david elginbrod-第61章

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〃She　has　taken　it　into　her　head　to　like　no　one　but　you；　and　you　must
just　stay　with　her。〃

〃Very　well；　ma'am。　　I　shall　be　most　happy。〃

Mrs。　Elton　left　the　room。　　Lady　Emily　said：

〃Read　something　to　me；　Margaret。〃

〃What　shall　I　read？〃

〃Anything　you　like。〃

Margaret　got　a　Bible；　and　read　to　her　one　of　her　father's　favourite
chapters；　the　fortieth　of　Isaiah。

〃I　have　no　right　to　trust　in　God；　Margaret。〃

〃Why；　my　lady？〃

〃Because　I　do　not　feel　any　faith　in　him；　and　you　know　we　cannot　be
accepted　without　faith。〃

〃That　is　to　make　God　as　changeable　as　we　are；　my　lady。〃

〃But　the　Bible　says　so。〃

〃I　don't　think　it　does；　but　if　an　angel　from　heaven　said　so；　I　would
not　believe　it。〃

〃Margaret！〃

〃My　lady；　I　love　God　with　all　my　heart；　and　I　cannot　bear　you　should
think　so　of　him。　　You　might　as　well　say　that　a　mother　would　go　away
from　her　little　child；　lying　moaning　in　the　dark；　because　it　could
not　see　her；　and　was　afraid　to　put　its　hand　out　into　the　dark　to
feel　for　her。〃

〃Then　you　think　he　does　care　for　us；　even　when　we　are　very　wicked。
But　he　cannot　bear　wicked　people。〃

〃Who　dares　to　say　that？〃　cried　Margaret。　〃Has　he　not　been　making　the
world　go　on　and　on；　with　all　the　wickedness　that　is　in　it；　yes；
making　new　babies　to　be　born　of　thieves　and　murderers　and　sad　women
and　all；　for　hundreds　of　years？　　God　help　us；　Lady　Emily！　　If　he
cannot　bear　wicked　people；　then　this　world　is　hell　itself；　and　the
Bible　is　all　a　lie；　and　the　Saviour　did　never　die　for　sinners。　　It
is　only　the　holy　Pharisees　that　can't　bear　wicked　people。〃

〃Oh！　how　happy　I　should　be；　if　that　were　true！　　I　should　not　be
afraid　now。〃

〃You　are　not　wicked；　dear　Lady　Emily；　but　if　you　were；　God　would
bend　over　you；　trying　to　get　you　back；　like　a　father　over　his　sick
child。　　Will　people　never　believe　about　the　lost　sheep？〃

〃Oh！　yes；　I　believe　that。　　But　then〃

〃You　can't　trust　it　quite。　　Trust　in　God；　then；　the　very　father　of
youand　never　mind　the　words。　　You　have　been　taught　to　turn　the
very　words　of　God　against　himself。〃

Lady　Emily　was　weeping。

〃Lady　Emily；〃　Margaret　went　on；　〃if　I　felt　my　heart　as　hard　as　a
stone；　if　I　did　not　love　God；　or　man；　or　woman；　or　little　child；　I
would　yet　say　to　God　in　my　heart：　'O　God；　see　how　I　trust　thee；
because　thou　art　perfect；　and　not　changeable　like　me。　　I　do　not　love
thee。　　I　love　nobody。　　I　am　not　even　sorry　for　it。　　Thou　seest　how
much　I　need　thee　to　come　close　to　me；　to　put　thy　arm　round　me；　to
say　to　me；　my　child；　for　the　worse　my　state；　the　greater　my　need　of
my　father　who　loves　me。　　Come　to　me；　and　my　day　will　dawn。　　My
beauty　and　my　love　will　come　back；　and　oh！　how　I　shall　love　thee；　my
God！　and　know　that　my　love　is　thy　love；　my　blessedness　thy　being。'〃

As　Margaret　spoke；　she　seemed　to　have　forgotten　Lady　Emily's
presence；　and　to　be　actually　praying。　　Those　who　cannot　receive　such
words　from　the　lips　of　a　lady's…maid；　must　be　reminded　what　her
father　was；　and　that　she　had　lost　him。　　She　had　had　advantages　at
least　equal　to　those　which　David　the　Shepherd　hadand　he　wrote　the
Psalms。

She　ended　with：

〃I　do　not　even　desire　thee　to　come；　yet　come　thou。〃

She　seemed　to　pray　entirely　as　Lady　Emily；　not　as　Margaret。　　When
she　had　ceased；　Lady　Emily　said；　sobbing：

〃You　will　not　leave　me；　Margaret？　　I　will　tell　you　why　another
time。〃

〃I　will　not　leave　you；　my　dear　lady。〃

Margaret　stooped　and　kissed　her　forehead。　　Lady　Emily　threw　her　arms
round　her　neck；　and　offered　her　mouth　to　be　kissed　by　the　maid。　　In
another　minute　she　was　fast　asleep；　with　Margaret　seated　by　her
side；　every　now　and　then　glancing　up　at　her　from　her　work；　with　a
calm　face；　over　which　brooded　the　mist　of　tears。

That　night；　as　Hugh　paced　up　and　down　the　floor　of　his　study　about
midnight；　he　was　awfully　startled　by　the　sudden　opening　of　the　door
and　the　apparition　of　Harry　in　his　nightshirt；　pale　as　death；　and
scarcely　able　to　articulate　the　words：

〃The　ghost！　the　ghost！〃

He　took　the　poor　boy　in　his　arms；　held　him　fast；　and　comforted　him。
When　he　was　a　little　soothed；

