westward ho-第129节

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〃Ah！〃　said　Yeo；　with　a　tone　of　exquisite　sadness；　〃the　young　to　the　young！　　Over　land　and　sea；　in　the　forests　and　in　the　galleys；　in　battle　and　prison；　I　have　sought　her！　　And　now！〃

〃My　good　friend；〃　said　Amyas；　〃neither　are　you　master　of　yourself　yet。　　When　she　comes　round　again；　whom　will　she　love　and　thank　but　you？〃

〃You；　sir！　　She　owes　all　to　you；　and　so　do　I。　　Let　me　go　below；　sir。　　My　old　wits　are　shaky。　　Bless　you；　sir；　and　thank　you　for　ever　and　ever！〃

And　Yeo　grasped　Amyas's　hand；　and　went　down　to　his　cabin；　from　which　he　did　not　reappear　for　many　hours。

From　that　day　Ayacanora　was　a　new　creature。　　The　thought　that　she　was　an　Englishwoman；　that　she；　the　wild　Indian；　was　really　one　of　the　great　white　people　whom　she　had　learned　to　worship；　carried　in　it　some　regenerating　change：　she　regained　all　her　former　stateliness；　and　with　it　a　self…restraint；　a　temperance；　a　softness　which　she　had　never　shown　before。　　Her　dislike　to　Cary　and　Jack　vanished。　　Modest　and　distant　as　ever；　she　now　took　delight　in　learning　from　them　about　England　and　English　people；　and　her　knowledge　of　our　customs　gained　much　from　the　somewhat　fantastic　behaviour　which　Amyas　thought　good；　for　reasons　of　his　own；　to　assume　toward　her。　　He　assigned　her　a　handsome　cabin　to　herself；　always　addressed　her　as　madam；　and　told　Cary；　Brimblecombe；　and　the　whole　crew　that　as　she　was　a　lady　and　a　Christian；　he　expected　them　to　behave　to　her　as　such。　　So　there　was　as　much　bowing　and　scraping　on　the　poop　as　if　it　had　been　a　prince's　court：　and　Ayacanora；　though　sorely　puzzled　and　chagrined　at　Amyas's　new　solemnity；　contrived　to　imitate　it　pretty　well　（taking　for　granted　that　it　was　the　right　thing）；　and　having　tolerable　masters　in　the　art　of　manners　（for　both　Amyas　and　Cary　were　thoroughly　well…bred　men）；　profited　much　in　all　things；　except　in　intimacy　with　Amyas；　who　had；　cunning　fellow；　hit　on　this　parade　of　good　manners；　as　a　fresh　means　of　increasing　the　distance　between　him　and　her。　　The　crew；　of　course；　though　they　were　a　little　vexed　at　losing　their　pet；　consoled　themselves　with　the　thought　that　she　was　a　〃real　born　lady；〃　and　Mr。　Oxenham's　daughter；　too；　and　there　was　not　a　man　on　board　who　did　not　prick　up　his　ears　for　a　message　if　she　approached　him；　or　one　who　would　not　have；　I　verily　believe；　jumped　overboard　to　do　her　a　pleasure。

Only　Yeo　kept　sorrowfully　apart。　　He　never　looked　at　her；　spoke　to　her；　met　her　even；　if　he　could。　　His　dream　had　vanished。　　He　had　found　her！　and　after　all；　she　did　not　care　for　him？　　Why　should　she？

But　it　was　hard　to　have　hunted　a　bubble　for　years；　and　have　it　break　in　his　hand　at　last。　　〃Set　not　your　affections　on　things　on　the　earth；〃　murmured　Yeo　to　himself；　as　he　pored　over　his　Bible；　in　the　vain　hope　of　forgetting　his　little　maid。

