At that moment a familiar voice, muffled2 by the doors, but still silvery and clear, said:
“No use; not at home.”
“One more try!” came plainly to their ears, followed by a cleverly executed roulade with the little brass3 knocker.
Then there was a short pause, and the rattle4 of the little copper-plate of the letter-box as if something had been dropped in; the babble5 of merry voices, and descending6 steps.
Stratton waited till the last sound had died out, when he opened the inner door, and took out two cards.
“Edie and Guest,” he said, as he came back and reclosed the door.
Just then a line or two in pencil caught his eye, and he read:
“Come on to my rooms as soon as you can. News.
“P.G.”
“Impossible?” muttered Stratton, tossing the cards on to the table. “Now, Brettison, we must act at once.”
“Yes. Yes; of course. But, my dear lad, what a pity you found me, and I took you there.”
“Too late to talk of that, man,” said Stratton, who was full of energy now as he stood frowning. “But have you ever had any scene like this before? I mean, has he returned to his former self?”
“No. He has always been as you saw him this morning. His memory was a blank as to the past. Your coming and the sound of your voice must have revived it all.”
“But he made not the faintest sign of recognition.”
“No; but we cannot understand the workings of the brain. It was, perhaps, the expiring effort of his reason, for look at him now.”
“Expiring!” cried Stratton. “Yes; but how many more flashes of reason may spring up before the light goes right out?”
Brettison gazed at the man in a perplexed7 way, and bent8 over and touched him, but there was no sign.
“This settles it,” said Stratton at last. “We must act at once.”
“Yes. What shall we do?”
“You see, he may have a hundred returns of his memory, and come here again and again threatening and making demands; and if he has reason enough at these times to come here, what is to prevent his going up to the admiral’s and making a terrible scene there?”
Brettison nodded.
“Yes,” he said hopelessly. “What, indeed! Malcolm, my dear lad. I thought by going into hiding with him, and devoting myself to his care, I was doing you a great service; but I’m getting old and weak, I suppose. I will go by all you say now. I haven’t an opinion of my own.”
“You did everything you could for me,” said Stratton warmly; “and you must go on helping9 me still.”
“I will do anything if you will only trust me.”
“Trust you,” cried Stratton reproachfully. “There, we must act at once.”
“What do you propose doing?”
“Making sure that the man has no further opportunity of doing harm to anyone.”
“You will not hand the poor wretch10 over to the police?”
“No,” said Stratton sternly. “I cannot; he is her husband. That blow must not come from me. Either you or I must always be with him abroad.”
“Yes, it would be best. Beyond reach of doing harm. Where shall I take him?”
“We will take him across to France first,” said Stratton, emphasising the first word. “Let’s get him to Saint Malo, and then along the coast to some secluded11 fishing village, till we can think out a better plan.”
“Good; and when will you start?”
“At once—that is, to-night. You could be ready?”
“A man who can draw a little money is always ready,” replied Brettison, smiling. “Then I’ll take him back with me in a cab, pack up some things, and you will join us in time to catch the train which meets the Southampton boat this evening.”
“No. Leave him with me,” said Stratton firmly. “Go and get your luggage ready, and call for me with a cab at nine; that will be plenty of time for us to catch the train.”
“But—er—leave you—with him?” said Brettison hesitatingly.
Stratton laughed bitterly.
“Don’t be afraid, old fellow,” he said. “I shall not try to murder him this time.”
“My dear Malcolm!” cried the old man reproachfully.
“Well,” said Stratton, smiling sadly; “if you did not exactly think that, you had some hazy12 notions of its being unsafe to leave me with my incubus13.”
“I—that is—” faltered14 Brettison weakly.
“There, say no more. He’s safe with me. I shall not try to buy her freedom at such a cost. You know that.”
“At nine o’clock, then,” said Brettison hastily. “You are sure you will not mind being left with him?”
“Mind?” said Stratton with a smile. “Yes, I mind it, but it is our duty, old fellow; and we are going to do that duty to the end.”
He wrung15 his old friend’s hand as he saw him off, and then, with a complete change coming over his countenance16, he carefully locked the door, placed the inner key in his pocket, and walked steadily17 across to where his unwelcome visitor lay back in his seat, with his hand still playing furtively18 about the red scar behind his ear. His eyes stared in a leaden way at the rich carpet; and, as Stratton followed them he shuddered19, and the whole scene of that terrible night came back, for the eyes were fixed20 upon a stain only partly obliterated21, and it was there where his head had lain after he received the shot.
