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out of it。〃
He was evidently at strife with himself： he knew he was wrong； but
could not yet bring himself to say so。 It is one of the poorest of
human weaknesses that a man should be ashamed of saying he has done
wrong； instead of so ashamed of having done wrong that he cannot
rest till he has said so； for the shame cleaves fast until the
confession removes it。
Forgue walked away a step or two； and stood with his back to Donal；
poking the point of his stick into the grass。 All at once he turned
and said：
〃I will apologize if you will tell me one thing。〃
〃I will tell you whether you apologize or not；〃 said Donal。 〃I have
never asked you to apologize。〃
〃Tell me then why you did not return either of my blows yesterday。〃
〃I should like to know why you askbut I will answer you： simply
because to do so would have been to disobey my master。〃
〃That's a sort of thing I don't understand。 But I only wanted to
know it was not cowardice； I could not make an apology to a coward。〃
〃If I were a coward； you would owe me an apology all the same； and
he is a poor creature who will not pay his debts。 But I hope it is
not necessary I should either thrash or insult your lordship to
convince you I fear you no more than that blackbird there！〃
Forgue gave a little laugh。 A moment's pause followed。 Then he
held out his hand； but in a half…hesitating； almost sheepish way：
〃Well； well！ shake hands；〃 he said。
〃No； my lord；〃 returned Donal。 〃I bear your lordship not the
slightest ill…will； but I will shake hands with no one in a
half…hearted way； and no other way is possible while you are
uncertain whether I am a coward or not。〃
So saying； he threw himself again upon the grass； and lord Forgue
walked away； offended afresh。
The next morning he came into the school…room where Donal sat at
lessons with Davie。 He had a book in his hand。
〃Mr。 Grant；〃 he said； 〃will you help me with this passage in
Xenophon？〃
〃With all my heart；〃 answered Donal； and in a few moments had him
out of his difficulty。
But instead of going； his lordship sat down a little way off； and
went on with his readingsat until master and pupil went out； and
left him sitting there。 The next morning he came with a fresh
request； and Donal found occasion to approve warmly of a translation
he proposed。 From that time he came almost every morning。 He was
no great scholar； but with the prospect of an English university
before him； thought it better to read a little。
The housekeeper at the castle was a good woman； and very kind to
Donal； feeling perhaps that he fell to her care the more that he was
by birth of her own class； for it was said in the castle； 〃the tutor
makes no pretence to being a gentleman。〃 Whether he was the more or
the less of one on that account； I leave my reader to judge
according to his capability。 Sometimes when his dinner was served；
mistress Brookes would herself appear； to ensure proper attention to
him； and would sit down and talk to him while he ate； ready to rise
and serve him if necessary。 Their early days had had something in
common； though she came from the southern highlands of green hills
and more sheep。 She gave him some rather needful information about
the family； and he soon perceived that there would have been less
peace in the house but for her good temper and good sense。
Lady Arctura was the daughter of the last lord Morven； and left sole
heir to the property； Forgue and his brother Davie were the sons of
the present earl。 The present lord was the brother of the last； and
had lived with him for some years before he succeeded。 He was a man
of peculiar and studious habits； nobody ever seemed to take to him；
and since his wife's death； his health had been precarious。 Though
a strange man； he was a just if not generous master。 His brother
had left him guardian to lady Arctura； and he had lived in the
castle as before。 His wife was a very lovely； but delicate woman；
and latterly all but confined to her room。 Since her death a great
change had passed upon her husband。 Certainly his behaviour was
sometimes hard to understand。
〃He never gangs to the kirkno ance in a twalmonth！〃 said Mrs。
Brookes。 〃Fowk sud be dacent； an' wha ever h'ard o' dacent fowk 'at
didna gang to the kirk ance o' the Sabbath！ I dinna haud wi' gaein'
twise mysel'： ye hae na time to read yer ain chapters gien ye do
that。 But the man's a weel behavet man； sae far as ye see； naither
sayin' nor doin' the thing he shouldna： what he may think； wha's to
say！ the mair ten'er conscience coonts itsel' the waur sinner； an'
