"Why, Johanna," she said, "you so seldom call upon me now, that I suppose I must esteem it as a very special act of grace and favour to see you."
"Arabella," said Johanna, "I do not know what you will say to me when I tell you that my present visit is because I am in a difficulty, and want your advice."
"Then you could not have come to a better person, for I have read all the novels in London, and know all the difficulties that anybody can possibly get into, and, what is more important, too, I know all the means of getting out of them, let them be what they may."
"And yet, Arabella, scarcely in all your novel reading will you find anything so strange and so eventful as the circumstances, I grieve to say, it is in my power to record to you. Sit down, and listen to me, dear Arabella, and you shall know all."
"You surprise and alarm me by that serious countenance, Johanna."
"The subject is a serious one. I love."
"Oh! is that all? So do I; there's a young Captain Desbrook in the King's Guards. He comes here to buy his gloves; and if you did but hear him sigh as he leans over the counter, you would be astonished."
"Ah! but, Arabella, I know you well. Yours is one of those fleeting25 passions that, like the forked lightning, appear for a moment, and ere you can say behold26, is gone again. Mine is deeper in my heart, so deep, that to divorce it from it would be to destroy its home for ever."
"But, why so serious, Johanna? You do not mean to tell me that it is possible for you to love any man without his loving you in return?"
"You are right there, Arabella. I do not come to speak to you of a hopeless passion—far from it; but you shall hear. Lend me, my dear friend, your serious attention, and you shall hear of such mysterious matters."
"Mysterious!—then I shall be in my very element. For know that I quite live and exult27 in mystery, and you could not possibly have come to any one who would more welcomely receive such a commission from you; I am all impatience28."
Johanna then, with great earnestness, related to her friend the whole of the particulars connected with her deep and sincere attachment29 to Mark Ingestrie. She told her how, in spite of all circumstances which appeared to have a tendency to cast a shadow and blight30 upon their young affection, they had loved, and loved truly; how Ingestrie, disliking, both from principle and distaste, the study of the law, had quarrelled with his uncle, Mr. Grant, and then how, as a bold adventurer, he had gone to seek his fortunes in the Indian seas; fortunes which promised to be splendid, but which might end in disappointment and defeat, and that they had ended in such calamities31 most deeply and truly did she mourn to be compelled to state. And she concluded by saying—
"And now, Arabella, you know all I have to tell you. You know how truly I have loved, and how, after teaching myself to expect happiness, I have met with nothing but despair; and you may judge for yourself, how sadly the fate, or rather the mystery, which hangs over Mark Ingestrie, must deeply affect me, and how lost my mind must be in all kinds of conjecture32 concerning him."
The hilarity33 of spirits which had characterised Arabella in the earlier part of their interview, entirely34 left her as Johanna proceeded in her mournful narration35, and by the time she had concluded, tears of the most genuine sympathy stood in her eyes. She took the hands of Johanna in both her own, and said to her—
"Why, my poor Johanna, I never expected to hear from your lips so sad a tale. This is most mournful, indeed very mournful; and, although I was half inclined before to quarrel with you for this tardy36 confidence—for you must recollect37 that it is the first I have heard of this whole affair—but now the misfortunes that oppress you are quite sufficient, Heaven knows, without me adding to them by the shadow of a reproach."
"They are indeed, Arabella, and believe me, if the course of my love ran smoothly38, instead of being, as it has been, full of misadventures, you should have had nothing to complain of on the score of want of confidence; but I will own I did hesitate to inflict39 on you my miseries40, for miseries they have been, and, alas! miseries they seem destined41 to remain."
"Johanna, you could not have used an argument more delusive42 than that. It is not one which should have come from your lips to me."
"And did you think so lightly of my friendship that it was to be entrusted44 with nothing but what wore a pleasant aspect? True friendship surely is best shown in the encounter of difficulty and distress45. I grieve, Johanna, indeed, that you have so much mistaken me."
"Nay46, now you do me an injustice47: it was not that I doubted your friendship for one moment, but that I did indeed shrink from casting the shadow of my sorrows over what should be, and what I hope is, the sunshine of your heart. That was the respect which deterred48 me from making you a confidant of, what I suppose I must call, this ill-fated passion."
"No, not ill-fated, Johanna. Let us still believe that the time will come when it will be far otherwise than ill-fated."
"But what do you think of all that I have told you? Can you gather from it any hope?"
"Abundance of hope, Johanna. You have no certainty of the death of Ingestrie."
"I certainly have not, as far as regards the loss of him in the Indian seas; but, Arabella, there is one supposition which, from the first moment that it found a home in my breast, has been growing stronger and stronger, and that supposition is, that this Mr. Thornhill was no other than Mark Ingestrie himself."
"Indeed! Think you so? That would be a strange supposition. Have you any special reasons for such a thought?"
"None—further than a something which seemed ever to tell my heart from the first moment that such was the case, and a consideration of the improbability of the story related by Thornhill. Why should Mark Ingestrie have given him the string of pearls and the message to me, trusting to the preservation49 of this Thornhill, and assuming, for some strange reason, that he himself must fall?"
"There is good argument in that, Johanna."
"And, moreover, Mark Ingestrie told me he intended altering his name upon the expedition."
"It is strange; but now you mention such a supposition, it appears, do you know, Johanna, each moment more probable to me. Oh, that fatal string of pearls!"
"Fatal, indeed! for if Mark Ingestrie and Thornhill be one and the same person, the possession of those pearls has been the temptation to destroy him."
"There cannot be a doubt upon that point, Johanna, and so you will find in all tales of love and of romance, that jealousy50 and wealth have been the sources of all the abundant evils which fond and attached hearts have from time to time suffered."
"It is so; I believe, it is so, Arabella; but advise me what to do, for truly I am myself incapable51 of action. Tell me what you think it is possible to do, under those disastrous52 circumstances, for there is nothing which I will not dare attempt." "Why, my dear Johanna, you must perceive that all the evidence you have regarding this Thornhill, follows him up to that barber's shop in Fleet-street, and no farther."
"It does, indeed."
"Can you not imagine, then, that there lies the mystery of his fate; and, from what you have yourself seen of this man, Todd, do you think he is one who would hesitate even at murder?"
"Oh, horror! my own thoughts have taken that dreadful turn, but I dreaded to pronounce the word which would embody53 them. If, indeed, that fearful-looking man fancied that, by any deed of blood, he could become possessed54 of such a treasure as that which belonged to Mark Ingestrie, unchristian and illiberal55 as it may sound, the belief clings to me that he would not hesitate to do it."
"Do not, however, conclude, Johanna, that such is the case. It would appear from all you have heard and seen of these circumstances, that there is some fearful mystery; but do not, Johanna, conclude hastily that that mystery is one of death."
"Be it so, or not," said Johanna, "I must solve it, or go distracted. Heaven have mercy upon me!—for even now I feel a fever in my brain that precludes56 almost the possibility of rational thought."
"Be calm, be calm—we will think the matter over calmly and seriously; and who knows but that, mere girls as we are, we may think of some adventitious57 mode of arriving at a knowledge of the truth; and now I am going to tell you something, which your narrative58 has recalled to my mind."
"Say on, Arabella, I shall listen to you with deep attention."
"A short time since, about six months, I think, an apprentice59 of my father, in the last week of his servitude, was sent to the west-end of the town, to take a considerable sum of money; but he never came back with it, and from that day to this we have heard nothing of him, although, from inquiry60 that my father made, he ascertained61 that he received the money, and that he met an acquaintance in the Strand62, who parted from him at the corner of Milford-lane, and to whom he said that he intended to call at Sweeney Todd's, the barber, in Fleet-street, to have his hair dressed, because there was to be a regatta on the Thames, and he was determined63 to go to it whether my father liked or not."
"And he was never heard of?"
"Never. Of course, my father made every inquiry upon the subject, and called upon Sweeney Todd for the purpose; but, as he declared that no such person had ever called at his shop, the inquiry there terminated."
"'Tis very strange."
"And most mysterious; for the friends of the youth were indeed indefatigable64 in their searches for him; and, by subscribing65 together for the purpose, they offered a large reward to any one who could or would give them information regarding his fate."
"And was it all in vain?"
"All; nothing could be learned whatever. Not even the remotest clue was obtained, and there the affair has rested, in the most profound of mysteries."
Johanna shuddered66, and for some few moments the two young girls were silent. It was Johanna who broke that silence, by exclaiming—
"Arabella, assist me with what advice you can, so that I may set about what I purpose with the best prospect67 of success and the least danger; not that I shrink on my own account from risk, but if any misadventure were to occur to me, I might thereby68 be incapacitated from pursuing that object, to which I will now devote the remainder of my life."
