登陆注册
14820400000081

第81章

"I was born in the Highlands. But if you are very anxious to know my pedigree, I have no reason for concealing the fact that I am, by birth, half a Scotchman and half a Welchman."The foreigner riveted his gaze, though but for the briefest moment sufficient to justify its being called a gaze, once more upon Hugh;and then, with a slight bow, as of acquiescence, turned towards the lecturer.

When the lecture was over, and Hugh was walking away in the midst of the withdrawing audience, the stranger touched him on the shoulder.

"You said that you would like to know more of this science: will you come to my lodging?" said he.

"With pleasure," Hugh answered; though the look with which he accompanied the words, must have been one rather of surprise.

"You are astonished that a stranger should invite you so. Ah! you English always demand an introduction. There is mine."He handed Hugh a card: Herr von Funkelstein. Hugh happened to be provided with one in exchange.

The two walked out of the inn, along the old High Street, full of gables and all the delightful irregularities of an old country-town, till they came to a court, down which Herr von Funkelstein led the way.

He let himself in with a pass-key at a low door, and then conducted Hugh, by a stair whose narrowness was equalled by its steepness, to a room, which, though not many yards above the level of the court, was yet next to the roof of the low house. Hugh could see nothing till his conductor lighted a candle. Then he found himself in a rather large room with a shaky floor and a low roof. Achintz-curtained bed in one corner had the skin of a tiger thrown over it; and a table in another had a pair of foils lying upon it.

The German--for such he seemed to Hugh--offered him a chair in the politest manner; and Hugh sat down.

"I am only in lodgings here," said the host; "so you will forgive the poverty of my establishment.""There is no occasion for forgiveness, I assure you," answered Hugh.

"You wished to know something of the subject with which that lecturer was befooling himself and the audience at the same time.""I shall be grateful for any enlightenment."

"Ah! it is a subject for the study of a benevolent scholar, not for such a clown as that. He jumps at no conclusions; yet he shares the fate of one who does: he flounders in the mire between. No man will make anything of it who has not the benefit of the human race at heart. Humanity is the only safe guide in matters such as these.

This is a dangerous study indeed in unskilful hands."Here a frightful caterwauling interrupted Herr von Funkelstein. The room had a storm-window, of which the lattice stood open. In front of it, on the roof, seen against a white house opposite, stood a demon of a cat, arched to half its length, with a tail expanded to double its natural thickness. Its antagonist was invisible from where Hugh sat. Von Funkelstein started up without making the slightest noise, trod as softly as a cat to the table, took up one of the foils, removed the button, and, creeping close to the window, made one rapid pass at the enemy, which vanished with a shriek of hatred and fear. He then, replacing the button, laid the foil down, and resumed his seat and his discourse. This, after dealing with generalities and commonplaces for some time, gave no sign of coming either to an end or to the point. All the time he was watching Hugh--at least so Hugh thought--as if speculating on him in general.

Then appearing to have come to some conclusion, he gave his mind more to his talk, and encouraged Hugh to speak as well. The conversation lasted for nearly half an hour. At its close, Hugh felt that the stranger had touched upon a variety of interesting subjects, as one possessed of a minute knowledge of them. But he did not feel that he had gained any insight from his conversation.

It seemed rather as if he had been giving him a number of psychological, social, literary, and scientific receipts. During the course of the talk, his eye had appeared to rest on Hugh by a kind of compulsion; as if by its own will it would have retired from the scrutiny, but the will of its owner was too strong for it. In seemed, in relation to him, to be only a kind of tool, which he used for a particular purpose.

At length Funkelstein rose, and, marching across the room to a cupboard, brought out a bottle and glasses, saying, in the most by-the-bye way, as he went:

"Have you the second-sight, Mr. Sutherland?"

"Certainly not, as far as I am aware."

"Ah! the Welch do have it, do they not?"

"Oh! yes, of course," answered Hugh laughing. "I should like to know, though," he added, "whether they inherit the gift as Celts or as mountaineers.""Will you take a glass of--?"

"Of nothing, thank you," answered and interrupted Hugh. "It is time for me to be going. Indeed, I fear I have stayed too long already.

Good night, Herr von Funkelstein."

"You will allow me the honour of returning your visit?"Hugh felt he could do no less, although he had not the smallest desire to keep up the acquaintance. He wrote Arnstead on his card.

As he left the house, he stumbled over something in the court.

Looking down, he saw it was a cat, apparently dead.

"Can it be the cat Herr Funkelstein made the pass at?" thought he.

