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marriage I have in view for lord Forgue will arrange a future for
him。〃
〃I hope there will be some love in the marriage！〃 said Donal
uneasily； with a vague thought of Eppy。
〃I had no intention；〃 returned his lordship with cold politeness；
〃of troubling you concerning lord Forgue！〃
〃I beg your pardon； my lord；〃 said Donal。
〃Davie； poor boyhe is my anxiety！〃 resumed the earl； in his
former condescendingly friendly； half sleepy tone。 〃What to do with
him； I have not yet succeeded in determining。 If the church of
Scotland were episcopal now； we might put him into that： he would be
an honour to it！ But as it has no dignities to confer； it is not the
place for one of his birth and social position。 A few shabby
hundreds a year； and the associations he would necessarily be thrown
into！However honourable the profession in itself！〃 he added； with
a bow to Donal； apparently unable to get it out of his head that he
had an embryo…clergyman before him。
〃Davie is not quite a man yet；〃 said Donal； 〃and by the time he
begins to think of a profession； he will； I trust； be fit to make a
choice： the boy has a great deal of common sense。 If your lordship
will pardon me； I cannot help thinking there is no need to trouble
about him。〃
〃It is very well for one in your position to think in that way； Mr。
Grant！ Men like you are free to choose； you may make your bread as
you please。 But men in our position are greatly limited in their
choice； the paths open to them are few。 Tradition oppresses us。 We
are slaves to the dead and buried。 I could well wish I had been born
in your humbler but in truth less contracted sphere。 Certain r鬺es
are not open to you； to be sure； but your life in the open air；
following your sheep； and dreaming all things beautiful and grand in
the world beyond you； is entrancing。 It is the life to make a poet！〃
〃Or a king！〃 thought Donal。 〃But the earl would have made a
discontented shepherd！〃
The man who is not content where he is； would never have been
content somewhere else； though he might have complained less。
〃Take another glass of wine； Mr。 Grant；〃 said his lordship； filling
his own from the other decanter。 〃Try this； I believe you will like
it better。〃
〃In truth； my lord；〃 answered Donal； 〃I have drunk so little wine
that I do not know one sort from another。〃
〃You know whisky better； I daresay！ Would you like some now？ Touch
the bell behind you。〃
〃No； thank you； my lord； I know as little about whisky： my mother
would never let us even taste it； and I have never tasted it。〃
〃A new taste is a gain to the being。〃
〃I suspect； however； a new appetite can only be a loss。〃
As he said this； Donal； half mechanically； filled a glass from the
decanter his host had pushed towards him。
〃I should like you； though；〃 resumed his lordship； after a short
pause； 〃to keep your eyes open to the fact that Davie must do
something for himself。 You would then be able to let me know by and
by what you think him fit for！〃
〃I will with pleasure； my lord。 Tastes may not be infallible guides
to what is fit for us； but they may lead us to the knowledge of what
we are fit for。〃
〃Extremely well said！〃 returned the earl。
I do not think he understood in the least what Donal meant。
〃Shall I try how he takes to trigonometry？ He might care to learn
land…surveying！ Gentlemen now； not unfrequently； take charge of the
properties of their more favoured relatives。 There is Mr。 Graeme；
your own factor； my lorda relative； I understand！〃
〃A distant one；〃 answered his lordship with marked coldness； 〃the
degree of relationship hardly to be counted。〃
〃In the lowlands； my lord； you do not care to count kin as we do in
the highlands！ My heart warms to the word kinsman。〃
〃You have not found kinship so awkward as I； possibly！〃 said his
lordship； with a watery smile。 〃The man in humble position may allow
the claim of kin to any extent： he has nothing； therefore nothing
can be taken from him！ But the man who has would be the poorest of
the clan if he gave to every needy relation。〃
〃I never knew the man so poor；〃 answered Donal； 〃that he had nothing
to give。 But the things of the poor are hardly to the purpose of the
predatory relative。〃
〃'Predatory relative！'a good phrase！〃 said his lordship； with a
sleepy laugh； though his eyes were wide open。 His lips did not seem
to care to move； yet he looked pleased。 〃To tell you the truth；〃 he
began again； 〃at one period of my history I gave and gave till I was
tired of giving！ Ingratitude was the sole return。 At one period I
