westward ho-第59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！



〃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　full　enough　down　below。　　What's　here？　　A　big　pouch；　sirs；　stuffed　full　of　somewhat。〃

〃Hand　it　hither。〃

The　two　opened　the　pouch；　papers；　papers；　but　no　scrap　of　food。　Then　a　parchment。　　They　unrolled　it。

〃Latin；〃　said　Amyas；　〃you　must　construe；　Don　Scholar。〃

〃Is　it　possible？〃　said　Raleigh；　after　reading　a　moment。　　〃This　is　indeed　a　prize！　　This　is　Saunders　himself！〃

Yeo　sprang　up　from　the　body　as　if　he　had　touched　an　adder。　　〃Nick　Saunders；　the　Legacy；　sir？〃

〃Nicholas　Saunders；　the　legate。〃

〃The　villain！　why　did　not　he　wait　for　me　to　have　the　comfort　of　killing　him？　　Dog！〃　and　he　kicked　the　corpse　with　his　foot。

〃Quiet！　quiet！　　Remember　the　poor　girl；〃　said　Amyas；　as　she　shrieked　at　the　profanation；　while　Raleigh　went　on；　half　to　himself：

〃Yes；　this　is　Saunders。　　Misguided　fool；　and　this　is　the　end！　　To　this　thou　hast　come　with　thy　plotting　and　thy　conspiring；　thy　lying　and　thy　boasting；　consecrated　banners　and　Pope's　bulls；　Agnus　Deis　and　holy　waters；　the　blessing　of　all　saints　and　angels；　and　thy　Lady　of　the　Immaculate　Conception！　　Thou　hast　called　on　the　heavens　to　judge　between　thee　and　us；　and　here　is　their　answer！　　What　is　that　in　his　hand；　Amyas？　　Give　it　me。　　A　pastoral　epistle　to　the　Earl　of　Ormond；　and　all　nobles　of　the　realm　of　Ireland；　'To　all　who　groan　beneath　the　loathsome　tyranny　of　an　illegitimate　adulteress；　etc。；　Nicholas　Saunders；　by　the　grace　of　God；　Legate；　etc。'　　Bah！　and　this　forsooth　was　thy　last　meditation！　　Incorrigible　pedant！　Victrix　causa　Diis　placuit；　sed　victa　Catoni！〃

He　ran　his　eye　through　various　other　documents；　written　in　the　usual　strain：　full　of　huge　promises　from　the　Pope　and　the　king　of　Spain；　frantic　and　filthy　slanders　against　Elizabeth；　Burghley；　Leicester；　Essex　（the　elder）；　Sidney；　and　every　great　and　good　man　（never　mind　of　which　party）　who　then　upheld　the　commonweal；　bombastic　attempts　to　terrify　weak　consciences；　by　denouncing　endless　fire　against　those　who　opposed　the　true　faith；　fulsome　ascriptions　of　martyrdom　and　sanctity　to　every　rebel　and　traitor　who　had　been　hanged　for　the　last　twenty　years；　wearisome　arguments　about　the　bull　In　Caena　Domini；　Elizabeth's　excommunication；　the　nullity　of　English　law；　the　sacred　duty　of　rebellion；　the　right　to　kill　a　prince　impenitently　heretical；　and　the　like　insanities　and　villainies；　which　may　be　read　at　large　in　Camden；　the　Phoenix　Britannicus；　Fox's　Martyrs；　or；　surest　of　all；　in　the　writings　of　the　worthies　themselves。

With　a　gesture　of　disgust；　Raleigh　crammed　the　foul　stuff　back　again　into　the　pouch。　　Taking　it　with　them；　they　walked　back　to　the　company；　and　then　remounting；　marched　away　once　more　towards　the　lands　of　the　Desmonds；　and　the　girl　was　left　alone　with　the　dead。

An　hour　had　passed；　when　another　Englishman　was　standing　by　the　wailing　girl；　and　round　him　a　dozen　shockheaded　kernes；　skene　on　thigh　and　javelin　in　hand；　were　tossing　about　their　tawny　rags；　and　adding　their　lamentations　to　those　of　the　lonely　watcher。

