pictures have harps in their hands. He is mad, upon my word!" she said

to herself, as she saw Castanier's attitude; he looked like an



opium-eater in a blissful trance.

They reached the house. Castanier, absorbed by the thought of all that



he had just heard and seen, knew not whether to believe it or not; he

was like a drunken man, and utterly unable to think connectedly. He



came to himself in Aquilina's room, whither he had been supported by

the united efforts of his mistress, the porter, and Jenny; for he had



fainted as he stepped from the carriage.

"HE will be here directly! Oh, my friends, my friends," he cried, and



he flung himself despairingly into the depths of a low chair beside

the fire.



Jenny heard the bell as he spoke, and admitted the Englishman. She

announced that "a gentleman had come who had made an appointment with



the master," when Melmoth suddenly appeared, and deep silence

followed. He looked at the porter--the porter went; he looked at



Jenny--and Jenny went likewise.

"Madame," said Melmoth, turning to Aquilina, "with your permission, we



will conclude a piece of urgent business."

He took Castanier's hand, and Castanier rose, and the two men went



into the drawing-room. There was no light in the room, but Melmoth's

eyes lit up the thickest darkness. The gaze of those strange eyes had



left Aquilina like one spellbound; she was helpless, unable to take

any thought for her lover; moreover, she believed him to be safe in



Jenny's room, whereas their early return had taken the waiting-woman

by surprise, and she had hidden the officer in the dressing-room. It



had all happened exactly as in the drama that Melmoth had displayed

for his victim. Presently the house-door was slammed violently, and



Castanier reappeared.

"What ails you?" cried the horror-struck Aquilina.



There was a change in the cashier's appearance. A strange pallor

overspread his once rubicund countenance; it wore the peculiarly



sinister and stony look of the mysteriousvisitor. The sullen glare of

his eyes was intolerable, the fierce light in them seemed to scorch.



The man who had looked so good-humored and good-natured had suddenly

grown tyrannical and proud. The courtesan thought that Castanier had



grown thinner; there was a terrible majesty in his brow; it was as if

a dragon breathed forth a malignant influence that weighed upon the



others like a close, heavy atmosphere. For a moment Aquilina knew not

what to do.



"What has passed between you and that diabolical-looking man in those

few minutes?" she asked at length.



"I have sold my soul to him. I feel it; I am no longer the same. He

has taken my SELF, and given me his soul in exchange."



"What?"

"You would not understand it at all. . . . Ah! he was right,"



Castanier went on, "the fiend was right! I see everything and know all

things.--You have been deceiving me!"



Aquilina turned cold with terror. Castanier lighted a candle and went

into the dressing-room. The unhappy girl followed him with dazed



bewilderment, and great was her astonishment when Castanier drew the

dresses that hung there aside and disclosed the sergeant.



"Come out, my boy," said the cashier; and, taking Leon by a button of

his overcoat, he drew the officer into his room.



The Piedmontese, haggard and desperate, had flung herself into her

easy-chair. Castanier seated himself on a sofa by the fire, and left



Aquilina's lover in a standing position.

"You have been in the army," said Leon; "I am ready to give you



satisfaction."

"You are a fool," said Castanier drily. "I have no occasion to fight.



I could kill you by a look if I had any mind to do it. I will tell you

what it is, youngster; why should I kill you? I can see a red line



round your neck--the guillotine is waiting for you. Yes, you will end

in the Place de Greve. You are the headsman's property! there is no



escape for you. You belong to a vendita, of the Carbonari. You are

plotting against the Government."



"You did not tell me that," cried the Piedmontese, turning to Leon.

"So you do not know that the Minister decided this morning to put down



your Society?" the cashier continued. "The Procureur-General has a

list of your names. You have been betrayed. They are busy drawing up



the indictment at this moment."

"Then was it you who betrayed him?" cried Aquilina, and with a hoarse



sound in her throat like the growl of a tigress she rose to her feet;

she seemed as if she would tear Castanier in pieces.

