westward ho-第58节

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erniores！　　Is　there　some　uncivilizing　venom　in　the　air？〃

〃Some　venom；　at　least；　which　makes　English　men　traitors。　　But　the　Irish　themselves　are　well　enough；　if　their　tyrants　would　let　them　be。　　See　now；　what　more　faithful　liegeman　has　her　majesty　than　the　Inchiquin；　who；　they　say；　is　Prince　of　Themond；　and　should　be　king　of　all　Ireland；　if　every　man　had　his　right？〃

〃Don't　talk　of　rights　in　the　land　of　wrongs；　man。　　But　the　Inchiquin　knows　well　that　the　true　Irish　Esau　has　no　worse　enemy　than　his　supplanter；　the　Norman　Jacob。　　And　yet；　Amyas　are　even　these　men　worse　than　we　might　be；　if　we　had　been　bred　up　masters　over　the　bodies　and　souls　of　men；　in　some　remote　land　where　law　and　order　had　never　come？　　Look　at　this　Desmond；　brought　up　a　savage　among　savages；　a　Papist　among　Papists；　a　despot　among　slaves；　a　thousand　easy　maidens　deeming　it　honor　to　serve　his　pleasure；　a　thousand　wild　ruffians　deeming　it　piety　to　fulfil　his　revenge：　and　let　him　that　is　without　sin　among　us　cast　the　first　stone。〃

〃Ay；〃　went　on　Raleigh　to　himself；　as　the　conversation　dropped。　〃What　hadst　thou　been；　Raleigh；　hadst　thou　been　that　Desmond　whose　lands　thou　now　desirest？　　What　wilt　thou　be　when　thou　hast　them？　Will　thy　children　sink　downwards；　as　these　noble　barons　sank？　　Will　the　genius　of　tyranny　and　falsehood　find　soil　within　thy　heart　to　grow　and　ripen　fruit？　　What　guarantee　hast　thou　for　doing　better　here　than　those　who　went　before　thee？　　And　yet；　cannot　I　do　justice　and　love　mercy？　　Can　I　not　establish　plantations；　build　and　sow；　and　make　the　desert　valleys　laugh　with　corn？　　Shall　I　not　have　my　Spenser　with　me；　to　fill　me　with　all　noble　thoughts；　and　raise　my　soul　to　his　heroic　pitch？　　Is　not　this　true　knight…errantry；　to　redeem　to　peace　and　use；　and　to　the　glory　of　that　glorious　queen　whom　God　has　given　to　me；　a　generous　soil　and　a　more　generous　race？　Trustful　and　tenderhearted　they　arenone　more；　and　if　they　be　fickle　and　passionate；　will　not　that　very　softness　of　temper；　which　makes　them　so　easily　led　to　evil；　make　them　as　easy　to　be　led　towards　good？　　Yeshere；　away　from　courts；　among　a　people　who　should　bless　me　as　their　benefactor　and　delivererwhat　golden　days　might　be　mine！　　And　yetis　this　but　another　angel's　mask　from　that　same　cunning　fiend　ambition's　stage？　　And　will　my　house　be　indeed　the　house　of　God；　the　foundations　of　which　are　loyalty；　and　its　bulwarks　righteousness；　and　not　the　house　of　fame；　whose　walls　are　of　the　soap…bubble；　and　its　floor　a　sea　of　glass　mingled　with　fire？　I　would　be　good　and　greatWhen　will　the　day　come　when　I　shall　be　content　to　be　good；　and　yet　not　great；　like　this　same　simple　Leigh；　toiling　on　by　my　side　to　do　his　duty；　with　no　more　thought　for　the　morrow　than　the　birds　of　God？　　Greatness？　　I　have　tasted　that　cup　within　the　last　twelve　months；　do　I　not　know　that　it　is　sweet　in　the　mouth；　but　bitter　in　the　belly？　　Greatness？　　And　was　not　Essex　great；　and　John　of　Austria　great；　and　Desmond　great；　whose　race；　but　three　short　years　ago；　had　stood　for　ages　higher　than　I　shall　ever　hope　to　climbcastles；　and　lands；　and　slaves　by　thousands；　and　five　hundred　gentlemen　of　his　name；　who　had　vowed　to　forswear　God　before　they　forswore　him　and　well　have　they　kept　their　vow！　And　now；　dead　in　a　turf…hovel；　like　a　coney　in　a　burrow！　　Leigh；　what　noise　was　that？〃

