第27章

"Oh，Ihaveheardthetalefivehundredtimes，"saidLambourne，"andhowtheghostisalwaysmostvociferouswhentheyboilleeksandstirabout，orfrytoastedcheese，intheculinaryregions。

SantoDiavolo，man，holdthytongue，Iknowallaboutit！"

"Ay，butthoudostnot，though，"saidtheturnkey，"foraswiseasthouwouldstmakethyself。Ah，itisanawfulthingtomurderaprisonerinhisward！——youthatmayhavegivenamanastabinadarkstreetknownothingofit。Togiveamutinousfellowaknockontheheadwiththekeys，andbidhimbequiet，that\'swhatIcallkeepingorderintheward;buttodrawweaponandslayhim，aswasdonetothisWelshlord，THATraisesyouaghostthatwillrenderyourprison—houseuntenantablebyanydecentcaptiveforsomehundredyears。AndIhavethatregardformyprisoners，poorthings，thatIhaveputgoodsquiresandmenofworship，thathavetakenarideonthehighway，orslanderedmyLordofLeicester，orthelike，fiftyfeetunderground，ratherthanIwouldputthemintothatupperchamberyonderthattheycallMervyn\'sBower。Indeed，bygoodSaintPeteroftheFetters，Imarvelmynoblelord，orMasterVarney，couldthinkoflodginggueststhere;andifthisMasterTressiliancouldgetanyonetokeephimcompany，andinespecialaprettywench，why，truly，I

thinkhewasintherighton\'t。"

"Itellthee，"saidLambourne，leadingthewayintotheturnkey\'sapartment，"thouartanass。Goboltthewicketonthestair，andtroublenotthynoddleaboutghosts。Givemethewinestoup，man;Iamsomewhatheatedwithchafingwithyonderrascal。"

WhileLambournedrewalongdraughtfromapitcherofclaret，whichhemadeuseofwithoutanycup，thewarderwenton，vindicatinghisownbeliefinthesupernatural。

"ThouhastbeenfewhoursinthisCastle，andhastbeenforthewholespacesodrunk，Lambourne，thatthouartdeaf，dumb，andblind。Butweshouldhearlessofyourbraggingwereyoutopassanightwithusatfullmoon;forthentheghostisbusiest，andmoreespeciallywhenarattlingwindsetsinfromthenorth—west，withsomesprinklingofrain，andnowandthenagrowlofthunder。Bodyo\'me，whatcrackingsandclashings，whatgroaningsandwhathowlings，willtherebeatsuchtimesinMervyn\'sBower，rightasitwereoverourheads，tillthematteroftwoquartsofdistilledwatershasnotbeenenoughtokeepmyladsandmeinsomeheart！"

"Pshaw，man！"repliedLambourne，onwhomhislastdraught，joinedtorepeatedvisitationsofthepitcheruponformeroccasions，begantomakesomeinnovation，"thouspeakestthouknowestnotwhataboutspirits。Nooneknowsjustlywhattosayaboutthem;and，inshort，leastsaidmayinthatmatterbesoonestamended。Somemenbelieveinonething，someinanother——itisallmatteroffancy。Ihaveknownthemofallsorts，mydearLawrenceLock—the—door，andsensiblementoo。There\'sagreatlord——we\'llpasshisname，Lawrence——hebelievesinthestarsandthemoon，theplanetsandtheircourses，andsoforth，andthattheytwinkleexclusivelyforhisbenefit，wheninsober，orratherindrunkentruth，Lawrence，theyareonlyshiningtokeephonestfellowslikemeoutofthekennel。Well，sir，lethishumourpass;heisgreatenoughtoindulgeit。Then，lookye，thereisanother——averylearnedman，Ipromiseyou，andcanventGreekandHebrewasfastasIcanThieves\'Latinhehasanhumourofsympathiesandantipathies——ofchangingleadintogold，andthelike;why，via，letthatpasstoo，andlethimpaythoseintransmigratedcoinwhoarefoolsenoughtoletitbecurrentwiththem。Thenherecomestthouthyself，anothergreatman，thoughneitherlearnednornoble，yetfullsixfeethigh，andthou，likeapurblindmole，mustneedsbelieveinghostsandgoblins，andsuchlike。Now，thereis，besides，agreatman——

thatis，agreatlittleman，oralittlegreatman，mydearLawrence——andhisnamebeginswithV，andwhatbelieveshe？Why，nothing，honestLawrence——nothinginearth，heaven，orhell;andformypart，ifIbelievethereisadevil，itisonlybecauseI

thinktheremustbesomeonetocatchouraforesaidfriendbytheback\'whensoulandbodysever，\'astheballadsays;foryourantecedentwillhaveaconsequent——RAROANTECEDENTEM，asDoctorBirchamwaswonttosay。ButthisisGreektoyounow，honestLawrence，andinsoothlearningisdrywork。Handmethepitcheroncemore。"

"Infaith，ifyoudrinkmore，Michael，"saidthewarder，"youwillbeinsorrycaseeithertoplayArionortowaitonyourmasteronsuchasolemnnight;andIexpecteachmomenttohearthegreatbelltollforthemusteratMortimer\'sTower，toreceivetheQueen。"

