“只有仁义。”波希米亚人回答说。
“需不需要我发誓说，只要你充当我们这次旅行的忠实向导，我就向你表示我的仁义呢？”
“不需要，”海拉丁回答道，“这将是浪费一种极为稀有的商品。事实上我已经对你很感恩了。”
“怎么？！”达威特比往常更表惊奇地说道。
“记得谢尔河边的栗子树吧？是你割断绞索把受害者的尸体从树上放下来的。他是我兄弟扎迈特•毛格拉宾。”
“不过，”昆丁说道，“我看你和那些处死你兄弟的军官有来往，因为正是其中一名军官告诉我，该在什么地方和你碰头——肯定是他安排你给两位仕女作向导的。”
“我们有什么办法呢？”海拉丁阴郁地说道，“这些人对待我们正像牧羊狗对待羊群一个样。他们可以暂时给我们提供一些保护，随心所欲地赶着我们四处奔跑，但最后总是把我们赶进屠宰场。”
直到以后昆丁才有机会了解到，在这一点上这波希米亚人的确言之不虚。以镇压国内成群结队的流浪汉为职业的警官有意和他们保持来往，暂时放纵他们一下，但最后总是把他们的盟友推上断头台以完成其任务。这是警察与小偷之间为了更有利地从事各自的行业而建立的某种政治关系。所有国家都存在着这种关系。这对我们英国来说也并不陌生。
达威特离开了向导，来到其余的随从人员中间。他对海拉丁其人很不放心，对他亲自向他作的一番感恩的表白也不大相信。他想探听指派给他当随从的那两个人有何看法。但他不安地发现这两个人都傻乎乎的。先前他和别人交锋时他们不愿拔刀相助，此刻他们也无法替他当当参谋。
“这样也好，”昆丁寻思道，由于感到处境艰难不觉精神更为振奋，“那可爱的小姐这下就全靠我了。一只手——嗯，一个头脑所能干的——我是可以大胆信赖的。我曾亲眼看见我家被放火焚烧，父亲和兄弟们被活活烧死。但我并没有丝毫退缩，而是战斗到底。现在我已经大了两岁，担负着的是最能使勇士胸中燃起斗志的最美好的使命，可以促使自己作出卓越的表现。”
下定这个决心后，昆丁便通过他在旅途中所关注的一切和所做的一切使人随处都能感觉到他的存在。他最喜欢呆的地方自然主要是在两位仕女旁边。她们意识到他十分关心她们的安全，便逐渐用一种近乎亲切友好的声音和他谈话，对他纯朴而聪明的谈吐也显得很高兴。但昆丁并没有让这引人人胜的谈话来妨碍他警惕地执行任务。
他虽然经常走在两位仕女身旁，竭力想向这两位平原上长大的人描绘家乡的格兰姆平山，特别是格兰•呼拉金山的美丽，但他也经常和海拉丁走在马队前面，就路该怎么走、哪儿该歇脚问他一些问题，把他的回答记在心里，然后通过再次盘问，看能否查出有意说谎的地方。他还经常走在马队后面，尽量通过说些好话，给些礼物，以及在完成任务之后将给他们更多报酬的许诺，来赢得两位骑兵的好感。
他们像这样走了一个多星期。走的都是小路和人烟稀少的地区，而且绕着圈子，避兔穿过大城市。一路上没有发生什么特殊情况，只是有时碰见一伙伙流浪的波希米亚人。看到马队是由他们自己部族的人带路，这些波希米亚人对他们都很尊敬。再就是碰到一些散兵游勇，也许还有些强盗土匪，但他们也感觉对方人高马壮，不敢进行骚扰。最后他们还碰到一些现在称之为骑警队的队伍。这是路易王为了以钢刀和烙铁治疗国家的创伤，专门用来镇压内地流窜的土匪的。由于国王亲自教给了昆丁一道口令，这些队伍也都让他们顺利地往前赶路。
他们主要是在寺院歇脚，因为大多数寺院基于建院章程都有义务盛情接待朝圣的香客——而两位仕女正是以这种身份进行这次旅行的。寺院不得啰嗦地打听香客的地位和身份，因为在履行朝圣的誓言时大多数贵人都希望对此保密。两位克罗伊埃仕女经常以旅途疲惫为借口，立即进屋休息。昆丁作为她们的总管则负责在宾主之间作出一切必要的安排。其处事的精明给她们省了许多麻烦，而其办事的敏捷也不能不使受到他殷勤照料的两位仕女对他产生相应的好感。
