第 17 节
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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