westward ho-第90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！


that　I　too　could　go　with　you；　and　share　in　your　glory！　　Come；　now；〃　said　she；　laying　her　head　upon　Amyas's　breast；　and　looking　up　into　his　face　with　one　of　her　most　winning　smiles；　〃I　have　heard　of　heroic　mothers　ere　now　who　went　forth　with　their　sons　to　battle；　and　cheered　them　on　to　victory。　　Why　should　I　not　go　with　you　on　a　more　peaceful　errand？　　I　could　nurse　the　sick；　if　there　were　any；　I　could　perhaps　have　speech　of　that　poor　girl；　and　win　her　back　more　easily　than　you。　　She　might　listen　to　words　from　a　womana　woman；　too；　who　has　lovedwhich　she　could　not　hear　from　men。　　At　least　I　could　mend　and　wash　for　you。　　I　suppose　it　is　as　easy　to　play　the　good　housewife　afloat　as　on　shore？　　Come；　now！〃

Amyas　looked　from　one　to　the　other。

〃God　only　knows　which　of　the　two　is　less　fit　to　go。　　Mother！　mother！　you　know　not　what　you　ask。　　Frank！　Frank！　I　do　not　want　you　with　me。　　This　is　a　sterner　matter　than　either　of　you　fancy　it　to　be；　one　that　must　be　worked　out；　not　with　kind　words；　but　with　sharp　shot　and　cold　steel。〃

〃How？〃　cried　both　together；　aghast。

〃I　must　pay　my　men；　and　pay　my　fellow…adventurers；　and　I　must　pay　them　with　Spanish　gold。　　And　what　is　more；　I　cannot；　as　a　loyal　subject　of　the　queen's；　go　to　the　Spanish　Main　with　a　clear　conscience　on　my　own　private　quarrel；　unless　I　do　all　the　harm　that　my　hand　finds　to　do；　by　day　and　night；　to　her　enemies；　and　the　enemies　of　God。〃

〃What　nobler　knight…errantry？〃　said　Frank；　cheerfully；　but　Mrs。　Leigh　shuddered。

〃What！　　Frank　too？〃　she　said；　half　to　herself；　but　her　sons　knew　what　she　meant。　　Amyas's　warlike　life；　honorable　and　righteous　as　she　knew　it　to　be；　she　had　borne　as　a　sad　necessity：　but　that　Frank　as　well　should　become　〃a　man　of　blood；〃　was　more　than　her　gentle　heart　could　face　at　first　sight。　　That　one　youthful　duel　of　his　he　had　carefully　concealed　from　her；　knowing　her　feeling　on　such　matters。　　And　it　seemed　too　dreadful　to　her　to　associate　that　gentle　spirit　with　all　the　ferocities　and　the　carnage　of　a　battlefield。　　〃And　yet；〃　said　she　to　herself；　〃is　this　but　another　of　the　self…willed　idols　which　I　must　renounce　one　by　one？〃　　And　then；　catching　at　a　last　hope；　she　answered

〃Frank　must　at　least　ask　the　queen's　leave　to　go；　and　if　she　permits；　how　can　I　gainsay　her　wisdom？〃

And　so　the　conversation　dropped；　sadly　enough。

But　now　began　a　fresh　perplexity　in　Frank's　soul；　which　amused　Amyas　at　first；　when　it　seemed　merely　jest；　but　nettled　him　a　good　deal　when　he　found　it　earnest。　　For　Frank　looked　forward　to　asking　the　queen's　permission　for　his　voyage　with　the　most　abject　despondency　and　terror。　　Two　or　three　days　passed　before　he　could　make　up　his　mind　to　ask　for　an　interview　with　her；　and　he　spent　the　time　in　making　as　much　interest　with　Leicester；　Hatton；　and　Sidney；　as　if　he　were　about　to　sue　for　a　reprieve　from　the　scaffold。

So　said　Amyas；　remarking；　further；　that　the　queen　could　not　cut　his　head　off　for　wanting　to　go　to　sea。

〃But　what　axe　so　sharp　as　her　frown？〃　said　Frank　in　most　lugubrious　tone。

Amyas　began　to　whistle　in　a　very　rude　way。

〃Ah；　my　brother；　you　cannot　comprehend　the　pain　of　parting　from　her。〃

〃No；　I　can't。　　I　would　die　for　the　least　hair　of　her　royal　head；　God　bless　it！　but　I　could　live　very　well　from　now　till　Doomsday　without　ever　setting　eyes　on　the　said　head。〃

〃Plato's　Troglodytes　regretted　not　that　sunlight　which　they　had　never　beheld。〃

Amyas；　not　understanding　this　recondite　conceit；　made　no　answer　to　it；　and　there　the　matter　ended　for　the　time。　　But　at　last　Frank　obtained　his　audience；　and　after　a　couple　of　hours'　absence　returned　quite　pale　and　exhausted。

