westward ho-第80章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ut　with　him。　　〃'Tis　written；　'If　any　let　one　of　them　go；　his　life　shall　be　for　the　life　of　him。'〃

So　Amyas　ran　out；　pulled　back　the　cart　grumbling；　opened　the　door；　and　began　a　string　of　apologies　tohis　cousin　Eustace。

Yes；　here　he　was；　with　such　a　countenance；　half　foolish；　half　venomous；　as　reynard　wears　when　the　last　spadeful　of　earth　is　thrown　back；　and　he　is　revealed　sitting　disconsolately　on　his　tail　within　a　yard　of　the　terriers'　noses。

Neither　cousin　spoke　for　a　minute　or　two。　　At　last　Amyas

〃Well；　cousin　hide…and…seek；　how　long　have　you　added　horse…stealing　to　your　other　trades？〃

〃My　dear　Amyas；〃　said　Eustace；　very　meekly；　〃I　may　surely　go　into　an　inn　stable　without　intending　to　steal　what　is　in　it。〃

〃Of　course；　old　fellow；〃　said　Amyas；　mollified；　I　was　only　in　jest。　But　what　brings　you　here？　　Not　prudence；　certainly。〃

〃I　am　bound　to　know　no　prudence　save　for　the　Lord's　work。〃

〃That's　giving　away　Agnus　Deis；　and　deceiving　poor　heathen　wenches；　I　suppose；〃　said　Yeo。

Eustace　answered　pretty　roundly

〃Heathens？　　Yes；　truly；　you　Protestants　leave　these　poor　wretches　heathens；　and　then　insult　and　persecute　those　who；　with　a　devotion　unknown　to　you；　labor　at　the　danger　of　their　lives　to　make　them　Christians。　　Mr。　Amyas　Leigh；　you　can　give　me　up　to　be　hanged　at　Exeter；　if　it　shall　so　please　you　to　disgrace　your　own　family；　but　from　this　spot　neither　you；　no；　nor　all　the　myrmidons　of　your　queen；　shall　drive　me；　while　there　is　a　soul　here　left　unsaved。〃

〃Come　out　of　the　stable；　at　least；〃　said　Amyas；　〃you　don't　want　to　make　the　horses　Papists；　as　well　as　the　asses；　do　you？　　Come　out；　man；　and　go　to　the　devil　your　own　way。　　I　sha'n't　inform　against　you；　and　Yeo　here　will　hold　his　tongue　if　I　tell　him；　I　know。〃

〃It　goes　sorely　against　my　conscience；　sir；　but　being　that　he　is　your　cousin；　of　course〃

〃Of　course；　and　now　come　in　and　eat　with　me；　supper's　just　ready；　and　bygones　shall　be　bygones；　if　you　will　have　them　so。〃

How　much　forgiveness　Eustace　felt　in　his　heart；　I　know　not：　but　he　knew；　of　course；　that　he　ought　to　forgive；　and　to　go　in　and　eat　with　Amyas　was　to　perform　an　act　of　forgiveness；　and　for　the　best　of　motives；　too；　for　by　it　the　cause　of　the　Church　might　be　furthered；　and　acts　and　motives　being　correct；　what　more　was　needed？　　So　in　he　went；　and　yet　he　never　forgot　that　scar　upon　his　cheek；　and　Amyas　could　not　look　him　in　the　face　but　Eustace　must　fancy　that　his　eyes　were　on　the　scar；　and　peep　up　from　under　his　lids　to　see　if　there　was　any　smile　of　triumph　on　that　honest　visage。　　They　talked　away　over　the　venison；　guardedly　enough　at　first；　but　as　they　went　on；　Amyas's　straightforward　kindliness　warmed　poor　Eustace's　frozen　heart；　and　ere　they　were　aware；　they　found　themselves　talking　over　old　haunts　and　old　passages　of　their　boyhooduncles；　aunts；　and　cousins；　and　Eustace；　without　any　sinister　intention；　asked　Amyas　why　he　was　going　to　Bideford；　while　Frank　and　his　mother　were　in　London。

〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　cannot　rest　till　I　have　heard　the　whole　story　about　poor　Rose　Salterne。〃

〃What　about　her？〃　cried　Eustace。

〃Do　you　not　know？〃

〃How　should　I　know　anything　here？　　For　heaven's　sake；　what　has　happened？〃

Amyas　told　him；　wondering　at　his　eagerness；　for　he　had　never　had　the　least　suspicion　of　Eustace's　love。

Eustace　shrieked　aloud。

〃Fool；　fool　that　I　have　been！　　Caught　in　my　own　trap！　　Villain；　villain　that　he　is！　　After　all　he　promised　me　at　Lundy！〃

And　springing　up；　Eustace　stamped　up　and　down　the　room；　gnashing　his　teeth；　tossing　his　head　from　side　to　side；　and　clutching　with　outstretched　hands　at　the　empty　air；　with　the　horrible　gesture　（Heaven　grant　that　no　reader　has　ever　witnessed　it！）　of　that　despair　which　still　seeks　blindly　for　the　object　which　it　knows　is　lost　forever。

Amyas　sat　thunderstruck。　　His　first　impulse　was　to　ask；　〃Lundy？　What　knew　you　of　him？　　What　had　he　or　you　to　do　at　Lundy？〃　but　pity　conquered　curiosity。

〃Oh；　Eustace！　　And　you　then　loved　her　too？〃

〃Don't　speak　to　me！　　Loved　her？　　Yes；　sir；　and　had　as　good　a　right　to　love　her　as　any　one　of　your　precious　Brotherhood　of　the　Rose。　Don't　speak　to　me；　I　say；　or　I　shall　do　you　a　mischief！〃

