redgauntlet-第105节

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to　join　him。'

'An　evasion；　sir！'　　repeated　Lord　；　fiercely；　'I　have　borne　too　much　from　you　already；　and　this　I　will　not　endure。　　Favour　me　with　your　company　to　the　downs。'

Redgauntlet　laughed　scornfully；　and　was　about　to　follow　the　fiery　young　man；　when　Sir　Richard　again　interposed。　　'Are　we　to　exhibit；'　he　said；　'the　last　symptoms　of　the　dissolution　of　our　party；　by　turning　our　swords　against　each　other？　　Be　patient；　Lord　；　in　such　conferences　as　this；　much　must　pass　unquestioned　which　might　brook　challenge　elsewhere。　　There　is　a　privilege　of　party　as　of　parliamentmen　cannot；　in　emergency；　stand　upon　picking　phrases。　　Gentlemen；　if　you　will　extend　your　confidence　in　me　so　far；　I　will　wait　upon　his　Majesty；　and　I　hope　my　Lord　　and　Mr。　Redgauntlet　will　accompany　me。　　I　trust　the　explanation　of　this　unpleasant　matter　will　prove　entirely　satisfactory；　and　that　we　shall　find　ourselves　at　liberty　to　render　our　homage　to　our　sovereign　without　reserve；　when　I　for　one　will　be　the　first　to　peril　all　in　his　just　quarrel。'

Redgauntlet　at　once　stepped　forward。　　'My　lord；'　he　said；　'if　my　zeal　made　me　say　anything　in　the　slightest　degree　offensive；　I　wish　it　unsaid；　and　ask　your　pardon。　　A　gentleman　can　do　no　more。'

'I　could　not　have　asked　Mr。　Redgauntlet　to　do　so　much；'　said　the　young　nobleman；　willingly　accepting　the　hand　which　Redgauntlet　offered。　　'I　know　no　man　living　from　whom　I　could　take　so　much　reproof　without　a　sense　of　degradation　as　from　himself。'

'Let　me　then　hope；　my　lord；　that　you　will　go　with　Sir　Richard　and　me　to　the　presence。　　Your　warm　blood　will　heat　our　zealour　colder　resolves　will　temper　yours。

The　young　lord　smiled；　and　shook　his　head。　　'Alas！　　Mr。　Redgauntlet；'　he　said；　'I　am　ashamed　to　say；　that　in　zeal　you　surpass　us　all。　　But　I　will　not　refuse　this　mission；　provided　you　will　permit　Sir　Arthur；　your　nephew；　also　to　accompany　us。'

'My　nephew？'　　said　Redgauntlet；　and　seemed　to　hesitate；　then　added；　'Most　certainly。　　I　trust；'　he　said；　looking　at　Darsie；　'he　will　bring　to　his　prince's　presence　such　sentiments　as　fit　the　occasion。'

It　seemed　however　to　Darsie；　that　his　uncle　would　rather　have　left　him　behind；　had　he　not　feared　that　he　might　in　that　case　have　been　influenced　by；　or　might　perhaps　himself　influence；　the　unresolved　confederates　with　whom　he　must　have　associated　during　his　absence。

'I　will　go；'　said　Redgauntlet；　'and　request　admission。'

In　a　moment　after　he　returned；　and　without　speaking；　motioned　for　the　young　nobleman　to　advance。　　He　did　so；　followed　by　Sir　Richard　Glendale　and　Darsie；　Redgauntlet　himself　bringing　up　the　rear。　　A　short　passage；　and　a　few　steps；　brought　them　to　the　door　of　the　temporary　presence…chamber；　in　which　the　Royal　Wanderer　was　to　receive　their　homage。　　It　was　the　upper　loft　of　one　of　those　cottages　which　made　additions　to　the　old　inn；　poorly　furnished；　dusty；　and　in　disorder；　for；　rash　as　the　enterprise　might　be　considered；　they　had　been　still　careful　not　to　draw　the　attention　of　strangers　by　any　particular　attentions　to　the　personal　accommodation　of　the　prince。　　He　was　seated；　when　the　deputies；　as　they　might　be　termed；　of　his　remaining　adherents　entered；　and　as　he　rose；　and　came　forward　and　bowed；　in　acceptance　of　their　salutation；　it　was　with　a　dignified　courtesy　which　at　once　supplied　whatever　was　deficient　in　external　pomp；　and　converted　the　wretched　garret　into　a　saloon　worthy　of　the　occasion。

