We were admitted to the pavilion by Clara, and I was surprised by the completeness and security of the defences. A barricade1 of great strength, and yet easy to displace, supported the door against Any violence from without; and the shutters2 of the dining-room, into which I was led directly, and which was feebly illuminated3 by a lamp, were even more elaborately fortified4. The panels were strengthened by bars and cross-bars; and these, in their turn, were kept in position by a system of braces5 and struts6, some abutting7 on the floor, some on the roof, and others, in fine, against the opposite wall of the apartment. It was at once a solid and well-designed piece of carpentry; and I did not seek to conceal8 my admiration9.
“I am the engineer,” said Northmour. “You remember the planks10 in the garden? Behold11 them?”
“I did not know you had so many talents,” said I.
“Are you armed?” he continued, pointing to an array of guns and pistols, all in admirable order, which stood in line against the wall or were displayed upon the sideboard.
“Thank you,” I returned; “I have gone armed since our last encounter. But, to tell you the truth, I have had nothing to eat since early yesterday evening.”
Northmour produced some cold meat, to which I eagerly set myself, and a bottle of good Burgundy, by which, wet as I was, I did not scruple13 to profit. I have always been an extreme temperance man on principle; but it is useless to push principle to excess, and on this occasion I believe that I finished three-quarters of the bottle. As I ate, I still continued to admire the preparations for defence.
“We could stand a siege,” I said at length.
“Ye-es,” drawled Northmour; “a very little one, per-haps. It is not so much the strength of the pavilion I misdoubt; it is the doubled anger that kills me. If we get to shooting, wild as the country is some one is sure to hear it, and then — why then it’s the same thing, only different, as they say: caged by law, or killed by CARBONARI. There’s the choice. It is a devilish bad thing to have the law against you in this world, and so I tell the old gentleman upstairs. He is quite of my way of thinking.”
“Speaking of that,” said I, “what kind of person is he?”
“Oh, he!” cried the other; “he’s a rancid fellow, as far as he goes. I should like to have his neck wrung14 to-morrow by all the devils in Italy. I am not in this affair for him. You take me? I made a bargain for Missy’s hand, and I mean to have it too.”
“That by the way,” said I. “I understand. But how will Mr. Huddlestone take my intrusion?”
“Leave that to Clara,” returned Northmour.
I could have struck him in the face for this coarse familiarity; but I respected the truce15, as, I am bound to say, did Northmour, and so long as the danger continued not a cloud arose in our relation. I bear him this testimony16 with the most unfeigned satisfaction; nor am I without pride when I look back upon my own behaviour. For surely no two men were ever left in a position so invidious and irritating.
As soon as I had done eating, we proceeded to inspect the lower floor. Window by window we tried the different supports, now and then making an inconsiderable change; and the strokes of the hammer sounded with startling loudness through the house. I proposed, I remember, to make loop-holes; but he told me they were already made in the windows of the upper story. It was an anxious business this inspection17, and left me down-hearted. There were two doors and five windows to protect, and, counting Clara, only four of us to defend them against an unknown number of foes18. I communicated my doubts to Northmour, who assured me, with unmoved composure, that he entirely19 shared them.
“Before morning,” said he, “we shall all be butchered and buried in Graden Floe20. For me, that is written.”
I could not help shuddering22 at the mention of the quicksand, but reminded Northmour that our enemies had spared me in the wood.
“Do not flatter yourself,” said he. “Then you were not in the same boat with the old gentleman; now you are. It’s the floe for all of us, mark my words.”
I trembled for Clara; and just then her dear voice was heard calling us to come upstairs. Northmour showed me the way, and, when he had reached the landing, knocked at the door of what used to be called MY UNCLE’S BEDROOM, as the founder23 of the pavilion had designed it especially for himself.
“Come in, Northmour; come in, dear Mr. Cassilis,” said a voice from within.
Pushing open the door, Northmour admitted me before him into the apartment. As I came in I could see the daughter slipping out by the side door into the study, which had been prepared as her bedroom. In the bed, which was drawn24 back against the wall, instead of standing25, as I had last seen it, boldly across the window, sat Bernard Huddlestone, the defaulting banker. Little as I had seen of him by the shifting light of the lantern on the links, I had no difficulty in recognising him for the same. He had a long and sallow countenance26, surrounded by a long red beard and side whiskers. His broken nose and high cheekbones gave him somewhat the air of a Kalmuck, and his light eyes shone with the excitement of a high fever. He wore a skull-cap of black silk; a huge Bible lay open before him on the bed, with a pair of gold spectacles in the place, and a pile of other books lay on the stand by his side. The green curtains lent a cadaverous shade to his cheek; and, as he sat propped27 on pillows, his great stature28 was painfully hunched29, and his head protruded30 till it overhung his knees. I believe if he had not died otherwise, he must have fallen a victim to consumption in the course of but a very few weeks.
He held out to me a hand, long, thin, and disagreeably hairy.
“Come in, come in, Mr. Cassilis,” said he. “Another protector — ahem! — another protector. Always welcome as a friend of my daughter’s, Mr. Cassilis. How they have rallied about me, my daughter’s friends! May God in heaven bless and reward them for it!”
I gave him my hand, of course, because I could not help it; but the sympathy I had been prepared to feel for Clara’s father was immediately soured by his appearance, and the wheedling31, unreal tones in which he spoke32.
“Cassilis is a good man,” said Northmour; “worth ten.”
