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

The Lost Continent-Part14_C.J.Cutcliffe Hyne(1865-1944)_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
there is some recommendation you would wish me to lay before her in

return for your courtesies?"



"My lord," said the man, "if you wish it, I can have a turn

with those cave-tigers myself now, and you can look on from behind



the walls and see them tear me."

"Why tell me what is no news?"



"I wish to remind my lord of his power; I wish to beg of his

clemency."



"You showed your power to these poor prisoners; but from what

remains here to be seen, few of them have tasted much of your



clemency."

"The orders were," said the captain of the gate, as though he



thought a word might be said here for his defence, "the orders

were, my lord, that the tigers should be kept fierce and accustomed



to killing."

"Then, if you have obeyed orders, let me be the last to chide



you. But it is my pleasure that this woman be respited, and I wish

now to question her."



The man got to his feet again with obviousrelief, though

still bowing low.



"Then if my lord will honour me by sitting in my room that

overlooks the outer gate, the favour will never be forgotten."



"Show the way," I said, and took the woman by the fingers,

leading her gently. At the two ends of the circus the tigers



prowled about on short chains, growling and muttering.

We passed through the door into the thickness of the outer



wall, and the captain of the gate led us into his private chamber,

a snug enough box overlooking the plain beyond the city. He lit a



torch from his lamp and thrust it into a bracket on the wall, and

bowing deeply and walking backwards, left us alone, closing the



door in place behind him. He was an industrious fellow, this

captain, to judge from the spoil with which his chamber was packed.



There could have come very few traders in through that gate below

without his levying a private tribute; and so, judging that most of



his goods had been unlawfully come by, I had little qualm at making

a selection. It was not decent that the woman, being an Atlantean,



should go bereft of the dignity of clothes, as though she were a

mere savage from Europe; and so I sought about amongst the



captain's spoil for garments that would be befitting.

But, as I busied myself in this search for raiment, rummaging



amongst the heaps and bales, with a hand and eye little skilled in

such business, I heard a sound behind which caused me to turn my



head, and there was the woman with a dagger she had picked from the

floor, in the act of drawing it from the sheath.



She caught my eye and drew the weapon clear, but seeing that

I made no advance towards her, or move to protect myself, waited



where she was, and presently was took with a shuddering.

"Your designs seem somewhat of a riddle," I said. "At first



you wished to kill me from motives which you explained, and which

I quite understood. It lay in my power next to confer some small



benefit upon you, in consequence of which you are here, and

not--shall we say?--yonder in the circus. Why you should desire



now to kill the only man here who can set you completely free, and

beyond these walls, is a thing it would gratify me much to learn.



I say nothing of the trifle of gratitude" target="_blank" title="n.忘恩负义">ingratitude. Gratitude and

gratitude" target="_blank" title="n.忘恩负义">ingratitude are of little weight here. There is some far greater



in your mind."

She pressed a hand hard against her breasts. "You are



Deucalion," she gasped; "I heard you say it."

"I am Deucalion. So far, I have known no reason to feel shame



for my name."

"And I come of those," she cried, with a rising voice, "who



bite against this city, because they have found their fate too

intolerable with the land as it is ordered now. We heard of your



coming from Yucatan. It was we who sent the fleet to take you at

the entrance to the Gulf."



"Your fleet gave us a pretty fight."

"Oh, I know, I know. We had our watchers on the high land who



brought us the tidings. We had an omen even before that. Where we

lay with our army before the walls here, we saw great birds



carrying off the slain to the mountains. But where the fleet

failed, I saw a chance where I, a woman, might--"



"Where you might succeed?" I sat me down on a pile of the




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