Todd could hardly have fairly expected to be way-laid by such a conjunction of events; and certainly when he laid himself down so comfortably and easily in the bed at the lodging2-house for the luxury of a few hours' sleep, for which, if sleep he could, he had paid the moderate price of three guineas, he little dreamt that his enemies were rallying, as it were, around that house, and that in a short time their voices would be actually within his hearing.
Truly it seemed as though there were henceforth to be no peace in this world for Todd; although, by circumstances little short of absolutely miraculous3, he did continue to avoid absolute capture, near as he was to it at times.
The great fatigue4 he had undergone, combined with the little refreshment5 he had taken at the public-house in Hollywell Street, induced a feeling of sleep in Todd's frame; and after he had lain in the bed at the lodging-house for about a quarter of an hour, and found the house perfectly6 still, and that the bed was very comfortable, he pulled the clothes nearly right over his face, and fell fast asleep.
Nothing but sheer fatigue could have given Todd so unbroken a repose7 as he now enjoyed. It was for an hour or more quite undisturbed by any images calculated to give him uneasiness; and then he began—for there was some noise in the house—to dream that he was hunted through the streets of London by an infuriate mob; and by one of those changes incidental to dreams, when the reason sleeps and imagination ascends8 the mental throne, he thought that the heads of all the mob were armed with horns, like those of cattle, and that they come raging after him with a determination to toss him.
This was not a dream upon which any one was likely to be very still for any length of time, and Todd groaned9 in his sleep, and tossed his arms to and fro, and more than once uttered the word—"Mercy!—mercy!"
Suddenly he started wide awake as a knock came at the door and roused him. Todd blessed that knock at the moment; for by waking him it had rescued him from the dream of terrors that had been vexing10 his brain.
He sat up in bed, and for a moment or two could hardly collect his scattered11 senses sufficiently12 to assure himself that it was all a dream, and that he was in the lodging-house in Norfolk Street; but the brain rapidly recovers from such temporary confusions; and Todd, with a long breath of immense relief, gasped13 out—
"It was, after all, but a dream—only a dream! Oh, God! but it was horrible!"
He fell back upon the pillow again; but sleep did not again come to him, and he began to feel a vague kind of curiosity to know who it was that had knocked at the door; and yet, he told himself, that it could not matter to him, for that in a house like that, of course, there must be plenty of people coming and going, and that, although the persons who kept it might control noises within the house, they could not possibly have any influence upon the knocker.
"Oh, it's all right," said Todd. "It's all right. I will sleep again—I must sleep again; for it yet wants hours and hours to the night, when I may, at least, make the attempt to get off from—from England for ever!"
A faint sort of doze—it could not be called a sleep—was coming over Todd, when he suddenly heard the sound of voices; and he was startled wide awake by hearing his own name pronounced. Yes, he clearly heard some one say—"Todd!"
In a moment he sat up in bed, and intently listened. He held his breath, and he shook again, as his imagination began to picture to him a thousand dangers.
There were footsteps upon the staircase, and in a few moments he heard persons go into the next room—that is to say, the front one to that in which he lay, the room that he had paid for a few weeks' occupation of, and which was only divided from that in which he lay by a pair of folding-doors, that he knew were just upon the latch14, and might, at any moment, be opened to discover him.
He then heard a female voice say—
"I do wish you would be quiet, Mr. Ben."
"Ah," said another voice, "keep him in order, Julia, for he has been quite raving15 about your beauty as we came along the street, I can tell you. Do you think the servant will be able to find your father?"
"Oh yes, Sir Richard. If ma were at home she could have said at once where he was; but Martha will find him, I dare say."
Todd threw the bed-clothes right over his head. It was no other than Sir Richard Blunt who was in the front-room of that diabolical16 lodging-house, and Todd looked upon himself as all but in custody17. His sense of hearing seemed to be preternaturally acute, and although the bed-clothes covered up his ears, and he could not be said to be exactly in his usual state, inasmuch as terror had half deprived him of his reasoning powers, yet he heard plainly, and with what might be called a perfect distinctness, every word that was spoken in the front room.
