When Magnolia and the major had gone out, each on their several devices, poor Mrs. Macnamara called Biddy, their maid, and told her, in a vehement1, wheezy, confidential2 whisper in her ear, though there was nobody by but themselves, and the door was shut.
‘Biddy, now mind — d’ye see — the lady that came to me in the end of July — do you remember?— in the black satin — you know?— she’ll be here today, and we’re going down together in her coach to Mrs. Nutter3’s; but that does not signify. As soon as she comes, bring her in here, into this room — d’ye mind?— and go across that instant minute — d’ye see now?— straight to Dr. Toole, and ask him to send me the peppermint4 drops he promised me.’
Then she cross-questioned Biddy, to ascertain5 that she perfectly6 understood and clearly remembered; and, finally, she promised her half-a-crown if she peformed this very simple commission to her mistress’s satisfaction and held her tongue religiously on the subject. She had apprised7 Toole the evening before, and now poor ‘Mrs. Mack’s sufferings, she hoped, were about to be brought to a happy termination by the doctor’s ingenuity8. She was, however, very nervous indeed, as the crisis approached; for such a beast as Mary Matchwell at bay was a spectacle to excite a little tremor9 even in a person of more nerve than fat Mrs. Macnamara.
And what could Mary Matchwell want of a conjuring10 conference, of all persons in the world, with poor little Mrs. Nutter? Mrs. Mack had done in this respect simply as she was bid. She had indeed no difficulty to persuade Mrs. Nutter to grant the interview. That harmless little giggling11 creature could not resist the mere12 mention of a fortune-teller. Only for Nutter, who set his face against this sort of sham13 witchcraft14, she would certainly have asked him to treat her with a glimpse into futurity at that famous-sibyl’s house; and now that she had an opportunity of having the enchantress tête-à-tête in her own snug15 parlour at the Mills, she was in a delightful16 fuss of mystery and delight.
Mrs. Mack, indeed, from her own sad experience, felt a misgiving17 and a pang18 in introducing the formidable prophetess. But what could she do? She dared not refuse; all she could risk was an anxious hint to poor little Mrs. Nutter, ‘not to be telling her anything, good, bad, or indifferent, but just to ask her what questions she liked, and no more.’ Indeed, poor Mrs. Mack was low and feverish19 about this assignation, and would have been more so but for the hope that her Polonius, behind the arras, would bring the woman of Endor to her knees.
All on a sudden she heard the rumble20 and jingle21 of a hackney coach, and the clang of the horses’ hoofs22 pulled up close under her window; her heart bounded and fluttered up to her mouth, and then dropped down like a lump of lead, and she heard a well-known voice talk a few sentences to the coachman, and then in the hall, as she supposed, to Biddy; and so she came into the room, dressed as usual in black, tall, thin, and erect23, with a black hood24 shading her pale face and the mist and chill of night seemed to enter along with her.
It was a great relief to poor Mrs. Mack, that she actually saw Biddy at that moment run across the street toward Toole’s hall-door, and she quickly averted25 her conscious glance from the light-heeled handmaid.
‘Pray take a chair, Ma’am,’ said Mrs. Mack, with a pallid26 face and a low courtesy.
Mistress Matchwell made a faint courtesy in return, and, without saying anything, sat down, and peered sharply round the room.
‘I’m glad, Ma’am, you had no dust today; the rain, Ma’am, laid it beautiful.’
The grim woman in black threw back her hood a little, and showed her pale face and thin lips, and prominent black eyes, altogether a grisly and intimidating27 countenance28, with something wild and suspicious in it, suiting by no means ill with her supernatural and malign29 pretensions30.
Mrs. Mack’s ear was strained to catch the sound of Toole’s approach, and a pause ensued, during which she got up and poured out a glass of port for the lady, and she presented it to her deferentially31. She took it with a nod, and sipped32 it, thinking, as it seemed, uneasily. There was plainly something more than usual upon her mind. Mrs. Mack thought — indeed, she was quite sure — she heard a little fussing about the bed-room door, and concluded that the doctor was getting under cover.
When Mrs. Matchwell had set her empty glass upon the table, she glided33 to the window, and Mrs. Mack’s guilty conscience smote34 her, as she saw her look towards Toole’s house. It was only, however, for the coach; and having satisfied herself it was at hand, she said —
‘We’ll have some minutes quite private, if you please —‘tisn’t my affair, you know, but yours,’ said the weird35 woman.
