westward ho-第5章

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e　warmed　in　his　speech；　his　eyes　flashed　very　fire。

〃Hark　now！〃　said　Oxenham；　〃who　can　speak　more　boldly　than　he？　and　yet　he　will　not　help　this　lad　to　so　noble　an　adventure。〃

〃You　have　asked　his　father　and　mother；　what　is　their　answer？〃

〃Mine　is　this；〃　said　Mr。　Leigh；　〃if　it　be　God's　will　that　my　boy　should　become；　hereafter；　such　a　mariner　as　Sir　Richard　Grenville；　let　him　go；　and　God　be　with　him；　but　let　him　first　bide　here　at　home　and　be　trained；　if　God　give　me　grace；　to　become　such　a　gentleman　as　Sir　Richard　Grenville。〃

Sir　Richard　bowed　low；　and　Mrs。　Leigh　catching　up　the　last　word

〃There；　Mr。　Oxenham；　you　cannot　gainsay　that；　unless　you　will　be　discourteous　to　his　worship。　　And　for　methough　it　be　a　weak　woman's　reason；　yet　it　is　a　mother's：　he　is　my　only　child。　　His　elder　brother　is　far　away。　　God　only　knows　whether　I　shall　see　him　again；　and　what　are　all　reports　of　his　virtues　and　his　learning　to　me；　compared　to　that　sweet　presence　which　I　daily　miss？　　Ah！　Mr。　Oxenham；　my　beautiful　Joseph　is　gone；　and　though　he　be　lord　of　Pharaoh's　household；　yet　he　is　far　away　in　Egypt；　and　you　will　take　Benjamm　also！　　Ah！　Mr。　Oxenham；　you　have　no　child；　or　you　would　not　ask　for　mine！〃

〃And　how　do　you　know　that；　my　sweet　madam！〃　said　the　adventurer；　turning　first　deadly　pale；　and　then　glowing　red。　　Her　last　words　had　touched　him　to　the　quick　in　some　unexpected　place；　and　rising；　he　courteously　laid　her　hand　to　his　lips；　and　said〃I　say　no　more。　Farewell；　sweet　madam；　and　God　send　all　men　such　wives　as　you。〃

〃And　all　wives；〃　said　she；　smiling；　〃such　husbands　as　mine。〃

〃Nay；　I　will　not　say　that；〃　answered　he；　with　a　half　sneerand　then；　〃Farewell；　friend　Leighfarewell；　gallant　Dick　Grenville。　God　send　I　see　thee　Lord　High　Admiral　when　I　come　home。　　And　yet；　why　should　I　come　home？　　Will　you　pray　for　poor　Jack；　gentles？〃

〃Tut；　tut；　man！　good　words；〃　said　Leigh；　〃let　us　drink　to　our　merry　meeting　before　you　go。〃　　And　rising；　and　putting　the　tankard　of　malmsey　to　his　lips；　he　passed　it　to　Sir　Richard；　who　rose；　and　saying；　〃To　the　fortune　of　a　bold　mariner　and　a　gallant　gentleman；〃　drank；　and　put　the　cup　into　Oxenham's　hand。

The　adventurer's　face　was　flushed；　and　his　eye　wild。　　Whether　from　the　liquor　he　had　drunk　during　the　day；　or　whether　from　Mrs。　Leigh's　last　speech；　he　had　not　been　himself　for　a　few　minutes。　　He　lifted　the　cup；　and　was　in　act　to　pledge　them；　when　he　suddenly　dropped　it　on　the　table；　and　pointed；　staring　and　trembling；　up　and　down；　and　round　the　room；　as　if　following　some　fluttering　object。

〃There！　　Do　you　see　it？　　The　bird！the　bird　with　the　white　breast！〃

Each　looked　at　the　other；　but　Leigh；　who　was　a　quick…witted　man　and　an　old　courtier；　forced　a　laugh　instantly；　and　cried〃Nonsense；　brave　Jack　Oxenham！　　Leave　white　birds　for　men　who　will　show　the　white　feather。　　Mrs。　Leigh　waits　to　pledge　you。〃

Oxenham　recovered　himself　in　a　moment；　pledged　them　all　round；　drinking　deep　and　fiercely；　and　after　hearty　farewells；　departed；　never　hinting　again　at　his　strange　exclamation。

After　he　was　gone；　and　while　Leigh　was　attending　him　to　the　door；　Mrs。　Leigh　and　Grenville　kept　a　few　minutes'　dead　silence。　　At　last〃God　help　him！〃　said　she。

〃Amen！〃　said　Grenville；　〃for　he　never　needed　it　more。　　But；　indeed；　madam；　I　put　no　faith　in　such　omens。〃

〃But；　Sir　Richard；　that　bird　has　been　seen　for　generations　before　the　death　of　any　of　his　family。　　I　know　those　who　were　at　South　Tawton　when　his　mother　died；　and　his　brother　also；　and　they　both　saw　it。　　God　help　him！　for；　after　all；　he　is　a　proper　man。〃

〃So　many　a　lady　has　thought　before　now；　Mrs。　Leigh；　and　well　for　him　if　they　had　not。　　But；　indeed；　I　make　no　account　of　omens。　When　God　is　ready　for　each　man；　then　he　must　go；　and　when　can　he　go　better？〃

〃But；〃　said　Mr。　Leigh；　who　entered；　〃I　have　seen；　and　especially　when　I　was　in　Italy；　omens　and　prophecies　before　now　beget　their　own　fulfilment；　by　driving　men　into　recklessness；　and　making　them　run　headlong　upon　that　very　ruin　which；　as　they　fancied；　was　running　upon　them。〃

