Stockdale was so excited by the events of the evening, and thedilemma that he was placed in between conscience and love, that hedid not sleep, or even doze1, but remained as broadly awake as atnoonday. As soon as the grey light began to touch ever so faintlythe whiter objects in his bedroom he arose, dressed himself, andwent downstairs into the road.
The village was already astir. Several of the carriers had heardthe well-known tramp of Latimer's horse while they were undressingin the dark that night, and had already communicated with each otherand Owlett on the subject. The only doubt seemed to be about thesafety of those tubs which had been left under the church gallery-stairs, and after a short discussion at the corner of the mill, itwas agreed that these should be removed before it got lighter2, andhidden in the middle of a double hedge bordering the adjoiningfield. However, before anything could be carried into effect, thefootsteps of many men were heard coming down the lane from thehighway.
'Damn it, here they be,' said Owlett, who, having already drawn4 thehatch and started his mill for the day, stood stolidly5 at the mill-door covered with flour, as if the interest of his whole soul wasbound up in the shaking walls around him.
The two or three with whom he had been talking dispersed6 to theirusual work, and when the excise7 officers, and the formidable body ofmen they had hired, reached the village cross, between the mill andMrs. Newberry's house, the village wore the natural aspect of aplace beginning its morning labours.
'Now,' said Latimer to his associates, who numbered thirteen men inall, 'what I know is that the things are somewhere in this hereplace. We have got the day before us, and 'tis hard if we can'tlight upon 'em and get 'em to Budmouth Custom-house before night.
First we will try the fuel-houses, and then we'll work our way intothe chimmers, and then to the ricks and stables, and so creep round.
You have nothing but your noses to guide ye, mind, so use 'em to-dayif you never did in your lives before.'
Then the search began. Owlett, during the early part, watched fromhis mill-window, Lizzy from the door of her house, with the greatestself-possession. A farmer down below, who also had a share in therun, rode about with one eye on his fields and the other on Latimerand his myrmidons, prepared to put them off the scent8 if he shouldbe asked a question. Stockdale, who was no smuggler9 at all, feltmore anxiety than the worst of them, and went about his studies witha heavy heart, coming frequently to the door to ask Lizzy somequestion or other on the consequences to her of the tubs beingfound.
'The consequences,' she said quietly, 'are simply that I shall lose'em. As I have none in the house or garden, they can't touch mepersonally.'
'But you have some in the orchard10?'
'Owlett rents that of me, and he lends it to others. So it will behard to say who put any tubs there if they should be found.'
There was never such a tremendous sniffing11 known as that which tookplace in Nether-Moynton parish and its vicinity this day. All wasdone methodically, and mostly on hands and knees. At differenthours of the day they had different plans. From daybreak tobreakfast-time the officers used their sense of smell in a directand straightforward12 manner only, pausing nowhere but at such placesas the tubs might be supposed to be secreted13 in at that very moment,pending their removal on the following night. Among the placestested and examined wereHollow trees Cupboards CulvertsPotato-graves Clock-cases HedgerowsFuel-houses Chimney-flues Faggot-ricksBedrooms Rainwater-butts HaystacksApple-lofts Pigsties14 Coppers15 and ovens.
After breakfast they recommenced with renewed vigour16, taking a newline; that is to say, directing their attention to clothes thatmight be supposed to have come in contact with the tubs in theirremoval from the shore, such garments being usually tainted17 with thespirit, owing to its oozing18 between the staves. They now sniffed19 at-Smock-frocks Smiths' and shoemakers' apronsOld shirts and waistcoats Knee-naps and hedging-glovesCoats and hats TarpaulinsBreeches and leggings Market-cloaksWomen's shawls and gowns ScarecrowsAnd as soon as the mid3-day meal was over, they pushed their searchinto places where the spirits might have been thrown away in alarm:-Horse-ponds Mixens Sinks in yardsStable-drains Wet ditches Road-scrapings, andCinder-heaps Cesspools Back-door gutters20.
But still these indefatigable21 excisemen discovered nothing more thanthe original tell-tale smell in the road opposite Lizzy's house,which even yet had not passed off.
'I'll tell ye what it is, men,' said Latimer, about three o'clock inthe afternoon, 'we must begin over again. Find them tubs I will.'
The men, who had been hired for the day, looked at their hands andknees, muddy with creeping on all fours so frequently, and rubbedtheir noses, as if they had almost had enough of it; for thequantity of bad air which had passed into each one's nostril22 hadrendered it nearly as insensible as a flue. However, after amoment's hesitation23, they prepared to start anew, except three,whose power of smell had quite succumbed24 under the excessive wearand tear of the day.
By this time not a male villager was to be seen in the parish.
Owlett was not at his mill, the farmers were not in their fields,the parson was not in his garden, the smith had left his forge, andthe wheelwright's shop was silent.
'Where the divil are the folk gone?' said Latimer, waking up to thefact of their absence, and looking round. 'I'll have 'em up forthis! Why don't they come and help us? There's not a man about theplace but the Methodist parson, and he's an old woman. I demandassistance in the king's name!'
