westward ho-第17章

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tar　of　the　sea；　the　all…compassionate　guide　of　the　mariner？〃

〃Humph！〃　said　Amyas。　　〃Here's　Frank；　let　him　answer。〃

And；　as　he　spoke；　up　came　Frank；　and　after　due　greetings；　sat　down　beside　them　on　the　ridge。

〃I　say；　brother；　here's　Eustace　trying　already　to　convert　me；　and　telling　me　that　I　owe　all　my　luck　to　the　Blessed　Virgin's　prayers　for　me。

〃It　may　be　so；〃　said　Frank；　〃at　least　you　owe　it　to　the　prayers　of　that　most　pure　and　peerless　virgin　by　whose　commands　you　sailed；　the　sweet　incense　of　whose　orisons　has　gone　up　for　you　daily；　and　for　whose　sake　you　were　preserved　from　flood　and　foe；　that　you　might　spread　the　fame　and　advance　the　power　of　the　spotless　championess　of　truth；　and　right；　and　freedom；Elizabeth；　your　queen。〃

Amyas　answered　this　rhapsody；　which　would　have　been　then　both　fashionable　and　sincere；　by　a　loyal　chuckle。　　Eustace　smiled　meekly；　but　answered　somewhat　venomously　nevertheless

〃I；　at　least；　am　certain　that　I　speak　the　truth；　when　I　call　my　patroness　a　virgin　undefiled。〃

Both　the　brothers'　brows　clouded　at　once。　　Amyas；　as　he　lay　on　his　back　on　the　pebbles；　said　quietly　to　the　gulls　over　his　head〃I　wonder　what　the　Frenchman　whose　head　I　cut　off　at　the　Azores；　thinks　by　now　about　all　that。〃

〃Cut　off　a　Frenchman's　head？〃　said　Frank。

〃Yes；　faith；　and　so　fleshed　my　maiden　sword。　　I'll　tell　you。　　It　was　in　some　tavern；　I　and　George　Drake　had　gone　in；　and　there　sat　this　Frenchman；　with　his　sword　on　the　table；　ready　for　a　quarrel　（I　found　afterwards　he　was　a　noted　bully）；　and　begins　with　us　loudly　enough　about　this　and　that；　but；　after　awhile；　by　the　instigation　of　the　devil；　what　does　he　vent　but　a　dozen　slanders　against　her　majesty's　honor；　one　atop　of　the　other？　　I　was　ashamed　to　hear　them；　and　I　should　be　more　ashamed　to　repeat　them。〃

〃I　have　heard　enough　of　such；〃　said　Frank。　　〃They　come　mostly　through　lewd　rascals　about　the　French　ambassador；　who　have　been　bred　（God　help　them）　among　the　filthy　vices　of　that　Medicean　Court　in　which　the　Queen　of　Scots　had　her　schooling；　and　can　only　perceive　in　a　virtuous　freedom　a　cloak　for　licentiousness　like　their　own。　　Let　the　curs　bark；　Honi　soit　qui　mal　y　pense　is　our　motto；　and　shall　be　forever。〃

〃But　I　didn't　let　the　cur　bark；　for　I　took　him　by　the　ears；　to　show　him　out　into　the　street。　　Whereon　he　got　to　his　sword；　and　I　to　mine；　and　a　very　near　chance　I　had　of　never　bathing　on　the　pebble　ridge　more；　for　the　fellow　did　not　fight　with　edge　and　buckler；　like　a　Christian；　but　had　some　newfangled　French　devil's　device　of　scryming　and　foining　with　his　point；　ha'ing　and　stamping；　and　tracing　at　me；　that　I　expected　to　be　full　of　eyelet　holes　ere　I　could　close　with　him。〃

〃Thank　God　that　you　are　safe；　then！〃　said　Frank。　　〃I　know　that　play　well　enough；　and　dangerous　enough　it　is。〃

〃Of　course　you　know　it；　but　I　didn't；　more's　the　pity。〃

〃Well；　I'll　teach　it　thee；　lad；　as　well　as　Rowland　Yorke　himself；


　　　　　'Thy　fincture；　carricade；　and　sly　passata；　　　　　　　Thy　stramazon；　and　resolute　stoccata；　　　　　　　Wiping　maudritta；　closing　embrocata；　　　　　　　And　all　the　cant　of　the　honorable　fencing　mystery。'〃


〃Rowland　Yorke？　　Who's　he；　then？〃

〃A　very　roystering　rascal；　who　is　making　good　profit　in　London　just　now　by　teaching　this　very　art　of　fence；　and　is　as　likely　to　have　his　mortal　thread　clipt　in　a　tavern　brawl；　as　thy　Frenchman。　　But　how　did　you　escape　his　pinking　iron？〃

〃How？　　Had　it　through　my　left　arm　before　I　could　look　round；　and　at　that　I　got　mad；　and　leapt　upon　him；　and　caught　him　by　the　wrist；　and　then　had　a　fair　side…blow；　and；　as　fortune　would　have　it；　off　tumbled　his　head　on　to　the　table；　and　there　was　an　end　of　his　slanders。〃

〃So　perish　all　her　enemies！〃　said　Frank；　and　Eustace；　who　had　been　trying　not　to　listen；　rose　and　said

〃I　trust　that　you　do　not　number　me　among　them？〃

〃As　you　speak；　I　do；　coz；〃　said　Frank。　　〃But　for　your　own　sake；　let　me　advise　you　to　put　faith　in　the　true　report　of　those　who　have　daily　experience　of　their　mistress's　excellent　virtue；　as　they　have　of　the　sun's　shining；　and　of　the　earth's　bringing　forth　fruit；　and　not　in　the　tattle　of　a　few　cowardly　back…stair　rogues；　who　wish　to　curry　favor　with　the　Guises。　　Come；　we　will　say　no　more。　　Walk　round　with　us　by　Appledore；　and　then　home　to　breakfast。〃