Perhaps, even in the condemned18 cell of Newgate, Todd did not suffer such terrors as he was now assailed19 with in that lodging, where he thought he was so safe, and which he had, as he fancied, managed so cleverly.
"Will you be quiet, Ben!" said the girl's voice again.
"Make him—make him, Julia," said Sir Richard.
"Lor bless your little bits of eyes," said Ben. "Do now come and sit in my lap, and I'll tell you such a lively story of how the leopard20 we have got at the Tower lost a bit off the end of his tail?"
"I don't want to hear it."
"You don't want to hear it? Come—come, my lambkin of a Julia—when shall we be married? Oh, do name the day your Ben will be done for for life. I want it over."
"Well, I'm sure," said Julia, "if you think you will be done for, you had better not think of it any more, Mr. Benjamin."
"It won't bear thinking of, my dear. It's like a cold bath in January: you had better shut yer eyes and tumble in."
"Upon my word, Ben," said Sir Richard, laughing, "you are anything but gallant21; and if I were Julia, I would not have you."
"Not have me? Lord, yes, she'll have me. Only look at me."
"Ah," said Julia, "you think, because you are a great monster of a fellow, that anybody would have you; but I can tell you that a husband half your size would be just as well, and I only wonder, after you have made all the neighbours laugh at me, that I have a word to say to such a mountain of a man, that I do, you wretch22!"
"Laugh!" cried Ben, "Why, my duck, what do they laugh at? I should like to catch them laughing."
"Why, you know, you wretch, that that day it rained as if cats and dogs were coming down, you took me up as if I had been a baby, you did, and carried me home, and me with a jug23 of porter in my right hand, and the change out of a shilling in my left, so that I could not help myself a bit, and all the street laughing. Oh, I hate you!"
"She hates me!" said Ben. "Oh!"
"But she don't mean it, Ben," said Sir Richard.
"Do you think she doesn't, sir?"
"I am sure of it. Do you, now, Julia?"
"Yes, Sir Richard, indeed I do, really now, for he is quite a horrid24 monster, and I only wonder they don't put him in one of the cages at the Tower along with the other wild beasts, and make a show of him. That's all that he is fit for."
"Oh, you aggravating25 darling," said Ben, making a dart26 at Julia, and catching27 her up in his arms as you would some little child. "How can you go on so to your Ben?"
"Murder!" cried Julia.
"Oh, if you are going to have a fight for it," said Sir Richard, "I will go and wait down stairs, Julia."
Bang came a knock at the street-door.
"Oh, Ben, there's ma or pa," said Julia. "Let me down directly. Do Ben—oh, pray do. Let me down, Ben."
"Do yer love your Ben?"
"Anything you like, only let me down."
"Very good. There yer is, then, agin on yer little mites28 of feet. Lor bless you, Sir Richard, that girl loves the very ground as I walks on, she does, and she has comed over me with her fascinations29 in such a way as never was known. Ain't she a nice 'un?—sleek and shiny, with a capital mane. But you should see her at feeding-time, Sir Richard, how nice she does it—quite delicate and pretty; and you should see her—"
The door of the room opened, and Hardman, the officer, made his appearance.
"Your humble30 servant, Sir Richard. I hope I have not kept you waiting long? I was only in the neighbourhood."
"No, Hardman, thank you, it's all right. I have not been here above a quarter of an hour."
"I am glad of that, sir. How do you do, Mr. Ben?"
"Pretty well," said Ben, "only a little hungry and thirsty, that's all; but don't trouble yourself about that, Mr. Hardman; I always do get hungry when I look at Julia."
"I hope, Mr. Ben, that don't mean that you will dine off her some day when you are married?"
"Oh, lor, no. Bless her heart, no. She loves me more and more, Mr. Hardman."
"I am glad to hear it, Ben—very glad to hear it. But I presume, Sir Richard, that you have some orders for me?"
"Why, yes, Hardman. There's that rascal31 Todd, you know, still continues to elude32 us. What I want you to do is, to take charge entirely33 on the river, and to make what arrangements you like at the various quays34 and landing-places, and with all the watermen, so that he shall not have a chance of escaping in that way."
"Certainly, sir; I will set about it directly."
"Do so, Hardman. Expense in this case is of no object, for the Secretary of State will guarantee all that; but of course I don't wish you to be extravagant35 on that account."
"I quite understand you, Sir Richard, and will do my best."
"That I am sure you will, Hardman; and now I will go. I shall feel no peace of mind until that man is dead, or in the cell again at Newgate."
Todd popped his head out from under the clothes, and making the most hideous36 face, he shook one of his clenched37 fists in the direction of the front room. It would have been some satisfaction to him to have given a loud howl of rage but he dared not venture upon it; so he was forced to content himself with the pantomime of passion instead of its vocal38 expression.
"I do hope, sir, we shall soon have him," said Hardman. "It seems to me to be next thing to impossible he should escape us for long. Do you think he has any money, sir?"
"He cannot have much, for all he has, if any, must be but the produce of depredation39 since his escape from Newgate. He certainly has not extensive means, Hardman."
"Then he must fall into our hands, sir. Julia, is that your mother just arrived, do you think?"
"Yes, pa, it is ma's step. She has been out to get something or another, but I don't know what, as I was out myself all the morning; but it is ma, I know."
Mrs. Hardman came into the room, looking very red and flushed, and with a large basket on her arm. She looked from one to the other of the assembled guests with surprise and horror.
"What's the matter?" said her husband. "Why wife, you look panic-stricken. What has happened?"
"Oh, gracious! where's the gentleman?"
"The gentleman?" cried everybody.
"Yes, the lodger40. The highly respectable gentleman who took the first-floor only a couple of hours ago. Oh, gracious, where is he? and a capital lodger too, who paid in advance, and didn't mind extras at all."
"But what lodger, mother?" said Julia.
"Oh, mum, I forgot—I forgot," said Martha, suddenly coming into the room, "I forgot to tell Miss Julia, mum, that an old gentleman had taken the first floor, mum, and gone to bed in the next room."
"In bed in the next room?" said Sir Richard Blunt.
"I am lost!" thought Todd. "I am lost now, I am quite lost! and the only thing I can do is to kill as many of them as possible, and then blow my own brains out."
"Do you mean to say, ma," said Julia, "that there's a gentleman asleep in the next room in the bed?"
"Lor!" said Ben, "you don't mean to say that, Mrs. Hardman?"
"He may be in bed, but if he is asleep," said Sir Richard, "he is a remarkable41 man; of course if we had had the least idea of such a thing, we should not have come up here; but here we were shown by the servant."
"Oh, yes, it's all that frightful42 Martha's fault. I'll—I'll kill—no—I'll discharge that odious43 hussy without a character, and leave her to drown herself! For Heaven's sake go down stairs all of you, and I'll go and speak to the old gentleman, and apologise to him."
"Let me go," said Ben, "and roll on him on the bed, and if that don't settle him I don't know what will."
"Shall I apologise to him?" said Sir Richard.
Todd nearly fainted when he heard this proposition; but when Mrs. Hardman rejected it, and insisted upon going herself, he felt quite a gush44 of gratitude45 towards her, and breathed a little more freely once again.
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1
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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5
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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6
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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7
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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8
ascends
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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10
vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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11
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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12
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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14
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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15
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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16
diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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17
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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18
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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19
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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20
leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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22
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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23
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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24
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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26
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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27
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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28
mites
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| n.（尤指令人怜悯的）小孩( mite的名词复数 )；一点点；一文钱；螨 | |
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29
fascinations
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| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
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30
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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31
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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32
elude
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| v.躲避，困惑 | |
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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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34
quays
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| 码头( quay的名词复数 ) | |
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35
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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36
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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37
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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39
depredation
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| n.掠夺，蹂躏 | |
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40
lodger
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| n.寄宿人，房客 | |
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41
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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42
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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43
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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44
gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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45
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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