The person who, next to the actors themselves, chanced to know most of their story, lived just below “Top o' Town” (as the spot was called) in an old substantially built house, distinguished among its neighbours by having an oriel window on the first floor, whence could be obtained a raking view of the High Street, west and east, the former including Laura's dwelling, the end of the Town Avenue hard by (in which were played the odd pranks hereafter to be mentioned), the Port-Bredy road rising westwards, and the turning that led to the cavalry barracks where the Captain was quartered. Looking eastward down the town from the same favoured gazebo, the long perspective of houses declined and dwindled till they merged in the highway across the moor. The white riband of road disappeared over Grey's Bridge a quarter of a mile off, to plunge into innumerable rustic windings, shy shades, and solitary undulations up hill and down dale for one hundred and twenty miles till it exhibited itself at Hyde Park Corner as a smooth bland surface in touch with a busy and fashionable world.
To the barracks aforesaid had recently arrived the—th Hussars, a regiment new to the locality. Almost before any acquaintance with its members had been made by the townspeople, a report spread that they were a “crack” body of men, and had brought a splendid band. For some reason or other the town had not been used as the headquarters of cavalry for many years, the various troops stationed there having consisted of casual detachments only; so that it was with a sense of honour that everybody—even the small furniture-broker from whom the married troopers hired tables and chairs—received the news of their crack quality.
In those days the Hussar regiments still wore over the left shoulder that attractive attachment, or frilled half-coat, hanging loosely behind like the wounded wing of a bird, which was called the pelisse, though it was known among the troopers themselves as a “sling-jacket.” It added amazingly to their picturesqueness in women's eyes, and, indeed, in the eyes of men also.
The burgher who lived in the house with the oriel window sat during a great many hours of the day in that projection, for he was an invalid, and time hung heavily on his hands unless he maintained a constant interest in proceedings without. Not more than a week after the arrival of the Hussars his ears were assailed by the shout of one schoolboy to another in the street below.
“Have 'ee heard this about the Hussars? They are haunted! Yes—a ghost troubles 'em; he has followed 'em about the world for years.”
A haunted regiment: that was a new idea for either invalid or stalwart. The listener in the oriel came to the conclusion that there were some lively characters among the—th Hussars.
He made Captain Maumbry's acquaintance in an informal manner at an afternoon tea to which he went in a wheeled chair—one of the very rare outings that the state of his health permitted. Maumbry showed himself to be a handsome man of twenty-eight or thirty, with an attractive hint of wickedness in his manner that was sure to make him adorable with good young women. The large dark eyes that lit his pale face expressed this wickedness strongly, though such was the adaptability of their rays that one could think they might have expressed sadness or seriousness just as readily, if he had had a mind for such.
An old and deaf lady who was present asked Captain Maumbry bluntly: “What's this we hear about you? They say your regiment is haunted.”
The Captain's face assumed an aspect of grave, even sad, concern. “Yes,” he replied, “it is too true.” Some younger ladies smiled till they saw how serious he looked, when they looked serious likewise.
“Really?” said the old lady.
“Yes. We naturally don't wish to say much about it.”
“No, no; of course not. But—how haunted?”
“Well; the—thing, as I'll call it, follows us. In country quarters or town, abroad or at home, it's just the same.”
“How do you account for it?”
“H'm.” Maumbry lowered his voice. “Some crime committed by certain of our regiment in past years, we suppose.”
“Dear me…. How very horrid, and singular!”
“But, as I said, we don't speak of it much.”
“No…no.”
When the Hussar was gone, a young lady, disclosing a longsuppressed interest, asked if the ghost had been seen by any of the town.
The lawyer's son, who always had the latest borough news, said that, though it was seldom seen by anyone but the Hussars themselves, more than one townsman and woman had already set eyes on it, to his or her terror. The phantom mostly appeared very late at night, under the dense trees of the town-avenue nearest the barracks. It was about ten feet high; its teeth chattered with a dry naked sound, as if they were those of a skeleton; and its hip-bones could be heard grating in their sockets.
