第 14 节
作者:上网找工作      更新:2024-04-14 09:14      字数:9321
  proclaiming      their  lovers。   Stay。   I  see  a  Jewess    about    to  leap  from    a
  battlement。 I see knightly deeds; violence; rapine; and a good deal of blood。
  I've seen pretty much the same at Astley's。〃
  〃Look again。〃
  〃I   see   purple   moors;    glens;   masculine     women;     bare…legged      men;
  priggish     book…worms;      more    violence;    physical   excellence;    and    blood。
  Always blood;and the superiority of physical attainments。〃
  〃And how do you feel now?〃 said the Goblin。
  The Haunted Man shrugged his shoulders。 〃None the better for being
  carried back and asked to sympathize with a barbarous age。〃
  The    Goblin    smiled   and   clutched    his  arm;   they   again   sped   rapidly
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  through the black night and again halted。
  〃What do you see?〃 said the Goblin。
  〃I see a barrack room; with a mess table; and a group of intoxicated
  Celtic officers telling funny stories; and giving challenges to duel。 I see a
  young   Irish   gentleman   capable   of   performing   prodigies   of   valor。   I   learn
  incidentally   that   the   acme   of   all   heroism   is   the   cornetcy   of   a   dragoon
  regiment。 I hear a good deal of French! No; thank you;〃 said the Haunted
  Man   hurriedly;   as   he   stayed   the   waving   hand   of   the   Goblin;   〃I   would
  rather NOT go to the Peninsula; and don't care to have a private interview
  with Napoleon。〃
  Again   the   Goblin   flew   away   with   the   unfortunate   man;   and   from   a
  strange roaring below them he judged they were above the ocean。 A ship
  hove in sight; and the Goblin stayed its flight。 〃Look;〃 he said; squeezing
  his companion's arm。
  The   Haunted   Man   yawned。   〃Don't   you   think;   Charles;   you're   rather
  running      this   thing   into   the   ground?      Of   course    it's  very    moral    and
  instructive; and all that。 But ain't there a little too much pantomime about
  it? Come now!〃
  〃Look!〃      repeated     the  Goblin;     pinching     his  arm    malevolently。      The
  Haunted Man groaned。
  〃O;   of   course;   I   see   her   Majesty's   ship   Arethusa。   Of   course   I   am
  familiar   with   her   stern   First   Lieutenant;   her   eccentric   Captain;   her   one
  fascinating and several mischievous midshipmen。 Of course I know it's a
  splendid   thing   to   see   all   this;   and   not   to   be   seasick。   O;   there   the   young
  gentlemen are going to play a trick on the purser。 For God's sake; let us
  go;〃 and the unhappy man absolutely dragged the Goblin away with him。
  When   they  next   halted;   it   was   at   the   edge of   a   broad   and   boundless
  prairie; in the middle of an oak opening。
  〃I   see;〃   said   the   Haunted     Man;     without    waiting     for  his   cue;   but
  mechanically; and as if he were repeating a lesson which the Goblin had
  taught   him;〃I   see   the   Noble   Savage。   He   is   very   fine   to   look   at!   But   I
  observe      under    his   war…paint;     feathers;    and    picturesque     blanket;     dirt;
  disease;   and   an   unsymmetrical   contour。   I   observe   beneath   his   inflated
  rhetoric   deceit   and   hypocrisy;   beneath   his   physical   hardihood;   cruelty;
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  malice; and revenge。 The Noble Savage is a humbug。 I remarked the same
  to Mr。 Catlin。〃
  〃Come;〃 said the phantom。
  The Haunted Man sighed; and took out his watch。 〃Couldn't we do the
  rest of this another time?〃
  〃My hour is almost spent; irreverent being; but there is yet a chance
  for your reformation。 Come!〃
  Again   they   sped   through   the   night;   and   again   halted。   The   sound   of
  delicious but melancholy music fell upon their ears。
  〃I   see;〃   said  the   Haunted     Man;    with   something      of  interest   in  his
  manner;〃I   see   an   old   moss…covered   manse   beside   a   sluggish;   flowing
  river。   I   see   weird   shapes:   witches;   Puritans;   clergymen;   little   children;
  judges; mesmerized maidens; moving to the sound of melody that thrills
