As he stole forth9, a soft but brave hand crept into his; and Margaret was by his side, to share this new peril10.
No sooner was the haunted tower visible, than a sight struck their eyes that benumbed them as they stood. More than halfway11 up the tower, a creature with a fiery12 head, like an enormous glowworm, was steadily13 mounting the wall: the body was dark, but its outline visible through the glare from the head, and the whole creature not much less than four feet long.
At the foot of the tower stood a thing in white, that looked exactly like the figure of a female. Gerard and Margaret palpitated with awe14.
As they gazed, the glowworm disappeared in Gerard's late prison, but its light illuminated16 the cell inside and reddened the window. The white figure stood motionless below.
Such as can retain their senses after the first prostrating17 effect of the supernatural are apt to experience terror in one of its strangest forms, a wild desire to fling themselves upon the terrible object. It fascinates them as the snake the bird. The great tragedian Macready used to render this finely in Macbeth, at Banquo's second appearance. He flung himself with averted18 head at the horrible shadow. This strange impulse now seized Margaret. She put down Gerard's hand quietly, and stood bewildered; then, all in a moment, with a wild cry, darted19 towards the spectre. Gerard, not aware of the natural impulse I have spoken of, never doubted the evil one was drawing her to her perdition. He fell on his knees.
“Exorcizo vos. In nomine beatae Mariae, exorcizo vos.”
While the exorcist was shrieking20 his incantations in extremity21 of terror, to his infinite relief he heard the spectre utter a feeble cry of fear. To find that hell had also its little weaknesses was encouraging. He redoubled his exorcisms, and presently he saw the ghastly shape kneeling at Margaret's knees, and heard it praying piteously for mercy.
Kate and Giles soon reached the haunted tower. Judge their surprise when they found a new rope dangling22 from the prisoner's window to the ground.
“I see how it is,” said the inferior intelligence, taking facts as they came. “Our Gerard has come down this rope. He has got clear. Up I go, and see.”
“No, Giles, no!” said the superior intelligence, blinded by prejudice. “See you not this is glamour23? This rope is a line the evil one casts out to wile24 thee to destruction. He knows the weaknesses of all our hearts; he has seen how fond you are of going up things. Where should our Gerard procure25 a rope? how fasten it in the sky like this? It is not in nature. Holy saints protect us this night, for hell is abroad.”
“Stuff!” said the dwarf26; “the way to hell is down, and this rope leads up. I never had the luck to go up such a long rope. It may be years ere I fall in with such a long rope all ready for me. As well be knocked on the head at once as never know happiness.”
And he sprung on to the rope with a cry of delight, as a cat jumps with a mew on to a table where fish is. All the gymnast was on fire; and the only concession27 Kate could gain from him was permission to fasten the lantern on his neck first.
“A light scares the ill spirits,” said she.
And so, with his huge arms, and his legs like feathers, Giles went up the rope faster than his brother came down it. The light at the nape of his neck made a glowworm of him. His sister watched his progress, with trembling anxiety. Suddenly a female figure started out of the solid masonry28, and came flying at her with more than mortal velocity29.
Kate uttered a feeble cry. It was all she could, for her tongue clove30 to her palate with terror. Then she dropped her crutches31, and sank upon her knees, hiding her face and moaning:
“Take my body, but spare my soul!”
Margaret (panting). “Why, it is a woman!”
Kate (quivering). “Why, it is a woman!”
Margaret. “How you scared me!”
Kate. “I am scared enough myself. Oh! oh! oh!”
“This is strange! But the fiery-headed thing? Yet it was with you, and you are harmless! But why are you here at this time of night?”
“Nay, why are YOU?”
“Perhaps we are on the same errand? Ah! you are his good sister, Kate!”
“And you are Margaret Brandt.”
“Yes.
“All the better. You love him; you are here. Then Giles was right. He has won free.”
Gerard came forward, and put the question at rest. But all further explanation was cut short by a horrible unearthly noise, like a sepulchre ventriloquizing:
“PARCHMENT!—PARCHMENT!—PARCHMENT!”
