Unfit to live or die — O marble heart!
After him, fellows, drag him to the block.
Measure for Measure.
The jail at the county town of the shire of —— was one of those old-fashioned dungeons1 which disgraced Scotland until of late years. When the prisoners and their guard arrived there, Hatteraick, whose violence and strength were well known, was secured in what was called the condemned2 ward3. This was a large apartment near the top of the prison. A round bar of iron,33 about the thickness of a man’s arm above the elbow, crossed the apartment horizontally at the height of about six inches from the floor; and its extremities4 were strongly built into the wall at either end. Hatteraick’s ankles were secured within shackles5, which were connected by a chain, at the distance of about four feet, with a large iron ring, which travelled upon the bar we have described. Thus a prisoner might shuffle6 along the length of the bar from one side of the room to another, but could not retreat farther from it in any other direction than the brief length of the chain admitted. When his feet had been thus secured, the keeper removed his handcuffs and left his person at liberty in other respects. A pallet-bed was placed close to the bar of iron, so that the shackled7 prisoner might lie down at pleasure, still fastened to the iron bar in the manner described.
Hatteraick had not been long in this place of confinement8 before Glossin arrived at the same prison-house. In respect to his comparative rank and education, he was not ironed, but placed in a decent apartment, under the inspection9 of Mac-Guffog, who, since the destruction of the bridewell of Portanferry by the mob, had acted here as an under-turnkey. When Glossin was enclosed within this room, and had solitude10 and leisure to calculate all the chances against him and in his favour, he could not prevail upon himself to consider the game as desperate.
‘The estate is lost,’ he said, ‘that must go; and, between Pleydell and Mac-Morlan, they’ll cut down my claim on it to a trifle. My character — but if I get off with life and liberty I’ll win money yet and varnish11 that over again. I knew not of the gauger’s job until the rascal12 had done the deed, and, though I had some advantage by the contraband13, that is no felony. But the kidnapping of the boy — there they touch me closer. Let me see. This Bertram was a child at the time; his evidence must be imperfect. The other fellow is a deserter, a gipsy, and an outlaw14. Meg Merrilies, d-n her, is dead. These infernal bills! Hatteraick brought them with him, I suppose, to have the means of threatening me or extorting15 money from me. I must endeavour to see the rascal; must get him to stand steady; must persuade him to put some other colour upon the business.’
His mind teeming16 with schemes of future deceit to cover former villainy, he spent the time in arranging and combining them until the hour of supper. Mac-Guffog attended as turnkey on this occasion. He was, as we know, the old and special acquaintance of the prisoner who was now under his charge. After giving the turnkey a glass of brandy, and sounding him with one or two cajoling speeches, Glossin made it his request that he would help him to an interview with Dirk Hatteraick. ‘Impossible! utterly18 impossible! it’s contrary to the express orders of Mr. Mac-Morlan, and the captain (as the head jailor of a county jail is called in Scotland) would never forgie me.’
‘But why should he know of it?’ said Glossin, slipping a couple of guineas into Mac-Guffog’s hand.
The turnkey weighed the gold and looked sharp at Glossin. ‘Ay, ay, Mr. Glossin, ye ken19 the ways o’ this place. Lookee, at lock-up hour I’ll return and bring ye upstairs to him. But ye must stay a’ night in his cell, for I am under needcessity to carry the keys to the captain for the night, and I cannot let you out again until morning; then I’ll visit the wards20 half an hour earlier than usual, and ye may get out and be snug21 in your ain birth when the captain gangs his rounds.’
When the hour of ten had pealed22 from the neighbouring steeple Mac-Guffog came prepared with a small dark lantern. He said softly to Glossin, ‘Slip your shoes off and follow me.’ When Glossin was out of the door, Mac-Guffog, as if in the execution of his ordinary duty, and speaking to a prisoner within, called aloud, ‘Good-night to you, sir,’ and locked the door, clattering23 the bolts with much ostentatious noise. He then guided Glossin up a steep and narrow stair, at the top of which was the door of the condemned ward; he unbarred and unlocked it, and, giving Glossin the lantern, made a sign to him to enter, and locked the door behind him with the same affected24 accuracy.
In the large dark cell into which he was thus introduced Glossin’s feeble light for some time enabled him to discover nothing. At length he could dimly distinguish the pallet-bed stretched on the floor beside the great iron bar which traversed the room, and on that pallet reposed25 the figure of a man. Glossin approached him. ‘Dirk Hatteraick!’
‘Donner and hagel! it is his voice,’ said the prisoner, sitting up and clashing his fetters26 as he rose; ‘then my dream is true! Begone, and leave me to myself; it will be your best.’
‘What! my good friend,’ said Glossin, ‘will you allow the prospect27 of a few weeks’ confinement to depress your spirit?’
‘Yes,’ answered the ruffian, sullenly28, ‘when I am only to be released by a halter! Let me alone; go about your business, and turn the lamp from my face!’
‘Psha! my dear Dirk, don’t be afraid,’ said Glossin; ‘I have a glorious plan to make all right.’
‘To the bottomless pit with your plans!’ replied his accomplice29; ‘you have planned me out of ship, cargo30, and life; and I dreamt this moment that Meg Merrilies dragged you here by the hair and gave me the long clasped knife she used to wear; you don’t know what she said. Sturmwetter! it will be your wisdom not to tempt31 me!’
‘But, Hatteraick, my good friend, do but rise and speak to me,’ said Glossin.
