It was his purpose, in the beginning, to stay where he was the rest of the day; but a chill soon invaded his perspiring6 body, and he was at last obliged to resume movement in order to get warm. He struck straight through the forest, hoping to pierce to a road presently, but he was disappointed in this. He travelled on and on; but the farther he went, the denser7 the wood became, apparently8. The gloom began to thicken, by-and-by, and the King realised that the night was coming on. It made him shudder9 to think of spending it in such an uncanny place; so he tried to hurry faster, but he only made the less speed, for he could not now see well enough to choose his steps judiciously10; consequently he kept tripping over roots and tangling11 himself in vines and briers.
And how glad he was when at last he caught the glimmer12 of a light! He approached it warily13, stopping often to look about him and listen. It came from an unglazed window-opening in a shabby little hut. He heard a voice, now, and felt a disposition14 to run and hide; but he changed his mind at once, for this voice was praying, evidently. He glided15 to the one window of the hut, raised himself on tiptoe, and stole a glance within. The room was small; its floor was the natural earth, beaten hard by use; in a corner was a bed of rushes and a ragged16 blanket or two; near it was a pail, a cup, a basin, and two or three pots and pans; there was a short bench and a three-legged stool; on the hearth17 the remains18 of a faggot fire were smouldering; before a shrine19, which was lighted by a single candle, knelt an aged20 man, and on an old wooden box at his side lay an open book and a human skull21. The man was of large, bony frame; his hair and whiskers were very long and snowy white; he was clothed in a robe of sheepskins which reached from his neck to his heels.
The hermit rose from his knees; the King knocked. A deep voice responded—
“Enter!—but leave sin behind, for the ground whereon thou shalt stand is holy!”
The King entered, and paused. The hermit turned a pair of gleaming, unrestful eyes upon him, and said—
“Who art thou?”
“Welcome, King!” cried the hermit, with enthusiasm. Then, bustling25 about with feverish26 activity, and constantly saying, “Welcome, welcome,” he arranged his bench, seated the King on it, by the hearth, threw some faggots on the fire, and finally fell to pacing the floor with a nervous stride.
“Welcome! Many have sought sanctuary27 here, but they were not worthy28, and were turned away. But a King who casts his crown away, and despises the vain splendours of his office, and clothes his body in rags, to devote his life to holiness and the mortification29 of the flesh—he is worthy, he is welcome!—here shall he abide30 all his days till death come.” The King hastened to interrupt and explain, but the hermit paid no attention to him—did not even hear him, apparently, but went right on with his talk, with a raised voice and a growing energy. "And thou shalt be at peace here. None shall find out thy refuge to disquiet31 thee with supplications to return to that empty and foolish life which God hath moved thee to abandon. Thou shalt pray here; thou shalt study the Book; thou shalt meditate32 upon the follies33 and delusions34 of this world, and upon the sublimities of the world to come; thou shalt feed upon crusts and herbs, and scourge35 thy body with whips, daily, to the purifying of thy soul. Thou shalt wear a hair shirt next thy skin; thou shalt drink water only; and thou shalt be at peace; yes, wholly at peace; for whoso comes to seek thee shall go his way again, baffled; he shall not find thee, he shall not molest36 thee.”
The old man, still pacing back and forth37, ceased to speak aloud, and began to mutter. The King seized this opportunity to state his case; and he did it with an eloquence38 inspired by uneasiness and apprehension39. But the hermit went on muttering, and gave no heed40. And still muttering, he approached the King and said impressively—
“’Sh! I will tell you a secret!” He bent41 down to impart it, but checked himself, and assumed a listening attitude. After a moment or two he went on tiptoe to the window-opening, put his head out, and peered around in the gloaming, then came tiptoeing back again, put his face close down to the King’s, and whispered—
“I am an archangel!”
The King started violently, and said to himself, “Would God I were with the outlaws42 again; for lo, now am I the prisoner of a madman!” His apprehensions43 were heightened, and they showed plainly in his face. In a low excited voice the hermit continued—
“I see you feel my atmosphere! There’s awe44 in your face! None may be in this atmosphere and not be thus affected45; for it is the very atmosphere of heaven. I go thither46 and return, in the twinkling of an eye. I was made an archangel on this very spot, it is five years ago, by angels sent from heaven to confer that awful dignity. Their presence filled this place with an intolerable brightness. And they knelt to me, King! yes, they knelt to me! for I was greater than they. I have walked in the courts of heaven, and held speech with the patriarchs. Touch my hand—be not afraid—touch it. There—now thou hast touched a hand which has been clasped by Abraham and Isaac and Jacob! For I have walked in the golden courts; I have seen the Deity47 face to face!” He paused, to give this speech effect; then his face suddenly changed, and he started to his feet again saying, with angry energy, “Yes, I am an archangel; a mere48 archangel!—I that might have been pope! It is verily true. I was told it from heaven in a dream, twenty years ago; ah, yes, I was to be pope!—and I should have been pope, for Heaven had said it—but the King dissolved my religious house, and I, poor obscure unfriended monk49, was cast homeless upon the world, robbed of my mighty50 destiny!” Here he began to mumble51 again, and beat his forehead in futile52 rage, with his fist; now and then articulating a venomous curse, and now and then a pathetic “Wherefore I am nought53 but an archangel—I that should have been pope!”
