登陆注册
5237600000049

第49章 GHOSTS OF DEAD THINGS(1)

"It was here," she said, as they passed through the walled garden seawards, "that I saw you first--you and the other gentleman who was so kind to me."Wingrave nodded.

"I believe that I remember it," he said; "you were a mournful-looking object in a very soiled pinafore and most untidy hair.""I had been out on the cliffs," she reminded him, "where I am taking you now.

If you are going to make unkind remarks about my hair, I think that I had better fetch a hat.""Pray don't leave me," he answered. "I should certainly lose my way. Your hair in those days was, I fancy, a little more--unkempt!"She laughed.

"It used to be cut short," she said. "Hideous! There! Isn't that glorious?"She had opened the postern gate in the wall, and through the narrow opening was framed a wonderful picture of the Cornish sea, rolling into the rock-studded bay. Its soft thunder was in their ears; salt and fragrant, the west wind swept into their faces. She closed the gate behind her, and stepped blithely forward.

"Come!" she cried. "We will climb the cliffs where we left you alone once before."Side by side they stood looking over the ocean. Her head was thrown back, her lips a little parted. He watched her curiously.

"You must have sea blood in your veins," he remarked. "You listen as though you heard music all the time.""And what about you?" she asked him, smiling. "You are the grandson of Admiral Sir Wingrave Seton who commanded a frigate at Trafalgar, and an ancestor of yours fought in the Armada.""I am afraid," he said quietly, "that there is a hiatus in my life somewhere.

There are no voices which call to me any more, and my family records are so much dead parchment."Trouble passed into her glowing face and clouded her eyes.

"Ah!" she said, "I do not like to hear you talk so. Do you know that when you do, you make me afraid that something I have always hoped for will never come to pass?""What is it?" he asked.

"I have always hoped," she said, "that some day you would come once more to Tredowen. I suppose I am rather a fanciful person. This is a country of superstitions and fancies, you know; but sometimes when I have been alone in the picture gallery with all that long line of dark faces looking down upon me from the walls, I have felt like an interloper. Always they seem to be waiting! Tonight, after dinner, I will take you there. I will try and show you what I mean."He shook his head.

"I shall never come back," he said, "and there are no more of my name."She hesitated. When at last she spoke, the color was coming and going in her cheeks.

"Sir Wingrave," she said, "I am only an ignorant girl, and I have no right to talk to you like this. Please be angry with me if you want to. I deserve it. Iknow all about--that ten years! Couldn't you forget it, and come back? None of the country people round here, your own people, believe anything evil about you. You were struck, and you struck back again. A man would do that. You could be as lonely as you liked here, or you could have friends if you wished for them. But this is the place where you ought to live. You would be happier here, I believe, than in exile. The love of it all would come back, you would never be lonely. It is the same sea which sang to you when you were a child, and to your fathers before you. It would bring you forgetfulness when you wanted it, or--"Wingrave interrupted her. His tone was cold, but not unkind.

"My dear young lady," he said, "it is very good of you to be so sympathetic, but I am afraid I am not at all the sort of person you imagine me to be. What I was before those ten years--well, I have forgotten. What I am now, Iunfortunately know. I am a soured, malevolent being whose only pleasure lies in the dealing out to others some portion of the unhappiness which was dealt out to me.""I do not believe it," she declared briskly.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Nevertheless, it is true," he declared coolly. "Listen! More or less you interest me. I will tell you something which I have never yet told to a single human being. I need not go into particulars. You will probably believe a broad statement. My ten years' imprisonment was more or less an injustice!""Sir Wingrave!"

He checked her. There was not a tremor in his tone. The gesture with which he had repelled her was stiff and emotionless.

"I went into prison one man, I came out another. While I live, I shall never be able to think kindly again of a single one of my fellow creatures. It was not my fault. So far as our affections are concerned, we are machines, all of us. Well, my mainspring has broken.""I don't believe it," she declared.

