kenilworth-第131章

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door　of　the　Countess's　chamber　opened；　and　in　the　same　moment　the
trap…door　gave　way。　　There　was　a　rushing　sounda　heavy　falla
faint　groanand　all　was　over。

At　the　same　instant；　Varney　called　in　at　the　window；　in　an　accent
and　tone　which　was　an　indescribable　mixture　betwixt　horror　and
raillery；　〃Is　the　bird　caught？is　the　deed　done？〃

〃O　God；　forgive　us！〃　　replied　Anthony　Foster。

〃Why；　thou　fool；〃　said　Varney；　〃thy　toil　is　ended；　and　thy　reward
secure。　　Look　down　into　the　vaultwhat　seest　thou？〃

〃I　see　only　a　heap　of　white　clothes；　like　a　snowdrift；〃　said
Foster。　　〃O　God；　she　moves　her　arm！〃

〃Hurl　something　down　on　herthy　gold　chest；　Tonyit　is　an　heavy
one。〃

〃Varney；　thou　art　an　incarnate　fiend！〃　　replied　Foster。

〃There　needs　nothing　moreshe　is　gone！〃

〃So　pass　our　troubles；〃　said　Varney；　entering　the　room；　〃I
dreamed　not　I　could　have　mimicked　the　Earl's　call　so　well。〃

〃Oh；　if　there　be　judgment　in　heaven；　thou　hast　deserved　it；〃　said
Foster；　〃and　wilt　meet　it！　　Thou　hast　destroyed　her　by　means　of
her　best　affectionsit　is　a　seething　of　the　kid　in　the　mother's
milk！〃

〃Thou　art　a　fanatical　ass；〃　replied　Varney；　〃let　us　now　think　how
the　alarm　should　be　giventhe　body　is　to　remain　where　it　is。〃

But　their　wickedness　was　to　be　permitted　no　longer；　for　even
while　they　were　at　this　consultation；　Tressilian　and　Raleigh
broke　in　upon　them；　having　obtained　admittance　by　means　of　Tider
and　Foster's　servant；　whom　they　had　secured　at　the　village。

Anthony　Foster　fled　on　their　entrance；　and　knowing　each　corner
and　pass　of　the　intricate　old　house；　escaped　all　search。　　But
Varney　was　taken　on　the　spot；　and　instead　of　expressing
compunction　for　what　he　had　done；　seemed　to　take　a　fiendish
pleasure　in　pointing　out　to　them　the　remains　of　the　murdered
Countess；　while　at　the　same　time　he　defied　them　to　show　that　he
had　any　share　in　her　death。　　The　despairing　grief　of　Tressilian；
on　viewing　the　mangled　and　yet　warm　remains　of　what　had　lately
been　so　lovely　and　so　beloved；　was　such　that　Raleigh　was
compelled　to　have　him　removed　from　the　place　by　force；　while　he
himself　assumed　the　direction　of　what　was　to　be　done。

Varney；　upon　a　second　examination；　made　very　little　mystery
either　of　the　crime　or　of　its　motives…alleging；　as　a　reason　for
his　frankness；　that　though　much　of　what　he　confessed　could　only
have　attached　to　him　by　suspicion；　yet　such　suspicion　would　have
been　sufficient　to　deprive　him　of　Leicester's　confidence；　and　to
destroy　all　his　towering　plans　of　ambition。　　〃I　was　not　born；〃　he
said；　〃to　drag　on　the　remainder　of　life　a　degraded　outcast；　nor
will　I　so　die　that　my　fate　shall　make　a　holiday　to　the　vulgar
herd。〃

From　these　words　it　was　apprehended　he　had　some　design　upon
himself；　and　he　was　carefully　deprived　of　all　means　by　which　such
could　be　carried　into　execution。　　But　like　some　of　the　heroes　of
antiquity；　he　carried　about　his　person　a　small　quantity　of　strong
poison；　prepared　probably　by　the　celebrated　Demetrius　Alasco。
Having　swallowed　this　potion　over…night；　he　was　found　next
morning　dead　in　his　cell；　nor　did　he　appear　to　have　suffered　much
agony；　his　countenance　presenting；　even　in　death；　the　habitual
expression　of　sneering　sarcasm　which　was　predominant　while　he
lived。　　〃The　wicked　man；〃　saith　Scripture；　〃hath　no　bands　in　his
death。〃

The　fate　of　his　colleague　in　wickedness　was　long　unknown。　　Cumnor
Place　was　deserted　immediately　after　the　murder；　for　in　the
vicinity　of　what　was　called　the　Lady　Dudley's　Chamber；　the
domestics　pretended　to　hear　groans；　and　screams；　and　other
supernatural　noises。　　After　a　certain　length　of　time；　Janet；
hearing　no　tidings　of　her　father；　became　the　uncontrolled
mistress　of　his　property；　and　conferred　it　with　her　hand　upon
Wayland；　now　a　man　of　settled　character；　and　holding　a　place　in
Elizabeth's　household。　　But　it　was　after　they　had　been　both　dead
for　some　years　that　their　eldest　son　and　heir；　in　making　some
researches　about　Cumnor　Hall；　discovered　a　secret　passage；　closed
by　an　iron　door；　which；　opening　from　behind　the　bed　in　the　Lady
Dudley's　Chamber；　descended　to　a　sort　of　cell；　in　which　they
found　an　iron　chest　containing　a　quantity　of　gold；　and　a　human
skeleton　stretched　above　it。　　The　fate　of　Anthony　Foster　was　now
manifest。　　He　had　fled　to　this　place　of　concealment；　forgetting
the　key　of　the　spring…lock；　and　being　barred　from　escape　by　the
means　he　had　used　for　preservation　of　that　gold；　for　which　he　had
sold　his　salvation；　he　had　there　perished　miserably。
Unquestionably　the　groans　and　screams　heard　by　the　domestics　were
not　entirely　imaginary；　but　were　those　of　this　wretch；　who；　in
his　agony；　was　crying　for　relief　and　succour。

The　news　of　the　Countess's　dreadful　fate　put　a　sudden　period　to
the　pleasures　of　Kenilworth。　　Leicester　retired　from　court；　and
for　a　considerable　time　abandoned　himself　to　his　remorse。　　But　as
Varney　in　his　last　declaration　had　been　studious　to　spare　the
character　of　his　patron；　the　Earl　was　the　object　rather　of
compassion　than　resentment。　　The　Queen　at　length　recalled　him　to
court；　he　was　once　more　distinguished　as　a　statesman　and
favourite；　and　the　rest　of　his　career　is　well　known　to　history。
But　there　was　something　retributive　in　his　death；　if；　according
to　an　account　very　generally　received；　it　took　place　from　his
swallowing　a　draught　of　poison　which　was　designed　by　him　for
another　person。　　＇See　Note　9。　　Death　of　the　Earl　of　Leicester。＇

Sir　Hugh　Robsart　died　very　soon　after　his　daughter；　having
settled　his　estate　on　Tressilian。　　But　neither　the　prospect　of
rural　independence；　nor　the　promises　of　favour　which　Elizabeth
held　out　to　induce　him　to　follow　the　court；　could　remove　his
profound　melancholy。　　Wherever　he　went　he　seemed　to　see　before
him　the　disfigured　corpse　of　the　early　and　only　object　of　his
affection。　　At　length；　having　made　provision　for　the　maintenance
of　the　old　friends　and　old　servants　who　formed　Sir　Hugh's　family
at　Lidcote　Hall；　he　himself　embarked　with　his　friend　Raleigh　for
the　Virginia　expedition；　and；　young　in　years　but　old　in　grief；
died　before　his　day　in　that　foreign　land。

Of　inferior　persons　it　is　only　necessary　to　say　that　Blount's　wit
grew　brighter　as　his　yellow　roses　faded；　that；　doing　his　part　as
a　brave　commander　in　the　wars；　he　was　much　more　in　his　element
than　during　the　short　period　of　his　following　the　court；　and　that
Flibbertigibbet's　acute　genius　raised　him　to　favour　and
distinction　in　the　employment　both　of　Burleigh　and　Walsingham。




NOTES。


Note　1。　Ch。　III。FOSTER；　LAMBOURNE；　AND　THE　BLACK　BEAR。

If　faith　is　to　be　put　in　epitaphs；　Anthony　Foster　was　something
the　very　reverse　of　the　character　represented　in　the　novel。
Ashmole　gives　this　description　of　his　tomb。　　I　copy　from　the
ANTIQUITIES　OF　BERKSHIRE；　vol。i。；　p。143。

〃In　the　north　wall　of　the　chancel　at　Cumnor　church　is　a　monument
of　grey　marble；　whereon；　in　brass　plates；　are　engraved　a　man　in
armour；　and　his　wife　in　the　habit　of　her　times；　both　kneeling
before　a　fald…stoole；　together　with　the　figures　of　three　sons
kneeling　behind　their　mother。　　Under　the　figure　of　the　man　is
this　inscription：

　〃ANTONIUS　FORSTER；　generis　generosa　propago；
　　　Cumnerae　Dominus；　Bercheriensis　erat。
　Armiger；　Armigero　prognatus　patre　Ricardo；
　　　Qui　quondam　Iphlethae　Salopiensis　erat。
　Quatuor　ex　isto　fluxerunt　stemmate　nati；
　　Ex　isto　Antonius　stemmate　quartus　erat。
　Mente　sagax；　animo　precellens；　corpore　promptus；
　　Eloquii　dulcis；　ore　disertus　erat。
　In　factis　probitas；　fuit　in　sermone　venustas；
　　In　vultu　gravitas；　relligione　fides；
　In　patriam　pietas；　in　egenos　grata　voluntas；
　　Accedunt　reliquis　annumeranda　bonis。
　Si　quod　cuncta　rapit；　rapuit　non　omnia　Lethum；
　　Si　quod　Mors　rapuit；　vivida　fama　dedit。

〃These　verses　following　are　writ　at　length；　two　by　two；　in　praise
of　him：

　　〃Argute　resonas　Cithare　pretendere　chordas
　　　　　　Novit；　et　Aonia　concrepuisse　Lyra。
　　Gaudebat　terre　teneras　defigere　plantas；
　　　　　　Et　mira　pulchras　construere　arte　domos
　　Composita　varias　lingua　formare　loquelas
　　　　　　Doctus；　et　edocta　scribere　multa　manu。

〃The　arms　over　it　thus：

Quart。　　I。　3　HUNTER'S　HORNS　stringed。
　　　　　　　II。　3　PINIONS　wi