the underground city-地下城(英文版)- 第22部分

〃Yes；　yes；〃　continued　Madge；　〃how　many　years　old？〃

〃Years？〃　replied　Nell。　　She　seemed　to　understand　that　word　no　better　than　days！　　Simon；　Harry；　Jack；　and　the　rest；　looked　on　with　an　air　of　mingled　passion；　wonder；　and　sympathy。　The　state　of　this　poor　thing；　clothed　in　a　miserable　garment　of　coarse　woolen　stuff；　seemed　to　impress　them　painfully。

Harry；　more　than　all　the　rest；　seemed　attracted　by　the　very　peculiarity　of　this　poor　stranger。　　He　drew　near；　took　Nell's　hand　from　his　mother；　and　looked　directly　at　her；　while　something　like　a　smile　curved　her　lip。　〃Nell；〃　he　said；　〃Nell；　away　down　there……in　the　mine……were　you　all　alone？〃

〃Alone！　alone！〃　cried　the　girl；　raising　herself　hastily。　Her　features　expressed　terror；　her　eyes；　which　had　appeared　to　soften　as　Harry　looked　at　her；　became　quite　wild　again。　〃Alone！〃　repeated　she；　〃alone！〃……and　she　fell　back　on　the　bed；　as　though　deprived　of　all　strength。

〃The　poor　bairn　is　too　weak　to　speak　to　us；〃　said　Madge；　when　she　had　adjusted　the　pillows。　　〃After　a　good　rest；　and　a　little　more　food；　she　will　be　stronger。　　e　away；　Simon　and　Harry；　and　all　the　rest　of　you；　and　let　her　go　to　sleep。〃　So　Nell　was　left　alone；　and　in　a　very　few　minutes　slept　profoundly。

This　event　caused　a　great　sensation；　not　only　in　the　coal

mines；　but　in　Stirlingshire；　and　ultimately　throughout　the　kingdom。　The　strangeness　of　the　story　was　exaggerated；　the　affair　could　not　have　made　more　motion　had　they　found　the　girl　enclosed　in　the　solid　rock；　like　one　of　those　antediluvian　creatures　who　have　occasionally　been　released　by　a　stroke　of　the　pickax　from　their　stony　prison。　Nell　became　a　fashionable　wonder　without　knowing　it。　Superstitious　folks　made　her　story　a　new　subject　for　legendary　marvels；　and　were　inclined　to　think；　as　Jack　Ryan　told　Harry；　that　Nell　was　the　spirit　of　the　mines。

〃Be　it　so；　Jack；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃but　at　any　rate　she　is　the　good　spirit。　　It　can　have　been　none　but　she　who　brought　us　bread　and　water　when　we　were　shut　up　down　there；　and　as　to　the　bad　spirit；　who　must　still　be　in　the　mine；　we'll　catch　him　some　day。〃

Of　course　James　Starr　had　been　at　once　informed　of　all　this；　and　came；　as　soon　as　the　young　girl　had　sufficiently　recovered　her　strength；　to　see　her；　and　endeavor　to　question　her　carefully。

She　appeared　ignorant　of　nearly　everything　relating　to　life；　and；　although　evidently　intelligent；　was　wanting　in　many　elementary　ideas；　such　as　time；　for　instance。　　She　had　never　been　used　to　its　division；　and　the　words　signifying　hours；　days；　months；　and　years　were　unknown　to　her。

Her　eyes；　accustomed　to　the　night；　were　pained　by　the　glare　of　the　electric　discs；　but　in　the　dark　her　sight　was　wonderfully　keen；　the　pupil　dilated　in　a　remarkable　manner；　and　she　could　see　where　to　others　there　appeared　profound　obscurity。　It　was　certain　that　her　brain　had　never　received　any　impression　of　the　outer　world；　that　her　eyes　had　never　looked　beyond　the　mine；　and　that　these　somber　depths　had　been　all　the　world　to　her。

The　poor　girl　probably　knew　not　that　there　were　a　sun　and　stars；　towns　and　counties；　a　mighty　universe　posed　of　myriads　of　worlds。　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　magistrate