westward ho-第144节

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　awaked。〃　　At　least；　the　only　fire　by　which　he　has　answered　his　votaries；　has　been　that　of　English　cannon：　and　the　Armada；　〃gathering　itself　into　a　roundel；〃　will　fight　no　more；　but　make　the　best　of　its　way　to　Calais；　where　perhaps　the　Guises'　faction　may　have　a　French　force　ready　to　assist　them；　and　then　to　Dunkirk；　to　join　with　Parma　and　the　great　flotilla　of　the　Netherlands。

So　on；　before　〃a　fair　Etesian　gale；〃　which　follows　clear　and　bright　out　of　the　south…southwest；　glide　forward　the　two　great　fleets；　past　Brighton　Cliffs　and　Beachy　Head；　Hastings　and　Dungeness。　　Is　it　a　battle　or　a　triumph？　　For　by　sea　Lord　Howard；　instead　of　fighting　is　rewarding；　and　after　Lord　Thomas　Howard；　Lord　Sheffield；　Townsend；　and　Frobisher　have　received　at　his　hands　that　knighthood；　which　was　then　more　honorable　than　a　peerage；　old　Admiral　Hawkins　kneels　and　rises　up　Sir　John；　and　shaking　his　shoulders　after　the　accolade；　observes　to　the　representative　of　majesty；　that　his　〃old　woman　will　hardly　know　herself　again；　when　folks　call　her　My　Lady。〃

And　meanwhile　the　cliffs　are　lined　with　pike…men　and　musketeers；　and　by　every　countryman　and　groom　who　can　bear　arms；　led　by　their　squires　and　sheriffs；　marching　eastward　as　fast　as　their　weapons　let　them；　towards　the　Dover　shore。　　And　not　with　them　alone。　　From　many　a　mile　inland　come　down　women　and　children；　and　aged　folk　in　wagons；　to　join　their　feeble　shouts；　and　prayers　which　are　not　feeble；　to　that　great　cry　of　mingled　faith　and　fear　which　ascends　to　the　throne　of　God　from　the　spectators　of　Britain's　Salamis。

Let　them　pray　on。　　The　danger　is　not　over　yet；　though　Lord　Howard　has　had　news　from　Newhaven　that　the　Guises　will　not　stir　against　England；　and　Seymour　and　Winter　have　left　their　post　of　observation　on　the　Flemish　shores；　to　make　up　the　number　of　the　fleet　to　an　hundred　and　forty　saillarger；　slightly；　than　that　of　the　Spanish　fleet；　but　of　not　more　than　half　the　tonnage；　or　one　third　the　number　of　men。　　The　Spaniards　are　dispirited　and　battered；　but　unbroken　still；　and　as　they　slide　to　their　anchorage　in　Calais　Roads　on　the　Saturday　evening　of　that　most　memorable　week；　all　prudent　men　know　well　that　England's　hour　is　come；　and　that　the　bells　which　will　call　all　Christendom　to　church　upon　the　morrow　morn；　will　be　either　the　death…knell　or　the　triumphal　peal　of　the　Reformed　faith　throughout　the　world。

A　solemn　day　that　Sabbath　must　have　been　in　country　and　in　town。　And　many　a　light…hearted　coward；　doubtless；　who　had　scoffed　（as　many　did）　at　the　notion　of　the　Armada's　coming；　because　he　dare　not　face　the　thought；　gave　himself　up　to　abject　fear；　〃as　he　now　plainly　saw　and　heard　that　of　which　before　he　would　not　be　persuaded。〃　　And　many　a　brave　man；　too；　as　he　knelt　beside　his　wife　and　daughters；　felt　his　heart　sink　to　the　very　pavement；　at　the　thought　of　what　those　beloved　ones　might　be　enduring　a　few　short　days　hence；　from　a　profligate　and　fanatical　soldiery；　or　from　the　more　deliberate　fiendishness　of　the　Inquisition。　　The　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew；　the　fires　of　Smithfield；　the　immolation　of　the　Moors；　the　extermination　of　the　West　Indians；　the　fantastic　horrors　of　the　Piedmontese　persecution；　which　make　unreadable　the　too　truthful　pages　of　Morland；these　were　the　spectres；　which；　not　as　now；　dim　and　distant　through　the　mist　of　centuries；　but　recent；　bleeding　from　still　gaping　wounds；　flitted　before　the　eyes　of　every　Englishman；　and　filled　his　brain　and　heart　with　fire。

