The newcomer listened grimly to matters now much exercising Daleham. He was a hard-faced man with a blue chin and black eyes, whose short, double-breasted jacket, wide breeches, glazed6 hat and pigtail marked a seafarer.
p. 326“As for ghostes,” he said, “can’t swear I’ve ever seed one, but no sailor-man, as have witnessed the Lord’s wonders in the deep, would dare to doubt ’em.”
“Just picture a whole throng, my dear!”
John Cramphorn spoke7. He was an ancient fisher, and his face might have stood for the Apostle Peter’s; but it quite gave the lie to his character, for this venerable man was hand in glove with the smugglers, had himself been a free-trader of renown8, and now very gladly placed his wit and experience at the command of the younger generation. No word was ever whispered against him openly, and yet the rumour9 ran that Johnny had his share of every cargo10 successfully run upon these coasts, and that he was the guiding spirit ashore11, while “Merry Jonathan,” or Jonathan Godbeer of Daleham, captained on the water that obscure body known as the Daleham free-traders.
With such a sailor as Jonathan afloat and such a wise-head as Mr. Cramphorn at home, the local smugglers earned a measure of fame that reached even to the Revenue. Indeed, at the moment of this story’s opening, the little fishing village, with uneasy pride, was aware that a Preventive Officer had been appointed for its especial chastisement12 and control; but none feared the issue. Every woman and child at Daleham knew that it would p. 327task men of uncommon13 metal with hard heads and thick skulls14 to lay their local champions by the heels.
“Ess,” said the white-bearded Cramphorn, “ghostes of men an’ ghostes of hosses tu. Ban’t many parishes as can shaw ’e such a brave turnout of holy phantoms, I lay. You might have seed that ruin in the fir trees ’pon top of the cliff as you comed down the hill p’raps? Wheer the fishermen’s gardens be. Well, ’twas a famous mansion15 in the old days, though now sinked to a mere16 landmark17 for mackerel boats. But the Stapledons lived theer in times agone, an’ lorded it awver all the land so far as Dartymouth, ’tis thought. Of course they died like theer neighbours, an’ many a brave funeral passed out-along wheer I grow my bit of kale to-day. Yet no account taken till theer comed the terrible business of Lady Emma Stapledon—poor soul. Her was ordered by her cold-hearted faither to marry a Lunnon man for his money—a gay young youth of gert renown, an’ as big a rip as ever you see, an’ a very evil character, but thousands of pounds in the bank to soften18 people’s minds. Her wouldn’t take him, however, an’ peaked an’ pined, till at last—two nights afore the marriage-day—her went out alone along that dangerous edge of cliff what be named the Devil’s Tight-rope. In charity us’ll say the poor maiden’s foot slipped, though if it did, p. 328why for should her funeral walk ever since when January comes round? Anyway it shows her had Christian19 burial no doubt, an’ the funeral can be seen evermore—hosses an’ men, hearse an’ coffin20. Every moony night in January it may be marked stealin’ like a fog awver the tilth by the old road from the ruined gates; an’ to see it only axes a pinch of faith in the beholder21. I’ve watched it scores o’ dozens o’ times—all so black as sin an’ silent as the grave. My sweat falled like rain fust time I seed it, but I minded how the Lord looks arter His awn. Of course an honest, church-going man’s out o’ the reach o’ ghostes.”
Mr. Cramphorn stopped and buried his beautiful Roman nose in some rum and water. Then Mrs. Pearn, mistress of the “Golden Anchor,” mended the fire, and a man, sitting in the ingle, asked a question.
“Where’s Jenifer to? ’Tis late for her to be out alone.”
The old woman answered:—
“Gone up the hill for green stuff. Her laughs at all you silly men. I told her how ’twas the time for Lady Emma’s death-coach; but her said so long as they didn’t want her to get in an’ sit along wi’ she, her’d not mind no death-coaches, nor ghostes neither.”
“’Tis very unseemly for a maid to talk so,” p. 329declared the stranger, gravely. “Them as flout22 spirits often have to pay an ugly reckoning.”
Others were also of this mind and Mr. Cramphorn gave instances.
“My stars! You’m makin’ me cream with fear, I’m sure,” said Mrs. Pearn, after supping full on their horrid23 recollections; “best to go up the hill, Jonathan Godbeer, an’ find the wench. ’Tis your work, seeing you’m tokened to her.”
