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an' cry！ What hae we to say but 'at we faund the twa i' the gairden
thegither！ It wud but raise a clashthe which； fable or fac'； wud
do naething for naebody！ His lordship maun be loot ken； as ye say；
but wull his lordship believe ye； sir？ I'm some i' the min' the
yoong man 's awa' til's faither a'ready； to prejudeese him again'
onything ye may say。〃
〃That makes it the more necessary；〃 said Donal； 〃that I should go at
once to his lordship。 He will fall out upon me for not having told
him at once； but I must not mind that： if I were not to tell him
now； he would have a good case against me。〃
They were already walking towards the house； the old man giving a
groan now and then。 He could not go in； he said； he would walk
gently on； and Donal would overtake him。
It was an hour and a half before Andrew got home； and Donal had not
overtaken him。
CHAPTER XXXV。
THE EARL'S BEDCHAMBER。
Having washed the blood from his face； Donal sought Simmons。
〃His lordship can't see you now； I am sure； sir；〃 answered the
butler； 〃lord Forgue is with him。〃
Donal turned and went straight up to lord Morven's apartment。 As he
passed the door of his bedroom opening on the corridor； he heard
voices in debate。 He entered the sitting…room。 There was no one
there。 It was not a time for ceremony。 He knocked at the door of the
bedroom。 The voices within were loud； and no answer came。 He knocked
again； and received an angry permission to enter。 He entered； closed
the door behind him； and stood in sight of his lordship； waiting
what should follow。
Lord Morven was sitting up in bed； his face so pale and distorted
that Donal thought elsewhere he should hardly have recognized it。
The bed was a large four…post bed； its curtains were drawn close to
the posts； admitting as much air as possible。 At the foot of it
stood lord Forgue； his handsome； shallow face flushed with anger；
his right arm straight down by his side； and the hand of it clenched
hard。 He turned when Donal entered。 A fiercer flush overspread his
face； but almost immediately the look of rage yielded to one of
determined insult。 Possibly even the appearance of Donal was a
relief to being alone with his father。
〃Mr。 Grant；〃 stammered his lordship； speaking with pain； 〃you are
well come！just in time to hear a father curse his son！〃
〃Even such a threat shall not make me play a dishonourable part！〃
said Forgue； looking however anything but honourable； for the heart；
not the brain； moulds the expression。
〃Mr。 Grant；〃 resumed the father； 〃I have found you a man of sense
and refinement！ If you had been tutor to this degenerate boy； the
worst trouble of my life would not have overtaken me！〃
Forgue's lip curled； but he did not speak； and his father went on。
〃Here is this fellow come to tell me to my face that he intends the
ruin and disgrace of the family by a low marriage！〃
〃It will not be the first time it has been so disgraced！〃 retorted
the son； 〃if fresh peasant…blood be indeed a disgrace to any
family！〃
〃Bah！ the hussey is not even a wholesome peasant…girl！〃 cried the
father。 〃Who do you think she is； Mr。 Grant？〃
〃I do not need to guess； my lord；〃 replied Donal。 〃I came now to
inform your lordship of what I had myself seen。〃
〃She must leave the house this instant！〃
〃Then I too leave it； my lord！〃 said Forgue。
〃Where's your money？〃 returned the earl contemptuously。
Forgue shifted to an attack upon Donal。
〃Your lordship hardly places confidence in me；〃 he said； 〃but it is
not the less my duty to warn you against this man： months ago he
knew what was going on； and comes to tell you now because this
evening I chastised him for his rude interference。〃
In cooler blood lord Forgue would not have shown such meanness； but
passion brings to the front the thing that lurks。
〃And it is no doubt to the necessity for forestalling his disclosure
that I owe the present ingenuous confession！〃 said lord Morven。
〃But explain； Mr。 Grant。〃
〃My lord；〃 said Donal calmly； 〃I became aware that there was
something between lord Forgue and the girl； and was alarmed for the
girl： she is the child of friends to whom I am much beholden。 But on
the promise of both that the thing should end； I concluded it better
not to trouble your lordship。 I may have blundered in this； but I
did what seemed best。 This night； however； I discovered that things
were going as before； and it became imperative on my position in
your house that I should make your lordship acquainted with the
fact。 He assevered there was nothing dishonest between them； but；
