Chapter X. Scruples of Roger Galt

 As the gentleman entered the house, I slipped back to the bed, purposing, when I was assured that he would not come directly to my room, to test whether I could hear through the break in the ceiling of the room below and the parting of the flooring under my feet what should pass among my enemies.  I heard him enter the room; I heard Mother Mag’s return to the house and the clashing of the doors, as she made all fast.  I dropped down then, and lying prone¹, found that by pressing my ears against the parting in the floor I could hear distinctly.  And I found the gentleman berating² Roger by the fire.

 

“Mark you, my man, I’ll have no more of this,” he was declaring, in clear, authoritative³ tone.  “You’ll serve me when I will, or how I will, or take the consequences.”

 

“Mr. Charles Craike,” growled⁴ Roger, “I tell you I’ll not endure too much from you or any other man.  I’ll serve you when I will, and as it suits me.  Set the runners on to me—ay, set them—it won’t be the first time by a many as p. 84I’ve shown ’em a clean pair of heels.  I’ve an affair of my own callin’ me miles from here; I should have been off long since.”

 

“Peace, fool!” said Mr. Craike, contemptuously.

 

“And listen to me,” Roger blustered⁶, “if you’d peach on me, I know enough to pull you down.”

 

“My good Roger Galt,” said my uncle, laughing easily.  “I’m not questioning that you’ve served me as well this night as you’ve served me on any other occasion.  And I’ll pay you well, as I’ve paid you always.  Where’s the boy, Martin?”

 

“Fast up above,” Martin replied.

 

“And Bradbury?”

 

“Lying in the road like a dead man when we left him.”

 

“I trust,” said Mr. Craike, piously⁷, “that you’ve done him no hurt beyond repair.”

 

“No more than he did himself,” said Martin, laughing.  “He’d a pair of barkers with him, when the coach pulled up.  He fell out into the road; his pistols fired; and he lay there in the mire⁸.”

 

“And you took the boy and have him safely here.  Ay, ay.”

 

“Would you see him?” Martin asked.

 

“Oh, not I!  What’s he like, though?”

 

p. 85“As like his father,” Roger broke in heavily, “as one barker’s like its pair.”

 

“His father!  Ay!  His father was passionate—lacked discretion⁹; the boy’s the offspring of his father’s folly,” with a laugh at which I raged silently, understanding the slur¹⁰ he put upon me.

 

“And what now of the lad?” Roger persisted.  “What would you do with him, now he’s here?”

 

“Friend Roger Galt, you’re asking too much of me and my affairs!”

 

“Ay, ay, but what’s the answer?  You’ve kidnapped him; would ye ship him overseas?  That I’ll not quarrel with; he’d have a chance for his life, and he’d fare none so ill, for a rope’s end’s well for a lad.”

 

“Maybe that is my purpose,” my uncle said, coldly.

 

“But no more than that!” cried Roger Galt.  “By God, Mr. Craike, I’ll not have him done to death by Mart and Mother Mag or any other of your rogues¹¹.  I’ll not!”

 

“He’s so commended himself to you,” my uncle sneered¹³.

 

“He’s like his father.  Your brother Dick treated me kind as a lad.  He’d give me a guinea when you’d have no more for me than a fine word.”

 

“And you’d stand a friend to his bastard¹⁴, eh?”

 

p. 86“I’m none too sure as the lad’s base-born,” said Roger, stoutly¹⁵.  “He’s something of the look of Mary Howe about him, as well as the looks of you Craikes.  And Mary Howe was not the lass to listen to the talk of Dick Craike, or any man, unless a ring and a book went with it.  No, it’s because the boy’s born a Craike you’ll not have him meet old Edward.”

 

“Silence!”  Mr. Craike’s command cut through the air like a whip.  “I’m accountable to no man, Galt, for what I do.  You presume to preach to me—you, my hang-dog; you’ve threatened me a while since.  Threatened!  Would any take your word for aught?”

 

“Any knowing you, Mr. Craike.”

 

“Have it so, then!  Match yourself against me.  At least this is assured your hanging for a highwayman; are you so confident that you will lay me by the heels?  Come!  Are you so confident—knowing me?”

 

But Roger Galt answered only with a string of oaths.

 

“You’re not so confident,” my uncle said, coolly.  “You bluster⁵ only, Roger, when the drink’s in you.  And when you’re sober—seldom, Roger—you’re no fool; you’re ready to serve me, knowing I pay.  Your interests are mine, friend Roger.”

 

p. 87“Ay, that’s well enough.  But what of the boy, now you’ve got him in this ken¹⁶?”

