‘May I ask, sir, to what I am indebted for the pleasure of your company?’
He paused, as if waiting for my answer. When none came, he put his question in another form.
‘Pray, sir, who are you, and on whose invitation do I find you here?’
As I still stood speechless, motionless, meeting his glance without a twitching10 of an eyebrow11, nor a tremor12 of the hand, I imagine that he began to consider me with an even closer intentness than before. And that the—to say the least of it—peculiarity of my appearance, caused him to suspect that he was face to face with an adventure of a peculiar13 kind. Whether he took me for a lunatic I cannot certainly say; but, from his manner, I think it possible he did. He began to move towards me from across the room, addressing me with the utmost suavity14 and courtesy.
‘Be so good as to give me the revolver, and the papers you are holding in your hand.’
As he came on, something entered into me, and forced itself from between my lips, so that I said, in a low, hissing15 voice, which I vow16 was never mine,
Whether it was, or was not, owing, in some degree, to a trick of my imagination, I cannot determine, but, as the words were spoken, it seemed to me that the lights went low, so that the place was all in darkness, and I again was filled with the nauseous consciousness of the presence of something evil in the room. But if, in that matter, my abnormally strained imagination played me a trick, there could be no doubt whatever as to the effect which the words had on Mr Lessingham. When the mist of the blackness—real or supposititious—had passed from before my eyes, I found that he had retreated to the extremest limits of the room, and was crouching18, his back against the bookshelves, clutching at them, in the attitude of a man who has received a staggering blow, from which, as yet, he has had no opportunity of recovering. A most extraordinary change had taken place in the expression of his face; in his countenance20 amazement21, fear, and horror seemed struggling for the mastery. I was filled with a most discomforting qualm, as I gazed at the frightened figure in front of me, and realised that it was that of the great Paul Lessingham, the god of my political idolatry.
‘Who are you?—In God’s name, who are you?’
His very voice seemed changed; his frenzied23, choking accents would hardly have been recognised by either friend or foe24.
‘Who are you?—Do you hear me ask, who are you? In the name of God, I bid you say!’
As he perceived that I was still, he began to show a species of excitement which it was unpleasant to witness, especially as he continued to crouch19 against the bookshelf, as if he was afraid to stand up straight. So far from exhibiting the impassivity for which he was renowned25, all the muscles in his face and all the limbs in his body seemed to be in motion at once; he was like a man afflicted26 with the shivering ague,—his very fingers were twitching aimlessly, as they were stretched out on either side of him, as if seeking for support from the shelves against which he leaned.
‘Where have you come from? what do you want? who sent you here? what concern have you with me? is it necessary that you should come and play these childish tricks with me? why? why?’
The questions came from him with astonishing rapidity. When he saw that I continued silent, they came still faster, mingled27 with what sounded to me like a stream of inchoate28 abuse.
‘Why do you stand there in that extraordinary garment,—it’s worse than nakedness, yes, worse than nakedness! For that alone I could have you punished, and I will!—and try to play the fool? Do you think I am a boy to be bamboozled29 by every bogey30 a blunderer may try to conjure31 up? If so, you’re wrong, as whoever sent you might have had sense enough to let you know. If you tell me who you are, and who sent you here, and what it is you want, I will be merciful; if not, the police shall be sent for, and the law shall take its course,—to the bitter end!—I warn you.—Do you hear? You fool! tell me who you are?’
The last words came from him in what was very like a burst of childish fury. He himself seemed conscious, the moment after, that his passion was sadly lacking in dignity, and to be ashamed of it. He drew himself straight up. With a pocket-handkerchief which he took from an inner pocket of his coat, he wiped his lips. Then, clutching it tightly in his hand, he eyed me with a fixedness32 which, under any other circumstances, I should have found unbearable33.
‘Well, sir, is your continued silence part of the business of the rôle you have set yourself to play?’
His tone was firmer, and his bearing more in keeping with his character.
‘If it be so, I presume that I, at least have liberty to speak. When I find a gentleman, even one gifted with your eloquence34 of silence, playing the part of burglar, I think you will grant that a few words on my part cannot justly be considered to be out of place.’
Again he paused. I could not but feel that he was employing the vehicle of somewhat cumbrous sarcasm35 to gain time, and to give himself the opportunity of recovering, if the thing was possible, his pristine36 courage. That, for some cause wholly hidden from me, the mysterious utterance37 had shaken his nature to its deepest foundations, was made plainer by his endeavour to treat the whole business with a sort of cynical38 levity39.
