第20章

类别:其他 作者:Sabatini, Rafael字数:13821更新时间:18/12/18 09:15:50
Theywerebravefellowsforallthemischieftheydidhere,andtheyseemedtohavelittleheartintheserviceofthePopishKing。Itwastheofficersdrovethemontoallthisdamage,andoncethey\'dstarted—well,therewereroguesamongstthemsawachanceofplunder,andtheytookit。Ihavesoughttoputtheplacetorights;buttheydidsomewoeful,wantonmischief。\" Wildingsighed。\"It\'slittlematter,perhaps,astheplaceisnolongermine。 \"No……nolongeryours,sir?\" \"I\'manattaintedoutlaw,Walters,\"heexplained。\"They\'llbestowitonsomePopishtime—server,unlessKingMonmouthcanfollowupbygreatervictoriesto—night\'s。Haveyouaughtamanmayeatordrink?\" Meatandwine,freshlinenandfreshgarmentsdidoldWaltersfindhim; andwhenhehadwashed,eaten,anddrunk,Mr。Wildingwrappedhimselfinadressing—gownandlaidhimselfdowntosleeponasettleinthelibrary,hisservantandhisdogonguard。 Notaboveanhour,however,washedestinedtoenjoyhishard—earnedrest。Thelighthadgrown,meanwhile,andfromgreyithadturnedgolden,theheraldsofthesunbeingalreadyintheeast。Inthedistancethefiringhaddieddowntoamereoccasionalboom。 SuddenlyoldWaltersraisedhisheadtolisten。Thebeatofhoofswasdrawingrapidlynear,sonearthatpresentlyheroseinalarm,forahorsemanwaspoundinguptheavenue,haddrawnreinatthemainentrance。 Waltersknithisbrowsinperplexity,andglancedathismasterwhosleptonutterlywornout。Asilentpausefollowed,lastingsomeminutes。Thenitwasthedogthatrosewithagrowl,hiscoatbristling,andaninstantlatertherecameasharprappingatthehaildoor。 \"Sh!Down,Jack!\"whisperedWalters,afraidofrousingMr。Wilding。Hetiptoedsoftlyacrosstheroom,pickeduphismusket,and,callingthedog,wentout,agreatfearinhisheart,butnotforhimself。 Therappingcontinued,growingeveryinstantmoreurgent,sourgentthatWalterswasalmostreassured。Herewasnoenemy,butsurelysomeoneinneed。Waltersopenedatlast,andMr。Trenchard,grimyoffaceandhands,hishatshornofitsplumes,hisclothestorn,staggeredwithanoathacrossthethreshold。 \"Walters!\"hecried。\"ThankGod!Ithoughtyou\'dbehere,butIwasn\'tcertain。Down,Jack!\" Thehoundwasbarkingmadlyagain,havingrecognizedanoldfriend。 \"Plagueonthedog!\"growledWalters。\"He\'llwakeMr。Wilding。\" \"Mr。Wilding?\"saidTrenchard,andcheckedmidwayacrossthehall。\"Mr。 Wilding?\" \"Hearrivedhereacoupleofhoursago,sir……\" \"Wildinghere?Oddsheart!Iwasmorethanwelladvisedtocome。Whereishe,man?\" \"Sh,sir!He\'sasleepinthelibrary。You\'llwakehim,you\'llwakehim!\" ButTrenchardneverpaused。Hecrossedthehailatabound,andflungwidethelibrarydoor。\"Anthony!\"heshouted。\"Anthony!\"AndinthebackgroundWalterscursedhimforafool。Wildingleapttohisfeet,awakeandstartled。 \"Wha……Nick!\" \"Oons!\"roaredNick。\"You\'rechoicelyfound。IcametosendtoBridgwaterforyou。Wemustawayatonce,man。\" \"How—away?Ithoughtyouwereinthefight,Nick。\" \"Anddon\'tIlookasifIhadbeen?\" \"Butthen…… \"Thefightisfoughtandlost;there\'sanendtothegarboil。Monmouthisinfullflightwithwhat\'slefthimofhishorse。WhenIquittedthefield,hewasridinghardforPoldenHill。\"Hedroppedintoachair,hisaccentsgrimanddespairing,hiseyeshaggard。 \"Lost?\"gaspedWilding,andhisconscienceprickedhimforamoment,rememberinghowmuchithadbeenhisfault—howeverindirectly—thatFevershamhadbeenforewarned。\"Buthowlost?\"hecriedamomentlater。 \"AskGrey,\"snappedTrenchard。\"Askhiscraven,numskulledlordship。 Hehadasgoodahandinlosingitasany。Oh,itwasallmostinfernallymishandled,ashasbeeneverythinginthisill—starredrising。 GreysentbackGodfrey,theguide,andattemptedinthedarktofindhisownwayacrosstherhine。Hemissedtheford。Whatelsecouldthefoolhavehoped?AndwhenhewasdiscoveredandDunbarton\'sgunsbegantoplayonus—hellandfire!weranasifSedgemoorhadbeenarace—course。 \"Therestwasbutthenaturalsequel。Thefoot,seeingourconfusion,broke。