a book of scoundrels-第15部分

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Prosperity　might　doubtless　have　followed　a　discreet　profession；　but　Gilderoy　must　still　be　thieving；　and　he　reaped　a　rich　harvest　among　the　unsuspicious　courtiers　of　France。　　His　most　highly　renowned　exploit　was　performed　at　St。　Denis；　and　the　record　of　France's　humiliation　is　still　treasured。　　The　great　church　was　packed　with　ladies　of　fashion　and　their　devout　admirers。　　Richelieu　attended　in　state；　the　king　himself　shone　upon　the　assembly。　　The　strange　Scotsman；　whom　no　man　knew　and　all　men　wondered　at；　attracted　a　hundred　eyes　to　himself　and　his　magnificent　equipment。　　But　it　was　not　his　to　be　idle；　and　at　the　very　moment　whereat　Mass　was　being　sung；　he　contrived　to　lighten　Richelieu's　pocket　of　a　purse。　　The　king　was　a　delighted　witness　of　the　theft；　Gilderoy；　assuming　an　air　of　facile　intimacy；　motioned　him　to　silence；　and　he；　deeming　it　a　trick　put　upon　Richelieu　by　a　friend；　hastened；　at　the　service…end；　to　ask　his　minister　if　perchance　he　had　a　purse　of　gold　upon　him。　　Richelieu　instantly　discovered　the　loss；　to　the　king's　uncontrolled　hilarity；　which　was　mitigated　when　it　was　found　that　the　thief；　having　emptied　the　king's　pocket　at　the　unguarded　moment　of　his　merriment；　had　left　them　both　the　poorer。

Such　were　Gilderoy's　interludes　of　gaiety；　and　when　you　remember　the　cynical　ferocity　of　his　earlier　performance；　you　cannot　deny　him　the　credit　of　versatility。　　He　stayed　in　France　until　his　ominous　reputation　was　too　widely　spread；　whereupon　he　crossed　the　Pyrenees；　travelling　like　a　gentleman；　in　a　brilliant　carriage　of　his　own。　　From　Spain　he　carried　off　a　priceless　collection　of　silver　plate；　and　he　returned　to　his　own　country；　fatigued；　yet　unsoftened；　by　the　grand　tour。　　Meanwhile；　a　forgetful　generation　had　not　kept　his　memory　green。　　The　monster；　who　punished　Scotland　a　year　ago　with　fire　and　sword；　had　passed　into　oblivion；　and　Gilderoy　was　able　to　establish　for　himself　a　new　reputation。　　He　departed　as　far　as　possible　from　his　ancient　custom；　joined　the　many　cavaliers；　who　were　riding　up　and　down　the　country；　pistol　in　hand；　and　presently　proved　a　dauntless　highwayman。　　He　had　not　long　ridden　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Perth　before　he　met　the　Earl　of　Linlithgow；　from　whom　he　took　a　gold　watch；　a　diamond　ring；　and　eighty　guineas。　　Being　an　outlaw；　he　naturally　espoused　the　King's　cause；　and　would　have　given　a　year　of　his　life　to　meet　a　Regicide。　　Once　upon　a　time；　says　rumour；　he　found　himself　face　to　face　with　Oliver　Cromwell；　whom　he　dragged　from　his　coach；　set　ignominiously　upon　an　ass；　and　so　turned　adrift　with　his　feet　tied　under　the　beast's　belly。　　The　story　is　incredible；　not　only　because　the　loyal　historians　of　the　time　caused　Oliver　to　be　robbed　daily　on　every　road　in　Great　Britain；　but　because　our　Gilderoy；　had　he　ever　confronted　the　Protector；　most　assuredly　would　not　have　allowed　him　to　escape　with　his　life。

Tired　of　scouring　the　highway；　Gilderoy　resolved　upon　another　enterprise。　　He　collected　a　band　of　fearless　ruffians；　and　placed　himself　at　their　head。　　With　this　army　to　aid；　he　harried　Sutherland　and　the　North；　lifting　cattle；　plundering　homesteads；　and　stopping　wayfarers　with　a　humour　and　adroitness　worthy　of　Robin　Hood。　　No　longer　a　lawless　adventurer；　he　made　his　own　conditions　of　life；　and　forced　the　people　to　obey　them。　　He　who　would　pay　Gilderoy　a　fair　contribution　ran　no　risk　of　losing　his　sheep　or　oxen。　　But　evasion　was　impossible；　and　the　smallest　suspicion　of　falsehood　was　punished　by　death。　　The　peaceably　inclined　paid　their　toll　with　regret；　the　more　daring　opposed　the　raider　to　their　miserable　undoing；　the　timid　satisfied　the　utmost　exactions　of　Gilderoy；　and　deemed　themselves　fortunate　if　they　left　the　country　with　their　lives。

