redgauntlet-第59节

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！


mself　pointed　it　out　to　Douglas；　saying；　with　a　ghastly　smile；　〃It　should　have　been　bloody。〃

'Moved；　as　he　was；　to　compassion　for　his　brother…in…arms；　and　steeled　against　all　softer　feelings　by　the　habits　of　civil　war；　Douglas　shuddered　at　this　sight；　and　displayed　a　desire　to　leave　the　house　which　was　doomed　to　be　the　scene　of　such　horrors。　　As　his　parting　advice；　he　exhorted　Alberick　Redgauntlet　to　make　a　pilgrimage　to　Saint　Ninian's　of　Whiteherne；　then　esteemed　a　shrine　of　great　sanctity；　and　departed　with　a　precipitation　which　might　have　aggravated；　had　that　been　possible；　the　forlorn　state　of　his　unhappy　friend。　　But　that　seems　to　have　been　incapable　of　admitting　any　addition。　　Sir　Alberick　caused　the　bodies　of　his　slaughtered　son　and　the　mother　to　be　laid　side　by　side　in　the　ancient　chapel　of　his　house；　after　he　had　used　the　skill　of　a　celebrated　surgeon　of　that　time　to　embalm　them；　and　it　was　said　that　for　many　weeks　he　spent；　some　hours　nightly　in　the　vault　where　they　reposed。

'At　length　he　undertook　the　proposed　pilgrimage　to　Whiteherne；　where　he　confessed　himself　for　the　first　time　since　his　misfortune；　and　was　shrived　by　an　aged　monk；　who　afterwards　died　in　the　odour　of　sanctity。　　It　is　said　that　it　was　then　foretold　to　the　Redgauntlet；　that　on　account　of　his　unshaken　patriotism　his　family　should　continue　to　be　powerful　amid　the　changes　of　future　times；　but　that；　in　detestation　of　his　unrelenting　cruelty　to　his　own　issue；　Heaven　had　decreed　that　the　valour　of　his　race　should　always　be　fruitless；　and　that　the　cause　which　they　espoused　should　never　prosper。

'Submitting　to　such　penance　as　was　there　imposed；　Sir　Alberick　went；　it　is　thought；　on　a　pilgrimage　either　to　Rome；　or　to　the　Holy　Sepulchre　itself。　　He　was　universally　considered　as　dead；　and　it　was　not　till　thirteen　years　afterwards；　that　in　the　great　battle　of　Durham；　fought　between　David　Bruce　and　Queen　Philippa　of　England；　a　knight；　bearing　a　horseshoe　for　his　crest；　appeared　in　the　van　of　the　Scottish　army；　distinguishing　himself　by　his　reckless　and　desperate　valour；　who　being　at　length　overpowered　and　slain；　was　finally　discovered　to　be　the　brave　and　unhappy　Sir　Alberick　Redgauntlet。'

'And　has　the　fatal　sign；'　said　I；　when　Herries　had　ended　his　narrative；　'descended　on　all　the　posterity　of　this　unhappy　house？'

'It　has　been　so　handed　down　from　antiquity；　and　is　still　believed；'　said　Herries。　　'But　perhaps　there　is；　in　the　popular　evidence；　something　of　that　fancy　which　creates　what　it　sees。　Certainly；　as　other　families　have　peculiarities　by　which　they　are　distinguished；　this　of　Redgauntlet　is　marked　in　most　individuals　by　a　singular　indenture　of　the　forehead；　supposed　to　be　derived　from　the　son　of　Alberick；　their　ancestor；　and　brother　to　the　unfortunate　Edward；　who　had　perished　in　so　piteous　a　manner。　　It　is　certain　there　seems　to　have　been　a　fate　upon　the　House　of　Redgauntlet；　which　has　been　on　the　losing　side　in　almost　all　the　civil　broils　which　have　divided　the　kingdom　of　Scotland　from　David　Bruce's　days；　till　the　late　valiant　and　unsuccessful　attempt　of　the　Chevalier　Charles　Edward。'

