诱拐牛津书虫34级.docx

诱拐牛津书虫34级.docx

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诱拐牛津书虫34级

诱拐-牛津书虫3,4级

1Davidmeetshisuncle

ItwasearlyinthemonthofJune，1751，whenIshutthedoorofourhousebehindmeforthelast

time（AllmylifeIhadlivedinthequietlittlevillageofEssendean，intheLowlandsofScotland，

wheremyfatherhadbeenthedominie，orschoolteacher（Butnowthatheandmymotherwerebothdead，Ihadtoleavethehouse（Thenewdominiewouldsoonarrive，andhewouldteachattheschoolandliveinthedominie'shouse（So，althoughIwasonlyseventeen，therewasnowhereformetolive，andnoreasonformetostayinEssendean（

ButmyheartwasbeatingwithexcitementasIwalkeddowntheroad，becauseinmyhandIcarriedtheletterthatmyfatherhadgivenmejustbeforehedied（‘Davie，’hehadsaid，‘whenI

amdead，takethistothehouseofShaws，nearCramond（That'swhereIcamefrom，andthat'swhereyoumustgo（PutthisletterintothehandsofEbenezerBalfour（’

Balfour～Thesamenameasmyown～ItwasthefirsttimeIhadheardofanyofourfamilyoutside

Essendean（

SoIdecidedtowalktoCramond，hopingthatperhapsthisMrBalfour，inhisfinebighouse，

wouldreceivemekindly，andhelpmetobecomearichmanoneday（Withmyplaidovermyshoulder，Iwalkedfastupthehillawayfromthevillage（Whatanadventure，toleavethatsleepy

place，wherenothingeverhappened，andgotoagreat，busyhouse，tobewithrichandimportantpeopleofmyownnameandblood～ButwhenIreachedthetopofthehill，Iturnedalittlesadly，

totakemylastlookatthedominie'shouse，andEssendeanchurchyard，wheremyfatherandmotherlay（

Myjourneynorthwardstookalmosttwodays（BymiddayontheseconddayIcouldseethesmokingchimneysofEdinburghinfrontofme，andsoonIarrivedinCramond（

NowIbegantoaskpeopleontheroadforthehouseofShaws（Theiranswersworriedmealittle（Somepeopleseemedsurprised，someafraid，andsomeangry，whenIspokethenameofEbenezerBalfour（Icouldnotunderstandthis，butitwastoofartogobacktoEssendeanthatday，

andIwantedtofindtherestoftheBalfourfamilyverymuchSoIcontinuedonmyway，and

whenImetadark，wild-lookingwomancomingtowardsme，Iaskedherwherethehouseof

ShawswasShetookmetothetopofthenexthill，andshowedmealargebuildingstandingaloneinthebottomofthenextvalley（Althoughthefieldsaroundweregreen，andthefarmlandwasexcellent，thehouseitselflookedunfinishedandempty（Partofitsroofwasmissing（Therewas

noroadtoit，andnosmokecomingfromanyofitschimneys，norwasthereanygarden（‘That～’

Icried（‘No，itcan'tbe～’‘Itis～’criedthewomanangrily（‘ThatisthehouseofShaws～

Bloodbuiltit，bloodstoppedthebuildingofif，andbloodshallbringitdown～BlackistheheartofEbenezerBalfour～YecantellhimfrommethatIhopetoseehimdie，andhishousefalldownaroundhim～’Thewomanturnedanddisappeared（Istoodwheresheleftme，shakinglikealeaf，

andlookingdownatthehouseforalongtime（Butwhenitbegantogetdark，Inoticedsomesmokecomingoutofthechimney，andfeltalittlemorehopeful（‘Theremustbeafire，and

cooking，andpeopleinthehouse，’Ithought（SoIwalkeduptothefrontdoor（Thehouseseemedlockedupandunwelcoming，buttherewasfirelightshiningthroughthekitchenwindow，andIcouldhearsomeonetalkingquietlytohimself（Bravely，Iliftedmyhandandknockedloudlyonthestrongwoodendoor（Thehousewassuddenlysilent，andtherewasnoreply（Iknockedand

knocked，andshoutedasloudlyasIcould（Finally，thewindowopened，andamanholdingagunputhisheadout（