• victim [´viktim] n.牺牲者；受害者 (初中英语单词)


• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)


• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)


• beheld [bi´held] behold的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• regiment [´redʒimənt] n.团；一大群 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• audience [´ɔ:diəns] n.听众；观众；接见 (初中英语单词)


• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• acting [´æktiŋ] a.代理的 n.演戏 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• horror [´hɔrə] n.恐怖；战栗 (初中英语单词)


• attendant [ə´tendənt] n.随员 a.伴随的 (初中英语单词)


• fastening [´fɑ:səniŋ] n.(门等)扣绊，拴扣物 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• sunlight [´sʌnlait] n.日光 (初中英语单词)


• stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)


• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)


• mischief [´mistʃif] n.伤害；故障；调皮 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• drunken [´drʌŋkən] a.喝醉的；常醉的 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• permission [pə´miʃən] n.允许；同意；许可 (初中英语单词)


• helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)


• whereas [weər´æz] conj.鉴于；因此；而 (初中英语单词)


• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)


• visitor [´vizitə] n.访问者；来宾；参观者 (初中英语单词)


• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)


• majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)


• dragon [´drægən] n.龙 (初中英语单词)


• astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)


• button [´bʌtn] n.钮扣 vt.扣上(扣子) (初中英语单词)


• desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)


• youngster [´jʌŋstə] n.年轻人；小伙子；少年 (初中英语单词)


• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)


• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)


• implore [im´plɔ:] vt.乞求，恳求 (高中英语单词)


• courtyard [´kɔ:tjɑ:d] n.院子，庭院 (高中英语单词)


• sergeant [´sɑ:dʒənt] n.警官；军士 (高中英语单词)


• surgeon [´sə:dʒən] n.外科医生；军医 (高中英语单词)


• barrier [´bæriə] n.栅栏；屏障；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• corridor [´kɔridɔ:] n.走廊；指定航路 (高中英语单词)


• crowded [´kraudid] a.充(拥)满了的 (高中英语单词)


• hinder [´hində, ´haində] vt.阻止 a.后面的 (高中英语单词)


• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)


• thoughtful [´θɔ:tfəl] a.深思的；体贴的 (高中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• porter [´pɔ:tə] n.守门人；勤杂工人 (高中英语单词)


• violently [´vaiələntli] ad.强暴地；猛烈地 (高中英语单词)


• sullen [´sʌlən] a.不高兴的 (高中英语单词)


• overcoat [´əuvəkəut] n.大衣 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• nightmare [´naitmeə] n.梦魇；恶梦 (英语四级单词)


• cashier [kæ´ʃiə] n.出纳员 (英语四级单词)


• prostrate [´prɔstreit, prɔ´streit] a.俯伏的 vt.弄倒 (英语四级单词)


• passionately [´pæʃənitli] ad.多情地；热烈地 (英语四级单词)


• almighty [ɔ:l´maiti] a.万能的；全能的 (英语四级单词)


• urgent [´ə:dʒənt] a.急迫的，紧急的 (英语四级单词)


• intolerable [in´tɔlərəb(ə)l] a.无法忍受的 (英语四级单词)


• good-natured [´gud-´neitʃəd] a.脾气好的，温厚的 (英语四级单词)


• haggard [´hægəd] a.憔悴的 (英语四级单词)


• drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)


• helplessness [´helplisnis] n.无能为力 (英语六级单词)


• versailles [vɛə´sail] n.凡尔赛(宫) (英语六级单词)


• servitude [´sə:vitju:d] n.奴隶状态；苦役 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• outstretched [,aut´stretʃt] a.扩张的；伸长的 (英语六级单词)


• malignant [mə´lignənt] a.恶意的；有害的 (英语六级单词)


• indictment [in´daitmənt] n.控诉，告发；起诉书 (英语六级单词)