hunted down-第6章

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was　sufficiently　cold　and　quiet。　　He　was　white；　he　was　haggard；　he

was　changed；　but　only　as　a　sharper　who　had　played　for　a　great　stake

and　had　been　outwitted　and　had　lost　the　game。



'Listen　to　me；　you　villain；'　said　Beckwith；　'and　let　every　word　you

hear　me　say　be　a　stab　in　your　wicked　heart。　　When　I　took　these

rooms；　to　throw　myself　in　your　way　and　lead　you　on　to　the　scheme

that　I　knew　my　appearance　and　supposed　character　and　habits　would

suggest　to　such　a　devil；　how　did　I　know　that？　　Because　you　were　no

stranger　to　me。　　I　knew　you　well。　　And　I　knew　you　to　be　the　cruel

wretch　who；　for　so　much　money；　had　killed　one　innocent　girl　while

she　trusted　him　implicitly；　and　who　was　by　inches　killing　another。'



Slinkton　took　out　a　snuff…box；　took　a　pinch　of　snuff；　and　laughed。



'But　see　here；'　said　Beckwith；　never　looking　away；　never　raising

his　voice；　never　relaxing　his　face；　never　unclenching　his　hand。

'See　what　a　dull　wolf　you　have　been；　after　all！　　The　infatuated

drunkard　who　never　drank　a　fiftieth　part　of　the　liquor　you　plied

him　with；　but　poured　it　away；　here；　there；　everywhere　…　almost

before　your　eyes；　who　bought　over　the　fellow　you　set　to　watch　him

and　to　ply　him；　by　outbidding　you　in　his　bribe；　before　he　had　been

at　his　work　three　days　…　with　whom　you　have　observed　no　caution；

yet　who　was　so　bent　on　ridding　the　earth　of　you　as　a　wild　beast；

that　he　would　have　defeated　you　if　you　had　been　ever　so　prudent　…

that　drunkard　whom　you　have；　many　a　time；　left　on　the　floor　of　this

room；　and　who　has　even　let　you　go　out　of　it；　alive　and　undeceived；

when　you　have　turned　him　over　with　your　foot　…　has；　almost　as

often；　on　the　same　night；　within　an　hour；　within　a　few　minutes；

watched　you　awake；　had　his　hand　at　your　pillow　when　you　were

asleep；　turned　over　your　papers；　taken　samples　from　your　bottles

and　packets　of　powder；　changed　their　contents；　rifled　every　secret

of　your　life！'



He　had　had　another　pinch　of　snuff　in　his　hand；　but　had　gradually

let　it　drop　from　between　his　fingers　to　the　floor；　where　he　now

smoothed　it　out　with　his　foot；　looking　down　at　it　the　while。



'That　drunkard；'　said　Beckwith；　'who　had　free　access　to　your　rooms

at　all　times；　that　he　might　drink　the　strong　drinks　that　you　left

in　his　way　and　be　the　sooner　ended；　holding　no　more　terms　with　you

than　he　would　hold　with　a　tiger；　has　had　his　master…key　for　all

your　locks；　his　test　for　all　your　poisons；　his　clue　to　your　cipher…

writing。　　He　can　tell　you；　as　well　as　you　can　tell　him；　how　long　it

took　to　complete　that　deed；　what　doses　there　were；　what　intervals；

what　signs　of　gradual　decay　upon　mind　and　body；　what　distempered

fancies　were　produced；　what　observable　changes；　what　physical　pain。

He　can　tell　you；　as　well　as　you　can　tell　him；　that　all　this　was

recorded　day　by　day；　as　a　lesson　of　experience　for　future　service。

He　can　tell　you；　better　than　you　can　tell　him；　where　that　journal

is　at　this　moment。'



Slinkton　stopped　the　action　of　his　foot；　and　looked　at　Beckwith。



'No；'　said　the　latter；　as　if　answering　a　question　from　him。　　'Not

in　the　drawer　of　the　writing…desk　that　opens　with　a　spring；　it　is

not　there；　and　it　never　will　be　there　again。'



'Then　you　are　a　thief！'　said　Slinkton。



Without　any　change　whatever　in　the　inflexible　purpose；　which　it　was

quite　terrific　even　to　me　to　contemplate；　and　from　the　power　of

which　I　had　always　felt　convinced　it　was　impossible　for　this　wretch

to　escape；　Beckwith　returned；



'And　I　am　your　niece's　shadow；　too。'



With　an　imprecation　Slinkton　put　his　hand　to　his　head；　tore　out

some　hair；　and　flung　it　to　the　ground。　　It　was　the　end　of　the

smooth　walk；　he　destroyed　it　in　the　action；　and　it　will　soon　be

seen　that　his　use　for　it　was　past。



Beckwith　went　on：　'Whenever　you　left　here；　I　left　here。　　Although　I

understood　that　you　found　it　necessary　to　pause　in　the　completion

of　that　purpose；　to　avert　suspicion；　still　I　watched　you　close；

with　the　poor　confiding　girl。　　When　I　had　the　diary；　and　could　read

it　word　by　word；　…　it　was　only　about　the　night　before　your　last

visit　to　Scarborough；　…　you　remember　the　night？　you　slept　with　a

small　flat　vial　tied　to　your　wrist；　…　I　sent　to　Mr。　Sampson；　who

was　kept　out　of　view。　　This　is　Mr。　Sampson's　trusty　servant

standing　by　the　door。　　We　three　saved　your　niece　among　us。'



