下载辰思小说免费APP
"Youcomeintime，mylord，"shesaid，"todecideadisputebetweenusladies。HerehasSirRichardVarneyaskedourpermissiontodepartfromtheCastlewithhisinfirmlady，having，ashetellsus，yourlordship\'sconsenttohisabsence，sohecanobtainours。Certes，wehavenowilltowithholdhimfromtheaffectionatechargeofthispooryoungperson;butyouaretoknowthatSirRichardVarneyhaththisdayshownhimselfsomuchcaptivatedwiththeseladiesofours，thathereisourDuchessofRutlandsayshewillcarryhispoorinsanewifenofartherthanthelake，plungeherintotenantthecrystalpalacesthattheenchantednymphtoldusof，andreturnajollywidower，todryhistearsandtomakeupthelossamongourtrain。Howsayyou，mylord？WehaveseenVarneyundertwoorthreedifferentguises——youknowwhatarehisproperattributes——thinkyouheiscapableofplayinghisladysuchaknave\'strick？"
Leicesterwasconfounded，butthedangerwasurgent，andareplyabsolutelynecessary。"Theladies，"hesaid，"thinktoolightlyofoneoftheirownsex，insupposingshecoulddeservesuchafate;ortooillofours，tothinkitcouldbeinflicteduponaninnocentfemale。"
"Hearhim，myladies，"saidElizabeth;"likeallhissex，hewouldexcusetheircrueltybyimputingficklenesstous。"
"SaynotUS，madam，"repliedtheEarl。"Wesaythatmeanerwomen，likethelesserlightsofheaven，haverevolutionsandphases;butwhoshallimputemutabilitytothesun，ortoElizabeth？"
Thediscoursepresentlyafterwardsassumedalessperiloustendency，andLeicestercontinuedtosupporthispartinitwithspirit，atwhateverexpenseofmentalagony。SopleasingdiditseemtoElizabeth，thattheCastlebellhadsoundedmidnighteresheretiredfromthecompany，acircumstanceunusualinherquietandregularhabitsofdisposingoftime。Herdeparturewas，ofcourse，thesignalforbreakingupthecompany，whodispersedtotheirseveralplacesofrepose，todreamoverthepastimesoftheday，ortoanticipatethoseofthemorrow。
TheunfortunateLordoftheCastle，andfounderoftheproudfestival，retiredtofardifferentthoughts。HisdirectiontothevaletwhoattendedhimwastosendVarneyinstantlytohisapartment。Themessengerreturnedaftersomedelay，andinformedhimthatanhourhadelapsedsinceSirRichardVarneyhadlefttheCastlebytheposterngatewiththreeotherpersons，oneofwhomwastransportedinahorse—litter。
"HowcamehetoleavetheCastleafterthewatchwasset？"saidLeicester。"Ithoughthewentnottilldaybreak。"
"Hegavesatisfactoryreasons，asIunderstand，"saidthedomestic，"totheguard，and，asIhear，showedyourlordship\'ssignet——"
"True——true，"saidtheEarl;"yethehasbeenhasty。Doanyofhisattendantsremainbehind？"
"MichaelLambourne，mylord，"saidthevalet，"wasnottobefoundwhenSirRichardVarneydeparted，andhismasterwasmuchincensedathisabsence。Isawhimbutnowsaddlinghishorsetogallopafterhismaster。"
"Bidhimcomehitherinstantly，"saidLeicester;"Ihaveamessagetohismaster。"
Theservantlefttheapartment，andLeicestertraverseditforsometimeindeepmeditation。"Varneyisover—zealous，"hesaid，"over—pressing。Helovesme，Ithink;buthehathhisownendstoserve，andheisinexorableinpursuitofthem。IfIrise，herises;andhehathshownhimselfalreadybuttoo，eagertoridmeofthisobstaclewhichseemstostandbetwixtmeandsovereignty。
YetIwillnotstooptobearthisdisgrace。Sheshallbepunished，butitshallbemoreadvisedly。Ialreadyfeel，eveninanticipation，thatover—hastewouldlighttheflamesofhellinmybosom。No——onevictimisenoughatonce，andthatvictimalreadywaitsme。"
Heseizeduponwritingmaterials，andhastilytracedthesewords:——
"SirRichardVarney，wehaveresolvedtodeferthematterentrustedtoyourcare，andstrictlycommandyoutoproceednofurtherinrelationtoourCountessuntilourfurtherorder。WealsocommandyourinstantreturntoKenilworthassoonasyouhavesafelybestowedthatwithwhichyouareentrusted。Butifthesafe—placingofyourpresentchargeshalldetainyoulongerthanwethinkfor，wecommandyouinthatcasetosendbackoursignet—ringbyatrustyandspeedymessenger，wehavingpresentneedofthesame。Andrequiringyourstrictobedienceinthesethings，andcommendingyoutoGod\'skeeping，werestyourassuredgoodfriendandmaster，R。LEICESTER。
"GivenatourCastleofKenilworth，thetenthofJuly，intheyearofSalvationonethousandfivehundredandseventy—five。"
AsLeicesterhadfinishedandsealedthismandate，MichaelLambourne，booteduptomid—thigh，havinghisriding—cloakgirthedaroundhimwithabroadbelt，andafeltcaponhishead，likethatofacourier，enteredhisapartment，usheredinbythevalet。
"Whatisthycapacityofservice？"saidtheEarl。
