Dangerfield walked out and blandly1 greeted the visitor, who turned out to be Mr. Justice Lowe.
‘I give you good-morning, Sir; pray, alight and step in. Hallo, Doolan, take Mr. Justice Lowe’s horse.’
So Mr. Lowe thanked him, in his cold way, and bowing, strode into the Brass2 Castle; and after the customary civilities, sat himself down, and says he —
‘I’ve been at the Crown Office, Sir, about this murder, we may call it, upon Sturk, and I told them you could throw a light, as I thought, on the matter.’
‘As how, Sir?’
‘Why, regarding the kind of feeling that subsisted3 between the prisoner, Nutter4, and Doctor Sturk.’
‘’Tis unpleasant, Sir, but I can’t object.’
‘There was an angry feeling about the agency, I believe? Lord Castlemallard’s agency, eh?’ continued Lowe.
‘Well, I suppose it was that; there certainly was an unpleasant feeling — very unpleasant.’
‘You’ve heard him express it?’
‘Yes; I think most gentlemen who know him have. Why, he made no disguise of it; he was no great talker, but we’ve heard him on that subject.’
‘But you specially5 know how it stood between them in respect of the agency?’
‘Yes.’
‘Very good, Sir,’ said Lowe.
‘And I’ve a notion that something decisive should be done toward effecting a full discovery, and I’ll consider of a method,’ replied Dangerfield.
‘How do you mean?’ said Lowe, looking up with a glance like a hawk6.
‘How! why I’ll talk it over with Mrs. Sturk this evening.’
‘Why, what has she got to tell?’
‘Nothing, as I suppose; I’ll see her today; there’s nothing to tell; but something, I think, to be done; it hasn’t been set about rightly; ’tis a botched business hitherto — that’s in my judgment7.’
‘Yet ’tis rather a strong case,’ answered Mr. Lowe, superciliously8.
‘Rather a strong case, so it is, but I’ll clench9 it, Sir; it ought to be certain.’
‘Well, Sir?’ said Lowe, who expected to hear more.
‘Yes,’ said Dangerfield, briskly, ‘’twill depend on her; I’ll suggest, she’ll decide.’
‘And why she, Sir?’ said Lowe sharply.
‘Because ’tis her business and her right, and no one else can,’ answered Dangerfield just as tartly10, with his hands in his breeches’ pockets, and his head the least thing o’ one side, and then with a bow, ‘won’t you drink a glass of wine, Sir?’ which was as much as to say, you’ll get no more from me.
‘I thank you, Sir, no; ’tis a little too early for me.’ And so with the usual ceremonies, Mr. Lowe departed, the governor of the Brass Castle walking beside his horse, as far as the iron gate, to do him honour; and as he rode away towards Lucan, Mr. Dangerfield followed him with a snowy smirk11.
Then briskly, after his wont12, the knight13 of the shining spectacles made his natty14 toilet; and in a few minutes his cocked hat was seen gliding15 along the hedge toward Chapelizod.
He glanced up at Sturk’s window — it was a habit now — so soon as he came in sight, but all looked as usual. So he mounted the steps, and asked to see Mrs. Sturk.
‘My dear Madam,’ said he, after due courtesies interchanged, ‘I’ve but a few minutes; my horse waits yonder at the Phoenix16, and I’m away to town. How does your patient today?’
‘Oh, mighty17 well — wonderful — that is considering how cold the weather is. The doctor says he’s lower, indeed, but I don’t mind that, for he must be lower while the cold continues; I always say that; and I judge very much by the eye; don’t you, Mr. Dangerfield? by his looks, you know; they can’t deceive me, and I assure you —’
‘Your house is quiet; are the children out, Ma’am?’
‘Oh, yes, with Mag in the park.’
‘Perhaps, Ma’am, you’d let me see him?’
‘See him?’
‘Yes, look on him, Ma’am, only for a moment you know.’
She looked very much surprised, and perhaps a little curious and frightened.
‘I hope you haven’t heard he’s worse, Mr. Dangerfield. Oh, Sir, sure you haven’t?’
‘No, Madam, on my honour, except from yourself, I’ve heard nothing of him today; but I’d like to see him, and speak a word to you, with your permission.’
So Mrs. Sturk led the way up stairs, whispering as she ascended18; for she had always the fancy in her head that her Barney was in a sweet light sleep, from which he was on no account to be awakened19, forgetting, or not clearly knowing, that all the ordnance20 in the barrack-yard over the way had not voice enough to call him up from that dread21 slumber22.
‘You may go down, my dear,’ said Mr. Dangerfield to the little girl, who rose silently from the chair as they entered; ‘with your permission, Mistress Sturk — I say, child, you may run down,’ and he smiled a playful, sinister23 smile, with a little wave of his finger toward the door. So she courtesied and vanished obediently.
Then he drew the curtain, and looked on Doctor Sturk. There lay the hero of the tragedy, his smashed head strapped24 together with sticking-plaster, and a great white fold of fine linen25, like a fantastic turban, surmounting26 his grim yellow features.
