One morning， Donal in the schoolroom with Davie， a knock came to the door， and lady Arctura entered.
"The wind is blowing from the south-east，" she said.
"Listen then， my lady， whether you can hear anything，" said Donal.
"I fancy it is a very precise wind that is wanted."
"I will listen，" she answered， and went.
The day passed， and he heard nothing more. He was at work in his room in the warm evening twilight， when Davie came running to his door， and said Arkie was coming up after him. He rose and stood at the top of the stair to receive her. She had heard the music， she said--very soft： would he go on the roof？
"Where were you， my lady，" asked Donal， "when you heard it？ I have heard nothing up here！"
"In my own little parlour，" she replied. "It was very faint， but I could not mistake it."
They went upon the roof. The wind was soft and low， an excellent thing in winds. They knew the paths of the roof better now， and had plenty of light， although the moon， rising large and round， gave them little of hers yet， and were soon at the foot of the great chimney-stack， which grew like a tree out of the house. There they sat down to wait and hearken.
"I am almost sorry to have made this discovery！" said Donal.
"Why？" asked lady Arctura. "Should not the truth be found， whatever it may be？ You at least think so！"
"Most certainly，" answered Donal. "And if this be the truth， as I fully expect it will prove， then it is well it should be found to be. But I should have liked better it had been something we could not explain."
"I doubt if I understand you."
"Things that cannot be explained so widen the horizon around us！ open to us fresh regions for question and answer， for possibility and delight！ They are so many kernels of knowledge closed in the hard nuts of seeming contradiction.--You know， my lady， there are stories of certain houses being haunted by a mysterious music presaging evil to the family？"
"I have heard of such music. But what can be the use of it？"
"I do not know. I see not the smallest use in it. If it were of use it would surely be more common！ If it were of use， why should those who have it be of the class less favoured， so to speak， of the Lord of the universe， and the families of his poor never have it？"
"Perhaps for the same reason that they have their other good things in this life！" said Arctura.
"I am answered，" confessed Donal， "and have no more to say. These tales， if they require of us a belief in any special care over such houses， as if they were more precious in the eyes of God than the poorest cottage in the land， I cast them from me."
"But，" said Arctura， in a deprecating tone， "are not those houses which have more influence more important than the others？"
"Surely--those which have more good influence. But such are rarely the great houses of a country. Our Lord was not an Asmonaean prince， but the son of a humble maiden， his reputed father a working man."
"I do not see--I should like to understand how that has to do with it."
"You may be sure the Lord took the position in life in which it was most possible to do the highest good； and without driving the argument--for every work has its own specialty--it seems probable that the true ends of his coming will still be better furthered from the standpoint of humble circumstances， than from that of rank and position."
"You always speak，" said Arctura， "as if there were only the things Jesus Christ came for to be cared about：--is there nothing but salvation worthy a human being's regard？"
"If you give a true and large enough meaning to the word salvation， I answer you at once， Nothing. Only in proportion as a man is saved， will he do the work of the world aright--the whole design of which is to rear a beautiful blessed family. The world is God's nursery for his upper rooms. Oneness with God is the end of the order of things. When that is attained， we shall do greater things than the Lord himself did on the earth！--But was not that 苚lus？--Listen！"
There came a low prolonged wail.
The ladder was in readiness； Donal set it up in haste， climbed to the cleft， and with a sheet of brown paper in his hands， waited the next cry of the prisoned chords. He was beginning to get tired of his position， when suddenly came a stronger puff， and he heard the music distinctly in the shaft beside him. It swelled and grew. He spread the sheet of paper over the opening， the wind blew it flat against the chimney， and the sound instantly ceased. He removed it， and again came the sound. The wind continued， and grew stronger， so that they were able to make the simple experiment until no shadow of a doubt was left： they had discovered the source of the music！ By certain dispositions of the paper they were even able to modify it.
Donal descended， and said to Davie， "I wish you not to say a word about this to any one， Davie， before lady Arctura or I give you leave. You have a secret with us now. The castle belongs to lady Arctura， and she has a right to ask you not to speak of it to any one without her permission.--I have a reason， my lady，" he went on， turning to Arctura： "will you， please， desire Davie to attend to what I say. I will immediately explain to you， but I do not want Davie to know my reason until you do. You can on the instant withdraw your prohibition， should you not think my reason a good one."
"Davie，" said Arctura， "I too have faith in Mr. Grant： I beg you will keep all this a secret for the present."
"Oh surely， cousin Arkie！" said Davie. "--But， Mr. Grant， why should you make Arkie speak to me too？"
"Because the thing is her business， not mine. Run down and wait for me in my room. Go steadily over the bartizan， mind."
Donal turned again to Arctura.
"You know they say there is a hidden room in the castle， my lady？"
"Do you believe it？" she returned.
"I think there may be such a place."
"Surely if there had been， it would have been found long ago."
"They might have said that on the first report of the discovery of America！"
"That was far off， and across a great ocean！"
"And here are thick walls， and hearts careless an timid！--Has any one ever set in earnest about finding it？"
