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kenilworth-第31章

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〃I can guide thee no better than I have done。  Lay down the
silver token on the flat stonewhistle three timesthen come
sit down on the western side of the thicket of gorse。  I will sit
by you; and give you free leave to wring my head off; unless you
hear the smith at work within two minutes after we are seated。〃

〃I may be tempted to take thee at thy word;〃 said Tressilian; 〃if
you make me do aught half so ridiculous for your own mischievous
sport; however; I will prove your spell。  Here; then; I tie my
horse to this upright stone。  I must lay my silver groat here;
and whistle three times; sayest thou?〃

〃Ay; but thou must whistle louder than an unfledged ousel;〃 said
the boy; as Tressilian; having laid down his money; and half
ashamed of the folly he practised; made a careless whistle〃you
must whistle louder than that; for who knows where the smith is
that you call for?  He may be in the King of France's stables for
what I know。〃

〃Why; you said but now he was no devil;〃 replied Tressilian。

〃Man or devil;〃 said Dickie; 〃I see that I must summon him for
you;〃 and therewithal he whistled sharp and shrill; with an
acuteness of sound that almost thrilled through Tressilian's
brain。  〃That is what I call whistling;〃 said he; after he had
repeated the signal thrice; 〃and now to cover; to cover; or
Whitefoot will not be shod this day。〃

Tressilian; musing what the upshot of this mummery was to be; yet
satisfied there was to be some serious result; by the confidence
with which the boy had put himself in his power; suffered himself
to be conducted to that side of the little thicket of gorse and
brushwood which was farthest from the circle of stones; and there
sat down; and as it occurred to him that; after all; this might
be a trick for stealing his horse; he kept his hand on the boy's
collar; determined to make him hostage for its safety。

〃Now; hush and listen;〃 said Dickie; in a low whisper; 〃you will
soon hear the tack of a hammer that was never forged of earthly
iron; for the stone it was made of was shot from the moon。〃  And
in effect Tressilian did immediately hear the light stroke of a
hammer; as when a farrier is at work。  The singularity of such a
sound; in so very lonely a place; made him involuntarily start;
but looking at the boy; and discovering; by the arch malicious
expression of his countenance; that the urchin saw and enjoyed
his slight tremor; he became convinced that the whole was a
concerted stratagem; and determined to know by whom; or for what
purpose; the trick was played off。

Accordingly; he remained perfectly quiet all the time that the
hammer continued to sound; being about the space usually employed
in fixing a horse…shoe。  But the instant the sound ceased;
Tressilian; instead of interposing the space of time which his
guide had required; started up with his sword in his hand; ran
round the thicket; and confronted a man in a farrier's leathern
apron; but otherwise fantastically attired in a bear…skin dressed
with the fur on; and a cap of the same; which almost hid the
sooty and begrimed features of the wearer。  〃Come back; come
back!〃  cried the boy to Tressilian; 〃or you will be torn to
pieces; no man lives that looks on him。〃  In fact; the invisible
smith (now fully visible) heaved up his hammer; and showed
symptoms of doing battle。

But when the boy observed that neither his own entreaties nor the
menaces of the farrier appeared to change Tressilian's purpose;
but that; on the contrary; he confronted the hammer with his
drawn sword; he exclaimed to the smith in turn; 〃Wayland; touch
him not; or you will come by the worse!the gentleman is a true
gentleman; and a bold。〃

〃So thou hast betrayed me; Flibbertigibbet?〃  said the smith; 〃it
shall be the worse for thee!〃

〃Be who thou wilt;〃 said Tressilian; 〃thou art in no danger from
me; so thou tell me the meaning of this practice; and why thou
drivest thy trade in this mysterious fashion。〃

The smith; however; turning to Tressilian; exclaimed; in a
threatening tone; 〃Who questions the Keeper of the Crystal Castle
of Light; the Lord of the Green Lion; the Rider of the Red
Dragon?  Hence!avoid thee; ere I summon Talpack with his fiery
lance; to quell; crush; and consume!〃  These words he uttered
with violent gesticulation; mouthing; and flourishing his hammer。

〃Peace; thou vile cozener; with thy gipsy cant!〃  replied
Tressilian scornfully; 〃and follow me to the next magistrate; or
I will cut thee over the pate。〃

