prologue-第3章

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！



any　purpose。　　It　would　have　gone　hard　with　the　chest　had　not　the

gate　sounded；　and　presently　after　the　door　of　the　house　opened　and

admitted　a　tall；　portly；　ruddy；　black…eyed　man　of　near　fifty；　in　a

surplice　and　black　robe。



〃Appleyard〃　…　the　newcomer　was　saying；　as　he　entered；　but　he

stopped　dead。　　〃Ave　Maria！〃　he　cried。　　〃Saints　be　our　shield！　　What

cheer　is　this？〃



〃Cold　cheer　with　Appleyard；　sir　parson；〃　answered　Hatch；　with

perfect　cheerfulness。　　〃Shot　at　his　own　door；　and　alighteth　even

now　at　purgatory　gates。　　Ay！　there；　if　tales　be　true；　he　shall　lack

neither　coal　nor　candle。〃



Sir　Oliver　groped　his　way　to　a　joint…stool；　and　sat　down　upon　it；

sick　and　white。



〃This　is　a　judgment！　　O；　a　great　stroke！〃　he　sobbed；　and　rattled

off　a　leash　of　prayers。



Hatch　meanwhile　reverently　doffed　his　salet　and　knelt　down。



〃Ay；　Bennet；〃　said　the　priest；　somewhat　recovering；　〃and　what　may

this　be？　　What　enemy　hath　done　this？〃



〃Here；　Sir　Oliver；　is　the　arrow。　　See；　it　is　written　upon　with

words；〃　said　Dick。



〃Nay；〃　cried　the　priest；　〃this　is　a　foul　hearing！　　John　Amend…All！

A　right　Lollardy　word。　　And　black　of　hue；　as　for　an　omen！　　Sirs；

this　knave　arrow　likes　me　not。　　But　it　importeth　rather　to　take

counsel。　　Who　should　this　be？　　Bethink　you；　Bennet。　　Of　so　many

black　ill…willers；　which　should　he　be　that　doth　so　hardily　outface

us？　　Simnel？　　I　do　much　question　it。　　The　Walsinghams？　　Nay；　they

are　not　yet　so　broken；　they　still　think　to　have　the　law　over　us；

when　times　change。　　There　was　Simon　Malmesbury；　too。　　How　think　ye；

Bennet？〃



〃What　think　ye；　sir；〃　returned　Hatch；　〃of　Ellis　Duckworth？〃



〃Nay；　Bennet；　never。　　Nay；　not　he；〃　said　the　priest。　　〃There　cometh

never　any　rising；　Bennet；　from　below　…　so　all　judicious　chroniclers

concord　in　their　opinion；　but　rebellion　travelleth　ever　downward

from　above；　and　when　Dick；　Tom；　and　Harry　take　them　to　their　bills；

look　ever　narrowly　to　see　what　lord　is　profited　thereby。　　Now；　Sir

Daniel；　having　once　more　joined　him　to　the　Queen's　party；　is　in　ill

odour　with　the　Yorkist　lords。　　Thence；　Bennet；　comes　the　blow　…　by

what　procuring；　I　yet　seek；　but　therein　lies　the　nerve　of　this

discomfiture。〃



〃An't　please　you；　Sir　Oliver；〃　said　Bennet；　〃the　axles　are　so　hot

in　this　country　that　I　have　long　been　smelling　fire。　　So　did　this

poor　sinner；　Appleyard。　　And；　by　your　leave；　men's　spirits　are　so

foully　inclined　to　all　of　us；　that　it　needs　neither　York　nor

Lancaster　to　spur　them　on。　　Hear　my　plain　thoughts：　　You；　that　are

a　clerk；　and　Sir　Daniel；　that　sails　on　any　wind；　ye　have　taken　many

men's　goods；　and　beaten　and　hanged　not　a　few。　　Y'　are　called　to

count　for　this；　in　the　end；　I　wot　not　how；　ye　have　ever　the

uppermost　at　law；　and　ye　think　all　patched。　　But　give　me　leave；　Sir

Oliver：　　the　man　that　ye　have　dispossessed　and　beaten　is　but　the

angrier；　and　some　day；　when　the　black　devil　is　by；　he　will　up　with

his　bow　and　clout　me　a　yard　of　arrow　through　your　inwards。〃



〃Nay；　Bennet；　y'　are　in　the　wrong。　　Bennet；　ye　should　be　glad　to　be

corrected；〃　said　Sir　Oliver。　　〃Y'　are　a　prater；　Bennet；　a　talker；　a

babbler；　your　mouth　is　wider　than　your　two　ears。　　Mend　it；　Bennet；

mend　it。〃



〃Nay；　I　say　no　more。　　Have　it　as　ye　list；〃　said　the　retainer。



The　priest　now　rose　from　the　stool；　and　from　the　writing…case　that

hung　about　his　neck　took　forth　wax　and　a　taper；　and　a　flint　and

steel。　　With　these　he　sealed　up　the　chest　and　the　cupboard　with　Sir

Daniel's　arms；　Hatch　looking　on　disconsolate；　and　then　the　whole

party　proceeded；　somewhat　timorously；　to　sally　from　the　house　and

get　to　horse。



〃'Tis　time　we　were　on　the　road；　Sir　Oliver；〃　said　Hatch；　as　he　held

the　priest's　stirrup　while　he　mounted。



〃Ay；　but；　Bennet；　things　are　changed；〃　returned　the　parson。　　〃There

is　now　no　Appleyard　…　rest　his　soul！　…　to　keep　the　garrison。　　I

shall　keep　you；　Bennet。　　I　must　have　a　good　man　to　rest　me　on　in