〃An　Irish　howl；　I　fancied：　but　it　came　from　off　the　bog；　it　may　be　only　a　plover's　cry。〃

〃Something　not　quite　right；　sir　captain；　to　my　mind；〃　said　the　ancient。　　〃They　have　ugly　stories　here　of　pucks　and　banshees；　and　what　not　of　ghosts。　　There　it　was　again；　wailing　just　like　a　woman。　They　say　the　banshee　cried　all　night　before　Desmond　was　slain。〃

〃Perhaps；　then；　this　one　may　be　crying　for　Baltinglas；　for　his　turn　is　likely　to　come　nextnot　that　I　believe　in　such　old　wives'　tales。〃

〃Shamus；　my　man；〃　said　Amyas　to　the　guide；　〃do　you　hear　that　cry　in　the　bog？〃

The　guide　put　on　the　most　stolid　of　faces；　and　answered　in　broken　English

〃Shamus　hear　naught。　　Perhapswhat　you　call　him？fishing　in　ta　pool。〃

〃An　otter；　he　means；　and　I　believe　he　is　right。　　Stay；　no！　　Did　you　not　hear　it　then；　Shamus？　　It　was　a　woman's　voice。〃

〃Shamus　is　shick　in　his　ears　ever　since　Christmas。〃

〃Shamus　will　go　after　Desmond　if　he　lies；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃Ancient；　we　had　better　send　a　few　men　to　see　what　it　is；　there　may　be　a　poor　soul　taken　by　robbers；　or　perhaps　starving　to　death；　as　I　have　seen　many　a　one。〃

〃And　I　too；　poor　wretches；　and　by　no　fault　of　their　own　or　ours　either：　but　if　their　lords　will　fall　to　quarrelling；　and　then　drive　each　other's　cattle；　and　waste　each　other's　lands；　sir；　you　know〃

〃I　know；〃　said　Amyas；　impatiently；　〃why　dost　not　take　the　men；　and　go？〃

〃Cry　you　mercy；　noble　captain；　butI　fear　nothing　born　of　woman。〃

〃Well；　what　of　that？〃　said　Amyas；　with　a　smile。

〃But　these　pucks；　sir。　　The　wild　Irish　do　say　that　they　haunt　the　pools；　and　they　do　no　manner　of　harm；　sir；　when　you　are　coming　up　to　them；　but　when　you　are　past；　sir；　they　jump　on　your　back　like　to　apes；　sir；and　who　can　tackle　that　manner　of　fiend？〃

〃Why；　then；　by　thine　own　showing；　ancient；〃　said　Raleigh；　〃thou　may'st　go　and　see　all　safely　enough；　and　then　if　the　puck　jumps　on　thee　as　thou　comest　back；　just　run　in　with　him　here；　and　I'll　buy　him　of　thee　for　a　noble；　or　thou　may'st　keep　him　in　a　cage；　and　make　money　in　London　by　showing　him　for　a　monster。〃

〃Good　heavens　forefend；　Captain　Raleigh！　but　you　talk　rashly！　　But　if　I　must；　Captain　Leigh


　　　　　　　　　　　'Where　duty　calls　　　　　　　　　　　　　To　brazen　walls；　　　　　　How　base　the　slave　who　flinches'


Lads；　who'll　follow　me？〃

〃Thou　askest　for　volunteers；　as　if　thou　wert　to　lead　a　forlorn　hope。　　Pull　away　at　the　usquebaugh；　man；　and　swallow　Dutch　courage；　since　thine　English　is　oozed　away。　　Stay；　I'll　go　myself。〃

〃And　I　with　you；〃　said　Raleigh。　　〃As　the　queen's　true　knight…　errant；　I　am　bound　to　be　behindhand　in　no　adventure。　　Who　knows　but　we　may　find　a　wicked　magician；　just　going　to　cut　off　the　head　of　some　saffron…mantled　princess？〃　and　he　dismounted。