'We must find the jineral public afore we can demand that,' said hislieutenant.
'Well, well, we shall do better without 'em,' said Latimer, whochanged his moods at a moment's notice. 'But there's great cause ofsuspicion in this silence and this keeping out of sight, and I'llbear it in mind. Now we will go across to Owlett's orchard, and seewhat we can find there.'
Stockdale, who heard this discussion from the garden-gate, overwhich he had been leaning, was rather alarmed, and thought it amistake of the villagers to keep so completely out of the way. Hehimself, like the excisemen, had been wondering for the last half-hour what could have become of them. Some labourers were ofnecessity engaged in distant fields, but the master-workmen shouldhave been at home; though one and all, after just showing themselvesat their shops, had apparently25 gone off for the day. He went in toLizzy, who sat at a back window sewing, and said, 'Lizzy, where arethe men?'
Lizzy laughed. 'Where they mostly are when they're run so hard asthis.' She cast her eyes to heaven. 'Up there,' she said.
Stockdale looked up. 'What--on the top of the church tower?' heasked, seeing the direction of her glance.
'Yes.'
'Well, I expect they will soon have to come down,' said he gravely.
'I have been listening to the officers, and they are going to searchthe orchard over again, and then every nook in the church.'
Lizzy looked alarmed for the first time. 'Will you go and tell ourfolk?' she said. 'They ought to be let know.' Seeing hisconscience struggling within him like a boiling pot, she added, 'No,never mind, I'll go myself.'
She went out, descended26 the garden, and climbed over the churchyardwall at the same time that the preventive-men were ascending27 theroad to the orchard. Stockdale could do no less than follow her.
By the time that she reached the tower entrance he was at her side,and they entered together.
Nether-Moynton church-tower was, as in many villages, without aturret, and the only way to the top was by going up to the singers'
gallery, and thence ascending by a ladder to a square trap-door inthe floor of the bell-loft, above which a permanent ladder wasfixed, passing through the bells to a hole in the roof. When Lizzyand Stockdale reached the gallery and looked up, nothing but thetrap-door and the five holes for the bell-ropes appeared. Theladder was gone.
'There's no getting up,' said Stockdale.
'O yes, there is,' said she. 'There's an eye looking at us at thismoment through a knot-hole in that trap-door.'
And as she spoke29 the trap opened, and the dark line of the ladderwas seen descending30 against the white-washed wall. When it touchedthe bottom Lizzy dragged it to its place, and said, 'If you'll goup, I'll follow.'
The young man ascended31, and presently found himself amongconsecrated bells for the first time in his life, nonconformityhaving been in the Stockdale blood for some generations. He eyedthem uneasily, and looked round for Lizzy. Owlett stood here,holding the top of the ladder.
'What, be you really one of us?' said the miller32.
'It seems so,' said Stockdale sadly.
'He's not,' said Lizzy, who overheard. 'He's neither for noragainst us. He'll do us no harm.'
She stepped up beside them, and then they went on to the next stage,which, when they had clambered over the dusty bell-carriages, was ofeasy ascent33, leading towards the hole through which the pale skyappeared, and into the open air. Owlett remained behind for amoment, to pull up the lower ladder.
'Keep down your heads,' said a voice, as soon as they set foot onthe flat.
Stockdale here beheld34 all the missing parishioners, lying on theirstomachs on the tower roof, except a few who, elevated on theirhands and knees, were peeping through the embrasures of the parapet.
Stockdale did the same, and saw the village lying like a map belowhim, over which moved the figures of the excisemen, eachforeshortened to a crablike35 object, the crown of his hat forming acircular disc in the centre of him. Some of the men had turnedtheir heads when the young preacher's figure arose among them.
'What, Mr. Stockdale?' said Matt Grey, in a tone of surprise.
'I'd as lief that it hadn't been,' said Jim Clarke. 'If the pa'sonshould see him a trespassing36 here in his tower, 'twould be none thebetter for we, seeing how 'a do hate chapel-members. He'd never buya tub of us again, and he's as good a customer as we have got thisside o' Warm'll.'
'Where is the pa'son?' said Lizzy.
'In his house, to be sure, that he mid see nothing of what's goingon--where all good folks ought to be, and this young man likewise.'
'Well, he has brought some news,' said Lizzy. 'They are going tosearch the orchet and church; can we do anything if they shouldfind?'
'Yes,' said her cousin Owlett. 'That's what we've been talking o',and we have settled our line. Well, be dazed!'
The exclamation37 was caused by his perceiving that some of thesearchers, having got into the orchard, and begun stooping andcreeping hither and thither38, were pausing in the middle, where atree smaller than the rest was growing. They drew closer, and bentlower than ever upon the ground.
'O, my tubs!' said Lizzy faintly, as she peered through the parapetat them.
'They have got 'em, 'a b'lieve,' said Owlett.
The interest in the movements of the officers was so keen that not asingle eye was looking in any other direction; but at that moment ashout from the church beneath them attracted the attention of thesmugglers, as it did also of the party in the orchard, who sprang totheir feet and went towards the churchyard wall. At the same timethose of the Government men who had entered the church unperceivedby the smugglers cried aloud, 'Here be some of 'em at last.'
The smugglers remained in a blank silence, uncertain whether 'someof 'em' meant tubs or men; but again peeping cautiously over theedge of the tower they learnt that tubs were the things descried;and soon these fated articles were brought one by one into themiddle of the churchyard from their hiding-place under the gallery-stairs.
'They are going to put 'em on Hinton's vault39 till they find therest!' said Lizzy hopelessly. The excisemen had, in fact, begun topile up the tubs on a large stone slab40 which was fixed28 there; andwhen all were brought out from the tower, two or three of the menwere left standing41 by them, the rest of the party again proceedingto the orchard.
The interest of the smugglers in the next manoeuvres of theirenemies became painfully intense. Only about thirty tubs had beensecreted in the lumber42 of the tower, but seventy were hidden in theorchard, making up all that they had brought ashore43 as yet, theremainder of the cargo44 having been tied to a sinker and droppedoverboard for another night's operations. The excisemen, having re-entered the orchard, acted as if they were positive that here layhidden the rest of the tubs, which they were determined45 to findbefore nightfall. They spread themselves out round the field, andadvancing on all fours as before, went anew round every apple-treein the enclosure. The young tree in the middle again led them topause, and at length the whole company gathered there in a way whichsignified that a second chain of reasoning had led to the sameresults as the first.
When they had examined the sod hereabouts for some minutes, one ofthe men rose, ran to a disused porch of the church where tools werekept, and returned with the sexton's pickaxe and shovel46, with whichthey set to work.
'Are they really buried there?' said the minister, for the grass wasso green and uninjured that it was difficult to believe it had beendisturbed. The smugglers were too interested to reply, andpresently they saw, to their chagrin47, the officers stand several oneach side of the tree; and, stooping and applying their hands to thesoil, they bodily lifted the tree and the turf around it. Theapple-tree now showed itself to be growing in a shallow box, withhandles for lifting at each of the four sides. Under the site ofthe tree a square hole was revealed, and an exciseman went andlooked down.
'It is all up now,' said Owlett quietly. 'And now all of ye getdown before they notice we are here; and be ready for our next move.
I had better bide48 here till dark, or they may take me on suspicion,as 'tis on my ground. I'll be with ye as soon as daylight begins topink in.'
'And I?' said Lizzy.
'You please look to the linch-pins and screws; then go indoors andknow nothing at all. The chaps will do the rest.'
The ladder was replaced, and all but Owlett descended, the menpassing off one by one at the back of the church, and vanishing ontheir respective errands.
Lizzy walked boldly along the street, followed closely by theminister.
'You are going indoors, Mrs. Newberry?' he said.
She knew from the words 'Mrs. Newberry' that the division betweenthem had widened yet another degree.
'I am not going home,' she said. 'I have a little thing to dobefore I go in. Martha Sarah will get your tea.'
'O, I don't mean on that account,' said Stockdale. 'What CAN youhave to do further in this unhallowed affair?'
'Only a little,' she said.
'What is that? I'll go with you.'
'No, I shall go by myself. Will you please go indoors? I shall bethere in less than an hour.'
'You are not going to run any danger, Lizzy?' said the young man,his tenderness reasserting itself.
'None whatever--worth mentioning,' answered she, and went downtowards the Cross.
Stockdale entered the garden gate, and stood behind it looking on.
The excisemen were still busy in the orchard, and at last he wastempted to enter, and watch their proceedings49. When he came closerhe found that the secret cellar, of whose existence he had beentotally unaware50, was formed by timbers placed across from side toside about a foot under the ground, and grassed over.
The excisemen looked up at Stockdale's fair and downy countenance,and evidently thinking him above suspicion, went on with their workagain. As soon as all the tubs were taken out, they began tearingup the turf; pulling out the timbers, and breaking in the sides,till the cellar was wholly dismantled51 and shapeless, the apple-treelying with its roots high to the air. But the hole which had in itstime held so much contraband52 merchandize was never completely filledup, either then or afterwards, a depression in the greenswardmarking the spot to this day.
收听单词发音 |
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doze
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| v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐 | |
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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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mid
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| adj.中央的，中间的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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stolidly
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| adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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excise
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| n.(国产)货物税；vt.切除，删去 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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smuggler
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| n.走私者 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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secreted
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| v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 )；隐匿，隐藏 | |
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pigsties
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| n.猪圈，脏房间( pigsty的名词复数 ) | |
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coppers
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| 铜( copper的名词复数 )； 铜币 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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gutters
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| （路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地 | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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nostril
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| n.鼻孔 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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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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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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miller
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| n.磨坊主 | |
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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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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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crablike
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| adj.似蟹的，似蟹行般的 | |
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trespassing
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| [法]非法入侵 | |
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37
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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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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lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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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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50
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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51
dismantled
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| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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contraband
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| n.违禁品，走私品 | |
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