westward ho-第15章

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And　no　wonder；　for　over　and　above　all　the　excitement　of　the　day；　the　recollection　of　John　Oxenham　had　taken　strange　possession　of　his　mind；　and　all　that　evening；　as　he　sat　in　the　bay…windowed　room　where　he　had　seen　him　last；　Amyas　was　recalling　to　himself　every　look　and　gesture　of　the　lost　adventurer；　and　wondering　at　himself　for　so　doing；　till　he　retired　to　sleep；　only　to　renew　the　fancy　in　his　dreams。　　At　last　he　found　himself；　he　knew　not　how；　sailing　westward　ever；　up　the　wake　of　the　setting　sun；　in　chase　of　a　tiny　sail　which　was　John　Oxenham's。　　Upon　him　was　a　painful　sense　that；　unless　he　came　up　with　her　in　time；　something　fearful　would　come　to　pass；　but　the　ship　would　not　sail。　　All　around　floated　the　sargasso　beds；　clogging　her　bows　with　their　long　snaky　coils　of　weed；　and　still　he　tried　to　sail；　and　tried　to　fancy　that　he　was　sailing；　till　the　sun　went　down　and　all　was　utter　dark。　　And　then　the　moon　arose；　and　in　a　moment　John　Oxenham's　ship　was　close　aboard；　her　sails　were　torn　and　fluttering；　the　pitch　was　streaming　from　her　sides；　her　bulwarks　were　rotting　to　decay。　　And　what　was　that　line　of　dark　objects　dangling　along　the　mainyard？A　line　of　hanged　men！　And；　horror　of　horrors；　from　the　yard…arm　close　above　him；　John　Oxenham's　corpse　looked　down　with　grave…light　eyes；　and　beckoned　and　pointed；　as　if　to　show　him　his　way；　and　strove　to　speak；　and　could　not；　and　pointed　still；　not　forward；　but　back　along　their　course。　　And　when　Amyas　looked　back；　behold；　behind　him　was　the　snow　range　of　the　Andes　glittering　in　the　moon；　and　he　knew　that　he　was　in　the　South　Seas　once　more；　and　that　all　America　was　between　him　and　home。　　And　still　the　corpse　kept　pointing　back；　and　back；　and　looking　at　him　with　yearning　eyes　of　agony；　and　lips　which　longed　to　tell　some　awful　secret；　till　he　sprang　up；　and　woke　with　a　shout　of　terror；　and　found　himself　lying　in　the　little　coved　chamber　in　dear　old　Burrough；　with　the　gray　autumn　morning　already　stealing　in。

Feverish　and　excited；　he　tried　in　vain　to　sleep　again；　and　after　an　hour's　tossing；　rose　and　dressed；　and　started　for　a　bathe　on　his　beloved　old　pebble　ridge。　　As　he　passed　his　mother's　door；　he　could　not　help　looking　in。　　The　dim　light　of　morning　showed　him　the　bed；　but　its　pillow　had　not　been　pressed　that　night。　　His　mother；　in　her　long　white　night…dress；　was　kneeling　at　the　other　end　of　the　chamber　at　her　prie…dieu；　absorbed　in　devotion。　　Gently　he　slipped　in　without　a　word；　and　knelt　down　at　her　side。　　She　turned；　smiled；　passed　her　arm　around　him；　and　went　on　silently　with　her　prayers。　Why　not？　　They　were　for　him；　and　he　knew　it；　and　prayed　also；　and　his　prayers　were　for　her；　and　for　poor　lost　John　Oxenham；　and　all　his　vanished　crew。

At　last　she　rose；　and　standing　above　him；　parted　the　yellow　locks　from　off　his　brow；　and　looked　long　and　lovingly　into　his　face。　There　was　nothing　to　be　spoken；　for　there　was　nothing　to　be　concealed　between　these　two　souls　as　clear　as　glass。　　Each　knew　all　which　the　other　meant；　each　knew　that　its　own　thoughts　were　known。　At　last　the　mutual　gaze　was　over；　she　stooped　and　kissed　him　on　the　brow；　and　was　in　the　act　to　turn　away；　as　a　tear　dropped　on　his　forehead。　　Her　little　bare　feet　were　peeping　out　from　under　her　dress。　　He　bent　down　and　kissed　them　again　and　again；　and　then　looking　up；　as　if　to　excuse　himself；

〃You　have　such　pretty　feet；　mother！〃

Instantly；　with　a　woman's　instinct；　she　had　hidden　them。　　She　had　been　a　beauty　once；　as　I　said；　and　though　her　hair　was　gray；　and　her　roses　had　faded　long　ago；　she　was　beautiful　still；　in　all　eyes　which　saw　deeper　than　the　mere　outward　red　and　white。

〃Your　dear　father　used　to　say　so　thirty　years　ago。〃

〃And　I　say　so　still：　you　always　were　beautiful；　you　are　beautiful　now。〃

〃What　is　that　to　you；　silly　boy？　　Will　you　play　the　lover　with　an　old　mother？　　Go　and　take　your　walk；　and　think　of　younger　ladies；　if　you　can　find　any　worthy　of　you。〃

