The "death house" in this particular prison was one of those crass1 erections and maintenances of humaninsensitiveness and stupidity principally for which no one primarily was really responsible. Indeed, its total planand procedure were the results of a series of primary legislative2 enactments3, followed by decisions andcompulsions as devised by the temperaments4 and seeming necessities of various wardens5, until at last--bydegrees and without anything worthy7 of the name of thinking on any one's part--there had been gathered and wasnow being enforced all that could possibly be imagined in the way of unnecessary and really unauthorizedcruelty or stupid and destructive torture. And to the end that a man, once condemned8 by a jury, would becompelled to suffer not alone the death for which his sentence called, but a thousand others before that. For the very room by its arrangement, as well as the rules governing the lives and actions of the inmates9, was sufficientto bring about this torture, willy-nilly.
It was a room thirty by fifty feet, of stone and concrete and steel, and surmounted11 some thirty feet from the floorby a skylight. Presumably an improvement over an older and worse death house, with which it was stillconnected by a door, it was divided lengthwise by a broad passage, along which, on the ground floor, weretwelve cells, six on a side and eight by ten each and facing each other. And above again a second tier of whatwere known as balcony cells--five on a side.
There was, however, at the center of this main passage--and dividing these lower cells equally as to number--asecond and narrower passage, which at one end gave into what was now known as the Old Death House (whereat present only visitors to the inmates of the new Death House were received), and at the other into the executionroom in which stood the electric chair. Two of the cells on the lower passage--those at the junction12 of thenarrower passage--faced the execution-room door. The two opposite these, on the corresponding corners, facedthe passage that gave into the Old Death House or what now by a large stretch of the imagination, could becalled the condemned men's reception room, where twice weekly an immediate13 relative or a lawyer might bemet. But no others.
In the Old Death House (or present reception room), the cells still there, and an integral part of this receptionplan, were all in a row and on one side only of a corridor, thus preventing prying14 inspection15 by one inmate10 ofanother, and with a wire screen in front as well as green shades which might be drawn16 in front of each cell. For,in an older day, whenever a new convict arrived or departed, or took his daily walk, or went for his bath, or wasled eventually through the little iron door to the west where formerly17 was the execution chamber18, these shadeswere drawn. He was not supposed to be seen by his associates. Yet the old death house, because of this verycourtesy and privacy, although intense solitude19, was later deemed inhuman20 and hence this newer and better deathhouse, as the thoughtful and condescending21 authorities saw it, was devised.
In this, to be sure, were no such small and gloomy cells as those which characterized the old, for there the ceilingwas low and the sanitary22 arrangements wretched, whereas in the new one the ceiling was high, the rooms andcorridors brightly lighted and in every instance no less than eight by ten feet in size. But by contrast with theolder room, they had the enormous disadvantage of the unscreened if not uncurtained cell doors.
Besides, by housing all together in two such tiers as were here, it placed upon each convict the compulsion ofenduring all the horrors of all the vicious, morbid23 or completely collapsed24 and despairing temperaments abouthim. No true privacy of any kind. By day--a blaze of light pouring through an over-arching skylight high abovethe walls. By night--glistening incandescents of large size and power which flooded each nook and cranny of thevarious cells. No privacy, no games other than cards and checkers--the only ones playable without releasing theprisoners from their cells. Books, newspapers, to be sure, for all who could read or enjoy them under thecircumstances. And visits--mornings and afternoons, as a rule, from a priest, and less regularly from a rabbi anda Protestant minister, each offering his sympathies or services to such as would accept them.
