Skirting the mere, he came to the sluice2 ditch, all choked with shrubs3 and brambles. The ditch was less than two hundred paces from the causeway, and about the same distance from the shelter of leaves, and Martin scrambled4 down and took cover in spite of the thorns and brambles. He half stood and half lay, with his head and shoulders above the bank, and a stunted5 thorn stretching a canopy6 above him. He could see the two fires, and Fulk de Lisle’s red figure. Mellis’s bower7 lay between the sluice ditch and the camp fires; Martin could not pick it out of the darkness, though he strained his eyes till the lids began to flicker8.
Still, he knew where she lay, and there was nothing for him to do but to lie still and wait for Swartz’s horn. He could feel his heart beating as he leaned against the grassy9 bank. Every nerve and muscle in him seemed a-quiver. He fingered the point and edge of his knife, and smiled.
Then a strange thought came to him. What if he failed—what if he found the adventure hopeless?
He would die—he meant to die in such a case—but Mellis would be living. He would go out into the great darkness leaving her alone. Rough hands might do what they pleased with her. Fulk de Lisle would come down full of his wine, violent and inflamed10.
Martin fondled his knife. One blow, and all that would be saved. And yet he recoiled11 from the thought with a spasm12 of tenderness and horror. To strike that white body of hers, to hear her cry out, to know that her blood was flowing! The passion in him hardened to an iron frenzy13. He would not fail; no strength should master him; nothing should say him nay14.
Martin Valliant had fought through those moments of a man’s strong anguish15 when Swartz’s horn brayed16 in the deeps of the beech17 wood. Martin did not wait to see what would happen. He was out of the ditch and running through the long grass like a greyhound loosed after a hare. He knew where the shelter of leaves should be; that was all that mattered.
And yet his senses were dimly aware of other things that were happening. Swartz was shouting like a madman, “At them! At them! Cut the swine to pieces!” Fulk de Lisle had sprung to his feet and was facing toward the beech wood; his men were rushing to arms. The fellows on the causeway had left their post and were trailing across the grass to join their comrades by the fires.
Martin went like the wind, conscious of a wild exultation18. A black shape loomed19 in front of him, like a hay-cock in a field. He reached it, fell on his knees, and crawled into its shadow.
“Mellis!”
He heard her cry out.
“Martin—Martin—oh, my comrade!”
“Don’t speak, child. I must cut those ropes.”
He groped for her right arm, found it, and cut the thong20 that fastened her wrist to the stake. To free her left arm he had to lean over her body, but the second rope was cut, and of a sudden he felt her arms about him.
“Martin!”
Her great joy and her love would not be stifled21. Her arms held him close, and for a moment he lay on her bosom22, feeling her breath on his face, and the beating of her heart answering his.
“My own dear mate——”
“Child, it is life and death.”
He freed himself, and cut the ropes that bound her ankles.
“Come.”
She was up like a blown leaf, holding the cloak over her bosom with one hand, and running at his side. Martin looked back at the fires. Confusion still fooled Fulk de Lisle and his men. There was much running to and fro and shouting under the beech trees, and no grasping, as yet, of the trick that had been played them.
Martin felt himself touched upon the shoulder.
“You are all wet, dear comrade.”
“I had to swim across.”
“The mere is an old friend. You will not have to carry me.”
There flashed on Martin Valliant a swift new consciousness of her as a woman, a woman who trusted him as a bird flies to its mate. A great white light had blazed for him, lighting24 such an awe25 of her that the very thought of touching26 her had seemed sacrilege. And now a miraculous27 thing had happened. Her arms had held him; she was not afraid; and in the soft darkness her eyes sought his. His awe of her melted to a deep and exultant28 tenderness. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, that he was ready to die for her, that she was the most wonderful and adorable thing in the whole world.
He touched her hand.
“Have no fear,” he said, “for no harm shall come to you.”
“Fear! I have no fear of you.”
“God be thanked. We have been close to the edge of hell, Mellis, you and I, to-day.”
He heard her draw her breath as though in pain.
“Let me forget it—let me forget it.”
The mere lay at their feet, black and still and welcoming. There was no pursuit as yet, though Fulk de Lisle was turning his eyes and his thoughts to Mellis and the shelter of leaves.
“Blessed water!”
She stepped confidently into the mere, and went forward till the water rose above her waist.
“S-sh! How sweet and cold it is! Martin—my cloak!”
She had folded it over her bosom and shoulders.
“There is no saving it,” and she laughed softly; “the thing must get soaked.”
“Give it to me. I can carry it above my head.”
“No, no; something else must serve. Mother of Heaven—they are after us—at last!”