Theywereralliedagain;brokeagain;andagainwererallied; butalltoolate。Theenemywasup,andwiththatdamnedditchbetweenustherewasnogettingtoclosequarterswiththem。HadGreyriddenround,andsoughttoturntheirflank,thingsmighthavebeen—0God!— theywouldhavebeenentirelydifferent。Ididsuggestit。ButformypainsGreythreatenedtopistolmeifIpresumedtoinstructhiminhisduty。IwouldtoHeavenIhadpistolledhimwherehestood。\" Walters,atgazeinthedoorway,listenedtothebittertirade。Wilding,onthesettle,satsilentamoment,hiselbowsonhisknees,hischininhishands,hiseyessetandgrimasTrenchard\'sown。Thenhemasteredhimself,andwavedahandtowardsthetablewherestoodfoodandwine。 \"Eatanddrink,Nick,\"hesaid,`andwe\'lldiscusswhat\'stobedone。\" \"It\'llneedlittlediscussing,\"wasNick\'ssavageanswerasheroseandwenttopourhimselfacupofwine。\"There\'sbutonecourseopentous—instantflight。IamforMineheadtojoinHewling\'shorse,whichwentthereyesterdayforguns。Wemightseizeashipsomewhereonthecoast,andthusgetoutofthisinfernalcountryofmine。\" TheydiscussedthematterinspiteofTrenchard\'shavingsaidthattherewasnothingtodiscuss,andintheendWildingagreedtogowithhim。Whatchoicehadhe?ButfirsthemustgotoBridgwatertoreassurehiswife。 \"ToBridgwater?\"blazedTrenchard,inapassionatthefollyofthesuggestion。\"You\'reclearlymad!AlltheKing\'sforceswillbethereinanhourortwo。\" \"Nomatter,\"saidWilding,\"Imustgo。Iamdeadalready,asithappens。\"AndherelatedhissingularadventureinFeversham\'scamplastnight。 Trenchardheardhiminamazement。Ifanysuspicioncrossedhismindthathisfriend\'sloveaffairshadhadanythingtodowithrousingFevershamprematurely,heshowednosignofit。ButheshookhisheadatWilding\'sinsistencethathemustfirstgotoLuptonHouse。 \"Shaltsendamessage,Anthony。Walterswillfindsomeonetobearit。 Butyoumustnotgoyourself。\" IntheendMr。Trenchardprevaileduponhimtoadoptthiscourse,howeverreluctanthemightbe。Thereaftertheyproceededtomaketheirpreparations。Therewerestillacoupleofnagsinthestables,inspiteofthevisitationofthemilitia,andWalterswasabletofindfreshclothesforMr。Trenchardabove—stairs。 Ahalf—hourlatertheywerereadytosetoutonthisforlornhopeofescape;thehorseswereatthedoor,andMr。WildingwasintheactofdrawingonthefreshpairofbootswhichWaltershadfetchedhim。 Suddenlyhepaused,hisfootinthelegofhisrightboot,andsatbemusedamoment。 Trenchard,watchinghim,waxedimpatient。\"Whatailsyounow?\"hecroaked。 Withoutansweringhim,WildingturnedtoWalters。\"WherearethebootsIworelastnight?\"heasked,andhisvoicewassharp—oddlysharp,consideringhowtrivialthematterofhisspeech。 \"Inthekitchen,\"answeredWalters。 \"Fetchmethem。\"Andhekickedoffagaintheboothehadhalfdrawnon。 \"Buttheyareallbefouledwithmud,sir。\" \"Cleanthem,Walters;cleanthemandletmehavethem。\" StillWaltershesitated,pointingoutthatthebootshehadbroughthismasterwerenewerandsounder。Wildinginterruptedhimimpatiently。 \"DoasIbidyou,Walters。\"Andtheoldman,understandingnothing,wentoffontheerrand。 \"Apoxonyourboots!\"sworeTrenchard。\"Whatdoesthismean?\" Wildingseemedsuddenlytohaveundergoneatransformation。Hisgloomhadfallenfromhim。Helookedupathisoldfriendand,smiling,answeredhim。\"Itmeans,Nick,thatwhilsttheseexcellentbootsthatWalterswouldhavemewearmightbewellenoughforaridetothecoastsuchasyoupropose,theyarenotatallsuitedtothejourneyIintendtomake。\" \"Maybe,\"saidNickwithasniff,\"you\'reintendingtojourneytoTowerHill?\" \"Inthatdirection,\"answeredMr。Wildingsuavely。 \"IamforLondon,Nick。Andyoushallcomewithme。\" \"Godsaveus!Doyoukeepafool\'seggunderthatnestofhair?\" Wildingexplained,andbythetimeWaltersreturnedwiththebootsTrenchardwaswalkingupanddowntheroominanoddagitation。\"Oddsmylife,Tony!\"hecriedatlast。\"Ibelieveitisthebestthing。\" \"Theonlything,Nick。