第27章
加入书架 A- A+
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  ThisreflectionbroughtsomethingtoGodfrey’smindwhichhadescapeditinhisfirstdisturbance,alsoconnectedwithaflower。TherecamebeforehimthevisionofaLondonsquare,andofatall,palegirl,inanantiquedress,givingarosetoamaninknight’sarmour,whichrosebothofthemkissedsimultaneously。Ofcourse,whenhesawithehadruledouttheroseandonlythoughtofthekisses,although,nowthathecametothinkofit,aroseisofamuchthickertexturethanalily。Ashehadwitnessedthatlittlescene,anddrawnhisownconclusions,soothershadwitnessedanotherlittlescenethatafternoon,andmadetherefromdeductionswhich,inhisinnocentsoul,heknewtobetotallyfalse。Suppose,then,that/his/deductionswerealsofalse。Oh!itwasnotpossible。Besides,abarrierbuiltofroseleaveswasnotsufficient,whichagain,withperfectjustice,herememberedwasexactlywhatBrotherSmithandProfessorPetersenhadthoughtofonecomposedoflilypetals。

  Thereforthetimethematterended。Juliettereappearedonthemorrowquitecuredofherheadache,andasgayandcharmingasever。Possiblyshehadconfidedinhermamma,whohadtoldherthatafterallthingswerenotsoterrible,evenifthey/had/beenseen。

  Atanyrate,theequilibriumwasrestored。Godfreyactedonhissolemnresolutionsofhaughtinessanddetachmentforquiteanhour,afterwhichJuliettethrewakittenathimandaskedwhatwasthematter,andthensanghimoneofherpretty/chansonettes/totheaccompanimentofaguitarwiththreestrings,whichclosedtheincident。Stilltherewerenomoreflowerhuntsandnonewadventures。

  Tacitly,butcompletely,everythingofthesortwasdroppedoutoftheirrelationship。Theyremainedexcellentfriends,onaffectionatetermsindeed,butthatwasall。

  Meanwhile,owingtohisdoubtsarisingoutofasingularcoincidenceconcernedwithflowersandkisses,GodfreygraduallymadeuphismindtowritetoIsobel。Indeed,hehadhalfcomposedtheepistlewhenattheendofoneofhisbrieflettershisfatherinformedhimthatshehadgonetoMexicowithheruncle。Soitcameaboutthatitwasneverposted,sinceitisakindofsuperstitionwithyoungpeoplethatletterscanonlybedeliveredattheplacewheretheaddresseelastresided。Itrarelyoccurstothemthatthesemaybeforwarded,andultimatelyarrive。Nor,indeed,diditoccurtoGodfreythatasIsobel’sunclewastheBritishMinistertoacertaincountry,anenvelopeaddressedtoherinhiscareinthatcountryprobablywouldhavereachedher。

  Shewasgoneandtherewasanend;itwasofnousetothinkmoreofthematter。Still,hewassorry,becauseinthatsameletterhisfatherhadalludedcasuallytothedeathofLadyJane,whichhadcausedHawk’sHalltobeshutupforawhile,andhewouldhavelikedtocondolewithIsobelonherloss。Heknewthatshelovedhermotherdearly,andofthisgentleladyhehimselfhadveryaffectionateremembrances,sinceshehadalwaysbeenmostkindtohim。Yetforthereasonsstated,heneverdidso。

  AboutafortnightaftertheflowerepisodeachancecameGodfrey’swayofmakinganAlp-climbingexpeditioninthecompanyofsomemountaineers。TheywerefriendsofthePasteurwhojoinedthepartyhimself,butstayedinavillageatthefootofthemountainstheyweretoclimb,sinceforsuchexercisehehadlostthetaste。Thefirsttwoexpeditionswentoffverysuccessfully,Godfreyshowinghimselfmostagileatthesportwhichsuitedhisadventurousspiritanddelightedhim。Bynature,notwithstandinghisdreamycharacteristics,hewasfearless,atanyratewherehispersonalsafetywasconcerned,andhavingagoodhead,itgavehimpleasuretocreepalongtheedgeofprecipices,orupslipperyiceslopes,cuttingnicheswithanaxeforhisfeet。

