westward ho-第76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！




　　　　　〃Some　natural　tears　she　shed；　but　dried　them　soon〃


as　many　of　them；　at　least；　as　were　not　required　for　purposes　of　business；　and　then　determined　to　prevent　suspicion　by　a　bold　move；　she　started　off　to　Stow；　and　told　Lady　Grenville　a　most　pathetic　tale：　how　her　husband　had　gone　out　to　pollock　fishing；　and　never　returned：　but　how　she　had　heard　horsemen　gallop　past　her　window　in　the　dead　of　night；　and　was　sure　they　must　have　been　the　Jesuits；　and　that　they　had　carried　off　her　old　man　by　main　force；　and　probably；　after　making　use　of　his　services；　had　killed　and　salted　him　down　for　provision　on　their　voyage　back　to　the　Pope　at　Rome；　after　which　she　ended　by　entreating　protection　against　those　〃Popish　skulkers　up　to　Chapel；〃　who　were　sworn　to　do　her　a　mischief；　and　by　an　appeal　to　Lady　Grenville's　sense　of　justice；　as　to　whether　the　queen　ought　not　to　allow　her　a　pension；　for　having　had　her　heart's　love　turned　into　a　sainted　martyr　by　the　hands　of　idolatrous　traitors。

Lady　Grenville　（who　had　a　great　opinion　of　Lucy's　medical　skill；　and　always　sent　for　her　if　one　of　the　children　had　a　〃housty；〃　i。　e。　sore　throat）　went　forth　and　pleaded　the　case　before　Sir　Richard　with　such　effect；　that　Lucy　was　on　the　whole　better　off　than　ever　for　the　next　two　or　three　years。　　But　nowwhat　had　she　to　do　with　Rose's　disappearance？　and；　indeed；　where　was　she　herself？　　Her　door　was　fast；　and　round　it　her　flock　of　goats　stood；　crying　in　vain　for　her　to　come　and　milk　them；　while　from　the　down　above；　her　donkeys；　wandering　at　their　own　sweet　will；　answered　the　bay　of　the　bloodhound　with　a　burst　of　harmony。

〃They'm　laughing　at　us；　keper；　they　neddies；　sure　enough；　we'm　lost　our　labor　here。〃

But　the　bloodhound；　after　working　about　the　door　a　while；　turned　down　the　glen；　and　never　stopped　till　he　reached　the　margin　of　the　sea。

〃They'm　taken　water。　　Let's　go　back；　and　rout　out　the　old　witch's　house。〃

〃'Tis　just　like　that　old　Lucy；　to　lock　a　poor　maid　into　shame。〃

And　returning；　they　attacked　the　cottage；　and　by　a　general　plebiscitum；　ransacked　the　little　dwelling；　partly　in　indignation；　and　partly；　if　the　truth　be　told；　in　the　hope　of　plunder；　but　plunder　there　was　none。　　Lucy　had　decamped　with　all　her　movable　wealth；　saving　the　huge　black　cat　among　the　embers；　who　at　the　sight　of　the　bloodhound　vanished　up　the　chimney　（some　said　with　a　strong　smell　of　brimstone）；　and　being　viewed　outside；　was　chased　into　the　woods；　where　she　lived；　I　doubt　not；　many　happy　years；　a　scourge　to　all　the　rabbits　of　the　glen。

The　goats　and　donkeys　were　driven　off　up　to　Stow；　and　the　mob　returned；　a　little　ashamed　of　themselves　when　their　brief　wrath　was　past；　and　a　little　afraid；　too；　of　what　Sir　Richard　might　say。

He；　when　he　returned；　sold　the　donkeys　and　goats；　and　gave　the　money　to　the　poor；　promising　to　refund　the　same；　if　Lucy　returned　and　gave　herself　up　to　justice。　　But　Lucy　did　not　return；　and　her　cottage；　from　which　the　neighbors　shrank　as　from　a　haunted　place；　remained　as　she　had　left　it；　and　crumbled　slowly　down　to　four　fern…　covered　walls；　past　which　the　little　stream　went　murmuring　on　from　pool　to　poolthe　only　voice；　for　many　a　year　to　come；　which　broke　the　silence　of　that　lonely　glen。

