"Good morning, my dear Beautrelet, you're a little late. Lunch was fixed2 for twelve. However, it's only a few minutes—but what's the matter? Don't you know me? Have I changed so much?"
In the course of his fight with Lupin, Beautrelet had met with many surprises and he was still prepared, at the moment of the final catastrophe3, to experience any number of further emotions; but the shock which he received this time was utterly4 unexpected. It was not astonishment5, but stupefaction, terror. The man who stood before him, the man whom the brutal6 force of events compelled him to look upon as Arsene Lupin, was—Valmeras! Valmeras, the owner of the Chateau7 de l'Aiguille! Valmeras, the very man to whom he had applied8 for assistance against Arsene Lupin! Valmeras, his companion on the expedition to Crozant! Valmeras, the plucky10 friend who had made Raymonde's escape possible by felling one of Lupin's accomplices11, or pretending to fell him, in the dusk of the great hall! And Valmeras was Lupin!
"Why not?" exclaimed Lupin. "Did you think that you knew me for good and all because you had seen me in the guise15 of a clergyman or under the features of M. Massiban? Alas16, when a man selects the position in society which I occupy, he must needs make use of his little social gifts! If Lupin were not able to change himself, at will, into a minister of the Church of England or a member of the Academy of Inscriptions17 and Belles-Lettres, it would be a bad lookout18 for Lupin! Now Lupin, the real Lupin, is here before you, Beautrelet! Take a good look at him."
"But then—if it's you—then—Mademoiselle—"
"Yes, Beautrelet, as you say—"
"Mme. Arsene Lupin."
"Ah," murmured the lad, confounded in spite of everything, "Mlle. de Saint-Veran!"
"No, no," protested Lupin. "Mme. Arsene Lupin, or rather, if you prefer, Mme. Louis Valmeras, my wedded20 wife, married to me in accordance with the strictest forms of law; and all thanks to you, my dear Beautrelet."
He held out his hand to him.
"All my acknowledgements—and no ill will on your side, I trust?"
Strange to say, Beautrelet felt no ill will at all, no sense of humiliation21, no bitterness. He realized so strongly the immense superiority of his adversary22 that he did not blush at being beaten by him. He pressed the offered hand.
A butler had placed a tray of dishes on the table.
"You must excuse us, Beautrelet: my chef is away and we can only give you a cold lunch."
Beautrelet felt very little inclined to eat. He sat down, however, and was enormously interested in Lupin's attitude. How much exactly did he know? Was he aware of the danger he was running? Was he ignorant of the presence of Ganimard and his men?
And Lupin continued:
"Yes, thanks to you, my dear friend. Certainly, Raymonde and I loved each other from the first. Just so, my boy—Raymonde's abduction, her imprisonment24, were mere14 humbug25: we loved each other. But neither she nor I, when we were free to love, would allow a casual bond at the mercy of chance, to be formed between us. The position, therefore, was hopeless for Lupin. Fortunately, it ceased to be so if I resumed my identity as the Louis Valmeras that I had been from a child. It was then that I conceived the idea, as you refused to relinquish26 your quest and had found the Chateau de l'Aiguille, of profiting by your obstinacy27."
"And my silliness."
"Pooh! Any one would have been caught as you were!"
"So you were really able to succeed because I screened you and assisted you?"
"Of course! How could any one suspect Valmeras of being Lupin, when Valmeras was Beautrelet's friend and after Valmeras had snatched from Lupin's clutches the girl whom Lupin loved? And how charming it was! Such delightful28 memories! The expedition to Crozant! The bouquets29 we found! My pretended love letter to Raymonde! And, later, the precautions which I, Valmeras, had to take against myself, Lupin, before my marriage! And the night of your great banquet, Beautrelet, when you fainted in my arms! Oh, what memories!"
There was a pause. Beautrelet watched Raymonde. She had listened to Lupin without saying a word and looked at him with eyes in which he read love, passion and something else besides, something which the lad could not define, a sort of anxious embarrassment30 and a vague sadness. But Lupin turned his eyes upon her and she gave him an affectionate smile. Their hands met over the table.
"What do you say to the way I have arranged my little home, Beautrelet?" cried Lupin. "There's a style about it, isn't there? I don't pretend that it's as comfortable as it might be. And yet, some have been quite satisfied with it; and not the least of mankind, either!—Look at the list of distinguished31 people who have owned the Needle in their time and who thought it an honor to leave a mark of their sojourn32."
On the walls, one below the other, were carved the following names:
JULIUS CAESAR
CHARLEMAGNE ROLLO
RICHARD COEUR-DE-LEON
LOUIS XI.
FRANCIS I.
HENRY IV.
LOUIS XIV.
ARSENE LUPIN
"Whose name will figure after ours?" he continued. "Alas, the list is closed! From Caesar to Lupin—and there it ends. Soon the nameless mob will come to visit the strange citadel34. And to think that, but for Lupin, all this would have remained for ever unknown to men! Ah Beautrelet, what a feeling of pride was mine on the day when I first set foot on this abandoned soil. To have found the lost secret and become its master, its sole master! To inherit such an inheritance! To live in the Needle, after all those kings!—"
"There is a noise," she said. "Underneath36 us.—You can hear it."
"It's the lapping of the water," said Lupin.
"No, indeed it's not. I know the sound of the waves. This is something different."
"What would you have it be, darling?" said Lupin, smiling. "I invited no one to lunch except Beautrelet." And, addressing the servant, "Charolais, did you lock the staircase doors behind the gentleman?"
