westward ho-第23节

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〃And　clouds　are　water；〃　said　his　mother；　somewhat　reassured　by　his　genuine　good　humor；　〃and　so　are　rainbows；　and　clouds　are　angels'　thrones；　and　rainbows　the　sign　of　God's　peace　on　earth。〃

Amyas　understood　the　hint；　and　laughed。　　〃Then　I'll　pledge　Frank　out　of　the　next　ditch；　if　it　please　you　and　him。　　But　firstI　say　he　must　hearken　to　a　parable；　a　manner　mystery；　miracle　play；　I　have　got　in　my　head；　like　what　they　have　at　Easter；　to　the　town…　hall。　　Now　then；　hearken；　madam；　and　I　and　Frank　will　act。〃　　And　up　rose　Amyas；　and　shoved　back　his　chair；　and　put　on　a　solemn　face。

Mrs。　Leigh　looked　up；　trembling；　and　Frank；　he　scarce　knew　why；　rose。

〃No；　you　pitch　again。　　You　are　King　David；　and　sit　still　upon　your　throne。　　David　was　a　great　singer；　you　know；　and　a　player　on　the　viols；　and　ruddy；　too；　and　of　a　fair　countenance；　so　that　will　fit。　Now；　then；　mother；　don't　look　so　frightened。　　I　am　not　going　to　play　Goliath；　for　all　my　cubits；　I　am　to　present　Nathan　the　prophet。　　Now；　David；　hearken；　for　I　have　a　message　unto　thee；　O　King！

〃There　were　two　men　in　one　city；　one　rich；　and　the　other　poor：　and　the　rich　man　had　many　flocks　and　herds；　and　all　the　fine　ladies　in　Whitehall　to　court　if　he　liked；　and　the　poor　man　had　nothing　but〃

And　in　spite　of　his　broad　honest　smile；　Amyas's　deep　voice　began　to　tremble　and　choke。

Frank　sprang　up；　and　burst　into　tears：　〃Oh！　Amyas；　my　brother；　my　brother！　stop！　I　cannot　endure　this。　　Oh；　God！　was　it　not　enough　to　have　entangled　myself　in　this　fatal　fancy；　but　over　and　above；　I　must　meet　the　shame　of　my　brother's　discovering　it？〃

〃What　shame；　then；　I'd　like　to　know？〃　said　Amyas；　recovering　himself。　　〃Look　here；　brother　Frank！　　I've　thought　it　all　over　in　the　garden；　and　I　was　an　ass　and　a　braggart　for　talking　to　you　as　I　did　last　night。　　Of　course　you　love　her！　　Everybody　must；　and　I　was　a　fool　for　not　recollecting　that；　and　if　you　love　her；　your　taste　and　mine　agree；　and　what　can　be　better？　　I　think　you　are　a　sensible　fellow　for　loving　her；　and　you　think　me　one。　　And　as　for　who　has　her；　why；　you're　the　eldest；　and　first　come　first　served　is　the　rule；　and　best　to　keep　to　it。　　Besides；　brother　Frank；　though　I'm　no　scholar；　yet　I'm　not　so　blind　but　that　I　tell　the　difference　between　you　and　me；　and　of　course　your　chance　against　mine；　for　a　hundred　to　one；　and　I　am　not　going　to　be　fool　enough　to　row　against　wind　and　tide　too。　　I'm　good　enough　for　her；　I　hope；　but　if　I　am；　you　are　better；　and　the　good　dog　may　run；　but　it's　the　best　that　takes　the　hare；　and　so　I　have　nothing　more　to　do　with　the　matter　at　all；　and　if　you　marry　her；　why；　it　will　set　the　old　house　on　its　legs　again；　and　that's　the　first　thing　to　be　thought　of；　and　you　may　just　as　well　do　it　as　I；　and　better　too。　　Not　but　that　it's　a　plague；　a　horrible　plague！〃　went　on　Amyas；　with　a　ludicrously　doleful　visage；　〃but　so　are　other　things　too；　by　the　dozen；　it's　all　in　the　day's　work；　as　the　huntsman　said　when　the　lion　ate　him。　One　would　never　get　through　the　furze…croft　if　one　stopped　to　pull　out　the　prickles。　　The　pig　didn't　scramble　out　of　the　ditch　by　squeaking；　and　the　less　said　the　sooner　mended；　nobody　was　sent　into　the　world　only　to　suck　honey…pots。　　What　must　be　must；　man　is　but　dust；　if　you　can't　get　crumb；　you　must　fain　eat　crust。　　So　I'll　go　and　join　the　army　in　Ireland；　and　get　it　out　of　my　head；　for　cannon　balls　fright　away　love　as　well　as　poverty　does；　and　that's　all　I've　got　to　say。〃　　Wherewith　Amyas　sat　down；　and　returned　to　the　beer；　while　Mrs。　Leigh　wept　tears　of　joy。

