CHAPTER X

 

 

"Never a trace of them has there been since they were released from prison, never a trace. Out of the country they both went, so we think, and that's as far as we know. It was the death-blow to Squire¹, it was; but he died trusting in Master Derrick. Left him all his money too, did Squire; 'as a proof,' so Squire said. Yes, the Chase went to your father, the Major, Master Robin², him being eldest³ son, my dear, but the money's waiting for Master Derrick when he comes home."

 

The old woman's voice ceased, and there was silence. In the little room dusk had fallen while she had been speaking, for her story had been a long one. The firelight lit up the white faces of the four listeners, but none of them spoke⁴: even Peter for once had nothing to say. Jan slipped her hand into Robin's, and he held it fast. "Poor Uncle Derrick!" said the little girl in a quivering voice, after a few minutes had passed.

 

"And sure, why poor?" Brownie's voice was husky but it was firm still. "'Twas naught⁵ of wrong that he did; nor Hooker, neither, for we know. They'll be coming back, an' wrongful punishment cannot smirch the innocent, my dears. Please God, I shall see them, too; please God they'll come in my time; but that they will come back, I know." There was silence again for a minute or two, and then the spell that seemed laid on the little group by the telling of the old woman's story was suddenly broken by a sound outside. Old Brown clamped noisily into the kitchen, kicking the earth from his boots on the step outside. "I've been down to th' hut, wife," said he, "but the young folks hain't thereabouts. Happen ye know where they'll be?"

 

"We're here!" The four came out of the shadows, feeling glad in a way of the interruption, for the story was too dreadfully sad to them to be thought of too long. "D'you want us, Brown?" asked Robin.

 

"Aye, sir, 'tis a message. There's a telegraft come this night. Your mother, sir, would have spoke to you herself, she bid me say, but she's right-down busy. The Major's expecting leave, and——"

 

"Dad!" Three voices were raised in excited chorus.

 

"Aye, my dears, 'tis good news, that's certain. He's hoping to be home come Saturday. Your mother, sir, she was fair set about at first on account of the scarlet⁶ fever, but she's talked it over with the Doctor. They've arranged to move the young gentleman into the old wing. 'We'll disinfect the rest of the house for three whole days,' so madam said, and Doctor, he agreed; 'and then 'twill be right enow,' said madam, 'what wi' sulphur-burning, and such like.' Aye, they've fires lighted, and 'tis all under way, and they're moving Master Dick this night." The old man hobbled to his favourite chair.

 

"Hurrah⁷, but it's late!" Robin got up and shook himself. "We must go back to camp and see that the fire hasn't burned too low. We'll soon boil up a dixie and get some supper ready. Coming?" he called to the others.

 

But as the four made their way across the Island to the camp in the dusk they spoke not at all. Brownie's story had made such a deep impression on every one of them that they hardly knew how to mention it even to each other. Even after Jan had been escorted home, and supper was over, and the boys lay stretched in the blue-darkness of the summer night, the topic upper-most in their minds was not touched upon between them.

 

"Jolly ripping that Dad's coming home, anyway," said Peter at last.

 

"Rather," said Robin. Then a silence fell. The three boys lay under the stars and thought before finally they fell asleep; each one was thinking too of the same thing, of Uncle Derrick's story.

 

"I saw my light again last night," announced Jan next morning as she fried up the remains⁸ of some cold potatoes for a breakfast dish, wielding⁹ the frying-pan with dexterous¹⁰ hand.

 

"You did?" All the boys were eagerly listening.

 

"In exactly the same place, but a brighter light this time; and it lasted longer, too. It didn't come and go like before; it stayed alight till ten o'clock, and then went out, for I timed it by my watch."

 

"Show us whereabouts," suggested Peter.

 

"I can, for I looked particularly. It was a pretty dark night, but the moon came out from behind a cloud once, and I could make out the outline of the Chase. The light was from the last window of the east wing. I'm going when breakfast's done, to look at the place again."

 

But when at last breakfast was over the results of the investigation¹¹ seemed to be rather disappointing, considered in the light of a possible mystery. The window in question looked over the river, and could plainly be seen from the Island. A white curtain stretched across the panes¹², and a fern plant stood on a table in the window. "I don't think there's much reason why there shouldn't be a light from that room every night of the year without causing mysteries," announced Donald. "It's plainly a bedroom, or something!"

 

But the three Vaughans were staring open-mouthed. "It's—why it must be the room they've moved Dick into!" remarked Peter at last. "It looks as though it's come alive in the night, doesn't it? It gave me quite a shock; that's why you saw the light last night, Jan—no mystery at all!"

 

"But," Jan was persistent, "even if that does explain last night's light—and I suppose it

 

1 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

6 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

7 hurrah   

int.好哇，万岁，乌拉

参考例句：

• We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。
• The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 wielding   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• The rebels were wielding sticks of dynamite. 叛乱分子舞动着棒状炸药。
• He is wielding a knife. 他在挥舞着一把刀。

10 dexterous   

adj.灵敏的；灵巧的

参考例句：

• As people grow older they generally become less dexterous.随着年龄的增长，人通常会变得不再那么手巧。
• The manager was dexterous in handling his staff.那位经理善于运用他属下的职员。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 panes   

窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sun caught the panes and flashed back at him. 阳光照到窗玻璃上，又反射到他身上。
• The window-panes are dim with steam. 玻璃窗上蒙上了一层蒸汽。