‘To commence with, may I ask if you have come through London, or through any portion of it, in that costume,—or, rather, in that want of costume? It would seem out of place in a Cairene street,—would it not?—even in the Rue40 de Rabagas,—was it not the Rue de Rabagas?’
He asked the question with an emphasis the meaning of which was wholly lost on me. What he referred to either then, or in what immediately followed, I, of course, knew no more than the man in the moon,—though I should probably have found great difficulty in convincing him of my ignorance.
‘I take it that you are a reminiscence of the Rue de Rabagas,—that, of course;—is it not of course? The little house with the blue-grey venetians, and the piano with the F sharp missing? Is there still the piano? with the tinny treble,—indeed, the whole atmosphere, was it not tinny?—You agree with me?—I have not forgotten. I am not even afraid to remember,—you perceive it?’
A new idea seemed to strike him,—born, perhaps, of my continued silence.
‘You look English,—is it possible that you are not English? What are you then—French? We shall see!’
He addressed me in a tongue which I recognised as French, but with which I was not sufficiently41 acquainted to understand. Although, I flatter myself that,—as the present narrative42 should show—I have not made an ill-use of the opportunities which I have had to improve my, originally, modest education, I regret that I have never had so much as a ghost of a chance to acquire an even rudimentary knowledge of any language except my own. Recognising, I suppose, from my looks, that he was addressing me in a tongue to which I was a stranger, after a time he stopped, added something with a smile, and then began to talk to me in a lingo43 to which, in a manner of speaking, I was even stranger, for this time I had not the faintest notion what it was,—it might have been gibberish for all that I could tell. Quickly perceiving that he had succeeded no better than before, he returned to English.
‘You do not know French?—nor the patois44 of the Rue de Rabagas? Very good,—then what is it that you do know? Are you under a vow of silence, or are you dumb,—except upon occasion? Your face is English,—what can be seen of it, and I will take it, therefore, that English spoken words convey some meaning to your brain. So listen, sir, to what I have to say,—do me the favour to listen carefully.’
He was becoming more and more his former self. In his clear, modulated45 tones there was a ring of something like a threat,—a something which went very far beyond his words.
‘You know something of a period which I choose to have forgotten,—that is plain; you come from a person who, probably, knows still more. Go back to that person and say that what I have forgotten I have forgotten; nothing will be gained by anyone by an endeavour to induce me to remember,—be very sure upon that point, say that nothing will be gained by anyone. That time was one of mirage46, of delusion47, of disease. I was in a condition, mentally and bodily, in which pranks48 could have been played upon me by any trickster. Such pranks were played. I know that now quite well. I do not pretend to be proficient49 in the modus operandi of the hankey-pankey man, but I know that he has a method, all the same,—one susceptible50, too, of facile explanation. Go back to your friend, and tell him that I am not again likely to be made the butt51 of his old method,—nor of his new one either.—You hear me, sir?’
I remained motionless and silent,—an attitude which, plainly, he resented.
‘Are you deaf and dumb? You certainly are not dumb, for you spoke to me just now. Be advised by me, and do not compel me to resort to measures which will be the cause to you of serious discomfort22.—You hear me, sir?’
‘So be it. Keep your own counsel, if you choose. Yours will be the bitterness, not mine. You may play the lunatic, and play it excellently well, but that you do understand what is said to you is clear.—Come to business, sir. Give me that revolver, and the packet of letters which you have stolen from my desk.’
He had been speaking with the air of one who desired to convince himself as much as me,—and about his last words there was almost a flavour of braggadocio53. I remained unheeding.
‘Are you going to do as I require, or are you insane enough to refuse?—in which case I shall summon assistance, and there will quickly be an end of it. Pray do not imagine that you can trick me into supposing that you do not grasp the situation. I know better.—Once more, are you going to give me that revolver and those letters?’
Yet no reply. His anger was growing momentarily greater,—and his agitation54 too. On my first introduction to Paul Lessingham I was not destined55 to discover in him any one of those qualities of which the world held him to be the undisputed possessor. He showed himself to be as unlike the statesman I had conceived, and esteemed56, as he easily could have done.
‘Do you think I stand in awe57 of you?—you!—of such a thing as you! Do as I tell you, or I myself will make you,—and, at the same time, teach you a much-needed lesson.’
He raised his voice. In his bearing there was a would-be defiance58. He might not have been aware of it, but the repetitions of the threats were, in themselves, confessions59 of weakness. He came a step or two forward,—then, stopping short, began to tremble. The perspiration60 broke out upon his brow; he made spasmodic little dabs61 at it with his crumpled-up handkerchief. His eyes wandered hither and thither62, as if searching for something which they feared to see yet were constrained63 to seek. He began to talk to himself, out loud, in odd disconnected sentences,—apparently ignoring me entirely64.
