登陆注册
5170700000090

第90章

There was a bright moon, but it was behind the clouds.It was a fine dry night, but it was mot uncommonly dark.Paths, hedges, fields, houses, and trees, were enveloped in one deep shade.The atmosphere was hot and sultry, the summer lightning quivered faintly on the verge of the horizon, and was the only sight that varied the dull gloom in which everything was wrapped--sound there was none, except the distant barking of some restless house-dog.

They found the house, read the brass plate, walked round the wall, and stopped at that portion of it which divided them from the bottom of the garden.

"You will return to the inn, Sam, when you have assisted me over," said Mr.Pickwick.

"Very well, sir."

"And you will sit up, 'till I return."

"Cert'nly, sir."

"Take hold of my leg; and, when I say `Over,' raise me gently.""All right, sir."

Having settled these preliminaries, Mr.Pickwick grasped the top of the wall, and gave the word "Over," which was very literally obeyed.Whether his body partook in some degree of the elasticity of his mind, or whether Mr.Weller's notions of a gentle push were of a somewhat rougher description than Mr.Pickwick's, the immediate effect of his assistance was to jerk that immortal gentleman completely over the wall on to the bed beneath, where, after crushing three gooseberry-bushes and a rose-tree, he finally alighted at full length.

"You ha'n't hurt yourself, I hope, sir?" said Sam, in a loud whisper, as soon as he recovered from the surprise consequent upon the mysterious disappearance of his master.

"I have not hurt myself , Sam, certainly," replied Mr.Pickwick, from the other side of the wall, "but I rather think that you have hurt me.""I hope not, sir," said Sam.

"Never mind," said Mr.Pickwick, rising, "it's nothing but a few scratches.

Go away, or we shall be overheard."

"Good-bye, sir."

"Good-bye."

With stealthy steps Sam Weller departed, leaving Mr.Pickwick alone in the garden.

Lights occasionally appeared in the different windows of the house, or glanced from the staircases, as if the inmates were retiring to rest.

Not caring to go too near the door, until the appointed time, Mr.Pickwick crouched into an angle of the wall, and awaited its arrival.

It was a situation which might well have depressed the spirits of many a man.Mr.Pickwick, however, felt neither depression nor misgiving.He knew that his purpose was in the main a good one, and he placed implicit reliance on the high-minded Job.It was dull, certainly; not to say, dreary;but a contemplative man can always employ himself in meditation.Mr.Pickwick had mediated himself into a doze, when he was roused by the chimes of the neighbouring church ringing out the hour--half-past eleven.

"That is the time," thought Mr.Pickwick, getting cautiously on his feet.He looked up at the house.The lights had disappeared, and the shutters were closed--all in bed, no doubt.He walked on tip-toe to the door, and gave a gentle tap.Two or three minutes passing without any reply, he gave another tap rather louder, and then another rather louder than that.

At length the sound of feet was audible upon the stairs, and then the light of a candle shone through the key-hole of the door.There was a good deal of unchaining and unbolting, and the door was slowly opened.

Now the door opened outwards: and as the door opened wider and wider, Mr.Pickwick receded behind it, more and more.What was his astonishment when he just peeped out, by way of caution, to see that the person who had opened it was--not Job Trotter, but a servant-girl with a candle in her hand! Mr.Pickwick drew in his head again, with the swiftness displayed by that admirable melodramatic performer, Punch, when he lies in wait for the flat-headed comedian with the tin box of music.

"It must have been the cat, Sarah," said the girl, addressing herself to some one in the house."Puss, puss, puss,--tit, tit, tit."But no animal being decoyed by these blandishments, the girl slowly closed the door, and re-fastened it; leaving Mr.Pickwick drawn up straight against the wall.

"This is very curious," thought Mr.Pickwick."They are sitting up beyond their usual hour, I suppose.Extremely unfortunate, that they should have chosen this night, of all others, for such a purpose--exceedingly." And with these thoughts, Mr.Pickwick cautiously retired to the angle of the wall in which he had been before ensconced; waiting until such time as he might deem it safe to repeat the signal.

