The ladies had accomplished2 their ascension to the upper regions. The good vicar had marched off with the major, who was by this time unbuckling in his lodgings3; and Chelford and I, tête-à-tête, had a glass of sherry and water together in the drawing-room before parting. And over this temperate4 beverage5 I told him frankly6 the nature of the service which Mark Wylder wished me to render him; and he as frankly approved, and said he would ask Larkin, the family lawyer, to come up in the morning to assist.
The more I saw of this modest, refined, and manly7 peer, the more I liked him. There was a certain courteous8 frankness, and a fine old English sense of duty perceptible in all his serious talk. So I felt no longer like a conspirator9, and was to offer such advice as might seem expedient10, with the clear approbation11 of Miss Brandon’s trustee. And this point clearly settled, I avowed12 myself a little tired; and lighting13 our candles at the foot of the stairs, we scaled that long ascent14 together, and he conducted me through the intricacies of the devious15 lobbies up stairs to my chamber-door, where he bid me good-night, shook hands, and descended16 to his own quarters.
My room was large and old-fashioned, but snug17; and I, beginning to grow very drowsy18, was not long in getting to bed, where I fell asleep indescribably quickly.
In all old houses one is, of course, liable to adventures. Where is the marvellous to find refuge, if not among the chambers19, the intricacies, which have seen the vicissitudes20, the crimes, and the deaths of generations of such men as had occupied these?
There was a picture in the outer hall — one of those full-length gentlemen of George II.‘s time, with a dark peruke flowing on his shoulders, a cut velvet21 coat, and lace cravat22 and ruffles23. This picture was pale, and had a long chin, and somehow had impressed my boyhood with a singular sense of fear. The foot of my bed lay towards the window, distant at least five-and-twenty-feet; and before the window stood my dressing-table, and on it a large looking-glass.
I dreamed that I was arranging my toilet before this glass — just as I had done that evening — when on a sudden the face of the portrait I have mentioned was presented on its surface, confronting me like a real countenance24, and advancing towards me with a look of fury; and at the instant I felt myself seized by the throat and unable to stir or to breathe. After a struggle with this infernal garotter, I succeeded in awaking myself; and as I did so, I felt a rather cold hand really resting on my throat, and quietly passed up over my chin and face. I jumped out of bed with a roar, and challenged the owner of the hand, but received no answer, and heard no sound. I poked25 up my fire and lighted my candle. Everything was as I had left it except the door, which was the least bit open.
In my shirt, candle in hand, I looked out into the passage. There was nothing there in human shape, but in the direction of the stairs the green eyes of a large cat were shining. I was so confoundedly nervous that even ‘a harmless, necessary cat’ appalled26 me, and I clapped my door, as if against an evil spirit.
In about half an hour’s time, however, I had quite worked off the effect of this night-mare, and reasoned myself into the natural solution that the creature had got on my bed, and lay, as I have been told they will, upon my throat, and so, all the rest had followed.
Not being given to the fear of larvae27 and lemures, and also knowing that a mistake is easily committed in a great house like that, and that my visitor might have made one, I grew drowsy in a little while, and soon fell asleep again. But knowing all I now do, I hold a different conclusion — and so, I think, will you.
In the morning Mark Wylder was early upon the ground. He had quite slept off what he would have called the nonsense of last night, and was very keen upon settlements, consols, mortgages, jointures, and all that dry but momentous28 lore29.
I find a note in my diary of that day:—‘From half-past ten o’clock until two with Mark Wylder and Mr. Larkin, the lawyer, in the study — dull work — over papers and title — Lord Chelford with us now and then to lend a helping30 hand.’
Lawyer Larkin, though he made our work lighter31 — for he was clear, quick, and orderly, and could lay his hand on any paper in those tin walls of legal manuscripts that built up two sides of his office — did not make our business, to me at least, any pleasanter. Wylder thought him a clever man (and so perhaps, in a certain sense, he was); Lord Chelford, a most honourable32 one; yet there came to me by instinct an unpleasant feeling about him. It was not in any defined way — I did not fancy that he was machinating, for instance, any sort of mischief33 in the business before us — but I had a notion that he was not quite what he pretended.
Perhaps his personnel prejudiced me — though I could not quite say why. He was a tall, lank34 man — rather long of limb, long of head, and gaunt of face. He wanted teeth at both sides, and there was rather a skull-like cavity when he smiled — which was pretty often. His eyes were small and reddish, as if accustomed to cry; and when everything went smoothly35 were dull and dove-like, but when things crossed or excited him, which occurred when his own pocket or plans were concerned, they grew singularly unpleasant, and greatly resembled those of some not amiable36 animal — was it a rat, or a serpent? It was a peculiar37 concentrated vigilance and rapine that I have seen there. But that was long afterwards. Now, indeed, they were meek38, and sad, and pink.
He had an ambition, too, to pass for a high-bred gentleman, and thought it might be done by a somewhat lofty and drawling way of talking, and distributing his length of limb in what he fancied were easy attitudes. If the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, so are the elegances39 of a vulgar man; and his made me wince40.
I might be all in the wrong — and was, no doubt, unreasonable41 — for he bore a high character, and passed for a very gentlemanlike man among the villagers. He was also something of a religious light, and had for a time conformed to Methodism, but returned to the Church. He had a liking42 for long sermons, and a sad abhorrence43 of amusements, and sat out the morning and the evening services regularly — and kept up his dissenting44 connection too, and gave them money — and appeared in print, in all charitable lists — and mourned over other men’s backslidings and calamities45 in a lofty and Christian46 way, shaking his tall bald head, and turning up his pink eyes mildly.
Notwithstanding all which he was somehow unlovely in my eyes, and in an indistinct way, formidable. It was not a pleasant misgiving47 about a gentleman of Larkin’s species, the family lawyer, who become viscera magnorum domuum.
My duties were lighter, as adviser48, than I at first apprehended49. Wylder’s crotchets were chiefly ‘mare’s nests.’ We had read the draft of the settlement, preparatory to its being sent to senior counsel to be approved. Wylder’s attorney had done his devoir, and Mr. Larkin avowed a sort of parental50 interest in both parties to the indentures51, and made, at closing, a little speech, very high in morality, and flavoured in a manly way with religion, and congratulated Mark on his honour and plain dealing52, which he gave us to understand were the secrets of all success in life, as they had been, in an humble53 way of his own.
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1
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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conspirator
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| n.阴谋者，谋叛者 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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13
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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devious
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| adj.不坦率的，狡猾的；迂回的，曲折的 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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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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ruffles
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| 褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 ) | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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larvae
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| n.幼虫 | |
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momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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lank
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| adj.瘦削的；稀疏的 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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elegances
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| n.高雅( elegance的名词复数 )；（举止、服饰、风格等的）优雅；精致物品；（思考等的）简洁 | |
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40
wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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41
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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42
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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43
abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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44
dissenting
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| adj.不同意的 | |
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45
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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46
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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47
misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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49
apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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50
parental
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| adj.父母的；父的；母的 | |
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51
indentures
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| vt.以契约束缚（indenture的第三人称单数形式） | |
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52
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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53
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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