the black dwarf-第14章

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as　the　means　of　securing　occasional　assistance；　will　not　the　very　suspicion　that　he　is　possessed　of　them；　expose　him　to　plunder　and　assassination　by　some　of　our　unsettled　neighbours？〃

〃But　you　forget　that　they　say　he　is　a　warlock；〃　said　Nancy　Ilderton。

〃And；　if　his　magic　diabolical　should　fail　him；〃　rejoined　her　sister；　〃I　would　have　him　trust　to　his　magic　natural；　and　thrust　his　enormous　head；　and　most　preternatural　visage；　out　at　his　door　or　window；　full　in　view　of　the　assailants。　　The　boldest　robber　that　ever　rode　would　hardly　bide　a　second　glance　of　him。　　Well；　I　wish　I　had　the　use　of　that　Gorgon　head　of　his　for　only　one　half　hour。〃

〃For　what　purpose；　Lucy？〃　　said　Miss　Vere。

〃O！　　I　would　frighten　out　of　the　castle　that　dark；　stiff；　and　stately　Sir　Frederick　Langley；　that　is　so　great　a　favourite　with　your　father；　and　so　little　a　favourite　of　yours。　　I　protest　I　shall　be　obliged　to　the　Wizard　as　long　as　I　live；　if　it　were　only　for　the　half　hour's　relief　from　that　man's　company　which　we　have　gained　by　deviating　from　the　party　to　visit　Elshie。〃

〃What　would　you　say；　then；〃　said　Miss　Vere；　in　a　low　tone；　so　as　not　to　be　heard　by　the　younger　sister；　who　rode　before　them；　the　narrow　path　not　admitting　of　their　moving　all　three　abreast；〃　What　would　you　say；　my　dearest　Lucy；　if　it　were　proposed　to　you　to　endure　his　company　for　life？〃

〃Say？　　I　would　say；　NO；　NO；　NO；　three　times；　each　louder　than　another；　till　they　should　hear　me　at　Carlisle。〃

〃And　Sir　Frederick　would　say　then；　nineteen　nay…says　are　half　a　grant。〃

〃That；〃　replied　Miss　Lucy；　〃depends　entirely　on　the　manner　in　which　the　nay…says　are　said。　　Mine　should　have　not　one　grain　of　concession　in　them；　I　promise　you。〃

〃But　if　your　father；〃　said　Miss　Vere；　〃were　to　say；Thus　do；　or　〃

〃I　would　stand　to　the　consequences　of　his　OR；　were　he　the　most　cruel　father　that　ever　was　recorded　in　romance；　to　fill　up　the　alternative。〃

〃And　what　if　he　threatened　you　with　a　catholic　aunt；　an　abbess；　and　a　cloister？〃

〃Then；〃　said　Miss　Ilderton；　〃I　would　threaten　him　with　a　protestant　son…in…law；　and　be　glad　of　an　opportunity　to　disobey　him　for　conscience'　sake。　　And　now　that　Nancy　is　out　of　hearing；　let　me　really　say；　I　think　you　would　be　excusable　before　God　and　man　for　resisting　this　preposterous　match　by　every　means　in　your　power。　　A　proud；　dark；　ambitious　man；　a　caballer　against　the　state；　infamous　for　his　avarice　and　severity；　a　bad　son；　a　bad　brother；　unkind　and　ungenerous　to　all　his　relativesIsabel；　I　would　die　rather　than　have　him。〃

〃Don't　let　my　father　hear　you　give　me　such　advice；〃　said　Miss　Vere；　〃or　adieu；　my　dear　Lucy；　to　Ellieslaw　Castle。〃

〃And　adieu　to　Ellieslaw　Castle；　with　all　my　heart；〃　said　her　friend；　〃if　I　once　saw　you　fairly　out　of　it；　and　settled　under　some　kinder　protector　than　he　whom　nature　has　given　you。　　O；　if　my　poor　father　had　been　in　his　former　health；　how　gladly　would　he　have　received　and　sheltered　you；　till　this　ridiculous　and　cruel　persecution　were　blown　over！〃

〃Would　to　God　it　had　been　so；　my　dear　Lucy！〃　　answered　Isabella；　〃but　I　fear；　that；　in　your　father's　weak　state　of　health；　he　would　be　altogether　unable　to　protect　me　against　the　means　which　would　be　immediately　used　for　reclaiming　the　poor　fugitive。〃

〃I　fear　so　indeed；〃　replied　Miss　Ilderton；　〃but　we　will　consider　and　devise　something。　　Now　that　your　father　and　his　guests　seem　so　deeply　engaged　in　some　mysterious　plot；　to　judge　from　the　passing　and　returning　of　messages；　from　the　strange　faces　which　appear　and　disappear　without　being　announced　by　their　names；　from　the　collecting　and　cleaning　of　arms；　and　the　anxious　gloom　and　bustle　which　seem　to　agitate　every　male　in　the　castle；　it　may　not　be　impossible　for　us　（always　in　case　matters　be　driven　to　extremity）　to　shape　out　some　little　supplemental　conspiracy　of　our　own。　　I　hope　the　gentlemen　have　not　kept　all　the　policy　to　themselves；　and　there　is　one　associate　that　I　would　gladly　admit　to　our　counsel。〃