But the curse of the place was not because of these advantages, such as they were, but in spite of them--thisunremitted contact, as any one could see, with minds now terrorized and discolored by the thought of anapproaching death that was so near for many that it was as an icy hand upon the brow or shoulder. And none- whatever the bravado--capable of enduring it without mental or physical deterioration25 in some form. Theglooms--the strains--the indefinable terrors and despairs that blew like winds or breaths about this place anddepressed or terrorized all by turns! They were manifest at the most unexpected moments, by curses, sighs, tearseven, calls for a song--for God's sake!--or the most unintended and unexpected yells or groans26. Worse yet, andproductive of perhaps the most grinding and destroying of all the miseries27 here--the transverse passage leadingbetween the old death house on the one hand and the execution-chamber on the other. For this from time totime--alas, how frequently--was the scene or stage for at least a part of the tragedy that was here so regularlyenacted--the final business of execution.
For through this passage, on his last day, a man was transferred from his BETTER cell in the new building,where he might have been incarcerated28 for so much as a year or two, to one of the older ones in the old deathhouse, in order that he might spend his last hours in solitude, although compelled at the final moment, none-theless(the death march), to retrace29 his steps along this narrower cross passage--and where all might see--into theexecution chamber at the other end of it.
Also at any time, in going to visit a lawyer or relative brought into the old death house for this purpose, it wasnecessary to pass along the middle passage to this smaller one and so into the old death house, there to be housedin a cell, fronted by a wire screen two feet distant, between which and the cell proper a guard must sit while aprisoner and his guest (wife, son, mother, daughter, brother, lawyer) should converse--the guard hearing all. Nohand-clasps, no kisses, no friendly touches of any kind--not even an intimate word that a listening guard mightnot hear. And when the fatal hour for any one had at last arrived, every prisoner--if sinister30 or simple, sensitive orof rugged31 texture--was actually if not intentionally32 compelled to hear if not witness the final preparations--theremoval of the condemned man to one of the cells of the older death house, the final and perhaps weeping visitof a mother, son, daughter, father.
No thought in either the planning or the practice of all this of the unnecessary and unfair torture for those whowere brought here, not to be promptly33 executed, by any means, but rather to be held until the higher courtsshould have passed upon the merits of their cases--an appeal.
At first, of course, Clyde sensed little if anything of all this. In so far as his first day was concerned, he had buttasted the veriest spoonful of it all. And to lighten or darken his burden his mother came at noon the very nextday. Not having been permitted to accompany him, she had waited over for a final conference with Belknap andJephson, as well as to write in full her personal impressions in connection with her son's departure--(Thosenervously searing impressions!) And although anxious to find a room somewhere near the penitentiary34, shehurried first to the office of the penitentiary immediately upon her arrival at Auburn and, after presenting anorder from Justice Oberwaltzer as well as a solicitous35 letter from Belknap and Jephson urging the courtesy of aprivate interview with Clyde to begin with at least, she was permitted to see her son in a room entirely36 apart fromthe old death house. For already the warden6 himself had been reading of her activities and sacrifices and wasinterested in seeing not only her but Clyde also.
But so shaken was she by Clyde's so sudden and amazingly changed appearance here that she could scarcelyspeak upon his entrance, even in recognition of him, so blanched37 and gray were his cheeks and so shadowy andstrained his eyes. His head clipped that way! This uniform! And in this dreadful place of iron gates and locks andlong passages with uniformed guards at every turn!
For a moment she winced38 and trembled, quite faint under the strain, although previous to this she had enteredmany a jail and larger prison--in Kansas City, Chicago, Denver--and delivered tracts39 and exhortations40 andproffered her services in connection with anything she might do. But this--this! Her own son! Her broad, strongbosom began to heave. She looked, and then turned her heavy, broad back to hide her face for the nonce. Her lipsand chin quivered. She began to fumble41 in the small bag she carried for her handkerchief at the same time thatshe was muttering to herself: "My God--why hast Thou forsaken42 me?" But even as she did so there came thethought--no, no, he must not see her so. What a way was this to do--and by her tears weaken him. And yetdespite her great strength she could not now cease at once but cried on.
