“Not so well as in your convent, good father,” replied Wilkin, with the same immoveable stolidity of countenance. “We had kept, as you know, too jolly a Christmas to have a very fat Easter. Yon Welsh hounds, who helped to eat up our victuals, are now like to get into our hold for the lack of them.”
“Thou talkest mere folly,” answered the monk; “orders were last evening given by our lord (whose soul God assoilzie!) to fetch in the necessary supplies from the country around!
“Ay, but the Welsh were too sharp set to permit us to do that at our ease this morning, which should have been done weeks and months since. Our lord deceased, if deceased he be, was one of those who trusted to the edge of the sword, and even so hath come of it. Commend me to a crossbow and a well-victualled castle, if I must needs fight at all.— You look pale, my good father, a cup of wine will revive you.”
The monk motioned away from him the untasted cup, which Wilkin pressed him to with clownish civility. “We have now, indeed,” he said, “no refuge, save in prayer!”
“Most true, good father;” again replied the impassible Fleming; “pray therefore as much as you will. I will content myself with fasting, which will come whether I will or no.”— At this moment a horn was heard before the gate.—“Look to the portcullis and the gate, ye knaves!— What news, Neil Hansen?”
“A messenger from the Welsh tarries at the Mill-hill, just within shot of the cross-bows; he has a white flag, and demands admittance.”
“Admit him not, upon thy life, till we be prepared for him,” said Wilkin. “Bend the bonny mangonel upon the place, and shoot him if he dare to stir from the spot where he stands till we get all prepared to receive him,” said Flammock in his native language. “And, Neil, thou houndsfoot, bestir thyself — let every pike, lance, and pole in the castle be ranged along the battlements, and pointed through the shot-holes — cut up some tapestry into the shape of banners, and show them from the highest towers.— Be ready when I give a signal, to strike naker , [Footnote: Naker ,— Drum. ] and blow trumpets, if we have any; if not, some cow-horns — anything for a noise. And hark ye, Neil Hansen, do you, and four or five of your fellows, go to the armoury and slip on coats-of-mail; our Netherlandish corslets do not appal them so much. Then let the Welsh thief be blindfolded and brought in amongst us — Do you hold up your heads and keep silence — leave me to deal with him — only have a care there be no English among us.”
The monk, who in his travels had acquired some slight knowledge of the Flemish language, had well-nigh started when he heard the last article in Wilkin’s instructions to his countryman, but commanded himself, although a little surprised, both at this suspicious circumstance, and at the readiness and dexterity with which the rough-hewn Fleming seemed to adapt his preparations to the rules of war and of sound policy.
Wilkin, on his part, was not very certain whether the monk had not heard and understood more of what he said to his countryman, than what he had intended. As if to lull asleep any suspicion which Father Aldrovand might entertain, he repeated to him in English most of the directions which he had given, adding, “Well, good father, what think you of it?”
相关的主题文章：
No comments:
Post a Comment