“It is the dogs that you smell. They’ve practically removed the kennel15 up here.”
On the stone floor of the balcony outside there were to be seen, indeed, some dozen old hounds, for the most part lying sleepily in the sunshine, with their heads pointed16 toward a large, half-covered reclining chair placed near the balustrade, and occasionally opening a drowsy17 eye to regard its occupant. There were a few dogs of other kinds as well, Christian noted18 upon a second glance, and one of these, a bulky black creature with a broad snout and hair curled tight like astrakhan fur, sat close to the chair and was thrusting its muzzle19 against a hand at its side.
This hand was what Christian saw first of his grandfather—an immense limp hand, with thick fingers twisted and misshapen, and skin of an almost greenish pallor. The dog’s nose, thrust under it, moved this inert20 hand about, and the young man felt himself thrill unpleasantly, for some reason, at the spectacle.
At the further end of the balcony two men in livery lounged against the wall, but upon a signal from Lord Julius they went in. The latter, threading his way among the hounds, led Christian round to the side of the chair.
“This is Ambrose’s boy,” he said, bending a little and raising his voice. “He is Christian, too.”
Upon the chair was stretched, in a halfsitting posture21, the gigantic frame of a very old man. The grandson looked upon him in silence for a long time, his mind confused with many impressions. The vast shoulders and high, bullet-like head, propped22 up by pillows in the partial shadow of the hood23, seemed vaguely24 to recall the vision his baby memory had preserved of his own father. But in detail there was no resemblance. Or yes, there were resemblances, but they were blurred25 almost beyond recognition by the rough touch of time. The face, with its big, harsh features and bushing brows, and its frame of stiff white whiskers under the jaws26 and chin, had something in it which for an instant the young man seemed to identify; then the unnatural27 effect of its uniform yellow-clay color drove all thoughts of its human relationships from his mind, and he saw nothing but a meaningless mask. It was as devoid28 of significance, indeed, as if it had been in a coffin29. The eyes were open and they seemed to be fixed30 upon the distant rolling prospect31 of hills and forest, but whether they were seeing anything, Christian could not imagine. They certainly had not been turned to include him in their survey. The livid right hand, swaying as the black dog pushed it with its nose, was the only thing about the duke that moved.
“He does not know I am here,” said Christian, at last. He spoke32 instinctively33, with the ceremonious affectation of awe34 which one puts on in the presence of death. His grandfather hardly impressed him as being alive and still less made any appeal to his sense of kinship. He had expected to be overwhelmed with emotion at the meeting, but he found himself barely interested. His wandering glance chanced to take note of some of the dogs’ faces about the chair. They were all alertly watching him, and the profoundly wise look in their eyes caught his attention. No doubt they were dreadful fools, if the truth could be known, but the suggestion of cultured sagacity in their gaze was extraordinary. He looked back again at his grandfather, and tried to say to himself that he was a great noble, the head of an ancient and proud line, and the actual father of his father—but the effort failed to spur his fancy. He turned to Lord Julius and lifted his brows in wearied interrogation.
“Move round in front of him,” counseled the other. “Get yourself in the range of his eyes.”
Christian obeyed, and, flushing a little with self-consciousness, strove to intercept36 the aged37 man’s gaze. There was no change upon the ashen38 face under the hood to tell him whether he had succeeded or not. The impulse to grimace39, to wave his arms about, to compel attention by any wild and violent device, forced him to smile in the midst of his perplexed40 constraint41. He stared for a few moments longer at the gaunt, immovable figure—then shrugged42 his shoulders, and, stepping over a dog or two, made bold to rejoin Lord Julius.
“I do not see that it is of any use,” he said, with annoyance43. “If you wish to go, I am quite ready.”
Lord Julius lifted his brows in turn, and looked at his grand-nephew with curiosity. “I said nothing about going, that I recall,” he began, with an effect of reproof44 in his tone. But then he seemed to think better of it, and gave an abrupt45 little laugh. “It isn’t very invigorating, I’m bound to admit,” he confessed, cheerfully enough. “Wait a moment, and I’ll stir him up a bit.”
He bent46 forward again, with his head at the edge of the hood, and shouted into it: “If you want to see Ambrose’s boy, here he is! If you don’t want to see him, say so, and waste no more of our time!”
To Christian’s surprise, the duke took instant cognizance of this remark. His large face brightened, or at least altered its aspect, into something like animation47; his eyes emerged from their cover of lethargy, and looked alive.
“My back is very bad to-day,” he remarked, in a voice which, though it bore the querulous note of the invalid48, was unexpectedly robust49 in volume. “And I cannot make out whether the numbness50 is passing down below my knee or not.”
