登陆注册
5243100000109

第109章 Chapter XXXIX(2)

"Let us shut it out," coaxed Elizabeth-Jane, noting that the rigid wildness of Lucetta's features was growing yet more rigid and wild with the nearing of the noise and laughter. "Let us shut it out!""It is no use!" she shrieked out. "He will see it, won't he? Donald will see it! He is just coming home - and it will break his heart - he will never love me any more - and O, it will kill me - kill me!"Elizabeth-Jane was frantic now. "O, can't something be done to stop it?" she cried. "Is there nobody to do it - not one?"She relinquished Lucetta's hands, and ran to the door. Lucetta herself, saying recklessly "I will see it!" turned to the window, threw up the sash, and went out upon the balcony. Elizabeth immediately followed her, and put her arm round her to pull her in. Lucetta's eyes were straight upon the spectacle of the uncanny revel, now advancing rapidly. The numerous lights around the two effigies threw them up into lurid distinctness; it was impossible to mistake the pair for other than the intended victims.

"Come in, come in," implored Elizabeth; "and let me shut the window!""She's me - she's me - even to the parasol - my green parasol!" cried Lucetta with a wild laugh as she stepped in. She stood motionless for one second - then fell heavily to the floor.

Almost at the instant of her fall the rude music of the skimmington ceased. The roars of sarcastic laughter went off in ripples, and the trampling died out like the rustle of a spent wind. Elizabeth was only indirectly conscious of this; she had rung the bell, and was bending over Lucetta, who remained convulsed on the carpet in the paroxysms of an epileptic seizure.

She rang again and again, in vain; the probability being that the servants had all run out of the house to see more of the Daemonic Sabbath than they could see within.

At last Farfrae's man, who had been agape on the door-step, came up;then the cook. The shutters, hastily pushed to by Elizabeth, were quite closed, a light was obtained, Lucetta carried to her room, and the man sent off for a doctor. While Elizabeth was undressing her she recovered consciousness; but as soon as she remembered what had passed the fit returned.

The doctor arrived with unhoped-for promptitude; he had been standing at his door, like others, wondering what the uproar meant. As soon as he saw the unhappy sufferer he said, in answer to Elizabeth's mute appeal, "This is serious.""It is a fit," Elizabeth said.

"Yes. But a fit in the present state of her health means mischief. You must send at once for Mr Farfrae. Where is he?""He has driven into the country, sir," said the parlour-maid; "to some place on the Budmouth Road. He's likely to be back soon.""Never mind; he must be sent for, in case he should not hurry." The doctor returned to the bedside again. The man was despatched, and they soon heard him clattering out of the yard at the back.

Meanwhile Mr Benjamin Grower, that prominent burgess of whom mention has been already made, hearing the din of cleavers, tongs, tambourines, kits, crouds, humstrums, serpents, rams'-horns and other historical kinds of music as he sat indoors in the High Street, had put on his hat and gone out to learn the cause. He came to the corner about Farfrae's, and soon guessed the nature of the proceedings; for being a native of the town he had witnessed such rough jests before. His first move was to search hither and thither for the constables; there were two in the town, shrivelled men whom he ultimately found in hiding up an alley yet more shrivelled than usual, having some not ungrounded fears that they might be roughly handled if seen.

同类推荐
  • 境异

    境异

    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。
  • 大般若经第二会

    大般若经第二会

    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。
  • 含中集

    含中集

    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。
  • 郡务稍简因得整比旧

    郡务稍简因得整比旧

    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。
  • 正一醮宅仪

    正一醮宅仪

    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。
热门推荐
  • 危险试婚:宝贝,撩一下

    危险试婚:宝贝,撩一下

    (早期坑品,慎入!)某个权势滔天的商界帝王,传言腹黑冷血,雷厉风行,却唯独对他的小甜妻宠之入骨,一宠再宠。于是某小甜妻天天念叨,“有个神级一般的老公天天疼着你,纵着你,怎么破?”众人欲哭无泪,直叹,“我们首席心好累…………”
  • 王俊凯之寄你