A　few　days　afterwards；　Sir　Richard；　on　his　way　from　Bideford　to　Stow；　looked　in　at　Clovelly　Court；　and　mentioned；　with　a　〃by　the　by；〃　news　which　made　Will　Cary　leap　from　his　seat　almost　to　the　ceiling。　　What　it　was　we　know　already。

〃And　there　is　no　clue？〃　asked　old　Cary；　for　his　son　was　speechless。

〃Only　this；　I　hear　that　some　fellow　prowling　about　the　cliffs　that　night　saw　a　pinnace　running　for　Lundy。〃

Will　rose；　and　went　hastily　out　of　the　room。

In　half　an　hour　he　and　three　or　four　armed　servants　were　on　board　a　trawling…skiff；　and　away　to　Lundy。　　He　did　not　return　for　three　days；　and　then　brought　news：　that　an　elderly　man；　seemingly　a　foreigner；　had　been　lodging　for　some　months　past　in　a　part　of　the　ruined　Moresco　Castle；　which　was　tenanted　by　one　John　Braund；　that　a　few　weeks　since　a　younger　man；　a　foreigner　also；　had　joined　him　from　on　board　a　ship：　the　ship　a　Flushinger；　or　Easterling　of　some　sort。　　The　ship　came　and　went　more　than　once；　and　the　young　man　in　her。　　A　few　days　since；　a　lady　and　her　maid；　a　stout　woman；　came　with　him　up　to　the　castle；　and　talked　with　the　elder　man　a　long　while　in　secret；　abode　there　all　night；　and　then　all　three　sailed　in　the　morning。　　The　fishermen　on　the　beach　had　heard　the　young　man　call　the　other　father。　　He　was　a　very　still　man；　much　as　a　mass…　priest　might　be。　　More　they　did　not　know；　or　did　not　choose　to　know。

Whereon　old　Cary　and　Sir　Richard　sent　Will　on　a　second　trip　with　the　parish　constable　of　Hartland　（in　which　huge　parish；　for　its　sins；　is　situate　the　Isle　of　Lundy；　ten　miles　out　at　sea）；　who　returned　with　the　body　of　the　hapless　John　Braund；　farmer；　fisherman；　smuggler；　etc。；　which　worthy；　after　much　fruitless　examination　（wherein　examinate　was　afflicted　with　extreme　deafness　and　loss　of　memory）；　departed　to　Exeter　gaol；　on　a　charge　of　〃harboring　priests；　Jesuits；　gipsies；　and　other　suspect　and　traitorous　persons。〃

Poor　John　Braund；　whose　motive　for　entertaining　the　said　ugly　customers　had　probably　been　not　treason；　but　a　wife；　seven　children；　and　arrears　of　rent；　did　not　thrive　under　the　change　from　the　pure　air　of　Lundy　to　the　pestiferous　one　of　Exeter　gaol；　made　infamous；　but　two　years　after　（if　I　recollect　right）；　by　a　〃black　assizes；〃　nearly　as　fatal　as　that　more　notorious　one　at　Oxford；　for　in　it；　〃whether　by　the　stench　of　the　prisoners；　or　by　a　stream　of　foul　air；〃　judge；　jury；　counsel；　and　bystanders；　numbering　among　them　many　members　of　the　best　families　in　Devon；　sickened　in　court；　and　died　miserably　within　a　few　days。

