westward ho-第138章

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〃Oh！〃　said　Amyas；　taking　off　his　hat；　〃then　pray　accept　on　the　spot　my　humble　apologies　for　all　which　has　passed；　and　my　assurances　that　the　indignities　which　you　have　unfortunately　endured；　were　owing　altogether　to　the　necessities　of　war；　and　not　to　any　wish　to　hurt　the　feelings　of　so　valiant　a　soldier　and　gentleman。〃

〃It　is　enough；　senor；〃　said　the　commandant；　bowing　and　shrugging　his　shouldersfor；　indeed；　he　too　was　very　hungry；　while　Cary　whispered　to　Amyas

〃You　will　make　a　courtier；　yet；　old　lad。〃

〃I　am　not　in　jesting　humor；　Will：　my　mind　sadly　misgives　me　that　we　shall　hear　black　news；　and　have；　perhaps；　to　do　a　black　deed　yet；　on　board　here。　　Senor；　I　follow　you。〃

So　they　went　down；　and　found　the　bishop；　who　was　by　this　time　unbound；　seated　in　a　corner　of　the　cabin；　his　hands　fallen　on　his　knees；　his　eyes　staring　on　vacancy；　while　the　two　priests　stood　as　close　against　the　wall　as　they　could　squeeze　themselves；　keeping　up　a　ceaseless　mutter　of　prayers。

〃Your　holiness　will　breakfast　with　us；　of　course；　and　these　two　frocked　gentlemen　likewise。　　I　see　no　reason　for　refusing　them　all　hospitality；　as　yet。〃

There　was　a　marked　emphasis　on　the　last　two　words；　which　made　both　monks　wince。

〃Our　chaplain　will　attend　to　you；　gentlemen。　　His　lordship　the　bishop　will　do　me　the　honor　of　sitting　next　to　me。〃

The　bishop　seemed　to　revive　slowly　as　he　snuffed　the　savory　steam；　and　at　last；　rising　mechanically；　subsided　into　the　chair　which　Amyas　offered　him　on　his　left；　while　the　commandant　sat　on　his　right。

〃A　little　of　this　kid；　my　lord？　　NoahFriday；　I　recollect。　　Some　of　that　turtle…fin；　then。　　Will；　serve　his　lordship；　pass　the　cassava…bread　up；　Jack！　　Senor　commandant！　a　glass　of　wine？　　You　need　it　after　your　valiant　toils。　　To　the　health　of　all　brave　soldiersand　a　toast　from　your　own　Spanish　proverb；　'To…day　to　me；　tomorrow　to　thee！'〃

〃I　drink　it；　brave　senor。　　Your　courtesy　shows　you　the　worthy　countryman　of　General　Drake；　and　his　brave　lieutenant。〃

〃Drake！　　Did　you　know　him；　senor？〃　asked　all　the　Englishmen　at　once。

〃Too　well；　too　well〃　and　he　would　have　continued；　but　the　bishop　burst　out

〃Ah；　senor　commandant！　that　name　again！　　Have　you　no　mercy？　　To　sit　between　another　pair　of；　and　my　own　wine；　too！　　Ugh；　ugh！〃

The　old　gentleman；　whose　mouth　had　been　full　of　turtle　the　whole　time；　burst　into　a　violent　fit　of　coughing；　and　was　only　saved　from　apoplexy　by　Cary's　patting　him　on　the　back。

〃Ugh；　ugh！　　The　tender　mercies　of　the　wicked　are　cruel；　and　their　precious　balms。　　Ah；　senor　lieutenant　Englishman！　　May　I　ask　you　to　pass　those　limes？Ah！　what　is　turtle　without　lime？Even　as　a　fat　old　man　without　money！　　Nudus　intravi；　nudus　exeoah！〃

〃But　what　of　Drake？〃

〃Do　you　not　know；　sir；　that　he　and　his　fleet；　only　last　year；　swept　the　whole　of　this　coast；　and　took；　with　shame　I　confess　it；　Cartagena；　San　Domingo；　St。　Augustine；　andI　see　you　are　too　courteous；　senors；　to　express　before　me　what　you　have　a　right　to　feel。　　But　whence　come　you；　sir？　　From　the　skies；　or　the　depth　of　the　sea？〃

〃Art…magic；　art…magic！〃　moaned　the　bishop。

〃Your　holiness！　　It　is　scarcely　prudent　to　speak　thus　here；〃　said　the　commandant；　who　was　nevertheless　much　of　the　same　opinion。

〃Why；　you　said　so　yourself；　last　night；　senor；　about　the　taking　of　Cartagena。〃

The　commandant　blushed；　and　stammered　out　somewhat〃That　it　was　excusable　in　him；　if　he　had　said；　in　jest；　that　so　prodigious　and　curious　a　valor　had　not　sprung　from　mortal　source。〃

〃No　more　it　did；　senor；〃　said　Jack　Brimblecombe；　stoutly：　〃but　from　Him　who　taught　our　'hands　to　war；　and　our　fingers　to　fight。'〃

The　commandant　bowed　stiffly。　　〃You　will　excuse　me；　sir　preacher：　but　I　am　a　Catholic；　and　hold　the　cause　of　my　king　to　be　alone　the　cause　of　Heaven。　　But；　senor　captain；　how　came　you　thither；　if　I　may　ask？　　That　you　needed　no　art…magic　after　you　came　on　board；　I；　alas！　can　testify　but　too　well：　but　what　spiritwhether　good　or　evil；　I　ask　notbrought　you　on　board；　and　whence？　　Where　is　your　ship？　　I　thought　that　all　Drake's　squadron　had　left　six　months　ago。〃

