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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Sylvie and Bruno西尔维和布鲁诺25章节 » CHAPTER 4. A CUNNING CONSPIRACY.
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CHAPTER 4. A CUNNING CONSPIRACY.
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 The Warden1 entered at this moment: and close behind him came the Lord Chancellor2, a 
 
little flushed and out of breath, and adjusting his wig3, which appeared to have 
 
been dragged partly off his head.
 
“But where is my precious child?” my Lady enquired5, as the four took their seats 
 
at the small side-table devoted6 to ledgers7 and bundles and bills.
 
“He left the room a few minutes ago with the Lord Chancellor,” the Sub-Warden 
 
briefly8 explained.
 
“Ah!” said my Lady, graciously smiling on that high official. “Your Lordship has 
 
a very taking way with children! I doubt if any one could gain the ear of my 
 
darling Uggug so quickly as you can!” For an entirely9 stupid woman, my Lady's 
 
remarks were curiously10 full of meaning, of which she herself was wholly 
 
unconscious.
 
The Chancellor bowed, but with a very uneasy air. “I think the Warden was about to 
 
speak,” he remarked, evidently anxious to change the subject.
 
But my Lady would not be checked. “He is a clever boy,” she continued with 
 
enthusiasm, “but he needs a man like your Lordship to draw him out!”
 
The Chancellor bit his lip, and was silent. He evidently feared that, stupid as she 
 
looked, she understood what she said this time, and was having a joke at his 
 
expense. He might have spared himself all anxiety: whatever accidental meaning her 
 
words might have, she herself never meant anything at all.
 
“It is all settled!” the Warden announced, wasting no time over preliminaries. “
 
The Sub-Wardenship11 is abolished, and my brother is appointed to act as Vice12-Warden 
 
whenever I am absent. So, as I am going abroad for a while, he will enter on his 
 
new duties at once.”
 
“And there will really be a Vice after all?” my Lady enquired.
 
“I hope so!” the Warden smilingly replied.
 
My Lady looked much pleased, and tried to clap her hands: but you might as well 
 
have knocked two feather-beds together, for any noise it made. “When my husband is 
 
Vice,” she said, “it will be the same as if we had a hundred Vices13!”
 
“Hear, hear!” cried the Sub-Warden.
 
“You seem to think it very remarkable14,” my Lady remarked with some severity, 
 
“that your wife should speak the truth!”
 
“No, not remarkable at all!” her husband anxiously explained. “Nothing is 
 
remarkable that you say, sweet one!”
 
My Lady smiled approval of the sentiment, and went on. “And am I Vice-Wardeness?”
 
“If you choose to use that title,” said the Warden: “but 'Your Excellency' will 
 
be the proper style of address. And I trust that both 'His Excellency' and 'Her 
 
Excellency' will observe the Agreement I have drawn15 up. The provision I am most 
 
anxious about is this.” He unrolled a large parchment scroll16, and read aloud the 
 
words “'item, that we will be kind to the poor.' The Chancellor worded it for me,
 
” he added, glancing at that great Functionary17. “I suppose, now, that word 'item' 
 
has some deep legal meaning?”
 
“Undoubtedly!” replied the Chancellor, as articulately as he could with a pen 
 
between his lips. He was nervously18 rolling and unrolling several other scrolls19, and 
 
making room among them for the one the Warden had just handed to him. “These are 
 
merely the rough copies,” he explained: “and, as soon as I have put in the final 
 
corrections—” making a great commotion20 among the different parchments, “—a 
 
semi-colon or two that I have accidentally omitted—” here he darted21 about, pen in 
 
hand, from one part of the scroll to another, spreading sheets of blotting-paper 
 
over his corrections, “all will be ready for signing.”
 
“Should it not be read out, first?” my Lady enquired.
 
“No need, no need!” the Sub-Warden and the Chancellor exclaimed at the same 
 
moment, with feverish22 eagerness.
 
“No need at all,” the Warden gently assented23. “Your husband and I have gone 
 
through it together. It provides that he shall exercise the full authority of 
 
Warden, and shall have the disposal of the annual revenue attached to the office, 
 
until my return, or, failing that, until Bruno comes of age: and that he shall then 
 
hand over, to myself or to Bruno as the case may be, the Wardenship, the unspent 
 
revenue, and the contents of the Treasury24, which are to be preserved, intact, under 
 
his guardianship25.”
 
