第 25 节
作者:插翅难飞      更新:2021-04-30 17:18      字数:9321
  Lord Rufton; where they would drink much wine; make wild bets; and talk
  of   their   horses   and   their  foxes。   How      well   I  remember   those     strange
  creatures。     Sir Barrington; Jack Lupton; of Barnstable; Colonel Addison;
  Johnny   Miller;     Lord    Sadler;   and   my   enemy;    the   Honourable      Baldock。
  They   were   of   the   same   stamp   all   of   them;   drinkers;   madcaps;   fighters;
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  gamblers;   full   of   strange   caprices   and   extraordinary   whims。         Yet   they
  were kindly fellows in their rough fashion; save only this Baldock; a fat
  man; who prided himself on his skill at the box…fight。                It was he who; by
  his laughter against the French because they were ignorant of sport; caused
  me to challenge him in the very sport at which he excelled。                  You will say
  that it was foolish; my friends; but the decanter had passed many times;
  and   the   blood   of   youth   ran   hot   in   my   veins。 I   would   fight   him;   this
  boaster; I would show him that if we had not skill at least we had courage。
  Lord Rufton would not allow it。             I insisted。     The others cheered me on
  and slapped me on the back。            〃No; dash it; Baldock; he's our guest;〃 said
  Rufton。      〃It's his own doing;〃 the other answered。             〃Look here; Rufton;
  they can't   hurt each   other   if they wear   the   mawleys;〃   cried   Lord   Sadler。
  And so it was agreed。
  What the mawleys were I did not know; but presently they brought out
  four   great   puddings   of   leather;   not   unlike   a   fencing   glove;   but   larger。
  With these our hands were covered after we had stripped ourselves of our
  coats and our waistcoats。          Then the table; with the glasses and decanters;
  was   pushed   into   the   corner   of   the   room;   and   behold   us;   face   to   face!
  Lord Sadler sat in the arm…chair with a watch in his open hand。                    〃Time!〃
  said he。
  I will confess to you; my friends; that I felt at that moment a tremor
  such   as   none   of   my   many   duels   have   ever   given   me。     With   sword   or
  pistol I am at home; but here I only understood that I must struggle with
  this fat Englishman and do what I could; in spite of these great puddings
  upon my hands; to overcome him。               And at the very outset I was disarmed
  of the best weapon that was left to me。             〃Mind; Gerard; no kicking!〃 said
  Lord Rufton in my ear。          I had only a pair of thin dancing slippers; and yet
  the   man   was   fat;   and   a   few   well…directed   kicks   might   have   left   me   the
  victor。    But there is an etiquette just as there is in fencing; and I refrained。
  I   looked   at   this   Englishman   and   I   wondered   how   I   should   attack   him。
  His ears were large and prominent。             Could I seize them I might drag him
  to the ground。       I rushed in; but I was betrayed by this flabby glove; and
  twice I lost my hold。         He struck me; but I cared little for his blows; and
  again    I  seized   him    by   the  ear。   He    fell;  and   I  rolled  upon    him   and
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  thumped his head upon the ground。
  How   they   cheered   and   laughed;   these   gallant   Englishmen;   and   how
  they clapped me on the back!