  Thencamethethirdattempt,upareallydifficultpeakwhichhadnotyetbeenconqueredthatyear。Thedetailsoftheexpeditiondonotmatter,buttheendofitwasthatataparticularlyperilousplaceoneofthepartylosthisheadorhisbreathandrolledfromthepath。

  Therehelayhalfsenseless,onthebrinkofagulf,withadropofathousandfeetormorebeneathhim。Asithappened,theywereclimbinginlotsofthree,eachofwhichlotswasropedtogether,butatsomedistancebetweentheparties,thatwiththeguidebeingagoodwayahead。

  Godfreywasleadinghispartyalongthetrackmadebytheother,buttheirprogresswasnotveryrapidowingtotheweaknessofthemanwhohadfallenwho,asitafterwardstranspired,sufferedfromhisheart,andwasaffectedbythealtitude。TheclimberbehindGodfreywasstrongandbold;also,asitchancedatthemomentofthefall,thisman’sfeetwereplanteduponalumpofprojectingrock,sofirmlythatbythrowinghimselfforwardagainstthesnowslope,graspinganotherlumpofrockwithhislefthandandbearingontothealpenstockwithhisright,hewasabletosustaintheweightoftheircompanion。Buttheropewhichboundthemtogether,thoughstrong,wasthin;moreover,atthepointwheremostofthestraincameitrestedonaknife-likeedgeofice,sosharpthattherewasmomentarilydangerofitsfrayingthroughasthemovementsoftheweightbeneathrubbeditagainsttheedge。

  WhenashoutandthestoppagewarnedGodfreyofwhathadhappened,heturnedroundandstudiedtheposition。Eventohisinexperiencedeyeitwasobviousthatacatastrophewasimminent。Nowthereweretwothingswhichmightbedone;onewastostayinhisplaceandhelptobearthestrainoftheswingingbody,foralmostimmediatelythefaintingmanslippedfromtheledge,andhungabovethegulf。Theotherwastotrusttonumbertwotoholdhisweight,andgotohisassistanceinthehopeofbeingabletosupporthimuntiltheguidecouldreturntothefirstparty。Asbyaflash-likeworkingofthemindGodfreyweighedthesealternatives,hisquickeyesawwhatlookedlikealittlebitoffluffappearfromtheundersideoftherope,whichtoldhimthatoneatleastofthestrandsmusthaveseveredupontheedgeofice。Thenalmostinstinctivelyhemadehischoice。

  “Canyouholdhim?“hesaidswiftlytonumbertwo,whoanswered,“Yes,Ithinkso,“inamuffledvoice。

  “ThenIgotohelphim。“

  “Ifyouslip,Icannotbearyouboth,“saidthemuffledvoice。

  “No,“answeredGodfrey,anddrawingthesheathknifehewore,deliberatelycuttheropewhichjoinedhimtonumbertwo。

  Thenhescrambleddowntotheledgewithoutmuchdifficulty,reachingit,butjustintime,fornowtherazorbladeoftheicehadcuthalfthroughtherope,andverysoontheswingingofthesenselessweightbeneathmustcompleteitswork。Thisledge,beingbroad,thoughsloping,wasnotaparticularlybadplace;moreover,onitwerelittlehummocksofice,resultingfromsnowthathadmeltedandfrozenagain,againstoneofwhichGodfreywasabletoresthisleftshoulder,andeventopasshisarmroundit。Butherecametherub。Hecouldnotgetsufficientgripofthethinropewithhisrighthandbeyondthepointwhereitwascut,toenablehimtosupportevenhalftheweightthathungbelow。Shoulditsever,asitmustdoveryshortly,itwouldbetornfromhisgrasp。

  Whatthencouldbedone?Godfreypeeredovertheedge。Themanwasswingingnotmorethantwofeetbelowitsbrink,thatistosay,theupdrawnloopofhisstoutleatherbelt,towhichtheropewasfastened,wasaboutthatdistancefromthebrink,andoneithersideofithehungdownlikeasacktiedroundthemiddle,quitemotionlessinhisswoon,hisheadtoonesideandhisfeettotheother。

  Couldhereachandgraspthatleatherbeltwithoutfallinghimself,andifso,couldhebeartheman’sweightandnotbedraggedover?

