The front of the building, facing the street, rested upon a row of massive wooden blocks, set endwise, at intervals6 of some six or eight feet, and running parallel at about the same distance, to the wall of the lower story of the house, thus forming a kind of rude cloister7 or open corridor, running the whole length of the building.
The spaces between these rude pillars were, by a light frame-work of timber, converted into a succession of arches; and by an application of the same ornamental8 process, the ceiling of this extended porch was made to carry a clumsy but not unpicturesque imitation of groining. Upon this open-work of timber, as we have already said, rested the second story of the building; protruding9 beyond which again, and supported upon beams whose projecting ends were carved into the semblance10 of heads hideous11 as the fantastic monsters of heraldry, arose the third story, presenting a series of tall and fancifully-shaped gables, decorated, like the rest of the building, with an abundance of grotesque12 timber-work. A wide passage, opening under the corridor which we have described, gave admission into the inn-yard, surrounded partly by the building itself, and partly by the stables and other offices connected with it. Viewed from a little distance, the old fabric13 presented by no means an unsightly or ungraceful aspect: on the contrary, its very irregularities and antiquity15, however in reality objectionable, gave to it an air of comfort and almost of dignity to which many of its more pretending and modern competitors might in vain have aspired16. Whether it was, that from the first the substantial fabric had asserted a conscious superiority over all the minor17 tenements18 which surrounded it, or that they in modest deference19 had gradually conceded to it the prominence20 which it deserved—whether, in short, it had always stood foremost, or that the street had slightly altered its course and gradually receded21, leaving it behind, an immemorial and immovable landmark22 by which to measure the encroachments of ages—certain it is, that at the time we speak of, the sturdy hostelry stood many feet in advance of the line of houses which flanked it on either side, narrowing the street with a most aristocratic indifference23 to the comforts of the pedestrian public, thus forced to shift for life and limb, as best they might, among the vehicles and horses which then thronged24 the city streets—no doubt, too, often by the very difficulties which it presented, entrapping25 the over-cautious passenger, who preferred entering the harbour which its hospitable26 and capacious doorway27 offered, to encountering all the perils29 involved in doubling the point.
Such as we have attempted to describe it, the old building stood more than a century since; and when the level sunbeams at eventide glinted brightly on its thousand miniature window panes30, and upon the broad hanging panel, which bore, in the brightest hues31 and richest gilding32, the portraiture33 of a Cock and Anchor; and when the warm, discoloured glow of sunset touched the time-worn front of the old building with a rich and cheery blush, even the most fastidious would have allowed that the object was no unpleasing one.
A dark autumnal night had closed over the old city of Dublin, and the wind was blustering34 in hoarse35 gusts36 through the crowded chimney-stacks—careening desolately37 through the dim streets, and occasionally whirling some loose tile or fragment of plaster from the house tops. The streets were silent and deserted38, except when occasionally traversed by some great man's carriage, thundering and clattering39 along the broken pavement, and by its passing glare and rattle40 making the succeeding darkness and silence but the more dreary41. None stirred abroad who could avoid it; and with the exception of such rare interruptions as we have mentioned, the storm and darkness held undisputed possession of the city. Upon this ungenial night, and somewhat past the hour of ten, a well-mounted traveller rode into the narrow and sheltered yard of the "Cock and Anchor;" and having bestowed43 upon the groom44 who took the bridle45 of his steed such minute and anxious directions as betokened46 a kind and knightly47 tenderness for the comforts of his good beast, he forthwith entered the public room of the inn—a large and comfortable chamber49, having at the far end a huge hearth50 overspanned by a broad and lofty mantelpiece of stone, and now sending forth48 a warm and ruddy glow, which penetrated51 in genial42 streams to every recess52 and corner of the room, tinging53 the dark wainscoting of the walls, glinting red and brightly upon the burnished54 tankards and flagons with which the cupboard was laden55, and playing cheerily over the massive beams which traversed the ceiling. Groups of men, variously occupied and variously composed, embracing all the usual company of a well frequented city tavern—from the staid and sober man of business, who smokes his pipe in peace, to the loud disputatious, half-tipsy town idler, who calls for more flagons than he can well reckon, and then quarrels with mine host about the shot—were disposed, some singly, others in social clusters, in cosy56 and luxurious57 ease at the stout58 oak tables which occupied the expansive chamber. Among these the stranger passed leisurely59 to a vacant table in the neighbourhood of the good fire, and seating himself thereat, doffed60 his hat and cloak, thereby61 exhibiting a finely proportioned and graceful14 figure, and a face of singular nobleness and beauty. He might have seen some thirty summers—perhaps less—but his dark and expressive62 features bore a character of resolution and melancholy63 which seemed to tell of more griefs and perils overpast than men so young in the world can generally count.
