第 18 节
作者:上网找工作      更新:2024-04-14 09:14      字数:9322
  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 natural expression of the higher classes。
  〃When      Diana    takes   the  field  the   chase   is  not  wholly    confined     to
  objects     ferae   naturae;〃   said   Guy;    darting   a   significant   glance    at  his
  companion。   Flora   did   not   shrink   either   from   the   glance   or   the   meaning
  implied in the sarcasm。
  〃If   I   were   looking   for   an   Endymion;   now〃   she   said   archly;   as   she
  playfully cantered over a few hounds and leaped a five…barred gate。
  Guy   whispered   a   few   words;   inaudible   to   the   rest   of   the   party;   and;
  curvetting slightly; cleverly cleared two of the huntsmen in a flying leap;
  galloped   up   the   front   steps   of   the   mansion;   and   dashing   at   full   speed
  through the hall leaped through the drawing… room window and rejoined
  me; languidly; on the lawn。
  〃Be careful of Flora Billingsgate;〃 he said to me; in low stern tones;
  while his pitiless eye shot a baleful fire。 〃Gardez vous!〃
  〃Gnothi seauton;〃 I replied calmly; not wishing to appear to be behind
  him in perception or verbal felicity。
  Guy started off in high spirits。 He was well carried。 He and the first
  whip;   a   ten…stone   man;   were   head   and   head   at   the   last   fence;   while   the
  hounds were rolling over their fox a hundred yards farther in the open。
  But an unexpected circumstance occurred。 Coming back; his chestnut
  mare refused a ten…foot wall。 She reared and fell backward。 Again he led
  her up to it lightly; again she refused; falling heavily from the coping。 Guy
  started to his feet。 The old pitiless fire shone in his eyes; the old stern look
  settled around his mouth。 Seizing the mare by the tail and mane he threw
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  her   over   the   wall。   She   landed   twenty   feet   on   the   other   side;   erect   and
  trembling。  Lightly  leaping   the   same   obstacle   himself;   he   remounted   her。
  She did not refuse the wall the next time。
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  CHAPTER IV。
  〃He holds him by his glittering eye。〃
  Guy was in the North of Ireland; cock…shooting。 So Ralph Mortmain
  told me; and also that the match between Mary Brandagee and Guy had
  been   broken   off by  Flora   Billingsgate。  〃I don't   like those   Billingsgates;〃
  said   Ralph;   〃they're   a   bad   stock。   Her   father;   Smithfield   de   Billingsgate;
  had   an   unpleasant   way   of   turning   up   the   knave   from   the   bottom   of   the
  pack。 But nous verrons; let us go and see Guy。〃
  The   next    morning     we   started   for  Fin…ma…Coul's      Crossing。    When     I
  reached the shooting…box; where Guy was entertaining a select company
  of friends; Flora Billingsgate greeted me with a saucy smile。
  Guy was even squarer and sterner than ever。 His gusts of passion were
  more frequent; and it was with difficulty that he could keep an able…bodied
  servant in his family。 His present retainers were more or less maimed from
  exposure   to   the   fury   of   their   master。   There   was   a   strange   cynicism;   a
  cutting   sarcasm   in   his   address;   piercing   through   his   polished   manner。   I
  thought of Timon; etc。; etc。
  One evening; we were sitting over our Chambertin; after a hard day's
  work; and Guy was listlessly turning over some letters; when suddenly he
  uttered a cry。 Did you ever hear the trumpeting of a wounded elephant? It
  was like that。
  I looked at him with consternation。 He was glancing at a letter which
  he   held   at   arm's   length;   and   snorting;   as   it   were;   at   it   as   he   gazed。   The
  lower part of his face was stern; but not as rigid as usual。 He was slowly
  grinding   between   his   teeth   the   fragments   of   the   glass   he   had   just   been
  drinking   from。   Suddenly   he   seized   one   of   his   servants;   and;   forcing   the
  wretch upon his knees; exclaimed; with the roar of a tiger:
  〃Dog! why was this kept from me?〃
