"Well," he said, "it is something that I have not gone through that tremendous surf in vain."
"Yes, Mark," said Johanna, with the tears starting to her eyes, "but we must, indeed, get away from the sea-coast, and then you cannot be tempted5 to expose your life in such adventures. Only think of what might be the consequences!"
"Yes," said the colonel. "It is hardly fair, although, at the moment, one cannot help admiring the heroism6 of the act."
"I don't know how it can be avoided," said Ingestrie. "If you see a poor fellow struggling for his life, and you feel that you may save him at a little risk to yourself, it seems a strange thing not to do it."
"It does," said old Mr. Oakley, "and I should be the last to say no to the noble impulse; only if there are to be many storms off his coast, I shall second the resolution of Johanna that you ought to live somewhere else."
"And so shall I," said Arabella.
"And I," said Tobias.
"He's better, they say," cried Ben, popping his head into the room. "The doctors say he is better, and that, after he has had a sleep, he will be all right."
"The sailor belonging to the ship you mean?" said the colonel, "What sort of a person is he, Ben?"
"Haven't seen him yet, so can't tell; but they have made up a good fire in the back kitchen, and he is lying on a sofa there, and going to sleep, and the doctor says it will do him no good to disturb him, or bother him by talking."
"It certainly will not," said Ingestrie. "It matters very little to us who he is, poor fellow. He is saved—that is the principal thing."
"Yes," said Johanna, "that is everything; and, at all events, Mark, there is one human being who through life, let his position and prospects7 be what they may, must look upon you as his friend and preserver."
"Ah!" said poor Tobias, "We should all be very happy if Sweeney Todd were but in the hands of justice. It is very strange why I tremble so to-day at the thought of him; and I did not tremble yesterday."
"You have no occasion to tremble to-day, nor yesterday either, Tobias," said Arabella. "Remember how surrounded you are by your best friends, and remember, likewise, that, after all, Todd is but a man, and by this time he must be but a poor, weak, dispirited one, and much more intent upon devising means for his own safety, than in carrying out his revenges."
"If, indeed, he lives," said the colonel.
"Just so," said Ingestrie. "My opinion will very much incline to the idea that he is dead, if Sir Richard Blunt does not very shortly get some news of him."
"That will be a pity," said Tobias, "unless it can be proved past all dispute, for while it continues only a likely thing, the dread8 of him will still cling to my heart, and I shall never be happy."
"Nay9, Tobias," said the colonel, "you must pluck up a spirit. The probability is now, that Sweeney Todd, let him be where he may, is much more afraid of meeting you than you can possibly be of meeting him."
"I wish I thought so," said Tobias. "But only look now how sweetly the sun is peeping out on the water after the storm there. This is very beautiful."
Tobias walked to the window; and his praise of the beauty of the morning caused the breakfast-table to be, in a very few minutes, completely deserted10. To be sure, the praise that the imaginative boy had lavished11 upon the young day, was by no means misapplied; for a more lovely day than that which broke over Brighton, after that terrific gale12 in the Channel, could not be conceived. It seemed as if the good genii of earth, sea, and sky, were striving to banish13 from the minds of all the inhabitants of that place the recollections of the frightful14 storm that had made the world dismal15 and terrific.
"Indeed, it is lovely," said Johanna, "Who, now, to look at that placid16 sheet of water, with scarce a ripple17 upon its surface to reflect the sunbeams, would think that only a few hours ago, it presented a scene of such fury that it was a shuddering18 terror to look upon it?"
"And yet," said Ingestrie, "it is these varieties that make the great world beautiful."
"Not a doubt of it; but they require more stern minds than mine, Mark, to stand them."
The party now, finding that the day was so delightful20, sallied out to the beach to make some inquiry21 among the sailors and boatmen, concerning the damage that the gale had done. The moment Mark Ingestrie appeared with his friends, he was recognised as the person who had performed the gallant22 exploit of going through the surf to the rescue of the shipwrecked man, and he became immediately the observed of all observers.
This sort of homage24 was at once flattering and embarrassing to Johanna. She felt proud that it was her husband who was entitled to so much popular consideration and respect, and yet, with her natural timidity of disposition25, she shrank from sharing it with him.
Some eager inquiries26 were made of Ingestrie now, regarding the man he had saved, and it was a great gratification to him to be enabled to state that he was doing well, although he had not himself seen him since he grappled with him in the water, and brought him to the beach.
A few fragments only of the wreck had been washed to the shore, but nothing that could in any way enable them to identify the vessel27; so that that was a species of information that must come from the man who had been saved, whenever he should be able to go through the fatigue28 of an interview with his friend and his deliverer.
After an hour's stroll upon the beach, the party, at a slow pace, returned to the house they had hired during their stay at Brighton. The moment they got to the door, the colonel's servant appeared with his horse, which he had ordered to be ready for him at twelve o'clock.
"Just walk him up and down," said the colonel, to the man; "I shall be ready in a few minutes. Hilloa! my friend, Hector, are you here?"
"We were half a mind, sir, to let Hector loose last night during the storm, for he is a famous fellow in the water; but knowing how much you valued him, we were afraid to do so."
"I am glad you didn't," said the colonel. "You were quite right to keep him shut up. I would not have him come to any mischief30 for any money."
