redgauntlet-第95节

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horitya　born　Briton　on　the　thronethe　very　Highland　mountaineers；　upon　whom　alone　the　trust　of　the　exiled　family　reposed；　assembled　into　regiments　which　act　under　the　orders　of　the　existing　dynasty。　＇The　Highland　regiments　were　first　employed　by　the　celebrated　Earl　of　Chatham；　who　assumed　to　himself　no　small　degree　of　praise　for　having　called　forth　to　the　support　of　the　country　and　the　government；　the　valour　which　had　been　too　often　directed　against　both。＇　　France　has　been　utterly　dismayed　by　the　tremendous　lessons　of　the　last　war；　and　will　hardly　provoke　another。　　All　without　and　within　the　kingdom　is　adverse　to　encountering　a　hopeless　struggle；　and　you　alone；　sir；　seem　willing　to　undertake　a　desperate　enterprise。'

'And　would　undertake　it　were　it　ten　times　more　desperate；　and　have　agitated　it　when　ten　times　the　obstacles　were　interposed。　Have　I　forgot　my　brother's　blood？　　Can　Idare　I　even　now　repeat　the　Pater　Noster；　since　my　enemies　and　the　murderers　remain　unforgiven？　　Is　there　an　art　I　have　not　practiseda　privation　to　which　I　have　not　submitted；　to　bring　on　the　crisis；　which　I　now　behold　arrived？　　Have　I　not　been　a　vowed　and　a　devoted　man；　forgoing　every　comfort　of　social　life；　renouncing　even　the　exercise　of　devotion　unless　when　I　might　name　in　prayer　my　prince　and　country；　submitting　to　everything　to　make　converts　to　this　noble　cause？　　Have　I　done　all　this；　and　shall　I　now　stop　short？'　Darsie　was　about　to　interrupt　him；　but　he　pressed　his　hand　affectionately　upon　his　shoulder；　and　enjoining；　or　rather　imploring；　silence；　'Peace；'　he　said；　'heir　of　my　ancestors'　fameheir　of　all　my　hopes　and　wishes。　　Peace；　son　of　my　slaughtered　brother！　　I　have　sought　for　thee；　and　mourned　for　thee；　as　a　mother　for　an　only　child。　　Do　not　let　me　again　lose　you　in　the　moment　when　you　are　restored　to　my　hopes。　　Believe　me；　I　distrust　so　much　my　own　impatient　temper；　that　I　entreat　you；　as　the　dearest　boon；　do　naught　to　awaken　it　at　this　crisis。'

Darsie　was　not　sorry　to　reply　that　his　respect　for　the　person　of　his　relation　would　induce　him　to　listen　to　all　which　he　had　to　apprise　him　of；　before　he　formed　any　definite　resolution　upon　the　weighty　subjects　of　deliberation　which　he　proposed　to　him。

'Deliberation！'　　repeated　Redgauntlet；　impatiently；　'and　yet　it　is　not　ill　said。　　I　wish　there　had　been　more　warmth　in　thy　reply；　Arthur；　but　I　must　recollect；　were　an　eagle　bred　in　a　falcon's　mew　and　hooded　like　a　reclaimed　hawk；　he　could　not　at　first　gaze　steadily　on　the　sun。　　Listen　to　me；　my　dearest　Arthur。　　The　state　of　this　nation　no　more　implies　prosperity；　than　the　florid　colour　of　a　feverish　patient　is　a　symptom　of　health。　　All　is　false　and　hollow。　　The　apparent　success　of　Chatham's　administration　has　plunged　the　country　deeper　in　debt　than　all　the　barren　acres　of　Canada　are　worth；　were　they　as　fertile　as　Yorkshirethe　dazzling　lustre　of　the　victories　of　Minden　and　Quebec　have　been　dimmed　by　the　disgrace　of　the　hasty　peaceby　the　war；　England；　at　immense　expense；　gained　nothing　but　honour；　and　that　she　has　gratuitously　resigned。　　Many　eyes；　formerly　cold　and　indifferent；　are　now　looking　towards　the　line　of　our　ancient　and　rightful　monarchs；　as　the　only　refuge　in　the　approaching　stormthe　rich　are　alarmed　the　nobles　are　disgustedthe　populace　are　inflamedand　a　band　of　patriots；　whose　measures　are　more　safe　than　their　numbers　are　few；　have　resolved　to　set　up　King　Charles's　standard；'

