Dalgetty, with great composure. "I never saw them mustered yet,

or even under arms."



"And how many men of the clans may be expected?" demanded

Murdoch.



"As many as they can make," replied the Captain.

"You are answering from the purpose, sir," said Murdoch "speak



plainly, will there be five thousand men?"

"There and thereabouts," answered Dalgetty.



"You are playing with your life, sir, if you trifle with me,"

replied the catechist; "one whistle of mine, and in less than ten



minutes your head hangs on the drawbridge."

"But to speak candidly, Mr. Murdoch," replied the Captain "do you



think it is a reasonable thing to ask me after the secrets of our

army, and I engaged to serve for the whole campaign? If I taught



you how to defeat Montrose, what becomes of my pay, arrears, and

chance of booty?"



"I tell you," said Campbell, "that if you be stubborn, your

campaign shall begin and end in a march to the block at the



castle-gate, which stands ready for such land-laufers; but if you

answer my questions faithfully" target="_blank" title="ad.忠实地；诚恳地">faithfully, I will receive you into my--into



the service of M'Callum More."

"Does the service afford good pay?" said Captain Dalgetty.



"He will double yours, if you will return to Montrose and act

under his direction."



"I wish I had seen you, sir, before taking on with him," said

Dalgetty, appearing to meditate.



"On the contrary, I can afford you more advantageous terms now,"

said the Campbell; "always supposing that you are faithful."



"Faithful, that is, to you, and a traitor to Montrose," answered

the Captain.



"Faithful to the cause of religion and good order," answered

Murdoch, "which sanctifies any deception you may employ to serve



it."

"And the Marquis of Argyle--should I incline to enter his



service, is he a kind master?" demanded Dalgetty.

"Never man kinder," quoth Campbell.



"And bountiful to his officers?" pursued the Captain.

"The most open hand in Scotland," replied Murdoch.



"True and faithful to his engagements?" continued Dalgetty.

"As honourable a nobleman as breathes," said the clansman.



"I never heard so much good of him before," said Dalgetty; "you

must know the Marquis well,--or rather you must be the Marquis



himself!--Lord of Argyle," he added, throwing himself suddenly on

the disguised nobleman, "I arrest you in the name of King



Charles, as a traitor. If you venture to call for assistance, I

will wrench round your neck."



The attack which Dalgetty made upon Argyle's person was so sudden

and unexpected, that he easily prostrated him on the floor of the



dungeon, and held him down with one hand, while his right,

grasping the Marquis's throat, was ready to strangle him on the



slightest attempt to call for assistance.

"Lord of Argyle," he said, "it is now my turn to lay down the



terms of capitulation. If you list to show me the private way by

which you entered the dungeon, you shall escape, on condition of



being my LOCUM TENENS, as we said at the Mareschal-College, until

your warder visits his prisoners. But if not, I will first



strangle you--I learned the art from a Polonian heyduck, who had

been a slave in the Ottoman seraglio--and then seek out a mode of



retreat."

"Villain! you would not murder me for my kindness," murmured



Argyle.

"Not for your kindness, my lord," replied Dalgetty: "but first,



to teach your lordship the JUS GENTIUM towards cavaliers who come

to you under safe-conduct; and secondly, to warn you of the



danger of proposing dishonourable terms to any worthy soldado, in

order to tempt him to become false to his standard during the



term of his service."

"Spare my life," said Argyle, "and I will do as you require."



Dalgetty maintained his gripe upon the Marquis's throat,

compressing it a little while he asked questions, and relaxing it



so far as to give him the power of answering them.

"Where is the secret door into the dungeon?" he demanded.



"Hold up the lantern to the corner on your right hand, you will

discern the iron which covers the spring," replied the Marquis.



"So far so good.--Where does the passage lead to?"

• valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


• helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)


• infant [´infənt] n.&a.婴(幼)儿 (初中英语单词)


• sovereign [´sɔvrin] a.至高无上的 n.君主 (初中英语单词)


• domestic [də´mestik] a.家庭的；本国的 (初中英语单词)


• practise [´præktis] v.实践(行，施)；提倡 (初中英语单词)


• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)


• beheld [bi´held] behold的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)


• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)


• revenge [ri´vendʒ] vt.报复 n.报仇；报复 (初中英语单词)


• assign [ə´sain] vt.分配；指派；指定 (初中英语单词)


• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)


• companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)


• ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)


• trifling [´traifliŋ] a.微小的；轻浮的 (初中英语单词)


• preparation [,prepə´reiʃən] n.准备；预习(时间) (初中英语单词)


• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)


• trifle [´traifəl] n.琐事，小事；少量 (初中英语单词)


• whistle [´wisəl] v.吹哨 n.口哨；汽笛 (初中英语单词)


• reasonable [´rizənəbəl] a.合理的；有理智的 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


• traitor [´treitə] n.叛徒，卖国贼 (初中英语单词)


• incline [in´klain] v.(使)倾斜 n.斜坡 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• honourable [´ɔnərəbəl] a.荣誉的；正直的 (初中英语单词)


• arrest [ə´rest] vt.逮捕 n.逮捕；停止 (初中英语单词)


• venture [´ventʃə] n.投机 v.冒险；敢于 (初中英语单词)


• assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)


• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• mantle [´mæntl] n.斗蓬 v.覆盖；笼罩 (高中英语单词)


• mutual [´mju:tʃuəl] a.相互的；共同的 (高中英语单词)


• knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)


• escort [´eskɔ:t] n.伴随者；警卫(队) (高中英语单词)


• marquis [´mɑ:kwis] n.侯爵 (高中英语单词)


• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)


• thereafter [ðeə´rɑ:ftə] adv.此后，其后 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• pleasantly [´plezntli] ad.令人愉快地；舒适地 (高中英语单词)


• ransom [´rænsəm] n.赎金；勒索 vt.赎 (高中英语单词)


• caution [´kɔ:ʃən] n.&vt.小心；告诫；警告 (高中英语单词)


• scotch [skɔtʃ] vt.&n.刻痕(于)；划伤 (高中英语单词)


• angrily [´æŋgrili] ad.生气地；愤怒地 (高中英语单词)


• campaign [kæm´pein] n.战役；行动 vi.从军 (高中英语单词)


• stubborn [´stʌbən] a.顽固的；坚持的 (高中英语单词)


• faithfully [´feiθfəli] ad.忠实地；诚恳地 (高中英语单词)


• unexpected [ʌniks´pektid] a.突然的；意外的 (高中英语单词)


• dungeon [´dʌndʒən] n.地牢，土牢 (高中英语单词)


• lordship [´lɔ:dʃip] n.贵族权力；阁下 (高中英语单词)


• lantern [´læntən] n.灯笼；提灯 (高中英语单词)


• outlaw [´autlɔ:] n.歹徒 vt.将…放逐 (英语四级单词)


• wedded [´wedid] a.(已)结婚的；献身的 (英语四级单词)


• compassion [kəm´pæʃən] n.同情；怜悯 (英语四级单词)


• dagger [´dægə] n.短剑，匕首 (英语四级单词)


• proverb [´prɔvə:b] n.谚语；格言 (英语四级单词)


• graham [´greiəm] a.&n.用全麦粉做的 (英语四级单词)


• composure [kəm´pəuʒə] n.镇静，沉着 (英语四级单词)


• nobleman [´nəublmən] n.贵族 (英语四级单词)


• wrench [rentʃ] n.&vt.拧；急拉；猛推 (英语四级单词)


• forsook [fə´suk] forsake的过去式 (英语六级单词)


• assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)


• commencement [kə´mensmənt] n.开始；毕业典礼(日) (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• respecting [ri´spektiŋ] prep.由于；鉴于 (英语六级单词)


• advantageous [,ædvən´teidʒəs] a.有利的；有帮助的 (英语六级单词)


• deception [di´sepʃən] n.欺骗，诈骗；骗术 (英语六级单词)


• secondly [´sekəndli] a.第二(点)；其次 (英语六级单词)