He　concluded　with　a　deep　sigh；　as　one　whom　the　subject　had　involved　in　a　train　of　painful　reflections。

'And　am　I　then；'　I　exclaimed；　'descended　from　this　unhappy　race？　Do　you　belong　to　it？　　And　if　so；　why　do　I　sustain　restraint　and　hard　usage　at　the　hands　of　a　relation？'

'Inquire　no　further　for　the　present；'　he　said。　　'The　line　of　conduct　which　I　am　pursuing　towards　you　is　dictated；　not　by　choice　but　by　necessity。　　You　were　withdrawn　from　the　bosom　of　your　family　and　the　care　of　your　legal　guardian；　by　the　timidity　and　ignorance　of　a　doting　mother；　who　was　incapable　of　estimating　the　arguments　or　feelings　of　those　who　prefer　honour　and　principle　to　fortune；　and　even　to　life。　　The　young　hawk；　accustomed　only　to　the　fostering　care　of　its　dam；　must　be　tamed　by　darkness　and　sleeplessness；　ere　it　is　trusted　on　the　wing　for　the　purposes　of　the　falconer。'

I　was　appalled　at　this　declaration；　which　seemed　to　threaten　a　long　continuance；　and　a　dangerous　termination；　of　my　captivity。　I　deemed　it　best；　however；　to　show　some　spirit；　and　at　the　same　time　to　mingle　a　tone　of　conciliation。　　'Mr。　Herries；'　I　said　'（if　I　call　you　rightly　by　that　name）；　let　us　speak　upon　this　matter　without　the　tone　of　mystery　and　fear　in　which　you　seem　inclined　to　envelop　it。　　I　have　been　long；　alas！　　deprived　of　the　care　of　that　affectionate　mother　to　whom　you　alludelong　under　the　charge　of　strangersand　compelled　to　form　my　own　resolutions　upon　the　reasoning　of　my　own　mind。　　Misfortuneearly　deprivationhas　given　me　the　privilege　of　acting　for　myself；　and　constraint　shall　not　deprive　me　of　an　Englishman's　best　privilege。'

'The　true　cant　of　the　day；'　said　Herries；　in　a　tone　of　scorn。　'The　privilege　of　free　action　belongs　to　no　mortalwe　are　tied　down　by　the　fetters　of　dutyour　mortal　path　is　limited　by　the　regulations　of　honourour　most　indifferent　actions　are　but　meshes　of　the　web　of　destiny　by　which　we　are　all　surrounded。'

He　paced　the　room　rapidly；　and　proceeded　in　a　tone　of　enthusiasm　which；　joined　to　some　other　parts　of　his　conduct；　seems　to　intimate　an　over…excited　imagination；　were　it　not　contradicted　by　the　general　tenor　of　his　speech　and　conduct。

'Nothing；'　he　said；　in　an　earnest　yet　melancholy　voice'nothing　is　the　work　of　chancenothing　is　the　consequence　of　free…will　the　liberty　of　which　the　Englishman　boasts　gives　as　little　real　freedom　to　its　owner　as　the　despotism；　of　an　Eastern　sultan　permits　to　his　slave。　　The　usurper；　William　of　Nassau；　went　forth　to　hunt；　and　thought；　doubtless；　that　it　was　by　an　act　of　his　own　royal　pleasure　that　the　horse　of　his　murdered　victim　was　prepared　for　his　kingly　sport。　　But　Heaven　had　other　views；　and　before　the　sun　was　high；　a　stumble　of　that　very　animal　over　an　obstacle　so　inconsiderable　as　a　mole…hillock；　cost　the　haughty　rider　his　life　and　his　usurped　crown；　Do　you　think　an　inclination　of　the　rein　could　have　avoided　that　trifling　impediment？　　I　tell　you；　it　crossed　his　way　as　inevitably　as　all　the　long　chain　of　Caucasus　could　have　done。　　Yes；　young　man；　in　doing　and　suffering；　we　play　but　the　part　allotted　by　Destiny；　the　manager　of　this　strange　drama；　stand　bound　to　act　no　more　than　is　prescribed；　to　say　no　more　than　is　set　down　for　us；　and　yet　we　mouth　about　free…will　and　freedom　of　thought　and　action；　as　if　Richard　must　not　die；　or　Richmond　conquer；　exactly　where　the　Author　has　decreed　it　shall　be　so！'