He had not been here five minutes, when a vivid flash of lightning was followed by a loud peal of thunder that crashed and rolled away in the distance with a terrific noise--then came another flash of lightning, brighter than the other, and a second peal of thunder louder than the first; and then down came the rain, with a force and fury that swept everything before it.

Mr.Pickwick was perfectly aware that a tree is a very dangerous neighbour in a thunder-storm.He had a tree on his right, a tree on his left a third before him, and a fourth behind.If he remained where he was, he might fall the victim of an accident; if he showed himself in the centre of the garden, he might be consigned to a constable;--once or twice he tried to scale the wall, but having no other legs this time, than those with which Nature had furnished him, the only effect of his struggles was to inflict a variety of very unpleasant gratings on his knees and shins, and to throw him into a state of the most profuse perspiration.

"What a dreadful situation," said Mr.Pickwick, pausing to wipe his brow after this exercise.He looked up at the house--all was dark.They must be gone to bed now.He would try the signal again.

He walked on tip-toe across the moist gravel, and tapped at the door.

He held his breath, and listened at the keyhole.No reply: very odd.Another knock.He listened again.There was a low whispering inside, and then a voice cried--"Who's there?"

同类推荐
  • 太上消灾祈福醮仪

    太上消灾祈福醮仪

    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。
  • 重雕清凉传

    重雕清凉传

    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 Monk

    The Monk

    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。
  • 书法三昧

    书法三昧

    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。
  • Characteristics

    Characteristics

    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
  • 穿越之罪女去种田

    穿越之罪女去种田

    她不过睡了一觉而已,怎么会被穿越大神选中啊,要穿越也就算了,凭啥别人都是皇后王妃,她却穿越成一介罪臣?最惨的是刚穿越过来就遇到抄家,神马?身为罪臣之女,要被流放?总的来说,这就是一个穿越女在古代跟人谈恋爱,共奔小康的故事!
  • 特工毒妻:妖孽灵斗师

    特工毒妻:妖孽灵斗师

    "辱我无能?毒残你身,废你灵根,比比谁更狠!骂我异端?我便用毒救人千万,谣言全给我滚蛋!传我嗜杀?剥皮拆骨为我乐,剖腹剜心我最欢!我就是人人唯恐避之不及的毒女!那些仇,你要还!要杀我,尽管来!暗黑沼泽,死神沙漠,亡魂山脉,毒器在手,万物无阻!得毒宠,制毒散,炼毒丹!人见人怕,鬼见鬼愁!逆天驭毒,谁与争锋!当驭毒女王遇上炼器煞男,强强碰撞,谁能先一步征服谁?当鬼灵精遇上小白瓜,强强联手,她与他一起抢遍四方!"--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 魔女公主的花之追爱记

    魔女公主的花之追爱记

    那个,那个,占星学太复杂,纯奈再这里暂且不谈……太阳星座,正是我们平时所说的十二星座。因为是以地球为不动的对照点,太阳在一年中以宇宙中黄道面为平面,围绕着十二个星座运动为周期。
  • 宅女的游戏情缘

    宅女的游戏情缘

    在许多年后,游戏行业十分发达,游戏里神级玩家的影响力比明星还要恐怖,可以说这是一个游戏的时代!慕林,一个被徒弟逼出主宰圈的神级玩家,他到底要何去何从?论成败,人生豪迈,大不了从头再来!都说游戏就是博人泪水的一场故事,可有多少人又将它演成了事实!
  • 五行剑体

    五行剑体

    叶不凡,五行之体。心地善良,聪明睿智,凭着自身坚强毅力以及成为了上天眷顾的幸运儿,经历了世间人情冷暖,风霜雨雪,一路披荆斩棘,摆脱原来平凡的命运,一步步走在了这个金字塔世界的顶峰。
  • Robinson Crusoe

    Robinson Crusoe

    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。
  • 命运之轮(上)

    命运之轮(上)