All this time the Sub-Warden was busy, with the Chancellor's help, shifting the 
 
papers from side to side, and pointing out to the Warden the place whew he was to 
 
sign. He then signed it himself, and my Lady and the Chancellor added their names 
 
as witnesses.
 
“Short partings are best,” said the Warden. “All is ready for my journey. My 
 
children are waiting below to see me off” He gravely kissed my Lady, shook hands 
 
with his brother and the Chancellor, and left the room.
 
{Image...'What a game!'}
 
The three waited in silence till the sound of wheels announced that the Warden was 
 
out of hearing: then, to my surprise, they broke into peals26 of uncontrollable 
 
laughter.
 
“What a game, oh, what a game!” cried the Chancellor. And he and the Vice-Warden 
 
joined hands, and skipped wildly about the room. My Lady was too dignified27 to skip, 
 
but she laughed like the neighing of a horse, and waved her handkerchief above her 
 
head: it was clear to her very limited understanding that something very clever had 
 
been done, but what it was she had yet to learn.
 
“You said I should hear all about it when the Warden had gone,” she remarked, as 
 
soon as she could make herself heard.
 
“And so you shall, Tabby!” her husband graciously replied, as he removed the 
 
blotting-paper, and showed the two parchments lying side by side. “This is the one 
 
he read but didn't sign: and this is the one he signed but didn't read! You see it 
 
was all covered up, except the place for signing the names—”
 
“Yes, yes!” my Lady interrupted eagerly, and began comparing the two Agreements.
 
“'Item, that he shall exercise the authority of Warden, in the Warden's absence.' 
 
Why, that's been changed into 'shall be absolute governor for life, with the title 
 
of Emperor, if elected to that office by the people.' What! Are you Emperor, 
 
darling?”
 
“Not yet, dear,” the Vice-Warden replied. “It won't do to let this paper be 
 
seen, just at present. All in good time.”
 
My Lady nodded, and read on. “'Item, that we will be kind to the poor.' Why, 
 
that's omitted altogether!”
 
“Course it is!” said her husband. “We're not going to bother about the wretches29!
 
 
“Good,” said my Lady, with emphasis, and read on again. “'Item, that the 
 
contents of the Treasury be preserved intact.' Why, that's altered into 'shall be 
 
at the absolute disposal of the Vice-Warden'! Well, Sibby, that was a clever trick! 
 
All the Jewels, only think! May I go and put them on directly?”
 
“Well, not just yet, Lovey,” her husband uneasily replied. “You see the public 
 
mind isn't quite ripe for it yet. We must feel our way. Of course we'll have the 
 
coach-and-four out, at once. And I'll take the title of Emperor, as soon as we can 
 
safely hold an Election. But they'll hardly stand our using the Jewels, as long as 
 
they know the Warden's alive. We must spread a report of his death. A little 
 
Conspiracy30—”
 
“A Conspiracy!” cried the delighted lady, clapping her hands. “Of all things, I 
 
do like a Conspiracy! It's so interesting!”
 
The Vice-Warden and the Chancellor interchanged a wink31 or two. “Let her conspire 
 
to her heart's content!” the cunning Chancellor whispered. “It'll do no harm!”
 
“And when will the Conspiracy—”
 
“Hist!', her husband hastily interrupted her, as the door opened, and Sylvie and 
 
Bruno came in, with their arms twined lovingly round each other—Bruno sobbing 
 
convulsively, with his face hidden on his sister's shoulder, and Sylvie more grave 
 
and quiet, but with tears streaming down her cheeks.
 
“Mustn't cry like that!” the Vice-Warden said sharply, but without any effect on 
 
the weeping children. “Cheer 'em up a bit!” he hinted to my Lady.
 
“Cake!” my Lady muttered to herself with great decision, crossing the room and 
 
opening a cupboard, from which she presently returned with two slices of plum-cake. 
 
“Eat, and don't cry!” were her short and simple orders: and the poor children sat 
 
down side by side, but seemed in no mood for eating.
 
For the second time the door opened—or rather was burst open, this time, as Uggug 
 
rushed violently into the room, shouting “that old Beggars come again!”
 
“He's not to have any food—” the Vice-warden was beginning, but the Chancellor 
 
interrupted him. “It's all right,” he said, in a low voice: “the servants have 
 
their orders.”
 
“He's just under here,” said Uggug, who had gone to the window, and was looking 
 
down into the court-yard.
 
“Where, my darling?” said his fond mother, flinging her arms round the neck of 
 
the little monster. All of us (except Sylvie and Bruno, who took no notice of what 
 
was going on) followed her to the window. The old Beggar looked up at us with 
 
hungry eyes. “Only a crust of bread, your Highness!” he pleaded.
 