I'm no gaein' to think what I canna ken！ There's some 'at says he
led a gey lowse kin' o' a life afore he cam to bide wi' the auld
yerl； he was wi' the airmy i' furreign pairts； they say； but aboot
that I ken naething。 The auld yerl was something o' a sanct
himsel'； rist the banes o' 'im！ We're no the jeedges o' the leevin'
ony mair nor o' the deid！ But I maun awa' to luik efter things； a
minute's an hoor lost wi' thae fule lasses。 Ye're a freen' o'
An'rew Comin's； they tell me； sir： I dinna ken what to do wi' 's
lass； she's that upsettin'！ Ye wad think she was ane o' the faimily
whiles； an' ither whiles she 's that silly！〃
〃I'm sorry to hear it！〃 said Donal。 〃Her grandfather and grandmother
are the best of good people。〃
〃I daursay！ But there's jist what I hae seen： them 'at 's broucht
up their ain weel eneuch； their son's bairn they'll jist lat gang。
Aither they're tired o' the thing； or they think they're safe。
They hae lippent til yoong Eppy a heap ower muckle。 But I'm
naither a prophet nor the son o' a prophet； as the minister said
last Sundayan' said well； honest man！ for it's the plain trowth：
he's no ane o' the major nor yet the minor anes！ But haud him oot
o' the pu'pit an' he dis no that ill。 His dochter 's no an ill lass
aither； an' a great freen' o' my leddy's。 But I'm clean ashamed o'
mysel' to gang on this gait。 Hae ye dune wi' yer denner； Mr。
Grant？Weel； I'll jist sen' to clear awa'； an' lat ye til yer
lessons。〃
CHAPTER XVII。
LADY ARCTURA。
It was now almost three weeks since Donal had become an inmate of
the castle； and he had scarcely set his eyes on the lady of the
house。 Once he had seen her back； and more than once had caught a
glimpse of her profile； but he had never really seen her face； and
they had never spoken to each other。
One afternoon he was sauntering along under the overhanging boughs
of an avenue of beeches； formerly the approach to a house in which
the family had once lived； but which had now another entrance。 He
had in his hand a copy of the Apocrypha； which he had never seen
till he found this in the library。 In his usual fashion he had
begun to read it through； and was now in the book called the Wisdom
of Solomon； at the 17th chapter； narrating the discomfiture of
certain magicians。 Taken with the beauty of the passage； he sat
down on an old stone…roller； and read aloud。 Parts of the passage
were thesethey will enrich my page：
〃For they； that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a
sick soul； were sick themselves of fear； worthy to be laughed at。
〃。。。For wickedness； condemned by her own witness； is very timorous；
and being pressed with conscience； always forecasteth grievous
things。
〃。。。But they sleeping the same sleep that night； which was indeed
intolerable； and which came upon them out of the bottoms of
inevitable hell；
〃Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions； and partly fainted；
their heart failing them： for a sudden fear； and not looked for；
came upon them。
〃So then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept； shut up in a
prison without iron bars。
〃For whether he were husbandman； or shepherd； or a labourer in the
field； he was overtaken； and endured that necessity； which could not
be avoided： for they were all bound with one chain of darkness。
〃Whether it were a whistling wind； or a melodious noise of birds
among the spreading branches； or a pleasing fall of water running
violently；
〃Or a terrible sound of stones cast down； or a running that could
not be seen of skipping beasts； or a roaring voice of most savage
wild beasts； or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains； these
things made them to swoon for fear。
〃For the whole world shined with clear light； and none were hindered
in their labour：
〃Over them only was spread an heavy night； an image of that darkness
which should afterward receive them： but yet were they unto
themselves more grievous than the darkness。〃
He had read so much； and stopped to think a little； for through the
incongruity of it； which he did not doubt arose from poverty of
imagination in the translator； rendering him unable to see what the
poet meant； ran yet an indubitable vein of awful truth； whether
fully intended by the writer or not mattered little to such a reader
as Donalwhen； lifting his eyes； he saw lady Arctura standing
before him with a strange listening look。 A spell seemed upon her；
her face was white； her lips white and a little parted。
Attracted； as she was about to pass him； by the sound of what was
none the less like the Bible from the