She let the cloak drop, and left it floating as she dipped to the water and struck out for the island. Martin caught it up and followed her, blessing29 the darkness for its friendliness30. He glanced over his shoulder as he swam, and saw a dozen red lights tossing toward them over the grassland31. Fulk de Lisle had sent a man to the shelter of leaves, and its emptiness had been discovered.
Mellis was swimming so swiftly that he had to strike out hard to overtake her. Her arm came out and cut the water like a silver sickle32, each stroke striking a little splash of foam33. Martin drew to her, and they swam side by side.
“We shall beat them.”
“Please God. The torches will not show the farther bank.”
“How you can swim!”
“I always loved this side stroke. I could beat my brother in a race.”
“Swartz?”
“Yes.”
Her sudden, sensitive trepidation36 thrilled him. He found that he had forgotten Swartz.
“Swartz is in the woods over yonder. He swam across with me. It was his horn that you heard. We owe—this—to him.”
“What! He is on our side now?”
“Yes.”
“That is noble.”
They reached the shallows just as Fulk de Lisle’s torches came flaring37 to the landward bank. The men could see nothing but ripples38; the light did not carry to the island. One of the fellows hurled39 his torch out into the darkness at a venture. It kissed the water, threw out a momentary40 radiance, and went out.
Martin was up the bank, and reaching for Mellis’s hands. They heard Fulk de Lisle cursing.
“Martin, we have fooled them.”
She came out to him like a child, dim, dripping, exultant. Her hands held his without shame.
“Mellis.”
He threw the wet cloak over her, but she cast it off.
She put up her hands, and in a second her hair came clouding down.
“What now? Dear man, they will be mad. You must get your harness and stand ready.”
Martin was moving away when new sounds came out of the darkness of the night. A horn blared in the woods; a man screamed in agony; there was the noise of men running, and shouting as they ran.
Martin turned and looked across the water.
“Listen!”
Mellis was at his side.
“Did you hear that cry? ‘Richmond! Richmond!’ It is John Falconer.”
A man in armor, whose horse was half unmanageable, blundered out into the light of the fires. It was John Rich. He waved his sword, and shouted to Fulk de Lisle,
“To us! To us! We are attacked.”
Fulk de Lisle’s torches went tossing up the hill; but before he and his men reached the beech wood, the fight came tumbling out like a drove of swine. John Rich was down with an arrow through his throat, and his horse went charging straight at the torches. Fulk de Lisle caught the beast by the bridle42, swung himself into the saddle, and snatched a spear from one of his men.
“Troy! Troy! Hold together, lads!”
But that rough and tumble on the edge of the wood was no fitting stage for flamboyant43 feats44 of arms. Falconer’s men poured out in a black swarm45. The fighting was at close quarters, a wild swirl of jerking and grotesque46 figures, a tangle47 of men and horses, torches, flying embers, oaths and blows. The fires were kicked out, smothered48 by the bodies of men who fell on them, and rolled away—cursing. Torches were flung, tossed back again, trampled49 under foot. There was no knightliness50 in the game. It was a battle of wild beasts who were in a mad haste to kill. My Lord of Troy’s men had raped51 and bullied52 the Forest, and the Forest was taking its vengeance53.
Mellis’s head was close to Martin’s shoulder, and his arm had slipped about her body. Neither of them spoke54. The work up yonder was too grim, too breathless. The fires were scattered55; a few torches flared56 in the grass; the dance of death became a thing of darkness.
“Who was that?”
Martin strained his eyes. A faint radiance was stealing over the grassland, the light of the rising moon. The horse became a gray ghost carrying a man who rode for safety.
“Who should it be?”
“Fulk de Lisle.”
“That devil!”
The bloody58 game under the black shadows of the beeches59 seemed to be losing its fury. Men were calling to each other in the darkness; there was a kind of whimpering murmur60, a vague scattering61 of voices. Once a man shrieked62 aloud, and Martin felt Mellis shiver.
“It is over. Look, you can see men running. One, two, and another—over there, in the open.”
“Is it with us, or against us?”
“Troy is beaten. Hear them shouting—our people, ‘Richmond! Richmond!’ ”
“What a night, comrade, what a night!”
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收听单词发音
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1
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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sluice
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| n.水闸 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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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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stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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brayed
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的过去式和过去分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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19
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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21
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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22
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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25
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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26
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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27
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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29
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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30
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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31
grassland
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| n.牧场，草地，草原 | |
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32
sickle
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| n.镰刀 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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39
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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40
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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41
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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42
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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flamboyant
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| adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的 | |
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44
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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45
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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46
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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48
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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49
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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50
knightliness
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| 骑士的，勋爵士的，骑士似的 | |
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51
raped
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| v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸 | |
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52
bullied
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| adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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54
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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55
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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56
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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57
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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58
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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beeches
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| n.山毛榉( beech的名词复数 )；山毛榉木材 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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61
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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