{Image...'Drink this!'}
 
He was a fine old man, but looked sadly ill and worn. “A crust of bread is what I 
 
crave32!” he repeated. “A single crust, and a little water!”
 
“Here's some water, drink this!”
 
Uggug bellowed33, emptying a jug34 of water over his head.
 
“Well done, my boy!” cried the Vice-Warden.
 
“That's the way to settle such folk!”
 
“Clever boy!”, the Wardeness chimed in. “Hasn't he good spirits?”
 
“Take a stick to him!” shouted the Vice-Warden, as the old Beggar shook the water 
 
from his ragged4 cloak, and again gazed meekly35 upwards36.
 
“Take a red-hot poker37 to him!” my Lady again chimed in.
 
Possibly there was no red-hot poker handy: but some sticks were forthcoming in a 
 
moment, and threatening faces surrounded the poor old wanderer, who waved them back 
 
with quiet dignity. “No need to break my old bones,” he said. “I am going. Not 
 
even a crust!”
 
“Poor, poor old man!” exclaimed a little voice at my side, half choked with sobs38
 
Bruno was at the window, trying to throw out his slice of plum-cake, but Sylvie 
 
held him back.
 
“He shalt have my cake!” Bruno cried, passionately39 struggling out of Sylvie's 
 
arms.
 
“Yes, yes, darling!” Sylvie gently pleaded. “But don't throw it out! He's gone 
 
away, don't you see? Let's go after him.” And she led him out of the room, 
 
unnoticed by the rest of the party, who were wholly absorbed in watching the old 
 
Beggar.
 
The Conspirators40 returned to their seats, and continued their conversation in an 
 
undertone, so as not to be heard by Uggug, who was still standing28 at the window.
 
“By the way, there was something about Bruno succeeding to the Wrardenship,” said 
 
my Lady. “How does that stand in the new Agreement?”
 
The Chancellor chuckled41. “Just the same, word for word,” he said, “with one 
 
exception, my Lady. Instead of 'Bruno,' I've taken the liberty to put in—” he 
 
dropped his voice to a whisper, “to put in 'Uggug,' you know!”
 
“Uggug, indeed!” I exclaimed, in a burst of indignation I could no longer 
 
control. To bring out even that one word seemed a gigantic effort: but, the cry 
 
once uttered, all effort ceased at once: a sudden gust42 swept away the whole scene, 
 
and I found myself sitting up, staring at the young lady in the opposite corner of 
 