‘Whatdoyewant,’heasked（

‘I'vecomeherewithaletterforMrEbenezerBalfourofShaws（Ishehere,’

‘Whoisitfrom,’askedthemanwiththegun（

‘That'snoneofyourbusiness，’Ireplied，gettingangry（

‘Well，puttheletterdownbythedoor，andleave（’

‘Iwillnot～’Iansweredsharply（‘I'mgoingtogiveittoMrBalfourhimself（Theletter

introducesmetohim（’

‘Whoareyethen,’wasthenextquestion（

‘I'mnotashamedofmyname（It'sDavidBalfour（’

Themanalmostdroppedhisgun（Afteralongwhile，heaskedinachangedvoice，‘Isyourfatherdead,’Iwastoosurprisedtoanswer，buthecontinued，‘Aye，hemustbedead，andthat'swhyyehavecome（Well，man，I'llletyein，’andhedisappearedfromthewindow（

Nowthedoorwasunlocked，andavoicefromthedarknesssaid，‘Gointothekitchenandtouchnothing（’Iobeyed，whilethemanlockedtheheavydoorcarefullyagain（IfoundmyselfintheemptiestkitchenthatIhadeverseen（Therewasafire，butnootherlight（Onthetablewasabowlofporridgeandaglassofwater，infrontoftheonlychair（Aroundthewallswereseverallockedchests（Therewasnootherfurniture（Themanwhonowappearedinthekitchenwassmall，

mean-lookingandwhite-faced，betweenfiftyandseventyyearsold，andwearingadirtyoldnightshirt（Theworstthingabouthimwasthathecouldneithertakehiseyesawayfromme，nor

lookstraightintomyface（

‘Ifye'rehungry，’hesaid，‘yecaneatthatporridge（It'sgrandfood，porridge～Letmeseetheletter～’

‘It'sforMrBalfour，notyou，’Ireplied（

‘AndwhodoyethinkIam,GivemeAlexander'sletter～Yemaynotlikemeormyhouseormyporridge，butI'myourbornuncle，Davie，myman～’

Thiswastheendofallmyhopes（Iwastootiredandmiserabletospeak，soIsilentlygavehimtheletter，andsatdowntoeattheporridge（

‘Yourfather'sbeendeadalongtime,’heasked，givingmeaquicklookfromhissharpeyes（

‘Threeweeks，sir，’Isaid（

‘Hewasasecretiveman，Alexanderwas（Perhapshedidn'ttalkmuchaboutme,OraboutthehouseofShaws,’

‘Ineverknewhehadabrother，sir，oreverheardthenameofShaws（’

‘Tothinkofthat～’hereplied（‘Astrangeman～’Butheseemedverypleased，andbegantolookatmewithmoreinterest（Soonhejumpedupandsaid，‘We'regoingtogetonwell，Davie～

What'smineisyours，man，andwhat'syoursismine（Blood'sthickerthanwater，andthere'sonlyyeandmeofthenameofBalfour（NowI'llshowyetoyourbed（’

Hetookmeupsomedarkstairsandshowedmeintoaroom（Icouldnotseeanything（‘CanIhavealight，sir,’Iasked（‘No，yecan't（Nolightsinthishouse～I'mafraidoffires，yesee（Good

nighttoye，Davie，myman（’AndbeforeIhadtimetoreply，hepulledthedoorshutandlocked

itfromtheoutside（Theroomwasverycold，butluckilyIhadmyplaidwithme，soIcoveredmyselfwithitlikeablanket，andsoonfellasleep（