〃And　which；〃　said　Sir　Richard；　〃they　might　have　avoided；　if；　instead　of　trusting　in　I　know　not　what　dumb　and　dark　destiny；　they　had　trusted　in　the　living　God；　by　faith　in　whom　men　may　remove　mountains；　and　quench　the　fire；　and　put　to　flight　the　armies　of　the　alien。　　I　too　know；　and　know　not　how　I　know；　that　I　shall　never　die　in　my　bed。〃

〃God　forfend！　〃　cried　Mrs。　Leigh。

〃And　why；　fair　madam；　if　I　die　doing　my　duty　to　my　God　and　my　queen？　　The　thought　never　moves　me：　nay；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　pray　often　enough　that　I　may　be　spared　the　miseries　of　imbecile　old　age；　and　that　end　which　the　old　Northmen　rightly　called　'a　cow's　death'　rather　than　a　man's。　　But　enough　of　this。　　Mr。　Leigh；　you　have　done　wisely　to…night。　　Poor　Oxenham　does　not　go　on　his　voyage　with　a　single　eye。　　I　have　talked　about　him　with　Drake　and　Hawkins；　and　I　guess　why　Mrs。　Leigh　touched　him　so　home　when　she　told　him　that　he　had　no　child。〃

〃Has　he　one；　then；　in　the　West　Indies？〃　cried　the　good　lady。

〃God　knows；　and　God　grant　we　may　not　hear　of　shame　and　sorrow　fallen　upon　an　ancient　and　honorable　house　of　Devon。　　My　brother　Stukely　is　woe　enough　to　North　Devon　for　this　generation。〃

〃Poor　braggadocio！〃　said　Mr。　Leigh；　〃and　yet　not　altogether　that　too；　for　he　can　fight　at　least。〃

〃So　can　every　mastiff　and　boar；　much　more　an　Englishman。　　And　now　come　hither　to　me；　my　adventurous　godson；　and　don't　look　in　such　doleful　dumps。　　I　hear　you　have　broken　all　the　sailor…boys'　heads　already。〃

〃Nearly　all；〃　said　young　Amyas；　with　due　modesty。。　　〃But　am　I　not　to　go　to　sea？〃

〃All　things　in　their　time；　my　boy；　and　God　forbid　that　either　I　or　your　worthy　parents　should　keep　you　from　that　noble　calling　which　is　the　safeguard　of　this　England　and　her　queen。　　But　you　do　not　wish　to　live　and　die　the　master　of　a　trawler？〃

〃I　should　like　to　be　a　brave　adventurer；　like　Mr。　Oxenham。〃

〃God　grant　you　become　a　braver　man　than　he！　for；　as　I　think；　to　be　bold　against　the　enemy　is　common　to　the　brutes；　but　the　prerogative　of　a　man　is　to　be　bold　against　himself。〃

〃How；　sir？〃

〃To　conquer　our　own　fancies；　Amyas；　and　our　own　lusts；　and　our　ambition；　in　the　sacred　name　of　duty；　this　it　is　to　be　truly　brave；　and　truly　strong；　for　he　who　cannot　rule　himself；　how　can　he　rule　his　crew　or　his　fortunes？　　Come；　now；　I　will　make　you　a　promise。　If　you　will　bide　quietly　at　home；　and　learn　from　your　father　and　mother　all　which　befits　a　gentleman　and　a　Christian；　as　well　as　a　seaman；　the　day　shall　come　when　you　shall　sail　with　Richard　Grenville　himself；　or　with　better　men　than　he；　on　a　nobler　errand　than　gold…hunting　on　the　Spanish　Main。〃

〃O　my　boy；　my　boy！〃　said　Mrs。　Leigh；　〃hear　what　the　good　Sir　Richard　promises　you。　　Many　an　earl's　son　would　be　glad　to　be　in　your　place。〃

〃And　many　an　earl's　son　will　be　glad　to　be　in　his　place　a　score　years　hence；　if　he　will　but　learn　what　I　know　you　two　can　teach　him。　　And　now；　Amyas；　my　lad；　I　will　tell　you　for　a　warning　the　history　of　that　Sir　Thomas　Stukely　of　whom　I　spoke　just　now；　and　who　was；　as　all　men　know；　a　gallant　and　courtly　knight；　of　an　ancient　and　worshipful　family　in　Ilfracombe；　well　practised　in　the　wars；　and　well　beloved　at　first　by　our　incomparable　queen；　the　friend　of　all　true　virtue；　as　I　trust　she　will　be　of　yours　some　day；　who　wanted　but　one　step　to　greatness；　and　that　was　this；　that　in　his　hurry　to　rule　all　the　world；　he　forgot　to　rule　himself。　　At　first；　he　wasted　his　estate　in　show　and　luxury；　always　intending　to　be　famous；　and　destroying　his　own　fame　all　the　while　by　his　vainglory　and　haste。　　Then；　to　retrieve　his　losses；　he　hit　upon　the　peopling　of　Florida；　which　thou　and　I　will　see　done　some　day；　by　God's　blessing；　for　I　and　some　good　friends　of　mine　have　an　errand　there　as　well　as　he。　　But　he　did　not　go　about　it　as　a　loyal　man；　to　advance　the　honor　of　his　queen；　but　his　own　honor　only；　dreaming　that　he　too　should　be　a　king；　and　was　not　ashamed　to　tell　her　majesty　that　he　had　rather　be　sovereign　of　a　molehill　than　the　highest　subject　of　an　emperor。〃

〃They　say；〃　said　Mr。　Leigh；　〃that　he　told　her　plainly　he　should　be　a　prince　before　he　died；　and　that　she　gave　him　one　of　her　pretty　quips　in　return。〃