第 4 节
作者:卡车      更新:2021-02-27 02:28      字数:9322
  Come; give me the money。〃  And he put his hands up; beseeching her;
  and looked into her face with imploring eyes。
  〃On the word of a Christian woman I have not got money to give you;〃
  she replied。
  〃Nonsense?〃  And as he spoke he took her by the arm and shook her。
  He shook her violently so that he hurt her; and her breath for a
  moment was all but gone from her。  〃I tell you you must make dollars
  before I leave you; or I will so handle you that it would have been
  better for you to coin your very blood。〃
  〃May God help me at my need;〃 she said; 〃as I have not above a few
  penny pieces in the house。〃
  〃And you expect me to believe that!  Look here!  I will shake the
  teeth out of your head; but I will have it from you。〃  And he did
  shake her again; using both his hands and striking her against the
  wall。
  〃Would youmurder me?〃 she said; hardly able now to utter the
  words。
  〃Murder you; yes; why not?  I cannot be worse than I am; were I to
  murder you ten times over。  But with money I may possibly be
  better。〃
  〃I have it not。〃
  〃Then I will do worse than murder you。  I will make you such an
  object that all the world shall loathe to look on you。〃  And so
  saying he took her by the arm and dragged her forth from the wall
  against which she had stood。
  Then there came from her a shriek that was heard far down the shore
  of that silent sea; and away across to the solitary houses of those
  living on the other side;a shriek; very sad; sharp; and
  prolonged;which told plainly to those who heard it of woman's woe
  when in her extremest peril。  That sound was spoken of in Bermuda
  for many a day after that; as something which had been terrible to
  hear。  But then; at that moment; as it came wailing through the
  dark; it sounded as though it were not human。  Of those who heard
  it; not one guessed from whence it came; nor was the hand of any
  brother put forward to help that woman at her need。
  〃Did you hear that?〃 said the young wife to her husband; from the
  far side of the arm of the sea。
  〃Hear it!  Oh Heaven; yes!  Whence did it come?〃  The young wife
  could not say from whence it came; but clung close to her husband's
  breast; comforting herself with the knowledge that that terrible
  sorrow was not hers。
  But aid did come at last; or rather that which seemed as aid。  Long
  and terrible was the fight between that human beast of prey and the
  poor victim which had fallen into his talons。  Anastasia Bergen was
  a strong; well…built woman; and now that the time had come to her
  when a struggle was necessary; a struggle for life; for honour; for
  the happiness of him who was more to her than herself; she fought
  like a tigress attacked in her own lair。  At such a moment as this
  she also could become wild and savage as the beast of the forest。
  When he pinioned her arms with one of his; as he pressed her down
  upon the floor; she caught the first joint of the forefinger of his
  other hand between her teeth till he yelled in agony; and another
  sound was heard across the silent water。  And then; when one hand
  was loosed in the struggle; she twisted it through his long hair;
  and dragged back his head till his eyes were nearly starting from
  their sockets。  Anastasia Bergen had hitherto been a sheer woman;
  all feminine in her nature。  But now the foam came to her mouth; and
  fire sprang from her eyes; and the muscles of her body worked as
  though she had been trained to deeds of violence。  Of violence;
  Aaron Trow had known much in his rough life; but never had he
  combated with harder antagonist than her whom he now held beneath
  his breast。
  〃ByI will put an end to you;〃 he exclaimed; in his wrath; as he
  struck her violently across the face with his elbow。  His hand was
  occupied; and he could not use it for a blow; but; nevertheless; the
  violence was so great that the blood gushed from her nostrils; while
  the back of her head was driven with violence against the floor。
  But she did not lose her hold of him。  Her hand was still twined
  closely through his thick hair; and in every move he made she clung
  to him with all her might。  〃Leave go my hair;〃 he shouted at her;
  but she still kept her hold; though he again dashed her head against
  the floor。
  There was still light in the room; for when he first grasped her
  with both his hands; he had put the lamp down on a small table。  Now
  they were rolling on the floor together; and twice he had essayed to
  kneel on her that he might thus crush the breath from her body; and
  deprive her altogether of her strength; but she had been too active
  for him; moving herself along the ground; though in doing so she
