not reach the sun； exhaled in longing。 Over grass which fondled his
feet like the lap of an old nurse； he walked slowly round the bed of
the roses； turning again towards the house。 But there； half…way
between him and it； was the lady of the garden descending to meet
him！not ancient like the garden； but young like its flowers；
light…footed； and full of life。
Prepared by her brother to be friendly； she met him with a pleasant
smile； and he saw that the light which shone in her dark eyes had in
it rays of laughter。 She had a dark； yet clear complexion； a good
forehead； a nose after no recognized generation of noses； yet an
attractive one； a mouth larger than to human judgment might have
seemed necessary； yet a right pleasing mouth； with two rows of
lovely teeth。 All this Donal saw approach without dismay。 He was
no more shy with women than with men； while none the less his
feeling towards them partook largely of the reverence of the ideal
knight errant。 He would not indeed have been shy in the presence of
an angel of God； for his only courage came of truth； and clothed in
the dignity of his reverence； he could look in the face of the
lovely without perturbation。 He would not have sought to hide from
him whose voice was in the garden； but would have made haste to cast
himself at his feet。
Bonnet in hand he advanced to meet Kate Graeme。 She held out to him
a well…shaped； good…sized hand； not ignorant of workcapable indeed
of milking a cow to the cow's satisfaction。 Then he saw that her
chin was strong； and her dark hair not too tidy； that she was rather
tall； and slenderly conceived though plumply carried out。 Her light
approach pleased him。 He liked the way her foot pressed the grass。
If Donal loved anything in the green world； it was neither roses
nor hollyhocks； nor even sweet peas； but the grass that is trodden
under foot； that springs in all waste places； and has so often to be
glad of the dews of heaven to heal the hot cut of the scythe。 He
had long abjured the notion of anything in the vegetable kingdom
being without some sense of life； without pleasure and pain also； in
mild form and degree。
CHAPTER XXI。
A FIRST MEETING。
He took her hand； and felt it an honest onea safe； comfortable
hand。
〃My brother told me he had brought you；〃 she said。 〃I am glad to see
you。〃
〃You are very kind；〃 said Donal。 How did either of you know of my
existence？ A few minutes back； I was not aware of yours。〃
Was it a rude utterance？ He was silent a moment with the silence
that promises speech； then added
〃Has it ever struck you how many born friends there are in the world
who never meetpersons to love each other at first sight； but who
never in this world have that sight？〃
〃No；〃 returned Miss Graeme； with a merrier laugh than quite
responded to the remark； 〃I certainly never had such a thought。 I
take the people that come； and never think of those who do not。 But
of course it must be so。〃
〃To be in the world is to have a great many brothers and sisters you
do not know！〃 said Donal。
〃My mother told me；〃 she rejoined； 〃of a man who had had so many
wives and children that his son； whom she had met； positively did
not know all his brothers and sisters。〃
〃I suspect；〃 said Donal； 〃we have to know our brothers and sisters。〃
〃I do not understand。〃
〃We have even got to feel a man is our brother the moment we see
him；〃 pursued Donal； enhancing his former remark。
〃That sounds alarming！〃 said Miss Graeme； with another laugh。 〃My
little heart feels not large enough to receive so many。〃
〃The worst of it is；〃 continued Donal； who once started was not
ready to draw rein； 〃that those who chiefly advocate this extension
of the family bonds； begin by loving their own immediate relations
less than anybody else。 Extension with them means slackeningas if
any one could learn to love more by loving less； or go on to do
better without doing well！ He who loves his own little will not
love others much。〃
〃But how can we love those who are nothing to us？〃 objected Miss
Graeme。
〃That would be impossible。 The family relations are for the sake of
developing a love rooted in a far deeper though less recognized
relation。But I beg your pardon； Miss Graeme。 Little Davie alone
is my pupil； and I forget myself。〃
〃I am very glad to listen to you；〃 returned Miss Graeme。 〃I cannot
say I am prepared to agree with you。 But it is something； in this
out…of…the…way corner； to hear talk from which it is even worth
while to differ。〃
〃Ah； you can have that here if you will！〃
〃Indeed！〃
〃I mean talk from which you would probably differ。 There is an old
man in the town who can talk better than ever I heard man before。
But he is a poor man； with a despised handicraft； and none heed
him。 No community recognizes its great men till they are gone。〃
〃Where is the use then of being great？〃 said Miss Graeme。
〃To be great；〃 answered Donal； 〃to which the desire to be known of
men is altogether destructive。 To be great is to seem little in the
eyes of men。〃
Miss Graeme did not answer。 She was not accustomed to consider
things seriously。 A good girl in a certain true sense； she had
never yet seen that she had to be better； or indeed to be anything。
But she was able to feel； though she was far from understanding
him； that Donal was in earnest； and that was much。 To recognize
that a man means something； is a great step towards understanding
him。
〃What a lovely garden this is！〃 remarked Donal after the sequent
pause。 〃I have never seen anything like it。〃
〃It is very old…fashioned；〃 she returned。 〃Do you not find it very
stiff and formal？〃
〃Stately and precise； I should rather say。〃
〃I do not mean I can help liking itin a way。〃
〃Who could help liking it that took his feeling from the garden
itself； not from what people said about it！〃
〃You cannot say it is like nature！〃
〃Yes； it is very like human nature。 Man ought to learn of nature；
but not to imitate nature。 His work is； through the forms that
Nature gives him； to express the idea or feeling that is in him。
That is far more likely to produce things in harmony with nature；
than the attempt to imitate nature upon the small human scale。〃
〃You are too much of a philosopher for me！〃 said Miss Graeme。 〃I
daresay you are quite right； but I have never read anything about
art； and cannot follow you。〃
〃You have probably read as much as I have。 I am only talking out of
what necessity； the necessity for understanding things； has made me
think。 One must get things brought together in one's thoughts； if
only to be able to go on thinking。〃
This too was beyond Miss Graeme。 The silence again fell； and Donal
let it lie； waiting for her to break it this time。
CHAPTER XXII。
A TALK ABOUT GHOSTS。
But again he was the first。
They had turned and gone a good way down the long garden； and had
again turned towards the house。
〃This place makes me feel as I never felt before；〃 he said。 〃There
is such a wonderful sense of vanished life about it。 The whole
garden seems dreaming about things of long agowhen troops of
ladies； now banished into pictures； wandered about the place； each
full of her own thoughts and fancies of life； each looking at
everything with ways of thinking as old…fashioned as her garments。
I could not be here after nightfall without feeling as if every
walk were answering to unseen feet； as if every tree might be hiding
some lovely form； returned to dream over old memories。〃
〃Where is the good of fancying what is not true？ I can't care for
what I know to be nonsense！〃
She was glad to find a spot where she could put down the foot of
contradiction； for she came of a family known for what the
neighbours called common sense； and in the habit of casting contempt
upon everything characterized as superstition： she had now something
to say for herself！
〃How do you know it is nonsense？〃 asked Donald； looking round in her
face with a bright smile。
〃Not nonsense to keep imagining what nobody can see？〃
〃I can only imagine what I do not see。〃
〃Nobody ever saw such creatures as you suppose in any garden！ Then
why fancy the dead so uncomfortable； or so ill looked after； that
they come back to plague us！〃
〃Plainly they have never plagued you much！〃 rejoined Donal laughing。
〃But how often have you gone up and down these walks at dead of
night？〃
〃Never once；〃 answered Miss Graeme； not without a spark of
indignation。 〃I never was so absurd！〃
〃Then there may be a whole night…world that you know nothing about。
You cannot tell that the place is not then thronged with ghosts：
you have never given them a chance of appearing to you。 I don't say
it is so； for I know nothing； or at least little； about such things。
I have had no experience of the sort any more than youand I have
been out whole nights on the mountains when I was a shepherd。〃
〃Why then should you trouble your fancy about them？〃
〃Perhaps just for that reason。〃
〃I do not understand you。〃
〃I mean； because I can come into no communication with such a world
as may be about me； I therefore imagine it。 If； as often as I
walked abroad at night； I met and held converse with the
disembodied； I should use my imagination little； but make many notes
of facts。 When what may be makes no show； what more natural than to
imagine about it？ What is the imagination here for？〃
〃I do not know。 The less one has to do with it the better。〃
〃Then the thing； whatever it be； should not be called a faculty； but
a weakness！〃
〃Yes。〃
〃But the history of the world shows it could never have made
progress without suggestions upon which to ground experiments：
whence may these suggestions come if not from the weakness or
impediment called the imagination？〃
Again there was silence。 Miss Graeme began to doubt whether it was
possible to hold rational converse with a man who； the moment they
began upon anything； went straight aloft into some high…flying
region of which she knew and for which she cared nothing。 But
Donal's unconscious desire was in reality to meet her upon some
common plane of thought。 He always wanted to meet his fellow； and
hen