westward ho-第39节

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erate　and　fordone；　and　every　one　looked　the　other　in　the　face　for　a　long　while。　　After　which　I　took　off　the　bark　of　those　ferns；　for　I　must　needs　be　doing　something　to　drive　away　thought；　and　began　to　plait　slippers　for　the　little　maid。

〃And　as　I　was　plaiting；　Mr。　Oxenham　said；　'What　hinders　us　from　dying　like　men；　every　man　falling　on　his　own　sword？'　　To　which　I　answered　that　I　dare　not；　for　a　wise　woman　had　prophesied　of　me；　sirs；　that　I　should　die　at　sea；　and　yet　neither　by　water　or　battle；　wherefore　I　did　not　think　right　to　meddle　with　the　Lord's　purposes。　And　William　Penberthy　said；　'That　he　would　sell　his　life；　and　that　dear；　but　never　give　it　away。'　　But　the　lady　said；　'Ah；　how　gladly　would　I　die！　but　then　la　paouvre　garse；'　which　is　in　French　'the　poor　maid；'　meaning　the　little　one。　　Then　Mr。　Oxenham　fell　into　a　very　great　weeping；　a　weakness　I　never　saw　him　in　before　or　since；　and　with　many　tears　besought　me　never　to　desert　that　little　maid；　whatever　might　befall；　which　I　promised；　swearing　to　it　like　a　heathen；　but　would；　if　I　had　been　able；　have　kept　it　like　a　Christian。　　But　on　a　sudden　there　was　a　great　cry　in　the　wood；　and　coming　through　the　trees　on　all　sides　Spanish　arquebusiers；　a　hundred　strong　at　least；　and　negroes　with　them；　who　bade　us　stand　or　they　would　shoot。　　William　Penberthy　leapt　up；　crying　'Treason！'　and　running　upon　the　nearest　negro　ran　him　through；　and　then　another；　and　then　falling　on　the　Spaniards；　fought　manfully　till　he　was　borne　down　with　pikes；　and　so　died。　　But　I；　seeing　no　thing　better　to　do；　sate　still　and　finished　my　plaiting。　　And　so　we　were　all　taken；　and　I　and　Mr。　Oxenham　bound　with　cords；　but　the　soldiers　made　a　litter　for　the　lady　and　child；　by　commandment　of　Senor　Diego　de　Trees；　their　commander；　a　very　courteous　gentleman。

〃Well；　sirs；　we　were　brought　down　to　the　place　where　the　house　of　boughs　had　been　by　the　river…side；　there　we　went　over　in　boats；　and　found　waiting　for　us　certain　Spanish　gentlemen；　and　among　others　one　old　and　ill…favored　man；　gray…bearded　and　bent；　in　a　suit　of　black　velvet；　who　seemed　to　be　a　great　man　among　them。　　And　if　you　will　believe　me；　Mr。　Leigh；　that　was　none　other　than　the　old　man　with　the　gold　falcon　at　his　breast；　Don　Francisco　Xararte　by　name；　whom　you　found　aboard　of　the　Lima　ship。　　And　had　you　known　as　much　of　him　as　I　do；　or　as　Mr。　Oxenham　did　either；　you　had　cut　him　up　for　shark's　bait；　or　ever　you　let　the　cur　ashore　again。

〃Well；　sirs；　as　soon　as　the　lady　came　to　shore；　that　old　man　ran　upon　her　sword　in　hand；　and　would　have　slain　her；　but　some　there　held　him　back。　　On　which　he　turned　to；　and　reviled　with　every　foul　and　spiteful　word　which　he　could　think　of；　so　that　some　there　bade　him　be　silent　for　shame；　and　Mr。　Oxenham　said；　'It　is　worthy　of　you；　Don　Francisco；　thus　to　trumpet　abroad　your　own　disgrace。　　Did　I　not　tell　you　years　ago　that　you　were　a　cur；　and　are　you　not　proving　my　words　for　me？'

〃He　answered；　'English　dog；　would　to　Heaven　I　had　never　seen　you！'

