哦!听听小安妮·普罗瑟罗的故事。她在鲍镇附近开了一家小邮局;她爱的是一个技艺精湛的机械师，他在当时很有名——一个温和的刽子手，名叫吉尔伯特·克雷。我想我听到你说:“你的押韵太糟糕了!”哦，读者，不要退缩——他不是生活在现代!他生活的年代太久远了(速写一看就知道了)，他的一举一动都闪耀着浪漫的光芒。在繁忙的时候，他整天都在练习他那温柔的手艺——“你一定是说他的卡尔手艺吧，”你会有趣地说——但是，不——他不是用普通的绳子操作的，他是一个公共刽子手，这完全是另一回事。当他的工作结束后，他们会在草地上漫步，坐在一棵接骨木树的树梢下，散步时安妮简单的闲聊使他感到愉快，因为公开处决是她谈话的主题。有时他会向她解释，这让她非常着迷，著名的表演者是如何不同的，然后，也许，他会展示他自己是如何表演这个把戏的，并用罂粟花和棍子来说明他的意思。 Or, if it rained, the little maid would stop at home, and look At his favourable notices, all pasted in a book, And then her cheek would flush - her swimming eyes would dance with joy In a glow of admiration at the prowess of her boy. One summer eve, at supper-time, the gentle GILBERT said (As he helped his pretty ANNIE to a slice of collared head), "This reminds me I must settle on the next ensuing day The hash of that unmitigated villain PETER GRAY." He saw his ANNIE tremble and he saw his ANNIE start, Her changing colour trumpeted the flutter at her heart; Young GILBERT'S manly bosom rose and sank with jealous fear, And he said, "O gentle ANNIE, what's the meaning of this here?" And ANNIE answered, blushing in an interesting way, "You think, no doubt, I'm sighing for that felon PETER GRAY: That I was his young woman is unquestionably true, But not since I began a-keeping company with you." Then GILBERT, who was irritable, rose and loudly swore He'd know the reason why if she refused to tell him more; And she answered (all the woman in her flashing from her eyes) "You mustn't ask no questions, and you won't be told no lies! "Few lovers have the privilege enjoyed, my dear, by you, Of chopping off a rival's head and quartering him too! Of vengeance, dear, to-morrow you will surely take your fill!" And GILBERT ground his molars as he answered her, "I will!" Young GILBERT rose from table with a stern determined look, And, frowning, took an inexpensive hatchet from its hook; And ANNIE watched his movements with an interested air - For the morrow - for the morrow he was going to prepare! He chipped it with a hammer and he chopped it with a bill, He poured sulphuric acid on the edge of it, until This terrible Avenger of the Majesty of Law Was far less like a hatchet than a dissipated saw. And ANNIE said, "O GILBERT, dear, I do not understand Why ever you are injuring that hatchet in your hand?' He said, "It is intended for to lacerate and flay The neck of that unmitigated villain PETER GRAY!" "Now, GILBERT," ANNIE answered, "wicked headsman, just beware - I won't have PETER tortured with that horrible affair; If you appear with that, you may depend you'll rue the day." But GILBERT said, "Oh, shall I?" which was just his nasty way. He saw a look of anger from her eyes distinctly dart, For ANNIE was a woman, and had pity in her heart! She wished him a good evening - he answered with a glare; She only said, "Remember, for your ANNIE will be there!" The morrow GILBERT boldly on the scaffold took his stand, With a vizor on his face and with a hatchet in his hand, And all the people noticed that the Engine of the Law Was far less like a hatchet than a dissipated saw. The felon very coolly loosed his collar and his stock, And placed his wicked head upon the handy little block. The hatchet was uplifted for to settle PETER GRAY, When GILBERT plainly heard a woman's voice exclaiming, "Stay!" 'Twas ANNIE, gentle ANNIE, as you'll easily believe. "O GILBERT, you must spare him, for I bring him a reprieve, It came from our Home Secretary many weeks ago, And passed through that post-office which I used to keep at Bow. "I loved you, loved you madly, and you know it, GILBERT CLAY, And as I'd quite surrendered all idea of PETER GRAY, I quietly suppressed it, as you'll clearly understand, For I thought it might be awkward if he came and claimed my hand. "In anger at my secret (which I could not tell before), To lacerate poor PETER GRAY vindictively you swore; I told you if you used tha