There had been ample time for the arrangement of Toole’s ambuscade. Now was the moment. The crisis was upon her. But poor Mrs. Mack, just as she was about to say her little say about the front windows and opposite neighbours, and the privacy of the back bed-room, and to propose their retiring thither36, felt a sinking of the heart — a deadly faintness, and an instinctive37 conviction that she was altogether overmatched, and that she could not hope to play successfully any sort of devil’s game with that all-seeing sorceress. She had always thought she was a plucky38 woman till she met Mistress Mary. Before her her spirit died within her — her blood flowed hurriedly back to her heart, leaving her body cold, pale, and damp, and her soul quailing39 under her gaze.
She cleared her voice twice, and faltered40 an enquiry, but broke down in panic; and at that moment Biddy popped in her head —
‘The doctor, Ma’am, was sent for to Lucan, an’ he won’t be back till six o’clock, an’ he left no peppermint drops for you, Ma’am, an’ do you want me, if you plase, Ma’am?’
‘Go down, Biddy, that’ll do,’ said Mrs. Mack, growing first pale, and then very red.
Mary Matchwell scented41 death afar off; for her the air was always tainted42 with ominous43 perfumes. Every unusual look or dubious44 word thrilled her with a sense of danger. Suspicion is the baleful instinct of self-preservation with which the devil gifts his children; and hers never slept.
‘What doctor?’ said Mrs. Matchwell, turning her large, dismal45, wicked gaze full on Mrs. Mack.
‘Doctor Toole, Ma’am.’ She dared not tell a literal lie to that piercing, prominent pair of black eyes.
‘And why did you send for Doctor O’Toole, Ma’am?’
‘I did not send for the doctor,’ answered the fat lady, looking down, for she could not stand that glance that seemed to light up all the caverns46 of her poor soul, and make her lies stand forth47 self-confessed. ‘I did not send for him, Ma’am, only for some drops he promised me. I’ve been very sick — I— I— I’m so miserable48.’
And poor Mrs. Mack’s nether49 lip quivered, and she burst into tears.
‘You’re enough to provoke a saint, Mrs. Macnamara,’ said the woman in black, rather savagely50, though coldly enough. ‘Why you’re on the point of fortune, as it seems to me.’ Here poor Mrs. Mack’s inarticulate lamentations waxed more vehement. ‘You don’t believe it — very well — but where’s the use of crying over your little difficulties, Ma’am, like a great baby, instead of exerting yourself and thanking your best friend?’
And the two ladies sat down to a murmuring tête-à-tête at the far end of the room; you could have heard little more than an inarticulate cooing, and poor Mrs. Mack’s sobs51, and the stern —
‘And is that all? I’ve had more trouble with you than with fifty reasonable clients — you can hardly be serious — I tell you plainly, you must manage matters better, my good Madam; for, frankly52, Ma’am, this won’t do.’
With which that part of the conference closed, and Mary Matchwell looked out of the window. The coach stood at the door, the horses dozing53 patiently, with their heads together, and the coachman, with a black eye, mellowing54 into the yellow stage, and a cut across his nose — both doing well — was marching across from the public-house over the way, wiping his mouth in the cuff55 of his coat.
‘Put on your riding-hood, if you please, Madam, and come down with me in the coach to introduce me to Mrs. Nutter,’ said Mrs. Matchwell, at the same time tapping with her long bony fingers to the driver.
‘There’s no need of that, Madam. I said what you desired, and I sent a note to her last night, and she expects you just now; and, indeed, I’d rather not go, Madam, if you please.’
‘’Tis past that now — just do as I tell you, for come you must,’ answered Mrs. Matchwell.
As the old woman of Berkley obeyed, and got up and went quietly away with her visitor, though her dead flesh quivered with fear, so poor Mrs. Mack, though loath56 enough, submitted in silence.
‘Now, you look like a body going to be hanged — you do; what’s the matter with you, Madam? I tell you, you mustn’t look that way. Here, take a sup o’ this;’ and she presented the muzzle57 of a small bottle like a pistol at her mouth as she spoke58 —
‘There’s a glass on the table, if you let me, Ma’am,’ said Mrs. Mack.
‘Glass be ——; here, take a mouthful.’
And she popped it between her lips; and Mrs. Mack was refreshed and her spirit revived within her.
收听单词发音 |
1
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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nutter
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| n.疯子 | |
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peppermint
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| n.薄荷，薄荷油，薄荷糖 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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conjuring
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| n.魔术 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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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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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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jingle
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| n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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intimidating
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| vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词) | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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malign
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| adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑 | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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31
deferentially
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| adv.表示敬意地，谦恭地 | |
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32
sipped
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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quailing
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的现在分词 ) | |
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40
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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41
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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42
tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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43
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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45
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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47
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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48
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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49
nether
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| adj.下部的，下面的；n.阴间；下层社会 | |
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50
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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51
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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52
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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53
dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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54
mellowing
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| 软化，醇化 | |
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55
cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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56
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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57
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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58
spoke
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| 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 | |
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