〃Oh；　Harry！〃　he　said；　lightly；　〃you've　been　dreaming。　　Where's　the
ghost？〃

〃In　the　Ghost's　Walk；〃　cried　Harry；　almost　shrieking　anew　with
terror。

〃How　do　you　know　it　is　there？〃

〃I　saw　it　from　my　window。I　couldn't　sleep。　　I　got　up　and　looked
outI　don't　know　whyand　I　saw　it！　　I　saw　it！〃

The　words　were　followed　by　a　long　cry　of　terror。

〃Come　and　show　it　to　me；〃　said　Hugh；　wanting　to　make　light　of　it。

〃No；　no；　Mr。　Sutherlandplease　not。　　I　couldn't　go　back　into　that
room。〃

〃Very　well；　dear　Harry；　you　shan't　go　back。　　You　shall　sleep　with
me；　to…night。〃

〃Oh！　thank　you；　thank　you；　dear　Mr。　Sutherland。　　You　will　love　me
again；　won't　you？〃

This　touched　Hugh's　heart。　　He　could　hardly　refrain　from　tears。　　His
old　love；　buried　before　it　was　dead；　revived。　　He　clasped　the　boy　to
his　heart；　and　carried　him　to　his　own　bed；　then；　to　comfort　him；
undressed　and　lay　down　beside　him；　without　even　going　to　look　if　he
too　might　not　see　the　ghost。　　She　had　brought　about　one　good　thing
at　least　that　night；　though；　I　fear；　she　had　no　merit　in　it。

Lady　Emily's　room　likewise　looked　out　upon　the　Ghost's　Walk。
Margaret　heard　the　cry　as　she　sat　by　the　sleeping　Emily；　and；　not
knowing　whence　it　came；　went；　naturally　enough；　in　her　perplexity；
to　the　window。　　From　it　she　could　see　distinctly；　for　it　was　clear
moonlight：　a　white　figure　went　gliding　away　along　the　deserted
avenue。　　She　immediately　guessed　what　the　cry　had　meant；　but　as　she
had　heard　a　door　bang　directly　after　（as　Harry　shut　his　behind　him
with　a　terrified　instinct；　to　keep　the　awful　window　in）；　she　was　not
very　uneasy　about　him。　　She　felt　besides　that　she　must　remain　where
she　was；　according　to　her　promise　to　Lady　Emily。　　But　she　resolved
to　be　prepared　for　the　possible　recurrence　of　the　same　event；　and
accordingly　revolved　it　in　her　mind。　　She　was　sure　that　any　report
of　it　coming　to　Lady　Emily's　ears；　would　greatly　impede　her
recovery；　for　she　instinctively　felt　that　her　illness　had　something
to　do　with　the　questionable　occupations　in　the　library。　　She　watched
by　her　bedside　all　the　night；　slumbering　at　times；　but　roused　in　a
moment　by　any　restlessness　of　the　patient；　when　she　found　that；
simply　by　laying　her　hand　on　hers；　or　kissing　her　forehead；　she
could　restore　her　at　once　to　quiet　sleep。




CHAPTER　XIX。

THE　GHOST'S　WALK。

Thierry。'Tis　full　of　fearful　shadows。
Ordella。　　　　　So　is　sleep；　sir；
　　　Or　anything　that's　merely　ours；　and　mortal；
　　　We　were　begotten　gods　else。　　But　those　fears
　　　Feeling　but　once　the　fires　of　nobler　thoughts；
　　　Fly；　like　the　shapes　of　clouds　we　form；　to　nothing。

BEAUMONT　AND　FLETCHER。Thierry　and　Theodoret。


Margaret　sat　watching　the　waking　of　Lady　Emily。　　Knowing　how　much
the　first　thought　colours　the　feeling　of　the　whole　day；　she　wished
that　Lady　Emily　should　at　once　be　aware　that　she　was　by　her　side。

She　opened　her　eyes；　and　a　smile　broke　over　her　face　when　she
perceived　her　nurse。　　But　Margaret　did　not　yet　speak　to　her。

Every　nurse　should　remember　that　waking　ought　always　to　be　a　gradual
operation；　and；　except　in　the　most　triumphant　health；　is　never
complete　on　the　opening　of　the　eyes。

〃Margaret；　I　am　better；〃　said　Lady　Emily；　at　last。

〃I　am　very　glad；　my　lady。〃

〃I　have　been　lying　awake　for　some　time；　and　I　am　sure　I　am　better。
I　don't　see　strange…coloured　figures　floating　about　the　room　as　I
did　yesterday。　　Were　you　not　out　of　the　room　a　few　minutes　ago？〃

〃Just　for　one　moment；　my　lady。〃

〃I　knew　it。　　But　I　did　not　mind　it。　　Yesterday；　when　you　left　me；
those　figures　grew　ten　times　as　many；　the　moment　you　were　gone。　　But
you　will　stay　with　me　to…day；　too；　Margaret？〃　she　added；　with　some
anxiety。

〃I　will；　if　you　find　you　need　me。　　But　I　may　be　forced　to　leave　you
a　little　while　this　eveningyou　must　try　to　allow　me　this；　dear
Lady　Emily。〃

〃Of　course　I　will。　　I　will　be　quite　patient；　I　promise　you；　whatever
comes　to　me。〃

When　Harry　woke；　after　a　very　troubled　sleep；　from　which　he　had
often　started　with　sudden　cries　of　terror；　Hugh　made　him　promise　not
to　increase　the　confusion　of　the　household；　by