CHAPTER II

Great confusion, shouting and swearing kept Robert Bluett wakeful for some time, and next morning he learned the reason of it.  As he walked early upon the quay¹ before breakfast, tried to master the intricate coast-line at a glance and longed to be afloat that he might get a wider and juster view of the red and honeycombed cliffs, a woebegone figure approached him—a bent² and hobbling creature that crawled on two sticks, wore a three-cornered hat and had his right eye concealed³ by a big black patch.  Only the flowing beard of Johnny Cramphorn proclaimed him.

“God save you, Master Bluett, or I should say ‘Cap’n Bluett,’” he began.  “The very man I wanted for to see.”

“Who’s been clawing you?” asked the Excise⁴ Officer.

“Who but the Dowl’s own anointed?  You heard the tantara in the tap-room?  Well, ’twas upon an aged⁵ piece like me they varmints falled like heathen wolves.  Look here!”

He lifted his patch and showed a pale blue eye p. 334set in a bruise⁶ as black as ink.  Thus seen it suggested a jackdaw’s.

“Jonathan Godbeer’s hand done that—the Lord judge un!  Wi’ his bullock’s fist he knocked me down, ’cause I withstood un to his face, like the prophet withstood David.”

“Ban’t no quarrel of mine,” said Mr. Bluett, “though if all I hear be true, me an’ Godbeer may fall out afore the world’s much older.”

“Ess—if you’m honest, you’ll fall out wi’ him.  ’Twas honesty brought me these cruel bruises⁷.  When you’d gone, I rose in my wrath⁸ an’ axed un how he dared to lie to you so open; then he smote⁹ me.”

Mr. Bluett’s natural probity¹⁰ here led him into unwisdom.

“To be plain,” he said, “I haven’t heard no very good account of you neither.”

“Ah, ’tis so hard to get away from one’s sins!  I’ll be honest, Cap’n, same as you be,” answered Mr. Cramphorn.  “I doan’t deny but I’ve been a free-trader in my time, though ’twas little enough ever I made by it but a score on the wrong side of the Book o’ Life.  But I’ve long been weary of ill-doing and be set ’pon the right road this many years, as Parson Yates will tell ’e.  ’Twas for the cause of right I got these blows—same as Paul his stripes—an’ though I’ve been that man’s friend in time past, now I’m gwaine to take vengeance¹¹ p. 335against un, an’ next time I hears tell of his games, you’ll be the fust to know it.”

“That will suit me very well,” answered Bluett.

“An’ I ax you to back me up an’ protect me henceforth in the King’s name,” continued Johnny.  “To think of a man as would wallop an old blid like me!  No better’n a murderer—there he is now!  Doan’t you go away from me till he’ve passed us by.”

Jonathan Godbeer walked along the quay to the boats.  He scowled¹² at old Cramphorn and touched his hat to the officer.

“Marnin’, sir!  I see thicky old rat have got ’e by the ear.  I thrashed un last night, ancient though he be, for calling me a smuggler¹³ afore the company; an’ I’ll thrash un every time he dares to do the like.  Take care how you put your trust in him, for the Faither of Lies be a fule to that man.  He never done nobody a gude turn in’s life; though he’ll get a gude turn yet hisself when the cart goes from under him an’ leaves him dancin’ ’pon a rope.  I warn ’e against un for all his white beard!”

Jonathan grinned at his own prophecy and departed; Cramphorn shook his fist and chattered¹⁴ curses; and Mr. Bluett went upon this way.  He was puzzled but not ill-pleased.

“When thieves fall out, honest men come by theer own,” he reflected, and returned to breakfast.
 

p. 336Jenifer Pearn waited upon him at his meal and took occasion to give Mr. Bluett yet another version of the brawl¹⁵ that had troubled his slumbers¹⁶ over night; but as she loved Merry Jonathan, her story redounded¹⁷ little to the smuggler’s discredit¹⁸.

“They all want to be your friends,” she explained; “but, except my Jonathan, theer ban’t a pin to choose among ’em.  He’m honest as daylight.”

Mr. Bluett thereupon changed the subject and trusted that Jenifer was none the worse for her fright.  The girl had a dark, keen face, was built generously and evidently enjoyed unusual physical strength for a woman.  Yet the old sailor recollected¹⁹ that she had been no more than a pleasant armful for her future husband.

“I be well again,” she said, “yet I wish I hadn’t seen no such dreadful contrivance, I’m sure.  ’Tis a very sad thing, an’ mother sez how Parson Yates did ought to be axed to faace they phantoms²⁰ in the name of the Lord wi’ a bell, a book an’ a cannel, ’cordin’ to the right an’ holy way in such matters.  But Gran’faither Newte an’ Toby Pearn, my great-uncle, an’ a gude few other auld²¹ parties say that Lady Emma’s funeral be the chiefest glory of Daleham an’ ’twould be a thousand pities to go an’ lay it wi’ a bit of parson’s work.”

The officer was interested.

“For my part,” he said, “I think if the poor soul p. 337killed herself two hundred years ago, ’tis time her was laid peaceful an’ reg’lar as by law appointed.  ’Tis all us can do for ghostes; to lay ’em; an’ even then it axes a clergyman.  An’ the holiest have got to mind theer p’s an’ q’s, for, make a mistake, an’ so like as not they’m tored to pieces for their trouble.”

“I’d rather not hear tell no more about it,” answered Jenifer, shivering and looking uneasily about her.  “But this I knaw; Parson Yates ban’t the man for the job—so meek²² as Moses he be, an’ would run from a goose, let alone a ghostey.”

“If ’tis proved his duty, he’ve got to faace it, however,—same as all of us has got to faace our duty,” declared Mr. Bluett.

1 quay   

n.码头，靠岸处

参考例句：

• There are all kinds of ships in a quay.码头停泊各式各样的船。
• The side of the boat hit the quay with a grinding jar.船舷撞到码头发出刺耳的声音。

2 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

3 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

4 excise   

n.(国产)货物税；vt.切除，删去

参考例句：

• I'll excise the patient's burnt areas.我去切除病人烧坏的部分。
• Jordan's free trade zone free of import duty,excise tax and all other taxes.约旦的自由贸易区免收进口税、国内货物税及其它一切税收。

5 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

6 bruise   

n.青肿，挫伤；伤痕；vt.打青；挫伤

参考例句：

• The bruise was caused by a kick.这伤痕是脚踢的。
• Jack fell down yesterday and got a big bruise on his face.杰克昨天摔了一跤，脸上摔出老大一块淤斑。

7 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

9 smote   

v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Figuratively, he could not kiss the hand that smote him. 打个比方说，他是不能认敌为友。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• \"Whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most unmercifully.\" 珠儿会毫不留情地将这些\"儿童\"踩倒，再连根拔起。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

10 probity   

n.刚直；廉洁，正直

参考例句：

• Probity and purity will command respect everywhere.为人正派到处受人尊敬。
• Her probity and integrity are beyond question.她的诚实和正直是无可争辩的。

11 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

12 scowled   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
• The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。

13 smuggler   

n.走私者

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight, awaiting extradition to Britain. 这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• The smuggler was finally obliged to inform against his boss. 那个走私犯最后不得不告发他的首领。

14 chattered   

（人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤

参考例句：

• They chattered away happily for a while. 他们高兴地闲扯了一会儿。
• We chattered like two teenagers. 我们聊着天，像两个十多岁的孩子。

15 brawl   

n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂

参考例句：

• They had nothing better to do than brawl in the street.他们除了在街上斗殴做不出什么好事。
• I don't want to see our two neighbours engaged in a brawl.我不希望我们两家吵架吵得不可开交。

16 slumbers   

睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His image traversed constantly her restless slumbers. 他的形象一再闯进她的脑海，弄得她不能安睡。
• My Titan brother slumbers deep inside his mountain prison. Go. 我的泰坦兄弟就被囚禁在山脉的深处。

17 redounded   

v.有助益( redound的过去式和过去分词 )；及于；报偿；报应

参考例句：

• The ill-doings of the fascist chieftain redounded upon himself. 法西斯头子干的种种坏事使他自食其果。 来自辞典例句
• His past misdeeds redounded on him. 他过去所做的坏事报应在他自己身上。 来自辞典例句

18 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

19 recollected   

adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I recollected that she had red hair. 我记得她有一头红发。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His efforts, the Duke recollected many years later, were distinctly half-hearted. 据公爵许多年之后的回忆，他当时明显只是敷衍了事。 来自辞典例句

20 phantoms   

n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They vanished down the stairs like two phantoms. 他们像两个幽灵似的消失在了楼下。 来自辞典例句
• The horrible night that he had passed had left phantoms behind it. 他刚才度过的恐布之夜留下了种种错觉。 来自辞典例句

21 auld   

adj.老的，旧的

参考例句：

• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？
• The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。

22 meek   

adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的

参考例句：

• He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
• The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。