During the darkest weeks of winter several timid persons were seriously frightened by the object answering to this cheerful description, and the police began to look into the matter. Whereupon the appearances grew less frequent, and some of the Boys of the regiment thankfully stated that they had not been so free from ghostly visitation for years as they had become since their arrival in Casterbridge.
This playing at ghosts was the most innocent of the amusements indulged in by the choice young spirits who inhabited the lichened, redbrick building at the top of the town bearing “W. D.” and a broad arrow on its quoins. Far more serious escapades—levities relating to love, wine, cards, betting—were talked of, with no doubt more or less of exaggeration. That the Hussars, Captain Maumbry included, were the cause of bitter tears to several young women of the town and country is unquestionably true, despite the fact that the gaieties of the young men wore a more staring colour in this old-fashioned place than they would have done in a large and modern city.
這個人就住在“小鎮(zhèn)之巔”(大家都這么稱呼那個地點)下方一棟大大的老房子里,除了本故事的主人公們,就只有他碰巧熟知他們大部分的歷史了。這房子和周圍房子的區(qū)別在于二樓有一個飄窗,可將整個高街從西到東盡收眼底,西邊包括蘿拉的住處、旁邊的市鎮(zhèn)大道盡頭(接下來會講到在這里發(fā)生的惡作?。?、向西隆起的波特-布雷迪路,以及通往騎兵營的拐角,上尉就住在兵營里頭。從這個絕佳的觀景瞭望處向東眺望可俯瞰全鎮(zhèn),只見房子挨著房子隨地勢逐漸下沉、縮小,直到跟橫穿過荒原的公路融為一體。公路像條白絲帶,過了四分之一英里開外的格雷橋后,便消失在無數(shù)蜿蜒迂回的鄉(xiāng)間道路中、幽僻的密林深處,以及人煙稀少的丘陵山谷里;延綿一百二十英里,然后在海德公園角重露出康莊大道的面目,與一個熙熙攘攘繁華熱鬧的世界相連。
方才提到的騎兵營里最近迎來了第X驃騎兵團(tuán)的進(jìn)駐,該團(tuán)初到此地。鎮(zhèn)上居民還不太認(rèn)識兵團(tuán)的人,就已聽到傳言說這是一群“頂呱呱”的小伙子,隨行的軍樂隊更是出類拔萃。不知什么原因,小鎮(zhèn)已經(jīng)多年未作騎兵總部之用了,之前在這里駐扎的各部隊只是些普通的分遣隊而已;因此當(dāng)鎮(zhèn)上所有人得知此次來的兵團(tuán)乃是“頂呱呱”的驃騎兵時,都覺得臉上有光——包括把桌椅板凳租給已成家的分遣隊士兵的那些舊家具商。
在當(dāng)時,驃騎兵們的左肩上還披著帥氣的鑲毛邊皮披風(fēng),松松地垂在背后,就像是鳥兒受傷的羽翼一般,大家把這飾物叫作“霹靂斯”,但士兵們自己叫它“斯林斗篷”。在女人的眼中——其實在男人眼中也一樣——這披風(fēng)給騎兵們平添了許多非凡的魅力。
住在有飄窗的房子里的那位市民平日白天里大部分時間都坐在窗前,因為他是個病人,無事可做,只有對外界保持持續(xù)關(guān)注才不會覺得度日如年。驃騎兵們到來才一個禮拜,他就聽到樓下街上一個小學(xué)生在對另一個喊:
“哎,你聽說了騎兵團(tuán)的事沒有?聽說他們遭鬼纏了!真的——有個鬼一直在騷擾他們;已經(jīng)一路滿世界地跟了他們好幾年咯!”
