The Cause of the Whole Affair.
Ned Sinton gazed at the scene before him with indescribable amazement1! He had often witnessed strange things in the course of his short though chequered life, but he had never seen anything like this. Many a dream of the most extravagant2 nature had surrounded his pillow with creatures of curious form and scenes of magic beauty, but never before, either by actual observation or in nightly vision, had Ned Sinton beheld3 a scene so wonderful as that which now lay spread out before him.
Ned stood in the centre of a cavern4 of vast dimensions—so vast, and so full of intense light, that instead of looking on it as a huge cave, he felt disposed to regard it as a small world. The sides of this cavern were made of pure gold, and the roof—far above his head—was spangled all over with glittering points, like a starry5 sky. The ground, too, and, in short, everything within the cave, was made of the same precious metal. Thousands of stalactites hung from the roof like golden icicles. Millions of delicate threads of the same material also depended from the star-spangled vault6, each thread having a golden ball at the end of it, which, strange to say, was transparent7, and permitted a bright flame within to shine through, and shed a yellow lustre8 over surrounding objects. All the edges, and angles, and points of the irregularly-formed walls were of burnished9 gold, which reflected the rays of these pendant lamps with dazzling brilliancy, while the broad masses of the frosted walls shone with a subdued10 light. Magnificent curtains of golden filigree11 fell in rich voluminous folds on the pavement, half concealing12 several archways which led into smaller caverns13, similar to the large one. Altogether it was a scene of luxurious14 richness and splendour that is utterly15 indescribable.
But the thing that amazed Ned Sinton most was, that the company of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen who moved about in these splendid halls, and ate golden ices, or listened to the exquisite16 strains of music that floated on the atmosphere, were all as yellow as guineas! Ned could by no means understand this. In order to convince himself that there was no deception17 in the matter, he shook hands with several of the people nearest to him, and found that they were cold and hard as iron; although, to all appearance, they were soft and pliable18, and could evidently move about with perfect freedom.
Ned was very much puzzled indeed. One would have thought he must have believed himself to be dreaming. Not a bit of it. He knew perfectly19 well that he was wide-awake. In fact, a doubt upon that point never crossed his mind for a moment. At length he resolved to ask the meaning of it all, and, observing a stout20 old gentleman, with a bland21 smile on his yellow countenance22, in the act of taking a pinch of golden snuff from a gold snuff-box, he advanced and accosted23 him.
“Pray, sir,” began Ned, modestly, “may I take the liberty of asking you what is the meaning of all this?”
“This golden cave, with its wonderful lamps, and especially these golden people; and—excuse me, sir, for remarking on the circumstance—you seem to be made of gold yourself. I have often heard the term applied25 to extremely rich persons, but I really never expected to see a man who was literally26 ‘worth his weight in gold.’”
The old gentleman laughed sarcastically28 at this sally, and took an enormous pinch of gold-dust.
As he did not seem inclined to be communicative, however, Ned said again, “What is the meaning of it all? can you explain what has done it?”
Smiling blandly29 at his interrogator30, this gentleman of precious metal placed his head a little on one side, and tapped the lid of his snuff-box, but said nothing. Then he suddenly exclaimed, at the full pitch of his voice, “California, my boy! That’s what’s done it, Edward! California for ever! Ned, hurrah31!”
As the deep tones of his voice rang through the star-spangled vault, the company took up the shout, and with “California for ever!” made the cavern ring again. In the excess of their glee the gentlemen took off their hats, and the ladies their wreaths and turbans, and threw them in the air. As many of them failed to catch these portions of costume in their descent, the clatter32 caused by their fall on the golden pavement was very striking indeed.
“Come here, my lad,” said the old gentleman, seizing Ned Sinton by the arm, and laughing heartily33 as he dragged him towards an immense mirror of burnished gold; “look at yourself there.”
Ned looked, and started back with horror on observing that he himself had been converted into gold. There could be no mistake whatever about it. There he stood, staring at himself like a yellow statue. His shooting-jacket was richly chased with alternate stripes of burnished and frosted work; the buttons on his vest shone like stars; his pantaloons were striped like the coat; his hair was a mass of dishevelled filigree; and his hands, when, in the height of his horror, he clasped them together, rang like a brass-founder’s anvil34.
For a few moments he stood before the mirror speechless. Then a feeling of intense indignation unaccountably took possession of him, and he turned fiercely on the old gentleman, exclaiming—
“You have done this, sir! What do you mean by it? eh!”
“You’re quite mistaken, Ned. I didn’t do it. California has done it. Ha! ha! my boy, you’re done for! Smitten35 with the yellow fever, Neddy? California for ever! See here—”
As he spoke36, the old gentleman threw out one leg and both arms, and began to twirl round, after the fashion of a peg-top, on one toe. At first he revolved37 slowly, but gradually increased his speed, until no part of him could be distinctly observed. Ned Sinton stood aghast. Suddenly the old gentleman shot upwards39 like a rocket, but he did not quit the ground; he merely elongated40 his body until his head stuck against the roof of the cave. Then he ceased to revolve38, and remained in the form of a golden stalactite—his head surrounded by stars and his toe resting on the ground!
While Ned stood rooted to the spot, turning the subject over in his mind, and trying to find out by what process of chemical or mechanical action so remarkable41 a transformation42 could have been accomplished43, he became aware that his uncle, old Mr Shirley, was standing44 in the middle of the cave regarding him with a look of mingled45 sarcasm46 and pity. He observed, too, that his uncle was not made of gold, like the people around him, but was habited in a yeomanry uniform. Mr Shirley had been a yeoman twenty years before his nephew was born. Since that time his proportions had steadily47 increased, and he was now a man of very considerable rotundity—so much so, that his old uniform fitted him with excessive tightness; the coat would by no means button across his capacious chest, and, being much too short, shewed a very undignified amount of braces48 below it.
“Uncle!” exclaimed Ned Sinton, rushing up to his relative, “what can be the meaning of all this? Everybody seems to be mad. I think you must be mad yourself, to come here such a figure as that; and I’m quite sure I shall go mad if you don’t explain it to me. What does it all mean?”
“Why, that’s what everybody cries,” exclaimed Ned, who was now driven almost to desperation. “My dear uncle, do look like yourself and exercise some of your wonted sagacity. Just glance round at the cave and the company, all made of gold, and look at me—gold too, if not pinchbeck, but I’m not a good-enough judge of metals to tell which. What has done it, uncle? Do look in a better humour, and tell me how it has happened.”
“California,” replied Mr Shirley.
“Yes, yes; I know that. California seems to be everything here. But how has it come about? Why are you here, and what has brought me here?”
“California,” repeated Mr Shirley.
“California,” reiterated50 Mr Shirley.
At the same moment a stout golden lady with a filigree turban shouted, “for ever!” at the top of a very shrill51 voice, and immediately the company took up the cry again, filling the cave with deafening52 sounds.
Ned Sinton gave one look of despair at his relative—then turned and fled.
“Put him out,” shouted the company. “Down with the intruder!”
Ned cast a single glance backward, and beheld the people pushing and buffeting53 his uncle in a most unceremonious manner. His helmet was knocked down over his eyes, and the coat—so much too small for him—was rendered an easy fit by being ripped up behind to the neck. Ned could not stand this. He was stout of limb and bold as a lion, although not naturally addicted54 to fighting, so he turned suddenly round and flew to the rescue. Plunging55 into the midst of the struggling mass of golden creatures, Ned hit out right and left like a young Hercules, and his blows rang upon their metal chests and noses like the sound of sledge-hammers, but without any other effect.
Suddenly he experienced an acute sensation of pain, and—awoke to find himself hammering the bed-post with bleeding knuckles56, and his uncle standing beside his bed chuckling57 immensely.
“O uncle,” cried Ned, sitting up in his bed, and regarding his knuckles with a perplexed58 expression of countenance, “I’ve had such an extraordinary dream!”
“Ay, Ned,” interrupted his uncle, “and all about California, I’ll be bound.”
“Why, how did you guess that?”
“It needs not a wizard to guess that, lad. I’ve observed that you have read nothing in the newspapers for the last three months but the news from the gold-diggings of California. Your mind has of late been constantly running on that subject, and it is well-known that day-dreams are often reproduced at night. Besides, I heard you shouting the word in your sleep as I entered your room. Were you fighting with gold-diggers, eh! or Indians?”
“Neither, uncle; but I was fighting with very strange beings, I assure you, and—”
“Well, well,” interrupted Mr Shirley, “never mind the dream just now; we shall have it at some other time. I have important matters to talk over with you, my boy. Morton has written to me. Get up and come down as quickly as you can, and we’ll discuss the matter over our breakfast.”
As the door closed after the retreating form of his uncle, Edward Sinton leaped out of bed and into his trousers. During his toilet he wondered what matters of importance Mr Shirley could intend to discuss with him, and felt half inclined to fear, from the grave expression of his uncle’s face when he spoke of it, that something of a disagreeable nature awaited him. But these thoughts were intermingled with reminiscences of the past night. His knuckles, too, kept constantly reminding him of his strange encounter, and, do what he would, he could not banish59 from his mind the curious incidents of that remarkable golden dream.
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1
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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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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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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10
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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filigree
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| n.金银丝做的工艺品；v.用金银细丝饰品装饰；用华而不实的饰品装饰；adj.金银细丝工艺的 | |
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12
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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14
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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15
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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pliable
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| adj.易受影响的；易弯的；柔顺的，易驾驭的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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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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accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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27
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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interrogator
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| n.讯问者；审问者；质问者；询问器 | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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anvil
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| n.铁钻 | |
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smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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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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revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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revolve
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| vi.(使)旋转；循环出现 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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40
elongated
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| v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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42
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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43
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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44
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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45
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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46
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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47
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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48
braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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49
deranged
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| adj.疯狂的 | |
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50
reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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52
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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53
buffeting
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| 振动 | |
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54
addicted
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| adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的 | |
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55
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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56
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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57
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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58
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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59
banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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