有个情况给昆丁造成了特殊的困难。那就是向导的身份和国籍。由于他是一个异教徒，一个不信基督的流浪汉，同时还热衷于玄术（而这是他们整个部落的特征），所以他经常被视为不宜在他们歇脚的那些圣洁的寺院作客。只是在十分勉强的情况下才允许他进入寺院的外部庭院。这事很棘手，因为昆丁感到既有必要使掌有他们旅行秘密的这个浪人不闹情绪，又有必要对他的行动暗中进行严密监视，以便尽可能不让他和外人偷偷接触。如果让这波希米亚人在他们歇脚的寺院以外的地方住宿，要做到上述两点当然不行。达威特也不免猜想，海拉丁正是有心想造成上面所说的那种安排，因为他发现他并不是在分给他住的地方安分守己，而是又说又唱，又开玩笑，来逗乐那些新僧和年轻的师弟，以其鄙俗和不雅的表现来惹怒年老的僧人。昆丁不得不多次使用权威外加恫吓，来抑制他那不问场合的、亵渎神明的快活情绪；并运用他对院长的影响避免寺院将这异教徒赶出门去。他总算达到了这个目的。这是因为他对这个仆从的无礼表现作了很得体的道歉；同时他也巧妙地暗示说，寺院里的圣徒遗骨和圣殿，特别是献身于宗教的僧人们的直接影响，有希望对这个浪人灌输一点有关做人的原则和态度的应有的常识。
然而，当他们走了十天或十二天，进入了弗兰德，快到纳慕尔城的时候，昆丁虽然尽了最大的努力，也无法消除他那异教向导的恶劣表现所造成的后果。事情发生的地方是属于一个道规严格的宗教改革派的方济各寺院。寺院的院长以后也死得十分圣洁。为了接纳这个波希米亚人，寺院不得不比平常克服更多的顾虑（在这种情况下顾虑多也的确难免），最后才让这个可惜的家伙在一个充当园丁的俗人住的外屋获得一个住处。两位仕女像往常一样到她们的卧室去休息。寺院的院长碰巧有几个苏格兰的远亲和朋友，又喜欢听外国人介绍介绍他们的祖国，再加上他很喜欢昆丁的容貌和举止，便邀请他到自己的居室招待他吃顿寺院的茶点。昆丁觉得这位神父是个聪明人，便抓住机会向他了解一下列日城的情况，因为最近两天他听到有关该城的一些谣传，使他为两位仕女是否能安全地走完剩下的路程感到担忧。他甚至怀疑即使把她们安全地送到主教的住地，主教又是否真有能力保护她们。院长对他的回答并不使他感到欣慰。
他说：“列日人都是些富有的市民，就像古代的耶舒闰一样，如今养肥了，就爱踢人了。他们为他们的财富和特权感到洋洋得意。在有关纳税和免税的问题上，和他们的君主勃艮第公爵经常发生许多争执，并一再爆发为公开的反叛。对此公爵感到非常愤怒。由于他性格暴躁，他已凭着圣乔治发誓，要是再遇到任何挑衅事件，他就要像夷平巴比伦和泰尔那样，摧毁列日城，使它成为整个弗兰德的耻辱。”
“人们都说这位亲王是很可能实践他的誓言的，”昆丁说道，“列日市民也许会注意别给他一个把柄。”
“但愿如此。”院长说道，“全国所有笃信上帝的人都在祷告和平，因为他们不愿看到列日市民血流成河，在没有获得上苍的宽恕以前就像雏狗般死去。善良的主教也在尽他这上帝仆人的本分，为维护和平日夜操劳，因为圣经上写着，Beati pacifici，不过——”这时院长深深地叹了口气，没继续讲下去。
昆丁很客气地向他讲明，他所保护的两位仕女很有必要获得有关该地区目前状况的可靠情报，如果尊敬的神父能就这个问题给她们一些指点，这将是基督慈爱精神的高度表现。
