westward ho-第13节

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project　by　a　peremptory　countermove；　and　packed　her　off；　in　spite　of　her　tears；　to　the　said　uncle　on　the　Atlantic　cliffs；　after　which　he　went　up　to　Burrough；　and　laughed　over　the　whole　matter　with　Mrs。　Leigh。

〃I　am　but　a　burgher；　Mrs。　Leigh；　and　you　a　lady　of　blood；　but　I　am　too　proud　to　let　any　man　say　that　Simon　Salterne　threw　his　daughter　at　your　son's　head；no；　not　if　you　were　an　empress！〃

〃And　to　speak　truth；　Mr。　Salterne；　there　are　young　gallants　enough　in　the　country　quarrelling　about　her　pretty　face　every　day；　without　making　her　a　tourney…queen　to　tilt　about。〃

Which　was　very　true；　for　during　the　three　years　of　Amyas's　absence；　Rose　Salterne　had　grown　into　so　beautiful　a　girl　of　eighteen；　that　half　North　Devon　was　mad　about　the　〃Rose　of　Torridge；〃　as　she　was　called；　and　there　was　not　a　young　gallant　for　ten　miles　round　（not　to　speak　of　her　father's　clerks　and　'prentices；　who　moped　about　after　her　like　so　many　Malvolios；　and　treasured　up　the　very　parings　of　her　nails）　who　would　not　have　gone　to　Jerusalem　to　win　her。　　So　that　all　along　the　vales　of　Torridge　and　of　Taw；　and　even　away　to　Clovelly　（for　young　Mr。　Cary　was　one　of　the　sick）；　not　a　gay　bachelor　but　was　frowning　on　his　fellows；　and　vying　with　them　in　the　fashion　of　his　clothes；　the　set　of　his　ruffs；　the　harness　of　his　horse；　the　carriage　of　his　hawks；　the　pattern　of　his　sword…　hilt；　and　those　were　golden　days　for　all　tailors　and　armorers；　from　Exmoor　to　Okehampton　town。　　But　of　all　those　foolish　young　lads　not　one　would　speak　to　the　other；　either　out　hunting；　or　at　the　archery　butts；　or　in　the　tilt…yard；　and　my　Lady　Bath　（who　confessed　that　there　was　no　use　in　bringing　out　her　daughters　where　Rose　Salterne　was　in　the　way）　prophesied　in　her　classical　fashion　that　Rose's　wedding　bid　fair　to　be　a　very　bridal　of　Atalanta；　and　feast　of　the　Lapithae；　and　poor　Mr。　Will　Cary　（who　always　blurted　out　the　truth）；　when　old　Salterne　once　asked　him　angrily　in　Bideford　Market；　〃What　a　plague　business　had　he　making　sheep's　eyes　at　his　daughter？〃　broke　out　before　all　bystanders；　〃And　what　a　plague　business　had　you；　old　boy；　to　throw　such　an　apple　of　discord　into　our　merry　meetings　hereabouts？　　If　you　choose　to　have　such　a　daughter；　you　must　take　the　consequences；　and　be　hanged　to　you。〃　To　which　Mr。　Salterne　answered　with　some　truth；　〃That　she　was　none　of　his　choosing；　nor　of　Mr。　Cary's　neither。〃　　And　so　the　dor　being　given；　the　belligerents　parted　laughing；　but　the　war　remained　in　statu　quo；　and　not　a　week　passed　but；　by　mysterious　hands；　some　nosegay；　or　languishing　sonnet；　was　conveyed　into　The　Rose's　chamber；　all　which　she　stowed　away；　with　the　simplicity　of　a　country　girl；　finding　it　mighty　pleasant；　and　took　all　compliments　quietly　enough；　probably　because；　on　the　authority　of　her　mirror；　she　considered　them　no　more　than　her　due。

