He was watching Number One’s bungalow6 with an animal-like patience, if with a very human complexity7 of purpose. This was the second morning of such watching. The first one had not been rewarded by success. Well, strictly8 speaking, there was no hurry.
The sun, swinging above the ridge9 all at once, inundated10 with light the space of burnt grass in front of Ricardo and the face of the bungalow, on which his eyes were fixed11, leaving only the one dark spot of the doorway12. To his right, to his left, and behind him, splashes of gold appeared in the deep shade of the forest, thinning the gloom under the ragged13 roof of leaves.
This was not a very favourable14 circumstance for Ricardo’s purpose. He did not wish to be detected in his patient occupation. For what he was watching for was a sight of the girl — that girl! just a glimpse across the burnt patch to see what she was like. He had excellent eyes, and the distance was not so great. He would be able to distinguish her face quite easily if she only came out on the veranda15; and she was bound to do that sooner or later. He was confident that he could form some opinion about her — which, he felt, was very necessary, before venturing on some steps to get in touch with her behind that Swedish baron’s back. His theoretical view of the girl was such that he was quite prepared, on the strength of that distant examination, to show himself discreetly16 — perhaps even make a sign. It all depended on his reading of the face. She couldn’t be much. He knew that sort!
By protruding17 his head a little he commanded, through the foliage18 of a festooning creeper, a view of the three bungalows19. Irregularly disposed along a flat curve, over the veranda rail of the farthermost one hung a dark rug of a tartan pattern, amazingly conspicuous20. Ricardo could see the very checks. A brisk fire of sticks was burning on the ground in front of the steps, and in the sunlight the thin, fluttering flame had paled almost to invisibility — a mere21 rosy22 stir under a faint wreath of smoke. He could see the white bandage on the head of Pedro bending over it, and the wisps of black hair standing23 up weirdly24. He had wound that bandage himself, after breaking that shaggy and enormous head. The creature balanced it like a load, staggering towards the steps. Ricardo could see a small, long-handled saucepan at the end of a great hairy paw.
Yes, he could see all that there was to be seen, far and near. Excellent eyes! The only thing they could not penetrate25 was the dark oblong of the doorway on the veranda under the low eaves of the bungalow’s roof. And that was vexing26. It was an outrage27. Ricardo was easily outraged28. Surely she would come out presently! Why didn’t she? Surely the fellow did not tie her up to the bedpost before leaving the house!
Nothing appeared. Ricardo was as still as the leafy cables of creepers depending in a convenient curtain from the mighty limb sixty feet above his head. His very eyelids29 were still, and this unblinking watchfulness30 gave him the dreamy air of a cat posed on a hearth-rug contemplating31 the fire. Was he dreaming? There, in plain sight, he had before him a white, blouse-like jacket, short blue trousers, a pair of bare yellow calves32, a pigtail, long and slender —
“The confounded Chink!” he muttered, astounded33.
He was not conscious of having looked away; and yet right there, in the middle of the picture, without having come round the right-hand corner or the left-hand corner of the house, without falling from the sky or surging up from the ground, Wang had become visible, large as life, and engaged in the young-ladyish occupation of picking flowers. Step by step, stooping repeatedly over the flower-beds at the foot of the veranda, the startlingly materialized Chinaman passed off the scene in a very commonplace manner, by going up the steps and disappearing in the darkness of the doorway.
Only then the yellow eyes of Martin Ricardo lost their intent fixity. He understood that it was time for him to be moving. That bunch of flowers going into the house in the hand of a Chinaman was for the breakfast-table. What else could it be for?
“I’ll give you flowers!” he muttered threateningly. “You wait!”
Another moment, just for a glance towards the Jones bungalow, whence he expected Heyst to issue on his way to that breakfast so offensively decorated, and Ricardo began his retreat. His impulse, his desire, was for a rush into the open, face to face with the appointed victim, for what he called a “ripping up,” visualized35 greedily, and always with the swift preliminary stooping movement on his part — the forerunner36 of certain death to his adversary37. This was his impulse; and as it was, so to speak, constitutional, it was extremely difficult to resist when his blood was up. What could be more trying than to have to skulk38 and dodge5 and restrain oneself, mentally and physically39, when one’s blood was up? Mr. Secretary Ricardo began his retreat from his post of observation behind a tree opposite Heyst’s bungalow, using great care to remain unseen. His proceedings40 were made easier by the declivity41 of the ground, which sloped sharply down to the water’s edge. There, his feet feeling the warmth of the island’s rocky foundation already heated by the sun, through the thin soles of his straw slippers42 he was, as it were, sunk out of sight of the houses. A short scramble43 of some twenty feet brought him up again to the upper level, at the place where the jetty had its root in the shore. He leaned his back against one of the lofty uprights which still held up the company’s signboard above the mound44 of derelict coal. Nobody could have guessed how much his blood was up. To contain himself he folded his arms tightly on his breast.
