“别说这么响，”伊莎贝尔小姐说，“你会叫向导莫名其妙的——你瞧他已经骑到我们前面去了。”的确，那好心的弗兰德人，按照“己所不欲，勿施于人”之道，一看见昆丁向小姐走来，便让他们独自在一起，以免感受到第三者在场的拘束。“是的，”看到向导不注意他们，她又继续说，“对你，我的朋友和保护者——既然上帝要你做我的朋友和保护者，我为什么要不好意思这么称呼你呢？我有责任坦白地说，我决心已下，返回故乡，求勃艮第公爵宽恕。我是受到一个善意的错误劝告的影响才摆脱了他的保护，而跑去接受那奸滑的路易王的保护的。”
“那么你是决定要嫁给查尔斯那个鄙劣的宠臣康波•巴索啰？”
昆丁就像一个被判死刑的人装出一副坚定表情讯问是否已下达行刑令那样，用一种想掩饰内心痛苦而强装无所谓的声调这样问道。
“不是这样，达威特，不是这样，”伊莎贝尔小姐在马鞍上挺直身子说道，“勃艮第动用其全部力量也休想叫克罗依埃的女儿接受这样一种可惜的状况。勃艮第可以没收我的田产和封地，也可以把我监禁在修道院里。不过，我想他充其量也只能如此。但我宁可忍受比这更恶劣的遭遇也不愿嫁给康波•巴索。”
“充其量只能如此！”昆丁说道，“请问，还有什么能比掠夺和监禁更糟糕的呢？唉，趁你还吸着上帝的自由空气，趁你身边还有个保护你的人，你再考虑考虑吧。我可以不惜冒生命危险护送你去英国、德国，甚至去苏格兰。在这些国家你都可以找到愿意给予你慷慨保护的人。情况既然如此，你就不要轻率地决定放弃上帝赋与人们的最美好的东西——自由。我们苏格兰有位诗人唱得好：
“自由是个美好的东西，
自由使人对生活产生感情，
自由使快乐增添风趣，
自由生活的人生活得最安逸。
悲哀、疾病、贫困和贪婪，
都可以概括为不自由的奴役。”
她带着忧伤的微笑倾听他的向导这番赞美自由的议论。过了一会她才回答说：“自由只给男人享受。可女人总是得寻求保护者，因为她们天生无法保护自己。我能在哪儿找到一个保护者呢？在英国那骄侈淫逸的爱德华的宫廷？在德国那醉鬼般的温塞劳斯的宫殿？在苏格兰？唉，达威特，但愿我是你的妹妹，你能答应在你很喜欢向我介绍的某个苏格兰山谷里给我找到一个栖身之所，我可以依靠别人的施舍或我保存的一点珠宝，过一过宁静的生活，忘掉我生来注定的命运。但愿你能保证给我找到当地某个尊敬的主妇，或某个为人忠实、势力强大的男爵做我的保护人——这个前景倒是值得冒冒继续让人非议的风险，再往远处流浪！”
伊莎贝尔小姐在倾吐这个想法时声音很亲切，有些颤抖，这使得昆丁既高兴，又很伤心。回答之前他先迟疑了一阵，匆忙估量了一下在苏格兰给她找个地方避难的可能性。然而，可悲的事实迫使他承认，指引她走一条他自己毫无能力保证其安全的道路是既卑鄙又残忍的。“小姐，”他终于说道，“要是我让你根据我在苏格兰有能力为你提供保护的设想来拟定你的计划，那我就卑鄙地践踏了我的荣誉，违反了我的骑士誓言。事实上，除开正走在你身旁的我能给你不足挂齿的帮助以外，我没法在苏格兰为你提供别的保护。我无法肯定在苏格兰还有我的亲人活了下来。因纳居哈里特族的骑士在半夜袭击了我们的城堡，杀死了我们家族的全部成员。要是我回到苏格兰，我家的世仇人数众多，实力雄厚，而我却单枪匹马，力量微薄。即使国王有心给我撑腰，他也不敢为了替一个可怜的年轻人主持公道而得罪一个有五百人马的酋长。”