〃Amyas！　Amyas！〃　said　Frank；　〃you　must　not　throw　away　the　hopes　of　years；　and　for　me；　too！　　Oh；　how　just　was　your　parable！　　Ah！　mother　mine！　to　what　use　is　all　my　scholarship　and　my　philosophy；　when　this　dear　simple　sailor…lad　outdoes　me　at　the　first　trial　of　courtesy！〃

〃My　children；　my　children；　which　of　you　shall　I　love　best？　　Which　of　you　is　the　more　noble？　　I　thanked　God　this　morning　for　having　given　me　one　such　son；　but　to　have　found　that　I　possess　two！〃　　And　Mrs。　Leigh　laid　her　head　on　the　table；　and　buried　her　face　in　her　hands；　while　the　generous　battle　went　on。

〃But；　dearest　Amyas！〃

〃But；　Frank！　if　you　don't　hold　your　tongue；　I　must　go　forth。　　It　was　quite　trouble　enough　to　make　up　one's　mind；　without　having　you　afterwards　trying　to　unmake　it　again。〃

〃Amyas！　if　you　give　her　up　to　me；　God　do　so　to　me；　and　more　also；　if　I　do　not　hereby　give　her　up　to　you！〃

〃He　had　done　it　alreadythis　morning！〃　said　Mrs。　Leigh；　looking　up　through　her　tears。　　〃He　renounced　her　forever　on　his　knees　before　me！　only　he　is　too　noble　to　tell　you　so。〃

〃The　more　reason　I　should　copy　him；〃　said　Amyas；　setting　his　lips；　and　trying　to　look　desperately　determined；　and　then　suddenly　jumping　up；　he　leaped　upon　Frank；　and　throwing　his　arms　round　his　neck；　sobbed　out；　〃There；　there；　now！　　For　God's　sake；　let　us　forget　all；　and　think　about　our　mother；　and　the　old　house；　and　how　we　may　win　her　honor　before　we　die！　and　that　will　be　enough　to　keep　our　hands　full；　without　fretting　about　this　woman　and　that。What　an　ass　I　have　been　for　years！　instead　of　learning　my　calling；　dreaming　about　her；　and　don't　know　at　this　minute　whether　she　cares　more　for　me　than　she　does　for　her　father's　'prentices！〃

〃Oh；　Amyas！　every　word　of　yours　puts　me　to　fresh　shame！　　Will　you　believe　that　I　know　as　little　of　her　likings　as　you　do？〃

〃Don't　tell　me　that；　and　play　the　devil's　game　by　putting　fresh　hopes　into　me；　when　I　am　trying　to　kick　them　out。　　I　won't　believe　it。　　If　she　is　not　a　fool；　she　must　love　you；　and　if　she　don't；　why；　be　hanged　if　she　is　worth　loving！〃

〃My　dearest　Amyas！　　I　must　ask　you　too　to　make　no　more　such　speeches　to　me。　　All　those　thoughts　I　have　forsworn。〃

〃Only　this　morning；　so　there　is　time　to　catch　them　again　before　they　are　gone　too　far。〃

〃Only　this　morning；〃　said　Frank；　with　a　quiet　smile：　〃but　centuries　have　passed　since　then。〃

〃Centuries？　　I　don't　see　many　gray　hairs　yet。〃

〃I　should　not　have　been　surprised　if　you　had；　though；〃　answered　Frank；　in　so　sad　and　meaning　a　tone　that　Amyas　could　only　answer

