THE WARNING—SHOWING HOW LARRY TOOLE FARED—WHOM HE SAW AND WHAT HE SAID—AND HOW MUCH GOOD AND HOW LITTLE HE DID—AND MOREOVER RELATING HOW SOMEBODY WAS LAID IN THE MIRE—AND HOW HENRY ASHWOODE PUT HIS FOOT IN THE STIRRUP.
Flurried and frightened as Larry was, his agitation1 was not strong enough to overcome in him the national, instinctive2 abhorrence3 of the character of an informer. To the close interrogatories of his master, he returned but vague and evasive answers. A few dark hints he threw out as to the cause of his alarm, but preserved an impenetrable silence respecting alike its particular nature and the persons of whose participation4 in the scheme he was satisfied.
In language incoherent and nearly unintelligible5 from excitement, he implored6 O'Connor to allow him to absent himself for about one hour, promising7 the most important results, in case his request was complied with, and vowing8 upon his return to tell him everything about the matter from beginning to end.
Seeing the agonized9 earnestness of the man, though wholly uninformed of the cause of his uneasiness, which Larry constantly refused to divulge10, O'Connor granted him the permission which he desired, and both left the building together. O'Connor pursued his way to the "Cock and Anchor," where, restored to his chamber11 and to solitude12, he abandoned himself once more to the current of his wayward thoughts.
Our friend Larry, however, was no sooner disengaged from his master, than he began, at his utmost speed, to thread the narrow and complicated lanes and streets which lay between the haunt of profligacy13 which we have just described, and the eastern extremity14 of the city. After an interrupted run of nearly half an hour through pitchy dark and narrow streets, he emerged into Stephen's Green; at the eastern side of which, among other buildings of lesser15 note, there then stood, and perhaps (with a new face, and some slight external changes) still stands, a large and handsome mansion16. Toward this building, conspicuous17 in the distance by the red glare of dozens of links and torches which flared18 and flashed outside, and by the gay light streaming from its many windows, Larry made his way. Too eager and hurried to pass along the sides of the square by the common road, he clambered over the broken wall which surrounded it, plunged19 through the broad trench20, and ran among the deep grass and rank weeds, now heavy with the dews of night; over the broad area he pursued his way, startling the quiet cattle from their midnight slumbers21, and hastening rather than abating22 his speed, as he drew near to the termination of his hurried mission. As he approached, the long dark train of carriages, every here and there lighted by some flaming link still unextinguished, and surrounded by crowds of idle footmen, sufficiently23 indicated the scene of Lady Stukely's hospitalities. In a moment Larry had again crossed the fences which enclosed the square, and passing the broad road among the carriages, chairs, and lackeys24, he sprang up the steps of the house, and thundered lustily at the hall-door. It was opened by a gruff and corpulent porter with a red face and majestic26 demeanour, who, having learned from Larry that he had an important message for Mr. Henry Ashwoode, desired him, in as few words as possible, to step into the hall. The official then swung the massive door to, rolled himself into his well-cushioned throne, and having scanned Larry's proportions for a minute or two with one eye, which he kept half open for such purposes, he ejaculated—
"Mr. Finley, I say, Mr. Finley, here's one with a message upwards27." Having thus delivered himself, he shut down his open eye, screwed his eyebrows28, and became absorbed in abstruse29 meditation30. Meanwhile, Mr. Finley, in person arrayed in a rich livery, advanced languidly toward Larry Toole, throwing into his face a dreamy and supercilious31 expression, while with one hand he faintly fanned himself with a white pocket handkerchief.
"Your most obedient servant to command," drawled the footman, as he advanced. "What can I do, my good soul, to obleege you?"
"I only want to see the young master—that's young Mr. Ashwoode," replied Larry, "for one minute, and that's all."
The footman gazed upon him for a moment with a languid smile, and observed in the same sleepy tone, "Absolutely impossible—amposseeble, as they say at the Pallais Royal."
"Bloody33 murder!" echoed the man in a sweet, low voice, and with a stare of fashionable abstraction.
"Well, tear an' 'oun's," cried Larry, almost beside himself with impatience34, "if you won't bring him down to me, will you even as much as carry him a message?"
"To say the truth, and upon my honour," replied the man, "I can't engage to climb up stairs just now, they are so devilish fatiguing35. Don't you find them so?"
The question was thrown out in that vacant, inattentive way which seems to dispense36 with an answer.
"By my soul!" rejoined Larry, almost crying with vexation, "it's a hard case. Do you mane to tell me, you'll neither bring him down to me nor carry him up a message?"
"You have, my excellent fellow," replied the footman, placidly37, "precisely38 conveyed my meaning."
"By the hokey!" cried Larry, "you're fairly breaking my heart. In the divil's name, can you as much as let me stop here till he's comin' down?"
"Absolutely impossible," replied the footman, in the same dulcet39 and deliberate tone. "It is indeed amposseeble, as the Parisians have it. You must be aware, my good old soul, that you're in a positive pickle40. You are, pardon me, my excellent friend, very dirty and very disgusting. You must therefore go out in a few moments into the fresh air." At any other moment, such a speech would have infallibly provoked Mr. Toole's righteous and most rigorous vengeance41; but he was now too completely absorbed in the mission which he had undertaken to suffer personal considerations to have a place in his bosom42.
"Will you, then," he ejaculated desperately43, "will you as much as give him a message yourself, when he's comin' down?"
"Tell him, for the love of God, to take the old road home, by the seven sallies," replied Larry. "Will you give him that message, if it isn't too long?"
