westward ho-第133节

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　if　the　Piache　（in　plain　English；　the　conjuror）；　as　she　supposed；　wanted　a　present；　he　might　have　all　her　Mexican　feather…　dresses；　she　would　not　wear　themthey　were　wild　Indian　things；　and　she　was　an　English　maidbut　they　would　just　do　for　a　Piache；　and　so　darted　upstairs；　brought　them　down；　and　insisted　so　stoutly　on　arraying　the　vicar　therein；　that　the　good　man　beat　a　swift　retreat。　But　he　carried　off　with　him；　nevertheless；　one　of　the　handsomest　mantles；　which；　instead　of　selling　it；　he　converted　cleverly　enough　into　an　altar…cloth；　and　for　several　years　afterwards；　the　communion　at　Northam　was　celebrated　upon　a　blaze　of　emerald；　azure；　and　crimson；　which　had　once　adorned　the　sinful　body　of　some　Aztec　prince。

So　Ayacanora　flaunted　on；　while　Amyas　watched　her；　half　amused；　half　in　simple　pride　of　her　beauty；　and　looked　around　at　all　gazers；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃See　what　a　fine　bird　I　have　brought　home！〃

Another　great　trouble　which　she　gave　Mrs。　Leigh　was　her　conduct　to　the　ladies　of　the　neighborhood。　　They　came；　of　course；　one　and　all；　not　only　to　congratulate　Mrs。　Leigh；　but　to　get　a　peep　at　the　fair　savage；　but　the　fair　savage　snubbed　them　all　round；　from　the　vicar's　wife　to　Lady　Grenville　herself；　so　effectually；　that　few　attempted　a　second　visit。

Mrs。　Leigh　remonstrated；　and　was　answered　by　floods　of　tears。　〃They　only　come　to　stare　at　a　poor　wild　Indian　girl；　and　she　would　not　be　made　a　show　of。　　She　was　like　a　queen　once；　and　every　one　obeyed　her；　but　here　every　one　looked　down　upon　her。〃　　But　when　Mrs。　Leigh　asked　her；　whether　she　would　sooner　go　back　to　the　forests；　the　poor　girl　clung　to　her　like　a　baby；　and　entreated　not　to　be　sent　away；　〃She　would　sooner　be　a　slave　in　the　kitchen　here；　than　go　back　to　the　bad　people。〃

And　so　on；　month　after　month　of　foolish　storm　and　foolish　sunshine；　but　she　was　under　the　shadow　of　one　in　whom　was　neither　storm　nor　sunshine；　but　a　perpetual　genial　calm　of　soft　gray　weather；　which　tempered　down　to　its　own　peacefulness　all　who　entered　its　charmed　influence；　and　the　outbursts　grew　more　and　more　rare；　and　Ayacanora　more　and　more　rational；　though　no　more　happy；　day　by　day。

And　one　by　one　small　hints　came　out　which　made　her　identity　certain；　at　least　in　the　eyes　of　Mrs。　Leigh　and　Yeo。　　After　she　had　become　familiar　with　the　sight　of　houses；　she　gave　them　to　understand　that　she　had　seen　such　things　before。　　The　red　cattle；　too；　seemed　not　unknown　to　her；　the　sheep　puzzled　her　for　some　time；　and　at　last　she　gave　Mrs。　Leigh　to　understand　that　they　were　too　small。

〃Ah；　madam；〃　quoth　Yeo；　who　caught　at　every　straw；　〃it　is　because　she　has　been　accustomed　to　those　great　camel　sheep　（llamas　they　call　them）　in　Peru。〃

But　Ayacanora's　delight　was　a　horse。　　The　use　of　tame　animals　at　all　was　a　daily　wonder　to　her；　but　that　a　horse　could　be　ridden　was　the　crowning　miracle　of　all；　and　a　horse　she　would　ride；　and　after　plaguing　Amyas　for　one　in　vain　（for　he　did　not　want　to　break　her　pretty　neck）；　she　proposed　confidentially　to　Yeo　to　steal　one；　and　foiled　in　that；　went　to　the　vicar　and　offered　to　barter　all　her　finery　for　his　broken…kneed　pony。　　But　the　vicar　was　too　honest　to　drive　so　good　a　bargain；　and　the　matter　ended；　in　Amyas　buying　her　a　jennet；　which　she　learned　in　a　fortnight　to　ride　like　a　very　Gaucho。

And　now　awoke　another　curious　slumbering　reminiscence。　　For　one　day；　at　Lady　Grenville's　invitation；　the　whole　family　went　over　to　Stow；　Mrs。　Leigh　soberly　on　a　pillion　behind　the　groom；　Ayacanora　cantering　round　and　round　upon　the　moors　like　a　hound　let　loose；　and　trying　to　make　Amyas　ride　races　with　her。　　But　that　night；　sleeping　in　the　same　room　with　Mrs。　Leigh；　she　awoke　shrieking；　and　sobbed　out　a　long　story　how　the　〃Old　ape　of　Panama；〃　her　especial　abomination；　had　come　to　her　bedside　and　dragged　her　forth　into　the　courtyard；　and　how　she　had　mounted　a　horse　and　ridden　with　an　Indian　over　great　moors　and　high　mountains　down　into　a　dark　wood；　and　there　the　Indian　and　the　horses　vanished；　and　she　found　herself　suddenly　changed　once　more　into　a　little　savage　child。　　So　strong　was　the　impression；　that　she　could　not　be　persuaded　that　the　thing　had　not　happened；　if　not　that　night；　at　least　some　night　or　other。　So　Mrs。　Leigh　at　last　believed　the　same；　and　told　the　company　next　morning　in　her　pious　way　how　the　Lord　had　revealed　in　a　vision　to　the　poor　child　who　she　was；　and　how　she　had　been　exposed　in　the　forests　by　her　jealous　step…father；　and　neither　Sir　Richard　nor　his　wife　could　doubt　but　that　hers　was　the　true　solution。　　It　was　probable　that　Don　Xararte；　though　his　home　was　Panama；　had　been　often　at　Quito；　for　Yeo　had　seen　him　come　on　board　the　Lima　ship　at　Guayaquil；　one　of　the　nearest　ports。　　This　would　explain　her　having　been　found　by　the　Indians　beyond　Cotopaxi；　the　nearest　peak　of　the　Eastern　Andes；　if；　as　was　but　too　likely；　the　old　man；　believing　her　to　be　Oxenham's　child；　had　conceived　the　fearful　vengeance　of　exposing　her　in　the　forests。

Other　little　facts　came　to　light　one　by　one。　　They　were　all　connected　（as　was　natural　in　a　savage）　with　some　animal　or　other　natural　object。　　Whatever　impressions　her　morals　or　affections　had　received；　had　been　erased　by　the　long　spiritual　death　of　that　forest　sojourn；　and　Mrs。　Leigh　could　not　elicit　from　her　a　trace　of　feeling　about　her　mother；　or　recollection　of　any　early　religious　teaching。　　This　link；　however；　was　supplied　at　last；　and　in　this　way。

Sir　Richard　had　brought　home　an　Indian　with　him　from　Virginia。　　Of　his　original　name　I　am　not　sure；　but　he　was　probably　the　〃Wanchese〃　whose　name　occurs　with　that　of　〃Manteo。〃

This　man　was　to　be　baptized　in　the　church　at　Bideford　by　the　name　of　Raleigh；　his　sponsors　being　most　probably　Raleigh　himself；　who　may　have　been　there　on　Virginian　business；　and　Sir　Richard　Grenville。　　All　the　notabilities　of　Bideford　came；　of　course；　to　see　the　baptism　of　the　first　〃Red　man〃　whose　foot　had　ever　trodden　British　soil；　and　the　mayor　and　corporation…men　appeared　in　full　robes；　with　maces　and　tipstaffs；　to　do　honor　to　that　first…fruits　of　the　Gospel　in　the　West。

Mrs。　Leigh　went；　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　Ayacanora　would　needs　go　too。　　She　was　very　anxious　to　know　what　they　were　going　to　do　with　the　〃Carib。〃

〃To　make　him　a　Christian。〃

〃Why　did　they　not　make　her　one？〃

Because　she　was　one　already。　　They　were　sure　that　she　had　been　christened　as　soon　as　she　was　born。　　But　she　was　not　sure；　and　pouted　a　good　deal　at　the　chance　of　an　〃ugly　red　Carib〃　being　better　off　than　she　was。　　However；　all　assembled　duly；　the　stately　son　of　the　forest；　now　transformed　into　a　footman　of　Sir　Richard's；　was　standing　at　the　font；　the　service　was　half　performed　when　a　heavy　sigh；　or　rather　groan；　made　all　eyes　turn；　and　Ayacanora　sank　fainting　upon　Mrs。　Leigh's　bosom。

She　was　carried　out；　and　to　a　neighboring　house；　and　when　she　came　to　herself；　told　a　strange　story。　　How；　as　she　was　standing　there　trying　to　recollect　whether　she　too　had　ever　been　baptized；　the　church　seemed　to　grow　larger；　the　priest's　dress　richer；　the　walls　were　covered　with　pictures；　and　above　the　altar；　in　jewelled　robes；　stood　a　lady；　and　in　her　arms　a　babe。　　Soft　music　sounded　in　her　ears；　the　air　was　full　（on　that　she　insisted　much）　of　fragrant　odor　which　filled　the　church　like　mist；　and　through　it　she　saw　not　one；　but　many　Indians；　standing　by　the　font；　and　a　lady　held　her　by　the　hand；　and　she　was　a　little　girl　again。

And　after；　many　questionings；　so　accurate　was　her　recollection；　not　only　of　the　scene；　but　of　the　building；　that　Yeo　pronounced：

〃A　christened　woman　she　is；　madam；　if　Popish　christening　is　worth　calling　such；　and　has　seen　Indians　christened　too　in　the　Cathedral　Church　at　Quito；　the　inside　whereof　I　know　well　enough；　and　too　well；　for　I　sat　there　three　mortal　hours　in　a　San　Benito；　to　hear　a　friar　preach　his　false　doctrines；　not　knowing　whether　I　was　to　be　burnt　or　not　next　day。〃

So　Ayacanora　went　home　to　Burrough；　and　Raleigh　the　Indian　to　Sir　Richard's　house。　　The　entry　of　his　baptism　still　stands；　crooked…　lettered；　in　the　old　parchment　register　of　the　Bideford　baptisms　for　1587…3：


　　　　　〃Raleigh；　a　Winganditoian：　March　26。〃


His　name　occurs　once　more；　a　year　and　a　month　after：


　　　　　〃Rawly；　a　Winganditoian；　April　1589。〃


But　it　is　not　this　time　among　the　baptisms。　　The　free　forest　wanderer　has　pined　in　vain　for　his　old　deer…hunts　amid　the　fragrant　cedar　woods；　and　lazy　paddlings　through　the　still　lagoons；　where　water…lilies　sleep　beneath　the　shade　of　great　magnolias；　wreathed　with　clustered　vines；　and　now　he　is　away　to　〃happier　hunting…　grounds；〃　and　all　that　is　left　of　him　below　sleeps　in　the　narrow　town　churchyard；　blocked　in　with　dingy　houses；　whose　tenants　will　never　waste　a　sigh　upon　the　Indian's　grave。　　There　the　two　entries　stand；　unto　this　day；　and　most　pathetic　they　have　seemed　to　me；　a　sort　of　emblem　and　first…fruits　of　the　sad　fate　of　that　worn…out　Red　race；　to　whom　civilization　came　too　late　to　save；　but　not　too　late　to　hasten　their　decay。

But　though　Amyas　lay　idle；　England　did　not。　　That　spring　saw　another　and　a　larger　colony　sent　out　by　Raleigh　to　Virginia；　under　the　charge　of　one　John　White。　　Raleigh　had　written　more　than　once；　entreating　Amyas　to　take　the　command；　whi