westward ho-第31节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


dibras；　cried；　〃Ten　nobles；　or　I'll　kep　ye　here　till　morning！〃　　And　the　ten　nobles　were　paid　into　her　hand。

And　now　the　boat；　its　dragon　guardian　being　pacified；　was　run　down　to　the　sea；　and　close　past　the　nook　where　poor　little　Rose　was　squeezing　herself　into　the　farthest　and　darkest　corner；　among　wet　sea…weed　and　rough　barnacles；　holding　her　breath　as　they　approached。

They　passed　her；　and　the　boat's　keel　was　already　in　the　water；　Lucy　had　followed　them　close；　for　reasons　of　her　own；　and　perceiving　close　to　the　water's　edge　a　dark　cavern；　cunningly　surmised　that　it　contained　Rose；　and　planted　her　ample　person　right　across　its　mouth；　while　she　grumbled　at　her　husband；　the　strangers；　and　above　all　at　Mr。　Leigh's　groom；　to　whom　she　prophesied　pretty　plainly　Launceston　gaol　and　the　gallows；　while　the　wretched　serving…man；　who　would　as　soon　have　dared　to　leap　off　Welcombe　Cliff　as　to　return　railing　for　railing　to　the　White　Witch；　in　vain　entreated　her　mercy；　and　tried；　by　all　possible　dodging；　to　keep　one　of　the　party　between　himself　and　her；　lest　her　redoubted　eye　should　〃overlook〃　him　once　more　to　his　ruin。

But　the　night's　adventures　were　not　ended　yet；　for　just　as　the　boat　was　launched；　a　faint　halloo　was　heard　upon　the　beach；　and　a　minute　after；　a　horseman　plunged　down　the　pebbles；　and　along　the　sand；　and　pulling　his　horse　up　on　its　haunches　close　to　the　terrified　group；　dropped；　rather　than　leaped；　from　the　saddle。

The　serving…man；　though　he　dared　not　tackle　a　witch；　knew　well　enough　how　to　deal　with　a　swordsman；　and　drawing；　sprang　upon　the　newcomer；　and　then　recoiled

〃God　forgive　me；　it's　Mr。　Eustace！　　Oh；　dear　sir；　I　took　you　for　one　of　Sir　Richard's　men！　　Oh；　sir；　you're　hurt！〃

〃A　scratch；　a　scratch！〃　almost　moaned　Eustace。　　〃Help　me　into　the　boat；　Jack。　　Gentlemen；　I　must　with　you。〃

〃Not　with　us；　surely；　my　dear　son；　vagabonds　upon　the　face　of　the　earth？〃　said　kind…hearted　Campian。

〃With　you；　forever。　　All　is　over　here。　　Whither　God　and　the　cause　lead〃and　he　staggered　toward　the　boat。

As　he　passed　Rose；　she　saw　his　ghastly　bleeding　face；　half　bound　up　with　a　handkerchief；　which　could　not　conceal　the　convulsions　of　rage；　shame；　and　despair；　which　twisted　it　from　all　its　usual　beauty。　　His　eyes　glared　wildly　roundand　once；　right　into　the　cavern。　　They　met　hers；　so　full；　and　keen；　and　dreadful；　that　forgetting　she　was　utterly　invisible；　the　terrified　girl　was　on　the　point　of　shrieking　aloud。

〃He　has　overlooked　me！〃　said　she；　shuddering　to　herself；　as　she　recollected　his　threat　of　yesterday。

〃Who　has　wounded　you？〃　asked　Campian。

〃My　cousinAmyasand　taken　the　letter！〃

〃The　devil　take　him；　then！〃　cried　Parsons；　stamping　up　and　down　upon　the　sand　in　fury。

〃Ay；　curse　himyou　may！　　I　dare　not！　　He　saved　mesent　me　here！〃　and　with　a　groan；　he　made　an　effort　to　enter　the　boat。

〃Oh；　my　dear　young　gentleman；〃　cried　Lucy　Passmore；　her　woman's　heart　bursting　out　at　the　sight　of　pain；　〃you　must　not　goo　forth　with　a　grane　wound　like　to　that。　　Do　ye　let　me　just　bind　mun　updo　ye　now！〃　and　she　advanced。

