Thou hast practised on her with foul1 charms--
Abused her delicate youth with drugs and minerals.
---SHAKSPEARE: Othello.
To return to Eleanor Mowbray. In a state of mind bordering upon distraction2, she rushed to her mother, and, flinging her arms wildly round her neck, besought3 her to protect her. Mrs. Mowbray gazed anxiously upon the altered countenance4 of her daughter, but a few moments relieved her from much of her uneasiness.--The expression of pain gradually subsided5, and the look of vacuity6 was succeeded by one of frenzied7 excitement. A film had, for an instant or two, dimmed her eyes; they now gleamed with unnatural8 lustre9. She smiled--the smile was singular; it was not the playful, pleasurable lighting10 up of the face that it used to be; but it was a smile, and the mother's heart was satisfied.
Mrs. Mowbray knew not to what circumstance she could attribute this wondrous11 change. She looked at the priest. He was more apt in divining the probable cause of the sudden alteration12 in Eleanor's manner.
"What if she has swallowed a love-powder?" said he, approaching Mrs. Mowbray, and speaking in a whisper. "I have heard of such abominable13 mixtures; indeed, the holy St. Jerome himself relates an instance of similar sorcery, in his life of Hilarius; and these people are said to compound them."
"It may be so," replied Mrs. Mowbray, in the same tone. "I think that the peculiar14 softness in the eye is more than natural."
"I will at least hazard an experiment, to attest15 the truth or fallacy of my supposition," returned the father. "Do you see your destined16 bridegroom yonder?" continued he, addressing Eleanor.
She followed with her eyes in the direction which Father Ambrose pointed17. She beheld18 Luke. We know not how to describe the sensations which now possessed19 her. She thought not of Ranulph; or, if she did, it was with vague indifference20. Wrapped in a kind of mental trance, she yielded to the pleasurable impulse that directed her unsettled fancies towards Luke. For some moments she did not take her eyes from him. The priest and Mrs. Mowbray watched her in silence.
Nothing passed between the party till Luke joined them. Eleanor continued gazing at him, and the seeming tenderness of her glance emboldened21 Luke to advance towards her. The soft fire that dwelt in those orbs22 was, however, cold as the shining wing of the luciola.
Luke approached her; he took her hand--she withdrew it not. He kissed it. Still she withdrew it not, but gazed at him with gently-glimmering eyes.
"My daughter is yours, Sir Luke Rookwood," exclaimed Mrs. Mowbray.
"What says the maid herself?" asked Luke.
"She will not refuse me her hand," said Luke.
The victim resisted not.
"To the subterranean24 shrine," cried Barbara. And she gave the preconcerted signal to the band.
The signal was repeated by the gipsy crew. We may here casually25 note, that the crew had been by no means uninterested or silent spectators of passing events, but had, on the contrary, indulged themselves in a variety of conjectures26 as to their probable issue. Several bets were pending27 as to whether it would be a match or not after all. Zoroaster took long odds28 that the match was off--offering a bean to half-a-quid--in other words, a guinea to a half-guinea--that Sybil would be the bride. His offer was taken at once by Jerry Juniper, and backed by the knight30 of Malta.
"Ha! there's the signal," cried the knight; "I'll trouble you for the bean."
"And I," added Jerry Juniper, "for another."
"Vell, vell, a few minutes will settle that. Come, pals32, to the autem ken29. Avay. Mind and obey orders."
"Ay, ay," answered the crew.
"Here's a torch for the altar of Hymen," said the knight, flashing his torch in the eyes of the patrico as he passed him.
"For the halter of Haman, you might say," returned Balthazar, sulkily. "It's well if some of us don't swing for it."
"You don't say," rejoined the perplexed33 Magus, "swing! Egad I fear it's a ticklish34 business. But there's no fighting shy, I fear, with Barbara present; and then there's that infernal autem-bawler; it will be so cursedly regular. If you had done the job, Balty, it would not have signified a brass35 farden. Luckily there will be no vitnesses to snitch upon us. There will be no one in the vault36 besides ourselves."
"There will be a silent and a solemn witness," returned Balthazar, "and one whom you expect not."
"Eh! Vot's that you say? a spy?"
But the patrico was gone.
"Make way there--make way, pals, for the bride and bridegroom," cried the knight of Malta, drawing Excalibur, and preparing to lead the way to the vault.
The train began to move. Eleanor leaned upon the arm of her mother. Beside them stalked Barbara, with an aspect of triumph. Luke followed with the priest. One by one the assemblage quitted the apartment.
