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kenilworth-第52章

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his staff of office; 〃The noble Earl runs wild humours to…day。
But they who give crowns expect us witty fellows to wink at their
unsettled starts; and; by my faith; if they paid not for mercy;
we would finger them tightly!〃  'See Note 6。  Robert Laneham。'

Leicester moved hastily on; neglecting the courtesies he had
hitherto dispensed so liberally; and hurrying through the courtly
crowd; until he paused in a small withdrawing…room; into which he
plunged to draw a moment's breath unobserved; and in seclusion。

〃What am I now;〃 he said to himself; 〃that am thus jaded by the
words of a mean; weather…beaten; goose…brained gull!  Conscience;
thou art a bloodhound; whose growl wakes us readily at the paltry
stir of a rat or mouse as at the step of a lion。  Can I not quit
myself; by one bold stroke; of a state so irksome; so unhonoured?
What if I kneel to Elizabeth; and; owning the whole; throw myself
on her mercy?〃

As he pursued this train of thought; the door of the apartment
opened; and Varney rushed in。

〃Thank God; my lord; that I have found you!〃  was his
exclamation。

〃Thank the devil; whose agent thou art;〃 was the Earl's reply。

〃Thank whom you will; my lord;〃 replied Varney; 〃but hasten to
the water…side。  The Queen is on board; and asks for you。〃

〃Go; say I am taken suddenly ill;〃 replied Leicester; 〃for; by
Heaven; my brain can sustain this no longer!〃

〃I may well say so;〃 said Varney; with bitterness of expression;
〃for your place; ay; and mine; who; as your master of the horse;
was to have attended your lordship; is already filled up in the
Queen's barge。  The new minion; Walter Raleigh; and our old
acquaintance Tressilian were called for to fill our places just
as I hastened away to seek you。〃

〃Thou art a devil; Varney;〃 said Leicester hastily; 〃but thou
hast the mastery for the presentI follow thee。〃

Varney replied not; but led the way out of the palace; and
towards the river; while his master followed him; as if
mechanically; until; looking back; he said in a tone which
savoured of familiarity at least; if not of authority; 〃How is
this; my lord?  Your cloak hangs on one sideyour hose are
unbracedpermit me〃

〃Thou art a fool; Varney; as well as a knave;〃 said Leicester;
shaking him off; and rejecting his officious assistance。  〃We are
best thus; sir; when we require you to order our person; it is
well; but now we want you not。〃

So saying; the Earl resumed at once his air of command; and with
it his self…possessionshook his dress into yet wilder disorder
passed before Varney with the air of a superior and master; and
in his turn led the way to the river…side。

The Queen's barge was on the very point of putting off; the seat
allotted to Leicester in the stern; and that to his master of the
horse on the bow of the boat; being already filled up。  But on
Leicester's approach there was a pause; as if the bargemen
anticipated some alteration in their company。  The angry spot
was; however; on the Queen's cheek; as; in that cold tone with
which superiors endeavour to veil their internal agitation; while
speaking to those before whom it would be derogation to express
it; she pronounced the chilling words; 〃We have waited; my Lord
of Leicester。〃

〃Madam; and most gracious Princess;〃 said Leicester; 〃you; who
can pardon so many weaknesses which your own heart never knows;
can best bestow your commiseration on the agitations of the
bosom; which; for a moment; affect both head and limbs。  I came
to your presence a doubting and an accused subject; your goodness
penetrated the clouds of defamation; and restored me to my
honour; and; what is yet dearer; to your favouris it wonderful;
though for me it is most unhappy; that my master of the horse
should have found me in a state which scarce permitted me to make
the exertion necessary to follow him to this place; when one
glance of your Highness; although; alas!  an angry one; has had
power to do that for me in which Esculapius might have failed?〃

〃How is this?〃  said Elizabeth hastily; looking at Varney; 〃hath
your lord been ill?〃

〃Something of a fainting fit;〃 answered the ready…witted Varney;
〃as your Grace may observe from his present condition。  My lord's
haste would not permit me leisure even to bring his dress into
order。〃

〃It matters not;〃 said Elizabeth; as she gazed on the noble face
and form of Leicester; to which even the strange mixture of
passions by which he had been so lately agitated gave additional
interest; 〃make room for my noble lord。  Your place; Master
Varney; has been filled up; you must find a seat in another
barge。〃