  〃Even money on the Frenchman;〃 cried Lord Sadler。
  〃He   fights   foul;〃   cried   my   enemy;   rubbing   his   crimson   ears。       〃He
  savaged me on the ground。〃
  〃You must take your chance of that;〃 said Lord Rufton; coldly。
  〃Time!〃 cried Lord Sadler; and once again we advanced to the assault。
  He was flushed; and his small eyes were as vicious as those of a bull…
  dog。     There was hatred on his face。           For my part I carried myself lightly
  and   gaily。     A   French   gentleman   fights   but   he   does   not   hate。     I   drew
  myself up before him; and I bowed as I have done in the duello。
  There can be grace and courtesy as well as defiance in a bow; I put all
  three    into   this   one;    with   a   touch    of   ridicule   in   the   shrug    which
  accompanied   it。       It   was   at   this   moment   that   he   struck   me。 The   room
  spun round me。         I fell upon my back。        But in an instant I was on my feet
  again   and   had   rushed   to   a   close   combat。    His   ear;   his   hair;   his   nose;   I
  seized them each in turn。          Once again the mad joy of the battle was in my
  veins。     The   old   cry   of   triumph   rose   to   my   lips。 〃Vive   l'Empereur!〃   I
  yelled as I drove my head into his stomach。                He threw his arm round my
  neck;   and   holding   me   with   one   hand   he   struck   me   with   the   other。      I
  buried   my   teeth   in   his   arm;   and   he   shouted   with   pain。  〃Call   him   off;
  Rufton!〃 he screamed。
  〃Call   him   off;   man!    He's   worrying   me!〃       They   dragged   me   away
  from     him。     Can      I  ever   forget    it?the   laughter;    the   cheering;     the
  congratulations!        Even my enemy bore me no ill…will; for he shook me by
  the   hand。     For    my   part   I  embraced     him   on   each    cheek。    Five    years
  afterward   I   learned   from   Lord   Rufton   that   my   noble   bearing   upon   that
  evening was still fresh in the memory of my English friends。
  It is not; however; of my own exploits in sport that I wish to speak to
  you to…night; but it is of the Lady Jane Dacre and the strange adventure of
  which she was the cause。           Lady Jane Dacre was Lord Rufton's sister and
  the lady of his household。           I fear that until I came it was lonely for her;
  since   she   was   a   beautiful   and   refined   woman   with   nothing   in   common
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  with   those   who   were   about   her。     Indeed;   this   might   be   said   of   many
  women in the England of those days; for the men were rude and rough and
  coarse;   with   boorish   habits   and   few   accomplishments;   while   the   women
  were   the   most   lovely   and   tender   that   I   have   ever   known。   We   became
  great friends; the Lady Jane and I; for it was not possible for me to drink
  three bottles of port after dinner like those Devonshire gentlemen; and so I
  would seek refuge in her drawing…room; where evening after evening she
  would play the harpsichord and I would sing the songs of my own land。
  In those peaceful moments I would find a refuge from the misery which
  filled me;   when I reflected that my  regiment was left in the front of the
  enemy without the chief whom they had learned to love and to follow。
  Indeed; I could have torn my hair when I read in the English papers of
  the fine fighting which was going on in Portugal and on the frontiers of
  Spain; all of which I had missed through my misfortune in falling into the
  hands of Milord Wellington。
  From  what   I   have   told   you   of   the   Lady   Jane   you   will   have   guessed
  what occurred; my friends。           Etienne Gerard is thrown into the company
  of a young and beautiful woman。               What must it mean for him?              What
  must it mean for her?         It was not for me; the guest; the captive; to make
  love to the sister of my host。        But I was reserved。
  I   was   discreet。  I   tried   to   curb   my  own   emotions   and   to   discourage
  hers。    For my own part I fear that I betrayed myself; for the eye becomes
  more eloquent when the tongue is silent。              Every quiver of my fingers as I
  turned     over   her   music…sheets     told   her   my   secret。    But    sheshe    was
  admirable。      It is in these matters that women have a genius for deception。
  If   I   had   not   penetrated   her   secret   I   should   often   have   thought   that   she
  forgot   even   that   I   was   in   the   house。 For   hours   she   would   sit   lost   in   a
  sweet melancholy; while I admired her pale face and her curls in the lamp…
  light;   and   thrilled   within   me   to   think   that   I   had   moved   her   so   deeply。
  Then at last I would speak; and she would start in her chair and stare at me
  with   the   most   admirable   pretence   of   being   surprised   to   find   me   in   the
  room。     Ah! how I longed to hurl myself suddenly at her feet; to kiss her
  white hand; to assure her that I had surprised her secret and that I would
  not abuse her confidence。
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