“哎呀，”伯爵小姐说道，“既然没有多少财富值得贪图的穷山沟也像我们富饶的低地平原一样，欺压者横行霸道，这世界上真找不出一个不受压迫的角落了。”
“我无法否认的一个不幸的事实就在于，我们敌对的部族互相残杀，只不过是为了得到一点复仇的乐趣，满足一下嗜杀的欲望。”那苏格兰人说道，“德拉马克及其匪徒在这个国家的强盗行径和奥吉维之流在苏格兰的所作所为如出一辙。”
“那就别再提苏格兰了，”伊莎贝尔用一种真假难辨的不在乎的口吻说道，“别再提苏格兰了。我只不过是出于好奇，看你是否真会把那欧洲最混乱的国家推荐给我作栖身之地。这只是考验考验你的真诚，而我高兴地看到你的忠诚完全可以信赖——即使在最能激起你对苏格兰的偏爱时，也可以信赖。得了，别的保护我一概不考虑了。我决心投靠我们最先碰到的一位查尔斯公爵属下的体面贵族，请求他的保护。”
“那你为什么不像你在图尔打算的那样，去你自己的庄园，住进你自己坚固的城堡呢？”昆丁说道，“为什么不把你父亲的臣属聚集拢来，和勃艮第订个条约，而要去归顺他呢？肯定有许多勇士愿为你而战斗。我知道至少有一个人乐意献出自己的生命来作出一个榜样。”
“哎呀，”伯爵小姐说道，“这本是狡猾的路易王提出的一个计划。但也像他提出过的别的建议一样，主要是着眼于他自己的利益，而不是考虑我的利益。由于那奸人扎迈特•毛格拉宾把它泄露给了勃艮第，现在已行不通了。我的亲戚被他监禁，我的住宅也被看管起来。任何别的尝试也只会使我的亲属遭到查尔斯公爵的报复。为了这件倒霉的事已经死了好些人，我干吗还要为此引起更多的流血呢？不能这样。我得作为一个忠心的臣属归顺我的君主。只要不侵犯我个人选择的自由，什么都可以服从。特别是因为我相信我的姑母——那位最先建议，甚至催促我逃跑的哈梅琳女士，想必早已采取了这个明智而体面的步骤！”
“你的姑妈！”昆丁若有所思地说道。这时他已回想起伯爵小姐所不知道的一些情况。由于接二连三地发生了一系列惊险而紧急的事件，他早已把这些忘在九霄云外了。
“是的——我姑妈——克罗伊埃•哈梅琳女士——你听到她什么情况吗？”伊莎贝尔小姐说道，“我想她现在已经在勃艮第君权的保护下了。你不说话！你知道什么吗？”
这后一个问题是用十分焦急的询问语气说出来的。这迫使昆丁不得不就这位女士现在的下落讲讲他所知道的情况。他提到他应她的召唤保护她逃出列日——他原以为伊莎贝尔小姐也和她一起出逃。他也谈到他们到达森林以后他的那个偶然发现。最后他还讲到他自己如何返回城堡，以及当时城堡所处的险恶状况。但他没有谈到哈梅琳女士离开索恩瓦尔德城堡时显然要达到的目的，也没谈到她已落到威廉•德拉马克手上的谣传。由于事情难以出口，他甚至没对哈梅琳女士曾对他有过的意图稍加暗示，而在当前正需要他的女伴表现勇气和力量的这个时候，为了照顾她的感情，他也没提到有关哈梅琳女士的上述谣传。再说，他听到的也只是一种谣传。
这一番情况介绍，尽管省略掉了一些重要情节，但仍然对伊莎贝尔产生了强烈印象。她骑着马默默走了一会，最后才以冷冷的不满的口吻说道：“你把我不幸的姑母就这样扔在一个荒林里面，任凭那邪恶的波希米亚人和一个奸狡的特女的摆布？可怜的姑母，你对这年轻人的忠诚还经常赞不绝口哩！”