having deceived me once； how was I to trust him again！〃
〃How indeed！ the young blackguard！〃 said his lordship； casting a
fierce glance at his son。
〃Allow me to remark；〃 said Forgue； with comparative coolness； 〃that
I deceived no one。 What I promised was； that the affair should not
go on： it did not； from that moment it assumed a different and
serious aspect。 I now intend to marry the girl。〃
〃I tell you； Forgue； if you do I will disown you。〃
Forgue smiled an impertinent smile and held his peace： the threat
had for him no terror。
〃I shall be the better able；〃 continued his lordship； 〃to provide
suitably for Davie； he is what a son ought to be！ But hear me；
Forgue： you must be aware that； if I left you all I had； it would be
beggary for one handicapped with a title。 You may think my anger
unreasonable； but it comes solely of anxiety on your account。
Nothing but a suitable marriagethe most suitable of all is within
your arm's lengthcan save you from the life of a moneyless
peerthe most pitiable object on the face of the earth。 Were it
possible to ignore your rank； you have no profession； no trade even；
in these trade…loving times； to fall back upon。 Except you marry as
I please； you will have nothing from me but the contempt of a title
without a farthing to keep it decent。 You threaten to leave the
housecan you pay for a railway…ticket？〃
Forgue was silent for a moment。
〃My lord；〃 he said； 〃I have given my word to the girl： would you
have me disgrace your name by breaking it？〃
〃Tut！ tut！ there are words and words！ What obligation can there be
in the rash promises of an unworthy love！ Still less are they
binding where the man is not his own master！ You are under a bond to
your family； under a bond to society； under a bond to your country。
Marry this girl； and you will be an outcast； marry as I would have
you； and no one will think the worse of you for a foolish vow in
your boyhood。 Bah！ the merest rumour of it will never rise into the
serene air of your position。〃
〃And let the girl go and break her heart！〃 said Forgue； with look
black as death。
〃You need fear no such catastrophe！ You are no such marvel among men
that a kitchen…wench will break her heart for you。 She will be sorry
for herself； no doubt； but it will be nothing more than she
expected； and will only confirm her opinion of you： she knows well
enough the risk she runs！〃
While he spoke； Donal； waiting his turn； stood as on hot iron。 Such
sayings were in his ears the foul talk of hell。 The moment the earl
ceased； he turned to Forgue； and said：
〃My lord； you have removed my harder thoughts of you！ You have
indeed broken your word； but in a way infinitely nobler than I
believed you capable of！〃
Lord Morven stared dumbfounded。
〃Your comments are out of place； Mr。 Grant！〃 said Forgue； with
something like dignity。 〃The matter is between my father and myself。
If you wanted to beg my pardon； you should have waited a fitting
opportunity！〃
Donal held his peace。 He had felt bound to show sympathy with his
enemy where he was right。
The earl was perplexed： his one poor ally had gone over to the
enemy！ He took a glass from the table beside him； and drank： then；
after a moment's silence； apparently of exhaustion and suffering；
said；
〃Mr。 Grant； I desire a word with you。Leave the room； Forgue。〃
〃My lord；〃 returned Forgue； 〃you order me from the room to confer
with one whose presence with you is an insult to me！〃
〃He seems to me；〃 answered his father bitterly； 〃to be after your
own mind in the affair！How indeed should it be otherwise！ But so
far I have found Mr。 Grant a man of honour； and I desire to have
some private conversation with him。 I therefore request you will
leave us alone together。〃
This was said so politely； yet with such latent command； that the
youth dared not refuse compliance。
The moment he closed the door behind him；
〃I am glad he yielded；〃 said the earl； 〃for I should have had to ask
you to put him out； and I hate rows。 Would you have done it？〃
〃I would have tried。〃
〃Thank you。 Yet a moment ago you took his part against me！〃
〃On the girl's partand for his honesty too； my lord！〃
〃Come now； Mr。 Grant！ I understand your prejudices； I cannot expect
you to look on the affair as I do。 I am glad to have a man of such
sound general principles to form the character of my younger son；
but it is plain as a mountain that what would be the duty of a young
man in your rank of life toward a young woman in the same rank；
would be simple ruin to one in lord Forgue's position。 A capable man
like you can make a living a hundre