westward ho-第25节

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〃Ah；〃　said　Cary；　〃there；　as　in　Ireland；　we　are　proving　her　majesty's　saying　true；　that　Devonshire　is　her　right　hand；　and　the　young　children　thereof　like　the　arrows　in　the　hand　of　the　giant。〃

〃They　may　well　be；〃　said　his　son；　〃when　some　of　them　are　giants　themselves；　like　my　tall　school…fellow　opposite。〃

〃He　will　be　up　and　doing　again　presently；　I'll　warrant　him；〃　said　old　Cary。

〃And　that　I　shall；〃　quoth　Amyas。　　〃I　have　been　devising　brave　deeds；　and　see　in　the　distance　enchanters　to　be　bound；　dragons　choked；　empires　conquered；　though　not　in　Holland。〃

〃You　do？〃　asked　Will；　a　little　sharply；　for　he　had　had　a　half　suspicion　that　more　was　meant　than　met　the　ear。

〃Yes；〃　said　Amyas；　turning　off　his　jest　again；　〃I　go　to　what　Raleigh　calls　the　Land　of　the　Nymphs。　　Another　month；　I　hope；　will　see　me　abroad　in　Ireland。〃

〃Abroad？　　Call　it　rather　at　home；〃　said　old　Cary；　〃for　it　is　full　of　Devon　men　from　end　to　end；　and　you　will　be　among　friends　all　day　long。　　George　Bourchier　from　Tawstock　has　the　army　now　in　Munster；　and　Warham　St。　Leger　is　marshal；　George　Carew　is　with　Lord　Grey　of　Wilton　（Poor　Peter　Carew　was　killed　at　Glendalough）；　and　after　the　defeat　last　year；　when　that　villain　Desmond　cut　off　Herbert　and　Price；　the　companies　were　made　up　with　six　hundred　Devon　men；　and　Arthur　Fortescue　at　their　head；　so　that　the　old　county　holds　her　head　as　proudly　in　the　Land　of　Ire　as　she　does　in　the　Low　Countries　and　the　Spanish　Main。〃

〃And　where；〃　asked　Amyas；　〃is　Davils　of　Marsland；　who　used　to　teach　me　how　to　catch　trout；　when　I　was　staying　down　at　Stow？　　He　is　in　Ireland；　too；　is　he　not？〃

〃Ah；　my　lad；〃　said　Mr。　Cary；　〃that　is　a　sad　story。　　I　thought　all　England　had　known　it。〃

〃You　forget；　sir；　I　am　a　stranger。　　Surely　he　is　not　dead？〃

〃Murdered　foully；　lad！　　Murdered　like　a　dog；　and　by　the　man　whom　he　had　treated　as　his　son；　and　who　pretended；　the　false　knave！　to　call　him　father。〃

〃His　blood　is　avenged？〃　said　Amyas；　fiercely。

〃No；　by　heaven；　not　yet！　　Stay；　don't　cry　out　again。　　I　am　getting　oldI　must　tell　my　story　my　own　way。　　It　was　last　July；was　it　not；　Will？Over　comes　to　Ireland　Saunders；　one　of　those　Jesuit　foxes；　as　the　Pope's　legate；　with　money　and　bulls；　and　a　banner　hallowed　by　the　Pope；　and　the　devil　knows　what　beside；　and　with　him　James　Fitzmaurice；　the　same　fellow　who　had　sworn　on　his　knees　to　Perrott；　in　the　church　at　Kilmallock；　to　be　a　true　liegeman　to　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　confirmed　it　by　all　his　saints；　and　such　a　world　of　his　Irish　howling；　that　Perrott　told　me　he　was　fain　to　stop　his　own　ears。　　Well；　he　had　been　practising　with　the　King　of　France；　but　got　nothing　but　laughter　for　his　pains；　and　so　went　over　to　the　Most　Catholic　King；　and　promises　him　to　join　Ireland　to　Spain；　and　set　up　Popery　again；　and　what　not。　　And　he；　I　suppose；　thinking　it　better　that　Ireland　should　belong　to　him　than　to　the　Pope's　bastard；　fits　him　out；　and　sends　him　off　on　such　another　errand　as　Stukely's；though　I　will　say；　for　the　honor　of　Devon；　if　Stukely　lived　like　a　fool；　he　died　like　an　honest　man。〃

〃Sir　Thomas　Stukely　dead　too？〃　said　Amyas。

〃Wait　a　while；　lad；　and　you　shall　have　that　tragedy　afterwards。　Well；　where　was　I？　　Oh；　Fitzmaurice　and　the　Jesuits　land　at　Smerwick；　with　three　ships；　choose　a　place　for　a　fort；　bless　it　with　their　holy　water；　and　their　moppings　and　their　scourings；　and　the　rest　of　it；　to　purify　it　from　the　stain　of　heretic　dominion；　but　in　the　meanwhile　one　of　the　Courtenays；a　Courtenay　of　Haccombe；　was　it？or　a　Courtenay　of　Boconnock？　　Silence；　Will；　I　shall　have　it　in　a　minuteyes；　a　Courtenay　of　Haccombe　it　was；　lying　at　anchor　near　by；　in　a　ship　of　war　of　his；　cuts　out　the　three　ships；　and　cuts　off　the　Dons　from　the　sea。　　John　and　James　Desmond；　with　some　small　rabble；　go　over　to　the　Spaniards。　　Earl　Desmond　will　not　join　them；　but　will　not　fight　them；　and　stands　by　to　take　the　winning　side；　and　then　in　comes　poor　Davils；　sent　down　by　the　Lord　Deputy　to　charge　Desmond　and　his　brothers；　in　the　queen's　name；　to　assault　the　Spaniards。　　Folks　say　it　was　rash　of　his　lordship：　but　I　say；　what　could　be　better　done？　　Every　one　knows　that　there　never　was　a　stouter　or　shrewder　soldier　than　Davils；　and　the　young　Desmonds；　I　have　heard　him　say　many　a　time；　used　to　look　on　him　as　their　father。　　But　he　found　out　what　it　was　to　trust　Englishmen　turned　Irish。　　Well；　the　Desmonds　found　out　on　a　sudden　that　the　Dons　were　such　desperate　Paladins；　that　it　was　madness　to　meddle；　though　they　were　five　to　one；　and　poor　Davils；　seeing　that　there　was　no　fight　in　them；　goes　back　for　help；　and　sleeps　that　night　at　some　place　called　Tralee。　　Arthur　Carter　of　Bideford；　St。　Leger's　lieutenant；　as　stout　an　old　soldier　as　Davils　himself；　sleeps　in　the　same　bed　with　him；　the　lacquey…boy；　who　is　now　with　Sir　Richard　at　Stow；　on　the　floor　at　their　feet。　　But　in　the　dead　of　night；　who　should　come　in　but　James　Desmond；　sword　in　hand；　with　a　dozen　of　his　ruffians　at　his　heels；　each　with　his　glib　over　his　ugly　face；　and　his　skene　in　his　hand。　　Davils　springs　up　in　bed；　and　asks　but　this；　'What　is　the　matter；　my　son？'　whereon　the　treacherous　villain；　without　giving　him　time　to　say　a　prayer；　strikes　at　him；　naked　as　he　was；　crying；　'Thou　shalt　be　my　father　no　longer；　nor　I　thy　son！　　Thou　shalt　die！'　and　at　that　all　the　rest　fall　on　him。　　The　poor　little　lad　（so　he　says）　leaps　up　to　cover　his　master　with　his　naked　body；　gets　three　or　four　stabs　of　skenes；　and　so　falls　for　dead；　with　his　master　and　Captain　Carter；　who　were　dead　indeedGod　reward　them！　　After　that　the　ruffians　ransacked　the　house；　till　they　had　murdered　every　Englishman　in　it；　the　lacquey…boy　only　excepted；　who　crawled　out；　wounded　as　he　was；　through　a　window；　while　Desmond；　if　you　will　believe　it；　went　back；　up　to　his　elbows　in　blood；　and　vaunted　his　deeds　to　the　Spaniards；　and　asked　them'There！　　Will　you　take　that　as　a　pledge　that　I　am　faithful　to　you？'　　And　that；　my　lad；　was　the　end　of　Henry　Davils；　and　will　be　of　all　who　trust　to　the　faith　of　wild　savages。〃

〃I　would　go　a　hundred　miles　to　see　that　Desmond　hanged！〃　said　Amyas；　while　great　tears　ran　down　his　face。　　〃Poor　Mr。　Davils！　　And　now；　what　is　the　story　of　Sir　Thomas？〃

〃Your　brother　must　tell　you　that；　lad；　I　am　somewhat　out　of　breath。〃

〃And　I　have　a　right　to　tell　it；〃　said　Frank；　with　a　smile。　　〃Do　you　know　that　I　was　very　near　being　Earl　of　the　bog　of　Allen；　and　one　of　the　peers　of　the　realm　to　King　Buoncompagna；　son　and　heir　to　his　holiness　Pope　Gregory　the　Thirteenth？〃

〃No；　surely！〃

〃As　I　am　a　gentleman。　　When　I　was　at　Rome　I　saw　poor　Stukely　often；　and　this　and　more　he　offered　me　on　the　part　（as　he　said）　of　the　Pope；　if　I　would　just　oblige　him　in　the　two　little　matters　of　being　reconciled　to　the　Catholic　Church；　and　joining　the　invasion　of　Ireland。〃

〃Poor　deluded　heretic；〃　said　Will　Cary；　〃to　have　lost　an　earldom　for　your　family　by　such　silly　scruples　of　loyalty！〃

〃It　is　not　a　matter　for　jesting；　after　all；〃　said　Frank；　〃but　I　saw　Sir　Thomas　often；　and　I　cannot　believe　he　was　in　his　senses；　so　frantic　was　his　vanity　and　his　ambition；　and　all　the　while；　in　private　matters　as　honorable　a　gentleman　as　ever。　　However；　he　sailed　at　last　for　Ireland；　with　his　eight　hundred　Spaniards　and　Italians；　and　what　is　more；　I　know　that　the　King　of　Spain　paid　their　charges。　　Marquis　VinolaJames　Buoncompagna；　that　isstayed　quietly　at　Rome；　preferring　that　Stukely　should　conquer　his　paternal　heritage　of　Ireland　for　him　while　he　took　care　of　the　bona　robas　at　home。　　I　went　down　to　Civita　Vecchia　to　see　him　off；　and　though　his　younger　by　many　years；　I　could　not　but　take　the　liberty　of　entreating　him；　as　a　gentleman　and　a　man　of　Devon；　to　consider　his　faith　to　his　queen　and　the　honor　of　his　country。　　There　were　high　words　between　us；　God　forgive　me　if　I　spoke　too　fiercely；　for　I　never　saw　him　again。〃

〃Too　fiercely　to　an　open　traitor；　Frank？　　Why　not　have　run　him　through？〃

〃Nay；　I　had　no　clean　life　for　Sundays；　Amyas；　so　I　could　not　throw　away　my　week…day　one；　and　as　for　the　weal　of　England；　I　knew　that　it　was　little　he　would　damage　it；　and　told　him　so。　　And　at　that　he　waxed　utterly　mad；　for　it　touched　his　pride；　and　swore　that　if　the　wind　had　not　been　fair　for　sailing；　he　would　have　fought　me　there　and　then；　to　which　I　could　only　answer；　that　I　was　ready　to　meet　him　when　he　would；　and　he　parted　from　me；　saying；　'It　is　a　pity；　sir；　I　cannot　fight　you　now；　when　next　we　meet；　it　will　be　beneath　my　dignity　to　measure　swords　with　you。'

〃I　suppose　he　expected　to　come　back　a　prince　at　leastHeaven　knows；　I　owe　him　no　ill…will；　nor　I　hope　does　any　man。　　He　has　paid　all　debts　now　in　full；　and　got　his　receipt　for　them。〃

〃How　did　he　die；　then；　after　all？〃

〃On　his　voyage　he　touched　in　Portugal。　　King　Sebastian　was　just　sailing　for　Africa　with　his　new　ally；　Mohammed　the　Prince　of　Fez；　to　help　King　Abdallah；　and　conquer　what　he　could。　　He　persuaded　Stukely　to　go　with　him。　　There　were　those　who　thought　that　he；　as　well　as　the　Spaniards；　had　no　stomach　for　seeing　the　Pope's　son　King　of　Ireland。　　Others　used　to　say　that　he　thought　an　island　too　small　for　his　ambition；　and　must　needs　conquer　a　continentI　know　not　why　it　was；　but　he　went。　　They　had　heavy　weather　in　the　passage；　and　when　they　landed；　many　o