Dr. Sturk’s spirits and temper had not become more pleasant lately. In fact he brooded more, and was more savage1 at home than was at all agreeable. He used to go into town oftener, and to stay there later; and his language about Toole and Nutter2, when there was none but submissive little Mrs. Sturk by, was more fierce and coarse than ever. To hear him, then, one would have supposed that they were actually plotting to make away with him, and that in self-defence he must smite3 them hip4 and thigh5. Then, beside their moral offensiveness, they were such ‘idiots,’ and: ‘noodles,’ and botching and blundering right and left, so palpably to the danger and ruin of their employers, that no man of conscience could sit easy and see it going on; and all this simply because he had fixed6 his affections upon the practice of the one, and the agency of the other. For Sturk had, in his own belief, a genius for business of every sort. Everybody on whom his insolent7 glance fell, who had any sort of business to do, did it wrong, and was a ‘precious disciple,’ or a ‘goose,’ or a ‘born jackass,’ and excited his scoffing8 chuckle10. And little Mrs. Sturk, frightened and admiring, used to say, while he grinned and muttered, and tittered into the fire, with his great shoulders buried in his balloon-backed chair, his heels over the fender and his hands in his breeches’ pockets —‘But, Barney, you know, you’re so clever — there’s no one like you!’ And he was fond of just nibbling11 at speculations12 in a small safe way, and used to pull out a roll of bank-notes, when he was lucky, and show his winnings to his wife, and chuckle and swear over them, and boast and rail, and tell her, if it was not for the cursed way his time was cut up with hospital, and field days, and such trumpery13 regimental duties, he could make a fortune while other men were thinking of it; and he very nearly believed it. And he was, doubtless, clear-headed, though wrong-headed, too, at times, and very energetic; but his genius was for pushing men out of their places to make way for himself.
But with all that he had the good brute14 instincts too, and catered15 diligently16 for his brood, and their ‘dam’— and took a gruff unacknowledged pride in seeing his wife well dressed — and had a strong liking17 for her — and thanked her in his soul for looking after things so well; and thought often about his boys, and looked sharply after their education; and was an efficient and decisive head of a household; and had no vices18 nor expensive indulgences; and was a hard but tolerably just man to deal with.
All this time his uneasiness and puzzle about Dangerfield continued, and, along with other things, kept him awake often to unseasonable hours at night. He did not tell Mrs. Sturk. In fact, he was a man, who, though on most occasions he gave the wife of his bosom19 what he called ‘his mind’ freely enough, yet did not see fit to give her a great deal of his confidence.
Dangerfield had his plans too. Who has not? Nothing could be more compact and modest than his household. He had just a housekeeper20 and two maids, who looked nearly as old, and a valet, and a groom21, who slept at the ‘Phoenix,’ and two very pretty horses at livery in the same place. All his appointments were natty22 and complete, and his servants, every one, stood in awe23 of him; for no lip or eye-service would go down with that severe, prompt, and lynx-eyed gentleman. And his groom, among the coachmen and other experts of the ‘Salmon House,’ used to brag24 of his hunters in England; and his man, of his riches, and his influence with Lord Castlemallard.
In England, Dangerfield, indeed, spent little more money than he did in Chapelizod, except in his stable; and Lord Castlemallard, who admired his stinginess, as he did everything else about him, used to say: ‘He’s a wonder of the world! How he retains his influence over all the people he knows without ever giving one among them so much as a mutton-chop or a glass of sherry in his house, I can’t conceive. I couldn’t do it, I know.’ But he had ultimate plans, if not of splendour, at least of luxury. His tastes, and perhaps some deeper feelings, pointed25 to the continent, and he had purchased a little paradise on the Lake of Geneva, where was an Eden of fruits and flowers, and wealth of marbles and coloured canvas, and wonderful wines maturing in his cellars, and aquaria for his fish, and ice-houses and baths, and I know not what refinements26 of old Roman Villa-luxury beside — among which he meant to pass the honoured evening of his days; with just a few more thousands, and, as he sometimes thought, perhaps a wife. He had not quite made up his mind; but he had come to the time when a man must forthwith accept matrimony frankly27, or, if he be wise, shake hands with bleak28 celibacy29, and content himself for his earthly future with monastic jollity and solitude30.
It is a maxim31 with charitable persons — and no more than a recognition of a great constitutional axiom — to assume, in the absence of proof to the contrary, that every British subject is an honest man. Now, if we had gone to Lord Castlemallard for his character — and who more competent to give him one — we know very well what we should have heard about Dangerfield; and, on the other hand, we have never found him out — have we, kind reader?— in a shabby action or unworthy thought; and, therefore, it leaves upon our mind an unpleasant impression about that Mr. Mervyn, who arrived in the dark, attending upon a coffin9 as mysterious as himself, and now lives solitarily32 in the haunted house near Ballyfermot, that the omniscient33 Dangerfield should follow him, when they pass upon the road, with that peculiar34 stern glance of surprise which seemed to say,—‘Was ever such audacity35 conceived? Is the man mad?’
But Dangerfield did not choose to talk about him — if indeed he had anything to disclose — though the gentlemen at the club pressed him often with questions, which however, he quietly parried, to the signal vexation of active little Dr. Toole, who took up and dropped, in turn, all sorts of curious theories about the young stranger. Lord Castlemallard knew all about him, too, but his lordship was high and huffy, and hardly ever in Chapelizod, except on horseback, and two or three times in the year at a grand dinner at the Artillery36 mess. And when Mervyn was mentioned he always talked of something else, rather imperiously, as though he said, ‘You’ll please to observe that upon that subject I don’t choose to speak.’ And as for Dr. Walsingham, when he thought it right to hold his tongue upon a given matter, thumb-screws could not squeeze it from him.
In short, our friend Toole grew so feverish37 under his disappointment that he made an excuse of old Tim Molloy’s toothache to go up in person to the ‘Tiled House,’ in the hope of meeting the young gentleman, and hearing something from him (the servants, he already knew, were as much in the dark as he) to alleviate38 his distress39. And, sure enough, his luck stood him in stead; for, as he was going away, having pulled out old Molloy’s grinder to give a colour to his visit, who should he find upon the steps of the hall-door but the pale, handsome young gentleman himself.
Dr. Toole bowed low, and grinned with real satisfaction, reminded him of their interview at the ‘Phoenix,’ and made by way of apology for his appearance at the ‘Tiled House,’ a light and kind allusion40 to poor old Tim, of whose toothache he spoke41 affectionately, and with water in his eyes — for he half believed for the moment what he was saying — declared how he remembered him when he did not come up to Tim’s knee-buckle, and would walk that far any day, and a bit further too, he hoped, to relieve the poor old boy in a less matter. And finding that Mr. Mervyn was going toward Chapelizod, he begged him not to delay on his account, and accompanied him down the Ballyfermot road, entertaining him by the way with an inexhaustible affluence42 of Chapelizod anecdote43 and scandal, at which the young man stared a good deal, and sometimes even appeared impatient: but the doctor did not perceive it, and rattled44 on; and told him moreover, everything about himself and his belongings45 with a minute and voluble frankness, intended to shame the suspicious reserve of the stranger. But nothing came; and being by this time grown bolder, he began a more direct assault, and told him, with a proper scorn of the village curiosity, all the theories which the Chapelizod gossips had spun46 about him.
‘And they say, among other things, that you’re not — a — in fact — there’s a mystery — a something — about your birth, you know,’ said Toole, in a tone implying pity and contempt for his idle townsfolk.
‘They lie, then!’ cried the young man, stopping short, more fiercely than was pleasant, and fixing his great lurid47 eyes upon the cunning face of the doctor; and, after a pause, ‘Why can’t they let me and my concerns alone, Sir?’
‘But there’s no use in saying so, I can tell you,’ exclaimed little Toole, recovering his feet in an instant. ‘Why, I suppose there isn’t so tattling, prying48, lying, scandalous a little colony of Christians49 on earth; eyes, ears, and mouths all open, Sir; heads busy, tongues wagging; lots of old maids, by Jove; ladies’ women, and gentlemen’s gentlemen, and drawers and footmen; club talk, Sir, and mess-table talk, and talk on band days, talk over cards, talk at home, Sir — talk in the streets — talk — talk; by Jupiter Tonans! ’tis enough to bother one’s ears, and make a man envy Robinson Crusoe!’
‘So I do, Sir, if we were rid of his parrot,’ answered Mervyn: and with a dry ‘I wish you a good-morning, doctor — doctor — a — Sir’— turned sharply from him up the Palmerstown-road.
‘Going to Belmont,’ murmured little Toole, with his face a little redder than usual, and stopping in an undignified way for a moment at the corner to look after him. ‘He’s close — plaguy close; and Miss Rebecca Chattesworth knows nothing about him neither — I wander does she though — and doesn’t seem to care even. He’s not there for nothing though. Some one makes him welcome, depend on’t,’ and he winked50 to himself. ‘A plaguy high stomach, too, by Jove. I bet you fifty, if he stays here three months, he’ll be at swords or pistols with some of our hot bloods. And whatever his secret is — and I dare say ‘tisn’t worth knowing — the people here will ferret it out at last, I warrant you. There’s small good in making all the fuss he does about it; if he knew but all, there’s no such thing as a secret here — hang the one have I, I know, just because there’s no use in trying. The whole town knows when I’ve tripe51 for dinner, and where I have a patch or a darn. And when I got the fourteen pigeons at Darkey’s-bridge, the birds were not ten minutes on my kitchen table when old Widow Foote sends her maid and her compliments, as she knew my pie-dish only held a dozen, to beg the two odd birds. Secret, indeed!’ and he whistled a bar or two contemptuously, which subsided52 into dejected silence, and he muttered, ‘I wish I knew it,’ and walked over the bridge gloomily; and he roared more fiercely on smaller occasions than usual at his dogs on the way home, and they squalled oftener and louder.
Now, for some reason or other, Dangerfield had watched the growing intimacy53 between Mervyn and Miss Gertrude Chattesworth with an evil eye. He certainly did know something about this Mr. Mervyn, with his beautiful sketches54, and his talk about Italy, and his fine music. And his own spectacles had carefully surveyed Miss Chattesworth, and she had passed the ordeal55 satisfactorily. And Dangerfield thought, ‘These people can’t possibly suspect the actual state of the case, and who and what this gentleman is to my certain knowledge; and ’tis a pity so fine a young lady should be sacrificed for want of a word spoken in season.’ And when he had decided56 upon a point, it was not easy to make him stop or swerve57.
收听单词发音 |
1
savage
|
|
| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
nutter
|
|
| n.疯子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
smite
|
|
| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
hip
|
|
| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
thigh
|
|
| n.大腿；股骨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
insolent
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
scoffing
|
|
| n. 嘲笑, 笑柄, 愚弄 v. 嘲笑, 嘲弄, 愚弄, 狼吞虎咽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
coffin
|
|
| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
chuckle
|
|
| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
nibbling
|
|
| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
speculations
|
|
| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
trumpery
|
|
| n.无价值的杂物；adj.（物品）中看不中用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
catered
|
|
| 提供饮食及服务( cater的过去式和过去分词 )； 满足需要，适合 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
diligently
|
|
| ad.industriously;carefully | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
liking
|
|
| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
vices
|
|
| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
bosom
|
|
| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
housekeeper
|
|
| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
groom
|
|
| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
natty
|
|
| adj.整洁的，漂亮的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
awe
|
|
| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
brag
|
|
| v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
refinements
|
|
| n.（生活）风雅；精炼( refinement的名词复数 )；改良品；细微的改良；优雅或高贵的动作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
bleak
|
|
| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
celibacy
|
|
| n.独身(主义) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
maxim
|
|
| n.格言，箴言 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
solitarily
|
|
| adv.独自一人地，寂寞地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
omniscient
|
|
| adj.无所不知的；博识的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
audacity
|
|
| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
artillery
|
|
| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
feverish
|
|
| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
alleviate
|
|
| v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
allusion
|
|
| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
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： |
|
|
|
|
42
affluence
|
|
| n.充裕，富足 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
anecdote
|
|
| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
rattled
|
|
| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
belongings
|
|
| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
spun
|
|
| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
lurid
|
|
| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
prying
|
|
| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
Christians
|
|
| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
winked
|
|
| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
tripe
|
|
| n.废话，肚子, 内脏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
subsided
|
|
| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
intimacy
|
|
| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
sketches
|
|
| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
ordeal
|
|
| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
swerve
|
|
| v.突然转向，背离；n．转向，弯曲，背离 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |