Then he searched again and again in every path, every shadow and every mass of shrubs8, and, wonderful to say! he discovered neither the body, nor footprints, nor earth that had been disturbed, nor even a track of blood on the soil! And yet with a sure hand, thirsting for vengeance9, he had thrice driven the dagger into the man’s breast and there had left it! And the man he had killed was Don Ruy de Cardenas, for he had recognised him well straight away from the dark depths of the room where he was watching when{76} he crossed the terrace under the moonlight, confident and gay, with his hand on his girdle, and his face uplifted with a smile, and the feather in his hat tossing in triumph. How could so extraordinary a thing be—a mortal body survive a dagger that had thrice pierced its heart and remained nailed there? And the greater marvel10 was that that strong body, though it had fallen like a bundle, heavily and inertly11 from such a height, had left not a mark on the ground below the verandah where a strip of wallflowers and lilies ran along the wall! Not a flower was crushed—all were erect12 and full of life, as if freshly out, with light drops of dew! Don Alonso de Lara stopped there, motionless with surprise, almost with terror, contemplating13 the balcony, measuring the height of the{77} ladder, staring at those wallflowers, erect and fresh, without a stem or leaf bent14. Next he began again a mad race down the terrace, the avenue, and the yew-path, still in hopes of finding a footprint, a broken branch, or a stain of blood on the fine sand. Nothing! The whole garden exhibited an unaccustomed order and fresh neatness, as if neither the wind that strips the leaves, nor the sun that withers15, had ever passed over it. Then as evening was coming on, devoured16 by uncertainty17 and the mystery of the thing, he took horse and, without squire18 or groom19, departed for Segovia. Bent and secretly, like a fugitive20, he entered his palace by the orchard21 door, and his first care was to hasten to the vaulted22 gallery, unbar the shutters23 of the windows, and greedily spy the house of Don Ruy de Cardenas. All{78} the latticed windows of the Archdeacon’s old dwelling24 were dark and open, breathing the freshness of the night; and seated on a stone bench at the door, a stable-youth lazily tuned25 his guitar. Don Alonso de Lara went down to his room livid, thinking that certainly no misfortune could have happened in a house where all the windows were open to cool it, and where servants were amusing themselves at the street door. Then he clapped his hands and angrily called for supper, and as soon as he was seated at the head of the table, in his tall chair of carved leather, he sent for the steward26, and at once offered him a cup of old wine with unusual familiarity. Whilst the man drank respectfully, standing the while, Don Alonso, drawing his fingers through his beard and forcing his sombre face to a{79} smile, asked for the news and rumours27 of Segovia. Had any event caused surprise and murmuring in the city during these days of his stay in Cabril?... The steward wiped his lips and affirmed that nothing had occurred in Segovia that was being talked about, unless it was that the daughter of Don Gutierres, the young and rich heiress, had taken the veil in the Convent of the Barefooted Carmelites. Don Alonso insisted, fixing his eyes greedily on the steward. And had not there been a great quarrel?... had not a well-known young knight28 been found wounded on the Cabril road?... The steward shrugged29 his shoulders; he had heard nothing in the city of quarrels or wounded knights30. With a rough gesture Don Alonso dismissed the steward, and, after a spare supper, he returned{80} at once to the gallery to watch the windows of Don Ruy. They were now closed; in the end one at the corner shone a trembling light. All the night Don Alonso watched, tirelessly revolving31 in his mind the same wonderment. How could that man have escaped with his heart transfixed by a dagger? How could he?... When morning dawned, he got a cloak and large hat and descended, all muffled33 up and concealed34, into the square, and remained patrolling in front of Don Ruy’s house. The bells rang for matins. Tradesmen in ill-buttoned jerkins came out to raise the shutter-doors of their shops and hang out their signs. Market-gardeners, urging on their donkeys laden35 with baskets, were already shouting their cries of fresh vegetables; bare-footed{81} friars, with their wallets on their shoulders, begged an alms and gave their blessing36 to the girls; and cloaked beatas, with great black rosaries, threaded their way greedily towards the church. Then the city crier stopped at a corner of the square, sounded a horn, and in a powerful voice began to read a proclamation. The Lord of Lara had stopped, gaping37, near the fountain, as though enraptured38 by the song of the three spouts39 of water. Suddenly it occurred to him that that proclamation, read by the city crier, perhaps referred to Don Ruy—to his disappearance40.... He ran to the corner of the square, but the man had already rolled up his paper and majestically41 departed, beating on the pavement with his white staff. When he turned round to spy the house again, lo! his{82} astonished eyes encountered Don Ruy—Don Ruy whom he had killed—coming walking to the Church of Our Lady, gaily42 and airily, lifting a smiling face in the fresh morning air, wearing a bright jerkin and bright plumes43, one of his hands resting on his girdle, the other absently twirling a stick with tassels44 of golden braid! Then, with halting, aged45 steps, Don Alonso went back to the house. At the top of the stone staircase he met his old chaplain, who had come to greet him, and who penetrated46 with him into the antechamber, and, after respectfully asking for news of Donna Leonor, at once told him of an extraordinary event which was causing serious murmuring and surprise in the city. Late the evening before, when the Corregedor went to visit Gallows47 Hill,{83} because the Feast of the Holy Apostles was drawing nigh, he had discovered, to his great amazement48 and scandal, that one of the hanged men had a dagger nailed in his breast! Was it some wicked rogue’s jest? A vengeance that not even death had sated?... And to make the prodigy49 greater still, the body had been taken down from the gibbet, dragged in some vegetable or flower-garden, since tender leaves had been found clinging to the old rags, and afterwards had been hanged again, and with a new rope!... And such, then, was the turbulence50 of the times that not even the dead escaped outrage51! Don Alonso listened, with hands trembling and hair on end. And immediately, in an anguish52 of agitation53, shouting and stumbling against the doors, he wanted{84} to set off and verify the dismal54 profanation55 with his own eyes. On two mules56, hurriedly caparisoned, they both started away for Gallows Hill, he and the astounded57 chaplain, whom he dragged after him. A large concourse of the people of Segovia had already collected on the hill, gazing on the marvellous horror—the dead man who had been slain58!... They all stepped aside for the noble Lord of Lara, who hurled59 himself up the ridge60 and stood and gazed, staring and livid, at the hanged man, and at the dagger which pierced his breast. It was his dagger—it was he who had killed the dead!
