“I like your king,” said Amos Green, “and I am glad to ride in his service. He is a slip of a man to be the head of a great nation, but he has the eye of a chief. If one met him alone in a Maine forest, one would know him as a man who was different to his fellows. Well, I am glad that he is going to marry again, though it’s a great house for any woman to have to look after.”
De Catinat smiled at his comrade’s idea of a queen’s duties.
“Are you armed?” he asked. “You have no sword or pistols?”
“No; if I may not carry my gun, I had rather not be troubled by tools that I have never learned to use. I have my knife. But why do you ask?”
“Because there may be danger.”
“And how?”
“Many have an interest in stopping this marriage. All the first men of the kingdom are bitterly against it. If they could stop us, they would stop it, for to-night at least.”
“But I thought it was a secret?”
“There is no such thing at a court. There is the dauphin, or the king’s brother, either of them, or any of their friends, would be right glad that we should be in the Seine before we reach the archbishop’s house this night. But who is this?”
A burly figure had loomed9 up through the gloom on the path upon which they were going. As it approached, a coloured lamp dangling10 from one of the trees shone upon the blue and silver of an officer of the guards. It was Major de Brissac, of De Catinat’s own regiment11.
“Hullo! Whither away?” he asked.
“To Paris, major.”
“I go there myself within an hour. Will you not wait, that we may go together?”
“I am sorry, but I ride on a matter of urgency. I must not lose a minute.”
“Very good. Good-night, and a pleasant ride.”
“Is he a trusty man, our friend the major?” asked Amos Green, glancing back.
“True as steel.”
“Then I would have a word with him.” The American hurried back along the way they had come, while De Catinat stood chafing12 at this unnecessary delay. It was a full five minutes before his companion joined him, and the fiery13 blood of the French soldier was hot with impatience14 and anger.
“I think that perhaps you had best ride into Paris at your leisure, my friend,” said he. “If I go upon the king’s service I cannot be delayed whenever the whim15 takes you.”
“I am sorry,” answered the other quietly. “I had something to say to your major, and I thought that maybe I might not see him again.”
“Well, here are the horses,” said the guardsman as he pushed open the postern-gate. “Have you fed an watered them, Jacques?”
“Yes, my captain,” answered the man who stood at their head.
“Boot and saddle, then, friend Green, and we shall not draw rein16 again until we see the lights of Paris in front of us.”
The soldier-groom peered through the darkness after them with a sardonic17 smile upon his face. “You won’t draw rein, won’t you?” he muttered as he turned away. “Well, we shall see about that, my captain; we shall see about that.”
For a mile or more the comrades galloped18 along, neck to neck and knee to knee. A wind had sprung up from the westward19, and the heavens were covered with heavy gray clouds, which drifted swiftly across, a crescent moon peeping fitfully from time to time between the rifts20. Even during these moments of brightness the road, shadowed as it was by heavy trees, was very dark, but when the light was shut off it was hard, but for the loom8 upon either side, to tell where it lay. De Catinat at least found it so, and he peered anxiously over his horse’s ears, and stooped his face to the mane in his efforts to see his way.
“What do you make of the road?” he asked at last.
“It looks as if a good many carriage wheels had passed over it today.”
“What! Mon Dieu! Do you mean to say that you can see carriage wheels there?”
“Certainly. Why not?”
“Why, man, I cannot see the road at all.”
Amos Green laughed heartily21. “When you have travelled in the woods by night as often as I have,” said he, “when to show a light may mean to lose your hair, one comes to learn to use one’s eyes.”
“Then you had best ride on, and I shall keep just behind you. So! Hola! What is the matter now?”
There had been the sudden sharp snap of something breaking, and the American had reeled for an instant in the saddle.
“It’s one of my stirrup leathers. It has fallen.”
“Can you find it?”
“Yes; but I can ride as well without it. Let us push on.”
“Very good. I can just see you now.”
They had galloped for about five minutes in this fashion, De Catinat’s horse’s head within a few feet of the other’s tail, when there was a second snap, and the guardsman rolled out of the saddle on to the ground. He kept his grip of the reins22, however, and was up in an instant at his horse’s head, sputtering23 out oaths as only an angry Frenchman can.
“A thousand thunders of heaven!” he cried. “What was it that happened then?”
“Your leather has gone too.”
“Two stirrup leathers in five minutes? It is not possible.”
“It is not possible that it should be chance,” said the American gravely, swinging himself off his horse. “Why, what is this? My other leather is cut, and hangs only by a thread.”
“And so does mine. I can feel it when I pass my hand along. Have you a tinder-box? Let us strike a light.”
“No, no; the man who is in the dark is in safety. I let the other folk strike lights. We can see all that is needful to us.”
