"bram stoker - dracula(2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stoker Bram)

Now and again we passed a leiter-wagon--the ordinary peasants's cart--with its
long, snakelike vertebra, calculated to suit the inequalities of the road.
On this were sure to be seated quite a group of homecoming peasants,
the Cszeks with their white, and the Slovaks with their coloured sheepskins,
the latter carrying lance-fashion their long staves, with axe at end.
As the evening fell it began to get very cold, and the growing twilight seemed
to merge into one dark mistiness the gloom of the trees, oak, beech, and pine,
though in the valleys which ran deep between the spurs of the hills,
as we ascended through the Pass, the dark firs stood out here and there
against the background of late-lying snow. Sometimes, as the road was
cut through the pine woods that seemed in the darkness to be closing
down upon us, great masses of greyness which here and there bestrewed
the trees, produced a peculiarly weird and solemn effect, which carried
on the thoughts and grim fancies engendered earlier in the evening,
when the falling sunset threw into strange relief the ghost-like clouds
which amongst the Carpathians seem to wind ceaselessly through the valleys.
Sometimes the hills were so steep that, despite our driver's haste,
the horses could only go slowly. I wished to get down and walk
up them, as we do at home, but the driver would not hear of it.
"No, no," he said. "You must not walk here. The dogs are too fierce."
And then he added, with what he evidently meant for grim pleasantry--
for he looked round to catch the approving smile of the rest--"And
you may have enough of such matters before you go to sleep."
The only stop he would make was a moment's pause to light his lamps.

When it grew dark there seemed to be some excitement
amongst the passengers, and they kept speaking to him,
one after the other, as though urging him to further speed.
He lashed the horses unmercifully with his long whip, and with wild
cries of encouragement urged them on to further exertions.
Then through the darkness I could see a sort of patch of grey
light ahead of us,as though there were a cleft in the hills.
The excitement of the passengers grew greater.
The crazy coach rocked on its great leather springs, and swayed
like a boat tossed on a stormy sea. I had to hold on.
The road grew more level, and we appeared to fly along.
Then the mountains seemed to come nearer to us on each side
and to frown down upon us. We were entering on the Borgo Pass.
One by one several of the passengers offered me gifts,
which they pressed upon me with an earnestness which would take
no denial. These were certainly of an odd and varied kind,
but each was given in simple good faith, with a kindly word,
and a blessing, and that same strange mixture of fear-meaning
movements which I had seen outside the hotel at Bistritz--
the sign of the cross and the guard against the evil eye.
Then, as we flew along, the driver leaned forward, and on
each side the passengers, craning over the edge of the coach,
peered eagerly into the darkness. It was evident that something
very exciting was either happening or expected, but though I asked