In the meantime Jacquelina had reached home sooner than she had expected. It was just dark, and the rain was beginning to fall as she sprang from the carriage and darted1 into the house.
Mrs. Waugh met her in the hall, took her hand, and said:
"Oh, my dear Lapwing! I'm so glad you have come back, bad as the weather is; for indeed the professor gives me a great deal of anxiety, and if you had stayed away to-night I could not have been answerable for the consequences. There, now; hurry up-stairs and change your dress, and come down to tea. It is all ready, and we have a pair of canvasback ducks roasted."
"Very well, aunty! But—is Grim in the house?"
"I don't know, my love. You hurry."
Jacquelina tripped up the stairs to her own room, which she found lighted, warmed, and attended by her maid, Maria. She took off her bonnet2 and mantle3, and laid them aside, and began to smooth her hair, dancing all the time, and quivering with suppressed laughter in anticipation4 of her "fun." When she had arranged her dress, she went down-stairs and passed into the dining-room, where the supper table was set.
"See if Nace Grimshaw is in his room, and if he is not, we will wait no longer!" said the hungry commodore, thumping6 his heavy stick down upon the floor.
Festus sprang to do his bidding, and after an absence of a few minutes returned with the information that the professor was not there.
They all sat down, and amid the commodore's growls8 at Grim's irregular hours, and Jacquelina's shrugs9 and smiles and sidelong glances and ill-repressed laughter, the meal passed. And when it was over, the commodore, leaning on Mrs. Waugh's arm, went to his own particular sofa in the back parlor10; Mrs. L'Oiseau remained, to superintend the clearing away of the supper-table; and Jacquelina danced on to the front parlor, where she found no one but the maid, who was mending the fire.
"Say! did you see anything of the professor while I was gone?" she inquired.
"Lors, honey, I wish I hadn't! I knows how de thought of it will give me 'liriums nex' time I has a fever."
"Why? What did he do? When was it?"
"Why, chile, jes afore sundown, as I was a carryin' an armful of wood up-stairs, for Miss Mary's room, I meets de 'fessor a comin' down. I like to 'a' screamed! I like to 'a' let de wood drap! I like to 'a' drapped right down myself! It made my heart beat in de back o' my head—he look so awful, horrid11 gashly! Arter speakin' in a voice hollow as an empty coffin12, an' skeerin' me out'n my seventeen sensibles axin arter you, he jes tuk hisself off summers, an' I ain't seen him sence."
"What did he ask you? What did you tell him?"
"He jes ax where you was. I telled him how you were gone home 'long o' Miss Marian; he ax when you were comin' back; I telled him I believed not till to-morrow mornin'; then his face turned all sorts of awful dark colors, an' seemed like it crushed right in, an' he nodded and said 'Ah!' but it sounded jes like a hollow groan13; and he tuk hisself off, and I ain't seen him sence."
The elf danced about the room, unable to restrain her glee. And the longer Dr. Grimshaw remained away, the more excited she grew. She skipped about like the very sprite of mischief14, exclaiming to herself:
"Oh, shan't we have fun presently! Oh, shan't we, though! The Grim maniac15! he has gone to detect me! And he'll break in upon Thurston and Marian's interview. Won't there be an explosion! Oh, Jupiter! Oh, Puck! Oh, Mercury! What fun—what delicious fun! Wr-r-r-r! I can scarcely contain myself! Begone, Maria! Vanish! I want all the space in this room to myself! Oh, fun alive! What a row there'll be! Me-thinks I hear the din5 of battle!
sang the elf, springing and dancing, and spinning, and whirling, around and around the room in the very ecstasy17 of mischief. Her dance was brought to a sudden and an awful close.
The hall door was thrown violently open, hurried and irregular steps were heard approaching, the parlor door was pushed open, and Dr. Grimshaw staggered forward and paused before her!
Yes; her frolic was brought to an eternal end. She saw at a glance that something fatal, irreparable, had happened. There was blood upon his hands and wrist-bands! Oh, more—far more! There was the unmistakable mark of Cain upon his writhen brow! Before now she had seen him look pale and wild and haggard, and had known neither fear nor pity for him. But now! An exhumed18 corpse19 galvanized into a horrid semblance20 of life might look as he did—with just such sunken cheeks and ashen21 lips and frozen eyes; with just such a collapsed22 and shuddering23 form; yet, withal, could not have shown that terrific look of utter, incurable24 despair! His fingers, talon-like in their horny paleness and rigidity25, clutched his breast, as if to tear some mortal anguish26 thence, and his glassy eyes were fixed27 in unutterable reproach upon her face! Thrice he essayed to speak, but a gurgling noise in his throat was the only result. With a last great effort to articulate, the blood suddenly filled his throat and gushed28 from his mouth! For a moment he sought to stay the hemorrhage by pressing a handkerchief to his lips; but soon his hand dropped powerless to his side; he reeled and fell upon the floor!
