the notch on the ax and on being found out-第14章

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a　dead　stop；　it　is　worthless。

Nothing　more　chanced　for　the　rest　of　the　night。　　Nor；　indeed；　had　I
long　to　wait　before　the　dawn　broke。　　Not　till　it　was　broad　daylight
did　I　quit　the　haunted　house。　　Before　I　did　so；　I　revisited　the
little　blind　room　in　which　my　servant　and　myself　had　been　for　a
time　imprisoned。　　I　had　a　strong　impressionfor　which　I　could　not
accountthat　from　that　room　had　originated　the　mechanism　of　the
phenomena；　if　I　may　use　the　term；　which　had　been　experienced　in　my
chamber。　　And　though　I　entered　it　now　in　the　clear　day；　with　the
sun　peering　through　the　filmy　window；　I　still　felt；　as　I　stood　on
its　floors；　the　creep　of　the　horror　which　I　had　first　there
experienced　the　night　before；　and　which　had　been　so　aggravated　by
what　had　passed　in　my　own　chamber。　　I　could　not；　indeed；　bear　to
stay　more　than　half　a　minute　within　those　walls。　　I　descended　the
stairs；　and　again　I　heard　the　footfall　before　me；　and　when　I　opened
the　street　door；　I　thought　I　could　distinguish　a　very　low　laugh。　　I
gained　my　own　home；　expecting　to　find　my　runaway　servant　there；　but
he　had　not　presented　himself；　nor　did　I　hear　more　of　him　for　three
days；　when　I　received　a　letter　from　him；　dated　from　Liverpool　to
this　effect：


〃HONORED　SIR；I　humbly　entreat　your　pardon；　though　I　can　scarcely
hope　that　you　will　think　that　I　deserve　it；　unlesswhich　Heaven
forbid！you　saw　what　I　did。　　I　feel　that　it　will　be　years　before　I
can　recover　myself；　and　as　to　being　fit　for　service；　it　is　out　of
the　question。　　I　am　therefore　going　to　my　brother…in…law　at
Melbourne。　　The　ship　sails　to…morrow。　　Perhaps　the　long　voyage　may
set　me　up。　　I　do　nothing　now　but　start　and　tremble；　and　fancy　it　is
behind　me。　　I　humbly　beg　you；　honored　sir；　to　order　my　clothes；　and
whatever　wages　are　due　to　me；　to　be　sent　to　my　mother's；　at
Walworth；John　knows　her　address。〃


The　letter　ended　with　additional　apologies；　somewhat　incoherent；
and　explanatory　details　as　to　effects　that　had　been　under　the
writer's　charge。

This　flight　may　perhaps　warrant　a　suspicion　that　the　man　wished　to
go　to　Australia；　and　had　been　somehow　or　other　fraudulently　mixed
up　with　the　events　of　the　night。　　I　say　nothing　in　refutation　of
that　conjecture；　rather；　I　suggest　it　as　one　that　would　seem　to
many　persons　the　most　probable　solution　of　improbable　occurrences。
My　belief　in　my　own　theory　remained　unshaken。　　I　returned　in　the
evening　to　the　house；　to　bring　away　in　a　hack　cab　the　things　I　had
left　there；　with　my　poor　dog's　body。　　In　this　task　I　was　not
disturbed；　nor　did　any　incident　worth　note　befall　me；　except　that
still；　on　ascending　and　descending　the　stairs；　I　heard　the　same
footfall　in　advance。　　On　leaving　the　house；　I　went　to　Mr。　J's。
He　was　at　home。　　I　returned　him　the　keys；　told　him　that　my
curiosity　was　sufficiently　gratified；　and　was　about　to　relate
quickly　what　had　passed；　when　he　stopped　me；　and　said；　though　with
much　politeness；　that　he　had　no　longer　any　interest　in　a　mystery
which　none　had　ever　solved。

I　determined　at　least　to　tell　him　of　the　two　letters　I　had　read；　as
well　as　of　the　extraordinary　manner　in　which　they　had　disappeared；
and　I　then　inquired　if　he　thought　they　had　been　addressed　to　the
woman　who　had　died　in　the　house；　and　if　there　were　anything　in　her
early　history　which　could　possibly　confirm　the　dark　suspicions　to
which　the　letters　gave　rise。　　Mr。　J　seemed　startled；　and；　after
musing　a　few　moments；　answered；　〃I　am　but　little　acquainted　with
the　woman's　earlier　history；　except　as　I　before　told　you；　that　her
family　were　known　to　mine。　　But　you　revive　some　vague　reminiscences
to　her　prejudice。　　I　will　make　inquiries；　and　inform　you　of　their
result。　　Still；　even　if　we　could　admit　the　popular　superstition
that　a　person　who　had　been　either　the　perpetrator　or　the　victim　of
dark　crimes　in　life　could　revisit；　as　a　restless　spirit；　the　scene
in　which　those　crimes　had　been　committed；　I　should　observe　that　the
house　was　infested　by　strange　sights　and　sounds　before　the　old
woman　diedyou　smilewhat　would　you　say？〃

