Before the other could reach him, the ready Mr. Brander had extricated1 himself from his perilous2 position and, leaving the bruised3 post-boy to manage his own, strode back a pace or two, his hands groping rigidly4 in the skirt-pockets of his mangy surtout. Mr. Tuke, apt at an emergency, came up pistol in hand, which seeing, the long rogue5 halted with a stony6 face, of which only the lurid7 eyes belied8 the expressionlessness. For some seconds the two men faced one another without a word. At length said the pursued:
“No doubt, sir, you are come to explain yourself.”
“I have nothing to explain,” said the other, stiff as the trigger of his own weapon and as deadly.
“To what, then, am I to attribute this pursuit and maltreatment of a harmless traveller using without offence the King’s highway?”
“Mr. Brander, I am not convinced my legitimate9 answer should not be a bullet through your brain. I may give it yet, if you do not take your fingers from that pistol butt10.”
The rogue flung his hands in front of him, and clasped them there.
“This, you will admit,” he said quietly, “is a gross outrage11. I have done nothing to deserve it. I take post on my own concerns, and am wantonly driven to this pass with any possibility of consequences.”
“For which you have yourself to thank. There must be two to a hunt. Had you not fled I had not driven.”
“Surely, sir, it is excusable to fly a danger, and for an innocent traveller to read evil in one who spurs after him along a lonely road?”
Mr. Tuke permitted himself a spirt of merriment.
“Ingeniously argued,” said he. “So I am the highwayman? Well, I call upon you to stand and deliver.”
“Indeed, sir, I have nothing worth your consideration.”
“Pardon me. Your sudden flight thitherwards, at the moment you imagined me established and occupied in London, is a matter very well worth my consideration.”
“You are mistaken. How could I know of your presence in London? You will observe I make no pretence12 of ignorance as to your identity.”
“That is modest of you.”
He gave no further answer; but he set to and whistled an air from the opera, “What a Blunder.”
“Now, Mr. Brander,” he said, “you have taken time by the forelock, but I have taken him by the nose; so you may e’en go back the way you came, and inform your graceful13 associates that the master of ‘Delsrop’ is returned to his own.”
He spoke14 with a very engaging sang-froid; but he was prepared for contingencies15. To his surprise the other, after eying him for some moments in a manner of puzzled speculation16, shrugged17 up his shoulders and broke into a gobble of laughter.
“Come,” said the thief, “I will be honest with you, for all the marchand forain I am.”
“A scholar?” said Tuke. “Then you have two weapons to my one. We must stand on even terms before I consent.”
“Bah!” exclaimed the respectable merchant; and, turning his back, he fetched a pistol out of either side-pocket and fired each in turn at the dangling18 chains of the gallows19. Both bullets struck home with a clank; the horses, twenty yards away, started and reared, and the rogue, repouching the smoking barrels, slewed20 himself about once more.
“Does that satisfy you?” he said. “Now my only weapon is my tongue.”
“It shall carry further than a bullet with me, though I won’t swear it shall speed as true. You have a very pretty aim, Mr. Brander.”
“I learnt to hit a mark when I was a schoolmaster,” said the other dryly. “A settled fly is a fair test of skill. Well, sir, may I crave21 a confident word with you?”
“The post-boy is out of ear-shot, I think.”
“I thank you, and I premise22 that this little expedition is of my sole conception and at my own cost, and that the associates of whom you spoke know nothing of it.”
“I see. You would have stolen a march on them?”
“Precisely; and, if possible, secure for myself alone the booty that all desire to share.”
“You are candour itself.”
“I read in it my better policy. Believe me, necessity is my foster-mother and her vile23 children are my comrades. Once I was blameless, though a schoolmaster. The birch-rod was my business, the fishing-rod my recreation, a passion for Elzivirs my ruin. I stole to allay24 it—a crime as white as the theft of bread to a starving man. The law took cognizance, grudging25 me all but my dry bones of syntax. I have suffered, but I am no more vicious now than then. I desire no gauds or vanities, but means only to the satisfying of this scholarly craving26 for books.”
“To gorge27 on which you would pilfer28 a stone worth £70,000? You see I play out my hand squarely, making no pretence of misreading your motives29.”
“As to that,” he said, “I must do honour to your profound penetration31. Yes, sir, the ‘Lake of Wine’ is what I am after; and, for the rest, a passion is none that halts on the hither side of satiety32. You could understand spending a thousand, or fifty thousand pounds on horses; but horses die, sir, or breed-in and degenerate33, whereas written words beget34 great thoughts that in their turn intermarry and beget greater.”
“Well, Mr. Brander—and do you propose that I give you this stone to buy books with?”
“I propose to come to terms with you on the subject.”
“Terms (you must really forgive my outspokenness) from a cut-purse and a cut-throat?—terms from one who has no shadow of a title to the gem35, or, even if he had, has attempted to enforce it by means ridiculously illegal? Upon my word, sir, for a school-master——!”
Brander waved a tolerant but extremely dirty hand.
“I will question you, Mr. Tuke,” he said. “Why am I a cut-throat?”
“Ah! had I been a scholar of yours, I might answer, maybe.”
“You are insistent40. Shall we suggest—apart from reasonable surmise41 as to your general career—that you had a hand, say twenty years ago, in the murder of a colleague under these very gallows?”
“Oh! we won’t be particular to a day or two.”
Mr. Brander straddled his legs, knuckled44 one fist upon his hip45 under his coat-skirt, and with his other hand rasped his chin meditatively46.
“Well,” said he, “give a dog a bad name. ’Tis all of second importance. Only, being so, ’tis scarce worth an untruth. Sir, I regard lies as strong waters—the more regularly indulged in, the weaker is their effect when needed. This is no particular occasion for one. I had no hand in the man Cutwater’s death. I had not then any shadowy knowledge, even, of the great stone or the concealment47 of it that brought about his fate.”
“Nor of the admirable Mr. Fern?”
“You interest me vastly. Then, I protest it is a fatuous49 policy of that gentleman to make him new confidants in the secret, when, had he worked alone, he might have aimed at securing all for himself—as you are doing. But you really flatter my credulity.”
“Let it pass, then.”
“And pray why did Mr. Fern never return to the assault?”
“I had the story in rough from him in Newgate (where we were confined together in ’86), that he was put in for an old affair before the other scandal had blown by, and that there he had remained ever since, his band dispersed50 or tied up;—and the year after, he went to Botany Bay along with Governor Phillip and his fleet of off-scourings, and——”
“Here he is back again—at the end of twenty years—an escaped convict, I presume, with an ex-pedagogue for lieutenant51 and a tradition to trade upon. Surely he is forfeit52 to the law at the outset; and, upon my word, Mr. Brander, your confidences are embarrassing.”
“Make him over to the hangman, sir. I give you my honour I’ll help you. Maybe I could prove his title to a fast place in Execution Dock.”
“I see. You are really a very admirable rascal. But, you’ll want your price?”
“Oh! without doubt.”
“And that is—no, no, Mr. Brander; not half the value of the stone?”
“If it comes to that, what claim have you?”
“None whatever.”
“See here, sir. The man was one of us. The stone was fair spoil for division—not the perquisite56 of a single master-rogue. It was no appendage57, conditional58 on your acquisition of the property—now, was it?”
“You know all about it, I see. Well, Mr. Brander, your boy there’s getting impatient.”
“Is that tantamount to saying you decline to treat?” he said.
“Your boy, Mr. Brander. I yield you precedence of the road, sir.”
“I’ve given you my confidence, by God! You’ll know what that means.”
“I never asked for it, you’ll observe.”
The devil looked out of Mr. Tuke’s eyes, and he set his teeth.
His fingers were nervous with his pistol-stock. He took a quick step forward. At that Brander’s fury came with a clap.
“Presume!” he hissed61, and cried it again with a scream. “A cursed broken gamester that daren’t show his face in public! A posted defaulter! A despicable and despised spendthrift, with a wilderness62 for his reversion! Oh! I understand you, sir—I understand you. You’re a woundy character, by God! and you’ll make disposition63 of the stone and think to patch your reputation with bank-notes. But, beware, sir! There’s no law of heaven or earth that gives you a title to the gem. To withhold64 it from the just processes of barter65 is to put yourself without the pale of consideration. Why, who are you—who are you, I——”
“Mr. Brander,” said the other, absolutely suave67 and unheated, “I give you two minutes to mount and be off.”
The click of his flint-lock cut in like the snap of teeth.
For a moment it looked as if a tragedy were near enacting68. The gallows chains, swung by the wind, creaked with rusty69 laughter. High overhead a crow, lazily drifting down the valley, checked its course a speculative70 instant and resumed it with a peevish71 and contemptuous “Caw!”
Brander had turned abruptly72 and was stalking towards his chaise. Once only he looked back over his shoulder, and then there was no expression on his face but a smile; but that Mr. Tuke would have given a dozen rubies73 to obliterate74 with a bullet.
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收听单词发音
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1
extricated
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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3
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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6
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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8
belied
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| v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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9
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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10
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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11
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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12
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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13
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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14
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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15
contingencies
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| n.偶然发生的事故，意外事故( contingency的名词复数 )；以备万一 | |
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16
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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17
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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18
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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19
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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20
slewed
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| adj.喝醉的v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去式 )( slew的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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22
premise
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| n.前提；v.提论，预述 | |
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23
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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24
allay
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| v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等) | |
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25
grudging
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| adj.勉强的，吝啬的 | |
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26
craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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27
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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28
pilfer
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| v.盗，偷，窃 | |
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29
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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30
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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31
penetration
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| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
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32
satiety
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| n.饱和；(市场的)充分供应 | |
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33
degenerate
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| v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者 | |
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34
beget
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| v.引起；产生 | |
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35
gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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36
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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37
satire
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| n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品 | |
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38
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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39
paucity
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| n.小量，缺乏 | |
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40
insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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41
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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42
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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43
usher
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| n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员 | |
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44
knuckled
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| v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的过去式和过去分词 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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45
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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46
meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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47
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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48
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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49
fatuous
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| adj.愚昧的；昏庸的 | |
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50
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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51
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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52
forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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53
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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54
competence
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| n.能力，胜任，称职 | |
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55
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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56
perquisite
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| n.固定津贴，福利 | |
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57
appendage
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| n.附加物 | |
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58
conditional
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| adj.条件的，带有条件的 | |
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59
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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60
tolerance
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| n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差 | |
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61
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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62
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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63
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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64
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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65
barter
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| n.物物交换，以货易货，实物交易 | |
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66
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
suave
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| adj.温和的；柔和的；文雅的 | |
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68
enacting
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 ) | |
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69
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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70
speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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71
peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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72
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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73
rubies
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| 红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色 | |
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74
obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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