At each repetition, it rose in intensity32. They looked up, and there was the dwarf, with his hands full of parchments, and his face lighted with fiendish joy and lurid33 with diabolical34 fire. The light being at his neck, a more infernal “transparency” never startled mortal eye. With the word, the awful imp2 hurled35 parchment at the astonished heads below. Down came records, like wounded wild-ducks; some collapsed36, others fluttering, and others spread out and wheeling slowly down in airy circles. They had hardly settled, when again the sepulchral37 roar was heard—“Parchment—parchment!” and down pattered and sailed another flock of documents: another followed: they whitened the grass. Finally, the fire-headed imp, with his light body and horny hands, slid down the rope like a falling star, and (business before sentiment) proposed to his rescued brother an immediate38 settlement for the merchandise he had just delivered.
“Hush!” said Gerard; “you speak too loud. Gather them up, and follow us to a safer place than this.”
“Will you come home with me, Gerard?” said little Kate.
“I have no home.”
“You shall not say so. Who is more welcome than you will be, after this cruel wrong, to your father's house?
“Father! I have no father,” said Gerard sternly. “He that was my father is turned my gaoler. I have escaped from his hands; I will never come within their reach again.”
“An enemy did this, and not our father.”
And she told him what she had overheard Cornelis and Sybrandt say. But the injury was too recent to be soothed39. Gerard showed a bitterness of indignation he had hitherto seemed incapable40 of.
“Cornelis and Sybrandt are two ill curs that have shown me their teeth and their heart a long while; but they could do no more. My father it is that gave the burgomaster authority, or he durst not have laid a finger on me, that am a free burgher of this town. So be it, then. I was his son. I am his prisoner. He has played his part. I shall play mine. Farewell the burgh where I was born, and lived honestly and was put in prison. While there is another town left in creation, I'll never trouble you again, Tergou.”
“Oh! Gerard! Gerard!”
Kate turned quickly towards her. “Let me look at your face?” The inspection42 was favourable43, it seemed, for she whispered: “It is a comely44 face, and no mischief-maker's.”
“Fear me not,” said Margaret, in the same tone. “I could not be happy without your love, as well as Gerard's.”
“These are comfortable words,” sobbed45 Kate. Then, looking up, she said, “I little thought to like you so well. My heart is willing, but my infirmity will not let me embrace you.”
At this hint, Margaret wound gently round Gerard's sister, and kissed her lovingly.
“Often he has spoken of you to me, Kate; and often I longed for this.”
“You, too, Gerard,” said Kate; “kiss me ere you go; for my heart lies heavy at parting with you this night.”
Gerard kissed her, and she went on her crutches home. The last thing they heard of her was a little patient sigh. Then the tears came and stood thick in Margaret's eyes. But Gerard was a man, and noticed not his sister's sigh.
As they turned to go to Sevenbergen, the dwarf nudged Gerard with his bundle of parchments and held out a concave claw.
“Oh, spoil an enemy how you can.”
“But may they not make this a handle for fresh violence?”
“How can they? Think you I shall stay in Tergou after this? The burgomaster robbed me of my liberty; I doubt I should take his life for it, if I could.”
“Oh, fie! Gerard.”
“What! Is life worth more than liberty? Well, I can't take his life, so I take the first thing that comes to hand.”
He gave Giles a few small coins, with which the urchin47 was gladdened, and shuffled48 after his sister. Margaret and Gerard were speedily joined by Martin, and away to Sevenbergen.
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收听单词发音
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1
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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imp
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| n.顽童 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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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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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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8
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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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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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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16
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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prostrating
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| v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的现在分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力 | |
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18
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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19
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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20
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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21
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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glamour
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| n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住 | |
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wile
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| v.诡计，引诱；n.欺骗，欺诈 | |
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25
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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clove
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| n.丁香味 | |
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31
crutches
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| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
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32
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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35
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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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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sepulchral
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| adj.坟墓的，阴深的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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39
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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40
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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41
gainsay
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| v.否认，反驳 | |
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42
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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43
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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44
comely
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| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
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45
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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46
dissuaded
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| 劝（某人）勿做某事，劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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48
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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