kenilworth-第75章

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Anthony　Foster　went　to　Richard　Varney。

〃In　the　Truth's　name；　what　ails　your　ladyship？〃　　said　the　former。

〃What；　in　the　name　of　Satan；　have　you　done　to　her？〃　　said　Foster
to　his　friend。

〃Who；　I？nothing；〃　answered　Varney；　but　with　sunken　head　and
sullen　voice；　〃nothing　but　communicated　to　her　her　lord's
commands；　which；　if　the　lady　list　not　to　obey；　she　knows　better
how　to　answer　it　than　I　may　pretend　to　do。〃

〃Now；　by　Heaven；　Janet！〃　　said　the　Countess；　〃the　false　traitor
lies　in　his　throat！　　He　must　needs　lie；　for　he　speaks　to　the
dishonour　of　my　noble　lord；　he　must　needs　lie　doubly；　for　he
speaks　to　gain　ends　of　his　own；　equally　execrable　and
unattainable。〃

〃You　have　misapprehended　me；　lady；〃　said　Varney；　with　a　sulky
species　of　submission　and　apology；　〃let　this　matter　rest　till
your　passion　be　abated；　and　I　will　explain　all。〃

〃Thou　shalt　never　have　an　opportunity　to　do　so；〃　said　the
Countess。〃Look　at　him；　Janet。　　He　is　fairly　dressed；　hath　the
outside　of　a　gentleman；　and　hither　he　came　to　persuade　me　it　was
my　lord's　pleasurenay；　more；　my　wedded　lord's　commandsthat　I
should　go　with　him　to　Kenilworth；　and　before　the　Queen　and
nobles；　and　in　presence　of　my　own　wedded　lord；　that　I　should
acknowledge　himHIM　therethat　very　cloak…brushing；　shoe…
cleaning　fellowHIM　there；　my　lord's　lackey；　for　my　liege　lord
and　husband；　furnishing　against　myself；　Great　God！　　whenever　I
was　to　vindicate　my　right　and　my　rank；　such　weapons　as　would　hew
my　just　claim　from　the　root；　and　destroy　my　character　to　be
regarded　as　an　honourable　matron　of　the　English　nobility！〃

〃You　hear　her；　Foster；　and　you；　young　maiden；　hear　this　lady；〃
answered　Varney；　taking　advantage　of　the　pause　which　the　Countess
had　made　in　her　charge；　more　for　lack　of　breath　than　for　lack　of
matter〃you　hear　that　her　heat　only　objects　to　me　the　course
which　our　good　lord；　for　the　purpose　to　keep　certain　matters
secret；　suggests　in　the　very　letter　which　she　holds　in　her
hands。〃

Foster　here　attempted　to　interfere　with　a　face　of　authority；
which　he　thought　became　the　charge　entrusted　to　him；　〃Nay；　lady；
I　must　needs　say　you　are　over…hasty　in　this。　　Such　deceit　is　not
utterly　to　be　condemned　when　practised　for　a　righteous　end　I　and
thus　even　the　patriarch　Abraham　feigned　Sarah　to　be　his　sister
when　they　went　down　to　Egypt。〃

〃Ay；　sir；〃　answered　the　Countess；　〃but　God　rebuked　that　deceit
even　in　the　father　of　His　chosen　people；　by　the　mouth　of　the
heathen　Pharaoh。　　Out　upon　you；　that　will　read　Scripture　only　to
copy　those　things　which　are　held　out　to　us　as　warnings；　not　as
examples！〃

〃But　Sarah　disputed　not　the　will　of　her　husband；　an　it　be　your
pleasure；〃　said　Foster；　in　reply；　〃but　did　as　Abraham　commanded；
calling　herself　his　sister；　that　it　might　be　well　with　her
husband　for　her　sake；　and　that　his　soul　might　live　because　of　her
beauty。〃

〃Now；　so　Heaven　pardon　me　my　useless　anger；〃　answered　the
Countess；　〃thou　art　as　daring　a　hypocrite　as　yonder　fellow　is　an
impudent　deceiver！　　Never　will　I　believe　that　the　noble　Dudley
gave　countenance　to　so　dastardly；　so　dishonourable　a　plan。　　Thus
I　tread　on　his　infamy；　if　indeed　it　be；　and　thus　destroy　its
remembrance　for　ever！〃

So　saying；　she　tore　in　pieces　Leicester's　letter；　and　stamped；　in
the　extremity　of　impatience；　as　if　she　would　have　annihilated　the
minute　fragments　into　which　she　had　rent　it。

〃Bear　witness；〃　said　Varney；　collecting　himself；　〃she　hath　torn
my　lord's　letter；　in　order　to　burden　me　with　the　scheme　of　his
devising；　and　although　it　promises　nought　but　danger　and　trouble
to　me；　she　would　lay　it　to　my　charge；　as　if　I　had　any　purpose　of
mine　own　in　it。〃

〃Thou　liest；　thou　treacherous　slave！〃　　said　the　Countess　in　spite
of　Janet's　attempts　to　keep　her　silent；　in　the　sad　foresight　that
her　vehemence　might　only　furnish　arms　against　herself〃thou
liest；〃　she　continued。〃Let　me　go；　Janetwere　it　the　last　word
I　have　to　speak；　he　lies。　　He　had　his　own　foul　ends　to　seek；　and
broader　he　would　have　displayed　them　had　my　passion　permitted　me
to　preserve　the　silence　which　at　first　encouraged　him　to　unfold
his　vile　projects。〃

