Part 20 (1/2)
When the hour of noon was past, and lady Arctura did not appear, Donal said,
”Davie, we'll have our New Testament lesson out of doors: that is the best place for it!”
”It is the best place!” responded Davie, jumping up. ”But you're not taking your book, Mr. Grant!”
”Never mind; I will give you a lesson or two without book first.”
Just as they were leaving the room, appeared lady Arctura with Miss Carmichael.
”I understood,” said the former, with not a little haughtiness, ”that you--”
She hesitated, and Miss Carmichael took up the word.
”We wish to form our own judgment,” she said, ”on the nature of the religious instruction you give your pupil.”
”I invited lady Arctura to be present when I taught him about G.o.d,”
said Donal.
”Then are you not now going to do so?” said Arctura.
”As your ladys.h.i.+p made no answer to my proposal, and school hours were over, I concluded you were not coming.”
”And you would not give the lesson without her ladys.h.i.+p!” said Miss Carmichael. ”Very right!”
”Excuse me,” returned Donal; ”we were going to have it out of doors.”
”But you had agreed not to give him any so-called religious instruction but in the presence of lady Arctura!”
”By no means. I only offered to give it in her presence if she chose.
There was no question of the lessons being given.”
Miss Carmichael looked at lady Arctura as much as to say--”Is he speaking the truth?” and if she replied, it was in the same fas.h.i.+on.
Donal looked at Miss Carmichael. He did not at all relish her interference. He had never said he would give his lesson before any who chose to be present! But he did not see how to meet the intrusion.
Neither could he turn back into the schoolroom, sit down, and begin.
He put his hand on Davie's shoulder, and walked slowly towards the lawn. The ladies followed in silence. He sought to forget their presence, and be conscious only of his pupil's and his master's. On the lawn he stopped suddenly.
”Davie,” he said, ”where do you fancy the first lesson in the New Testament ought to begin?”
”At the beginning,” replied Davie.
”When a thing is perfect, Davie, it is difficult to say what is the beginning of it: show me one of your marbles.”
The boy produced from his pocket a pure white one--a real marble.
”That is a good one for the purpose,” remarked Donal, ”--very smooth and white, with just one red streak in it! Now where is the beginning of this marble?”
”Nowhere,” answered Davie.