But　why　did　Amyas　wish　to　increase　the　distance　between　himself　and　Ayacanora？　　Many　reasons　might　be　given：　I　deny　none　of　them。　　But　the　main　one；　fantastic　as　it　may　seem；　was　simply；　that　while　she　had　discovered　herself　to　be　an　Englishwoman；　he　had　discovered　her　to　be　a　Spaniard。　　If　her　father　were　seven　times　John　Oxenham　（and　even　that　the　perverse　fellow　was　inclined　to　doubt）；　her　mother　was　a　SpaniardPah！　one　of　the　accursed　race；　kinswomanperhaps；　to　his　brother's　murderers！　　His　jaundiced　eyes　could　see　nothing　but　the　Spanish　element　in　her；　or；　indeed；　in　anything　else。　　As　Cary　said　to　him　once；　using　a　cant　phrase　of　Sidney's；　which　he　had　picked　up　from　Frank；　all　heaven　and　earth　were　〃spaniolated；〃　to　him。　　He　seemed　to　recollect　nothing　but　that　Heaven　had　〃made　Spaniards　to　be　killed；　and　him　to　kill　them。〃　　If　he　had　not　been　the　most　sensible　of　John　Bulls；　he　would　certainly　have　forestalled　the　monomania　of　that　young　Frenchman　of　rank；　who；　some　eighty　years　after　him；　so　maddened　his　brain　by　reading　of　the　Spanish　cruelties；　that　he　threw　up　all　his　prospects　and　turned　captain　of　filibusters　in　the　West　Indies；　for　the　express　purpose　of　ridding　them　of　their　tyrants；　and　when　a　Spanish　ship　was　taken；　used　to　relinquish　the　whole　booty　to　his　crew；　and　reserve　for　himself　only　the　pleasure　of　witnessing　his　victims'　dying　agonies。

But　what　had　become　of　that　bird…like　song　of　Ayacanora's　which　had　astonished　them　on　the　banks　of　the　Meta；　and　cheered　them　many　a　time　in　their　anxious　voyage　down　the　Magdalena？　　From　the　moment　that　she　found　out　her　English　parentage；　it　stopped。　　She　refused　utterly　to　sing　anything　but　the　songs　and　psalms　which　she　picked　up　from　the　English。　　Whether　it　was　that　she　despised　it　as　a　relic　of　her　barbarism；　or　whether　it　was　too　maddening　for　one　whose　heart　grew　heavier　and　humbler　day　by　day；　the　nightingale　notes　were　heard　no　more。

So　homeward　they　ran；　before　a　favoring　southwest　breeze：　but　long　ere　they　were　within　sight　of　land；　Lucy　Passmore　was　gone　to　her　rest　beneath　the　Atlantic　waves。



CHAPTER　XXVIII

HOW　AMYAS　CAME　HOME　THE　THIRD　TIME


〃It　fell　about　the　Martinmas；　　　　　When　nights　were　lang　and　mirk；　　That　wife's　twa　sons　cam　hame　again；　　　　　And　their　hats　were　o'　the　birk。

〃It　did　na　graw　by　bush　or　brae；　　　　　Nor　yet　in　ony　shough；　　But　by　the　gates　o'　paradise　　　　　That　birk　grew　fair　eneugh。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　The　Wife　of　Usher's　Well。


It　is　the　evening　of　the　15th　of　February；　1587；　and　Mrs。　Leigh　（for　we　must　return　now　to　old　scenes　and　old　faces）　is　pacing　slowly　up　and　down　the　terrace…walk　at　Burrough；　looking　out　over　the　winding　river；　and　the　hazy　sand…hills；　and　the　wide　western　sea；　as　she　has　done　every　evening；　be　it　fair　weather　or　foul；　for　three　weary　years。　　Three　years　and　more　are　past　and　gone；　and　yet　no　news　of　Frank　and　Amyas；　and　the　gallant　ship　and　all　the　gallant　souls　therein；　and　loving　eyes　in　Bideford　and　Appledore；　Clovelly　and　Ilfracombe；　have　grown　hollow　with　watching　and　with　weeping　for　those　who　have　sailed　away　into　the　West；　as　John　Oxenham　sailed　before　them；　and　have　vanished　like　a　dream；　as　he　did；　into　the　infinite　unknown。　　Three　weary　years；　and　yet　no　word。　　Once　there　was　a　flush　of　hope；　and　good　Sir　Richard　（without　Mrs。　Leigh's　knowledge；　had　sent　a　horseman　posting　across　to　Plymouth；　when　the　news　arrived　that　Drake；　Frobisher；　and　Carlisle　had　returned　with　their　squadron　from　the　Spanish　Main。　Alas！　he　brought　back　great　news；　glorious　news；　news　of　the　sacking　of　Cartagena；　San　Domingo；　Saint　Augustine；　of　the　relief　of　Raleigh's　Virginian　Colony：　but　no　news　of　the　Rose；　and　of　those　who　had　sailed　in　her。　　And　Mrs。　Leigh　bowed　her　head；　and　worshipped；　and　said；　〃The　Lord　gave；　and　the　Lord　hath　taken　away；　blessed　be　the　name　of　the　Lord！〃

