Here, in solitude4 and darkness, the horrors of his situation rushed upon him with tremendous and overwhelming reality. His life was in the hands of fierce and relentless5 men, by whom, he had little doubt, he was already judged and condemned6; bound and helpless, he must await, without the power of hastening or of deferring7 his fate by a single minute, the cold-blooded deliberations of the conclave8 who sat within. Unable even to hear the progress of the debate on whose result his life was suspended, a faint and dizzy sickness came upon him, and the cold dew burst from every pore; ghastly, shapeless images of horror hurried with sightless speed across his mind, and his brain throbbed9 with the fearful excitement of madness. With a desperate effort he roused his energies; but what could human ingenuity10, even sharpened by the presence of urgent and terrific danger, suggest or devise? His hands were firmly bound behind his back; in vain he tugged11 with all his strength, in the fruitless hope of disengaging the cords which crushed them together. He groaned12 in downright agony as, strength and hope exhausted13, he gave up the desperate attempt; nothing then could be done; there remained for him no hope—no chance. In this horrible condition he walked with slow steps to and fro in the dark chamber, in vain endeavouring to compose his terrible agitation14.
"Were my hands but free," thought he, "I should let the villains15 know that against any odds16 a resolute17 man may sell his life dearly. But it is in vain to struggle; they have bound me here but too securely."
Thus saying, he leaned himself against the partition, to await, passively, the event which he knew could not be far distant. The surface against which he leaned was not that of the wall—it yielded slightly to his pressure—it was a door. With his knee and shoulder he easily forced it open, and entered another chamber, at the far-side of which he distinctly saw a stream of light, which, passing through a chink, fell upon the opposite wall, and, at the same time, he clearly heard the muffled18 sound of voices in debate. He made his way to the aperture19 through which the light found entrance, and as he did so, the sound of the voices fell more and more distinctly upon his ear. A small square, of about two feet each way, was cut in the wall, affording an orifice through which, probably, the closet in which he stood was imperfectly lighted in the daytime. A plank20 shutter21 was closed over this, and barred upon the outside, through the imperfect joints22 of which the light had found its way, and O'Connor now scanned the contents of the outer chamber. It was that in which the assembly, in whose presence he had, but a few minutes before, been standing23, were congregated24. A low, broad-shouldered man, whose dress was that of mourning, and who wore his own hair, which descended25 in meagre ringlets of black upon either side, leaving the bald summit of his head exposed, and who added to the singularity of his appearance not a little by a long, thick beard, which covered his chin and upper lip—this man, who sat nearly opposite to the opening through which O'Connor looked, was speaking and addressing himself to some person who stood, as it appeared, divided by little more than the thickness of the wall from the party whose life he was debating.
"And against all this," continued the speaker, "what weighs the life of one man—one life, at best useless to the country, and useless to the king—at best, I say? What came we here for? No light matter to take in hand, sirs; to be pursued with no small risk; each comes hither, cinctus gladio, in the cause of the king. That cause with our own lives we are bound to maintain; and why not, if need be, at the cost of the lives of others? No good can come of sparing this fellow—at the best, no advantage to the cause: and, on the other hand, should he prove a traitor26, a spy, or even an idle babbler, the heaviest damage may befall us. Tush, tush, gentlemen, it is ill straining at gnats27 in such times. We are here a court-martial, or no court at all. If I find that such dangerous vacillation28 as this carries it in your councils, I shall, for one, henceforward hang my sword over the mantel-piece, and obey the new laws. What! one life against such a risk—one execution, to save the cause and secure us all. To us, who have served in the king's wars, and hanged rebels by the round dozen—even on suspicion of being so—such indecision seems incredible. There ought not to be two words about the matter. Put him to death."
Having thus acquitted29 himself, this somewhat unattractive personage applied30 himself, with much industry and absorption, to the task of chopping, shredding31, rolling up, and otherwise preparing a piece of tobacco for the bowl of his pipe.
"I confess," said someone whom O'Connor could not see, "that in pleading what may be said on behalf of this young man, I have no ground to go upon beyond a mere32 instinctive33 belief in the poor fellow's honesty, and in the truth of his story."
"Pardon me, sir," replied one in whose voice O'Connor thought he recognized that of the priest, "if I say, that to act upon such fanciful impressions, as if they were grounded upon evidence, were, in nine cases out of every ten, the most transcendent and mischievous34 folly35. I repeat my own conviction, upon something like satisfactory evidence, that he is not honest. I talked with the fellow this evening—perhaps a little too freely—but in that conference, if he lied not, I learned that he belonged to that most dangerous class—the worst with whom we have to contend—the lukewarm, professing36, passive Catholics—the very stuff of which the worst kind of spies and informers are made. He, no doubt, guessed, from what I said—for, to be plain with you, I spoke37 too freely by a great deal, in the belief, I know not how assumed, that he was one of ourselves—he guessed, I say, something of the nature of my mission, and tracked me hither—at all events, by some strange coincidence, hither he came. It is for you to weigh the question of probabilities."
