the purcell papers-2-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





The　person；　whoever　it　might　be；　was

probably　satisfied；　for　I　heard　the　old

boards　of　the　lobby　creak　and　strain；　as　if

under　the　weight　of　somebody　moving

cautiously　over　them。　My　sense　of　hearing

became　unnaturally；　almost　painfully

acute。　I　suppose　the　imagination　added

distinctness　to　sounds　vague　in　themselves。

I　thought　that　I　could　actually　hear　the

breathing　of　the　person　who　was　slowly

returning　down　the　lobby。　At　the　head　of

the　staircase　there　appeared　to　occur　a

pause；　and　I　could　distinctly　hear　two　or

three　sentences　hastily　whispered；　the

steps　then　descended　the　stairs　with

apparently　less　caution。　I　now　ventured　to

walk　quickly　and　lightly　to　the　lobby…door；

and　attempted　to　open　it；　it　was　indeed

fast　locked　upon　the　outside；　as　was　also

the　other。



I　now　felt　that　the　dreadful　hour　was

come；　but　one　desperate　expedient

remainedit　was　to　awaken　Emily；　and　by

our　united　strength　to　attempt　to　force

the　partition…door；　which　was　slighter　than

the　other；　and　through　this　to　pass　to　the

lower　part　of　the　house；　whence　it　might

be　possible　to　escape　to　the　grounds；　and

forth　to　the　village。



I　returned　to　the　bedside　and　shook

Emily；　but　in　vain。　Nothing　that　I　could

do　availed　to　produce　from　her　more　than

a　few　incoherent　wordsit　was　a　death…

like　sleep。　She　had　certainly　drank　of

some　narcotic；　as　had　I　probably　also；　spite

of　all　the　caution　with　which　I　had

examined　everything　presented　to　us　to

eat　or　drink。



I　now　attempted；　with　as　little　noise　as

possible；　to　force　first　one　door；　then　the

otherbut　all　in　vain。　I　believe　no

strength　could　have　effected　my　object；　for

both　doors　opened　inwards。　I　therefore

collected　whatever　movables　I　could　carry

thither；　and　piled　them　against　the　doors；

so　as　to　assist　me　in　whatever　attempts　I

should　make　to　resist　the　entrance　of　those

without。　I　then　returned　to　the　bed　and

endeavoured　again；　but　fruitlessly；　to

awaken　my　cousin。　It　was　not　sleep；　it

was　torpor；　lethargy；　death。　I　knelt　down

and　prayed　with　an　agony　of　earnestness；

and　then　seating　myself　upon　the　bed；　I

awaited　my　fate　with　a　kind　of　terrible

tranquillity。



I　heard　a　faint　clanking　sound　from　the

narrow　court　which　I　have　already

mentioned；　as　if　caused　by　the　scraping　of

some　iron　instrument　against　stones　or

rubbish。　I　at　first　determined　not　to

disturb　the　calmness　which　I　now　felt；　by

uselessly　watching　the　proceedings　of　those

who　sought　my　life；　but　as　the　sounds

continued；　the　horrible　curiosity　which　I

felt　overcame　every　other　emotion；　and　I

determined；　at　all　hazards；　to　gratify　it。

I　therefore　crawled　upon　my　knees　to

the　window；　so　as　to　let　the　smallest

portion　of　my　head　appear　above　the

sill。



The　moon　was　shining　with　an　uncertain

radiance　upon　the　antique　grey　buildings；

and　obliquely　upon　the　narrow　court

beneath；　one　side　of　which　was　therefore

clearly　illuminated；　while　the　other　was

lost　in　obscurity；　the　sharp　outlines　of　the

old　gables；　with　their　nodding　clusters　of

ivy；　being　at　first　alone　visible。



Whoever　or　whatever　occasioned　the

noise　which　had　excited　my　curiosity；　was

concealed　under　the　shadow　of　the　dark

side　of　the　quadrangle。　I　placed　my　hand

over　my　eyes　to　shade　them　from　the

moonlight；　which　was　so　bright　as　to　be

almost　dazzling；　and；　peering　into　the

darkness；　I　first　dimly；　but　afterwards　gradually；

almost　with　full　distinctness；　beheld　the

form　of　a　man　engaged　in　digging　what

appeared　to　be　a　rude　hole　close　under　the

wall。　Some　implements；　probably　a　shovel

and　pickaxe；　lay　beside　him；　and　to　these

he　every　now　and　then　applied　himself　as

the　nature　of　the　ground　required。　He

pursued　his　task　rapidly；　and　with　as　little

noise　as　possible。



'So；'　thought　I；　as；　shovelful　after　shovel…

ful；　the　dislodged　rubbish　mounted　into　a

heap；　'they　are　digging　the　grave　in　which；

before　two　hours　pass；　I　must　lie；　a　cold；

mangled　corpse。　I　am　THEIRSI　cannot

escape。'



