AS I drew near the house I saw that the light shone from the open door of my room; and then I heard coming from out of the darkness at the side of that orange oblong of light, the voice of Montgomery shouting, "Prendick!" I continued running. Presently I heard him again. I replied by a feeble "Hullo!" and in another moment had staggered up to him.
"Where have you been?" said he, holding me at arm's length, so that the light from the door fell on my face. "We have both been so busy that we forgot you until about half an hour ago." He led me into the room and sat me down in the deck chair. For awhile I was blinded by the light. "We did not think you would start to explore this island of ours without telling us," he said; and then, "I was afraid--But--what--Hullo!"
My last remaining strength slipped from me, and my head fell forward on my chest. I think he found a certain satisfaction in giving me brandy.
"For God's sake," said I, "fasten that door."
"You've been meeting some of our curiosities, eh?" said he.
He locked the door and turned to me again. He asked me no questions, but gave me some more brandy and water and pressed me to eat. I was in a state of collapse1. He said something vague about his forgetting to warn me, and asked me briefly2 when I left the house and what I had seen.
I answered him as briefly, in fragmentary sentences. "Tell me what it all means," said I, in a state bordering on hysterics.
"It's nothing so very dreadful," said he. "But I think you have had about enough for one day." The puma3 suddenly gave a sharp yell of pain. At that he swore under his breath. "I'm damned," said he, "if this place is not as bad as Gower Street, with its cats."
"Montgomery," said I, "what was that thing that came after me? Was it a beast or was it a man?"
"If you don't sleep to-night," he said, "you'll be off your head to-morrow."
I stood up in front of him. "What was that thing that came after me?" I asked.
He looked me squarely in the eyes, and twisted his mouth askew4. His eyes, which had seemed animated5 a minute before, went dull. "From your account," said he, "I'm thinking it was a bogle."
I felt a gust6 of intense irritation7, which passed as quickly as it came. I flung myself into the chair again, and pressed my hands on my forehead. The puma began once more.
Montgomery came round behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Look here, Prendick," he said, "I had no business to let you drift out into this silly island of ours. But it's not so bad as you feel, man. Your nerves are worked to rags. Let me give you something that will make you sleep. _That_--will keep on for hours yet. You must simply get to sleep, or I won't answer for it."
I did not reply. I bowed forward, and covered my face with my hands. Presently he returned with a small measure containing a dark liquid. This he gave me. I took it unresistingly, and he helped me into the hammock.
When I awoke, it was broad day. For a little while I lay flat, staring at the roof above me. The rafters, I observed, were made out of the timbers of a ship. Then I turned my head, and saw a meal prepared for me on the table. I perceived that I was hungry, and prepared to clamber out of the hammock, which, very politely anticipating my intention, twisted round and deposited me upon all-fours on the floor.
I got up and sat down before the food. I had a heavy feeling in my head, and only the vaguest memory at first of the things that had happened over night. The morning breeze blew very pleasantly through the unglazed window, and that and the food contributed to the sense of animal comfort which I experienced. Presently the door behind me--the door inward towards the yard of the enclosure--opened. I turned and saw Montgomery's face.
"All right," said he. "I'm frightfully busy." And he shut the door.
Afterwards I discovered that he forgot to re-lock it. Then I recalled the expression of his face the previous night, and with that the memory of all I had experienced reconstructed itself before me. Even as that fear came back to me came a cry from within; but this time it was not the cry of a puma. I put down the mouthful that hesitated upon my lips, and listened. Silence, save for the whisper of the morning breeze. I began to think my ears had deceived me.
After a long pause I resumed my meal, but with my ears still vigilant8. Presently I heard something else, very faint and low. I sat as if frozen in my attitude. Though it was faint and low, it moved me more profoundly than all that I had hitherto heard of the abominations behind the wall. There was no mistake this time in the quality of the dim, broken sounds; no doubt at all of their source. For it was groaning9, broken by sobs10 and gasps11 of anguish12. It was no brute13 this time; it was a human being in torment14!
As I realised this I rose, and in three steps had crossed the room, seized the handle of the door into the yard, and flung it open before me.
"Prendick, man! Stop!" cried Montgomery, intervening.
A startled deerhound yelped15 and snarled16. There was blood, I saw, in the sink,--brown, and some scarlet--and I smelt17 the peculiar18 smell of carbolic acid. Then through an open doorway19 beyond, in the dim light of the shadow, I saw something bound painfully upon a framework, scarred, red, and bandaged; and then blotting20 this out appeared the face of old Moreau, white and terrible. In a moment he had gripped me by the shoulder with a hand that was smeared21 red, had twisted me off my feet, and flung me headlong back into my own room. He lifted me as though I was a little child. I fell at full length upon the floor, and the door slammed and shut out the passionate22 intensity23 of his face. Then I heard the key turn in the lock, and Montgomery's voice in expostulation.
"Ruin the work of a lifetime," I heard Moreau say.
"He does not understand," said Montgomery. and other things that were inaudible.
"I can't spare the time yet," said Moreau.
The rest I did not hear. I picked myself up and stood trembling, my mind a chaos24 of the most horrible misgivings25. Could it be possible, I thought, that such a thing as the vivisection of men was carried on here? The question shot like lightning across a tumultuous sky; and suddenly the clouded horror of my mind condensed into a vivid realisation of my own danger.
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1
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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3
puma
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| 美洲豹 | |
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askew
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| adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的 | |
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5
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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7
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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8
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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9
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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10
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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12
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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15
yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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20
blotting
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| 吸墨水纸 | |
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21
smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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22
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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23
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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24
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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