登陆注册
15460000000110

第110章 Chapter XXXIX(3)

"What can we two poor lammigers do against such a multitude!" expostulated Stubberd, in answer to Mr Grower's chiding. "'Tis tempting 'em to commit felo de se upon us, and that would be the death of the perpetrator;and we wouldn't be the cause of a fellow-creature's death on no account, not we!""Get some help, then! Here, I'll come with you. We'll see what a few words of authority can do. Quick now; have you got your staves?""We didn't want the folk to notice us as law officers, being so short-handed, sir; so we pushed our Gover'ment staves up this water-pipe.""Out with 'em, and come along, for Heaven's sake! Ah, here's Mr Blowbody;that's lucky." (Blowbody was the third of the three borough magistrates.)"Well, what's the row?" said Blowbody. "Got their names - hey?""No. Now," said Grower to one of the constables, "you go with Mr Blowbody round by the Old Walk and come up the street; and I'll go with Stubberd straight forward. By this plan we shall have 'em between us. Get their names only; no attack or interruption."Thus they started. But as Stubberd with Mr Grower advanced into Corn Street, Whence the sounds had proceeded, they were surprised that no procession could be seen. They passed Farfrae's, and looked to the end of the street.

The lamp flames waved, the Walk trees soughed, a few loungers stood about with their hands in their pockets. Everything was as usual.

"Have you seen a motley crowd making a disturbance?" Grower said magisterially to one of these in a fustian jacket, who smoked a short pipe and wore straps round his knees.

"Beg yer pardon, sir?" blandly said the person addressed, who was no other than Charl, of Peter's Finger. Mr Grower repeated the words.

Charl shook his head to the zero of childlike ignorance. "No; we haven't seen anything; have we, Joe? And you was here afore I."Joseph was quite as blank as the other in his reply.

"H'm - that's odd," said Mr Grower. "Ah - here's a respectable man coming that I know by sight. Have you," he inquired, addressing the nearing shape of Jopp, "have you seen any gang of fellows making a devil of a noise -skimmington riding, or something of the sort?""O no - nothing, sir," Jopp replied, as if receiving the most singular news. "But I've not been far tonight, so perhaps - ""Oh, 'twas here - just here," said the magistrate.

"Now I've noticed, come to think o't, that the wind in the Walk trees makes a peculiar poetical-like murmur tonight, sir; more than common; so perhaps 'twas that?" Jopp suggested, as he rearranged his hand in his greatcoat pocket (where it ingeniously supported a pair of kitchen tongs and a cow's horn, thrust up under his waistcoat).

"No, no, no, - d'ye think I'm a fool? Constable, come this way. They must have gone into the back street."Neither in back street nor in front street, however, could the disturbers be perceived; and Blowbody and the second constable, who came up at this time, brought similar intelligence. Effigies, donkey, lanterns, band, all had disappeared like the crew of Comus .

"Now," said Mr Grower, "there's only one thing more we can do. Get ye half-a-dozen helpers, and go in a body to Mixen Lane, and into Peter's Finger. I'm much mistaken if you don't find a clue to the perpetrators there."The rusty-jointed executors of the law mustered assistance as soon as they could, and the whole party marched off to the lane of notoriety. It was no rapid matter to get there at night, not a lamp or glimmer of any sort offering itself to light the way, except an occasional pale radiance through some window-curtain, or through the chink of some door which could not be closed because of the smoky chimney within. At last they entered the inn boldly, by the till then bolted front-door, after a prolonged knocking of loudness commensurate with the importance of their standing.

In the settles of the large room, guyed to the ceiling by cords as usual for stability, an ordinary group sat drinking and smoking with statuesque quiet of demeanour. The landlady looked mildly at the invaders, saying in honest accents, "Good evening, gentlemen; there's plenty of room. Ihope there's nothing amiss?"

They looked round the room. "Surely," said Stubberd to one of the men, "I saw you by now in Corn Street - Mr Grower spoke to 'ee?"The man, who was Charl, shook his head absently. "I've been here this last hour, hain't I, Nance?" he said to the woman who meditatively sipped her ale near him.

"Faith, that you have. I came in for my quiet supper-time half-pint, and you was here then, as all the rest."The other constable was facing the clock-case, where he saw reflected in the glass a quick motion by the landlady. Turning sharply, he caught her closing the oven-door.

"Something curious about that oven, ma'am!" he observed advancing, opening it, and drawing out a tambourine.

"Ah," she said apologetically, "that's what we keep here to use when there's a little quiet dancing. You see damp weather spoils it, so I put it there to keep it dry."The constable nodded knowingly; but what he knew was nothing. Nohow could anything be elicited from this mute and inoffensive assembly. In a few minutes the investigators went out, and joining those of their auxiliaries who had been left at the door they pursued their way elsewhither.

HARDY: The Mayor of Casterbridge - * XL *

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 玛法烹饪记

    玛法烹饪记

    在黑暗即将笼罩玛法大陆时,一个只是想安逸的做厨师的人,却无奈卷入各种事件当中。“打打杀杀的,太血腥了。不过若是有什么食材,记得帮我留着。”靠着各种“裙带关系”,收集珍惜食材,烹饪珍馐美味,他离人生目标又近了一步。
  • 花千骨之半世浓情半世凉

    花千骨之半世浓情半世凉

    千骨轮回,白子画能抓住自己的爱情吗?一名少年默默的守护着千骨...笙箫默无意间的恋上了一个人,她是谁?摩严痛改前非,斗阑干的亲兄弟南寒岭破空出世与霓漫天联手企图再次召唤洪荒之力......
  • 永生传记

    永生传记

    大山深处的少年从神秘老道那里传承上古法诀与无上神兵,机缘巧合之下又得到无数人垂涎的破天之气。千年前的一场腥风血雨因为他的出现千年后再度席卷重来。在逆境中成长,在绝望中重生。一怒成魔为红颜,斩尽天下负我人!一手持剑,破天成仙!终成就那无上永生仙道!〖求收藏!〗
  • 复仇宝宝:无情爹地杀手妈咪

    复仇宝宝:无情爹地杀手妈咪

    她的编号是AK47,她堵上生命做最后一次危险的任务,为的就是能逃离他的手掌;人前他是温文尔雅的贵族公子,人后他是嗜血残忍的实验品杀手的幕后人。最后的伤痛,让她逃离他的身边。最后的不舍,让他追逐到她身边。【片段一】“你只是我众多实验品中的一个,你以为我会对你多好?”男人不屑的对着女人笑着,那笑却让人感觉到的只是冰冷。“你不配拥有我的孩子,打掉或者死,选一个。”男人说完后,转身离开,留下背影。女人自嘲的笑了起来,她到底是爱上了怎样的一个男人?【片段二】“我要离开!”女人决定离开他的身边。“可以,杀了世界第一黑帮的老大。”男人也许是无心的,又或者他的心早给了别人。她不愿再追逐他。
  • 莫奈艺术书简

    莫奈艺术书简

    这本《莫奈艺术书简》由克劳德·莫奈著,张恒译。克劳德·莫奈是法国画家,印象派代表人物和创始人之一。他率先在户外作画,在光与影的舞台上灵活地跳舞。他热爱城市的天际线,喜欢房屋在晴空下呈现的灰白色块;他喜欢马路上奔走、忙碌、短打装束的行人,他喜欢赛马场,贵族们前呼后拥的驾车出游;他喜欢我们的女士,喜欢她们的遮阳伞、手套,她们的服饰装束,甚至她们的假发套和搽面香粉……
  • 破障

    破障

    被抛弃的少年。寒冰般的禁地。最后的希望。是凤凰般重生亦或归入死寂?那不重要,重要的是。活着。
  • 永远梦想

    永远梦想

    这是段真实的经历或许很多朋友都遇到过但我希望能通过我的小说告诉所有人一个人的价值观已经对爱情的执著可能文笔不好大家谅解下
  • 尚好年华.惟你

    尚好年华.惟你

    那年,我只希望,花未零,雨未霁,夜未停,你未走......你走的那天,我决定不掉泪,迎风撑着眼帘、用力不眨眼…...
  • 学霸华恋:学霸恋爱羡慕死人

    学霸华恋:学霸恋爱羡慕死人

    初中时暗恋的人竟在这里!“晚月,你真可爱。”“嘻嘻!”冰山渐渐被融化,最终还是无法融化完成。“白千皓,你真冷!”“晚月可不能乱说我坏话哦,小心我不给你留面子了哦。”“哼哼。”
  • 你是我的劫难

    你是我的劫难

    明知道她不爱他,她呆在自己身边不快乐,可他还是忍不住将她禁锢在身边,他卑微的想,只要他爱她就好了。他是那么虚弱可怜委屈求全,可是她却一直想着想要离开他,明明他才是先遇到她的人呵!