For a fortnight succeeding our arrival the weather remained calm and bright, so that Uncle Jenico and I were able to explore the locality with great comfort and satisfaction. The coast, which we followed up both north and south for miles, was extremely desolate1 and unvisited, though bearing at intervals2 all along it the traces of former settlements. It would seem to have been quite thickly populated once, during a period which dated probably from the incursions, first, of the Roman legions, and, after, of those salt sea-wolves who preferred squatting3 round the fringes of their conquered island—with the open door of the sea beside them, and its smell in their briny4 nostrils—to penetrating5 into the traps of the close-shut valleys. Later, Christianity had come to fret6 these windy, foam7-whipped settlements with pinnacles8, and monastic walls, and stone fanes with jewelled windows and airy bell-towers, so that church might peal9 to church all down this long front line of the position it had won. But corruption10 creeping in with prosperity, and lawlessness with the tides, God had withdrawn11 His countenance12 from the temples that abused His service, and had permitted the ocean to break in their defences and one by one devour13 them. The priest who had evaded14 his vows15 had ages ago tucked up his cassock and fled; the parson who succeeded him, and to the reversion of his benefices, could not so hoodwink Heaven by taking his tithes16 of smuggled17 tobacco and brandy, as to stay for one season the hunger of the gluttonous18 waters. Year by year, century by century, the storms had fed on these devoted19 sand-built coasts, and were still feeding when we came to know them. Towns and once-flourishing colonies had disappeared as utterly20 as if they had never existed. Not only they, but the very soil on which they had been planted, paved the floor of the ocean for miles out. There were legends of foundered21 bells rung by unseen mermen at incredible distances from shore. There were stories of treasure chests and sculptured marbles revealed to storm-belated fishermen in the deep troughs of monstrous22, bottom-scouring waves. So far away as the Weary Sands themselves, it was said, traces of the ancient Dunberry could be spelt out, in calm seasons, by those who gazed intently enough and long enough into the green, deep waters. It was a fable23, probably, in a land of fables24; yet it served to emphasize the wreck25 of time, and will show upon what a haunted border-land of ghosts we had come to make our home. The modern village itself was old. How ancient, then, those grey ruins on the cliff, which had survived to see the last of the glory, of which they had once been a part, claimed by the deep, and their own hoary26 traditions engulfed27 into the pettier traditions of a little clan28!
These same ruins consisted of the great tower of the abbey, with a mass of tumbled and complicated masonry29 at its foot; of the line of the nave30, picked out in an avenue of shattered arches which ran seawards until stopped by the upward and outward sweep of the cliff; and, finally, of a maze31 of huge fragments, mostly on the inland side, which marked the sites of monastic buildings, lazar house, boundary walls, and so forth32. Elsewhere were traces of aisles33, cloisters34 and supernumerary offices uncountable, the whole buttressed35 with ivy36. But the most significant ruin of all, to my thinking, was one which stood under the cliff, and for three-fourths of its depth apart from it. This was no other than the abbey well, which generations of storms had gnawed37 out of its deep bed in the ground without being able to crunch38 and devour the sturdy relic39 itself. There it stood, a Titan of the vanished race, sprouting40 stubborn from the littered sand below, cemented, as it seemed, by the very drift which was yearly flung upon it to destroy. Exposed and isolated41, choked with parching42 rubbish as it was, how thrilling was the thought of the monks43 who had once drunk from it; of the waters it had drained from the hill; of the hill itself with its one-time springs lying under the salt sea! It was the very gaunt dead monument to the desolation of this land, and as such, it seemed, would endure when all else was vanished. The storms which took the rest stone by stone, could do no more than stone by stone reveal this; the earthquake, which at a blow had rent the massive tower and tumbled half the remaining walls, had left this unshaken. It was a wonderful and impressive relic.
The first time I had entered among the ruins was by myself. I climbed the slope early on the morning before breakfast, and stood in the midst of them, thrilled and awestricken. A little grassy44 valley divided me from the hill which concealed45 the village, of which not so much as a roof was visible from where I stood. I seemed entirely46 cut off and alone, a pigmy in the stupendous shadows of these “ruined choirs47.” The ground swept in a steepish curve to the cliff edge, and again, inland, in one slightly shallower. These were the “Old and New Testaments” of the Mitre; and in the “Valley of Knowledge” that lay between, was built the abbey, its monastery48, chapter-house, refectory and other buildings taking and topping the western slope, which, on its further side, went shelving down to the Cemeterium Fratrum, and the confines of the old grounds.
