westward ho- 第22部分

〃Then　let　them　fight　with　squirts　across　the　market…place；　for　by　heaven　and　the　queen's　laws；　they　shall　fight　with　nothing　else。〃

〃My　dear　Mr。　Cary；〃　went　on　Frank；　suddenly　changing　his　bantering　tone　to　one　of　the　most　winning　sweetness；　〃do　not　fancy　that　I　cannot　feel　for　you；　or　that　I；　as　well　as　you；　have　not　known　the　stings　of　love　and　the　bitterer　stings　of　jealousy。　　But　oh；　Mr。　Cary；　does　it　not　seem　to　you　an　awful　thing　to　waste　selfishly　upon　your　own　quarrel　that　divine　wrath　which；　as　Plato　says；　is　the　very　root　of　all　virtues；　and　which　has　been　given　you；　like　all　else　which　you　have；　that　you　may　spend　it　in　the　service　of　her　whom　all　bad　souls　fear；　and　all　virtuous　souls　adore；our　peerless　queen？　　Who　dares；　while　she　rules　England；　call　his　sword　or　his　courage　his　own；　or　any　one's　but　hers？　　Are　there　no　Spaniards　to　conquer；　no　wild　Irish　to　deliver　from　their　oppressors；　that　two　gentlemen　of　Devon　can　find　no　better　place　to　flesh　their　blades　than　in　each　other's　valiant　and　honorable　hearts？〃

〃By　heaven！〃　cried　Amyas；　〃Frank　speaks　like　a　book；　and　for　me；　I　do　think　that　Christian　gentlemen　may　leave　love　quarrels　to　bulls　and　rams。〃

〃And　that　the　heir　of　Clovelly；〃　said　Frank；　smiling；　〃may　find　more　noble　examples　to　copy　than　the　stags　in　his　own　deer…park。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Will；　penitently；　〃you　are　a　great　scholar；　Mr。　Frank；　and　you　speak　like　one；　but　gentlemen　must　fight　sometimes；　or　where　would　be　their　honor？〃

〃I　speak；〃　said　Frank；　a　little　proudly；　〃not　merely　as　a　scholar；　but　as　a　gentleman；　and　one　who　has　fought　ere　now；　and　to　whom　it　has　happened；　Mr。　Cary；　to　kill　his　man　（on　whose　soul　may　God　have　mercy）；　but　it　is　my　pride　to　remember　that　I　have　never　yet　fought　in　my　own　quarrel；　and　my　trust　in　God　that　I　never　shall。　　For　as　there　is　nothing　more　noble　and　blessed　than　to　fight　in　behalf　of　those　whom　we　love；　so　to　fight　in　our　own　private　behalf　is　a　thing　not　to　be　allowed　to　a　Christian　man；　unless　refusal　imports　utter　loss　of　life　or　honor；　and　even　then；　it　may　be　（though　I　would　not　lay　a　burden　on　any　man's　conscience）；　it　is　better　not　to　resist　evil；　but　to　overcome　it　with　good。〃

〃And　I　can　tell　you；　Will；〃　said　Amyas；　〃I　am　not　troubled　with　fear　of　ghosts；　but　when　I　cut　off　the　Frenchman's　head；　I　said　to　myself；　'If　that　braggart　had　been　slandering　me　instead　of　her　gracious　majesty；　I　should　expect　to　see　that　head　lying　on　my　pillow　every　time　I　went　to　bed　at　night。'〃

〃God　forbid！〃　said　Will；　with　a　shudder。　　〃But　what　shall　I　do？　for　to　the　market　tomorrow　I　will　go；　if　it　were　choke…full　of　Coffins；　and　a　ghost　in　each　coffin　of　the　lot。〃

〃Leave　the　matter　to　me；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃I　have　my　device；　as　well　as　scholar　Frank　here；　and　if　there　be；　as　I　suppose　there　must　be；　a　quarrel　in　the　market　to…morrow；　see　if　I　do　not〃

〃Well；　you　are　two　good　fellows；〃　said　Will。　　〃Let　us　have　another　tankard　in。〃

〃And　drink　the　health　of　Mr。　Coffin；　and　all　gallant　lads　of　the　North；〃　said　Frank；　〃and　now　to　my　business。　　I　have　to　take　this　runaway　youth　here　home　to　his　mother；　and　if　he　will　not　go　quietly；　I　have　orders　to　carry　him　across　my　saddle。〃