‘What was that?—It was nothing.—It was my imagination.—My nerves are out of order.—I have been working too hard.—I am not well.—What’s that?’
This last inquiry65 came from him in a half-stifled shriek,—as the door opened to admit the head and body of an elderly man in a state of considerable undress. He had the tousled appearance of one who had been unexpectedly roused out of slumber66, and unwillingly67 dragged from bed. Mr Lessingham stared at him as if he had been a ghost, while he stared back at Mr Lessingham as if he found a difficulty in crediting the evidence of his own eyes. It was he who broke the silence,—stutteringly.
‘I am sure I beg your pardon, sir, but one of the maids thought that she heard the sound of a shot, and we came down to see if there was anything the matter,—I had no idea, sir, that you were here.’ His eyes travelled from Mr Lessingham towards me,—suddenly increasing, when they saw me, to about twice their previous size. ‘God save us!—who is that?’
The man’s self-evident cowardice68 possibly impressed Mr Lessingham with the conviction that he himself was not cutting the most dignified69 of figures. At any rate, he made a notable effort to, once more, assume a bearing of greater determination.
‘You are quite right, Matthews, quite right. I am obliged by your watchfulness70. At present you may leave the room—I propose to deal with this fellow myself,—only remain with the other men upon the landing, so that, if I call, you may come to my assistance.’
Matthews did as he was told, he left the room,—with, I fancy, more rapidity than he had entered it. Mr Lessingham returned to me, his manner distinctly more determined71, as if he found his resolution reinforced by the near neighbourhood of his retainers.
‘Now, my man, you see how the case stands, at a word from me you will be overpowered and doomed72 to undergo a long period of imprisonment73. Yet I am still willing to listen to the dictates74 of mercy. Put down that revolver, give me those letters,—you will not find me disposed to treat you hardly.’
For all the attention I paid him, I might have been a graven image. He misunderstood, or pretended to misunderstand, the cause of my silence.
‘Come, I see that you suppose my intentions to be harsher than they really are,—do not let us have a scandal, and a scene,—be sensible!—give me those letters!’
Again he moved in my direction; again, after he had taken a step or two, to stumble and stop, and look about him with frightened eyes; again to begin to mumble75 to himself aloud.
‘It’s a conjurer’s trick!—Of course!—Nothing more.—What else could it be?—I’m not to be fooled.—I’m older than I was. I’ve been overdoing76 it,—that’s all.’
Suddenly he broke into cries.
‘Matthews! Matthews!—Help! help!’
Matthews entered the room, followed by three other men, younger than himself. Evidently all had slipped into the first articles of clothing they could lay their hands upon, and each carried a stick, or some similar rudimentary weapon.
Their master spurred them on.
‘Strike the revolver out of his hand, Matthews!—knock him down!—take the letters from him!—don’t be afraid!—I’m not afraid!’
In proof of it, he rushed at me, as it seemed half blindly. As he did so I was constrained to shout out, in tones which I should not have recognised as mine,
‘THE BEETLE!’
And that moment the room was all in darkness, and there were screams as of someone in an agony of terror or of pain. I felt that something had come into the room, I knew not whence nor how,—something of horror. And the next action of which I was conscious was, that under cover of the darkness, I was flying from the room, propelled by I knew not what.
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收听单词发音
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1
portfolio
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| n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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3
arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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adroitness
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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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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pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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suavity
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| n.温和；殷勤 | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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beetle
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| n.甲虫，近视眼的人 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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inchoate
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| adj.才开始的，初期的 | |
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bamboozled
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| v.欺骗，使迷惑( bamboozle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bogey
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| n.令人谈之变色之物；妖怪，幽灵 | |
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conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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fixedness
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| n.固定；稳定；稳固 | |
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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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pristine
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| adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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lingo
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| n.语言不知所云，外国话，隐语 | |
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patois
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| n.方言；混合语 | |
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45
modulated
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| 已调整[制]的，被调的 | |
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46
mirage
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| n.海市蜃楼，幻景 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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49
proficient
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| adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家 | |
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susceptible
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| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
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51
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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braggadocio
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| n.吹牛大王 | |
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54
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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55
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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59
confessions
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| n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔 | |
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60
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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61
dabs
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| 少许( dab的名词复数 )； 是…能手； 做某事很在行； 在某方面技术熟练 | |
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62
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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66
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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67
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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70
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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72
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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73
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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74
dictates
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| n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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mumble
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| n./v.喃喃而语，咕哝 | |
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76
overdoing
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| v.做得过分( overdo的现在分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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