He galloped61 in terror to Cabril, and there shut himself up with his secret, and straightway began to grow yellow and pine away, always keeping at a{85} distance from Donna Leonor, and hiding in the gloomy walks of the garden, murmuring words to the wind, until early one St. John’s Day, a maidservant, returning from the fountain with her pitcher62, found him dead below the stone balcony, all stretched out on the ground, with his fingers fixed32 in the bed of wallflowers, where he seemed to have been raking the soil for a long space, searching....
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1
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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diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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8
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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inertly
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| adv.不活泼地，无生气地 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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13
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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14
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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withers
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| 马肩隆 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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20
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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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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24
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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tuned
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| adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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31
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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32
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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34
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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36
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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37
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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38
enraptured
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| v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
spouts
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| n.管口( spout的名词复数 )；（喷出的）水柱；（容器的）嘴；在困难中v.（指液体）喷出( spout的第三人称单数 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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40
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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41
majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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42
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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43
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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44
tassels
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| n.穗( tassel的名词复数 )；流苏状物；（植物的）穗；玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰 | |
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45
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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46
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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47
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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48
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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49
prodigy
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| n.惊人的事物，奇迹，神童，天才，预兆 | |
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50
turbulence
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| n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流 | |
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51
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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52
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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53
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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54
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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55
profanation
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| n.亵渎 | |
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56
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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57
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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58
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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59
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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60
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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61
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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62
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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