“要是我不这么做，”昆丁看到自己的殷勤受到如此回报，不免生气地说道，“那么我更有虔诚的义务为之效劳的小姐将命该如何呢？要不是我把克罗伊埃•哈梅琳女士交给她亲自挑选给她当参谋的那两个人照顾，伊莎贝尔小姐想必早已成了‘阿登内斯野猪’——威廉•德拉马克的新娘了。”
“你说得对，”伊莎贝尔小姐平静地说道，“我享有你绝对忠诚的好处，却如此忘恩负义地使你受到委屈。不过，我不幸的姑妈怎么办呢？要知道，这一切都是因为那可恶的玛尔松。我姑妈那么相信她，而她却一点不值得信任！正是她把那该死的扎迈特和海拉丁•毛格拉宾介绍给我姑妈的。这两个家伙吹嘘他们懂得算命和占星术，蒙蔽了她的心灵。也是她为了证实他们的预言，使得我姑妈有了——我真不知如何说好——有关婚姻和爱情的错觉，而这是与她的年龄很不相称，也是很不现实的。我相信，从一开始路易王就给我们设下了这些陷阱，以便诱使我们在他的宫廷里避难，实际上是使我们接受他的控制。在我们采取了这个轻率行动之后，他对我们的态度多么卑鄙，多么有失国王的身份，与骑士和绅士的标准又多么不相称！这些你昆丁•达威特是亲眼看见的。话说回来，我姑妈——你想她会碰到什么不幸呢？”
尽管他对她的前途不抱什么希望，他还是尽量使她不要丧失信心，便回答说，这伙人最强烈的欲望就是贪财；他离开他们时，玛尔松还装出哈梅琳女士保护人的样子；很难想象，这两个坏蛋通过虐待或谋杀那位仕女能达到任何目的；相反，他们对她好，以她为名来勒索一笔赎金，倒能捞到一些好处。
为了使伊莎贝尔小姐的思绪摆脱忧伤，昆丁把那天夜里他在纳穆尔附近发现的毛格拉宾的奸诈计划告诉了她，并说这计划看来是法王和威廉•德拉马克共谋的结果。伊莎贝尔恐惧得颤栗起来。恢复平静之后她说道：“我很愧疚。我竟然怀疑过圣徒给人的保护，偶尔也认为实现这样一种残忍、卑鄙无耻的计划不无可能。但实际上，上苍怜悯的眼睛始终在关注着人世间的不幸。这种事不应使人感到恐惧和憎恨，而应视作一种荒谬的、卑鄙奸诈的行径一笑置之，因为相信它能成功，就简直是不相信上帝的存在。不过，现在我看得很清楚，为什么玛尔松经常在我和可怜的姑妈之间散布无聊的忌妒与不和的种子，并在讨好一个的同时，说另一个的坏话，来达到离间的目的。不过我从没想到她竟然会使得我一度很要好的姑妈在攻打索思瓦尔德最危急的时刻抛下我，独自逃跑。”
“难道哈梅琳女士没跟你说起她打算逃跑吗？”
“没有，”伯爵小姐回答道，“不过她说过，有件事她会让玛尔松转告我。老实告诉你吧，那天姑妈把可恶的海拉丁叫进来进行了长时间的秘密谈话，而那家伙用他神秘的黑话把她搞得头脑发昏。所以——所以——总之，我也不愿在她那种精神状态下缠住她作什么解释。不过，把我扔下不管也未免太狠心了。”
“我倒认为哈梅琳女士并非有意这么狠心，”昆丁说道，“因为当时慌慌乱乱，又加上天很黑，我想哈梅琳女士一定是以为她侄女和她一道跑了出来。说真的，当时我看到玛尔松穿的衣服和姿态，也误以为两位克罗伊埃仕女都和我一道跑了出来——特别是她，”他以一种坚决的口吻低声补充说道，“要没有她，世界上的全部财富也不可能诱使我离开索恩瓦尔德城堡。”
