guy mannering-第58节

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nces　attending　the　return　of　the　heir　of　Ellangowan　to　his　native　country。

With　manoeuvres　like　those　of　a　fox　when　he　doubles　to　avoid　the　pack；　Glossin　strove　to　approach　the　place　of　appointment　in　a　manner　which　should　leave　no　distinct　track　of　his　course。　〃Would　to　Heaven　it　would　snow；〃　he　said；　looking　upward；　〃and　hide　these　footprints。　Should　one　of　the　officers　light　upon　them；　he　would　run　the　scent　up；　like　a　bloodhound；　and　surprise　us。I　must　get　down　upon　the　sea…beach；　and　contrive　to　creep　along　beneath　the　rocks。〃

And　accordingly；　he　descended　from　the　cliffs　with　some　difficulty；　and　scrambled　along　between　the　rocks　and　the　advancing　tide；　now　looking　up　to　see　if　his　motions　were　watched　from　the　rocks　above　him；　now　casting　a　jealous　glance　to　mark　if　any　boat　appeared　upon　the　sea；　from　which　his　course　might　be　discovered。

But　even　the　feelings　of　selfish　apprehension　were　for　a　time　superseded；　as　Glossin　passed　the　spot　where　Kennedy's　body　had　been　found。　It　was　marked　by　the　fragment　of　rock　which　had　been　precipitated　from　the　cliff　above；　either　with　the　body　or　after　it。　The　mass　was　now　encrusted　with　small　shell…fish；　and　tasselled　with　tangle　and　seaweed；　but　still　its　shape　and　substance　were　different　from　those　of　the　other　rocks　which　lay　scattered　around。　His　voluntary　walks；　it　will　readily　be　believed；　had　never　led　to　this　spot；　so　that　finding　himself　now　there　for　the　first　time　after　the　terrible　catastrophe；　the　scene　at　once　recurred　to　his　mind　with　all　its　accompaniments　of　horror。　He　remembered　how；　like　a　guilty　thing；　gliding　from　the　neighbouring　place　of　concealment；　he　had　mingled　with　eagerness；　yet　with　caution；　among　the　terrified　group　who　surrounded　the　corpse；　dreading　lest　any　one　should　ask　from　whence　he　came。　He　remembered；　too；　with　what　conscious　fear　he　had　avoided　gazing　upon　that　ghastly　spectacle。　The　wild　scream　of　his　patron；　〃My　bairn！　my　bairn！〃　again　rang　in　his　ears。　〃Good　God！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃land　is　all　I　have　gained　worth　the　agony　of　that　moment；　and　the　thousand　anxious　fears　and　horrors　which　have　since　embittered　my　life！Oh　how　I　wish　that　I　lay　where　that　wretched　man　lies；　and　that　he　stood　here　in　life　and　health！But　these　regrets　are　all　too　late。〃

Stifling；　therefore；　his　feelings；　he　crept　forward　to　the　cave；　which　was　so　near　the　spot　where　the　body　was　found；　that　the　smugglers　might　have　heard　from　their　hiding…place　the　various　conjectures　of　the　bystanders　concerning　the　fate　of　their　victim。　But　nothing　could　be　more　completely　concealed　than　the　entrance　to　their　asylum。　The　opening；　not　larger　than　that　of　a　fox…earth；　lay　in　the　face　of　the　cliff　directly　behind　a　large　black　rock；　or　rather　upright　stone；　which　served　at　once　to　conceal　it　from　strangers；　and　as　a　mark　to　point　out　its　situation　to　those　who　used　it　as　a　place　of　retreat。　The　space　between　the　stone　and　the　cliff　was　exceedingly　narrow；　and　being　heaped　with　sand　and　other　rubbish；　the　most　minute　search　would　not　have　discovered　the　mouth　of　the　cavern；　without　removing　those　substances　which　the　tide　had　drifted　before　it。　For　the　purpose　of　further　concealment；　it　was　usual　with　the　contraband　traders　who　frequented　this　haunt；　after　they　had　entered；　to　stuff　the　mouth　with　withered　seaweed　loosely　piled　together　as　if　carried　there　by　the　waves。　Dirk　Hatteraick　had　not　forgotten　this　precaution。

Glossin；　though　a　bold　and　hardy　man；　felt　his　heart　throb；　and　his　knees　knock　together；　when　he　prepared　to　enter　this　den　of　secret　iniquity；　in　order　to　hold　conference　with　a　felon；　whom　he　justly　accounted　one　of　the　most　desperate　and　depraved　of　men。　〃But　he　has　no　interest　to　injure　me；〃　was　his　consolatory　reflection。　He　examined　his　pocket…pistols；　however；　before　removing　the　weeds　and　entering　the　cavern；　which　he　did　upon　hands　and　knees。　The　passage；　which　at　first　was　low　and　narrow；　just　admitting　entrance　to　a　man　in　a　creeping　posture；　expanded　after　a　few　yards　into　a　high　arched　vault　of　considerable　width。　The　bottom；　ascending　gradually；　was　covered　with　the　purest　sand。　Ere　Glossin　had　got　upon　his　feet；　the　hoarse　yet　suppressed　voice　of　Hatteraick　growled　through　the　recesses　of　the　cave。

〃Hagel　and　donner！be'st　du？〃

〃Are　you　in　the　dark？〃

〃Dark？　der　deyvil！　ay；〃　said　Dirk　Hatteraick；　〃where　should　I　have　a　glim？〃

〃I　have　brought　light；〃　and　Glossin　accordingly　produced　a　tinder…box；　and　lighted　a　small　lantern。

〃You　must　kindle　some　fire　too；　for　hold　mich　der　deyvil；　lch　bin　ganz　gefrorne！〃

〃It　is　a　cold　place　to　be　sure；〃　said　Glossin；　gathering　together　some　decayed　staves　of　barrels　and　pieces　of　wood；　which　had　perhaps　lain　in　the　cavern　since　Hatteraick　was　there　last。

〃Cold？　Snow…wasser　and　hagel！　it's　perditionI　could　only　keep　myself　alive　by　rambling　up　and　down　this　d…d　vault；　and　thinking　about　the　merry　rouses　we　have　had　in　it。〃

The　flame　then　began　to　blaze　brightly；　and　Hatteraick　hung　his　bronzed　visage；　and　expanded　his　hard　and　sinewy　hands　over　it；　with　an　avidity　resembling　that　of　a　famished　wretch　to　whom　food　is　exposed。　The　light　showed　his　savage　and　stern　features；　and　the　smoke；　which　in　his　agony　of　cold　he　seemed　to　endure　almost　to　suffocation；　after　circling　round　his　head；　rose　to　the　dim　and　rugged　roof　of　the　cave；　through　which　it　escaped　by　some　secret　rents　or　clefts　in　the　rock；　the　same　doubtless　that　afforded　air　to　the　cavern　when　the　tide　was　in；　at　which　time　the　aperture　to　the　sea　was　filled　with　water。

〃And　now　I　have　brought　you　some　breakfast；〃　said　Glossin；　producing　some　cold　meat　and　a　flask　of　spirits。　The　latter　Hatteraick　eagerly　seized　upon；　and　applied　to　his　mouth；　and；　after　a　hearty　draught；　he　exclaimed　with　great　rapture；　〃Das　schmeckt！　That　is　goodthat　warms　the　liver！〃Then　broke　into　the　fragment　of　a　High…Dutch　song；

〃Saufen　Bier；　und　Brante…wein；　　Schmeissens　alle　die　Fenstern　ein；　　lch　ben　liederlich；　　Du　bist　liederlich；　Sind　wir　nicht　liederlich　Leute　a！〃

〃Well　said；　my　hearty　Captain！〃　cried　Glossin；　endeavouring　to　catch　the　tone　of　revelry

　　〃Gin　by　pailfuls；　wine　in　rivers；　　　Dash　the　window…glass　to　shivers！　　　For　three　wild　lads　were　we；　brave　boys；　　　And　three　wild　lads　were　we；　　　Thou　on　the　land；　and　I　on　the　sand；　　　And　jack　on　the　gallows…tree！〃

That's　it；　my　bully…boy！　Why；　you're　alive　again　now！And　now　let　us　talk　about　our　business。〃

〃Your　business；　if　you　please；〃　said　Hatteraick；　hagel　and　donner！mine　was　done　when　I　got　out　of　the　bilboes。〃

〃Have　patience；　my　good　friend；I'll　convince　you　our　interests　are　just　the　same。〃

Hatteraick　gave　a　short　dry　cough；　and　Glossin；　after　a　pause；　proceeded。　〃How　came　you　to　let　the　boy　escape？〃

〃Why；　fluch　and　blitzen！　he　was　no　charge　of　mine。　Lieutenant　Brown　gave　him　to　his　cousin　that's　in　the　Middleburgh　house　of　Vanbeest　and　Vanbruggen；　and　told　him　some　goose's　gazette　about　his　being　taken　in　a　skirmish　with　the　land…sharkshe　gave　him　for　a　foot…boy。　Me　let　him　escape！the　bastard　kinchin　should　have　walked　the　plank　ere　I　troubled　myself　about　him。〃

〃Well；　and　was　he　bred　a　foot…boy　then？〃

〃Nein；　nein；　the　kinchin　got　about　the　old　man's　heart；　and　he　gave　him　his　own　name；　and　bred　him　up　in　the　office；　and　then　sent　him　to　IndiaI　believe　he　would　have　packed　him　back　here；　but　his　nephew　told　him　it　would　do　up　the　free　trade　for　many　a　day；　if　the　youngster　got　back　to　Scotland。〃

〃Do　you　think　the　younker　knows　much　of　his　own　origin　now？〃

〃Deyvil！〃　replied　Hatteraick；　〃how　should　I　tell　what　he　knows　now？　But　he　remembered　something　of　it　long。　When　he　was　but　ten　years　old；　he　persuaded　another　Satan's　limb　of　an　English　bastard　like　himself　to　steal　my　lugger's　khanboatwhat　do　you　call　itto　return　to　his　country；　as　he　called　itfire　him！　Before　we　could　overtake　them；　they　had　the　skiff　out　of　channel　as　far　as　the　Deurloothe　boat　might　have　been　lost。〃

〃I　wish　to　Heaven　she　hadwith　him　in　her〃　ejaculated　Glossin。

〃Why；　I　was　so　angry　myself；　that；　sapperment！　I　did　give　him　a　tip　over　the　sidebut　split　himthe　comical　little　devil　swam　like　a　duck；　so　I　made　him　swim　astern　for　a　mile　to　teach　him　manners；　and　then　took　him　in　when　he　was　sinking。By　the　knocking　Nicholas！　he'll　plague　you；　now　he's　come　over　the　herring…pond！　When　he　was　so　high；　he　had　the　spirit　of　thunder　and　lightning。〃

〃How　did　he　get　back　from　India？〃

〃Why；　how　should　I　know？the　house　there　was　done　up；　and　that　gave　us　a　shake　at　Middleburgh；　I　thinkso　they　sent　me　again　to　see　what　could　be　done　among　my　old　acquaintances　herefor　we　held　old　stories　were　done　away　and　forgotten。　So　I　had　got　a　pretty　trade　on　foot　within　the　last　two　trips；　but　that　stupid　houndsfoot　schelm；　Brown；　has　knocked　it　on　the　head　again；　I　suppose；　with　getting　himself　shot　by　the　colonel…man。

〃Why　were　you　not　with　them？〃

〃Why；　you　seesapperment！　I　fear　nothingbut　it　was　too　far　within　land；　and　I　might　have　been　scented。〃

〃True。　But　to　return　to　this　youngster〃

〃Ay；　ay；　donner　and　blitzen！　he's　your　affair；〃　said　the　Captain。

〃How　do　you　really　know　that　he　is　in　this　country？〃

〃Why；　Gabriel　saw　him　up　among　the　hills。〃

〃Gabriel！　who　is　he？〃

A　fell