the black dwarf-第27部分

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〃Think　of　the　piracies　committed　on　our　East…Indian　trade　by　Green　and　the　English　thieves；〃　said　William　Willieson；　half…　owner　and　sole　skipper　of　a　brig　that　made　four　voyages　annually　between　Cockpool　and　Whitehaven。

〃Remember　your　liberties；〃　rejoined　Mareschal；　who　seemed　to　take　a　mischievous　delight　in　precipitating　the　movements　of　the　enthusiasm　which　he　had　excited；　like　a　roguish　boy；　who；　having　lifted　the　sluice　of　a　mill…dam；　enjoys　the　clatter　of　the　wheels　which　he　has　put　in　motion；　without　thinking　of　the　mischief　he　may　have　occasioned。　　〃Remember　your　liberties；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃confound　cess；　press；　and　presbytery；　and　the　memory　of　old　Willie　that　first　brought　them　upon　us！〃

〃Damn　the　gauger！〃　　echoed　old　John　Rewcastle；　〃I'll　cleave　him　wi'　my　ain　hand。〃

〃And　confound　the　country…keeper　and　the　constable！〃　re…echoed　Westburnflat；　〃I'll　weize　a　brace　of　balls　through　them　before　morning。〃

〃We　are　agreed；　then；〃　said　Ellieslaw；　when　the　shouts　had　somewhat　subsided；　〃to　bear　this　state　of　things　no　longer？〃

〃We　are　agreed　to　a　man；〃　answered　his　guests。

〃Not　literally　so；〃　said　Mr。　Ratcliffe；　〃for　though　I　cannot　hope　to　assuage　the　violent　symptoms　which　seem　so　suddenly　to　have　seized　upon　the　company；　yet　I　beg　to　observe；　that　so　far　as　the　opinion　of　a　single　member　goes；　I　do　not　entirely　coincide　in　the　list　of　grievances　which　has　been　announced；　and　that　I　do　utterly　protest　against　the　frantic　measures　which　you　seem　disposed　to　adopt　for　removing　them。　　I　can　easily　suppose　much　of　what　has　been　spoken　may　have　arisen　out　of　the　heat　of　the　moment；　or　have　been　said　perhaps　in　jest。　　But　there　are　some　jests　of　a　nature　very　apt　to　transpire；　and　you　ought　to　remember；　gentlemen；　that　stone…walls　have　ears。〃

〃Stone…walls　may　have　ears；〃　returned　Ellieslaw；　eyeing　him　with　a　look　of　triumphant　malignity；　〃but　domestic　spies；　Mr。　Ratcliffe；　will　soon　find　themselves　without　any；　if　any　such　dares　to　continue　his　abode　in　a　family　where　his　coming　was　an　unauthorized　intrusion；　where　his　conduct　has　been　that　of　a　presumptuous　meddler；　and　from　which　his　exit　shall　be　that　of　a　baffled　knave；　if　he　does　not　know　how　to　take　a　hint。〃

〃Mr。　Vere；〃　returned　Ratcliffe；　with　calm　contempt；　〃I　am　fully　aware；　that　as　soon　as　my　presence　becomes　useless　to　you；　which　it　must　through　the　rash　step　you　are　about　to　adopt；　it　will　immediately　become　unsafe　to　myself；　as　it　has　always　been　hateful　to　you。　　But　I　have　one　protection；　and　it　is　a　strong　one；　for　you　would　not　willingly　hear　me　detail　before　gentlemen；　and　men　of　honour；　the　singular　circumstances　in　which　our　connexion　took　its　rise。　　As　to　the　rest；　I　rejoice　at　its　conclusion；　and　as　I　think　that　Mr。　Mareschal　and　some　other　gentlemen　will　guarantee　the　safety　of　my　ears　and　of　my　throat　（for　which　last　I　have　more　reason　to　be　apprehensive）　during　the　course　of　the　night；　I　shall　not　leave　your　castle　till　to…morrow　morning。〃