And　so　the　son　went　forth；　and　the　mother　returned　to　her　prayers。

He　walked　down　to　the　pebble　ridge；　where　the　surges　of　the　bay　have　defeated　their　own　fury；　by　rolling　up　in　the　course　of　ages　a　rampart　of　gray　boulder…stones；　some　two　miles　long；　as　cunningly　curved；　and　smoothed；　and　fitted；　as　if　the　work　had　been　done　by　human　hands；　which　protects　from　the　high　tides　of　spring　and　autumn　a　fertile　sheet　of　smooth；　alluvial　turf。　　Sniffing　the　keen　salt　air　like　a　young　sea…dog；　he　stripped　and　plunged　into　the　breakers；　and　dived；　and　rolled；　and　tossed　about　the　foam　with　stalwart　arms；　till　he　heard　himself　hailed　from　off　the　shore；　and　looking　up；　saw　standing　on　the　top　of　the　rampart　the　tall　figure　of　his　cousin　Eustace。

Amyas　was　half…disappointed　at　his　coming；　for；　love…lorn　rascal；　he　had　been　dreaming　all　the　way　thither　of　Rose　Salterne；　and　had　no　wish　for　a　companion　who　would　prevent　his　dreaming　of　her　all　the　way　back。　　Nevertheless；　not　having　seen　Eustace　for　three　years；　it　was　but　civil　to　scramble　out　and　dress；　while　his　cousin　walked　up　and　down　upon　the　turf　inside。

Eustace　Leigh　was　the　son　of　a　younger　brother　of　Leigh　of　Burrough；　who　had　more　or　less　cut　himself　off　from　his　family；　and　indeed　from　his　countrymen；　by　remaining　a　Papist。　　True；　though　born　a　Papist；　he　had　not　always　been　one；　for；　like　many　of　the　gentry；　he　had　become　a　Protestant　under　Edward　the　Sixth；　and　then　a　Papist　again　under　Mary。　　But；　to　his　honor　be　it　said；　at　that　point　he　had　stopped；　having　too　much　honesty　to　turn　Protestant　a　second　time；　as　hundreds　did；　at　Elizabeth's　accession。　　So　a　Papist　he　remained；　living　out　of　the　way　of　the　world　in　a　great；　rambling；　dark　house；　still　called　〃Chapel；〃　on　the　Atlantic　cliffs；　in　Moorwinstow　parish；　not　far　from　Sir　Richard　Grenville's　house　of　Stow。　　The　penal　laws　never　troubled　him；　for；　in　the　first　place；　they　never　troubled　any　one　who　did　not　make　conspiracy　and　rebellion　an　integral　doctrine　of　his　religious　creed；　and　next；　they　seldom　troubled　even　them；　unless；　fired　with　the　glory　of　martyrdom；　they　bullied　the　long…suffering　of　Elizabeth　and　her　council　into　giving　them　their　deserts；　and；　like　poor　Father　Southwell　in　after　years；　insisted　on　being　hanged；　whether　Burleigh　liked　or　not。　　Moreover；　in　such　a　no…man's…land　and　end…of…all…the…earth　was　that　old　house　at　Moorwinstow；　that　a　dozen　conspiracies　might　have　been　hatched　there　without　any　one　hearing　of　it；　and　Jesuits　and　seminary　priests　skulked　in　and　out　all　the　year　round；　unquestioned　though　unblest；　and　found　a　sort　of　piquant　pleasure；　like　naughty　boys　who　have　crept　into　the　store…closet；　in　living　in　mysterious　little　dens　in　a　lonely　turret；　and　going　up　through　a　trap…door　to　celebrate　mass　in　a　secret　chamber　in　the　roof；　where　they　were　allowed　by　the　powers　that　were　to　play　as　much　as　they　chose　at　persecuted　saints；　and　preach　about　hiding　in　dens　and　caves　of　the　earth。　　For　once；　when　the　zealous　parson　of　Moorwinstow；　having　discovered　（what　everybody　knew　already）　the　existence　of　〃mass　priests　and　their　idolatry〃　at　Chapel　House；　made　formal　complaint　thereof　to　Sir　Richard；　and　called　on　him；　as　the　nearest　justice　of　the　peace；　to　put　in　force　the　act　of　the　fourteenth　of　Elizabeth；　that　worthy　knight　only　rated　him　soundly　for　a　fantastical　Puritan；　and　bade　him　mind　his　own　business；　if　he　wished　not　to　make　the　place　too　hot　for　him；　whereon　（for　the　temporal　authorities；　happily　for　the　peace　of　England；　kept　in　those　days　a　somewhat　tight　hand　upon　the　spiritual　ones）　the　worthy　parson　subsided；for；　after　all；　Mr。　Thomas　Leigh　paid　his　tithes　regularly　enough；and　was　content；　as　he　expressed　it；　to　bow　his　head　in　the　house　of　Rimmon　like　Naaman　of　old；　by　eating　Mr。　Leigh's　dinners　as　often　as　he　was　invited；　and　ignoring　the　vocation　of　old　Father　Francis；　who　sat　opposite　to　him；　dressed　as　a　layman；　and　calling　himself　the　young　gentleman's　pedagogue。

But　the　said　birds　of　ill…omen　had　a　very　considerable　lien　on　the　conscience　of　poor　Mr。　Thomas　Leigh；　the　father　of　Eustace；　in　the　form　of　certain　lands　once　belonging　to　the　Abbey　of　Hartland。　　He　more　than　half　believed　that　he　should　be　lost　for　holding　those　lands；　but　he　did　not　believe　it　wholly；　and；　therefore；　he　d