A peculiar22 sense of shrinking ran through Stratton as he saw himself again passing through the struggle and dragging the man into the bath-closet, while once more he had to fight with the feelings of dread23 of detection, and recalled how he had argued with himself, upon the necessity for hiding away the wretch whose existence had been as a blight24 on Myra’s young life, and who, dead, was the great bar to their future happiness.
“And,” he muttered aloud with a bitter sigh, “living—as great a barrier still.”
“If he would but die,” something seemed to say; “and free her.”
But he shook his head directly.
“A vain hope,” he said—“a vain hope.”
He shuddered and clenched25 his hands, closing his eyes directly after, for a maddening, horrible feeling of temptation had come over him. They were alone in that solitary26 room—he with this wretch whose existence in his sane27 moments was a curse; and who now, as he lay back there feeble, vacuous28, existing only in body, not in mind, was a mere29 blot30 upon the earth, less worthy31 of the space he occupied than the vilest32 animal classed as vermin, and which man crushed out of his way without compunction, without a second thought. What sin would it be to quench33 the flickering34 life before him? He must give up all hope of ever clasping Myra to his heart, as he had given it up before, and suffer as he had suffered then; but she would be free. There would never then be any possibility of her coming face to face with this horror. And it would be so easy! One firm grasp of his nervous fingers, and the feeble beating of the miserable wretch’s arteries35 would cease.
And after?
Brettison would return and find that his preparations had been vain—that the man was lying back there in his chair—dead from a fit—the precarious36 life had come to an end, as might have been foretold37 after such a seizure—such a stroke. And it would be so easy—so easy.
Stratton opened his eyes and stood gazing down at the vacant face with the lids half-closed now, and remained there as if fascinated, unable to drag himself away till, with one vigorous wrench38, he turned and literally39 rushed into his chamber40 to prepare for the journey.
He was absent about half an hour before he returned to make a few more preparations there.
He went about the room opening cabinet and case to find money and other necessaries for his journey, busying himself, and taking care not to let his eyes rest for a moment on the figure sitting back in the chair and uneasily moving from time to time.
“He is safe with me—safe with me,” Stratton muttered as he went to and from his bedroom. “What thoughts will force themselves into a man’s head at times!”
The hours had glided41 by till it had grown quite dark, and still he was busy for the sake of occupying himself. But at last he could see to do no more, and he went softly to a drawer to get out matches and light his lamp.
The drawer creaked as he pulled it out, and deadened a sound behind him as of one softly rising from a chair, and a piece of stone—a large fossil—grated as it was taken from the mantelpiece; but, rapt in thought, Stratton did not hear it as he opened the box, took out and struck a match, which flashed, and threw a bluish, ghastly light upon a hideous42 face, with beside it an arm raised to strike.
The next minute there was a crash and a heavy fall.
It was about half an hour later that Brettison ascended43 the staircase, and as he reached the landing there was a puffing44 and panting behind him.
“It is you, then, Mr Brettison,” cried Mrs Brade joyfully45; “I thought it was you as you passed the lodge46, and I am glad, sir. We began to think you must be dead and gone. Now do let me come and tidy up your room, sir, and make you a cup of tea.”
“No, no,” said Brettison. “I am going in here. Mr Stratton and I are leaving town.”
“Mr Stratton has gone, sir. Leastwise not at home.”
“What!”
“Mr Guest was here a quarter of an hour ago, and said he’d been here once before. He couldn’t make no one hear.”
“Something has happened then,” said Brettison to himself, and a thrill of horror ran through his frame.
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收听单词发音
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1
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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2
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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3
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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4
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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5
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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6
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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7
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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8
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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9
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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10
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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11
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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12
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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13
incubus
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| n.负担；恶梦 | |
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14
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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15
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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16
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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17
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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18
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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19
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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20
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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21
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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22
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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23
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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24
blight
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| n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残 | |
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25
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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27
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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28
vacuous
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| adj.空的，漫散的，无聊的，愚蠢的 | |
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29
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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30
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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31
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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32
vilest
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| adj.卑鄙的( vile的最高级 )；可耻的；极坏的；非常讨厌的 | |
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33
quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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34
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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35
arteries
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| n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道 | |
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36
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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37
foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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39
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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40
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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41
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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42
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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43
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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45
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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46
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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