the carriage, who had now thrown back her veil, and was looking at me with an 
 
expression of amused surprise.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 warden jMszo     
n.监察员,监狱长,看守人,监护人
参考例句:
  • He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
  • The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。
2 chancellor aUAyA     
n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长
参考例句:
  • They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
  • He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。
3 wig 1gRwR     
n.假发
参考例句:
  • The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
  • He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。
4 ragged KC0y8     
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
参考例句:
  • A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
  • Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。
5 enquired 4df7506569079ecc60229e390176a0f6     
打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问
参考例句:
  • He enquired for the book in a bookstore. 他在书店查询那本书。
  • Fauchery jestingly enquired whether the Minister was coming too. 浮式瑞嘲笑着问部长是否也会来。
6 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
参考例句:
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
7 ledgers 73a3b1ea51494741c86cba193a27bb69     
n.分类账( ledger的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The ledgers and account books had all been destroyed. 分类账本和账簿都被销毁了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The ledgers had all been destroyed. 账簿都被销毁了。 来自辞典例句
8 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
9 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
10 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
11 wardenship 7a147f94309453c6cba84854b6ce8611     
n.warden之职权(或职务)
参考例句:
12 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
13 vices 01aad211a45c120dcd263c6f3d60ce79     
缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳
参考例句:
  • In spite of his vices, he was loved by all. 尽管他有缺点,还是受到大家的爱戴。
  • He vituperated from the pulpit the vices of the court. 他在教堂的讲坛上责骂宫廷的罪恶。
14 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
15 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
16 scroll kD3z9     
n.卷轴,纸卷;(石刻上的)漩涡
参考例句:
  • As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时,黄河的景象展现在眼前。
  • He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴,以表彰其所做出的成就。
17 functionary 1hLx9     
n.官员;公职人员
参考例句:
  • No functionary may support or cover up unfair competition acts.国家官员不得支持、包庇不正当竞争行为。
  • " Emigrant," said the functionary,"I am going to send you on to Paris,under an escort."“ 外逃分子,”那官员说,“我要把你送到巴黎去,还派人护送。”
18 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
19 scrolls 3543d1f621679b6ce6ec45f8523cf7c0     
n.(常用于录写正式文件的)纸卷( scroll的名词复数 );卷轴;涡卷形(装饰);卷形花纹v.(电脑屏幕上)从上到下移动(资料等),卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 );(似卷轴般)卷起;(像展开卷轴般地)将文字显示于屏幕
参考例句:
  • Either turn it off or only pick up selected stuff like wands, rings and scrolls. 把他关掉然后只捡你需要的物品,像是魔杖(wand),戒指(rings)和滚动条(scrolls)。 来自互联网
  • Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea. 死海旁边的山洞里发现了古代的卷轴。 来自辞典例句
20 commotion 3X3yo     
n.骚动,动乱
参考例句:
  • They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵,引起了一阵骚乱。
  • Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间,整条街道变得一片混乱。
21 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 feverish gzsye     
adj.发烧的,狂热的,兴奋的
参考例句:
  • He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
  • They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。
23 assented 4cee1313bb256a1f69bcc83867e78727     
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
  • "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
24 treasury 7GeyP     
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库
参考例句:
  • The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
  • This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
25 guardianship ab24b083713a2924f6878c094b49d632     
n. 监护, 保护, 守护
参考例句:
  • They had to employ the English language in face of the jealous guardianship of Britain. 他们不得不在英国疑忌重重的监护下使用英文。
  • You want Marion to set aside her legal guardianship and give you Honoria. 你要马丽恩放弃她的法定监护人资格,把霍诺丽娅交给你。
26 peals 9acce61cb0d806ac4745738cf225f13b     
n.(声音大而持续或重复的)洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 );隆隆声;洪亮的钟声;钟乐v.(使)(钟等)鸣响,(雷等)发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • She burst into peals of laughter. 她忽然哈哈大笑起来。
  • She went into fits/peals of laughter. 她发出阵阵笑声。 来自辞典例句
27 dignified NuZzfb     
a.可敬的,高贵的
参考例句:
  • Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中,他始终沉默以保持尊严。
  • He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。
28 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
29 wretches 279ac1104342e09faf6a011b43f12d57     
n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 );可怜的人;恶棍;坏蛋
参考例句:
  • The little wretches were all bedraggledfrom some roguery. 小淘气们由于恶作剧而弄得脏乎乎的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The best courage for us poor wretches is to fly from danger. 对我们这些可怜虫说来,最好的出路还是躲避危险。 来自辞典例句
30 conspiracy NpczE     
n.阴谋,密谋,共谋
参考例句:
  • The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
  • He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。
31 wink 4MGz3     
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁
参考例句:
  • He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
  • The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间,那颗卫星就消失了。
32 crave fowzI     
vt.渴望得到,迫切需要,恳求,请求
参考例句:
  • Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
  • You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。
33 bellowed fa9ba2065b18298fa17a6311db3246fc     
v.发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的过去式和过去分词 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫
参考例句:
  • They bellowed at her to stop. 他们吼叫着让她停下。
  • He bellowed with pain when the tooth was pulled out. 当牙齿被拔掉时,他痛得大叫。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
34 jug QaNzK     
n.(有柄,小口,可盛水等的)大壶,罐,盂
参考例句:
  • He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐,保持着平衡往前走。
  • She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。
35 meekly meekly     
adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地
参考例句:
  • He stood aside meekly when the new policy was proposed. 当有人提出新政策时,他唯唯诺诺地站 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He meekly accepted the rebuke. 他顺从地接受了批评。 来自《简明英汉词典》
36 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
参考例句:
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
37 poker ilozCG     
n.扑克;vt.烙制
参考例句:
  • He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌,把钱都输光了。
  • I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了,可以玩些花样。
38 sobs d4349f86cad43cb1a5579b1ef269d0cb     
啜泣(声),呜咽(声)( sob的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
  • She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。
39 passionately YmDzQ4     
ad.热烈地,激烈地
参考例句:
  • She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿,也能爱得一往情深。
  • He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。
40 conspirators d40593710e3e511cb9bb9ec2b74bccc3     
n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句
41 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
42 gust q5Zyu     
n.阵风,突然一阵(雨、烟等),(感情的)迸发
参考例句:
  • A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来,把前门关上了。
  • A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。


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