this　day　of　black　arrows。　　'The　arrow　that　flieth　by　day；'　saith

the　evangel；　I　have　no　mind　of　the　context；　nay；　I　am　a　sluggard

priest；　I　am　too　deep　in　men's　affairs。　　Well；　let　us　ride　forth；

Master　Hatch。　　The　jackmen　should　be　at　the　church　by　now。〃



So　they　rode　forward　down　the　road；　with　the　wind　after　them；


blowing　the　tails　of　the　parson's　cloak；　and　behind　them；　as　they

went；　clouds　began　to　arise　and　blot　out　the　sinking　sun。　　They　had

passed　three　of　the　scattered　houses　that　make　up　Tunstall　hamlet；

when；　coming　to　a　turn；　they　saw　the　church　before　them。　　Ten　or　a

dozen　houses　clustered　immediately　round　it；　but　to　the　back　the

churchyard　was　next　the　meadows。　　At　the　lych…gate；　near　a　score　of

men　were　gathered；　some　in　the　saddle；　some　standing　by　their

horses'　heads。　　They　were　variously　armed　and　mounted；　some　with

spears；　some　with　bills；　some　with　bows；　and　some　bestriding

plough…horses；　still　splashed　with　the　mire　of　the　furrow；　for

these　were　the　very　dregs　of　the　country；　and　all　the　better　men

and　the　fair　equipments　were　already　with　Sir　Daniel　in　the　field。



〃We　have　not　done　amiss；　praised　be　the　cross　of　Holywood！　　Sir

Daniel　will　be　right　well　content；〃　observed　the　priest；　inwardly

numbering　the　troop。



〃Who　goes？　　Stand！　if　ye　be　true！〃　shouted　Bennet。　　A　man　was　seen

slipping　through　the　churchyard　among　the　yews；　and　at　the　sound　of

this　summons　he　discarded　all　concealment；　and　fairly　took　to　his

heels　for　the　forest。　　The　men　at　the　gate；　who　had　been　hitherto

unaware　of　the　stranger's　presence；　woke　and　scattered。　　Those　who

had　dismounted　began　scrambling　into　the　saddle；　the　rest　rode　in

pursuit；　but　they　had　to　make　the　circuit　of　the　consecrated

ground；　and　it　was　plain　their　quarry　would　escape　them。　　Hatch；

roaring　an　oath；　put　his　horse　at　the　hedge；　to　head　him　off；　but

the　beast　refused；　and　sent　his　rider　sprawling　in　the　dust。　　And

though　he　was　up　again　in　a　moment；　and　had　caught　the　bridle；　the

time　had　gone　by；　and　the　fugitive　had　gained　too　great　a　lead　for

any　hope　of　capture。



The　wisest　of　all　had　been　Dick　Shelton。　　Instead　of　starting　in　a

vain　pursuit；　he　had　whipped　his　crossbow　from　his　back；　bent　it；

and　set　a　quarrel　to　the　string；　and　now；　when　the　others　had

desisted；　he　turned　to　Bennet　and　asked　if　he　should　shoot。



〃Shoot！　shoot！〃　cried　the　priest；　with　sanguinary　violence。



〃Cover　him；　Master　Dick；〃　said　Bennet。　　〃Bring　me　him　down　like　a

ripe　apple。〃



The　fugitive　was　now　within　but　a　few　leaps　of　safety；　but　this

last　part　of　the　meadow　ran　very　steeply　uphill；　and　the　man　ran

slower　in　proportion。　　What　with　the　greyness　of　the　falling　night；

and　the　uneven　movements　of　the　runner；　it　was　no　easy　aim；　and　as

Dick　levelled　his　bow；　he　felt　a　kind　of　pity；　and　a　half　desire

that　he　might　miss。　　The　quarrel　sped。



The　man　stumbled　and　fell；　and　a　great　cheer　arose　from　Hatch　and

the　pursuers。　　But　they　were　counting　their　corn　before　the

harvest。　　The　man　fell　lightly；　he　was　lightly　afoot　again；　turned

and　waved　his　cap　in　a　bravado；　and　was　out　of　sight　next　moment　in

the　margin　of　the　wood。



〃And　the　plague　go　with　him！〃　cried　Bennet。　　〃He　has　thieves'

heels；　he　can　run；　by　St　Banbury！　　But　you　touched　him；　Master

Shelton；　he　has　stolen　your　quarrel；　may　he　never　have　good　I

grudge　him　less！〃



〃Nay；　but　what　made　he　by　the　church？〃　asked　Sir　Oliver。　　〃I　am

shrewdly　afeared　there　has　been　mischief　here。　　Clipsby；　good

fellow；　get　ye　down　from　your　horse；　and　search　thoroughly　among

the　yews。〃



Clipsby　was　gone　but　a　little　while　ere　he　returned　carrying　a

paper。



〃This　writing　was　pinned　to　the　church　door；〃　he　said；　handing　it

to　the　parson。　　〃I　found　naught　else；　sir　parson。〃



〃Now；　by　the　power　of　Mother　Church；〃　cried　Sir　Oliver；　〃but　this

runs　hard　on　sacrilege！　　For　the　king's　good　pleasure；　or　the　lord

of　the　manor　…　well！　　But　that　every　run…the…hedge　in　a　green

jerkin　should　faste