had large possessionslarger than I like to think of now： if I had
the tenth part of what I have given away； I should not be uneasy
concerning Davie。〃
〃There is no fear of Davie； my lord； so long as he is brought up
with the idea that he must work for his bread。〃
His lordship made no answer； and his look reminded Donal of that he
wore when he came to his chamber。 A moment； and he rose and began to
pace the room。 An indescribable suggestion of an invisible yet
luminous cloud hovered about his forehead and eyeswhich latter； if
not fixed on very vacancy； seemed to have got somewhere near it。 At
the fourth or fifth turn he opened the door by which he had entered；
continuing a remark he had begun to Donalof which； although he
heard every word and seemed on the point of understanding something；
he had not caught the sense when his lordship disappeared； still
talking。 Donal thought it therefore his part to follow him； and
found himself in his lordship's bedroom。 But out of this his
lordship had already gone； through an opposite door； and Donal still
following entered an old picture…gallery； of which he had heard
Davie speak； but which the earl kept private for his exercise
indoors。 It was a long； narrow place； hardly more than a wide
corridor； and appeared nowhere to afford distance enough for seeing
a picture。 But Donal could ill judge； for the sole light in the
place came from the fires and candles in the rooms whose doors they
had left open behind them； with just a faint glimmer from the
vapour…buried moon； sufficing to show the outline of window after
window； and revealing something of the great length of the gallery。
By the time Donal overtook the earl； he was some distance down；
holding straight on into the long dusk； and still talking。
〃This is my favourite promenade；〃 he said； as if brought to himself
by the sound of Donal's overtaking steps。 〃After dinner always； Mr。
Grant； wet weather or dry； still or stormy； I walk here。 What do I
care for the weather！ It will be time when I am old to consult the
barometer！〃
Donal wondered a little： there seemed no great hardihood in the
worst of weather to go pacing a picture…gallery； where the fiercest
storm that ever blew could send in only little threads of air
through the chinks of windows and doors！
〃Yes；〃 his lordship went on； 〃I taught myself hardship in my
boyhood； and I reap the fruits of it in my prime！Come up here： I
will show you a prospect unequalled。〃
He stopped in front of a large picture； and began to talk as if
expatiating on the points of a landscape outspread before him。 His
remarks belonged to something magnificent； but whether they were
applicable to the picture Donal could not tell； there was light
enough only to give a faint gleam to its gilded frame。
〃Reach beyond reach！〃 said his lordship； 〃endless！ infinite！ How
would not poor Maldon； with his ever fresh ambition after the
unattainable； have gloated on such a scene！ In Nature alone you
front success！ She does what she means！ She alone does what she
means！〃
〃If；〃 said Donal； more for the sake of confirming the earl's
impression that he had a listener； than from any idea that he would
listen〃if you mean the object of Nature is to present us with
perfection； I cannot allow she does what she intends： you rarely see
her produce anything she would herself call perfect。 But if her
object be to make us behold perfection with the inner eye； this
object she certainly does gain； and that just by stopping short
of〃
He did not finish the sentence。 A sudden change was upon him；
absorbing him so that he did not even try to account for it：
something seemed to give way in his headas if a bubble burst in
his brain； and from that moment whatever the earl said； and whatever
arose in his own mind； seemed to have outward existence as well。 He
heard and knew the voice of his host； but seemed also in some
inexplicable way； which at the time occasioned him no surprise； to
see the things which had their origin in the brain of the earl。
Whether he went in very deed out with him into the night； he did not
knowhe felt as if he had gone； and thought he had notbut when he
woke the next morning in his bed at the top of the tower； which he
had no recollection of climbing； he was as weary as if he had been
walking the night through。
CHAPTER XXXI。
BEWILDERMENT。
His first thought was of a long and delightful journey he had made
on horseback with the earlthrough scenes of entrancing interest
and variety；with the present result of a strange weariness； almost
misery。 What had befallen him？ Was the thing a fact or a fancy？ If