So　Eustace　knew　of　the　brotherhood　too！　　Amyas　longed　to　ask　him　how；　but　what　use　in　that？　　If　he　knew　it；　he　knew　it；　and　what　harm？　　So　he　only　answered：

〃My　good　cousin；　why　be　wroth　with　me？　　If　you　really　love　her；　now　is　the　time　to　take　counsel　with　me　how　best　we　shall〃

Eustace　did　not　let　him　finish　his　sentence。　　Conscious　that　he　had　betrayed　himself　upon　more　points　than　one；　he　stopped　short　in　his　walk；　suddenly　collected　himself　by　one　great　effort；　and　eyed　Amyas　from　underneath　his　brows　with　the　old　down　look。

〃How　best　we　shall　do　what；　my　valiant　cousin？〃　said　he；　in　a　meaning　and　half…scornful　voice。　　〃What　does　your　most　chivalrous　Brotherhood　of　the　Rose　purpose　in　such　a　case？〃

Amyas；　a　little　nettled；　stood　on　his　guard　in　return；　and　answered　bluntly

〃What　the　Brotherhood　of　the　Rose　will　do；　I　can't　yet　say。　　What　it　ought　to　do；　I　have　a　pretty　sure　guess。〃

〃So　have　I。　　To　hunt　her　down　as　you　would　an　outlaw；　because　forsooth　she　has　dared　to　love　a　Catholic；　to　murder　her　lover　in　her　arms；　and　drag　her　home　again　stained　with　his　blood；　to　be　forced　by　threats　and　persecution　to　renounce　that　Church　into　whose　maternal　bosom　she　has　doubtless　long　since　found　rest　and　holiness！〃

〃If　she　has　found　holiness；　it　matters　little　to　me　where　she　has　found　it；　Master　Eustace；　but　that　is　the　very　point　that　I　should　be　glad　to　know　for　certain。〃

〃And　you　will　go　and　discover　for　yourself？〃

〃Have　you　no　wish　to　discover　it　also？〃

〃And　if　I　had；　what　would　that　be　to　you？〃

〃Only；〃　said　Amyas；　trying　hard　to　keep　his　temper；　〃that；　if　we　had　the　same　purpose；　we　might　sail　in　the　same　ship。〃

〃You　intend　to　sail；　then？〃

〃I　mean　simply；　that　we　might　work　together。〃

〃Our　paths　lie　on　very　different　roads；　sir！〃

〃I　am　afraid　you　never　spoke　a　truer　word；　sir。　　In　the　meanwhile；　ere　we　part；　be　so　kind　as　to　tell　me　what　you　meant　by　saying　that　you　had　met　this　Spaniard　at　Lundy？〃

〃I　shall　refuse　to　answer　that。〃

〃You　will　please　to　recollect；　Eustace；　that　however　good　friends　we　have　been　for　the　last　half…hour；　you　are　in　my　power。　　I　have　a　right　to　know　the　bottom　of　this　matter；　and；　by　heaven；　I　will　know　it。〃

〃In　your　power？　　See　that　you　are　not　in　mine！　　Remember；　sir；　that　you　are　within　awithin　a　few　miles；　at　least；　of　those　who　will　obey　me；　their　Catholic　benefactor；　but　who　owe　no　allegiance　to　those　Protestant　authorities　who　have　left　them　to　the　lot　of　the　beasts　which　perish。〃

Amyas　was　very　angry。　　He　wanted　but　little　more　to　make　him　catch　Eustace　by　the　shoulders；　shake　the　life　out　of　him；　and　deliver　him　into　the　tender　guardianship　of　Yeo；　but　he　knew　that　to　take　him　at　all　was　to　bring　certain　death　on　him；　and　disgrace　on　the　family；　and　remembering　Frank's　conduct　on　that　memorable　night　at　Clovelly；　he　kept　himself　down。

〃Take　me；〃　said　Eustace；　〃if　you　will；　sir。　　You；　who　complain　of　us　that　we　keep　no　faith　with　heretics；　will　perhaps　recollect　that　you　asked　me　into　this　room　as　your　guest；　and　that　in　your　good　faith　I　trusted　when　I　entered　it。〃

The　argument　was　a　worthless　one　in　law；　for　Eustace　had　been　a　prisoner　before　he　was　a　guest；　and　Amyas　was　guilty　of　something　very　like　misprision　of　treason　in　not　handing　him　over　to　the　nearest　justice。　　However；　all　he　did　was；　to　go　to　the　door；　open　it；　and　bowing　to　his　cousin；　bid　him　walk　out　and　go　to　the　devil；　since　he　seemed　to　have　set　his　mind　on　ending　his　days　in　the　company　of　that　personage。

Whereon　Eustace　vanished。

〃Pooh！〃　said　Amyas　to　himself；　〃I　can　find　out　enough；　and　too　much；　I　fear；　without　the　help　of　such　crooked　vermin。　　I　must　see　Cary；　I　must　see　Salterne；　and　I　suppose；　if　I　am　ready　to　do　my　duty；　I　shall　learn　somehow　what　it　is。　　Now　to　sleep；　to…morrow　up　and　away　to　what　God　sends。〃

〃Come　in　hither；　men；〃　shouted　he　down　the　passage；　〃and　sleep　here。　　Haven't　you　had　enough　of　this　villainous　sour　cider？〃

The　men　came　in　yawning；　and　settled　themselves　to　sleep　on　the　floor。