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westward ho-第170章

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's immediate attendance; for he was one of the last; it seemed; who had seen Mr。 Salterne alive。

Salterne had gone over; as soon as Amyas departed; to an old acquaintance; signed and sealed his will in their presence with a firm and cheerful countenance; refusing all condolence; and then gone home; and locked himself into Rose's room。  Supper…time came; and he did not appear。  The apprentices could not make him answer; and at last called in the neighbors; and forced the door。  Salterne was kneeling by his daughter's bed; his head was upon the coverlet; his Prayer…book was open before him at the Burial Service; his hands were clasped in supplication; but he was dead and cold。

His will lay by him。  He had left all his property among his poor relations; saving and excepting all money; etc。; due to him as owner and part…adventurer of the ship Rose; and his new bark of three hundred tons burden; now lying East…the…water; all which was bequeathed to Captain Amyas Leigh; on condition that he should re… christen that bark the Vengeance;fit her out with part of the treasure; and with her sail once more against the Spaniard; before three years were past。

And this was the end of William Salterne; merchant。



CHAPTER XXIX

HOW THE VIRGINIA FLEET WAS STOPPED BY THE QUEEN'S COMMAND


〃The daughter of debate;    That discord still doth sow; Shall reap no gain where former rule    Hath taught still peace to grow。 No foreign banish'd wight    Shall anker in this port Our realm it brooks no stranger's force;    Let them elsewhere resort。〃

                   QU。 ELIZABETH。 1569。


And now Amyas is settled quietly at home again; and for the next twelve months little passes worthy of record in these pages。  Yeo has installed himself as major domo; with no very definite functions; save those of walking about everywhere at Amyas's heels like a lank gray wolf…hound; and spending his evenings at the fireside; as a true old sailor does; with his Bible on his knee; and his hands busy in manufacturing numberless nicknacks; useful and useless; for every member of the family; and above all for Ayacanora; whom he insults every week by humbly offering some toy only fit for a child; at which she pouts; and is reproved by Mrs。 Leigh; and then takes the gift; and puts it away never to look at it again。  For her whole soul is set upon being an English maid; and she runs about all day long after Mrs。 Leigh; insisting upon learning the mysteries of the kitchen and the still…room; and; above all; the art of making clothes for herself; and at last for everybody in Northam。  For first; she will be a good housewife; like Mrs。 Leigh; and next a new idea has dawned on her: that of helping others。  To the boundless hospitality of the savage she has been of course accustomed: but to give to those who can give nothing in return; is a new thought。  She sees Mrs。 Leigh spending every spare hour in working for the poor; and visiting them in their cottages。  She sees Amyas; after public thanks in church for his safe return; giving away money; food; what not; in Northam; Appledore; and Bideford; buying cottages and making them almshouses for worn…out mariners; and she is told that this is his thank… offering to God。  She is puzzled; her notion of a thank…offering was rather that of the Indians; and indeed of the Spaniards; sacrifices of human victims; and the bedizenment of the Great Spirit's sanctuary with their skulls and bones。  Not that Amyas; as a plain old…fashioned churchman; was unmindful of the good old instinctive rule; that something should be given to the Church itself; for the vicar of Northam was soon resplendent with a new surplice; and what was more; the altar with a splendid flagon and salver of plate (lost; I suppose; in the civil wars) which had been taken in the great galleon。  Ayacanora could understand that: but the almsgiving she could not; till Mrs。 Leigh told her; in her simple way; that whosoever gave to the poor; gave to the Great Spirit; for the Great Spirit was in them; and in Ayacanora too; if she would be quiet and listen to him; instead of pouting; and stamping; and doing nothing but what she liked。  And the poor child took in that new thought like a child; and worked her fingers to the bone for all the old dames in Northam; and went about with Mrs。 Leigh; lovely and beloved; and looked now and then out from under her long black eyelashes to see if she was winning a smile from Amyas。  And on the day on which she won one; she was good all day; and on the day on which she did not; she was thoroughly naughty; and would have worn out the patience of any soul less chastened than Mrs。 Leigh's。  But as for the pomp and glory of her dress; there was no keeping it within bounds; and she swept into church each Sunday bedizened in Spanish finery; with such a blaze and rustle; that the good vicar had to remonstrate humbly with Mrs。 Leigh on the disturbance which she caused to the eyes and thoughts of all his congregation。  To which Ayacanora answered; that she was not thinking about them; and they need not think about her; and that if the Piache (in plain English; the conjuror); as she supposed; wanted a present; he might have all her Mexican feather… dresses; she would not wear themthey were wild Indian things; and she was an English maidbut they would just do for a Piache; and so darted upstairs; brought them down; and insisted so stoutly on arraying the vicar therein; that the good man beat a swift retreat。 But he carried off with him; nevertheless; one of the handsomest mantles; which; instead of selling it; he converted cleverly enough into an altar…cloth; and for several years afterwards; the communion at Northam was celebrated upon a blaze of emerald; azure; and crimson; which had once adorned the sinful body of some Aztec prince。

So Ayacanora flaunted on; while Amyas watched her; half amused; half in simple pride of her beauty; and looked around at all gazers; as much as to say; 〃See what a fine bird I have brought home!〃

Another great trouble which she gave Mrs。 Leigh was her conduct to the ladies of the neighborhood。  They came; of course; one and all; not only to congratulate Mrs。 Leigh; but to get a peep at the fair savage; but the fair savage snubbed them all round; from the vicar's wife to Lady Grenville herself; so effectually; that few attempted a second visit。

Mrs。 Leigh remonstrated; and was answered by floods of tears。 〃They only come to stare at a poor wild Indian girl; and she would not be made a show of。  She was like a queen once; and every one obeyed her; but here every one looked down upon her。〃  But when Mrs。 Leigh asked her; whether she would sooner go back to the forests; the poor girl clung to her like a baby; and entreated not to be sent away; 〃She would sooner be a slave in the kitchen here; than go back to the bad people。〃

And so on; month after month of foolish storm and foolish sunshine; but she was under the shadow of one in whom was neither storm nor sunshine; but a perpetual genial calm of soft gray weather; which tempered down to its own peacefulness all who entered its charmed influence; and the outbursts grew more and more rare; and Ayacanora more and more rational; though no more happy
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