伊莎贝尔低着头，似乎没有听到昆丁讲话中强调的部分。但当他开始谈到路易的策划时，她又把脸转过来对着他。通过互相讨论，他们不难看出，那两个波希米亚兄弟连同他们一伙的玛尔松，一直在充当那个奸诈的国王的奸细。不过哥哥扎迈特受到他们种族所特有的背信弃义习惯的影响，企图耍两面派，结果咎由自取，受到了惩罚。他们彼此吐露知心话，忘掉了他们的特殊处境，也忘掉了旅途的危险，就这样一连走了好几个小时，只是在汉斯•格洛弗领他们来到了某个偏僻的村庄之后才歇下来喂喂马。那年轻人不但避免打扰他们的谈话，而且在别的方面也表现出考虑周到，善于体贴别人。
那隔开了两个情侣（我想，现在我们可以这样称呼他们了）的人为界限也由于他们目前的处境似乎已经消失。伯爵小姐固然拥有更高的地位，并因其高贵的出身有权继承一笔巨大的财产使那身无长物的年轻人相形见细，但值得一提的是，目前他们一样贫穷，并且她的安全、荣誉和生命也完全得依赖于他的镇静、勇敢和忠诚。他们的确没谈到彼此之间的爱慕。尽管伊莎贝尔小姐内心充满了感激和信赖，很可能会原谅对方所作的爱情表白，但受到天生的羞怯和骑士思想影响的昆丁总感觉难以启齿。要是他说了什么话，显得是不正当地利用了给他们提供的这个好机会，那他会责备自己是在利用她目前的处境进行可耻的讹诈。所以他们回避表白爱情，但双方都不可避免地想到爱情。因此他们已处于一种心心相印、心照不宣的关系，这既使得他们摆脱了拘束，但也伴随着捉摸不定的感觉，真说得上是人生最幸福的时刻。然而这种时刻也往往只是一种前奏，继之而来的便是失望、变心、失恋以及希望破灭的种种痛苦。
下午两点钟的时候，两个流亡者吃惊地听到脸色吓得发白的向导说，有一队德拉马克的黑骑兵正在追赶他们。这些士兵，毋宁说是匪徒，原是从下层德国人当中招募来的，在各个方面都与德国长矛手相似，只是他们起着轻骑兵的作用。为了保持黑骑兵的名声，使敌人胆寒，他们通常都骑着黑马；武器装备，连同面孔和双手也都抹上黑色油膏。在道德败坏和凶狠残暴方面这些黑骑兵都和他们的步兵兄弟——长矛手不相上下。
昆丁回过头来，看见一团尘土正沿着他们走过的漫长而平坦的大道飞扬过来。一两个为首的骑兵迅猛地奔在前面。他转过身来对女伴说：“最亲爱的伊莎贝尔，我只剩下一把刀了。既然我无法为你战斗，我愿和你一道逃跑。只要我们能在他们追上来以前赶到那个森林，我们就很容易想法逃掉。”
“就这样吧，我惟一的朋友。”伊莎贝尔说道，一边刺着马奔跑起来：“而你，好伙计，”她又转过头对汉斯•格洛弗说道，“你走那条路吧，别留下来分担我们的不幸和危险了。”
那诚实的弗兰德人摇摇头，连声说“Nein，nein！das geht nichts”来回答她慷慨的劝告，并继续和他们走在一起。三个人骑着疲惫不堪的马尽快朝树林奔去。后面追赶的黑骑兵看见他们奔跑也加快了自己的速度。虽然马已疲乏，但逃亡者无武器装备之累，自然可以轻装前进。所以他们很快就把追赶者大大甩在后
Chapter 24 The Surrender
Rescue or none, Sir Knight, I am your captive: Deal with me what your nobleness suggests -- Thinking the chance of war may one day place you Where I must now be reckon'd -- I' the roll Of melancholy prisoners.