Eustace　thrust　her　back。

〃No！　better　bear　it；　I　deserve　itdevils！　　I　deserve　it！　　On　board；　or　we　shall　all　be　lostWilliam　Cary　is　close　behind　me！〃

And　at　that　news　the　boat　was　thrust　into　the　sea；　faster　than　ever　it　went　before；　and　only　in　time；　for　it　was　but　just　round　the　rocks；　and　out　of　sight；　when　the　rattle　of　Cary's　horsehoofs　was　heard　above。

〃That　rascal　of　Mr。　Leigh's　will　catch　it　now；　the　Popish　villain！〃　said　Lucy　Passmore；　aloud。　　〃You　lie　still　there；　dear　life；　and　settle　your　sperrits；　you'm　so　safe　as　ever　was　rabbit　to　burrow。　I'll　see　what　happens；　if　I　die　for　it！〃　　And　so　saying；　she　squeezed　herself　up　through　a　cleft　to　a　higher　ledge；　from　whence　she　could　see　what　passed　in　the　valley。

〃There　mun　is！　in　the　meadow；　trying　to　catch　the　horses！　　There　comes　Mr。　Cary！　　Goodness；　Father；　how　a　rid'th！　he's　over　wall　already！　　Ron；　Jack！　ron　then！　　A'll　get　to　the　river！　　No；　a　wain't！　　Goodness；　Father！　　There's　Mr。　Cary　cotched　mun！　　A's　down；　a's　down！〃

〃Is　he　dead？〃　asked　Rose；　shuddering。

〃Iss；　fegs；　dead　as　nits！　and　Mr。　Cary　off　his　horse；　standing　overthwart　mun！　　No；　a　bain't！　　A's　up　now。　　Suspose　he　was　hit　wi'　the　flat。　　Whatever　is　Mr。　Cary　tu？　　Telling　wi'　mun；　a　bit。　　Oh　dear；　dear；　dear！〃

〃Has　he　killed　him？〃　cried　poor　Rose。

〃No；　fegs；　no！　kecking　mun；　kecking　mun；　so　hard　as　ever　was　futeball！　　Goodness；　Father；　who　did　ever？　　If　a　haven't　kecked　mun　right　into　river；　and　got　on　mun's　horse　and　rod　away！〃

And　so　saying；　down　she　came　again。

〃And　now　then；　my　dear　life；　us　be　better　to　goo　hoom　and　get　you　sommat　warm。　　You'm　mortal　cold；　I　rackon；　by　now。　　I　was　cruel　fear'd　for　ye：　but　I　kept　mun　off　clever；　didn't　I；　now？〃

〃I　wishI　wish　I　had　not　seen　Mr。　Leigh's　face！〃

〃Iss；　dreadful；　weren't　it；　poor　young　soul；　a　sad　night　for　his　poor　mother！〃

〃Lucy；　I　can't　get　his　face　out　of　my　mind。　　I'm　sure　he　overlooked　me。〃

〃Oh　then！　who　ever　heard　the　like　o'　that？　　When　young　gentlemen　do　overlook　young　ladies；　tain't　thikketheor　aways；　I　knoo。　　Never　you　think　on　it。〃

〃But　I　can't　help　thinking　of　it；〃　said　Rose。　　〃Stop。　　Shall　we　go　home　yet？　　Where's　that　servant？〃

〃Never　mind；　he　wain't　see　us；　here　under　the　hill。　　I'd　much　sooner　to　know　where　my　old　man　was。　　I've　a　sort　of　a　forecasting　in　my　inwards；　like；　as　I　always　has　when　aught's　gwain　to　happen；　as　though　I　shuldn't　zee　mun　again；　like；　I　have；　miss。　　Wellhe　was　a　bedient　old　soul；　after　all；　he　was。　　Goodness；　Father！　and　all　this　while　us　have　forgot　the　very　thing　us　come　about！　　Who　did　you　see？〃

〃Only　that　face！〃　said　Rose；　shuddering。

〃Not　in　the　glass；　maid？　　Say　then；　not　in　the　glass？〃

〃Would　to　heaven　it　had　been！　　Lucy；　what　if　he　were　the　man　I　was　fated　to〃

〃He？　　Why；　he's　a　praste；　a　Popish　praste；　that　can't　marry　if　he　would；　poor　wratch。〃

〃He　is　none；　and　I　have　cause　enough　to　know　it！〃　　And；　for　want　of　a　better　confidant；　Rose　poured　into　the　willing　ears　of　her　companion　the　whole　story　of　yesterday's　meeting。

