登陆注册
5455200000027

第27章

Perfect stillness in the garden: no sign of a light anywhere at the back of the house: first-floor windows all shut: second-floor windows still open. I fetched the pruning-ladder; put it against the side of the porch; tied one end of my bit of rope to the top round of it; took the other end in my mouth, and prepared to climb to the balcony over the porch by the thick vine branches and the trellis-work.

No man who has had any real experience of life can have failed to observe how amazingly close, in critical situations, the grotesque and the terrible, the comic and the serious, contrive to tread on each other's heels. At such times, the last thing we ought properly to think of comes into our heads, or the least consistent event that could possibly be expected to happen does actually occur. When I put my life in danger on that memorable night, by putting my foot on the trellis-work, I absolutely thought of the never-dying Lady Malkinshaw plunged in refreshing slumber, and of the frantic exclamations Mr. Batterbury would utter if he saw what her ladyship's grandson was doing with his precious life and limbs at that critical moment. I am no hero--Iwas fully aware of the danger to which I was exposing myself; and yet I protest that I caught myself laughing under my breath, with the most outrageous inconsistency, at the instant when I began the ascent of the trellis-work.

I reached the balcony over the porch in safety, depending more upon the tough vine branches than the trellis-work during my ascent. My next employment was to pull up the pruning-ladder, as softly as possible, by the rope which I held attached to it. This done, I put the ladder against the house wall, listened, measured the distance to the open second-floor window with my eye, listened again--and, finding all quiet, began my second and last ascent. The ladder was comfortably long, and I was conveniently tall; my hand was on the window-sill--I mounted another two rounds--and my eyes were level with the interior of the room.

Suppose any one should be sleeping there!

I listened at the window attentively before I ventured on taking my lantern out of my coatpocket. The night was so quite and airless that there was not the faintest rustle among the leaves in the garden beneath me to distract my attention. I listened.

The breathing of the lightest of sleepers must have reached my ear, through that intense stillness, if the room had been a bedroom, and the bed were occupied. I heard nothing but the quick beat of my own heart. The minutes of suspense were passing heavily--I laid my other hand over the window-sill, then a moment of doubt came--doubt whether I should carry the adventure any further. I mastered my hesitation directly--it was too late for second thoughts. "Now for it!" I whispered to myself, and got in at the window.

To wait, listening again, in the darkness of that unknown region, was more than I had courage for. The moment I was down on the floor, I pulled the lantern out of my pocket and raised the shade.

同类推荐
  • 佛说师子素驮娑王断肉经

    佛说师子素驮娑王断肉经

    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。
  • STALKY & CO.

    STALKY & CO.

    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。
  • 太清经天师口诀

    太清经天师口诀

    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。
  • 剧说

    剧说

    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。
  • 明目至宝

    明目至宝

    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
  • 唯爱与美景不可辜负

    唯爱与美景不可辜负

    《唯爱与美景不可辜负》收录了人气作者山亭夜宴21篇最新作品。这里有远方的风景,也有暖心的爱情,但它并不是一本旅行随笔,而是写给孤独的人的心灵手札。凝练的文字,走心的故事,让每一个在都市中跌跌撞撞寻找幸福的人,都能在书中找到自己的影子。温暖的文字可以安抚慌乱的心,会陪你一路从绝望走到勇敢,直到你不再怀疑自己幸不幸福。
  • 朝真发愿忏悔文

    朝真发愿忏悔文

    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。
  • 管理越简单越好I

    管理越简单越好I

    穿过复杂的重要迷雾,看清了事情的本来面目,管理人的脑子需要清醒过来了,除非你决定破罐子破摔,一条道走到黑,或者你打算改行不做管理人了。否则你惟一的选择就是回归管理的真谛:简单。最伟大的总裁是最有空闲的,他知道最好的管理是简单管理,最简单的方法才是最实用的方法,最简单的决策才是最出色的决策。本书是成功管理者必修的卓越经典,企业管理者必备案头指导工具书。
  • 暖暖情