And Clyde seeing this, and despite his previous determination to bear up and say some comforting andheartening word to his mother, now began:
"But you mustn't, Ma. Gee43, you mustn't cry. I know it's hard on you. But I'll be all right. Sure I will. It isn't as badas I thought." Yet inwardly saying: "Oh, God how bad!"And Mrs. Griffiths adding aloud: "My poor boy! My beloved son! But we mustn't give way. No. No. 'Behold44 Iwill deliver thee out of the snares45 of the wicked.' God has not deserted46 either of us. And He will not--that I know.
'He leadeth me by the still waters.' 'He restoreth my soul.' We must put our trust in Him. Besides," she added,briskly and practically, as much to strengthen herself as Clyde, "haven't I already arranged for an appeal? It is tobe made yet this week. They're going to file a notice. And that means that your case can't even be consideredunder a year. But it is just the shock of seeing you so. You see, I wasn't quite prepared for it." She straightenedher shoulders and now looked up and achieved a brave if strained smile. "The warden here seems very kind, butstill, somehow, when I saw you just now--"She dabbed47 at her eyes which were damp from this sudden and terrific storm, and to divert herself as well as himshe talked of the so very necessary work before her. Messrs. Belknap and Jephson had been so encouraging toher just before she left. She had gone to their office and they had urged her and him to be of good cheer. Andnow she was going to lecture, and at once, and would soon have means to do with that way. Oh, yes. And Mr.
Jephson would be down to see him one of these days soon. He was by no means to feel that the legal end of allthis had been reached. Far from it. The recent verdict and sentence was sure to be reversed and a new trialordered. The recent one was a farce48, as he knew.
And as for herself--as soon as she found a room near the prison--she was going to the principal ministers ofAuburn and see if she could not secure a church, or two, or three, in which to speak and plead his cause. Mr.
Jephson was mailing her some information she could use within a day or two. And after that, other churches inSyracuse, Rochester, Albany, Schenectady--in fact many cities in the east--until she had raised the necessarysum. But she would not neglect him. She would see him at least once a week and would write him a letter everyother day, or maybe even daily if she could. She would talk to the warden. So he must not despair. She had muchhard work ahead of her, of course, but the Lord would guide her in all that she undertook. She knew that. Had Henot already shown his gracious and miraculous49 mercy?
Clyde must pray for her and for himself. Read Isaiah. Read the psalms--the 23rd and the 51st and 91st daily.
Also Habbakuk. "Are there walls against the Hand of the Lord?" And then after more tears, an utterly50 moving and macerating scene, at last achieving her departure while Clyde, shaken to his soul by so much misery,returned to his cell. His mother. And at her age--and with so little money--she was going out to try to raise themoney necessary to save him. And in the past he had treated her so badly--as he now saw.
He sat down on the side of his cot and held his head in his hands the while outside the prison--the iron door ofthe same closed and only a lonely room and the ordeal51 of her proposed lecture tour ahead of her--Mrs. Griffithspaused--by no means so assured or convinced of all she had said to Clyde. To be sure God would aid her. Hemust. Had He ever failed her yet--completely? And now-- herein her darkest hour, her son's! Would He?
She paused for a moment a little later in a small parking-place, beyond the prison, to stare at the tall, gray walls,the watch towers with armed guards in uniform, the barred windows and doors. A penitentiary. And her son wasnow within--worse yet, in that confined and narrow death house. And doomed52 to die in an electric chair. Unless-unless--But, no, no--that should not be. It could not be. That appeal. The money for it. She must busy herself asto that at once--not think or brood or despair. Oh, no. "My shield and my buckler." "My Light and my Strength.""Oh, Lord, Thou art my strength and my deliverance. In Thee will I trust." And then dabbing53 at her eyes oncemore and adding: "Oh, Lord, I believe. Help Thou mine unbelief."So Mrs. Griffiths, alternately praying and crying as she walked.