"Yes, sir, and fastened the bolts."
Lupin rose:
"Come, Raymonde, don't shake like that. Why, you're quite pale!"
He spoke37 a few words to her in an undertone, as also to the servant, drew back the curtain and sent them both out of the room.
The noise below grew more distinct. It was a series of dull blows, repeated at intervals38. Beautrelet thought:
"Ganimard has lost patience and is breaking down the doors."
Lupin resumed the thread of his conversation, speaking very calmly and as though he had really not heard:
"By Jove, the Needle was badly damaged when I succeeded in discovering it! One could see that no one had possessed39 the secret for more than a century, since Louis XVI. and the Revolution. The tunnel was threatening to fall in. The stairs were in a shocking state. The water was trickling40 in from the sea. I had to prop41 up and strengthen and rebuild the whole thing."
Beautrelet could not help asking:
"When you arrived, was it empty?"
"As a place of refuge, then?"
"Yes, no doubt, in times of invasion and during the civil wars. But its real destination was to be—how shall I put it?—the strong-room or the bank of the kings of France."
The sound of blows increased, more distinctly now. Ganimard must have broken down the first door and was attacking the second. There was a short silence and then more blows, nearer still. It was the third door. Two remained.
Through one of the windows, Beautrelet saw a number of fishing-smacks sailing round the Needle and, not far away, floating on the waters like a great black fish, the torpedo-boat.
"What a row!" exclaimed Lupin. "One can't hear one's self speak! Let's go upstairs, shall we? It may interest you to look over the Needle."
They climbed to the floor above, which was protected, like the others, by a door which Lupin locked behind him.
"My picture gallery," he said.
The walls were covered with canvases on which Beautrelet recognized the most famous signatures. There were Raphael's Madonna of the Agnus Dei, Andrea del Sarto's Portrait of Lucrezia Fede, Titian's Salome, Botticelli's Madonna and Angels and numbers of Tintorettos, Carpaccios, Rembrandts, Velasquez.
"What fine copies!" said Beautrelet, approvingly.
Lupin looked at him with an air of stupefaction:
"What! Copies! You must be mad! The copies are in Madrid, my dear fellow, in Florence, Venice, Munich, Amsterdam."
"Then these—"
"Are the original pictures, my lad, patiently collected in all the museums of Europe, where I have replaced them, like an honest man, with first-rate copies."
"But some day or other—"
"Some day or other, the fraud will be discovered? Well, they will find my signature on each canvas—at the back—and they will know that it was I who have endowed my country with the original masterpieces. After all, I have only done what Napoleon did in Italy.—Oh, look, Beautrelet: here are M. de Gesvres's four Rubenses!—"
The knocking continued within the hollow of the Needle without ceasing.
"I can't stand this!" said Lupin. "Let's go higher."
A fresh staircase. A fresh door.
"The tapestry-room," Lupin announced.
The tapestries43 were not hung on the walls, but rolled, tied up with cord, ticketed; and, in addition, there were parcels of old fabrics44 which Lupin unfolded: wonderful brocades, admirable velvets, soft, faded silks, church vestments woven with silver and gold—
They went higher still and Beautrelet saw the room containing the clocks and other time-pieces, the book-room—oh, the splendid bindings, the precious, undiscoverable volumes, the unique copies stolen from the great public libraries—the lace-room, the knicknack-room.
And each time the circumference45 of the room grew smaller.
And each time, now, the sound of knocking was more distant. Ganimard was losing ground.
This one was quite different. It was round also, but very high and conical in shape. It occupied the top of the edifice47 and its floor must have been fifteen or twenty yards below the extreme point of the Needle.
On the cliff side there was no window. But on the side of the sea, whence there were no indiscreet eyes to fear, two glazed48 openings admitted plenty of light.
The ground was covered with a parqueted49 flooring of rare wood, forming concentric patterns. Against the walls stood glass cases and a few pictures.
"The pearls of my collection," said Lupin. "All that you have seen so far is for sale. Things come and things go. That's business. But here, in this sanctuary50, everything is sacred. There is nothing here but choice, essential pieces, the best of the best, priceless things. Look at these jewels, Beautrelet: Chaldean amulets51, Egyptian necklaces, Celtic bracelets52, Arab chains. Look at these statuettes, Beautrelet, at this Greek Venus, this Corinthian Apollo. Look at these Tanagras, Beautrelet: all the real Tanagras are here. Outside this glass case, there is not a single genuine Tanagra statuette in the whole wide world. What a delicious thing to be able to say!—Beautrelet, do you remember Thomas and his gang of church-pillagers in the South—agents of mine, by the way? Well, here is the Ambazac reliquary, the real one, Beautrelet! Do you remember the Louvre scandal, the tiara which was admitted to be false, invented and manufactured by a modern artist? Here is the tiara of Saitapharnes, the real one, Beautrelet! Look, Beautrelet, look with all your eyes: here is the marvel53 of marvels54, the supreme55 masterpiece, the work of no mortal brain; here is Leonardo's Gioconda, the real one! Kneel, Beautrelet, kneel; all womankind stands before you in this picture."
There was a long silence between them. Below, the sound of blows drew nearer. Two or three doors, no more, separated them from Ganimard. In the offing, they saw the black back of the torpedo-boat and the fishing-smacks cruising to and fro.
The boy asked:
"And the treasure?"