\" \"Andsinceallislost,why……\"Trenchardblewouthischeeksandsmackedfistintopalm。\"Iamwithyou,\"saidhe。 CHAPTERXXIV JUSTICE IthasfallentomylotinthecourseofthisveridicalchronicleofMr。 AnthonyWilding\'sconnectionwiththeRebellionintheWest,andofhisweddingandpost—nuptialwinningofRuthWestmacott,torelatecertainmattersofincidentandpersonalitythatmaybeaccountedstrange。Butthestrangestyetremainstoberelated。ForinspiteofallthathadpassedbetweenSirRowlandBlakeandtheWestmacottsonthatmemorablenightofSundaytoMonday,onwhichthebattleofSedgemoorwaslostandwon,towardstheendofthatsamemonthofJulywefindhimnotonlybackatLuptonHouse,butonceagaintheavowedsuitorofMr。Wilding\'swidow。Foreffronterythisisamatterofwhichitistobedoubtedwhetherhistoryfurnishesaparallel。Indeed,untilthecircumstancesaresifteditseemswildandincredible。Soletusconsiderthese。 OnthemorrowofSedgemoor,thetownofBridgwaterbecameinvested— infestedwerenowhittoostrongaword—bytheKing\'sforcesunderFevershamandtheodiousKirke,andtherebeganareignofterrorforthetown。Theprisonswerechokedwithattaintedandsuspectedrebels。 >FromBridgwatertoWestonZoylandtheroadwasbecomeanavenueofgallows,eachbearingitsrepulsivegemmace—ladenburden;fortheKing\'scommandswereunequivocal,andhangingwastheorderoftheday。 ItisnotmydesireatthisstagetosurfeityouwiththehorrorsthatwereperpetratedduringthathideousweekofJuly,whennoman\'slifewassafefromtheroyalbutchers。TheawfulcampaignofJeifreysandhisfourassociateswasyettofollow,butitisdoubtfulifitcouldcompareinruthlessnesswiththatofFevershamandKirke。Atleast,whenJeifreyscame,menweregivenatrial—orwhatlookedlikeit— andthereremainedthemachance,howeverslender,ofacquittal,asmanylivedtoprovethereafter。WithFevershamtherewasnosuchchance。AnditwasofthiscircumstancethatSirRowlandBlaketookthefullestandthecowardliestadvantage。 TherecanbenodoubtthatSirRowlandwasavillain。Itmightbeurgedforhimthathewasacreatureofcircumstance,andthathadcircumstancesbeenotheritispossiblehehadbeenacredittohisname。Buthewasweakincharacter,andoutofthatweaknesshehaddevelopedaHerculeanstrengthinvillainy。Failurehaddoggedhimineverythingheundertook。Brokenatthegaming—tables,houndedoutoftownbycreditors,hewasindesperatestraitstorepairhisfortunesand,aswehaveseen,hewasnotniceinhisendeavourstoachievethatend。 RuthWestmacott\'sfairinheritancehadseemedaneasythingtoconquer,andtoitsconquesthehadappliedhimselftosufferdefeatashehadsuffereditinallthingselse。ButSirRowlanddidnotyetacknowledgehimselfbeaten,andtheBridgwaterreignofterrordealthimafreshhand—ahandoftrumps。Withthishecameboldlytorenewthegame。 Hewasassmoothasoilatfirst,averypenitent,confessinghimselfmadinwhathehaddoneonthatSundaynight—madwithdespairandrageathavingbeendefeatedinthenobletasktowhichhehadturnedhishands。HispenitencemighthavehadlittleeffectupontheWestmacottshadhenotknownhowtoinsinuatethatitmightbebestforthemtolendaneartoit—andaforgivingone。 \"YouwilltellMr。Westmacott,Jasper,\"hehadsaid,whenJaspertoldhimthattheycouldnotreceivehim,\"thathewouldbeunwisenottoseeme,andthesametoMistressWilding。\" AndoldJasperhadcarriedhismessage,andhadtoldRichardofthewickedsmilethathadbeenonSirRowland\'slipswhenhehadutteredit。 NowRichardwasinmanywaysachangedmansincethatnightatWestonZoyland。Atransformationseemedtohavebeenwroughtinhimasoddasitwassudden,anditdatedfromthemomentwhenwithtearsinhiseyeshehadwrungWilding\'shandinfarewell。Whereprecepthadfailed,Richardfoundhimselfconvertedbyexample。Hecontrastedhimselfinthatstressfulhourwithgreat—souledAnthonyWilding,andsawhimselfashewas,aweakling,strongonlyinviciousways。Repentanceclaimedhim;repentanceandafineambitiontobeworthier,toresembleasnearlyashisnaturewouldallowhimthisAnthonyWildingwhomhetookforpattern。