  〃Why; please; sir; Miss Flora said as how it was a reconciliation from
  Miss Brandagee; and it was to be kept from you where you would not be
  likely to see it;andand〃
  〃Speak; dog! and you〃
  〃I put it among your bills; sir!〃
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  With a groan; like distant thunder; Guy fell swooning to the floor。
  He soon recovered; for the next moment a servant came rushing into
  the room with the information that a number of the ingenuous peasantry of
  the   neighborhood       were    about   to  indulge    that  evening    in   the  national
  pastime   of   burning   a   farm…house   and shooting   a   landlord。  Guy  smiled   a
  fearful smile; without; however; altering his stern and pitiless expression。
  〃Let them come;〃 he said calmly; 〃I feel like entertaining company。〃
  We barricaded the doors and windows; and then chose our arms from
  the armory。 Guy's choice was a singular one: it was a landing net with a
  long handle; and a sharp cavalry sabre。
  We were not destined to remain long in ignorance of its use。 A howl
  was     heard   from    without;    and    a  party   of  fifty   or  sixty   armed    men
  precipitated themselves against the door。
  Suddenly   the   window   opened。   With   the   rapidity   of   lightning;   Guy
  Heavystone       cast   the   net  over   the   head   of   the  ringleader;    ejaculated
  〃Habet!〃 and with a back stroke of his cavalry sabre severed the member
  from its trunk; and; drawing the net back again; cast the gory head upon
  the floor; saying quietly:
  〃One。〃
  Again the net was cast; the steel flashed; the net was withdrawn; and
  an ominous 〃Two!〃 accompanied the head as it rolled on the floor。
  〃Do you remember what Pliny says of the gladiator?〃 said Guy; calmly
  wiping   his   sabre。   〃How   graphic   is   that   passage   commencing   'Inter   nos;
  etc。'〃 The sport continued until the heads of twenty desperadoes had been
  gathered     in。  The    rest  seemed     inclined    to  disperse。    Guy    incautiously
  showed   himself   at   the  door;   a   ringing   shot   was   heard;   and   he   staggered
  back;    pierced    through     the  heart。   Grasping     the   door…post     in  the  last
  unconscious   throes   of   his   mighty   frame;   the   whole   side   of   the     house
  yielded to that earthquake tremor; and we had barely time to escape before
  the whole building fell in ruins。 I thought of Samson; the Giant Judge; etc。;
  etc。; but all was over。
  Guy Heavystone had died as he had lived;HARD。
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  MR。 MIDSHIPMAN BREEZY。A
  NAVAL OFFICER。
  BY CAPTAIN MRRYT; R。 N。
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  CHAPTER I。
  My father was   a north…country  surgeon。 He had retired; a   widower;
  from her Majesty's navy many years before; and had a small practice in his
  native   village。   When   I   was   seven   years   old   he   employed   me   to   carry
  medicines      to  his  patients。   Being    of   a  lively  disposition;    I  sometimes
  amused   myself;   during   my   daily   rounds;   by   mixing   the   contents   of   the
  different phials。 Although I had no reason to doubt that the general result
  of this practice was beneficial; yet; as the death of a consumptive curate
  followed the addition of a strong mercurial lotion to his expectorant; my
  father   concluded   to   withdraw   me   from   the   profession   and   send   me   to
  school。
  Grubbins; the schoolmaster; was a tyrant; and it was not long before
  my impetuous and self…willed nature rebelled against his authority。 I soon
  began to form plans of revenge。 In this I was assisted by Tom Snaffle;a
  schoolfellow。 One day Tom suggested:
  〃Suppose we blow him up。 I've got two pounds of powder!〃
  〃No; that's too noisy;〃 I replied。
  Tom was silent for a minute; and again spoke:
  〃You remember how you flattened out the curate; Pills! Couldn't you
  give Grubbins somethingsomething to make him leathery sick eh?〃
  A   flash   of   inspiration   crossed   my   mind。   I   went   to   the   shop   of   the
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