'But　the　military；'　said　Darsie'how　can　you；　with　a　body　of　unarmed　and　disorderly　insurgents；　propose　to　encounter　a　regular　army。　　The　Highlanders　are　now　totally　disarmed。'

'In　a　great　measure；　perhaps；'　answered　Redgauntlet；　'but　the　policy　which　raised　the　Highland　regiments　has　provided　for　that。　We　have　already　friends　in　these　corps；　nor　can　we　doubt　for　a　moment　what　their　conduct　will　be　when　the　white　cockade　is　once　more　mounted。　　The　rest　of　the　standing　army　has　been　greatly　reduced　since　the　peace；　and　we　reckon　confidently　on　our　standard　being　joined　by　thousands　of　the　disbanded　troops。'

'Alas！'　　said　Darsie；　'and　is　it　upon　such　vague　hopes　as　these；　the　inconstant　humour　of　a　crowd　or　of　a　disbanded　soldiery；　that　men　of　honour　are　invited　to　risk　their　families；　their　property；　their　life？'

'Men　of　honour；　boy；'　said　Redgauntlet；　his　eyes　glancing　with　impatience；　'set　life；　property；　family；　and　all　at　stake；　when　that　honour　commands　it！　　We　are　not　now　weaker　than　when　seven　men；　landing　in　the　wilds　of　Moidart；　shook　the　throne　of　the　usurper　till　it　totteredwon　two　pitched　fields；　besides　overrunning　one　kingdom　and　the　half　of　another；　and；　but　for　treachery；　would　have　achieved　what　their　venturous　successors　are　now　to　attempt　in　their　turn；'

'And　will　such　an　attempt　be　made　in　serious　earnest？'　　said　Darsie。　　'Excuse　me；　my　uncle；　if　I　can　scarce　believe　a　fact　so　extraordinary。　　Will　there　really　be　found　men　of　rank　and　consequence　sufficient　to　renew　the　adventure　of　1745？'

'I　will　not　give　you　my　confidence　by　halves；　Sir　Arthur；'　replied　his　uncle'Look　at　that　scrollwhat　say　you　to　these　names？Are　they　not　the　flower　of　the　western　shiresof　Wales　of　Scotland？'

'The　paper　contains　indeed　the　names　of　many　that　are　great　and　noble；'　replied　Darsie；　after　perusing　it；　'but'

'But　what？'　　asked　his　uncle；　impatiently；　'do　you　doubt　the　ability　of　those　nobles　and　gentlemen　to　furnish　the　aid　in　men　and　money　at　which　they　are　rated？'

'Not　their　ability　certainly；'　said　Darsie；　'for　of　that　I　am　no　competent　judge；　but　I　see　in　this　scroll　the　name　of　Sir　Arthur　Darsie　Redgauntlet　of　that　Ilk；　rated　at　a　hundred　men　and　upwardsI　certainly　am　ignorant　how　he　is　to　redeem　that　pledge。'

'I　will　be　responsible　for　the　men；'　replied　Hugh　Redgauntlet。

'But；　my　dear　uncle；'　added　Darsie；　'I　hope　for　your　sake　that　the　other　individuals　whose　names　are　here　written；　have　had　more　acquaintance　with　your　plan　than　I　have　been　indulged　with。'