The new-comer, having thrown his hat and gloves upon the table at which he had placed himself, stretched his stalwart limbs toward the fire in the full enjoyment64 of its genial influence, and advancing the heels of his huge jack65 boots nearly to the bars, he seemed for a time wholly lost in the comfortable contemplation of the red embers which flickered66, glowed, and shifted before his eyes. From his quiet reverie he was soon recalled by mine host in person, who, with all courtesy, desired to know "whether his honour wished supper and a bed?" Both questions were promptly67 answered in the affirmative: and before many minutes the young horseman was deep in the discussion of a glorious pasty, flanked by a flagon of claret, such as he had seldom tasted before. He had scarcely concluded his meal, when another traveller, cloaked, booted, and spurred, and carrying under his arm a pair of long horse-pistols, and a heavy whip, entered the apartment, walked straight up to the fire-place, and having obtained permission of the cavalier already established there to take share of his table, he deposited thereon the formidable weapons which he carried, cast his hat, gloves, and cloak upon the floor, and threw himself luxuriously68 into a capacious leather-bottomed chair which confronted the cheery fire.
"A bleak69 night, sir, and a dark, for a ride of twenty miles," observed the stranger, addressing the younger guest.
"I can the more readily agree with you, sir," replied the latter, "seeing that I myself have ridden nigh forty, and am but just arrived."
"Whew! that beats me hollow," cried the other, with a kind of self-congratulatory shrug71. "You see, sir, we never know how to thank our stars for the luck we have until we come to learn what luck we might have had. I rode from Wicklow—pray, sir, if it be not too bold a question, what line did you travel?"
"Ha! that's an ugly line they say to travel by night. You met with no interruption?"
"Troth, but I did, sir," replied the young man, "and none of the pleasantest either. I was stopped, and put in no small peril28, too."
"How! stopped—stopped on the highway! By the mass, you outdo me in every point! Would you, sir, please to favour me, if 'twere not too much trouble, with the facts of the adventure—the particulars?"
"Faith, sir," rejoined the young man, "as far as my knowledge serves me, you are welcome to them all. When I was still about twelve miles from this, I was joined from a by-road by a well mounted, and (as far as I could discern) a respectable-looking traveller, who told me he rode for Dublin, and asked to join company by the way. I assented73; and we jogged on pleasantly enough for some two or three miles. It was very dark——"
"As pitch," ejaculated the stranger, parenthetically.
"And what little scope of vision I might have had," continued the younger traveller, "was well nigh altogether obstructed74 by the constant flapping of my cloak, blown by the storm over my face and eyes. I suddenly became conscious that we had been joined by a third horseman, who, in total silence, rode at my other side."
"How and when did he come up with you?"
"I can't say," replied the narrator—"nor did his presence give me the smallest uneasiness. He who had joined me first, all at once called out that his stirrup strap75 was broken, and halloo'd to me to rein76 in until he should repair the accident. This I had hardly done, when some fellow, whom I had not seen, sprang from behind upon my horse, and clasped my arms so tightly to my body, that so far from making use of them, I could hardly breathe. The scoundrel who had dismounted caught my horse by the head and held him firmly, while my hitherto silent companion clapped a pistol to my ear."
"Why, in truth, so it turned out," rejoined his companion; "though I confess my first impulse was to balk78 the gentlemen of the road at any hazard; and with this view I plied70 my spurs rowel deep, but the rascal79 who held the bridle was too old a hand to be shaken off by a plunge80 or two. He swung with his whole weight to the bit, and literally81 brought poor Rowley's nose within an inch of the road. Finding that resistance was utterly82 vain, and not caring to squander83 what little brains I have upon so paltry84 an adventure, I acknowledged the jurisdiction85 of the gentleman's pistol, and replied to his questions."
"You proved your sound sense by so doing," observed the other. "But what was their purpose?"
"As far as I could gather," replied the younger man, "they were upon the look-out for some particular person, I cannot say whom; for, either satisfied by my answers, or having otherwise discovered their mistake, they released me without taking anything from me but my sword, which, however, I regret much, for it was my father's; and having blown the priming from my pistols, they wished me the best of good luck, and so we parted, without the smallest desire on my part to renew the intimacy86. And now, sir, you know just as much of the matter as I do myself."
"And a very serious matter it is, too," observed the stranger, with an emphatic87 nod. "Landlord! a pint88 of mulled claret—and spice it as I taught you—d'ye mind? A very grave matter—do you think you could possibly identify those men?"
"Identify them! how the devil could I?—it was dark as pitch—a cat could not have seen them."
"But was there no mark—no peculiarity89 discernible, even in the dense90 obscurity—nothing about any of them, such as you might know again?"
"Nothing—the very outline was indistinct. I could merely see that they were shaped like men."
"Truly, truly, that is much to be lamented," said the elder gentleman; "though fifty to one," he added, devoutly91, "they'll hang one day or another—let that console us. Meantime, here comes the claret."
So saying, the new-comer rose from his seat, coolly removed his black matted peruke from his shorn head, and replaced it by a dark velvet92 cap, which he drew from some mysterious nook in his breeches pocket; then, hanging the wig93 upon the back of his chair, he wheeled the seat round to the table, and for the first time offered to his companion an opportunity of looking him fairly in the face. If he were a believer in the influence of first impressions, he had certainly acted wisely in deferring94 the exhibition until the acquaintance had made some progress, for his countenance95 was, in sober truth, anything but attractive—a pair of grizzled brows overshadowed eyes of quick and piercing black, rather small, and unusually restless and vivid—the mouth was wide, and the jaw96 so much underhung as to amount almost to a deformity, giving to the lower part of the face a character of resolute97 ferocity which was not at all softened98 by the keen fiery99 glance of his eye; a massive projecting forehead, marked over the brow with a deep scar, and furrowed100 by years and thought, added not a little to the stern and commanding expression of the face. The complexion101 was swarthy; and altogether the countenance was one of that sinister102 and unpleasant kind which the imagination associates with scenes of cruelty and terror, and which might appropriately take a prominent place in the foreground of a feverish103 dream. The young traveller had seen too many ugly sights, in the course of a roving life of danger and adventure, to remember for a moment the impression which his new companion's visage was calculated to produce. They chatted together freely; and the elder (who, by the way, exhibited no very strong Irish peculiarities104 of accent or idiom, any more than did the other) when he bid his companion good-night, left him under the impression that, however forbidding his aspect might be, his physical disadvantages were more than counterbalanced by the shrewd, quick sagacity, correct judgment105, and wide range of experience of which he appeared possessed106.阿
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1
sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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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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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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obsolete
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| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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7
cloister
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| n.修道院；v.隐退，使与世隔绝 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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13
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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tenements
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| n.房屋，住户，租房子( tenement的名词复数 ) | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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landmark
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| n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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entrapping
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| v.使陷入圈套，使入陷阱( entrap的现在分词 ) | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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gilding
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| n.贴金箔，镀金 | |
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portraiture
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| n.肖像画法 | |
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blustering
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| adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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desolately
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| 荒凉地，寂寞地 | |
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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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clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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knightly
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| adj. 骑士般的 adv. 骑士般地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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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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hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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51
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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52
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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tinging
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的现在分词 ) | |
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burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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55
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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doffed
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| v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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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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flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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71
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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obstructed
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| 阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
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75
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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77
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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78
balk
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| n.大方木料；v.妨碍；不愿前进或从事某事 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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80
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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83
squander
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| v.浪费，挥霍 | |
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84
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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85
jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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86
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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devoutly
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| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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wig
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| n.假发 | |
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deferring
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| v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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furrowed
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| v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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101
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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102
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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103
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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104
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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105
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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106
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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