下载辰思小说免费APP
Withanexertionofforce，ofwhichshewouldatanothertimehavethoughtherselfincapable，theCountessfreedherselffromtheprofaneandprofaninggraspofthedrunkendebauchee，andretreatedintothemidstofherapartment。wheredespairgavehercouragetomakeastand。
AsLambourne，onentering，droppedthelapofhiscloakfromhisface，sheknewVarney\'sprofligateservant，theverylastperson，exceptinghisdetestedmaster，bywhomshewouldhavewishedtobediscovered。Butshewasstillcloselymuffledinhertravellingdress，andasLambournehadscarceeverbeenadmittedtoherpresenceatCumnorPlace，herperson，shehoped，mightnotbesowellknowntohimashiswastoher，owingtoJanet\'spointinghimfrequentlyoutashecrossedthecourt，andtellingstoriesofhiswickedness。Shemighthavehadstillgreaterconfidenceinherdisguisehadherexperienceenabledhertodiscoverthathewasmuchintoxicated;butthiscouldscarcehaveconsoledherfortheriskwhichshemightincurfromsuchacharacterinsuchatime，place，andcircumstances。
Lambourneflungthedoorbehindhimasheentered，andfoldinghisarms，asifinmockeryoftheattitudeofdistractionintowhichAmyhadthrownherself，heproceededthus:"Harkye，mostfairCalipolis——ormostlovelyCountessofclouts，anddivineDuchessofdarkcorners——ifthoutakestallthattroubleofskeweringthyselftogether，likeatrussedfowl，thattheremaybemorepleasureinthecarving，evensavethyselfthelabour。I
lovethyfirstfrankmannerthebest———likethypresentaslittle"——（hemadeasteptowardsher，andstaggered）——"aslittleas——suchadamnedunevenfloorasthis，whereagentlemanmaybreakhisneckifhedoesnotwalkasuprightasaposture—masteronthetight—rope。"
"Standback！"saidtheCountess;"donotapproachnearertomeonthyperil！"
"Myperil！——andstandback！Why，hownow，madam？MustyouhaveabettermatethanhonestMikeLambourne？IhavebeeninAmerica，girl，wherethegoldgrows，andhavebroughtoffsuchaloadon\'t——"
"Goodfriend，"saidtheCountess，ingreatterrorattheruffian\'sdeterminedandaudaciousmanner，"Ipritheebegone，andleaveme。"
"AndsoIwill，prettyone，whenwearetiredofeachother\'scompany——notajotsooner。"Heseizedherbythearm，while，incapableoffurtherdefence，sheutteredshriekuponshriek。
"Nay，screamawayifyoulikeit，"saidhe，stillholdingherfast;"Ihaveheardtheseaattheloudest，andImindasquallingwomannomorethanamiaulingkitten。Damnme！Ihaveheardfiftyorahundredscreamingatonce，whentherewasatownstormed。"
ThecriesoftheCountess，however，broughtunexpectedaidinthepersonofLawrenceStaples，whohadheardherexclamationsfromhisapartmentbelow，andenteredingoodtimetosaveherfrombeingdiscovered，ifnotfrommoreatrociousviolence。Lawrencewasdrunkalsofromthedebauchoftheprecedingnight，butfortunatelyhisintoxicationhadtakenadifferentturnfromthatofLambourne。
"Whatthedevil\'snoiseisthisintheward？"hesaid。"What！
manandwomantogetherinthesamecell？——thatisagainstrule。
Iwillhavedecencyundermyrule，bySaintPeteroftheFetters！"
"Gettheedownstairs，thoudrunkenbeast，"saidLambourne;"seestthounottheladyandIwouldbeprivate？"
"Goodsir，worthysir！"saidtheCountess，addressingthejailer，"dobutsavemefromhim，forthesakeofmercy！"
"Shespeaksfairly，"saidthejailer，"andIwilltakeherpart。
Ilovemyprisoners;andIhavehadasgoodprisonersundermykeyastheyhavehadinNewgateortheCompter。Andso，beingoneofmylambkins，asIsay，nooneshalldisturbherinherpen—fold。Soletgothewoman:orI\'llknockyourbrainsoutwithmykeys。"
"I\'llmakeablood—puddingofthymidrifffirst，"answeredLambourne，layinghislefthandonhisdagger，butstilldetainingtheCountessbythearmwithhisright。"Sohaveatthee，thouoldostrich，whoseonlylivingisuponabunchofironkeys。"
LawrenceraisedthearmofMichael，andpreventedhimfromdrawinghisdagger;andasLambournestruggledandstrovetoshakehimoff;theCountessmadeasuddenexertiononherside，andslippingherhandoutofthegloveonwhichtheruffianstillkepthold，shegainedherliberty，andescapingfromtheapartment，randownstairs;whileatthesamemomentsheheardthetwocombatantsfallonthefloorwithanoisewhichincreasedherterror。Theouterwicketofferednoimpedimenttoherflight，havingbeenopenedforLambourne\'sadmittance;sothatshesucceededinescapingdownthestair，andfledintothePleasance，whichseemedtoherhastyglancethedirectioninwhichshewasmostlikelytoavoidpursuit。
