I knew, therefore, I should have ample time for my mysterious excursion without exciting curiosity by being shut out.
And now we pulled up under the canopy1 of boughs2, before the sign of the Dragon Volant, and the light that shone from its hall-door.
I dismissed my carriage, ran up the broad stair-case, mask in hand, with my domino fluttering about me, and entered the large bedroom. The black wainscoting and stately furniture, with the dark curtains of the very tall bed, made the night there more somber3.
An oblique4 patch of moonlight was thrown upon the floor from the window to which I hastened. I looked out upon the landscape slumbering5 in those silvery beams. There stood the outline of the Chateau6 de la Carque, its chimneys and many turrets7 with their extinguisher-shaped roofs black against the soft grey sky. There, also, more in the foreground, about midway between the window where I stood and the chateau, but a little to the left, I traced the tufted masses of the grove8 which the lady in the mask had appointed as the trysting-place, where I and the beautiful Countess were to meet that night.
I took “the bearings” of this gloomy bit of wood, whose foliage9 glimmered10 softly at top in the light of the moon.
You may guess with what a strange interest and swelling11 of the heart I gazed on the unknown scene of my coming adventure.
But time was flying, and the hour already near. I threw my robe upon a sofa; I groped out a pair of hoots12, which I substituted for those thin heelless shoes, in those days called “pumps,” without which a gentleman could not attend an evening party. I put on my hat and, lastly, I took a pair of loaded pistols, which I had been advised were satisfactory companions in the then unsettled state of French society; swarms13 of disbanded soldiers, some of them alleged14 to be desperate characters, being everywhere to be met with. These preparations made, I confess I took a looking-glass to the window to see how I looked in the moonlight; and being satisfied, I replaced it, and ran downstairs.
In the hall I called for my servant.
“St. Clair,” said I; “I mean to take a little moonlight ramble15, only ten minutes or so. You must not go to bed until I return. If the night is very beautiful, I may possibly extend my ramble a little.”
So down the steps I lounged, looking first over my right, and then over my left shoulder, like a man uncertain which direction to take, and I sauntered up the road, gazing now at the moon, and now at the thin white clouds in the opposite direction, whistling, all the time, an air which I had picked up at one of the theatres.
When I had got a couple of hundred yards away from the Dragon Volant, my minstrelsy totally ceased; and I turned about, and glanced sharply down the road, that looked as white as hoar-frost under the moon, and saw the gable of the old inn, and a window, partly concealed16 by the foliage, with a dusky light shining from it.
No sound of footstep was stirring; no sign of human figure in sight. I consulted my watch, which the light was sufficiently17 strong to enable me to do. It now wanted but eight minutes of the appointed hour. A thick mantle18 of ivy19 at this point covered the wall and rose in a clustering head at top.
It afforded me facilities for scaling the wall, and a partial screen for my operations if any eye should chance to be looking that way. And now it was done. I was in the park of the Chateau de la Carque, as nefarious20 a poacher as ever trespassed21 on the grounds of unsuspicious lord!
Before me rose the appointed grove, which looked as black as a clump22 of gigantic hearse plumes23. It seemed to tower higher and higher at every step; and cast a broader and blacker shadow toward my feet. On I marched, and was glad when I plunged24 into the shadow which concealed me. Now I was among the grand old lime and chestnut25 trees — my heart beat fast with expectation.
This grove opened, a little, near the middle; and, in the space thus cleared, there stood with a surrounding flight of steps a small Greek temple or shrine26, with a statue in the center. It was built of white marble with fluted27 Corinthian columns, and the crevices28 were tufted with grass; moss29 had shown itself on pedestal and cornice, and signs of long neglect and decay were apparent in its discolored and weather-worn marble. A few feet in front of the steps a fountain, fed from the great ponds at the other side of the chateau, was making a constant tinkle30 and splashing in a wide marble basin, and the jet of water glimmered like a shower of diamonds in the broken moonlight. The very neglect and half-ruinous state of all this made it only the prettier, as well as sadder. I was too intently watching for the arrival of the lady, in the direction of the chateau, to study these things; but the half-noted effect of them was romantic, and suggested somehow the grotto31 and the fountain, and the apparition32 of Egeria.
