kenilworth-第11章

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Lambourne　expect　from　his　visit　hither？〃

〃VOTO　A　DIOS；〃　answered　Lambourne；　〃I　expected　a　better　welcome
than　I　am　like　to　meet；　I　think。〃

〃Why；　thou　gallows…birdthou　jail…ratthou　friend　of　the
hangman　and　his　customers！〃　　replied　Foster；　〃hast　thou　the
assurance　to　expect　countenance　from　any　one　whose　neck　is　beyond
the　compass　of　a　Tyburn　tippet？〃

〃It　may　be　with　me　as　you　say；〃　replied　Lambourne；　〃and　suppose　I
grant　it　to　be　so　for　argument's　sake；　I　were　still　good　enough
society　for　mine　ancient　friend　Anthony　Fire…the…Fagot；　though　he
be；　for　the　present；　by　some　indescribable　title；　the　master　of
Cumnor　Place。〃

〃Hark　you；　Michael　Lambourne；〃　said　Foster；　〃you　are　a　gambler
now；　and　live　by　the　counting　of　chancescompute　me　the　odds
that　I　do　not；　on　this　instant；　throw　you　out　of　that　window　into
the　ditch　there。〃

〃Twenty　to　one　that　you　do　not；〃　answered　the　sturdy　visitor。

〃And　wherefore；　I　pray　you？〃　　demanded　Anthony　Foster；　setting
his　teeth　and　compressing　his　lips；　like　one　who　endeavours　to
suppress　some　violent　internal　emotion。

〃Because；〃　said　Lambourne　coolly；　〃you　dare　not　for　your　life　lay
a　finger　on　me。　　I　am　younger　and　stronger　than　you；　and　have　in
me　a　double　portion　of　the　fighting　devil；　though　not；　it　may　be；
quite　so　much　of　the　undermining　fiend；　that　finds　an　underground
way　to　his　purposewho　hides　halters　under　folk's　pillows；　and
who　puts　rats…bane　into　their　porridge；　as　the　stage…play　says。〃

Foster　looked　at　him　earnestly；　then　turned　away；　and　paced　the
room　twice　with　the　same　steady　and　considerate　pace　with　which
he　had　entered　it；　then　suddenly　came　back；　and　extended　his　hand
to　Michael　Lambourne；　saying；　〃Be　not　wroth　with　me；　good　Mike；　I
did　but　try　whether　thou　hadst　parted　with　aught　of　thine　old　and
honourable　frankness；　which　your　enviers　and　backbiters　called
saucy　impudence。〃

〃Let　them　call　it　what　they　will；〃　said　Michael　Lambourne；　〃it　is
the　commodity　we　must　carry　through　the　world　with　us。Uds
daggers！　　I　tell　thee；　man；　mine　own　stock　of　assurance　was　too
small　to　trade　upon。　　I　was　fain　to　take　in　a　ton　or　two　more　of
brass　at　every　port　where　I　touched　in　the　voyage　of　life；　and　I
started　overboard　what　modesty　and　scruples　I　had　remaining；　in
order　to　make　room　for　the　stowage。〃

〃Nay；　nay；〃　replied　Foster；　〃touching　scruples　and　modesty；　you
sailed　hence　in　ballast。　　But　who　is　this　gallant；　honest　Mike？
is　he　a　Corinthiana　cutter　like　thyself？〃

〃I　prithee；　know　Master　Tressilian；　bully　Foster；〃　replied
Lambourne；　presenting　his　friend　in　answer　to　his　friend's
question；　〃know　him　and　honour　him；　for　he　is　a　gentleman　of　many
admirable　qualities；　and　though　he　traffics　not　in　my　line　of
business；　at　least　so　far　as　I　know；　he　has；　nevertheless；　a　just
respect　and　admiration　for　artists　of　our　class。　　He　will　come　to
in　time；　as　seldom　fails；　but　as　yet　he　is　only　a　neophyte；　only
a　proselyte；　and　frequents　the　company　of　cocks　of　the　game；　as　a
puny　fencer　does　the　schools　of　the　masters；　to　see　how　a　foil　is
handled　by　the　teachers　of　defence。〃

〃If　such　be　his　quality；　I　will　pray　your　company　in　another
chamber；　honest　Mike；　for　what　I　have　to　say　to　thee　is　for　thy
private　ear。Meanwhile；　I　pray　you；　sir；　to　abide　us　in　this
apartment；　and　without　leaving　it；　there　be　those　in　this　house
who　would　be　alarmed　by　the　sight　of　a　stranger。〃

Tressilian　acquiesced；　and　the　two　worthies　left　the　apartment
together；　in　which　he　remained　alone　to　await　their　return。〃
＇See　Note　1。　Foster；　Lambourne；　and　the　Black　Bear。＇



CHAPTER　IV。

　　Not　serve　two　masters？Here's　a　youth　will　try　it
　　Would　fain　serve　God；　yet　give　the　devil　his　due；
　　Says　grace　before　he　doth　a　deed　of　villainy；
　　And　returns　his　thanks　devoutly　when　'tis　acted；　　　OLD　PLAY。

