ENID had stepped into the cab and Malone was following when his name was called and a man came running down the street. He was tall, middle-aged1, handsome and well-dressed, with the clean-shaven, self-confident face of the successful surgeon.
“Hullo, Malone! Stop!”
“Why, it’s Atkinson. Enid, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Atkinson of St. Mary’s about whom I spoke2 to your father. Can we give you a lift? We are going towards Victoria.”
“Capital!” The surgeon followed them into the cab. “I was amazed to see you at a Spiritualist meeting.”
“We were only there professionally. Miss Challenger and I are both on the Press.”
“Oh, really! The Daily Gazette, I suppose, as before. Well, you will have one more subscriber3, for I shall want to see what you made of to-night’s show.”
“You’ll have to wait till next Sunday. It is one of a series.”
“Oh, I say, I can’t wait as long as that. What did you make of it?”
“I really don’t know. I shall have to read my notes carefully to-morrow and think it over, and compare impressions with my colleague here. She has the intuition, you see, which goes for so much in religious matters.{41}”
“And what is your intuition, Miss Challenger?”
“Good—oh, yes, good! But, dear me, what an extraordinary mixture!”
“Yes, indeed, I have been several times and it always leaves the same mixed impression upon my own mind. Some of it is ludicrous, and some of it might be dishonest, and yet again some of it is clearly wonderful.”
“But you are not on the Press. Why were you there?”
“Because I am deeply interested. You see, I am a student of psychic4 matters and have been for some years. I am not a convinced one but I am sympathetic, and I have sufficient sense of proportion to realise that while I seem to be sitting in judgment5 upon the subject it may in truth be the subject which is sitting in judgment upon me.”
Malone nodded appreciation6.
“It is enormous. You will realise that as you get to close grips with it. It is half a dozen great subjects in one. And it is all in the hands of these good humble7 folk who, in the face of every discouragement and personal loss, have carried it on for more than seventy years. It is really very like the rise of Christianity. It was run by slaves and underlings until it gradually extended upwards8. There were three hundred years between Cæsar’s slave and Cæsar getting the light.”
“But the preacher!” cried Enid in protest.
Mr. Atkinson laughed.
“You mean our friend from Atlantis. What a terrible bore the fellow was! I confess I don’t know what to make of performances like that. Self-deception, I think, and the temporary emergence9 of some fresh strand10 of personality which dramatises itself in this way. The only thing I am quite sure of is that it{42} is not really an inhabitant of Atlantis who arrives from his long voyage with this awful cargo11 of platitudes12. Well, here we are!”
“I have to deliver this young lady safe and sound to her father,” said Malone. “Look here, Atkinson, don’t leave us. The Professor would really like to see you.”
“What, at this hour! Why, he would throw me down the stairs.”
“You’ve been hearing stories,” said Enid. “Really it is not so bad as that. Some people annoy him, but I am sure you are not one of them. Won’t you chance it?”
“With that encouragement, certainly.” And the three walked down the bright outer corridor to the lift.
Challenger, clad now in a brilliant blue dressing-gown, was eagerly awaiting them. He eyed Atkinson as a fighting bulldog eyes some canine13 stranger. The inspection14 seemed to satisfy him, however, for he growled15 that he was glad to meet him.
“I’ve heard of your name, sir, and of your rising reputation. Your resection of the cord last year made some stir, I understand. But have you been down among the lunatics also?”
“Well, if you call them so,” said Atkinson with a laugh.
“Good Heavens, what else could I call them? I remember now that my young friend here” (Challenger had a way of alluding16 to Malone as if he were a promising17 boy of ten) “told me you were studying the subject.” He roared with offensive laughter. “‘The proper study of mankind is spooks,’ eh, Mr. Atkinson?”
“Dad really knows nothing about it, so don’t be{43} offended with him,” said Enid. “But I assure you, Dad, you would have been interested.” She proceeded to give a sketch18 of their adventures, though interrupted by a running commentary of groans19, grunts20 and derisive21 jeers22. It was only when the Summerlee episode was reached that Challenger’s indignation and contempt could no longer be restrained. The old volcano blew his head off and a torrent23 of red-hot invective24 descended25 upon his listeners.