The stranger started and cast a sharp glance where sat the man addressed. Merry Jonathan was a tall and square-built sailor with a curly head and an eye that looked all people squarely in the face. A crisp beard served to hide his true expression, and the cloak of a smile, usually to be found upon his lips, concealed24 the tremendous determination of his countenance25. Indeed he habitually26 hid behind a mask of loud and somewhat senseless laughter. But those who served him at his secret work and in times of peril27, knew a different Jonathan, not to be described as “Merry.” Now the man rose and grinned at the stranger amiably28 until his grey eyes were quite lost in rays of crinkled skin. He out-stared the other seafarer, as he made it a rule to out-stare all men; then he prepared to obey his future mother-in-law.
“Mustn’t let my sweetheart be drove daft by—” he began, when the inn door opened and a girl, p. 330with her hair fallen down her back and a terrified white face, appeared and almost dropped into Godbeer’s arms. “Gude powers! What’s the matter, my dear maid?” he cried. “Who’ve hurt ’e? Who’ve dared? Tell your Jonathan an’ he’ll smash the man like eggshells—if ’tis a man.”
Jenifer clung to him hysterically29 and her teeth chattered30. They took her to the fire and her mother brought a tumbler of spirits and water at Mr. Cramphorn’s direction.
“Oh my God, I knawed how ’twould be,” wailed31 the old woman. “Her’ve seed what her didn’t ought, an’ now her’ll suffer for it!”
Jenifer was on her lover’s lap by the fire and tears at last came to her eyes. Then she wept bitterly and found her tongue.
“Put your arm around me,” she said; “close—close—Jonathan. I’ve seed it—Lady Emma’s death-coach—creeping awver the frozen ground up-along. It passed wi’in ten yards of where I was cutting cabbages, an’ never such cold I felt. It have got to my heart an’ I’ll die—I knaw it.”
“You might have been mistook, young woman,” said the blue-muzzled man, civilly; but she shook her head.
“A gert hearse wi’ feathers an’ a tall man in front, an’ four hosses all blacker’n the fir-wood they comed from. An’ the moonlight shone through ’em where p. 331they moved away to the churchyard; an’ I fainted, I reckon, then come to an’ sped away afore they returned.”
“They’d have been there again in an hour or two,” declared old Cramphorn. “That’s the way of it. Ten o’clock or so they sets out, an’ back they come by midnight or thereabouts.”
Then the stranger rose to retire, but before doing so he declared his identity.
“I may tell you, neighbours, that I be the Preventive Officer sent to work along with the cutter from Dartmouth. My name be Robert Bluett, an’ I’m an old man-o’-war’s man an’ a West countryman likewise. An’ I look to every honest chap amongst ’e to help me in the King’s name against lawbreakers. So all’s said.”
A murmur32 ran through the company.
“Question is what be honest an’ what ban’t. Things ban’t dishonest ’cause Parliament says so,” growled33 a long-faced, sour man. “Free tradin’s the right answer to wrongful laws, an’ ’tis for them up-along to mend Justice, not rob us.”
Jonathan Godbeer, however, stoutly34 applauded Mr. Bluett.
“I be just a simple fisherman myself,” he said; “but what I can do against they French rascals35 I will do. You may count upon me.”
Mr. Bluett regarded Johnny Cramphorn and saw p. 332that the patriarch’s eyes were fixed36 on Godbeer and full of amazement37.
“You to say that!” he murmured, “you—when us all knows—but ban’t no business of mine, thank the Lord. At least you may count upon an old man to stand by the King and his lawful38 laws, same as I always have and always will so long as I be spared.”
Riotous39 laughter greeted these noble sentiments, and Bluett, vaguely40 aware that the company laughed as much with the ancient as at him, departed to bed. He was staying at the “Golden Anchor” until his lodgment at Daleham should be ready for him.
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1
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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2
ransacked
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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3
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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4
phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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5
gleaned
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| v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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6
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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7
spoke
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| 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 | |
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8
renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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9
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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10
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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11
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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12
chastisement
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| n.惩罚 | |
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13
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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14
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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15
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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17
landmark
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| n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标 | |
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18
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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19
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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20
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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21
beholder
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| n.观看者，旁观者 | |
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22
flout
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| v./n.嘲弄，愚弄，轻视 | |
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23
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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24
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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25
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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27
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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28
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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29
hysterically
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| ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
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30
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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31
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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33
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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34
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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35
rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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36
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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37
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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38
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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39
riotous
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| adj.骚乱的；狂欢的 | |
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40
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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