As I watched a voice spoke33 to me, a little behind my left shoulder. I turned, almost with a start, and the masque, in the costume of Mademoiselle de la Vallière, stood there.
“The Countess will be here presently,” she said. The lady stood upon the open space, and the moonlight fell unbroken upon her. Nothing could be more becoming; her figure looked more graceful34 and elegant than ever. “In the meantime I shall tell you some peculiarities35 of her situation. She is unhappy; miserable36 in an ill — assorted37 marriage, with a jealous tyrant38 who now would constrain39 her to sell her diamonds, which are —”
“Worth thirty thousand pounds sterling40. I heard all that from a friend. Can I aid the Countess in her unequal struggle? Say but how the greater the danger or the sacrifice, the happier will it make me. Can I aid her?”
“If you despise a danger — which, yet, is not a danger; if you despise, as she does, the tyrannical canons of the world; and if you are chivalrous41 enough to devote yourself to a lady’s cause, with no reward but her poor gratitude42; if you can do these things you can aid her, and earn a foremost place, not in her gratitude only, but in her friendship.”
At those words the lady in the mask turned away and seemed to weep.
I vowed43 myself the willing slave of the Countess. “But,” I added, “you told me she would soon be here.”
“That is, if nothing unforeseen should happen; but with the eye of the Count de St. Alyre in the house, and open, it is seldom safe to stir.”
“Does she wish to see me?” I asked, with a tender hesitation44.
“First, say have you really thought of her, more than once, since the adventure of the Belle45 étoile?”
“She never leaves my thoughts; day and night her beautiful eyes haunt me; her sweet voice is always in my ear.”
“Mine is said to resemble hers,” said the mask.
“So it does,” I answered. “But it is only a resemblance.”
“Oh! then mine is better?”
“Pardon me, Mademoiselle, I did not say that. Yours is a sweet voice, but I fancy a little higher.”
“A little shriller, you would say,” answered the De la Vallière, I fancied a good deal vexed47.
“No, not shriller: your voice is not shrill46, it is beautifully sweet; but not so pathetically sweet as hers.”
“That is prejudice, Monsieur; it is not true.”
I bowed; I could not contradict a lady.
“I see, Monsieur, you laugh at me; you think me vain, because I claim in some points to be equal to the Countess de St. Alyre. I challenge you to say, my hand, at least, is less beautiful than hers.” As she thus spoke she drew her glove off, and extended her hand, back upward, in the moonlight.
The lady seemed really nettled48. It was undignified and irritating; for in this uninteresting competition the precious moments were flying, and my interview leading apparently49 to nothing.
“You will admit, then, that my hand is as beautiful as hers?”
“I cannot admit it. Mademoiselle,” said I, with the honesty of irritation50. “I will not enter into comparisons, but the Countess de St. Alyre is, in all respects, the most beautiful lady I ever beheld51.”
The masque laughed coldly, and then, more and more softly, said, with a sigh, “I will prove all I say.” And as she spoke she removed the mask: and the Countess de St. Alyre, smiling, confused, bashful, more beautiful than ever, stood before me!
“Good Heavens!” I exclaimed. “How monstrously52 stupid I have been. And it was to Madame la Comtesse that I spoke for so long in the salon53!” I gazed on her in silence. And with a low sweet laugh of good nature she extended her hand. I took it and carried it to my lips.
