THAT afternoon Pat was very busy among the smaller boys. He asked them many questions about the noise in the attic4, and found there was great terror among them. For the noises had been heard both on Saturday night and Sunday night by those who were in that building; and they were so terrified that they would not have staid there a third night if the other boys had not come back. A superstitious5 awe6 had settled down deep into their minds, and they conversed7 with one another on this subject in subdued8 whispers.
Pat found them in this condition, and managed to make them still more terrified before he left them. Some of them were anxious to tell one of the teachers about it all; but Pat dissuaded9 them by declaring that it would be of no use, and that they would only be laughed at for their pains.
Many of the other boys also, on coming back, felt a return of their former fear, and looked forward to the approach of night with some uneasiness. Pat made himself quite busy with these boys, too; and although he said nothing very directly, yet he made many mysterious hints that implied a great deal. He alluded10 to his own fearful position, with his bed in that very garret, separated by only a board partition from the dark haunts of the mystery. He spoke11 of his past experience; and it seemed as though, if he only chose, he could easily unfold a tale whose lightest word would harrow up their souls. Only he didn’t. The boys begged him to tell all. But Pat wouldn’t. He shook his head with deep and solemn meaning. And the boys looked on him with a profounder awe. And Pat, when he went up to his haunted chamber12, was regarded as some poor victim on his way to his doom13.
Pat, however, was not regarded in this light by all. Some there were who held aloof14 from this feeling of awe. Among these was Bart, who could not help noticing Pat’s movements, and was very much impressed by them, though in a way very different from that in which the other boys were affected15. He saw how Pat managed to stimulate16 the excited imaginations of others without saying anything directly, and heard him lament17 most lachrymosely18 his hard fate in having to occupy a room in so fearful a place. He happened to be near the group to which Pat was talking, and could not help saying,—
“Well, Pat, my room’s just underneath19 yours, and if anything happens, you can take refuge with me. I’ll give you a sofa for the night.”
“Deed, thin, an you’ll find me comin down some night,” said Pat, “ony maybe I mightn’t iver git down there. Maybe the same thing that would dhrive me down might prevint me goin down.”
“Well, then, I’ll tell you what to do: you yell like Old Harry20, and I’ll go up.”
“You’d niver get up.”
“Never get up? Why not?”
“It wouldn’t let you.”
“It? What It?”
“Why, It—the wan21 that walks.”
“The one that walks? That’s just what it doesn’t do. It’s very bad at walking.”
“You’d soon see, if ye’d iver find him. Any how, he’d shtop yer comin till my room.”
“Stop me? Nonsense! How can it stop me, when it’s in the cupola?”
As he said this, Bart looked in an expressive22 manner at Pat.
Pat looked away, and shook his head. Whether he suspected that Bart know all or not, he did not give him back any look of intelligence, or show any confusion. He simply looked away, and said,—
“Well, well,—aich wan must have his own opinion. Well know betther perhaps some day.” Bart smiled, and turned away. Soon he joined Bruce and Arthur.
“I’ve given Pat one or two hints already,” said he, “that I saw through the business, and I’ve just given him another. It’s a shame for him to go frightening the small boys that way. I was going to arrange it all to-morrow, or next day, so that they would look on it as a joke. But Pat is keeping up the gloomy, tragic23 character, and there’ll be more disturbance24. Only he’d better look out. I’ve given him fair warning. There’s poor little Harry Thompson, with his face as pale as a sheet. It isn’t fair. It’ll have to be stopped.”
“Shall we stop it to-night?”
“Well, no; we had better wait till we see if it goes on, and whether Pat’s hand can be discerned in it. If we do find it so, I really don’t see any reason why he should be spared.”
From this it will be seen that Bart had already made his friends acquainted with the discovery which he had made in the garret, and that they had decided25 upon some general plan of action. They did not wish to put an end to the affair too prematurely26 or clumsily, but rather to terminate it in as brilliant a manner as possible.
As this day was positively27 the last of the holidays, the “B. O. W. C” determined28 to celebrate it by a modest supper in the Rawdons’ rooms. Solomon was accordingly called upon, and, as always, he showed himself equal to the occasion, Personally, he was all smiles and joyousness29. His little black beads30 of eyes twinkled incessantly31, his face actually shone, and his complexion32 was a rich, oily sepia. He made desperate efforts to preserve an air of profound solemnity; but occasionally a short, sharp snort of a laugh would burst forth33, after which his face would at once regain34 its mask of gravity.
