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."You knew thatmust be! How could I but love you--better than any one else in theworld! You have given me life! I was dead.--You have been likeanother father to me!" she added, with a smile of heavenlytenderness."But I could not have spoken to you like this, if I hadnot known I was dying."The word shot a sting as of fire through Donal's heart."You are always a child, Mr.Grant," she went on; "death is making achild of me; it makes us all children: as if we were two littlechildren together, I tell you I love you.--Don't look like that,"she continued; "you must not forget what you have been teaching meall this time--that the will of God, the perfect God, is all in all!He is not a God far off: to know that is enough to have lived for!You have taught me that, and I love you with a true heartfervently."Donal could not speak.He knew she was dying."Mr.Grant," she began again, "my soul is open to his eyes, and isnot ashamed.I know I am going to do what would by the world becounted unwomanly; but you and I stand before our Father, not beforethe world.I ask you in plain words, knowing that if you cannot doas I ask you willingly, you will not do it.And be sure I shallplainly be dying before I claim the fulfilment of your promise ifyou give it.I do not want your answer all at once: you must thinkabout it."Here she paused a while, then said,"I want you to marry me, if you will, before I go."Donal could not yet speak.His soul was in a tumult of emotion."I am tired," she said."Please go and think it over.If you say no,I shall only say, 'He knows best what is best!' I shall not beashamed.Only you must not once think what the world would say: ofall people we have nothing to do with the world! We have nothing todo but with God and love! If he be pleased with us, we can afford tosmile at what his silly children think of us: they mind only whattheir vulgar nurses say, not what their perfect father says: we neednot mind them--need we?--I wonder at myself," she went on, for Donaldid not utter a word, "for being able to speak like this; but then Ihave been thinking of it for a long time--chiefly as I lie awake.Iam never afraid now--not though I lie awake all night: 'perfect lovecasteth out fear,' you know.I have God to love, and Jesus to love,and you to love, and my own father to love! When you know him, youwill see how good a man can be without having been brought up likeyou!--Oh, Donal, do say something, or I shall cry, and crying killsme!"She was sitting on a low chair, with the sunlight across herlap--for she was again in the sunny Garland-room--and the firelighton her face.Donal knelt gently down, and laid his hands in thesunlight on her lap, just as if he were going to say his prayers athis mother's knee.She laid both her hands on his."I have something to tell you," he said; "and then you must speakagain.""Tell me," said Arctura, with a little gasp."When I came here," said Donal, "I thought my heart so broken thatit would never love--that way, I mean--any more.But I loved Godbetter than ever: and as one I would fain help, I loved you from thevery first.But I should have scorned myself had I once fancied youloved me more than just to do anything for me I needed done.When Isaw you troubled, I longed to take you up in my arms, and carry youlike a lovely bird that had fallen from one of God's nests; butnever once, my lady, did I think of your caring for my love: it wasyours as a matter of course.I once asked a lady to kiss me--justonce, for a good-bye: she would not--and she was quite right; butafter that I never spoke to a lady but she seemed to stand far awayon the top of a hill against a sky."He stopped.Her hands on his fluttered a little, as if they wouldfly."Is she still--is she--alive?" she asked."Oh yes, my lady.""Then she may--change--" said Arctura, and stopped, for there was astone in her heart.Donal laughed.It was an odd laugh, but it did Arctura good."No danger of that, my lady! She has the best husband in theworld--a much better than I should have made, much as I loved her.""That can't be!""Why, my lady, her husband's sir Gibbie! She's lady Galbraith! Iwould never have wished her mine if I had known she loved Gibbie.Ilove her next to him.""Then--then--""What, my lady?""Then--then--Oh, do say something!""What should I say? What God wills is fast as the roots of theuniverse, and lovely as its blossom."Arctura burst into tears."Then you do not--care for me!"Donal began to understand.In some things he went on so fast that hecould not hear the cry behind him.She had spoken, and had beenlistening in vain for response! She thought herself unloved: he hadshown her no sign that he loved her!His heart was so full of love and the joy of love, that they hadmade him very still: now the delight of love awoke.He took her inhis arms like a child, rose, and went walking about the room withher, petting and soothing her.He held her close to his heart; herhead was on his shoulder, and his face was turned to hers."I love you," he said, "and love you to all eternity! I have loveenough now to live upon, if you should die to-night, and I shouldtarry till he come.O God, thou art too good to me! It is more thanmy heart can bear! To make men and women, and give them to eachother, and not be one moment jealous of the love wherewith they loveone another, is to be a God indeed!"So said Donal--and spoke the high truth.But alas for the lovewherewith men and women love each other! There were small room forGod to be jealous of that! It is the little love with which theylove each other, the great love with which they love themselves,that hurts the heart of their father.Arctura signed at length a prayer for release, and he set her gentlydown in her chair again.Then he saw her face more beautiful thanever before; and the rose that bloomed there was the rose of ahealth deeper than sickness.These children of God were of theblessed few who love the more that they know him present, whosesouls are naked before him, and not ashamed.Let him that hearsunderstand! if he understand not, let him hold his peace, and itwill be his wisdom! He who has no place for this love in hisreligion, who thinks to be more holy without it, is not of God'smind when he said, "Let us make man!" He may be a saint, but hecannot be a man after God's own heart.The finished man is the savedman.The saint may have to be saved from more than sin."When shall we be married?" asked Donal."Soon, soon," answered Arctura."To-morrow then?""No, not to-morrow: there is no such haste--now that we understandeach other," she added with a rosy smile."I want to be married toyou before I die, that is all--not just to-morrow, or the next day.""When you please, my love," said Donal.She laid her head on his bosom."We are as good as married now," she said: "we know that each lovesthe other! How I shall wait for you! You will be mine, you know--alittle bit mine--won't you?--even if you should marry some beautifullady after I am gone?--I shall love her when she comes.""Arctura!" said Donal.CHAPTER LXXXI.A WILL AND A WEDDING.But the opening of the windows of heaven, and the unspeakable rushof life through channels too narrow and banks too weak to hold itstide, caused a terrible inundation: the red flood broke its banks,and weakened all the land.Arctura sent for Mr.Graeme, and commissioned him to fetch thefamily lawyer from Edinburgh.Alone with him she gave instructionsconcerning her will.The man of business shrugged his shoulders,laden with so many petty weights, bowed down with so many falsestopinions, and would have expostulated with her."Sir!" she said."You have a cousin who inherits the title!" he suggested."Mr
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