登陆注册
14823600000002

第2章

My sense of the pressure of the invisible began to yield to my architectural interest. The building was so fine that I felt a desire to explore it for its own sake. I looked about the court, wondering in which corner the guardian lodged. Then I pushed open the barrier and went in. As I did so, a little dog barred my way. He was such a remarkably beautiful little dog that for a moment he made me forget the splendid place he was defending. I was not sure of his breed at the time, but have since learned that it was Chinese, and that he was of a rare variety called the "Sleeve-dog." He was very small and golden brown, with large brown eyes and a ruffled throat: he looked rather like a large tawny chrysanthemum. I said to myself: "These little beasts always snap and scream, and somebody will be out in a minute."

The little animal stood before me, forbidding, almost menacing: there was anger in his large brown eyes. But he made no sound, he came no nearer. Instead, as I advanced, he gradually fell back, and I noticed that another dog, a vague rough brindled thing, had limped up. "There'll be a hubbub now," I thought; for at the same moment a third dog, a long-haired white mongrel, slipped out of a doorway and joined the others. All three stood looking at me with grave eyes; but not a sound came from them.

As I advanced they continued to fall back on muffled paws, still watching me. "At a given point, they'll all charge at my ankles: it's one of the dodges that dogs who live together put up on one," I thought. I was not much alarmed, for they were neither large nor formidable. But they let me wander about the court as I pleased, following me at a little distance--always the same distance--and always keeping their eyes on me. Presently I looked across at the ruined facade, and saw that in one of its window-frames another dog stood: a large white pointer with one brown ear. He was an old grave dog, much more experienced than the others; and he seemed to be observing me with a deeper intentness.

"I'll hear from HIM," I said to myself; but he stood in the empty window-frame, against the trees of the park, and continued to watch me without moving. I looked back at him for a time, to see if the sense that he was being watched would not rouse him. Half the width of the court lay between us, and we stared at each other silently across it. But he did not stir, and at last I turned away. Behind me I found the rest of the pack, with a newcomer added: a small black greyhound with pale agate-coloured eyes. He was shivering a little, and his expression was more timid than that of the others. I noticed that he kept a little behind them. And still there was not a sound.

I stood there for fully five minutes, the circle about me--waiting, as they seemed to be waiting. At last I went up to the little golden-brown dog and stooped to pat him. As I did so, I heard myself laugh. The little dog did not start, or growl, or take his eyes from me--he simply slipped back about a yard, and then paused and continued to look at me. "Oh, hang it!" I exclaimed aloud, and walked across the court toward the well.

As I advanced, the dogs separated and slid away into different corners of the court. I examined the urns on the well, tried a locked door or two, and up and down the dumb facade; then I faced about toward the chapel. When I turned I perceived that all the dogs had disappeared except the old pointer, who still watched me from the empty window-frame. It was rather a relief to be rid of that cloud of witnesses; and I began to look about me for a way to the back of the house. "Perhaps there'll be somebody in the garden," I thought. I found a way across the moat, scrambled over a wall smothered in brambles, and got into the garden. A few lean hydrangeas and geraniums pined in the flower-beds, and the ancient house looked down on them indifferently. Its garden side was plainer and severer than the other: the long granite front, with its few windows and steep roof, looked like a fortress-prison. I walked around the farther wing, went up some disjointed steps, and entered the deep twilight of a narrow and incredibly old box-walk. The walk was just wide enough for one person to slip through, and its branches met overhead. It was like the ghost of a box-walk, its lustrous green all turning to the shadowy greyness of the avenues. I walked on and on, the branches hitting me in the face and springing back with a dry rattle; and at length I came out on the grassy top of the chemin de ronde. I walked along it to the gate-tower, looking down into the court, which was just below me. Not a human being was in sight; and neither were the dogs. I found a flight of steps in the thickness of the wall and went down them; and when I emerged again into the court, there stood the circle of dogs, the golden-brown one a little ahead of the others, the black greyhound shivering in the rear.

同类推荐
  • 产鉴

    产鉴

    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。
  • The Flag-Raising

    The Flag-Raising

    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。
  • 佛说灌佛经

    佛说灌佛经

    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。
  • The Moscow Census

    The Moscow Census

    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。
  • 二十四画品

    二十四画品

    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
  • 未来永续

    未来永续

    柯沫在经历了一场触目惊心的悲剧后心灰意冷的逃离到另一个地方,却因此遇到了曾救自己于水火之中的恩人,麦城将军。而昔日勇猛洒脱的麦将军却重病缠身,并被自己的亲戚和贴身仆人控制,痛不欲生。柯沫为了报恩,以家庭教师的身份潜入将军府,处处小心翼翼的维护着麦将军,为他挣得很多失却的权利,甚至同他一起陷害了一个瞎了一只眼的马夫。柯沫本以为自己终于可以心安理得的同恩人生活,但她却越来越发觉现实中的麦城将军不过是个阴狠毒辣又怯懦怕事的小人。而使她望而生厌,丑陋的瞎眼马夫,才是当年真正奋不顾身救了她的人。
  • 一路走向你

    一路走向你

    家境贫苦的安然却痴迷于有钱人家的孩子才玩的东西——音乐一次酒吧的驻唱,却遭遇到了刁蛮富家女徐洁的冷嘲热讽。“你可以嘲笑我,但不可以嘲笑我的音乐。”“这么难听的歌也叫音乐的话我至少可以当个音乐家啦!下台,下台!”随着徐洁的声音众人似乎也感觉徐洁说的有道理似的,也随着徐洁喊到,下台!下台!台上的安然带着哀怨的气息走下了台。穷小子遇上高不可攀的富家千金?“拿着这些钱离开我的女儿,像你这样的人我见多了,想傍上我女儿好一辈子衣食无忧,年轻人,你太天真了!”开始的争锋相对,到最后的形影不离,面对这样一段感情,是选择放弃?还是一路逆袭!
  • 嗨我的高冷大神

    嗨我的高冷大神

    说好的高冷大神呢?!说好的英明神武呢?!说好的无可匹敌呢?!且看逗比编辑和高冷大神的萌系互动吧~你!还我大神来!
  • 决胜天下

    决胜天下

    王侯将相,宁有种乎?大泽乡一声高呼,秦末风云起!烽火狼烟,兵锋天下,群雄逐鹿始!若陈胜不死,谁当坐拥天下,美人入怀?回到秦末,自当金戈铁马,决胜天下!……“项羽、刘邦,你们还是靠边站吧!”
  • 冰寒碎雪

    冰寒碎雪

    天界被神王统治,海界被冥王统治,神王不甘寂寞发动战争。直到有一天,天界全军出动攻击海界,海界惨败,眼看全界被灭,冥王发动上古魔器同归于尽。。。。。。天界破碎,化为无数陨石落入大海变成大陆,两界所有的生灵无一幸免。万年之后,大陆魔兽横行。。。。。
  • 嚣张医女:皇上莫赖医药费

    嚣张医女:皇上莫赖医药费

    昔夕陌,双腿残疾,一手医术出神入化却无人知晓。上一世,她双腿残疾,行为低调风华尽敛,空怀一身绝世医术默默无闻。这一生,为了自己能活下去,斗嫡姐打庶妹,好不热闹;开医馆拉联盟,风华尽现;耍耍二卖卖萌,勾得一票男女芳心暗许……她悬壶济世,封候拜相。她和他在最美的年华里双双归隐山林,成就一篇流传千古的传奇佳话!勾心斗角,有!尔虞我诈,有!狠狠打脸,有!挑战人性,有!姐妹情深,有!生死相许,花式虐狗,也有!那一双纤纤素手,能救人于生死之间,也能在举手投足间取人性命,她嚣张,她狂妄,因为她足够强大!待他日,她携他之手站在世界巅峰,蓦然回首忆及初衷,莞尔一笑。其实,她费尽心机也只是为了能活下去而已……
  • 武夷却月传

    武夷却月传

    孙怡德,和千千万万的普通高中学生一样“十年磨一剑”,默默无闻的寒窗苦读却因为“科举助怡,速去武夷。仁义秀聚,越转东楚。征战廿年,幕统河山。天下一家,治臻大化”的谶语应验,带着祖传金丝血珀穿越东楚得武夷山冲佑观张天师所授,习得“武夷却月阵”熟练切换现代与穿越的大脑模式,在到烽火狼烟的战国开始自己的逆袭!
  • 修仙的学神

    修仙的学神

    戴紫林,人称呆子林,30世界最强大的宇宙学神,在十岁的时候,就以满分成绩被宇宙各大顶级院校疯狂争抢,为此还差点发动了第二次宇宙战争。二十岁,风华正茂的戴紫林,已经把挣到的钱,买下了一个星系,被全宇宙的女人誉为“最想嫁的男人”没有之一。戴东林的事业涵盖各大行业,每涉及一行,就迅速成为行业翘楚,让竞争对手举步维艰。因为这样,这也让戴紫林树敌无数,终于,戴紫林的所有对手终于联合了起来,对戴紫林发动了歼灭战争,虽然有众多的宇宙国家为戴紫林撑腰,但最终戴紫林还是战败,魂穿到了一个修仙的异界,且看学神戴紫林如何玩转修仙界,学成归来覆灭整个宇宙!
  • 如果爱愿意之匆匆那年

    如果爱愿意之匆匆那年

    一个学校,一个班级,走过一对又一对情侣,可是二十几岁的她对感情仍旧很迷茫,不懂得世间的黑暗险恶,也不懂得感情的现实化会有多可怕,傻傻的她只是生活在自己的世界里,一味的追求那一尘不染的爱情,把自己当成灰姑娘,等待王子来发现她,而那个他,还会存在吗?三生三世,一年四个季节,最喜欢的是冬天,因为有雪的存在。不该幻想生活的四季都有你,但只要结局有你足矣。
  • 云海纳川传

    云海纳川传

    自古以来武林皆是已剑为首、竖剑为宗、立剑为尊以惊天之剑术绝学称霸武林。本故事围绕剑术展开,讲述明朝永乐年间武林第一大家族萧家以剑术称霸武林和背后的武林大阴谋的故事。