Chapter XX. Soul of a Man

 Mr. Bradbury took his leave shortly after dinner, driving off in his coach, attended by the Bow Street runners.  He was allowed no further opportunity of speech with me, my uncle engaging him in conversation; my grandfather sitting grim and silent by the fire.  From time to time, I found his eyes studying me, as I sat glumly¹ apart; his face was expressionless of his sentiment to me.  My cousin Oliver had been aided from the room by Thrale on my uncle’s direction.  On Mr. Bradbury’s departure, the old man went to his room, leaning on his son; and I was left alone by the fire.

 

The fire was burning down into coals; the candles flickered² on the chimney-piece; the reflections flitted like white moths⁴ over the mirrors; else the room was draped with shadows.  All about me I heard furtive⁵ sounds; out of the gloom I believed that the bleared eyes of the old rogues⁶ who served my grandfather surveyed me secretly,—this may have been no more than a phantasm of my mind, yet I could have sworn p. 162that, when the coals fell, and the red flame splashed into the well of darkness about me, I saw those wrinkled brown faces—surely burnt by the suns of the Spanish Main or the Indies.  Rogues’ Haven⁷!  I was realising what manner of man was my grandfather; I was conjecturing⁸ that he had sailed across the seas in his heady youth, and grown rich with plunder⁹.

 

I have a belief—it dates from the time I passed at Rogues’ Haven—that the spirit of a man is stamped upon the house in which he dwells.  Surely the spirit of old Edward Craike impressed itself upon his gloomy home, and the mystery of the man was the mystery of the house.  Ay, the past of our race and the past of my grandfather alike affected¹⁰ the ancient house, meshed¹¹ in a monstrous¹² web of dark green ivy¹³, clouded by gloomy woods, and blown upon by melancholy¹⁴ winds.  Now did faces peer our of the shadows at me, seated drearily¹⁵ by the fire?  Did I hear whispering, muttering, or did I but imagine voices in the wind come up from stormy sea to the black woods, to cry about the dwelling¹⁶, and moan and sigh, and to creep in by breach¹⁷ and crack and cranny, to stir the dusty, moth-corrupted hangings, and fill the house with secret rustling¹⁸, sighing?

 

My uncle did not rejoin me till the night was far p. 163advanced.  He came in stepping so stealthily that at the sudden sight of him standing¹⁹ beside me, and watching me with haunted eyes, I started from my chair, and scarcely repressed a cry.  He smiled at me, but his gaiety of the early evening had passed from him; he dropped heavily into a chair facing me, giving me not a word.  I watched the shadows fall about his face, as the coals blackened out, and the candles, waving in the draughts²⁰, guttered²¹, burned down, and smoked.  If a light leaped high from silver stick, I saw him white as ivory, lips twisted, eyes brooding.  He looked at me malevolently²² at times; I understood how much in truth he hated me; how my resemblance to my father tormented²³ him; what was the repression²⁴ compelled upon him by his father.

 

He said suddenly, “It’s a cruel trick of fate, nephew, brings you to this house!”

 

“How?” I asked.  “I’m not here by any wish of mine.”

 

“Or by any wish of mine,” he said, with a bitter laugh.  “Fate, in the form of Bradbury!  Odd, kinsman²⁵, that my father should be so near to death, and I who have endured him all these years bid fair to lose in these last days of his my profit on it.  I’ve a notion, nephew, that in the few weeks you will remain here you’ll benefit by p. 164all I looked for.  Estimate my sentiment towards you!”

 

“The hate that looked from your eyes a moment since.”

 

“A poor expression of it, nephew,” he said.  “There is no look, or word spoken or written, shall reveal a man’s soul.  The fellow Rousseau has essayed to reveal his soul, to be sure, and has revealed but the body of an ape.  I have a philosophy of my own, John Craike,—that my soul is not my body’s own; that aught I do, while my soul is in my body, counts nothing in the score against me.  If I do aught—pride myself on it or am ashamed—I need not plume²⁶ myself, or fret²⁷ me.  For it is not my deed.”

 

“A comfortable creed²⁸,” said I.  “It would absolve²⁹ you from aught that you have done or plan to do against your brother or your brother’s son.”

 

“I take it so,” he answered, coolly.  “Nephew, this will of mine—I name it ‘will’—is no more mine, no more controllable by me than that wind blowing from the sea, and crying out about this dreary³⁰ house.  The actions of our lives are inevitable³¹ as storm or summer sun.  My very promise to my father to do no hurt to you, while you are in this house, is no more mine than the injury I have essayed and failed to do you.  We p. 165are predestined, nephew, as surely as any hapless wretch³² who walked the plank³³, or drowned in scuttled³⁴ ship, or burned with its burning—at my father’s hands.”

 

“I did not know,” I whispered, “the manner of his past.  And do you tell me?”