But　Eustace　declined；　having　immediate　business；　he　said；　in　Northam　town；　and　then　in　Bideford；　and　so　left　them　to　lounge　for　another　half…hour　on　the　beach；　and　then　walk　across　the　smooth　sheet　of　turf　to　the　little　white　fishing　village；　which　stands　some　two　miles　above　the　bar；　at　the　meeting　of　the　Torridge　and　the　Taw。

Now　it　came　to　pass；　that　Eustace　Leigh；　as　we　have　seen；　told　his　cousins　that　he　was　going　to　Northam：　but　he　did　not　tell　them　that　his　point　was　really　the　same　as　their　own；　namely；　Appledore；　and；　therefore；　after　having　satisfied　his　conscience　by　going　as　far　as　the　very　nearest　house　in　Northam　village；　he　struck　away　sharp　to　the　left　across　the　fields；　repeating　I　know　not　what　to　the　Blessed　Virgin　all　the　way；　whereby　he　went　several　miles　out　of　his　road；　and　also；　as　is　the　wont　of　crooked　spirits；　Jesuits　especially　（as　three　centuries　sufficiently　testify）；　only　outwitted　himself。　　For　his　cousins　going　merrily；　like　honest　men；　along　the　straight　road　across　the　turf；　arrived　in　Appledore；　opposite　the　little　〃Mariner's　Rest〃　Inn；　just　in　time　to　see　what　Eustace　had　taken　so　much　trouble　to　hide　from　them；　namely；　four　of　Mr。　Thomas　Leigh's　horses　standing　at　the　door；　held　by　his　groom；　saddles　and　mail…bags　on　back；　and　mounting　three　of　them；　Eustace　Leigh　and　two　strange　gentlemen。

〃There's　one　lie　already　this　morning；〃　growled　Amyas；　〃he　told　us　he　was　going　to　Northam。〃

〃And　we　do　not　know　that　he　has　not　been　there；〃　blandly　suggested　Frank。

〃Why；　you　are　as　bad　a　Jesuit　as　he；　to　help　him　out　with　such　a　fetch。〃

〃He　may　have　changed　his　mind。〃

〃Bless　your　pure　imagination；　my　sweet　boy；〃　said　Amyas；　laying　his　great　hand　on　Frank's　head；　and　mimicking　his　mother's　manner。　　〃I　say；　dear　Frank；　let's　step　into　this　shop　and　buy　a　penny…worth　of　whipcord。〃

〃What　do　you　want　with　whipcord；　man？〃

〃To　spin　my　top；　to　be　sure。〃

〃Top？　how　long　hast　had　a　top？〃

〃I'll　buy　one；　then；　and　save　my　conscience；　but　the　upshot　of　this　sport　I　must　see。　　Why　may　not　I　have　an　excuse　ready　made　as　well　as　Master　Eustace？〃

So　saying；　he　pulled　Frank　into　the　little　shop；　unobserved　by　the　party　at　the　inn…door。

〃What　strange　cattle　has　he　been　importing　now？　　Look　at　that　three…legged　fellow；　trying　to　get　aloft　on　the　wrong　side。　　How　he　claws　at　his　horse's　ribs；　like　a　cat　scratching　an　elder　stem！〃

The　three…legged　man　was　a　tall；　meek…looking　person；　who　had　bedizened　himself　with　gorgeous　garments；　a　great　feather；　and　a　sword　so　long　and　broad；　that　it　differed　little　in　size　from　the　very　thin　and　stiff　shanks　between　which　it　wandered　uncomfortably。

〃Young　David　in　Saul's　weapons；〃　said　Frank。　　〃He　had　better　not　go　in　them；　for　he　certainly　has　not　proved　them。〃

〃Look；　if　his　third　leg　is　not　turned　into　a　tail！　　Why　does　not　some　one　in　charity　haul　in　half…a…yard　of　his　belt　for　him？〃

It　was　too　true；　the　sword；　after　being　kicked　out　three　or　four　times　from　its　uncomfortable　post　between　his　legs；　had　returned　unconquered；　and　the　hilt　getting　a　little　too　far　back　by　reason　of　the　too　great　length　of　the　belt；　the　weapon　took　up　its　post　triumphantly　behind；　standing　out　point　in　air；　a　tail　confest；　amid　the　tittering　of　the　ostlers；　and　the　cheers　of　the　sailors。

At　last　the　poor　man；　by　dint　of　a　chair；　was　mounted　safely；　while　his　fellow…stranger；　a　burly；　coarse…looking　man；　equally　gay；　and　rather　more　handy；　made　so　fierce　a　rush　at　his　saddle；　that；　like　〃vaulting　ambition　who　o'erleaps　his　selle；〃　he　〃fell　on　t'other　side：〃　or　would　have　fallen；　had　he　not　been　brought　up　short　by　the　shoulders　of　the　ostler　at　his　off…stirrup。　　In　which　shock　off　came　hat　and　feather。

〃Pardie；　the　bulldog…faced　one　is　a　fighting　man。　　Dost　see；　Frank？　he　has　had　his　head　broken。〃

〃That　scar　came　not；　my　son；　but　by　a　pair　of　most　Catholic　and　apostolic　scissors。　　My　gentle　buzzard；　that　is　a　priest's　ton