〃Not　Nancy？〃

〃O；　no！〃　　said　Miss　Ilderton；　〃Nancy；　though　an　excellent　good　girl；　and　fondly　attached　to　you；　would　make　a　dull　conspirator　as　dull　as　Renault　and　all　the　other　subordinate　plotters　in　VENICE　PRESERVED。　　No；　this　is　a　Jaffier；　or　Pierre；　if　you　like　the　character　better；　and　yet　though　I　know　I　shall　please　you；　I　am　afraid　to　mention　his　name　to　you；　lest　I　vex　you　at　the　same　time。　　Can　you　not　guess？　　Something　about　an　eagle　and　a　rock　it　does　not　begin　with　eagle　in　English；　but　something　very　like　it　in　Scotch。〃

〃You　cannot　mean　young　Earnscliff；　Lucy？〃　　said　Miss　Vere；　blushing　deeply。

〃And　whom　else　should　I　mean〃　said　Lucy。　　〃Jaffiers　and　Pierres　are　very　scarce　in　this　country；　I　take　it；　though　one　could　find　Renaults　and　Bedamars　enow。〃

〃How　call　you　talk　so　wildly；　Lucy？　　Your　plays　and　romances　have　positively　turned　your　brain。　　You　know；　that；　independent　of　my　father's　consent；　without　which　I　never　will　marry　any　one；　and　which；　in　the　case　you　point　at；　would　never　be　granted；　independent；　too；　of　our　knowing　nothing　of　young　Earnscliff's　inclinations；　but　by　your　own　vivid　conjectures　and　fancies　besides　all　this；　there　is　the　fatal　brawl！〃

〃When　his　father　was　killed？〃　　said　Lucy。　　〃But　that　was　very　long　ago；　and　I　hope　we　have　outlived　the　time　of　bloody　feud；　when　a　quarrel　was　carried　down　between　two　families　from　father　to　son；　like　a　Spanish　game　at　chess；　and　a　murder　or　two　committed　in　every　generation；　just　to　keep　the　matter　from　going　to　sleep。　　We　do　with　our　quarrels　nowadays　as　with　our　clothes；　cut　them　out　for　ourselves；　and　wear　them　out　in　our　own　day；　and　should　no　more　think　of　resenting　our　fathers'　feuds；　than　of　wearing　their　slashed　doublets　and　trunk…hose。〃

〃You　treat　this　far　too　lightly；　Lucy；〃　answered　Miss　Vere。

〃Not　a　bit；　my　dear　Isabella；〃　said　Lucy。　　〃Consider；　your　father；　though　present　in　the　unhappy　affray；　is　never　supposed　to　have　struck　the　fatal　blow；　besides；　in　former　times；　in　case　of　mutual　slaughter　between　clans；　subsequent　alliances　were　so　far　from　being　excluded；　that　the　hand　of　a　daughter　or　a　sister　was　the　most　frequent　gage　of　reconciliation。　　You　laugh　at　my　skill　in　romance；　but；　I　assure　you；　should　your　history　be　written；　like　that　of　many　a　less　distressed　and　less　deserving　heroine；　the　well…judging　reader　would　set　you　down　for　the　lady　and　the　love　of　Earnscliff；　from　the　very　obstacle　which　you　suppose　so　insurmountable。〃

〃But　these　are　not　the　days　of　romance；　but　of　sad　reality；　for　there　stands　the　castle　of　Ellieslaw。〃

〃And　there　stands　Sir　Frederick　Langley　at　the　gate；　waiting　to　assist　the　ladies　from　their　palfreys。　　I　would　as　lief　touch　a　toad；　I　will　disappoint　him；　and　take　old　Horsington　the　groom　for　my　master　of　the　horse。〃

So　saying；　the　lively　young　lady　switched　her　palfrey　forward；　and　passing　Sir　Frederick　with　a　familiar　nod　as　he　stood　ready　to　take　her　horse's　rein；　she　cantered　on；　and　jumped　into　the　arms　of　the　old　groom。　　Fain　would　Isabella　have　done　the　same　had　she　dared；　but　her　father　stood　near；　displeasure　already　darkening　on　a　countenance　peculiarly　qualified　to　express　the　harsher　passions；　and　she　was　compelled　to　receive　the　unwelcome　assiduities　of　her　detested　suitor。



CHAPTER　VI。

　Let　not　us　that　are　squires　of　the　night's　body　be　called　　thieves　of　the　day's　booty；　let　us　be　Diana's　foresters；　　gentlemen　of　the　shade；　minions　of　the　moon。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HENRY　THE　FOURTH；　PART　I。

The　Solitary　had　consumed　the　remainder　of　that　day　in　which　he　had　the　interview　with　the　young　ladies；　within　the　precincts　of　his　garden。　　Evening　again　found　him　seated　on　his　favourite　stone。　　The　sun　setting　red；　and　among　seas　of　rolling　clouds；　threw　a　gloomy　lustre　over　the　moor；　and　gave　a　deeper　purple　to　the　broad　outline　of　heathy　mountains　which　surrounded　this　desolate　spot。　　The　Dwarf　sate　watching　the　clouds　as　they　lowered　above　each　other　in　masses　of　conglomerated　vapours；　and；　as　a　strong　lurid　beam　of　the　sinking　luminary　darted　full　on　his　solitary　and　uncouth　figure；　he　might　well　have　seemed　the　demon　of　the　storm　which　was　gathering；　or　some　gnome　summoned　forth　from　the　recesses　of　the　earth　by　the　subterran