暗黑小说

PART I The Old Buccaneer02（第1页）

hegotdownstairsnextrning，tobesure，andhadhismealsasusual，thoughheatelittleandhadre，iamafraid，thanhisusualsupplyofrum，forhehelpedhimselfoutofthebar，scowlingandblowingthroughhisnose，andnoonedaredtocrosshionthenightbeforethefuneralhewasasdrunkasever;anditwasshocking，inthathouseofurning，tohearhimsingingawayathisuglyoldsea-song;butweakashewas，wewereallinthefearofdeathforhim，andthedoctorwassuddenlytakenupwithacasemanymilesawayandwasnevernearthehouseaftermyfathersdeath。ihavesaidthecaptainwasweak，andindeedheseemedrathertogrowweakerthanregainhisstrength。heclamberedupanddownstairs，andwentfromtheparlourtothebarandbackagain，andsometimesputhisnoseoutofdoorstosmellthesea，holdingontothewallsashewentforsupportandbreathinghardandfastlikeamanonasteepuntain。heneverparticularlyaddressedme，anditismybeliefhehadasgoodasforgottenhisconfidences;buthistemperwasreflighty，andallowingforhisbodilyweakness，reviolentthanever。hehadanalarmingwaynowwhenhewasdrunkofdrawinghiscutlassandlayingitbarebeforehinthetable。butwithallthat，hemindedpeoplelessandseemedshutupinhisownthoughtsandratherwandering。once，forinstance，toourextremewonder，hepipeduptoadifferentair，akindofcountrylove-songthathemusthavelearnedinhisyouthbeforehehadbeguntofollowthesea。

sothingspasseduntil，thedayafterthefuneral，andaboutthreeoclockofabitter，y，frostyafternoon，iwasstandingatthedoorforament，fullofsadthoughtsaboutmyfather，whenisawsomeonedrawingslowlynearalongtheroad。hewasplainlyblind，forhetappedbeforehimwithastickandworeagreatgreenshadeoverhiseyesandnose;andhewas混ched，asifwithageorweakness，andworeahugeoldtatteredsea-cloakwithahoodthatmadehimappearpositivelydeformed。ineversawinmylifearedreadful-lookingfigure。hestoppedalittlefromtheinn，andraisinghisvoiceinanoddsing-song，addressedtheairinfrontofhim，"willanykindfriendinformapoorblindman，whohaslosttheprecioussightofhiseyesinthegraciousdefenceofhisnativecountry，england—eorge!—whereorinwhatpartofthiscountryhemaynowbe?"

"youareattheadmiralbenbow，blackhillcove，mygoodman，"saidi。

"ihearavoice，"saidhe，"ayoungvoice。willyougivemeyourhand，mykindyoungfriend，andleadmein?"

iheldoutmyhand，andthehorrible，soft-spoken，eyelesscreaturegrippeditinamentlikeavise。ledtowithdraw，buttheblindmanpulledmecloseuptohimwithasingleactionofhisar

"now，boy，"hesaid，"takemeintothecaptain。"

"sir，"saidi，"uponmywordidarenot。"

"oh，"hesneered，"thatsit!takemeinstraightorillbreakyourar"

andhegaveit，ashespoke，awrenchthatmademecryout。

"sir，"saidi，"itisforyourselfimean。thecaptainisnotwhatheusedtobe。hesitswithadrawncutlass。anothergentleman—"

"e，now，march，"interruptedhe;andineverheardavoicesocruel，andcold，anduglyasthatblindmans。itcowedmerethanthepain，andibegantoobeyhimatonce，walkingstraightinatthedoorandtowardstheparlour，aneerwassit，dazedwithrutheblindmanc露ngclosetome，holdingmeinoneironfistandleaningalstreofhisweightonmethanicouldcarry。"leadmestraightuptohim，andwheniminview，cryout，heresafriendforyou，bill。ifyoudont，illdothis，"andwiththathegavemeatwitchthatithoughtwouldhavemademefaint。betweenthisandthat，arthatiforgotmyterrorofthecaptain，andasiopenedtheparlourdoor，criedoutthewordshehadorderedinatremblingvoice。

thepoorcaptainraisedhiseyes，andatonelooktherumwentoutofhimandlefthimstaringsober。theexpressionofhisfacewasnotsomuchofterrorasofrtalsickness。hemadeavementtorise，butidonotbelievehehadenoughforceleftinhisbody。

"now，bill，sitwhereyouare，"ar。"ificantsee，icanhearafingerstirring。businessisbusiness。holdoutyourlefthand。boy，takehislefthandbythewristandbringitneartomyright。"

webothobeyedhimtotheletter，andisawhimpasssomethingfromthehollowofthehandthatheldhisstickintothepalfthecaptains，whichcloseduponitinstantly。

"andnowthatsdone，"saidtheblindman;andatthewordshesuddenlyleftholdofme，uracyandnimbleness，skippedoutoftheparlourandintotheroad，where，asistillstoodtionless，icouldhearhisstickgotap-tap-tappingintothedistance。

itwassometimebeforeeitheriorthecaptainseemedtogatheroursenses，butatlength，andaboutatthesamement，ireleasedhiswrist，whichiwasstillholding，andhedrewinhishandandlookedsharplyintothepal

