westward ho-第14节

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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　from　his　countrymen；　by　remaining　a　Papist。　　True；　though　born　a　Papist；　he　had　not　always　been　one；　for；　like　many　of　the　gentry；　he　had　become　a　Protestant　under　Edward　the　Sixth；　and　then　a　Papist　again　under　Mary。　　But；　to　his　honor　be　it　said；　at　that　point　he　had　stopped；　having　too　much　honesty　to　turn　Protestant　a　second　time；　as　hundreds　did；　at　Elizabeth's　accession。　　So　a　Papist　he　remained；　living　out　of　the　way　of　the　world　in　a　great；　rambling；　dark　house；　still　called　〃Chapel；〃　on　the　Atlantic　cliffs；　in　Moorwinstow　parish；　not　far　from　Sir　Richard　Grenville's　house　of　Stow。　　The　penal　laws　never　troubled　him；　for；　in　the　first　place；　they　never　troubled　any　one　who　did　not　make　conspiracy　and　rebellion　an　integral　doctrine　of　his　religious　creed；　and　next；　they　seldom　troubled　even　them；　unless；　fired　with　the　glory　of　martyrdom；　they　bullied　the　long…suffering　of　Elizabeth　and　her　council　into　giving　them　their　deserts；　and；　like　poor　Father　Southwell　in　after　years；　insisted　on　being　hanged；　whether　Burleigh　liked　or　not。　　Moreover；　in　such　a　no…man's…land　and　end…of…all…the…earth　was　that　old　house　at　Moorwinstow；　that　a　dozen　conspiracies　might　have　been　hatched　there　without　any　one　hearing　of　it；　and　Jesuits　and　seminary　priests　skulked　in　and　out　all　the　year　round；　unquestioned　though　unblest；　and　found　a　sort　of　piquant　pleasure；　like　naughty　boys　who　have　crept　into　the　store…closet；　in　living　in　mysterious　little　dens　in　a　lonely　turret；　and　going　up　through　a　trap…door　to　celebrate　mass　in　a　secret　chamber　in　the　roof；　where　they　were　allowed　by　the　powers　that　were　to　play　as　much　as　they　chose　at　persecuted　saints；　and　preach　about　hiding　in　dens　and　caves　of　the　earth。　　For　once；　when　the　zealous　parson　of　Moorwinstow；　having　discovered　（what　everybody　knew　already）　the　existence　of　〃mass　priests　and　their　idolatry〃　at　Chapel　House；　made　formal　complaint　thereof　to　Sir　Richard；　and　called　on　him；　as　the　nearest　justice　of　the　peace；　to　put　in　force　the　act　of　the　fourteenth　of　Elizabeth；　that　worthy　knight　only　rated　him　soundly　for　a　fantastical　Puritan；　and　bade　him　mind　his　own　business；　if　he　wished　not　to　make　the　place　too　hot　for　him；　whereon　（for　the　temporal　authorities；　happily　for　the　peace　of　England；　kept　in　those　days　a　somewhat　tight　hand　upon　the　spiritual　ones）　the　worthy　parson　subsided；for；　after　all；　Mr。　Thomas　Leigh　paid　his　tithes　regularly　enough；and　was　content；　as　he　expressed　it；　to　bow　his　head　in　the　house　of　Rimmon　like　Naaman　of　old；　by　eating　Mr。　Leigh's　dinners　as　often　as　he　was　invited；　and　ignoring　the　vocation　of　old　Father　Francis；　who　sat　opposite　to　him；　dressed　as　a　layman；　and　calling　himself　the　young　gentleman's　pedagogue。