I poked49 about among the shattered stones with a feeling between fear and curiosity. I could tell by the fresh edges of the rents, and the way in which little avalanches50 of mortar51 were constantly falling with a whispering sound, that much of the devastation52 was recent. The tower had been breached53 by the earthquake all down its seaward front, opening a monstrous gap from which a cataract54 of stones had thundered, and piled themselves in foam, as it were, at the foot. In one place, near the cliff slope, a mighty55 plinth had been heaved on to its side, and I saw the mould on the under surface of it yet grooved56 with the tracks of slugs and beetles57. It had sunk, with the mass of masonry cemented to it, two-thirds of its breadth into the earth, and all about the ground was strangely wryed, and distorted, and cracked, and bubbled up into mounds58, as if here the underheaval had made itself peculiarly felt. I was gazing on it half-fascinated, when, happening to raise my eyes, I started to see other regarding me fixedly59 from a face which seemed to have sprouted60 from the earth.
I gave a little cry and uttered Mr. Rampick’s name. At the word, the man himself rose to his height, from the position in which it appeared he had been crouching61, and ascended62 the last steps of a cliff pathway, of the existence of which I had not known. He came up to me, rubbing the back of his bony hand across his mouth.
“Yes,” I answered. “It was here, wasn’t it?”
He stamped with his great foot.
It was a fearful but thrilling thought.
“Why don’t they dig for them?” I whispered.
He gazed at me a moment, breathing hard. His eyes seemed blacker, the rims65 round them more livid than I had yet noticed.
“What!” he cried, so hoarsely66 that his voice cracked. “Displace these here sacred ruins fur the likes of they! The Lord, sir—begging your pardon—set His own trap for them in His own way; and it been’t fur us to rise His dead. May I make so bold to axe67 if your uncle knows you’re out?”
“No!” I exclaimed, surprised.
“Ah!” he said. “I lay he won’t be best pleased, sir, with humility69. This here hill, sir, if all what’s said is Gospel true—is risky70 ground to walk fur them as knows it not, nor its toppling stones, sir, nor its hidden abscesses. I’d go home, sir, if I was you, with favour, sir.”
I was offended, but a little frightened also. Blushing scarlet71, I turned away, without a word, and ran down the slope homewards.
I told Uncle Jenico of my adventure and encounter. To my further surprise he commended Mr. Rampick’s warning.
“What should I do, if anything happened to you, Richard, when I was not by?” he pleaded.
There was a note of emotion in his voice which touched me, and I promised I would never seek the Mitre again out of his company. I meant it when I said it; but, alas72! the venturesomeness of youth led me later on, I am ashamed to confess, to disregard my promise.
That was not till long after, however; and in the meanwhile the weather remaining fine, as I have said, we had plenty of opportunity for exploring the district. Not a day was allowed to pass, moreover, without our investigating at least once in the twelve hours, a section of the coast. Uncle Jenico would prod74 all the way, with his thick stick, into the moraine of shingle75 which ran along the shore above the high tide mark. At these times he would be very absent-minded, answering my questions at random76, and I knew that he had Morant and his golden bushels in his thoughts. He never found anything, however, and each evening would look up at the sky and predict stormy weather with a sham73 deprecation of the inconvenience it would be to us.
But at last the weather really did break, and dark evening settled in, with a high wind and rising sea. It blew a gale77 all night and throughout the following day, and Uncle Jenico bemoaned78 our detention79 in the house with a gratified face.
It was not until the second morning that it had cleared sufficiently80 to enable us to go out, which we did immediately after breakfast. The sun was blinking waterily, and the surf pounding yellow as we came down to the beach; but the wind had fallen and the rain ceased, which was enough for us.
Uncle Jenico, with his blue coat fastened tightly across his chest, was looking extraordinarily81 swollen82, I thought, until the reason was explained to me. We had not gone far, when—first glancing all about him with an air of twinkling mystery—he cautiously unbuttoned, and revealed, neatly83 folded upon his chest, a little bushel sack such as they use for potatoes.
“Hush!” he whispered, though not a soul was in sight; “the difficulty will be to avoid observation when we bring it back full. I dare say they’re honest here, Richard; but it’s a wrong business principle to presume upon a sentiment. We must dine and sup out—I’ve brought some sandwiches with me, and Mr. Sant will excuse you for once—and return with our booty after dark.”
“Well,” he answered, laughing joyously85 but privately86, “I hope not quite, or it would puzzle us to carry it. But, in common wisdom we must make the best we can of this rare opportunity.”
He hung the sack over his arm, and we started off. The storm had certainly overturned the shingle, and scattered87 much of it abroad in a tangle88 of seaweed and dead dog-fish. For hours we hunted on, groping sedulously89 among the litter; and at last, late in the afternoon, we found a penny. At least, I was convinced it was one, being intimately acquainted, like most boys, with the coin. But Uncle Jenico would not hear of it. He was shaking with excitement as he examined it. It was so rubbed by the action of the waves as to exhibit nothing but a near-obliterated bust90, which I was sure was that of our late lamented91 King. My uncle, however, pointed92 out to me distinct traces, though I could not see them, of a Latin inscription93, and was jubilant over the find. It did not make much impression on the sack, it is true; but he was careful to point out to me that the value of a nugget, such as it would take two men to carry, might all be contained in a diamond which one could slip into one’s waistcoat pocket. It was not so much quantity we needed, he said, as quality; and he was quite satisfied, entirely so, with the result of our day’s exploration.
I was glad of this, at least, being dog-tired long before the sun-setting, as it justified94 us in going home to supper. But my faith in Morant, I am afraid, was already sadly shaken.
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1
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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3
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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4
briny
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| adj.盐水的；很咸的；n.海洋 | |
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5
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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6
fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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8
pinnacles
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| 顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 )； 顶点； 尖顶； 小尖塔 | |
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peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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10
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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11
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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12
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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13
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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14
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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15
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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16
tithes
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| n.（宗教捐税）什一税，什一的教区税，小部分( tithe的名词复数 ) | |
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17
smuggled
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| 水货 | |
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gluttonous
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| adj.贪吃的，贪婪的 | |
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19
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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20
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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21
foundered
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| v.创始人( founder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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23
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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24
fables
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| n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说 | |
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25
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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26
hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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nave
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| n.教堂的中部；本堂 | |
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31
maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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32
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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34
cloisters
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| n.（学院、修道院、教堂等建筑的）走廊( cloister的名词复数 )；回廊；修道院的生活；隐居v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的第三人称单数 ) | |
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35
buttressed
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| v.用扶壁支撑，加固( buttress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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38
crunch
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| n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声 | |
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relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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40
sprouting
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| v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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41
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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42
parching
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| adj.烘烤似的，焦干似的v.（使）焦干， （使）干透( parch的现在分词 )；使（某人）极口渴 | |
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43
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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44
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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45
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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46
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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47
choirs
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| n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼 | |
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48
monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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49
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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50
avalanches
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| n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 ) | |
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51
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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52
devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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53
breached
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| 攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反 | |
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54
cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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55
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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56
grooved
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| v.沟( groove的过去式和过去分词 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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57
beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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58
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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59
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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sprouted
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| v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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61
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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62
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63
fawning
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| adj.乞怜的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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64
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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65
rims
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| n.（圆形物体的）边( rim的名词复数 )；缘；轮辋；轮圈 | |
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66
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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68
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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69
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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70
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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71
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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72
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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74
prod
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| vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励 | |
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75
shingle
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| n.木瓦板；小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌)；v.用木瓦板盖（屋顶）；把（女子头发）剪短 | |
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76
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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77
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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78
bemoaned
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| v.为（某人或某事）抱怨( bemoan的过去式和过去分词 )；悲悼；为…恸哭；哀叹 | |
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detention
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| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
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80
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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81
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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82
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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83
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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84
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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85
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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86
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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87
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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88
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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89
sedulously
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| ad.孜孜不倦地 | |
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90
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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91
lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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92
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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93
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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94
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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