〃Be　it　so；　sir；〃　replied　Mr。　Vere；　〃you　are　entirely　safe　from　my　resentment；　because　you　are　beneath　it；　and　not　because　I　am　afraid　of　your　disclosing　my　family　secrets；　although；　for　your　own　sake；　I　warn　you　to　beware　how　you　do　so。　　Your　agency　and　intermediation　can　be　of　little　consequence　to　one　who　will　win　or　lose　all；　as　lawful　right　or　unjust　usurpation　shall　succeed　in　the　struggle　that　is　about　to　ensue。　　Farewell；　sir。〃

Ratcliffe　arose；　and　cast　upon　him　a　look；　which　Vere　seemed　to　sustain　with　difficulty；　and；　bowing　to　those　around　him；　left　the　room。

This　conversation　made　an　impression　on　many　of　the　company；　which　Ellieslaw　hastened　to　dispel；　by　entering　upon　the　business　of　the　day。　　Their　hasty　deliberations　went　to　organize　an　immediate　insurrection。　　Ellieslaw；　Mareschal；　and　Sir　Frederick　Langley　were　chosen　leaders；　with　powers　to　direct　their　farther　measures。　　A　place　of　rendezvous　was　appointed；　at　which　all　agreed　to　meet　early　on　the　ensuing　day；　with　such　followers　and　friends　to　the　cause　as　each　could　collect　around　him。　　Several　of　the　guests　retired　to　make　the　necessary　preparations；　and　Ellieslaw　made　a　formal　apology　to　the　others；　who；　with　Westburnflat　and　the　old　smuggler；　continued　to　ply　the　bottle　stanchly；　for　leaving　the　head　of　the　table；　as　he　must　necessarily　hold　a　separate　and　sober　conference　with　the　coadjutors　whom　they　had　associated　with　him　in　the　command。　　The　apology　was　the　more　readily　accepted；　as　he　prayed　them；　at　the　same　time；　to　continue　to　amuse　themselves　with　such　refreshments　as　the　cellars　of　the　castle　afforded。　　Shouts　of　applause　followed　their　retreat；　and　the　names　of　Vere；　Langley；　and；　above　all；　of　Mareschal；　were　thundered　forth　in　chorus；　and　bathed　with　copious　bumpers　repeatedly；　during　the　remainder　of　the　evening。

When　the　principal　conspirators　had　retired　into　a　separate　apartment；　they　gazed　on　each　other　for　a　minute　with　a　sort　of　embarrassment；　which；　in　Sir　Frederick's　dark　features；　amounted　to　an　expression　of　discontented　sullenness。　　Mareschal　was　the　first　to　break　the　pause；　saying；　with　a　loud　burst　of　laughter；　〃Well！　　we　are　fairly　embarked　now；　gentlemenVOGUE　LA　GALERE！〃

〃We　may　thank　you　for　the　plunge；〃　said　Ellieslaw。

〃Yes；　but　I　don't　know　how　far　you　will　thank　me；〃　answered　Mareschal；　〃when　I　show　you　this　letter　which　I　received　just　before　we　sat　down。　　My　servant　told　me　it　was　delivered　by　a　man　he　had　never　seen　before；　who　went　off　at　the　gallop；　after　charging　him　to　put　it　into　my　own　hand。〃

Ellieslaw　impatiently　opened　the　letter；　and　read　aloud

EDINBURGH；

HOND。　SIR；　Having　obligations　to　your　family；　which　shall　be　nameless；　and　learning　that　you　are　one　of　the　company　of；　adventurers　doing　business　for　the　house　of　James　and　Company；　late　merchants　in　London；　now　in　Dunkirk；　I　think　it　right　to　send　you　this　early　and　private　information；　that　the　vessels　you　expected　have　been　driven　off　the　coast；　without　having　been　able　to　break　bulk；　or　to　land　any　part　of　their　cargo；　and　that　the　west…country　partners　have　resolved　to　withdraw　their　name　from　the　firm；　as　it　must　prove　a　losing　concern。　　Having　good　hope　you　will　avail　yourself　of　this　early　information；　to　do　what　is　needful　for　your　own　security；　I　rest　your　humble　servant；　NIHIL　NAMELESS。

FOR　RALPH　MARESCHAL；　OF　MARESCHAL…WELLS　THESE　WITH　CARE　AND　SPEED。

Sir　Frederick's　jaw　dropped；　and　his　countenance　blackened；　as　the　letter　was　read；　and　Ellieslaw　exclaimed；〃Why；　this　affects　the　very　mainspring　of　our　enterprise。　　If　the　French　fleet；　with　the　king　on　board；　has　been　chased　off　by　the　English；　as　this　dd　scrawl　seems　to　intimate；　where　are　we？〃

〃Just　where　we　were　this　morning；　I　think；〃　said　Mareschal；　still　laughing。

〃Pardon　me；　and　a　truce　to　your　ill…timed　mirth；　Mr。　Mareschal；　this　morning　we　were　not　committed　publicly；　as　we　now　stand　committed　by　your　own　mad　act；　when　you　had　a　letter　in　your　pocket　apprizing　you　that　our　undertaking　was　desperate。〃

〃Ay；　ay；　I　expected　you　would　say　so。　　But；　in　the　first　place；　my　friend　Nihil　Nameless　and　his　letter　may　be　all　a　flam；　and；　moreover；　I　would　have　you　know　that　I　am　tired　of　a　party　that　does　nothing　but　form　bold　resolutions　overnight；　and　sleep　them　away　with　their　wine　before　morning。　　The　government　are　now　unprovided　of　men　and　ammunition；　in　a　few　weeks　they　will　have　enough　of　both：　the　country　is　now　in　a　flame　against　them；　in　a　few　weeks；　betwixt　the　effects　of　self…interest；　of　fear；　and　of　lukewarm　indifference；　which　are　already　so　visible；　this　first　fervour　will　be　as　cold　as　Christmas。　　So；　as　I　was　determined　to　go　the　vole；　I　have　taken　care　you　shall　dip　as　deep　as　I；　it　signifies　nothing　plunging。　　You　are　fairly　in　the　bog；　and　must　struggle　through。〃

〃You　are　mistaken　with　respect　to　one　of　us；　Mr。　Mareschal；〃　said　Sir　Frederick　Langley；　and；　applying　himself　to　the　bell；　he　desired　the　person　who　entered　to　order　his　servants　and　horses　instantly。

〃You　must　not　leave　us；　Sir　Frederick；〃　said　Ellieslaw；　it　we　have　our　musters　to　go　over。〃

〃I　will　go　to…night；　Mr。　Vere；〃　said　Sir　Frederick；　〃and　write　you　my　intentions　in　this　matter　when　I　am　at　home。〃

〃Ay；〃　said　Mareschal；　〃and　send　them　by　a　troop　of　horse　from　Carlisle　to　make　us　prisoners？　　Look　ye；　Sir　Frederick；　I　for　one　will　neither　be　deserted　nor　betrayed；　and　if　you　leave　Ellieslaw　Castle　to…night；　it　shall　be　by　passing　over　my　dead　body。〃

〃For　shame！　　Mareschal；〃　said　Mr。　Vere；　〃how　can　you　so　hastily　misinterpret　our　friend's　intentions？　　I　am　sure　Sir　Frederick　can　only　be　jesting　with　us；　for；　were　he　not　too　honourable　to　dream　of　deserting　the　cause；　he　cannot　but　remember　the　full　proofs　we　have　of　his　accession　to　it；　and　his　eager　activity　in　advancing　it。　　He　cannot　but　be　conscious；　besides；　that　the　first　information　will　be　readily　received　by　government；　and　that　if　the　question　be；　which　can　first　lodge　intelligence　of　the　affair；　we　can　easily　save　a　few　hours　on　him。〃

〃You　should　say　you；　and　not　we；　when　you　talk　of　priorities　in　such　a　race　of　treachery；　for　my　part；　I　won't　enter　my　horse　for　such　a　plate；〃　said　Mareschal；　and　added　betwixit　his　teeth；　〃A　pretty　pair　of　fellows　to　trust　a　man's　neck　w