And　now；　to　add　to　the　general　confusion；　home　was　come　young　Amyas　Leigh；　more　desperately　in　love　with　her　than　ever。　　For；　as　is　the　way　with　sailors　（who　after　all　are　the　truest　lovers；　as　they　are　the　finest　fellows；　God　bless　them；　upon　earth）；　his　lonely　ship…　watches　had　been　spent　in　imprinting　on　his　imagination；　month　after　month；　year　after　year；　every　feature　and　gesture　and　tone　of　the　fair　lass　whom　he　had　left　behind　him；　and　that　all　the　more　intensely；　because；　beside　his　mother；　he　had　no　one　else　to　think　of；　and　was　as　pure　as　the　day　he　was　born；　having　been　trained　as　many　a　brave　young　man　was　then；　to　look　upon　profligacy　not　as　a　proof　of　manhood；　but　as　what　the　old　Germans；　and　those　Gortyneans　who　crowned　the　offender　with　wool；　knew　it　to　be；　a　cowardly　and　effeminate　sin。



CHAPTER　III

OF　TWO　GENTLEMEN　OF　WALES；　AND　HOW　THEY　HUNTED　WITH　THE　HOUNDS；　AND　YET　RAN　WITH　THE　DEER


〃I　know　that　Deformed；　he　has　been　a　vile　thief　this　seven　years；　he　goes　up　and　down　like　a　gentleman：　I　remember　his　name。〃Much　Ado　About　Nothing。


Amyas　slept　that　night　a　tired　and　yet　a　troubled　sleep；　and　his　mother　and　Frank；　as　they　bent　over　his　pillow；　could　see　that　his　brain　was　busy　with　many　dreams。

And　no　wonder；　for　over　and　above　all　the　excitement　of　the　day；　the　recollection　of　John　Oxenham　had　taken　strange　possession　of　his　mind；　and　all　that　evening；　as　he　sat　in　the　bay…windowed　room　where　he　had　seen　him　last；　Amyas　was　recalling　to　himself　every　look　and　gesture　of　the　lost　adventurer；　and　wondering　at　himself　for　so　doing；　till　he　retired　to　sleep；　only　to　renew　the　fancy　in　his　dreams。　　At　last　he　found　himself；　he　knew　not　how；　sailing　westward　ever；　up　the　wake　of　the　setting　sun；　in　chase　of　a　tiny　sail　which　was　John　Oxenham's。　　Upon　him　was　a　painful　sense　that；　unless　he　came　up　with　her　in　time；　something　fearful　would　come　to　pass；　but　the　ship　would　not　sail。　　All　around　floated　the　sargasso　beds；　clogging　her　bows　with　their　long　snaky　coils　of　weed；　and　still　he　tried　to　sail；　and　tried　to　fancy　that　he　was　sailing；　till　the　sun　went　down　and　all　was　utter　dark。　　And　then　the　moon　arose；　and　in　a　moment　John　Oxenham's　ship　was　close　aboard；　her　sails　were　torn　and　fluttering；　the　pitch　was　streaming　from　her　sides；　her　bulwarks　were　rotting　to　decay。　　And　what　was　that　line　of　dark　objects　dangling　along　the　mainyard？A　line　of　hanged　men！　And；　horror　of　horrors；　from　the　yard…arm　close　above　him；　John　Oxenham's　corpse　looked　down　with　grave…light　eyes；　and　beckoned　and　pointed；　as　if　to　show　him　his　way；　and　strove　to　speak；　and　could　not；　and　pointed　still；　not　forward；　but　back　along　their　course。　　And　when　Amyas　looked　back；　behold；　behind　him　was　the　snow　range　of　the　Andes　glittering　in　the　moon；　and　he　knew　that　he　was　in　the　South　Seas　once　more；　and　that　all　America　was　between　him　and　home。　　And　still　the　corpse　kept　pointing　back；　and　back；　and　looking　at　him　with　yearning　eyes　of　agony；　and　lips　which　longed　to　tell　some　awful　secret；　till　he　sprang　up；　and　woke　with　a　shout　of　terror；　and　found　himself　lying　in　the　little　coved　chamber　in　dear　old　Burrough；　with　the　gray　autumn　morning　already　stealing　in。

