westward ho-第17节

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lt　loose　upon　his　shoulders。　　But　the　future　martyr　behind　him；　Mr。　Morgan　Evans；　gave　himself　up　at　once　to　abject　despair；　and　as　he　bumped　and　rolled　along；　sought　vainly　for　comfort　in　professional　ejaculations　in　the　Latin　tongue。

〃Mater　intemerata！　　Eripe　me　eUgh！　　I　am　down！　　Adhaesit　pavimento　venter！No！　I　am　not！　　El　dilectum　tuum　e　potestate　canisAh！　Audisti　me　inter　cornua　unicornium！　　Put　this；　too；　down　inugh！thy　account　in　favor　of　my　pooroh；　sharpness　of　this　saddle！　　Oh；　whither；　barbarous　islanders！〃

Now　riding　on　his　quarter；　not　in　the　rough　track…way　like　a　cockney；　but　through　the　soft　heather　like　a　sportsman；　was　a　very　gallant　knight　whom　we　all　know　well　by　this　time；　Richard　Grenville　by　name；　who　had　made　Mr。　Cary　and　the　rest　his　guests　the　night　before；　and　then　ridden　out　with　them　at　five　o'clock　that　morning；　after　the　wholesome　early　ways　of　the　time；　to　rouse　a　well…known　stag　in　the　glens　at　Buckish；　by　help　of　Mr。　Coffin's　hounds　from　Portledge。　　Who　being　as　good　a　Latiner　as　Campian's　self；　and　overhearing　both　the　scraps　of　psalm　and　the　〃barbarous　islanders；〃　pushed　his　horse　alongside　of　Mr。　Eustace　Leigh；　and　at　the　first　check　said；　with　two　low　bows　towards　the　two　strangers

〃I　hope　Mr。　Leigh　will　do　me　the　honor　of　introducing　me　to　his　guests。　　I　should　be　sorry；　and　Mr。　Cary　also；　that　any　gentle　strangers　should　become　neighbors　of　ours；　even　for　a　day；　without　our　knowing　who　they　are　who　honor　our　western　Thule　with　a　visit；　and　showing　them　ourselves　all　due　requital　for　the　compliment　of　their　presence。〃

After　which；　the　only　thing　which　poor　Eustace　could　do　（especially　as　it　was　spoken　loud　enough　for　all　bystanders）；　was　to　introduce　in　due　form　Mr。　Evan　Morgans　and　Mr。　Morgan　Evans；　who；　hearing　the　name；　and；　what　was　worse；　seeing　the　terrible　face　with　its　quiet　searching　eye；　felt　like　a　brace　of　partridge…poults　cowering　in　the　stubble；　with　a　hawk　hanging　ten　feet　over　their　heads。

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Sir　Richard　blandly；　cap　in　hand；　〃I　fear　that　your　mails　must　have　been　somewhat　in　your　way　in　this　unexpected　gallop。　　If　you　will　permit　my　groom；　who　is　behind；　to　disencumber　you　of　them　and　carry　them　to　Chapel；　you　will　both　confer　an　honor　on　me；　and　be　enabled　yourselves　to　see　the　mort　more　pleasantly。〃

A　twinkle　of　fun；　in　spite　of　all　his　efforts；　played　about　good　Sir　Richard's　eye　as　he　gave　this　searching　hint。　　The　two　Welsh　gentlemen　stammered　out　clumsy　thanks；　and　pleading　great　haste　and　fatigue　from　a　long　journey；　contrived　to　fall　to　the　rear　and　vanish　with　their　guides；　as　soon　as　the　slot　had　been　recovered。

〃Will！〃　said　Sir　Richard；　pushing　alongside　of　young　Cary。

〃Your　worship？〃

〃Jesuits；　Will！〃

〃May　the　father　of　lies　fly　away　with　them　over　the　nearest　cliff！〃

〃He　will　not　do　that　while　this　Irish　trouble　is　about。　　Those　fellows　are　come　to　practise　here　for　Saunders　and　Desmond。〃

