westward ho-第40章

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〃A　little　maid？　　Let　me　think。　　No；　I　saw　none。〃

The　man　settled　his　features　again　sadly。

〃I　thought　not。　　I　never　saw　her　come　aboard。　　Still　I　hoped；　like；　I　hoped。　　Alackaday！　　God　help　me；　Salvation　Yeo！〃

〃What　have　you　to　do　with　this　little　maid；　then；　good　fellow！〃　asked　Grenville。

〃Ah；　sir；　before　I　tell　you　that；　I　must　go　back　and　finish　the　story　of　Mr。　Oxenham；　if　you　will　believe　me　enough　to　hear　it。〃

〃I　do　believe　thee；　good　fellow；　and　honor　thee　too。〃

〃Then；　sir；　I　can　speak　with　a　free　tongue。　　Where　was　I？〃

〃Where　was　he；　Amyas？〃

〃At　the　Isle　of　Pearls。〃

〃And　yet；　O　gentles；　tell　me　first；　how　Captain　Drake　came　into　the　South　Seas：over　the　neck；　as　we　did？〃

〃Through　the　Straits；　good　fellow；　like　any　Spaniard：　but　go　on　with　thy　story；　and　thou　shalt　have　Mr。　Leigh's　after。〃

〃Through　the　Straits！　　O　glory！　　But　I'll　tell　my　tale。　　Well；　sirs　bothTo　the　Island　of　Pearls　we　came；　we　and　some　of　the　negroes。　We　found　many　huts；　and　Indians　fishing　for　pearls；　and　also　a　fair　house；　with　porches；　but　no　Spaniard　therein；　save　one　man；　at　which　Mr。　Oxenham　was　like　a　man　transported；　and　fell　on　that　Spaniard；　crying；　'Perro；　where　is　your　mistress？　　Where　is　the　bark　from　Lima？'　　To　which　he　boldly　enough；　'What　was　his　mistress　to　the　Englishman？'　　But　Mr。　O。　threatened　to　twine　a　cord　round　his　head　till　his　eyes　burst　out；　and　the　Spaniard；　being　terrified；　said　that　the　ship　from　Lima　was　expected　in　a　fortnight's　time。　　So　for　ten　days　we　lay　quiet；　letting　neither　negro　nor　Spaniard　leave　the　island；　and　took　good　store　of　pearls；　feeding　sumptuously　on　wild　cattle　and　hogs　until　the　tenth　day；　when　there　came　by　a　small　bark；　her　we　took；　and　found　her　from　Quito；　and　on　board　60；000　pezos　of　gold　and　other　store。　　With　which　if　we　had　been　content；　gentlemen；　all　had　gone　well。　　And　some　were　willing　to　go　back　at　once；　having　both　treasure　and　pearls　in　plenty；　but　Mr。　O。；　he　waxed　right　mad；　and　swore　to　slay　any　one　who　made　that　motion　again；　assuring　us　that　the　Lima　ship　of　which　he　had　news　was　far　greater　and　richer；　and　would　make　princes　of　us　all；　which　bark　came　in　sight　on　the　sixteenth　day；　and　was　taken　without　shot　or　slaughter。　　The　taking　of　which　bark；　I　verily　believe；　was　the　ruin　of　every　mother's　son　of　us。〃

And　being　asked　why；　he　answered；　〃First；　because　of　the　discontent　which　was　bred　thereby；　for　on　board　was　found　no　gold；　but　only　100；000　pezos　of　silver。〃

Sir　Richard　Grenville。Thou　greedy　fellow；　and　was　not　that　enough　to　stay　your　stomachs？

Yeo　answered　that　he　would　to　God　it　had　been；　and　that；　moreover；　the　weight　of　that　silver　was　afterwards　a　hindrance　to　them；　and　fresh　cause　of　discontent；　as　he　would　afterwards　declare。　　〃So　that　it　had　been　well　for　us；　sirs；　if　we　had　left　it　behind；　as　Mr。　Drake　left　his　three　years　before；　and　carried　away　the　gold　only。　　In　which　I　do　see　the　evident　hand　of　God；　and　His　just　punishment　for　our　greediness　of　gain；　who　caused　Mr。　Oxenham；　by　whom　we　had　hoped　to　attain　great　wealth；　to　be　a　snare　to　us；　and　a　cause　of　utter　ruin。〃

〃Do　you　think；　then；〃　said　Sir　Richard；　〃that　Mr。　Oxenham　deceived　you　wilfully？〃

〃I　will　never　believe　that；　sir：　Mr。　Oxenham　had　his　private　reasons　for　waiting　for　that　ship；　for　the　sake　of　one　on　board；　whose　face　would　that　he　had　never　seen；　though　he　saw　it　then；　as　I　fear；　not　for　the　first　time　by　many　a　one。〃　　And　so　was　silent。

〃Come；〃　said　both　his　hearers；　〃you　have　brought　us　thus　far；　and　you　must　go　on。〃

〃Gentlemen；　I　have　concealed　this　matter　from　all　men；　both　on　my　voyage　home　and　since；　and　I　hope　you　will　be　secret　in　the　matter；　for　the　honor　of　my　noble　captain；　and　the　comfort　of　his　friends　who　are　alive。　　For　I　think　it　shame　to　publish　harm　of　a　gallant　gentleman；　and　of　an　ancient　and　worshipful　family；　and　to　me　a　true　and　kind　captain；　when　what　is　done　cannot　be　undone；　and　least　said　soonest　mended。　　Neither　now　would　I　have　spoken　of　it；　but　that　I　was　inwardly　moved　to　it　for　the　sake　of　that　young　gentleman　there〃　（looking　at　Amyas）；　〃that　he　might　be　warned　in　time　of　God's　wrath　against　the　crying　sin　of　adultery；　and　flee　youthful　lusts；　which　war　against　the　soul。〃