Thus　Scotland　became　a　land　of　dread；　the　most　restless　man　within　her　borders　hardly　dare　travel　beyond　his　byre。　　The　law　was　powerless　against　this　indomitable　scourge；　and　the　reward　of　a　thousand　marks　would　have　been　offered　in　vain；　had　not　Gilderoy's　cruelty　estranged　his　mistress。　　This　traitressPeg　Cunningham　was　her　nameless　for　avarice　than　in　revenge　for　many　insults　and　infidelities；　at　last　betrayed　her　master。　　Having　decoyed　him　to　her　house；　she　admitted　fifty　armed　men；　and　thus　imagined　a　full　atonement　for　her　unnumbered　wrongs。　　But　Gilderoy　was　triumphant　to　the　last。　　Instantly　suspecting　the　treachery　of　his　mistress；　he　burst　into　her　bed…chamber；　and；　that　she　might　not　enjoy　the　price　of　blood；　ripped　her　up　with　a　hanger。　　Then　he　turned　defiant　upon　the　army　arrayed　against　him；　and　killed　eight　men　before　the　others　captured　him。

Disarmed　after　a　desperate　struggle；　he　was　loaded　with　chains　and　carried　to　Edinburgh；　where　he　was　starved　for　three　days；　and　then　hanged　without　the　formality　of　a　trial　on　a　gibbet；　thirty　feet　high；　set　up　in　the　Grassmarket。　　Even　then　Scotland's　vengeance　was　unsatisfied。　　The　body；　cut　down　from　its　first　gibbet；　was　hung　in　chains　forty　feet　above　Leith　Walk；　where　it　creaked　and　gibbered　as　a　warning　to　evildoers　for　half　a　century；　until　at　last　the　inhabitants　of　that　respectable　quarter　petitioned　that　Gilderoy's　bones　should　cease　to　rattle；　and　that　they　should　enjoy　the　peace　impossible　for　his　jingling　skeleton。

Gilderoy　was　no　drawing…room　scoundrel；　no　villain　of　schoolgirl　romance。　　He　felt　remorse　as　little　as　he　felt　fear；　and　there　was　no　crime　from　whose　commission　he　shrank。　　Before　his　death　he　confessed　to　thirty…seven　murders；　and　bragged　that　he　had　long　since　lost　count　of　his　robberies　and　rapes。　　Something　must　be　abated　for　boastfulness。　　But　after　all　deduction　there　remains　a　tale　of　crime　that　is　unsurpassed。　　His　most　admirably　artistic　quality　is　his　complete　consistence。　　He　was　a　ruffian　finished　and　rotund；　he　made　no　concession；　he　betrayed　no　weakness。　　Though　he　never　preached　a　sermon　against　the　human　race；　he　practised　a　brutality　which　might　have　proceeded　from　a　gospel　of　hate。　　He　spared　neither　friends　nor　relatives；　and　he　murdered　his　own　mother　with　as　light　a　heart　as　he　sent　a　strange　widow　of　Aberdeen　to　her　death。　　His　skill　is　undoubted；　and　he　proved　by　the　discipline　of　his　band　that　he　was　not　without　some　talent　of　generalship。　　But　he　owed　much　of　his　success　to　his　physical　strength；　and　to　the　temperament；　which　never　knew　the　scandal　of　hesitancy　or　dread。