But presently he forgot all about it, in the visions of Euphra which filled his mind during his moonlight walk home. It just occurred to him, however, before those visions had blotted everything else from his view, that he had learned simply nothing whatever about biology from his late host.

When he reached home, he was admitted by the butler, and retired to bed at once, where he slept soundly, for the first time for many nights.

But, as he drew near his own room, he might have seen, though he saw not, a little white figure gliding away in the far distance of the long passage. It was only Harry, who could not lie still in his bed, till he knew that his big brother was safe at home.

同类推荐
  • 大乘义章

    大乘义章

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 礼器

    礼器

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 蒙求

    蒙求

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道德真经传

    道德真经传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 褚主簿宅会毕庶子钱

    褚主簿宅会毕庶子钱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 去见杨玉环

    去见杨玉环

    一个猥琐的胖子突然穿越,穿越到了一个他不想来到的时代:唐朝开元。在得知见不到武则天,泡不到太平公主之后,胖子毅然决然的立下了把到杨玉环的宏伟理想,从一个小村庄开始,展开追求贵妃的崎岖道路。一枝红艳露凝香,云雨巫山枉断肠。你是我的,谁也拦不住。
  • 寻风迹.浮虚界

    寻风迹.浮虚界

    墨照她打娘胎里就中了毒,里子被毒破坏,不能修炼和习武。她在出生后就吃下了与那种毒药克制的‘圣灵草’才得以延续生命,可是这时副作用出现了,她的生命被延长,每过一千年才长一岁【也就是说她一千年相当于普通人一年】这样与自己在乎的人生活,可抵不过流逝的岁月,那些人一个接一个离开她。过了一万一千多年,她有十一岁了,却沉睡在了浮虚界的千寒山。沉睡了五千年,她才醒来,却无意中得到一方子,上面记载有一种叫‘风迹草’的草药可以将她的病治好,可风迹草是上古圣物,生来就有自己的意识,流连于浮虚界、寂万城、流幻域、鬼闫岛,所以她下定决心去寻找。而第一站,就是浮虚界。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 遇到女魔头

    遇到女魔头

    世上并没有未完的故事,只有未死的心。如果你不甘离去,就只有自己坚强走下去。
  • 冥狱纪

    冥狱纪

    出了车祸的凌宇意外的被一颗石珠带到了异世界,开启了他全新的生活。在这里,危机四伏,魔族和蛮兽随时可能会踏破城墙,屠杀人类。在这里,弱肉强食,以武为尊,想要活得有尊严,就必须要杀破层层阻碍,走向巅峰。一颗来历神秘的石珠,带给他无尽的力量的同时,也让他危机四伏。这是一个危险和机遇并存的世界,同时,这也是一个热血和冷漠的世界。
  • 美女的限量高手

    美女的限量高手

    当号称史上最帅的高手回归都市,美女不断的上门来献媚,混混杀手踩上头来的时候,一直以低调为宗旨的萧何不能再容忍他们的轻蔑了!让我们一起去碾碎所有的绊脚石,让我们一起喝最烈的酒,泡最靓的妞!
  • 重生之皇家公主

    重生之皇家公主

    昏迷半月醒来,她成了金尊玉贵的皇家公主。记忆的缺失,让她在这寂寂宫廷中如履薄冰。宫宴上的一声相公,使得举座皆惊。她看不清过去,亦辨不清未来。落子无悔,她誓要拨开迷雾,重掌棋盘。
  • 倾世红颜终不离

    倾世红颜终不离

    她是柳家养女,被柳家大夫人姜氏收买的丫鬟小毕毒死。一朝重生,她不再是废材,用自己的医术,治好她自己的脸。当废材不再是废材,才明白,一切都是注定的。
  • 大明王朝3

    大明王朝3

    中国进入明代统治,明朝共有二十位皇帝(包括南明四帝),明朝的领土除囊括清朝时期所谓内地十八省之范围,还包括今天的东北地区、新疆东部、西藏、缅甸北部、西伯利亚东部和越南北部等地,并首次将今天的南沙,台湾正式纳入我国版图,并曾在东南亚的安南,旧港等地设有羁縻管理机构,势力远及印度洋和中亚。
  • 英雄联盟之剑道无极

    英雄联盟之剑道无极

    无极之道,无妄之心,以剑入道,圣者唯唔!诺克萨斯大举来犯,无辜的村庄惨遭毒手,无极剑道的传人易星辰(叫易听着别扭,改个名字大家见谅)下山历练从此卷入世俗纷争之中。欲望如山,仇恨如渊,乱世纷争,谁主沉浮?(我尽量写一个有意思的故事,高潮迭起,热血沸腾,让大家感受一下真正的剑之圣者!)