westward ho-第149章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


n　that　bark　the　Vengeance；fit　her　out　with　part　of　the　treasure；　and　with　her　sail　once　more　against　the　Spaniard；　before　three　years　were　past。

And　this　was　the　end　of　William　Salterne；　merchant。



CHAPTER　XXIX

HOW　THE　VIRGINIA　FLEET　WAS　STOPPED　BY　THE　QUEEN'S　COMMAND


〃The　daughter　of　debate；　　　　That　discord　still　doth　sow；　Shall　reap　no　gain　where　former　rule　　　　Hath　taught　still　peace　to　grow。　No　foreign　banish'd　wight　　　　Shall　anker　in　this　port　Our　realm　it　brooks　no　stranger's　force；　　　　Let　them　elsewhere　resort。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　QU。　ELIZABETH。　1569。


And　now　Amyas　is　settled　quietly　at　home　again；　and　for　the　next　twelve　months　little　passes　worthy　of　record　in　these　pages。　　Yeo　has　installed　himself　as　major　domo；　with　no　very　definite　functions；　save　those　of　walking　about　everywhere　at　Amyas's　heels　like　a　lank　gray　wolf…hound；　and　spending　his　evenings　at　the　fireside；　as　a　true　old　sailor　does；　with　his　Bible　on　his　knee；　and　his　hands　busy　in　manufacturing　numberless　nicknacks；　useful　and　useless；　for　every　member　of　the　family；　and　above　all　for　Ayacanora；　whom　he　insults　every　week　by　humbly　offering　some　toy　only　fit　for　a　child；　at　which　she　pouts；　and　is　reproved　by　Mrs。　Leigh；　and　then　takes　the　gift；　and　puts　it　away　never　to　look　at　it　again。　　For　her　whole　soul　is　set　upon　being　an　English　maid；　and　she　runs　about　all　day　long　after　Mrs。　Leigh；　insisting　upon　learning　the　mysteries　of　the　kitchen　and　the　still…room；　and；　above　all；　the　art　of　making　clothes　for　herself；　and　at　last　for　everybody　in　Northam。　　For　first；　she　will　be　a　good　housewife；　like　Mrs。　Leigh；　and　next　a　new　idea　has　dawned　on　her：　that　of　helping　others。　　To　the　boundless　hospitality　of　the　savage　she　has　been　of　course　accustomed：　but　to　give　to　those　who　can　give　nothing　in　return；　is　a　new　thought。　　She　sees　Mrs。　Leigh　spending　every　spare　hour　in　working　for　the　poor；　and　visiting　them　in　their　cottages。　　She　sees　Amyas；　after　public　thanks　in　church　for　his　safe　return；　giving　away　money；　food；　what　not；　in　Northam；　Appledore；　and　Bideford；　buying　cottages　and　making　them　almshouses　for　worn…out　mariners；　and　she　is　told　that　this　is　his　thank…　offering　to　God。　　She　is　puzzled；　her　notion　of　a　thank…offering　was　rather　that　of　the　Indians；　and　indeed　of　the　Spaniards；　sacrifices　of　human　victims；　and　the　bedizenment　of　the　Great　Spirit's　sanctuary　with　their　skulls　and　bones。　　Not　that　Amyas；　as　a　plain　old…fashioned　churchman；　was　unmindful　of　the　good　old　instinctive　rule；　that　something　should　be　given　to　the　Church　itself；　for　the　vicar　of　Northam　was　soon　resplendent　with　a　new　surplice；　and　what　was　more；　the　altar　with　a　splendid　flagon　and　salver　of　plate　（lost；　I　suppose；　in　the　civil　wars）　which　had　been　taken　in　the　great　galleon。　　Ayacanora　could　understand　that：　but　the　almsgiving　she　could　not；　till　Mrs。　Leigh　told　her；　in　her　simple　way；　that　whosoever　gave　to　the　poor；　gave　to　the　Great　Spirit；　for　the　Great　Spirit　was　in　them；　and　in　Ayacanora　too；　if　she　would　be　quiet　and　listen　to　him；　instead　of　pouting；　and　stamping；　and　doing　nothing　but　what　she　liked。　　And　the　poor　child　took　in　that　new　thought　like　a　child；　and　worked　her　fingers　to　the　bone　for　all　the　old　dames　in　Northam；　and　went　about　with　Mrs。　Leigh；　lovely　and　beloved；　and　looked　now　and　then　out　from　under　her　long　black　eyelashes　to　see　if　she　was　winning　a　smile　from　Amyas。　　And　on　the　day　on　which　she　won　one；　she　was　good　all　day；　and　on　the　day　on　which　she　did　not；　she　was　thoroughly　naughty；　and　would　have　worn　out　the　patience　of　any　soul　less　chastened　than　Mrs。　Leigh's。　　But　as　for　the　pomp　and　glory　of　her　dress；　there　was　no　keeping　it　within　bounds；　and　she　swept　into　church　each　Sunday　bedizened　in　Spanish　finery；　with　such　a　blaze　and　rustle；　that　the　good　vicar　had　to　remonstrate　humbly　with　Mrs。　Leigh　on　the　disturbance　which　she　caused　to　the　eyes　and　thoughts　of　all　his　congregation。　　To　which　Ayacanora　answered；　that　she　was　not　thinking　about　them；　and　they　need　not　think　about　her；　and　that　if　the　Piache　（in　plain　English；　the　conjuror）；　as　she　supposed；　wanted　a　present；　he　might　have　all　her　Mexican　feather…　dresses；　she　would　not　wear　themthey　were　wild　Indian　things；　and　she　was　an　English　maidbut　they　would　just　do　for　a　Piache；　and　so　darted　upstairs；　brought　them　down；　and　insisted　so　stoutly　on　arraying　the　vicar　therein；　that　the　good　man　beat　a　swift　retreat。　But　he　carried　off　with　him；　nevertheless；　one　of　the　handsomest　mantles；　which；　instead　of　selling　it；　he　converted　cleverly　enough　into　an　altar…cloth；　and　for　several　years　afterwards；　the　communion　at　Northam　was　celebrated　upon　a　blaze　of　emerald；　azure；　and　crimson；　which　had　once　adorned　the　sinful　body　of　some　Aztec　prince。