  Godfreyshrankfromtheattempt;hisbloodcurdled。Thenhepictured,againinamind-flash,hispoorcompanionwhirlingdownthroughspacetobedashedtopulpatthebottom,andtheagonyofhiswifeandchildrenwhomheknew,andwhohadwishedtopreventhimfromclimbingthatday。Oh!hewouldtry。Butstillaparalysingfearovercamehim,makinghimweakandnervous。ThenitwasinGodfrey’sextremitythathisimaginationproducedaverycuriousillusion。Quitedistinctlyheseemedtohearavoice,thatofMissOgilvy,saytohim:

  “Doit,Godfrey,atonce,oritwillbetoolate。Wewillhelpyou。“

  Thisphantasy,orwhateveritwas,seemedtogivehimbackhisnerveandcourage。Coollyhetightenedthegripofhisleftarmabouttheknobofice,anddrawinghimselfforwardalittle,sothathisneckandpartofhischestwereovertheedge,reachedhisrighthanddownwards。Hisfingerstouchedthebelt;tograspithemusthaveanotherinchandahalf,ortwoinches。Helethimselfdownthatdistance。Oh!howeasyitseemedtodoso——andthrusthisfingersbeneaththebelt。Asheclosedthemroundit,theropepartedandalltheweightthatithadbornecameuponGodfrey’sarm!

  Howlongdidhesupportit,heoftenwonderedafterwards。Foragesitseemed。Hefeltasthoughhisrightarmwasbeingtornfromthesocket,whiletheicecutintothemusclesofhisleftlikeactivetorture。Hefilledhimselfwithair,blowingouthislowerpartsothatitsmusclesmightenablehimtogetsomeextraholdoftheroughground;hedughistoesdeepintotheicysnow。Hishatfellfromhishead,restedforamomentinaridiculousfashionupontheswingingbodybeneath,thenfloatedoffcomposedlyintospace,thetallfeatherinitstickingupwardsandflutteringalittle。Heheardvoicesapproaching,andabovethemtheshoutsoftheguide,thoughwhatthesesaidconveyednomeaningtohim。Hemustloosehisholdandgotoo。

  No,hewouldnot。Hewouldnot,althoughnowhefeltasthoughhisshoulder-jointweredislocated,alsothathisleftarmwasslipping。

  Hewoulddielikeabraveman——likeabraveman。Surelythiswasdeath!Hewasgone——everythingpassedaway。

  Godfreywokeagaintofindhimselflyinguponaflatpieceofsnow。

  Recollectioncamebacktohimwithapang,andhethoughtthathemusthavefallen。

  Thenheheardvoices,andsawfaceslookingathimasthroughamist,alsohefeltsomethinginhismouthandthroat,whichseemedtoburnthem。Oneofthevoices,itwasthatoftheguide,said:

  “Good,good!Hefindshimself,thisyoungEnglishhero。See,hiseyesopen;morecognac,itwillmakehimhappy,andpreventtheshock。

  Nevermindtheotherone;heisallright,thestupid。“

  Godfreysatupandtriedtolifthisarmtothrustawaytheflaskwhichhesawapproachinghim,buthecouldnot。

  “Takethatburningstuffaway,Karl,confoundyou,“hesaid。

  ThenKarl,agoodhonestfellow,whowasonhiskneesbesidehim,threwhisarmsabouthim,andembracedhiminawaythatGodfreythoughttheatricalandunpleasant,whilealltheothers,excepttherescuedman,wholaysemi-comatose,setupakindofp?anofpraise,likeaGreekchorus。

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