  dragged him with her。  But by degrees he got one hand at liberty;
  and with that he pulled a clasp knife out of his pocket and opened
  it。  〃I will cut your head off if you do not let go my hair;〃 he
  said。  But still she held fast by him。  He then stabbed at her arm;
  using his left hand and making short; ineffectual blows。  Her dress
  partly saved her; and partly also the continual movement of all her
  limbs; but; nevertheless; the knife wounded her。  It wounded her in
  several places about the arm; covering them both with blood;but
  still she hung on。  So close was her grasp in her agony; that; as
  she afterwards found; she cut the skin of her own hands with her own
  nails。  Had the man's hair been less thick or strong; or her own
  tenacity less steadfast; he would have murdered her before any
  interruption could have saved her。
  And yet he had not purposed to murder her; or even; in the first
  instance; to inflict on her any bodily harm。  But he had been
  determined to get money。  With such a sum of money as he had named;
  it might; he thought; be possible for him to win his way across to
  America。  He might bribe men to hide him in the hold of a ship; and
  thus there might be for him; at any rate; a possibility of escape。
  That there must be money in the house he had still thought when
  first he laid hands on the poor woman; and then; when the struggle
  had once begun; when he had felt her muscles contending with his;
  the passion of the beast was aroused within him; and he strove
  against her as he would have striven against a dog。  But yet; when
  the knife was in his hand; he had not driven it against her heart。
  Then suddenly; while they were yet rolling on the floor; there was a
  sound of footsteps in the passage。  Aaron Trow instantly leaped to
  his feet; leaving his victim on the ground; with huge lumps of his
  thick clotted hair in her hand。  Thus; and thus only; could he have
  liberated himself from her grasp。  He rushed at the door; and there
  he came against the two negro servant…girls who had returned down to
  their kitchen from the road on which they had been straying。  Trow;
  as he half saw them in the dark; not knowing how many there might
  be; or whether there was a man among them; rushed through them;
  upsetting one scared girl in his passage。  With the instinct and
  with the timidity of a beast; his impulse now was to escape; and he
  hurried away back to the road and to his lair; leaving the three
  women together in the cottage。  Poor wretch!  As he crossed the
  road; not skulking in his impotent haste; but running at his best;
  another pair of eyes saw him; and when the search became hot after
  him; it was known that his hiding…place was not distant。
  It was some time before any of the women were able to act; and when
  some step was taken; Anastasia was the first to take it。  She had
  not absolutely swooned; but the reaction; after the violence of her
  efforts; was so great; that for some minutes she had been unable to
  speak。  She had risen from the floor when Trow left her; and had
  even followed him to the door; but since that she had fallen back
  into her father's old arm…chair; and there sat gasping not only for
  words; but for breath also。
  At last she bade one of the girls to run into St。 George; and beg
  Mr。 Morton to come to her aid。  The girl would not stir without her
  companion; and even then; Anastasia; covered as she was with blood;
  with dishevelled hair; and her clothes half torn from her body;
  accompanied them as far as the road。  There they found a negro lad
  still hanging about the place; and he told them that he had seen the
  man cross the road; and run down over the open ground towards the
  rocks of the sea…coast。  〃He must be there;〃 said the lad; pointing
  in the direction of a corner of the rocks; 〃unless he swim across
  the mouth of the ferry。〃  But the mouth of that ferry is an arm of
  the sea; and it was not probable that a man would do that when he
  might have taken the narrow water by keeping on the other side of
  the road。
  At about one that night Caleb Morton reached the cottage breathless
  with running; and before a word was spoken between them; Anastasia
  had fallen on his shoulder and had fainted。  As soon as she was in
  the arms of her lover; all her power had gone from her。  The spirit
  and passion of the tiger had gone; and she was again a weak woman
  shuddering at the thought of what she had suffered。  She remembered
  that she had had the man's hand between her teeth; and by degrees
  she found his hair still clinging to her fingers; but even then she
  could hardly call to mind the nature of