下载辰思小说免费APP
"Elizabethwillnotbesatisfiedwithoutherpresence，"saidtheEarl。"Whetheranysuspicionhathenteredhermind，asmyownapprehensionssuggest，orwhetherthepetitionofTressilianiskeptinhermemorybySussexorsomeothersecretenemy，Iknownot;butamongstallthefavourableexpressionswhichsheusestome，sheoftenrecurstothestoryofAmyRobsart。IthinkthatAmyistheslaveinthechariot，whoisplacedtherebymyevilfortunetodashandtoconfoundmytriumph，evenwhenatthehighest。Showmethydevice，Varney，forsolvingtheinextricabledifficulty。IhavethrowneverysuchimpedimentinthewayoftheseaccursedrevelsasIcouldpropoundevenwithashadeofdecency，butto—day\'sinterviewhasputalltoahazard。
Shesaidtomekindly，butperemptorily，\'Wewillgiveyounofurthertimeforpreparations，mylord，lestyoushouldaltogetherruinyourself。OnSaturday，the9thofJuly，wewillbewithyouatKenilworth。Weprayyoutoforgetnoneofourappointedguestsandsuitors，andinespecialthislight—o\'—love，AmyRobsart。Wewouldwishtoseethewomanwhocouldpostponeyonderpoeticalgentleman，MasterTressilian，toyourman，RichardVarney。\'——Now，Varney，plythineinvention，whoseforgehathavailedussooftenforsureasmynameisDudley，thedangermenacedbymyhoroscopeisnowdarkeningaroundme。"
"Canmyladybebynomeanspersuadedtobearforabriefspacetheobscurecharacterwhichcircumstancesimposeonher？"SaidVarneyaftersomehesitation。
"How，sirrah？myCountesstermherselfthywife！——thatmayneitherstandwithmyhonournorwithhers。"
"Alas！mylord，"answeredVarney，"andyetsuchisthequalityinwhichElizabethnowholdsher;andtocontradictthisopinionistodiscoverall。"
"Thinkofsomethingelse，Varney，"saidtheEarl，ingreatagitation;"thisinventionisnought。IfIcouldgivewaytoit，shewouldnot;forItellthee，Varney，ifthouknowestitnot，thatnotElizabethonthethronehasmorepridethanthedaughterofthisobscuregentlemanofDevon。Sheisflexibleinmanythings，butwheresheholdsherhonourbroughtinquestionshehathaspiritandtemperasapprehensiveaslightning，andasswiftinexecution。"
"Wehaveexperiencedthat，mylord，elsehadwenotbeenthuscircumstanced，"saidVarney。"ButwhatelsetosuggestIknownot。Methinksshewhosegoodfortuneinbecomingyourlordship\'sbride，andwhogivesrisetothedanger，shoulddosomewhattowardsparryingit。"
"Itisimpossible，"saidtheEarl，wavinghishand;"Iknowneitherauthoritynorentreatieswouldmakeherendurethynameforanhour。
"Itissomewhathard，though，"saidVarney，inadrytone;and，withoutpausingonthattopic，headded，"Supposesomeonewerefoundtorepresenther？Suchfeatshavebeenperformedinthecourtsofassharp—eyedmonarchsasQueenElizabeth。"
"Uttermadness，Varney，"answeredtheEarl;"thecounterfeitwouldbeconfrontedwithTressilian，anddiscoverybecomeinevitable，"
"Tressilianmightberemovedfromcourt，"saidtheunhesitatingVarney。
"Andbywhatmeans？"
"Therearemany，"saidVarney，"bywhichastatesmaninyoursituation，mylord，mayremovefromthesceneonewhopriesintoyouraffairs，andplaceshimselfinperilousoppositiontoyou。"
"Speaknottomeofsuchpolicy，Varney，"saidtheEarlhastily，"which，besides，wouldavailnothinginthepresentcase。ManyotherstherebeatcourttowhomAmymaybeknown;andbesides，ontheabsenceofTressilian，herfatherorsomeofherfriendswouldbeinstantlysummonedhither。Urgethineinventiononcemore。"
"Mylord，Iknownotwhattosay，"answeredVarney;"butwereI
myselfinsuchperplexity，IwouldridepostdowntoCumnorPlace，andcompelmywifetogiveherconsenttosuchmeasuresashersafetyandminerequired。"
"Varney，"saidLeicester，"Icannoturgehertoaughtsorepugnanttohernoblenatureasashareinthisstratagem;itwouldbeabaserequitaltotheloveshebearsme。"
"Well，mylord，"saidVarney，"yourlordshipisawiseandanhonourableman，andskilledinthosehighpointsofromanticscruplewhicharecurrentinArcadiaperhaps，asyournephew，PhilipSidney，writes。Iamyourhumbleservitor——amanofthisworld，andonlyhappythatmyknowledgeofit，anditsways，issuchasyourlordshiphasnotscornedtoavailyourselfof。NowIwouldfainknowwhethertheobligationliesonmyladyoronyouinthisfortunateunion，andwhichhasmostreasontoshowcomplaisancetotheother，andtoconsiderthatother\'swishes，conveniences，andsafety？"
"Itellthee，Varney，"saidtheEarl，"thatallitwasinmypowertobestowuponherwasnotmerelydeserved，butathousandtimesoverpaid，byherownvirtueandbeauty;forneverdidgreatnessdescenduponacreaturesoformedbynaturetograceandadornit。"
