“No, there is no story--at least nothing tragical or even romantic. They
say she was the eldest daughter. I sometimes wonder,” Chatty said, with
a smile and a faint increase of colour, “whether she might not be a
little like me. She lived here all her life, and had several generations
to take care of. Oh no, there was no murder or wrong about our Lady; she
just loved Ellermore above everything; and my idea is that she has been
allowed the care of us ever since.”
“That is very sweet, to have the care of you,” I said, scarcely
venturing to put any emphasis on the pronoun; “but, after all, it must
be slow work, don’t you think, walking up and down there for ever? I
call that a poor sort of reward for a good woman. If she had been a bad
one, it might have answered very well for a punishment.”
“Mr. Temple!” Chatty said, now reddening with indignation, “do you think
it is a poor thing to have the care of your own people, to watch over
them, whatever may happen--to be all for them and their service? I don’t
think so; I should like to have such a fate.”
Perhaps I had spoken thus on purpose to bring about the discussion.
“There is such a thing as being too devoted to a family. Are they ever
grateful? They go away and marry and leave you in the lurch.”
She looked up at me with a little astonishment. “The members may vary,
but the family never goes away,” she said; “besides, that can apply to
us in our present situation only. _She_ must have seen so many come and
go; but that need not vex her, you know, because they go where she is.”
“My dear Miss Campbell, wait a bit; think a little,” I said. “Where she
is! That is in the Lady’s Walk, according to your story. Let us hope
that all your ancestors and relations are not there.”
“I suppose you want to make me angry,” said Chatty. “She is in
heaven--have you any doubt of that?--but every day when the sun is
setting she comes back home.”
“Oh, come!” I said, “if it is only at the sunset, that is not so bad.”
Miss Campbell looked at me doubtfully, as if not knowing whether to be
angry. “You want to make fun of it,” she said, “to laugh at it; and
yet,” she added, with a little spirit, “you were very nervous half an
hour ago.”
“I acknowledge to being nervous. I am very impressionable. I believe
that is the word. It is a luxury like another to be nervous at the fit
moment. Frightened, you might say, if you prefer plain speaking. And I
am very glad it is at sunset, not in the dark. This completes the circle
of my Highland experiences,” I said; “everything now is perfect. I have
shot grouse on the hill and caught trout on the loch, and been soaked to
the skin and then dried in the wind; I wanted nothing but the family
ghost. And now I have seen her, or at least heard her”--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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