〃Perhaps　they　have　a　consecrated　banner　in　their　bag；　the　scoundrels！　　Shall　I　and　young　Coffin　on　and　stop　them？　　Hard　if　the　honest　men　may　not　rob　the　thieves　once　in　a　way。〃

〃No；　give　the　devil　rope；　and　he　will　hang　himself。　　Keep　thy　tongue　at　home；　and　thine　eyes　too；　Will。〃

〃How　then？〃

〃Let　Clovelly　beach　be　watched　night　and　day　like　any　mousehole。　No　one　can　land　round　Harty　Point　with　these　south…westers。　　Stop　every　fellow　who　has　the　ghost　of　an　Irish　brogue；　come　he　in　or　go　he　out；　and　send　him　over　to　me。〃

〃Some　one　should　guard　Bude…haven；　sir。〃

〃Leave　that　to　me。　　Now　then；　forward；　gentlemen　all；　or　the　stag　will　take　the　sea　at　the　Abbey。〃

And　on　they　crashed　down　the　Hartland　glens；　through　the　oak…scrub　and　the　great　crown…ferns；　and　the　baying　of　the　slow…hound　and　the　tantaras　of　the　horn　died　away　farther　and　fainter　toward　the　blue　Atlantic；　while　the　conspirators；　with　lightened　hearts；　pricked　fast　across　Bursdon　upon　their　evil　errand。　　But　Eustace　Leigh　had　other　thoughts　and　other　cares　than　the　safety　of　his　father's　two　mysterious　guests；　important　as　that　was　in　his　eyes；　for　he　was　one　of　the　many　who　had　drunk　in　sweet　poison　（though　in　his　case　it　could　hardly　be　called　sweet）　from　the　magic　glances　of　the　Rose　of　Torridge。　　He　had　seen　her　in　the　town；　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　fallen　utterly　in　love；　and　now　that　she　had　come　down　close　to　his　father's　house；　he　looked　on　her　as　a　lamb　fallen　unawares　into　the　jaws　of　the　greedy　wolf；　which　he　felt　himself　to　be。　　For　Eustace's　love　had　little　or　nothing　of　chivalry；　self…　sacrifice；　or　purity　in　it；　those　were　virtues　which　were　not　taught　at　Rheims。　　Careful　as　the　Jesuits　were　over　the　practical　morality　of　their　pupils；　this　severe　restraint　had　little　effect　in　producing　real　habits　of　self…control。　　What　little　Eustace　had　learnt　of　women　from　them；　was　as　base　and　vulgar　as　the　rest　of　their　teaching。　　What　could　it　be　else；　if　instilled　by　men　educated　in　the　schools　of　Italy　and　France；　in　the　age　which　produced　the　foul　novels　of　Cinthio　and　Bandello；　and　compelled　Rabelais　in　order　to　escape　the　rack　and　stake；　to　hide　the　light　of　his　great　wisdom；　not　beneath　a　bushel；　but　beneath　a　dunghill；　the　age　in　which　the　Romish　Church　had　made　marriage　a　legalized　tyranny；　and　the　laity；　by　a　natural　and　pardonable　revulsion；　had　exalted　adultery　into　a　virtue　and　a　science？　　That　all　love　was　lust；　that　all　women　had　their　price；　that　profligacy；　though　an　ecclesiastical　sin；　was　so　pardonable；　if　not　necessary；　as　to　be　hardly　a　moral　sin；　were　notions　which　Eustace　must　needs　have　gathered　from　the　hints　of　his　preceptors；　for　their　written　works　bear　to　this　day　fullest　and　foulest　testimony　that　such　was　their　opinion；　and　that　their　conception　of　the　relation　of　the　sexes　was　really　not　a　whit　higher　than　that　of　the　profligate　laity　who　confessed　to　them。　　He　longed　to　marry　Rose　Salterne；　with　a　wild　selfish　fury；　but　only　that　he　might　be　able　to　claim　her　as　his　own　property；　and　keep　all　others　from　her。　　Of　her　as　a　co…equal　and　ennobling　helpmate；　as　one　in　whose　honor；　glory；　growth　of　heart　and　soul；　his　own　were　inextricably　wrapt　up；　he　had　never　dreamed。　　Marriage　would　prevent　God　from　being　angry　with　that；　with　which　otherwise　He　might　be　angry；　and　therefore　the　sanction　of　the　Church　was　the　more　〃probable　and　safe〃　course。　　But　as　yet　his　suit　was　in　very　embryo。　　He　could　not　even　tell　whether　Rose　knew　of　his　love；　and　he　wasted　miserable　hours　in　maddening　thoughts；　and　tost　all　night　upon　his　sleepless　bed；　and　rose　next　morning　fierce　and　pale；　to　invent　fresh　excuses　for　going　over　to　her　uncle's　house；　and　lingering　about　the　fruit　which　he　dared　not　snatch。



CHAPTER　IV

THE　TWO　WAYS　OF　BEING　CROST　IN　LOVE


　　　　　〃I　could　not　love　thee；　dear；　so　much；　　　　　　　Loved　I　not　honor　more。〃LOVELACE。


And　what　all　this　while　has　become　of　the　fair　breaker　of　so　many　hearts；　to　whom　I　have　not　yet　even　introduced　my　readers？

She　was　sitting　in　the　little　farm…house　beside　the　mill；　buried　in　the　green　depths　of　the　valley　of　Combe；　half…way　between　Stow　and　Chapel；　sulking　as　much　as　her　sweet　nature　would　let　her；　at　being　thus　shut　out　from　all　the　grand　doings　at　Bideford；　and　forced　to　keep　a　Martinmas　Lent　in　that　far　western　glen。　　So　lonely　was　she；　in　fact；　that　though　she　regarded　Eustace　Leigh　with　somewhat　of　aversion；　and　（being　a　good　Protestant）　with　a　great　deal　of　suspicion；　she　could　not　find　it　in　her　heart　to　avoid　a　chat　with　him　whenever　he　came　down　to　the　farm　and　to　its　mill；　which　he　contrived　to　do；　on　I　know　not　what　would…be　errand；　almost　every　day。　　Her　uncle　and　aunt　at　first　looked　stiff　enough　at　these　visits；　and　the　latter　took　care　always　to　make　a　third　in　every　conversation；　but　still　Mr。　Leigh　was　a　gentleman's　son；　and　it　would　not　do　to　be　rude　to　a　neighboring　squire　and　a　good　customer；　and　Rose　was　the　rich　man's　daughter　and　they　poor　cousins；　so　it　would　not　do　either　to　quarrel　with　her；　and　besides；　the　pretty　maid；　half　by　wilfulness；　and　half　by　her　sweet　winning　tricks；　generally　contrived　to　get　her　own　way　wheresoever　she　went；　and　she　herself　had　been　wise　enough　to　beg　her　aunt　never　to　leave　them　alone；for　she　〃could　not　a…bear　the　sight　of　Mr。　Eustace；　only　she　must　have　some　one　to　talk　with　down　here。〃　On　which　her　aunt　considered；　that　she　herself　was　but　a　simple　country…woman；　and　that　townsfolks'　ways　of　course　must　be　very　different　from　hers；　and　that　people　knew　their　own　business　best；　and　so　forth；　and　let　things　go　on　their　own　way。　　Eustace；　in　the　meanwhile；　who　knew　well　that　the　difference　in　creed　between　him　and　Rose　was　likely　to　be　the　very　hardest　obstacle　in　the　way　of　his　love；　took　care　to　keep　his　private　opinions　well　in　the　background；　and　instead　of　trying　to　convert　the　folk　at　the　mill；　daily　bought　milk　or　flour　from　them；　and　gave　it　away　to　the　old　women　in　Moorwinstow　（who　agreed　that　after　all；　for　a　Papist；　he　was　a　godly　young　man　enough）；　and　at　last；　having　taken　counsel　with　Campian　and　Parsons　on　certain　political　plots　then　on　foot；　came　with　them　to　the　conclusion　that　they　would　all　three　go　to　church　the　next　Sunday。　　Where　Messrs。　Evan　Morgans　and　Morgan　Evans；　having　crammed　up　t