Part 27 (1/2)
Thin the charm had bin browken Nod knohat'll be the nixt to curse us”
”Come, Michael,” said Frederick, ”no one is to blaht nobly in the saving of our lives froer of an assassin”
”But tell us,” said I, ”how thou didst learn of his presence here, and what he was doing when thou didst attack him”
”Will, sor, it was loike this:--Oi akened by soh he feared to disturb ht it must be ather thee or Sor Fridrick Thin, thinks Oi to moysilf, what in the divil's name doth make Sor Walter or Sor Fridrick walk so cautious loike? He jist takes a stip in the doiriction o'
thee, sor, and thin he stops and waits, whoilst wan h he was alistenin' fer soe that ather wan o' yer honours would go on loike that in yer own tint, sez Oi, to moysilf This koind o' made me curious loike, so Oi jist sits up and watches him Thin, Mither-o'-Gawd, sor! the blissid er in the varmint's hand Thin, sor, Oi pounces upon hier This ives hi snapped loike a rotten branch astickin' from out the soide o' a dead tree Thin, sor, Oi lays hiht he'd bitter stay thare Jist at that toime yer honours wakened up, and ye know the rist as will, or bitter, than Oi do”
”Ah! Michael, my faithful friend, what should I do without thee? Thou hast savedthat is beyond my power; unless thou art ever threatened, when I would save thee and risk mine own life, as thou hast done for me”
”Uh! sure, yer honour, dount talk loike that; Oi have no moure than done moy dooty Sure it's ashamed o' moysilf Oi should be if Oi didn't crush a snakein' varmint loike that, whin he coht ouver uard the door”
I could not help but laugh at the easy way in which Michael turned all the credit froe shoulder 'Twas useless to say anything more; and indeed my heart took all my speech away
For this Michael seemed thankful He betook hi of the tent, and, stretching hiot the part he had played in that night's aledy
However, Frederick and I sat up and conversed in low tones for some time after Michael had entered that happy land of oblivion, where troubles or plots--except sometimes those that have no reality--intrude not
”Was it Catesby, thinkest thou?” asked Harleston ”The person was about his stature; and he spoke not even when his arm was broken; a circu known unto us”
”Verily it was Catesby,” I replied ”What other man is there upon this field would attempt such an act? Besides, he alone hath an interest in my death
”Ah! Catesby,” said I, betwixt ain, where there shall be no rules of tourney to put a stop to e
”Tell me, Frederick, why it is that such scoundrels are permitted to have such positions of authority? Why doth the Ruler of Heaven and Earth pern would know”
”My dear Walter,” he replied, in that gentle, reasoning way, ”thou dost not observe the laws of nature, or thou shouldst not have asked that question
”The brightest flowers in the stagnant pond of life do rise to the surface with their worthy blooms”
”Surely thou dost not put Richard and Catesby in that class?”
”Nay, nay,” he replied, ”do but let me finish
”True, the flowers do come unto the surface,” he continued; ”but ever reh the green and evil-s scum that also floats on top The beauteous blosso opposition
Such is life in all its forms, and such shall it ever be
”But co from his philosophical to his practical style of conversation, ”does not this night's work er hesitate?”
”Verily, I have decided,” I replied
”That is the part of wisdom”