“Dar!” said he, as he put the last dish on. “Dar! blubbed breddern, dis heah’s all in hona ob dis great an shinin casium. You hab now finished your high an mighty35 ventures. Dar you hab bess ob ’Cad’my fare; none but de brave, you know, deserb dat fare. Off you go to lib on lasses an pork, an come back to vive you healt by de neficient car ob ole Solomon. Den1 off you clar agin, jes like mad, an git half starbed, so hab to come back agin to de tractions heah. An now, blubbed breddern, pitch in. Heah’s turkey, an chicken, an sass, an mince36 pies, an apple tarts37, an pickled ’ysters, an red-hot coffee, an cream, an fifty oder tings too noomrous to mentium. Fur fudda ticulars, gemmen, see small bills. Yours, truly.”
With these words Solomon welcomed them to the feast that he had prepared. The boys seated themselves around the groaning38 board, and gave themselves up to the joy of the occasion. They fought their battles o’er again. They went over all the events of the holidays. Again they drifted through the dense39 fog, or wandered through the trackless forest; again they waded40 through deep waters, or dug deep in the solid ground.
As they thus chattered41 and laughed, Solomon stood surveying them with a beaming smile illuminating42 all his dark but expressive features; and all the time he kept whispering to himself words expressive of his feelings on “dat ar casium.”
Suddenly all this was interrupted.
It was late. All was still. All the other boys seemed to have gone to bed. Outside, the night was quite dark. And then and there, amid that stillness and in that darkness, it rang out right over their heads.
It was again that peculiar43 sound which they had once before heard, a long, shrill44, abrupt45, discordant46 shriek47, repeated again and again, and echoing dismally48 throughout the gloomy extent of the long, unfinished garret, and dying away in the far distances with low and melancholy49 intonations50. The ceiling above them only intervened between this room and the garret, so that they could hear it very plainly.
As the sound rang out, Solomon started. He was that moment lifting a plate, and the plate fell from his nerveless hands crashing on the floor. His face seemed to turn to a sickly greenish-brown; he staggered back, and leaned against the wall.
At that moment there was a knock at the door.
This completed Solomon’s horror. His knees gave way, his teeth chattered, his eyes rolled fearfully. He sank upon the floor, and remained there in a sitting posture51.
“Come in,” shouted Bruce. “Hallo, Solomon! What’s the matter? Get up. Are you faint? Here, take a drink of water. Why, man, what’s the matter?”
Encouraged by Bruce’s words, Solomon made a great effort, and got up, edging away behind the boys as far from the-door as he could get.
No one had come in. And so Arthur went to the door, and opened it. Nobody was there.
As he stood wondering, Jiggins’s door opened, and Jiggins made his appearance, clad in the habiliments of the night.
“Hallo, Jiggins!” said Arthur. “Did you knock?”
“Me? Knock? Me? No,” said Jiggins. “I—I was just in bed, and asleep, and heard that howl above; and then there came a knock. I thought it was you, wanting to see me.”
“No; none of us knocked.”
“Somebody did, then.”
“And some one knocked at our door, too,” said Arthur.
“What does it all mean?” said Jiggins.
By this time the other boys were out in the hall, and were looking at one another. Bart looked along the floor, to see if the knock could have been produced by a stone thrown. Behind Tom might be seen Solomon, afraid to be too far behind, and yet not daring to venture forward.
“It’s queer,’ said Arthur.
“I don’t like it,” said Jiggins, solemnly. “It somehow don’t seem right. I feel really uncomfortable. There’s something about that—is—not—right.”
“Well, boys,” said Bart, “shall we go up again?”
“I suppose we may as well.”
“O, it’s no use,” said Arthur. “There’s nothing more. Still, this knock ought to be investigated.”
“Let’s go, then.”
“O, no,” groaned52 Solomon. “No—don’t—doo-on’t go; don’t go an leab dis pore ’stracted nigga ’posed to sich clamties. Don’t leab a ’flicted ole darky to de powers of darkness.”
“Nonsense! Solomon. Don’t be afraid. You wait here till we come back.”
“Couldn’t! Darsn’t!” cried Solomon. “Neb-ber, nebber lib troo dat ar speriment. No, Mas’r Bart, you won’t leab a ole fool; you’ll stan by a ole man.”