ANONYMOUS
The skirmish betwixt the Schwarzreiters and the Burgundian men at arms lasted scarcely five minutes, so soon were the former put to the rout by the superiority of the latter in armour, weight of horse, and military spirit. In less than the space we have mentioned, the Count of Crevecoeur, wiping his bloody sword upon his horse's mane ere he sheathed it, came back to the verge of the forest, where Isabelle had remained a spectator of the combat. One part of his people followed him, while the other continued to pursue the flying enemy for a little space along the causeway.
"It is shame," said the Count, "that the weapons of knights and gentlemen should be soiled by the blood of those brutal swine."
So saying, he returned his weapon to the sheath and added, "This is a rough welcome to your home, my pretty cousin, but wandering princesses must expect such adventures. And well I came up in time, for, let me assure you, the Black Troopers respect a countess's coronet as little as a country wench's coif, and I think your retinue is not qualified for much resistance."
"My Lord Count," said the Lady Isabelle, "without farther preface, let me know if I am a prisoner, and where you are to conduct me."
"You know, you silly child," answered the Count, "how I would answer that question, did it rest on my own will. But you, and your foolish match making, marriage hunting aunt, have made such wild use of your wings of late, that I fear you must be contented to fold them up in a cage for a little while. For my part, my duty, and it is a sad one, will be ended when I have conducted you to the Court of the Duke, at Peronne for which purpose I hold it necessary to deliver the command of this reconnoitring party to my nephew, Count Stephen, while I return with you thither, as I think you may need an intercessor. -- And I hope the young giddy pate will discharge his duty wisely."
"So please you, fair uncle," said Count Stephen, "if you doubt my capacity to conduct the men at arms, even remain with them yourself, and I will be the servant and guard of the Countess Isabelle of Croye."
"No doubt, fair nephew," answered his uncle, "this were a goodly improvement on my scheme, but methinks I like it as well in the way I planned it. Please you, therefore, to take notice, that your business here is not to hunt after and stick these black hogs, for which you seemed but now to have felt an especial vocation, but to collect and bring to me true tidings of what is going forward in the country of Liege, concerning which we hear such wild rumours. Let some half score of lances follow me and the rest remain with my banner under your guidance."
"Yet one moment, cousin of Crevecoeur," said the Countess Isabelle, "and let me, in yielding myself prisoner, stipulate at least for the safety of those who have befriended me in my misfortunes. Permit this good fellow, my trusty guide, to go back unharmed to his native town of Liege."
"My nephew," said Crevecoeur, after looking sharply at Glover's honest breadth of countenance, "shall guard this good fellow, who seems, indeed, to have little harm in him, as far into the territory as he himself advances, and then leave him at liberty."
"Fail not to remember me to the kind Gertrude," said the Countess to her guide, and added, taking a string of pearls from under her veil, "Pray her to wear this in remembrance of her unhappy friend."
Honest Glover took the string of pearls, and kissed with clownish gesture, but with sincere kindness, the fair hand which had found such a delicate mode of remunerating his own labours and peril.
"Umph! signs and tokens," said the Count, "any farther bequests to make, my fair cousin? -- It is time we were on our way."
"Only," said the Countess, making an effort to speak, "that you will be pleased to be favourable to this -- this young gentleman."
"Umph!" said Crevecoeur, casting the same penetrating glance on Quentin which he had bestowed on Glover, but apparently with a much less satisfactory result, and mimicking, though not offensively, the embarrassment of the Countess.
"Umph! -- Ay -- this is a blade of another temper. -- And pray, my cousin, what has this -- this very young gentleman done, to deserve such intercession at your hands?"
"He has saved my life and honour," said the Countess, reddening with shame and resentment.
Quentin also blushed with indignation, but wisely concluded that to give vent to it might only make matters worse.
"Life and honour? -- Umph!" said again the Count Crevecoeur, "methinks it would have been as well, my cousin, if you had not put yourself in the way of lying under such obligations to this very young gentleman. -- But let it pass. The young gentleman may wait on us, if his quality permit, and I will see he has no injury -- only I will myself take in future the office of protecting your life and honour, and may perhaps find for him some fitter duty than that of being a squire of the body to damosels errant."
"My Lord Count," said Durward, unable to keep silence any longer, "lest you should talk of a stranger in slighter terms than you might afterwards think becoming, I take leave to tell you, that I am Quentin Durward, an Archer of the Scottish Bodyguard, in which, as you well know, none but gentlemen and men of honour are enrolled."
"I thank you for your information, and I kiss your hands, Seignior Archer," said Crevecoeur, in the same tone of raillery. "Have the goodness to ride with me to the front of the party."
As Quentin moved onward at the command of the Count, who had now the power, if not the right, to dictate his motions, he observed that the Lady Isabelle followed his motions with a look of anxious and timid interest, which amounted almost to tenderness, and the sight of which brought water into his eyes. But he remembered that he had a man's part to sustain before Crevecoeur, who, perhaps of all the chivalry in France or Burgundy, was the least likely to be moved to anything but laughter by a tale of true love sorrow. He determined, therefore, not to wait his addressing him, but to open the conversation in a tone which should assert his claim to fair treatment, and to more respect than the Count, offended perhaps at finding a person of such inferior note placed so near the confidence of his high born and wealthy cousin, seemed disposed to entertain for him.
"My Lord Count of Crevecoeur," he said, in a temperate but firm tone of voice, "may I request of you, before our interview goes farther, to tell me if I am at liberty, or am to account myself your prisoner?"
"A shrewd question," replied the Count, "which at present I can only answer by another. -- Are France and Burgundy, think you, at peace or war with each other?"
"That," replied the Scot, "you, my lord, should certainly know better than I. I have been absent from the Court of France, and have heard no news for some time."
"Look you there," said the Count, "you see how easy it is to ask questions, but how difficult to answer them. Why, I myself, who have been at Peronne with the Duke for this week and better, cannot resolve this riddle any more than you, and yet, Sir Squire, upon the solution of that question depends the said point, whether you are prisoner or free man, and, for the present, I must hold you as the former. -- Only, if you have really and honestly been of service to my kinswoman, and for you are candid in your answers to the questions I shall ask, affairs shall stand the better with you."
"The Countess of Croye," said Quentin, "is best judge if I have rendered any service, and to her I refer you on that matter. My answers you will yourself judge of when you ask me your questions."
"Umph! -- haughty enough," muttered the Count of Crevecoeur, "and very like one that wears a lady's favour in his hat, and thinks he must carry things with a high tone, to honour the precious remnant of silk and tinsel. Well, sir, I trust it will be no abatement of your dignity, if you answer me, how long you have been about the person of the Lady Isabelle of Croye?"
"Count of Crevecoeur," said Quentin Durward, "if I answer questions which are asked in a tone approaching towards insult, it is only lest injurious inferences should be drawn from my silence respecting one to whom we are both obliged to render justice. I have acted as escort to the Lady Isabelle since she left France to retire into Flanders."
"Ho! ho!" said the Count, "and that is to say, since she fled from Plessis les Tours? -- You, an Archer of the Scottish Guard, accompanied her, of course, by the express orders of King Louis?"
However little Quentin thought himself indebted to the King of France, who, in contriving the surprisal of the Countess Isabelle by William de la Marck, had probably calculated on the young Scotchman's being slain in her defence, he did not yet conceive himself at liberty to betray any trust which Louis had reposed, or had seemed to repose, in him, and therefore replied to Count Crevecoeur's inference that it was sufficient for him to have the authority of his superior officer for what he had done, and he inquired no farther.
