the caged lion-第59节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ant　to　assist　him；　and　the　discussion　thenceforth　proceeded　without　further　departures　from　the　regular　style；　and　was　sustained　with　considerable　spirit；　till　the　Regent　grew　weary　of　it；　and　bed…time　approached；　when　Kennedy　announced　his　intention　of　taking　his　fellow…student　to　share　his　chamber；　and；　as　this　did　not　appear　at　all　an　unnatural　proposal；　in　the　crowded　Castle；　Malcolm　followed　him　up　various　winding　stairs　into　a　small　circular　chamber；　with　a　loop…hole　window；　within　one　of　the　flanking　towers。

Carefully　closing　the　heavy　door；　Kennedy　held　out　his　hands。　　'Fair　cousin；'　he　said；　'this　is　bravely　done　of　you。'

'Will　it　save　my　sister？'　asked　Malcolm；　anxiously。

'It　should；'　said　his　kinsman；　'but　how　can　it　be？　　Whatever　is　done；　must　be　ere　Walter　Stewart　returns。'

'Tell　me　all！　　I　know　nothingsave　that　she　was　cruelly　lured　from　St。　Abbs。'

'I　know　little　more；'　said　Kennedy。　　'It　was　on　a　false　report　of　your　death；　and　Walter　had　well…nigh　obtained　a　forcible　marriage；　when　her　resistance　and　cries　to　Heaven　daunted　the　monk　who　was　to　have　performed　the　rite；　so　that　he；　in　a　sort；　became　her　protector。　When　she　was　brought　here；　Walter　swore　he　would　bend　her　to　his　will；　shut　her　up　in　the　old　keep；　and　kept　her　there；　scantily　fed；　and　a　close　prisoner；　while　he　went　forth　on　one　of　his　forays。　　The　Regent　coming　here　meantime；　found　the　poor　maiden　in　her　captivity；　and　freed　her　so　far　that　she　lives；　to　all　appearance；　as　becomes　his　kinswoman；　but　the　Duchess　is　cruelly　strict　with　her；　being　resolved；　as　she　says；　to　take　down　her　pride。'

'They　must　know　that　I　live；'　said　Malcolm。

'They　do；　but　Walter　is　none　the　less　resolved　not　to　be　balked。　Things　came　to　a　wild　pass　a　few　weeks　syne。　　The　Regent　had　never　dared　tell　him　how　far　matters　had　gone　for　bringing　back　the　King；　when　one　day　Walter　came　in；　clad　for　hawking；　and；　in　his　rudest　manner；　demanded　the　falcon　that　was　wont　to　sit　on　his　father's　wrist；　and　that　had　never　been　taken　out　by　any　other。　　The　Regent　refused　to　part　with　the　bird；　as　he　had　oft　done　before；　whereupon　his　son；　in　his　fury；　snatched　her　from　his　wrist；　and　wrung　her　head　off　before　all　our　eyes；　then　turning　fiercely　on　your　poor　sister；　told　her　that　〃yon　gled　should　be　a　token　to　her；　of　how　they　fared　who　withheld　themselves　from　him。〃　　Then　rose　the　Duke；　trembling　within　rage；　〃Ay；　Wat；〃　said　he；　〃ye　hae　been　owermuch　for　me。　　We　will　soon　have　ane　at　home　that　will　ken　how　to　guide　ye。〃　　Walter　looked　at　him　insolently；　and　muttered；　〃I've　heard　of　this　before！　They　that　wad　have　a　master；　may　live　under　a　masterbut　I'm　not　ane　of　them；〃　and　then；　turning　upon　Lady　Lilias；　he　pointed　to　the　dead　hawk；　and　told　her　that；　unless　she　yielded　to　him　with　a　good　grace；　that　bird　showed　her　what　she　might　expect；　long　ere　the　King　or　her　brother　were　across　the　border。'

'And　where　is　he　now？'