The　room　into　which　the　Master　of　Cumnor　Place　conducted　his
worthy　visitant　was　of　greater　extent　than　that　in　which　they　had
at　first　conversed；　and　had　yet　more　the　appearance　of
dilapidation。　　Large　oaken　presses；　filled　with　shelves　of　the
same　wood；　surrounded　the　room；　and　had；　at　one　time；　served　for
the　arrangement　of　a　numerous　collection　of　books；　many　of　which
yet　remained；　but　torn　and　defaced；　covered　with　dust；　deprived
of　their　costly　clasps　and　bindings；　and　tossed　together　in　heaps
upon　the　shelves；　as　things　altogether　disregarded；　and　abandoned
to　the　pleasure　of　every　spoiler。　　The　very　presses　themselves
seemed　to　have　incurred　the　hostility　of　those　enemies　of
learning　who　had　destroyed　the　volumes　with　which　they　had　been
heretofore　filled。　　They　were；　in　several　places；　dismantled　of
their　shelves；　and　otherwise　broken　and　damaged；　and　were；
moreover；　mantled　with　cobwebs　and　covered　with　dust。

〃The　men　who　wrote　these　books；〃　said　Lambourne；　looking　round
him；　〃little　thought　whose　keeping　they　were　to　fall　into。〃

〃Nor　what　yeoman's　service　they　were　to　do　me；〃　quoth　Anthony
Foster；　〃the　cook　hath　used　them　for　scouring　his　pewter；　and　the
groom　hath　had　nought　else　to　clean　my　boots　with；　this　many　a
month　past。〃

〃And　yet；〃　said　Lambourne；　〃I　have　been　in　cities　where　such
learned　commodities　would　have　been　deemed　too　good　for　such
offices。〃

〃Pshaw；　pshaw；〃　answered　Foster；　〃'they　are　Popish　trash；　every
one　of　themprivate　studies　of　the　mumping　old　Abbot　of
Abingdon。　　The　nineteenthly　of　a　pure　gospel　sermon　were　worth　a
cartload　of　such　rakings　of　the　kennel　of　Rome。〃

〃Gad…a…mercy；　Master　Tony　Fire…the…Fagot！〃　　said　Lambourne；　by
way　of　reply。

Foster　scowled　darkly　at　him；　as　he　replied；　〃Hark　ye；　friend
Mike；　forget　that　name；　and　the　passage　which　it　relates　to；　if
you　would　not　have　our　newly…revived　comradeship　die　a　sudden　and
a　violent　death。〃

〃Why；〃　said　Michael　Lambourne；　〃you　were　wont　to　glory　in　the
share　you　had　in　the　death　of　the　two　old　heretical　bishops。〃

〃That；〃　said　his　comrade；　〃was　while　I　was　in　the　gall　of
bitterness　and　bond　of　iniquity；　and　applies　not　to　my　walk　or　my
ways　now　that　I　am　called　forth　into　the　lists。　　Mr。　Melchisedek
Maultext　compared　my　misfortune　in　that　matter　to　that　of　the
Apostle　Paul；　who　kept　the　clothes　of　the　witnesses　who　stoned
Saint　Stephen。　　He　held　forth　on　the　matter　three　Sabbaths　past；
and　illustrated　the　same　by　the　conduct　of　an　honourable　person
present；　meaning　me。〃

〃I　prithee　peace；　Foster；〃　said　Lambourne；　〃for　I　know　not　how　it
is；　I　have　a　sort　of　creeping　comes　over　my　skin　when　I　hear　the
devil　quote　Scripture；　and　besides；　man；　how　couldst　thou　have
the　heart　to　quit　that　convenient　old　religion；　which　you　could
slip　off　or　on　as　easily　as　your　glove？　　Do　I　not　remember　how
you　were　wont　to　carry　your　conscience　to　confession；　as　duly　as
the　month　came　round？　　and　when　thou　hadst　it　scoured；　and
burnished；　and　whitewashed　by　the　priest；　thou　wert　ever　ready
for　the　worst　villainy　which　could　be　devised；　like　a　child　who
is　always　readiest　to　rush　into　the　mire　when　he　has　got　his
Sunday's　clean　jerkin　on。〃

〃Trouble　not　thyself　about　my　conscience；〃　said　Foster；　〃it　is　a
thing　thou　canst　not　understand；　having　never　had　one　of　thine
own。　　But　let　us　rather　to　the　point；　and　say　to　me；　in　one　word；
what　is　thy　business　with　me；　and　what　hopes　have　drawn　thee
hither？〃

〃The　hope　of　bettering　myself；　to　be　sure；〃　answered　Lambourne；
〃as　the　old　woman　said　when　she　leapt　over　the　bridge　at
Kingston。　　Look　you；　this　purse　has　all　that　is　left　of　as　round
a　sum　as　a　man　would　wish　to　carry　in　his　slop…pouch。　　You　are
here　well　established；　it　would　seem；　and；　as　I　think；　well
befriended；　for　men　talk　of　thy　being　under　some　special
protectionnay；　stare　not　like　a　pig　that　is　stuck；　mon；　thou
canst　not　dance　in　a　net　and　they　not　see　thee。　　Now　I　know　such
protection　is　not　purchased　for　nought；　you　must　have　services　to
render　for　it；　and　in　these　I　propose　to　help　thee。〃

〃But　how　if　I　lack　no　assistance　from　thee；　Mike？　　I　think　thy
modesty　might　suppose　that　were　a　case　possible。〃

〃That　is　to　say；〃　retorted　Lambourne；　〃that　you　would　engross　the
whole　work；　rather　than　divide　the　reward。　　But　be　not　over…
greedy；　Anthonycovetousness　bursts　the　sack　and　spi