一個鬧鬼的騎兵團(tuán)。不管是病人還是健康人,聽著可都是件新鮮事。飄窗后的聽者得出結(jié)論:第X驃騎兵團(tuán)里一定有些上躥下跳的活躍分子。
一天他坐著輪椅去參加了一個下午茶會——這是他為數(shù)不多的出行,因為身體狀況不允許——得以非正式地結(jié)識了蒙布里上尉。蒙布里是個二十八到三十歲左右的英俊男子,行為舉止間無不透露出迷人的浪子氣質(zhì),篤定會使他成為良家女子們的夢中情人。他臉色蒼白,大大的黑眼睛熠熠生輝,充分展露出這種邪氣;不過他眼中的光芒真是變化多端,這一秒可以憂郁悲傷,下一秒又可以嚴(yán)肅認(rèn)真,可謂隨心所欲盡在他掌握中。
當(dāng)時在場的一位又老又聾的太太貿(mào)然問蒙布里上尉:“我們聽說的那是怎么回事?他們說你的兵團(tuán)鬧鬼呢?!?/p>
上尉的臉上露出沉重甚至哀傷的神情。“是的,”他回答說,“再真實不過了?!庇械哪贻p女士滿不在乎地笑了,然而當(dāng)她們發(fā)現(xiàn)他看上去不像在說笑時,頓時也面色一凜。
“真的嗎?”老太太又問。
“真的。當(dāng)然我們都不愿意多談這種事?!?/p>
“是的是的,當(dāng)然不想。但是——是怎么個鬧法???”
“嗯,這個——東西,我姑且這么叫它吧,一直跟著我們。不管是鄉(xiāng)下還是城里,國外還是國內(nèi),它都一樣跟著?!?/p>
“那是為什么呢?”
蒙布里壓低了聲音說:“嗯,我們估計是因為我們團(tuán)里有人曾經(jīng)犯下了罪過?!?/p>
“天哪……太可怕了,太古怪了!”
“不過,我也說了,我們很少談這事?!?/p>
“是的……是的?!?/p>
等這位驃騎兵走了,一位年輕小姐再也無法抑制強(qiáng)烈的好奇,問有沒有人見過這個鬼。
律師的兒子一向?qū)︽?zhèn)上的最新消息了如指掌,他回答說雖然除了騎兵們很少有人見過,但有不止一個市民,有男有女,已經(jīng)偶然瞟到了,差點沒被嚇?biāo)?。這鬼魂大多是在深夜出現(xiàn),在距離兵營最近的市鎮(zhèn)大道的濃密樹叢底下徘徊。它高達(dá)十英尺,牙齒咔嗒作響,聲音又干又澀,就像骷髏發(fā)出來的一般,連臀骨骨臼相互摩擦的聲音也清晰可聞。
后來在冬夜最陰暗的幾周里,有好幾位膽小的居民就被符合這生動描述的東西嚇得魂飛魄散,連警察都被驚動來調(diào)查此事。打那以后鬼魂出現(xiàn)的頻率就少了,兵團(tuán)的一些小伙子還感激涕零地宣稱數(shù)年來他們一直被鬼魂糾纏不休,自從來了卡斯特橋鎮(zhèn)以后,終于好多了。
這些年輕小伙子住在小鎮(zhèn)頂端的兵營里,那是座長滿青苔的紅磚建筑,拱頂石上還刻著“戰(zhàn)時總部”的縮寫“W. D.”和一個寬寬的箭頭。對他們來說,這種鬧鬼的把戲不過是他們的娛樂節(jié)目里頭最無傷大雅的玩笑罷了。還有那些更出格的行為——談情說愛、酗酒打牌、吆五喝六等,也都成了鎮(zhèn)上居民的談資,當(dāng)然肯定會有些夸大其詞。但是驃騎兵們,包括蒙布里上尉在內(nèi),讓鎮(zhèn)上和附近村子里多位年輕姑娘傷心流淚,這絕對不假;當(dāng)然這也是因為這個小鎮(zhèn)古老偏僻,所以這群快活的小伙子才會如此引人注目,要是換成是個繁華都市,就不會激起這么大水花了。
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