“So I hear,” cried Mr. Huddlestone eagerly “so my girl tells me. Ah, Mr. Cassilis, my sin has found me out, you see! I am very low, very low; but I hope equally penitent33. We must all come to the throne of grace at last, Mr. Cassilis. For my part, I come late indeed; but with unfeigned humility34, I trust.”
“Fiddle-de-dee!” said Northmour roughly.
“No, no, dear Northmour!” cried the banker. “You must not say that; you must not try to shake me. You forget, my dear, good boy, you forget I may be called this very night before my Maker35.”
His excitement was pitiful to behold; and I felt myself grow indignant with Northmour, whose infidel opinions I well knew, and heartily36 derided37, as he continued to taunt38 the poor sinner out of his humour of repentance39.
“Pooh, my dear Huddlestone!” said he. “You do yourself injustice40. You are a man of the world inside and out, and were up to all kinds of mischief41 before I was born. Your conscience is tanned like South American leather — only you forgot to tan your liver, and that, if you will believe me, is the seat of the annoyance42.”
“Rogue43, rogue! bad boy!” said Mr. Huddlestone, shaking his finger. “I am no precisian, if you come to that; I always hated a precisian; but I never lost hold of something better through it all. I have been a bad boy, Mr. Cassilis; I do not seek to deny that; but it was after my wife’s death, and you know, with a widower44, it’s a different thing: sinful — I won’t say no; but there is a gradation, we shall hope. And talking of that — Hark!” he broke out suddenly, his hand raised, his fingers spread, his face racked with interest and terror. “Only the rain, bless God!” he added, after a pause, and with indescribable relief.
For some seconds he lay back among the pillows like a man near to fainting; then he gathered himself together, and, in somewhat tremulous tones, began once more to thank me for the share I was prepared to take in his defence.
“One question, sir,” said I, when he had paused. “Is it true that you have money with you?”
He seemed annoyed by the question, but admitted with reluctance45 that he had a little.
“Well,” I continued, “it is their money they are after, is it not? Why not give it up to them?”
“Ah!” replied he, shaking his head, “I have tried that already, Mr. Cassilis; and alas46 that it should be so! but it is blood they want.”
“Huddlestone, that’s a little less than fair,” said Northmour. “You should mention that what you offered them was upwards47 of two hundred thousand short. The deficit48 is worth a reference; it is for what they call a cool sum, Frank. Then, you see, the fellows reason in their clear Italian way; and it seems to them, as indeed it seems to me, that they may just as well have both while they’re about it — money and blood together, by George, and no more trouble for the extra pleasure.”
“Is it in the pavilion?” I asked.
“It is; and I wish it were in the bottom of the sea instead,” said Northmour; and then suddenly — “What are you making faces at me for?” he cried to Mr. Huddlestone, on whom I had unconsciously turned my back. “Do you think Cassilis would sell you?”
Mr. Huddlestone protested that nothing had been further from his mind.
“It is a good thing,” retorted Northmour in his ugliest manner. “You might end by wearying us. What were you going to say?” he added, turning to me.
“I was going to propose an occupation for the afternoon,’’ said I. “Let us carry that money out, piece by piece, and lay it down before the pavilion door. If the CARBONARI come, why, it’s theirs at any rate.”
“No, no,” cried Mr. Huddlestone; “it does not, it cannot belong to them! It should be distributed PRO12 RATA among all my creditors49.”
“Come now, Huddlestone,” said Northmour, “none of that.”
“Well, but my daughter,” moaned the wretched man.
“Your daughter will do well enough. Here are two suitors, Cassilis and I, neither of us beggars, between whom she has to choose. And as for yourself, to make an end of arguments, you have no right to a farthing, and, unless I’m much mistaken, you are going to die.”
It was certainly very cruelly said; but Mr. Huddlestone was a man who attracted little sympathy; and, although I saw him wince50 and shudder21, I mentally endorsed51 the rebuke52; nay53, I added a contribution of my own.
“Northmour and I,” I said, “are willing enough to help you to save your life, but not to escape with stolen property.”
He struggled for a while with himself, as though he were on the point of giving way to anger, but prudence54 had the best of the controversy55.
“My dear boys,” he said, “do with me or my money what you will. I leave all in your hands. Let me compose myself.”
And so we left him, gladly enough I am sure. The last that I saw, he had once more taken up his great Bible, and with tremulous hands was adjusting his spectacles to read.
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收听单词发音
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1
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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5
braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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6
struts
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| （框架的）支杆( strut的名词复数 )； 支柱； 趾高气扬的步态； （尤指跳舞或表演时）卖弄 | |
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7
abutting
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| adj.邻接的v.（与…）邻接( abut的现在分词 )；（与…）毗连；接触；倚靠 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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10
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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11
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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13
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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14
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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15
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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16
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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18
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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19
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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floe
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| n.大片浮冰 | |
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21
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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22
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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23
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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24
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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25
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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26
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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27
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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29
hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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30
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
wheedling
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| v.骗取（某物），哄骗（某人干某事）( wheedle的现在分词 ) | |
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32
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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33
penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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34
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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35
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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36
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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37
derided
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
taunt
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| n.辱骂，嘲弄；v.嘲弄 | |
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39
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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40
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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41
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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42
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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43
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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44
widower
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| n.鳏夫 | |
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45
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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46
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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47
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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48
deficit
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| n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差 | |
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49
creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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50
wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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51
endorsed
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| vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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52
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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53
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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54
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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55
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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