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-Part21_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
"Disgraceful!" and flounced out of the room in a passion. Such

was my Scotch marriage--as lawful a ceremony, remember, as the



finest family wedding at the largest parish church in all

England.



An hour passed; and I had not yet summoned the cruel courage to

communicate my real situation to Alicia. The entry of the



shock-headed servant-girl to lay the cloth, followed by Mrs.

Baggs, who was never out of the way where eating and drinking



appeared in prospect, helped me to rouse myself. I resolved to go

out for a few minutes to reconnoiter, and make myself acquainted



with any facilities for flight or hiding which the situation of

the house might present. No doubt the Bow Street runner was



lurking somewhere; but he must, as a matter of course, have

heard, or informed himself, of the orders I had given relating to



our conveyance on to Edinburgh; and, in that case, I was still no

more in danger of his avowing himself and capturing me, than I



had been at any previous period of our journey.

"I am going out for a moment, love, to see about the chaise," I



said to Alicia. She suddenly looked up at me with an anxious

searching expression. Was my face betraying anything of my real



purpose? I hurried to the door before she could ask me a single

question.



The front of the inn stood nearly in the middle of the principal

street of the town. No chance of giving any one the slip in that



direction; and no sign, either, of the Bow Street runner. I

sauntered round, with the most unconcerned manner I could assume,



to the back of the house, by the inn yard. A door in one part of

it stood half-open. Inside was a bit of kitchen-garden, bounded



by a paling; beyond that some backs of detached houses; beyond

them, again, a plot of weedy ground, a few wretched cottages, and



the open, heathery moor. Good enough for running away, but

terribly bad for hiding.



I returned disconsolately to the inn. Walking along the passage

toward the staircase, I suddenly heard footsteps behind



me--turned round, and saw the Bow Street runner (clothed again in

his ordinary costume, and accompanied by two strange men)



standing between me and the door.

"Sorry to stop you from going to Edinburgh, Mr. Softly," he said.



"But you're wanted back at Barkingham. I've just found out what

you have been traveling all the way to Scotland for; and I take



you prisoner, as one of the coining gang. Take it easy, sir. I've

got help, you see; and you can't throttle three men, whatever you



may have d one at Barkingham with one."

He handcuffed me as he spoke. Resistance was hopeless. I could



only make an appeal to his mercy, on Alicia's account.

"Give me ten minutes," I said, "to break what has happened to my



wife. We were only married an hour ago. If she knows this

suddenly, it may be the death of her."



"You've led me a nice dance on a wrong scent," answered the

runner, sulkily. "But I never was a hard man where women are



concerned. Go upstairs, and leave the door open, so that I can

see in through it if I like. Hold your hat over your wrists, if



you don't want her to see the handcuffs."

I ascended the first flight of stairs, and my heart gave a sudden



bound as if it would burst. I stopped, speechless and helpless,

at the sight of Alicia, standing alone on the landing. My first



look at her face told me she had heard all that had passed in the

passage. She passionately struck the hat with which I had been



trying to hide the handcuffs out of my fingers, and clasped me in

her arms with such sudden and desperateenergy that she



absolutely hurt me.

"I was afraid of something, Frank," she whispered. "I followed



you a little way. I stopped here; I have heard everything. Don't

let us be parted! I am stronger than you think me. I won't be



frightened. I won't cry. I won't trouble anybody, if that man

will only take me with you!"



It is best for my sake, if not for the reader's, to hurry over

the scene that followed.



It ended with as little additionalwretchedness as could be

expected. The runner was resolute about keeping me handcuffed,



and taking me back, without a moment's unnecessary waste of time

to Barkingham; but he relented on other points.



Where he was obliged to order a private conveyance, there was no

objection to Alicia and Mrs. Baggs following it. Where we got






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