Her　hair　was　now　grown　gray；　her　cheeks　were　wan；　her　step　was　feeble。　　She　seldom　went　from　home；　save　to　the　church；　and　to　the　neighboring　cottages。　　She　never　mentioned　her　sons'　names；　never　allowed　a　word　to　pass　her　lips；　which　might　betoken　that　she　thought　of　them；　but　every　day；　when　the　tide　was　high；　and　red　flag　on　the　sandhills　showed　that　there　was　water　over　the　bar；　she　paced　the　terrace…walk；　and　devoured　with　greedy　eyes　the　sea　beyond　in　search　of　the　sail　which　never　came。　　The　stately　ships　went　in　and　out　as　of　yore；　and　white　sails　hung　off　the　bar　for　many　an　hour；　day　after　day；　month　after　month；　year　after　year：　but　an　instinct　within　told　her　that　none　of　them　were　the　sails　she　sought。　　She　knew　that　ship；　every　line　of　her；　the　cut　of　every　cloth；　she　could　have　picked　it　out　miles　away；　among　a　whole　fleet；　but　it　never　came；　and　Mrs。　Leigh　bowed　her　head　and　worshipped；　and　went　to　and　fro　among　the　poor；　who　looked　on　her　as　an　awful　being；　and　one　whom　God　had　brought　very　near　to　Himself；　in　that　mysterious　heaven　of　sorrow　which　they　too　knew　full　well。　　And　lone　women　and　bed…ridden　men　looked　in　her　steadfast　eyes；　and　loved　them；　and　drank　in　strength　from　them；　for　they　knew　（though　she　never　spoke　of　her　own　grief）　that　she　had　gone　down　into　the　fiercest　depths　of　the　fiery　furnace；　and　was　walking　there　unhurt　by　the　side　of　One　whose　form　was　as　of　the　Son　of　God。　　And　all　the　while　she　was　blaming　herself　for　her　〃earthly〃　longings；　and　confessing　nightly　to　Heaven　that　weakness　which　she　could　not　shake　off；　which　drew　her　feet　at　each　high　tide　to　the　terrace…walk　beneath　the　row　of　wind…clipt　trees。

But　this　evening　Northam　is　in　a　stir。　　The　pebble　ridge　is　thundering　far　below；　as　it　thundered　years　ago：　but　Northam　is　noisy　enough　without　the　rolling　of　the　surge。　　The　tower　is　rocking　with　the　pealing　bells：　the　people　are　all　in　the　streets　shouting　and　singing　round　bonfires。　　They　are　burning　the　pope　in　effigy；　drinking　to　the　queen's　health；　and　〃So　perish　all　her　enemies！〃　　The　hills　are　red　with　bonfires　in　every　village；　and　far　away；　the　bells　of　Bideford　are　answering　the　bells　of　Northam；　as　they　answered　them　seven　years　ago；　when　Amyas　returned　from　sailing　round　the　world。　　For　this　day　has　come　the　news　that　Mary　Queen　of　Scots　is　beheaded　in　Fotheringay；　and　all　England；　like　a　dreamer　who　shakes　off　some　hideous　nightmare；　has　leapt　up　in　one　tremendous　shout　of　jubilation；　as　the　terror　and　the　danger　of　seventeen　anxious　years　is　lifted　from　its　heart　for　ever。

Yes；　she　is　gone；　to　answer　at　a　higher