A　born　marauder；　he　devoted　his　life　to　his　trade；　and；　despite　his　travels　in　France　and　Spain；　he　enjoyed　few　intervals　of　merriment。　　Even　the　humour；　which　proved　his　redemption；　was　as　dour　and　grim　as　Scotland　can　furnish　at　her　grimmes：　and　dourest。　　Here　is　a　specimen　will　serve　as　well　as　another：　three　of　Gilderoy's　gang　had　been　hanged　according　to　the　sentence　of　a　certain　Lord　of　Session；　and　the　Chieftain；　for　his　own　vengeance　and　the　intimidation　of　justice；　resolved　upon　an　exemplary　punishment。　　He　waylaid　the　Lord　of　Session；　emptied　his　pockets；　killed　his　horses；　broke　his　coach　in　pieces；　and　having　bound　his　lackeys；　drowned　them　in　a　pond。　　This　was　but　the　prelude　of　revenge；　for　presently　（and　here　is　the　touch　of　humour）　he　made　the　Lord　of　Session　ride　at　dead　of　night　to　the　gallows；　whereon　the　three　malefactors　were　hanging。　　One　arm　of　the　crossbeams　was　still　untenanted。　　‘By　my　soul；　mon；'　cried　Gilderoy　to　the　Lord　of　Session；　‘as　this　gibbet　is　built　to　break　people's　craigs；　and　is　not　uniform　without　another；　I　must　e'en　hang　you　upon　the　vacant　beam。'　　And　straightway　the　Lord　of　Session　swung　in　the　moonlight；　and　Gilderoy　had　cracked　his　black　and　solemn　joke。


This　sense　of　fun　is　the　single　trait　which　relieves　the　colossal　turpitude　of　Gilderoy。　　And；　though　even　his　turpitude　was　melodramatic　in　its　lack　of　balance；　it　is　a　unity　of　character　which　is　the　foundation　of　his　greatness。　　He　was　no　fumbler；　led　away　from　his　purpose　by　the　first　diversion；　his　ambition　was　clear　before　him；　and　he　never　fell　below　it。　　He　defied　Scotland　for　fifteen　years；　was　hanged　so　high　that　he　passed　into　a　proverb；　and　though　his　handsome；　sinister　face　might　have　made　women　his　slaves；　he　was　never　betrayed　by　passion　（or　by　virtue）　to　an　amiability。



II　SIXTEEN…STRING　JACK


SIXTEEN…STRING　JACK

THE　‘Green　Pig'　stood　in　the　solitude　of　the　North　Road。　　Its　simple　front；　its　neatly　balanced　windows；　curtained　with　white；　gave　it　an　air　of　comfort　and　tranquillity。　　The　smoke　which　curled　from　its　hospitable　chimney　spoke　of　warmth　and　good　fare。

To　pass　it　was　to　spurn　the　last　chance　of　a　bottle　for　many　a　weary　mile；　and　the　prudent　traveller　would　always　rest　an　hour　by　its　ample　fireside；　or　gossip　with　its　fantastic　hostess。　　Now；　the　hostess　of　the　little　inn　was　Ellen　Roach；　friend　and　accomplice　of　Sixteen…String　Jack；　once　the　most　famous　woman　in　England；　and　still　after　a　weary　stretch　at　Botany　Bay　the　strangest　of　companions；　the　most　buxom　of　spinsters。　　Her　beauty　was　elusive　even　in　her　triumphant　youth；　and　middle…age　had　neither　softened　her　traits　nor　refined　her　expression。　　Her　auburn　hair；　once　the　glory　of　Covent　Garden；　was　fading　to　a　withered　grey；　she　was　never　tall　enough　to　endure　an　encroaching　stoutness　with　equanimity；　her　dumpy　figure　made　you　marvel　at　her　past　success；　and　hardship　had　furrowed　her　candid　brow　into　wrinkles。　　But　when　she　opened　her　lips　she　became　instantly　animated。　　With　a　glass　before　her　on　the　table；　she　would　prattle　frankly　and　engagingly　of　the　past。　　Strange　cities　had　she　seen；　she　had　faced　the　dangers　of　an　adventurous　life　with　calmness　and　good　temper。　　And　yet　Botany　Bay；　with　its　attendant　horrors；　was　already　fading　from　her　memory。　　In　imagination　she　was　still　with　her　incomparable　hero；　and　it　was　her　solace；　after　fifteen　years；　to　sing　the　praise　and　echo　the　perfections　of　Sixteen…String　Jack。

‘How　well　I　remember；'　she　would　murmur；　as　though　unconscious　of　her　audience；　‘the　unhappy　day　when　Jack　Rann　was　first　arrested。

It　was　May；　and　he　came　back　travel…stained　and　weary　in　the　brilliant　dawn。　　He　had　stopped　a　one…horse　shay　near　the　nine…　mile　stone　on　the　Hounslow　Roadevery　word　of　his　confession　is　burnt　into　my　brainand　had　taken　a　watch　and　a　handful　of　guineas。　　I　was　glad　enough　of　the　money；　for　there　was　no　penny　in　the　house；　and　prese