The sexton alone lingered. "The moment is at hand," said he, musingly37, "when all shall be consummated38."
A few steps brought him into the court. The crowd was there still. A brief delay had taken place. The knight of Malta then entered the mouth of the vault. He held his torch so as to reveal a broken flight of steps, conducting, it would seem, to regions of perpetual night. So thought Eleanor, as she shudderingly39 gazed into the abyss. She hesitated; she trembled; she refused. But her mother's entreaties40, and Barbara's threatening looks, induced, in the end, reluctant compliance41. At length the place was empty. Peter was about to follow, when the sound of a horse's hoofs42 broke upon his ear. He tarried for an instant, and the mounted figure of the highwayman burst within the limits of the court.
"Ha, ha! old earthworm," cried Dick, "my Nestor of the churchyard, alone! Where the devil are all the folks gone? Where's Sir Luke and his new-found cousin, eh?"
Peter hastily explained.
"A wedding under ground? famous! the thing of all others I should like to see. I'll hang Bess to this ivy43 tod, and grub my way with you thither44, old mole45."
"You must stay here, and keep guard," returned Peter.
"May I be hanged if I do, when such fun is going on."
"Hanged, in all probability, you will be," returned Peter; "but I should not, were I you, desire to anticipate my destiny. Stay here you must, and shall--that's peremptory46. You will be the gainer by it. Sir Luke will reward you nobly. I will answer for him. You can serve him most effectually. Ranulph Rookwood and Major Mowbray are expected here."
"The devil they are. But how, or why----"
"I have not time to explain. In case of a surprise, discharge a pistol; they must not enter the vault. Have you a whistle? for you must play a double part, and we may need your assistance below."
"If it will summon you to our assistance below, 'tis all I need. May we rely on you?"
"When did Dick Turpin desert his friends? Anywhere on this side the Styx the sound of that whistle will reach me. I'll ride about the court, and stand sentry48."
"Enough," replied the sexton, as he dived under ground.
"Take care of your shins," shouted Dick. "That's a cursed ugly turn, but he's used to the dark. A surprise, eh! I'll just give a look to my snappers--flints all safe. Now I'm ready for them, come when they like." And, having made the circuit of the place, he halted near the mouth of the subterranean chapel49, to be within hearing of Peter's whistle, and, throwing his right leg lazily over his saddle, proceeded coolly to light a short pipe--the luxury of the cigar being then unknown,--humming the while snatches of a ballad50, the theme of which was his own calling.
THE SCAMPSMAN
Quis vere rex?
SENECA.
There is not a king, should you search the world round,
His pistol's his sceptre, his saddle's his throne,
Derry down.
Where each passing subject a tribute must yield;
Where sweet lips and sound liquor crown all with delight.
Derry down.
The soldier and sailor, both robbers by trade,
Full soon on the shelf, if disabled, are laid;
But, while luck lasts, the highwayman shakes a loose leg!
Derry down.
And a jollier bird can there nowhere be seen;
Derry down.
So the highwayman's death is the briefest and best;
He dies not as other men die, by degrees!
Derry down.
And thus, for the present, we leave him. O rare Dick Turpin!
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1
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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3
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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4
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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5
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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6
vacuity
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| n.(想象力等)贫乏，无聊，空白 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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8
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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9
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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10
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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11
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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12
alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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13
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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14
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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15
attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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16
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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17
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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18
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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19
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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20
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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21
emboldened
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| v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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23
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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24
subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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25
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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27
pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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28
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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29
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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30
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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31
spliced
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| adj.（针织品）加固的n.叠接v.绞接( splice的过去式和过去分词 )；捻接（两段绳子）；胶接；粘接（胶片、磁带等） | |
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32
pals
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| n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙 | |
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33
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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34
ticklish
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| adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理 | |
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35
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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36
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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37
musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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38
consummated
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| v.使结束( consummate的过去式和过去分词 )；使完美；完婚；（婚礼后的）圆房 | |
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39
shudderingly
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40
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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41
compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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42
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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43
ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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44
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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45
mole
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| n.胎块；痣；克分子 | |
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46
peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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47
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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48
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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49
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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50
ballad
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| n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲 | |
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51
blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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52
levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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53
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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54
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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55
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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56
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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57
owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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58
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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59
scuds
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| v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的第三人称单数 ) | |
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60
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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61
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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62
wincing
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的现在分词 ) | |
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