奥伯恩监狱里的"死牢"，是人类麻木不仁。愚昧无知所造成的极端怪异的产物之一，但若追究其责任，确实很难指出谁是罪魁祸首。事实上，这座"死牢"的整个建制计划及其实施过程，原是一系列最初法规造成的结果，接着又吸取了根据历任典狱长个人脾性和他们认为很有必要而作出的一些决定和强制性的条例，后来就逐渐定型，也不用标明是某某个人思考的结果……于是，所有能想得出来的毫无必要。其实纯属非法的残忍手段，或是愚昧无知。灭绝人性的酷刑，终于都汇集到这里，而且直至今日还在施行。所以，某一个人只要被陪审团定了死罪，就先得饱受一千次死刑折磨，方能接受判决书上所规定的死刑。
因为，这座死牢由于最初的设计，再加上对犯人生活和行动所作出的一些规定，就把这种酷刑强加在犯人身上了。
这座牢房有三十英尺宽。五十英尺长，是用石料和钢筋水泥建造的，屋顶离地大约三十英尺，上面还有一个天窗。据说，它比那座更差劲的老死牢已有所改进。如今这两座死牢连在一起，中间有一道门相通。这座新的死牢，被一条宽敞的走廊左右分开。底楼部分共有十二间牢房，左右两排，每排六间，每间八英尺宽，十英尺长，都是门对门的。楼上部分，号称阳台牢房……左右两排，每排五间。
可是另有一条狭窄的通道，从这条大走廊中间穿过……把底楼牢房两边分开，间数也相等……这一条狭窄的通道，一头通到现在叫做老死牢那里(目前仅仅在此接待来新死牢的探监者)，另一头则通到备有电椅的行刑室。底楼走廊里有两间牢房……就是位于跟那条狭窄的通道交叉的地方……正好对着行刑室的门。对面角落里的两间牢房，正对着通往老死牢的那条通道。如果说我们想象力丰富些，不妨管老死牢叫做犯人接待室，犯人在这里一周内可以两次会见一位直系家属，或是一位辩护律师。但其他人一概不接见。
在老死牢(或称现在的接待室)里，牢房还保持原状，都排成一溜，贴近走廊这一边，以防犯人彼此偷看。牢房前有一道铁丝网;每间牢房门前另有绿色门帘，还可以拉下来。因为，原先不管是哪一个犯人新来乍到，或是即将离开，或是每天放风，或是去洗澡，或是最后被押走过西头那道小铁门，进入当时的行刑室，这些门帘通通都得拉下来。这个犯人是不能让其他同监犯人看见的。不过，这座老死牢，由于采取了如此讲究礼貌的隔绝措施，僻静极了，后来被认为不近人情，于是，就根据关怀备至。屈尊俯就的当局的意见，设计修建了这座比较完善的新死牢。
老死牢里特有的那些阴森森的小牢房，当然，新死牢里是没有了。在老死牢里，天花板很低，卫生设施极差。如今，新死牢里，天花板很高，各个房间和走廊，全都亮堂堂，而且每间牢房都比较宽敞，其面积不少于八英尺宽。十英尺长。不过，与老牢房相比，仍有一大缺点:
牢房前没有铁丝网，尽管门帘还是照旧挂着。
再说，这里让所有的犯人都集中关在这两个楼面，逼使每一个犯人都得亲眼目睹周围所有这些邪恶的。疯狂的。或是完全颓丧绝望透顶的人种种骇人的表现。压根儿没有个人独处的可能性。白天……一股炽热的阳光从高高的玻璃拱顶的天窗里倾泻下来。入夜……令人目眩的强大的电灯光，照得各个牢房里每一个角落。每一条缝隙全都透亮。没有个人独处和各种娱乐活动……玩纸牌和下棋是犯人们不出牢房即可得到的唯一的消遣。在这种情况下，谁要有兴致阅读欣赏，当然还有书报。此外，每天上午。下午，照例有一位牧师来探访。
至于犹太教拉比(即犹太教教士。)和新教牧师，就不是定期来的。谁乐意见他们的，他们就专程来为谁举行祈祷，表示同情。
可是，这个地方真正该受诅咒的，正是这些优点跟改善环境的良好意愿适得其反。谁都能看出，每一个犯人不可避免地都得与其他犯人经常保持接触，而其他犯人一想到日益逼近的死期，他们的神志早已昏迷了，变态了。很多人都觉得死神象一只冰冷的手搭在他们额头上或是肩膀上了。而且，从来没有一个人……不管他自吹自擂是好样的……能顶住这种酷刑而在心灵上或肉体上不遭到某种程度的崩溃。阴暗……紧张……莫名其妙的恐惧和绝望，好比是风，一阵阵不断地吹遍整个牢房，依次让所有的人魂飞魄散，惊恐万状!