〃Our　ship；　senor；　has　lain　this　three　years　rotting　on　the　coast　near　Cape　Codera。〃

〃Ah！　we　heard　of　that　bold　adventurebut　we　thought　you　all　lost　in　the　interior。〃

〃You　did？　　Can　you　tell　me；　then；　where　the　senor　governor　of　La　Guayra　may　be　now？〃

〃The　Senor　Don　Guzman　de　Soto；〃　said　the　commandant；　in　a　somewhat　constrained　tone；　〃is　said　to　be　at　present　in　Spain；　having　thrown　up　his　office　in　consequence　of　domestic　matters；　of　which　I　have　not　the　honor　of　knowing　anything。〃

Amyas　longed　to　ask　more：　but　he　knew　that　the　well…bred　Spaniard　would　tell　him　nothing　which　concerned　another　man's　wife；　and　went　on。

〃What　befell　us　after；　I　tell　you　frankly。〃

And　Amyas　told　his　story；　from　the　landing　at　Guayra　to　the　passage　down　the　Magdalena。　　The　commandant　lifted　up　his　hands。

〃Were　it　not　forbidden　to　me；　as　a　Catholic；　most　invincible　senor；　I　should　say　that　the　Divine　protection　has　indeed〃

〃Ah；〃　said　one　of　the　friars；　〃that　you　could　be　brought；　senors；　to　render　thanks　for　your　miraculous　preservation　to　her　to　whom　alone　it　is　due；　Mary；　the　fount　of　mercies！〃

〃We　have　done　well　enough　without　her　as　yet；〃　said　Amyas；　bluntly。

〃The　Lord　raised　up　Nebuchadnezzar　of　old　to　punish　the　sins　of　the　Jewish　Church；　and　He　has　raised　up　these　men　to　punish　ours！〃　said　Fray　Gerundio。

〃But　Nebuchadnezzar　fell；　and　so　may　they；〃　growled　the　other　to　himself。　　Jack　overheard　him。

〃I　say；　my　lord　bishop；〃　called　he　from　the　other　end　of　the　table。　〃It　is　our　English　custom　to　let　our　guests　be　as　rude　as　they　like；　but　perhaps　your　lordship　will　hint　to　these　two　friars；　that　if　they　wish　to　keep　whole　skins；　they　will　keep　civil　tongues。〃

〃Be　silent；　asses！　mules！〃　shouted　the　bishop；　whose　spirits　were　improving　over　the　wine；　who　are　you；　that　you　cannot　eat　dirt　as　well　as　your　betters？〃

〃Well　spoken；　my　lord。　　Here's　the　health　of　our　saintly　and　venerable　guest；〃　said　Cary：　while　the　commandant　whispered　to　Amyas；　〃Fat　old　tyrant！　　I　hope　you　have　found　his　moneyfor　I　am　sure　he　has　some　on　board；　and　I　should　be　loath　that　you　lost　the　advantage　of　it。〃

〃I　shall　have　to　say　a　few　words　to　you　about　that　money　this　morning；　commandant：　by　the　by；　they　had　better　be　said　now。　　My　lord　bishop；　do　you　know　that　had　we　not　taken　this　ship　when　we　did；　you　had　lost　not　merely　money；　as　you　have　now；　but　life　itself？〃

〃Money？　　I　had　none　to　lose！　　Life？what　do　you　mean？〃　asked　the　bishop；　turning　very　pale。

〃This；　sir。　　That　it　ill　befits　one　to　lie；　whose　throat　has　been　saved　from　the　assassin's　knife　but　four　hours　since。　　When　we　entered　the　stern…gallery；　we　found　two　persons；　now　on　board　this　ship；　in　the　very　act；　sir；　and　article；　of　cutting　your　sinful　throat；　that　they　might　rob　you　of　the　casket　which　lay　beneath　your　pillow。　　A　moment　more；　and　you　were　dead。　　We　seized　and　bound　them；　and　so　saved　your　life。　　Is　that　plain；　sir？〃

The　bishop　looked　steadfastly　and　stupidly　into　Amyas's　face；　heaved　a　deep　sigh；　and　gradually　sank　back　in　his　chair；　dropping　the　glass　from　his　hand。

〃He　is　in　a　fit！　　Call　in　the　surgeon！　　Run！〃　and　up　jumped　kind…　hearted　Jack；　and　brought　in　the　surgeon　of　the　galleon。

〃Is　this　possible；　senor？〃　asked　the　commandant。

〃It　is　true。　　Door；　there！　　Evans！　go　and　bring　in　that　rascal　whom　we　left　bound　in　his　cabin！〃

Evans　went；　and　the　commandant　continued

〃But　the　stern…gallery？　　How；　in　the　name　of　all　witches　and　miracles；　came　your　valor　thither？〃

〃Simply　enough；　and　owing　neither　to　witch　nor　miracle。　　The　night　before　last　we　passed　the　mouth　of　the　bay　in　our　two　canoes；　which　we　had　lashed　together　after　the　fashion　I　had　seen　in　the　Moluccas；　to　keep　them　afloat　in　the　surf。　　We　had　scraped　the　canoes　bright　the　day　before；　and　rubbed　them　with　white　clay；　that　they　might　be　invisible　at　night；　and　so　we　got　safely　to　the　Morro　Grande；　passing　within　half　a　mile　of　your　ship。〃

〃Oh！　my　scoundrels　of　sentinels！〃

〃We　landed　at　the　back　of　the　Morro；　and　lay　there　all　day；　being　purposed　to　do　that　which；　with　your　pardon；　we　have　done。　　We　took　our　sails　of　India