 

“I tell you nothing that you must not know,” he said indifferently.  “Rogues’ Haven—this house is but a haven for old rogues,—rogues who were young and lusty with him once, and sinned at his command.  Sinned!  Nay, there is no sin; there is no virtue³⁶ that is a man’s own.  Predestined!”—his laughter rang out over the winds that beat against the shutters—“Will you tell all this to my father, nephew?  Will you seek to blacken me to him that you may profit by it?  It will not change a whit³ his disposition³⁷ to me.  He is not wholly past all love or hate, though he is near to death.  And lacking my philosophy, he is not past all terror.  He fears death; he fears dead men who, living, troubled him not at all.  He is afraid to go down to their company—their company—the maw of the worm or the fish, the decay of all who go down into the ground or sink in the sea.  His soul—it never was his soul!  He loved your father; he ever hated me.  Till he grew old, his will was stronger than my will.  My will grows stronger, nephew; p. 166I warn you my will may yet prevail over his old affection for your father, on which your hope with him rests wholly.”

 

“Will!” I repeated.  “It accords ill with your creed, my uncle.”

 

“Will!” he said, laughing.  “Oh, it’s no more than the force given to the wind or the wave.  Predestined!  If I win yet, nephew, so it is fated; not any act of yours or mine may stay it.  I do not see the event.  No man may look beyond the minute that is now.  Nephew, I vow³⁸ I saw you yawning; I prose; I weary you; I am a dull fellow,—and who would not be, living in this house?”

 

“No, I am tired, that’s all.  I’ll go to bed.”

 

He caught the bell-rope, and old Thrale answering, he bade him light me to my room.  The fire upon its hearth³⁹ burned brightly; the bed was warm and soft, but my comfort lulled⁴⁰ in no way my apprehension⁴¹ of the night.  Though I locked the door and set a chair against it, I did not feel secure.  Knowing myself friendless in the house, with no more than the decaying will of an old man between me and my enemy.  Knowing the house peopled with old rogues, who, I conjectured⁴², had been seamen⁴³ on my grandfather’s ship, when he was young, and sinned unpardonable sins, and grew rich under a black flag.  p. 167I fell to picturing him in his youth and strength—the dark ruthless face, the powerful body, the strong, cruel hands.  I pictured him on the deck of his ship,—I conjured⁴⁴ up its build for swiftness, its rakish masts, the swell⁴⁵ of its white sails.  I conjured up illusions of glittering seas, blue as the sheen on copper⁴⁶ in the sun; a phantasm of those old rogues, withered⁴⁷, bloated, tottering⁴⁸ now, as lusty with youth.  Stark to the waist I saw them, their bodies muscular and brown as iron, and lithe⁴⁹ as steel; the wicked aged⁵⁰ faces that had peered at me out of the shadows now young, and red with drink and lust³⁵ and greed; I saw these rogues now toiling⁵¹ at the guns,—through smoke I saw them: their hands grip cutlass, or knife, or pistol now for dish or glass or bottle.  I saw such treasure, as the massy plate upon the board that night, piled on red decks with bursting chests of rich apparel—dyed silks and satins, laces; gold pieces, precious gems⁵², even as the red gems upon my grandfather’s fingers.  And I heard piteous lamentation⁵³ in the wind screaming from the sea; cries of the dying and tormented in its wailing⁵⁴ round the house, and in its rumbling⁵⁵ above the chimney stacks the roar of guns; and the wash of waters in the sweeping⁵⁶ of the pine and fir boughs⁵⁷.  The dark curtains of my bed were half-drawn; when the p. 168moon shone in, I saw a black flag flying and a death’s head on it.

 

For my terrors, born of the evil brooding in this house, I could not rest.  I fell to wondering whether my grandsire slept soundly in his bed, or whether phantoms⁵⁸ crowded upon him, and the winds cried menace to him—an old man black with sins and nigh to dying.

1 glumly   

adv.忧郁地，闷闷不乐地；阴郁地

参考例句：

• He stared at it glumly, and soon became lost in thought. 他惘然沉入了瞑想。 来自子夜部分
• The President sat glumly rubbing his upper molar, saying nothing. 总统愁眉苦脸地坐在那里，磨着他的上牙，一句话也没有说。 来自辞典例句

2 flickered   

（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
• These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。

3 whit   

n.一点，丝毫

参考例句：

• There's not a whit of truth in the statement.这声明里没有丝毫的真实性。
• He did not seem a whit concerned.他看来毫不在乎。

4 moths   

n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去，弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 furtive   

adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的

参考例句：

• The teacher was suspicious of the student's furtive behaviour during the exam.老师怀疑这个学生在考试时有偷偷摸摸的行为。
• His furtive behaviour aroused our suspicion.他鬼鬼祟祟的行为引起了我们的怀疑。

6 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

7 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。

8 conjecturing   

v. & n. 推测，臆测

参考例句：

• This may be true or partly true; we are all conjecturing here. 这可能属实或者部分属实，我们都是在这儿揣测。
• Deborah sagacity in conjecturing which of the two girls was likely to have the best place. 狄波拉用尽心机去猜哪一个女儿会得顶好的席位。

