the best sense of the word！ That you say he is
not； lets me see you are vexed with yourself。 He is a little awkward
sometimes； I confess； but only when he is looking at a thing from
some other point of view； and does not like to say you ought to have
been looking at it from the same。 And you can't say he shuffles； for
he never stops till he has done his best to make you！What have you
been saying to him； Hector？〃
〃Nothing but what I have told you； it's rather what I have not been
saying！〃 answered her brother。 〃He would have had me open out to
him； and I wouldn't。 How could I！ Whatever I said that pleased him；
would have looked as if I wanted to secure my situation！ Hang it
all！ I have a good mind to throw it up。 How is a Graeme to serve
under a bumpkin？〃
〃The man is not a bumpkin； he is a scholar and a poet！〃 said the
lady。
〃Pooh！ pooh！ What's a poet？〃
〃One that may or may not be as good a man of business as yourself
when it is required of him。〃
〃Come； come！ don't you turn against me； Kate！ It's hard enough to
bear as it is！〃
Miss Graeme made no reply。 She was meditating all she knew of Donal；
to guide her to the something to which she was sure her brother had
not let him come； and presently she made him recount again all they
had said to each other。
〃I tell you； Hector；〃 she exclaimed； 〃you never made such a fool of
yourself in your life！ If I know human nature； that man is different
from any other you have had to do with。 It will take a woman； a
better woman than your sister； I confess； to understand him； but I
see a little farther into him than you do。 He is a man who； never
having had money enough to learn the bad uses of it； and never
having formed habits it takes money to supply； having no ambition；
living in books not in places； and for pleasure having more at his
command in himself than the richesthe is a man who； I say； would
find money an impediment to his happiness； for he must have a sense
of duty with regard to it which would interfere with everything he
liked best。 Besides； though he does not care a straw for the
judgment of the world where it differs from him； he would be sorry
to seem to go against that judgment where he agrees with it：
scorning to marry any woman for her money； he would not have the
world think he had done so。〃
〃Ah； Katey； there I have you！ The world would entirely approve of
his doing that！〃
〃I will take a better position then：he would not willingly seem to
have done a thing he himself despises。 The man believes himself sent
into the world to teach it something： he would not have it thrown in
his teeth that； after all； he looks to the main chance as keen