By all the chill miles homewards, whatever and what varying emotions prevailed in the breasts of the little party found no expression in words. Indeed there could be no passion of feeling in that bitter night so hot as to resist the numbing1 influence of a frost that seemed to glaze2 the roof of one’s mouth, if opened to speak, with ice. Tuke felt little but the instinct to prick3 his snorting beast onwards with bloodless heels. Yet through all he was conscious of a spark that glowed and wavered in him like a pulse—a little fierce flame of triumph and of ecstasy—a suffusion4 of audacity5, or repudiation6 of the formal conduct to which he had vainly struggled to subscribe7. He had no deliberate plan of evil in his soul; neither had he the courage or the inclination8 to face the situation of his own contriving9. He had snapped under a strain, so it seemed to him; and that was all. For the moment it was exquisite10 pleasure to feel all his moral fibres relaxed as he drove intoxicated11 before the force he had for a time withstood.
“Your fingers are a love-knot about my heart, Betty,” he once said over his shoulder. “It should be a toasting fire for their comfort.”
“They are cold as snow, sweetling,” said he. “The little bones of them are stiff as flower-stalks; and they are as pretty, Betty, and by and by the buds shall break on them, if you please. Would you like these poor cold little stalks to blossom into pearls and rubies13?”
She tried to pull her hand away; but he would not let her.
“No,” she said in a weeping voice. “Oh! how can you put me to the shame?”
“Is it shame? That must be a stale superstition14. It were shame in my eyes to pluck my flower and leave it to wither15.”
“I had best slip off and go back to my dead.”
“Down with you, girl! and we will lie and die in the snow together.”
“Oh, me! What can I say? Will your honour not ride on and forget I am here?”
“To be sure, Betty—as I forget myself. You had best not remind me of it by addressing me so.”
“I am your honour’s servant.”
“Lip-service, wench. No, it will not do. Before others as you like; but alone with me—there, don’t cry! the frost will catch your tears, and your lashes18 will be hung with diamonds no gift of mine. We must think this all out, Betty, by a glowing fire. It is too cold here. That little touch on my heart is the only feeling I am conscious of.”
“And you gave me your coat! Oh! take it—take it.”
“That I shall not.”
“I am warm—indeed I am.”
“Lie in your burrow19, little rabbit, and hide your eyes from the dogs. We go up to Mr. Breeds’s tavern20 here, and I don’t know what may be abroad.”
He had decided21 to risk the main road for their return. The augmentation of his party, the necessity of direct progress in that killing22 cold were his sufficient reasons. They rode past the house and awakened23 nothing but echoes from its stony24 walls. On the blind of the lighted tap fell the shadows from within of a group of men. No notice, however, was taken of the little cavalcade25 as it went silently by outside in the snow.
“Betty, can you spell?”
“Oh! yes.”
“Spell this, then: l-o-v-e-r. What, you can’t? I must put you to school. See, l-o-v-e, and r for the little thumb that points at me. That is your lesson; and now here’s a prize for the quick scholar in the palm of her hand. Close it and keep it. You won’t? Then you shall return it to me in the dark by and by.”
He hardly knew what nonsense he talked. A core of fire flickered26 in the numbness27 of his brain. He gave a whoop28! like an excited boy presently as a herd29 of fallow deer—some twenty or thirty of them—broke from a covert30 and went beating down the road in front of them.
“These must be some of friend David’s,” he cried.
The poor beasts were smitten31 with the frost-fright—the desolation of despair that induces the last appeal of the lower to the higher animal. “If he who by his cunning can stultify32 all our traditional methods of self-protection,” they must argue, “be as full of resource as of foresight33, and as full of noble clemency34 withal, it were well to submit ourselves to his mercy.” And so in strange times, man’s littleness is forced upon himself, because all his vaunted superiority cannot make food in a wilderness35 or flesh on starved bones; and he cries aloud and his voice returns to him as an empty echo. Then, “I must kill,” he says, “that there may be fewer mouths to feed”; and he kills, and fancies that he has mastered the problem of life.
The deer cantered before the horsemen, grunting36 and shaking their heads. They had no action of escape, but seemed rather to have deliberately37 entrusted38 themselves, for safe passage to a greener land of hope, to this human convoy39. They went down, a dusky bob of backs, into the hollow where was the entrance to “Delsrop”; and here, led by some attraction of the mightier40 race, they turned into the drive—for the gate had been left open—and trotted41 along it as far as the lawn, against the sheltering shrubberies of which they took refuge. And, upon the morrow, the most of them were discovered patiently waiting and snuffling about the stable-doors; and an empty coach-house was thrown open and scattered42 with hay for their benefit; and there, for a time at least, the trusting creatures found the help and protection they sought.
Reaching the door of his house at last, Tuke swung a leg over his beast’s withers43 and, leaping to the ground, pulled Betty into his arms and landed her by his side. The other two, close upon him, had dismounted at the same moment. He called Dennis to him—the formal and authoritative44 master.
“You will speak to your sister, and see that this young woman, whom I am taking into my service, is fitly lodged45 and provided for. To-morrow I shall assign her her duties. In the meantime she is to meet with every sympathy and consideration. The man, also, you must accommodate with suitable quarters. You know my interest in the girl, and the circumstances of her misfortune. I leave her proper reception to your charge.”
Not another word he said; but when they had been admitted by an amazed wench, he nodded gravely to the little group, and turned into his own dining-hall.
Here, as if his opening of the door had released a spring, Luvaine came at him like a Jack-of-the-clockhouse.
“This is well,” he cried in a high manner of sarcasm—“this is well and hospitable46 to quit affairs of state for the entertainment of a poor guest or so!”