  me with its sweetness and purity。 But; although carried along its calm and
  evenly   flowing   current;   the   shapes   are   strange   and   frightful:   an   eating
  lichen   gnaws   at   the   heart   of   each。   Not   only   the   clergymen;   but   witch;
  maiden; judge; and Puritan; all wear Scarlet Letters of some kind burned
  upon     their   hearts。   I  am   fascinated    and    thrilled;  but   I  feel  a  morbid
  sensitiveness   creeping   over   me。   II   beg   your   pardon。〃   The   Goblin   was
  yawning frightfully。 〃Well; perhaps we had better go。〃
  〃One more; and the last;〃 said the Goblin。
  They were moving home。 Streaks of red were beginning to appear in
  the eastern sky。 Along the banks of the blackly flowing river by moorland
  and stagnant fens; by low houses; clustering close to the water's edge; like
  strange mollusks; crawled upon the beach to dry; by misty black barges;
  the   more   misty  and   indistinct   seen through   its   mysterious   veil;  the   river
  fog   was   slowly   rising。   So   rolled   away   and   rose   from   the   heart   of   the
  Haunted Man; etc。; etc。
  They stopped before a quaint mansion of red brick。 The Goblin waved
  his hand without speaking。
  〃I   see;〃   said   the   Haunted   Man;   〃a   gay   drawing…room。   I   see   my   old
  friends of the club; of the college; of society; even as they lived and moved。
  I   see   the   gallant   and   unselfish   men;   whom   I   have   loved;   and   the   snobs
  whom I have hated。 I see strangely mingling with them; and now and then
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  blending     with   their   forms;   our   old  friends   Dick    Steele;   Addison;    and
  Congreve。 I observe; though; that these gentlemen have a habit of getting
  too   much   in   the   way。 The   royal   standard   of   Queen Anne; not   in   itself   a
  beautiful     ornament;     is  rather  too   prominent     in  the   picture。   The   long
  galleries     of  black    oak;   the   formal    furniture;    the   old   portraits;   are
  picturesque; but depressing。 The house is damp。 I enjoy myself better here
  on the lawn; where they are getting up a Vanity Fair。 See; the bell rings;
  the curtain is rising; the puppets are brought out for a new play。  Let   me
  see。〃
  The Haunted Man was pressing forward in his eagerness; but the hand
  of the Goblin stayed him; and pointing to his feet he saw; between him and
  the   rising   curtain;   a   new…made   grave。   And   bending   above   the   grave   in
  passionate   grief;   the   Haunted   Man   beheld   the   phantom   of   the   previous
  night。
  * * * * *
  The   Haunted   Man   started;   andwoke。   The   bright   sunshine   streamed
  into   the   room。   The   air   was   sparkling   with   frost。   He   ran   joyously   to   the
  window and opened it。 A small boy saluted him with 〃Merry Christmas。〃
  The Haunted Man instantly gave him a Bank of England note。 〃How much
  like Tiny Tim; Tom; and Bobby that boy looked; bless my soul; what a
  genius this Dickens has!〃
  A knock at the door; and Boots entered。
  〃Consider      your    salary   doubled      instantly。   Have    you    read    David
  Copperfield?〃
  〃Yezzur。〃
  〃Your   salary   is   quadrupled。 What   do   you   think  of   the   Old   Curiosity
  Shop?〃
  The man instantly burst into a torrent of tears; and then into a roar of
  laughter。
  〃Enough!   Here   are   five   thousand   pounds。   Open   a   porter…house;   and
  call it; 'Our Mutual Friend。' Huzza! I feel so happy!〃 And the haunted Man
  danced about the room。
  And so; bathed in the light of that blessed sun; and yet glowing with
  the warmth of a good action; the Haunted Man; haunted no longer; save by
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  those   shapes   which   make   the  dreams   of  children   beautiful;  reseated
  himself in his chair; and finished Our Mutual Friend。
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  MISS MIX。
  BY CHLTTE BRNTE。
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  CHAPTER I。
  My earliest impressions are of a huge; misshapen rock; against which