    王俊凯之寄你

    “庆幸在这个庞大的宇宙中,你对我有绝对吸引力。”——许落柒 “一见钟情这件小事,你和我做的都不错。”——王俊凯 热爱很简单,我跋山涉水只为描摹山川河流;而爱更简单,我穿过人潮拥挤,发现了你。【HE/勿上升】
  • 續夷堅志

    續夷堅志

    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。
  • 重生之天才少女

    重生之天才少女

    当子弹穿过自己的身体的时候,这才明白过来,这一切不过是一个阴谋而已!看着眼前同父异母的妹妹和自己深爱多年的丈夫,说出自己的母亲的死亡原来不是一个意外的时候,苏卡乐不禁才觉得自己先前是多么的天真与可笑!“你妈妈就是一个蠢货,你妈妈就是斗不过我妈妈,你妈妈还不是死在我妈妈的手里面?还有你,你也斗不过我,你也将会死在我的手里面!苏卡乐,曾经高高在上的苏家大小姐!”苏卡乐闭上眼眸,“等着,如果有来世,我一定会亲自把你们送下地狱,让你们也尝下我所经历的痛苦!”再次睁眼,她却重生回到她十二岁自己的母亲还没有死的那年!苏卡乐紧紧的握住双手,我说过,只要我活着,我就会把你们通通的送下地狱!苏卡乐眼眸里面充斥着无比的恨意,既然上天还留着我这条命,那么我绝对不会在手软!前世的苏卡乐已经彻底的死了,死了!--------------------------<文文一对一,简介无能,囧~>----------------------------------------------------推荐好友的宴少的文文:《霸宠妖孽王妃》:
  • 深海

    深海

    一俗话说,一山难容二虎。引申一下,到了海里,就是“一海难容二龙”了。潜艇××支队就有这样两艘潜艇,眼下正斗得不可开交。上级准备派遣一艘潜艇到连接西太平洋的某水道执行侦察任务,备选潜艇有两艘——五五二和五五三。
  • 清世情缘:宫女珣玉

    清世情缘:宫女珣玉

    一场意外让杨宁穿越时空来到清朝康熙年间,成为皇宫浣衣局的洗衣宫女珣玉。穿越并不一定就意味着惊心动魄、步步为营,皇家也并不是只有勾心斗角,温情的家长里短才是最真实的生活,平凡却隽永。清冷如冰的四阿哥,热情如火的十四阿哥,一世情缘纠缠不断,谁才是她最终的归宿?穿越时空,跨越三百年的山水阻隔,只为与你相见。朝朝暮暮,永以为好,只愿有你长伴,与我一世相守。
  • 龙在符文之地的召唤史

    龙在符文之地的召唤史

    其他的都不是重点,重点是不定期更新。你永远都不知道我多久才会更(滑稽)
  • 一念成瘾:傅少的心尖宠妻

    一念成瘾:傅少的心尖宠妻

    简长晴知道傅念琛心里住着一个女人,一个他爱了八年的女人。可是简长晴不知道,傅念琛对她说的那句“你好,傅太太”,不是孽缘的开始,而是八年相思的终结。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 亲亲狐夫,彬彬有礼

    亲亲狐夫,彬彬有礼

    第一世,她是神女,他是妖尊,他为救她,带着她的一缕残魂堕入人道轮回。第二世,她是阁老之女,他是朝廷重臣,君上赐婚不得不结为姻缘,却不想他心中住着另一个女子。第三世,她是大龄剩女,他是娱乐界大佬,她自小对他胡搅蛮缠,他对她避之不及。因为一场绯闻一个孩子,他们一同扯证。
  • 火力不足恐惧者穿越诸天

    火力不足恐惧者穿越诸天

    一个火力严重不足患者在诸天遨游的故事。“三管炮不够,那就乘以100吧!”“看我万炮朝天!”“别动,你们已经被我包围了!”