So he went on, for an hour, whilst the poor little King sat and suffered. Then all at once the old man’s frenzy54 departed, and he became all gentleness. His voice softened55, he came down out of his clouds, and fell to prattling56 along so simply and so humanly, that he soon won the King’s heart completely. The old devotee moved the boy nearer to the fire and made him comfortable; doctored his small bruises57 and abrasions58 with a deft59 and tender hand; and then set about preparing and cooking a supper—chatting pleasantly all the time, and occasionally stroking the lad’s cheek or patting his head, in such a gently caressing60 way that in a little while all the fear and repulsion inspired by the archangel were changed to reverence62 and affection for the man.
This happy state of things continued while the two ate the supper; then, after a prayer before the shrine, the hermit put the boy to bed, in a small adjoining room, tucking him in as snugly63 and lovingly as a mother might; and so, with a parting caress61, left him and sat down by the fire, and began to poke64 the brands about in an absent and aimless way. Presently he paused; then tapped his forehead several times with his fingers, as if trying to recall some thought which had escaped from his mind. Apparently he was unsuccessful. Now he started quickly up, and entered his guest’s room, and said—
“Thou art King?”
“What King?”
“Of England.”
“Of England? Then Henry is gone!”
“Alack, it is so. I am his son.”
A black frown settled down upon the hermit’s face, and he clenched66 his bony hands with a vindictive67 energy. He stood a few moments, breathing fast and swallowing repeatedly, then said in a husky voice—
“Dost know it was he that turned us out into the world houseless and homeless?”
There was no response. The old man bent down and scanned the boy’s reposeful68 face and listened to his placid breathing. "He sleeps—sleeps soundly;” and the frown vanished away and gave place to an expression of evil satisfaction. A smile flitted across the dreaming boy’s features. The hermit muttered, “So—his heart is happy;” and he turned away. He went stealthily about the place, seeking here and there for something; now and then halting to listen, now and then jerking his head around and casting a quick glance toward the bed; and always muttering, always mumbling69 to himself. At last he found what he seemed to want—a rusty70 old butcher knife and a whetstone. Then he crept to his place by the fire, sat himself down, and began to whet71 the knife softly on the stone, still muttering, mumbling, ejaculating. The winds sighed around the lonely place, the mysterious voices of the night floated by out of the distances. The shining eyes of venturesome mice and rats peered out at the old man from cracks and coverts72, but he went on with his work, rapt, absorbed, and noted73 none of these things.
At long intervals he drew his thumb along the edge of his knife, and nodded his head with satisfaction. "It grows sharper,” he said; “yes, it grows sharper.”
He took no note of the flight of time, but worked tranquilly75 on, entertaining himself with his thoughts, which broke out occasionally in articulate speech—
“His father wrought76 us evil, he destroyed us—and is gone down into the eternal fires! Yes, down into the eternal fires! He escaped us—but it was God’s will, yes it was God’s will, we must not repine. But he hath not escaped the fires! No, he hath not escaped the fires, the consuming, unpitying, remorseless fires—and they are everlasting77!”
And so he wrought, and still wrought—mumbling, chuckling78 a low rasping chuckle79 at times—and at times breaking again into words—
“It was his father that did it all. I am but an archangel; but for him I should be pope!”
The King stirred. The hermit sprang noiselessly to the bedside, and went down upon his knees, bending over the prostrate80 form with his knife uplifted. The boy stirred again; his eyes came open for an instant, but there was no speculation81 in them, they saw nothing; the next moment his tranquil74 breathing showed that his sleep was sound once more.
The hermit watched and listened, for a time, keeping his position and scarcely breathing; then he slowly lowered his arms, and presently crept away, saying,—
“It is long past midnight; it is not best that he should cry out, lest by accident someone be passing.”
He glided about his hovel, gathering82 a rag here, a thong83 there, and another one yonder; then he returned, and by careful and gentle handling he managed to tie the King’s ankles together without waking him. Next he essayed to tie the wrists; he made several attempts to cross them, but the boy always drew one hand or the other away, just as the cord was ready to be applied84; but at last, when the archangel was almost ready to despair, the boy crossed his hands himself, and the next moment they were bound. Now a bandage was passed under the sleeper’s chin and brought up over his head and tied fast—and so softly, so gradually, and so deftly85 were the knots drawn86 together and compacted, that the boy slept peacefully through it all without stirring.
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收听单词发音
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1
descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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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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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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7
denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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10
judiciously
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| adv.明断地，明智而审慎地 | |
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11
tangling
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| （使）缠结， （使）乱作一团( tangle的现在分词 ) | |
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12
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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13
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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14
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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15
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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16
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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17
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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18
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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19
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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20
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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23
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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24
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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25
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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26
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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27
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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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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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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30
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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31
disquiet
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| n.担心，焦虑 | |
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32
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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33
follies
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| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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34
delusions
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| n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想 | |
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35
scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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36
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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37
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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38
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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39
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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40
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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41
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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42
outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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43
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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44
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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48
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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50
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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51
mumble
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| n./v.喃喃而语，咕哝 | |
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52
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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53
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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54
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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55
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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56
prattling
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| v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话( prattle的现在分词 )；发出连续而无意义的声音；闲扯；东拉西扯 | |
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57
bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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58
abrasions
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| n.磨损( abrasion的名词复数 )；擦伤处；摩擦；磨蚀（作用） | |
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deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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63
snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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64
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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65
drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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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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vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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reposeful
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| adj.平稳的，沉着的 | |
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mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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70
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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whet
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| v.磨快，刺激 | |
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coverts
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| n.隐蔽的，不公开的，秘密的( covert的名词复数 )；复羽 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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76
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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78
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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80
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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81
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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82
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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83
thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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84
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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85
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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86
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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