Hechangedhisways,abandoneddrinkandgaming,andgainedtherebyahealthiercountenance。Theninhiszealheovershothismark。HedevelopedatasteforScripture—reading,bethoughthimofprayers,andeventooktosayinggracetohismeat。Indeed—forconversion,whenitcomes,isafuriousthing—theswingofhissoul\'spendulumthreatenednowtocarryhimtoextremesofvirtueandpiety。 \"0Lord!\"hewouldcryascoreoftimesaday,\"Thouhastbroughtupmysoulfromthegrave;ThouhastkeptmealivethatIshouldnotgodowntothepit!\" Butunderlyingallthisremainedunfortunatelytheinherentweaknessofhisnature—indeed,itwasthatveryweaknessandmalleabilitymadethissuddenandwholesaleconversionpossible。 UponhearingSirRowland\'smessagehisheartfainted,despitehisgoodintentions,andheurgedthatperhapstheyhadbetterhearwhatthebaronetmighthavetosay。 ItwasthreedaysafterSedgemoorFight,andpoorRuthwaswornandexhaustedwithhergrief—believingWildingdead,forhehadsentnomessagetoinformherofhisalmostmiraculouspreservation。ThethinghewenttodoinLondonwasfraughtwithsuchperilthatheforesawbuttheslenderestchanceofescapingwithhislife。Therefore,hehadargued,whyconsolehernowwithnewsthathelived,wheninafewdaystheheadsmanmightprovethathisendhadbeenbutpostponed? Todosomightbetogivehercausetomournhimtwice。Againhewashauntedbythethoughtthat,inspiteofall,itmayhavebeenpitythathadsogrievouslymovedherattheirlastmeeting。Better,then,towait;betterforboththeirsakes。Ifhecamesafelythroughhisordealitwouldbetimeenoughtobearhernewsofhispreservation。 Indeepestmourning,verywhite,withdarkstainsbeneathhereyestotellthetaleofanguishedvigils,shereceivedSirRowlandinthewithdrawing—room,herbrotheratherside。Tohisexpressionsofdeeppenitencehefoundthemcold;sohepassedontoshowthemwhatdisastrousresultsmightensueuponastubbornmaintainingofthisattitudeoftheirstowardshim。 \"Ihavecome,\"hesaid,hiseyesdowncast,hisfacelong—drawn,forhecouldplaythesorrowfulwithanyhypocriteinEngland,\"todosomethingmorethanspeakofmygriefandregret。Ihavecometoofferproofofitbyservice。 \"Weasknoserviceofyou,sir,\"saidRuth,hervoiceaswordofsharpness。 Hesighed,andturnedtoRichard。\"Thiswerefolly,\"heassuredhiswhilomfriend。\"YouknowtheinfluenceIwield。\" \"DoI?\"quothRichard,histoneimplyingdoubt。\"YouthinkthatthebungledmatteratNewlington\'smayhaveshakenit?\"quothBlake。\"WithFeversham,perhaps。ButAlbemarle,remember,trustsmeveryfully。 Thereareuglyhappeningsinthetownhere。Menarebeinghunglikelinenonawashing—day。Benottoosurethatyourselfarefreefromalldanger。\"Richardpaledunderthebaronet\'sbaleful,half—sneeringglance。\"Benotintoogreathastetocastmeaside,foryoumayfindmeuseful。\" \"Doyouthreaten,sir?\"criedRuth。 \"Threaten?\"quothhe。Heturneduphiseyesandshowedthewhitesofthem。\"Isittothreatentopromiseyoumyprotection;toshowyouhowIcanserveyou?—thanwhichIasknosweeterboonofheaven。 Awordfromme,andRichardneedfearnothing。\" \"Heneedfearnothingwithoutthatword,\"saidRuthdisdainfully。\"SuchserviceashedidLordFevershamtheothernight……\" \"Issoonforgotten,\"Blakecutinadroitly。\"Indeed,`twillbemostconvenienttohislordshiptoforgetit。Thinkyouhewouldcaretohaveitknownthat`twastosuchachanceheowesthepreservationofhisarmy?\"Helaughed,andaddedinavoiceofmuchslymeaning,\"Thetimesarefullofperil。There\'sKirkeandhislambs。Andthere\'snosayinghowKirkemightactdidhechancetolearnwhatRichardfailedtodothatnightwhenhewaslefttoguardtherearatNewlington\'s!\" \"Wouldyouinformhimofit?\"criedRichard,betweenangerandalarm。 Blakethrustouthishandsinagestureofhorrifiedrepudiation。 \"Richard!\"hecriedindeepreproofandagain,\"Richard!\" \"Whatothertonguehashetofear?\"askedRuth。\"AmItheonlyonewhoknowsofit?\"criedBlake。\"Oh,madam,whywillyoueverdomesuchinjustice?Richardhasbeenmyfriend—mydearestfriend。