That stranger, the sight of whose back so frighted me, foolishly clad in boy's garments, that I dared not risk encounter with the gaze of his eyes, was, though, alas1! I knew it not, my brother Philip. When I did pass through the great hall on my way to the stables, he had just come to an end of some talk with Simon Emmet, who was then gone to fetch Sir Michael.
From his errand Simon hoped little good, fearing of the ills that might arise from Philip's return at this conjuncture, most of all the perturbation of spirit into which it was like to cast his master. So much, indeed, he said, with such plainness as his old and unbroken affection for my brother would allow. There is no little reason to suppose that, even more than the lad's father, Simon Emmet had been grieved by Philip's adoption2 of his mother's religion. For Philip, upon his arrival and encounter with the old man, was no sooner recognized than he was asked if it were indeed true that he was become a priest: and when Simon was assured that so it was, he counselled a speedy departure, since no good would come, Sir Michael being minded as he was, of their meeting. Being told, with that gentle severity which did use to sit very nobly upon my brother, that he must inform his master with no more ado, he yet in going must turn at the door to deliver a parting bolt through the man he loved at the creed3 he abhorred4.
"Now, I bethink me, Master Philip," says Simon, "there is, when all is said, some good come of your heresy5." And when Philip said gently that he hoped indeed it was so, but saw not how he meant it, Simon gave answer that, old man and sick though he was, Sir Michael upon that dire6 news had gotten a mind to live, and had lived ever since, in the firm intent that, as long as he might prevent, a Papist should never rule at Drayton.
"But, Simon," says Philip, with a sadness political rather than religious, "there was surely a time when my dear father had preferred a Papist in his house to a Dutch Calvinist on the throne."
"Ay, Master Phil," says Simon, with an old man's chuckle7 of much cunning, "but that was before the throne had tried a Papist," and so left him.
And I do suppose it was while I listened unseen to little Prue's willing news from her lover on the flags of the stable-yard that my two nearest kin8 were threshing out, in the great hall behind me, a question that can never be settled. There was no quarrel between them, but little that was common to their two minds. And that day the little seemed altogether naught9. Yet in temper the two men were as like as unlike in thought.
Now Philip's change of faith had but strengthened, and in a manner embittered10, the old Cavalier devotion to the house of Stuart. Being commissioned by that great religious society of which he was a member, and whose power is as far-reaching as its means are often hidden and subtile, to travel from London through the southern and western parts of England, exhorting11, persuading, and commanding the Catholic gentry12 to remain constant in the royal cause, he had, at the end of two months so spent, at last arrived among us. He now told his father that he held it within the spirit of his commission, if not of its letter, to use upon him, did he waver in that political faith of which his life hitherto was so noble an exhibition, the same arguments and modes of appeal he was daily employing upon those of the true faith.
"You lack, however, in dealing13 with me, my son, one weapon—and that your strongest," said his father.
"And that, sir?" said Philip.
"The appeal to religious authority, my boy. And yet I scarce see by what means you do bring it in use; for I hear that His Holiness is ever at war of one kind or another with King Lewis, and favors rather the cause of that alliance of the Empire with the Protestant Princes, of which His young Highness of Orange is the soul and spirit. I warrant, lad," said the old man, with some grimness of humor, "you find the Pope but an unhandy weapon in your schemes and plots."
"I obey orders, sir, but do not deal in plots," the son replied, with a pride that matched the father's.
"Art not a Jesuit?" asked Sir Michael.
And Philip answering, proudly and yet with much humility14, that he was, Sir Michael would have known of him what he did when the bidding of the Society of Jesus ran counter to His Holiness's policy, or enjoined15 action inconvenient16 with the honor of a gentleman. But Philip, avoiding the former question, was yet stung into reply on the second, saying boldly that the spiritual descendants of Loyola were much belied17, and had no traffic in the plotting of underhand schemes.
To this his father, with much warmth, but with a greater kindness than had yet appeared in his address, replied: "Truly, I think they do not—through such as thou, my son. Believe your old father, lad; your superiors are men of a boundless18 statecraft and a subtile, and well know their tools. Who that has knowledge uses an axe19 to do the office of a file? But files they have, and augers even down to the finest gimlet; and these also work among us."