'For　thee　and　thine　I　can　be　myself　responsible；'　said　Redgauntlet；　'for　if　thou　hast　not　the　courage　to　head　the　force　of　thy　house；　the　leading　shall　pass　to　other　hands；　and　thy　inheritance　shall　depart　from　thee　like　vigour　and　verdure　from　a　rotten　branch。　　For　these　honourable　persons；　a　slight　condition　there　is　which　they　annex　to　their　friendshipsomething　so　trifling　that　it　is　scarce　worthy　of　mention。　　This　boon　granted　to　them　by　him　who　is　most　interested；　there　is　no　question　they　will　take　the　field　in　the　manner　there　stated。'

Again　Darsie　perused　the　paper；　and　felt　himself　still　less　inclined　to　believe　that　so　many　men　of　family　and　fortune　were　likely　to　embark　in　an　enterprise　so　fatal。　　It　seemed　as　if　some　rash　plotter　had　put　down　at　a　venture　the　names　of　all　whom　common　report　tainted　with　Jacobitism；　or　if　it　was　really　the　act　of　the　individuals　named；　he　suspected　that　they　must　be　aware　of　some　mode　of　excusing　themselves　from　compliance　with　its　purport。　　It　was　impossible；　he　thought；　that　Englishmen；　of　large　fortune；　who　had　failed　to　join　Charles　when　he　broke　into　England　at　the　head　of　a　victorious　army；　should　have　the　least　thoughts　of　encouraging　a　descent　when　circumstances　were　so　much　less　propitious。　　He　therefore　concluded　the　enterprise　would　fall　to　pieces　of　itself；　and　that　his　best　way　was；　in　the　meantime；　to　remain　silent；　unless　the　actual　approach　of　a　crisis　（which　might；　however；　never　arrive）　should　compel　him　to　give　a　downright　refusal　to　his　uncle's　proposition；　and　if；　in　the　interim；　some　door　for　escape　should　be　opened；　he　resolved　within　himself　not　to　omit　availing　himself　of　it。

Hugh　Redgauntlet　watched　his　nephew's　looks　for　some　time；　and　then；　as　if　arriving　from　some　other　process　of　reasoning　at　the　same　conclusion；　he　said；　'I　have　told　you；　Sir　Arthur；　that　I　do　not　urge　your　immediate　accession　to　my　proposal；　indeed　the　consequences　of　a　refusal　would　be　so　dreadful　to　yourself；　so　destructive　to　all　the　hopes　which　I　have　nursed；　that　I　would　not　risk；　by　a　moment's　impatience；　the　object　of　my　whole　life。　Yes；　Arthur；　I　have　been　a　self…denying　hermit　at　one　timeat　another；　the　apparent　associate　of　outlaws　and　desperadoesat　another；　the　subordinate　agent　of　men　whom　I　felt　in　every　way　my　inferiorsnot　for　any　selfish　purpose　of　my　own；　no；　not　even　to　win　for　myself　the　renown　of　being　the　principal　instrument　in　restoring　my　king　and　freeing　my　country。　　My　first　wish　on　earth　is　for　that　restoration　and　that　freedommy　next；　that　my　nephew；　the　representative　of　my　house　and　of　the　brother　of　my　love；　may　have　the　advantage　and　the　credit　of　all　my　efforts　in　the　good　cause。　　But；'　he　added；　darting　on　Darsie　one　of　his　withering　frowns；　'if　Scotland　and　my　father's　house　cannot　stand　and　flourish　together；　then　perish　the　very　name　of　Redgauntlet！　perish　the　son　of　my　brother；　with　every　recollection　of　the　glories　of　my　family；　of　the　affections　of　my　youth；　rather　than　my　country's　cause　should　be　injured　in　the　tithing　of　a　barley…　corn！　　The　spirit　of　Sir　Alberick　is　alive　within　me　at　this　moment；'　he　continued；　drawing　up　his　stately　form　and　sitting　erect　in　his　saddle；　while　he　pressed　his　finger　against　his　forehead；　'and　if　you　yourself　crossed　my　path　in　opposition；　I　swear；　by　the　mar