〃Thou　hast　done　wisely　enough；　then；〃　said　Sir　Richard；　〃and　look　to　it　if　I　do　not　reward　thee：　but　the　young　gentleman　here；　thank　God；　needs　no　such　warnings；　having　got　them　already　both　by　precept　and　example；　where　thou　and　poor　Oxenham　might　have　had　them　also。〃

〃You　mean　Captain　Drake；　your　worship？〃

〃I　do；　sirrah。　　If　all　men　were　as　clean　livers　as　he；　the　world　would　be　spared　one　half　the　tears　that　are　shed　in　it。〃

〃Amen；　sir。　　At　least　there　would　have　been　many　a　tear　spared　to　us　and　ours。　　Foras　all　must　outin　that　bark　of　Lima　he　took　a　young　lady；　as　fair　as　the　sunshine；　sir；　and　seemingly　about　two　or　three…and…twenty　years　of　age；　having　with　her　a　tall　young　lad　of　sixteen；　and　a　little　girl；　a　marvellously　pretty　child；　of　about　a　six　or　seven。　　And　the　lady　herself　was　of　an　excellent　beauty；　like　a　whale's　tooth　for　whiteness；　so　that　all　the　crew　wondered　at　her；　and　could　not　be　satisfied　with　looking　upon　her。　And；　gentlemen；　this　was　strange；　that　the　lady　seemed　in　no　wise　afraid　or　mournful；　and　bid　her　little　girl　fear　naught；　as　did　also　Mr。　Oxenham：　but　the　lad　kept　a　very　sour　countenance；　and　the　more　when　he　saw　the　lady　and　Mr。　Oxenham　speaking　together　apart。

〃Well；　sir；　after　this　good　luck　we　were　minded　to　have　gone　straight　back　to　the　river　whence　we　came；　and　so　home　to　England　with　all　speed。　　But　Mr。　Oxenham　persuaded　us　to　return　to　the　island；　and　get　a　few　more　pearls。　　To　which　foolishness　（which　after　caused　the　mishap）　I　verily　believe　he　was　moved　by　the　instigation　of　the　devil　and　of　that　lady。　　For　as　we　were　about　to　go　ashore；　I；　going　down　into　the　cabin　of　the　prize；　saw　Mr。　Oxenham　and　that　lady　making　great　cheer　of　each　other　with；　'My　life；'　and　'My　king；'　and　'Light　of　my　eyes；'　and　such　toys；　and　being　bidden　by　Mr。　Oxenham　to　fetch　out　the　lady's　mails；　and　take　them　ashore；　heard　how　the　two　laughed　together　about　the　old　ape　of　Panama　（which　ape；　or　devil　rather；　I　saw　afterwards　to　my　cost）；　and　also　how　she　said　that　she　had　been　dead　for　five　years；　and　now　that　Mr。　Oxenham　was　come；　she　was　alive　again；　and　so　forth。

〃Mr。　Oxenham　bade　take　the　little　maid　ashore；　kissing　her　and　playing　with　her；　and　saying　to　the　lady；　'What　is　yours　is　mine；　and　what　is　mine　is　yours。'　　And　she　asking　whether　the　lad　should　come　ashore；　he　answered；　'He　is　neither　yours　nor　mine；　let　the　spawn　of　Beelzebub　stay　on　shore。'　　After　which　I；　coming　on　deck　again；　stumbled　over　that　very　lad；　upon　the　hatchway　ladder；　who　bore　so　black　and　despiteful　a　face；　that　I　verily　believe　he　had　overheard　their　speech；　and　so　thrust　him　upon　deck；　and　going　below　again；　told　Mr。　Oxenham　what　I　thought；　and　said　that　it　were　better　to　put　a　dagger　into　him　at　once；　professing　to　be　ready　so　to　do。　　For　which　grievous　sin；　seeing　that　it　was　committed　in　my　unregenerate　days；　I　hope　I　have　obtained　the　grace　of　forgiveness；　as　I　have　that　of　hearty　repentance。　　But　the　lady　cried　out；　'Though　he　be　none　of　mine；　I　have　sin　enough　already　on　my　soul；'　and　so　laid　her　hand　on　Mr。　Oxenham's　mouth；　entreating　pitifully。　And　Mr。　Oxenham　answered　laughing；　when　she　would　let　him；　'What　care　we？　let　the　young　monkey　go　and　howl　to　the　old　one；'　and　so　went　ashore　with　the　lady　to　that　house；　whence　for　three　days　he　never　came　forth；　and　would　have　remained　longer；　but　that　the　men；　finding　but　few　pearls；　and　being　wearied　with　the　watching　and　warding　so　many　Spaniards；　and　negroes　came　clamoring　to　him；　and　swore　that　they　would　return　or　leave　him　there　with　the　lady。　　So　all　went　on　board　the　pinnace　again；　every　one　in　ill　humor　with　the　captain；　and　he　with　them。

〃Well；　sirs；　we　came　back　to　the　mouth　of　the　river；　and　there　began　our　troubles；　for　the　negroes；　as　soon　as　we　were　on　shore；　called　on　Mr。　Oxenham　to　fulfil　the　bargain　he　had　made　with　them。　And　now　it　came　out　（what　few　of　us　knew　till　then）　that　he　had　agreed　with　the　Cimaroons　that　they　should　have　all　the　prisoners　w