Smithell's Hall is one of the oldest residences of England, and still retains very much the aspect that it must have had several centuries ago. The house formerly4 stood around all four sides of a quadrangle, enclosing a court, and with an entrance through an archway. One side of this quadrangle was removed in the time of the present Mr. ———'s father, and the front is now formed by the remaining three sides. They look exceedingly ancient and venerable, with their range of gables and lesser5 peaks. The house is probably timber-framed throughout, and is overlaid with plaster, and its generally light line is painted with a row of trefoils in black, producing a very quaint6 effect. The wing, forming one side of the quadrangle, is a chapel7, and has been so from time immemorial; and Mr. ——— told me that he had a clergyman, and even a bishop8, in his own diocese. The drawing-room is on the opposite side of the quadrangle; and through an arched door, in the central portion, there is a passage to the rear of the house. It is impossible to describe such an old rambling9 edifice10 as this, or to get any clear idea of its plan, even by going over it, without the aid of a map. Mr. ——— has added some portions, and altered others, but with due regard to harmony with the original structure, and the great body of it is still mediaeval.
The entrance-hall opens right upon the quadrangular court; and is a large, low room, with a settle of carved old oak, and other old oaken furniture,—a centre-table with periodicals and newspapers on it,—some family pictures on the walls,—and a large, bright coal-fire in the spacious11 grate. The fire is always kept up, throughout summer and winter, and it seemed to me an excellent plan, and rich with cheerful effects; insuring one comfortable place, and that the most central in the house, whatever may be the inclemency12 of the weather. It was a cloudy, moist, showery day, when I arrived; and this fire gave me the brightest and most hospitable13 smile, and took away any shivery feeling by its mere14 presence. The servant showed me thence into a low-studded dining-room, where soon Mrs. ——— made her appearance, and, after some talk, brought me into the billiard-room, opening from the hall, where Mr. ——— and a young gentleman were playing billiards15, and two ladies looking on. After the game was finished, Mr. ——— took me round to see the house and grounds.
The peculiarity16 of this house is what is called "The Bloody17 Footstep." In the time of Bloody Mary, a Protestant clergyman—George Marsh18 by name —was examined before the then proprietor19 of the Hall, Sir Roger Barton, I think, and committed to prison for his heretical opinions, and was ultimately burned at the stake. As his guards were conducting him from the justice-room, through the stone-paved passage that leads from front to rear of Smithell's Hall, he stamped his foot upon one of the flagstones in earnest protestation against the wrong which he was undergoing. The foot, as some say, left a bloody mark in the stone; others have it, that the stone yielded like wax under his foot, and that there has been a shallow cavity ever since. This miraculous20 footprint is still extant; and Mrs. ——— showed it to me before her husband took me round the estate. It is almost at the threshold of the door opening from the rear of the house, a stone two or three feet square, set among similar ones, that seem to have been worn by the tread of many generations. The footprint is a dark brown stain in the smooth gray surface of the flagstone; and, looking sidelong at it, there is a shallow cavity perceptible, which Mrs. ——— accounted for as having been worn by people setting their feet just on this place, so as to tread the very spot, where the martyr21 wrought22 the miracle. The mark is longer than any mortal foot, as if caused by sliding along the stone, rather than sinking into it; and it might be supposed to have been made by a pointed23 shoe, being blunt at the heel, and decreasing towards the toe. The blood-stained version of the story is more consistent with the appearance of the mark than the imprint24 would be; for if the martyr's blood oozed25 out through his shoe and stocking, it might have made his foot slide along the stone, and thus have lengthened26 the shape. Of course it is all a humbug,—a darker vein27 cropping up through the gray flagstone; but, it is probably a fact, and, for aught I know, may be found in Fox's Book of Martyrs28, that George Marsh underwent an examination in this house [There is a full and pathetic account of the examination and martyrdom of George Marsh in the eleventh section of Fox's Book of Martyrs, as I have just found (June 9, 1867). He went to Smithell's hall, among other places, to be questioned by Mr. Barton.—ED.]; and the tradition may have connected itself with the stone within a short time after the martyrdom; or, perhaps, when the old persecuting29 knight30 departed this life, and Bloody Mary was also dead, people who had stood at a little distance from the Hall door, and had seen George Marsh lift his hand and stamp his foot just at this spot,—perhaps they remembered this action and gesture, and really believed that Providence31 had thus made an indelible record of it on the stone; although the very stone and the very mark might have lain there at the threshold hundreds of years before. But, even if it had been always there, the footprint might, after the fact, be looked upon as a prophecy, from the time when the foundation of the old house was laid, that a holy and persecuted32 man should one day set his foot here, on the way that was to lead him to the stake. At any rate, the legend is a good one.
Mrs. ——— tells me that the miraculous stone was once taken up from the pavement, and flung out of doors, where it remained many years; and in proof of this, it is cracked quite across at one end. This is a pity, and rather interferes33 with the authenticity34, if not of the stone itself, yet of its position in the pavement. It is not far from the foot of the staircase, leading up to Sir Roger Barton's examination-room, whither we ascended35, after examining the footprint. This room now opens sideways on the Chapel, into which it looks down, and which is spacious enough to accommodate a pretty large congregation. On one of the walls of the Chapel there is a marble tablet to the memory of one of the present family,—Mr.———'s father, I suppose; he being the first of the name who possessed36 the estate. The present owners, however, seem to feel pretty much the same pride in the antiquity37 and legends of the house as if it had come down to them in an unbroken succession of their own forefathers38. It has, in reality, passed several times from one family to another, since the Conquest.
Mr. ——— led me through a spacious old room, which was formerly panelled with carved oak, but which is converted into a brew-house, up a pair of stairs, into the garret of one of the gables, in order to show me the ancient framework of the house. It is of oak, and preposterously39 ponderous,—immense beams and rafters, which no modern walls could support,—a gigantic old skeleton, which architects say must have stood a thousand years; and, indeed, it is impossible to ascertain40 the date of the original foundation, though it is known to have been repaired and restored between five and six centuries ago. Of course, in the lapse41 of ages, it must continually have been undergoing minor42 changes, but without at all losing its identity. Mr. ——— says that this old oak wood, though it looks as strong and as solid as ever, has really lost its strength, and that it would snap short off, on application of any force.
After this we took our walk through the grounds, which are well wooded, though the trees will bear no comparison with those which I have seen in the midland parts of England. It takes, I suspect, a much longer time for trees to attain43 a good size here than in America; and these trees, I think Mr. ——— told me, were principally set out by himself. He is upwards44 of sixty,—a good specimen45 of the old English country-gentleman, sensible, loving his land and his trees and his dogs and his game, doing a little justice-business, and showing a fitness for his position; so that you feel satisfied to have him keep it. He was formerly a member of Parliament. I had met him before at dinner at Mrs. H———'s. . . . He took pleasure in showing me his grounds, through which he has laid out a walk, winding46 up and down through dells and over hillocks, and now and then crossing a rustic47 bridge; so that you have an idea of quite an extensive domain48.
Beneath the trees there is a thick growth of ferns, serving as cover for the game. A little terrier-dog, who had hitherto kept us company, all at once disappeared; and soon afterwards we heard the squeak49 of some poor victim in the cover, whereupon Mr. ——— set out with agility50, and ran to the rescue.—By and by the terrier came back with a very guilty look. From the wood we passed into the open park, whence we had a distant view of the house; and, returning thither51, we viewed it in other aspects, and on all sides. One portion of it is occupied by Mr. ———'s gardener, and seems not to have been repaired, at least as to its exterior52, for a great many years,—showing the old wooden frame, painted black, with plaster in the interstices; and broad windows, extending across the whole breadth of the rooms, with hundreds of little diamond-shaped panes53 of glass. Before dinner I was shown to my room, which opens from an ancient gallery, lined with oak, and lighted by a row of windows along one side of the quadrangle. Along this gallery are the doors of several sleeping-chambers, one of which—I think it is here—is called "The Dead Man's Chamber54." It is supposed to have been the room where the corpses55 of persons connected with the household used to be laid out. My own room was called "The Beam Chamber," from am immense cross-beam that projects from the ceiling, and seems to be an entire tree, laid across, and left rough-hewn, though at present it is whitewashed56. The but of the tree (for it diminishes from one end of the chamber to the other) is nearly two feet square, in its visible part.
We dined, at seven o'clock, in a room some thirty-five or forty feet long, and proportionably broad, all panelled with the old carved oak which Mr. ——— took from the room which he had converted into a brew-house. The oak is now of a very dark brown hue57, and, being highly polished, it produces a sombre but rich effect. It is supposed to be of the era of Henry the Seventh, and when I examined it the next morning, I found it very delicately and curiously58 wrought. There are carved profiles of persons in the costume of the times, done with great skill; also foliage59, intricate puzzles of intersecting lines, sacred devices, anagrams, and, among others, the device of a bar across a tun, indicating the name of Barton. Most of the carving60, however, is less elaborate and intricate than these specimens61, being in a perpendicular62 style, and on one pattern. Before the wood grew so very dark, the beauty of the work must have been much more easily seen than now, as to particulars, though I hardly think that the general effect could have been better; at least, the sombre richness that overspreads the entire square of the room is suitable to such an antique house. An elaborate Gothic cornice runs round the whole apartment. The sideboard and other furniture are of Gothic patterns, and, very likely, of genuine antiquity; but the fireplace is perhaps rather out of keeping, being of white marble with the arms of this family sculptured on it.
Though hardly sunset when we sat down to dinner, yet, it being an overcast63 day, and the oaken room so sombre, we had candles burning on the table; and, long before dinner was over, the candle-light was all the light we had. It is always pleasanter to dine by artificial light. Mrs. ———'s dinner was a good one, and Mr. ———'s wines were very good. I had Mrs. ——— on one side, and another lady on the other side. . . .
After dinner there were two card-parties formed in the dining-room, at one of which there was a game of Vingt-et-un, and at the other a game of whist, at which Mrs. ——— and I lost several shillings to a Mrs. Halton and Mr. Gaskell. . . . After finishing our games at cards, Mrs. Halton drove off in a pony-chaise to her own house; the other ladies retired64, and the gentlemen sat down to chat awhile over the hall fire, occasionally sipping65 a glass of wine-and-water, and finally we all went off to our rooms. It was past twelve o'clock when I composed myself to sleep, and I could not have slept long, when a tremendous clap of thunder woke me just in time to see a vivid flash of lightning. I saw no ghosts, though Mrs. ——— tells me there is one, which makes a disturbance66, unless religious services are regularly kept up in the Chapel.
In the morning, before breakfast, we had prayers, read by Mr. ———, in the oak dining-room, all the servants coming in, and everybody kneeling down. I should like to know how much true religious feeling is indicated by this regular observance of religious rites67 in English families. In America, if people kneel down to pray, it is pretty certain that they feel a genuine interest in the matter, and their daily life is supposed to be in accordance with their devotions. If an American is an infidel, he knows it; but an Englishman is often so without suspecting it,—being kept from that knowledge by this formality of family prayer, and his other regularities68 of external worship. . . .
There was a parrot in a corner of the dining-room, and, when prayers were over, Mrs. ——— praised it very highly for having been so silent; it being Poll's habit, probably, to break in upon the sacred exercises with unseemly interjections and remarks. While we were at breakfast, Poll began to whistle and talk very vociferously69, and in a tone and with expressions that surprised me, till I learned that the bird is usually kept in the kitchen and servants' hall, and is only brought into the dining-room at prayer-time and breakfast. Thus its mouth is full of kitchen talk, which flows out before the gentlefolks with the queerest effect.
After breakfast I examined the carvings70 of the room. Mr. ——— has added to its decorations the coats of arms of all the successive possessors of the house, with those of the families into which they married, including the Ratcliffes, Stanleys, and others. From the dining-room I passed into the library, which contains books enough to make a rainy day pass pleasantly. I remember nothing else that I need to record; and as I sat by the hall fire, talking with Mr. Gaskell, at about eleven o'clock, the butler brought me word that a fly, which I had bespoken71, was ready to convey me to the railway. I took leave of Mrs. ———, her last request being that I would write a ghost-story for her house,—and drove off.
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1
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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modernized
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| 使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的过去式和过去分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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inclemency
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| n.险恶，严酷 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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14
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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15
billiards
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| n.台球 | |
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16
peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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19
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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20
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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21
martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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23
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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24
imprint
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| n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记 | |
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25
oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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28
martyrs
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| n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情） | |
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persecuting
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的现在分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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33
interferes
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| vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉 | |
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authenticity
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| n.真实性 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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39
preposterously
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| adv.反常地；荒谬地；荒谬可笑地；不合理地 | |
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40
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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41
lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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42
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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43
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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44
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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45
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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46
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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47
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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48
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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49
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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50
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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51
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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52
exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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53
panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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54
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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55
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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56
whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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58
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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59
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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60
carving
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| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
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61
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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62
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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63
overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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64
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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65
sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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66
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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67
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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68
regularities
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| 规则性( regularity的名词复数 )； 正规； 有规律的事物； 端正 | |
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69
vociferously
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| adv.喊叫地，吵闹地 | |
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70
carvings
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| n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物 | |
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71
bespoken
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| v.预定( bespeak的过去分词 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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