Iwishhimsotocontinue,andIswearthatheshallfindmehis,asyoushallfindmeyours。 \"ItisaboonIcoulddispensewith,\"sheassuredhim,androse。\"Thistalkcanprofitlittle,SirRowland,\"saidshe。\"Youseektobargain。\" \"Youshallseehowunjustyouare,\"hecriedwithdeepsorrow。\"Itisbutfitting,perhaps,afterwhathaspassed。Itismypunishment。Butyoushallcometoacknowledgethatyouhavedonemewrong。YoushallseehowIshallbefriendandprotecthim。\" Thatsaid,hetookhisleaveandwent,butheleftbehindhimashrewdseedoffearinRichard\'smind,andofthegrowththatsprangfromitRichardalmostunconsciouslytransplantedsomethinginthedaysthatfollowedintotheheartofRuth。Asaresult,tomakesurethatnoharmshouldcometoherbrother,thelastofhisnameandrace,sheresolvedtoreceiveSirRowland,resolvedinspiteofDiana\'soutspokenscorn,inspiteofRichard\'sprotests—forthoughafraid,yethewouldnothaveitso—inspiteevenofherowndeeprepugnanceoftheman。 Dayspassedandgrewtoweeks。Bridgwaterwassettlingdowntopeaceagain—topeaceandmourning;theRoyalistscourgehadspreadtoTaunton,andBlakelingeredonatLuptonHouse,anunwelcomebutanundeniableguest。 HispresencewasasdetestabletoRichardnowasitwastoRuth,forRichardhadtosubmittothemockerywithwhichthetownrakelashedhisgodlybearingandalteredways。Morethanonceingustsofsuddenvalourtheboyurgedhissistertopermithimtodrivethebaronetfromthehouseandlethimdohisworst。ButRuth,afraidforRichard,badehimwaituntilthetimesweremoresettled。Whentheroyalvengeancehadslakeditslustforblooditmightmatterlittle,perhaps,whattalesSirRowlandmightelecttocarry。 AndsoSirRowlandremainedandwaited。Heassuredhimselfthatheknewhowtobepatient,andcongratulatedhimselfuponthatcircumstance。 Wildingdead,alittletimemustnowsufficetobluntthesharpedgeofhiswidow\'sgrief;lethimbutawaitthattime,andtherestshouldbeeasy,thebattlehis。WithRichardhedidnotsomuchastroublehimselftoreckon。 Thushedetermined,andthusnodoubthewouldhaveactedbutforanunforeseencontingency。Amiserable,paltrycreditorhadsmokedhimoutinhisSomersetretreat,andgotalettertohimfullofdarkhintsofadebtor\'sgaol。Thefellow\'snamewasSwiney,andSirRowlandknewhimforfierceandpertinaciouswhereadefaultingcreditorwasconcerned。 Oneonlycourseremainedhim:toforcematterswithWilding\'swidow。 Fordaysherefrained,fearingthatprecipitancymightlosehimall;itwashiswishtodothethingwithouttoomuchcoercion;some,hewasnotcoxcombenoughtothink—coxcombthoughhewas—mightbedispensedwith。 AtlastoneSundayeveninghedecidedtobedonewithdallying,andtobringRuthbetweenthehammerandtheanvilofhiswill。ItwasthelastSundayinJuly,exactlythreeweeksafterSedgemoor,andtheoddcoincidenceofhishavingchosensuchadayandhouryoushallappreciateanon。 Theywereonthelawntakingthecooloftheeveningafteranoppressivelyhotday。Bythestoneseat,nowoccupiedbyLadyHortonandDiana,Richardlayontheswardattheirfeetintalkwiththem,andtheirtalkwasofSirRowland。Diana—gallinhersoultoseethebaronetbywayofgainingyethisends—chidRichardinstrongtermsforhisweaknessinsubmittingtoBlake\'sconstantpresenceatLuptonHouse。AndRichardmeeklytookherchidingandpromisedthat,ifRuthwouldbutsanctionit,thingsshouldbechangeduponthemorrow。 SirRowland,allunconscious—reckless,indeed—ofthis,saunteredwithRuthsomelittledistancefromthem,havingcontrivedadroitlytodrawheraside。Hebrokeaspellofsilencewithadoloroussigh。 \"Ruth,\"saidhepensively,\"ImindmeofthelasteveningonwhichyouandIwalkedherealone。\" Sheflashedhimaglanceoffearandaversion,andstoodstill。Underhisbrowhewatchedthequickheaveofherbosom,thesuddenflowandabidingebbofbloodinherface—grownnowsothinandwistful—andherealizedthatbeforehimlaynoeasytask。Hesethisteethforbattle。 \"Willyouneverhaveakindnessforme,Ruth?\"hesighed。 Sheturnedabout,herintenttojointheothers,adullangerinhersoul。Hesatahanduponherarm。