The wine was still on the table, and it was evident the soldier had had free recourse to it for the smothering47 of his intolerable suspense48. His thin hair was rumpled49; his eyes bloodshot; a slumberous50 demon51 of fury seemed to struggle in him for wakefulness. Flung into an elbow-chair by the hearth52, Sir David discordantly53 acknowledged the potency54 of his own cups. No doubt he had drunk himself to sleep to escape the other’s company.
“You have some title to offence, sir,” said the returned host. “You have been acquainted with the cause of my absence, I believe; but I think no words of mine will persuade you to exonerate55 me from blame. Still, I make you my apologies for what was virtually inevitable56.”
“Well, sir, well. And you are prepared, I presume, to take up the thread where you dropped it?”
“Oh! I cry you mercy, Captain Luvaine. What would you have, sir? The night is far advanced; I have had an exhausting experience of travel. On my honour, I must recuperate57 for the next move.”
“Mr. Tuke, do you mean to tell me, with all deliberateness, that you purpose resting upon my sickness—upon my agony of suspense, sir, counting the question of my reason as nothing compared with your little bodily discomfort58?”
“If you will put it crudely, sir; why, so must I. I refuse to act further until I have rested; and you will do well to school your reason into a little consideration for others.”
“You must take note that this is a matter affecting my very last interests.”
“As the necessity for sleep affects mine. Restored, I shall be of infinitely59 more service to you in that respect than I could possibly be now.”
The soldier bowed. So much of the discipline of his profession remained to him. But it seemed almost a murderous demon that dictated60 the courtesy. He walked towards the door, and turned glowering61.
“I must not gainsay62 you,” he said; “but—but—may God never curse you with the torment63 to which you are wantonly condemning64 me.”
He could not altogether so control his feelings as to refrain from slamming the door to behind him as he went out. The clap shook the hall, and brought Sir David to his feet with a stare and a cry.
“Hallo!” he exclaimed, his headpiece fuddled out of all comprehension. “Where—where ha’ you been, you inhospitalable scamp?”
“Never mind. I apologize; but you wouldn’t understand.”
“Understad?—understad, you conceited65 peddler? Lookee ’ere. Tuke. Le’s go and hunt for that skull66. Ain’t you ready—ain’t you, you——”
“Oh! go to bed, Blythewood. We’ll hunt on the morrow. I’ve arranged it all. We’ll get some sleep first, man; for I’m just dropping.”
“Droppin’? You’re drunk as David’s sow, you clever man. There go away. You’re a sight to make the angels weep. I’ll have you before me to-morrer on a warra’t, by the Lord I will.”
He stopped, and struck his brow rather aimlessly.
“Angel and Dunlone!” he cried. “I forgot all about the high-stepper. Here’s a pretty host for you. I shall have to commit myself before you. Cock! the scarecrow’ll ‘drizzle’ the jade67 into an asylum68. Tuke, d’ye hear? if I stop and join in this chase, I must sed the girl a note.”
“Well, to-morrow will do for that.”
“Curse me! What a wiggin’ I’ll get from her. You must help me out of this scrape. Let me bid ’em both to lunch at your place, to hear the result of our expedition. That’ll be a sop69 to the creature.”
The other hesitated. He still laboured under the excitement of his recent undertaking—still tingled70 with the afterglow of the late riot in his heart. He had formulated71, had conceived indeed, no line of conduct for himself or Betty that should meet the occasion. He would not have her a serving drudge72 in his house, and beyond that one resolve all was indefinite. But he had burnt his boats behind him, and to temporize73 with circumstance was no longer possible. As he had made his dash for freedom, so must he continue the race recklessly.
“By all means,” he said, with a rather wild laugh. “We will dissolve the ruby74 in a glass of wine, and Miss Royston shall drink to the health of the ‘drizzler’ in it.”
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1
numbing
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| adj.使麻木的，使失去感觉的v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的现在分词 ) | |
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2
glaze
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| v.因疲倦、疲劳等指眼睛变得呆滞，毫无表情 | |
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prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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suffusion
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| n.充满 | |
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audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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6
repudiation
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| n.拒绝；否认；断绝关系；抛弃 | |
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7
subscribe
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| vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助 | |
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8
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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9
contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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10
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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11
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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12
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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13
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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14
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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15
wither
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| vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡 | |
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16
flaunting
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| adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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17
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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18
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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19
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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20
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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21
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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22
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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23
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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24
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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25
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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26
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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28
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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29
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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30
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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31
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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32
stultify
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| v.愚弄；使呆滞 | |
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33
foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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34
clemency
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| n.温和，仁慈，宽厚 | |
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35
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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36
grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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37
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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38
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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40
mightier
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| adj. 强有力的，强大的，巨大的 adv. 很，极其 | |
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41
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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42
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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43
withers
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| 马肩隆 | |
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44
authoritative
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| adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的 | |
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45
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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46
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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47
smothering
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的现在分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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48
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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49
rumpled
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| v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
slumberous
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| a.昏昏欲睡的 | |
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51
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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52
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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53
discordantly
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| adv.不一致地，不和谐地 | |
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54
potency
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| n. 效力，潜能 | |
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55
exonerate
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| v.免除责任，确定无罪 | |
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56
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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57
recuperate
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| v.恢复 | |
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58
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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59
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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60
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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61
glowering
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| v.怒视( glower的现在分词 ) | |
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62
gainsay
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| v.否认，反驳 | |
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63
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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64
condemning
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| v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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65
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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66
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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67
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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68
asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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69
sop
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| n.湿透的东西，懦夫；v.浸，泡，浸湿 | |
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70
tingled
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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72
drudge
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| n.劳碌的人；v.做苦工，操劳 | |
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73
temporize
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| v.顺应时势；拖延 | |
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74
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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