That evening there came to the door of the Mills, a damsel, with a wide basket on her arm, the covering of which being removed, a goodly show of laces, caps, fans, wash-balls, buckles1, and other attractions, came out like a parterre of flowers, with such a glow as dazzled the eyes of Moggy, at the study window.
‘Would you plaze to want any, my lady?’ enquired2 the pedlar.
Moggy thought they were, perhaps, a little bit too fine for her purse, but she could not forbear longing3 and looking, and asking the prices of this bit of finery and that, at the window; and she called Betty, and the two maids conned4 over the whole contents of the basket.
At last she made an offer for an irresistible5 stay-hook of pinchbeck, set with half-a-dozen resplendent jewels of cut glass, and after considerable chaffering, and a keen encounter of their wits, they came at last to terms, and Moggy ran out to the kitchen for her money, which lay in a brass6 snuff-box, in a pewter goblet7, on the dresser.
As she was counting her coin, and putting back what she did not want, the latch8 of the kitchen door was lifted from without, and the door itself pushed and shaken. Though the last red gleam of a stormy sunset was glittering among the ivy9 leaves round the kitchen window, the terrors of last night’s apparition10 were revived in a moment, and, with a blanched11 face, she gazed on the door, expecting, breathlessly, what would come.
The door was bolted and locked on the inside, in accordance with Doctor Toole’s solemn injunction; and there was no attempt to use violence. But a brisk knocking began thereat and Moggy, encouraged by hearing the voices of Betty and the vender12 of splendours at the little parlour window, and also by the amber13 sunlight on the rustling14 ivy leaves, and the loud evening gossip of the sparrows, took heart of grace, and demanded shrilly16 —
‘Who’s there?’
A whining17 beggar’s voice asked admission.
‘But you can’t come in, for the house is shut up for the night, replied the cook.
‘’Tis a quare hour you lock your doors at,’ said the besieger18.
‘Mighty quare, but so it is,’ she answered.
‘But ’tis a message for the misthress I have,’ answered the applicant19.
‘Who from?’ demanded the porteress.
‘’Tis a present o’ some wine, acushla.’
‘Who from?’ repeated she, growing more uneasy.
‘Auch! woman, are you going to take it in, or no?’
‘Come in the morning, my good man,’ said she, ‘for sorrow a foot you’ll put inside the house to-night.’
‘An’ that’s what I’m to tell them that sent me.’
‘Neither more nor less,’ replied she.
And so she heard a heavy foot clank along the pavement, and she tried to catch a glimpse of the returning figure, but she could not, though she laid her cheek against the window-pane. However, she heard him whistling as he went, which gave her a better opinion of him, and she thought she heard the road gate shut after him.
So feeling relieved, and with a great sigh, she counted her money over; and answering Betty’s shrill15 summons to the study, as the woman was in haste, with a ‘Coming, coming this minute,’ she replaced her treasure, and got swiftly into poor Charles Nutter20’s little chamber21. There was his pipe over the chimney, and his green, and gold-laced Sunday waistcoat folded on the little walnut22 table by the fire, and his small folio, ‘Maison Rustique, the Country Farme,’ with his old green worsted purse set for a marker in it where he had left off reading the night before all their troubles began; and his silk dressing-gown was hanging by the window-frame, and his velvet23 morning-cap on the same peg24 — the dust had settled on them now. And after her fright in the kitchen, all these mementoes smote25 her with a grim sort of reproach and menace, and she wished the window barred, and the door of the ominous26 little chamber locked for the night.
‘’Tis growing late,’ said the dealer27 from without, ‘and I daren’t be on the road after dark. Gi’ me my money, good girl; and here, take your stay-hook.’
And so saying, she looked a little puzzled up and down, as not well knowing how they were to make their exchange.
‘Here,’ says Moggy, ‘give it in here.’ And removing the fastening, she shoved the window up a little bit. ‘Hould it, Betty; hould it up,’ said she. And in came the woman’s hard, brown hand, palm open, for her money, and the other containing the jewel, after which the vain soul of Moggy lusted28.
‘That’ll do,’ said she; and crying shrilly, ‘Give us a lift, sweetheart,’ in a twinkling she shoved the window up, at the same time kneeling, with a spring, upon the sill, and getting her long leg into the room, with her shoulder under the window-sash, her foot firmly planted on the floor, and her face and head in the apartment. Almost at the same instant she was followed by an ill-looking fellow, buttoned up in a surtout, whose stature29 seemed enormous, and at sight of whom the two women shrieked30 as if soul and body were parting.