"It matters not, in my mind, why or how he came hither," observed the ill-favoured gentleman, who sate38 at the head of the table; "he is here, and he hath seen our meeting, and could identify many of us. This is too large a confidence to repose39 in a stranger, and I for one do not like it, and therefore I say let him be killed without any more parley40 or debate."
The old man paused, and a silence followed. With an agonized41 attention, O'Connor listened for one word or movement of dissent42; it came not.
"All agreed?" said the bearded hero, preparing to light his tobacco pipe at the candle. "Well, so I expected."
The little man who had spoken before him knocked sharply with the butt43 of a pistol upon the table, and O'Connor heard the door of the room open. The same person beckoned44 with his hand, and one of the stalwart men who had assisted in securing him, advanced to the foot of the board.
"Let a grave be digged in the orchard," said he, "and when it is ready, bring the prisoner out and despatch45 him, Let it be all done and the grave closed in half an hour."
Bound as he was, O'Connor traced the four walls of the room, in the vague hope that he might discover some other outlet47 from the chamber than that which he had just entered. But in vain; nothing encountered him but the hard, cold wall; and even had it been otherwise, thus helplessly manacled, what would it have availed him? He passed into the room into which he had been first thrust by the two guards, and in a state little short of frenzy48, he cast himself upon the floor.
"Oh God!" said he, "it is terrible to see death thus creeping toward me, and not to have the power to help myself. I am doomed—my life already devoted49, and before another hour I shall lie under the clay, a corpse50. Is there nothing to be done—no hope, no chance? Oh, God! nothing!"
As he lay in this strong agony, he heard, or thought he heard, the clank of the spade upon the stony51 soil without. The work was begun—the grave was opened. Madly he strained at the cords—he tugged with more than human might—but all in vain. Still with horrible monotony he heard the clank of the iron mattock tinkling52 and clanking in the gravelly soil. Oh! that he could have stopped his ears to exclude the maddening sound. The pulses smote53 upon his brain like floods of fire. With closed eyes, and teeth set, and hands desperately54 clenched55, he drew himself together, in the awful spasms56 of uncontrollable horror. Suddenly this fearful paroxysm departed, and a kind of awful calm supervened. It was no dull insensibility to his real situation, but a certain collectedness and calm self-possession, which enabled him to behold57 the grim adversary58 of human kind, even arrayed in all the terrors of his nearest approach, with a steady eye.
"After all, when all's done, what have I to lose? Life had no more joys for me—happy I could never more have been. Why should the miserable59 dread60 death, and cling to life like cowards? What is it? A brief struggle—the agony of a few minutes—the instinctive yearnings of our nature after life; and this over, comes rest—eternal quiet."
He then endeavoured, in prayer, earnestly to commend his spirit to its Maker61. While thus employed he heard steps upon the hard tiles of the passage. His heart swelled62 as though it would burst. He rightly guessed their mission. The bolt was slowly drawn63; the dusky light of a lantern streamed into the room, and revealed upon the threshold the forms of three tall men.
"Lift him up—rise him, boys," said he who carried the lantern.
"You must come with us," said one of the two who advanced to O'Connor.
Resistance was fruitless, and he offered none. A cold, sick, overwhelming horror unstrung his joints and dimmed his sight. He suffered them to lead him passively from the room.
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1
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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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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relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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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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7
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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conclave
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| n.秘密会议，红衣主教团 | |
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throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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villains
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| n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼 | |
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16
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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18
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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shutter
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| n.百叶窗；(照相机)快门；关闭装置 | |
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22
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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23
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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24
congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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gnats
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| n.叮人小虫( gnat的名词复数 ) | |
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28
vacillation
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| n.动摇；忧柔寡断 | |
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29
acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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30
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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shredding
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的现在分词 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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32
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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37
spoke
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| 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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38
sate
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| v.使充分满足 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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40
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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41
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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42
dissent
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| n./v.不同意，持异议 | |
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43
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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44
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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46
obeisance
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| n.鞠躬，敬礼 | |
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47
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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48
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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49
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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50
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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51
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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52
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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53
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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54
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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55
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
spasms
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| n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作 | |
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57
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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60
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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61
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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62
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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63
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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