第45章

Thattheenterprisenowresolveduponwasfarmoredangerousthananyhithertoattemptedbyme，needsnofurtherproofthanthis：——IwentandmademywillatPorlock，withamiddlinghonestlawyerthere；notthatIhadmuchtoleave，butthatnonecouldsayhowfarthefarm，andallthefarmingstock，mightdependonmydisposition。ItmakesmesmilewhenIrememberhowparticularIwas，andhowforthelifeofmeIwaspuzzledtobequeathmostpartofmyclothes，andhats，andthingsaltogethermyown，toLorna，withouttheshrewdoldlawyerknowingwhoshewasandwhereshelived。Atlast，indeed，IflatteredmyselfthatIhadbaffledoldTape’scuriosity；buthiswrinkledsmileandhisspeechatpartingmademeagainuneasy。

’Averyexcellentwill，youngsir。Anadmirablyjustandvirtuouswill；allyoureffectstoyournearestofkin；filialandfraternaldutythoroughlyexemplified；

nothingdivertedtoalienchannels，exceptasmalltokenofesteemandreverencetoanelderlylady，I

presume：andwhichmayormaynotbevalid，orinvalid，onthegroundofuncertainty，ortheabsenceofanylegalstatusonthepartofthelegatee。Ha，ha!Yes，yes!Fewyoungmenaresofreefromexceptionableentanglements。Twoguineasismycharge，sir：andararegoodwillforthemoney。Veryprudentofyou，sir。Doesyoucreditineveryway。Well，well；weallmustdie；andoftentheyoungbeforetheold。’

NotonlydidIthinktwoguineasagreatdealtoomuchmoneyforaquarterofanhour’semployment，butalsoI

dislikedparticularlythewordswithwhichheconcluded；theysounded，fromhisgratingvoice，liketheevilomenofacroakingraven。NeverthelessI

stillabodeinmyfixedresolvetogo，andfindout，ifIdiedforit，whatwasbecomeofLorna。AndhereinI

laynoclaimtocourage；thematterbeingsimplyachoicebetweentwoevils，ofwhichbyfarthegreateronewas，ofcourse，tolosemydarling。

ThejourneywasagreatdeallongertofetcharoundtheSouthernhills，andenterbytheDoone-gate，thantocrossthelowerlandandstealinbythewater-slide。

However，Idurstnottakeahorse(forfearoftheDooneswhomightbeabroadupontheirusualbusiness)，butstartedbetimesintheevening，soasnottohurry，orwasteanystrengthupontheway。AndthusIcametotherobbers’highway，walkingcircumspectly，scanningthesky-lineofeveryhill，andsearchingthefoldsofeveryvalley，foranymovingfigure。

Althoughitwasnowwellontowardsdark，andthesunwasdownanhourorso，Icouldseetherobbers’roadbeforeme，inatroughofthewindinghills，wherethebrookplougheddownfromthehigherbarrows，andthecovingbankswereroofedwithfurze。Atpresent，therewasnoonepassing，neitherpostnorsentinel，sofarasIcoulddescry；butIthoughtitsafertowaitalittle，astwilightmeltedintonight；andthenIcreptdownaseamofthehighland，andstoodupontheDoone-track。

Astheroadapproachedtheentrance，itbecamemorestraightandstrong，likeachannelcutfromrock，withthewaterbrawlingdarklyalongthenakedsideofit。

Notatreeorbushwasleft，toshelteramanfrombullets：allwasstern，andstiff，andrugged，asI

couldnothelpperceiving，eventhroughthedarkness，andasmellasofchurchyardmould，asenseofbeingboxedinandcooped，mademelongtobeoutagain。

AndhereIwas，orseemedtobe，particularlyunlucky；

forasIdrewneartheveryentrance，lightlyoffootandwarily，themoon(whichhadoftenbeenmyfriend)

likeanenemybrokeuponme，toppingtheeastwardridgeofrock，andfillingalltheopenspaceswiththeplayofwaveringlight。Ishrankbackintotheshadowyquarterontherightsideoftheroad；andgloomilyemployedmyselftowatchthetripleentrance，onwhichthemoonlightfellaskew。

Allacrossandbeforethethreerudeandbeetlingarchwayshungafelledoakoverhead，black，andthick，andthreatening。This，asIheardbefore，couldbeletfallinamoment，soastocrushascoreofmen，andbartheapproachofhorses。Behindthistree，therockymouthwasspanned，asbyagallerywithbrushwoodandpiledtimber，alluponaledgeofstone，wherethirtymenmightlurkunseen，andfireatanyinvader。

Fromthatrampartitwouldbeimpossibletodislodgethem，becausetherockfellsheerbelowthemtwentyfeet，oritmaybemore；whileoverheadittoweredthreehundred，andsojuttedoverthatnothingcouldbecastuponthem；evenifama