Feverish　and　excited；　he　tried　in　vain　to　sleep　again；　and　after　an　hour's　tossing；　rose　and　dressed；　and　started　for　a　bathe　on　his　beloved　old　pebble　ridge。　　As　he　passed　his　mother's　door；　he　could　not　help　looking　in。　　The　dim　light　of　morning　showed　him　the　bed；　but　its　pillow　had　not　been　pressed　that　night。　　His　mother；　in　her　long　white　night…dress；　was　kneeling　at　the　other　end　of　the　chamber　at　her　prie…dieu；　absorbed　in　devotion。　　Gently　he　slipped　in　without　a　word；　and　knelt　down　at　her　side。　　She　turned；　smiled；　passed　her　arm　around　him；　and　went　on　silently　with　her　prayers。　Why　not？　　They　were　for　him；　and　he　knew　it；　and　prayed　also；　and　his　prayers　were　for　her；　and　for　poor　lost　John　Oxenham；　and　all　his　vanished　crew。

At　last　she　rose；　and　standing　above　him；　parted　the　yellow　locks　from　off　his　brow；　and　looked　long　and　lovingly　into　his　face。　There　was　nothing　to　be　spoken；　for　there　was　nothing　to　be　concealed　between　these　two　souls　as　clear　as　glass。　　Each　knew　all　which　the　other　meant；　each　knew　that　its　own　thoughts　were　known。　At　last　the　mutual　gaze　was　over；　she　stooped　and　kissed　him　on　the　brow；　and　was　in　the　act　to　turn　away；　as　a　tear　dropped　on　his　forehead。　　Her　little　bare　feet　were　peeping　out　from　under　her　dress。　　He　bent　down　and　kissed　them　again　and　again；　and　then　looking　up；　as　if　to　excuse　himself；

〃You　have　such　pretty　feet；　mother！〃

Instantly；　with　a　woman's　instinct；　she　had　hidden　them。　　She　had　been　a　beauty　once；　as　I　said；　and　though　her　hair　was　gray；　and　her　roses　had　faded　long　ago；　she　was　beautiful　still；　in　all　eyes　which　saw　deeper　than　the　mere　outward　red　and　white。

〃Your　dear　father　used　to　say　so　thirty　years　ago。〃

〃And　I　say　so　still：　you　always　were　beautiful；　you　are　beautiful　now。〃

〃What　is　that　to　you；　silly　boy？　　Will　you　play　the　lover　with　an　old　mother？　　Go　and　take　your　walk；　and　think　of　younger　ladies；　if　you　can　find　any　worthy　of　you。〃

And　so　the　son　went　forth；　and　the　mother　returned　to　her　prayers。

He　walked　down　to　the　pebble　ridge；　where　the　surges　of　the　bay　have　defeated　their　own　fury；　by　rolling　up　in　the　course　of　ages　a　rampart　of　gray　boulder…stones；　some　two　miles　long；　as　cunningly　curved；　and　smoothed；　and　fitted；　as　if　the　work　had　been　done　by　human　hands；　which　protects　from　the　high　tides　of　spring　and　autumn　a　fertile　sheet　of　smooth；　alluvial　turf。　　Sniffing　the　keen　salt　air　like　a　young　sea…dog；　he　stripped　and　plunged　into　the　breakers；　and　dived；　and　rolled；　and　tossed　about　the　foam　with　stalwart　arms；　till　he　heard　himself　hailed　from　off　the　shore；　and　looking　up；　saw　standing　on　the　top　of　the　rampart　the　tall　figure　of　his　cousin　Eustace。

Amyas　was　half…disappointed　at　his　coming；　for；　love…lorn　rascal；　he　had　been　dreaming　all　the　way　thither　of　Rose　Salterne；　and　had　no　wish　for　a　companion　who　would　prevent　his　dreaming　of　her　all　the　way　back。　　Nevertheless；　not　having　seen　Eustace　for　three　years；　it　was　but　civil　to　scramble　out　and　dress；　while　his　cousin　walked　up　and　down　upon　the　turf　inside。

Eustace　Leigh　was　the　son　of　a　younger　brother　of　Leigh　of　Burrough；　who　had　more　or　less　cut　himself　off　from　his　family；　and　indeed　fro