THIRD BRANCH—THE BILL

 I had been snowed up a whole week.  The time had hung so lightly on my hands, that I should have been in great doubt of the fact but for a piece of documentary evidence that lay upon my table.

 

The road had been dug out of the snow on the previous day, and the document in question was my bill.  It testified emphatically to my having eaten and drunk, and warmed myself, and slept among the sheltering branches of the Holly-Tree, seven days and nights.

 

I had yesterday allowed the road twenty-four hours to improve itself, finding that I required that additional margin¹ of time for the completion of my task.  I had ordered my Bill to be upon the table, and a chaise to be at the door, “at eight o’clock to-morrow evening.”  It was eight o’clock to-morrow evening when I buckled² up my travelling writing-desk in its leather case, paid my Bill, and got on my warm coats and wrappers.  Of course, no time now remained for my travelling on to add a frozen tear to the icicles which were doubtless hanging plentifully³ about the farmhouse⁴ where I had first seen Angela.  What I had to do was to get across to Liverpool by the shortest open road, there to meet my heavy baggage and embark⁵.  It was quite enough to do, and I had not an hour too much time to do it in.

 

I had taken leave of all my Holly-Tree friends—almost, for the time being, of my bashfulness too—and was standing⁶ for half a minute at the Inn door watching the ostler as he took another turn at the cord which tied my portmanteau on the chaise, when I saw lamps coming down towards the Holly-Tree.  The road was so padded with snow that no wheels were audible; but all of us who were standing at the Inn door saw lamps coming on, and at a lively rate too, between the walls of snow that had been heaped up on either side of the track.  The chambermaid instantly divined how the case stood, and called to the ostler, “Tom, this is a Gretna job!”  The ostler, knowing that her sex instinctively⁸ scented⁹ a marriage, or anything in that direction, rushed up the yard bawling¹⁰, “Next four out!” and in a moment the whole establishment was thrown into commotion¹¹.

 

I had a melancholy¹² interest in seeing the happy man who loved and was beloved; and therefore, instead of driving off at once, I remained at the Inn door when the fugitives¹³ drove up.  A bright-eyed fellow, muffled¹⁴ in a mantle¹⁵, jumped out so briskly that he almost overthrew¹⁶ me.  He turned to apologise, and, by heaven, it was Edwin!

 

“Charley!” said he, recoiling¹⁷.  “Gracious powers, what do you do here?”

 

“Edwin,” said I, recoiling, “gracious powers, what do you do here?”  I struck my forehead as I said it, and an insupportable blaze of light seemed to shoot before my eyes.

 

He hurried me into the little parlour (always kept with a slow fire in it and no poker), where posting company waited while their horses were putting to, and, shutting the door, said:

 

“Charley, forgive me!”

 

“Edwin!” I returned.  “Was this well?  When I loved her so dearly!  When I had garnered¹⁸ up my heart so long!”  I could say no more.

 

He was shocked when he saw how moved I was, and made the cruel observation, that he had not thought I should have taken it so much to heart.

 

I looked at him.  I reproached him no more.  But I looked at him.  “My dear, dear Charley,” said he, “don’t think ill of me, I beseech¹⁹ you!  I know you have a right to my utmost confidence, and, believe me, you have ever had it until now.  I abhor²⁰ secrecy²¹.  Its meanness is intolerable to me.  But I and my dear girl have observed it for your sake.”

 

He and his dear girl!  It steeled me.

 

“You have observed it for my sake, sir?” said I, wondering how his frank face could face it out so.

 

“Yes!—and Angela’s,” said he.

 

I found the room reeling round in an uncertain way, like a labouring, humming-top.  “Explain yourself,” said I, holding on by one hand to an arm-chair.

 

“Dear old darling Charley!” returned Edwin, in his cordial manner, “consider!  When you were going on so happily with Angela, why should I compromise you with the old gentleman by making you a party to our engagement, and (after he had declined my proposals) to our secret intention?  Surely it was better that you should be able honourably²² to say, ‘He never took counsel with me, never told me, never breathed a word of it.’  If Angela suspected it, and showed me all the favour and support she could—God bless her for a precious creature and a priceless wife!—I couldn’t help that.  Neither I nor Emmeline ever told her, any more than we told you.  And for the same good reason, Charley; trust me, for the same good reason, and no other upon earth!”

 

Emmeline was Angela’s cousin.  Lived with her.  Had been brought up with her.  Was her father’s ward⁷.  Had property.

