Stands at thine elbow, and craves2 emptying!—
Nay3, fear not me, for I have no delight
To watch men’s vices4, since I have myself
Of virtue5 nought6 to boast of — I’m a striker,
Would have the world strike with me, pell-mell, all.
Pandemonium7.
Tressilian, in strange agitation8 of mind, had hardly stepped down the first two or three steps of the winding9 staircase, when, greatly to his surprise and displeasure, he met Michael Lambourne, wearing an impudent10 familiarity of visage, for which Tressilian felt much disposed to throw him down-stairs; until he remembered the prejudice which Amy, the only object of his solicitude11, was likely to receive from his engaging in any act of violence at that time and in that place.
He therefore contented12 himself with looking sternly upon Lambourne, as upon one whom he deemed unworthy of notice, and attempted to pass him in his way downstairs, without any symptom of recognition. But Lambourne, who, amidst the profusion13 of that day’s hospitality, had not failed to take a deep though not an overpowering cup of sack, was not in the humour of humbling14 himself before any man’s looks. He stopped Tressilian upon the staircase without the least bashfulness or embarrassment15, and addressed him as if he had been on kind and intimate terms:— “What, no grudge16 between us, I hope, upon old scores, Master Tressilian?— nay, I am one who remembers former kindness rather than latter feud17. I’ll convince you that I meant honestly and kindly18, ay, and comfortably by you.”
“I desire none of your intimacy,” said Tressilian —“keep company with your mates.”
“Now, see how hasty he is!” said Lambourne; “and how these gentles, that are made questionless out of the porcelain19 clay of the earth, look down upon poor Michael Lambourne! You would take Master Tressilian now for the most maid-like, modest, simpering squire20 of dames21 that ever made love when candles were long i’ the stuff — snuff; call you it? Why, you would play the saint on us, Master Tressilian, and forget that even now thou hast a commodity in thy very bedchamber, to the shame of my lord’s castle, ha! ha! ha! Have I touched you, Master Tressilian?”
“I know not what you mean,” said Tressilian, inferring, however, too surely, that this licentious23 ruffian must have been sensible of Amy’s presence in his apartment; ‘i but if,” he continued, “thou art varlet of the chambers24, and lackest a fee, there is one to leave mine unmolested.”
Lambourne looked at the piece of gold, and put it in his pocket saying, “Now, I know not but you might have done more with me by a kind word than by this chiming rogue25. But after all he pays well that pays with gold; and Mike Lambourne was never a makebate, or a spoil-sport, or the like. E’en live, and let others live, that is my motto-only, I would not let some folks cock their beaver26 at me neither, as if they were made of silver ore, and I of Dutch pewter. So if I keep your secret, Master Tressilian, you may look sweet on me at least; and were I to want a little backing or countenance27, being caught, as you see the best of us may be, in a sort of peccadillo28 — why, you owe it me — and so e’en make your chamber22 serve you and that same bird in bower29 beside — it’s all one to Mike Lambourne.”
“Make way, sir,” said Tressilian, unable to bridle30 his indignation, “you have had your fee.”
“Um!” said Lambourne, giving place, however, while he sulkily muttered between his teeth, repeating Tressilian’s words, “Make way — and you have had your fee; but it matters not, I will spoil no sport, as I said before. I am no dog in the manger — mind that.”
He spoke31 louder and louder, as Tressilian, by whom he felt himself overawed, got farther and farther out of hearing.
“I am no dog in the manger; but I will not carry coals neither — mind that, Master Tressilian; and I will have a peep at this wench whom you have quartered so commodiously32 in your old haunted room — afraid of ghosts, belike, and not too willing to sleep alone. If I had done this now in a strange lord’s castle, the word had been, The porter’s lodge33 for the knave34! and, have him flogged — trundle him downstairs like a turnip35! Ay, but your virtuous36 gentlemen take strange privileges over us, who are downright servants of our senses. Well — I have my Master Tressilian’s head under my belt by this lucky discovery, that is one thing certain; and I will try to get a sight of this Lindabrides of his, that is another.”
点击收听单词发音
1 draught | |
n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计 | |
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2 craves | |
渴望,热望( crave的第三人称单数 ); 恳求,请求 | |
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3 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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4 vices | |
缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
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5 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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6 nought | |
n./adj.无,零 | |
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7 pandemonium | |
n.喧嚣,大混乱 | |
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8 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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9 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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10 impudent | |
adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的 | |
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11 solicitude | |
n.焦虑 | |
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12 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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13 profusion | |
n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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14 humbling | |
adj.令人羞辱的v.使谦恭( humble的现在分词 );轻松打败(尤指强大的对手);低声下气 | |
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15 embarrassment | |
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫 | |
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16 grudge | |
n.不满,怨恨,妒嫉;vt.勉强给,不情愿做 | |
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17 feud | |
n.长期不和;世仇;v.长期争斗;世代结仇 | |
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18 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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19 porcelain | |
n.瓷;adj.瓷的,瓷制的 | |
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20 squire | |
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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21 dames | |
n.(在英国)夫人(一种封号),夫人(爵士妻子的称号)( dame的名词复数 );女人 | |
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22 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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23 licentious | |
adj.放纵的,淫乱的 | |
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24 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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25 rogue | |
n.流氓;v.游手好闲 | |
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26 beaver | |
n.海狸,河狸 | |
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27 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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28 peccadillo | |
n.轻罪,小过失 | |
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29 bower | |
n.凉亭,树荫下凉快之处;闺房;v.荫蔽 | |
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30 bridle | |
n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒 | |
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31 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 | |
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32 commodiously | |
adv.宽阔地,方便地 | |
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33 lodge | |
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
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34 knave | |
n.流氓;(纸牌中的)杰克 | |
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35 turnip | |
n.萝卜,芜菁 | |
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36 virtuous | |
adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的 | |
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