〃Madam；〃　said　Varney；　overwhelmed　in　spite　of　his　effrontery；　〃I
entreat　you　to　believe　yourself　mistaken。〃

〃As　soon　will　I　believe　light　darkness；〃　said　the　enraged
Countess。　　〃Have　I　drunk　of　oblivion？　　Do　I　not　remember　former
passages；　which；　known　to　Leicester；　had　given　thee　the
preferment　of　a　gallows；　instead　of　the　honour　of　his　intimacy。
I　would　I　were　a　man　but　for　five　minutes！　　It　were　space　enough
to　make　a　craven　like　thee　confess　his　villainy。　　But　gobegone！
Tell　thy　master　that　when　I　take　the　foul　course　to　which　such
scandalous　deceits　as　thou　hast　recommended　on　his　behalf　must
necessarily　lead　me；　I　will　give　him　a　rival　something　worthy　of
the　name。　　He　shall　not　be　supplanted　by　an　ignominious　lackey；
whose　best　fortune　is　to　catch　a　gift　of　his　master's　last　suit
of　clothes　ere　it　is　threadbare；　and　who　is　only　fit　to　seduce　a
suburb…wench　by　the　bravery　of　new　roses　in　his　master's　old
pantoufles。　　Go；　begone；　sir！　　I　scorn　thee　so　much　that　I　am
ashamed　to　have　been　angry　with　thee。〃

Varney　left　the　room　with　a　mute　expression　of　rage；　and　was
followed　by　Foster；　whose　apprehension；　naturally　slow；　was
overpowered　by　the　eager　and　abundant　discharge　of　indignation
which；　for　the　first　time；　he　had　heard　burst　from　the　lips　of　a
being　who　had　seemed；　till　that　moment；　too　languid　and　too
gentle　to　nurse　an　angry　thought　or　utter　an　intemperate
expression。　　Foster；　therefore；　pursued　Varney　from　place　to
place；　persecuting　him　with　interrogatories；　to　which　the　other
replied　not；　until　they　were　in　the　opposite　side　of　the
quadrangle；　and　in　the　old　library；　with　which　the　reader　has
already　been　made　acquainted。　　Here　he　turned　round　on　his
persevering　follower；　and　thus　addressed　him；　in　a　tone　tolerably
equal；　that　brief　walk　having　been　sufficient　to　give　one　so
habituated　to　command　his　temper　time　to　rally　and　recover　his
presence　of　mind。

〃Tony；〃　he　said；　with　his　usual　sneering　laugh；　〃it　avails　not　to
deny　it。　　The　Woman　and　the　Devil；　who；　as　thine　oracle　Holdforth
will　confirm　to　thee；　cheated　man　at　the　beginning；　have　this　day
proved　more　powerful　than　my　discretion。　　Yon　termagant　looked　so
tempting；　and　had　the　art　to　preserve　her　countenance　so
naturally；　while　I　communicated　my　lord's　message；　that；　by　my
faith；　I　thought　I　might　say　some　little　thing　for　myself。　　She
thinks　she　hath　my　head　under　her　girdle　now；　but　she　is
deceived。　　Where　is　Doctor　Alasco？〃

〃In　his　laboratory；〃　answered　Foster。　　〃It　is　the　hour　he　is
spoken　not　withal。　　We　must　wait　till　noon　is　past；　or　spoil　his
importantwhat　said　I？　　important！I　would　say　interrupt　his
divine　studies。〃

〃Ay；　he　studies　the　devil's　divinity；〃　said　Varney；　〃but　when　I
want　him；　one　hour　must　suffice　as　well　as　another。　　Lead　the　way
to　his　pandemonium。〃

So　spoke　Varney；　and　with　hasty　and　perturbed　steps　followed
Foster；　who　conducted　him　through　private　passages；　many　of　which
were　well…nigh　ruinous；　to　the　opposite　side　of　the　quadrangle；
where；　in　a　subterranean　apartment；　now　occupied　by　the　chemist
Alasco；　one　of　the　Abbots　of　Abingdon；　who　had　a　turn　for　the
occult　sciences；　had；　much　to　the　scandal　of　his　convent；
established　a　laboratory；　in　which；　like　other　fools　of　the
period；　he　spent　much　precious　time；　and　money　besides；　in　the
pursuit　of　the　grand　arcanum。

Anthony　Foster　paused　before　the　door；　which　was　scrupulously
secured　within；　and　again　showed　a　marked　hesitation　to　disturb
the　sage　in　his　operations。　　But　Varney；　less　scrupulous；　roused
him　by　knocking　and　voice；　until　at　length；　slowly　and
reluctantly；　the　inmate　of　the　apartment　undid　the　door。　　The
chemist　appeared；　with　his　eyes　bleared　with　the　heat　and　vapours
of　the　stove　or　alembic　over　which　he　brooded　and　the　interior　of
his　cell　displayed　the　confused　assemblage　of　heterogeneous
substances　and　extraordinary　implements　belonging　to　his
profession。　　The　old　man　was　muttering；　with　spiteful　impatience；
〃Am　I　for　ever　to　be　recalled　to　the　affairs　of　earth　from　those
of　heaven？〃

〃