“这是一个人们都不愿意谈论的问题，”院长说道，“因为说当权者坏话的人，etiam in cubiculo，往往也发现话会插翅传到他耳朵里。不过，为了给你这看来很纯真的年轻人以及那两位虔诚地朝圣的热诚仕女帮点力所能及的小忙，我将尽力而为。”
这时他谨慎地环顾四周，像是怕有人偷听似的压低嗓门讲了起来。
“列日市民，”他说道，“受到魔鬼的门徒们的唆使，经常反叛他们的君主。这些人自称是（但愿这是说谎）得到我们最讲基督之道的法国国王的授意。我倒认为法国国王配得上我刚才说的那个称号，不至于去破坏邻国的和平。然而事实是，那些支持和煽动心怀不满的列日市民的人们都肆意利用他的名誉。再说，法国还有一个出身名门的耀武扬威的贵族，这人在别的方面真可以说是Lapis offnsionis et petra scandali——一个专门给勃艮第和弗兰德制造麻烦的绊脚石。他名叫威廉•德拉马克。
“绰号是叫长胡子威廉，或‘阿登内斯野猪’吗？”年轻的苏格兰人问道。
“我的孩子，这绰号取得很好，”院长说道，“因为他就像林中的野猪那样，獠牙不停地乱撕，蹄子不停地乱踩。他纠集了一支一千多人的队伍。匪徒们都和他一样蔑视君权和神权。他不服勃艮第公爵的管辖，也不管是僧人还是俗人，反正见东西就抢，见人就伤，以此来维持他这帮人马。Imposuit manus in christos Domini——他甚至把手伸到了上帝圣洁的使徒身上，全然不顾圣经所写的话：‘不得触犯我圣洁的使徒，不得欺负我的先知。’他竟然派人到我们可怜的寺院索取大量金银，作为我和我的师兄弟性命的抵押。对此我们用拉丁文回了封请求信，说明我们无法满足他的要求，并用传教士的话规劝他：Ne moliairis amiico tuo malum,cum habet in te fiduciam，然而，这个大胡子的古利埃尔摩斯，这个威廉•德拉马克，既不懂人情，又不通晓文言古语，竟用他那可笑的黑话回答说：‘Si
non payatis,brulabo monasterium vestruw.’”
“我的好神父，您对这粗鄙的拉丁文总不至于不知所云吧？”年轻人说道。
“哎呀，我的孩子，”院长说道，“人一受逼、一害怕就什么都懂得了。我们不得不把圣坛上的银器熔化掉，来满足这残酷的匪首的贪欲。愿上帝给他七倍的报应和惩罚！Pereat improbus—Amen，amen，anathema esto！”
“我真奇怪，”昆丁说道，“勃艮第公爵势力如此强大，竟不能使这头野猪就范。说实在的，关于他造成的破坏和蹂躏我已经听得很多了。”
“哎呀，我的孩子，”院长说道，“查尔斯公爵此刻在佩隆召集他的将领们谋划和法国交战的事。只要上苍让伟大的君王们彼此不和，国家就会遭受这些小霸王的压迫。但公爵忽视了对国内这种痛疽的医治可也真不是时候。听说威廉•德拉马克最近已经和列日城的叛乱头目卢斯拉尔和巴维翁公开勾结。人们担心他很快就会鼓动他们铤而走险。”
“不过，列日主教总还有能力来抑制这种激昂的反叛情绪吧？”昆丁说道，“您说哩，好神父？您对这个问题的回答和我有切身关系。”
“我的孩子，”院长回答道，“主教既掌有打开心灵的钥匙，也掌有圣彼得的宝剑。他具有世俗君王的权力，也享有强大的勃艮第家族的保护。同时他也具有作为主教的神权，并拥有一支不大不小的、训练有素的军队来加强二者的威力。这个威廉•德拉马克是在主教家里扶养大的，主教对他有养育之恩。但即使在主教的教廷，他也放肆地发泄他那残暴嗜杀的本性，由于杀害了主教的一个仆役头而被逐出教廷。他遭到善良主教的驱逐，从此便对他怀恨在心，成了他势不两立的仇人。我很伤心地说，现在他已下定决心，加强实力来和他作对。”
