Chapter 46 (第1/2页)

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THEAPPOINTMENTKEPT

Thechurchclockschimedthreequarterspasteleven，astwofiguresemergedonLondonBridge。One，whichadvancedwithaswiftandrapidstep，wasthatofawomanwholookedeagerlyaboutherasthoughinquestofsomeexpectedobject；theotherfigurewasthatofaman，whoslunkalonginthedeepestshadowhecouldfind，and，atsomedistance，accommodatedhispacetohers：stoppingwhenshestopped：andasshemovedagain，creepingstealthilyon：butneverallowinghimself，intheardourofhispursuit，togainuponherfootsteps。Thus，theycrossedthebridge，fromtheMiddle***totheSurreyshore，whenthewoman，apparentlydisappointedinheranxiousscrutinyofthefoot-passengers，turnedback。Themovementwassudden；buthewhowatchedher，wasnotthrownoffhisguardbyit；for，shrinkingintooneoftherecesseswhichsurmountthepiersofthebridge，andleaningovertheparapetthebettertoconcealhisfigure，hesufferedhertopassontheoppositepavement。Whenshewasaboutthesamedistanceinadvanceasshehadbeenbefore，heslippedquietlydown，andfollowedheragain。Atnearlythecentreofthebridge，shestopped。Themanstoppedtoo。

Itwasaverydarknight。Thedayhadbeenunfavourable，andatthathourandplacetherewerefewpeoplestirring。Suchastherewere，hurriedquicklypast：verypossiblywithoutseeing，butcertainlywithoutnoticing，eitherthewoman，orthemanwhokeptherinview。TheirappearancewasnotcalculatedtoattracttheimportunateregardsofsuchofLondon'sdestitutepopulation，aschancedtotaketheirwayoverthebridgethatnightinsearchofsomecoldarchordoorlesshovelwhereintolaytheirheads；theystoodthereinsilence：neitherspeakingnorspokento，byanyonewhopassed。

Amisthungovertheriver，deepeningtheredglareofthefiresthatburntuponthesmallcraftmooredoffthedifferentwharfs，andrenderingdarkerandmoreindistinctthemurkybuildingsonthebanks。Theoldsmoke-stainedstorehousesoneitherside，roseheavyanddullfromthedensemassofroofsandgables，andfrownedsternlyuponwatertooblacktoreflecteventheirlumberingshapes。ThetowerofoldSaintSaviour'sChurch，andthespireofSaintMagnus，solongthegiant-wardersoftheancientbridge，werevisibleinthegloom；buttheforestofshippingbelowbridge，andthethicklyscatteredspiresofchurchesabove，werenearlyallhiddenfromsight。

Thegirlhadtakenafewrestlessturnstoandfro--closelywatchedmeanwhilebyherhiddenobserver--whentheheavybellofSt。Paul'stolledforthedeathofanotherday。Midnighthadcomeuponthecrowdedcity。Thepalace，thenight-cellar，thejail，themadhouse：thechambersofbirthanddeath，ofhealthandsickness，therigidfaceofthecorpseandthecalmsleepofthechild：midnightwasuponthemall。

Thehourhadnotstrucktwominutes，whenayounglady，accompaniedbyagrey-hairedgentleman，alightedfromahackney-carriagewithinashortdistanceofthebridge，and，havingdismissedthevehicle，walkedstraighttowardsit。Theyhadscarcelysetfootuponitspavement，whenthegirlstarted，andimmediatelymadetowardsthem。

Theywalkedonward，lookingaboutthemwiththeairofpersonswhoentertainedsomeveryslightexpectationwhichhadlittlechanceofbeingrealised，whentheyweresuddenlyjoinedbythisnewassociate。Theyhaltedwithanexclamationofsurprise，butsuppresseditimmediately；foramaninthegarmentsofacountrymancamecloseup--brushedagainstthem，indeed--atthatprecisemoment。

‘Nothere，’saidNancyhurriedly，‘Iamafraidtospeaktoyouhere。Comeaway--outofthepublicroad--downthestepsyonder！’