〃Oh；　sirs；　sirs；　to　endanger　your　precious〃

〃Pooh；〃　said　Raleigh。　　〃I　wear　an　amulet；　and　have　a　spell　of　art…　magic　at　my　tongue's　end；　whereby；　sir　ancient；　neither　can　a　ghost　see　me；　nor　I　see　them。　　Come　with　us；　Yeo；　the　Desmond…slayer；　and　we　will　shame　the　devil；　or　be　shamed　by　him。〃

〃He　may　shame　me；　sir；　but　he　will　never　frighten　me；〃　quoth　Yeo；　〃but　the　bog；　captains？〃

〃Tut！　　Devonshire　men；　and　heath…trotters　born；　and　not　know　our　way　over　a　peat　moor！〃

And　the　three　strode　away。

They　splashed　and　scrambled　for　some　quarter　of　a　mile　to　the　knoll；　while　the　cry　became　louder　and　louder　as　they　neared。

〃That's　neither　ghost　nor　otter；　sirs；　but　a　true　Irish　howl；　as　Captain　Leigh　said；　and　I'll　warrant　Master　Shamus　knew　as　much　long　ago；〃　said　Yeo。

And　in　fact；　they　could　now　hear　plainly　the　〃Ochone；　Ochonorie；〃　of　some　wild　woman；　and　scrambling　over　the　boulders　of　the　knoll；　in　another　minute　came　full　upon　her。

She　was　a　young　girl；　sluttish　and　unkempt；　of　course；　but　fair　enough：　her　only　covering；　as　usual；　was　the　ample　yellow　mantle。　There　she　sat　upon　a　stone；　tearing　her　black　dishevelled　hair；　and　every　now　and　then　throwing　up　her　head；　and　bursting　into　a　long　mournful　cry；　〃for　all　the　world；〃　as　Yeo　said；　〃like　a　dumb　four…　footed　hound；　and　not　a　Christian　soul。〃

On　her　knees　lay　the　head　of　a　man　of　middle　age；　in　the　long　soutane　of　a　Romish　priest。　　One　look　at　the　attitude　of　his　limbs　told　them　that　he　was　dead。

The　two　paused　in　awe；　and　Raleigh's　spirit；　susceptible　of　all　poetical　images；　felt　keenly　that　strange　scene；the　bleak　and　bitter　sky；　the　shapeless　bog；　the　stunted　trees；　the　savage　girl　alone　with　the　corpse　in　that　utter　desolation。　　And　as　she　bent　her　head　over　the　still　face；　and　called　wildly　to　him　who　heard　her　not；　and　then；　utterly　unmindful　of　the　intruders；　sent　up　again　that　dreary　wail　into　the　dreary　air；　they　felt　a　sacred　horror；　which　almost　made　them　turn　away；　and　leave　her　unquestioned：　but　Yeo；　whose　nerves　were　of　tougher　fibre；　asked　quietly

〃Shall　I　go　and　search　the　fellow；　captain？〃

〃Better；　I　think；〃　said　Amyas。

Raleigh　went　gently　to　the　girl；　and　spoke　to　her　in　English。　　She　looked　up　at　him；　his　armor　and　his　plume；　with　wide　and　wondering　eyes；　and　then　shook　her　head；　and　returned　to　her　lamentation。

Raleigh　gently　laid　his　hand　on　her　arm；　and　lifted　her　up；　while　Yeo　and　Amyas　bent　over　the　corpse。

It　was　the　body　of　a　large　and　coarse…featured　man；　but　wasted　and　shrunk　as　if　by　famine　to　a　very　skeleton。　　The　hands　and　legs　were　cramped　up；　and　the　trunk　bowed　together；　as　if　the　man　had　died　of　cold　or　famine。　　Yeo　drew　back　the　clothes　from　the　thin　bosom；　while　the　girl　screamed　and　wept；　but　made　no　effort　to　stop　him。

〃Ask　her　who　it　is？　　Yeo；　you　know　a　little　Irish；〃　said　Amyas。

He　asked；　but　the　girl　made　no　answer。　　〃The　stubborn　jade　won't　tell；　of　course；　sir。　　If　she　were　but　a　man；　I'd　make　her　soon　enough。〃

〃Ask　her　who　killed　him？〃

〃No　one；　she　says；　and　I　believe　she　says　true；　for　I　can　find　no　wound。　　The　man　has　been　starved；　sirs；　as　I　am　a　sinful　man。　　God　help　him；　though　he　is　a　priest；　and　yet　he　seems