The torch in Nance1's hand had flashed through a crack into her face once. It was the flame of a revolver in the hands of a thief in Jim's den2 in New York. She merely felt it. Her eyes had been gouged3 out and she was blind. A gang of his coarse companions were holding a council, cursing, drinking, fighting. Jim had sprung between two snarling4 brutes5 and knocked the revolver into the air. The flame had scorched6 her face.
With an oath he had slapped her.
“Get out, you damned little fool!” he growled7. “You're always in the way when you're not wanted. Nobody can ever find you when there's work to be done——”
“But I can't see, Jim dear,” she pleaded. “I do not know when things are out of place——”
“You're a liar8!” he roared. “You know where every piece of junk stands in this room better than I do. I can't bring a friend into that door that you don't know it. You can hear the swish of a woman's skirt on the stairs four stories below——”
“I only asked you who the woman was who came in with you, Jim——”
His fingers gripped her throat and stopped her breath. Through the roar of surging blood she could barely hear the vile9 words he was dinning10 into her ears.
“I know you just asked me, you nosing little devil, and it's none of your business! She's a pal11 of mine, if you want to know, the slickest thief that ever robbed a flat. She's got more sense in a minute than you'll ever have in a lifetime. She's going to live here with me now. You can sleep on the cot in the kitchen. And you come when she calls, if you know what's good for your lazy hide. I've told her to thrash the life out of you if you dare to give her any impudence12.”
She had cowered13 at his feet and begged him not to beat her again. The fumes14 of whiskey and stale beer filled the place.
Jim turned from her to quell15 a new fight at the other end of the room. Another woman was there, coarse, dirty, beastly. She drew a knife and demanded her share of the night's robberies. She was trying to break from the men who held her to stab Jim. They were all fighting and smashing the furniture——
She sprang from the bed with a cry of horror. The noise was real! It was not a dream. The beast inside was stumbling in the dark. His passions fired by liquor, he was fumbling16 to find his way into her room.
She rushed to the door and put her shoulder against the bar, panting in terror.
She heard his strangling cry:
“Here! Here! Great God! Do you know what you're doing?”
And then his mother's voice, mad with greed, cruel, merciless:
“I just want yer money—that's all, an' I'm goin' to have it!”
She heard the clinch17 in the struggle and the dull blow of the knife. In a sudden flash she saw it all. He had succeeded in rousing Nance's avarice18 and transforming her into a fiend. Without knowing it she was stabbing her own son to death in the room in which he had been born!
She tried to scream and her lips refused to move. She tried to hurry to the rescue and her knees turned to water.
Gasping19 for breath, she drew the bar from her prison door and walked slowly into the room.
Nance's tall, bony figure was still crouched20 over the open bag, her left hand buried in the gold, her right gripping the knife, her face convulsed with greed—avarice and murder blended into perfect hell-lit unity21 at last.
Jim lay on his back, limp and still, obliquely22 across the couch, his breast bared in the struggle, the blood oozing23 a widening scarlet24 blot25 on his white shirt. His head had fallen backward over the edge and could not be seen.
Without moving a muscle, her body crouching26, Nance spoke27:
“You wuz awake—you heered?”
“Yes!”
The gleaming eyes burned through the gray dawn, two points of scintillating28, hellish light fixed29 in purpose on the intruder.
She had only meant to take the money. The fool had fought. She killed him because she had to. And now the sobbing30, sniveling little idiot who had kept her waiting all night had stuck her nose into some thing that didn't concern her. If she opened her mouth, the gallows31 would be the end.
She would open it too. Of course she would. She was his wife. They had quarreled, but the simpleton would blab. Nance knew this with unerring instinct. It was no use to offer her half the money. She didn't have sense enough to take it. She knew those pious32, baby faces—well, there was room for two in the cave under the cliff. It was daylight now. No matter; it was Christmas morning. No man or woman ever darkened her door on Christmas day. She could hide their bodies until dark, and then it was easy. She would be in New York herself before anyone could suspect the meaning of that automobile33 in the shed or the owners would trouble themselves to come after it.
Again her decision was quick and fierce. Her hand was on the bag. She would hold it against the world, all hell and heaven.
With the leap of a tigress she was on the girl, the bag gripped in her left hand, the knife in her right.
To her amazement34 the trembling figure stood stock still gazing at her with a strange look of pity.
“Well!” Nance growled. “I ain't goin' ter be took now I've got this money—I'm goin' to New York ter find my boy!”
She lifted the knife and stopped in sheer stupor35 of surprise at the girl's immovable body and staring eyes. Had she gone crazy? What on earth could it mean? No girl of her youth and beauty could look death in the face without a tremor36. No woman in her right senses could see the body of her dead husband lying there red and yet quivering without a sign. It was more than even Nance's nerves could endure.
She lowered the knife and peered into the girl's set face and glanced quickly about the room. Could she have called help? Was the house surrounded? It was impossible. She couldn't have escaped. What did it mean?
The old woman drew back with a terror she couldn't understand.
“What are you looking at me like that for?” she panted.
Mary held her gaze in lingering pity. Her heart went out now to the miserable37 creature trembling in the presence of her victim. The blow must fall that would crush the soul out of her body at one stroke. The gray hair had tumbled over her distorted features, the ragged38 dress had been torn from her throat in the struggle and her flat, bony breast was exposed.
“You don't—have—to—go—to—New York—to—find—your—boy!” the strained voice said at last.
Nance frowned in surprise and flew back at her in rage.
“Yes I do, too—he lives thar!”
The little figure straightened above the crouching form.
“He's here!”
Nance sank slowly against the table and rested the bag on the edge of the chair. Its weight was more than she could bear. She tried to glance over her shoulder at the body on the couch and her courage failed. The first suspicion of the hideous39 truth flashed through her stunned40 mind. She couldn't grasp it at once.
“Whar?” she whispered hoarsely41.
Mary lifted her arm slowly and pointed42 to the couch.
“There!”
Nance glared at her a moment and broke into a hysterical43 laugh.
“It's a lie—a lie—a lie!”
“It's true——”
“Yer're just a lyin' ter me ter get away an give me up—but ye won't do it—little Miss—old Nance is too smart for ye this time. Who told you that?”
“He told me tonight!”
“He told you?” she repeated blankly.
“Yes.”
“You're a liar!” she growled. “And I'll prove it—you move out o' your tracks an' I'll cut your throat. My boy's got a scar on his neck—I know right whar to look for it. Don't you move now till I see—I know you're a liar——”
She turned and with the quick trembling fingers of her right hand tore the shirt back from the neck and saw the scar. She still held the bag in her left hand. The muscles slowly relaxed and the bag fell endwise to the floor, the gold crashing and rolling over the boards. She stared in stupor and threw both hands above her streaming gray hair.
“Lord God Almighty44!” she shrieked45. “Why didn't I think that he wuz somebody else's boy if he weren't mine!”
The thin body trembled and crumpled46 beside the couch.
The girl lifted her head in a look of awe47 as if in prayer.
“And God has set me free! free! free!”
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收听单词发音
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1
nance
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| n.娘娘腔的男人，男同性恋者 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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3
gouged
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| v.凿( gouge的过去式和过去分词 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出… | |
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4
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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5
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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6
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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7
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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8
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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10
dinning
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| vt.喧闹（din的现在分词形式） | |
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11
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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12
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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13
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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14
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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15
quell
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| v.压制，平息，减轻 | |
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fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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17
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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18
avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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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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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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22
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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23
oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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24
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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25
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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26
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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27
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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28
scintillating
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| adj．才气横溢的,闪闪发光的; 闪烁的 | |
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29
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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30
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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31
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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32
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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33
automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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34
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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35
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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36
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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37
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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38
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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39
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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40
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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41
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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42
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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43
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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44
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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45
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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47
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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