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hoo thae ghaists maun lauch at them that lauchs as gien there was
nae sic craturs i' the warl'！ For my pairt I naither fear them nor
seek til them： I'll be ane wi' them mysel' afore lang！only I wad
sair wuss an' houp to gang in amo' better behavet anes nor them 'at
gangs aboot plaguin' folk。〃
〃You speak the best of sense； mistress Brookes；〃 said Donal； 〃but I
should like to understand why the poor hanged fellow should have
such an objection to having his skull laid in the ground！ Why had he
such a fancy for his old bones？ Could he be so closely associated
with them that he could not get on without the plenty of fresh air
they got him used to when they hung on the gallows？ And why did it
content him to have only his head above ground？ It is bewildering！
We couldn't believe our bones rise again； even if Paul hadn't as
good as told us they don't！ Why should the dead haunt their bones as
if to make sure of having their own again？〃
〃But；〃 said mistress Brookes； 〃beggin' yer pardon； sir； what ken ye
as to what they think？ Ye may ken better； but maybe they dinna； for
haena ye jist allooed that sic conduc' as I hae describit is no fit；
whaever be guilty o' the same； whether rowdy laddies i' the streets；
or craturs ye canna see i' the hoose？ They may think they'll want
their banes by an' by though ye ken better； an' whatever you wise
folk may think the noo； ye ken it's no that lang sin' a' body； ay；
the best o' folk； thoucht the same； an' there's no a doobt they a'
did at the time that man was hangt。 An' ye maun min' 'at i' the
hoose the heid o' 'im wudna waste as it wud i' the yerd！〃
〃But why bother about his heid more than the rest of his bones？〃
〃Weel； sir； I'm thinking a ghaist； ghaist though he be； canna surely
be i' twa places at ance。 He could never think to plague til ilk
bane o' finger an' tae was gethert i' the cellar！ That wud be
houpless！ An' thinkin' onything o' his banes； he micht weel think
maist o' 's heid； an' keep an e'e upo' that。 Nae mony ghaists hae
the chance o' seein' sae muckle o' their banes as this ane； or
sayin' to themsel's； 'Yon's mine； whaur it swings！' Some ghaists hae
a cat…like natur for places； an' what for no for banes？ Mony's the
story that hoosekeeper； honest wuman； telled me： whan what had come
was gane； it set her openin' oot her pack！ I could haud ye there a'
nicht tellin' ye ane efter anither o' them。 But it's time to gang to
oor beds。〃
〃It is our turn to tell you something；〃 said lady Arctura； 〃only
you must not mention it just yet： Mr。 Grant has found the lost
room！〃
For a moment Mrs。 Brookes said nothing； but neither paled nor looked
incredulous； her face was only fixed and still； as if she were
finding explanation in the discovery。
〃I was aye o' the min' it was；〃 she said； 〃an' mony's the time I
thoucht I wud luik for't to please mysel'！ It's sma' won'erthe
soon's； an' the raps； an' siclike！〃
〃You will not change your mind when you hear all；〃 said Arctura。 〃I
asked you to give us our supper because I was afraid to go to bed。〃
〃You shouldn't have told her； sir！〃
〃I've seen it with my own eyes！〃
〃You've been into it； my lady？Whatwhat？〃
〃It is a chapelthe old castle…chapelmentioned； I know； somewhere
in the history of the place； though no one； I suppose； ever dreamed
the missing room could be that！And in the chapel；〃 continued
Arctura； hardly able to bring out the words； for a kind of cramping
of the muscles of speech； 〃there was a bed！ and in the bed the
crumbling dust of a woman！ and on the altar what was hardly more
than the dusty shadow of a baby？〃
〃The Lord be aboot us！〃 cried the housekeeper； her well…seasoned
composure giving way； 〃ye saw that wi' yer ain e'en； my lady！Mr。
Grant！ hoo could ye lat her leddyship luik upo' sic things！〃
〃I am her ladyship's servant；〃 answered Donal。
〃That's varra true！ But eh； my bonny bairn； sic sichts is no for
you！〃
〃I ought to know what is in the house！〃 said Arctura； with a
shudder。 〃But already I feel more comfortable that you know too。 Mr。
Grant would like to have your advice as to what。You'll come and
see them； won't you？〃
〃When you please； my lady。To…night？〃
〃No； no！ not to…night。Was that the knocking again？Some ghosts
want their bodies to be buried； though your butler〃
〃I wouldna wonder！〃 responded mistress Brookes； thoughtfully。
〃Where shall we bury them？〃 asked Donal。
〃In Englan'；〃 said the housekeeper； 〃I used to hear a heap aboot
consecrated ground； but to my min' it was the bodies o' God's
handiwark； no the bishop； that consecrated the ground。 Whaur the
