登陆注册
4615900000080

第80章

`Dread him,' said Wemmick. `I believe you they dread him. Not but what he's artful, even in his defiance of them. No silver, sir. Britannia metal, every spoon.'

`So they wouldn't have much,' I observed, `even if they--'

`Ah! But he would have much,' said Wemmick, cutting me short, `and they know it. He'd have their lives, and the lives of scores of 'em.

He'd have all he could get. And it's impossible to say what he couldn't get, if he gave his mind to it.'

I was falling into meditation on my guardian's greatness, when Wemmick remarked:

`As to the absence of plate, that's only his natural depth, you know.

A river's its natural depth, and he's his natural depth. Look at his watch-chain.

That's real enough.'

`It's very massive,' said I.

`Massive?' repeated Wemmick. `I think so. And his watch is a gold repeater, and worth a hundred pound if it's worth a penny. Mr Pip, there are about seven hundred thieves in this town who know all about that watch; there's not a man, a woman, or a child, among them, who wouldn't identify the smallest link in that chain, and drop it as if it was red-hot, if inveigled into touching it.'

At first with such discourse, and afterwards with conversation of a more general nature, did Mr Wemmick and I beguile the time and the road, until he gave me to understand that we had arrived in the district of Walworth.

It appeared to be a collection of back lanes, ditches, and little gardens, and to present the aspect of a rather dull retirement. Wemmick's house was a little wooden cottage in the midst of plots of garden, and the top of it was cut out and painted like a battery mounted with guns.

`My own doing,' said Wemmick. `Looks pretty; don't it?'

I highly commended it, I think it was the smallest house I ever saw;with the queerest gothic windows (by far the greater part of them sham), and a gothic door, almost too small to get in at.

`That's a real flagstaff, you see,' said Wemmick, `and on Sundays Irun up a real flag. Then look here. After I have crossed this bridge, Ihoist it up - so - and cut off the communication.'

The bridge was a plank, and it crossed a chasm about four feet wide and two deep. But it was very pleasant to see the pride with which he hoisted it up and made it fast; smiling as he did so, with a relish and not merely mechanically.

`At nine o'clock every night, Greenwich time,' said Wemmick, `the gun fires. There he is, you see! And when you hear him go, I think you'll say he's a Stinger.'

The piece of ordnance referred to, was mounted in a separate fortress, constructed of lattice-work. It was protected from the weather by an ingenious little tarpaulin contrivance in the nature of an umbrella.

`Then, at the back,' said Wemmick, `out of sight, so as not to impede the idea of fortifications - for it's a principle with me, if you have an idea, carry it out and keep it up - I don't know whether that's your opinion--'

I said, decidedly.

` - At the back, there's a pig, and there are fowls and rabbits; then, I knock together my own little frame, you see, and grow cucumbers; and you'll judge at supper what sort of a salad I can raise. So, sir,' said Wemmick, smiling again, but seriously too, as he shook his head, `if you can suppose the little place besieged, it would hold out a devil of a time in point of provisions.'

Then, he conducted me to a bower about a dozen yards off, but which was approached by such ingenious twists of path that it took quite a long time to get at; and in this retreat our glasses were already set forth.

Our punch was cooling in an ornamental lake, on whose margin the bower was raised. This piece of water (with an island in the middle which might have been the salad for supper) was of a circular form, and he had constructed a fountain in it, which, when you set a little mill going and took a cork out of a pipe, played to that powerful extent that it made the back of your hand quite wet.

`I am my own engineer, and my own carpenter, and my own plumber, and my own gardener, and my own Jack of all Trades,' said Wemmick, in acknowledging my compliments. `Well; it's a good thing, you know. It brushes the Newgate cobwebs away, and pleases the Aged. You wouldn't mind being at once introduced to the Aged, would you? It wouldn't put you out?'

I expressed the readiness I felt, and we went into the castle. There, we found, sitting by a fire, a very old man in a flannel coat: clean, cheerful, comfortable, and well cared for, but intensely deaf.

`Well aged parent,' said Wemmick, shaking hands with him in a cordial and jocose way, `how am you?'

`All right, John; all right!' replied the old man.

`Here's Mr Pip, aged parent,' said Wemmick, `and I wish you could hear his name. Nod away at him, Mr Pip; that's what he likes. Nod away at him, if you please, like winking!'