WhileStaplesremonstrated，Lambournedrank;andthensettingdownthepitcher，whichwasnearlyemptied，withadeepsigh，hesaid，inanundertone，whichsoonrosetoahighoneashisspeechproceeded，"Nevermind，Lawrence;ifIbedrunk，IknowthatshallmakeVarneyupholdmesober。But，asIsaid，nevermind;Icancarrymydrinkdiscreetly。Moreover，IamtogoonthewaterasOrion，andshalltakecoldunlessItakesomethingcomfortablebeforehand。NotplayOrion？Letusseethebestroarerthateverstrainedhislungsfortwelvepenceout—mouthme！Whatiftheyseemealittledisguised？Whereforeshouldanymanbesoberto—night？answermethat。Itismatterofloyaltytobemerry;andItelltheetherearethoseintheCastlewho，iftheyarenotmerrywhendrunk，havelittlechancetobemerrywhensober——Inamenonames，Lawrence。Butyourpottleofsackisafineshoeing—horntopullonaloyalhumour，andamerryone。HuzzaforQueenElizabeth！——forthenobleLeicester！——fortheworshipfulMasterVarney！——andforMichaelLambourne，thatcanturnthemallroundhisfinger！"

Sosaying，hewalkeddownstairs，andacrosstheinnercourt。

Thewarderlookedafterhim，shookhishead，andwhilehedrewcloseandlockedawicket，which，crossingthestaircase，rendereditimpossibleforanyonetoascendhigherthanthestoryimmediatelybeneathMervyn\'sBower，asTressilian\'schamberwasnamed，hethussoliloquizedwithhimself——"It\'sagoodthingtobeafavourite。Iwell—nighlostmineoffice，becauseonefrostymorningMasterVarneythoughtIsmelledofaquavitae;andthisfellowcanappearbeforehimdrunkasawineskin，andyetmeetnorebuke。Butthenheisapestilentcleverfellowwithal，andnoonecanunderstandaboveonehalfofwhathesays。"

CHAPTERXXX。

Nowbidthesteeplerock——shecomes，shecomes！——

Speakforus，bells——speakforus，shrill—tonguedtuckets。

Standtothylinstock，gunner;letthycannonPlaysuchapeal，asifapaynimfoeCamestretch\'dinturban\'drankstostormtheramparts。

Wewillhavepageantstoo——butthatcraveswit，AndI\'marough—hewnsoldier。THEVIRGINQUEEN——ATRAGI—COMEDY。

Tressilian，whenWaylandhadlefthim，asmentionedinthelastchapter，remaineduncertainwhatheoughtnexttodo，whenRaleighandBlountcameuptohimarminarm，yet，accordingtotheirwont，veryeagerlydisputingtogether。Tressilianhadnogreatdesirefortheirsocietyinthepresentstateofhisfeelings，buttherewasnopossibilityofavoidingthem;andindeedhefeltthat，boundbyhispromisenottoapproachAmy，ortakeanystepinherbehalf，itwouldbehisbestcourseatoncetomixwithgeneralsociety，andtoexhibitonhisbrowaslittleashecouldoftheanguishanduncertaintywhichsatheavyathisheart。Hethereforemadeavirtueofnecessity，andhailedhiscomradeswith，"Allmirthtoyou，gentlemen！Whencecomeye？"

"FromWarwick，tobesure，"saidBlount;"wemustneedshometochangeourhabits，likepoorplayers，whoarefaintomultiplytheirpersonstooutwardappearancebychangeofsuits;andyouhadbetterdothelike，Tressilian。"

"Blountisright，"saidRaleigh;"theQueenlovessuchmarksofdeference，andnotices，aswantinginrespect，thosewho，notarrivinginherimmediateattendance，mayappearintheirsoiledandruffledriding—dress。ButlookatBlounthimself，Tressilian，fortheloveoflaughter，andseehowhisvillainoustailorhathapparelledhim——inblue，green，andcrimson，withcarnationribbons，andyellowrosesinhisshoes！"

"Why，whatwouldstthouhave？"saidBlount。"Itoldthecross—

leggedthieftodohisbest，andsparenocost;andmethinksthesethingsaregayenough——gayerthanthineown。I\'llbejudgedbyTressilian。"

"Iagree——Iagree，"saidWalterRaleigh。"Judgebetwixtus，Tressilian，fortheloveofheaven！"

Tressilian，thusappealedto，lookedatthemboth，andwasimmediatelysensibleatasingleglancethathonestBlounthadtakenuponthetailor\'swarrantthepiedgarmentswhichhehadchosentomake，andwasasmuchembarrassedbythequantityofpointsandribbonswhichgarnishedhisdress，asaclownisinhisholidayclothes;whilethedressofRaleighwasawell—

fanciedandrichsuit，whichthewearerboreasagarbtoowelladaptedtohiselegantpersontoattractparticularattention。

Tressiliansaid，therefore，"ThatBlount\'sdresswasfinest，butRaleigh\'sthebestfancied。"

Blountwassatisfiedwithhisdecision。"Iknewminewasfinest，"hesaid;"ifthatknaveDoublestitchhadbroughtmehomesuchasimpledoubletasthatofRaleigh\'s，Iwouldhavebeathisbrainsoutwithhisownpressing—iron。Nay，ifwemustbefools，everletusbefoolsofthefirsthead，sayI。"

"Butwhygettestthounotonthybraveries，Tressilian？"saidRaleigh。

"Iamexcludedfrommyapartmentbyasillymistake，"saidTressilian，"andseparatedforthetimefrommybaggage。Iwasabouttoseekthee，tobeseechashareofthylodging。"

"Andwelcome，"saidRaleigh;"itisanobleone。MyLordofLeicesterhasdoneusthatkindness，andlodgedusinprincelyfashion。Ifhiscourtesybeextortedreluctantly，itisatleastextendedfar。IwouldadviseyoutotellyourstraittotheEarl\'