"Ah, my little man, that's what interests you most! None of those masterpieces of human art can compete with the contemplation of the treasure as a matter of curiosity, eh?—And the whole crowd will be like you!—Come, you shall be satisfied."
He stamped his foot, and, in so doing, made one of the discs composing the floor-pattern turn right over. Then, lifting it as though it were the lid of a box, he uncovered a sort of large round bowl, dug in the thickness of the rock. It was empty.
A little farther, he went through the same performance. Another large bowl appeared. It was also empty.
He did this three times over again. The three other bowls were empty.
"Eh," grinned Lupin. "What a disappointment! Under Louis XL, under Henry IV., under Richelieu, the five bowls were full. But think of Louis XIV., the folly56 of Versailles, the wars, the great disasters of the reign57! And think of Louis XV., the spendthrift king, with his Pompadour and his Du Barry! How they must have drawn on the treasure in those days! With what thieving claws they must have scratched at the stone. You see, there's nothing left."
He stopped.
"Yes, Beautrelet, there is something—the sixth hiding-place! This one was intangible. Not one of them dared touch it. It was the very last resource, the nest-egg, the something put by for a rainy day. Look, Beautrelet!"
He stooped and lifted up the lid. An iron box filled the bowl. Lupin took from his pocket a key with a complicated bit and wards58 and opened the box.
A dazzling sight presented itself. Every sort of precious stone sparkled there, every color gleamed, the blue of the sapphires59, the red of the rubies60, the green of the emeralds, the yellow of the topazes.
"Look, look, little Beautrelet! They have squandered61 all the cash, all the gold, all the silver, all the crown pieces and all the ducats and all the doubloons; but the chest with the jewels has remained intact. Look at the settings. They belong to every period, to every century, to every country. The dowries of the queens are here. Each brought her share: Margaret of Scotland and Charlotte of Savoy; duchesses of Austria: Eleonore, Elisabeth, Marie-Therese, Mary of England and Catherine de Medicis; and all the arch—Marie Antoinette. Look at those pearls, Beautrelet! And those diamonds: look at the size of the diamonds! Not one of them but is worthy62 of an empress! The Pitt Diamond is no finer!"
He rose to his feet and held up his hand as one taking an oath:
"Beautrelet, you shall tell the world that Lupin has not taken a single one of the stones that were in the royal chest, not a single one, I swear it on my honor! I had no right to. They are the fortune of France."
Below them, Ganimard was making all speed. It was easy to judge by the reverberation63 of the blows that his men were attacking the last door but one, the door that gave access to the knicknack-room.
"Let us leave the chest open," said Lupin, "and all the cavities, too, all those little empty graves."
He went round the room, examined some of the glass cases, gazed at some of the pictures and, as he walked, said, pensively64:
"How sad it is to leave all this! What a wrench65! The happiest hours of my life have been spent here, alone, in the presence of these objects which I loved. And my eyes will never behold66 them again and my hands will never touch them again—"
His drawn face bore such an expression of lassitude upon it that Beautrelet felt a vague sort of pity for him. Sorrow in that man must assume larger proportions than in another, even as joy did, or pride, or humiliation. He was now standing67 by the window, and, with his finger pointing to the horizon, said:
"What is sadder still is that I must abandon that, all that! How beautiful it is! The boundless68 sea—the sky.—On either side, the cliffs of Etretat with their three natural archways: the Porte d'Armont, the Porte d'Aval, the Manneporte—so many triumphal arches for the master. And the master was I! I was the king of the story, the king of fairyland, the king of the Hollow Needle! A strange and supernatural kingdom! From Caesar to Lupin: what a destiny!" He burst out laughing. "King of fairyland! Why not say King of Yvetot at once? What nonsense! King of the world, yes, that's more like it! From this topmost point of the Needle, I ruled the globe! I held it in my claws like a prey69! Lift the tiara of Saitapharnes, Beautrelet.—You see those two telephones? The one on the right communicates with Paris: a private line; the one on the left with London: a private line. Through London, I am in touch with America, Asia, Australia, South Africa. In all those continents, I have my offices, my agents, my jackals, my scouts70! I drive an international trade. I hold the great market in art and antiquities71, the world's fair! Ah, Beautrelet, there are moments when my power turns my head! I feel intoxicated72 with strength and authority."
The door gave way below. They heard Ganimard and his men running about and searching.
After a moment, Lupin continued, in a low voice:
"And now it's over. A little girl crossed my path, a girl with soft hair and wistful eyes and an honest, yes, an honest soul—and it's over. I myself am demolishing73 the mighty74 edifice.—All the rest seems absurd and childish to me—nothing counts but her hair—and her wistful eyes—and her honest little soul—"
The men came up the staircase. A blow shook the door, the last door—
Lupin seized the boy sharply by the arm:
"Do you understand, Beautrelet, why I let you have things your own way when I could have crushed you, time after time, weeks ago? Do you understand how you succeeded in getting as far as this? Do you understand that I had given each of my men his share of the plunder75 when you met them the other night on the cliff? You do understand, don't you? The Hollow Needle is the great adventure. As long as it belongs to me, I remain the great adventurer. Once the Needle is recaptured, it means that the past and I are parted and that the future begins, a future of peace and happiness, in which I shall have no occasion to blush when Raymonde's eyes are turned upon me, a future—"
He turned furiously toward the door:
The blows came faster. It was like the sound of a beam that was being hurled77 against the door. Beautrelet, mad with curiosity, stood in front of Lupin and awaited events, without understanding what Lupin was doing or contemplating78. To give up the Needle was all very well; but why was he giving up himself? What was his plan? Did he hope to escape from Ganimard? And, on the other hand, where was Raymonde?