\"Wait!\"saidhe,andthetoneinwhichheutteredthatonewordkeptherbesidehim。Hismannerchangedalittle。\"Iamtiredofthis,\"saidhe。 \"Why,soamI,\"sheansweredbitterly。 \"Sinceweareagreedsofar,letusagreetoendit。\" \"ItisallIask。\" \"Yes,but—alas!—inadifferentway。Listennow。\" \"Iwillnotlisten。Letmego。 \"IwereyourenemydidIdoso,foryouwouldknowhereafterasorrowandrepentanceforwhichnothingshortofdeathcouldofferyouescape。 Richardisundersuspicion。\" \"Doyouharkbacktothat?\"Thescornofhervoicewasdeadly。Haditbeenherselfhedesired,surelythattonehadquenchedallpassioninhim,orelsetransformeditintohatred。ButBlakewasplayingforafortune,forshelterfromadebtor\'sprison。 \"Ithasbecomeknown,\"hecontinued,\"thatRichardwasoneoftheearlyplotterswhopavedthewayforMonmouth\'scoming。Ithinkthatthat,inconjunctionwithhisbetrayalofhistrustthatnightatNewlington\'s,therebycausingthedeathofsometwentygallantfellowsofKingJames\'s,willbeenoughtohanghim。\" Herhandclutchedatherheart。\"Whatis\'tyouseek?\"shecried。Itwasalmostamoan。\"Whatis\'tyouwantofme?\" \"Yourself,\"saidhe。\"Iloveyou,Ruth,\"headded,andsteppedcloseuptoher。 \"0God!\"shecriedaloud。\"HadIamanathandtokillyouforthatinsult!\" Andthen—miracleofmiracles!—avoicefromtheshrubsbywhichtheystoodboretoherearsthestartlingwordsthattoldherherprayerwasansweredthereandthen。 \"Madam,thatmanishere。\" Shestoodfrozen。NotmoreofastatuewasLot\'swifeinthemomentoflookingbehindherthanshewhodarednotlookbehind。Thatvoice!A voicefromthedead,avoiceshehadheardforthelasttimeinthecottagethatwasFeversham\'slodgingatWestonZoyland。HerwildeyesfelluponSirRowland\'sface。Itshowedlivid;thenether—lipsuckedinandcaughtinthestrongteeth,asiftopreventanoutcry;theeyeswildwithfright。Whatdiditmean?Byaneffortshewrenchedherselfroundatlast,andascreambrokefromhertorouseheraunt,hercousin,andherbrother,andbringthemhasteningtowardsheracrossthesweepoflawn。 Beforeher,ontheedgeoftheshrubbery,agreyfigurestooderectandgraceful,andtheface,withitsthinlipsfaintlysmiling,itsdarkeyesg1eaming,wasthefaceofAnthonyWilding。Andasshestaredhemovedforward,andsheheardthefallofhisfootupontheturf,theclinkofhisspurs,theswishofhisscabbardagainsttheshrubs,andreasontoldherthatthiswasnoghost。 Sheheldoutherarmstohim。\"Anthony!Anthony!\"Shestaggeredforward,andhewasnomorethanintimetocatchherassheswayed。 Heheldherfastagainsth:mandkissedherbrow。\"Sweet,\"hesaid,\"forgivemethatIfrightenedyou。Icamebytheorchardgate,andmycomingwassotimelythatIcouldnotholdinmyanswertoyourcry。\" Hereyelidsfluttered,shedrewalongsighingbreath,andnestledclosertohim。\"Anthony!\"shemurmuredagain,andreachedupahandtostrokehisface,tofeelthatitwastrulylivingflesh。 AndSirRowland,realizing,too,bynowthatherewasnoghost,recoveredhislostcourage。Heputahandtohissword,thenwithdrewit,leavingtheweaponsheathed。Herewasahangman\'sjob,notaswordsman\'s,heopined—andwisely,forhehadhadearlierexperienceofMr。Wilding\'splayofsteel。 Headvancedastep。\"0fool!\"hesnarled。\"Thehangmanwaitsforyou。\" \"Andacreditorforyou,SirRowland,\"camethevoiceofMr。Trenchard,whonowpushedforwardthroughthosesameshrubsthathadmaskedhisfriend\'sapproach。\"AMr。Swiney。`TwasIsenthimfromtown。He\'slodgedattheBull,andbellowslikeonewhenhespeaksofwhatyouowehim。Therearethreemessengerswithhim,andtheytellofadebtor\'sgaolforyou,sweetheart。\" AspasmoffurycrossedthefaceofBlake。\"Theymayhaveme,andwelcome,whenI\'vetoldmytale,\"saidhe。\"LetmebuttellofAnthonyWilding\'slurkinghere,andnotonlyAnthonyWilding,butalltherestofyouaredoomedforharbouringhim。Youknowthelaw,Ithink,\"hemockedthem,forLadyHorton,Diana,andRichard,whohadcomeup,stoodnowapaceorsoawayindeepestwonder。\"Youshallknowitbetterbeforethenightisout,andbetterstillbeforenextSunday\'scome。