〃I　hope　your　nag　has　a　strong　back；　then；〃　said　Amyas；　〃but　I　must　go　on　and　see　Sir　Richard；　Frank。　　It　is　all　very　well　to　jest　as　we　have　been　doing；　but　my　mind　is　made　up。〃

〃Stop；〃　said　Cary。　　〃You　must　stay　here　tonight；　first；　for　good　fellowship's　sake；　and　next；　because　I　want　the　advice　of　our　Phoenix　here；　our　oracle；　our　paragon。　　There；　Mr。　Frank；　can　you　construe　that　for　me？　　Speak　low；　though；　gentlemen　both；　there　comes　my　father；　you　had　better　give　me　the　letter　again。　　Well；　father；　whence　this　morning？〃

〃Eh；　company　here？　　Young　men；　you　are　always　welcome；　and　such　as　you。　　Would　there　were　more　of　your　sort　in　these　dirty　times！　　How　is　your　good　mother；　Frank；　eh？　　Where　have　I　been；　Will？　　Round　the　house…farm；　to　look　at　the　beeves。　　That　sheeted　heifer　of　Prowse's　is　all　wrong；　her　coat　stares　like　a　hedgepig's。　　Tell　Jewell　to　go　up　and　bring　her　in　before　night。　　And　then　up　the　forty　acres；　sprang　two　coveys；　and　picked　a　leash　out　of　them。　The　Irish　hawk　flies　as　wild　as　any　haggard　still；　and　will　never　make　a　bird。　　I　had　to　hand　her　to　Tom；　and　take　the　little　peregrine。　　Give　me　a　Clovelly　hawk　against　the　world；　after　all；　andheigh　ho；　I　am　very　hungry！　　Half…past　twelve；　and　dinner　not　served？　　What；　Master　Amyas；　spoiling　your　appetite　with　strong　ale？　　Better　have　tried　sack；　lad；　have　some　now　with　me。〃

And　the　worthy　old　gentleman；　having　finished　his　oration；　settled　himself　on　a　great　bench　inside　the　chimney；　and　put　his　hawk　on　a　perch　over　his　head；　while　his　cockers　coiled　themselves　up　close　to　the　warm　peat…ashes；　and　his　son　set　to　work　to　pull　off　his　father's　boots；　amid　sundry　warnings　to　take　care　of　his　corns。

〃Come；　Master　Amyas；　a　pint　of　white　wine　and　sugar；　and　a　bit　of　a　shoeing…horn　to　it　ere　we　dine。　　Some　pickled　prawns；　now；　or　a　rasher　off　the　coals；　to　whet　you？〃

〃Thank　you；〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃but　I　have　drunk　a　mort　of　outlandish　liquors；　better　and　worse；　in　the　last　three　years；　and　yet　never　found　aught　to　come　up　to　good　ale；　which　needs　neither　shoeing…　horn　before　nor　after；　but　takes　care　of　itself；　and　of　all　honest　stomachs　too；　I　think。〃

〃You　speak　like　a　book；　boy；〃　said　old　Cary；　〃and　after　all；　what　a　plague　comes　of　these　newfangled　hot　wines；　and　aqua　vitaes；　which　have　come　in　since　the　wars；　but　maddening　of　the　brains；　and　fever　of　the　blood？〃

〃I　fear　we　have　not　seen　the　end　of　that　yet；〃　said　Frank。　　〃My　friends　write　me　from　the　Netherlands　that　our　men　are　falling　into　a　swinish　trick　of　swilling　like　the　Hollanders。　　Heaven　grant　that　they　may　not　bring　home　the　fashion　with　them。〃

〃A　man　must　drink；　they　say；　or　die　of　the　ague；　in　those　vile　swamps；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃When　they　get　home　here；　they　will　not　need　it。〃

〃Heaven　grant　it；〃　said　Frank；　〃I　should　be　sorry　to　see　Devonshire　a　drunken　county；　and　there　are　many　of　our　men　out　there　with　Mr。　Champernoun。〃

〃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　so