    暖暖情

    “哎,你们几乎天天粘在一起,我感觉你们有些猫腻?”林子兮同宿舍里,她最最好的朋友都这么怀疑着她。其实并不然,这口中里的话说的就是和她从小到大的俩个混账小子:林玺、林子喃。别惊奇这名,这三娃子一起出生,三个妈还是高中,大学的骨灰级闺蜜,在同一个医院里,出生了三个孩子,名字就取的意外有些像。这可能就是缘分中的缘分。但对于她来说,这就是孽缘!!
  • 豪门盛婚之千亿暖媳

    豪门盛婚之千亿暖媳

    本文1V1,男女主身心干净,绝对宠文,希望亲们加入书架,么么哒!*她是京都云氏家族的千金大小姐。高贵淡雅,气质脱俗,容貌绝美。却在家中地位不如两个私生子女。老爸不疼,继母伪善,弟妹背地里对她耍尽阴招。当她是病猫?*阮尚东;国内第一豪门唯一继承人。矜贵冷傲,气势逼人,姿容超绝,永远一副睥睨天下的姿态。传言他从来不近女色。即便如此,依旧引得各路女人争先恐后。
  • 特种部队:世界王牌特种部队秘密档案(军事系列图书)

    特种部队:世界王牌特种部队秘密档案(军事系列图书)

    特种部队,其疾如风,其徐如林,侵掠如火,不动如山,动如雷震!美国三角洲特种部队、“海豹”突击队、游骑兵,英国皇家特别空勤团、海军特别舟艇中队,德国第9边防大烈,俄罗斯“格鲁乌”、“信号旗”、“栗色贝雷帽”……进攻,他们可动于九天之上;防御,他们可伏于壁垒之间。他们常常传奇般地出现在新闻、电影、电视剧和电脑游戏中,却又如此不为人所知。
  • 民族团结十知道:小学生读本

    民族团结十知道:小学生读本

    我国是一个多民族的国家,各族人民要想过社会安定、经济富足的和美日子,就离不开民族团结和国家统一。中华民族大家庭的每个成员,只有平等相待,和睦共处,团结互助,才能共同繁荣进步。如果是民族隔阂,民族纷争,国家分裂,各族人民就要跌入苦难的深渊。因此,我们要像爱护自己的眼睛一样,珍惜民族团结。为了让各民族的同学从小就了解一些民族常识,树立维护民族团结和国家统一的坚定信念,增进各民族之间的相互了解和情感,我们特意编写了本书。书中讲到的民族知识有十个方面,都是小学生应该知道的。
  • 中华异想集·马腹

    中华异想集·马腹

    一切都在四月十三日的深夜变得不一样。风雨巷中那家驰名百年的顾家绣房发生了异变——主事的顾氏夫妻在等待着一个重要的客人,而这对夫妻俩的女儿去参加学校同学的生日宴会,可是当顾绿章晚上回到家后,却发现古宅里已经空无一人,却也没有打斗的痕迹、没有血的味道……难道三十几年前的事情又要再次发生?她的父母是否会像她的祖父母那样?做完了最后一顿晚餐,穿得整整齐齐出门去了,在那之后就没有回来?这一切和那张没有绣完的裙幅到底有什么关系?
  • 赤血魔魂

    赤血魔魂

    天石坠落,百家争鸣。诸神隐退,赤血再现。天人五缺,混沌降临。君魂苏醒,徒手闭天!
  • 古希腊悲剧喜剧集(全集)(经典译林)

    古希腊悲剧喜剧集(全集)(经典译林)

    古希腊文学艺术是西方文明和文化的重要源头,它和中国古文明同气相求,光辉相映。古希腊戏剧不仅在当时人们的文化生活中占有重要地位,时至今日,它所具有的重要历史价值和高度艺术成就仍然令人赞叹不已。作为欧洲戏剧艺术发展史的开端,古希腊戏剧对后世的欧洲文学与戏剧产生了重大影响。本书收入了埃斯库罗斯、索福克勒斯等古希腊作家的十多部喜剧、悲剧作品,所选的剧本有《波斯人》、《阿伽门农》、《安提戈涅》、《美狄亚》、《骑士》等。