westward ho-第48章

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orsemen　headed　by　Will　Cary；　who；　clad　cap…a…pie　in　a　shining　armor；　sword　on　thigh；　and　helmet　at　saddle…bow；　looked　as　gallant　a　young　gentleman　as　ever　Bideford　dames　peeped　at　from　door　and　window。　　Behind　him；　upon　country　ponies；　came　four　or　five　stout　serving…men；　carrying　his　lances　and　baggage；　and　their　own　long…bows；　swords；　and　bucklers；　and　behind　all；　in　a　horse…litter；　to　Mrs。　Leigh's　great　joy；　Master　Frank　himself。　　He　deposed　that　his　wounds　were　only　flesh…wounds；　the　dagger　having　turned　against　his　ribs；　that　he　must　see　the　last　of　his　brother；　and　that　with　her　good　leave　he　would　not　come　home　to　Burrough；　but　take　up　his　abode　with　Cary　in　the　Ship　Tavern；　close　to　the　Bridge…foot。　　This　he　did　forthwith；　and　settling　himself　on　a　couch；　held　his　levee　there　in　state；　mobbed　by　all　the　gossips　of　the　town；　not　without　white　fibs　as　to　who　had　brought　him　into　that　sorry　plight。

But　in　the　meanwhile　he　and　Amyas　concocted　a　scheme；　which　was　put　into　effect　the　next　day　（being　market…day）；　first　by　the　innkeeper；　who　began　under　Amyas's　orders　a　bustle　of　roasting；　boiling；　and　frying；　unparalleled　in　the　annals　of　the　Ship　Tavern；　and　next　by　Amyas　himself；　who；　going　out　into　the　market；　invited　as　many　of　his　old　schoolfellows；　one　by　one　apart；　as　Frank　had　pointed　out　to　him；　to　a　merry　supper　and　a　〃rowse〃　thereon　consequent；　by　which　crafty　scheme；　in　came　each　of　Rose　Salterne's　gentle　admirers；　and　found　himself；　to　his　considerable　disgust；　seated　at　the　same　table　with　six　rivals；　to　none　of　whom　had　he　spoken　for　the　last　six　months。　　However；　all　were　too　well　bred　to　let　the　Leighs　discern　as　much；　and　they　（though；　of　course；　they　knew　all）　settled　their　guests；　Frank　on　his　couch　lying　at　the　head　of　the　table；　and　Amyas　taking　the　bottom：　and　contrived；　by　filling　all　mouths　with　good　things；　to　save　them　the　pain　of　speaking　to　each　other　till　the　wine　should　have　loosened　their　tongues　and　warmed　their　hearts。　　In　the　meanwhile　both　Amyas　and　Frank；　ignoring　the　silence　of　their　guests　with　the　most　provoking　good…humor；　chatted；　and　joked；　and　told　stories；　and　made　themselves　such　good　company；　that　Will　Cary；　who　always　found　merriment　infectious；　melted　into　a　jest；　and　then　into　another；　and　finding　good…humor　far　more　pleasant　than　bad；　tried　to　make　Mr。　Coffin　laugh；　and　only　made　him　bow；　and　to　make　Mr。　Fortescue　laugh；　and　only　made　him　frown；　and　unabashed　nevertheless；　began　playing　his　light　artillery　upon　the　waiters；　till　he　drove　them　out　of　the　room　bursting　with　laughter。

So　far　so　good。　　And　when　the　cloth　was　drawn；　and　sack　and　sugar　became　the　order　of　the　day；　and　〃Queen　and　Bible〃　had　been　duly　drunk　with　all　the　honors；　Frank　tried　a　fresh　move；　and

〃I　have　a　toast；　gentlemenhere　it　is。　　'The　gentlemen　of　the　Irish　wars；　and　may　Ireland　never　be　without　a　St。　Leger　to　stand　by　a　Fortescue；　a　Fortescue　to　stand　by　a　St。　Leger；　and　a　Chichester　to　stand　by　both。'〃

Which　toast　of　course　involved　the　drinking　the　healths　of　the　three　representatives　of　those　families；　and　their　returning　thanks；　and　paying　a　compliment　each　to　the　other's　house：　and　so　the　ice　cracked　a　little　further；　and　young　Fortescue　proposed　the　health　of　〃Amyas　Leigh　and　all　bold　mariners；〃　to　which　Amyas　replied　by　a　few　blunt　kindly　words；　〃that　he　wished　to　know　no　better　fortune　than　to　sail　round　the　world　again　with　the　present　company　as　fellow…adventurers；　and　so　give　the　Spaniards　another　taste　of　the　men　of　Devon。〃

And　by　this　time；　the　wine　going　down　sweetly；　caused　the　lips　of　them　that　were　asleep　to　speak；　till　the　ice　broke　up　altogether；　and　every　man　began　talking　like　a　rational　Englishman　to　the　man　who　sat　next　him。