Slinkton　looked　at　us　all；　took　an　uncertain　step　or　two　from　the

place　where　he　had　stood；　returned　to　it；　and　glanced　about　him　in

a　very　curious　way；　…　as　one　of　the　meaner　reptiles　might；　looking

for　a　hole　to　hide　in。　　I　noticed　at　the　same　time；　that　a　singular

change　took　place　in　the　figure　of　the　man；　…　as　if　it　collapsed

within　his　clothes；　and　they　consequently　became　ill…shapen　and

ill…fitting。



'You　shall　know；'　said　Beckwith；　'for　I　hope　the　knowledge　will　be

bitter　and　terrible　to　you；　why　you　have　been　pursued　by　one　man；

and　why；　when　the　whole　interest　that　Mr。　Sampson　represents　would

have　expended　any　money　in　hunting　you　down；　you　have　been　tracked

to　death　at　a　single　individual's　charge。　　I　hear　you　have　had　the

name　of　Meltham　on　your　lips　sometimes？'



I　saw；　in　addition　to　those　other　changes；　a　sudden　stoppage　come

upon　his　breathing。



'When　you　sent　the　sweet　girl　whom　you　murdered　（you　know　with　what

artfully　made…out　surroundings　and　probabilities　you　sent　her）　to

Meltham's　office；　before　taking　her　abroad　to　originate　the

transaction　that　doomed　her　to　the　grave；　it　fell　to　Meltham's　lot

to　see　her　and　to　speak　with　her。　　It　did　not　fall　to　his　lot　to

save　her；　though　I　know　he　would　freely　give　his　own　life　to　have

done　it。　　He　admired　her；　…　I　would　say　he　loved　her　deeply；　if　I

thought　it　possible　that　you　could　understand　the　word。　　When　she

was　sacrificed；　he　was　thoroughly　assured　of　your　guilt。　　Having

lost　her；　he　had　but　one　object　left　in　life；　and　that　was　to

avenge　her　and　destroy　you。'



I　saw　the　villain's　nostrils　rise　and　fall　convulsively；　but　I　saw

no　moving　at　his　mouth。



'That　man　Meltham；'　Beckwith　steadily　pursued；　'was　as　absolutely

certain　that　you　could　never　elude　him　in　this　world；　if　he　devoted

himself　to　your　destruction　with　his　utmost　fidelity　and

earnestness；　and　if　he　divided　the　sacred　duty　with　no　other　duty

in　life；　as　he　was　certain　that　in　achieving　it　he　would　be　a　poor

instrument　in　the　hands　of　Providence；　and　would　do　well　before

Heaven　in　striking　you　out　from　among　living　men。　　I　am　that　man；

and　I　thank　God　that　I　have　done　my　work！'



If　Slinkton　had　been　running　for　his　life　from　swift…footed

savages；　a　dozen　miles；　he　could　not　have　shown　more　emphatic　signs

of　being　oppressed　at　heart　and　labouring　for　breath；　than　he

showed　now；　when　he　looked　at　the　pursuer　who　had　so　relentlessly

hunted　him　down。



'You　never　saw　me　under　my　right　name　before；　you　see　me　under　my

right　name　now。　　You　shall　see　me　once　again　in　the　body；　when　you

are　tried　for　your　life。　　You　shall　see　me　once　again　in　the

spirit；　when　the　cord　is　round　your　neck；　and　the　crowd　are　crying

against　you！'



When　Meltham　had　spoken　these　last　words；　the　miscreant　suddenly

turned　away　his　face；　and　seemed　to　strike　his　mouth　with　his　open

hand。　　At　the　same　instant；　the　room　was　filled　with　a　new　and

powerful　odour；　and；　almost　at　the　same　instant；　he　broke　into　a

crooked　run；　leap；　start；　…　I　have　no　name　for　the　spasm；　…　and

fell；　with　a　dull　weight　that　shook　the　heavy　old　doors　and　windows

in　their　frames。



That　was　the　fitting　end　of　him。



When　we　saw　that　he　was　dead；　we　drew　away　from　the　room；　and

Meltham；　giving　me　his　hand；　said；　with　a　weary　air；



'I　have　no　more　work　on　earth；　my　friend。　　But　I　shall　see　her

again　elsewhere。'



It　was　in　vain　that　I　tried　to　rally　him。　　He　might　have　saved　her；

he　said；　he　had　not　saved　her；　and　he　reproached　himself；　he　had

lost　her；　and　he　was　broken…hearted。



'The　purpose　that　sustained　me　is　over；　Samp