 

“The boy,” said Mr. Craike, “will come to no hurt at my hands.  Have it so, if you will!  He does not come yet to my father’s house; have that so!  He goes overseas with Ezra Blunt, when the rogue¹² makes port.  He’ll go overseas and be set ashore¹⁷ to work his way home as he may.  He’ll suffer no worse; but he’ll not make Rogues’ Haven¹⁸ in these two years to be.  And till Blunt is here, Mother Mag and you, Martin, look to it that the fellow lie snugly¹⁹ at the Stone House.  And if Bradbury live,—God rest him, body and soul—and raise the hue²⁰ and cry, look to it that no one find the fellow here.  Keep him fast, keep him hidden—d’ye hear me?—fast and hidden!  I’ve your wage with me, Roger, though not yours yet, Martin, or yours, Mother Mag.  Hark to the chink of the coin, Roger!  Did you ever empty such saddle-bags?—Why, what the devil—?” for the hag had screeched²¹ out shrilly²².

 

“What’s fallin’?  What’s fallin’?” cried Mother Mag.  “Where’s the dust all fallin’ from?”

 

“Rats gnawin’ through,” said Roger.  “The ken’s haunted with ’em.”

 

“Or the boy?  What’s he doing this while?” Mr. Craike demanded, furiously.

 

p. 88Instantly I started up, and dusted my breeches and jacket; I lay down on the bed, as Martin came rushing up the stairs.  But I made no pretence²³ of sleep when he pulled the door open, and flashed the lantern on me.  I sat up and stared at him.  He swung the lantern over me; observing the dust yet upon me, and the length of my body marked in dust upon the floor, he muttered, “So you’ve been eaves-dropping, you dog—hey, you dog?”

 

I answered him boldly, though my heart beat the devil’s tattoo²⁴ within my breast, “Ay, I’ve heard every word, my friend.  And say this from me to my kinsman²⁵, Charles Craike—as he has not the courage to face me here—that for all I’ve suffered and am to suffer from him here, he’ll pay me yet.  If further hurt come to me; if I am put aboard Blunt’s ship, I’ve friends—not Mr. Bradbury alone—who’ll never rest till he’s laid by the heels.  Ay, and tell him this from me: that for his foul²⁶ lie against me and my mother, I’ll have a reckoning yet from him and his.”

1 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

2 berating   

v.严厉责备，痛斥( berate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He deserved the berating that the coach gave him. 他活该受到教练的严厉训斥。 来自互联网
• The boss is berating those who were late for work. 老板正在呵斥那些上班迟到的员工。 来自互联网

3 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

4 growled   

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

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 bluster   

v.猛刮；怒冲冲的说；n.吓唬，怒号；狂风声

参考例句：

• We could hear the bluster of the wind and rain.我们能听到狂风暴雨的吹打声。
• He was inclined to bluster at first,but he soon dropped.起初他老爱吵闹一阵，可是不久就不做声了。

6 blustered   

v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹

参考例句：

• He blustered his way through the crowd. 他吆喝着挤出人群。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The wind blustered around the house. 狂风呼啸着吹过房屋周围。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 piously   

adv.虔诚地

参考例句：

• Many pilgrims knelt piously at the shrine.许多朝圣者心虔意诚地在神殿跪拜。
• The priests piously consecrated the robbery with a hymn.教士们虔诚地唱了一首赞美诗，把这劫夺行为神圣化了。

8 mire   

n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境

参考例句：

• I don't want my son's good name dragged through the mire.我不想使我儿子的名誉扫地。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

9 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

10 slur   

v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音

参考例句：

• He took the remarks as a slur on his reputation.他把这些话当作是对他的名誉的中伤。
• The drug made her speak with a slur.药物使她口齿不清。

11 rogues   

n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽

参考例句：

• 'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道，我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑，但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

12 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

13 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

14 bastard   

n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子

参考例句：

• He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。
• There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。

15 stoutly   

adv.牢固地，粗壮的

参考例句：

• He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
• Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难，但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。

16 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

17 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

18 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

19 snugly   

adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地

参考例句：

• Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房，遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 hue   

n.色度；色调；样子

参考例句：

• The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
• The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

21 screeched   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• She screeched her disapproval. 她尖叫着不同意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The car screeched to a stop. 汽车嚓的一声停住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 shrilly   

尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的

参考例句：

• The librarian threw back his head and laughed shrilly. 图书管理员把头往后面一仰，尖着嗓子哈哈大笑。
• He half rose in his seat, whistling shrilly between his teeth, waving his hand. 他从车座上半欠起身子，低声打了一个尖锐的唿哨，一面挥挥手。

23 pretence   

n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰

参考例句：

• The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
• He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。

24 tattoo   

n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于

参考例句：

• I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。
• He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。

25 kinsman   

n.男亲属

参考例句：

• Tracing back our genealogies,I found he was a kinsman of mine.转弯抹角算起来他算是我的一个亲戚。
• A near friend is better than a far dwelling kinsman.近友胜过远亲。

26 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！