The　Englishman　was　Eustace　Leigh；　a　layman　still；　but　still　at　his　old　work。　　By　two　years　of　intrigue　and　labor　from　one　end　of　Ireland　to　the　other；　he　had　been　trying　to　satisfy　his　conscience　for　rejecting　〃the　higher　calling〃　of　the　celibate；　for　mad　hopes　still　lurked　within　that　fiery　heart。　　His　brow　was　wrinkled　now；　his　features　harshened；　the　scar　upon　his　face；　and　the　slight　distortion　which　accompanied　it；　was　hidden　by　a　bushy　beard　from　all　but　himself；　and　he　never　forgot　it　for　a　day；　nor　forgot　who　had　given　it　to　him。

He　had　been　with　Desmond；　wandering　in　moor　and　moss　for　many　a　month　in　danger　of　his　life；　and　now　he　was　on　his　way　to　James　Fitz…Eustace；　Lord　Baltinglas；　to　bring　him　the　news　of　Desmond's　death；　and　with　him　a　remnant　of　the　clan；　who　were　either　too　stout…hearted；　or　too　desperately　stained　with　crime；　to　seek　peace　from　the　English；　and；　as　their　fellows　did；　find　it　at　once　and　freely。

There　Eustace　stood；　looking　down　on　all　that　was　left　of　the　most　sacred　personage　of　Ireland；　the　man　who；　as　he　once　had　hoped；　was　to　regenerate　his　native　land；　and　bring　the　proud　island　of　the　West　once　more　beneath　that　gentle　yoke；　in　which　united　Christendom　labored　for　the　commonweal　of　the　universal　Church。　There　he　was；　and　with　him　all　Eustace's　dreams；　in　the　very　heart　of　that　country　which　he　had　vowed；　and　believed　as　he　vowed；　was　ready　to　rise　in　arms　as　one　man；　even　to　the　baby　at　the　breast　（so　he　had　said）；　in　vengeance　against　the　Saxon　heretic；　and　sweep　the　hated　name　of　Englishman　into　the　deepest　abysses　of　the　surge　which　walled　her　coasts；　with　Spain　and　the　Pope　to　back　him；　and　the　wealth　of　the　Jesuits　at　his　command；　in　the　midst　of　faithful　Catholics；　valiant　soldiers；　noblemen　who　had　pledged　themselves　to　die　for　the　cause；　serfs　who　worshipped　him　as　a　demigodstarved　to　death　in　a　bog！　　It　was　a　pretty　plain　verdict　on　the　reasonableness　of　his　expectations；　but　not　to　Eustace　Leigh。

It　was　a　failure；　of　course；　but　it　was　an　accident；　indeed；　to　have　been　expected；　in　a　wicked　world　whose　prince　and　master；　as　all　knew；　was　the　devil　himself；　indeed；　proof　of　the　righteousness　of　the　causefor　when　had　the　true　faith　been　other　than　persecuted　and　trampled　under　foot？　　If　one　came　to　think　of　it　with　eyes　purified　from　the　tears　of　carnal　impatience；　what　was　it　but　a　glorious　martyrdom？

〃Blest　Saunders！〃　murmured　Eustace　Leigh；　〃let　me　die　the　death　of　the　righteous；　and　let　my　last　end　he　like　this！　　Ora　pro　me；　most　excellent　martyr；　while　I　dig　thy　grave　upon　this　lonely　moor；　to　wait　there　for　thy　translation　to　one　of　those　stately　shrines；　which；　cemented　by　the　blood　of　such　as　thee；　shall　hereafter　rise　restored　toward　heaven；　to　make　this　land　once　more　'The　Isle　of　Saints。'〃

The　corpse　was　buried；　a　few　prayers　said　hastily；　and　Eustace　Leigh　was　away　again；　not　now　to　find　Baltinglas；　for　it　was　more　than　his　life　was　worth。　　The　girl　had　told　him　of　the　English　soldiers　who　had　passed；　and　he　knew　that　they　would　reach　the　earl　probably　before　he　did。　　The　game　was　up；　all　was　lost。　　So　he　retraced　his　steps；　as　a　desperate　resource；　to　the　last　place　where　he　would　be　looked　for；　and　after　a　month　of　disguising；　hiding；　and　other　expedients；　found　himself　again　in　his　native　county　of　Devon；　while　Fitz…Eustace　Viscount　Baltinglas　had　taken　ship　for　Spain；　having　got　little　by　his　famous　argument　to　Ormond　in　behalf　of　his　joining　the　Church　of　Rome；　〃Had　not　thine　ancestor；　blessed　Thomas　of　Canterbury；　died　for　the　Church　of　Rome；　thou　hadst　never　been　Earl　of　Ormond。〃　　The　premises　were　certainly　sounder　than　those　of　his　party　were　wont　to　be；　for　it　was　to　expiate　the　murder　of　that　turbulent　hero　that　the　Ormond　lands　had　been　granted　by　Henry　II。：　but　as　for　the　conclusion　therefrom；　it　was　much　on　a　par　with　the　rest。

And　now　let　us　return　to　Raleigh　and　Amyas；　as　they　jog　along　their　weary　road。　　They　have　many　things　to　talk　of；　for　it　is　but　three　days　since　they　met。

Amyas；　as　you　see；　is　coming　fast　into　Raleigh's　old　opinion　of　Ireland。　　Raleigh；　under　the　inspiration　of　a　possible　grant　of　Desmond's　lands；　looks　on　bogs　and　rocks　transfigured　by　his　own　hopes　and　fancy；　as　if　by　the　glory　of　a　rainbow。　　He　looked　at　all　things　so；　noble　fellow；　even　thirty　years　after；　when　old；　worn　out；　and　ruined；　well　for　him　had　it　been　otherwise；　and　his　heart　had　grown　old　with　his　head！　　Amyas；　who　knows　nothing　about　Desmond's　lands；　is　puzzled　at　the　change。

〃Why；　what　is　this；　Raleigh？　　You　are　like　children　sitting　in　the　market…place；　and　nothing　pleases　you。　　You　wanted　to　get　to　Court；　and　you　have　got　there；　and　are　lord　and　master；　I　hear；　or　something　very　like　it；　alreadyand　as　soon　as　fortune　stuffs　your　mouth　full　of　sweet…meats；　do　you　turn　informer　on　her？〃

Raleigh　laughed　insignificantly；　but　was　silent。

〃And　how　is　your　friend　Mr。　Secretary　Spenser；　who　was　with　us　at　Smerwick？〃

〃Spenser？　　He　has　thriven　even　as　I　have；　and　he　has　found；　as　I　have；　that　in　making　one　friend　at　Court　you　make　ten　foes；　but　'Oderint　dum　metuant'　is　no　more　my　motto　than　his；　Leigh。　　I　want　to　be　greatgreat　I　am　already；　they　say；　if　princes'　favor　can　swell　the　frog　into　an　ox；　but　I　want　to　be　liked；　lovedI　want　to　see　people　smile　when　I　enter。〃

〃So　they　do；　I'll　warrant；〃　said　Amyas。

〃So　do　hyenas；〃　said　Raleigh；　〃grin　because　they　are　hungry；　and　I　may　throw　them　a　bone；　I'll　throw　you　one　now；　old　lad；　or　rather　a　good　sirloin　of　beef；　for　the　sake　of　your　smile。　　That's　honest；　at　least；　I'll　warrant；　whosoever's　else　is　not。　　Have　you　heard　of　my　brother　Humphrey's　new　project？〃

〃How　should　I　hear　anything　in　this　waste　howling　wilderness？〃

〃Kiss　hands　to　the　wilderness；　then；　and　come　with　me　to　Newfoundland！〃

〃You　to　Newfoundland？〃

〃Yes。　　I　to　Newfoundland；　unless　my　little　matter　here　is　settled　at　once。　　Gloriana　don't　know　it；　and　sha'n't　till　I'm　off。　　She'd　send　me　to　the　Tower；　I　think；　if　she　caught　me　playing　truant。　　I　could　hardly　get　leave　to　come　hither；　but