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The Underground City-Part13_JULES VERNE(1828-1905)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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it gradually slipping through his fingers.



He might have caught it, and held on with both hands by

sacrificing the life of the child he supported in his left arm.



The idea crossed him, but was banished in an instant,

although he believed himself quite unable to hold out until



drawn to the surface. For a second he closed his eyes,

believing they were about to plunge back into the abyss.



He looked up once more; the huge bird had disappeared; his hand

was at the very extremity of the broken rope--when, just as



his convulsive grasp was failing, he was seized by the men,

and with the child was placed on the level ground.



The fearfulstrain of anxiety removed, a reaction took place,

and Harry fell fainting into the arms of his friends.



CHAPTER XII NELL ADOPTED

A COUPLE of hours later, Harry still unconscious, and the child



in a very feeble state, were brought to the cottage by Jack Ryan

and his companions. The old overman listened to the account



of their adventures, while Madge attended with the utmost care

to the wants of her son, and of the poor creature whom he had



rescued from the pit.

Harry imagined her a mere child, but she was a maiden of the age



of fifteen or sixteen years.

She gazed at them with vague and wondering eyes; and the thin face,



drawn by suffering, the pallid complexion, which light

could never have tinged, and the fragile, slender figure,



gave her an appearance at once singular and attractive.

Jack Ryan declared that she seemed to him to be an uncommonly



interesting kind of ghost.

It must have been due to the strange and peculiar



circumstances under which her life hitherto had been led,

that she scarcely seemed to belong to the human race.



Her countenance was of a very uncommon cast, and her eyes,

hardly able to bear the lamp-light in the cottage, glanced around



in a confused and puzzled way, as if all were new to them.

As this singular being reclined on Madge's bed and awoke to consciousness,



as from a long sleep, the old Scotchwoman began to question her a little.

"What do they call you, my dear?" said she.



"Nell," replied the girl.

"Do you feel anything the matter with you, Nell?"



"I am hungry. I have eaten nothing since--since--"

Nell uttered these few words like one unused to speak much. They were



in the Gaelic language, which was often spoken by Simon and his family.

Madge immediately brought her some food; she was evidently famished.



It was impossible to say how long she might have been in that pit.

"How many days had you been down there, dearie?" inquired Madge.



Nell made no answer; she seemed not to understand the question.

"How many days, do you think?"



"Days?" repeated Nell, as though the word had no meaning for her,

and she shook her head to signify entire want of comprehension.



Madge took her hand, and stroked it caressingly. "How old are you,

my lassie?" she asked, smiling kindly at her.



Nell shook her head again.

"Yes, yes," continued Madge, "how many years old?"



"Years?" replied Nell. She seemed to understand that word

no better than days! Simon, Harry, Jack, and the rest,



looked on with an air of mingled compassion, wonder, and sympathy.

The state of this poor thing, clothed in a miserable garment



of coarsewoolen stuff, seemed to impress them painfully.

Harry, more than all the rest, seemed attracted by the very peculiarity



of this poor stranger. He drew near, took Nell's hand from his mother,

and looked directly at her, while something like a smile curved her lip.



"Nell," he said, "Nell, away down there--in the mine--were you all alone?"

"Alone! alone!" cried the girl, raising herself hastily.



Her features expressed terror; her eyes, which had appeared

to soften as Harry looked at her, became quite wild again.



"Alone!" repeated she, "alone!"--and she fell back on the bed,

as though deprived of all strength.



"The poor bairn is too weak to speak to us," said Madge,

when she had adjusted the pillows. "After a good rest,



and a little more food, she will be stronger. Come away,

Simon and Harry, and all the rest of you, and let her go to sleep."






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