〃And　Mr。　Oxenham；　'Spanish　ape；　would　to　Heaven　that　I　had　sent　my　dagger　through　your　herring…ribs　when　you　passed　me　behind　St。　Ildegonde's　church；　eight　years　last　Easter…eve。'　　At　which　the　old　man　turned　pale；　and　then　began　again　to　upbraid　the　lady；　vowing　that　he　would　have　her　burnt　alive；　and　other　devilish　words；　to　which　she　answered　at　last

〃'Would　that　you　had　burnt　me　alive　on　my　wedding　morning；　and　spared　me　eight　years　of　misery！'　　And　he

〃'Misery？　　Hear　the　witch；　senors！　　Oh；　have　I　not　pampered　her；　heaped　with　jewels；　clothes；　coaches；　what　not？　　The　saints　alone　know　what　'I　have　spent　on　her。　　What　more　would　she　have　of　me？'

〃To　which　she　answered　only　but　this　one　word；　'Fool！'　but　in　so　terrible　a　voice；　though　low；　that　they　who　were　about　to　laugh　at　the　old　pantaloon；　were　more　minded　to　weep　for　her。

〃'Fool！'　she　said　again；　after　a　while；　'I　will　waste　no　words　upon　you。　　I　would　have　driven　a　dagger　to　your　heart　months　ago；　but　that　I　was　loath　to　set　you　free　so　soon　from　your　gout　and　your　rheumatism。　　Selfish　and　stupid；　know　when　you　bought　my　body　from　my　parents；　you　did　not　buy　my　soul！　　Farewell；　my　love；　my　life！　and　farewell；　senors！　　May　you　be　more　merciful　to　your　daughters　than　my　parents　were　to　me！'　　And　so；　catching　a　dagger　from　the　girdle　of　one　of　the　soldiers；　smote　herself　to　the　heart；　and　fell　dead　before　them　all。

〃At　which　Mr。　Oxenham　smiled；　and　said；　'That　was　worthy　of　us　both。　　If　you　will　unbind　my　hands；　senors；　I　shall　be　most　happy　to　copy　so　fair　a　schoolmistress。'

〃But　Don　Diego　shook　his　head；　and　said

〃'It　were　well　for　you；　valiant　senor；　were　I　at　liberty　to　do　so；　but　on　questioning　those　of　your　sailors　whom　I　have　already　taken；　I　cannot　hear　that　you　have　any　letters　of　license；　either　from　the　queen　of　England；　or　any　other　potentate。　　I　am　compelled；　therefore；　to　ask　you　whether　this　is　so；　for　it　is　a　matter　of　life　and　death。'

〃To　which　Mr。　Oxenham　answered　merrily；　that　so　it　was：　but　that　he　was　not　aware　that　any　potentate's　license　was　required　to　permit　a　gentleman's　meeting　his　lady　love；　and　that　as　for　the　gold　which　they　had　taken；　if　they　had　never　allowed　that　fresh　and　fair　young　May　to　be　forced　into　marrying　that　old　January；　he　should　never　have　meddled　with　their　gold；　so　that　was　rather　their　fault　than　his。　　And　added；　that　if　he　was　to　be　hanged；　as　he　supposed；　the　only　favor　which　he　asked　for　was　a　long　drop　and　no　priests。　　And　all　the　while；　gentlemen；　he　still　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　lady's　corpse；　till　he　was　led　away　with　me；　while　all　that　stood　by；　God　reward　them　for　it；　lamented　openly　the　tragical　end　of　those　two　sinful　lovers。

〃And　now；　sirs；　what　befell　me　after　that　matters　little；　for　I　never　saw　Captain　Oxenham　again；　nor　ever　shall　in　this　life。〃

〃He　was　hanged；　then？〃

〃So　I　heard　for　certain　the　next　year；　and　with　him　the　gunner　and　sundry　more：　but　some　were　given　away　for　slaves　to　the　Spaniards；　and　may　be　alive　now；　unless；　like　me；　they　have　fallen　into　the　cruel　clutches　of　the　Inquisition。　　For　the　Inquisition　now；　gentlemen；　claims　the　bodies　and　souls　of　all　heretics　all　over　the　world　（as　the　devils　told　me　with　their　own　lips；　when　I　pleaded　that　I　was　no　Spanish　subject）；　and　none　that　it　catches；　whether　peaceable　merchants　or　shipwrecked　mariners；　but　must　turn　or　burn。〃

〃But　how　did　you　get　into　the　Inquisition？〃

〃Why；　sir；　after　we　were　taken；　we　set　forth　to　go　down　the　river　again；　and　the　old　Don　took　the　little　maid　with　him　in　one　boat　（and　bitterly　she　screeched　at　parting　from　us　and　from　the　poor　dead　corpse）；　and　Mr。　Oxenham　with　Don　Diego　de　Trees　in　another；　and　I　in　a　third。　　And　from　the　Spaniards　I　learnt　that　we　were　to　be　taken　down　to　Lima；　to　the　Viceroy；　but　that　the　old　man　lived　hard　by　Panama；　and　was　going　straight　back　to　Panama　forthwith　with　the　little　maid。　　But　they　said；　'It　will　be　well　for　her　if　she　ever　gets　there；　for　the　old　man　swears　she　is　none　of　his；　and　would　have　left　her　behind　him　in　the　woods；　now；　if　Don　Diego　had　not　shamed　him　out　of　it。'　　And　when　I　heard　that；　seeing　that　there　was　nothing　but　death　before　me；　I　made　up　my　mind　to　escape；　and　the　very　first　night；　sirs；　by　God's　help；　I　did　it；　and　went　southward　away　into　the　forest；　avoiding　the　tracks　of　the　Cimaroons；　till　I　came　to　an　Indian　town。　　And　there；　gentlemen；　I　got　more　mercy　from　heathens　than　ever　I　had　from　Christians；　for　when　they　found　that　I　was　no　Spaniard；　they　fed　me　and　gave　me　a　house；　and　a　wife　（and　a　good　wife　she　was　to　me）；　and　painted　me　all　over　in　patterns；　as　you　see；　and　because　I　had　some　knowledge　of　surgery　and　blood…letting；　and　my　fleams　in　my　pocket；　which　were　worth　to　me　a　fortune；　I　rose　to　great　honor　among　them；　though　they　taught　me　more　of　simples　than　ever　I　taught　them　of　surgery。　　So　I　lived　with　them　merrily　enough；　being　a　very　heathen　like　them；　or　indeed　worse；　for　they　worshipped　their　Xemes；　but　I　nothing。　　And　in　time　my　wife　bare　me　a　child；　in　looking　at　whose　sweet　face；　gentlemen；　I　forgot　Mr。　Oxenham　and　his　little　maid；　and　my　oath；　ay；　and　my　native　land　also。　　Wherefore　it　was　taken　from　me；　else　had　I　lived　and　died　as　the　beasts　which　perish；　for　one　night；　after　we　were　all　lain　down；　came　a　noise　outside　the　town；　and　I　starting　up　saw　armed　men　and　calivers　shining　in　the　moonlight；　and　heard　one　read　in　Spanish；　with　a　loud　voice；　some　fool's　sermon；　after　their　custom　when　they　hunt　the　poor　Indians；　how　God　had　given　to　St。　Peter　the　dominion　of　the　whole　earth；　and　St。　Peter　again　the　Indies　to　the　Catholic　king；　wherefore；　if　they　would　all　be　baptized　and　serve　the　Spaniard；　they　should　have　some　monkey's　allowance　or　other　of　more　kicks　than　pence；　and　if　not；　then　have　at　them　with　fire　and　sword；　but　I　dare　say　your　worships　know　that　devilish　trick　of　theirs　better　than　I。〃

〃I　know　it；　man。　　Go　on。〃

〃Wellno　sooner　were　the　words　spoken　than；　without　waiting　to　hear　what　the　poor　innocents　within　would　answer　（though　that　mattered　little；　for　they　understood　not　one　word　of　it）；　what　do　the　villains　but　let　fly　right　into　the　town　with　their　calivers；　and　then　rush　in；　sword　in　hand；　killing　pell…mell　all　they　met；