酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

A Rogue's Life-Part17_WILKIE COLLINS (1824-1899)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
Barkingham had to break them out; the whole house was found full

of iron doors, back staircases , and all that sort of thing, just



like the Inquisition. A most respectable man, the original

proprietor! Think what a misfortune to have let his house to a



scoundrel who has turned the whole inside into traps, furnaces,

and iron doors. The fellow's reference, sir, was actually at a



London bank, where he kept a first-rate account. What is to

become of society? where is our protection? Where are our



characters, when we are left at the mercy of scoundrels? The

times are awful--upon my soul, the times we live in are perfectly



awful!"

"Pray, sir, is there any chance of catching this coiner?" I



inquired innocently.

"I hope so, sir; for the sake of outraged society, I hope so,"



said the excitable man. "They've printed handbills at Barkingham,

offering a reward for taking him. I was with my friend the mayor,



early this morning, and saw them issued. 'Mr. Mayor,' says I,

'I'm going West--give me a few copies--let me help to circulate



them--for the sake of outraged society, let me help to circulate

them. Here they are--take a few, sir, for distribution. You'll



see these are three other fellows to be caught besides the

principal rascal--one of them a scamp belonging to a respectable



family. Oh! what times! Take three copies, and pray circulate

them in three influential quarters. Perhaps that gentleman next



you would like a few. Will you take three, sir?"

"No, I won't," said the Bow Street runnerdoggedly. "Nor yet one



of 'em--and it's my opinion that the coining-gang would be nabbed

all the sooner, if you was to give over helping the law to catch



them."

This answer produced a vehement expostulation from my excitable



neighbor, to which I paid little attention, being better engaged

in reading the handbill.



It described the doctor's personal appearance with remarkable

accuracy, and cautioned persons in seaport towns to be on the



lookout for him. Old File, Young File, and myself were all

dishonorably mentioned together in a second paragraph, as



runaways of inferior importance Not a word was said in the

handbill to show that the authorities at Barkingham even so much



as suspected the direction in which any one of us had escaped.

This would have been very encouraging, but for the presence of



the runner by my side, which looked as if Bow Street had its

suspicions, however innocent Barkingham might be.



Could the doctor have directed his flight toward Crickgelly? I

trembled internally as the question suggested itself to me.



Surely he would prefer writing to Miss Giles to join him when he

got to a safe place of refuge, rather than encumber himself with



the young lady before he was well out of reach of the

far-stretching arm of the law. This seemed infinitely the most



natural course of conduct. Still, there was the runner traveling

toward Wales--and not certainly without a special motive. I put



the handbills in my pocket, and listened for any hints which

might creep out in his talk; but he perversely kept silent. The



more my excitable neighbor tried to dispute with him, the more

contemptuously he refused to break silence. I began to feel



vehemently impatient for our arrival at Shrewsbury; for there

only could I hope to discover something more of my formidable



fellow-traveler's plans.

The coach stopped for dinner; and some of our passengers left us,



the excitable man with the handbills among the number. I got

down, and stood on the doorstep of the inn, pretending to be



looking about me, but in reality watching the movements of the

runner.



Rather to my surprise, I saw him go to the door of the coach and

speak to one of the inside passengers. After a short



conversation, of which I could not hear one word, the runner left

the coach door and entered the inn, called for a glass of brandy



and water, and took it out to his friend, who had not left the

vehicle . The friend bent forward to receive it at the window. I



caught a glimpse of his face, and felt my knees tremble under

me--it was Screw himself!






文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号