Lord lays doon what he has done wi'； wad aye be a sacred place to
me。 I daursay Moses； whan he cam upo' 't again i' the desert； luikit
upo' the ground whaur stood the buss that had burned； as a sacred
place though the fire was lang oot！Thinkna ye； Mr。 Grant？〃
〃I do；〃 answered Donal。 〃But I do not believe the Lord Jesus thought
one spot on the face of the earth more holy than another： every dust
of it was his father's； neither more nor less； existing only by the
thought of that father！ and I think that is what we must come
to。But where shall we bury them？where they lie； or in the
garden？〃
〃Some wud doobtless hae dist laid to dist i' the kirkyard； but I
wudna wullin'ly raise a clash i' the country…side。 Them that did it
was yer ain forbeirs； my leddy； an' sic things are weel forgotten。
An' syne what wud the earl say？ It micht upset him mair nor a bit！
I'll consider o' 't。〃
Donal accompanied them to the door of the chamber which again they
shared； and then betook himself to his own high nest。 There more
than once in what remained of the night； he woke； fancying he heard
the ghost…music sounding its coronach over the dead below。
CHAPTER LVIII。
A SOUL DISEASED。
〃Papa is very ill to…day； Simmons tells me；〃 said Davie； as Donal
entered the schoolroom。 〃He says he has never seen him so ill。 Oh；
Mr。 Grant； I hope he is not going to die！〃
〃I hope not；〃 returned Donalnot very sure； he saw when he thought
about it； what he meant； for if there was so little hope of his
becoming a true man on this side of some awful doom； why should he
hope for his life here？
〃I wish you would talk to him as you do to me； Mr。 Grant！〃 resumed
Davie； who thought what had been good for himself must be good for
everybody。
Of late the boy had been more than usual with his father； and he may
have dropped some word that turned his father's thoughts toward
Donal and his ways of thinking： however weak the earl's will； and
however dull his conscience； his mind was far from being inactive。
In the afternoon the butler brought a message that his lordship
would be glad to see Mr。 Grant when school was over。
Donal found the earl very weak； but more like a live man； he
thought； than he had yet seen him。 He pointed to a seat； and began
to talk in a way that considerably astonished the tutor。
〃Mr。 Grant；〃 he began； with not a little formality； 〃I have known
you long enough to believe I know you really。 Now I find myself；
partly from the peculiarity of my constitution； partly from the
state of my health； partly from the fact that my views do not
coincide with those of the church of Scotland； and there is no
episcopal clergyman within reach of the castleI find myself； I
say； for these reasons； desirous of some conversation with you； more
for the sake of identifying my own opinions； than in the hope of
receiving from you what it would be unreasonable to expect from one
of your years。〃
Donal held his peace； the very power of speech seemed taken from
him： he had no confidence in the man； and nothing so quenches speech
as lack of faith。 But the earl had no idea of this distrust； never a
doubt of his listener's readiness to take any position he required
him to take。 Experience had taught him as little about Donal as
about his own real self。
〃I have long been troubled；〃 continued his lordship after a
momentary pause； 〃with a question of which one might think the world
must by this time be wearywhich yet has； and always will have；
extraordinary fascination for minds of a certain sortof which my
own is one： it is the question of the freedom of the will：how far
is the will free？ or how far can it be called free； consistently
with the notion of a God over all？〃
He paused； and Donal sat silentso long that his lordship opened
the eyes which； the better to enjoy the process of sentence…making；
he had kept shut； and half turned his head towards him： he had begun
to doubt whether he was really by his bedside； or but one of his
many visions undistinguishable by him from realities。 Re…assured by
the glance； he resumed。
〃I cannot； of course； expect from you such an exhaustive and formed
opinion as from an older man who had made metaphysics his business；
and acquainted himself with all that had been said upon the subject；
at the same time you must have expended a considerable amount of
thought on these matters！〃
He talked in a quiet； level manner； almost without inflection； and
with his eyes again closedvery much as if he were reading a book
inside him。
〃I have had a good deal；〃 he went on； 〃to shake my belief in the
common ideas on such poin