Part 18 (1/2)

”It does not follow that no one is ever in the right!” returned Donal.

”Does your lords.h.i.+p think you were in the right--either towards me or the poor animal who could not obey you because he was in torture?”

”I don't say I do.”

”Then everybody does not think himself in the right! I take your lords.h.i.+p's admission as an apology.”

”By no means: when I make an apology, I will do it; I will not sneak out of it.”

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 gra.s.s. 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 lords.h.i.+p 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 lords.h.i.+p 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 gra.s.s, 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 pa.s.sage in Xenophon?”

”With all my heart,” answered Donal, and in a few moments had him out of his difficulty.

But instead of going, his lords.h.i.+p 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 cla.s.s; 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; n.o.body 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 pa.s.sed 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 c.o.o.nts 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'