往往在让人最最意想不到的时刻，这一切变成了:
诅咒。唉声叹气，甚至号啕大哭，高声在哼唱什么……老天哪!
……要不然，就是干号或呻吟。
还有更糟的呢。也许是这里最最折磨人。乃至于五内俱裂的地方，就是从老死牢那一头横穿到另一头行刑室的那条走廊。因为这地方经常……啊，次数真够多的!
……要演出执行死刑的悲剧，而这条走廊，至少也成为某一场景的舞台了。
反正犯人在被处决那一天，就得从也许关押了一两年的新死牢里提出去，离开他那个设备完善的牢房，经过这条走廊，被移解到老死牢里旧牢房，让他寂静无声地捱过那最后几个钟头，但到了最后的那个时刻，(啊，死亡的进行曲呀!
)他必须原路折回，沿着这条横穿而过的狭窄走廊……那儿谁都看得到的……被押送至另一头的行刑室。
不管什么时候，犯人倘要会见一位被带进老死牢探监的辩护律师或是亲人，就必须先沿着中央走廊，然后再从这条比较狭窄的走廊进入老死牢。在那里，犯人就被押进一间牢房。牢房前面两英尺处安上了一道电网。在电网和牢房之间，必定坐着一名狱警。犯人和来客(妻子。儿子。母亲。女儿。兄弟。辩护律师)交谈的时候，一字一句狱警都听得清清楚楚。没有握手，没有接吻，没有任何表示亲昵的接触……哪怕是一个含有暗示的字眼儿，狱蓄都不会听不到。只要某某人那个致命的时刻终于来到了，那末，每一个犯人……不管你是阴险或老实，敏感或迟钝……如果不是故意，也会在实际上不能不听到(即使不是看见)临终前种种准备程序……犯人被移解到老死牢里的牢房，也许还有父母子女最后诀别时的号哭声。
不管是当初牢房设计者也好，或是牢房管理者也好，他们压根儿都没有考虑到这一切会对另一些人带来多么不必要。不公道的折磨。他们这些人被关押在这儿，绝对不是立即执行的，而是要在此羁留很长时间，听候上级法院对他们的案子作出最后的判决……上诉以后的判决。
开头，克莱德对此即便略有所闻，当然，也知之甚少。在他进牢房的头一天，他才不过刚尝到一丁点儿滋味。转天中午，他母亲来了。这对他的思想负担来说是减轻了一些，也可以说是更加沉重了。因为当时不准她陪他一起来，她就留在那里，又一次跟贝尔纳普和杰夫森进行晤谈，并把她个人对她儿子移解的印象详详细细写了下来……(这些令人心肝俱裂的印象啊!
)。她虽然急急乎想在监狱附近寻摸到一个房间，殊不知一到奥伯恩，她却急匆匆先找到监狱办公处来。她递交了奥伯沃泽法官的命令以至贝尔纳普和杰夫森替她说情的那封信，信里希望监狱当局能俯允，让她(至少一开头)与克莱德单独见一面，然后允许她在跟老死牢完全分开的一个房间里会见她的儿子。反正有关她为护卫儿子作出积极奉献的报道，典狱长本人早已读到过，因此很感兴趣，不但想见见她，而且还想见见克莱德哩。
不料，克莱德来到这里以后，仪容上突然有了惊人的变化。他一走进来，让她震惊得几乎连话儿都说不出来了。尽管她认得出这是他，可他那脸颊该有多么死白如灰，两眼又有多么阴沉紧张。他的头上给剃成这么个怪相!
