Such was my general view of the place; I now proceeded to make a more detailed12 and practical observation. Keeping just within the obscurity of the trees I began to make my way round the moat, [Pg 139]principally to ascertain13 the difficulties of approach to the building. They soon showed themselves to be formidable enough. There was in fact only one legitimate14 way of entry, by a drawbridge, to meet which a pier15 ran out half-way across the wide moat. This drawbridge, which was pulled up, was worked from a massive square tower with portcullis gate, the usual gate-house tower of fortified buildings. Not much chance of getting over there, so I went on to see what facilities the other side might present. There were none. The band of water became no narrower as I had rather hoped, and as far as I could see (for the deep shadows made accurate observation impossible) the main portion of the building rose sheer from the water. I was rather surprised at this, for I had imagined that in modern times the motive16 of convenience would have led to the construction of a second means of access. But there was none, and I told myself that the only way of reaching the other side unobserved would be to swim for it. A prison indeed, I thought, for that poor girl, and a secure place of execution. The idea spurred me to leave no attempt at rescue untried; accordingly, I went round the edge of the moat, searching vainly for some indication as to the most likely place where I might swim over and discover her prison. It seemed almost hopeless. Was she, indeed, still alive? She and her captors would have arrived some time that morning, and much might have happened since then. Were they here after all? The journey to the Geierthal might have been a feint. No. I argued it out, and came to the conclusion that it was genuine enough. And what better prison or death-place could these authorized17 murderers have desired than this? The whole affair was a hideous18 puzzle to me; still, I was resolved to do what I could to rescue the girl. So I determined19 I would lose no more time in futile20 [Pg 140]speculations but would swim the moat and set to work to find her.
Now a strange thing came to my notice. I had begun to throw off my outer clothing preparatory to slipping into the water, and was stooping down on one knee unlacing my boots, when my eye came in line with a faint glimmer21 of light. My face was towards the wood, turned away for the time from the building, and this light, seen through the trees when I struck a particular line of vision, and lost again when I moved out of it, seemed to be some little distance, a hundred paces, perhaps, within the wood and close to the ground. I watched it for a while, and being quite unable to account for it, quietly put on my clothes again and crept warily22 towards the place for a closer inspection. Betokening23, as seemed probable, the presence of persons in the wood, I was rather startled to find how near I had come to being discovered.
As I got closer, with fewer trees to intercept24 my view of the light, it puzzled me more than ever. For it appeared to rise from the earth and irradiate feebly the gaunt trunks of the surrounding trees. For a moment my mind went back to the fairy tales of the land, but any such fanciful suggestion was dispelled25 by a movement at the spot whence the glow proceeded. The light was intercepted26 for an instant by something which passed over it. An object rose from the ground, as though it were thrown up. This action was now repeated in fairly quick succession, and I could make a shrewd guess at the explanation. I crept nearer, the thick carpet of pine needles deadening my footsteps. When I had advanced as close as I dared I slipped behind a tree and watched for what next would happen. I could see quite clearly now what was before hidden by the shadow cast where the light did not reach. Earth was being thrown up. [Pg 141]Presently there was a pause in this operation, two objects appeared above the surface about three feet apart. The hands of a man in the act of stretching himself. Some one was there digging. What? A grave? The conjecture27 gave me a thrill. I felt sure now of poor Asta von Winterstein’s fate, and this, merciful Providence28! this unholy work was for her last resting-place. While her parents were vainly and sorrowfully searching for her body in the river fifty miles away, she had been quietly brought to this house of death and——. I was roused from my thoughts, maddening in the very sense of helplessness to avert29 the tragedy, by a movement of the light. An old-fashioned lantern whence it came was now raised and set upon the edge of the hole, out of which scrambled30 afterwards the figure of a man, thick set and so short as to be almost a dwarf31. He looked round as though expecting somebody; then taking a pipe from his pocket he lit it from the lantern and sat down to smoke. His action convinced me that he was waiting for some one, perhaps—I shuddered—the bearers of the body to be buried there, and this gave me warning to be on my guard. Nevertheless, I was determined to see the affair out; indeed, had I wished, I could hardly have retreated now without attracting the man’s notice. I had not long to wait. Behind me from the direction of the moat came a peculiar32 noise, indefinable, yet denoting an approaching presence. The man knocked out his pipe and set himself to rake together a heap of pine needles. I crouched33 down as close as I could get to the bole of the tree which hid me. A man came along slowly, passing me at a distance of about ten paces. He was half-dragging, half carrying some heavy object, which in the darkness I could not make out, and which I feared to see. As he passed between me and the light I could stand up and get a better view. The man was [Pg 142]dressed in a long hooded34 over-garment like a monk’s cassock, and to my relief I saw that what he was carrying was merely a large hurdle36. The other man came forward to meet him, and between them they laid the hurdle across the hole. Then they went off towards the moat, leaving the light, which was lucky, as had they carried it with them they might have seen me. As it was, the darkness was so impenetrable that I had little fear of detection if only they did not actually run against me.