 

“Emmeline is in the chaise, my dear Edwin!” said I, embracing him with the greatest affection.

 

“My good fellow!” said he, “do you suppose I should be going to Gretna Green without her?”

 

I ran out with Edwin, I opened the chaise door, I took Emmeline in my arms, I folded her to my heart.  She was wrapped in soft white fur, like the snowy landscape: but was warm, and young, and lovely.  I put their leaders to with my own hands, I gave the boys a five-pound note apiece, I cheered them as they drove away, I drove the other way myself as hard as I could pelt²³.

 

I never went to Liverpool, I never went to America, I went straight back to London, and I married Angela.  I have never until this time, even to her, disclosed the secret of my character, and the mistrust and the mistaken journey into which it led me.  When she, and they, and our eight children and their seven—I mean Edwin and Emmeline’s, whose oldest girl is old enough now to wear white for herself, and to look very like her mother in it—come to read these pages, as of course they will, I shall hardly fail to be found out at last.  Never mind!  I can bear it.  I began at the Holly-Tree, by idle accident, to associate the Christmas time of year with human interest, and with some inquiry²⁴ into, and some care for, the lives of those by whom I find myself surrounded.  I hope that I am none the worse for it, and that no one near me or afar off is the worse for it.  And I say, May the green Holly-Tree flourish, striking its roots deep into our English ground, and having its germinating²⁵ qualities carried by the birds of Heaven all over the world!

该作者的其它作品

《A Tale of Two Cities双城记》
《David Copperfield大卫·科波菲尔》
 《匹克威克外传 Pickwick Papers》
《董贝父子 Dombey and Son》

1 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

2 buckled   

a. 有带扣的

参考例句：

• She buckled her belt. 她扣上了腰带。
• The accident buckled the wheel of my bicycle. 我自行车的轮子在事故中弄弯了。

3 plentifully   

adv. 许多地，丰饶地

参考例句：

• The visitors were plentifully supplied with food and drink. 给来宾准备了丰富的食物和饮料。
• The oil flowed plentifully at first, but soon ran out. 起初石油大量涌出，但很快就枯竭了。

4 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

5 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

8 instinctively   

adv.本能地

参考例句：

• As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 bawling   

v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物）

参考例句：

• We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade. 我们听到中士用“悦耳”的声音向我们大喊，让我们跟上队伍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Why are you bawling at me? “你向我们吼啥子？ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

11 commotion   

n.骚动，动乱

参考例句：

• They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵，引起了一阵骚乱。
• Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间，整条街道变得一片混乱。

12 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

13 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

14 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

16 overthrew   

overthrow的过去式

参考例句：

• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime. 人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。
• They overthrew their King. 他们推翻了国王。

17 recoiling   

v.畏缩( recoil的现在分词 )；退缩；报应；返回

参考例句：

• Some of the energy intended for the photon is drained off by the recoiling atom. 原来给予光子的能量有一部分为反冲原子所消耗。 来自辞典例句
• A second method watches for another effect of the recoiling nucleus: ionization. 探测器使用的第二种方法，是观察反冲原子核的另一种效应：游离。 来自互联网

18 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

19 beseech   

v.祈求，恳求

参考例句：

• I beseech you to do this before it is too late.我恳求你做做这件事吧，趁现在还来得及。
• I beseech your favor.我恳求您帮忙。

20 abhor   

v.憎恶；痛恨

参考例句：

• They abhor all forms of racial discrimination.他们憎恶任何形式的种族歧视。
• They abhor all the nations who have different ideology and regime.他们仇视所有意识形态和制度与他们不同的国家。

21 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

22 honourably   

adv.可尊敬地，光荣地，体面地

参考例句：

• Will the time never come when we may honourably bury the hatchet? 难道我们永远不可能有个体面地休战的时候吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dispute was settled honourably. 争议体面地得到解决。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 pelt   

v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火

参考例句：

• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
• Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.人群开始向警车扔石块。

24 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

25 germinating   

n.& adj.发芽（的）v.（使）发芽( germinate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Glyoxysomes are particularly well known in germinating fatly seeds. 人们已经知道，萌发的含油种子中有乙醛酸循环体。 来自辞典例句
• Modern, industrial society, slowly germinating in the shadow of medievalism, burst the bonds of feudalism. 现代工业社会缓慢地在中世纪精神的阴影下孕育成长着，终于挣脱了封建制度的枷锁。 来自辞典例句