"Itiswell，mylord，youaresosatisfied，"answeredVarney，withhisusualsardonicsmile，whichevenrespecttohispatroncouldnotatalltimessubdue;"youwillhavetimeenoughtoenjoyundisturbedthesocietyofonesograciousandbeautiful——
thatis，sosoonassuchconfinementintheTowerbeoverasmaycorrespondtothecrimeofdeceivingtheaffectionsofElizabethTudor。Acheaperpenalty，Ipresume，youdonotexpect。"
"Maliciousfiend！"answeredLeicester，"doyoumockmeinmymisfortune？——Manageitasthouwilt。"
"Ifyouareserious，mylord，"saidVarney，"youmustsetforthinstantlyandpostforCumnorPlace。"
"Dothougothyself，Varney;thedevilhasgiventheethatsortofeloquencewhichismostpowerfulintheworstcause。Ishouldstandself—convictedofvillainy，wereItourgesuchadeceit。
Begone，Itellthee;mustIentreattheetomineowndishonour？"
"No，mylord，"saidVarney;"butifyouareseriousinentrustingmewiththetaskofurgingthismostnecessarymeasure，youmustgivemealettertomylady，asmycredentials，andtrusttomeforbackingtheadviceitcontainswithalltheforceinmypower。Andsuchismyopinionofmylady\'sloveforyourlordship，andofherwillingnesstodothatwhichisatoncetocontributetoyourpleasureandyoursafety，thatIamsureshewillcondescendtobearforafewbriefdaysthenameofsohumbleamanasmyself，especiallysinceitisnotinferiorinantiquitytothatofherownpaternalhouse。"
Leicesterseizedonwritingmaterials，andtwiceorthricecommencedalettertotheCountess，whichheafterwardstoreintofragments。Atlengthhefinishedafewdistractedlines，inwhichheconjuredher，forreasonsnearlyconcerninghislifeandhonour，toconsenttobearthenameofVarneyforafewdays，duringtherevelsatKenilworth。HeaddedthatVarneywouldcommunicateallthereasonswhichrenderedthisdeceptionindispensable;andhavingsignedandsealedthesecredentials，heflungthemoverthetabletoVarneywithamotionthatheshoulddepart，whichhisadviserwasnotslowtocomprehendandtoobey。
Leicesterremainedlikeonestupefied，tillheheardthetramplingofthehorses，asVarney，whotooknotimeeventochangehisdress，threwhimselfintothesaddle，and，followedbyasingleservant，setoffforBerkshire。AtthesoundtheEarlstartedfromhisseat，andrantothewindow，withthemomentarypurposeofrecallingtheunworthycommissionwithwhichhehadentrustedoneofwhomheusedtosayheknewnovirtuouspropertysaveaffectiontohispatron。ButVarneywasalreadybeyondcall;andthebright，starryfirmament，whichtheageconsideredastheBookofFate，lyingspreadbeforeLeicesterwhenheopenedthecasement，divertedhimfromhisbetterandmoremanlypurpose。
"Theretheyroll，ontheirsilentbutpotentialcourse，"saidtheEarl，lookingaroundhim，"withoutavoicewhichspeakstoourear，butnotwithoutinfluenceswhichaffect，ateverychange，theindwellersofthisvile，earthlyplanet。This，ifastrologersfablenot，istheverycrisisofmyfate！ThehourapproachesofwhichIwastaughttobeware——thehour，too，whichIwasencouragedtohopefor。AKingwastheword——buthow？——thecrownmatrimonial。Allhopesofthataregone——letthemgo。TherichNetherlandshavedemandedmefortheirleader，and，wouldElizabethconsent，wouldyieldtomeTHEIRcrown。AndhaveInotsuchaclaimeveninthiskingdom？ThatofYork，descendingfromGeorgeofClarencetotheHouseofHuntingdon，which，thisladyfailing，mayhaveafairchance——Huntingdonisofmyhouse。——ButIwillplungenodeeperinthesehighmysteries。Letmeholdmycourseinsilenceforawhile，andinobscurity，likeasubterraneanriver;thetimeshallcomethatIwillburstforthinmystrength，andbearalloppositionbeforeme。"
WhileLeicesterwasthusstupefyingtheremonstrancesofhisownconscience，byappealingtopoliticalnecessityforhisapology，orlosinghimselfamidstthewilddreamsofambition，hisagentlefttownandtowerbehindhimonhishastyjourneytoBerkshire。
HEalsonourishedhighhope。HehadbroughtLordLeicestertothepointwhichhehaddesired，ofcommittingtohimthemostintimaterecessesofhisbreast，andofusinghimasthechannelofhismostconfidentialintercoursewithhislady。Henceforwarditwould，heforesaw，bedifficultforhispatroneithertodispensewithhisservices，orrefusehisrequests，howeverunreasonable。Andifthisdisdainfuldame，ashetermedtheCountess，shouldcomplywiththerequestofherhusband，Varney，herpretendedhusband，mustneedsbecomesosituatedwithrespecttoher，thattherewasnoknowingwherehisaudacitymightbeboundedperhapsnottillcircumstancesenabledhimtoobtainatriumph，whichhethoughtofwithamixtureoffiendishfeelings，inwhichrevengeforherpreviousscornwasforemostandpredomi