9 plunder   

vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠

参考例句：

• The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
• Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 meshed   

有孔的，有孔眼的，啮合的

参考例句：

• The wheels meshed well. 机轮啮合良好。
• Their senses of humor meshed perfectly. 他们的幽默感配合得天衣无缝。

12 monstrous   

adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的

参考例句：

• The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
• Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

13 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

14 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

15 drearily   

沉寂地，厌倦地，可怕地

参考例句：

• "Oh, God," thought Scarlett drearily, "that's just the trouble. "啊，上帝！" 思嘉沮丧地想，"难就难在这里呀。
• His voice was utterly and drearily expressionless. 他的声调，阴沉沉的，干巴巴的，完全没有感情。

16 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

17 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

18 rustling   

n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的

参考例句：

• the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声
• the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

19 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

20 draughts   

n. <英>国际跳棋

参考例句：

• Seal (up) the window to prevent draughts. 把窗户封起来以防风。
• I will play at draughts with him. 我跟他下一盘棋吧！

21 guttered   

vt.形成沟或槽于…（gutter的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Her screen career all practical purposes, had guttered out. 她的银幕生涯实际上默默无闻地结束了。 来自互联网
• The torches guttered in the breeze, casting wavering shadows upon the battlements. 火把在风中闪烁不定，它的影子也随着在墙壁上摇曳着。 来自互联网

22 malevolently   

参考例句：

• She watched him malevolently. 她恶意地看着他。 来自互联网
• The little woman advanced slowly with her eyes fixed malevolently on the pink paper. 那小妇人慢慢前进，眼睛恶意地盯在那张粉红钯的纸上。 来自互联网

23 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

24 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

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 plume   

n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰

参考例句：

• Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
• He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。

27 fret   

v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损

参考例句：

• Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。
• She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

28 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

29 absolve   

v.赦免，解除（责任等）

参考例句：

• I absolve you,on the ground of invincible ignorance.鉴于你不可救药的无知，我原谅你。
• They agree to absolve you from your obligation.他们同意免除你的责任。

30 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

31 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

32 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

33 plank   

n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目

参考例句：

• The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。
• They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。

34 scuttled   

v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走

参考例句：

• She scuttled off when she heard the sound of his voice. 听到他的说话声，她赶紧跑开了。
• The thief scuttled off when he saw the policeman. 小偷看见警察来了便急忙跑掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

36 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

37 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

38 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

39 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

40 lulled   

vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• They lulled her into a false sense of security. 他们哄骗她，使她产生一种虚假的安全感。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The movement of the train lulled me to sleep. 火车轻微的震动催我进入梦乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

41 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

42 conjectured   

推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The old peasant conjectured that it would be an unusually cold winter. 那老汉推测冬天将会异常地寒冷。
• The general conjectured that the enemy only had about five days' supply of food left. 将军推测敌人只剩下五天的粮食给养。

43 seamen   

n.海员

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather. 有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• In the storm, many seamen wished they were on shore. 在暴风雨中，许多海员想，要是他们在陆地上就好了。

44 conjured   

用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• He conjured them with his dying breath to look after his children. 他临终时恳求他们照顾他的孩子。
• His very funny joke soon conjured my anger away. 他讲了个十分有趣的笑话，使得我的怒气顿消。

45 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

46 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

47 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

48 tottering   

adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠

参考例句：

• the tottering walls of the castle 古城堡摇摇欲坠的墙壁
• With power and to spare we must pursue the tottering foe. 宜将剩勇追穷寇。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

49 lithe   

adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的

参考例句：

• His lithe athlete's body had been his pride through most of the fifty - six years.他那轻巧自如的运动员体格，五十六年来几乎一直使他感到自豪。
• His walk was lithe and graceful.他走路轻盈而优雅。

50 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

51 toiling   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• The fiery orator contrasted the idle rich with the toiling working classes. 这位激昂的演说家把无所事事的富人同终日辛劳的工人阶级进行了对比。
• She felt like a beetle toiling in the dust. She was filled with repulsion. 她觉得自己像只甲虫在地里挣扎，心中涌满愤恨。

52 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

53 lamentation   

n.悲叹，哀悼

参考例句：

• This ingredient does not invite or generally produce lugubrious lamentation. 这一要素并不引起，或者说通常不产生故作悲伤的叹息。 来自哲学部分
• Much lamentation followed the death of the old king. 老国王晏驾，人们悲恸不已。 来自辞典例句

54 wailing   

v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱

参考例句：

• A police car raced past with its siren wailing. 一辆警车鸣着警报器飞驰而过。
• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。

55 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

56 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

57 boughs   

大树枝( bough的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
• A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

58 phantoms   

n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They vanished down the stairs like two phantoms. 他们像两个幽灵似的消失在了楼下。 来自辞典例句
• The horrible night that he had passed had left phantoms behind it. 他刚才度过的恐布之夜留下了种种错觉。 来自辞典例句