westward ho-第63节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃And　where　is　La　Guayra？〃

〃Half　round　the　world；　on　the　coast　of　the　Spanish　Main。　　The　loveliest　place　on　earth；　and　the　loveliest　governor's　house；　in　a　forest　of　palms　at　the　foot　of　a　mountain　eight　thousand　feet　high：　I　shall　only　want　a　wife　there　to　be　in　paradise。〃

〃I　don't　doubt　that　you　may　persuade　some　fair　lady　of　Seville　to　accompany　you　thither；〃　said　Lady　Grenville。

〃Thanks；　gracious　madam：　but　the　truth　is；　that　since　I　have　had　the　bliss　of　knowing　English　ladies；　I　have　begun　to　think　that　they　are　the　only　ones　on　earth　worth　wooing。〃

〃A　thousand　thanks　for　the　compliment；　but　I　fear　none　of　our　free　English　maidens　would　like　to　submit　to　the　guardianship　of　a　duenna。　　Eh；　Rose？　how　should　you　like　to　be　kept　under　lock　and　key　all　day　by　an　ugly　old　woman　with　a　horn　on　her　forehead？〃

Poor　Rose　turned　so　scarlet　that　Lady　Grenville　knew　her　secret　on　the　spot；　and　would　have　tried　to　turn　the　conversation：　but　before　she　could　speak；　some　burgher's　wife　blundered　out　a　commonplace　about　the　jealousy　of　Spanish　husbands；　and　another；　to　make　matters　better；　giggled　out　something　more　true　than　delicate　about　West　Indian　masters　and　fair　slaves。

〃Ladies；〃　said　Don　Guzman；　reddening；　〃believe　me　that　these　are　but　the　calumnies　of　ignorance。　　If　we　be　more　jealous　than　other　nations；　it　is　because　we　love　more　passionately。　　If　some　of　us　abroad　are　profligate；　it　is　because　they；　poor　men；　have　no　helpmate；　which；　like　the　amethyst；　keeps　its　wearer　pure。　　I　could　tell　you　stories；　ladies；　of　the　constancy　and　devotion　of　Spanish　husbands；　even　in　the　Indies；　as　strange　as　ever　romancer　invented。〃

〃Can　you？　　Then　we　challenge　you　to　give　us　one　at　least。〃

〃I　fear　it　would　be　too　long；　madam。〃

〃The　longer　the　more　pleasant；　senor。　　How　can　we　spend　an　hour　better　this　afternoon；　while　the　gentlemen　within　are　finishing　their　wine？〃

Story…telling；　in　those　old　times；　when　books　（and　authors　also；　lucky　for　the　public）　were　rarer　than　now；　was　a　common　amusement；　and　as　the　Spaniard's　accomplishments　in　that　line　were　well　known；　all　the　ladies　crowded　round　him；　the　servants　brought　chairs　and　benches；　and　Don　Guzman；　taking　his　seat　in　the　midst；　with　a　proud　humility；　at　Lady　Grenville's　feet；　began

〃Your　perfections；　fair　and　illustrious　ladies；　must　doubtless　have　heard；　ere　now；　how　Sebastian　Cabota；　some　forty…five　years　ago；　sailed　forth　with　a　commission　from　my　late　master；　the　Emperor　Charles　the　Fifth；　to　discover　the　golden　lands　of　Tarshish；　Ophir；　and　Cipango；　but　being　in　want　of　provisions；　stopped　short　at　the　mouth　of　that　mighty　South　American　river　to　which　he　gave　the　name　of　Rio　de　la　Plata；　and　sailing　up　it；　discovered　the　fair　land　of　Paraguay。　　But　you　may　not　have　heard　how；　on　the　bank　of　that　river；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Rio　Terceiro；　he　built　a　fort　which　men　still　call　Cabot's　Tower；　nor　have　you；　perhaps；　heard　of　the　strange　tale　which　will　ever　make　the　tower　a　sacred　spot　to　all　true　lovers。

〃For　when　he　returned　to　Spain　the　year　after；　he　left　in　his　tower　a　garrison　of　a　hundred　and　twenty　men；　under　the　command　of　Nuno　de　Lara；　Ruiz　Moschera；　and　Sebastian　da　Hurtado；　old　friends　and　fellow…soldiers　of　my　invincible　grandfather　Don　Ferdinando　da　Soto；　and　with　them　a　jewel；　than　which　Spain　never　possessed　one　more　precious；　Lucia　Miranda；　the　wife　of　Hurtado；　who；　famed　in　the　court　of　the　emperor　no　less　for　her　wisdom　and　modesty　than　for　her　unrivalled　beauty；　had　thrown　up　all　the　pomp　and　ambition　of　a　palace；　to　marry　a　poor　adventurer；　and　to　encounter　with　him　the　hardships　of　a　voyage　round　the　world。　　Mangora；　the　cacique　of　the　neighboring　Timbuez　Indians　（with　whom　Lara　had　contrived　to　establish　a　friendship）；　cast　his　eyes　on　this　fair　creature；　and　no　sooner　saw　than　he　coveted；　no　sooner　coveted　than　he　plotted；　with　the　devilish　subtilty　of　a　savage；　to　seize　by　force　what　he　knew　he　could　never　gain　by　right。　　She　soon　found　out　his　passion　（she　was　wise　enoughwhat　every　woman　is　notto　know　when　she　is　loved）；　and　telling　her　husband；　kept　as　much　as　she　could　out　of　her　new　lover's　sight；　while　the　savage　pressed　Hurtado　to　come　and　visit　him；　and　to　bring　his　lady　with　him。　　Hurtado；　suspecting　the　snare；　and　yet　fearing　to　offend　the　cacique；　excused　himself　courteously　on　the　score　of　his　soldier's　duty；　and　the　savage；　mad　with　desire　and　disappointment；　began　plotting　against　Hurtado's　life。

〃So　went　on　several　weeks；　till　food　grew　scarce；　and　Don　Hurtado　and　Don　Ruiz　Moschera；　with　fifty　soldiers；　were　sent　up　the　river　on　a　foraging　party。　　Mangora　saw　his　opportunity；　and　leapt　at　it　forthwith。

〃The　tower；　ladies；　as　I　have　heard　from　those　who　have　seen　it；　stands　on　a　knoll　at　the　meeting　of　the　two　rivers；　while　on　the　land　side　stretches　a　dreary　marsh；　covered　with　tall　grass　and　bushes；　a　fit　place　for　the　ambuscade　of　four　thousand　Indians；　which　Mangora；　with　devilish　cunning；　placed　around　the　tower；　while　he　himself　went　boldly　up　to　it；　followed　by　thirty　men；　laden　with　grain；　fruit；　game；　and　all　the　delicacies　which　his　forests　could　afford。

〃There；　with　a　smiling　face；　he　told　the　unsuspecting　Lara　his　sorrow　for　the　Spaniards'　want　of　food；　besought　him　to　accept　the　provision　he　had　brought；　and　was；　as　he　had　expected；　invited　by　Lara　to　come　in　and　taste　the　wines　of　Spain。

〃In　went　he　and　his　thirty　fellow…bandits；　and　the　feast　continued；　with　songs　and　libations；　far　into　the　night；　while　Mangora　often　looked　round；　and　at　last　boldly　asked　for　the　fair　Miranda：　but　she　had　shut　herself　into　her　lodging；　pleading　illness。

〃A　plea；　fair　ladies；　which　little　availed　that　hapless　dame；　for　no　sooner　had　the　Spaniards　retired　to　rest；　leaving　（by　I　know　not　what　madness）　Mangora　and　his　Indians　within；　than　they　were　awakened　by　the　cry　of　fire；　the　explosion　of　their　magazine；　and　the　inward　rush　of　the　four　thousand　from　the　marsh　outside。