ThenextdaymyuncleandIhadasmallbowlofporridgeandaglassofwaterforbreakfast，lunchandsupper（Hedidnotspeakmuchtome，butwasclearlythinkinghard（Ioftennoticedhimlookingatme，whilepretendingtodosomethingdifferent，andheneverleftmealoneinthekitchenwiththelockedchests，inwhich，Isupposed，hekepthismoney（Ididnotlikethewayhelookedatme，andbegantowonderifhewasalittlecrazy，andperhapsdangerous（

Aftersupperhesaidsuddenly，‘Davie，I'vebeenthinking（Ipromisedyourfatherabitofmoneyforyebeforeyewereborn（Apromiseisapromise—andsoI'mgoingtogiveye…fortypounds～’

Theselastwordsseemedverypainfultohim（Headded，inakindofscream，‘Scots～’

AScottishpoundwasthesameasanEnglishshilling（Icouldseethathisstorywasalie，soI

laughedathim，saying，‘Oh，thinkagain，sir～Englishpounds，surely～’

‘That'swhatIsaid，'repliedmyunclequickly（‘Gooutsideforamoment，andI'llgetthemoneyforye（’

IwassmilingasIwentout，surethathewouldgivemenothingatall（Itwasadarknight，andI

couldhearwindinthehills（‘Theremaybethunderlater，’Ithought，notknowinghowimportanttheweatherwouldbetomethatnight（

Butwhenmyunclecalledmeinagain，hecountedthirtyeightEnglishpoundsingoldintomy

hands（Itclearlyhurthimtodoit，andhekeptbackthelasttwopounds，butIdidnotmindthat（Surprisedandpleased，Ithankedhimwarmly（

‘Now，’hesaid，lookingcleverlyatme，‘yecangivemesomething，Davie（I'mgettingoldnow，

andIneedhelp（’

‘Ofcourse，sir，’Ianswered（‘WhatcanIdo,’

‘Well，gooutsideandclimbthestairsattheotherendofthehouse，wherethebuildingisn'tfinishedyet（Gouptotheroomatthetop，andbringdownthechestthatye'llfindthere（It'sgotvaluablepapersinit（’

‘CanIhavealight，sir,’Iasked（

‘No，’hesaidsharply（‘Nolightsinmyhouse～’‘Verywell，sir（Arethestairsgood,’

‘They'regrand，’saidhe（‘Thestairsaregrand（OutIwentintothenight（AsIwasfeelingmywayalongtheoutsidewall，therewasasuddenflashoflightning，thendarknessagain（Ifoundthestairsandstartedclimbing（Iwasaboutfifteenmetresabovetheground，whentherewasanotherflashoflightning（Thatwasluckyforme，becauseitshowedmethatthestepswereuneven，and

thatIcouldeasilyfalltomydeath（‘Thesearethegrandstairs～’Ithought（‘Perhapsmyunclewantsmetodie～’NowIwasverycareful，andIfelteachstepwithmyhandsbeforeIputmyfoot

onit（Afewstepslatermyhandfeltcoldstone，andthennothingmore（Thestairsendedthere，

twentymetresabovetheground（Ifeltcoldwithfear，whenIthoughtofthedangerthatIhadbeen

in（Sendingastrangerupthosestairsinthedarkwassendinghimstraighttohisdeath（

Angrily，Iturnedandfeltmywaydown（Therewasacrashofthunder，andsuddenlytheraincamedown（AtthebottomofthestairsIlookedtowardsthekitchen，andcouldsee，inthenextflashof

lightning，afigurestandingstillinthedoorway，listening（Whenthethundersoundedagain，

louderthanbefore，heranbackinside，andIfollowedassoftlyasIcould（Ifoundhimsittinginthekitchen，drinkingwhiskystraightfromthebottle，andshakingwithfear（QuietlyIcameupbehindhim，and，puttingmyhandssuddenlyonhisshoulders，cried，‘Ah～’

Myunclegaveakindofbrokencry，andfelltothefloorlikeade