登陆注册
5386100000052

第52章 A LEGEND OF MONTROSE.(45)

"Yet hearken,stranger,"said the Highlander."Sir Duncan of Ardenvohr had four children.Three died under our dirks,but the fourth survives;and more would he give to dandle on his knee the fourth child which remains,than to rack these old bones,which care little for the utmost indulgence of his wrath.One word,if I list to speak it,could turn his day of humiliation and fasting into a day of thankfulness and rejoicing,and breaking of bread.

O,I know it by my own heart?Dearer to me is the child Kenneth,who chaseth the butterfly on the banks of the Aven,than ten sons who are mouldering in earth,or are preyed on by the fowls of the air."

"I presume,Ranald,"continued Dalgetty,"that the three pretty fellows whom I saw yonder in the market-place,strung up by the head like rizzer'd haddocks,claimed some interest in you?"

There was a brief pause ere the Highlander replied,in a tone of strong emotion,--"They were my sons,stranger--they were my sons!--blood of my blood--bone of my bone!--fleet of foot--unerring in aim--unvanquished by foemen till the sons of Diarmid overcame them by numbers!Why do I wish to survive them?The old trunk will less feel the rending up of its roots,than it has felt the lopping off of its graceful boughs.But Kenneth must be trained to revenge--the young eagle must learn from the old how to stoop on his foes.I will purchase for his sake my life and my freedom,by discovering my secret to the Knight of Ardenvohr."

"You may attain your end more easily,"said a third voice,mingling in the conference,"by entrusting it to me."

All Highlanders are superstitious."The Enemy of Mankind is among us!"said Ranald MacEagh,springing to his feet.His chains clattered as he rose,while he drew himself as far as they permitted from the quarter whence the voice appeared to proceed.

His fear in some degree communicated itself to Captain Dalgetty,who began to repeat,in a sort of polyglot gibberish,all the exorcisms he had ever heard of,without being able to remember more than a word or two of each.

"IN NOMINE DOMINI,as we said at Mareschal-College--SANTISSMA MADRE DI DIOS,as the Spaniard has it--ALLE GUTEN GEISTER LOBEN

DEN HERRN,saith the blessed Psalmist,in Dr.Luther's translation--"

"A truce with your exorcisms,"said the voice they had heard before;"though I come strangely among you,I am mortal like yourselves,and my assistance may avail you in your present streight,if you are not too proud to be counselled."

While the stranger thus spoke,he withdrew the shade of a dark lantern,by whose feeble light Dalgetty could only discern that the speaker who had thus mysteriously united himself to their company,and mixed in their conversation,was a tall man,dressed in a livery cloak of the Marquis.His first glance was to his feet,but he saw neither the cloven foot which Scottish legends assign to the foul fiend,nor the horse's hoof by which he is distinguished in Germany.His first enquiry was,how the stranger had come among them?

"For,"said he,"the creak of these rusty bars would have been heard had the door been made patent;and if you passed through the keyhole,truly,sir,put what face you will on it,you are not fit to be enrolled in a regiment of living men."

"I reserve my secret,"answered the stranger,"until you shall merit the discovery by communicating to me some of yours.It may be that I shall be moved to let you out where I myself came in."

"It cannot be through the keyhole,then,"said Captain Dalgetty,"for my corslet would stick in the passage,were it possible that my head-piece could get through.As for secrets,I have none of my own,and but few appertaining to others.But impart to us what secrets you desire to know;or,as Professor Snufflegreek used to say at the Mareschal-College,Aberdeen,speak that I may know thee."

"It is not with you I have first to do,"replied the stranger,turning his light full on the mild and wasted features,and the large limbs of the Highlander,Ranald MacEagh,who,close drawn up against the walls of the dungeon,seemed yet uncertain whether his guest was a living being.

"I have brought you something,my friend,"said the stranger,in a more soothing tone,"to mend your fare;if you are to die to-morrow,it is no reason wherefore you should not live to-night."

"None at all--no reason in the creation,"replied the ready Captain Dalgetty,who forthwith began to unpack the contents of a small basket which the stranger had brought under his cloak,while the Highlander,either in suspicion or disdain,paid no attention to the good cheer.

"Here's to thee,my friend,"said the Captain,who,having already dispatched a huge piece of roasted kid,was now taking a pull at the wine-flask."What is thy name,my good friend?"

"Murdoch Campbell,sir,"answered the servant,"a lackey of the Marquis of Argyle,and occasionally acting as under-warden."

"Then here is to thee once more,Murdoch,"said Dalgetty,"drinking to you by your proper name for the better luck sake.

This wine I take to be Calcavella.Well,honest Murdoch,I take it on me to say,thou deservest to be upper-warden,since thou showest thyself twenty times better acquainted with the way of victualling honest gentlemen that are under misfortune,than thy principal.Bread and water?out upon him!It was enough,Murdoch,to destroy the credit of the Marquis's dungeon.But I see you would converse with my friend,Ranald MacEagh here.Never mind my presence;I'll get me into this corner with the basket,and I will warrant my jaws make noise enough to prevent my ears from hearing you."

Notwithstanding this promise,however,the veteran listened with all the attention he could to gather their discourse,or,as he described it himself,"laid his ears back in his neck,like Gustavus,when he heard the key turn in the girnell-kist."He could,therefore,owing to the narrowness of the dungeon,easily overhear the following dialogue.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 武狂修行界

    武狂修行界

    上古帝圣之子下凡历练,神界五大家,狂武家,无家,武家,修罗家和冥家。帝圣乃是辰家家主,辰鼎南,他的儿子辰潇被他派下凡间历练,好继承他的圣位。
  • 觅音传情两相宜

    觅音传情两相宜

    槐树夫妇:林怀瑾、复苏。音乐才子苦追知名女作家多年,屡战屡败、越挫越勇。为她写歌、请她合作,在演唱会对她公开表白,在情人节给她浪漫惊喜。面对众多情敌,他更是高调宣扬:“她是我的人!”奈何他一片真心换绝情,佳人不仅避他如洪水猛兽,还要抄出菜刀逼他退后:“别过来,离我远点!”桀骜不驯VS清高理性,偏执,治愈,破镜重圆。
  • 正骨心法要旨

    正骨心法要旨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 群盲

    群盲

    “让它赶快死了算了,活受罪。”这时,一个年轻的、充满愤懑的声音说。这句话显然让围观者吃了一惊,人们朝发出那个声音的人看过去,这个人却使劲儿从人群里挤出来,朝广场另一边走去。他走得很快,因为他急于摆脱令他厌恶的嘴脸和对话。他快步离开,作为对他们的抗议,表现对那群市侩的厌弃。但人们并没有从他的背影里看出这层意思,人们以为他有急事要突然赶去什么地方,只匆匆地看到这个人穿着一件蓝灰色条纹的毛衣。这是一位写小说的年轻人,他此刻正大步走在广场上,因为那条狗的遭遇而气闷、愤愤不平。他看着脚下石青色水泥砖的缝隙、它们构成的方形线条和棋盘一样的图案。如果他把一大片地面尽收眼底,如果他再把眼睛眯起来一点儿,他就看到一面线条交错、叫人眼花的网。
  • 萌兔日记之大灰狼别追我

    萌兔日记之大灰狼别追我

    小白兔,白又白,两只耳朵竖起来……小曦乖乖把门开,进到胡琅怀里来。哈哈?(^ω^?)……哈哈(???????),新书新人多支持哦⊙?⊙!白曦:夫君,我出去玩了,在家好好看宝宝哦!(哈哈~好开心呀!*?(???`?)?*)胡琅:媳妇等我找到你的!
  • 超级玄师系统

    超级玄师系统

    加倍技能,暴击技能,分身技能,治疗技能,......,各种技能不断出现,诸多技能完爆敌人,狂虐天骄,越阶挑战,伴随着这些逆天技能,林枫将一步一步踏上巅峰!!!
  • 亲人的故事

    亲人的故事

    母亲这段婚姻还真是不顺。再有两个月母亲就到古稀之年了,可她老人家有时却还像孩子样的执拗。莫非这就是人们常说的那种老小孩儿么?可我又一想,母亲也不是老了才这样的,只是这几年更厉害了。十三年前父亲去世时,母亲哭得山崩地裂,端庄的脸扭曲着,几粒棕色的雀斑聚到了一起,鼻涕眼泪弄了我一身一脸,把她自己的脸也弄得一塌糊涂。说实话,父亲又不是没病,母亲也不是没有侍奉了父亲——父亲的最后两天,母亲甚至是一直捉着他的手度过的。当然,那时父亲已经深度昏迷。
  • 琴赋

    琴赋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天才炼器师:嚣张三小姐

    天才炼器师:嚣张三小姐

    自爆而亡,西门绿晴穿越成一个徘徊于生死之间之人?前世嚣张无比的她,难道一穿越过来就要这么憋屈而死?被人毒哑了,经脉寸断了吗?他说:寒影,五日之内,将她治好!眼睛瞎了无法医治,体内的血全都含着巨毒吗?他说:将我的眼睛和鲜血全都换给她!于是,她说:自此时起,你便是我此生最珍视的人!今生今世,永不弃离!当他性命受胁之时,她终于暴发——谁敢夺他之命,便是与她作对!那么,她便佛挡杀佛,神阻屠神!老天若不应,她便是将这天给逆了又如何?
  • 唐愚士诗

    唐愚士诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。