\" \"Tush!\"saidTrenchard,andquoted,\"`There\'snonebutAnthonymayconquerAnthony。\'\" \"`Tisclear,\"saidWilding,\"youtakemeforarebel。Anoddmistake! Foritchances,SirRowland,thatyoubeholdinmeanaccreditedservantoftheSecretaryofState。\" Blakestared,thenfellapreytoironiclaughter。Hewouldhavespoken,butMr。Wildingpluckedapaperfromhispocket,andhandedittoTrenchard。 \"Showithim,\"saidhe,andBlake\'sfacegrewwhiteagainashereadthelinesaboveSunderland\'ssignatureandobservedthesealsofoffice。HelookedfromthepapertothehatedsmilingfaceofMr。Wilding。 \"Youwereaspy?\"hesaid,histonemakingaquestionoftheodiousstatement。\"Adirtyspy?\" \"Yourincredulityisflattering,atleast,\"saidWildingpleasantlyasherepocketedtheparchment,\"anditleadsyouintherightdirection。 Ineitherwasnoramaspy。\" \"Thatpaperprovesit!\"criedBlakecontemptuously。Havingbeenaspyhimself,\'hewasagoodjudgeofthevilenessoftheoffice。 \"Seetomywife,Nick,\"saidWildingsharply,andmadeasiftotransferhertothecareofhisfriend。 \"Nay,\"saidTrenchard,\"`tisyourowndutythat。Letmedischargetheotherforyou。\"AndhesteppeduptoBlakeandtappedhimbrisklyontheshoulder。\"SirRowland,\"saidhe,\"you\'reaknave。\"SirRowlandstaredathim。\"You\'reafoulthing—amuckworm—SirRowland,\"addedTrenchardamiably,\"andyou\'vebeendiscourteoustoalady,forwhichmayHeavenforgiveyou—Ican\'t。\" \"Standaside,\"Blakebadehim,hoarsewithpassion,blindtoallrisks。 \"MyaffairiswithMr。Wilding。\" \"Aye,\"saidTrenchard,\"butmineiswithyou。Ifyousurviveit,youcansettlewhatotheraffairsyouplease—including,belike,yourbusinesswithMr。Swiney。\" \"Notso,Nick,\"saidWildingsuddenly,andturnedtoRichard。\"Here,Richard!Takeher,\"hebadehisbrother—in—law。 \"Anthony,youdamnedshirk—duty,seetoyourwife。Leavemetomyowndiversions。SirRowland,\"heremindedthebaronet,\"Ihavecalledyouaknaveandafoulthing,andfaith!ifyouwantitproven,youneedbutstepdowntheorchardwithme。\" HesawhesitationlingeringinSirRowland\'sface,andheuncurledthelastofthewhiphecarried。\"I\'dgrievetodoaviolentthingbeforetheladies,\"hemurmureddeprecatingly。\"I\'dneverrespectmyselfagainifIhadtodriveagentlemanofyourqualitytothegroundofhonourwithahorsewhip。But,asGod\'smylife,ifyoudon\'tgowillinglythisinstant,`tiswhatwillhappen。\" Richard\'snewbornrighteousnesspromptedhimtointerfere,toseektoavertthisthreatenedbloodshed;hishumanityurgedhimtoletmattersbe,andhishumanityprevailed。Dianawatchedthisforeshadowingoftragedywithtightlips,palecheeks。Justicewastobedoneatlast,itseemed,andasherfrightenedeyefelluponSirRowlandsheknewnotwhethertoexultorweep。Hermother—understandingnothing— pliedhermeanwhilewithwhisperedquestions。 AsforSirRowland,helookedintotheoldrake\'seyesagleamwithwickedmirth,andragewelleduptochokehim。Hemustkillthisman。 \"Come,\"saidhe。\"I\'llseetoyourfinefriendWildingafterwards。\" \"Excellent,\"saidTrenchard,andledthewaythroughtheshrubberytotheorchard。 Ruth,reviving,lookedup。HerglancemetMr。Wilding\'s;itquickenedintounderstanding,andshestirred。\"Isittrue?Isitreallytrue?\" shecried。\"Iambeingtorturedbythisdreamagain!\" \"Nay,sweet,itistrue;itistrue。Iamhere。Say,shallIstay?\" Sheclungtohimforanswer。\"Andyouareinnodanger?\" \"Innone,sweet。IamMr。WildingofZoylandChase,freetocomeandgoasbestshallseemtome。Hebeggedtheotherstoleavethemalittlewhile,andheledhertothestoneseatbytheriver。Hesetherathissidethereandtoldherthestoryofhisescapefromthefiring—party,andoftheinspirationthathadcometohimonthemorrowtomakeuseoftheletterinhisbootwhichSunderlandhadgivenhimforMonmouthinthehourofpanic。Monmouth\'scavaliertreatmentofhimwhenhehadarrivedinBridgwaterhadprecludedhisdeliveringthatletteratthecouncil。Therewasneveranotheropportunity,nordidheagainthinkofthepackageinthestressfulhoursthatfollowed。