同类推荐
  • Many Voices

    Many Voices

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Puppet Crown

    The Puppet Crown

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 勘处播州事情疏

    勘处播州事情疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 拟太平策序

    拟太平策序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Story of an African Farm

    The Story of an African Farm

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 随身之我有一颗星球

    随身之我有一颗星球

    有空间,而且这个空间还可以继续扩大,并且它的终极形态将是一颗完整的星球,你的第一反应是什么?高帅不知道别人的反应是什么,他的反应是……这特么是个深不见底的大坑啊!新书《穿越之萌犬当道》上传,拜求兄弟们过去支持一下!
  • 穿越生死线

    穿越生死线

    “日本人杀人啦!”“日本人杀人啦!”喊声从屋外破门而入的时候,我还睡在床上做美梦。近几天,老天一直闹脾气,阴雨哭哭啼啼,连绵不断,所以跑进来的喊声也是湿漉漉的。我没能听清他们喊的什么,但声音里的紧迫却一下子把我的睡意全部赶跑了。翻身起床,就见父母和妹妹站在门口,朝村子呆呆地望着。我大声问:“他们喊什么呀?”妹妹转过身望了我一眼:“说日本人杀人啦。”妹妹叫段功惠,九岁。她的脸上全是平平坦坦的坦荡,似乎是在说一个遥远的故事。轰隆一声,我心里就炸了。抬眼朝村子望去,发现各条路上,挤满了疯狂向山上逃窜的人们。
  • 琴堂谕俗编

    琴堂谕俗编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 何以情深,何以缘落

    何以情深,何以缘落

    她被迫成为他的婶婶,他恨她入骨,恨到亲手毁了她。她一面相思,一面执着守护最后的亲人,却怎奈抵不过老天爷的作弄。直到她说:“如果可以,我情愿从未遇见你。”他才恍然大悟,可佳人却已为梦。何以如此情深,何以造化弄人缘份落尽。
  • 全能奇才战神

    全能奇才战神

    一桩神秘的灭村惨案,将整个江湖点燃了,风雨欲来花满楼,有人的地方就有江湖,人在江湖身不由己,魔人与天刀门的命运如何,李浩的一生会在复仇的欲火中度过吗?而他的命运又会是如何?
  • 前辈们的秘密

    前辈们的秘密

    本书所写的是中国文坛和学界的一流文化人。其中包括王元化、李泽厚、黎澍、施蜇存、金性尧、黄裳、范用、唐振常、曾卓、辛丰年、谷林、吴小如、周作人、张爱玲等,多为第一手材料,对这些人物作学术分析,写出他们真正的价值。这些人都是“专家之上的文人”,中国文化都是由这种“专家之上的文人”传承和推进的。此书深入浅出、雅俗共赏,是一本具有深刻文化含量的大书。
  • 卡耐基写给青少年的口才书

    卡耐基写给青少年的口才书

    年轻的朋友,你是不是有过因胆怯而语无伦次的尴尬经历?是不是常常在当众讲话的时候感到手足无措?是不是希望自己成为一个妙语惊人、出类拔萃的“口才少年”?……《卡耐基写给青少年的口才书》可以帮助你建立自信,具有敏锐的思维,让你获得卓越的口才,令人刮目相看。《卡耐基写给青少年的口才书》汇集了卡耐基多年来当众讲话、演说的经典案例,以青少年的心理需求为出发点,分别从技巧修炼、交流互动、即席演讲、仪态谈吐、自我挑战、口才储备等方面进行系统的指导,旨在帮助青少年建立一套完整的口才训练系统,传授如何运用能言善辩的口才在校园、社会、家庭中充分展示自我,获得把握有利于自身成长和走向成功的契机。
  • 天珠变

    天珠变

    人有本命珠,觉醒后或为意珠、或为体珠,如手串分别在左右手腕处盘旋。天珠如人类之双胞胎,当意、体双珠同时出现在一个人身上的时候,即为天珠。修炼体珠者是为体珠师,修炼意珠者是为意珠师,而修炼天珠者自然即是天珠师。天珠师最高为十二双珠,因此,它的修炼过程也被称之为:天珠十二变。我们的主角就是一位修炼着天珠变的弓箭手。
  • 听南怀瑾讲《论语》全集

    听南怀瑾讲《论语》全集

    南怀瑾先生是一位学贯古今的国学大师,他潜心研究《论语》几十年,具有很深的造诣,在国际上享有盛誉。南怀瑾先生对《论语》的解读因迥异于其他人而独树一帜,其语言通俗易懂,所言之事都是人一生中必须面对的事情,在深入浅出的文字之间将人生道理阐释得清清楚楚,尤其是对做人与做事有着精辟的见解。每一位读者都可以从南怀瑾先生的精彩讲述中,领悟《论语》的思想内涵,从而将《论语》蕴藏的人生智慧运用到自己的生活中,开阔自己的人生视野,在为人处世等方面得到进一步的提高,成就成功的人生。
  • 送王昌龄

    送王昌龄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。