〃Thank　Heaven；　it　is　over！　　She　was　very　angry　at　firstwhat　else　could　she　be？and　upbraided　me　with　having　set　my　love　so　low。　　I　could　only　answer；　that　my　fatal　fault　was　committed　before　the　sight　of　her　had　taught　me　what　was　supremely　lovely；　and　only　worthy　of　admiration。　　Then　she　accused　me　of　disloyalty　in　having　taken　an　oath　which　bound　me　to　the　service　of　another　than　her。　　I　confessed　my　sin　with　tears；　and　when　she　threatened　punishment；　pleaded　that　the　offence　had　avenged　itself　heavily　already；for　what　worse　punishment　than　exile　from　the　sunlight　of　her　presence；　into　the　outer　darkness　which　reigns　where　she　is　not？　　Then　she　was　pleased　to　ask　me；　how　I　could　dare；　as　her　sworn　servant；　to　desert　her　side　in　such　dangerous　times　as　these；　and　asked　me　how　I　should　reconcile　it　to　my　conscience；　if　on　my　return　I　found　her　dead　by　the　assassin's　knife？　　At　which　most　pathetic　demand　I　could　only　throw　myself　at　once　on　my　own　knees　and　her　mercy；　and　so　awaited　my　sentence。　　Whereon；　with　that　angelic　pity　which　alone　makes　her　awfulness　endurable；　she　turned　to　Hatton　and　asked；　'What　say　you；　Mouton？　　Is　he　humbled　sufficiently？'　and　so　dismissed　me。〃

〃Heigh…ho！〃　yawned　Amyas；


　　　　　〃If　the　bridge　had　been　stronger；　　　　　　　My　tale　had　been　longer。〃


〃Amyas！　Amyas！〃　quoth　Frank；　solemnly；　〃you　know　not　what　power　over　the　soul　has　the　native　and　God…given　majesty　of　royalty　（awful　enough　in　itself）　when　to　it　is　superadded　the　wisdom　of　the　sage；　and　therewithal　the　tenderness　of　the　woman。　　Had　I　my　will；　there　should　be　in　every　realm　not　a　salique；　but　an　anti…salique　law：　whereby　no　kings；　but　only　queens　should　rule　mankind。　　Then　would　weakness　and　not　power　be　to　man　the　symbol　of　divinity；　love；　and　not　cunning；　would　be　the　arbiter　of　every　cause；　and　chivalry；　not　fear；　the　spring　of　all　obedience。〃

〃Humph！　　There's　some　sense　in　that；〃　quoth　Amyas。　　〃I'd　run　a　mile　for　a　woman　when　I　would　not　walk　a　yard　for　a　man；　and　　Who　is　this　our　mother　is　bringing　in？　　The　handsomest　fellow　I　ever　saw　in　my　life！〃

Amyas　was　not　far　wrong；　for　Mrs。　Leigh's　companion　was　none　other　than　Mr。　Secretary；　Amyas's　Smerwick　Fort　acquaintance；　alias　Colin　Clout；　alias　Immerito；　alias　Edmund　Spenser。　　Some　half…jesting　conversation　had　seemingly　been　passing　between　the　poet　and　the　saint；　for　as　they　came　in　she　said　with　a　smile　（which　was　somewhat　of　a　forced　one）〃Well；　my　dear　sons；　you　are　sure　of　immortality；　at　least　on　earth；　for　Mr。　Spenser　has　been　vowing　to　me　to　give　your　adventure　a　whole　canto　to　itself　in　his　'Faerie　Queene'〃

〃And　you　no　less；　madam；〃　said　Spenser。　　〃What　were　the　story　of　the　Gracchi　worth　without　the　figure　of　Cornelia？　　If　I　honor　the　fruit；　I　must　not　forget　the　stem　which　bears　it。　　Frank；　I　congratulate　you。〃

〃Then　you　know　the　result　of　my　interview；　mother？〃

〃I　know　everything；　and　am　content；〃　said　Mrs。　Leigh。

〃Mrs。　Leigh　has　reason　to　be　content；〃　said　Spenser；〃　with　that　which　is　but　her　own　likeness。〃

Spare　your　flattery　to　an　old　woman；　Mr。　Spenser。　　When；　pray；　did　I〃　（with　a　most　loving　look　at　Frank）　〃refuse　knighthood　for　duty's　sake？〃

〃Knighthood？〃　cried　Amyas。　　〃You　never　told　me　that；　Frank！〃

〃That　may　well　be；　Captain　Leigh；〃　said　Spenser；　〃but　believe　me；　her　majesty　（so　Hatton　assures　me）　told　him　this　day；　no　less　than　that　by　going　on　this　quest　he　deprived　himself　of　that　highest　earthly　honor；　which　crowned　heads　are　fain　to　seek　from　their　own　subjects。〃

Spenser　did　not　exaggerate。　　Knighthood　was　then　the　prize　of　merit　only；　and　one　so　valuable；　that　Elizabeth　herself　said；　when　asked　why　she　did　not　bestow　a　peerage　upon　some　favorite；　that　having　already　knighted　him；　she　had　nothing　better　to　bestow。　　It　remained　for　young　Essex　to　begin　the　degradation　of　the　order　in　his　hapless　Irish　campaign；　and　for　James　to　complete　that　degradation　by　his　novel　method　of　raising　money　by　the　sale　of　baronetcies；　a　new　order　of　hereditary　knighthood　which　was　the　laughing…stock　of　the　day；　and　which　（however　venerable　it　may　have　since　become）　reflects　anything　but　honor　upon　its　first　possessors。

〃I　owe　you　no　thanks；　Colin；〃　said　Frank；　〃for　having　broached　my　secret：　but　I　have　lost　nothing　after　all。　　There　is　still　an　order　of　knighthood　in　which　I　may　win　my　spurs；　even　though　her　majesty　refuse　me　the　accolade。〃

〃What；　then？　you　will　not　take　it　from　a　foreign　prince？〃

Frank　smiled。

〃Have　you　never　read　of　that　knighthood　which　is　eternal　in　the　heavens；　and　of　those　true　cavaliers　whom　John　saw　in　Patmos；　riding　on　whi