Jacquelina gazed in horror on her work.
And then her screams of terror filled the house!
The family came rushing in. Foremost entered the commodore, shaking his stick in a towering passion, and exclaiming at the top of his voice:
"What the devil is all this? What's broke loose now? What are you raising all this row for, you infernal little hurricane?"
"Oh, uncle! aunty! mother! look—look!" exclaimed Jacquelina, wringing29 her pale fingers, and pointing to the fallen man.
The sight arrested all eyes.
The miserable30 man lay over on his side, ghastly pale, and breathing laboriously31, every breath pumping out the life-blood, that had made a little pool beside his face.
Mrs. Waugh and Mary L'Oiseau hastened to stoop and raise the sufferer.
The commodore drew near, half stupefied, as he always was in a crisis.
"What—what—what's all this? Who did it? How did it happen?" he asked, with a look of dull amazement32.
"Give me a sofa cushion, Maria, to place under his head. Mary L'Oiseau, hurry as fast as you can, and send a boy for Dr. Brightwell; tell him to take the swiftest horse in the stable, and ride for life and death, and bring the physician instantly, for Dr. Grimshaw is dying! Hurry!"
"Dying? Eh! what did you say, Henrietta?" inquired the commodore, in a sort of stupid, blind anxiety; for he was unable to comprehend what had happened.
"He has ruptured34 an artery35," said Mrs. Waugh, gravely, as she laid the sufferer gently back upon the carpet and placed the sofa pillow under his head.
"Ruptured an artery? How did it happen? Grim! Nace! speak to me! How do you feel? Oh, Heaven! he doesn't speak—he doesn't hear me! Oh, Henrietta! he is very ill—he is very ill! He must be put to bed at once, and the doctor sent for! Come here, Maria! Help me to lift your young master," said the old man, waking up to anxiety.
"Stay! The doctor has been sent for; but he must not be moved; it would be fatal to him. Indeed, I fear that he is beyond human help," said Henrietta, as she wiped the gushing36 stream from the lips of the dying man.
"Beyond human help! Eh! what? Nace! No! no! no! no! It can't be!" said the old man, kneeling down, and bending over him in helpless trouble.
"Attend Dr. Grimshaw, while I hurry out and see what can be done, Mary," said Mrs. Waugh, resigning her charge, and then hastening from the room. She soon returned, bringing with her such remedies as her limited knowledge suggested. And she and Mary L'Oiseau applied37 them; but in vain! Every effort for his relief seemed but to hasten his death. The hemorrhage was subsiding38; so also was his breath. "It is too late; he is dying!" said Henrietta, solemnly.
"Dying! No, no, Nace! Nace! speak to me! Nace! you're not dying! I've lost more blood than that in my time! Nace! Nace! speak to your old—speak, Nace!" cried the commodore, stooping down and raising the sufferer in his arms, and gazing, half wildly, half stupidly, at the congealing39 face.
He continued thus for some moments, until Mrs. Waugh, putting her hand upon his shoulder, said gravely and kindly40:
"Lay him down, Commodore Waugh; he is gone."
"Gone! gone!" echoed the old man, in his imbecile distraction41, and dropped his gray head upon the corpse, and groaned42 aloud.
Mrs. Waugh came and laid her hand affectionately on his shoulder. He looked up in such hopeless, helpless trouble, and cried out:
"Oh, Henrietta! he was my son—my only, only son! My poor, unowned boy!
Oh, Henrietta! is he dead? Are you sure? Is he quite gone?"
"He is gone, Commodore Waugh; lay him down; come away to your room," said Henrietta, gently taking his hand.
Jacquelina, white with horror, was kneeling with clasped hands and dilated43 eyes, gazing at the ruin. The old man's glance fell upon her there, and his passion changed from grief to fury. Fiercely he broke forth44:
"Oh, I never meant it! I never meant it! I am very wretched! I wish I'd never been born!" cried Jacquelina, wringing her pale fingers.
"Out of my sight, you curse! Out of my sight—and may Heaven's wrath46 pursue you!" thundered the commodore, shaking with grief and rage.
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收听单词发音
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1
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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6
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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7
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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9
shrugs
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| n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 ) | |
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10
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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12
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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13
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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14
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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16
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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18
exhumed
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| v.挖出，发掘出( exhume的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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ashen
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| adj.灰的 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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24
incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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rigidity
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| adj.钢性，坚硬 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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27
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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28
gushed
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| v.喷，涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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29
wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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30
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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31
laboriously
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| adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地 | |
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32
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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33
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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34
ruptured
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| v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交 | |
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35
artery
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| n.干线，要道；动脉 | |
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36
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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37
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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38
subsiding
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的现在分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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39
congealing
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| v.使凝结，冻结( congeal的现在分词 )；（指血）凝结 | |
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40
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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41
distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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42
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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43
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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45
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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46
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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