The lady was now quite in the room, and standing31 upright showed the tall shape and stern lineaments of Mary Matchwell. And as she stood she laughed a sort of shuddering32 laugh, like a person who had just had a plunge33 in cold water.
‘Stop that noise,’ said she, recognising Betty, who saw her with unspeakable terror. ‘I’m the lady that came here, you know, some months ago, with Mrs. Macnamara; and I’m Mrs. Nutter, which the woman up stairs is not. I’m Mrs. Nutter, and you’re my servants, do ye mind? and I’ll act a fair mistress by you, if you do me honest service. Open the hall-door,’ she said to the man, who was by this time also in the room. And forth34 he went to do her bidding, and a gentleman, who turned out to be that respectable pillar of the law whom Mr. Gamble in the morning had referred to as ‘Dirty Davy,’ entered. He was followed by Mrs. Mary Matchwell’s maid, a giggling35, cat-like gipsy, with a lot of gaudy36 finery about her, and a withered37, devilment leering in her face; and a hackney-coach drove up to the door, which had conveyed the party from town; and the driver railing in loud tones, after the manner of his kind in old times, at all things, reeking38 of whiskey and stale tobacco, and cursing freely, pitched in several trunks, one after the other; and, in fact, it became perfectly39 clear that M. M. was taking possession. And Betty and Moggy, at their wits’ end between terror and bewilderment, were altogether powerless to resist, and could only whimper a protest against the monstrous40 invasion, while poor little Sally Nutter up stairs, roused by the wild chorus of strange voices from the lethargy of her grief, and even spurred into active alarm, locked her door, and then hammered with a chair upon the floor, under a maniacal41 hallucination that she was calling I know not what or whom to the rescue.
Then Dirty Davy read aloud, with due emphasis, to the maids, copies, as he stated, of the affidavits42 sworn to that day by Mistress Mary Matchwell, or as he called her, Mrs. Nutter, relict of the late Charles Nutter, gentleman, of the Mills, in the parish of Chapelizod, barony of Castleknock, and county of Dublin, deposing43 to her marriage with the said Charles Nutter having been celebrated44 in the Church of St. Clement45 Danes, in London, on the 7th of April, 1750. And then came a copy of the marriage certificate, and then a statement how, believing that deceased had left no ‘will’ making any disposition46 of his property, or naming an executor, she applied47 to the Court of Prerogative48 for letters of administration to the deceased, which letters would be granted in a few days; and in the meantime the bereaved49 lady would remain in possession of the house and chattels50 of her late husband.
All this, of course, was so much ‘Hebrew–Greek,’ as honest Father Roach was wont51 to phrase it, to the scared women. But M. M.—[Greek: nykti eoik?st]— fixing them both with her cold and terrible gaze, said quite intelligibly52 —
‘What’s your name?’
‘Moggy Sullivan, if you please, Ma’am.’
‘And what’s yours?’
‘Lizabet — Betty they call me — Madam; Lizabet Burke, if you please, Madam.’
‘Well, then, Moggy Sullivan and Elizabeth Burke, harkee both, while I tell you a thing. I’m mistress here by law, as you’ve just heard, and you’re my servants; and if you so much as wind the jack53 or move a tea-cup, except as I tell you, I’ll find a way to punish you; and if I miss to the value of a pin’s head, I’ll indict54 you for a felony, and have you whipped and burnt in the hand — you know what that means. And now, where’s Mistress Sarah Harty? for she must pack and away.’
‘Oh! Ma’am, jewel, the poor misthress.’
‘I’m the mistress, slut.’
‘Ma’am, dear, she’s very bad.’
‘Where is she?’
‘In her room, Ma’am,’ answered Betty, with blubbered cheeks.
‘Where are you going, minx?’ cried M. M., with a terrible voice and look, and striding toward the door, from which Moggy was about to escape.
Now, Moggy was a sort of heroine, not in the vain matter of beauty, for she had high cheek bones, a snub nose, and her figure had no more waist, or other feminine undulations, than the clock in the hall; but like that useful piece of furniture, presented an oblong parallelogram, unassisted by art; for, except on gala days, these homely55 maidens56 never sported hoops57. But she was, nevertheless, a heroine of the Amazonian species. She tripped up Pat Morgan, and laid that athlete suddenly on his back, upon the grass plot before the hall door, to his eternal disgrace, when he ‘offered’ to kiss her, while the fiddler and tambourine-man were playing. She used to wring58 big boys by the ears; overawe fishwives with her voluble invective59; put dangerous dogs to rout60 with sticks and stones, and evince, in all emergencies, an adventurous61 spirit and an alacrity62 for battle.