“那么您认为，尊敬的主教处境很危险吗？”昆丁十分焦急地问道。
“哎呀，我的孩子，”这善良的方济各僧说道，“在这个荒野之地，还有什么东西、什么人谈得上没有危险呢？不过，上帝在上，我不能说这位可敬的主教已经危在旦夕。他有众多的金银财宝、忠实的谋士、勇敢的卫士。再说，昨天经过这儿往东去的一名使节还说勃艮第公爵应主教的请求已派遣一百名武士前去支援。这一支增援部队，再加上每个长矛手所带的扈从，足以对付威廉•德拉马克。愿他的名字遭到诅咒！——阿们。”
正在说得很起劲时，一个教堂执事走进来，打断了他们的谈话。他气急败坏地控诉那波希米亚人在年轻的师弟当中施展他那可恨的麻醉术。他在晚餐时给他们灌了许多杯比最厉害的烈酒劲头还大十倍的蒙汗洒，使得好几个师兄弟醉得不省人事。尽管这个教堂司事神经坚强，总算抵制住了酒的作用力，但就凭他那通红的面孔和含糊不清的口舌他们也可以看出，甚至这位控诉人本身在某种程度上也还是受到了这不吉利的烈酒的影响。更有甚者，那波希米亚人还唱了些庸俗淫秽的小曲，嘲讽圣方济各的圣节，讥笑他的圣迹，把他的信徒说成是傻瓜和懒鬼。最后他还为他们看手相，对年轻的切鲁宾神父说，有个美丽的仕女爱上了他，将给他生个健壮的娃娃。
院长费了些时间默默地倾听这些控诉，像是被这弥天大罪惊得哑口无言，精神恍惚。当教堂司事讲完之后，他站了起来，走进寺庙的庭院，命令凡俗师兄弟用扫帚柄和赶马鞭，把海拉丁逐出这神圣的寺院，否则要承担违抗神权的严重后果。
人们当着昆丁•达威特的面执行了这个判决。昆丁对此尽管十分气恼，但也不难看出他的干预根本无济于事。
尽管院长一再告诫，对犯人的这一惩罚还是被搞得滑稽可笑，而毫无可怕的感觉。那波希米亚人在打声和喊打声的喧闹中满院子跑来跑去。打的人，有的故意打不中，扑了个空，有的认真对准他打，却被他灵巧地躲开。只有少数几个打中了他的肩和背，他却若无其事地挨下来，不抱怨，也不还击。由于排成行列玩弄棍棒以惩罚海拉丁的僧人们毫无打人的经验，打着对面的人的机会要比打着这浪人的机会还多，闹声笑声就变得更加厉害。最后，院长急于想结束这个有伤大雅、不成体统的场面，便命令打开小门，让那波希米亚人以闪电般的速度从小门冲出去，逃到月光底下。
这场闹剧更加重了达威特早就产生了的一个疑窦。今天早晨海拉丁还保证在寺院歇脚时要打破他的习惯，更注意行为的检点。但他破坏了他的诺言，甚至变得比往常更狂妄、更嚣张。也许这底下潜藏着某种东西，因为他知道，不管这个波希米亚人有何缺点，至少他不缺乏理智，而且，只要他愿意，他也不会缺乏控制自己的能力。这会不会是他想和他们部落的人或别的什么人碰头，而由于昆丁看得太紧，白天没这个可能，因此他想出这个计策，好叫别人把他赶出寺院呢？
昆丁脑子里一旦出现了这个怀疑，像他这样一个行动机警的人自然马上决定要对这挨了打的向导进行跟踪，以便（尽可能秘密地）观察他究竟去干什么。因此，一当那波希米亚人像前面讲到的，逃出寺院大门之后，昆丁便立刻向院长说明他有必要看住他的向导，随即跟在他后面跑了出去。
Chapter 17 The Espied Spy
What, the rude ranger? and spied spy? -- hands off -- You are for no such rustics.
BEN JONSON'S TALE OF ROBIN HOOD
When Quentin sallied from the convent, he could mark the precipitate retreat of the Bohemian, whose dark figure was seen in the far moonlight flying with the speed of a flogged hound quite through the street of the little village, and across the level meadow that lay beyond.
"My friend runs fast," said Quentin to himself, "but he must run faster yet, to escape the fleetest foot that ever pressed the heather of Glen Houlakin!"
Being fortunately without his cloak and armour, the Scottish mountaineer was at liberty to put forth a speed which was unrivalled in his own glens, and which, notwithstanding the rate at which the Bohemian ran, was likely soon to bring his pursuer up with him. This was not, however, Quentin's object, for he considered it more essential to watch Hayraddin's motions, than to interrupt them. He was the rather led to this by the steadiness with which the Bohemian directed his course, and which, continuing even after the impulse of the violent expulsion had subsided, seemed to indicate that his career had some more certain goal for its object than could have suggested itself to a person unexpectedly turned out of good quarters when midnight was approaching, to seek a new place of repose. He never even looked behind him, and consequently Durward was enabled to follow him unobserved. At length, the Bohemian having traversed the meadow and attained the side of a little stream, the banks of which were clothed with alders and willows, Quentin observed that he stood still, and blew a low note on his horn, which was answered by a whistle at some little distance.
"This is a rendezvous," thought Quentin, "but how shall I come near enough to overhear the import of what passes? The sound of my steps, and the rustling of the boughs through which I must force my passage, will betray me, unless I am cautious -- I will stalk them, by Saint Andrew, as if they were Glen Isla deer -- they shall learn that I have not conned woodcraft for naught. Yonder they meet, the two shadows -- and two of them there are -- odds against me if I am discovered, and if their purpose be unfriendly, as is much to be doubted. And then the Countess Isabelle loses her poor friend -- Well, and he were not worthy to be called such, if he were not ready to meet a dozen in her behalf. Have I not crossed swords with Dunois, the best knight in France, and shall I fear a tribe of yonder vagabonds? Pshaw! -- God and Saint Andrew to friend, they will find me both stout and wary."
Thus resolving, and with a degree of caution taught him by his silvan habits, our friend descended into the channel of the little stream, which varied in depth, sometimes scarce covering his shoes, sometimes coming up to his knees, and so crept along, his form concealed by the boughs overhanging the bank, and his steps unheard amid the ripple of the water. (We have ourselves, in the days of yore, thus approached the nest of the wakeful raven.) In this manner the Scot drew near unperceived, until he distinctly heard the voices of those who were the subject of his observation, though he could not distinguish the words. Being at this time under the drooping branches of a magnificent weeping willow, which almost swept the surface of the water, he caught hold of one of its boughs, by the assistance of which, exerting at once much agility, dexterity, and strength, he raised himself up into the body of the tree, and sat, secure from discovery, among the central branches.
From this situation he could discover that the person with whom Hayraddin was now conversing was one of his own tribe, and at the same time he perceived, to his great disappointment, that no approximation could enable him to comprehend their language, which was totally unknown to him. They laughed much, and as Hayraddin made a sign of skipping about, and ended by rubbing his shoulder with his hand, Durward had no doubt that he was relating the story of the bastinading which he had sustained previous to his escape from the convent.
On a sudden, a whistle was again heard in the distance, which was once more answered by a low tone or two of Hayraddin's horn. Presently afterwards, a tall, stout, soldierly looking man, a strong contrast in point of thews and sinews to the small and slender limbed Bohemians, made his appearance. He had a broad baldric over his shoulder, which sustained a sword that hung almost across his person, his hose were much slashed, through which slashes was drawn silk, or tiffany, of various colours, they were tied by at least five hundred points or strings, made of ribbon, to the tight buff jacket which he wore, the right sleeve of which displayed a silver boar's head, the crest of his Captain. A very small hat sat jauntily on one side of his head, from which descended a quantity of curled hair, which fell on each side of a broad face, and mingled with as broad a beard, about four inches long. He held a long lance in his hand, and his whole equipment was that of one of the German adventurers, who were known by the name of lanzknechts, in English, spearmen, who constituted a formidable part of the infantry of the period. These mercenaries were, of course, a fierce and rapacious soldiery, and having an idle tale current among themselves, that a lanzknecht was refused admittance into heaven on account of his vices, and into hell on the score of his tumultuous, mutinous, and insubordinate disposition, they manfully acted as if they neither sought the one nor eschewed the other.
"Donner and blitz! (thunder and lightning!)" was his first salutation, in a sort of German French, which we can only imperfectly imitate, "Why have you kept me dancing in attendance dis dree nights?"
"I could not see you sooner, Meinherr," said Hayraddin, very submissively, "there is a young Scot, with as quick an eye as the wildcat, who watches my least motions. He suspects me already, and, should he find his suspicion confirmed, I were a dead man on the spot, and he would carry back the women into France again."
"Was henker! (what the deuce!)" said the lanzknecht, "we are three -- we will attack them tomorrow, and carry the women off without going farther. You said the two valets were cowards -- you and your comrade may manage them, and the Teufel (the devil) shall hold me, but I match your Scots wildcat."
"You will find that foolhardy," said Hayraddin, "for besides that we ourselves count not much in fighting, this spark hath matched himself with the best knight in France, and come off with honour -- I have seen those who saw him press Dunois hard enough."
"Hagel and sturmwetter! (hail and stormy weather!) It is but your cowardice that speaks," said the German soldier.
"I am no more a coward than yourself," said Hayraddin "but my trade is not fighting. -- If you keep the appointment where it was laid, it is well -- if not, I guide them safely to the Bishop's Palace, and William de la Marck may easily possess himself of them there, provided he is half as strong as he pretended a week since."
"Poz tausend! (Zounds!)" said the soldier, "we are as strong and stronger, but we hear of a hundreds of the lances of Burgund, -- das ist, see you, -- five men to a lance do make five hundreds, and then hold me the devil, they will be fainer to seek for us, than we to seek for them, for der Bischoff hath a goot force on footing -- ay, indeed!"
"You must then hold to the ambuscade at the Cross of the Three Kings, or give up the adventure," said the Bohemian.
"Geb up -- geb up the adventure of the rich bride for our noble hauptman (leader or captain) -- Teufel! I will charge through hell first. -- Mein soul, we will be all princes and hertzogs, whom they call dukes, and we will hab a snab at the wein kellar (wine cellar), and at the mouldy French crowns, and it may be at the pretty garces too (meaning the countesses), when He with de beard is weary on them."
"The ambuscade at the Cross of the Three Kings then still holds? " said the Bohemian.
"Mein Gob ay, -- you will swear to bring them there, and when they are on their knees before the cross, and down from off their horses, which all men do, except such black heathens as thou, we will make in on them and they are ours."
"Ay, but I promised this piece of necessary villainy only on one condition," said Hayraddin. -- "I will not have a hair of the young man's head touched. If you swear this to me, by your Three Dead Men of Cologne, I will swear to you, by the Seven Night Walkers, that I will serve you truly as to the rest. And if you break your oath, the Night Walkers shall wake you seven nights from your sleep, between night and morning, and, on the eighth, they shall strangle and devour you."
"But donner and bagel, what need you be so curious about the life of this boy, who is neither your bloot nor kin?" said the German.
"No matter for that, honest Heinrick, some men have pleasure in cutting throats, some in keeping them whole. -- So swear to me, that you will spare him life and limb, or by the bright star Aldebaran, this matter shall go no farther. -- Swear, and by the Three Kings, as you call them, of Cologne -- I know you care for no other oath."