He　continued　to　pace　the　room　after　this　speech；　with　folded　arms　and　downcast　looks；　and　the　sound　of　his　steps　and　tone　of　his　voice　brought　to　my　remembrance；　that　I　had　heard　this　singular　person；　when　I　met　him　on　a　former　occasion；　uttering　such　soliloquies　in　his　solitary　chamber。　　I　observed　that；　like　other　Jacobites；　in　his　inveteracy　against　the　memory　of　King　William；　he　had　adopted　the　party　opinion；　that　the　monarch；　on　the　day　he　had　his　fatal　accident；　rode　upon　a　horse　once　the　property　of　the　unfortunate　Sir　John　Friend；　executed　for　high　treason　in　1698。

It　was　not　my　business　to　aggravate；　but；　if　possible；　rather　to　soothe　him　in　whose　power　I　was　so　singularly　placed。　　When　I　conceived　that　the　keenness　of　his　feelings　had　in　some　degree　subsided；　I　answered　him　as　follows：'I　will　notindeed　I　feel　myself　incompetent　to　argue　a　question　of　such　metaphysical　subtlety；　as　that　which　involves　the　limits　betwixt　free…will　and　predestination。　　Let　us　hope　we　may　live　honestly　and　die　hopefully；　without　being　obliged　to　form　a　decided　opinion　upon　a　point　so　far　beyond　our　comprehension。'

'Wisely　resolved；'　he　interrupted；　with　a　sneer'there　came　a　note　from　some　Geneva；　sermon。'

'But；'　I　proceeded；　'I　call　your　attention　to　the　fact　that　I；　as　well　as　you；　am　acted　upon　by　impulses；　the　result　either　of　my　own　free　will；　or　the　consequences　of　the　part　which　is　assigned　to　me　by　destiny。　　These　may　benay；　at　present　they　arein　direct　contradiction　to　those　by　which　you　are　actuated；　and　how　shall　we　decide　which　shall　have　precedence？YOU　perhaps　feel　yourself　destined　to　act　as　my　jailer。　　I　feel　myself；　on　the　contrary；　destined　to　attempt　and　effect　my　escape。　　One　of　us　must　be　wrong；　but　who　can　say　which　errs　till　the　event　has　decided　betwixt　us？'

'I　shall　feel　myself　destined　to　have　recourse　to　severe　modes　of　restraint；'　said　he；　in　the　same　tone　of　half　jest；　half　earnest　which　I　had　used。

'In　that　case；'　I　answered；　'it　will　be　my　destiny　to　attempt　everything　for　my　freedom。'

'And　it　may　be　mine；　young　man；'　he　replied；　in　a　deep　and　stern　tone；　'to　take　care　that　you　should　rather　die　than　attain　your　purpose。'

This　was　speaking　out　indeed；　and　I　did　not　allow　him　to　go　unanswered。　　'You　threaten　me　in　vain；'　said　I；　'the　laws　of　my　country　will　protect　me；　or　whom　they　cannot　protect；　they　will　avenge。'

I　spoke　this　firmly；　and　he　seemed　for　a　moment　silenced；　and　the　scorn　with　which　he　at　last　answered　me；　had　something　of　affectation　in　it。

'The　laws！'　　he　said；　'and　what；　stripling；　do　you　know　of　the　laws　of　your　country？　　Could　you　learn　jurisprudence　under　a　base…born　blotter　of　parchment；　such　as　Saunders　Fairford；　or　from　the　empty　pedantic　coxcomb；　his　son；　who　now；　forsoo