〃I　would　say　this；　that　I　am　convinced；　if　we　could　get　to　the
bottom　of　these　mysteries；　we　should　find　a　living　human　agency。〃

〃What！　you　believe　it　is　all　an　imposture？　　For　what　object？〃

〃Not　an　imposture　in　the　ordinary　sense　of　the　word。　　If　suddenly　I
were　to　sink　into　a　deep　sleep；　from　which　you　could　not　awake　me；
but　in　that　sleep　could　answer　questions　with　an　accuracy　which　I
could　not　pretend　to　when　awake；tell　you　what　money　you　had　in
your　pocket；　nay；　describe　your　very　thoughts；it　is　not
necessarily　an　imposture；　any　more　than　it　is　necessarily
supernatural。　　I　should　be；　unconsciously　to　myself；　under　a
mesmeric　influence；　conveyed　to　me　from　a　distance　by　a　human　being
who　had　acquired　power　over　me　by　previous　rapport。〃

〃But　if　a　mesmerizer　could　so　affect　another　living　being；　can　you
suppose　that　a　mesmerizer　could　also　affect　inanimate　objects：　move
chairs；open　and　shut　doors？〃

〃Or　impress　our　senses　with　the　belief　in　such　effects；we　never
having　been　en　rapport　with　the　person　acting　on　us？　　No。　　What　is
commonly　called　mesmerism　could　not　do　this；　but　there　may　be　a
power　akin　to　mesmerism；　and　superior　to　it；the　power　that　in　the
old　days　was　called　Magic。　　That　such　a　power　may　extend　to　all
inanimate　objects　of　matter；　I　do　not　say；　but　if　so；　it　would　not
be　against　Nature；it　would　be　only　a　rare　power　in　Nature　which
might　be　given　to　constitutions　with　certain　peculiarities；　and
cultivated　by　practice　to　an　extraordinary　degree。　　That　such　a
power　might　extend　over　the　dead；that　is；　over　certain　thoughts
and　memories　that　the　dead　may　still　retain；and　compel；　not　that
which　ought　properly　to　be　called　the　SOUL；　and　which　is　far　beyond
human　reach；　but　rather　a　phantom　of　what　has　been　most　earth…
stained　on　earth；　to　make　itself　apparent　to　our　senses；　is　a　very
ancient　though　obsolete　theory　upon　which　I　will　hazard　no　opinion。
But　I　do　not　conceive　the　power　would　be　supernatural。　　Let　me
illustrate　what　I　mean　from　an　experiment　which　Paracelsus
describes　as　not　difficult；　and　which　the　author　of　the
'Curiosities　of　Literature'　cites　as　credible：　A　flower　perishes；
you　burn　it。　　Whatever　were　the　elements　of　that　flower　while　it
lived　are　gone；　dispersed；　you　know　not　whither；　you　can　never
discover　nor　re…collect　them。　　But　you　can；　by　chemistry；　out　of
the　burned　dust　of　that　flower；　raise　a　spectrum　of　the　flower；
just　as　it　seemed　in　life。　　It　may　be　the　same　with　the　human
being。　　The　soul　has　as　much　escaped　you　as　the　essence　or　elements
of　the　flower。　　Still　you　may　make　a　spectrum　of　it。　　And　this
phantom；　though　in　the　popular　superstition　it　is　held　to　be　the
soul　of　the　departed；　must　not　be　confounded　with　the　true　soul；　it
is　but　the　eidolon　of　the　dead　form。　　Hence；　like　the　best…attested
stories　of　ghosts　or　spirits；　the　thing　that　most　strikes　us　is　the
absence　of　what　we　hold　to　be　soul；that　is；　of　superior
emancipated　intelligence。　　These　apparitions　come　for　little　or　no
object；they　seldom　speak　when　they　do　come；　if　they　speak；　they
utter　no　ideas　above　those　of　an　ordinary　person　on　earth。
American　spirit　seers　have　published　volumes　of　communications；　in
prose　and　verse；　which　they　assert　to　be　given　in　the　names　of　the
most　illustrious　dead：　Shakespeare；　Bacon；Heaven　knows　whom。
Those　communications；　taking　the　best；　are　certainly　not　a　whit　of
higher　order　than　would　be　communications　from　living　persons　of
fair　talent　and　education；　they　are　wondrously　inferior　to　what
Bacon；　Shakespeare；　and　Plato　said　and　wrote　when　on　earth。　　Nor；
what　is　more　noticeable；　do　they　ever　contain　an　idea　that　was　not
on　the　earth　before。　　Wonderful；　therefore；　as　such　phenomena　may
be　（granting　them　to　be　truthful）；　I　see　much　that　philosophy　may
question；　nothing　that　it　is　incumbent　on　philosophy　to　deny；
namely；　nothing　supernatural。　　They　are　but　ideas　conveyed　somehow
or　other　（we　have　not　yet　discovered　the　means）　from　one　mortal
brain　to　another。　　Whether；　in　so　doing；　tables　walk　of　their　own
accord；　or　fiendlike　shapes　appear　in　a　magic　circle；　or　bodiless
hands　rise　and　remove　material　objects；