“All right,” said Bart. “I’ll see you down stairs, if you like. Come.”
At that instant there sounded out a deep toll53 from the great bell in the cupola. It was one single toll, but so profound, so awful, and so solemn, did that solitary54 knell peal55 forth through the still night air, that even those who felt no fear could not avoid an involuntary sensation of awe.
Solomon clutched at Bart’s arm, and looked as though he had no life left in him.
“That settles it,” said Bart. “That’s a little too much, boys. We’ll have to wind this thing up—won’t we? Bring along a light, Phil.”
“O, Mas’r Bart! get me home,” groaned Solomon. “I member you when you wor a chile. I used to give you candy. Don let me be gobbled up.”
“Nonsense! Solomon. Come along; I’ll see you safe down, and then you can run for it to your room. Wait a minute, boys.”
Down went Bart, with Solomon, shuddering56 and quaking, at his heels, and finally reached the door.
“Now, then, Solomon,” he said, “run for it.”
Away went Solomon, in a frenzy57 of fear, his whole frame shuddering in vague superstitious terror, his brain reeling with excitement, his fancy crowded with images of horror. Away he went; he burst into the boarding-house, he raced up the stairs, he rushed into his room as before, banged all the furniture against the door, and lay crouched58 in a corner, and quaking till morning.
Bart returned at once.
“Boys,” said Jiggins, “it’s a solemn time—a deeply solemn time!”
“Won’t you come up, Jiggins?”
“No, boys,” said Jiggins; “and I warn you not to go up. That’s a solemn place—a deeply solemn place.”
“Well, come up, and help us to feel the solemnity,” said Bart.
Jiggins shook his head.
“I don’t like the looks of it,” said he. “It’s too solemn. There’s a certain something about it that makes me feel a—kind of a—a degree of a—solemnity—that—a—”
But Jiggins’s voice died away upon the ears of the boys, as they ascended59 the stairs, before he could finish what he was trying to say.
The object of the boys in going up now was, first, to find the cause of the knock, and secondly60, to find the cause of the tolling61 bell. They thought that perhaps some one might be concealed62 in the attic, and so they looked about very carefully in all directions. Tom stood at the head of the attic stairs, so as to bar the way to any possible fugitive63. The others then went all over the attic most carefully, beginning at the end next Pat’s room, and so on over to the open space under the cupola. Crossing this, they searched all over the farther end. They peeped into every nook and corner, they left nothing unexamined. But at length they were forced to give up this search, for nothing could be found. Coming back, therefore, they stood in silence by the open space under the cupola, and looked down into the gloomy, yawning chasm64 over which went the narrow plank65 pathway, and tried to peer through the deep gloom of this place.
After standing66 here for some time, they crossed to the other side, on their way back, and were hero joined by Tom.
“Boys,” said Bart, “we can’t get at the bottom of that knock; that’s evident; but we oughtn’t to go till we find out about the bell. What do you say to going up?”
“Very well,” said Bruce; “only we can’t take the lamps.”
“Of course not; and even if we did, the wind would blow them out. But it don’t make any difference about that. We can feel about, you know. If any one’s in the cupola, we’ll have him, and find out who he is.”
“I’ll put the lamp on the plank here,” said Tom, “and it will throw some light up.”
“No,” said Arthur; “it might get shaken off, and then good by to the old Academy. In a quarter of an hour, that old tinder-box below would be in flames. Put it over there on the floor. Never mind whether it throws up any light or not. We can all go up in the dark just as well.”
Tom thereupon put his lamp on the solid floor of the garret; and after this the whole party walked the plank, and reached the foot of the ladders that ran up to the cupola. There were two of these, and in climbing up, one had to work his way through a net-work of beams. In the daytime this was troublesome enough to an unpractised hand, and in the dark would have been impossible. But these boys knew every inch of the way, and could go up almost as easily in the dark as in the light.
Bart went first, Bruce next, then Arthur, then Phil, and Tom came last. The first ladder was slightly slanting67 in one direction, and terminated at a narrow board, from which the second ladder went up slanting in an opposite direction to the cupola. They went up quite nimbly and rapidly, considering the total darkness, and soon reached the cupola.
Bart was up there first.
In the middle of the cupola, and hanging immediately over the opening through which they came up, was the great bell, whose deep, solemn tones were familiar enough to them from the summons which it hourly sent forth during term time, but whose solitary knell, sounding as it lately did in the stillness of the night, had struck such sudden awe into their hearts. All around the bell was room enough to walk, and to look out of the windows of the cupola.
Bart had reached the cupola first, and he at once walked round it to find if any one was concealed here. The circuit was made by the time Bruce had come up, who immediately went round, as Bart had done. Then the others came up.
“Well,” said Phil, “what’s the luck?”
“There’s no one here,” said Bart.
“Have you felt everywhere?”
“Yes.”
“He couldn’t get up above there—could he?”
“O, no.”
“Perhaps he’s outside,” said Arthur.
At this suggestion they all flung open the shutters68 which surrounded the cupola, and as it was too dark to see, they felt in all directions with their hands. They soon found, however, that no one was there.
“Now,” said Phil, “the question is, how in the world-could that bell have tolled69?”
All were silent for a few minutes, trying to conjecture70 some possible way.
It will be seen that on this occasion Bruce had not a vestige71 of his former superstitious feeling. The affair with the donkey had taught him a salutary lesson, and the discovery that Bart had made, when communicated to him, had made him angry with himself for the fear which he had felt before. He was perfectly72 convinced now that there was some trick, which was the only cause of the knock and the toll of the bell, and this he tried to discover.
Suddenly he stooped down and felt under the bell.
“Boys,” said he, after a pause.
“Well.”
“Do you think a fellow could ring the bell without coming up into the cupola, by some very simple process? Do you think a string tied to the tongue could do it?”
“What!” cried all, in great excitement; and all of them sprang forward to feel for themselves.
But Bruce warded73 off their hands.
“Wait,” said he. “The string’s here. Stand back. I want to see where it goes to.”
The boys fell back now in greater excitement than ever. The string was a common piece of twine74. Bruce followed it, and found that it went across to the side of the cupola, facing their end of the building, and then it was passed through a crevice75 close to the floor, and passed outside.
But where?
Bruce pulled the string. The other end was fastened; but by the resistance he could tell that it ran for a long distance.
“There’s only one place that it goes to, of course,” said Bart, “and that is Pat’s room. But why in the world he should get up this, passes my comprehension. We’ll have to teach him a lesson, boys.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
den
|
|
| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
knell
|
|
| n.丧钟声；v.敲丧钟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
uproar
|
|
| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
attic
|
|
| n.顶楼，屋顶室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
superstitious
|
|
| adj.迷信的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
awe
|
|
| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
conversed
|
|
| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
subdued
|
|
| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
dissuaded
|
|
| 劝（某人）勿做某事，劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
alluded
|
|
| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
chamber
|
|
| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
doom
|
|
| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
aloof
|
|
| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
stimulate
|
|
| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
lament
|
|
| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
lachrymosely
|
|
| adv.眼泪地，哭泣地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
19
underneath
|
|
| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
wan
|
|
| (wide area network)广域网 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
expressive
|
|
| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
tragic
|
|
| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
disturbance
|
|
| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
prematurely
|
|
| adv.过早地，贸然地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
positively
|
|
| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
joyousness
|
|
| 快乐，使人喜悦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
beads
|
|
| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
incessantly
|
|
| ad.不停地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
complexion
|
|
| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
regain
|
|
| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
mince
|
|
| n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
tarts
|
|
| n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 )；轻佻的女人；妓女；小妞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
groaning
|
|
| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
dense
|
|
| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
waded
|
|
| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
chattered
|
|
| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
illuminating
|
|
| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
abrupt
|
|
| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
discordant
|
|
| adj.不调和的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
shriek
|
|
| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
dismally
|
|
| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
intonations
|
|
| n.语调，说话的抑扬顿挫( intonation的名词复数 )；（演奏或唱歌中的）音准 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
posture
|
|
| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
toll
|
|
| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
solitary
|
|
| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
peal
|
|
| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
shuddering
|
|
| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
frenzy
|
|
| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
ascended
|
|
| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
secondly
|
|
| adv.第二，其次 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
tolling
|
|
| [财]来料加工 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
fugitive
|
|
| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
chasm
|
|
| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
plank
|
|
| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
slanting
|
|
| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
shutters
|
|
| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
tolled
|
|
| 鸣钟（toll的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
conjecture
|
|
| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
vestige
|
|
| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
warded
|
|
| 有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
twine
|
|
| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
crevice
|
|
| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |