下载辰思小说免费APP
"Aworm，mylord？"saidtheQueen，inthesametone;"nay，asnakeisthenoblerreptile，andthemoreexactsimilitude——thefrozensnakeyouwotof，whichwaswarmedinacertainbosom——"
"Foryourownsake——formine，madam，"saidtheEarl——"whilethereisyetsomereasonleftinme——"
"Speakaloud，mylord，"saidElizabeth，"andatfartherdistance，sopleaseyou——yourbreaththawsourruff。Whathaveyoutoaskofus？"
"Permission，"saidtheunfortunateEarlhumbly，"totraveltoCumnorPlace。"
"Tofetchhomeyourbridebelike？——Why，ay——thatisbutright，for，aswehaveheard，sheisindifferentlycaredforthere。
But，mylord，yougonotinperson;wehavecounteduponpassingcertaindaysinthisCastleofKenilworth，anditwereslightcourtesytoleaveuswithoutalandlordduringourresidencehere。Underyourfavour，wecannotthinktoincursuchdisgraceintheeyesofoursubjects。TressilianshallgotoCumnorPlaceinsteadofyou，andwithhimsomegentlemanwhohathbeenswornofourchamber，lestmyLordofLeicestershouldbeagainjealousofhisoldrival。——Whomwouldstthouhavetobeincommissionwiththee，Tressilian？"
Tressilian，withhumbledeference，suggestedthenameofRaleigh。
"Why，ay，"saidtheQueen;"soGodha\'me，thouhastmadeagoodchoice。Heisayoungknightbesides，andtodeliveraladyfromprisonisanappropriatefirstadventure。——CumnorPlaceislittlebetterthanaprison，youaretoknow，mylordsandladies。
Besides，therearecertainfaitourstherewhomwewouldwillinglyhaveinsafekeeping。Youwillfurnishthem，MasterSecretary，withthewarrantnecessarytosecurethebodiesofRichardVarneyandtheforeignAlasco，deadoralive。Takeasufficientforcewithyou，gentlemen——bringtheladyhereinallhonour——losenotime，andGodbewithyou！"
Theybowed，andleftthepresence，WhoshalldescribehowtherestofthatdaywasspentatKenilworth？TheQueen，whoseemedtohaveremainedthereforthesolepurposeofmortifyingandtauntingtheEarlofLeicester，showedherselfasskilfulinthatfemaleartofvengeance，asshewasinthescienceofwiselygoverningherpeople。Thetrainofstatesooncaughtthesignal，andashewalkedamonghisownsplendidpreparations，theLordofKenilworth，inhisownCastle，alreadyexperiencedthelotofadisgracedcourtier，intheslightregardandcoldmannersofalienatedfriends，andtheill—
concealedtriumphofavowedandopenenemies。Sussex，fromhisnaturalmilitaryfranknessofdisposition，BurleighandWalsingham，fromtheirpenetratingandprospectivesagacity，andsomeoftheladies，fromthecompassionoftheirsex，weretheonlypersonsinthecrowdedcourtwhoretainedtowardshimthecountenancetheyhadborneinthemorning。
SomuchhadLeicesterbeenaccustomedtoconsidercourtfavourastheprincipalobjectofhislife，thatallothersensationswere，forthetime，lostintheagonywhichhishaughtyspiritfeltatthesuccessionofpettyinsultsandstudiedneglectstowhichhehadbeensubjected;butwhenheretiredtohisownchamberforthenight，thatlong，fairtressofhairwhichhadoncesecuredAmy\'sletterfellunderhisobservation，and，withtheinfluenceofacounter—charm，awakenedhishearttonoblerandmorenaturalfeelings。Hekisseditathousandtimes;andwhileherecollectedthathehaditalwaysinhispowertoshunthemortificationswhichhehadthatdayundergone，byretiringintoadignifiedandevenprince—likeseclusionwiththebeautifulandbelovedpartnerofhisfuturelife，hefeltthathecouldriseabovetherevengewhichElizabethhadcondescendedtotake。
Accordingly，onthefollowingdaythewholeconductoftheEarldisplayedsomuchdignifiedequanimity——heseemedsosolicitousabouttheaccommodationsandamusementsofhisguests，yetsoindifferenttotheirpersonaldemeanourtowardshim——sorespectfullydistanttotheQueen，yetsopatientofherharassingdispleasure——thatElizabethchangedhermannertohim，and，thoughcoldanddistant，ceasedtoofferhimanydirectaffront。Sheintimatedalsowithsomesharpnesstoothersaroundher，whothoughttheywereconsultingherpleasureinshowinganeglectfulconducttotheEarl，thatwhiletheyremainedatKenilworththeyoughttoshowthecivilityduefromgueststotheLordoftheCastle。Inshort，mattersweresofarchangedintwenty—fourhoursthatsomeofthemoreexperiencedandsagaciouscourtiersforesawastrongpossibilityofLeicester\'srestorationtofavour，andregulatedtheirdemeanourtowardshim，asthosewhomightonedayclaimmeritfornothavingdesertedhiminadversity。Itistime，however，toleavetheseintrigues，andfollowTressilianandRaleighontheirjourney。
Thetroopconsistedofsixpersons;for，besidesWayland，theyhadincompanyaroyalpursuivantandtwostoutserving—men。Allwerewell—armed，andtravelledasfastasitwaspossiblewithjusticetotheirhorses，whichhadalongjourneybeforethem。
TheyendeavouredtoprocuresometidingsastheyrodealongofVarneyandhisparty，butcouldhearnone，astheyhadtravelledinthedark。AtasmallvillageabouttwelvemilesfromKenilworth，wheretheygavesomerefreshmenttotheirhorses，apoorclergyman，thecurateoftheplace，cameoutofasmallcottage，andentreatedanyofthecompanywhomightknowaughtofsurgerytolookinforaninstantonadyingman。
TheempiricWaylandundertooktodohisbest，andasthecurateconductedhimtothespot，helearnedthatthemanhadbeenfoundonthehighroad，aboutamilefromthevillage，bylabourers，astheyweregoingtotheirworkontheprecedingmorning，andthecuratehadgivenhimshelterinhishouse。Hehadreceivedagun—shotwound，whichseemedtobeobviouslymortal;butwhetherinabrawlorfromrobberstheycouldnotlearn，ashewasinafever，andspokenothingconnectedly。Waylandenteredthedarkandlowlyapartment，andnosoonerhadthecuratedrawnasidethecurtainthanheknew，inthedistortedfeaturesofthepatient，thecountenanceofMichaelLambourne。Underpretenceofseekingsomethingwhichhewanted，Waylandhastilyapprisedhisfellow—
travellersofthisextraordinarycircumstance;andbothTressilianandRaleigh，fullofbodingapprehensions，hastenedtothecurate\'shousetoseethedyingman。
Thewretchwasbythistimeintheagoniesofdeath，fromwhichamuchbettersurgeonthanWaylandcouldnothaverescuedhim，forthebullethadpassedclearthroughhisbody。Hewassensible，however，atleastinpart，forheknewTressilian，andmadesignsthathewishedhimtostoopoverhisbed。Tressiliandidso，andaftersomeinarticulatemurmurs，inwhichthenamesofVarneyandLadyLeicesterwerealonedistinguishable，Lambournebadehim"makehaste，orhewouldcometoolate。"ItwasinvainTressilianurgedthepatientforfurtherinformation;heseemedtobecomeinsomedegreedelirious，andwhenheagainmadeasignaltoattractTressilian\'sattention，itwasonlyforthepurposeofdesiringhimtoinformhisuncle，GilesGoslingoftheBlackBear，that"hehaddiedwithouthisshoesafterall。"A
convulsionverifiedhiswordsafewminutesafter，andthetravellersderivednothingfromhavingmetwithhim，savingtheobscurefearsconcerningthefateoftheCountess，whichhisdyingwordswerecalculatedtoconvey，andwhichinducedthemtourgetheirjourneywiththeutmostspeed，pressinghorsesintheQueen\'snamewhenthosewhichtheyrodebecameunfitforservice。
CHAPTERXLI。
Thedeath—bellthricewasheardtoring，Anaerialvoicewasheardtocall，Andthricetheravenflapp\'ditswingAroundthetowersofCumnorHall。MICKLE。
WearenowtoreturntothatpartofourstorywhereweintimatedthatVarney，possessedoftheauthorityoftheEarlofLeicester，andoftheQueen\'spermissiontothesameeffect，hastenedtosecurehimselfagainstdiscoveryofhisperfidybyremovingtheCountessfromKenilworthCastle。Hehadproposedtosetforthearlyinthemorning;butreflectingthattheEarlmightrelentintheinterim，andseekanotherinterviewwiththeCountess，heresolvedtoprevent，byimmediatedeparture，allchanceofwhatwouldprobablyhaveendedinhisdetectionandruin。ForthispurposehecalledforLambourne，andwasexceedinglyincensedtofindthathistrustyattendantwasabroadonsomerambleintheneighbouringvillage，orelsewhere。Ashisreturnwasexpected，SirRichardcommandedthatheshouldpreparehimselfforattendinghimonanimmediatejourney，andfollowhimincasehereturnedafterhisdeparture。
Inthemeanwhile，VarneyusedtheministryofaservantcalledRobinTider，onetowhomthemysteriesofCumnorPlacewerealreadyinsomedegreeknown，ashehadbeentheremorethanonceinattendanceontheEarl。Tothisman，whosecharacterresembledthatofLambourne，thoughhewasneitherquitesopromptnoraltogethersoprofligate，Varneygavecommandtohavethreehorsessaddled，andtoprepareahorse—litter，andhavetheminreadinessattheposterngate。Thenaturalenoughexcuseofhislady\'sinsanity，whichwasnowuniversallybelieved，accountedforthesecrecywithwhichshewastoberemovedfromtheCastle，andhereckonedonthesameapologyincasetheunfortunateAmy\'sresistanceorscreamsshouldrendersuchnecessary。TheagencyofAnthonyFosterwasindispensabl