But　the　said　birds　of　ill…omen　had　a　very　considerable　lien　on　the　conscience　of　poor　Mr。　Thomas　Leigh；　the　father　of　Eustace；　in　the　form　of　certain　lands　once　belonging　to　the　Abbey　of　Hartland。　　He　more　than　half　believed　that　he　should　be　lost　for　holding　those　lands；　but　he　did　not　believe　it　wholly；　and；　therefore；　he　did　not　give　them　up；　which　was　the　case；　as　poor　Mary　Tudor　found　to　her　sorrow；　with　most　of　her　〃Catholic〃　subjects；　whose　consciences；　while　they　compelled　them　to　return　to　the　only　safe　fold　of　Mother　Church　（extra　quam　nulla　salus）；　by　no　means　compelled　them　to　disgorge　the　wealth　of　which　they　had　plundered　that　only　hope　of　their　salvation。　　Most　of　them；　however；　like　poor　Tom　Leigh；　felt　the　abbey　rents　burn　in　their　purses；　and；　as　John　Bull　generally　does　in　a　difficulty；　compromised　the　matter　by　a　second　folly　（as　if　two　wrong　things　made　one　right　one）；　and　petted　foreign　priests；　and　listened；　or　pretended　not　to　listen；　to　their　plottings　and　their　practisings；　and　gave　up　a　son　here；　and　a　son　there；　as　a　sort　of　a　sin…offering　and　scapegoat；　to　be　carried　off　to　Douay；　or　Rheims；　or　Rome；　and　trained　as　a　seminary　priest；　in　plain　English；　to　be　taught　the　science　of　villainy；　on　the　motive　of　superstition。　　One　of　such　hapless　scapegoats；　and　children　who　had　been　cast　into　the　fire　to　Moloch；　was　Eustace　Leigh；　whom　his　father　had　sent；　giving　the　fruit　of　his　body　for　the　sin　of　his　soul；　to　be　made　a　liar　of　at　Rheims。

And　a　very　fair　liar　he　had　become。　　Not　that　the　lad　was　a　bad　fellow　at　heart；　but　he　had　been　chosen　by　the　harpies　at　home；　on　account　of　his　〃peculiar　vocation；〃　in　plain　English；　because　the　wily　priests　had　seen　in　him　certain　capacities　of　vague　hysterical　fear　of　the　unseen　（the　religious　sentiment；　we　call　it　now…a…　days）；　and　with　them　that　tendency　to　be　a　rogue；　which　superstitious　men　always　have。　　He　was　now　a　tall；　handsome；　light…　complexioned　man；　with　a　huge　upright　forehead；　a　very　small　mouth；　and　a　dry　and　set　expression　of　face；　which　was　always　trying　to　get　free；　or　rather　to　seem　free；　and　indulge　in　smiles　and　dimples　which　were　proper；　for　one　ought　to　have　Christian　love；　and　if　one　had　love　one　ought　to　be　cheerful；　and　when　people　were　cheerful　they　smiled；　and　therefore　he　would　smile；　and　tried　to　do　so；　but　his　charity　prepense　looked　no　more　alluring　than　malice　prepense　would　have　done；　and；　had　he　not　been　really　a　handsome　fellow；　many　a　woman　who　raved　about　his　sweetness　would　have　likened　his　frankness　to　that　of　a　skeleton　dancing　in　fetters；　and　his　smiles　to　the　grins　thereof。

He　had　returned　to　England　about　a　month　before；　in　obedience　to　the　proclamation　which　had　been　set　forth　for　that　purpose　（and　certainly　not　before　it　was　needed）；　that；　〃whosoever　had　children；　wards；　etc。；　in　the　parts　beyond　the　seas；　should　send　in　their　names　to　the　ordinary；　and　within　four　months　call　them　home　again。〃　　So　Eustace　was　now　staying　with　his　father　at　Chapel；　having；　nevertheless；　his　private　matters　to　transact　on　behalf　of　the　virtuous　society　by　whom　he　had　been　brought　up；　one　of　which　private　matters　had　brought　him　to　Bideford　the　night　before。

