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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Chapter Fifteen IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
GEORGE did not moan any more about her worries. She went about with an anxious look in her blue eyes, but she had the sense not to 'tell her mother how worried she was at not seeing Timmy in the glass room, when her father signalled.
She mentioned it, of course, but her mother took the same view as Julian did. 'There! I knew he'd forget to take Timmy up! He's so very forgetful when he's at work.' The children decided1 to go to the quarry2 that afternoon and explore the tunnel under the shelf of rock. So they set off after their lunch. But when they came to the quarry, they did not dare to climb down the steep sides. The heavy rain of the day before had made them far too dangerous.
'Look,' said Julian, pointing to' where the bushes and smaller plants were ripped up and crushed.
'I bet that's where old Martin fell down yesterday! He might have broken his neck!'
'Yes. I vote we don't attempt to go down till it's as dry as it was the other day,' said Dick.
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It was disappointing. They had brought torches, and a rope; and had looked forward to a little excitement.
'Well, what shall we do?' asked Julian.
'I'm going back home,' said George, unexpectedly. 'I'm tired. You others go for a walk.'
Anne looked at George. She did seem rather pale. 'I'll come back with you, George,' said Anne, slipping her hand through her cousin's arm. But George shook it off.
'No thanks, Anne, I want to be alone?
'Well - we'll go over the cliff then,' said Julian. 'It'll be nice and blowy up there, See you later, George!'
They went off. George turned and sped back to Kirrin cottage. Her mother was out. Joanna was upstairs in her bedroom. George went to the larder3 and took several things from it. She bundled them into a bag and then fled out of the house.
She found James the fisher-boy. 'James! You're not to tell a soul. I'm going over to Kirrin Island tonight because I'm worried about Timmy. We left him there. Have my boat ready at ten o'clock.'
James was always ready to do anything in the world for George. He nodded and asked no questions at all.
'Right, Miss. It'll be ready. Anything you want put in it?'
'Yes, this bag,' said George. 'Now don't split, on me, James. I'll be back tomorrow if I find Tim's all right?
She fled back to the house. She hoped Joanna would not notice the things she had taken from the larder shelf. 'I can't help it if what I'm doing is wrong,' she kept whispering to herself. 'I know something isn't right with Timmy. And I'm not at all sure about Father, either. He wouldn't have forgotten his solemn promise to me about taking Timmy up with him. I'll have to go across to the island. I can't help it if it's wrong!'
The others wondered what was up with George when they came back from their walk. She was so fidgety and restless. They had tea and then did some gardening for Aunt Fanny. George did some too, but her thoughts were far away, and twice her mother had to stop her pulling up seedlings4 instead of weeds.
Bedtime came. The girls got into bed at about a quarter to ten. Anne was tired and fell asleep at once. As soon as George heard her regular breathing she crept quietly out of bed and dressed 64
again. She pulled on her warmest jersey, got her raincoat, rubber boots and a thick rug, and tiptoed downstairs.
Out of the side door she went and into the night. There was a bit of a moon in the sky, so it was not as dark as usual. George was glad. She would be able to see her way through the rocks a little now -- though she was sure she could guide the boat even in the dark! James was waiting for her.
Her boat was ready.
'Everything's in,' said James. 'I'll push off. Now you be careful, Miss -- and if you do scrape a rock, row like anything in case she fills and sinks. Ready?'
Off went George, hearing the lap-lap of the water against the sides of the boat. She heaved a sigh of relief, and began to row strongly away from the shore. She frowned as she rowed. Had she brought everything she might want? Two torches. Plenty of food. A tin-opener. Something to drink. A rug to wrap herself in tonight.
Back at Kirrin Cottage Julian lay in bed watching for his uncle's signal. Half past ten. Now for the signal. Ah, here they were! One -- two -- three -- four -- five -- six! Good. Six and no more!
He wondered why George hadn't come into his and Dick's room to watch for them. She had last night. He got up, padded to the door of George's room and put his head in 'George!' he said softly. 'It's O.K. Your father's signals have just come again.' There was no reply. Julian heard regular breathing and turned to go back to bed. The girls must be asleep already! Well, George couldn't really be worrying much about Timmy now, then! Julian got into his bed and soon fell asleep himself. He had no idea that George's bed was empty, no idea that even now George was battling with the waves that guarded Kirrin Island! It was more difficult than she had expected, for the moon did not really give very much light, and had an annoying way of going behind a cloud just when she badly needed every scrap5 of light she could get. But, deftly6 and cleverly, she managed to make her way through the passage between the hidden rocks. Thank goodness the tide was high so that most of them were well below the surface! At last she swung her boat into the little cove7. Here the water was perfectly8 calm. Panting a little, George pulled her boat up as far as she could. Then she stood in the darkness and thought hard.