Lupin, meantime, was murmuring, dreamily:
"An honest man.—Arsene Lupin an honest man—no more robbery—leading the life of everybody else.—And why not? There is no reason why I should not meet with the same success.—But do stop that now, Ganimard! Don't you know, you ass9, that I'm uttering historic words and that Beautrelet is taking them in for the benefit of posterity79?" He laughed. "I am wasting my time. Ganimard will never grasp the use of my historic words."
He took a piece of red chalk, put a pair of steps to the wall and wrote, in large letters:
Arsene Lupin gives and bequeaths to France all the treasures contained in the Hollow Needle, on the sole condition that these treasures be housed at the Musee du Louvre in rooms which shall be known as the Arsene Lupin Rooms.
"Now," he said, "my conscience is at ease. France and I are quits."
The attackers were striking with all their might. One of the panels burst in two. A hand was put through and fumbled80 for the lock.
"Thunder!" said Lupin. "That idiot of a Ganimard is capable of effecting his purpose for once in his life."
He rushed to the lock and removed the key.
"Sold, old chap!—The door's tough.—I have plenty of time—Beautrelet, I must say good-bye. And thank you!—For really you could have complicated the attack—but you're so tactful!"
While speaking, he moved toward a large triptych by Van der Weyden, representing the Wise Men of the East. He shut the right-hand panel and, in so doing, exposed a little door concealed81 behind it and seized the handle.
"Good luck to your hunting, Ganimard! And kind regards at home!"
A pistol-shot resounded82. Lupin jumped back: "Ah, you rascal83, full in the heart! Have you been taking lessons? You've done for the Wise Man! Full in the heart! Smashed to smithereens, like a pipe at the fair!—"
"Lupin, surrender!" roared Ganimard, with his eyes glittering and his revolver showing through the broken panel of the door. "Surrender, I say!"
"Did the old guard surrender?"
"If you stir a limb, I'll blow your brains out!"
"Nonsense! You can't get me here!"
As a matter of fact, Lupin had moved away; and, though Ganimard was able to fire straight in front of him through the breach84 in the door, he could not fire, still less take aim, on the side where Lupin stood. Lupin's position was a terrible one for all that, because the outlet85 on which he was relying, the little door behind the triptych, opened right in front of Ganimard. To try to escape meant to expose himself to the detective's fire; and there were five bullets left in the revolver.
"By Jove," he said, laughing, "there's a slump86 in my shares this afternoon! You've done a nice thing. Lupin, old fellow: you wanted a last sensation and you've gone a bit too far. You shouldn't have talked so much."
He flattened87 himself against the wall. A further portion of the panel had given way under the men's pressure and Ganimard was less hampered88 in his movements. Three yards, no more, separated the two antagonists89. But Lupin was protected by a glass case with a gilt-wood framework.
"Why don't you help, Beautrelet?" cried the old detective, gnashing his teeth with rage. "Why don't you shoot him, instead of staring at him like that?"
Isidore, in fact, had not budged90, had remained, till that moment, an eager, but passive spectator. He would have liked to fling himself into the contest with all his strength and to bring down the prey which he held at his mercy. He was prevented by some inexplicable91 sentiment.
"If I take part in it," he thought, "Lupin is lost. And I have the right—it's my duty."
Their eyes met. Lupin's were calm, watchful93, almost inquisitive94, as though, in the awful danger that threatened him, he were interested only in the moral problem that held the young man in its clutches. Would Isidore decide to give the finishing stroke to the defeated enemy?
The door cracked from top to bottom.
Isidore raised his revolver.
What happened was so quick that he knew of it, so to speak, only by the result. He saw Lupin bob down and run along the wall, skimming the door right under the weapon which Ganimard was vainly brandishing96; and he felt himself suddenly flung to the ground, picked up the next moment and lifted by an invincible97 force.
Lupin held him in the air, like a living shield, behind which he hid himself.
He had taken a couple of brisk steps backward to the triptych. Holding Beautrelet with one hand flat against his chest, with the other he cleared the passage and closed the little door behind them.
A steep staircase appeared before their eyes.
"Come along," said Lupin, pushing Beautrelet before him. "The land forces are beaten—let us turn our attention to the French fleet.—After Waterloo, Trafalgar.—You're having some fun for your money, eh, my lad?—Oh, how good: listen to them knocking at the triptych now!—It's too late, my children.—But hurry along, Beautrelet!"
The staircase, dug out in the wall of the Needle, dug in its very crust, turned round and round the pyramid, encircling it like the spiral of a tobogganslide. Each hurrying the other, they clattered99 down the treads, taking two or three at a bound. Here and there, a ray of light trickled100 through a fissure101; and Beautrelet carried away the vision of the fishing-smacks hovering102 a few dozen fathoms103 off, and of the black torpedo-boat.
They went down and down, Isidore in silence, Lupin still bubbling over with merriment:
"I should like to know what Ganimard is doing? Is he tumbling down the other staircases to bar the entrance to the tunnel against me? No, he's not such a fool as that. He must have left four men there—and four men are sufficient—" He stopped. "Listen—they're shouting up above. That's it, they've opened the window and are calling to their fleet.—Why, look, the men are busy on board the smacks—they're exchanging signals.—The torpedo-boat is moving.—Dear old torpedo-boat! I know you, you're from the Havre.—Guns' crews to the guns!—Hullo, there's the commander!—How are you, Duguay-Trouin?"
"The enemy's fleet have set all sail," he said. "We shall be boarded before we know where we are. Heavens, what fun!"
They heard the sound of voices below them. They were just then approaching the level of the sea and they emerged, almost at once, into a large cave into which two lanterns were moving about in the dark.
A woman's figure appeared and threw itself on Lupin's neck:
"Quick, quick, I was so nervous about you. What have you been doing?—But you're not alone!—"
"It's our friend Beautrelet.—Just think, Beautrelet had the tact—but I'll talk about that later—there's no time now.—Charolais are you there? That's right!—And the boat?"
"The boat's ready, sir," Charolais replied,
"Fire away," said Lupin.
In a moment, the noise of a motor crackled and Beautrelet, whose eyes were gradually becoming used to the gloom, ended by perceiving that they were on a sort of quay106, at the edge of the water, and that a boat was floating before them.
"A motor boat," said Lupin, completing Beautrelet's observations. "This knocks you all of a heap, eh, Isidore, old chap?—You don't understand.—Still, you have only to think.—As the water before your eyes is no other than the water of the sea, which filters into this excavation107 each high tide, the result is that I have a safe little private roadstead all to myself."
"But it's closed," Beautrelet protested. "No one can get in or out."
"Yes, I can," said Lupin; "and I'm going to prove it to you."
He began by handing Raymonde in. Then he came back to fetch Beautrelet. The lad hesitated.
"Are you afraid?" asked Lupin.
"What of?"
"Of being sunk by the torpedo-boat."
"No."
"Then you're considering whether it's not your duty to stay with Ganimard, law and order, society and morality, instead of going off with Lupin, shame, infamy108 and disgrace."
"Exactly."
"Unfortunately, my boy, you have no choice. For the moment, they must believe the two of us dead—and leave me the peace to which a prospective109 honest man is entitled. Later on, when I have given you your liberty, you can talk as much as you please—I shall have nothing more to fear."
By the way in which Lupin clutched his arm, Beautrelet felt that all resistance was useless. Besides, why resist? Had he not discovered and handed over the Hollow Needle? What did he care about the rest? Had he not the right to humor the irresistible110 sympathy with which, in spite of everything, this man inspired him?
The feeling was so clear in him that he was half inclined to say to Lupin:
"Come along!" said Lupin, before Isidore had made up his mind to speak.
He obeyed and let Lupin lead him to the boat, the shape of which struck him as peculiar112 and its appearance quite unexpected.
Once on deck, they went down a little steep staircase, or rather a ladder hooked on to a trap door, which closed above their heads. At the foot of the ladder, brightly lit by a lamp, was a very small saloon, where Raymonde was waiting for them and where the three had just room to sit down.
Lupin took the mouthpiece of a speaking tube from a hook and gave the order:
"Let her go, Charolais!"
Isidore had the unpleasant sensation which one feels when going down in a lift: the sensation of the ground vanishing beneath you, the impression of emptiness, space. This time, it was the water retreating; and space opened out, slowly.
"We're sinking, eh?" grinned Lupin. "Don't be afraid—we've only to pass from the upper cave where we were to another little cave, situated113 right at the bottom and half open to the sea, which can be entered at low tide. All the shellfish-catchers know it. Ah, ten seconds' wait! We're going through the passage and it's very narrow, just the size of the submarine."
"But," asked Beautrelet, "how is it that the fishermen who enter the lower cave don't know that it's open at the top and that it communicates with another from which a staircase starts and runs through the Needle? The facts are at the disposal of the first-comer."
"Wrong, Beautrelet! The top of the little public cave is closed, at low tide, by a movable platform, painted the color of the rock, which the sea, when it rises, shifts and carries up with it and, when it goes down, fastens firmly over the little cave. That is why I am able to pass at high tide. A clever notion, what? It's an idea of my own. True, neither Caesar nor Louis XIV., nor, in short, any of my distinguished predecessors114 could have had it, because they did not possess submarines. They were satisfied with the staircase, which then ran all the way down to the little bottom cave. I did away with the last treads of the staircase and invented the trick of the movable ceiling: it's a present I'm making to France—Raymonde, my love, put out the lamp beside you—we shan't want it now—on the contrary—"
A pale light, which seemed to be of the same color as the water, met them as they left the cave and made its way into the cabin through the two portholes and through a thick glass skylight that projected above the planking of the deck and allowed the passengers to inspect the upper layers of the sea. And, suddenly, a shadow glided115 over their heads.
"The attack is about to take place. The fleet is investing the Needle. But, hollow as the Needle is, I don't see how they propose to enter it."
He took up the speaking tube:
"Don't leave the bottom, Charolais. Where are we going? Why, I told you: to Port-Lupin. And at full speed, do you hear? We want water to land by—there's a lady with us."
They skimmed over the rocky bed. The seaweed stood up on end like a heavy, dark vegetation and the deep currents made it wave gracefully116, stretching and billowing like floating hair.
Another shadow, a longer one.
"That's the torpedo-boat," said Lupin. "We shall hear the roar of the guns presently. What will Duguay-Trouin do? Bombard the Needle? Think of what we're missing, Beautrelet, by not being present at the meeting of Duguay-Trouin and Ganimard! The juncture118 of the land and naval119 forces! Hi, Charolais, don't go to sleep, my man!"