It　is　needless　to　add　that　he　was　the　same　personage　already　introduced　in　the　character　of　Father　Buonaventure；　by　which　name　he　was　distinguished　at　Fairladies。　　His　dress　was　not　different　from　what　he　then　wore；　excepting　that　he　had　a　loose　riding…coat　of　camlet；　under　which　he　carried　an　efficient　cut…and…thrust　sword；　instead　of　his　walking　rapier；　and　also　a　pair　of　pistols。

Redgauntlet　presented　to　him　successively　the　young　Lord　；　and　his　kinsman；　Sir　Arthur　Darsie　Redgauntlet；　who　trembled　as；　bowing　and　kissing　his　hand；　he　found　himself　surprised　into　what　might　be　construed　an　act　of　high　treason；　which　yet　he　saw　no　safe　means　to　avoid。

Sir　Richard　Glendale　seemed　personally　known　to　Charles　Edward；　who　received　him　with　a　mixture　of　dignity　and　affection；　and　seemed　to　sympathize　with　the　tears　which　rushed　into　that　gentleman's　eyes　as　he　bade　his　Majesty　welcome　to　his　native　kingdom；

'Yes；　my　good　Sir　Richard；'　said　the　unfortunate　prince　in　a　tone　melancholy；　yet　resolved；　'Charles　Edward　is　with　his　faithful　friends　once　morenot；　perhaps；　with　his　former　gay　hopes　which　undervalued　danger；　but　with　the　same　determined　contempt　of　the　worst　which　can　befall　him；　in　claiming　his　own　rights　and　those　of　his　country。'

'I　rejoice；　sireand　yet；　alas！　　I　must　also　grieve；　to　see　you　once　more　on　the　British　shores；'　said　Sir　Richard　Glendale；　and　stopped　shorta　tumult　of　contradictory　feelings　preventing　his　further　utterance。

'It　is　the　call　of　my　faithful　and　suffering　people　which　alone　could　have　induced　me　to　take　once　more　the　sword　in　my　hand。　For　my　own　part；　Sir　Richard；　when　I　have　reflected　how　many　of　my　loyal　and　devoted　friends　perished　by　the　sword　and　by　proscription；　or　died　indigent　and　neglected　in　a　foreign　land；　I　have　often；　sworn　that　no　view　to　my　personal　aggrandizement　should　again　induce　me　to　agitate　a　title　which　has　cost　my　followers　so　dear。　　But　since　so　many　men　of　worth　and　honour　conceive　the　cause　of　England　and　Scotland　to　be　linked　with　that　of　Charles　Stuart；　I　must　follow　their　brave　example；　and；　laying　aside　all　other　considerations；　once　more　stand　forward　as　their　deliverer。　　I　am；　however；　come　hither　upon　your　invitation；　and　as　you　are　so　completely　acquainted　with　circumstances　to　which　my　absence　must　necessarily　have　rendered　me　a　stranger；　I　must　be　a　mere　tool　in　the　hands　of　my　friends。　　I　know　well　I　never　can　refer　myself　implicitly　to　more　loyal　hearts　or　wiser　heads；　than　Herries　Redgauntlet；　and　Sir　Richard　Glendale。　　Give　me　your　advice；　then；　how　we　are　to　proceed；　and　decide　upon　the　fate　of　Charles　Edward。'

