Thus it was that Myles, with an eye to open war with the bachelors, gathered a following to his support. It was some little while before matters were brought to a crisis—a week or ten days. Perhaps even Myles had no great desire to hasten matters. He knew that whenever war was declared, he himself would have to bear the brunt of the battle, and even the bravest man hesitates before deliberately1 thrusting himself into a fight.
One morning Myles and Gascoyne and Wilkes sat under the shade of two trees, between which was a board nailed to the trunks, making a rude bench—always a favorite lounging-place for the lads in idle moments. Myles was polishing his bascinet with lard and wood-ashes, rubbing the metal with a piece of leather, and wiping it clean with a fustian2 rag. The other two, who had just been relieved from household duty, lay at length idly looking on.
Just then one of the smaller pages, a boy of twelve or thirteen, by name Robin3 Ingoldsby, crossed the court. He had been crying; his face was red and blubbered, and his body was still shaken with convulsive sniffs4.
Myles looked up. “Come hither, Robin,” he called from where he sat. “What is to do?”
The little fellow came slowly up to where the three rested in the shade. “Mowbray beat me with a strap,” said he, rubbing his sleeve across his eyes, and catching5 his breath at the recollection.
“Beat thee, didst say?” said Myles, drawing his brows together. “Why did he beat thee?”
“Because,” said Robin, “I tarried overlong in fetching a pot of beer from the buttery for him and Wyatt.” Then, with a boy's sudden and easy quickness in forgetting past troubles, “Tell me, Falworth,” said he, “when wilt6 thou give me that knife thou promised me—the one thou break the blade of yesterday?”
“I know not,” said Myles, bluntly, vexed7 that the boy did not take the disgrace of his beating more to heart. “Some time soon, mayhap. Me thinks thou shouldst think more of thy beating than of a broken knife. Now get thee gone to thy business.”
The youngster lingered for a moment or two watching Myles at his work. “What is that on the leather scrap8, Falworth?” said he, curiously9.
“Lard and ashes,” said Myles, testily10. “Get thee gone, I say, or I will crack thy head for thee;” and he picked up a block of wood, with a threatening gesture.
The youngster made a hideous11 grimace12, and then scurried13 away, ducking his head, lest in spite of Myles's well-known good-nature the block should come whizzing after him.
“Hear ye that now!” cried Myles, flinging down the block again and turning to his two friends. “Beaten with straps14 because, forsooth, he would not fetch and carry quickly enough to please the haste of these bachelors. Oh, this passeth patience, and I for one will bear it no longer.”
“Nay, Myles,” said Gascoyne, soothingly15, “the little imp16 is as lazy as a dormouse and as mischievous17 as a monkey. I'll warrant the hiding was his due, and that more of the like would do him good.”
“Why, how dost thou talk, Francis!” said Myles, turning upon him indignantly. “Thou knowest that thou likest to see the boy beaten no more than I.” Then, after a meditative18 pause, “How many, think ye, we muster19 of our company of the Rose today?”
Wilkes looked doubtfully at Gascoyne. “There be only seventeen of us here now,” said he at last. “Brinton and Lambourne are away to Roby Castle in Lord George's train, and will not be back till Saturday next. And Watt20 Newton is in the infirmary.
“Seventeen be'st enou,” said Myles, grimly. “Let us get together this afternoon, such as may, in the Brutus Tower, for I, as I did say, will no longer suffer these vile21 bachelors.”
Gascoyne and Wilkes exchanged looks, and then the former blew a long whistle.
So that afternoon a gloomy set of young faces were gathered together in the Eyry—fifteen of the Knights22 of the Rose—and all knew why they were assembled. The talk which followed was conducted mostly by Myles. He addressed the others with a straightforward23 vim24 and earnestness, but the response was only half-hearted, and when at last, having heated himself up with his own fire, he sat down, puffing25 out his red cheeks and glaring round, a space of silence followed, the lads looked doubtfully at one another. Myles felt the chill of their silence strike coldly on his enthusiasm, and it vexed him.
“What wouldst thou do, Falworth?” said one of the knights, at last. “Wouldst have us open a quarrel with the bachelors?”
“Nay,” said Myles, gruffly. “I had thought that ye would all lend me a hand in a pitched battle but now I see that ye ha' no stomach for that. Ne'theless, I tell ye plainly I will not submit longer to the bachelors. So now I will ask ye not to take any venture upon yourselves, but only this: that ye will stand by me when I do my fighting, and not let five or seven of them fall upon me at once.
“There is Walter Blunt; he is parlous26 strong,” said one of the others, after a time of silence. “Methinks he could conquer any two of us.”
“Nay,” said Myles; “ye do fear him too greatly. I tell ye I fear not to stand up to try battle with him and will do so, too, if the need arise. Only say ye that ye will stand by my back.”
“Marry,” said Gascoyne, quaintly27, “an thou wilt dare take the heavy end upon thee, I for one am willing to stand by and see that thou have thy fill of fighting.”
“I too will stand thee by, Myles,” said Edmund Wilkes.
“And I, and I, and I,” said others, chiming in.
Those who would still have held back were carried along by the stream, and so it was settled that if the need should arise for Myles to do a bit of fighting, the others should stand by to see that he had fair play.
“When thinkest thou that thou wilt take thy stand against them, Myles?” asked Wilkes.
Myles hesitated a moment. “To-morrow,” said he, grimly.
Several of the lads whistled softly.
Gascoyne was prepared for an early opening of the war, but perhaps not for such an early opening as this. “By 'r Lady, Myles, thou art hungry for brawling,” said he.
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1
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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2
fustian
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| n.浮夸的；厚粗棉布 | |
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3
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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sniffs
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的第三人称单数 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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5
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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7
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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8
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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9
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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10
testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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11
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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12
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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13
scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
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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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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16
imp
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| n.顽童 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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meditative
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| adj.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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watt
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| n.瓦，瓦特 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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vim
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| n.精力，活力 | |
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25
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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26
parlous
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| adj.危险的，不确定的，难对付的 | |
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quaintly
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| adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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