Varney bowed; and withdrew。

〃And you; too; our young Squire of the Cloak;〃 added she; looking
at Raleigh; 〃must; for the time; go to the barge of our ladies of
honour。  As for Tressilian; he hath already suffered too much by
the caprice of women that I should aggrieve him by my change of
plan; so far as he is concerned。〃

Leicester seated himself in his place in the barge; and close to
the Sovereign。  Raleigh rose to retire; and Tressilian would have
been so ill…timed in his courtesy as to offer to relinquish his
own place to his friend; had not the acute glance of Raleigh
himself; who seemed no in his native element; made him sensible
that so ready a disclamation of the royal favour might be
misinterpreted。  He sat silent; therefore; whilst Raleigh; with a
profound bow; and a look of the deepest humiliation; was about to
quit his place。

A noble courtier; the gallant Lord Willoughby; read; as he
thought; something in the Queen's face which seemed to pity
Raleigh's real or assumed semblance of mortification。

〃It is not for us old courtiers;〃 he said; 〃to hide the sunshine
from the young ones。  I will; with her Majesty's leave;
relinquish for an hour that which her subjects hold dearest; the
delight of her Highness's presence; and mortify myself by walking
in starlight; while I forsake for a brief season the glory of
Diana's own beams。  I will take place in the boat which the
ladies occupy; and permit this young cavalier his hour of
promised felicity。〃

The Queen replied; with an expression betwixt mirth and earnest;
〃If you are so willing to leave us; my lord; we cannot help the
mortification。  But; under favour; we do not trust youold and
experienced as you may deem yourselfwith the care of our young
ladies of honour。  Your venerable age; my lord;〃 she continued;
smiling; 〃may be better assorted with that of my Lord Treasurer;
who follows in the third boat; and by whose experience even my
Lord Willoughby's may be improved。〃

Lord Willoughby hid his disappointment under a smilelaughed;
was confused; bowed; and left the Queen's barge to go on board my
Lord Burleigh's。  Leicester; who endeavoured to divert his
thoughts from all internal reflection; by fixing them on what was
passing around; watched this circumstance among others。  But when
the boat put off from the shorewhen the music sounded from a
barge which accompanied themwhen the shouts of the populace
were heard from the shore; and all reminded him of the situation
in which he was placed; he abstracted his thoughts and feelings
by a strong effort from everything but the necessity of
maintaining himself in the favour of his patroness; and exerted
his talents of pleasing captivation with such success; that the
Queen; alternately delighted with his conversation; and alarmed
for his health; at length imposed a temporary silence on him;
with playful yet anxious care; lest his flow of spirits should
exhaust him。

〃My lords;〃 she said; 〃having passed for a time our edict of
silence upon our good Leicester; we will call you to counsel on a
gamesome matter; more fitted to be now treated of; amidst mirth
and music; than in the gravity of our ordinary deliberations。
Which of you; my lords;〃 said she; smiling; 〃know aught of a
petition from Orson Pinnit; the keeper; as he qualifies himself;
of our royal bears?  Who stands godfather to his request?〃

〃Marry; with Your Grace's good permission; that do I;〃 said the
Earl of Sussex。  〃Orson Pinnit was a stout soldier before he was
so mangled by the skenes of the Irish clan MacDonough; and I
trust your Grace will be; as you always have been; good mistress
to your good and trusty servants。〃

〃Surely;〃 said the Queen; 〃it is our purpose to be so; and in
especial to our poor soldiers and sailors; who hazard their lives
for little pay。  We would give;〃 she said; with her eyes
sparkling; 〃yonder royal palace of ours to be an hospital for
their use; rather than they should call their mistress
ungrateful。  But this is not the question;〃 she said; her voice;
which had been awakened by her patriotic feelings; once more
subsiding into the tone of gay and easy conversation; 〃for this
Orson Pinnit's request goes something further。  He complains
that; amidst the extreme delight with which men haunt the play…
houses; and in especial their eager desire for seeing the
exhibitions of one Will Shakespeare (whom I think; my lords; we
have all heard something of); the manly amusement of bear…baiting
is falling into comparative neglect; since men will rather throng
to see these roguish players kill each
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