〃Peace; I pray thee; good Wayland!〃  said the boy。  〃Credit me;
the swaggering vein will not pass here; you must cut boon whids。〃
'〃Give good words。〃SLANG DIALECT。'

〃I think; worshipful sir;〃 said the smith; sinking his hammer;
and assuming a more gentle and submissive tone of voice; 〃that
when so poor a man does his day's job; he might be permitted to
work it out after his own fashion。  Your horse is shod; and your
farrier paidwhat need you cumber yourself further than to mount
and pursue your journey?〃

〃Nay; friend; you are mistaken;〃 replied Tressilian; 〃every man
has a right to take the mask from the face of a cheat and a
juggler; and your mode of living raises suspicion that you are
both。〃

〃If you are so determined; sir;〃 said the smith; 〃I cannot help
myself save by force; which I were unwilling to use towards you;
Master Tressilian; not that I fear your weapon; but because I
know you to be a worthy; kind; and well…accomplished gentleman;
who would rather help than harm a poor man that is in a strait。〃

〃Well said; Wayland;〃 said the boy; who had anxiously awaited the
issue of their conference。  〃But let us to thy den; man; for it
is ill for thy health to stand here talking in the open air。〃

〃Thou art right; Hobgoblin;〃 replied the smith; and going to the
little thicket of gorse on the side nearest to the circle; and
opposite to that at which his customer had so lately crouched; he
discovered a trap…door curiously covered with bushes; raised it;
and; descending into the earth; vanished from their eyes。
Notwithstanding Tressilian's curiosity; he had some hesitation at
following the fellow into what might be a den of robbers;
especially when he heard the smith's voice; issuing from the
bowels of the earth; call out; 〃Flibertigibbet; do you come last;
and be sure to fasten the trap!〃

〃Have you seen enough of Wayland Smith now?〃  whispered the
urchin to Tressilian; with an arch sneer; as if marking his
companion's uncertainty。

〃Not yet;〃 said Tressilian firmly; and shaking off his momentary
irresolution; he descended into the narrow staircase; to which
the entrance led; and was followed by Dickie Sludge; who made
fast the trap…door behind him; and thus excluded every glimmer of
daylight。  The descent; however; was only a few steps; and led to
a level passage of a few yards' length; at the end of which
appeared the reflection of a lurid and red light。  Arrived at
this point; with his drawn sword in his hand; Tressilian found
that a turn to the left admitted him and Hobgoblin; who followed
closely; into a small; square vault; containing a smith's forge;
glowing with charcoal; the vapour of which filled the apartment
with an oppressive smell; which would have been altogether
suffocating; but that by some concealed vent the smithy
communicated with the upper air。  The light afforded by the red
fuel; and by a lamp suspended in an iron chain; served to show
that; besides an anvil; bellows; tongs; hammers; a quantity of
ready…made horse…shoes; and other articles proper to the
profession of a farrier; there were also stoves; alembics;
crucibles; retorts; and other instruments of alchemy。  The
grotesque figure of the smith; and the ugly but whimsical
features of the boy; seen by the gloomy and imperfect light of
the charcoal fire and the dying lamp; accorded very well with all
this mystical apparatus; and in that age of superstition would
have made some impression on the courage of most men。

But nature had endowed Tressilian with firm nerves; and his
education; originally good; had been too sedulously improved by
subsequent study to give way to any imaginary terrors; and after
giving a glance around him; he again demanded of the artist who
he was; and by what accident he came to know and address him by
his name。

〃Your worship cannot but remember;〃 said the smith; 〃that about
three years since; upon Saint Lucy's Eve; there came a travelling
juggler to a certain hall in Devonshire; and exhibited his skill
before a worshipful knight and a fair company。I see from your
worship's countenance; dark as this place is; that my memory has
not done me wrong。〃

〃Thou hast said enough;〃 said Tressilian; turning away; as
wishing to hide from the speaker the painful train of
recollections which his discourse had unconsciously awakened。

〃The juggler;〃 said the smith; 〃played his part so bravely that
the clowns and clown…like squires in the company held his art to
be little less than magical; but there was one maiden of fifteen;
or thereby; with the fairest face I ever looked upon; whose rosy
cheek grew pale; and her bright eyes dim; at the sight of the
wonders exhibited。〃

〃Peace; I command thee; pe
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