同类推荐
  • 前明正德白牡丹

    前明正德白牡丹

    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。
  • 居士分灯录

    居士分灯录

    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。
  • 俗说

    俗说

    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。
  • 珊瑚钩诗话

    珊瑚钩诗话

    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。
  • 奉天靖難記

    奉天靖難記

    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
  • 怪物之界

    怪物之界

    神的游戏,「LAST?ORIGIN」,这里是游戏生成野怪跟NPC的世界,现在虽然有些混乱,但是还是个稳定的世界。中立联盟,人数第二,大事没犯,小错不断地公会「鬼怪之家」,破坏公物倒是不少,但从未有过什么大作为。漫画、游戏、小说、动漫和卡片还有占卜,很傻又怎么了?很幼稚又怎么了?无论是大团圆结局还是开放式结局我都特别喜欢“我还有想要的东西啊……来吧,让我们开始游戏吧!”没脸没皮的二货作者建言道。
  • 佛说大三摩惹经

    佛说大三摩惹经

    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。
  • 霸道女王:男神爱我

    霸道女王:男神爱我

    北玥,世家北家的小公主,端的却是扮猪吃虎。苏辰,黄金单身汉,丈母娘眼中妥妥的金龟婿,年纪轻轻,事业有为。“北玥,我喜欢你”“哦,关我什么事”“小玥玥,你是我的心,你是我的肝,你是我的宝贝甜蜜饯”“滚”“我可以暖床,可以打架,可以挣钱,你就收了我吧”“考虑考虑”“……”
  • 黑暗的呼唤

    黑暗的呼唤

    很久之前被地球众仙封印的宇宙暗面的生物又回来了,这次,它们将把原初的黑暗带给这个世界
  • 校草的专属舞者

    校草的专属舞者

    本文已完结,欢迎入坑☆本文参与言情小说吧新人训练营☆“今晚,我将和莫家千金莫雨柔小姐订婚。”洛克斯自己生日的晚会上面对着媒体大声宣布。在黑暗角落里的她,看着手上自己DIY的礼物,心,犹如被万箭穿过般疼痛。想要离去,却被某人给拼命按住,强迫她看着他们在台上的订婚仪式,看着她们接吻。不是说好要等她的答案的吗?当她准备掏出真心的时候,为什么又给她一个这样致命的打击?摆脱束缚,她伤心欲绝的跑了出去。不料,撞进了一个威严的怀抱。“是谁,把我的女儿弄哭了?”一个低沉的声音打破了宴会的喧闹,也掀起了一场风浪。最后,她和他又会怎么发展呢?片段一:“传说说如果一对恋人坐摩天轮,当摩天轮升到最高处的时候,他们接吻的话,会一直幸福下去哦!”她眼里闪着重重的光芒,看着脚下的美景,“我们会一直幸福下去吗?”“我们会一直幸福下去的,我相信。”洛克斯走到她的身边,捧起了她的脸,狠狠的亲了下去,允吸着她独特的芳香。“会找到属于专属于我们的幸福的!”在摩天轮落地的时候,洛克斯紧紧的抱住她,并在她耳边大声宣布:“因为你是我的专属舞者!”各位新文文《财迷大婶,给我滚》可以看看哦
  • 在路上:生活和思想

    在路上:生活和思想

    人生所有的一切,都在我们必经的路上。我们从远古走来,就如我们必然走向未来一样。没有人能够从摇篮就看到坟墓,却有人能够从自我看到世界、从相对接近绝对、从偶然和有限走向必然和无限,更有人能够从渺小走向伟大、从卑贱走向高尚、从繁芜和浑浊归真于清明和素朴。虽然鲜有生活中的先见之明,却不乏思想中的先知先觉。
  • 血色剑客

    血色剑客

    有人的地方,就有江湖。王肆魂穿异界,用血泪书写传奇故事。
  • 星乱乾坤

    星乱乾坤

    在一个崇尚修真的世界里,他却不愿意自己的儿子去修真,却甘愿被人瞧不起,这是为什么?多年前,他的妻子,不说缘由的就离开了他和儿子,却又叫他们不要去找她,这又是为何?离奇的大陆,带我们走上一段不寻常的修真之路……
  • 葬云苏

    葬云苏

    琉璃破碎是晶莹的泪水,她的心破碎是妖艳的血色。“我从未想过伤害所有人。”“我只想让魔界有一片蓝天罢了。”“我错了吗?”
  • 古龙文集:边城浪子(下)

    古龙文集:边城浪子(下)

    年满十八的傅红雪,为了给父亲白天羽讨回公道而踏上了一条漫长的复仇之旅。仇恨,使他勤练武功;仇恨,使他忍受别人所不能忍的污辱,这所有的一切全为了报父死之仇。然而,就在傅红雪终于能够面对各个仇家时,他却迷惘了!