In a few minutes they returned bearing two more hurdles37. These also they placed across the grave, if such it were, so that, as I judged, it was completely covered over. Then the second man threw off his long cassock, and they both began to shovel38 earth upon the hurdles, and over that they carefully spread a layer of pine needles. Their faces, so far as the dim light allowed me to make them out, were villainous to a degree, but perhaps their surroundings, their occupation, and my own frame of mind did them less than justice. Anyhow, they were singularly repulsive39.
When their work of concealment40 was finished, each put on his cassock, drawing the hood35 over his head, then they took up the lantern, the spades and mattock, and returned towards the moat.
So, I thought, the grave is ready, but it is not to be occupied to-night. In anticipation41 of their passing with the light I had retreated to a spot more removed from their path. When they were at a safe distance I began cautiously to follow them, which was rendered easy by the light, which told me of their whereabouts. When once they emerged from the wood to the water’s edge I could see them clearly against the moonlight. They had put out the lantern, and from a clump42 of bushes proceeded to unmoor a boat. Then, getting in, these unholy familiars pulled across the [Pg 143]moat, landed at what seemed some steps by a small postern, made the boat fast in such a way that it lay hidden behind the steps, and silently disappeared through the door, which closed upon them.
Here, then, was my point of reconnaissance; not a very promising43 one, it is true, but worth trying. The door was well contrived44, for, in the shadow cast by a buttress45, both it and its approach were secure from observation. Keenly as I had examined the wall, they had quite escaped my notice. From what I had seen I felt pretty certain that the grave in the wood was not to be visited again that night. So, after waiting a short while, I put into practice my interrupted plan of swimming across the moat for a closer examination. The water was fairly warm, and some twenty strokes landed me at the steps, which, as I had supposed, were formed on the outside of a small stone arch, the inside of which formed a boat-house. I crept up the steps and tried the door; it was fast closed, and an examination of it convinced me that an entrance that way was practically impossible unless I should chance to find it left open. Satisfied of this, I next untied46 the boat, got in, and began a tour round the building, working myself warily along the wall, which rose sheer from the water. My search for any indication of the poor girl’s prison was fruitless. The few barred windows I passed were dark and all silent within, neither in any part of the building could I see any sign of life. Presently, I came to the end of the wall, to a spot where I could land and examine the place from the other side. Very cautiously I made the boat fast and got out. Keeping well in the shadow of the walls I crept round the front of the Monastery. To my surprise all was dark on this side too; not a glimmer at any of the windows; the whole as silent as a ruin. Search as I would, nothing could be seen that gave me the [Pg 144]least hope of accomplishing my purpose. So at length my shivering limbs and the obvious futility47 of further effort told me I must abandon my effort at any rate for that night. It was saddening to think that perhaps even that moment the vile48 deed might be in course of perpetration, but what could I do with absolutely nothing to guide me? So, after a final scrutiny49, I got back into the boat, returned the way that I had come, left it in its place, swam back huddled50 on my clothes, and ran at a swinging pace home to the inn by way of restoring my circulation.
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1
sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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2
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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4
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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5
circumspectly
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| adv.慎重地，留心地 | |
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6
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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7
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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8
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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9
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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10
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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11
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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12
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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13
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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14
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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15
pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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16
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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17
authorized
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| a.委任的，许可的 | |
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18
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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19
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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20
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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21
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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22
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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23
betokening
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的现在分词 ) | |
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24
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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25
dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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27
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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28
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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29
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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30
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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31
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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32
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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33
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
hooded
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| adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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35
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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36
hurdle
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| n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛 | |
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37
hurdles
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| n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛 | |
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38
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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39
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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40
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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41
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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42
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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43
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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44
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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45
buttress
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| n.支撑物；v.支持 | |
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46
untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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47
futility
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| n.无用 | |
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48
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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49
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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50
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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