'In　Fife；　striving　to　get　a　force　together　to　hinder　the　King's　return。　　He'll　not　do　that；　men　are　too　weary　of　misrule　to　join　him　against　King　James；　but　he　is　like；　any　day；　to　come　back　with　reivers　enough　to　terrify　his　father；　and　get　your　sister　into　his　handsindeed；　his　mother　is　ready　to　give　her　up　to　him　whenever　he　asks。　　He　has　sworn　to　have　her　now；　were　it　merely　to　vex　the　King　and　you；　and　show　that　he　is　to　be　daunted　neither　by　man；　heaven；　nor　hell。'

'And　he　may　come？'

'Any　day　or　any　night；'　said　James。　　'Since　he　went　I　have　striven；　in　vain；　to　devise　some　escape　for　your　sister；　but　Heaven　has　surely　sent　you　to　hinder　so　foul　a　wrong！　　Yet；　if　you　went　to　Glenuskie　and　raised　your　vassals'

'It　would　be　loss　of　time；'　said　Malcolm；　'and　this　matter　may　not　be　put　to　the　doubtful　issue　of　a　fray　between　my　men　and　his　villains。　Out　of　this　place　must　she　go　at　once。　　But；　alas！　how　win　to　the　speech　of　her？'

'That　can　I　do；'　said　Kennedy。　　'For　a　few　brief　moments；　each　day；　have　I　spoken　to　her　in　the　chapel。　　Nay；　I　had　left　this　place　before　now；　had　she　not　prayed　me　to　remain　as　her　only　friend。'

'Heaven　must　requite　you；　Cousin　James；'　said　Malcolm；　warmly。　　'I　deserved　not　this　of　you。'

'All　that　I　desire；'　said　Kennedy；　'is　to　see　this　land　of　ours　cease　to　be　full　of　darkness　and　cruel　habitations。　　Malcolm；　you　know　the　King　better　than　I；　may　we　not　trust　that　he　will　come　as　a　redresser　of　wrongs？'

'Know　you　not　his　pledge　to　himself？〃I　will　make　the　key　keep　the　castle；　and　the　bracken　bush　keep　the　cow；　though　I　live　the　life　of　a　dog　to　bring　it　about！〃'

'God　strengthen　his　hand；'　said　Kennedy；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　'and　bring　better　days　to　our　poor　land。　　Cousin；　has　not　your　heart　burnt　within　you；　to　be　doing　somewhat　to　bring　these　countrymen　of　ours　to　better　mind？'

'I　have　grieved；'　said　Malcolm。　　'The　sight　has　been　the　woe　and　horror　of　my　whole　life；　and　either　it　is　worse　now　than　when　I　went　away；　or　I　see　it　clearer。'

'It　is　both；'　said　Kennedy；　'and；　Malcolm；　it　is　borne　in　on　me　that　we；　who　have　seen　better　things；　have　a　heavy　charge！　　The　King　may　punish　marauders；　and　enforce　peace；　but　it　will　be　but　the　rule　of　the　strong　hand；　unless　men's　hearts　be　moved！　　Our　clergythey　bear　the　office　of　priestsbut　their　fierceness　and　their　ignorance　would　scarce　be　believed　in　France　or　England；　and　how　should　it　be　otherwise；　with　no　schools　at　home　save　the　abbeysand　the　abbeys　almost　all　fortresses　held　by　fierce　noblemen's　sons？'

Malcolm　would　much　rather　have　discussed　the　means　of　rescuing　his　sister；　but　James　Kennedy's　heart　was　full　of　a　youth's　ardent　plans　for　the　re…awakening　of　religion　in　his　country；　chiefly　through　the　improved　education　of　the　clergy；　and　it　was　not　easy　to　bring　his　discourse　to　a　close。

'Youyou　were　to　wed　a　great　Flemish　heiress？'　he　said。　　'You　will　do　your　part；　Cousin；　in　the　founding　of　a　Universitysuch　as　has　changed　ourselves　so　greatly。'

Malcolm　smiled。　　'My　only　bride　is　learning；'　he　said；　'my　other　betrothal　is　but　in　name；　for　the　safety　of　the　lady。'

