twice-told tales- my kinsman, major molineux-第3节

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indeed　is　my　kinsman；　the　major；　in　having　so　pretty　a　housekeeper。

But　I　prithee　trouble　him　to　step　to　the　door；　I　will　deliver　him　a

message　from　his　friends　in　the　country；　and　then　go　back　to　my

lodgings　at　the　inn。〃

　　　〃Nay；　the　major　has　been　a…bed　this　hour　or　more；〃　said　the　lady　of

the　scarlet　petticoat；　〃and　it　would　be　to　little　purpose　to　disturb

him　tonight；　seeing　his　evening　draught　was　of　the　strongest。　But　he

is　a　kind…hearted　man；　and　it　would　be　as　much　as　my　life's　worth　to

let　a　kinsman　of　his　turn　away　from　the　door。　You　are　the　good　old

gentleman's　very　picture；　and　I　could　swear　that　was　his　rainy…weather

hat。　Also　he　has　garments　very　much　resembling　those　leather

small…clothes。　But　come　in；　I　pray；　for　I　bid　you　hearty　welcome　in

his　name。〃

　　　So　saying；　the　fair　and　hospitable　dame　took　our　hero　by　the

hand；　and　the　touch　was　light；　and　the　force　was　gentleness；　and

though　Robin　read　in　her　eyes　what　he　did　not　hear　in　her　words；　yet

the　slender…waisted　woman　in　the　scarlet　petticoat　proved　stronger

than　the　athletic　country　youth。　She　had　drawn　his　half…willing

footsteps　nearly　to　the　threshold；　when　the　opening　of　a　door　in　the

neighborhood　startled　the　major's　housekeeper；　and；　leaving　the

major's　kinsman；　she　vanished　speedily　into　her　own　domicile。　A

heavy　yawn　preceded　the　appearance　of　a　man；　who；　like　the　Moonshine

of　Pyramus　and　Thisbe；　carried　a　lantern；　needlessly　aiding　his　sister

luminary　in　the　heavens。　As　he　walked　sleepily　up　the　street；　he

turned　his　broad；　dull　face　on　Robin；　and　displayed　a　long　staff；

spiked　at　the　end。

　　　〃Home；　vagabond；　home！〃　said　the　watchman；　in　accents　that　seemed

to　fall　asleep　as　soon　as　they　were　uttered。　〃Home；　or　we'll　set　you

in　the　stocks；　by　peep　of　day！〃

　　　〃This　is　the　second　hint　of　the　kind；〃　thought　Robin。　〃I　wish

they　would　end　my　difficulties；　by　setting　me　there　tonight。〃

　　　Nevertheless；　the　youth　felt　an　instinctive　antipathy　towards　the

guardian　of　midnight　order；　which　at　first　prevented　him　from　asking

his　usual　question。　But　just　when　the　man　was　about　to　vanish　behind

the　corner；　Robin　resolved　not　to　lose　the　opportunity；　and　shouted

lustily　after　him…　〃I　say；　friend！　will　you　guide　me　to　the　house　of

my　kinsman；　Major　Molineux？〃

　　　The　watchman　made　no　reply；　but　turned　the　corner　and　was　gone；　yet

Robin　seemed　to　hear　the　sound　of　drowsy　laughter　stealing　along　the

solitary　street。　At　that　moment；　also；　a　pleasant　titter　saluted　him

from　the　open　window　above　his　head；　he　looked　up；　and　caught　the

sparkle　of　a　saucy　eye；　a　round　arm　beckoned　to　him；　and　next　he　heard

light　footsteps　descending　the　staircase　within。　But　Robin；　being　of

the　household　of　a　New　England　clergyman；　was　a　good　youth；　as　well　as

a　shrewd　one；　so　he　resisted　temptation；　and　fled　away。

　　　He　now　roamed　desperately；　and　at　random；　through　the　town；

almost　ready　to　believe　that　a　spell　was　on　him；　like　that　by　which

a　wizard　of　his　country　had　once　kept　three　pursuers　wandering；　a

whole　winter　night；　within　twenty　paces　of　the　cottage　which　they

sought。　The　streets　lay　before　him；　strange　and　desolate；　and　the

lights　were　extinguished　in　almost　every　house。　Twice；　however；　little

parties　of　men；　among　whom　Robin　distinguished　individuals　in

outlandish　attire；　came　hurrying　along；　but　though　on　both　occasions

they　paused　to　address　him；　such　intercourse　did　not　at　all

enlighten　his　perplexity。　They　did　but　utter　a　few　words　in　some

language　of　which　Robin　knew　nothing；　and　perceiving　his　inability

to　answer；　bestowed　a　curse　upon　him　in　plain　English；　and　hastened

away。　Finally；　the　lad　determined　to　knock　at　the　door　of　every

mansion　that　might　appear　worthy　to　be　occupied　by　his　kinsman；

trusting　that　perseverance　would　overcome　the　fatality　that　had

hitherto　thwarted　him。　Firm　in　this　resolve；　he　was　passing　beneath

the　walls　of　a　church；　which　formed　the　corner　of　two　streets；　when；

as　he　turned　into　the　shade　of　its　steeple；　he　encountered　a　bulky

stranger；　muffled　in　a　cloak。　The　man　was　proceeding　with　the　speed　of

earnest　business；　but　Robin　planted　himself　full　before　him；　holding

the　oak　cudgel　with　both　hands　across　his　body；　as　a　bar　to　further

passage。

　　　〃Halt；　honest　man；　and　answer　me　a　question；〃　said　he；　very

resolutely。　〃Tell　me；　this　instant；　whereabouts　is　the　dwelling　of

my　kinsman；　Major　Molineux？〃

　　　〃Keep　your　tongue　between　your　teeth；　fool；　and　let　me　pass！〃

said　a　deep；　gruff　voice；　which　Robin　partly　remembered。　〃Let　me　pass；

I　say；　or　I'll　strike　you　to　the　earth！〃

　　　〃No；　no；　neighbor！〃　cried　Robin；　flourishing　his　cudgel；　and　then

thrusting　its　larger　end　close　to　the　man's　muffled　face。　〃No；　no；　I'm

not　the　fool　you　take　me　for；　nor　do　you　pass　till　I　have　an　answer　to

my　question。　Whereabouts　is　the　dwelling　of　my　kinsman；　Major

Molineux？〃

　　　The　stranger；　instead　of　attempting　to　force　his　passage；　stepped

back　into　the　moonlight；　unmuffled　his　face；　and　stared　full　into　that

of　Robin。

　　　〃Watch　here　an　hour；　and　Major　Molineux　will　pass　by；〃　said　he。

　　　Robin　gazed　with　dismay　and　astonishment　on　the　unprecedented

physiognomy　of　the　speaker。　The　forehead　with　its　double　prominence；

the　broad　hooked　nose；　the　shaggy　eyebrows；　and　fiery　eyes；　were　those

which　he　had　noticed　at　the　inn；　but　the　man's　complexion　had

undergone　a　singular；　or；　more　properly；　a　two…fold　change。　One　side

of　the　face　blazed　an　intense　red；　while　the　other　was　black　as

midnight；　the　division　line　being　in　the　broad　bridge　of　the　nose；　and

a　mouth　which　seemed　to　extend　from　ear　to　ear　was　black　or　red；　in

contrast　to　the　color　of　the　cheek。　The　effect　was　as　if　two

individual　devils；　a　fiend　of　fire　and　a　fiend　of　darkness；　had　united

themselves　to　form　this　infernal　visage。　The　stranger　grinned　in

Robin's　face；　muffled　his　parti…colored　features；　and　was　out　of　sight

in　a　moment。

　　　〃Strange　things　we　travellers　see！〃　ejaculated　Robin。

　　　He　seated　himself；　however；　upon　the　steps　of　the　church…door；

resolving　to　wait　the　appointed　time　for　his　kinsman。　A　few　moments

were　consumed　in　philosophical　speculations　upon　the　species　of　man

who　had　just　left　him；　but　having　settled　this　point　shrewdly；

rationally；　and　satisfactorily；　he　was　compelled　to　look　elsewhere　for

his　amusement。　And　first　he　threw　his　eyes　along　the　street。　It　was　of

more　respectable　appearance　than　most　of　those　into　which　he　had

wandered；　and　the　moon；　creating；　like　the　imaginative　power；　a

beautiful　strangeness　in　familiar　objects；　gave　something　of　romance

to　a　scene　that　might　not　have　possessed　it　in　the　light　of　day。　The

irregular　and　often　quaint　architecture　of　the　houses；　some　of　whose

roofs　were　broken　into　numerous　little　peaks；　while　others　ascended；

steep　and　narrow；　into　a　single　point；　and　others　again　were　square；

the　pure　snow…white　of　some　of　their　complexions；　the　aged　darkness　of

others；　and　the　thousand　sparklings；　reflected　from　bright

substances　in　the　walls　of　many；　these　matters　engaged　Robin's

attention　for　a　while；　and　then　began　to　grow　wearisome。　Next　he

endeavored　to　define　the　forms　of　distant　objects；　starting　away；　with

almost　ghostly　indistinctness；　just　as　his　eye　appeared　to　grasp　them；

and　finally　he　took　a　minute　survey　of　an　edifice　which　stood　on　the

opposite　side　of　the　street；　directly　in　front　of　the　church…door；

where　he　was　stationed。　It　was　a　large；　square　mansion；

distinguished　from　its　neighbors　by　a　balcony；　which　rested　on　tall

pillars；　and　by　an　elaborate　Gothic　window；　communicating　therewith。

　　　〃Perhaps　this　is　the　very　house　I　have　been　seeking；〃　thought

Robin。

　　　Then　he　strove　to　speed　away　the　time；　by　listening　to　a　murmur

which　swept　continually　along　the　street；　yet　was　scarcely　audible；

except　to　an　unaccustomed　ear　like　his；　it　was　a　low；　dull；　dreamy

sound；　compounded　of　many　noises；　each　of　which　was　at　too　great　a

distance　to　be　separately　heard。　Robin　marvelled　at　this　snore　of　a

sleeping　town；　and　marvelled　more　whenever　its　continuity　was　broken

by　now　and　then　a　distant　shout；　apparently　loud　where　it

originated。　But　altogether　it　was　a　sleep…inspiring　sound；　and；　to

shake　off　its　drowsy　influence；　Robin　arose；　and　climbed　a

window…frame；　that　he　might　view　the　interior　of　the　church。　There　the

moonbeams　came　trembling　in；　and　fell　down　upon　the　deserted　pews；　and

extended　along　the　quiet　aisles。　A　fainter　yet　more　awful　radiance　was

hovering　around　the　pulpit；　and　one　solitary　ray　had　dared　to　rest

upon　the　opened　page　of　the　great　Bible。　Had　nature；　in　that　deep

hour；　become　a　worshipper　in　the　house　which　man　had　builded？　Or　was

that　heavenly　light　the　visible　sanctity　of　the　place…　visible　because

no　earthly　and　impure　feet　were　within　the　walls？　The　scene　made

Robin's　heart　shiver　with　a　sensation　of　loneliness　stronger　than　he

had　ever　felt　in　the　remotest　depths　of　his　native　woods；　so　he　turned

away；　and　sat　down　again　before　the　door。　There　were　graves　around　the

church；　and　now　an　uneasy　thought　obtruded　into　Robin's　breast。　What

if