Redgauntlet　looked　at　Sir　Richard；　as　if　to　say；　'Can　you　press　any　additional　or　unpleasant　condition　at　a　moment　like　this？'　And　the　other　shook　his　head　and　looked　down；　as　if　his　resolution　was　unaltered；　and　yet　as　feeling　all　the　delicacy　of　the　situation。

There　was　a　silence；　which　was　broken　by　the　unfortunate　representative　of　an　unhappy　dynasty；　with　some　appearance　of　irritation。　　'This　is　strange；　gentlemen；'　he　said；　'you　have　sent　for　me　from　the　bosom　of　my　family；　to　head　an　adventure　of　doubt　and　danger；　and　when　I　come；　your　own　minds　seem　to　be　still　irresolute。　　I　had　not　expected　this　on　the　part　of　two　such　men。'

'For　me；　sire；'　said　Redgauntlet；　'the　steel　of　my　sword　is　not　truer　than　the　temper　of　my　mind。'

'My　Lord　's　and　mine　are　equally　so；'　said　Sir　Richard；　'but　you　had　in　charge；　Mr。　Redgauntlet；　to　convey　our　request　to　his　Majesty；　coupled　with　certain　conditions。'

'And　I　discharged　my　duty　to　his　Majesty　and　to　you；'　said　Redgauntlet。

'I　looked　at　no　condition；　gentlemen；'　said　their　king；　with　dignity；'　save　that　which　called　me　here　to　assert　my　rights　in　person。　　That　I　have　fulfilled　at　no　common　risk。　　Here　I　stand　to　keep　my　word；　and　I　expect　of　you　to　be　true　to　yours。'

'There　was；　or　should　have　been；　something　more　than　that　in　our　proposal；　please　your　Majesty；'　said　Sir　Richard。　　'There　was　a　condition　annexed　to　it。'

'I　saw　it　not；'　said　Charles；　interrupting　him。　　'Out　of　tenderness　towards　the　noble　hearts　of　whom　I　think　so　highly；　I　would　neither　see　nor　read　anything　which　could　lessen　them　in　my　love　and　my　esteem。　　Conditions　can　have　no　part　betwixt　prince　and　subject。'

'Sire；'　said　Redgauntlet；　kneeling　on　one　knee；　'I　see　from　Sir　Richard's　countenance　he　deems　it　my　fault　that　your　Majesty　seems　ignorant　of　what　your　subjects　desired　that　I　should　communicate　to　your　Majesty。　　For　Heaven's　sake！　　for　the　sake　of　all　my　past　services　and　sufferings；　leave　not　such　a　stain　upon　my　honour！　　The　note；　Number　D；　of　which　this　is　a　copy；　referred　to　the　painful　subject　to　which　Sir　Richard　again　directs　your　attention。'

'You　press　upon　me；　gentlemen；'　said　the　prince；　colouring　highly；'　recollections；　which；　as　I　hold　them　most　alien　to　your　character；　I　would　willingly　have　banished　from　my　memory。　　I　did　not　suppose　that　my　loyal　subjects　would　think　so　poorly　of　me；　as　to　use　my　depressed　circumstances　as　a　reason　for　forcing　themselves　into　my　domestic　privacies；　and　stipulating　arrangements　with　their　king　regarding　matters　in　which　the　meanest　minds　claim　the　privilege　of　thinking　for　themselves。　　In　affairs　of　state　and　public　policy；　I　will　ever　be　guided　as　becomes　a　prince；　by　the　advice　of　my　wisest　counsellors；　in　those　which　regard　my　private　affections　and　my　domestic　arrangements；　I　claim　the　same　freedom　of　will　which　I　allow　to　all　my　subjects；　and　without　which　a　crown　were　less　worth　wearing　than　a　beggar's　bonnet。'

'May　it　please　your　Majesty；'　said　Sir　Richard　Glendale；　'I　see　it　must　be　my　lot　to　speak　unwilling　truths；　but　believe　me；　I　do　so　with　as　much　profound　respect　as　deep　regret。　　It　is　true；　we　have　called　you　to　head　a　mighty　undertaking；　and　that　your　Ma