《the underground city-地下城(英文版)》地下城(英文版)-第26章

ds。　But　until　she　prehended　the　significance　of　words　at　present　conveying　no　precise　meaning　to　her；　it　was　impossible　to　ascertain　what　she　knew。
As　to　whether　or　not　Nell　had　lived　alone　in　the　recesses　of　New　Aberfoyle；　James　Starr　was　obliged　to　remain　uncertain；　indeed；　any　allusion　to　the　subject　excited　evident　alarm　in　the　mind　of　this　strange　girl。 Either　Nell　could　not　or　would　not　reply　to　questions；　but　that　some　secret
existed　in　connection　with　the　place；　which　she　could　have　explained；　was　manifest。
〃Should　you　like　to　stay　with　us？ Should　you　like　to　go　back　to　where　we　found　you？〃　asked　James　Starr。
〃Oh；　yes！〃　exclaimed　the　maiden；　in　answer　to　his　first　question；　but　a　cry　of　terror　was　all　she　seemed　able　to　say　to　the　second。
James　Starr；　as　well　as　Simon　and　Harry　Ford；　could　not　help　feeling　a　certain　amount　of　uneasiness　with　regard　to　this　persistent　silence。　They　found　it　impossible　to　forget　all　that　had　appeared　so　inexplicable　at　the　time　they　made　the　discovery　of　the　coal　mine；　and　although　that　was　three　years　ago；　and　nothing　new　had　happened；　they　always　expected　some　fresh　attack　on　the　part　of　the　invisible　enemy。
They　resolved　to　explore　the　mysterious　well；　and　did　so；　well　armed　and　in　considerable　numbers。 But　nothing　suspicious　was　to　be　seen；　the　shaft　municated　with　lower　stages　of　the　crypt；　hollowed　out　in　the　carboniferous　bed。
Many　a　time　did　James　Starr；　Simon；　and　Harry　talk　over　these　things。　If　one　or　more　malevolent　beings　were　concealed　in　the　coal…pit；　and　there　concocted　mischief；　Nell　surely　could　have　warned　them　of　it；　yet　she　said　nothing。 The　slightest　allusion　to　her　past　life　brought　on　such　fits　of　violent　emotion；　that　it　was　judged　best　to　avoid　the　subject　for　the　present。　Her　secret　would　certainly　escape　her　by…and…by。
By　the　time　Nell　had　been　a　fortnight　in　the　cottage；　she　had　bee　a　most　intelligent　and　zealous　assistant　to　old　Madge。 It　was　clear　that　she　instinctively　felt　she　should　remain　in　the　dwelling　where　she　had　been　so　charitably　received；　and　perhaps　never　dreamt　of　quitting　it。　This　family　was　all　in　all　to　her；　and　to　the　good　folks　themselves　Nell　had　seemed　an　adopted　child　from　the　moment　when　she　first　came　beneath　their　roof。 Nell　was　in　truth　a　charming　creature；　her　new　mode　of　existence　added　to　her　beauty；　for　these　were　no　doubt　the　first　happy　days　of　her　life；　and　her　heart　was　full　of　gratitude　towards　those　to　whom　she　owed　them。 Madge　felt　towards　her　as　a　mother　would；　the　old　woman　doted　upon　her；　in　short；　she　was　beloved　by　everybody。　Jack　Ryan　only　regretted　one　thing；　which　was　that　he　had　not　saved　her　himself。 Friend
Jack　often　came　to　the　cottage。 He　sang；　and　Nell；　who　had　never　heard　singing　before；　admired　it　greatly；　but　anyone　might　see　that　she　preferred　to　Jack"s　songs　the　graver　conversation　of　Harry；　from　whom　by　degrees　she　learnt　truths　concerning　the　outer　world；　of　which　hitherto　she　had　known　nothing。
It　must　be　said　that；　since　Nell　had　appeared　in　her　own　person；　Jack　Ryan　had　been　obliged　to　admit　that　his　belief　in　hobgoblins　was　in　a　measure　weakened。 A　couple　of　months　later　his　credulity　experienced　a　further　shock。 About　that　time　Harry　unexpectedly　made　a　discovery　which；　in　part　at　least；　accounted　for　the　apparition　of　the　fire…maidens　among　the　ruins　of　Dundonald　Castle　at　Irvine。
During　several　days　he　had　been　engaged　in　exploring　the　remote　galleries　of　the　prodigious　excavation　towards　the　south。 At　last　he　scrambled　with　difficulty　up　a　narrow　passage　which　branched　off　through　the　upper　rock。　To　his　great　astonishment；　he　suddenly　found　himself　in　the　open　air。　The　passage；　after　ascending　obliquely　to　the　surface　of　the　ground；　led　out　directly　among　the　ruins　of　Dundonald　Castle。
There　was；　therefore；　a　munication　between　New　Aberfoyle　and　the　hills　crowned　by　this　ancient　castle。 The　upper　entrance　to　this　gallery；　being　pletely　concealed　by　stones　and　brushwood；　was　invisible　from　without；　at　the　time　of　their　search；　therefore；　the　magistrates　had　been　able　to　discover　nothing。
A　few　days　afterwards；　James　Starr；　guided　by　Harry；　came　himself　to　inspect　this　curious　natural　opening　into　the　coal　mine。 〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃here　is　enough　to　convince　the　most　superstitious　among　us。　Farewell　to　all　their　brownies；　goblins；　and　fire…maidens　now！〃
〃I　hardly　think；　Mr。　Starr；　we　ought　to　congratulate　ourselves；〃　replied　Harry。 〃Whatever　it　is　we　have　instead　of　these　things；　it　can"t　be　better；　and　may　be　worse　than　they　are。〃
〃That"s　true；　Harry；〃　said　the　engineer；　〃but　what"s　to　be　done？　It　is　plain　that；　whatever　the　beings　are　who　hide　in　the　mine；　they　reach　the　surface　of　the　earth　by　this　passage。　No　doubt　it　was　the　light　of　torches　waved　by　them　during　that　dark　and　stormy　night　which　attracted　the　MOTALA　towards　the　rocky　coast；　and　like　the　wreckers
of　former　days；　they　would　have　plundered　the　unfortunate　vessel；　had　it　not　been　for　Jack　Ryan　and　his　friends。 Anyhow；　so　far　it　is　evident；　and　here　is　the　mouth　of　the　den。 As　to　its　occupants；　the　question　is……　Are　they　here　still？〃
〃I　say　yes；　because　Nell　trembles　when　we　mention　them……　yes；　because　Nell　will　not；　or　dare　not；　speak　about　them；〃　answered　Harry　in　a　tone　of　decision。
Harry　was　surely　in　the　right。 Had　these　mysterious　denizens　of　the　pit　abandoned　it；　or　ceased　to　visit　the　spot；　what　reason　could　the　girl　have　had　for　keeping　silence？
James　Starr　could　not　rest　till　he　had　perated　this　mystery。　He　foresaw　that　the　whole　future　of　the　new　excavations　must　depend　upon　it。 Renewed　and　strict　precautions　were　therefore　taken。　The　authorities　were　informed　of　the　discovery　of　the　entrance。　Watchers　were　placed　among　the　ruins　of　the　castle。　Harry　himself　lay　hid　for　several　nights　in　the　thickets　of　brushwood　which　clothed　the　hill…side。
Nothing　was　discovered……no　human　being　emerged　from　the　opening。　So　most　people　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　villains　had　been　finally　dislodged　from　the　mine；　and　that；　as　to　Nell；　they　must　suppose　her　to　be　dead　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft　where　they　had　left　her。
While　it　remained　unworked；　the　m