〃He's　a　pretty　wooer！〃　said　Lucy　at　last；　contemptuously。　　〃Be　a　brave　maid；　then；　be　a　brave　maid；　and　never　terrify　yourself　with　his　unlucky　face。　　It's　because　there　was　none　here　worthy　of　ye；　that　ye　seed　none　in　glass。　　Maybe　he's　to　be　a　foreigner；　from　over　seas；　and　that's　why　his　sperit　was　so　long　a　coming。　　A　duke；　or　a　prince　to　the　least；　I'll　warrant；　he'll　be；　that　carries　off　the　Rose　of　Bideford。〃

But　in　spite　of　all　the　good　dame's　flattery；　Rose　could　not　wipe　that　fierce　face　away　from　her　eyeballs。　　She　reached　home　safely；　and　crept　to　bed　undiscovered：　and　when　the　next　morning；　as　was　to　be　expected；　found　her　laid　up　with　something　very　like　a　fever；　from　excitement；　terror；　and　cold；　the　phantom　grew　stronger　and　stronger　before　her；　and　it　required　all　her　woman's　tact　and　self…　restraint　to　avoid　betraying　by　her　exclamations　what　had　happened　on　that　fantastic　night。　　After　a　fortnight's　weakness；　however；　she　recovered　and　went　back　to　Bideford：　but　ere　she　arrived　there；　Amyas　was　far　across　the　seas　on　his　way　to　Milford　Haven；　as　shall　be　told　in　the　ensuing　chapters。



CHAPTER　VII

THE　TRUE　AND　TRAGICAL　HISTORY　OF　MR。　JOHN　OXENHAM　OF　PLYMOUTH


　　　　　〃The　fair　breeze　blew；　the　white　foam　flew；　　　　　　　　　The　furrow　follow'd　free；　　　　　　　We　were　the　first　that　ever　burst　　　　　　　　　Into　that　silent　sea。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Ancient　Mariner。


It　was　too　late　and　too　dark　last　night　to　see　the　old　house　at　Stow。　　We　will　look　round　us；　then；　this　bright　October　day；　while　Sir　Richard　and　Amyas；　about　eleven　o'clock　in　the　forenoon；　are　pacing　up　and　down　the　terraced　garden　to　the　south。　　Amyas　has　slept　till　luncheon；　i。　e。　till　an　hour　ago：　but　Sir　Richard；　in　spite　of　the　bustle　of　last　night；　was　up　and　in　the　valley　by　six　o'clock；　recreating　the　valiant　souls　of　himself　and　two　terrier　dogs　by　the　chase　of　sundry　badgers。

Old　Stow　House　stands；　or　rather　stood；　some　four　miles　beyond　the　Cornish　border；　on　the　northern　slope　of　the　largest　and　loveliest　of　those　combes　of　which　I　spoke　in　the　last　chapter。　　Eighty　years　after　Sir　Richard's　time　there　arose　there　a　huge　Palladian　pile；　bedizened　with　every　monstrosity　of　bad　taste；　which　was　built；　so　the　story　runs；　by　Charles　the　Second；　for　Sir　Richard's　great…　grandson；　the　heir　of　that　famous　Sir　Bevil　who　defeated　the　Parliamentary　troops　at　Stratton；　and　died　soon　after；　fighting　valiantly　at　Lansdowne　over　Bath。　　But；　like　most　other　things　which　owed　their　existence　to　the　Stuarts；　it　rose　only　to　fall　again。　　An　old　man　who　had　seen；　as　a　boy；　the　foundation　of　the　new　house　laid；　lived　to　see　it　pulled　down　again；　and　the　very　bricks　and　timber　sold　upon　the　spot；　and　since　then　the　stables　have　become　a　farm…house；　the　tennis…court　a　sheep…cote；　the　great　quadrangle　a　rick…yard；　and　civilization；　spreading　wave　on　wave　so　fast　elsewhere；　has　surged　back　from　that　lonely　corner　of　the　landlet　us　hope；　only　for　a　while。

But　I　am　not　writing　of　that　great　new　Stow　House；　of　the　past　glories　whereof　quaint　pictures　still　hang　in　the　neighboring　houses；　nor　of　that　famed　Sir　Bevil；　mos