Lord Julius nodded, as if confirming to himself some previous suspicion. “I thought as much,” he commented in an aside to the young man. “It’s merely his endearing little way. Have patience, and we’ll draw the badger51 yet.”
He bawled52 once more into the hood, with an added peremptoriness53 of tone: “I explained it all to you, hours ago, and I’m sure you understand it perfectly54. Christian naturally wished to pay his respects to you, but if your back is too bad, why, there’s no more to be said—and we’ll be off. Goodbye to you!”
“Did I know his mother? Who was his mother? I have no recollection of her.” The duke spoke peevishly55, twitching56 his sunken lips in what was plainly an effort to pout57 them. Christian noted with curiosity that as he surrendered himself to such mental exertion58 as the talk demanded, the aged man’s face grew disagreeably senile in effect. An infinity59 of gossamer-like wrinkles showed themselves now, covering the entire countenance60 in a minute network.
“No, you didn’t know his mother!” replied Lord Julius, with significant curtness61. “It is more to the point that you should know him, since he is to be your successor. Look at him—and say something to him!”
The duke managed to testify on his stiffened62 lineaments the reluctance63 with which he did what he was told, but he shifted his eyes in a sidelong fashion to take a brief survey of the young man. “Cressage could have given you five stone ten,” he said to him, brusquely, and turned his eyes away.
Christian cast a look of bewildered inquiry64 up at Lord Julius, but encountered only a smile of contemptuous amusement. He summoned the courage to declare, in a voice which he hoped was loud enough: “I am glad to hear, sir, that this is one of your good days. I hope you will have many more of them!”
Of this assurance His Grace seemingly took no note. After a short pause he began speaking again. “There’s a dog up here,” he said, with the gravity befitting a subject to which he had given much thought, “that I’m sure falls asleep, and yelps65 in her dreams, and disturbs me most damnably, and I believe it’s that old bitch Peggy, and when I mention it the fellows swear that she’s been taken away, but I suspect that she hasn’t.”
“We will look to it,” put in Lord Julius perfunctorily. He added, upon an afterthought, “Did the guns annoy you, this forenoon?”
The duke’s thoughts were upon something else. He turned his eyes again, and apparently spoke to Christian. “A good hearty66 cut across the face with a whip,” he said, with kindling67 energy, “is what’d teach-swine like Griffiths their place—and then let ’em summons you and be damned. A farmer who puts up barbed-wire—no gentleman would listen to his evidence for a minute. Treat them like the vermin they are—and they’ll understand that. Cressage had the proper trick with them—a kick in the stomach first and reasons afterward68. That’s the only way this country can be hunted. When I got to riding over eighteen stone, and couldn’t take anything, that ruffian Griffiths screwed up his gates and sent me round the turnpike like a damned peddler, and Ambrose—it was Ambrose, wasn’t it?—or am I thinking of Cressage? But they weren’t together—here, Julius! It was you who were speaking of Ambrose! What about him? By God, I wish he had my back!”
Lord Julius, with the smile in his beard hardening toward scorn, took Christian by the arm. “I think you’ve had enough grandfather to go on with,” he said, quietly. “Never mind making your adieux. They would be quite wasted on him.”
Without further words, they turned and moved away through the dogs to the window, and so into the house. The doctor, still at his book, rose once more upon their approach, and this time Lord Julius halted to speak with him.
“His Grace seems to ramble69 in his mind a good deal more than he did before luncheon70. Do you see a change in this respect—say week by week?”
“It is not observable in gradations, Lord Julius,” answered the physician, a stout71, sandy young man, who assumed his air of deference72 with considerable awkwardness; “sometimes he recovers a very decided73 lucidity74 after what had seemed to be a prolonged lapse75 in the other direction. But on the whole I should say there was a perceptible—well, loss of faculty76. He knows the dogs, however, quite as well as ever—distinguishes them apparently by touch, remembers all their names, and recalls anecdotes77 about them, and, very often, about their mothers too. Fletcher tells me His Grace hasn’t once miscalled a hound.”
“They make an abominable78 atmosphere up here,” commented the other.
The doctor smiled lugubriously79. “I can’t deny that, Lord Julius,” he replied, “but all the same they are the most important part of the treatment. If we took them away, His Grace would die within the week.”
“Unhappy dogs!” mused80 Lord Julius, partly to himself, and walked on. It was not until they were half-way down the big staircase that Christian felt impelled81 to speak.
“I should much like to know,” he began, with diffident eagerness—“you have already spoken so plainly about my grandfather—the question will not seem rude to him, I hope—but when he was well, before the paralysis82, was he in any respect like what he is now?”