"Be that as it may, sir," answered Philip, "my mission is honest and open. I come to conjure20 you to hold faith with the cause in which you have so nobly spent your blood, your sons, your land, and your gold."
"There is nothing left me but my daughter and the ragged21 edge of life, Philip," said the old man, with a great sadness. "And these, too, would I spend, as I thought, God knows, to spend all that is gone,—for the good, I mean, of England. But not as you would lay them out, Philip; not on James, his harlots, priests, and bastards22. The King is the slave of priests as his brother was of women; and, Gad23 's my life! the late King was more English in 's tastes. Women may harm the king, but your priest in power is death to the kingdom. I have learned one thing, son Philip, in my nine and seventy years: that a man's king is much, but his country more. But it is enough. Let us leave the matter, or, God forgive me, I shall end by lauding24 the man I have most hated—the one Englishman since I drew breath that was feared and honored by Pope, Emperor, and Kings. And since? We have been laughed to scorn of the Spaniard, spat25 upon by the Hollander, and paid—God's blood! ay, paid by a filthy26 Frenchman!"
"Traitor!" quoth Sir Michael, with a great bitterness. "We are all traitors29 now. It is the curse of God upon a wicked and adulterous generation. There is no man among us but some will say of him, 'There goeth a traitor,' whether to his king, his country, or his God."
Then Philip: "If I must choose, it shall be to all before my God."
"Ay," said Sir Michael; "but in my plain English way of thought, Sir Priest, no man betrays his country but is traitor to his God."
And so they made an end, and Philip mounted his horse and rode away. And all that day I knew not that my brother had stood in reach of my arms. These things and the little more I have here to tell of Philip I learned after from his own lips. Riding sad and thoughtful from the house he did meet, at the turn of the avenue where it opens upon the road, a short, fat man, with red hair that matched ill with his dark and oily skin. His horse, though good, seemed but now painfully to recover from hard running. The fellow's countenance30 being not unknown to him, Philip was the less surprised to be addressed by name as brother, and asked had he forgotten the speaker. And when he was at length remembered for one Francis, that was in the time of Philip's novitiate a lay brother in no good odor of repute, he told with some boastfulness how he had received priest's orders and the conduct of a great mission, concerning which he was loftily mysterious, saying only it was a great work for the subduing31 the heathen; to compel a blind and unquestioning assistance in which he had powers granted him, he said, over any member of the Society he should encounter. At present, he added, he was to be known and addressed only as Mr. James Marston of the city of Oxford32. He then commanded Philip's attendance upon him, and, on his demurring33, showed him such writings as convinced my dear brother, rightly or wrongly, that he had no choice but to obey. Which he did, riding with him sadly enough, and wondering, as he has told me, whether he were not soon about to give the lie to that proud speech wherein he told his father that he, no more than the Society of Jesus, did deal in plots. I will here say that grave doubt has since been cast upon the authenticity34 of the alleged35 commission of Brother Francis. Philip has ever held that he was deceived by the man; that the papers were either forged, or used to ends far other than their purpose.
Mr. William Bentinck, whose great knowledge of hidden affairs as well as his lack of bias36 in favor of that Society entitles his opinion to a greater value, thought it to be a case in which one had been employed that might, in event of failure, throw the fault upon a body of men as accustomed to be blamed as to do good. However it may be, we shall never certainly know the truth of the matter, since the destruction of the papers and other accidents have put it quite beyond the power of any man to enquire37 further with hope of success. One thing at least is certain: that Philip was as ignorant as innocent of the purpose to which he was led.
And so I find myself in the saddle, taming Roan Charley in the park, where I have, in a manner of speaking, patiently awaited my reader through the tedious course of two chapters.
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1
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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abhorred
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| v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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heresy
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| n.异端邪说；异教 | |
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dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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8
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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embittered
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| v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
exhorting
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| v.劝告，劝说( exhort的现在分词 ) | |
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gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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13
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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belied
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| v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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bastards
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| 私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙 | |
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gad
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| n.闲逛；v.闲逛 | |
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lauding
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| v.称赞，赞美( laud的现在分词 ) | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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subduing
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| 征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗 | |
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32
Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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33
demurring
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的现在分词 ) | |
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authenticity
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| n.真实性 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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bias
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| n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见 | |
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enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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