贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > three ghost stories(三个鬼故事) >

第6章

three ghost stories(三个鬼故事)-第6章

小说: three ghost stories(三个鬼故事) 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




these disclosures; I trust he will excuse my confessing that the sight of the 

rising   sun;   and   the   contemplation   of   the   magnificent   Order   of   the   vast 

Universe; made   me   impatient of   them。  In   a   word;  I   was so impatient of 

them;     that  I  was   mightily   glad     to  get   out  at  the   next   station;   and   to 



                                               18 


… Page 19…

                                      Three Ghost Stories 



exchange these clouds and vapours for the free air of Heaven。 

     By that time it was a beautiful morning。 As I walked away among such 

leaves as had already fallen from the golden; brown; and russet trees; and 

as   I   looked   around   me   on   the   wonders   of   Creation;   and   thought   of   the 

steady; unchanging; and harmonious laws by which they are sustained; the 

gentleman's spiritual intercourse seemed to me as poor a piece of journey… 

work as ever this world saw。 In which heathen state of mind; I came within 

view of the house; and stopped to examine it attentively。 

     It was a solitary house; standing in a sadly neglected garden: a pretty 

even square of some two acres。 It was a house of about the time of George 

the   Second;   as   stiff;   as   cold;   as   formal;   and   in   as   bad   taste;   as   could 

possibly   be   desired   by   the   most   loyal   admirer   of   the   whole   quartet   of 

Georges。 It was uninhabited; but had; within a year or two; been cheaply 

repaired to render it habitable; I say cheaply; because the work had been 

done in   a surface   manner;  and   was already  decaying   as to   the   paint   and 

plaster; though the colours were fresh。 A lop…sided board drooped over the 

garden wall; announcing that it was 〃to let on very reasonable terms; well 

furnished。〃 It was much too closely and heavily shadowed by trees; and; in 

particular;   there   were   six   tall   poplars   before   the   front   windows;   which 

were excessively melancholy; and the site of which had been extremely ill 

chosen。 

     It   was   easy   to   see   that   it   was   an   avoided   housea   house   that   was 

shunned   by   the   village;   to   which   my   eye   was   guided   by   a   church   spire 

some   half   a   mile   offa   house   that   nobody   would   take。 And   the   natural 

inference was; that it had the reputation of being a haunted house。 

     No   period   within   the   four…and…twenty   hours   of   day   and   night   is   so 

solemn to me; as the early morning。 In the summer…time; I often rise very 

early; and repair to my room to do a day's work before breakfast; and I am 

always on those occasions deeply impressed by the stillness and solitude 

around me。 Besides that there is something awful in the being surrounded 

by familiar faces asleepin the knowledge that those who are dearest to us 

and   to   whom   we   are   dearest;   are   profoundly   unconscious   of   us;   in   an 

impassive state; anticipative of that mysterious condition to which we are 

all tendingthe stopped life; the broken threads of yesterday; the deserted 



                                               19 


… Page 20…

                                      Three Ghost Stories 



seat;   the   closed   book;   the   unfinished   but   abandoned   occupation;   all   are 

images of Death。 The tranquillity of the hour is the tranquillity of Death。 

The colour and the chill have the same association。 Even a certain air that 

familiar   household   objects   take   upon   them  when   they  first   emerge   from 

the  shadows   of   the   night   into   the   morning;   of   being   newer;   and   as   they 

used to be long ago; has its counterpart in the subsidence of the worn face 

of maturity or age; in death; into the old youthful look。 Moreover; I once 

saw the apparition of my father; at this hour。 He was alive and well; and 

nothing ever came of it; but I saw him in the daylight; sitting with his back 

towards me; on a seat that stood beside my bed。 His head was resting on 

his hand; and whether he was slumbering or grieving; I could not discern。 

Amazed to see him there; I sat up; moved my position; leaned out of bed; 

and watched him。 As he did not move; I spoke to him more than once。 As 

he   did   not   move   then;   I   became   alarmed   and   laid   my   hand   upon   his 

shoulder; as I thoughtand there was no such thing。 

     For all these reasons; and for others less easily and briefly statable; I 

find the early morning to be my most ghostly time。 Any house would be 

more or   less   haunted; to   me;  in the  early  morning; and   a  haunted   house 

could scarcely address me to greater advantage than then。 

     I walked on into the village; with the desertion of this house upon my 

mind;  and   I   found   the   landlord of   the little   inn;   sanding   his   door…step。   I 

bespoke breakfast; and broached the subject of the house。 

     〃Is it haunted?〃 I asked。 

     The   landlord     looked   at   me;   shook   his   head;   and   answered;   〃I   say 

nothing。〃 

     〃Then it IS haunted?〃 

     〃Well!〃   cried   the   landlord;   in   an   outburst   of   frankness   that   had   the 

appearance of desperation〃I wouldn't sleep in it。〃 

     〃Why not?〃 

     〃If I wanted to have all the bells in a house ring; with nobody to ring 

'em; and all the doors in a house bang; with nobody to bang 'em; and all 

sorts    of  feet  treading    about;    with   no   feet  there;   why;   then;〃   said   the 

landlord; 〃I'd sleep in that house。〃 

     〃Is anything seen there?〃 



                                              20 


… Page 21…

                                    Three Ghost Stories 



     The landlord looked at me again; and then; with his former appearance 

of desperation; called down his stable…yard for 〃Ikey!〃 

     The call produced a  high…shouldered young   fellow; with   a round   red 

face; a short crop of sandy hair; a very broad humorous mouth; a turned…up 

nose;  and   a   great   sleeved   waistcoat of   purple   bars;   with   mother…of…pearl 

buttons; that seemed to be growing upon him; and to be in a fair wayif it 

were not prunedof covering his head and overunning his boots。 

     〃This gentleman wants to know;〃 said the landlord; 〃if anything's seen 

at the Poplars。〃 

     〃'Ooded woman with a howl;〃 said Ikey; in a state of great freshness。 

     〃Do you mean a cry?〃 

     〃I mean a bird; sir。〃 

     〃A hooded woman with an owl。 Dear me! Did you ever see her?〃 

     〃I seen the howl。〃 

     〃Never the woman?〃 

     〃Not so plain as the howl; but they always keeps together。〃 

     〃Has anybody ever seen the woman as plainly as the owl?〃 

     〃Lord bless you; sir! Lots。〃 

     〃Who?〃 

     〃Lord bless you; sir! Lots。〃 

     〃The general…dealer opposite; for instance; who is opening his shop?〃 

     〃Perkins?     Bless   you;   Perkins    wouldn't    go   a…nigh   the  place。   No!〃 

observed the young man; with considerable feeling; 〃he an't overwise; an't 

Perkins; but he an't such a fool as THAT。〃 

     (Here;   the   landlord   murmured   his   confidence   in   Perkins's   knowing 

better。) 

     〃Who     isor  who    wasthe    hooded    woman      with   the  owl?   Do   you 

know?〃 

     〃Well!〃 said Ikey; holding up his cap with one hand while he scratched 

his head with the other; 〃they say; in general; that she was murdered; and 

the howl he 'ooted the while。〃 

     This very concise summary of the facts was all I could learn; except 

that a young man; as hearty and likely a young man as ever I see; had been 

took with fits and held down in 'em; after seeing the hooded woman。 Also; 



                                            21 


… Page 22…

                                       Three Ghost Stories 



that   a   personage;   dimly   described   as   〃a   hold   chap;   a   sort   of   one…ey

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的