They were moving very fast, for all that. The rocks had been succeeded by sand-fields and then, almost at once, they saw more rocks, which marked the eastern extremity120 of Etretat, the Porte d'Amont. Fish fled at their approach. One of them, bolder than the rest, fastened on to a porthole and looked at the occupants of the saloon with its great, fixed, staring eyes.
"That's better," cried Lupin. "We're going now. What do you think of my cockle-shell, Beautrelet? Not so bad, is she? Do you remember the story of the Seven of Hearts,[11] the wretched end of Lacombe, the engineer, and how, after punishing his murderers, I presented the State with his papers and his plans for the construction of a new submarine: one more gift to France? Well, among the plans, I kept those of a submersible motor boat and that is how you come to have the honor of sailing in my company."
[11] The Exploits of Arsene Lupin. By Maurice Leblanc. VI: The Seven of Hearts.
He called to Charolais:
"Take us up, Charolais—there's no danger now—"
They shot up to the surface and the glass skylight emerged above the water.
They were a mile from the coast, out of sight, therefore, and Beautrelet was now able to realize more fully117 at what a headlong pace they were traveling. First Fecamp passed before them, then all the Norman seaside places: Saint-Pierre, the Petits—Dalles, Veulettes, Saint-Valery, Veules, Quiberville. Lupin kept on jesting and Isidore never wearied of watching and listening to him, amazed as he was at the man's spirits, at his gaiety, his mischievous121 ways, his careless chaff122, his delight in life.
He also noticed Raymonde. The young woman sat silent, nestling up against the man she loved. She had taken his hands between her own and kept on raising her eyes to him; and Beautrelet constantly observed that her hands were twitching123 and that the wistful sadness of her eyes increased. And, each time, it was like a dumb and sorrowful reply to Lupin's sallies. One would have thought that his frivolous124 words, his sarcastic125 outlook on life, caused her physical pain.
Opposite Dieppe, they had to dive lest they should be seen by the fishing-craft. And twenty minutes later, they shot at an angle toward the coast and the boat entered a little submarine harbor formed by a regular gap between the rocks, drew up beside a jetty and rose gently to the surface.
Lupin announced:
"Port-Lupin!"
The spot, situated at sixteen miles from Dieppe and twelve from the Treport and protected, moreover, by the two landslips of cliff, was absolutely deserted127. A fine sand carpeted the rounded slope of the tiny beach.
"Jump on shore, Beautrelet—Raymonde, give me your hand. You, Charolais, go back to the Needle, see what happens between Ganimard and Duguay-Trouin and come back and tell me at the end of the day. The thing interests me tremendously."
Beautrelet asked himself with a certain curiosity how they were going to get out of this hemmed-in creek128 which was called Port-Lupin, when, at the foot of the cliff, he saw the uprights of an iron ladder.
"Isidore," said Lupin, "if you knew your geography and your history, you would know that we are at the bottom of the gorge129 of Parfonval, in the parish of Biville. More than a century ago, on the night of the twenty-third of August, 1803, Georges Cadoudal and six accomplices, who had landed in France with the intention of kidnapping the first consul130, Bonaparte, scrambled131 up to the top by the road which I will show you. Since then, this road has been demolished132 by landslips. But Louis Valmeras, better known by the name of Arsene Lupin, had it restored at his own expense and bought the farm of the Neuvillette, where the conspirators133 spent the first night and where, retired134 from business and withdrawing from the affairs of this world, he means to lead the life of a respectable country squire135 with his wife and his mother by his side. The gentleman-burglar is dead! Long live the gentleman-farmer!"
After the ladder came a sort of gully, an abrupt136 ravine hollowed out, apparently137, by the rains, at the end of which they laid hold of a makeshift staircase furnished with a hand-rail. As Lupin explained, this hand-rail had been placed where it was in the stead of the estamperche, a long rope fastened to stakes, by which the people of the country, in the old days, used to help themselves down when going to the beach.
After a painful climb of half an hour, they emerged on the tableland, not far from one of those little cabins, dug out of the soil itself, which serve as shelters for the excisemen. And, as it happened, two minutes later, at a turn in the path, one of these custom-house officials appeared.
Lupin asked:
"Any news, Gomel?"
"No, governor."
"You've met no one at all suspicious-looking?"
"No, governor—only—"
"What?"
"My wife—who does dressmaking at the Neuvillette—"
"Yes, I know—Cesarine—my mother spoke of her. Well?"
"It seems a sailor was prowling about the village this morning."
"What sort of face had he?"
"Not a natural face—a sort of Englishman's face."
"Ah!" said Lupin, in a tone preoccupied139. "And you have given Cesarine orders—"
"To keep her eyes open. Yes, governor."
"Very well. Keep a lookout for Charolais's return in two or three hours from now. If there's anything, I shall be at the farm."
He walked on and said to Beautrelet:
"This makes me uneasy—is it Shears? Ah, if it's he, in his present state of exasperation140, I have everything to fear!"
He hesitated a moment: "I wonder if we hadn't better turn back. Yes, I have a nasty presentiment141 of evil."
Gently undulating plains stretched before them as far as the eye could see. A little to the left, a series of handsome avenues of trees led to the farm of the Neuvillette, the buildings of which were now in view. It was the retreat which he had prepared, the haven of rest which he had promised Raymonde. Was he, for the sake of an absurd idea, to renounce142 happiness at the very moment when it seemed within his reach?