〃And　now；　gentlemen；〃　said　Frank；　who　saw　that　it　was　the　fit　moment　for　the　grand　assault　which　he　had　planned　all　along；　〃let　me　give　you　a　health　which　none　of　you；　I　dare　say；　will　refuse　to　drink　with　heart　and　soul　as　well　as　with　lips；the　health　of　one　whom　beauty　and　virtue　have　so　ennobled；　that　in　their　light　the　shadow　of　lowly　birth　is　unseen；the　health　of　one　whom　I　would　proclaim　as　peerless　in　loveliness；　were　it　not　that　every　gentleman　here　has　sisters；　who　might　well　challenge　from　her　the　girdle　of　Venus：　and　yet　what　else　dare　I　say；　while　those　same　lovely　ladies　who；　if　they　but　use　their　own　mirrors；　must　needs　be　far　better　judges　of　beauty　than　I　can　be；　have　in　my　own　hearing　again　and　again　assigned　the　palm　to　her？　　Surely；　if　the　goddesses　decide　among　themselves　the　question　of　the　golden　apple；　Paris　himself　must　vacate　the　judgment…seat。　　Gentlemen；　your　hearts；　I　doubt　not；　have　already　bid　you；　as　my　unworthy　lips　do　now；　to　drink　'The　Rose　of　Torridge。'〃

If　the　Rose　of　Torridge　herself　had　walked　into　the　room；　she　could　hardly　have　caused　more　blank　astonishment　than　Frank's　bold　speech。　　Every　guest　turned　red；　and　pale；　and　red　again；　and　looked　at　the　other　as　much　as　to　say；　〃What　right　has　any　one　but　I　to　drink　her？　　Lift　your　glass；　and　I　will　dash　it　out　of　your　hand；〃　but　Frank；　with　sweet　effrontery；　drank　〃The　health　of　the　Rose　of　Torridge；　and　a　double　health　to　that　worthy　gentleman；　whosoever　he　may　be；　whom　she　is　fated　to　honor　with　her　love！〃

〃Well　done；　cunning　Frank　Leigh！〃　cried　blunt　Will　Cary；　〃none　of　us　dare　quarrel　with　you　now；　however　much　we　may　sulk　at　each　other。　　For　there's　none　of　us；　I'll　warrant；　but　thinks　that　she　likes　him　the　best　of　all；　and　so　we　are　bound　to　believe　that　you　have　drunk　our　healths　all　round。〃

〃And　so　I　have：　and　what　better　thing　can　you　do；　gentlemen；　than　to　drink　each　other's　healths　all　round　likewise：　and　so　show　yourselves　true　gentlemen；　true　Christians；　ay；　and　true　lovers？　For　what　is　love　（let　me　speak　freely　to　you；　gentlemen　and　guests）；　what　is　love；　but　the　very　inspiration　of　that　Deity　whose　name　is　Love？　　Be　sure　that　not　without　reason　did　the　ancients　feign　Eros　to　be　the　eldest　of　the　gods；　by　whom　the　jarring　elements　of　chaos　were　attuned　into　harmony　and　order。　　How；　then；　shall　lovers　make　him　the　father　of　strife？　　Shall　Psyche　wed　with　Cupid；　to　bring　forth　a　cockatrice's　egg？　or　the　soul　be　filled　with　love；　the　likeness　of　the　immortals；　to　burn　with　envy　and　jealousy；　division　and　distrust？　　True；　the　rose　has　its　thorn：　but　it　leaves　poison　and　stings　to　the　nettle。　　Cupid　has　his　arrow：　but　he　hurls　no　scorpions。　　Venus　is　awful　when　despised；　as　the　daughters　of　Proetus　found：　but　her　handmaids　are　the　Graces；　not　the　Furies。　　Surely　he　who　loves　aright　will　not　only　find　love　lovely；　but　become　himself　lovely　also。　　I　speak　not　to　reprehend　you；　gentlemen；　for　to　you　（as　your　piercing　wits　have　already　perceived；　to　judge　by　your　honorable　blushes）　my　discourse　tends；　but　to　point　you；　if　you　will　but　permit　me；　to　that　rock　which　I　myself　have；　I　know　not　by　what　Divine　good　hap；　attained；　if；　indeed；　I　have　attained　it；　and　am　not　about　to　be　washed　off　again　by　the　next　tide。〃

Frank's　rapid　and　fantastic　oratory；　utterly　unexpected　as　it　was；　had　as　yet　left　their　wits　no　time　to　set　their　tempers　on　fire；　but　when；　weak　from　his　wounds；　he　paused　for　breath；　there　was　a　haughty　murmur　from　more　than　one　young　gentleman；　who　took　his　speech　as　an　impertinent　interference　with　each　man's　right　to　make　a　fool　of　himself；　and　Mr。　Coffin；　who　had　sat　quietly　bolt　upright；　and　looking　at　the　opposite　wall；　now　rose　as　quietly；　and　with　a　face　which　tried　to　look　utterly　unconcerned；　was　walking　out　of　the　room：　another　minute；　and　Lady　Bath's　prophecy　about　the　feast　of　the　Lapithae　might　have　come　true。

But　Frank's　heart　and　head　never　failed　him。

〃Mr。　Coffin！〃　said　he；　in　a　tone　which　compelled　that　gentleman　to　turn　round；　and　so　brought　him　under　the　power　of　a　face　which　none　could　have　beheld　for　five　minutes　and　borne　malice；　so　imploring；　tender；　earnest　was　it。　　〃My　dear　Mr。　Coffin！　　If　my　earnestness　has　made　me　forget　even　for　a　moment　the　bounds　of　courtesy；　let　me　entreat　you　to　forgive　me。　　Do　not　add　to　my　heavy　griefs；　heavy　enough　already；　the　grief　of　losing　a　friend。　　Only　hear　me　patiently　to　the　end　（generously；　I　know；　you　will　hear　me）；　and　then；　if　you　are　still　incensed；　I　can　but