Assheutteredthesewords，andindicated，withherhand，thedirectioninwhichshewishedthemtoproceed，thecountrymanlookedround，androughlyaskingwhattheytookupthewholepavementfor，passedon。

Thestepstowhichthegirlhadpointed，werethosewhich，ontheSurreybank，andonthesamesideofthebridgeasSaintSaviour'sChurch，formalanding-stairsfromtheriver。Tothisspot，themanbearingtheappearanceofacountryman，hastenedunobserved；andafteramoment'ssurveyoftheplace，hebegantodescend。

Thesestairsareapartofthebridge；theyconsistofthreeflights。Justbelowtheendofthesecond，goingdown，thestonewallontheleftterminatesinanornamentalpilasterfacingtowardstheThames。Atthispointthelowerstepswiden：sothatapersonturningthatangleofthewall，isnecessarilyunseenbyanyothersonthestairswhochancetobeabovehim，ifonlyastep。Thecountrymanlookedhastilyround，whenhereachedthispoint；andasthereseemednobetterplaceofconcealment，and，thetidebeingout，therewasplentyofroom，heslippedaside，withhisbacktothepilaster，andtherewaited：prettycertainthattheywouldcomenolower，andthatevenifhecouldnothearwhatwassaid，hecouldfollowthemagain，withsafety。

Sotardilystolethetimeinthislonelyplace，andsoeagerwasthespytopenetratethemotivesofaninterviewsodifferentfromwhathehadbeenledtoexpect，thathemorethanoncegavethematterupforlost，andpersuadedhimself，eitherthattheyhadstoppedfarabove，orhadresortedtosomeentirelydifferentspottoholdtheirmysteriousconversation。Hewasonthepointofemergingfromhishiding-place，andregainingtheroadabove，whenheheardthesoundoffootsteps，anddirectlyafterwardsofvoicesalmostcloseathisear。

Hedrewhimselfstraightuprightagainstthewall，and，scarcelybreathing，listenedattentively。

‘Thisisfarenough，’saidavoice，whichwasevidentlythatofthegentleman。‘Iwillnotsuffertheyoungladytogoanyfarther。Manypeoplewouldhavedistrustedyoutoomuchtohavecomeevensofar，butyouseeIamwillingtohumouryou。’

‘Tohumourme！’criedthevoiceofthegirlwhomhehadfollowed。‘You'reconsiderate，indeed，sir。Tohumourme！Well，well，it'snomatter。’

‘Why，forwhat，’saidthegentlemaninakindertone，‘forwhatpurposecanyouhavebroughtustothisstrangeplace？Whynothaveletmespeaktoyou，abovethere，whereitislight，andthereissomethingstirring，insteadofbringingustothisdarkanddismalhole？’

‘Itoldyoubefore，’repliedNancy，‘thatIwasafraidtospeaktoyouthere。Idon'tknowwhyitis，’saidthegirl，shuddering，‘butIhavesuchafearanddreaduponmeto-nightthatIcanhardlystand。’

‘Afearofwhat？’askedthegentleman，whoseemedtopityher。

‘Iscarcelyknowofwhat，’repliedthegirl。‘IwishIdid。Horriblethoughtsofdeath，andshroudswithblooduponthem，andafearthathasmademeburnasifIwasonfire，havebeenuponmeallday。Iwasreadingabookto-night，towilethetimeaway，andthesamethingscameintotheprint。’

‘Imagination，’saidthegentleman，soothingher。

‘Noimagination，’repliedthegirlinahoarsevoice。‘I'llswearIsaw“coffin”writtenineverypageofthebookinlargeblackletters，--aye，andtheycarriedoneclosetome，inthestreetsto-night。’

‘Thereisnothingunusualinthat，’saidthegentleman。‘Theyhavepassedmeoften。’

‘_Realones_，’rejoinedthegirl。‘Thiswasnot。’

Therewassomethingsouncommoninhermanner，thatthefleshoftheconcealedlistenercreptasheheardthegirlutterthesewords，andthebloodchilledwithinhim。Hehadneverexperiencedagreaterreliefthaninhearingthesweetvoiceoftheyoungladyasshebeggedhertobecalm，andnotallowherselftobecomethepreyofsuchfearfulfancies。

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