As he closed the window, he said to himself:
"After all, it is less difficult than I thought; two rope ladders will do the business, with God's help!"
M. Leminof finding himself too much indisposed to leave his room, Gilbert dined alone in his turret6; after which he went out for a walk on the borders of the Rhine. As he left the path for the main road, he saw Stephane and Ivan within twenty paces of him. Perceiving him, the young man made an angry gesture, and turning his face, started his horse off at full speed. Gilbert had scarcely time to leap into the ditch to avoid being run down. As Ivan passed, he looked at him sadly, shook his head, and carried his finger to his forehead, as if to say: "You must pardon him; his poor mind is very sick." Gilbert returned to the castle without delay, and as he reached the entrance to the terrace, he saw the serf leaning against one of the doors, where he seemed to be on guard.
"My dear Ivan," said he, "you appear to be waiting for someone."
"I heard you coming," answered he, "and I took you for Vladimir Paulitch. It was the sound of your step which deceived me; you haven't such a measured step generally."
"You are a keen observer," replied Gilbert smiling; "but who, I pray, is this Vladimir Paulitch?"
"He is a physician from my country. He will remain two months with us. The barine wrote to him a fortnight since, when he felt that he was going to be ill; Vladimir Paulitch left immediately, and day before yesterday he wrote from Berlin, that he would be here this evening. This Vladimir is a physician who hasn't his equal. I am waiting for him to arrive."
"Tell me, good Ivan, is your young master in the garden?"
"He is down there under the weeping ash."
"Very well, you must permit me to speak to him a moment. You will even extend the obligation by saying nothing about it to Kostia Petrovitch. You know he cannot see us, for he keeps his bed now, and even if he should rise, his windows open on the inner court."
Ivan's brow contracted. "Impossible, impossible!" he murmured.
"Impossible? Why? Because you will not?
"Ivan, my good Ivan, it is absolutely necessary for me to speak to your young master. I have made him submit to a humiliation7 against my will. He mistakes my sentiments and credits me with the blackest intentions, and it will be torture to him in future to be condemned8 to sit at the same table with me daily. Let me explain myself to him. In two words I will make him understand who I am, and I wish him no harm."
The discussion was prolonged some minutes, Ivan finally yielding, but on the condition that Gilbert should not put his good will to the proof a second time. "Otherwise," said Ivan, "if you still attempt to talk with him secretly, I cannot permit him to go out, and, of course, he could only blame you, and would then have the right to consider you an enemy."
Upon his side, the serf promised that the Count should know nothing of the interview.
"Recollect9, brother," continued he, "that this is the last improper10 favor that you will obtain from me. You are a man of heart, but sometimes I should say that YOU HAD BEEN EATING BELLADONNA."
Stephane had left the circular bank where he had been sitting, and stood, with his back against the parapet of the terrace, his arms hanging dejectedly, and his head sunk upon his breast. His reverie was so profound that Gilbert approached within ten steps of him without being perceived; but suddenly rousing himself, he raised his head quickly, and stamped his foot imperiously.
"Go away!" cried he, "go away, or I will set Vorace on you!"
Vorace was the name of the bulldog that kept him company at night, and was crouching11 in the grass some paces distant. Of all the watchdogs of the castle, this one was the strongest and most ferocious12.
"You see," said Ivan, retaining Gilbert by the arm, "you have nothing to do here."
Gilbert gently disengaged himself and continued to advance.
"Get out of my sight," screamed Stephane. "Why do you come to trouble my solitude13? Who gives you the right to pursue me, to track me? How dare you look me in the face after—"
He could say no more. Excitement and anger choked his voice. For some moments he looked alternately at Gilbert and the dog; then changing his purpose, he moved as if to fly, but Gilbert barred the way.
"Listen to me but a minute," said he in a gentle and penetrating14 voice, "I bring you good news."
"You!" exclaimed Stephane, and he repeated, "You! you! good news!"
"I!" said Gilbert, "for I come to announce to you my near departure."
Stephane stared with wide-open eyes, and recoiled15 slowly to the wall, where, leaning back again, he exclaimed:
"What! are you going? Ah! certainly the news is excellent, as well as unexpected; but you are giving yourself unnecessary trouble, there was no need to forewarn me. Your departure! Great God! I should have been notified of it in advance by the clearness of the air, by the more vivid brightness of the sun, by some strange joy diffused16 through all my being. Oh! I understand, you are not able to digest the outrage17 done to you by the excellent Fritz at my order. You consider the reparation insufficient18. You are right, I swear it by St. George, my heart made no apologies to you. I upon my knees to you! Horror and misery19! As I told you yesterday, I yielded only to force. It was the same as if I should make my bulldog drag you down at my feet now!"
Gilbert made no answer; he contented20 himself with drawing from his pocketbook the letter which he had written the day before, and presenting it to Stephane.
"What have I to do with this paper?" said Stephane with a gesture of disdain21. "You have told me your news, that is sufficient for me. Anything more you could add would spoil my happiness."
"Read!" said Gilbert. "I have granted you such a great favor that you can well afford to grant me a small one."—Stephane hesitated a moment, but the habitual22 tediousness of his life was so great that the want of diversion overcame his hatred23 and scorn.
"This letter is not bad!" said he as he read. "Its style is eloquent24, the penmanship is admirable too. It involuntarily suggests to me the tie of your cravat25. Both are so correct that they are insufferable."
