福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第9章Part7

"And that is why I loathe him so. Oh, Jack, now I can tell you the truth. I loathe him with all my heart; but I fear him also. I fear him for myself; but above all I fear him for father. I know that some great sorrow would come upon us if I dared to say what I really felt. That is why I have put him off with half-promises. It was in real truth our only hope. But if you would fly with me, Jack, we could take father with us and live forever far from the power of these wicked men."
Again there was the struggle upon McMurdo's face, and again it set like granite. "No harm shall come to you, Ettie--nor to your father either. As to wicked men, I expect you may find that I am as bad as the worst of them before we're through."
"No, no, Jack! I would trust you anywhere."
McMurdo laughed bitterly. "Good Lord! how little you know of me! Your innocent soul, my darling, could not even guess what is passing in mine. But, hullo, who's the visitor?"
The door had opened suddenly, and a young fellow came swaggering in with the air of one who is the master. He was a handsome, dashing young man of about the same age and build as McMurdo himself. Under his broad-brimmed black felt hat, which he had not troubled to remove, a handsome face with fierce, domineering eyes and a curved hawk-bill of a nose looked savagely at the pair who sat by the stove.
Ettie had jumped to her feet full of confusion and alarm. "I'm glad to see you, Mr. Baldwin," said she. "You're earlier than I had thought. Come and sit down."
Baldwin stood with his hands on his hips looking at McMurdo. "Who is this?" he asked curtly.
"It's a friend of mine, Mr. Baldwin, a new boarder here. Mr. McMurdo, may I introduce you to Mr. Baldwin?"
The young men nodded in surly fashion to each other.
"Maybe Miss Ettie has told you how it is with us?" said Baldwin.
"I didn't understand that there was any relation between you."
"Didn't you? Well, you can understand it now. You can take it from me that this young lady is mine, and you'll find it a very fine evening for a walk."
"Thank you, I am in no humour for a walk."

“就因爲這個，我才討厭他。啊，傑克，我現在可以告訴你實話了，我打心眼兒裏討厭他，可是又怕他。我爲我自己而怕他，不過，主要是爲我父親，我才怕他。我知道，要是我敢向他說出真心話，那我們爺兒倆就要遭大難了。所以我才半真半假地敷衍他。其實我們爺兒倆也只剩這點兒希望了。只要你能帶我遠走高飛，傑克，我們可以把父親也帶上，永遠擺脫這些惡人的勢力。”
麥克默多臉上又顯出躊躇不決的神色，後來又斬釘截鐵地說：“你不會大禍臨頭的，伊蒂，你父親也一樣。要說惡人，只要我倆還活着，你會發現，我比他們最兇惡的人還要兇惡呢。”
“不，不，傑克！我完全相信你。”
麥克默多苦笑道：“天啊，你對我太不瞭解了！親愛的，你那純潔的靈魂，甚至想象不出我所經歷過的事。可是，喂，誰來了？”
這時門突然打開了，一個年輕的傢伙以主子的架式大搖大擺地走進來。這是一個面目清秀、衣着華麗的年輕人，年齡和體形同麥克默多差不多，戴着一頂大沿黑氈帽，進門連帽子也不勞神摘掉，那張漂亮的面孔，長着一雙兇狠而又盛起凌人的眼睛和彎曲的鷹鉤鼻子，粗暴無禮地瞪着坐在火爐旁的這對青年男女。
伊蒂馬上跳起來，不知所措，驚恐不安。
“我很高興看到你，鮑德溫先生，"她說道，“你來得比我想的要早一些。過來坐吧。”
鮑德溫雙手叉腰站在那裏看着麥克默多。
“這是誰？"他粗率無禮地問道。
“鮑德溫先生，這是我的朋友，新房客麥克默多先生，我可以把你介紹給鮑德溫先生嗎？”
兩個年輕人相互敵視似地點點頭。
“也許伊蒂小姐已經把我倆的事告訴你了？"鮑德溫說道。
“我不知道你倆有什麼關係。”
“你不知道嗎？好，現在你該明白了。我可以告訴你，這個姑娘是我的，你看今晚天氣很好，散步去。”
“謝謝你，我沒有心思去散步。”