这一身囚服!
又是在这么一个阴森森的牢房里，到处是铁门。铁锁，长长的走廊里，每一个拐弯处，就有身穿制服的狱警站岗!
刹那间，她浑身颤抖直往后退缩，而且心情由于过分紧张，差点昏了过去，尽管在这以前，她在堪萨斯城。在芝加哥。在丹佛，不止一次到过许许多多大大小小的监狱，散发过小册子，劝人为善，并且自告奋勇去做只要是她力所能及的事。可是这……这一次啊!
是她的亲生儿子呀!
她那宽厚结实的胸脯开始喘息起来。她又看了一眼，然后让自己宽厚的后背扭过去，捂住自己的脸。她的嘴唇和下巴颏儿在微微发颤。她在身边那只小提包里寻摸手绢，同时自言自语道:
"我的上帝，为什么离弃我?
"(引自《圣经。新约。马太福音》第２７章第４６节。)可是，就在这同一时刻，她一个闪念又想到……不，不，不应该让他看见她这样。这可要不得……她的眼泪只能使他更泄气呀。不过，尽管她意志很坚强，一下子也还是止不住，继续在悄悄地抽噎哭泣。
克莱德一见此状，忘了以前下过决心要沉住气，向母亲说一些安慰鼓励的话，却脱口而出说:
"可是，妈妈，千万别这样。唉，千万哭不得呀。我知道你心里很难过。不过我不会有什么的。我肯定不会有什么的。这里并不象我想过的那么糟。"殊不知他心里却在念叨着说:
"我的天哪，简直糟透了!
"格里菲思太太大声找补着说:
"我可怜的孩子!
我亲爱的儿子!
不过，我们决不能丧失信心。不。不。'
''''看啊，我会解救你脱离那恶人的网罗。，上帝至今都没有抛弃我们两个人。他决不会……这我知道。'
''''他领我在可安歇的水边。，'
''''他使我的灵魂苏醒。，(引自《圣经。旧约。诗篇》第２３篇第２。３节。)我们应该信赖他。再说，"她精神抖擞地找补着说，仿佛既给克莱德壮胆，也给她自己壮胆似的。"上诉的事我不是早已准备好了吗?
这个星期就可以递上去。他们就要提出书面申请了。这就是说，你的案子在一年之内甚至不会加以考虑的。刚才只是因为我突然看见你这副样子才吃了一惊。你知道，这是我始料所不及呀。"她挺起肩膀，昂起头来，甚至还勉强露出一丝笑容。"看来这里的典狱长对我好象还挺和气，不过我刚才见你这样……"她擦了一下因受这突如其来骇人的打击而湿漉漉的眼睛。为了让他们俩都解解闷，她就谈起眼下自己非常紧要的工作。贝尔纳普和杰夫森两位先生给她大大地鼓了气。她在动身前去过他们的事务所，他们奉劝她和克莱德不要灰心丧气。现在，她马上要去公开演讲了。很快就有办法了。啊，是的。最近几天内杰夫森先生就要来看他。克莱德万万不能认为，现在已定了案，一切全完了。
决不是这样的。不久前的定罪和宣判肯定要撤销的，而且会下令复审的。上次庭审简直是一场滑稽戏，这他自己也知道。
至于她自己呢……只要在监狱附近寻摸到一个房间，她就打算去找奥伯恩的一些杰出的牧师，看能不能让她到某个教堂，或是到好几个教堂去公开演讲，替克莱德申辩。杰夫森先生将在一两天内，把一些可供她使用的材料寄给她。
随后，她还要到锡拉丘兹。罗切斯特。奥尔巴尼。谢内克塔迪等地教堂去讲……一句话，东部许多城市也都得去……一直要敛到这一笔钱为止。但是话又说回来，她决不会把他扔下不管的。至少她每周要来看他一次，每隔一天给他写一封信，或者说不定每天写一封，只要她有空写。她要跟典狱长谈一谈。因此，克莱德千万不要绝望。当然罗，她面前有很多艰巨的工作要做。但是不管她要做什么事，都有主在指引她。对此，她是坚信不移的。他不是已经向她显示了他那宽宏。神奇的仁慈了吗?