    从单纯的言情到承载着人类的命运,几次修改,大篇幅的删减使得小说故事情节更为紧凑曲折,人物性格更为丰满生动,叙事更为简练流畅,小说的可读性大大增强。一路走来,作者的思想也同书中的少年主人公一起渐渐走向成熟,完成了从小我到大我的转变。
  • 读史别裁:中国历史文化的关键话题

    读史别裁:中国历史文化的关键话题

    历史是古人活动的舞台,文化则是其中积淀而成的传统。以史为鉴,可知兴替。历史与文化是精神与思想的遗传基因,对现代人具有深刻的影响。在浩如烟海的典籍中找出其本源,揭示中国传统世界的内核,便是别裁。 《读史别裁:中国历史文化的关键话题》作者用现代的理性思维去理解历史上一些典型的事例。对于人们耳熟却并不能详的一些历史故事,书中细致地加以拆分,一步一步进行分析,对于故事的出路或结果,提出多种可能性,然后通过排除法,得出历史自身呈现出来的结论,并分析出为什么只能是这个结果的道理。书中讲的道理,事关价值体系,都是大道理。但不是空洞地讲道理,而是建立在大量的细节描述基础上。
  • 左手遇见,右手离别(全本)

    左手遇见,右手离别(全本)

    我这一生,渴望被人收藏好,妥善安放,细心保存,免我惊,免我苦,免我四下流离,免我无枝可依。【正文简介】秋忆南觉得,这世上总有那么一个人,仅仅只见过一面,却是想忘而忘不了的人,总觉得该为她做些什么,付出点什么。那个人的名字叫水悠然。他记住她是源于第一次相逢时的怦然心动,是冥冥中的注定。他说:他要让她成为这世界上最幸福的女人!水悠然觉得,这世上也总有那么一个人,甚至没有见过面,仅仅知道他的名字,也会将他牢牢深记。那个人的名字叫秋忆南。因为他是她大学奖学金的资金赞助人,是她大学期间大部分生活费的来源之所。她说:我们的一生,只不过在寻找,寻找一个人,用一转瞬爱上,一辈子回忆。这样的两个人,从他们相遇的那一刻起,便注定了彼此的纠缠,彼此的牵绊,还有彼此的那份心动。他们彼此错过了六年,都以为六年的时间,足够他们忘了彼此,忘记一切该忘记的东西,却原来发现,他们都高估了自己的能力。六年的时间其实可以很快,快到美好的仿佛还在眼前,伤痛的却还来不及遗忘。六年前,她突然离去,留下满世界疯狂找她的他。六年后,她从英国归来,在那最美好的秋日与他再次相遇。只是那时的他,已经不再是六年前那个只会疼她,爱她,惯她的阿南了!他们的爱,被时间搁置了整整六年。他们的爱,彼此融入骨髓,刻骨铭心!他们的爱,隔了那六年的光阴,能否继续,谱一曲秋日私语?
  • 许你良辰,与我来生

    许你良辰,与我来生

    亲们,千千的实体书《许你良辰,与我来生》(原网络名:《也许曾经相爱过》)现已出版上市,恳请大家支持网络书的同时也大力支持实体书!当当网、卓越网、淘宝网及各地实体书店均有销售,谢谢大家了~~另外,喜欢千千文的亲也可以围观俺的围脖儿:【陌千千V5】http://m.wkkk.net/u/2136611381四年前,她在车祸中失去记忆,却在午夜梦回时闪出另一个人的临死片段四年后,她偶遇良氏总裁,被他身边的小孩唤作“妈妈”,从此陷入爱恨纠缠的漩涡她强硬不服软,他藏于暗处帮她她有车祸后遗症,他助她走出阴影她处于风口浪尖,他步步为营,逼她置身事外她知道了自己的身世他......也许世间总是存在着一种感情大家都知道,大家都认同,大家都惋惜可是,我们始终无法在一起总有无法愈合的伤口,总有无法占有的感情,也总有无法忘掉的事情良辰,我们不要哭泣听说爱情是命运,就算喝了孟婆汤,下一世,还能找到你。