《The Secret Rose》第15章


of costello the proud; of oona the daughter of dermott; and of the bitter tongue
costello had e up from the fields and lay upon the ground before the door of his square tower; resting his head upon his hands and looking at the sunset; and considering the chances of the weather。 though the customs of elizabeth and james; now going out of fashion in england; had begun to prevail among the gentry; he still wore the great cloak of the native irish; and the sensitive outlines of his face and the greatness of his indolent body had a mingling of pride and strength which belonged to a simpler age。 his eyes wandered from the sunset to where the long white road lost itself over the south?western horizon and to a horseman who toiled slowly up the hill。 a few more minutes and the horseman was near enough for his little and shapeless body; his long irish cloak; and the dilapidated bagpipes hanging from his shoulders; and the rough?haired garron under him; to be seen distinctly in the grey dusk。 so soon as he had e within earshot; he began crying: is it sleeping you are; tumaus costello; when better men break their hearts on the great white roads?
get up out of that; proud tumaus; for i have news! get up out of that; you great omadhaun! shake yourself out of the earth; you great weed of a man!
costello had risen to his feet; and as the piper came up to him seized him by the neck of his jacket; and lifting him out of his saddle threw him on to the ground。
let me alone; let me alone; said the other; but costello still shook him。
i have news from dermotts daughter; winny; the great fingers were loosened; and the piper rose gasping。
why did you not tell me; said costello; that you came from her? you might have railed your fill。
i have e from her; but i will not speak unless i am paid for my shaking。
costello fumbled at the bag in which he carried his money; and it was some time before it would open; for the hand that had overe many men shook with fear and hope。 here is all the money in my bag; he said; dropping a stream of french and spanish money into the hand of the piper; who bit the coins before he would answer。
that is right; that is a fair price; but i will not speak till i have good protection; for if the dermotts lay their hands upon me in any boreen after sundown; or in cool?a?vin by day; i will be left to rot among the nettles of a ditch; or hung on the great sycamore; where they hung the horse?thieves last beltaine four years。 and while he spoke he tied the reins of his garron to a bar of rusty iron that was mortared into the wall。
i will make you my piper and my bodyservant; said costello; and no man dare lay hands upon the man; or the goat; or the horse; or the dog that is tumaus costellos。
and i will only tell my message; said the other; flinging the saddle on the ground; in the corner of the chimney with a noggin in my hand; and a jug of the brew of the little pot beside me; for though i am ragged and empty; my forbears were well clothed and full until their house was burnt and their cattle harried seven centuries ago by the dillons; whom i shall yet see on the hob of hell; and they screeching; and while he spoke the little eyes gleamed and the thin hands clenched。
costello led him into the great rush?strewn hall; where were none of the forts which had begun to grow mon among the gentry; but a feudal gauntness and bareness; and pointed to the bench in the great chimney; and when he had sat down; filled up a horn noggin and set it on the bench beside him; and set a great black jack of leather beside the noggin; and lit a torch that slanted out from a ring in the wall; his hands trembling the while; and then turned towards him and said: will dermotts daughter e to me; duallach; son of daly?
dermotts daughter will not e to you; for her father has set women to watch her; but she bid me tell you that this day sennight will be the eve of st。 john and the night of her betrothal to namara of the lake; and she would have you there that; when they bid her drink to him she loves best; as the way is; she may drink to you; tumaus costello; and let all know where her heart is; and how little of gladness is in her marriage; and i myself bid you go with good men about you; for i saw the horse?thieves with my own eyes; and they dancing the 〃blue pigeon〃 in the air。 and then he held the now empty noggin towards costello; his hand closing round it like the claw of a bird; and cried: fill my noggin again; for i would the day had e when all the water in the world is to shrink into a periwinkle?shell; that i might drink nothing but poteen。
finding that costello made no reply; but sat in a dream; he burst out: fill my noggin; i tell you; for no costello is so great in the world that he should not wait upon a daly; even though the daly travel the road with his pipes and the costello have a bare hill; an empty house; a horse; a herd of goats; and a handful of cows。 praise the dalys if you will; said costello as he filled the noggin; for you have brought me a kind word from my love。
for the next few days duallach went hither and thither trying to raise a bodyguard; and every man he met had some story of costello; how he killed the wrestler when but a boy by so straining at the belt that went about them both that he broke the big wrestlers back; how when somewhat older he dragged fierce horses through a ford in the unchion for a wager; how when he came to manhood he broke the steel horseshoe in mayo; how he drove many men before him through rushy meadow at drum?an?air because of a malevolent song they had about his poverty; and of many another deed of his strength and pride; but he could find none who would trust themselves with any so passionate and poor in a quarrel with careful and wealthy persons like dermott of the sheep and namara of the lake。
then costello went out himself; and after listening to many excuses and in many places; brought in a big half?witted fellow; who followed him like a dog; a farm?labourer who worshipped him for his strength; a fat farmer whose forefathers had served his family; and a couple of lads who looked after his goats and cows; and marshalled them before the fire in the emp
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