“I should say,” answered Lord Julius, in a reflective way, “that he is at present rather less objectionable than formerly83. One can make the excuse of illness for him now—and that covers a multitude of sins. But when he was in health—and he had the superb—what shall I say?—riotous health of a whale—he was very hard to bear. You have seen him and you have observed his mental and moral elevation84. He remembers his dogs more distinctly than he does his children. In the Almanach de Gotha he is classed among princes, but what he dwells upon most fondly among his public duties is the kicking of tenant-farmers in the stomach when they try to save their crops from being ruined by the hunt. I may tell you, I was in two minds about taking you to him at all, and now I think I regret having done so.”
“No-o,” said Christian, thoughtfully. “It is better as it is. I am glad to have seen him, and to have you tell me about him, frankly85, as you have done. It all helps me to understand the position—and it seems that there is a great deal that needs to be understood. I can see already that there is strange blood in the Torrs.” He paused on the bottom step as he spoke, and turned to his companion with a wistful smile. “There is an even bolder question I should like to ask—how does it happen that you are so different? How do you account for yourself?”
Lord Julius laughed. “Oh, that is a long story,” he said, “but I can put it into a word for you. I was made by my wife. I married a woman so noble and clever and wise and strong that I couldn’t help becoming a decent sort of fellow in spite of myself. But I am going to talk to you about all that, later on. It is better worth talking about than anything else under the sun. Oh—Barlow, please!”
The old butler had passed from one door to another in the hall, and turned now as he was called, with a hand behind him upon the knob. Lord Julius, approaching, exchanged some words with him upon the subject of his afternoon’s plans.
Christian, watching this venerable servant with curiosity, as a type novel to his experience, discovered suddenly that his scrutiny86 was being returned. Barlow, while listening attentively87 and with decorously slow nods of comprehension to what was being said to him, had his eyes fixed aslant88, beyond his interlocutor’s shoulder, upon the young stranger. Christian encountered this gaze, and saw it waver and flutter aside, as from force of polite habit, and then creep back again. This happened more than once, and Christian began to feel that it had some meaning. He observed that the butler inclined his head at last and whispered something—his pale, wan35 old face showed it to be an inquiry—into the other’s ear. The action explained itself so perfectly that Christian was in no way surprised to see Lord Julius turn smilingly, and nod toward himself.
“Yes, he is Ambrose’s son,” he said. “He has come to take his place. I know you for one won’t be sorry—eh, Barlow?”
It was clear to the young man’s perceptions that Lord Julius spoke as to one who was a friend as well as a servant. The note of patriarchal kindness in the tone appealed gratefully to him, and the affectionate mention of his father’s name was sweet in his ears. A strange thrill of emotion, a kind of aimless yet profound yearning89, possessed90 him as he moved forward. On the instant he realized that this was how he had expected to feel in the presence of his grandfather. The fact that the tenderness within him was appealed to instead by this gentle, sad-eyed old family dependant91 seemed to him to have something beautiful and very touching92 in it. Tears came into his eyes.
“You remember my father, then,” he said, and the breaking of his voice carried him into the heart of this sudden new mood of self-abandonment. “You would have known him as a little child—yes?—and you—you—” he paused, to dash away the tears with his hand, and strive to regain93 some control over his facial muscles—“you will have in your memory the good things about him—the boyish, pleasant things—and you loved him for them, did you not?”
Old Barlow, trembling greatly, and with a faint flush upon his white cheeks, stared confusedly at the young man as he advanced. “I held him on his first pony94, sir,” he stammered95 forth96, and then shook his head in token that he could utter no more. His glistening97 eyes said the rest.
Christian flung his arms round the surprised old man’s neck, and kissed him on both cheeks, and then, with head bowed upon his shoulder, sobbed98 aloud.
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收听单词发音
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1
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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canopied
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| adj. 遮有天篷的 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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tarnished
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| （通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏 | |
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gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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pervasive
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| adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的 | |
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vapors
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| n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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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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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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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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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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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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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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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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ashen
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| adj.灰的 | |
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grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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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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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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50
numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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51
badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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52
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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53
peremptoriness
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| n.专横，强制，武断 | |
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54
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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peevishly
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| adv．暴躁地 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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pout
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| v.撅嘴；绷脸；n.撅嘴；生气，不高兴 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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infinity
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| n.无限，无穷，大量 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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curtness
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| n.简短；草率；简略 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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66
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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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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lucidity
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| n.明朗，清晰，透明 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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lugubriously
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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paralysis
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| n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症) | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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aslant
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| adv.倾斜地；adj.斜的 | |
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yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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dependant
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| n.依靠的，依赖的，依赖他人生活者 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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