Itwasnotuntilthefollowingmorningthathesuddenlyremembereditlayundelivered,andbethoughthimthatitmightproveaweapontowinhimdeliveryfromthedangersthatencompassedhim。 \"Itwasaslenderchance,\"hetoldher,\"butIemployedit。IwaitedinLondon,inhiding,closeuponafortnightereIhadanopportunityofseeingSunderland。Helaughedmetoscornatfirst,andthreatenedmewiththeTower。ButItoldhimtheletterwasinsafehandsandwouldremainthereinearnestofhisgoodbehaviour,andthatdidhehavemearresteditwouldinstantlybelaidbeforetheKingandbringhisownheadtotheblockmoresurelyeventhanmyown。Itfrightenedhim;butithadscarcelydoneso,sweet,hadheknownthatthatpreciousletterwasstillinmyboot,formybootwasonmyleg,andmylegwasintheroomwiththerestofme。 \"Hesurrenderedatlast,andgavemepapersprovingthatTrenchardandI—forIstipulatedforoldNick\'ssafetytoo—wereHisMajesty\'saccreditedagentsintheWest。Iloathedthetitle。But……\"—hespreadhishandsandsmiled—\"itwasthatorwidowingyou。\" Shetookhisfaceinherhandsandstrokeditfondly,andtheysatthusuntiladrycoughbehindthemrousedthemfromtheirjoyoussilence。Mr。Trenchardwassaunteringtowardsthem,hislefteyetuckedfartherunderhishatthanusual,hishandsbehindhim。 \"`Tisathirstyevening,\"heinformedthem。 \"Go,tellRichardso,\"saidWilding,whoknewnaughtofRichard\'salteredways。 \"I\'vethoughtofit;buthaplyhe\'ssensitiveonthescoreofdrinkingwithmeagain。Hehasdoneittwicetohisundoing。\" \"He\'lldoitathirdtime,nodoubt,\"saidMr。Wildingcurtly,andTrenchard,takingthehint,turnedwithashrug,andwentupthelawntowardsthehouse。HefoundRichardintheporch,wherehehadlingeredfearfully,waitingfornews。AtsightofMr。Trenchard\'sgrim,weather—beatencountenancehecameforwardsuddenly。 \"Howhasitsped?\"heasked,hislipstwitchingonthewords。 \"Yondertheysit,\"saidTrenchard,pointingdownthelawn。 \"No,no。Imean……SirRowland。\" \"Oh,SirRowland?\"criedtheoldsinner,asthoughSirRowlandweresomematterlongforgotten。Hesighed。\"Alas,poorSwiney!IfearI\'vecheatedhim。\" \"Youmean?\" \"Artslowatinference,Dick。SirRowlandhaspassedawayintheodourofvillainy。\" Richardclaspednervoushandstogetherandraisedhiscolourlesseyestoheaven。 \"MaytheLordhavemercyonhissoul!\"saidhe。 \"MayHe,indeed!\"saidTrenchard,whenhehadrecoveredfromhissurprise。\"But,\"headdedpessimistically,\"Idoubttherogue\'sinhell。\" Richard\'seyeskindledsuddenly,andhequotedfromthethirtiethPsalm,\"`Iwillextolthee,0Lord;forThouhastliftedmeup,andhastnotmademyfoestorejoiceoverme。\'\" Dumbfounded,wondering,indeed,wasWestmacott\'smindunhinged,Trenchardscannedhimnarrowly。Richardcaughttheglanceandmisinterpreteditforoneofreproof。Hebethoughthimthathisjoywasunrighteous。Hestifledit,andforcedhislipstosigh\"PoorBlake!\" \"Poor,indeed!\"quothTrenchard,andadaptedarememberedlineofhisplay—actingdaystosuitthecase。\"Thetearsliveinanonionthatshallwaterhisgrave。Though,perhaps,IamforgettingSwiney。\"Then,inabriskertone,\"Come,Richard。WhatlikeisthemuscadineyoukeepatLuptonHouse?\" \"Ihaveabjuredallwine,\"saidRichard。 \"Aplagueyouhave!\"quothTrenchard,understandinglessandless。 \"HaveyouturnedMussuman,perchance?\" \"No,\"answeredRichardsternly;\"Christian。\" Trenchardhesitated,rubbinghisnosethoughtfully。\"Hum,\"saidheatlength。\"Peacebewithyou,then。I\'llleaveyouheretobaythemoontoyourheart\'scontent。PerhapsJasperwillknowwheretofindmeabrain—wash。\"Andwithafinalsuspicious,wonderinglookatthewhilombibber,hepassedintothehouse,muchexercisedonthescoreofthesanityofthisfamilyintowhichhisfriendAnthonyhadmarried。 Outside,thetwilightshadowsweredeepening。 \"Shallwehome,sweet?\"whisperedMr。Wilding。Theshadowsbefriendedher,aveilforhersuddenconfusion。Shebreathedsomethingthatseemednomorethanasigh,thoughmoreitseemedtoAnthonyWilding。