Ricardo was not used to a prolonged effort of self-control. His craft, his artfulness, felt themselves always at the mercy of his nature, which was truly feral and only held in subjection by the influence of the “governor,” the prestige of a gentleman. It had its cunning too, but it was being almost too severely45 tried since the feral solution of a growl46 and a spring was forbidden by the problem. Ricardo dared not venture out on the cleared ground. He dared not.
“If I meet the beggar,” he thought, “I don’t know what I mayn’t do. I daren’t trust myself.”
What exasperated47 him just now was his inability to understand Heyst. Ricardo was human enough to suffer from the discovery of his limitations. No, he couldn’t size Heyst up. He could kill him with extreme ease — a growl and a spring — but that was forbidden! However, he could not remain indefinitely under the funereal48 blackboard.
“I must make a move,” he thought.
He moved on, his head swimming a little with the repressed desire of violence, and came out openly in front of the bungalows, as if he had just been down to the jetty to look at the boat. The sunshine enveloped49 him, very brilliant, very still, very hot. The three buildings faced him. The one with the rug on the balustrade was the most distant; next to it was the empty bungalow; the nearest, with the flower-beds at the foot of its veranda, contained that bothersome girl, who had managed so provokingly to keep herself invisible. That was why Ricardo’s eyes lingered on that building. The girl would surely be easier to “size up” than Heyst. A sight of her, a mere glimpse, would have been something to go by, a step nearer to the goal — the first real move, in fact. Ricardo saw no other move. And any time she might appear on that veranda!
She did not appear; but, like a concealed50 magnet, she exercised her attraction. As he went on, he deviated51 towards the bungalow. Though his movements were deliberate, his feral instincts had such sway that if he had met Heyst walking towards him, he would have had to satisfy his need of violence. But he saw nobody. Wang was at the back of the house, keeping the coffee hot against Number One’s return for breakfast. Even the simian52 Pedro was out of sight, no doubt crouching53 on the door-step, his red little eyes fastened with animal-like devotion on Mr. Jones, who was in discourse54 with Heyst in the other bungalow — the conversation of an evil spectre with a disarmed55 man, watched by an ape.
His will having very little to do with it, Ricardo, darting56 swift glances in all directions, found himself at the steps of the Heyst bungalow. Once there, falling under an uncontrollable force of attraction, he mounted them with a savage57 and stealthy action of his limbs, and paused for a moment under the eaves to listen to the silence. Presently he advanced over the threshold one leg — it seemed to stretch itself, like a limb of india-rubber — planted his foot within, brought up the other swiftly, and stood inside the room, turning his head from side to side. To his eyes, brought in there from the dazzling sunshine, all was gloom for a moment. His pupils, like a cat’s, dilating58 swiftly, he distinguished59 an enormous quantity of books. He was amazed; and he was put off too. He was vexed60 in his astonishment61. He had meant to note the aspect and nature of things, and hoped to draw some useful inference, some hint as to the man. But what guess could one make out of a multitude of books? He didn’t know what to think; and he formulated62 his bewilderment in the mental exclamation63:
“What the devil has this fellow been trying to set up here — a school?”
He gave a prolonged stare to the portrait of Heyst’s father, that severe profile ignoring the vanities of this earth. His eyes gleamed sideways at the heavy silver candlesticks — signs of opulence64. He prowled as a stray cat entering a strange place might have done, for if Ricardo had not Wang’s miraculous65 gift of materializing and vanishing, rather than coming and going, he could be nearly as noiseless in his less elusive66 movements. He noted67 the back door standing just ajar; and an the time his slightly pointed34 ears, at the utmost stretch of watchfulness, kept in touch with the profound silence outside enveloping68 the absolute stillness of the house.