Then he slipped his fingers under the coverlet, and took his hand; a strange greeting that! But it was his pulse he wanted, and when he had felt it for a while —
‘Psha!’ said he in a whisper — for the semblance27 of sleep affected28 everyone alike —‘his pulse is just gone. Now, Madam, listen to me. There’s not a soul in Chapelizod but yourself who does not know his wounds are mortal — he’s dying, Ma’am.’
‘Oh — oh — o — o — oh, Mr. Dangerfield, you don’t — you don’t think so,’ wildly cried the poor little lady, growing quite white with terror and agony.
‘Now, pray, my dear Mistress Sturk, compose yourself, and hear me out: ’Tis my belief he has a chance; but none, absolutely no chance, Madam, unless my advice be taken. There’s not an evening, Ma’am, I meet Doctor Toole at the club, but I hear the same report — a little lower — always the same — lower — sinking — and no hope.’
Here Mrs. Sturk broke out again.
‘Now, Madam,’ I protest you’ll make me regret my visit, unless you please to command yourself. While the doctors who are about him have got him in hands, there’s neither hope for his life, nor for his recovering, for one moment, the use of his speech. Pray, Madam, hear me. They state as much themselves. Now, Madam, I say, we must have a chance for his life, and if that fails, a chance for his speech. The latter, Madam, is of more consequence than, perhaps, you are aware.’
Poor little Mrs. Sturk was looking very pale, and breathing very hard, with her hand pressed to her heart.
‘I’ve done what I could, you know, to see my way through his affairs, and I’ve succeeded in keeping his creditors29 quiet.’
At this point poor Mrs. Sturk broke out —
‘Oh! may the Father of the fatherless, if such they are to be bless and reward — oh — oh — ho — ho, Mr. Dangerfield — oh — oh-oh — Sir.’
‘Now, pray, Madam, oblige me and be tranquil30. I say, Madam, his affairs, I suspect, are by no means in so bad a case as we at first supposed, and he has got, or I’m mistaken, large sums out, but where, neither I nor you can tell. Give him five minutes’ speech, and it may be worth a thousand pounds to you — well, not to you, if you will, but to his children. And again, Madam, ’tis of the utmost importance that he should be able to state who was the villain31 who struck him — Charles — a — Charles — Mr. Nutter — you know, Madam.’
‘Oh! that dreadful — dreadful man — may Heaven forgive him. Oh, my Barney! look at him there — he’d forgive him if he could speak. You would, my blessed Barney — you would.’
‘To be sure he would. But see, Ma’am, the importance of having his evidence to settle the fact. Well, I know that he would not like to hang anybody. But suppose, Ma’am, Charles Nutter is innocent, don’t you think he’d like to acquit32 him? ay, you do. Well, Ma’am, ’tis due to the public, you see, and to his children that he should have a chance of recovering his speech, and to common humanity that he should have a chance for his life — eh? and neither will the doctors who have him in hands allow him. Now, Madam, there’s a simple operation, called trepanning, you have heard of it, which would afford him such a chance, but fearing its failure they won’t try it, although they allege33 that without it he must die, d’ye see?— ay, die he must, without a cast for his life if you won’t try it.’
And so, by harping34 on the alternatives, and demonstrating the prudence35, humanity, and duty of action, and the inevitably36 fatal consequences of the other course, he wrought37 upon her at last to write a note to Surgeon Dillon to come out on the evening following, and to perform the operation. The dreadful word ‘today,’ the poor little woman could not abide38. She pleaded for a respite39, and so, half-distracted, fixed40 tomorrow.
‘I hope, my dear Madam, you’ve some little confidence in me. I think I have shown an interest, and I’ve striven to be of use.’
‘Oh, Sir, Mr. Dangerfield, you’ve been too good, our guardian41 angel; but for you, Sir, we should not have had a roof over our heads, or a bed to lie on; oh! may —’
‘Well, Ma’am, you please to speak too highly of my small services; but I would plead them, humble42 as they are, as a claim on your confidence, and having decided43 upon this wise and necessary course, pray do not say a word about it to anybody but myself. I will go to town, and arrange for the doctor’s visit, and you’ll soon, I hope, have real grounds for gratitude44, not to me, Ma’am, but to Heaven.’
收听单词发音 |
1
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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subsisted
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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nutter
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| n.疯子 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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superciliously
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| adv.高傲地；傲慢地 | |
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clench
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| vt.捏紧（拳头等），咬紧（牙齿等），紧紧握住 | |
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tartly
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| adv.辛辣地，刻薄地 | |
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smirk
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| n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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natty
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| adj.整洁的，漂亮的 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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phoenix
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| n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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ordnance
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| n.大炮，军械 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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surmounting
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| 战胜( surmount的现在分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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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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acquit
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| vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
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allege
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| vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言 | |
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harping
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| n.反复述说 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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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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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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