What was she going to do? She did not know where her father's hiding-place was, but she felt certain the entrance to it must be somewhere in or near the little stone room. Should she make her way to that?
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Yes, she would. It would be the only place to shelter in for the night, anyway. She would put on her torch when she got there, and hunt round for any likely entrance to the hiding-place. If she found it, she would go in and what a surprise she would give her father! If old Timmy was there he would go mad with delight. She took the heavy bag, draped the rug over her arm, and set off.
She did not dare to put on her torch yet, in case the unknown enemy was lurking9 near. After all, her father had heard him cough at night! George was not frightened. She did not even think about being frightened. All her thoughts were set on finding Timmy and making sure he was safe.
She came to the little stone room. It was pitch-dark in there, of course - not even the faint light of the moon pierced into its blackness. George had to put on her torch. She put down her bundle at the back of the wall, near the old fireplace recess10. She draped the rug over it and sat down to have a rest, switching off her torch
After a while she got up cautiously and switched on her torch again. She began to search for the hiding-place. Where could the entrance be? She flashed her torch on to every flagstone in the floor of the room. But not one looked as if it had been moved or lifted. There was nothing to show where there might be an entrance underground.
She moved round the walls, examining those too in the light of her torch. No - there was no sign that a hidden way lay behind any of those stones either. It was most tantalizing. If she only knew! She went to wrap the rug round her, and to sit and think. It was cold now. She was shivering, as she sat there in the dark, trying to puzzle out where the hidden entrance could be.
And then she heard a sound. She jumped and then stiffened11 all over, holding her breath painfully.
What was it?
There was a curious grating noise. Then a slight thud. It came from the recess where people long ago had built their big log fires! George sat perfectly still, straining her eyes and ears.
She saw a beam of light in the fireplace recess. Then she heard a man's cough! Was it her father?
He had a cough at times. She listened hard. The beam of light grew brighter. Then she heard another noise - it sounded as if someone had jumped down from somewhere! And then -- a voice! 'Come on!' It was not her father's voice! George grew cold with fear then. Not her father's voice! Then what had happened to him -- and to Timmy?
Someone else jumped down into the recess, grumbling. 'I'm not used to this crawling about!'
That wasn't her father's voice either. So there were two unknown enemies! Not one. And they 66
knew her father's secret workroom. George felt almost faint with horror. Whatever had happened to him and Timmy?
The men walked out of the little stone room without seeing George at all. She guessed they were going to the tower. How long would they be? Long enough for her to search for the place they had appeared from?
She strained her ears again. She heard their footsteps going into the great yard. She tiptoed to the doorway12 and looked out. Yes -- there was the light of their torch near the, tower! If they were going up, there would be plenty of time to look round.
She went back into the little stone room. Her hands were trembling and she found it difficult to switch on her torch. She went to the fireplace recess and flashed the light in it. She gave a gasp13!
Half-way up the recess at the back was a black opening! She flashed the light up there. Evidently there was a movable stone half-way up that swung back and revealed an entrance behind. An entrance to what? Were there steps, such as were shown in the old map? Feeling quite breathless, George stood on tip-toe and flashed her light into the hole. Yes -- there were steps! They went down into the wall at the back. She remembered that the little stone room backed on to one of the immensely thick old walls still left.
She stood there, uncertain what to do. Had she better go down and see if she could find Timmy and her father? But if she did, she might be made a prisoner too. On the other hand, if she stayed outside, and the men came back and shut up the entrance, she might not be able to open it. She would be worse off than ever! 'I'll go down!' she suddenly decided. 'But I'd better take my bag and the rug, in case the 'men come back and see them. I don't want them to know I'm on the island if I can help it! I could hide them somewhere down there, I expect. I wonder if this entrance leads to the dungeons14.' She lifted up the rug and the bag and pushed them into the hole.
She heard the bag roll down the steps, the tins inside making a muffled15 noise. Then she climbed up herself. Gracious, what a long dark flight of steps! Wherever did they lead to?
收听单词发音 |
1
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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2
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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3
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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4
seedlings
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| n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 ) | |
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scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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9
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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11
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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12
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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13
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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14
dungeons
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| n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
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15
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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