"tenoclock!"hecried。"sixhours。welldothemyet，"andhesprangtohisfeet。

evenashedidso，hereeled，puthishandtohisthroat，stoodswayingforament，andthen，withapeculiarsound，fellfromhiswholeheightfaceforesttothefloor。

irantohimatonce，callingtomyther。buthastewasallinvain。thecaptainhadbeenstruckdeadbyt混deringapoplexy。itisacuriousthingtounderstand，forihadcertainlyneverlikedtheman，thoughoflateihadbeguntopityhim，butassoonasisawthathewasdead，iburstintoafloodoftears。itwastheseconddeathihadknown，andthesorrowofthefirstwasstillfreshinmyheart。

chapter4thesea-chest

lostnotime，ofcourse，intellingmytherallthatiknew，andperhapsshouldhavetoldherlongbefore，andwesawourselvesatonceinadifficultanddangerousposition。someofthemansney—ifhehadany—wascertainlyduetous，butitwasnotlikelythatourcaptainsshipmates，aboveallthetwospecimensseenbyme，ar，wouldbeinclinedtogiveuptheirbootyinpaymentofthedeadmansdebts。thecaptainsordertountatonceandridefordoctorliveseywouldhaveleftmytheraloneandunprotected，whichwasnottobethoughtof。indeed，itseemedimpossibleforeitherofustoremainmuchlongerinthehouse;thefallofcoalsinthekitchengrate，theverytickingoftheclock，filleduswithalarms。theneighbourhood，toourears，seemedhauntedbyapproachingfootsteps;arhoveringnearathandandreadytoreturn，therewerementswhen，oes，ijumpedinmyskinforterror。somethingmustspeedilyberesolvedupon，urredtousatlasttogoforthtogetherandseekhelpintheneighbouringhamlet。nosoonersaidthandone。bare-headedaswewere，weranoutatonceinthegatheringeveningandthefrostyfog。

thehamletlaynotmany混dredyardsaway，thoughoutofview，ontheothersideofthenextcove;andwhatgreatlyencouragedme，itwasinanoppositedirectionfromthatwhencetheblindmanhadmadehisappearanceandwhitherhehadpresumablyreturned。wewerenotmanyminutesontheroad，thoughwesometimesstoppedtolayholdofeachotherandhearken。buttherewasnounusualsound—nothingbutthelowwashoftherippleandthecroakingoftheinmatesofthewood。

itwasalreadycandle-lightwhenwereachedthehamlet，andishallneverforgethowmuchiwascheeredtoseetheyellowshineindoorsandwindows;butthat，asitproved，wasthebestofthehelpwewerelikelytogetinthatquarter。for—youwouldhavethoughtmenwouldhavebeenashamedofthemselves—nosoulwouldconsenttoreturnwithustotheadmiralbenbow。therewetoldofourtroubles，there—man，woman，andchild—theyc露ngtotheshelteroftheirhouses。thenameofcaptainflint，thoughitwasstrangetome，waswellenoughknowntosomethereandcarriedagreatweightofterror。someofthemenwhohadbeentofield-workonthefarsideoftheadmiralbenbowremembered，besides，tohaveseenseveralstrangersontheroad，lers，tohaveboltedaway;erinwhatwecalledkittshole。forthatmatter，anyonewhowasaradeofthecaptainswasenoughtofrightenthemtodeath。andtheshortandthelongofthematterwas，thatwhilewecouldgetseveralwhowerewillingenoughtoridetodr。liveseys，whichlayinanotherdirection，notonewouldhelpustodefendtheinn。

theysaycowardiceisinfectious;butthenargumentis，ontheotherhand，agreatemboldener;andsowheneachhadsaidhissay，mythermadethemaspeech。shewouldnot，shedeclared，loseneythatbelongedtoherfatherlessboy;"ifnoneoftherestofyoudare，"shesaid，"激mandidare。backwewillgo，thewaywecame，andsmallthankstoyoubig，hulking，chickenheartedmen。wellhavethatchestopen，ifwedieforit。andillthankyouforthatbag，mrs。crossley，tobringbackourlawfulneyin。"

ofcourseisaidiwouldgowithmyther，andofcoursetheyallcriedoutatourfoolhardiness，buteventhennotamanwouldgoalongwithus。alltheywoulddowastogivemealoadedpistollestwewereattacked，andtopromisetohavehorsesreadysaddledincasewewerepursuedonourreturn，whileoneladwastorideforwardtothedoctorsinsearchofarmedassistance。

myheartwasbeafinelywhenwetwosetforthinthecoldnightuponthisdangerousventure。afullonwasbeginningtoriseandpeeredredlythroughtheupperedgesofthefog，andthisincreasedourhaste，foritwasplain，beforewecameforthagain，thatallwouldbeasbrightasday，andourdepartureexposedtotheeyesofanywatchers。weslippedalongthehedges，noiselessandswift，nordidweseeorhearanythingtoincreaseourterrors，till，toourrelief，thedooroftheadmiralbenbowhadclosedbehindus。

islippedtheboltatonce，andwestoodandpantedforamentinthedark，aloneinthehousewiththedeadcaptainsbody。thenmythergotacandleinthebar，andholdingeachothershands，weadvancedintotheparlour。helayaswehadlefthim，onhisback，withhiseyesopenandonearmstretchedout。

"drawdowntheblind，激m，"whisperedmyther;"theymighteandwatchoutside。andnow，"saidshewhenihaddoneso，"wehavetogetthekeyoffthat;andwhostotouchit，ishouldliketoknow!"andshegaveakindofsobasshesaidthewords。

iwentdownonmykneesatonce。onthefloorclosetohishandtherewasalittleroundofpaper，blackenedontheoneside。icouldnotdoubtthatthiswastheblackspot;andtakingitup，ifoundwrittenontheotherside，inaverygood，clearhand，thisshortmessage:"youhavetilltentonight。"

"hehadtillten，ther，"saidi;andjustasisaidit，ouroldclockbeganstriking。thissuddennoisestartledusshockingly;butthenewswasgood，foritwasonlysix。

"now，激m，"shesaid，"thatkey。"