“Tut, tut, a broken-down clock,” cried St. Hilary contemptuously. “Nothing could be more useless and uninteresting,” and he blew out the candle.
We trooped into the sala again.
“And now, Duke, having thoroughly2 explored your house beautiful, even to the recesses3 of the hidden and mysterious chamber4, I’m quite prepared to make you an offer at your convenience.”
“There is all the time in the world for that, Mr. St. Hilary,” replied the duke impatiently. “The ladies have not yet chosen their souvenirs. What gift will you honor me by accepting?” He turned to Jacqueline.
She hesitated, and looked at Mrs. Gordon.
“My dear Jacqueline,” encouraged her aunt, “I am sure Mr. St. Hilary will not make his offer much less for anything that you might choose.”
“No,” said the dealer5, making figures in his note-book, “I have quite decided6 on the sum. 41Let me recommend to your notice this faience pitcher7. I assure you it is rare. You can see for yourself that it is beautiful.”
“If it is really of no value in itself,” said Jacqueline, disregarding St. Hilary’s pitcher, “there is nothing that appeals to me more than that steel box. Mr. St. Hilary’s story has quite touched my imagination.”
“It is already yours. And now what will madame choose?”
“Could I examine that decrepit9 old clock in the hidden room again? I happen to be making a collection of clocks.”
“Then you can make no mistake about this superb specimen10 in Sienna marble,” urged the dealer.
“But, like Jacqueline,” smilingly protested Mrs. Gordon, “I prefer something that has a touch of mystery about it. And that old clock, shut up in the darkness there, one knows not how many years, ought to have a history.”
“But it is so very, very old,” cried old Luigi deprecatingly. “It has not gone for two hundred years.”
“That hardly makes it less interesting,” I said dryly. “Let us see the clock by all means.” The reluctance11 of both St. Hilary and Luigi had struck me as being rather strange.
42“Your Excellency surely does not mean to give it away? It is an heirloom of the family,” expostulated old Luigi obstinately12.
“I have told you to bring it out,” commanded the duke.
Very reluctantly the old man entered the little chamber.
“It is too heavy,” he cried from within. “I can not lift it.”
Duke da Sestos and myself went to his assistance. Together we carried it to the sala and placed it on the center-table. The slight jar set a number of bells ringing in musical confusion.
Certainly it was unique–at least I had never seen anything like it.
Imagine an oblong box of bronze, about as long as one’s arm, and three-quarters as high. Around three sides of this box ran a little platform, heavily gilded13. Immediately above this platform were twelve doors, three at either end, and six at the face. It was almost bare of ornament14, except that on the top had been three figures. The heads and arms of all three were now broken off.
“Its very simplicity15 and ugliness interest one,” cried Mrs. Gordon with enthusiasm. “And those twelve doors certainly mean that it is an automaton16, do they not, Mr. St. Hilary? One can imagine the stiff little figures that appear, 43each at its hour, and at their respective doors–kings with their crowns of gold, ginger-bread Virgins17, prelates with their miters, and armored knights18. Each figure in its hour does its devoirs, I suppose, and disappears again.”
“At every shake of the table,” said Jacqueline, “its bells clang angrily. You might think it was offended at being disturbed after its long sleep of two hundred years.”
“Yes,” confessed the duke, looking at the clock thoughtfully, “it awakes a fantastic note that will strike in the fancy of the most dull. Think what stories of love and intrigue19 it has listened to! What deeds of revenge and hate it has looked down upon! At what hours of agony and ecstasy20 have those bells not chimed? What death-knells to hopes, what peals8 of love and happiness!”
Jacqueline had been turning the clock slowly around. Suddenly she sank on her knees to examine it more closely, and read aloud:
Se mi guardi con1 cura,
Se mi ascolti con attenzione,
E se, nell’ intendermi, tu Sei cosi acorto com’ io lo sono nel dirti–
T’ arridera la Fortuna.
“Will you translate it for me, please?”
“‘If you guard me carefully, if you listen to me diligently21, if you are as clever in understanding 44me as I am in telling you, Fortune will smile on you,’” translated the duke.
“The delicious braggart22!” cried Mrs. Gordon delightedly. “Now what do you think that brave promise means, Mr. St. Hilary?”
“Pooh, pooh, madame! It promises too much to mean anything. ‘Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise.’ ‘Time is money’–there are a score of proverbs as vague and as meaningless.”
“Oh, but you mustn’t cast any aspersions on my dear clock. Perhaps Luigi can read the riddle23 more cleverly. Do you know if there is any legend connected with the clock?”
The old man hesitated.
“Come, come, speak up,” said the duke roughly.
“Ah, yes, your Excellency,” replied the old man. “But I implore24 you not to sell or give away the clock. You will always regret it. Good luck goes with the clock, your Excellency.”
“But the motto,” urged Mrs. Gordon. “Has it any meaning?”
“Yes, yes, signora. It means that each hour brings its own gift, if one can only understand. One may never suffer, not hunger nor cold, not poverty nor disappointment, if one can only read the secret of each hour. For at every hour something 45wonderful is told. And the clock is a charm against the Evil One. My father told me, and his father told him. Yes; we have guarded it carefully in that quiet room. It has stood there as long as I can remember. And now your Excellency will give it away! Misfortune will come; I know it.”
“Be still, imbecile. Madame, shall I have the clock taken to my launch for you?”
“Oh, don’t deprive the old man of his charm against the evil eye, aunt,” said Jacqueline lightly, half pitying, half mocking the old servant’s distress25.
“I would remind Miss Quintard that it is I who am deprived of the charm, if there is any, and not Luigi,” laughed the duke.
“I would be the last one to bring you ill fortune,” jested Mrs. Gordon. Then very slowly, “But I intend to bring you good fortune, not to take it away from you.”
“I am hoping precisely26 for that,” said the duke gravely, and looked at Jacqueline.
Jacqueline was still kneeling before the clock.
“How I should like to know what you really mean, foolish legend,” she said wistfully.
I leaned on the table and stooped toward her.
“If one were to run down that legend, it would require patience and perseverance27 enough to satisfy 46even you, would it not, Jacqueline?” I asked lightly.
She smiled, but seeing that I was half in earnest, became serious.
“Yes,” she said slowly, “I believe it would.”
“Then, Jacqueline, when I begin my legends of Venice, shall I take up first the legend of this old clock?”
“Do,” she said carelessly. “Aunt would thank you, I know.”
I walked over to the window, and looked gloomily without. I had hoped Jacqueline was in earnest when she suggested that I should write a book on the legends of Venice. But now that I wished to take her desire seriously, she was evidently inclined to laugh at me.
“Will you clap your hands for the servant in my launch to come up?” asked the duke. “I wish him to carry the clock down for Mrs. Gordon.”
“One moment, please,” said St. Hilary. “I am collector enough to understand Mrs. Gordon’s enthusiasm. But being a dealer as well as a collector, I cannot allow this enthusiasm to interfere28 with my pocket-book. I know, Mrs. Gordon, you would never forgive me if I did not say that my sneers29 at the value of the clock were the pretense30 47of the dealer who depreciates31 a thing that he may get it the cheaper. The clock, madame, is a valuable antique. The value of the things in this palace will be lowered considerably32 if it is not included in its contents.”
There was an awkward pause. The duke reddened with anger.
“In that case,” said Mrs. Gordon, greatly embarrassed, “I could not dream, of course––”
“Mr. St. Hilary,” said the duke coldly, “the clock is not for sale to you at any price. Madame, you will not offend me by refusing?”
Mrs. Gordon gazed at her niece in perplexity.
“You would find it rather difficult to carry it about with you in Europe,” said Jacqueline lamely33.
“Yes, I am afraid I should,” declared Mrs. Gordon with alacrity34.
“If you will entrust35 the task to me, I shall be charmed to have it packed and sent to America for you,” volunteered St. Hilary. He seemed eager to atone36 for his ill-timed remarks of a moment before.
“But Mr. Hume tells me he is going to write a book on the legends of Venice,” interrupted Jacqueline. “A moment ago, aunt, he suggested that he might be able to discover one about this 48very clock, and I encouraged him to try. Why not let Mr. Hume take care of it during our travels?”
I professed37 my willingness joyfully38, and though it was evident that neither the duke nor St. Hilary welcomed Jacqueline’s suggestion, the clock was soon placed in a gondola39 I summoned.
To its chimes the fortunes of da Sestos and myself were to dance merrily.
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收听单词发音
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1
con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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2
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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3
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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4
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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5
dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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7
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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8
peals
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| 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 ) | |
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9
decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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10
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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11
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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12
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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13
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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14
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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15
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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16
automaton
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| n.自动机器，机器人 | |
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17
virgins
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| 处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母） | |
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18
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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19
intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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20
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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21
diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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braggart
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| n.吹牛者；adj.吹牛的，自夸的 | |
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23
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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24
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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25
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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26
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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27
perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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28
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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29
sneers
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| 讥笑的表情（言语）( sneer的名词复数 ) | |
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30
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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31
depreciates
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| v.贬值，跌价，减价( depreciate的第三人称单数 )；贬低，蔑视，轻视 | |
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32
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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33
lamely
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| 一瘸一拐地，不完全地 | |
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34
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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35
entrust
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| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
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36
atone
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| v.赎罪，补偿 | |
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37
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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38
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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39
gondola
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| n.威尼斯的平底轻舟；飞船的吊船 | |
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