‘I will not!’ answered the savage32, doggedly33. ‘You have caused all the mischief34; you would not let Meg keep the boy; she would have returned him after he had forgot all.’
‘Why, Hatteraick, you are turned driveller!’
‘Wetter! will you deny that all that cursed attempt at Portanferry, which lost both sloop35 and crew, was your device for your own job?’
‘But the goods, you know — ’
‘Curse the goods!’ said the smuggler36, ‘we could have got plenty more; but, der deyvil! to lose the ship and the fine fellows, and my own life, for a cursed coward villain17, that always works his own mischief with other people’s hands! Speak to me no more; I’m dangerous.’
‘But, Dirk — but, Hatteraick, hear me only a few words.’
‘Hagel! nein.’
‘Only one sentence.’
‘Tousand curses! nein.’
‘At least get up, for an obstinate37 Dutch brute38!’ said Glossin, losing his temper and pushing Hatteraick with his foot.
‘Donner and blitzen!’ said Hatteraick, springing up and grappling with him; ‘you will have it then?’
Glossin struggled and resisted; but, owing to his surprise at the fury of the assault, so ineffectually that he fell under Hatteraick, the back part of his neck coming full upon the iron bar with stunning39 violence. The death-grapple continued. The room immediately below the condemned ward, being that of Glossin, was, of course, empty; but the inmates40 of the second apartment beneath felt the shock of Glossin’s heavy fall, and heard a noise as of struggling and of groans41. But all sounds of horror were too congenial to this place to excite much curiosity or interest.
In the morning, faithful to his promise, Mac-Guffog came. ‘Mr. Glossin,’ said he, in a whispering voice.
‘Call louder,’ answered Dirk Hatteraick.
‘Mr. Glossin, for God’s sake come away!’
‘He’ll hardly do that without help,’ said Hatteraick.
‘What are you chattering42 there for, Mac-Guffog?’ called out the captain from below.
‘Come away, for God’s sake, Mr. Glossin!’ repeated the turnkey.
At this moment the jailor made his appearance with a light. Great was his surprise, and even horror, to observe Glossin’s body lying doubled across the iron bar, in a posture43 that excluded all idea of his being alive. Hatteraick was quietly stretched upon his pallet within a yard of his victim. On lifting Glossin it was found he had been dead for some hours. His body bore uncommon44 marks of violence. The spine45 where it joins the skull46 had received severe injury by his first fall. There were distinct marks of strangulation about the throat, which corresponded with the blackened state of his face. The head was turned backward over the shoulder, as if the neck had been wrung47 round with desperate violence. So that it would seem that his inveterate48 antagonist49 had fixed50 a fatal gripe upon the wretch’s throat, and never quitted it while life lasted. The lantern, crushed and broken to pieces, lay beneath the body.
Mac-Morlan was in the town, and came instantly to examine the corpse51. ‘What brought Glossin here?’ he said to Hatteraick.
‘The devil!’ answered the ruffian.
‘And what did you do to him?’
‘Sent him to hell before me!’ replied the miscreant52.
‘Wretch,’ said Mac-Morlan, ‘you have crowned a life spent without a single virtue53 with the murder of your own miserable54 accomplice!’
‘Virtue?’ exclaimed the prisoner. ‘Donner! I was always faithful to my shipowners — always accounted for cargo to the last stiver. Hark ye! let me have pen and ink and I’ll write an account of the whole to our house, and leave me alone a couple of hours, will ye; and let them take away that piece of carrion55, donnerwetter!’
Mac-Morlan deemed it the best way to humour the savage; he was furnished with writing materials and left alone. When they again opened the door it was found that this determined56 villain had anticipated justice. He had adjusted a cord taken from the truckle-bed, and attached it to a bone, the relic57 of his yesterday’s dinner, which he had contrived58 to drive into a crevice59 between two stones in the wall at a height as great as he could reach, standing60 upon the bar. Having fastened the noose61, he had the resolution to drop his body as if to fall on his knees, and to retain that posture until resolution was no longer necessary. The letter he had written to his owners, though chiefly upon the business of their trade, contained many allusions62 to the younker of Ellangowan, as he called him, and afforded absolute confirmation63 of all Meg Merrilies and her nephew had told.
To dismiss the catastrophe64 of these two wretched men, I shall only add, that Mac-Guffog was turned out of office, notwithstanding his declaration (which he offered to attest65 by oath), that he had locked Glossin safely in his own room upon the night preceding his being found dead in Dirk Hatteraick’s cell. His story, however, found faith with the worthy66 Mr. Skriegh and other lovers of the marvellous, who still hold that the Enemy of Mankind brought these two wretches67 together upon that night by supernatural interference, that they might fill up the cup of their guilt68 and receive its meed by murder and suicide.
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1
dungeons
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| n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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shackles
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| 手铐( shackle的名词复数 )； 脚镣； 束缚； 羁绊 | |
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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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shackled
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| 给（某人）带上手铐或脚镣( shackle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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varnish
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| n.清漆；v.上清漆；粉饰 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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contraband
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| n.违禁品，走私品 | |
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outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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extorting
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| v.敲诈( extort的现在分词 )；曲解 | |
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teeming
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| adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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wards
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| 区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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pealed
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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smuggler
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| n.走私者 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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41
groans
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| 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 | |
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42
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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inveterate
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| adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的 | |
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49
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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50
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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51
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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miscreant
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| n.恶棍 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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54
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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55
carrion
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| n.腐肉 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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crevice
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| n.(岩石、墙等)裂缝；缺口 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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noose
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| n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑 | |
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allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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63
confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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64
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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