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eyes of men。〃
Miss Graeme did not answer。 She was not accustomed to consider
things seriously。 A good girl in a certain true sense； she had
never yet seen that she had to be better； or indeed to be anything。
But she was able to feel； though she was far from understanding
him； that Donal was in earnest； and that was much。 To recognize
that a man means something； is a great step towards understanding
him。
〃What a lovely garden this is！〃 remarked Donal after the sequent
pause。 〃I have never seen anything like it。〃
〃It is very old…fashioned；〃 she returned。 〃Do you not find it very
stiff and formal？〃
〃Stately and precise； I should rather say。〃
〃I do not mean I can help liking itin a way。〃
〃Who could help liking it that took his feeling from the garden
itself； not from what people said about it！〃
〃You cannot say it is like nature！〃
〃Yes； it is very like human nature。 Man ought to learn of nature；
but not to imitate nature。 His work is； through the forms that
Nature gives him； to express the idea or feeling that is in him。
That is far more likely to produce things in harmony with nature；
than the attempt to imitate nature upon the small human scale。〃
〃You are too much of a philosopher for me！〃 said Miss Graeme。 〃I
daresay you are quite right； but I have never read anything about
art； and cannot follow you。〃
〃You have probably read as much as I have。 I am only talking out of
what necessity； the necessity for understanding things； has made me
think。 One must get things brought together in one's thoughts； if
only to be able to go on thinking。〃
This too was beyond Miss Graeme。 The silence again fell； and Donal
let it lie； waiting for her to break it this time。
CHAPTER XXII。
A TALK ABOUT GHOSTS。
But again he was the first。
They had turned and gone a good way down the long garden； and had
again turned towards the house。
〃This place makes me feel as I never felt before；〃 he said。 〃There
is such a wonderful sense of vanished life about it。 The whole
garden seems dreaming about things of long agowhen troops of
ladies； now banished into pictures； wandered about the place； each
full of her own thoughts and fancies of life； each looking at
everything with ways of thinking as old…fashioned as her garments。
I could not be here after nightfall without feeling as if every
walk were answering to unseen feet； as if every tree might be hiding
some lovely form； returned to dream over old memories。〃
〃Where is the good of fancying what is not true？ I can't care for
what I know to be nonsense！〃
She was glad to find a spot where she could put down the foot of
contradiction； for she came of a family known for what the
neighbours called common sense； and in the habit of casting contempt
upon everything characterized as superstition： she had now something
to say for herself！
〃How do you know it is nonsense？〃 asked Donald； looking round in her
face with a bright smile。
〃Not nonsense to keep imagining what nobody can see？〃
〃I can only imagine what I do not see。〃
〃Nobody ever saw such creatures as you suppose in any garden！ Then
why fancy the dead so uncomfortable； or so ill looked after； that
they come back to plague us！〃
〃Plainly they have never plagued you much！〃 rejoined Donal laughing。
〃But how often have you gone up and down these walks at dead of
night？〃
〃Never once；〃 answered Miss Graeme； not without a spark of
indignation。 〃I never was so absurd！〃
〃Then there may be a whole night…world that you know nothing about。
You cannot tell that the place is not then thronged with ghosts：
you have never given them a chance of appearing to you。 I don't say
it is so； for I know nothing； or at least little； about such things。
I have had no experience of the sort any more than youand I have
been out whole nights on the mountains when I was a shepherd。〃
〃Why then should you trouble your fancy about them？〃
〃Perhaps just for that reason。〃
〃I do not understand you。〃
〃I mean； because I can come into no communication with such a world
as may be about me； I therefore imagine it。 If； as often as I
walked abroad at night； I met and held converse with the
disembodied； I should use my imagination little； but make many notes
of facts。 When what may be makes no show； what more natural than to
imagine about it？ What is the imagination here for？〃
〃I do not know。 The less one has to do with it the better。〃
〃Then the thing； whatever it be； should not be called a faculty； but
a weakness！〃
〃Yes。〃
〃But the history of the world shows it could never have made