John　Braund；　then；　took　the　gaol…fever　in　a　week；　and　died　raving　in　that　noisome　den：　his　secret；　if　he　had　one；　perished　with　him；　and　nothing　but　vague　suspicion　was　left　as　to　Rose　Salterne's　fate。　　That　she　had　gone　off　with　the　Spaniard；　few　doubted；　but　whither；　and　in　what　character？　　On　that　last　subject；　be　sure；　no　mercy　was　shown　to　her　by　many　a　Bideford　dame；　who　had　hated　the　poor　girl　simply　for　her　beauty；　and　by　many　a　country　lady；　who　had　〃always　expected　that　the　girl　would　be　brought　to　ruin　by　the　absurd　notice；　beyond　what　her　station　had　a　right　to；　which　was　taken　of　her；〃　while　every　young　maiden　aspired　to　fill　the　throne　which　Rose　had　abdicated。　　So　that；　on　the　whole；　Bideford　considered　itself　as　going　on　as　well　without　poor　Rose　as　it　had　done　with　her；　or　even　better。　　And　though　she　lingered　in　some　hearts　still　as　a　fair　dream；　the　business　and　the　bustle　of　each　day　soon　swept　that　dream　away；　and　her　place　knew　her　no　more。

And　Will　Cary？

He　was　for　a　while　like　a　man　distracted。　　He　heaped　himself　with　all　manner　of　superfluous　reproaches；　for　having　（as　he　said）　first　brought　the　Rose　into　disgrace；　and　then　driven　her　into　the　arms　of　the　Spaniard；　while　St。　Leger；　who　was　a　sensible　man　enough；　tried　in　vain　to　persuade　him　that　the　fault　was　not　his　at　all；　that　the　two　must　have　been　attached　to　each　other　long　before　the　quarrel；　that　it　must　have　ended　so；　sooner　or　later；　that　old　Salterne's　harshness；　rather　than　Cary's　wrath；　had　hastened　the　catastrophe；　and　finally；　that　the　Rose　and　her　fortunes　were；　now　that　she　had　eloped　with　a　Spaniard；　not　worth　troubling　their　heads　about。　　Poor　Will　would　not　be　so　comforted。　　He　wrote　off　to　Frank　at　Whitehall；　telling　him　the　whole　truth；　calling　himself　all　fools　and　villains；　and　entreating　Frank's　forgiveness；　to　which　he　received　an　answer；　in　which　Frank　said　that　Will　had　no　reason　to　accuse　himself；　that　these　strange　attachments　were　due　to　a　synastria；　or　sympathy　of　the　stars；　which　ruled　the　destinies　of　each　person；　to　fight　against　which　was　to　fight　against　the　heavens　themselves；　that　he；　as　a　brother　of　the　Rose；　was　bound　to　believe；　nay；　to　assert　at　the　sword's　point　if　need　were；　that　the　incomparable　Rose　of　Torridge　could　make　none　but　a　worthy　and　virtuous　choice；　and　that　to　the　man　whom　she　had　honored　by　her　affection　was　due　on　their　part；　Spaniard　and　Papist　though　he　might　be；　all　friendship；　worship；　and　loyal　faith　for　evermore。

And　honest　Will　took　it　all　for　gospel；　little　dreaming　what　agony　of　despair；　what　fearful　suspicions；　what　bitter　prayers；　this　letter　had　cost　to　the　gentle　heart　of　Francis　Leigh。

He　showed　the　letter　triumphantly　to　St。　Leger；　and　he　was　quite　wise　enough　to　gainsay　no　word　of　it；　at　least　aloud；　but　quite　wise　enough；　also；　to　believe　in　secret　that　Frank　looked　on　the　matter　in　quite　a　different　light；　however；　he　contented　himself　with　saying：

〃The　man　is　an　angel　as　his　mother　is！〃　and　there　the　matter　dropped　for　a　few　days；　till　one　came　forward　who　had　no　mind　to　let　it　drop；　and　that　was　Jack　Brimblecombe；　now　curate　of　Hartland　town；　and　〃passing　rich　on　forty　pounds　a　year。

〃I　hope　no　offence；　Mr。　William；　but　when　are　you　and　the　rest　going　afterafter　her？〃　　The　name　stuck　in　his　throat。

Cary　was　taken　aback。

〃What's　that　to　thee；　Catiline　the　blood…drinker？〃　asked　he；　trying　to　laugh　it　off。

〃What？　　Don't　laugh　at　me；　sir；　for　it's　no　laughing　matter。　　I　drank　that　nigh