下载辰思小说免费APP
InaboutanhourIcametoawildmoor；themoorextendedformilesandmiles。Itwasboundedontheeastandsouthbyimmensehillsandmoels。OnIwalkedataroundpace，thesunscorchingmesore，alongadusty，hillyroad，nowup，nowdown。Nothingcouldbeconceivedmorecheerlessthanthesceneryaround。Thegroundoneachsideoftheroadwasmossyandrushy—nohouses—insteadofthemwereneatstacks，hereandthere，standingintheirblackness。
Nothinglivingtobeseenexceptafewmiserablesheeppickingthewretchedherbage，orlyingpantingontheshadysideofthepeatclumps。AtlengthIsawsomethingwhichappearedtobeasheetofwateratthebottomofalowgroundonmyright。Itlookedfaroff—"ShallIgoandseewhatitis？"thoughtItomyself。"No，"
thoughtI。"Itistoofaroff"—soonIwalkedtillIlostsightofit，whenIrepentedandthoughtIwouldgoandseewhatitwas。
SoIdasheddownthemooryslopeonmyright，andpresentlysawtheobjectagain—andnowIsawthatitwaswater。Ispedtowardsitthroughgorseandheather，occasionallyleapingadeepdrain。AtlastIreachedit。Itwasasmalllake。WeariedandpantingI
flungmyselfonitsbankandgazeduponit。
Therelaythelakeinthelowbottom，surroundedbytheheatheryhillocks；thereitlayquitestill，thehotsunreflecteduponitssurface，whichshonelikeapolishedblueshield。Neartheshoreitwasshallow，atleastnearthatshoreuponwhichIlay。Butfartheron，myeye，practisedindecidinguponthedepthsofwaters，sawreasontosupposethatitsdepthwasverygreat。AsI
gazeduponitmymindindulgedinstrangemusings。Ithoughtoftheafanc，acreaturewhichsomehavesupposedtobetheharmlessandindustriousbeaver，othersthefrightfulanddestructivecrocodile。Iwonderedwhethertheafancwasthecrocodileorthebeaver，andspeedilyhadnodoubtthatthenamewasoriginallyappliedtothecrocodile。
"Oh，whocandoubt，"thoughtI，"thatthewordwasoriginallyintendedforsomethingmonstrousandhorrible？Istherenotsomethinghorribleinthelookandsoundofthewordafanc，somethingconnectedwiththeopeningandshuttingofimmensejaws，andtheswallowingofwrithingprey？IsnotthewordafittingbrotheroftheArabictimsah，denotingthedreadhornylizardofthewaters？Moreover，havewenotthevoiceoftraditionthattheafancwassomethingmonstrous？DoesitnotsaythatHutheMighty，theinventorofhusbandry，whobroughttheCumryfromthesummer—
country，drewtheoldafancoutofthelakeoflakeswithhisfourgiganticoxen？Wouldhehavehadrecoursetothemtodrawoutthelittleharmlessbeaver？Oh，surelynot。YethaveInodoubtthatwhenthecrocodilehaddisappearedfromthelands，wheretheCumriclanguagewasspoken，thenameafancwasappliedtothebeaver，probablyhissuccessorinthepool，thebeavernowcalledinCumricLlostlydan，orthebroad—tailed，fortradition’svoiceisstrongthatthebeaverhasatonetimebeencalledtheafanc。"ThenI
wonderedwhetherthepoolbeforemehadbeenthehauntoftheafanc，consideredbothascrocodileandbeaver。Isawnoreasontosupposethatithadnot。"Ifcrocodiles，"thoughtI，"everexistedinBritain，andwhoshallsaythattheyhavenot，seeingthatthereremainshavebeendiscovered，whyshouldtheynothavehauntedthispool？IfbeaverseverexistedinBritain，anddonottraditionandGiraldussaythattheyhave，whyshouldtheynothaveexistedinthispool？
"Atatimealmostinconceivablyremote，whenthehillsaroundwerecoveredwithwoods，throughwhichtheelkandthebisonandthewildcowstrolled，whenmenwererarethroughoutthelandsandunlikeinmostthingstothepresentrace—atsuchaperiod—andsuchaperiodtherehasbeen—Icaneasilyconceivethattheafanc—crocodilehauntedthispool，andthatwhentheelkorbisonorwildcowcametodrinkofitswatersthegrimbeastwouldoccasionallyrushforth，andseizinghisbellowingvictim，wouldreturnwithittothedeepsbeforemetoluxuriateathiseaseuponitsflesh。Andatatimelessremote，whenthecrocodilewasnomore，andthoughthewoodsstillcoveredthehills，andwildcattlestrolledabout，menweremorenumerousthanbefore，andlessunlikethepresentrace，Icaneasilyconceivethislaketohavebeenthehauntoftheafanc—beaver，thatheherebuiltcunninglyhishouseoftreesandclay，andthattothislakethenativewouldcomewithhisnetandhisspeartohunttheanimalforhispreciousfur。
Probablyifthedepthsofthatpoolweresearchedrelicsofthecrocodileandthebeavermightbefound，alongwithotherstrangethingsconnectedwiththeperiodsinwhichtheyrespectivelylived。
HappywereIifforabriefspaceIcouldbecomeaCingalesethatI
mightswimoutfarintothatpool，divedownintoitsdeepestpartandendeavourtodiscoveranystrangethingswhichbeneathitssurfacemaylie。"MuchinthisguiserolledmythoughtsasIlaystretchedonthemarginofthelake。
SatiatedwithmusingIatlastgotupandendeavouredtoregaintheroad。Ifounditatlast，thoughnotwithoutconsiderabledifficulty。Ipassedovermoors，blackandbarren，alongadustyroadtillIcametoavalley；Iwasnowalmostchokedwithdustandthirst，andlongedfornothingintheworldsomuchasforwater；
suddenlyIhearditsblessedsound，andperceivedarivuletonmylefthand。Itwascrossedbytwobridges，oneimmenselyoldandterriblydilapidated，theotheroldenough，butinbetterrepair—
wentanddrankundertheoldestbridgeofthetwo。Thewatertastedofthepeatofthemoors，neverthelessIdrankgreedilyofit，foronemustnotbeover—delicateuponthemoors。
RefreshedwithmydraughtIproceededbrisklyonmyway，andinalittletimesawarangeofwhitebuildings，divergingfromtheroadontherighthand，thegableofthefirstabuttinguponit。Akindoffarm—yardwasbeforethem。Arespectable—lookingwomanwasstandingintheyard。Iwentuptoherandinquiredthenameoftheplace。
"Thesehouses，sir，"saidshe，"arecalledTaiHirionMignaint。
LookoverthatdoorandyouwillseeT。H。whichlettersstandforTaiHirion。Mignaintisthenameoftheplacewheretheystand。"
Ilooked，anduponastonewhichformedthelintelofthemiddlemostdoorIread"T。H1630。"
ThewordsTaiHirionitwillbeaswelltosaysignifythelonghouses。
Ilookedlongandsteadfastlyattheinscription，mymindfullofthoughtsofthepast。
"Manyayearhasrolledbysincethesehouseswerebuilt，"saidI，asIsatdownonastepping—stone。
"Manyindeed，sir，"saidthewoman，"andmanyastrangethinghashappened。"
"DidyoueverhearofoneOliverCromwell？"saidI。
"Oh，yes，sir，andofKingCharlestoo。Themenofbothhavebeeninthisyardandhavebaitedtheirhorses；aye，andhavemountedtheirhorsesfromthestoneonwhichyousit。"
"Isupposetheywerehardlyheretogether？"saidI。
"No，no，sir，"saidthewoman，"theywerebloodyenemies，andcouldneversettheirhorsestogether。"
"Aretheselonghouses，"saidI，"inhabitedbydifferentfamilies？"
"Onlybyone，sir，theymakenowonefarm—house。"
"Areyouthemistressofit，"saidI。
"Iam，sir，andmyhusbandisthemaster。CanIbringyouanything，sir？"
"Somewater，"saidI，"forIamthirsty，thoughIdrankundertheoldbridge。"
Thegoodwomanbroughtmeabasinofdeliciousmilkandwater。
"Whatarethenamesofthetwobridges，"saidI，"alittlewayfromhere？"
"Theyarecalled，sir，theoldandnewbridgeofTaiHirion；atleastwecallthemso。"
"Andwhatdoyoucalltheffrwdthatrunsbeneaththem？"
"Ibelieve，sir，itiscalledtheriverTwerin。"
"Doyouknowalakefarupthereamidstthemoors？"
"Ihaveseenit，sir；theycallitLlynTwerin。"
"DoestheriverTwerinflowfromit？"
"Ibelieveitdoes，sir，butIdonotknow。"
"Isthelakedeep？"
"Ihaveheardthatitisverydeep，sir，somuchsothatnobodyknowsit’sdepth。"
"Aretherefishinit？"
"Digon，sir，digoniawn，andsomeverylarge。IoncesawaPen—
hwyadfromthatlakewhichweighedfiftypounds。"
AfteralittlefartherconversationIgotup，andthankingthekindwomandeparted。IsoonleftthemoorsbehindmeandcontinuedwalkingtillIcametoafewhousesonthemarginofameadoworfeninavalleythroughwhichth
