One might
have thought the worm would have a word to say in rejoinder; but no;
the worm had vanished, and the buried dreamer had made himself a
god--his own god! Donal stole up softly behind him, and peeped at
the open book: it was the Novum Organum!
They glided out of the room, and left the dreamer to his dreams.
"Do you think," said Donal, "I ought to tell Simmons?"
"It would be better. Do you know where to find him?"
"I do not."
"I will show you a bell that rings in his room. He will think his
lordship has rung it."
They went and rang the bell. In a minute or two they heard the steps
of the faithful servant seeking his master, and bade each other
good-night.
CHAPTER XL.
A RELIGION-LESSON.
In the morning Donal learned from Simmons that his master was very
ill--could not raise his head.
"The way he do moan and cry!" said Simmons. "You would think sure he
was either out of his mind, or had something heavy upon it! All the
years I known him, he been like that every now an' then, and back to
his old self again, little the worse! Only the fits do come
oftener."
Towards the close of school, as Donal was beginning to give his
lesson in religion, lady Arctura entered, and sat down beside Davie.
"What would you think of me, Davie," Donal was saying, "if I were
angry with you because you did not know something I had never taught
you?"
Davie only laughed.
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