The colonel entered the house, and when he and all his friends had got into the drawing-room, they sent for a servant to inquire how the poor wrecked23 man was getting on; and after a little time, one of the domestics of the house came to say that he was up and sitting, dressed, in the front kitchen, and would be happy to see, and to thank those who had saved him from death in the raging sea.
"Shall we have him up here?" said the colonel.
"Yes, if you please," said Ingestrie; "and, I daresay, a glass of wine won't hurt him, while he tells us the name of his ship, poor fellow, and who and what he is."
"Certainly not," said Mr. Oakley. "I will get out the decanter."
"Allow me, my dear," said Mrs. Oakley. "You know you always break every glass that you interfere31 with."
"Oh, stuff!"
"But I say, Mr. Oakley, that you do."
"How cold I am," said Tobias.
"Cold, Tobias!" said Ingestrie. "My good fellow, we will have a fire if you are cold."
"Oh, no—no. Not on my account, Mr. Ingestrie, I shall be better soon; but I feel as if something were going to happen. My heart beats so fearfully, and at the same time, I shake as if—as if—I know not what."
"Give him a glass of wine," said Ingestrie to Johanna.
Tobias took the glass of wine, and it evidently did him some good; but yet he looked ill and uneasy. Orders were given that the shipwrecked man should be shown up to the drawing-room, for they were all curious to know to what ship he had belonged, and how many had fallen victims to the frightful gale that had made the vessel such a complete wreck.
"He is coming, poor fellow," said the colonel. "I hear his footsteps on the stairs. He comes slowly. No doubt he is weak yet."
"Poor fellow!" sighed Johanna. "Have the wine ready to give him at once, mother. It will put some heart into him. What must be his feelings towards you, Mark?"
"Come now," said Ingestrie; "don't plague him, any of you, about his being saved by me, and all that sort of thing. Just say nothing about it. Sailors are no great orators33, at the best of times, and if he begins to make a speech about his gratitude34, you may depend he will never get to the end of it."
"Yes; but he ought to know," said Mrs. Oakley, "who he owes his life to, under providence35."
"Hem19!" said Ben. He never liked to hear Mrs. Oakley begin to use religious phrases, as they had a tendency to remind him of the late Mr. Lupin.
The door of the drawing-room opened, and all eyes were eagerly bent36 in that direction. A servant came in, and said—
"The poor man is here, if you please. Is he to come in, now? He seems rather timid."
"Oh, yes," said Ingestrie, "let him come in, by all manner of means, poor fellow. He and I made acquaintance in the sea, and we ought to be good friends, now."
A tall, gigantic figure marched three paces into the room.
"Todd!" shouted Tobias. "It is Todd!"
It was Sweeney Todd! With one glance round the room, he recognised an enemy in every face. With a perfect yell of fear and rage, he turned, and dashed down the staircase. The servant who had conducted him up to the drawing-room, and whom he met in his way, he knocked down with one blow, and in another moment he was in the street. The colonel's horse was close to the door. Todd felled the man who held it by a blow on the top of the head, that took him so suddenly, he could not guard against it, and then springing upon the horse, the murderer raised another wild unearthly kind of shout, and set off at a gallop37.
Todd Seizes The Colonel's Horse, Mounts, And Makes Another Escape.
Todd Seizes The Colonel's Horse, Mounts, And Makes Another Escape.
So sudden—so totally unexpected, and so appalling38 had been the presence of Todd in the drawing-room, that if a spectre had appeared among the people there assembled, and they had had no possible means of escaping from the belief that it was a spectre, they could not have been more confounded than they were upon this occasion.
Poor Tobias, after uttering the exclamation39 that we have recorded, fell flat upon the floor. Ben swung backwards40 in his chair, and went with a tremendous crash right away into a corner. Ingestrie and the colonel rose together, and impeded41 each other in their efforts to follow Todd. Johanna, shrieking42, clung to Ingestrie, and Arabella made a vain attempt to delay the colonel.
"No!" shouted Ingestrie; "it cannot be!"
"Easy does it," said Ben, from the corner into which he had fallen. "Easy—Easy!"
"Johanna, unhand me, I implore44 you," cried Mark Ingestrie. "Do you wish the murderer to be lost sight of? Come on, colonel—you and I must engage in this pursuit. God of Heaven! the idea of me saving Todd from the waves!"
The colonel and Ingestrie seized their hats, and rushed down the stairs, tumbling over the servant in the hall. The next object they came across was the groom45 who had had charge of the horse. They found him sitting on the pavement, looking as confused as possible.
"Which way has he gone?" cried the colonel.
"The—the man. Round that corner, and Hector has gone after him, like mad, sir. Oh, dear!"
"Hector? Then he will be taken, for I will back Hector to hang upon him like grim death. Come with me to the nearest stable, Ingestrie, and let us get horses! Come—come!"
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收听单词发音
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1
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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2
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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3
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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4
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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5
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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7
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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8
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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9
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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10
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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11
lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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13
banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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14
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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15
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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16
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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17
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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18
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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19
hem
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| n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制 | |
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20
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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21
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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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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23
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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27
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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28
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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29
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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30
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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31
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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32
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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33
orators
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| n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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34
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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35
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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36
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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37
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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38
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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39
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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40
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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41
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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43
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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44
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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45
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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