'Then；'　cried　Kennedy　joyfully；　'you　will　give　yourself。　　Learning　and　culture　turned　to　God's　service；　for　this　poor　country's　sake；　in　one　of　birth　like　you；　may　change　her　indeed。'

Was　this　the　reading　of　Esclairmonde's　riddle？　suddenly　thought　Malcolm。　　Was　the　true　search　for　heavenly　Light；　then；　to　consist　in　holding　up　to　his　countrymen　the　lamp　he　was　kindling　for　himself？　Must　true　wisdom　consist　in　treasuring　knowledge；　not　for　his　own　honour　among　learned　men；　or　the　delectation　of　his　own　mind；　but　to　scatter　it　among　these　rude　northern　souls？　　Must　the　vision　of　learned　research　and　scholarly　calm　vanish；　as　cloistral　peace；　and　chivalrous　love　and　glory；　had　vanished　before？　and　was　the　lot　of　a　hard…working　secular　priest　that　which　called　him？



CHAPTER　XVIII：　　CLERK　DAVIE



For　Malcolm　to　speak　with　his　sister　was　well…nigh　an　impossibility。　Had　he　been　detected；　he　would　have　been　immediately　treated　as　a　spy；　and　the　suspicion　thus　excited　would　have　been　a　dangerous　preparation　for　the　King　as　well　as　for　himself；　nor　was　there　any　pretext　for　giving　the　wandering　scholar　an　interview　with　her。

But　harsh　and　strict　as　was　the　Duchess　of　Albanya　tall；　raw…boned；　red…haired　woman；　daughter　of　the　fierce　old　Earl　of　Lennoxand　resolved　as　she　was　to　bend　Lilias　by　persecution　to　accept　her　son；　she　could　not　debar　a　young　gentleman　of　the　royal　kindred；　like　James　Kennedy；　from　entering　the　apartment　where　the　ladies　of　the　family　sat　with　their　needles；　and　the　Regent；　half　from　pity；　half　from　shame；　had　refused　to　permit　Lilias　Stewart's　being　treated　as　a　mere　captive。

Thus　Malcolm　remained　in　Kennedy's　room　in　much　anxiety；　while　his　cousin　went　forth　to　do　his　best　in　his　cause；　and　after　some　hours　returned　to　him　with　the　tidings　that　he　had　succeeded　in　letting　Lily　know　that　he　was　in　the　Castle。　　Standing　over　her　while　she　bent　over　her　embroidery；　and　thus　concealing　her　trembling　agitation；　he　had　found　it　possible　to　whisper　in　her　ears　the　tidings　of　her　brother　having　come　to　save　her；　and　of　hearing　her　insist　that　Malcolm；　'wee　Malcolm；　must　run　no　peril；　but　that　she　would　do　and　dare　everythingnay；　would　prefer　death　itself　to　Walter　Stewart。'

'Have　you　any　device　in　this　matter？'　demanded　James　Kennedy；　when　he　had　thus　spoken。

'Have　you　your　college　gown　here？'　inquired　Malcolm。

'I　have；　in　yon　kist；'　said　Kennedy。　　'Would　you　disguise　her　therein？　　You　and　she　are　nearly　of　a　height。'

'Ay；'　said　Malcolm。　　'The　plot　I　thought　on　is　thisthe　worst　is　that　the　risk　rests　with　you。'

'That　is　naught；　less　than　naught；'　said　Kennedy。　　'I　had　risked　myself　ten　times　over　had　I　seen　any　hope　for　her　in　so　doing。'

Malcolm　then　explained　his　plan；　namely；　that　if　Lilias　could　have　Kennedy's　gown　conveyed　to　her；　she　should　array　herself　therein；　and　be　conducted　out　of　the　castle　by　her　cousin　by　one　gate；　he　himself　in　secular　garb　going　by　another；　and　joining　at　some　place　of　meeting；　whence；　as　a　pair　of　brothers；　Malcolm　and　she　might　gain　the　English　border。

James　Kennedy　considered；　and　then　added　that　he　could　improve　on　the　plan。　　He　had　long　intended　leaving　Doune　for　his　brother's　castle；