“The blasphemous26 rascals27!” he shouted. “To think that they can’t let poor old Summerlee rest in his grave. We had our differences in his time and I will admit that I was compelled to take a moderate view of his intelligence, but if he came back from the grave he would certainly have something worth hearing to say to us. It is an absurdity28—a wicked, indecent absurdity upon the face of it. I object to any friend of mine being made a puppet for the laughter of an audience of fools. They didn’t laugh! They must have laughed when they heard an educated man, a man whom I have met upon equal terms, talking such nonsense. I say it was nonsense. Don’t contradict me, Malone. I won’t have it! His message might have been the postscript29 of a schoolgirl’s letter. Isn’t that nonsense, coming from such a source? Are you not in agreement, Mr. Atkinson? No! I had hoped better things from you.”
“But the descriptions?”
“Good Heavens, where are your brains? Have not the names of Summerlee and Malone been associated with my own in some peculiarly feeble fiction which attained30 some notoriety? Is it not also known that you two innocents were doing the Churches week by week? Was it not patent that sooner or later you would come to a Spiritualist gathering31? Here was a{44} chance for a convert! They set a bait and poor old gudgeon Malone came along and swallowed it. Here he is with the hook still stuck in his silly mouth. Oh, yes, Malone, plain speaking is needed and you shall have it.” The Professor’s black mane was bristling32 and his eyes glaring from one member of the company to another.
“Well, we want every view expressed,” said Atkinson. “You seem very qualified33, sir, to express the negative one. At the same time I would repeat in my own person the words of Thackeray. He said to some objector: ‘What you say is natural, but if you had seen what I have seen you might alter your opinion.’ Perhaps some time you will be able to look into the matter, for your high position in the scientific world would give your opinion great weight.”
“If I have a high place in the scientific world as you say, it is because I have concentrated upon what is useful and discarded what is nebulous or absurd. My brain, sir, does not pare the edges. It cuts right through. It has cut right through this and has found fraud and folly34.”
“Both are there at times,” said Atkinson, “and yet ... and yet! Ah, well, Malone, I’m some way from home and it is late. You will excuse me, Professor. I am honoured to have met you.”
Malone was leaving also and the two friends had a few minutes’ chat before they went their separate ways, Atkinson to Wimpole Street and Malone to South Norwood, where he was now living.
“Grand old fellow!” said Malone, chuckling35. “You must never get offended with him. He means no harm. He is splendid.”
“Of course he is. But if anything could make me a real out-and-out Spiritualist it is that sort of in{45}tolerance. It is very common, though it is generally cast rather in the tone of the quiet sneer36 than of the noisy roar. I like the latter best. By the way, Malone, if you care to go deeper into this subject I may be able to help you. You’ve heard of Linden?”
“Linden, the professional medium. Yes, I’ve been told he is the greatest blackguard unhung.”
“Ah, well, they usually talk of them like that. You must judge for yourself. He put his knee-cap out last winter and I put it in again, and that has made a friendly bond between us. It’s not always easy to get him, and of course a small fee, a guinea I think, is usual, but if you wanted a sitting I could work it.”
“You think him genuine?”
“I daresay they all take the line of least resistance. I can only say that I have never detected him in fraud. You must judge for yourself.”
“I will,” said Malone. “I am getting hot on this trail. And there is copy in it, too. When things are more easy I’ll write to you, Atkinson, and we can go more deeply into the matter.{46}”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
middle-aged
|
|
| adj.中年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
subscriber
|
|
| n.用户，订户；（慈善机关等的）定期捐款者；预约者；签署者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
psychic
|
|
| n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
appreciation
|
|
| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
humble
|
|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
emergence
|
|
| n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
strand
|
|
| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
cargo
|
|
| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
platitudes
|
|
| n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
canine
|
|
| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
inspection
|
|
| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
alluding
|
|
| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
promising
|
|
| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
sketch
|
|
| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
groans
|
|
| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
grunts
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说； 石鲈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
derisive
|
|
| adj.嘲弄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
jeers
|
|
| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
torrent
|
|
| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
invective
|
|
| n.痛骂，恶意抨击 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
blasphemous
|
|
| adj.亵渎神明的，不敬神的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
rascals
|
|
| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
absurdity
|
|
| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
postscript
|
|
| n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
attained
|
|
| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
bristling
|
|
| a.竖立的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
qualified
|
|
| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
folly
|
|
| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
chuckling
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
sneer
|
|
| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |