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【国外英文文学】诱拐
1Davidmeetshisuncle
ItwasearlyinthemonthofJune,1751,,intheLowlandsofScotland,wheremyfatherhadbeenthedominie,,,andhewouldteachattheschoolandliveinthedominie',althoughIwasonlyseventeen,therewasnowhereformetolive,andnoreasonformetostayinEssendean.
ButmyheartwasbeatingwithexcitementasIwalkeddowntheroad,becauseinmyhandIcarriedtheletterthatmyfatherhadgivenmejustbeforehedied.‘Davie,’hehadsaid,‘whenIamdead,takethistothehouseofShaws,'swhereIcamefrom,andthat'.’
Balfour!Thesamenameasmyown!ItwasthefirsttimeIhadheardofanyofourfamilyoutsideEssendean.
SoIdecidedtowalktoCramond,hopingthatperhapsthisMrBalfour,inhisfinebighouse,wouldreceivemekindly,,,toleavethatsleepyplace,wherenothingeverhappened,andgotoagreat,busyhouse,tobewithrichandimportantpeopleofmyownnameandblood!ButwhenIreachedthetopofthehill,Iturnedalittlesadly,totakemylastlookatthedominie'shouse,andEssendeanchurchyard,wheremyfatherandmotherlay.
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,andsoonIarrivedinCramond.
,someafraid,andsomeangry,,butitwastoofartogobacktoEssendeanthatday,andIwantedtofindtherestoftheBalfourfamilyverymuchSoIcontinuedonmyway,andwhenImetadark,wild-lookingwomancomingtowardsme,IaskedherwherethehouseofShawswasShetookmetothetopofthenexthill,,andthefarmlandwasexcellent,,andnosmokecomingfromanyofitschimneys,norwasthereanygarden.‘That!’Icried.‘No,itcan'tbe!’‘Itis!’criedthewomanangrily.‘ThatisthehouseofShaws!Bloodbuiltit,bloodstoppedthebuildingofif,andbloodshallbringitdown!BlackistheheartofEbenezerBalfour!YecantellhimfrommethatIhopetoseehimdie,andhishousefalldownaroundhim!’,shakinglikealeaf,,Inoticedsomesmokecomingoutofthechimney,andfeltalittlemorehopeful.‘Theremustbeafire,andcooking,andpeopleinthehouse,’,buttherewasfirelightshiningthroughthekitchenwindow,,,,,thewindowopened,andamanholdingagunputhisheadout.
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‘Whatdoyewant?’heasked.
‘I'?’
‘Whoisitfrom?’askedthemanwiththegun.
‘That'snoneofyourbusiness,’Ireplied,gettingangry.
‘Well,puttheletterdownbythedoor,andleave.’
‘Iwillnot!’Iansweredsharply.‘I'.’
‘Whoareyethen?’wasthenextquestion.
‘I''sDavidBalfour.’
,heaskedinachangedvoice,‘Isyourfatherdead?’Iwastoosurprisedtoanswer,buthecontinued,‘Aye,hemustbedead,andthat',man,I'llletyein,’andhedisappearedfromthewindow.
Nowthedoorwasunlocked,andavoicefromthedarknesssaid,‘Gointothekitchenandtouchnothing.’Iobeyed,,,,mean-lookingandwhite-faced,betweenfiftyandseventyyearsold,,norlookstraightintomyface.
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‘Ifye'rehungry,’hesaid,‘'sgrandfood,porridge!Letmeseetheletter!’
‘It'sforMrBalfour,notyou,’Ireplied.
‘AndwhodoyethinkIam?GivemeAlexander'sletter!Yemaynotlikemeormyhouseormyporridge,butI'myourbornuncle,Davie,myman!’
,soIsilentlygavehimtheletter,andsatdowntoeattheporridge.
‘Yourfather'sbeendeadalongtime?’heasked,givingmeaquicklookfromhissharpeyes.
‘Threeweeks,sir,’Isaid.
‘Hewasasecretiveman,'ttalkmuchaboutme?OraboutthehouseofShaws?’
‘Ineverknewhehadabrother,sir,oreverheardthenameofShaws.’
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‘Tothinkofthat!’hereplied.‘Astrangeman!’Butheseemedverypleased,,‘We'regoingtogetonwell,Davie!What'smineisyours,man,andwhat''sthickerthanwater,andthere''llshowyetoyourbed.’
.‘CanIhavealight,sir?’Iasked.‘No,yecan'!I'mafraidoffires,,Davie,myman.’AndbeforeIhadtimetoreply,,butluckilyIhadmyplaidwithme,soIcoveredmyselfwithitlikeablanket,andsoonfellasleep.
ThenextdaymyuncleandIhadasmallbowlofporridgeandaglassofwaterforbreakfast,,,whilepretendingtodosomethingdifferent,andheneverleftmealoneinthekitchenwiththelockedchests,inwhich,Isupposed,,andbegantowonderifhewasalittlecrazy,andperhapsdangerous.
Aftersupperhesaidsuddenly,‘Davie,I'—andsoI'mgoingtogiveye…fortypounds!’,inakindofscream,‘Scots!’
,soIlaughedathim,saying,‘Oh,thinkagain,sir!Englishpounds,surely!’
‘That'swhatIsaid,'repliedmyunclequickly.‘Gooutsideforamoment,andI'llgetthemoneyforye.
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’
IwassmilingasIwentout,,andIcouldhearwindinthehills.‘Theremaybethunderlater,’Ithought,notknowinghowimportanttheweatherwouldbetomethatnight.
Butwhenmyunclecalledmeinagain,,andhekeptbackthelasttwopounds,,Ithankedhimwarmly.
‘Now,’hesaid,lookingcleverlyatme,‘yecangivemesomething,'mgettingoldnow,andIneedhelp.’
‘Ofcourse,sir,’Ianswered.‘WhatcanIdo?’
‘Well,gooutsideandclimbthestairsattheotherendofthehouse,wherethebuildingisn',andbringdownthechestthatye''sgotvaluablepapersinit.’
‘CanIhavealight,sir?’Iasked.
‘No,’hesaidsharply.‘Nolightsinmyhouse!’‘Verywell,?’
‘They'regrand,’saidhe.‘,therewasasuddenflashoflightning,,,becauseitshowedmethatthestepswereuneven,andthatIcouldeasilyfalltomydeath.
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‘Thesearethegrandstairs!’Ithought.‘Perhapsmyunclewantsmetodie!’NowIwasverycareful,,,,.
Angrily,,,andcouldsee,inthenextflashoflightning,afigurestandingstillinthedoorway,,louderthanbefore,heranbackinside,,drinkingwhiskystraightfromthebottle,,and,puttingmyhandssuddenlyonhisshoulders,cried,‘Ah!’
Myunclegaveakindofbrokencry,,,andhelookedupandsawme.‘Ohman,areyealiveoraghost?’hecried‘Getmemymedicine,Davie—it'sformyheart.’.‘Whydidyoulietome?’Iaskedangrily.‘Whydidyougivememoney?Andwhydidyoutrytokillme?Answerme!’
‘I'lltellyetomorrow,Davie,,willye?’Hestilllookedveryill,,andwenttosleepinfrontofthekitchenfire.
WhenIwokeupinthemorning,Ifeltverypleasedwithmyself.‘Hethinkshe'sclevererthanme,butheisn't!
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’,IaskedhimagainforanexplanationAfterawhile,hesaid,‘Davie,Ihavesomebusinesswithaship',wecouldwalkoverthere,andwhenI'vedonemybusiness,wecouldvisitthelawyer,''sanhonestman,?’
,buthadalwayswantedto!‘It'sagrandidea,’Isaid.
Itwasamorning'swalktoQueensferry,WhichwaswestofEdinburgh,,atthetopofahill,wecouldseetheFirthofForthbelowus,blueandcalm,withwhitesailsonit.
‘Yeseethatpublichouse?’askedmyuncle.‘CaptainHoseason'sthere,'stheship'sboatonthebeach,'stheshipitself!Agrandship!’
,andIthoughtwhatanexcitingadventurethatwouldbe—tosailawaytoaforeigncountry.
,dark,serious-lookingman,,Ileftthesetwomentotheirbusiness,andrandowntothebeach,.
AsIwascomingback,Imettheownerofthepublichouse.
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‘Goodmorning,’hesaid.‘DidyecomewithEbenezer?’
‘Idid,’Ireplied.‘Heisn'twellliked,Iunderstand.’
‘That'strue,’heanswered.‘,hisbrother.’
‘Whatstory?’Iasked.
‘Oh,?’
‘Andwhywouldhekillmyf—,Imean,Alexander?’
‘Togetthehouse,ofcourse,thehouseofShaws.’
‘Aye,man?Wasmy—wasAlexanderolderthanEbenezer?’
‘Indeedhewas!Nootherreasonforkillinghim!’
Thiswasagreatsurprisetome!Ihadthoughtthatmyfatherwastheyoungerbrother,andInowunderstoodwhymyunclehadliedtome,,notmyuncle,!MyheadwasfullofthewonderfulthingsthatIcoulddoinmylife,asIlooked,unseeing,atthesea.
.‘Sir,’hesaid,‘'monlysorryIhaven''dlikeyetocomeontomyshipforhalfanhour,beforewesail,andhaveadrinkwithme.
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’
Now,morethananythingintheworld,Iwantedtoseetheinsideofaship,butIrememberedthatIhadtobecareful.‘MyuncleandIhavetoseethelawyer,sir,’Ireplied,‘soI'mafraidwemaynothaveenoughtime.’
‘Aye,aye,’heanswered,‘Iknow,butyesee,theship'sboatcanputyebothdownnearRankeillor'shouse,afterye'veseentheship,soyewon'tloseanytime.’Suddenlyhesaidquietlyinmyear,‘Watchoutfortheoldman—.’Puttinghisarminmine,hesaidloudly,‘WhatcanIbringyebackfrommytravels?AfriendofMrBalfour'sisafriendofmine!’
Bythistimewewereonthebeach,,andIwasveryexcitedaswecameclosertothegreatship,fullofbusy,'sside,andatthetopthecaptainimmediatelyputhisarmthroughmineandbegantotalkabouttheship.
‘Butwhereismyuncle?