The place I knew well enough. I had often meditated3 there upon the poor estate of our house. It was half ruinous, and I looked to meet with no man within the precincts on such a night. But short, deceiving, and ostrich-blind are all our hopes, for by going that way I brought us into the greatest danger we could possibly have been in.
For, as we came by the side port of Holyroodhouse, and took the left wynd which leads to the kirkyard, it seemed that I heard the sound of footsteps coming after me. It was still a night of snow, but the blast of flakes4 was wearing thinner and the wind less gusty5. The moon was wading6 among great white-edged wreaths as though the snows had been driven right up to heaven and were clogging7 the skies.
It was I who led, for my cousin, Wat Gordon, being stopped dead in his heart's desire, like a dog quivering for the leap that suddenly gets his death-wound, now went forward as one blind, and staggered even in the plain places. Also, it was well that I must guide him, for thus I was kept from thinking of the horrid8 burden I carried.
We were at the angle of the wall, and going slowly down among the cumbering heaps of rubbish by the dyke9-side, when I certainly heard, through the soughing of the wind, and the soft swirl10 of the snow-flakes, the quick trampling11 of footsteps behind us. It seemed to me that they came from the direction of the Queen's Bathhouse, by which, as I now minded, my Lord Wellwood had built his new house.
I turned in my tracks, and saw half a dozen of fellows running towards us with their swords drawn12; and one who seemed short of stature13 and ill at the running, following after them. Then I pulled quickly at Walter's sleeve, and said:
"Get you to a good posture14 of defence, or we are both dead men. See behind you!"
At this he turned and looked, and the sight seemed wonderfully to steady him. He seemed to come to himself with a kind of joy. I heard him sigh as one that casts off a heavy back-burden. For blows were ever mightily15 refreshing16 to Wat Gordon's spirits, even as water of Cologne is to a mim-mouthed, spoiled beauty of the court.
As for me, I had no joy in blows, and little skill in them, so that my delight was small. Indeed, I felt the lump rise in my throat, and my mouth dried with fear. So that I could hardly keep the tears from running, being heartily17 sorry for myself because I should never see bonny Earlstoun and my mother again, or any one else in the pleasant south country—and all on a business that I had no concern with, being only some night-hawk trokings of Wat Gordon's.
But even as he glanced about him, Lochinvar saw where we could best engage them; for in such things he had the captain's eye, swift and inevitable18. It was at the angle of the wall, in which is a wide archway that leads into the enclosure of the Palace. The snow had drifted round this arch a great sweep of rounded wreaths, and glistened19 smoothly20 white in the moonbeams, but the paved gateway21 itself was blown clear. Wat thrust me behind him, and, throwing down his cloak, cleared his sword arm with a long sobbing22 intake23 of breath, which, having a certain great content in it, was curious to hear.
I stood behind him in the dark of the archway, and there I first laid down my ghastly burden in the corner, wrapping it in my cloak. I made my pistols ready, and also loosened in my belt a broad Italian dagger24, shaped like a leaf, wherewith I meant to stick and thrust if any should attempt to run in while I was standing25 on guard. Between me and the light I could see Walter Gordon, armed in the German fashion, with his rapier in one hand and his dagger in the other. Suddenly, through the hush26 of waiting, came running footsteps; and men's figures darkened the moonlight on the snow before the arch.
"Clash!" went the rapiers, and I could catch the glitter of the fire as it flew from their first onset27. Walter poised28 himself on his feet with a quick alternate balancing movement, keeping his head low between his shoulders, and his rapier point far out. He was in the dark, and those about the mouth of the arch could not well see at what they were striking, whereas he had them clear against the grey of the moonlit sky.
Steel had not stricken on steel three times when, swift as the flash of the lightning when it shines from east to west, I saw Wat's long rapier dart29 out, and a man fell forward towards him, clinking on the stones with the jingle30 of concealed31 armour32. Yet, armour or no, our Wat's rapier had found its way within. Wat spurned33 the fellow with his foot, lest in falling he should grip to pull him down, which was a common trick of the time, and indeed sometimes resorted to without a wound. But the dark wet stain his body left on the cobble-stones as it turned, told us that he was sped surely enough.
In a moment the others had come up, and the whole archway seemed full of the flicker34 of flashing swords. Wat's long arm wavered here and there, keeping them all at bay. I could have cried the slogan for pride in him. This was the incomparable sworder indeed, and John Varlet, that misbegotten rogue35, had not taught him in vain.
"Let off!" he cried to me, never taking his eyes from his foes36. "Ease me a little to the right. They are over heavy for my iron on that hand."
So with that, even as I was bidden, and because there was nothing else I could do, I struck with my broad Italian dagger at a surly visage that came cornerwise between me and the sky, and tumbled a tall fellow out of an angle of the gateway on the top of the first, kicking like a rabbit. The rest were a little dashed by the fall of these two. Still there were four of them, and one great loon37 determinedly38 set his head down, and wrapping his cloak on his arm, he rushed at my cousin, almost overbearing him for the moment. He broke within Wat's guard, and the swords of the rogue's companions had been in his heart, but just then Lochinvar gave them another taste of his quality. Lightly leaping to the side just out of the measure of the varlet's thrust, and reaching sideways, he struck the man heavily on the shoulder with the dagger in his left hand, panting with the force of the blow, so that he fell down like the dead. At the same moment Wat leaned far forward, engaging all the points of the other swords with his rapier.
They gave back at the quick unexpected attack, and the points of their swords rose, as it seemed, for no more than a second. But in that pulse-beat Wat's rapier shot out straight and low, and yet another clapped his hand upon his body and cried an oath, ere he too fell forward upon his dead companions. At this the little man, who had stood all the while in the background, took heart of grace and came forward, and I could see the hilt of the steel-pistol in his hand. He crouched39 low upon his hams, trying to get a sighting shot at us. But I had him clear in the moonbeam, like a pullet on a dyke; and just when I saw his forefinger40 twitch41 on the hammer-pull, I dropped him with a bullet fair in the shoulder, which effectually spoilt his aim, and tumbled him beside the others.
Then the remaining two threw down their tools and ran, whatever they were fit, in the direction of the town.
Whereat Walter Gordon with much philosophy straiked his sword on the lapel of one of the dead men's coats, bent42 its point to the pavement to try its soundness, and returned it to its velvet43 sheath. Then he solemnly turned and took me by the hand.
"You are a man, Cousin William," he said.
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收听单词发音
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1
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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4
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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gusty
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| adj.起大风的 | |
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wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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7
clogging
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| 堵塞，闭合 | |
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8
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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dyke
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| n.堤，水坝，排水沟 | |
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10
swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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11
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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12
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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13
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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14
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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15
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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17
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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18
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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19
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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23
intake
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| n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口 | |
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24
dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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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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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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28
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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29
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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30
jingle
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| n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵 | |
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31
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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32
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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33
spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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35
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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36
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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37
loon
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| n.狂人 | |
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38
determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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39
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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41
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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42
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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43
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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