I　felt　as　if　my　reason　was　leaving　me。

I　started　to　my　feet；　and　in　mere　despair　I

applied　myself　again　to　each　of　the　two

doors　alternately。　I　strained　every　nerve

and　sinew；　but　I　might　as　well　have

attempted；　with　my　single　strength；　to　force

the　building　itself　from　its　foundation。　I

threw　myself　madly　upon　the　ground；　and

clasped　my　hands　over　my　eyes　as　if　to

shut　out　the　horrible　images　which　crowded

upon　me。



The　paroxysm　passed　away。　I　prayed

once　more；　with　the　bitter；　agonised　fervour

of　one　who　feels　that　the　hour　of　death　is

present　and　inevitable。　When　I　arose；　I

went　once　more　to　the　window　and　looked

out；　just　in　time　to　see　a　shadowy　figure

glide　stealthily　along　the　wall。　The　task

was　finished。　The　catastrophe　of　the

tragedy　must　soon　be　accomplished。



I　determined　now　to　defend　my　life　to

the　last；　and　that　I　might　be　able　to　do

so　with　some　effect；　I　searched　the　room

for　something　which　might　serve　as　a

weapon；　but　either　through　accident；　or

from　an　anticipation　of　such　a　possibility；

everything　which　might　have　been　made

available　for　such　a　purpose　had　been　carefully

removed。　I　must　then　die　tamely

and　without　an　effort　to　defend　myself。



A　thought　suddenly　struck　memight

it　not　be　possible　to　escape　through　the

door；　which　the　assassin　must　open　in

order　to　enter　the　room？　I　resolved　to

make　the　attempt。　I　felt　assured　that　the

door　through　which　ingress　to　the　room

would　be　effected；　was　that　which　opened

upon　the　lobby。　It　was　the　more　direct

way；　besides　being；　for　obvious　reasons；

less　liable　to　interruption　than　the　other。

I　resolved；　then；　to　place　myself　behind　a

projection　of　the　wall；　whose　shadow　would

serve　fully　to　conceal　me；　and　when　the

door　should　be　opened；　and　before　they

should　have　discovered　the　identity　of　the

occupant　of　the　bed；　to　creep　noiselessly

from　the　room；　and　then　to　trust　to

Providence　for　escape。



In　order　to　facilitate　this　scheme；　I

removed　all　the　lumber　which　I　had　heaped

against　the　door；　and　I　had　nearly　completed

my　arrangements；　when　I　perceived

the　room　suddenly　darkened　by　the　close

approach　of　some　shadowy　object　to　the

window。　On　turning　my　eyes　in　that

direction；　I　observed　at　the　top　of　the

casement；　as　if　suspended　from　above；　first

the　feet；　then　the　legs；　then　the　body；　and

at　length　the　whole　figure　of　a　man　present

himself。　It　was　Edward　Tn。



He　appeared　to　be　guiding　his　descent

so　as　to　bring　his　feet　upon　the　centre　of

the　stone　block　which　occupied　the　lower

part　of　the　window；　and；　having　secured

his　footing　upon　this；　he　kneeled　down　and

began　to　gaze　into　the　room。　As　the

moon　was　gleaming　into　the　chamber；　and

the　bed…curtains　were　drawn；　he　was　able

to　distinguish　the　bed　itself　and　its

contents。　He　appeared　satisfied　with　his

scrutiny；　for　he　looked　up　and　made　a　sign

with　his　hand；　upon　which　the　rope　by

which　his　descent　had　been　effected　was

slackened　from　above；　and　he　proceeded　to

disengage　it　from　his　waist；　this　accom…

plished；　he　applied　his　hands　to　the

window…frame；　which　must　have　been

ingeniously　contrived　for　the　purpose；　for；

with　apparently　no　resistance；　the　whole

frame；　containing　casement　and　all；　slipped

from　its　position　in　the　wall；　and　was　by

him　lowered　into　the　room。



The　cold　night　wind　waved　the　bed…

curtains；　and　he　paused　for　a　momentall

was　still　againand　he　stepped　in　upon

the　floor　of　the　room。　He　held　in　his

hand　what　appeared　to　be　a　steel　instrument；

shaped　something　like　a　hammer；

but　larger　and　sharper　at　the　extremities。

This　he　held　rather　behind　him；　while；　with

three　long；　tip…toe　strides；　he　brought

himself　to　the　bedside。



I　felt　that　the　discovery　must　now　be

made；　and　held　my　breath　in　momentary

expectation　of　the　execration　in　which　he

would　vent　his　s