Meanwhile，LawrenceandLambournerolledontheflooroftheapartment，closelygrappledtogether。Neitherhad，happily，opportunitytodrawtheirdaggers;butLawrencefoundspaceenoughtoclashhisheavykeysacrossMichael\'sface，andMichaelinreturngraspedtheturnkeysofellybythethroatthatthebloodgushedfromnoseandmouth，sothattheywerebothgoryandfilthyspectacleswhenoneoftheotherofficersofthehousehold，attractedbythenoiseofthefray，enteredtheroom，andwithsomedifficultyeffectedtheseparationofthecombatants。
"Amurrainonyouboth，"saidthecharitablemediator，"andespeciallyonyou，MasterLambourne！Whatthefiendlieyouherefor，fightingonthefloorliketwobutchers\'cursinthekenneloftheshambles？"
Lambournearose，andsomewhatsoberedbytheinterpositionofathirdparty，lookedwithsomethinglessthanhisusualbrazenimpudenceofvisage。"Wefoughtforawench，anthoumustknow，"
washisreply。
"Awench！Whereisshe？"saidtheofficer。
"Why，vanished，Ithink，"saidLambourne，lookingaroundhim，"unlessLawrencehathswallowedher，Thatfilthypaunchofhisdevoursasmanydistresseddamselsandoppressedorphansase\'eragiantinKingArthur\'shistory。Theyarehisprimefood;heworriesthembody，soul，andsubstance。"
"Ay，ay！It\'snomatter，"saidLawrence，gatheringuphishuge，ungainlyformfromthefloor;"butIhavehadyourbetters，MasterMichaelLambourne，underthelittleturnofmyforefingerandthumb，andIshallhavethee，beforeall\'sdone，undermyhatches。Theimpudenceofthybrowwillnotalwayssavethyshin—bonesfromiron，andthyfoul，thirstygulletfromahempencord。"Thewordswerenosooneroutofhismouth，whenLambourneagainmadeathim。
"Nay，gonottoitagain，"saidthesewer，"orIwillcallforhimshalltameyouboth，andthatisMasterVarney——SirRichard，Imean。Heisstirring，Ipromiseyou;Isawhimcrossthecourtjustnow。"
"Didstthou，byG——！"saidLambourne，seizingonthebasinandewerwhichstoodintheapartment。"Nay，then，element，dothywork。IthoughtIhadenoughoftheelastnight，whenIfloatedaboutforOrion，likeacorkonafermentingcaskofale。"
Sosaying，hefelltoworktocleansefromhisfaceandhandsthesignsofthefray，andgethisapparelintosomeorder。
"Whathastthoudonetohim？"saidthesewer，speakingasidetothejailer;"hisfaceisfearfullyswelled。"
"Itisbuttheimprintofthekeyofmycabinet——toogoodamarkforhisgallows—face。Nomanshallabuseorinsultmyprisoners;
theyaremyjewels，andIlocktheminsafecasketaccordingly。
——Andso，mistress，leaveoffyourwailing。——Why！why，surely，therewasawomanhere！"
"Ithinkyouareallmadthismorning，"saidthesewer。"Isawnowomanhere，nornomanneitherinapropersense，butonlytwobeastsrollingonthefloor。"
"Nay，thenIamundone，"saidthejailer;"theprison\'sbroken，thatisall。Kenilworthprisonisbroken，"hecontinued，inatoneofmaudlinlamentation，"whichwasthestrongestjailbetwixtthisandtheWelshMarches——ay，andahousethathashadknights，andearls，andkingssleepinginit，assecureasiftheyhadbeenintheTowerofLondon。Itisbroken，theprisonersfled，andthejailerinmuchdangerofbeinghanged！"
Sosaying，heretreateddowntohisowndentoconcludehislamentations，ortosleephimselfsober。Lambourneandthesewerfollowedhimclose;anditwaswellforthem，sincethejailer，outofmerehabit，wasabouttolockthewicketafterhim，andhadtheynotbeenwithinthereachofinterfering，theywouldhavehadthepleasureofbeingshutupintheturret—chamber，fromwhichtheCountesshadbeenjustdelivered。
Thatunhappylady，assoonasshefoundherselfatliberty，fled，aswehavealreadymentioned，intothePleasance。Shehadseenthisrichly—ornamentedspaceofgroundfromthewindowofMervyn\'sTower;anditoccurredtoher，atthemomentofherescape，thatamongitsnumerousarbours，bowers，fountains，statues，andgrottoes，shemightfindsomerecessinwhichshecouldlieconcealeduntilshehadanopportunityofaddressingherselftoaprotector，towhomshemightcommunicateasmuchasshedaredofherforlornsituation，andthroughwhosemeansshemightsupplicateaninterviewwithherhusband。
"IfIcouldseemyguide，"shethought，"Iwouldlearnifhehaddeliveredmyletter。EvendidIbutseeTressilian，itwerebettertoriskDudley\'sanger，byconfidingmywholesituationtoonewhoistheverysoulofhonour，thantorunthehazardoffurtherinsultamongtheinsolentmenialsofthisill—ruledpl
