惊婚记 英文版 Quentin Durward
瓦尔特.司各特 Sir Walter Scott
CHAPTER XXII: THE REVELLERS Page 2
Every one of his followers started up at the command, and mingledas they were among their late allies, prepared too for sucha surprisal, each had, in an instant, his next neighbour by thecollar, while his right hand brandished a broad dagger that glimmeredagainst lamplight and moonshine. Every arm was uplifted, but noone struck, for the victims were too much surprised for resistance,'and it was probably the object of De la Marck only to impose terroron his civic confederates.
But the courage of Quentin Durward, prompt and alert in resolutionbeyond his years, and stimulated at the moment by all that couldadd energy to his natural shrewdness and resolution, gave a newturn to the scene. Imitating the action of the followers of Dela Marck, he sprang on Carl Eberson, the son of their leader, andmastering him with ease, held his dirk at the boy's throat, whilehe exclaimed, "Is that your game? then here I play my part."
"Hold! hold!" exclaimed De la Marck, "it is a jest -- a jest. --Think you I would injure my good friends and allies of the cityof Liege! -- Soldiers, unloose your holds, sit down, take away thecarrion" (giving the Bishop's corpse a thrust with his foot) "whichhath caused this strife among friends, and let us drown unkindnessin a fresh carouse."
All unloosened their holds, and the citizens and the soldiers stoodgazing on each other, as if they scarce knew whether they werefriends or foes. Quentin Durward took advantage of the moment.
"Hear me," he said, "William de la Marck, and you, burghers andcitizens of Liege -- and do you, young sir, stand still" (for theboy Carl was attempting to escape from his grip) - "no harm shallbefall you unless another of these sharp jests shall pass around."
"Who art thou, in the fiend's name," said the astonished De laMarck, "who art come to hold terms and take hostages from us inour own lair -- from us, who exact pledges from others, but yieldthem to no one?"
"I am a servant of King Louis of France," said Quentin, boldly, "anArcher of his Scottish Guard, as my language and dress may partlytell you. I am here to behold and to report your proceedings, andI see with wonder that they are those of heathens, rather thanChristians -- of madmen, rather than men possessed of reason. Thehosts of Charles of Burgundy will be instantly in motion againstyou all, and if you wish assistance from France, you must conductyourself in a different manner.
"For you, men of Liege, I advise your instant return to your owncity, and if there is any obstruction offered to your departure,I denounce those by whom it is so offered, foes to my master, hisMost Gracious Majesty of France."
"France and Liege! France and Liege!" cried the followers ofPavillon, and several other citizens whose courage began to riseat the bold language held by Quentin.
"France and Liege, and long live the gallant Archer! We will liveand die with him!"
William de la Marck's eyes sparkled, and he grasped his dagger asif about to launch it at the heart of the audacious speaker, butglancing his eye around, he read something in the looks of hissoldiers which even he was obliged to respect. Many of them wereFrenchmen, and all of them knew the private support which Williamhad received, both in men and in money, from that kingdom, nay, someof them were rather startled at the violent and sacrilegious actionwhich had been just committed. The name of Charles of Burgundy, aperson likely to resent to the utmost the deeds of that night, hadan alarming sound, and the extreme impolicy of at once quarrellingwith the Liegeois and provoking the Monarch of France, made anappalling impression on their minds, confused as their intellectswere. De la Marck, in short, saw he would not be supported, evenby his own band, in any farther act of immediate violence, andrelaxing the terrors of his brow and eye, declared that he had notthe least design against his good friends of Liege, all of whom wereat liberty to depart from Schonwaldt at their pleasure, although hehad hoped they would revel one night with him, at least, in honourof their victory. He added, with more calmness than he commonlyused, that he would be ready to enter into negotiation concerningthe partition of spoil, and the arrangement of measures for theirmutual defence, either the next day, or as soon after as they would.Meantime he trusted that the Scottish gentleman would honour hisfeast by remaining all night at Schonwaldt.
The young Scot returned his thanks, but said his motions must bedetermined by those of Pavillon, to whom he was directed particularlyto attach himself, but that, unquestionably, he would attend him onhis next return to the quarters of the valiant William de la Marck.
"If you depend on my motions," said Pavillon, hastily and aloud,"you are likely to quit Schonwaldt without an instant's delay --and, if you do not come back to Schonwaldt, save in my company,you are not likely to see it again in a hurry."
This last part of the sentence the honest citizen mutteredto himself, afraid of the consequences of giving audible vent 'tofeelings which, nevertheless, he was unable altogether to suppress.
"Keep close about me, my brisk Kurschner (a worker in fur) lads."he said to his bodyguard, "and we will get as fast as we can outof this den of thieves."
Most of the better classes of the Liegeois seemed to entertainsimilar opinions with the Syndic, and there had been scarce so muchjoy amongst them at the obtaining possession of Schonwaldt as nowseemed to arise from the prospect of getting safe out of it. Theywere suffered to leave the castle without opposition of any kind,and glad was Quentin when he turned his back on those formidablewalls.
For the first time since they had entered that dreadful hall,Quentin ventured to ask the young Countess how she did.
"Well, well," she answered, in feverish haste, "excellently well-- do not stop to ask a question, let us not lose an instant inwords. -- Let us fly -- let us fly!"
She endeavoured to mend her pace as she spoke, but with so littlesuccess that she must have fallen from exhaustion had not Durwardsupported her. With the tenderness of a mother, when she conveysher infant out of danger, the young Scot raised his precious chargein his arms, and while she encircled his neck with one arm, lostto every other thought save the desire of escaping, he would nothave wished one of the risks of the night unencountered, since suchhad been the conclusion.
The honest Burgomaster was, in his turn, supported and draggedforward by his faithful counsellor Peter, and another of his clerks,and thus, in breathless haste, they reached the banks of the river,encountering many strolling bands of citizens, who were eagerto know the event of the siege, and the truth of certain rumoursalready afloat that the conquerors had quarrelled among themselves.
Evading their curiosity as they best could, the exertions of Peterand some of his companions at length procured a boat for the useof the company, and with it an opportunity of enjoying some repose,equally welcome to Isabelle, who continued to lie almost motionlessin the arms of her deliverer, and to the worthy Burgomaster, who,after delivering a broken string of thanks to Durward, whose mindwas at the time too much occupied to answer him, began a longharangue, which he addressed to Peter, upon his own courage andbenevolence, and the dangers to which these virtues had exposedhim, on this and other occasions.
"Peter, Peter," he said, resuming the complaint of the precedingevening, "if I had not had a bold heart, I would never have stoodout against paying the burghers twentieths, when every other livingsoul was willing to pay the same. -- Ay, and then a less stout hearthad not seduced me into that other battle of Saint Tron, where aHainault man at arms thrust me into a muddy ditch with his lance,which neither heart nor hand that I had could help me out of tillthe battle was over. -- Ay, and then, Peter, this very night mycourage seduced me, moreover, into too strait a corselet, whichwould have been the death of me, but for the aid of this gallantyoung gentleman, whose trade is fighting, whereof I wish himheartily joy. And then for my tenderness of heart, Peter, it hasmade a poor man of me, that is, it would have made a poor man ofme, if I had not been tolerably well to pass in this wicked world-- and Heaven knows what trouble it is likely to bring on me yet,with ladies, countesses, and keeping of secrets, which, for aughtI know, may cost me half my fortune, and my neck into the bargain!"
Quentin could remain no longer silent, but assured him that whateverdanger or damage he should incur on the part of the young lady nowunder his protection should be thankfully acknowledged, and, asfar as was possible, repaid.
"I thank you, young Master Squire Archer, I thank you," answeredthe citizen of Liege "but who was it told you that I desired anyrepayment at your hand for doing the duty of an honest man? I onlyregretted that it might cost me so and so, and I hope I may haveleave to say so much to my lieutenant, without either grudging myloss or my peril."
Quentin accordingly concluded that his present friend was one ofthe numerous class of benefactors to others, who take out theirreward in grumbling, without meaning more than, by showing theirgrievances, to exalt a little the idea of the valuable service bywhich they have incurred them, and therefore prudently remainedsilent, and suffered the Syndic to maunder on to his lieutenantconcerning the risk and the loss he had encountered by his zealfor the public good, and his disinterested services to individuals,until they reached his own habitation.
The truth was, that the honest citizen felt that he had lost a littleconsequence, by suffering the young stranger to take the lead atthe crisis which had occurred at the castle hall of Schonwaldt,and, however delighted with the effect of Durward's interference atthe moment, it seemed to him, on reflection, that he had sustaineda diminution of importance, for which he endeavoured to obtaincompensation by exaggerating the claims which he had upon thegratitude of his country in general, his friends in particular, andmore especially still, on the Countess of Croye, and her youthfulprotector.
But when the boat stopped at the bottom of his garden, and he hadgot himself assisted on shore by Peter, it seemed as if the touchof his own threshold had at once dissipated those feelings ofwounded self opinion and jealousy, and converted the discontentedand obscured demagogue into the honest, kind, hospitable, and friendlyhost. He called loudly for Trudchen, who presently appeared, forfear and anxiety would permit few within the walls of Liege tosleep during that eventful night. She was charged to pay the utmostattention to the care of the beautiful and half fainting stranger,and, admiring her personal charms, while she pitied her distress,Gertrude discharged the hospitable duty with the zeal and affectionof a sister.
Late as it now was, and fatigued as the Syndic appeared, Quentin,on his side, had difficulty to escape a flask of choice and costlywine, as old as the battle of Azincour, and must have submitted totake his share, however unwilling, but for the appearance of themother of the family, whom Pavillon's loud summons for the keys ofthe cellar brought forth from her bedroom. She was a jolly littleroundabout, woman, who had been pretty in her time, but whoseprincipal characteristics for several years had been a red andsharp nose, a shrill voice, and a determination that the Syndic,in consideration of the authority which he exercised when abroad,should remain under the rule of due discipline at home.
So soon as she understood the nature of the debate between herhusband and his guest, she declared roundly that the former, insteadof having occasion for more wine, had got too much already, and,far from using, in furtherance of his request, any of the huge bunchof keys which hung by a silver chain at her waist, she turned herback on him without ceremony, and ushered Quentin to the neat andpleasant apartment in which he was to spend the night, amid suchappliances to rest and comfort as probably he had till that momentbeen entirely a stranger to, so much did the wealthy Flemings excel,not merely the poor and rude Scots, but the French themselves inall the conveniences of domestic life.