Brookes waiting for him. She told him that Eppy, meeting her in the
passage the night before, had burst into tears, but she could get
nothing out of her, and had sent her to her room; this morning she
had not come down at the proper time, and when she sent after her,
did not come: she went up herself, and found her determined to leave
the castle that very day; she was now packing her things to go, nor
did she see any good in trying to prevent her.
Donal said if she would go home, there was plenty for her to do
there; old people's bones were not easy to mend, and it would be
some time before her grandfather was well again!
Mrs. Brookes said she would not keep her now if she begged to stay;
she was afraid she would come to grief, and would rather she went
home; she would take her home herself.
"The lass is no an ill ane," she added: " but she disna ken what she
wud be at. She wants some o' the Lord's ain discipleen, I'm
thinkin!"
"An' that ye may be sure she'll get, mistress Brookes!" said Donal.
Eppy was quite ready to go home and help nurse her grandfather. She
thought her conduct must by this time be the talk of the castle, and
was in mortal terror of lord Morven. All the domestics feared
him--it would be hard to say precisely why; it came in part of
seeing him so seldom that he had almost come to represent the ghost
some said lived in the invisible room and haunted the castle.
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