He had not been in the room two minutes when it occurred to him that he must be alone in the bungalow. The woman, most likely, had sneaked69 out and was walking about somewhere in the grounds at the back. She had been probably ordered to keep out of sight. Why? Because the fellow mistrusted his guests; or was it because he mistrusted HER?
Ricardo reflected that from a certain point of view it amounted nearly to the same thing. He remembered Schomberg’s story. He felt that running away with somebody only to get clear of that beastly, tame, hotel-keeper’s attention was no proof of hopeless infatuation. She could be got in touch with.
His moustaches stirred. For some time he had been looking at a closed door. He would peep into that other room, and perhaps see something more informing than a confounded lot of books. As he crossed over, he thought recklessly:
“If the beggar comes in suddenly, and starts to prance70, I’ll rip him up and be done with it!”
He laid his hand on the handle, and felt the door come unlatched. Before he pulled it open, he listened again to the silence. He felt it all about him, complete, without a flaw.
The necessity of prudence71 had exasperated his self-restraint. A mood of ferocity woke up in him, and, as always at such times, he became physically aware of the sheeted knife strapped72 to his leg. He pulled at the door with fierce curiosity. It came open without a squeak73 of hinge, without a rustle74, with no sound at all; and he found himself glaring at the opaque75 surface of some rough blue stuff, like serge. A curtain was fitted inside, heavy enough and long enough not to stir.
A curtain! This unforeseen veil, baffling his curiosity checked his brusqueness. He did not fling it aside with an impatient movement; he only looked at it closely, as if its texture76 had to be examined before his hand could touch such stuff. In this interval77 of hesitation78, he seemed to detect a flaw in the perfection of the silence, the faintest possible rustle, which his ears caught and instantly, in the effort of conscious listening, lost again. No! Everything was still inside and outside the house, only he had no longer the sense of being alone there.
When he put out his hand towards the motionless folds it was with extreme caution, and merely to push the stuff aside a little, advancing his head at the same time to peep within. A moment of complete immobility ensued. Then, without anything else of him stirring, Ricardo’s head shrank back on his shoulders, his arm descended79 slowly to his side. There was a woman in there. The very woman! Lighted dimly by the reflection of the outer glare, she loomed80 up strangely big and shadowy at the other end of the long, narrow room. With her back to the door, she was doing her hair with bare arms uplifted. One of them gleamed pearly white; the other detached its perfect form in black against the unshuttered, uncurtained square window-hole. She was there, her fingers busy with her dark hair, utterly81 unconscious, exposed and defenceless — and tempting82.
Ricardo drew back one foot and pressed his elbows close to his sides; his chest started heaving convulsively as if he were wrestling or running a race; his body began to sway gently back and forth83. The self-restraint was at an end: his psychology84 must have its way. The instinct for the feral spring could no longer be denied. Ravish or kill — it was all one to him, as long as by the act he liberated85 the suffering soul of savagery86 repressed for so long. After a quick glance over his shoulder, which hunters of big game tell us no lion or tiger omits to give before charging home, Ricardo charged, head down, straight at the curtain. The stuff, tossed up violently by his rush, settled itself with a slow, floating descent Into vertical87 folds, motionless, without a shudder88 even, in the still, warm air.
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收听单词发音
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1
prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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complexity
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| n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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inundated
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| v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付 | |
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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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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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bungalows
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| n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 )；单层小屋，多于一层的小屋 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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24
weirdly
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| 古怪地 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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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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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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29
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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30
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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32
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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visualized
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| 直观的，直视的 | |
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forerunner
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| n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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skulk
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| v.藏匿；潜行 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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42
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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44
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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48
funereal
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| adj.悲哀的；送葬的 | |
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49
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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51
deviated
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| v.偏离，越轨( deviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
simian
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| adj.似猿猴的；n.类人猿，猴 | |
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53
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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54
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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55
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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56
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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dilating
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| v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的现在分词 ) | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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62
formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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63
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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opulence
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| n.财富，富裕 | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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68
enveloping
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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69
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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70
prance
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| v.（马）腾跃，(人)神气活现地走 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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73
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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74
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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75
opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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76
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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77
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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78
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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79
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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80
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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81
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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82
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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83
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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84
psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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85
liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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86
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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87
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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88
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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