〃Well；　you　are　an　angel！〃

〃You；　at　least；　are　something　even　more　to　the　purpose；　for　you　are　a　man！〃

And　both　spoke　truth；　and　so　the　battle　ended；　and　Frank　went　to　his　books；　while　Amyas；　who　must　needs　be　doing；　if　he　was　not　to　dream；　started　off　to　the　dockyard　to　potter　about　a　new　ship　of　Sir　Richard's；　and　forget　his　woes；　in　the　capacity　of　Sir　Oracle　among　the　sailors。　　And　so　he　had　played　his　move　for　Rose；　even　as　Eustace　had；　and　lost　her：　but　not　as　Eustace　had。



CHAPTER　V

CLOVELLY　COURT　IN　THE　OLDEN　TIME


　　　　　〃It　was　among　the　ways　of　good　Queen　Bess；　　　　　　　　　Who　ruled　as　well　as　ever　mortal　can；　sir；　　　　　　　When　she　was　stogg'd；　and　the　country　in　a　mess；　　　　　　　　　She　was　wont　to　send　for　a　Devon　man；　sir。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　West　Country　Song。


The　next　morning　Amyas　Leigh　was　not　to　be　found。　　Not　that　he　had　gone　out　to　drown　himself　in　despair；　or　even　to　bemoan　himself　〃down　by　the　Torridge　side。〃　　He　had　simply　ridden　off；　Frank　found；　to　Sir　Richard　Grenville　at　Stow：　his　mother　at　once　divined　the　truth；　that　he　was　gone　to　try　for　a　post　in　the　Irish　army；　and　sent　off　Frank　after　him　to　bring　him　home　again；　and　make　him　at　least　reconsider　himself。

So　Frank　took　horse　and　rode　thereon　ten　miles　or　more：　and　then；　as　there　were　no　inns　on　the　road　in　those　days；　or　indeed　in　these；　and　he　had　some　ten　miles　more　of　hilly　road　before　him；　he　turned　down　the　hill　towards　Clovelly　Court；　to　obtain；　after　the　hospitable　humane　fashion　of　those　days；　good　entertainment　for　man　and　horse　from　Mr。　Cary　the　squire。

And　when　he　walked　self…invited；　like　the　loud…shouting　Menelaus；　into　the　long　dark　wainscoted　hall　of　the　court；　the　first　object　he　beheld　was　the　mighty　form　of　Amyas；　who；　seated　at　the　long　table；　was　alternately　burying　his　face　in　a　pasty；　and　the　pasty　in　his　face；　his　sorrows　having；　as　it　seemed；　only　sharpened　his　appetite；　while　young　Will　Cary；　kneeling　on　the　opposite　bench；　with　his　elbows　on　the　table；　was　in　that　graceful　attitude　laying　down　the　law　fiercely　to　him　in　a　low　voice。

〃Hillo！　lad；〃　cried　Amyas；　〃come　hither　and　deliver　me　out　of　the　hands　of　this　fire…eater；　who　I　verily　believe　will　kill　me；　if　I　do　not　let　him　kill　some　one　else。〃

〃Ah！　Mr。　Frank；〃　said　Will　Cary；　who；　like　all　other　young　gentlemen　of　these　parts；　held　Frank　in　high　honor；　and　considered　him　a　very　oracle　and　cynosure　of　fashion　and　chivalry；　〃welcome　here：　I　was　just　longing　for　you；　too；　I　wanted　your　advice　on　half…a…dozen　matters。　　Sit　down；　and　eat。　　There　is　the　ale。〃

〃None　so　early；　thank　you。〃

〃Ah　no！〃　said　Amyas；　burying　his　head　in　the　tankard；　and　then　mimicking　Frank；　〃avoid　strong　ale　o'　mornings。　　It　heats　the　blood；　thickens　the　animal　spirits；　and　obfuscates　the　cerebrum　with　frenetical　and　lymphatic　idols；　which　cloud　the　quintessential　light　of　the　pure　reason。　　Eh？　young　Plato；　young　Daniel；　come　hither　to　judgment！　　And　yet；　though　I　cannot　see　through　the　bottom　of　the　tankard　already；　I　can　see　plain　enough　still　to　see　this；　that　Will　shall　not　fight。〃

〃Shall　I　not；　eh？　who　says　that？　　Mr。　Frank；　I　appeal　to　you；　now；　only