He took Isidore by the arm and, calling his attention to Raymonde, who was walking in front of them:
"Look at her. When she walks, her figure has a little swing at the waist which I cannot see without quivering. But everything in her gives me that thrill of emotion and love: her movements and her repose143, her silence and the sound of her voice. I tell you, the mere fact that I am walking in the track of her footsteps makes me feel in the seventh heaven. Ah, Beautrelet, will she ever forget that I was once Lupin? Shall I ever be able to wipe out from her memory the past which she loathes144 and detests145?" He mastered himself and, with obstinate146 assurance. "She will forget!" he declared. "She will forget, because I have made every sacrifice for her sake. I have sacrificed the inviolable sanctuary of the Hollow Needle, I have sacrificed my treasures, my power, my pride—I will sacrifice everything—I don't want to be anything more—but just a man in love—and an honest man, because she can only love an honest man. After all, why should I not be honest? It is no more degrading than anything else!"
The quip escaped him, so to speak, unawares. His voice remained serious and free of all chaff. And he muttered, with restrained violence:
"Ah, Beautrelet, you see, of all the unbridled joys which I have tasted in my adventurous147 life, there is not one that equals the joy with which her look fills me when she is pleased with me. I feel quite weak then, and I should like to cry—" Was he crying? Beautrelet had an intuition that his eyes were wet with tears. Tears in Lupin's eyes!—Tears of love!
They were nearing an old gate that served as an entrance to the farm. Lupin stopped for a moment and stammered:
"Why am I afraid?—I feel a sort of weight on my chest. Is the adventure of the Hollow Needle not over? Has destiny not accepted the issue which I selected?"
Raymonde turned round, looking very anxious.
"Here comes Cesarine. She's running."
The exciseman's wife was hurrying from the farm as fast as she could. Lupin rushed up to her:
"What is it? What has happened? Speak!"
Choking, quite out of breath, Cesarine stuttered:
"A man—I saw a man this morning!
"A man—I saw a man in the sitting-room148."
"The Englishman of this morning?"
"Yes—but in a different disguise."
"Did he see you?"
"No. He saw your mother. Mme. Valmeras caught him as he was just going away."
"Well?"
"He told her that he was looking for Louis Valmeras, that he was a friend of yours."
"Then?"
"The madame said that her son had gone abroad—for years."
"And he went away?"
"No, he made signs through the window that overlooks the plain—as if he were calling to some one."
Lupin seemed to hesitate. A loud cry tore the air. Raymonde moaned:
"It's your mother—I recognize—"
He flung himself upon her and, dragging her away, in a burst of fierce passion:
"Come—let us fly—you first."
But, suddenly, he stopped, distraught, overcome:
"No, I can't do it—it's too awful. Forgive me—Raymonde—that poor woman down there—Stay here. Beautrelet, don't leave her."
He darted149 along the slope that surrounds the farm, turned and followed it, at a run, till he came to the gate that opens on the plain.
Raymonde, whom Beautrelet had been unable to hold back, arrived almost as soon as he did; and Beautrelet, hiding behind the trees, saw, in the lonely walk that led from the farm to the gate, three men, of whom one, the tallest, went ahead, while the two others were holding by the arms a woman who tried to resist and who uttered moans of pain.
The daylight was beginning to fade. Nevertheless, Beautrelet recognized Holmlock Shears. The woman seemed of a certain age. Her livid features were set in a frame of white hair.
They all four came up.
They reached the gate. Shears opened one of the folding leaves.
Then Lupin strode forward and stood in front of him.
The encounter appeared all the more terrible inasmuch as it was silent, almost solemn.
For long moments, the two enemies took each other's measure with their eyes. An equal hatred150 distorted the features of both of them. Neither moved.
Then Lupin spoke, in a voice of terrifying calmness:
"Tell your men to leave that woman alone."
"No."
It was as though both of them feared to engage in the supreme struggle, as though both were collecting all their strength. And there were no words wasted this time, no insults, no bantering151 challenges. Silence, a deathlike silence.
Mad with anguish152, Raymonde awaited the issue of the duel153. Beautrelet had caught her arms and was holding her motionless.
After a second, Lupin repeated:
"Order your men to leave that woman alone."
"No."
Lupin said:
"Listen, Shears—"
But he interrupted himself, realizing the silliness of the words. In the face of that colossus of pride and will-power which called itself Holmlock Shears, of what use were threats?
Resolved upon the worst, suddenly he put his hand to his jacket pocket. The Englishman anticipated his movement and, leaping upon his prisoner, thrust the barrel of his revolver within two inches of her temple:
"If you stir a limb, I fire!"
At the same time his two satellites drew their weapons and aimed them at Lupin.
Lupin drew himself up, stifled154 the rage within him and, coolly, with his hands in his pockets and his breast exposed to the enemy, began once more:
"Shears, for the third time, let that woman be—"
"I have no right to touch her, I suppose? Come, come, enough of this humbug! Your name isn't Valmeras any more than it's Lupin: you stole the name just as you stole the name of Charmerace. And the woman whom you pass off as your mother is Victoire, your old accomplice12, the one who brought you up—"[12]
[12] Arsene Lupin, play in four acts, by Maurice Leblanc and Francis de Croisset.