progress without suggestions upon which to ground experiments：
whence may these suggestions come if not from the weakness or
impediment called the imagination？〃
Again there was silence。 Miss Graeme began to doubt whether it was
possible to hold rational converse with a man who； the moment they
began upon anything； went straight aloft into some high…flying
region of which she knew and for which she cared nothing。 But
Donal's unconscious desire was in reality to meet her upon some
common plane of thought。 He always wanted to meet his fellow； and
hence that abundance of speech； which； however poetic the things he
said； not a few called prosiness。
〃I should think；〃 resumed Miss Graeme； 〃if you want to work your
imagination； you will find more scope for it at the castle than
here！ This is a poor modern place compared to that。〃
〃It is a poor imagination；〃 returned Donal； 〃that requires age or
any mere accessory to rouse it。 The very absence of everything
external； the bareness of the mere humanity involved； may in itself
be an excitement greater than any accompaniment of the antique or
the picturesque。 But in this old…fashioned garden； in the midst of
these old…fashioned flowers； with all the gentlenesses of
old…fashioned life suggested by them； it is easier to imagine the
people themselves than where all is so cold； hard； severeso much
on the defensive； as in that huge； sullen pile on the hilltop。〃
〃I am afraid you find it dull up there！〃 said Miss Graeme。
〃Not at all；〃 replied Donal； 〃I have there a most interesting pupil。
But indeed one who has been used to spend day after day alone；
clouds and heather and sheep and dogs his companions； does not
depend much for pastime。 Give me a chair and a table； fire enough
to keep me from shivering； the few books I like best and writing
materials； and I am absolutely content。 But beyond these things I
have at the castle a fine libraryuseless no doubt for most
purposes of modern study； but full of precious old books。 There I
can at any moment be in the best of company！ There is more of the
marvellous in an old library than ever any magic could work！〃
〃I do not quite understand you；〃 said the lady。
But she would have spoken nearer the truth if she had said she had
not a glimmer of what he meant。
〃Let me explain！〃 said Donal： 〃what could necromancy； which is one
of the branches of magic； do for one at the best？〃
〃Well！〃 exclaimed Miss Graeme； 〃but I suppose if you believe in
ghosts； you may as well believe in raising them！〃
〃I did not mean to start any question about belief； I only wanted to
suppose necromancy for the moment a fact； and put it at its best：
suppose the magician could do for you all he professed； what would
it amount to？Only thisto bring before your eyes a shadowy
resemblance of the form of flesh and blood； itself but a passing
shadow； in which the man moved on the earth； and was known to his
fellow…men？ At best the necromancer might succeed in drawing from
him some obscure utterance concerning your future； far more likely
to destroy your courage than enable you to face what was before you；
so that you would depart from your peep into the unknown； merely
less able to encounter the duties of life。〃
〃Whoever has a desire for such information must be made very
different from me！〃 said Miss Graeme。
〃Are you sure of that？ Did you never make yourself unhappy about
what might be on its way to you； and wish you could know beforehand
something to guide you how to meet it？〃
〃I should have to think before answering that question。〃
〃Now tell mewhat can the art of writing； and its expansion； or
perhaps its development rather； in printing； do in the same
direction as necromancy？ May not a man well long after personal
communication with this or that one of the greatest who have lived
before him？ I grant that in respect of some it can do nothing； but
in respect of others； instead of mocking you with an airy semblance
of their bodily forms； and the murmur of a few doubtful words from
their lips； it places in your hands a key to their inmost thoughts。
Some would say this is not personal communication； but it is far
more personal than the other。 A man's personality does not consist
in the clothes he wears； it only appears in them； no more does it
consist in his body； but in him who wears it。〃
As he spoke； Miss Graeme kept looking him gravely in the face；
manifesting； however； more respect than interest。 She had been
accustomed to a very different tone in young men。 She had found
their main ambition to amuse； to talk sense about other