For her, indeed, as for others, the spell of ‘M. M.‘s’ evil eye and witchlike presence was at first too much; but Moggy rallied, and, thus challenged, she turned about at the door and stoutly63 confronted the intruder.
‘Minx, yourself, you black baste64; I’m goin’ just wherever it plases me best, and I’d like to know who’ll stop me; and first, Ma’am, be your lave, I’ll tell the mistress to lock her door, and keep you and your rake-helly squad65 at the wrong side of it, and then, Ma’am, wherever the fancy takes me next — and that’s how it is, and my sarvice to your ladyship.’
Off went Moggy, with a leer of defiance66 and a snap of her fingers, cutting a clumsy caper67, and rushed like a mad cow up the stairs, shouting all the way, ‘Lock your door, Ma’am — lock your door.’
Growing two or three degrees whiter, M. M., so soon as she recovered herself, glided68 in pursuit, like the embodiment of an evil spirit, as perhaps she was, and with a gleam of insanity69, or murder, in her eye, which always supervened when her wrath70 was moved.
The sullen71 face of the bailiff half lighted up with a cynical72 grin of expectation, for he saw that both ladies were game, and looked for a spirited encounter. But Dirty Davy spoiled all by interposing his person, and arresting the pursuit of his client, and delivering a wheezy expostulation close in her ear.
‘’Tis a strange thing if I can’t do what I will with my own — fine laws, i’faith!’
‘I only tell you, Madam, and if you do, it may embarrass us mightily73 by-and-by.’
‘I’d wring her neck across the banister,’ murmured M. M.
‘An’ now, plase your ladyship, will I bring your sarvice to the ladies and gentlemen down in the town, for ’tis there I’m going next,’ said Moggy, popping in at the door, with a mock courtesy, and a pugnacious74 cock in her eye, and a look altogether so provoking and warlike as almost tempted75 the bailiff at the door to clap her on the back, and cry, had he spoken Latin, macte virtute puer!
‘Catch the slut. You sha’n’t budge76 — not a foot — hold her,’ cried M. M. to the bailiff.
‘Baugh!’ was his answer.
‘See, now,’ said Davy, ‘Madam Nutter’s not serious — you’re not, Ma’am? We don’t detain you, mind. The door’s open. There’s no false imprisonment77 or duress78, mind ye, thanking you all the same, Miss, for your offer. We won’t detain you, ah, ah. No, I thank you. Chalk the road for the young lady, Mr. Redmond.’
And Davy fell to whisper energetically again in M. M.‘s ear.
And Moggy disappeared. Straight down to the town she went, and to the friendly Dr. Toole’s house, but he was not expected home from Dublin till morning. Then she had thoughts of going to the barrack, and applying for a company of soldiers, with a cannon79, if necessary, to retake the Mills. Then she bethought her o’ good Dr. Walsingham, but he was too simple to cope with such seasoned rogues80. General Chattesworth was too far away, and not quite the man either, no more than Colonel Stafford; and the young beaux, ‘them captains, and the like, ‘id only be funnin’ me, and knows nothing of law business.’ So she pitched upon Father Roach.
收听单词发音 |
1
buckles
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| 搭扣，扣环( buckle的名词复数 ) | |
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enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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conned
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| adj.被骗了v.指挥操舵( conn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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goblet
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| n.高脚酒杯 | |
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latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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12
vender
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| n.小贩 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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besieger
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| n. 围攻者, 围攻军 | |
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applicant
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| n.申请人，求职者，请求者 | |
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nutter
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| n.疯子 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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23
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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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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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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lusted
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| 贪求（lust的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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30
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
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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32
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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33
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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38
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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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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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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maniacal
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| adj.发疯的 | |
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affidavits
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| n.宣誓书，（经陈述者宣誓在法律上可采作证据的）书面陈述( affidavit的名词复数 ) | |
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deposing
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| v.罢免( depose的现在分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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45
clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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46
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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prerogative
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| n.特权 | |
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49
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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51
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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52
intelligibly
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| adv.可理解地，明了地，清晰地 | |
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53
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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54
indict
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| v.起诉，控告，指控 | |
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homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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56
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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57
hoops
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| n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓 | |
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58
wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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invective
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| n.痛骂，恶意抨击 | |
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rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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64
baste
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| v.殴打，公开责骂 | |
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65
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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67
caper
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| v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏 | |
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68
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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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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73
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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74
pugnacious
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| adj.好斗的 | |
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75
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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76
budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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77
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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78
duress
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| n.胁迫 | |
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79
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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80
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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