So, while we two, Ned and I, sat almost silent above-stairs in the dark, striving to smother12 the sound of the passion of tears that had seized upon me, my father descended13 the stair with the sergeant, thinking soon to be rid of him and his men; but was speedily disappointed in finding that the man had no intention to abandon his search, although he showed his altered temper in putting himself at my father's orders, whether to continue at once his visitation of the house from garret to cellar, or to set strict guard upon all its approaches till morning, then to complete his survey in the better light.
"For," said he, throwing poor Ned's damaged hat upon the table of the great hall where they stood, "though we do know the rascal14 was without, and that your worship does not willingly harbor him, we have no testimony15 that he did not get in after he had lost his hat. Some soft-hearted kitchen-maid might well——"
"'T is enough said, sergeant," interrupted Sir Michael, resolving to put a good face upon his choice of the lesser16 evil; "I commend the acuteness of your judgment17. It is indeed as much for my honor as yours that suspicion of harboring this fellow should be removed from my house as well as from myself and my daughter. Do you set at once a sufficient guard without to watch every door and window, and while you call into the hall here all that are not needed for that duty, I will rouse some of the fellows that sleep above, and see that you have good food and drink in place of the sleep you must lose. And I doubt not," he added, turning at the door, "such of you as remember Tangier will find my old Burgundy, that has been much praised by good judges, a better substitute for the wines of Spain and Portugal than our west-country ale."
Whereupon the sergeant, pleased with prospect18 of good cheer, went out to make disposition19 of his men, while my father again mounted the stairs, turning swiftly in his mind the subterfuge20 by which he purposed getting Ned Royston safely from the house. And indeed I think he did devise a scheme as cunning as any of those happy strokes of adroitness21 and dexterity22 for which in the old wars he was justly famous.
The soldiers being now below, and the few servants first roused sent to fetch food for the sergeant and his men, my father found the stairs and galleries deserted23. Pausing at my door, he gently opened it, and hearing the sound of my half-stifled weeping he bid me not check it, saying that it fell well with his scheme.
"Do but as I bid you, my children," said he, "and in less than an hour the poor lad shall be on the road to Bridport; and with Skewbald Meg between his legs 't is pity of the horse and man that would catch him. I can give you no light, for the sentry24 that is below the window, but you, my little Phil, must make shift to cut away from him those unfashionable curls; and it is little matter for the dark, since the more raggedly25 you play the barber the better for him; also pull off his great boots, with the gay coat and the waistcoat, and when I return with the real Betty to take his place in the bed, where, I vow26, I think she will sleep better than he, I will so clothe him and so raddle his face that his mother would not know him again; and if you must speak in the doing all this, let it be little and in the veriest of whispers." And at this my dear and most wise old father left us, saying aloud, as he shut the door, and with intent to be heard if any were spying upon him: "Get thee to sleep, child. There is no further cause of fear. None shall harm thee."
Silent as mice midway between cat and cheese we fell to doing all that he had bidden us. I was bitterly sorry for the curls, and for the cruel fashion in which my small shears27 did lop them, but said no word till all was done. And then we sat waiting in the dark, and Ned found my hand and held it, and whispered after a while that he had not yet seen my face; that he doubted it was greatly altered, even as he perceived my body was increased in stature28. And he asked me had I grown beautiful as he was used to predict, and I could only answer that I did not think I was fully29 so foul30 to look upon as I had been. And he was about getting hot in reply, and even raising his voice a little to vow that I was never that, nor thought he meant I was, and he had for the moment quite forgot to mistress me, as hitherto since I had dragged him headlong through my window, when the door again opened to admit my father, dragging by the arm poor sleep-dazed, blanket-wrapped Betty, who was, I do suppose, from the brief glimpse I caught of her figure as my father did set his candle on the floor without the door, a strange and admirable spectacle. In the darkened room she was mightily amazed, and we must needs thrust her into the bed almost by force, and had well-nigh to gag her mouth before we might check the wheezy thunder that she honored with the delicate title of whispering. Indeed, all this part of our night's adventure had been vastly comical and mirth-provoking had not a life, tenderly dear alike to father and daughter, hung upon our secrecy31 and despatch32. Now Sir Michael had brought with him along with Betty the cast-off clothes of one of the grooms34 that slept in the garret. And there, still in darkness, we contrived35 among us to habit Ned in them—foul old broken shoes, a mile too large, which I stuffed with such rags as would keep him from walking out of them; rough woollen stockings, none too clean; his own leathern breeches, which he said were much worn and covered with the dust of all his ride from Oxford36, my father did let pass; but the fine long-cloth shirt he would in no manner concede, making him take in its place a filthy37 clout38 it was well we could not see as we pulled it over his shorn head. "For," said my father, "there is nothing will so play the traitor39 to a gentleman disguised as his own linen40. The very fabric41 will still tell tales when the fairness of it has disappeared under the dirt of long use." And then all was done; Ned did take me for a little moment in his arms, when Sir Michael bade him to thrust a hand up the chimney to befoul it with soot42, with which, he said, he would have him bedaub face and neck when they had again such light that it might be done in measure and fitness.
"Good-by, Mistress Phil," said he, and "Good-by, dear Ned," said I. My father here slipping quietly out to spy up and down the gallery, and holding the door to behind him, in that last moment I seized Ned's hand, not knowing it was the sooty one, and whispered in his ear: "Why will you be ever throwing mistress at me, dear? Am I not your old friend Phil?" And he: "I did but think, Phil, that so unceremoniously visiting your chamber at night-time, which you know is a thing I never purposed, did call for terms of address more formal than our usage of childhood." Which before I could answer, Sir Michael, satisfied that he was not observed, had him swiftly out in the gallery, my door was closed for the last time that night, and I fell weeping on the bed as if the sun should never shine again.
I slept none of that night, and much of it I wept. But, rising in the sheer idleness of fatigue43, when the dawn was well advanced, and chancing to see my face in the mirror, I perceived that I had most plentifully44 streaked46 and smeared47 a tear-wet countenance48 with the blackness of the soot that had passed in our last moment together from Ned's fingers to mine. Now my eyes and cheeks presented doubtless a spectacle that had moved another to laughter. But from the eyes that alone beheld49 the figure of ridicule50 that I was, the thought of how I became so besmirched51 brought fresh tears, plentiful45 enough, in all conscience, to have washed it clean of all the grime that face ever carried. But I washed hands and face, and so back to bed, where, worn out, and by this tolerably secure of Ned's evasion52, I fell asleep, nor awoke until I was roused somewhat past eight o'clock of the morning.
Meantime to the tale of that same evasion which was, as I supposed, well accomplished53. To tell it briefly54, my father bade him play the clown as best he could, and, after his face had been cunningly smeared with that same soot, had led him by the back stair to the kitchen; whence, after Sir Michael had joined the soldiers eating and drinking in the great hall, he was sent by the cook, who was in the secret, to bear a dish of some dainty to the company. This, as before arranged, he let fall with a great clatter55, bringing Sir Michael down upon him in pretence56 of anger; who did there, with many a curse on his clumsiness, so cuff57 him about head and ears, that it set all the redcoats laughing. "Silly varlet!" quoth Sir Michael, "is the cook underhanded that such as you must be fetched from garden and stable to spoil our meat? I warrant men are hanged for less in these days."
To this the seeming yokel58 blubbered in reply that he did but wish a sight of the soldier gentlemen at meat, which he said in that broad and slurring59 speech of our country that he could ever from his childhood put on with exact faithfulness to nature. And just here one of the strangers' horses, neighing wearily without, where he was tied to a tree, "Get out," said my father, "and see to those horses. Put them in the stable, and, if there be not room for all, turn some of your own cattle to graze in the park." And as he was going out slowly dragging one loose shoe after the other, one of the soldiers flung a bone at him, and threatened to flog the coat off his back, and the skin to follow it, if he did not rub down and well feed and water each of their borrowed nags60.
So to this task he went, with a hundred pounds in gold of my father's in his one pocket that was sound. And five horses he did groom33 and feed and lodge61 in that stable, turning three of Sir Michael's out of their places into the park. But one of these, that is, Skewbald Meg, a mare62 of great hardness of limb and lasting63 power of wind, though a mean and ewe-necked thing to the eye, he tied, when out of hearing of the sentry on that side of the house, to a tree that stood handy for the direction he must take. He then returned to the stable, and there contrived an appearance of business about the nags, while he concealed64 upon him a bridle65, with which about his waist he at last, having left his lantern burning within, loitered down to Meg in the hollow, where in a trice she was bridled66 and mounted by as good a horseman and as ill-looking as ever bestrid her lean and mottled ribs67. And how he fared in that ride of near upon twenty-five miles to Lyme, and how he was taken safely out of the country by sea, you shall hear when I am come to the letter that came to me out of Holland.
And here this episode of my life may be counted at an end. For my father, having pressed upon his guests both bottle and tankard, until each man made a pillow where his head did strike in falling, and having sent out copious68 flagons until the sentries69 lacked little of being in the same case, did in the leisure thus obtained so drill and instruct every waking soul in the house that it was a sure matter that all, in case of need, would have the same story to tell: as, that Sir Michael had no horses but what might now be seen upon the place; that any who thought he had a skewbald mare was vastly mistook; that the scullion that was so roundly cuffed70 and rated was a half-witted thing from the stable that had now run off in terror of the beating promised him the night before by one of the sergeant's men; and so forth71. All that night, as I have said, my father came not near me, thinking there had been enough and to spare already done in that part of the house, and not wishing to arouse any suspicion that might, in the sergeant's muddled72 head, survive the fumes73 of the wine. But between eight and nine of the clock Sir Michael knocked loudly at my door, asking, so that all might hear if they would, how I did, had I slept, and so forth. Then in a little voice he bade me tell Betty to keep her bed, to remember she was yet very sick, and that I should hide Ned's boots, sword, and clothes betwixt the mattresses74, where Betty's huge person should keep them safe. All this, said he, merely as safeguard against another visit to my room.
And very shortly thereafter arose a great cursing below, and a swearing of many horrible oaths by the sergeant, with low grumbling75 accompaniment of his men, as they rose from many a twisted posture76 of swinish slumber77. When with sousing, brushing, and breakfasting they were again brought to some semblance78 of men, the futile79 search after him that was by this well out of their reach was begun. Nor did it cease till close on noon. Now, as the sergeant and his file of men passed along the gallery, when there was left no further corner into which they might thrust nose, eyes, or sword-point seeking for hidden softness of human flesh, some spirit of bravado80 did seize upon me, and I flung open the door of my chamber, where all morning I had kept pretence of nursing poor Betty, sick only of an ill temper to be kept a lig-a-bed against her will; and I called to the sergeant that he had not searched here by daylight, and that all was at his service, even poor Betty, being now awake; and he came to the door, and stood upon the threshold, looking in upon us while Betty sat up in the bed and glared upon him, fear and anger struggling for mastery in her broad countenance, and rendering81 it grotesquely82 terrible. Now I was clothed this time in fit manner, with gown and hair fresh and neat, and, spite of my sorrow at losing Ned and the terrors of the night just passed, I had a sense of triumph in my growing certainty of his escape that I think I scarce tried to keep from appearing in my countenance. For a moment he regarded me doubtfully, and then there sprang into his eye a light as of days when he had been other than he now seemed, and I thought he would have spoken gaily83 and kindly84. But, my father coming to the door, the sergeant checked his words, and, his eye lighting85 upon Betty, a dark cloud of suspicion passed over his face. This was succeeded by a look of resignation truly humorous and comical, as he thanked me for the help I had already given him, which was indeed, he said, more than he had deserved, apologized for the disturbance86 he had caused, and so bowed himself out. He straightway marched his detachment into Drayton, and, having failed by violent means to avenge87 the death of his ensign, he now had recourse to the law, summoning to him the coroner, and insisting upon a speedy inquest, in hope to discover—the few witnesses of the deed being put upon oath—the name of whom, if taken flagrante delicto, he would have hanged before it could be told.
To a wiser head than mine I must leave to be decided88 the point in casuistry, whether it was to the honor or rather to the shame of our village folk that among them could not be found two to give a similar account of Ned's appearance, nor one that knew his name or had ever set eyes upon him before; and this in spite of their oaths and their long and kindly knowledge of him. It may be they did all grievously sin in thus shielding him; for me, I can only say that, having myself done much the same the night before, in intent at least, I am glad they did what they did; and that I have always held those three men and two women in a most tender regard who did esteem89 the danger to his dear body of more account than the risk to their own souls. While this inquest was holding, and before its verdict of manslaughter by a person unknown had been delivered, there rode into the village with a small body of dragoons no less a person than Colonel Kirke himself, to whom our sergeant had sent a messenger immediately upon the death of his officer. He came roaring and ruffling90 into the room at the little inn where the coroner sat, and 't is a hard thing to say what might not have happened to many innocent persons had he not there met with my father. Sir Michael's knowledge of men, and, perhaps, some secret information of Kirke's character, taught him the true manner in which this hero, more deadly with the rope than with the sword, must be handled. I need here say no more of the matter, but that Colonel Kirke did that afternoon march to Taunton, with all his Lambs and dragoons, the body of the dead ensign, and a sum of two hundred pounds of my dear father's savings91 as ransom92 for the village.
Of Colonel Percy Kirke it was truly said that only one thing did he love better than blood.
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1
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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4
undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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5
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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6
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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7
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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8
warranty
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| n.担保书，证书，保单 | |
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9
stigma
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| n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头 | |
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10
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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11
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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12
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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13
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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14
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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15
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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16
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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17
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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18
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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19
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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20
subterfuge
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| n.诡计；藉口 | |
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adroitness
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22
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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23
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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24
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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raggedly
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| 破烂地，粗糙地 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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shears
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| n.大剪刀 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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30
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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31
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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32
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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33
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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34
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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35
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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37
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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38
clout
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| n.用手猛击；权力，影响力 | |
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39
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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40
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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41
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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42
soot
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| n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟 | |
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43
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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44
plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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45
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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46
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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47
smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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48
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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49
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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50
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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51
besmirched
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| v.弄脏( besmirch的过去式和过去分词 )；玷污；丑化；糟蹋（名誉等） | |
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52
evasion
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| n.逃避，偷漏(税) | |
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53
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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54
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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55
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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56
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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57
cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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58
yokel
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| n.乡下人；农夫 | |
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59
slurring
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| 含糊地说出( slur的现在分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱 | |
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60
nags
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| n.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的名词复数 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的第三人称单数 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
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61
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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62
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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63
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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64
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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65
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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66
bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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70
cuffed
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| v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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72
muddled
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| adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子 | |
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fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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mattresses
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| 褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
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grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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76
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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80
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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81
rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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grotesquely
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| adv. 奇异地,荒诞地 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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84
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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85
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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86
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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89
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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90
ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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