“My rein is cut also.”
“And so is mine.”
“And the girth of my saddle.”
“It is a wonder that we came so far with whole bones. Now, who has played us this little trick?”
“Who could it be but that rogue24 Jacques! He has had the horses in his charge. By my faith, he shall know what the strappado means when I see Versailles again.”
“But why should he do it?”
“Ah, he has been set on to it. He has been a tool in the hands of those who wished to hinder our journey.”
“Very like. But they must have had some reason behind. They knew well that to cut our straps25 would not prevent us from reaching Paris, since we could ride bareback, or, for that matter, could run it if need be.”
“They hoped to break our necks.”
“One neck they might break, but scarce those of two, since the fate of the one would warn the other.”
“Well, then, what do you think that they meant?” cried De Catinat impatiently. “For heaven’s sake, let us come to some conclusion, for every minute is of importance.”
But the other was not to be hurried out of his cool, methodical fashion of speech and of thought.
“They could not have thought to stop us,” said he.
“What did they mean, then? They could only have meant to delay us. And why should they wish to delay us? What could it matter to them if we gave our message an hour or two sooner or an hour or two later? It could not matter.”
“For heaven’s sake—” broke in De Catinat impetuously.
But Amos Green went on hammering the matter slowly out.
“Why should they wish to delay us, then? There’s only one reason that I can see. In order to give other folk time to get in front of us and stop us. That is it, captain. I’d lay you a beaver-skin to a rabbit-pelt that I’m on the track. There’s been a party of a dozen horsemen along this ground since the dew began to fall. If they were delayed, they would have time to form their plans before we came.”
“By my faith, you may be right,” said De Catinat thoughtfully. “What would you propose?”
“That we ride back, and go by some less direct way.”
“It is impossible. We should have to ride back to Meudon cross-roads, and then it would add ten miles to our journey.”
“It is better to get there an hour later than not to get there at all.”
“Pshaw! we are surely not to be turned from our path by a mere26 guess. There is the St. Germain cross-road about a mile below. When we reach it we can strike to the right along the south side of the river, and so change our course.”
“But we may not reach it.”
“If anyone bars our way we shall know how to treat with them.”
“You would fight, then?”
“Yes.”
“What! with a dozen of them?”
“A hundred, if we are on the king’s errand.”
Amos Green shrugged27 his shoulders.
“You are surely not afraid?”
“Yes, I am, mighty28 afraid. Fighting’s good enough when there’s no help for it. But I call it a fool’s plan to ride straight into a trap when you might go round it.”
“You may do what you like,” said De Catinat angrily.
“My father was a gentleman, the owner of a thousand arpents of land, and his son is not going to flinch29 in the king’s service.”
“My father,” answered Amos Green, “was a merchant, the owner of a thousand skunk-skins, and his son knows a fool when he sees one.”
“You are insolent30, sir,” cried the guardsman. “We can settle this matter at some more fitting opportunity. At present I continue my mission, and you are very welcome to turn back to Versailles if you are so inclined.” He raised his hat with punctilious31 politeness, sprang on to his horse, and rode on down the road.
Amos Green hesitated a little, and then mounting, he soon overtook his companion. The latter, however, was still in no very sweet temper, and rode with a rigid32 neck, without a glance or a word for his comrade. Suddenly his eyes caught something in the gloom which brought a smile back to his face. Away in front of them, between two dark tree clumps33, lay a vast number of shimmering34, glittering yellow points, as thick as flowers in a garden. They were the lights of Paris.
“See!” he cried, pointing. “There is the city, and close here must be the St. Germain road. We shall take it, so as to avoid any danger.”
“Very good! But you should not ride too fast, when your girth may break at any moment.”
“Nay, come on; we are close to our journey’s end. The St. Germain road opens just round this corner, and then we shall see our way, for the lights will guide us.”
He cut his horse with his whip, and they galloped together round the curve. Next instant they were both down in one wild heap of tossing heads and struggling hoofs35, De Catinat partly covered by his horse, and his comrade hurled36 twenty paces, where he lay silent and motionless in the centre of the road.
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收听单词发音
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1
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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3
enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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5
intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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antagonisms
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| 对抗，敌对( antagonism的名词复数 ) | |
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7
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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8
loom
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| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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9
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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10
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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11
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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12
chafing
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| n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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13
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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14
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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15
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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16
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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17
sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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18
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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19
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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20
rifts
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| n.裂缝( rift的名词复数 )；裂隙；分裂；不和 | |
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21
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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22
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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23
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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24
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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25
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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26
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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27
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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28
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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flinch
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| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
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30
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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31
punctilious
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| adj.谨慎的，谨小慎微的 | |
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32
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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33
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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34
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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35
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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36
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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