克莱德应该为她和他自己祈祷。应该念《圣经》里的《以赛亚书》。念赞美诗篇……每天念第二十三篇。第五十一篇。第九十一篇。还应该念《哈巴谷书》。
"有什么墙壁能挡得住主的手?
"随后，她泪水又夺眶而出，好一个令人动怜。五内俱裂的场面。最后，她终于告别走了。克莱德回到了自己牢房，心灵深处确实为她如此饱受忧患而深深震动。他的母亲呀。而且，她已有这么大年纪了……还是那么一文不名……现在，她就要去敛钱，为的是救他的命。而过去，他却是她的不肖儿子……现在他方才明白了。
他两手捂着头，坐在铁床边沿上。格里菲思太太一走出监狱……监狱的铁门就关了。前面等着她的，只是租来的一间孤寂凄凉的住房和她设想中旅行演讲的严峻考验……格里菲思太太驻步不前……刚才她竭力劝说过克莱德，可她的那些话连自己也不觉得很有把握或是很有信心。不过，当然罗，上帝会帮助她的。他一定会帮助她的。他一定得帮助她的。过去，他有没有丢弃过……完全丢弃她?
如今……在这里……当她最危难的时刻，在她儿子最可怖的时刻!
难道他会把她丢弃吗?
过了半晌，她在监狱外面小小的停车场上又驻步不前，两眼直瞪着灰沉沉的高墙和岗楼上身穿制服。荷枪实弹的狱警，以及那些安上铁栏杆的门窗。好一座监狱啊。如今她的儿子就在里面……而且糟得很，被关在与世隔绝的。狭窄的死牢里。并且决定是要坐电椅的。除非……除非……不过，不，不……决不能这么办。这决不能发生。要上诉。要一笔上诉费。因此，她就得马上行动起来……再也不能左思右想，或是忧心忡忡，或是陷入绝望了。不。不。"我的盾和我的支柱。""我的光和我的力量的源泉。""啊，主啊，你是我的力量的源泉，你会拯救我的。我信赖你。"然后，她又擦了一下眼睛，找补着说:
"啊，主啊，我是坚信的。求主帮助，我坚信不移。"于是，格里菲思太太就这样走远了，来回交替地又是祈祷。又是哭泣。
收听单词发音 |
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crass
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| adj.愚钝的，粗糙的；彻底的 | |
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legislative
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| n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的 | |
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enactments
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| n.演出( enactment的名词复数 )；展现；规定；通过 | |
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temperaments
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| 性格( temperament的名词复数 )； （人或动物的）气质； 易冲动； （性情）暴躁 | |
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wardens
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| n.看守人( warden的名词复数 )；管理员；监察员；监察官 | |
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warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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inmate
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| n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人 | |
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surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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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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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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condescending
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| adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的 | |
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sanitary
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| adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的 | |
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morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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deterioration
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| n.退化；恶化；变坏 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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incarcerated
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| 钳闭的 | |
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retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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intentionally
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| ad.故意地，有意地 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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penitentiary
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| n.感化院；监狱 | |
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solicitous
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| adj.热切的，挂念的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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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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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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exhortations
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| n.敦促( exhortation的名词复数 )；极力推荐；（正式的）演讲；（宗教仪式中的）劝诫 | |
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fumble
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| vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等，摸索 | |
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Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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44
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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47
dabbed
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| （用某物）轻触( dab的过去式和过去分词 )； 轻而快地擦掉（或抹掉）； 快速擦拭； （用某物）轻而快地涂上（或点上）… | |
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48
farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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49
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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50
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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51
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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52
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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53
dabbing
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| 石面凿毛，灰泥抛毛 | |
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