He　knew　full　well　the　fate　in　store　for　him　and　his。　　One　false　step；　and　the　unspeakable　doom　which；　not　two　generations　afterwards；　befell　the　Lutherans　of　Magdeburg；　would　have　befallen　every　town　from　London　to　Carlisle。　　All　knew　the　hazard；　as　they　prayed　that　day；　and　many　a　day　before　and　after；　throughout　England　and　the　Netherlands。　　And　none　knew　it　better　than　she　who　was　the　guiding　spirit　of　that　devoted　land；　and　the　especial　mark　of　the　invaders'　fury；　and　who；　by　some　Divine　inspiration　（as　men　then　not　unwisely　held）；　devised　herself　the　daring　stroke　which　was　to　anticipate　the　coming　blow。

But　where　is　Amyas　Leigh　all　this　while？　　Day　after　day　he　has　been　seeking　the　Sta。　Catharina　in　the　thickest　of　the　press；　and　cannot　come　at　her；　cannot　even　hear　of　her：　one　moment　he　dreads　that　she　has　sunk　by　night；　and　balked　him　of　his　prey；　the　next；　that　she　has　repaired　her　damages；　and　will　escape　him　after　all。　　He　is　moody；　discontented；　restless；　even　（for　the　first　time　in　his　life）　peevish　with　his　men。　　He　can　talk　of　nothing　but　Don　Guzman；　he　can　find　no　better　employment；　at　every　spare　moment；　than　taking　his　sword　out　of　the　sheath；　and　handling　it；　fondling　it；　talking　to　it　even；　bidding　it　not　to　fail　him　in　the　day　of　vengeance。　　At　last；　he　has　sent　to　Squire；　the　armorer；　for　a　whetstone；　and；　half…ashamed　of　his　own　folly；　whets　and　polishes　it　in　bye…corners；　muttering　to　himself。　　That　one　fixed　thought　of　selfish　vengeance　has　possessed　his　whole　mind；　he　forgets　England's　present　need；　her　past　triumph；　his　own　safety；　everything　but　his　brother's　blood。　　And　yet　this　is　the　day　for　which　he　has　been　longing　ever　since　he　brought　home　that　magic　horn　as　a　fifteen　years　boy；　the　day　when　he　should　find　himself　face　to　face　with　an　invader；　and　that　invader　Antichrist　himself。　He　has　believed　for　years　with　Drake；　Hawkins；　Grenville；　and　Raleigh；　that　he　was　called　and　sent　into　the　world　only　to　fight　the　Spaniard：　and　he　is　fighting　him　now；　in　such　a　cause；　for　such　a　stake；　within　such　battle…lists；　as　he　will　never　see　again：　and　yet　he　is　not　content；　and　while　throughout　that　gallant　fleet；　whole　crews　are　receiving　the　Communion　side　by　side；　and　rising　with　cheerful　faces　to　shake　hands；　and　to　rejoice　that　they　are　sharers　in　Britain's　Salamis；　Amyas　turns　away　from　the　holy　elements。

〃I　cannot　communicate；　Sir　John。　　Charity　with　all　men？　　I　hate；　if　ever　man　hated　on　earth。〃