So　he　sat　down　beside　Amyas　on　the　pebbles；　and　looked　at　him　all　over　out　of　the　corners　of　his　eyes　very　gently；　as　if　he　did　not　wish　to　hurt　him；　or　even　the　flies　on　his　back；　and　Amyas　faced　right　round；　and　looked　him　full　in　the　face。　　with　the　heartiest　of　smiles；　and　held　out　a　lion's　paw；　which　Eustace　took　rapturously；　and　a　great　shaking　of　hands　ensued；　Amyas　gripping　with　a　great　round　fist；　and　a　quiet　quiver　thereof；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃I　AM　glad　to　see　you；〃　and　Eustace　pinching　hard　with　white；　straight　fingers；　and　sawing　the　air　violently　up　and　down；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃DON'T　YOU　SEE　how　glad　I　am　to　see　you？〃　　A　very　different　greeting　from　the　former。

〃Hold　hard；　old　lad；〃　said　Amyas；　〃before　you　break　my　elbow。　　And　where　do　you　come　from？〃

〃From　going　to　and　fro　in　the　earth；　and　from　walking　up　and　down　in　it；〃　said　he；　with　a　little　smile　and　nod　of　mysterious　self…　importance。

〃Like　the　devil；　eh？　　Well；　every　man　has　his　pattern。　　How　is　my　uncle？〃

Now；　if　there　was　one　man　on　earth　above　another；　of　whom　Eustace　Leigh　stood　in　dread；　it　was　his　cousin　Amyas。　　In　the　first　place；　he　knew　Amyas　could　have　killed　him　with　a　blow；　and　there　are　natures；　who；　instead　of　rejoicing　in　the　strength　of　men　of　greater　prowess　than　themselves；　look　at　such　with　irritation；　dread；　at　last；　spite；　expecting；　perhaps；　that　the　stronger　will　do　to　them　what　they　feel　they　might　have　done　in　his　place。　　Every　one；　perhaps；　has　the　same　envious；　cowardly　devil　haunting　about　his　heart；　but　the　brave　men；　though　they　be　very　sparrows；　kick　him　out；　the　cowards　keep　him；　and　foster　him；　and　so　did　poor　Eustace　Leigh。

Next；　he　could　not　help　feeling　that　Amyas　despised　him。　　They　had　not　met　for　three　years；　but　before　Amyas　went；　Eustace　never　could　argue　with　him；　simply　because　Amyas　treated　him　as　beneath　argument。　　No　doubt　he　was　often　rude　and　unfair　enough；　but　the　whole　mass　of　questions　concerning　the　unseen　world；　which　the　priests　had　stimulated　in　his　cousin's　mind　into　an　unhealthy　fungus　crop；　were　to　Amyas　simply；　as　he　expressed　it；　〃wind　and　moonshine；〃　and　he　treated　his　cousin　as　a　sort　of　harmless　lunatic；　and；　as　they　say　in　Devon；　〃half…baked。〃　　And　Eustace　knew　it；　and　knew；　too；　that　his　cousin　did　him　an　injustice。　　〃He　used　to　undervalue　me；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃let　us　see　whether　he　does　not　find　me　a　match　for　him　now。〃　　And　then　went　off　into　an　agony　of　secret　contrition　for　his　self…seeking　and　his　forgetting　that　〃the　glory　of　God；　and　not　his　own　exaltation；〃　was　the　object　of　his　existence。

There；　dear　readers；　Ex　pede　Herculem；　I　cannot　tire　myself　or　you　（especially　in　this　book）　with　any　wire…drawn　soul…dissections。　　I　have　tried　to　hint　to　you　two　opposite　sorts　of　men；the　one　trying　to　be　good　with　all　his　might　and　main；　according　to　certain　approved　methods　and　rules；　which　he　has　got　by　heart；　and　like　a　weak　oarsman；　feeling　and　fingering　his　spiritual　muscles　over　all　day；　to　see　if　they　are　growing；　the　other　not　even　knowing　whether　he　is　good　or　not；　but　just　doing　the　right　thing　without　thinking　about　it；　as　simply　as　a　little　child；　because　the　Spirit　of　God　is　with　him。　　If　you