登陆注册
4908000000036

第36章

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 ask--but 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 reading--sat 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 kirk--no 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 Sunday--an' 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."

同类推荐
  • 东西汉演义

    东西汉演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禅门诸祖师偈颂

    禅门诸祖师偈颂

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE PICKWICK PAPERS

    THE PICKWICK PAPERS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 叠山集

    叠山集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 灵宝归空诀

    灵宝归空诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 误入星途之男神你别跑

    误入星途之男神你别跑

    这是一个小透明与爱豆之间温馨的小故事…陆漫漫,病苗子一个。在知道他的存在之前,以为自己的人生只有黑色,直到电视上出现他的身影,从此便惊艳了她整个年少时光…他叫沐歌,人如其名,其名如歌,从小在温室里长大,是聚光灯下万众瞩目的全能偶像。初遇,是在机场,她不小心撞上了真实的他…若逢新雪初霁,满月当空。下面平铺着皓影,上面流转着亮银。而你带笑地向我走来,月色和雪色之间,你是第三种绝色。再遇见,是在演唱会上,她没有赶上他的演唱会,他却意外地救了她…第三次第四次第五次…她决定这辈子,只爱他一人。陆漫漫:我不喜欢自己,我只喜欢你。而我喜欢你,与你无关。沐歌:回来吧,等你唱歌比赛摘得桂冠,我就和你在一起。陆漫漫:我朝你走了99步,最后一步我把它留给尊严。———————小剧场————————沐歌盘坐在地抱着陆漫漫大腿,吼道:“陆漫漫你个大骗子,还说有多爱我,啥时候了还不跟我求婚!”陆漫漫冷哼,“你还是人吗?劳资追你大半辈子,这种事还要我主动!”沐歌娇羞,“快点嘛,人家等不及了!”陆漫漫:“行行行,你赢了,嫁不嫁给个痛快话!”沐歌头点的跟小鸡啄米似的,“嫁嫁嫁…”粉丝:滚滚滚滚滚…
  • 你和时光都正好

    你和时光都正好

    人这一辈子就是在和时间赛跑,还好我遇到你时,时间正好。校园时光慢,遇到你时,我希望这一辈子都慢。风格慢热,只为更好的甜。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 一宠成瘾:萌妻养娇娇

    一宠成瘾:萌妻养娇娇

    程先森人生的唯一目标就是将家养的程遥宠上天,可同床共枕时,程遥却喊非礼了。程先森挑眉:这家长也见了,婚房也住了,连小皮鞭都用了,宝贝,咱们是合法的。程遥呵呵两声:求不合法!程先森:哦?那是谁刚才还说要洗鸳鸯浴的?程遥脸红:我……我才没有!程先森邪魅一笑,污力镇压,管你有没有,鸳鸯浴必须得有!再等他蒸熟了包子,看她还怎么不合法?本书也可叫做《那些年我摸错的大腿》、《小短腿立志要包养长腿欧巴的故事》或《论摸男神大腿摸到天荒地老的可行性报告》。
  • 这一生的债

    这一生的债

    债,也许背负一生,都无法放下,但是谢谢老天赐给我的回忆。 一些感悟,一些纠缠,这些我们之间说不完的情愫,是我一生的财富。 把写本书,送给所有支持小弄的人,那些一生的,人。
  • 恶魔水晶

    恶魔水晶

    一个普通的高中生王旭,却意外获得恶魔水晶,从此走上屌丝逆袭的套路,诺贝尔奖他全包了,奥斯卡小金人送隔壁小孩当玩具,美女如潮水般涌来,不再是普通人的他,会演绎出什么样的精彩人生呢?而这个人,就是我。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 追思童年里那抹黑色的记忆

    追思童年里那抹黑色的记忆

    这是一个孩子对童年记忆的追思,也是故乡的情怀。
  • 成功的人生

    成功的人生

    在去单位的路上,看着来来往往的行人行色匆匆,各自奔着生活而去。我相信每个人都有过好日子的念头:有份体面的工作,有个温馨的家庭,最好还能受到别人的尊敬。然而,随着日子一天一天毫无希望地过去,一旦过了三十而立的年龄,信心也就逐渐泯灭了。如果你们的生活真的如我所说,那么现在,请抬起你们沮丧的脸,看看我们这套书吧!在追求成功的道路上,不知要经历多少的坎坷,对于没有掌握成功方法的人来说,每一次的成功,也许都要经历唐僧取经般的九九八十一难。如果我们的生命真有无限长的话,即使把所有的路都走一遍都无所谓,但事实是生命有限,人生苦短,人生真正能够做事的时间不过是短短的几十年。人有无限的潜能,如果能开发并利用它,就能创造出惊人的奇迹。朋友们,千里之行,始于足下,让我们带上希望上路,创造我们的传奇人生吧!
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。