"I have a wretched memory for messages," observed the footman, as he leisurely44 opened the door—"a perfect sieve45: but should he catch my eye as he passes, I'll endeavour, upon my honour; good night—adieu!"
As he thus spoke46, Larry had reached the threshold of the door, which observing, the polished footman, with a nonchalant and easy air, slammed the hall-door, thereby47 administering upon Larry's back, shoulders, and elbows, such a bang as to cause Mr. Toole to descend48 the flight of steps at a pace much more marvellous to the spectators than agreeable to himself. Muttering a bitter curse upon his exquisite49 acquaintance, Larry took his stand among the expectants in the street; there resolved to wait and watch for young Ashwoode, and to give him the warning which so nearly concerned his safety.
Meanwhile, Lady Stukely's drawing-rooms were crowded by the gay, the fashionable, and the frivolous50, of all ages. Young Ashwoode stood behind his wealthy hostess's chair, while she played quadrille, scarce knowing whether she won or lost, for Henry Ashwoode had never been so fascinating before. Lady Stukely was a delicate, die-away lady, not very far from sixty; the natural blush upon her nose outblazoned the rouge51 upon her cheeks; several very long teeth—"ivory and ebon alternately"—peeped roguishly from beneath her upper lip, which her ladyship had a playful trick of screwing down, to conceal52 them—a trick which made her ladyship's smile rather a surprising than an attractive exhibition. It is but justice, however, to admit that she had a pair of very tolerable eyes, with which she executed the most masterly evolutions. For the rest, there having existed a very considerable disparity in years between herself and her dear deceased, Sir Charles Stukely, who had expired at the mature age of ninety, more than a year before, she conceived herself still a very young, artless, and interesting girl; and under this happy hallucination she was more than half inclined to return in good earnest the disinterested53 affection of Henry Ashwoode.
There, too, was old Lord Aspenly, who had, but two days before, solicited54 and received Sir Richard Ashwoode's permission to pay his court to his beautiful daughter, Mary. There, jerking and shrugging and grimacing55, he hobbled through the rooms, all wrinkles and rappee; bandying compliments and repartees, flirting56 and fooling, and beyond measure enchanted57 with himself, while every interval58 in frivolity59 and noise was filled up with images of his approaching nuptials60 and intended bride, while she, poor girl, happily unconscious of all their plans, was spared, for that night, the pangs61 and struggles which were hereafter but too severely62 to try her heart.
'Twere needless to enumerate63 noble peers, whose very titles are now unknown—poets, who alas64! were mortal—men of promise, who performed nothing—clever young men, who grew into stupid old ones—and millionaires, whose money perished with them; we shall not, therefore, weary the reader by describing Lady Stukely's guests; let it suffice to mention that Henry Ashwoode left the rooms with young Pigwiggynne, of Bolton's regiment65 of dragoons, and one of Lord Wharton's aides-de-camp. This circumstance is here recorded because it had an effect in producing the occurrences which we have to relate by-and-by; for young Pigwiggynne having partaken somewhat freely of Lady Stukely's wines, and being unusually exhilarated, came forth66 from the hall-door to assist Ashwoode in procuring67 a chair, which he did with a good deal more noise and blasphemy68 than was strictly69 necessary. Our friend Larry Toole, who had patiently waited the egress70 of his quondam young master, no sooner beheld71 him than he hastened to accost72 him, but Pigwiggynne being, as we have said, in high spirits and unusual good humour, cut short poor Larry's address by jocularly knocking him on the head with a heavy walking-cane—a pleasantry which laid that person senseless upon the pavement. The humorist passed on with an exhilarating crow, after the manner of a cock; and had not a matter-of-fact chairman drawn73 Mr. Toole from among the coach-wheels where the joke had happened to lay him, we might have been saved the trouble of recording74 the subsequent history of that very active member of society. Meanwhile, young Ashwoode was conveyed in a chair to a neighbouring fashionable hotel, where, having changed his suit, and again equipped himself for the road, he mounted his horse, and followed by his treacherous75 groom76, set out at a brisk pace upon his hazardous77, and as it turned out, eventful night-ride toward the manor78 of Morley Court.
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1
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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8
vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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10
divulge
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| v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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profligacy
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| n.放荡，不检点，肆意挥霍 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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18
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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19
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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21
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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abating
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| 减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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23
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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lackeys
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| n.听差( lackey的名词复数 )；男仆（通常穿制服）；卑躬屈膝的人；被待为奴仆的人 | |
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lackey
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| n.侍从；跟班 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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abstruse
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| adj.深奥的，难解的 | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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31
supercilious
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| adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲 | |
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32
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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33
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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34
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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35
fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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36
dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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38
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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39
dulcet
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| adj.悦耳的 | |
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40
pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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41
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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42
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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43
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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44
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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45
sieve
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| n.筛，滤器，漏勺 | |
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46
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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47
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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48
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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49
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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50
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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51
rouge
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| n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红 | |
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52
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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53
disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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54
solicited
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| v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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55
grimacing
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的现在分词 ) | |
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56
flirting
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
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57
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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58
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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59
frivolity
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| n.轻松的乐事，兴高采烈；轻浮的举止 | |
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60
nuptials
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| n.婚礼；婚礼( nuptial的名词复数 ) | |
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pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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63
enumerate
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| v.列举，计算，枚举，数 | |
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64
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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65
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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66
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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67
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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68
blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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69
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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70
egress
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| n.出去；出口 | |
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71
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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72
accost
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| v.向人搭话，打招呼 | |
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73
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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74
recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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75
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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76
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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77
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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manor
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| n.庄园，领地 | |
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