At length one evening Donal knocked at the door of Forgue's room, and went in. He was seated in an easy chair before a blazing fire, looking comfortable, and showing in his pale face no sign of a disturbed conscience.
"My lord," said Donal, "you will hardly be surprised to find I have something to talk to you about!"
His lordship was so much surprised that he made him no answer--only looked in his face. Donal went on:--
"I want to speak to you about Eppy Comin," he said.
Forgue's face flamed up. The devil of pride, and the devil of fear, and the devil of shame, all rushed to the outworks to defend the worthless self. But his temper did not at once break bounds.
"Allow me to remind you, Mr. Grant," he said, "that, although I have availed myself of your help, I am not your pupil, and you have no authority over me."
"The reminder is unnecessary, my lord," answered Donal. "I am not your tutor, but I am the friend of the Comins, and therefore of Eppy."
His lordship drew himself up yet more erect in his chair, and a sneer came over his handsome countenance. But Donal did not wait for him to speak.
"Don't imagine me, my lord," he said, "presuming on the fact that I had the good fortune to carry you home: that I should have done for the stable-boy in similar plight. But as I interfered for you then, I have to interfere for Eppie now."
"Damn your insolence! Do you think because you are going to be a parson, you may make a congregation of me!"
"I have not the slightest intention of being a parson," returned Donal quietly, "but I do hope to be an honest man, and your lordship is in great danger of ceasing to be one!"
"Get out of my room," cried Forgue.
Donal took a seat opposite him.
"If you do not, I will!" said the young lord, and rose.
But ere he reached the door, Donal was standing with his back against it. He locked it, and took out the key. The youth glared at him, unable to speak for fury, then turned, caught up a chair, and rushed at him. One twist of Donal's ploughman-hand wrenched it from him. He threw it over his head upon the bed, and stood motionless and silent, waiting till his rage should subside. In a few moments his eye began to quail, and he went back to his seat.
"Now, my lord," said Donal, following his example and sitting down, "will you hear me?"
"I'll be damned if I do!" he answered, flaring up again at the first sound of Donal's voice.
"I'm afraid you'll be damned if you don't," returned Donal.
His lordship took the undignified expedient of thrusting his fingers in his ears. Donal sat quiet until he removed them. But the moment he began to speak he thrust them in again. Donal rose, and seizing one of his hands by the wrist, said, "Be careful, my lord; if you drive me to extremity, I will speak so that the house shall hear me; if that will not do, I go straight to your father."
"You are a spy and a sneak!"
"A man who behaves like you, should have no terms held with him."
The youth broke out in a fresh passion. Donal sat waiting till the futile outburst should be over. It was presently exhausted, the rage seeming to go out for want of fuel. Nor did he again stop his ears against the truth he saw he was doomed to hear.
"I am come," said Donal, "to ask your lordship whether the course you are pursuing is not a dishonourable one."
"I know what I am about."
"So much the worse--but I doubt it. For your mother's sake, if for no other, you should scorn to behave to a woman as you are doing now."
"What do you please to imagine I am doing now?"
"There is no imagination in this--that you are behaving to Eppy as no man ought except he meant to marry her."
"How do you know I do not mean to marry her?"
"Do you mean to marry her, my lord?"
"What right have you to ask?"
"At least I live under the same roof with you both."
"What if she knows I do not intend to marry her?"
"My duty is equally plain: I am the friend of her only relatives.
If I did not do my best for the poor girl, I dared not look my Master in the face!--Where is your honour, my lord?"
"I never told her I would marry her."
"I never supposed you had."
"Well, what then?"
"I repeat, such attentions as yours must naturally be supposed by any innocent girl to mean marriage."
"Bah! she is not such a fool!"
"I fear she is fool enough not to know to what they must then point!"
"They point to nothing."
"Then you take advantage of her innocence to amuse yourself with her."
"What if she be not quite so innocent as you would have her."
"My lord, you are a scoundrel."
For one moment Forgue seemed to wrestle with an all but uncontrollable fury; the next he laughed--but it was not a nice laugh.
"Come now," he said, "I'm glad I've put you in a rage! I've got over mine. I'll tell you the whole truth: there is nothing between me and the girl--nothing whatever, I give you my word, except an innocent flirtation. Ask herself."
"My lord," said Donal, "I believe what you mean me to understand. I thought nothing worse of it myself."
"Then why the devil kick up such an infernal shindy about it?"
"For these reasons, my lord:--"
"Oh, come! don't be long-winded."
"You must hear me."
"Go on."
"I will suppose she does not imagine you mean to marry her."
"She can't!"
"Why not?"
"She's not a fool, and she can't imagine me such an idiot!"
"But may she not suppose you love her?"
He tried to laugh.
"You have never told her so?--never said or done anything to make her think so?"
"Oh, well! she may think so--after a sort of a fashion!"
"Would she speak to you again if she heard you talking so of the love you give her?"
"You know as well as I do the word has many meanings?"
"And which is she likely to take? That which is confessedly false and worth nothing?"
"She may take which she pleases, and drop it when she pleases."
"But now, does she not take your words of love for more than they are worth?"
"She says I will soon forget her."
"Will any saying keep her from being so in love with you as to reap misery? You don't know what the consequences may be! Her love wakened by yours, may be infinitely stronger than yours!"
"Oh, women don't now-a-days die for love!" said his lordship, feeling a little flattered.