"But what can you do, my dear Johanna? It was but a short time since there was a placard in the barber's window to say that he wanted a lad as an assistant in his business, but that has been removed, or we might have procured69 some one to take the situation for the express purpose of playing the spy upon the barber's proceedings70."
"But, perchance, still there may be an opportunity of accomplishing something in that way, if you knew of any one that would undertake the adventure."
"There will be no difficulty, Johanna, in discovering one willing to do so, although we might be long in finding one of sufficient capacity that we could trust; but I am adventurous71, Johanna, as you know, and I think I could have got my cousin Albert to personate the character, only that I think he's rather a giddy youth, and scarcely to be trusted with a mission of so much importance."
"Yes, and a mission likewise, Arabella, which, by a single false step, might be made frightfully dangerous."
"It might indeed."
"Then it will be unfair to place it upon any one but those who feel most deeply for its success."
"Johanna, the enthusiasm with which you speak awakens72 in me a thought which I shrink from expressing to you, and which, I fear, perhaps more originates from a certain feeling of romance, which, I believe, is a besetting73 sin, than from any other cause."
"Name it, Arabella; name it."
"It would be possible for you or I to accomplish the object, by going disguised to the barber's, and accepting such a situation, if it were vacant, for a period of about twenty-four hours, in order that during that time an opportunity might be taken of searching in his house for some evidence upon the subject nearest to your heart."
"It is a happy thought," said Johanna, "and why should I hesitate at encountering any risk, or toil75, or difficulty, for him who has risked so much for me? What is there to hinder me from carrying out such a resolution? At any moment, if great danger should beset74 me, I can rush into the street, and claim protection from the passers-by."
"And moreover, Johanna, if you went on such a mission, remember you go with my knowledge, and that consequently I would bring you assistance, if you appeared not in the specified76 time for your return."
"Each moment, Arabella, the plan assumes to my mind a better shape. If Sweeney Todd be innocent of contriving77 anything against the life and liberty of those who seek his shop, I have nothing to fear; but if, on the contrary, he be guilty, danger to me would be the proof of such guilt78, and that is a proof which I am willing to chance encountering for the sake of the great object I have in view; but how am I to provide myself with the necessary means?"
"Be at rest upon that score. My cousin Albert and you are as nearly of a size as possible. He will be staying here shortly, and I will secure from his wardrobe a suit of clothes, which I am certain will answer your purpose. But let me implore79 you to wait until you have had your second interview with Colonel Jeffery."
"That is well thought of; I will meet him, and question him closely as to the personal appearance of this Mr. Thornhill; beside, I shall hear if he has any confirmed suspicion on the subject."
"That is well, you will soon meet him, for the week is running on; and let me implore you, Johanna, to come to me the morning after you have so met him, and then we will again consult upon this plan of operations, which appears to us feasible and desirable."
Some more conversation of a similar character ensued between these young girls; and upon the whole, Johanna Oakley felt much comforted by her visit, and more able to think calmly as well as seriously upon the subject which engrossed80 her whole thoughts and feelings; and when she returned to her own home, she found that much of the excitement of despair which had formerly81 had possession of her, had given way to hope; and with that natural feeling of joyousness82, and that elasticity83 of mind which belongs to the young, she began to build in her imagination some airy fabrics84 of future happiness. Certainly, these suppositions went upon the fact that Mark Ingestrie was a prisoner, and not that his life had been taken by the mysterious barber; for although the possibility of his having been murdered had found a home in her imagination, still to her pure spirit it seemed by far too hideous85 to be true, and she scarcely could be said really and truly to entertain it as a matter which was likely to be true.
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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exult
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| v.狂喜，欢腾；欢欣鼓舞 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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blight
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| n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残 | |
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calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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tardy
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| adj.缓慢的，迟缓的 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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delusive
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| adj.欺骗的，妄想的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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deterred
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| v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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embody
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| vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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illiberal
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| adj.气量狭小的，吝啬的 | |
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precludes
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| v.阻止( preclude的第三人称单数 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
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adventitious
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| adj.偶然的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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subscribing
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| v.捐助( subscribe的现在分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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awakens
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的第三人称单数 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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besetting
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| adj.不断攻击的v.困扰( beset的现在分词 )；不断围攻；镶；嵌 | |
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74
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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75
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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specified
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| adj.特定的 | |
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contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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78
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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79
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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80
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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81
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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82
joyousness
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| 快乐，使人喜悦 | |
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83
elasticity
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| n.弹性，伸缩力 | |
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84
fabrics
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| 织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地 | |
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85
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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