〃Why　pain　your　gentle　ears　with　details　of　slaughter？　　A　few　fearful　minutes　sufficed　to　exterminate　my　bewildered　and　unarmed　countrymen；　to　bind　the　only　survivors；　Miranda　（innocent　cause　of　the　whole　tragedy）　and　four　other　women　with　their　infants；　and　to　lead　them　away　in　triumph　across　the　forest　towards　the　Indian　town。

〃Stunned　by　the　suddenness　of　the　evils　which　had　passed；　and　still　more　by　the　thought　of　those　worse　which　were　to　come　（as　she　too　well　foresaw）；　Miranda　travelled　all　night　through　the　forest；　and　was　brought　in　triumph　at　day…dawn　before　the　Indian　king　to　receive　her　doom。　　Judge　of　her　astonishment；　when；　on　looking　up；　she　saw　that　he　was　not　Mangora。

〃A　ray　of　hope　flashed　across　her；　and　she　asked　where　he　was。

〃'He　was　slain　last　night；'　said　the　king；　'and　I；　his　brother　Siripa；　am　now　cacique　of　the　Timbuez。'

〃It　was　true；　Lara；　maddened　with　drink；　rage；　and　wounds；　had　caught　up　his　sword；　rushed　into　the　thick　of　the　fight；　singled　out　the　traitor；　and　slain　him　on　the　spot；　and　then；　forgetting　safety　in　revenge；　had　continued　to　plunge　his　sword　into　the　corpse；　heedless　of　the　blows　of　the　savages；　till　he　fell　pierced　with　a　hundred　wounds。

〃A　ray　of　hope；　as　I　said；　flashed　across　the　wretched　Miranda　for　a　moment；　but　the　next　she　found　that　she　had　been　freed　from　one　bandit　only　to　be　delivered　to　another。

〃'Yes；'　said　the　new　king；　in　broken　Spanish；　'my　brother　played　a　bold　stake；　and　lost　it；　but　it　was　well　worth　the　risk；　and　he　showed　his　wisdom　thereby。　　You　cannot　be　his　queen　now：　you　must　content　yourself　with　being　mine。'

〃Miranda；　desperate；　answered　him　with　every　fierce　taunt　which　she　could　invent　against　his　treachery　and　his　crime；　and　asked　him；　how　he　came　to　dream　that　the　wife　of　a　Christian　Spaniard　would　condescend　to　become　the　mistress　of　a　heathen　savage；　hoping；　unhappy　lady；　to　exasperate　him　into　killing　her　on　the　spot。　　But　in　vain；　she　only　prolonged　thereby　her　own　misery。　　For；　whether　it　was；　ladies；　that　the　novel　sight　of　divine　virtue　and　beauty　awed　（as　it　may　have　awed　me　ere　now）；　where　it　had　just　before　maddened；　or　whether　some　dream　crossed　the　savage　（as　it　may　have　crossed　me　ere　now）；　that　he　could　make　the　wisdom　of　a　mortal　angel　help　his　ambition；　as　well　as　her　beauty　his　happiness；　or　whether　（which　I　will　never　believe　of　one　of　those　dark　children　of　the　devil；　though　I　can　boldly　assert　it　of　myself）　some　spark　of　boldness　within　him　made　him　too　proud　to　take　by　force　what　he　could　not　win　by　persuasion；　certain　it　is；　as　the　Indians　themselves　confessed　afterwards；　that　the　savage　only　answered　her　by　smiles；　and　bidding　his　men　unbind　her；　told　her　that　she　was　no　slave　of　his；　and　that　it　only　lay　with　her　to　become　the　sovereign　of　him　and　all　his　vassals；　assigned　her　a　hut　to　herself；　loaded　her　with　savage　ornaments；　and　for　several　weeks　treated　her　with　no　less　courtesy　（so　miraculous　is　the　power　of　love）　than　if　he　had　been　a　cavalier　of　Castile。

〃Three　months　and　more；　ladies；　as　I　have　heard；　passed　in　this　misery；　and　every　day　Miranda　grew　more　desperate　of　all　deliverance；　and　saw　staring　her　in　the　face；　nearer　and　nearer；　some　hideous　and　shameful　end；　when　one　day　going　down　with　the　wives　of　the　cac