第 17 节
作者:上网找工作      更新:2024-04-14 09:14      字数:9322
  It was now my turn。 With a beating heart I made my way to the robber
  chieftain; and sank at his feet。 〃O sir; I am nothing but a poor governess;
  pray let me go。〃
  〃O ho! A governess? Give me your last month's wages; then。 Give me
  what you have stolen from your master!〃 and he laughed fiendishly。
  I gazed at him quietly; and said; in a low voice: 〃I have stolen nothing
  from you; Mr。 Rawjester!〃
  〃Ah;   discovered!   Hush!   listen;   girl!〃   he   hissed;   in   a   fiercer   whisper;
  〃utter a syllable to frustrate my plans and you die; aid me; and〃 But he
  was gone。
  In a few moments the party; with the exception of myself; were gagged
  and locked in the cellar。 The next moment torches were applied to the rich
  hangings; and the house was in flames。 I felt a strong hand seize me; and
  bear me out in the open air and place me upon the hillside; where I could
  overlook the burning mansion。 It was Mr。 Rawjester。
  〃Burn!〃 he said; as he shook his fist at the flames。 Then sinking on his
  knees before me; he said hurriedly:
  〃Mary Jane; I love you; the obstacles to our union are or will be soon
  removed。 In yonder mansion were confined my three crazy wives。 One of
  them; as you know; attempted to kill me! Ha! this is vengeance! But will
  you be mine?〃
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  I fell; without a word; upon his neck。
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  GUY
  HEAVYSTONE;OR;〃ENTIRE。〃A
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  MUSCULAR NOVEL。
  BY THE AUTHOR or 〃SWORD AND GUN。〃
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  CHAPTER I。
  〃Nerei repandirostrum incurvicervicum pecus。〃
  A dingy;  swashy;  splashy afternoon   in   October; a  school…yard   filled
  with a mob of riotous boys。 A lot of us standing outside。
  Suddenly  came   a   dull;   crashing   sound   from   the   school…room。 At   the
  ominous interruption I shuddered involuntarily; and called to Smithsye:
  〃What's up; Smithums?〃
  〃Guy's cleaning out the fourth form;〃 he replied。
  At the same moment George de Coverly passed me; holding his nose;
  from whence the bright Norman blood streamed redly。 To him the plebeian
  Smithsye laughingly:
  〃Cully! how's his nibs?〃
  I pushed the door of the school…room open。 There are some spectacles
  which a man never forgets。 The burning of Troy probably seemed a large…
  sized conflagration to the pious Aeneas; and made an impression on him
  which he carried away with the feeble Anchises。
  In   the  centre   of  the   room;   lightly   brandishing     the  piston…rod    of  a
  steam…engine;   stood   Guy   Heavystone   alone。   I   say   alone;   for   the   pile   of
  small boys on the floor in the corner could hardly be called company。
  I will try and sketch him for the reader。 Guy Heavystone was then only
  fifteen。 His broad; deep chest; his sinewy and quivering flank; his straight
  pastern; showed him to be a thoroughbred。 Perhaps he was a trifle heavy
  in   the   fetlock;   but  he   held   his  head    haughtily    erect。   His   eyes   were
  glittering   but   pitiless。 There   was   a   sternness   about   the   lower   part   of   his
  face;the old Heavystone look;a sternness; heightened; perhaps; by the
  snaffle…bit   which;   in   one   of   his   strange   freaks;   he   wore   in   his   mouth   to
  curb his occasional ferocity。 His dress was well adapted to his square…set
  and herculean frame。 A striped knit undershirt; close…fitting striped tights;
  and   a   few   spangles   set   off   his   figure;   a   neat   Glengarry   cap   adorned   his
  head。   On   it   was   displayed   the   Heavystone   crest;   a   cock   regardant   on   a
  dunghill or; and the motto; 〃Devil a better!〃
  I   thought   of   Horatius   on   the   bridge;   of   Hector   before   the   walls。   I
  always make it a point to think of something classical at such times。
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  He saw  me; and his sternness partly relaxed。 Something like a smile