"It is not worth while to incommode yourself," pursued Stephane, "we have so short a time to live together! Pray do not renounce27 your most cherished habits for me. The bow of your cravat as well as your writing, harmonize wonderfully with your whole person. I do not suppose, however, that to please me you would reconstruct yourself from head to foot. The undertaking28 would be considerable."
"Permit me to speak," answered Gilbert. "I have made a little change in my programme: I shall not leave tomorrow. I have granted myself a week's delay."
Stephane's face darkened, and his eyes flashed.
"I swear to you here, upon my honor," continued Gilbert, "that in a week I will leave, never to return, unless you yourself beg me to remain."
"What baseness! and how cleverly this little plot has been contrived29; I see it all. By force of threats and violence they hope to compel me a second time to bend my knees to you and cry with clasped hands, 'Sir, in the name of Heaven, continue us the favor of your precious presence!' But this act of cowardice30 I shall never commit! Rather death! rather death!"
"A word only," resumed Gilbert, without being discouraged. "Submit me to some proof. Have you no caprice which it is in my power to satisfy?"
"Throw yourself at my feet," cried he impetuously; "drag yourself in the dust, kiss the ground before me, and demand pardon and mercy of me! At this price I will grant you, not my affection certainly, but my indulgence and pity."
"Impossible!" answered Gilbert, shaking his head. "I am like you; I should not know how to kneel, unless someone stronger than myself constrained31 me by violence. Oh, no! in such a performance I should lose even the hope of being some day esteemed32 by you. The more so as in the trial to which I wish you would subject me, I should desire to have some danger to brave, some difficulty to surmount33."
Stephane could not conceal34 his astonishment35. Never in all his life had he heard language like this. Nevertheless, distrust and pride triumphed still over every other feeling.
"Since you wish it!" said he, sneering36 . . . and he drew a kid glove from one of his pockets, rubbed it between his hands and threw it to the bulldog, who caught in his teeth and kept it there. "Vorace," said he to him, "keep your master's glove between your teeth, watch it well; you will answer to me for it."
Then turning to Gilbert,—"Sir, will you please restore my glove to me? I should be infinitely37 obliged to you for it."
"Ah! this is then the trial to which you will subject me?" answered
Gilbert with a smile upon his lips.
Stephane looked him in the face. For the first time, he could not avoid being struck by its noble expression and the clearness and purity of his glance.
Stephane was involuntarily moved, and strove in vain to conceal it by the jocular tone in which he replied:
"No, sir, it is not a test of your sincerity38, but a jest which we shall do well not to push further. This animal is not amiable39. Should you be unfortunate enough to irritate him, it would be impossible even for me, his master, to calm his fury. Be good enough then to leave my glove where it is, and return peaceably to your study to meditate40 upon some important problem in Byzantine history. That will be a trial less perilous41 and better proportioned to your strength. Good-evening, sir, good-night."
"Oh! permit me," replied Gilbert. "I am resolved to carry this adventure to its conclusion!"
"Take care," cried the young man, shuddering43, "do not trifle with that beast, or you are a dead man!"
"Take care," repeated Ivan, who, not having understood half of what had been said, hardly suspected Gilbert's intention. "Take care, this dog is a ferocious beast."
Meantime Gilbert, crossing his arms upon his breast, advanced slowly towards the bulldog, keeping his eyes steadily44 fixed on those of the animal, and when he thought he had disconcerted him by his undaunted gaze sufficiently45 to make him relax his grip upon the prize, he suddenly tore the glove from him and waved it in the air with his right hand. At the same moment Vorace, with a howl of rage, bounded up to leap at the throat of his despoiler46. Gilbert sprang back, covering himself with his left arm, and the dog's jaws47 only grazed his shoulder. Yet when he touched the ground again, he held between his teeth a long strip of cloth, a scrap48 of linen49, and a morsel50 of bloody51 flesh. Mad with fury the bulldog rolled over on the grass with this prize which he could hardly devour52, and then suddenly, as if seized with a paroxysm of frenzy53, he moved towards the castle doubling upon himself; but reaching the foot of the turret, he looked for his enemy and returned like an arrow, to pounce54 upon him again.
"Throw down the glove," cried Ivan, "and climb the ash."
"I will surrender the glove only to him who asked me for it," answered Gilbert.
And hiding it in his bosom55, he drew a knife from his pocket. He had not time to open it. The dog, with bristling56 hair and foaming57 jaws, was already within three steps of him, gathering58 himself to spring upon him; but he had scarcely raised himself from the ground when he fell back with his head shattered. The hatchet59 which Ivan carried at his girdle had come down upon him like a flash. The terrible animal vainly attempted to rise, rolled writhing60 in the dust, and breathed out his life with a hoarse61 and fearful howl.
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收听单词发音
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1
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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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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4
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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7
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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8
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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9
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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11
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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12
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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13
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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14
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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15
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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16
diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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18
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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19
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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20
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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21
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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22
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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24
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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27
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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29
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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31
constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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32
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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33
surmount
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| vt.克服；置于…顶上 | |
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34
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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36
sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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37
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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38
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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39
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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40
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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41
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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42
repulsing
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| v.击退( repulse的现在分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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43
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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44
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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45
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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46
despoiler
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47
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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48
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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49
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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50
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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51
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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52
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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53
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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54
pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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55
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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56
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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57
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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58
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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59
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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60
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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61
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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