Shears made a mistake. Carried away by his longing156 for revenge, he glanced across at Raymonde, whom these revelations filled with horror. Lupin took advantage of his imprudence. With a sudden movement, he fired.
"Damnation!" bellowed Shears, whose arm, pierced by a bullet, fell to his side. And, addressing his men, "Shoot, you two! Shoot him down!"
But already Lupin was upon them: and not two seconds had elapsed before the one on the right was sprawling157 on the ground, with his chest smashed, while the other, with his jaw158 broken, fell back against the gate.
"Hurry up, Victoire. Tie them down. And now, Mr. Englishman, it's you and I."
He ducked with an oath:
"Ah, you scoundrel!"
Shears had picked up his revolver with his left hand and was taking aim at him.
A shot—a cry of distress—Raymonde had flung herself between the two men, facing the Englishman. She staggered back, brought her hand to her neck, drew herself up, spun159 round on her heels and fell at Lupin's feet.
"Raymonde!—Raymonde!"
He threw himself upon her, took her in his arms and pressed her to him.
"Dead—" he said.
There was a moment of stupefaction. Shears seemed confounded by his own act. Victoire stammered:
"My poor boy—my poor boy—"
Beautrelet went up to the young woman and stooped to examine her. Lupin repeated:
"Dead—dead—"
He said it in a reflective tone, as though he did not yet understand. But his face became hollow, suddenly transformed, ravaged160 by grief. And then he was seized with a sort of madness, made senseless gestures, wrung161 his hands, stamped his feet, like a child that suffers more than it is able to bear.
And, flinging Shears back with a formidable blow, he took him by the throat and dug his twitching fingers into his flesh.
Beautrelet ran up. But Lupin had already let go and stood sobbing165 beside his enemy stretched upon the ground.
O pitiful sight! Beautrelet never forgot its tragic166 horror, he who knew all Lupin's love for Raymonde and all that the great adventurer had sacrificed of his own being to bring a smile to the face of his well-beloved.
Night began to cover the field of battle with a shroud167 of darkness. The three Englishmen lay bound and gagged in the tall grass. Distant songs broke the vast silence of the plain. It was the farm-hands returning from their work.
Lupin drew himself up. He listened to the monotonous168 voices. Then he glanced at the happy homestead of the Neuvillette, where he had hoped to live peacefully with Raymonde. Then he looked at her, the poor, loving victim, whom love had killed and who, all white, was sleeping her last, eternal sleep.
The men were coming nearer, however.
Then Lupin bent169 down, took the dead woman in his powerful arms, lifted the corpse170 with a single effort and, bent in two, stretched it across his back:
"Let us go, Victoire."
"Let us go, dear."
"Good-bye, Beautrelet," he said.
And, bearing his precious and awful burden followed by his old servant, silent and fierce he turned toward the sea and plunged171 into the darkness of the night.
THE END
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1
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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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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3
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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accomplices
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| 从犯，帮凶，同谋( accomplice的名词复数 ) | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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16
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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17
inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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18
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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19
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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25
humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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relinquish
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| v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手 | |
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27
obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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29
bouquets
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| n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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31
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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32
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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33
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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34
citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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35
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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37
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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38
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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40
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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41
prop
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| vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山 | |
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42
warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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43
tapestries
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| n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 ) | |
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44
fabrics
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| 织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地 | |
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45
circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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46
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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47
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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48
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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49
parqueted
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| v.镶木地板( parquet的过去式 )；（剧场的）正厅后排 | |
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50
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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51
amulets
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| n.护身符( amulet的名词复数 ) | |
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52
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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53
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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54
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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55
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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56
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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57
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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58
wards
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| 区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态 | |
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59
sapphires
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| n.蓝宝石，钢玉宝石( sapphire的名词复数 )；蔚蓝色 | |
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60
rubies
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| 红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色 | |
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61
squandered
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| v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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63
reverberation
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| 反响； 回响； 反射； 反射物 | |
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64
pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
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65
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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66
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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67
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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68
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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69
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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70
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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71
antiquities
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| n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯 | |
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72
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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73
demolishing
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| v.摧毁( demolish的现在分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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74
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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75
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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76
haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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77
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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78
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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79
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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80
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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81
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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82
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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83
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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84
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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85
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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86
slump
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| n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌 | |
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87
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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88
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89
antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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90
budged
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| v.（使）稍微移动( budge的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步 | |
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91
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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92
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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93
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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94
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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95
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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96
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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97
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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98
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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99
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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100
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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101
fissure
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| n.裂缝；裂伤 | |
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102
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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103
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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104
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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105
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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106
quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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107
excavation
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| n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地 | |
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108
infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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109
prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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110
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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111
shears
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| n.大剪刀 | |
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112
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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113
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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114
predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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115
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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116
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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117
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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118
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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119
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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120
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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121
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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122
chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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123
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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124
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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125
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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126
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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127
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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128
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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129
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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130
consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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131
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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132
demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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133
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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134
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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135
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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136
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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137
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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138
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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139
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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140
exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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141
presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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142
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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143
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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144
loathes
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的第三人称单数 )；极不喜欢 | |
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145
detests
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的第三人称单数 ) | |
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146
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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147
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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148
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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149
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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150
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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151
bantering
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| adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄 | |
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152
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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153
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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154
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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155
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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156
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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157
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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158
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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159
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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160
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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161
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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162
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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163
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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164
entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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165
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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166
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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167
shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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168
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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169
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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170
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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171
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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