  struggled through his grim lineaments。 It was like looking on the Jungfrau
  after having seen Mont Blanc;a trifle; only a trifle less sublime and awful。
  Resting     his  hand   lightly  on   the  shoulder    of  the  head…master;     who
  shuddered and collapsed under his touch; he strode toward me。
  His walk   was peculiar。 You could not   call it   a stride。  It   was   like the
  〃crest…tossing    Bellerophon;〃a   kind   of   prancing   gait。   Guy   Heavystone
  pranced toward me。
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  CHAPTER II。
  〃Lord Lovel he stood at the garden gate; A…combing his milk…white
  steed。〃
  It was the winter of 186… when I next met Guy Heavystone。 He had
  left the University and had entered the 76th 〃Heavies。〃 〃I have exchanged
  the   gown     for  the   sword;   you    see;〃  he   said;  grasping    my    hand;   and
  fracturing the bones of my little finger; as he shook it。
  I gazed at him with unmixed admiration。 He was squarer; sterner; and
  in   every   way   smarter   and   more   remarkable   than   ever。   I   began   to   feel
  toward   this   man   as   Phalaster   felt   towards   Phyrgino;   as   somebody   must
  have felt toward Archididasculus; as Boswell felt toward Johnson。
  〃Come into my den;〃 he said; and lifting me gently by the seat of my
  pantaloons      he  carried   me   up   stairs  and   deposited    me;   before   I  could
  apologize;   on   the   sofa。   I   looked   around   the   room。   It   was   a   bachelor's
  apartment; characteristically furnished in the taste of the proprietor。 A few
  claymores   and   battle…axes   were   ranged   against   the   wall;   and   a   culverin;
  captured by Sir Ralph Heavystone; occupied the corner; the other end of
  the room being taken up by a light battery。 Foils; boxing…gloves; saddles;
  and   fishing…poles   lay   around   carelessly。 A  small   pile   of   billets…doux   lay
  upon a silver salver。 The man was not an anchorite; nor yet a Sir Galahad。
  I never could tell what Guy thought of women。 〃Poor little beasts;〃 he
  would     often   say   when     the  conversation     turned    on   any   of  his   fresh
  conquests。 Then; passing his hand over his marble brow; the old look of
  stern fixedness of   purpose and   unflinching   severity would straighten   the
  lines of his mouth; and he would mutter; half to himself; 〃S'death!〃
  〃Come with me to Heavystone Grange。 The Exmoor Hounds throw off
  to…morrow。 I'll give you a mount;〃 he said; as he amused himself by rolling
  up a silver candlestick between his fingers。 〃You shall have Cleopatra。 But
  stay;〃 he added; thoughtfully; 〃now I remember; I ordered Cleopatra to be
  shot this morning。〃
  〃And why?〃 I queried。
  〃She threw her rider yesterday and fell on him〃
  〃And killed him?〃
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  〃No。 That's the reason  why I   have ordered   her to   be shot。  I keep no
  animals that are not dangerousI should   addDEADLY!〃 He hissed   the
  last sentence between his teeth; and a gloomy frown descended over his
  calm brow。
  I affected to turn over the tradesman's bills that lay on the table; for;
  like all of the Heavystone race; Guy seldom paid cash; and said:
  〃You remind me of the time when Leonidas〃
  〃O; bother Leonidas and your classical allusions。 Come!〃
  We descended to dinner。
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  CHAPTER III。
  〃He carries weight; he rides a race; 'Tis for a thousand pound。〃
  〃There is Flora Billingsgate; the greatest coquette and hardest rider in
  the   country;〃   said   my   companion;   Ralph   Mortmain;   as   we   stood   upon
  Dingleby Common before the meet。
  I  looked   up   and   beheld   Guy  Heavystone   bending   haughtily  over   the
  saddle; as he addressed a beautiful brunette。 She was indeed a splendidly
  groomed and high…spirited woman。 We were near enough to overhear the
  following conversation; which any high…toned reader will recognize as the
  common and