〃You　hate　the　Lord's　foes　only；　Captain　Leigh。〃

〃No；　Jack；　I　hate　my　own　as　well。〃

〃But　no　one　in　the　fleet；　sir？〃

〃Don't　try　to　put　me　off　with　the　same　Jesuit's　quibble　which　that　false　knave　Parson　Fletcher　invented　for　one　of　Doughty's　men；　to　drug　his　conscience　withal　when　he　was　plotting　against　his　own　admiral。　　No；　Jack；　I　hate　one　of　whom　you　know；　and　somehow　that　hatred　of　him　keeps　me　from　loving　any　human　being。　　I　am　in　love　and　charity　with　no　man；　Sir　John　Brimblecombenot　even　with　you！　Go　your　ways　in　God's　name；　sir！　and　leave　me　and　the　devil　alone　together；　or　you'll　find　my　words　are　true。〃

Jack　departed　with　a　sigh；　and　while　the　crew　were　receiving　the　Communion　on　deck；　Amyas　sate　below　in　the　cabin　sharpening　his　sword；　and　after　it；　called　for　a　boat　and　went　on　board　Drake's　ship　to　ask　news　of　the　Sta。　Catharina；　and　listened　scowling　to　the　loud　chants　and　tinkling　bells；　which　came　across　the　water　from　the　Spanish　fleet。　　At　last；　Drake　was　summoned　by　the　lord　admiral；　and　returned　with　a　secret　commission；　which　ought　to　bear　fruit　that　night；　and　Amyas；　who　had　gone　with　him；　helped　him　till　nightfall；　and　then　returned　to　his　own　ship　as　Sir　Amyas　Leigh；　Knight；　to　the　joy　and　glory　of　every　soul　on　board；　except　his　moody　self。

So　there；　the　livelong　summer　Sabbath…day；　before　the　little　high…　walled　town　and　the　long　range　of　yellow　sandhills；　lie　those　two　mighty　armaments；　scowling　at　each　other；　hardly　out　of　gunshot。　Messenger　after　messenger　is　hurrying　towards　Bruges　to　the　Duke　of　Parma；　for　light　craft　which　can　follow　these　nimble　English　somewhat　better　than　their　own　floating　castles；　and；　above　all；　entreating　him　to　put　to　sea　at　once　with　all　his　force。　　The　duke　is　not　with　his　forces　at　Dunkirk；　but　on　the　future　field　of　Waterloo；　paying　his　devotions　to　St。　Mary　of　Halle　in　Hainault；　in　order　to　make　all　sure　in　his　Pantheon；　and　already　sees　in　visions　of　the　night　that　gentle…souled　and　pure…lipped　saint；　Cardinal　Allen；　placing　the　crown　of　England　on　his　head。　　He　returns　for　answer；　first；　that　his　victual　is　not　ready；　next；　that　his　Dutch　sailors；　who　have　been　kept　at　their　post　for　many　a　week　at　the　sword's　point；　have　run　away　like　water；　and　thirdly；　that　over　and　above　all；　he　cannot　come；　so　〃strangely　provided　of　great　ordnance　and　musketeers　are　those　five…and…thirty　Dutch　ships；　in　which　round…sterned　and　stubborn…hearted　heretics　watch；　like　terriers　at　a　rat's　hole；　the　entrance　of　Nieuwport　and　Dunkirk。　　Having　ensured　the　private　patronage　of　St。　Mary　of　Halle；　he　will　return　to…morrow　to　make　experience　of　its　effects：　but　only　hear　across　the　flats　of　Dixmude　the　thunder　of　the　fleets；　and　at　Dunkirk　the　open　curses　of　his　officers。　　For　while　he　has　been　praying　and　nothing　more；　the　English　have　been　praying；　and　something　more；　and　all　that　is　left　for　the　Prince　of　Parma　is；　to　hang　a　few　purveyors；　as　peace　offerings　to　his　sulking　army；　and　then　〃chafe；〃　as　Drake　says　of　him；　〃like　a　bear　robbed　of　her　whelps。〃

For　Lord　Henry　Seymour　has　brought　Lord　Howard　a　letter　of　command　from　Elizabeth's　self；　and　Drake　has　been　carrying　it　out　so　busily　all　that　Sunday　long；　that　by　two　o'clock　on　the　Monday　morning；　eight　fire…ships　〃besmeared　with　wild…fire；　brimstone；　pitch；　and　resin；　and　all　their　o