"Equerrytoyourlordship\'smasterofthehorse，"answeredLambourne，withhiscustomaryassurance。
"Tieupthysaucytongue，sir，"saidLeicester;"thejeststhatmaysuitSirRichardVarney\'spresencesuitnotmine。Howsoonwiltthouovertakethymaster？"
"Inonehour\'sriding，mylord，ifmanandhorseholdgood，"saidLambourne，withaninstantalterationofdemeanour，fromanapproachtofamiliaritytothedeepestrespect。TheEarlmeasuredhimwithhiseyefromtoptotoe。
"Ihaveheardofthee，"hesaid"mensaythouartapromptfellowinthyservice，buttoomuchgiventobrawlingandtowassailtobetrustedwiththingsofmoment。"
"Mylord，"saidLambourne，"Ihavebeensoldier，sailor，traveller，andadventurer;andthesearealltradesinwhichmenenjoyto—day，becausetheyhavenosuretyofto—morrow。ButthoughImaymisusemineownleisure，IhaveneverneglectedthedutyIowemymaster。"
"Seethatitbesointhisinstance，"saidLeicester，"anditshalldotheegood。DeliverthisletterspeedilyandcarefullyintoSirRichardVarney\'shands。"
"Doesmycommissionreachnofurther？"saidLambourne。
"No，"answeredLeicester;"butitdeeplyconcernsmethatitbecarefullyaswellashastilyexecuted。"
"Iwillspareneithercarenorhorse—flesh，"answeredLambourne，andimmediatelytookhisleave。
"So，thisistheendofmyprivateaudience，fromwhichIhopedsomuch！"hemutteredtohimself，ashewentthroughthelonggallery，anddownthebackstaircase。Cogsbones！IthoughttheEarlhadwantedacastofmineofficeinsomesecretintrigue，anditallendsincarryingaletter！Well，hispleasureshallbedone，however;andashislordshipwellsays，itmaydomegoodanothertime。Thechildmustcreeperehewalk，andsomustyourinfantcourtier。Iwillhavealookintothisletter，however，whichhehathsealedsosloven—like。"Havingaccomplishedthis，heclappedhishandstogetherinecstasy，exclaiming，"TheCountesstheCountess！Ihavethesecretthatshallmakeormarme。——Butcomeforth，Bayard，"headded，leadinghishorseintothecourtyard，"foryourflanksandmyspursmustbepresentlyacquainted。"
Lambournemounted，accordingly，andlefttheCastlebytheposterngate，wherehisfreepassagewaspermitted，inconsequenceofamessagetothateffectleftbySirRichardVarney。
AssoonasLambourneandthevalethadlefttheapartment，Leicesterproceededtochangehisdressforaveryplainone，threwhismantlearoundhim，andtakingalampinhishand，wentbytheprivatepassageofcommunicationtoasmallsecretposterndoorwhichopenedintothecourtyard，neartotheentranceofthePleasance。Hisreflectionswereofamorecalmanddeterminedcharacterthantheyhadbeenatanylateperiod，andheendeavouredtoclaim，eveninhisowneyes，thecharacterofamanmoresinnedagainstthansinning。
"Ihavesufferedthedeepestinjury，"suchwasthetenorofhismeditations，"yetIhaverestrictedtheinstantrevengewhichwasinmypower，andhavelimitedittothatwhichismanlyandnoble。Butshalltheunionwhichthisfalsewomanhasthisdaydisgracedremainanabidingfetteronme，tocheckmeinthenoblecareertowhichmydestiniesinviteme？No;thereareothermeansofdisengagingsuchties，withoutunloosingthecordsoflife。InthesightofGod，Iamnolongerboundbytheunionshehasbroken。Kingdomsshalldivideus，oceansrollbetwixtus，andtheirwaves，whoseabysseshaveswallowedwholenavies，shallbethesoledepositoriesofthedeadlymystery。"
BysuchatrainofargumentdidLeicesterlabourtoreconcilehisconsciencetotheprosecutionofplansofvengeance，sohastilyadopted，andofschemesofambition，whichhadbecomesowoveninwitheverypurposeandactionofhislifethathewasincapableoftheeffortofrelinquishingthem，untilhisrevengeappearedtohimtowearafaceofjustice，andevenofgenerousmoderation。
InthismoodthevindictiveandambitiousEarlenteredthesuperbprecinctsofthePleasance，thenilluminedbythefullmoon。Thebroad，yellowlightwasreflectedonallsidesfromthewhitefreestone，ofwhichthepavement，balustrades，andarchitecturalornamentsoftheplacewereconstructed;andnotasinglefleecycloudwasvisibleintheazuresky，sothatthescenewasnearlyaslightasifthesunhadbutjustleftthehorizon。Thenumerousstatuesofwhitemarbleglimmeredinthepalelightlikesomanysheetedghostsjustarisenfromtheirsepulchres，andthefountainsthrewtheirjetsintotheairasiftheysoughtthattheirwatersshouldbebrightenedbythemoonbeamseretheyfelldownagainupontheirbasinsinshowersofsparklingsilver。Thedayhadbeensultry，andthegentlenight—breezewhichsighedalongtheterraceofthePleasanceraisednotadeeperbreaththanthefaninthehandofyouthfulbeauty。Thebirdofsummernighthadbuiltmanyanestinthebowersof