So　Ayacanora　flaunted　on；　while　Amyas　watched　her；　half　amused；　half　in　simple　pride　of　her　beauty；　and　looked　around　at　all　gazers；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃See　what　a　fine　bird　I　have　brought　home！〃

Another　great　trouble　which　she　gave　Mrs。　Leigh　was　her　conduct　to　the　ladies　of　the　neighborhood。　　They　came；　of　course；　one　and　all；　not　only　to　congratulate　Mrs。　Leigh；　but　to　get　a　peep　at　the　fair　savage；　but　the　fair　savage　snubbed　them　all　round；　from　the　vicar's　wife　to　Lady　Grenville　herself；　so　effectually；　that　few　attempted　a　second　visit。

Mrs。　Leigh　remonstrated；　and　was　answered　by　floods　of　tears。　〃They　only　come　to　stare　at　a　poor　wild　Indian　girl；　and　she　would　not　be　made　a　show　of。　　She　was　like　a　queen　once；　and　every　one　obeyed　her；　but　here　every　one　looked　down　upon　her。〃　　But　when　Mrs。　Leigh　asked　her；　whether　she　would　sooner　go　back　to　the　forests；　the　poor　girl　clung　to　her　like　a　baby；　and　entreated　not　to　be　sent　away；　〃She　would　sooner　be　a　slave　in　the　kitchen　here；　than　go　back　to　the　bad　people。〃

And　so　on；　month　after　month　of　foolish　storm　and　foolish　sunshine；　but　she　was　under　the　shadow　of　one　in　whom　was　neither　storm　nor　sunshine；　but　a　perpetual　genial　calm　of　soft　gray　weather；　which　tempered　down　to　its　own　peacefulness　all　who　entered　its　charmed　influence；　and　the　outbursts　grew　more　and　more　rare；　and　Ayacanora　more　and　more　rational；　though　no　more　happy；　day　by　day。

And　one　by　one　small　hints　came　out　which　made　her　identity　certain；　at　least　in　the　eyes　of　Mrs。　Leigh　and　Yeo。　　After　she　had　become　familiar　with　the　sight　of　houses；　she　gave　them　to　understand　that　she　had　seen　such　things　before。　　The　red　cattle；　too；　seemed　not　unknown　to　her；　the　sheep　puzzled　her　for　some　time；　and　at　last　she　gave　Mrs。　Leigh　to　understand　that　they　were　too　small。

〃Ah；　madam；〃　quoth　Yeo；　who　caught　at　every　straw；　〃it　is　because　she　has　been　accustomed　to　those　great　camel　sheep　（llamas　they　call　them）　in　Peru。〃

But　Ayacanora's　delight　was　a　horse。　　The　use　of　tame　animals　at　all　was　a　daily　wonder　to　her；　but　that　a　horse　could　be　ridden　was　the　crowning　miracle　of　all；　and　a　horse　she　would　ride；　and　after　plaguing　Amyas　for　one　in　vain　（for　he　did　not　want　to　break　her　pretty　neck）；　she　proposed　confidentially　to　Yeo　to　steal　one；　and　foiled　in　that；　went　to　the　vicar　and　offered　to　barter　all　her　finery　for　his　broken…kneed　pony。　　But　the　vicar　was　too　honest　to　drive　so　good　a　bargain；　and　the　matter　ended；　in　Amyas　buying　her　a　jennet；　which　she　learned　in　a　fortnight　to　ride　like　a　very　Gaucho。

And　now　awoke　another　curious　slumbering　reminiscence。　　For　one　day；　at　Lady　Grenville's　invitation；　the　whole　family　went　over　to　Stow；　Mrs。　Leigh　soberly　on　a　pillion　behind　the　groom；　Ayacanora　cantering　round　and　round　upon　the　moors　like　a　hound　let　loose；　and　trying　to　make　Amyas　ride　races　with　her。　　But　that　night；　sleeping　in　the　same　room　with　Mrs。　Leigh；　she　awoke　shrieking；　and　sobbed　out　a　long　story　how　the　〃Old　ape　of　Panama；〃　her　especial　abomination；　had　come　to　her　bedside　and　dragged　her　forth　into　the　courtyard；　and　how　she　had　mounted　a　horse　and　ridden　with　an　Indian　over　great　moors　and　high　mountains　down　into　a　dark　wood；　and　there　the　Indian　and　the　horses　vanished；　and　she　found　herself　suddenly　changed　once　more　into　a　little　savage　child。　　So　strong　was　the　impression；　that　she　could　not　be　persuaded　that　the　thing　had　not　happened；　if