“No, you must not do that,” she said quietly, “we are not old enough friends yet. I find, although you were mistaken, that you do remember the Countess of the Belle étoile, and that you are a champion true and fearless. Had you yielded to the claims just now pressed upon you by the rivalry54 of Mademoiselle de la Valière, in her mask, the Countess de St. Alyre should never have trusted or seen you more. I now am sure that you are true, as well as brave. You now know that I have not forgotten you; and, also, that if you would risk your life for me, I, too, would brave some danger, rather than lose my friend forever. I have but a few moments more. Will you come here again tomorrow night, at a quarter past eleven? I will be here at that moment; you must exercise the most scrupulous55 care to prevent suspicion that you have come here, Monsieur. You owe that to me.”
She spoke these last words with the most solemn entreaty56.
I vowed again and again that I would die rather than permit the least rashness to endanger the secret which made all the interest and value of my life.
She was looking, I thought, more and more beautiful every moment. My enthusiasm expanded in proportion.
“You must come tomorrow night by a different route,” she said; “and if you come again, we can change it once more. At the other side of the chateau there is a little churchyard, with a ruined chapel57. The neighbors are afraid to pass it by night. The road is deserted58 there, and a stile opens a way into these grounds. Cross it and you can find a covert59 of thickets60, to within fifty steps of this spot.”
I promised, of course, to observe her instructions implicitly61.
“I have lived for more than a year in an agony of irresolution62. I have decided63 at last. I have lived a melancholy64 life; a lonelier life than is passed in the cloister65. I have had no one to confide66 in; no one to advise me; no one to save me from the horrors of my existence. I have found a brave and prompt friend at last. Shall I ever forget the heroic tableau67 of the hall of the Belle étoile? Have you — have you really kept the rose I gave you, as we parted? Yes — you swear it. You need not; I trust you. Richard, how often have I in solitude68 repeated your name, learned from my servant. Richard, my hero! Oh! Richard! Oh, my king! I love you!”
I would have folded her to my heart — thrown myself at her feet. But this beautiful and — shall I say it — inconsistent woman repelled69 me.
“No, we must not waste our moments in extravagances. Understand my case. There is no such thing as indifference70 in the married state. Not to love one’s husband,” she continued, “is to hate him. The Count, ridiculous in all else, is formidable in his jealousy71. In mercy, then, to me, observe caution. Affect to all you speak to, the most complete ignorance of all the people in the Chateau de la Carque; and, if anyone in your presence mentions the Count or Countess de St. Alyre, be sure you say you never saw either. I shall have more to say to you tomorrow night. I have reasons that I cannot now explain, for all I do, and all I postpone72. Farewell. Go! Leave me.”
She waved me back, peremptorily73. I echoed her “farewell,” and obeyed.
This interview had not lasted, I think, more than ten minutes. I scaled the park wall again, and reached the Dragon Volant before its doors were closed.
I lay awake in my bed, in a fever of elation74. I saw, till the dawn broke, and chased the vision, the beautiful Countess de St. Alyre, always in the dark, before me.
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收听单词发音
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1
canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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oblique
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| adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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hoots
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| 咄，啐 | |
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13
swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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14
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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15
ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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16
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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18
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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19
ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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20
nefarious
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| adj.恶毒的，极坏的 | |
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21
trespassed
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| （trespass的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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23
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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24
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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25
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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27
fluted
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| a.有凹槽的 | |
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crevices
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| n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 ) | |
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29
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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31
grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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32
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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33
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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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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assorted
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| adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的 | |
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38
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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constrain
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| vt.限制，约束；克制，抑制 | |
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40
sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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41
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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42
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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43
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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44
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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45
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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46
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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47
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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48
nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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49
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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50
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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51
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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52
monstrously
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53
salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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54
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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55
scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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56
entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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57
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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58
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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59
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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60
thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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61
implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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62
irresolution
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| n.不决断，优柔寡断，犹豫不定 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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64
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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65
cloister
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| n.修道院；v.隐退，使与世隔绝 | |
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66
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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67
tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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68
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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69
repelled
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| v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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70
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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71
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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72
postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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73
peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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74
elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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