the works of edgar allan poe-3-第57章

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in　no　regard　was　he　more　peculiar　than　in　his　personal　appearance。　He
was　singularly　tall　and　thin。　He　stooped　much。　His　limbs　were
exceedingly　long　and　emaciated。　His　forehead　was　broad　and　low。　His
complexion　was　absolutely　bloodless。　His　mouth　was　large　and
flexible；　and　his　teeth　were　more　wildly　uneven；　although　sound；　than
I　had　ever　before　seen　teeth　in　a　human　head。　The　expression　of　his
smile；　however；　was　by　no　means　unpleasing；　as　might　be　supposed；　but
it　had　no　variation　whatever。　It　was　one　of　profound　melancholy　　of
a　phaseless　and　unceasing　gloom。　His　eyes　were　abnormally　large；　and
round　like　those　of　a　cat。　The　pupils；　too；　upon　any　accession　or
diminution　of　light；　underwent　contraction　or　dilation；　just　such　as
is　observed　in　the　feline　tribe。　In　moments　of　excitement　the　orbs
grew　bright　to　a　degree　almost　inconceivable；　seeming　to　emit
luminous　rays；　not　of　a　reflected　but　of　an　intrinsic　lustre；　as　does
a　candle　or　the　sun；　yet　their　ordinary　condition　was　so　totally
vapid；　filmy；　and　dull　as　to　convey　the　idea　of　the　eyes　of　a
long…interred　corpse。

These　peculiarities　of　person　appeared　to　cause　him　much　annoyance；
and　he　was　continually　alluding　to　them　in　a　sort　of　half
explanatory；　half　apologetic　strain；　which；　when　I　first　heard　it；
impressed　me　very　painfully。　I　soon；　however；　grew　accustomed　to　it；
and　my　uneasiness　wore　off。　It　seemed　to　be　his　design　rather　to
insinuate　than　directly　to　assert　that；　physically；　he　had　not　always
been　what　he　was　　that　a　long　series　of　neuralgic　attacks　had
reduced　him　from　a　condition　of　more　than　usual　personal　beauty；　to
that　which　I　saw。　For　many　years　past　he　had　been　attended　by　a
physician；　named　Templeton　　an　old　gentleman；　perhaps　seventy　years
of　age　　whom　he　had　first　encountered　at　Saratoga；　and　from　whose
attention；　while　there；　he　either　received；　or　fancied　that　he
received；　great　benefit。　The　result　was　that　Bedloe；　who　was　wealthy；
had　made　an　arrangement　with　Dr。　Templeton；　by　which　the　latter；　in
consideration　of　a　liberal　annual　allowance；　had　consented　to　devote
his　time　and　medical　experience　exclusively　to　the　care　of　the
invalid。

Doctor　Templeton　had　been　a　traveller　in　his　younger　days；　and　at
Paris　had　become　a　convert；　in　great　measure；　to　the　doctrines　of
Mesmer。　It　was　altogether　by　means　of　magnetic　remedies　that　he　had
succeeded　in　alleviating　the　acute　pains　of　his　patient；　and　this
success　had　very　naturally　inspired　the　latter　with　a　certain　degree
of　confidence　in　the　opinions　from　which　the　remedies　had　been
educed。　The　Doctor；　however；　like　all　enthusiasts；　had　struggled　hard
to　make　a　thorough　convert　of　his　pupil；　and　finally　so　far　gained
his　point　as　to　induce　the　sufferer　to　submit　to　numerous
experiments。　By　a　frequent　repetition　of　these；　a　result　had　arisen；
which　of　late　days　has　become　so　common　as　to　attract　little　or　no
attention；　but　which；　at　the　period　of　which　I　write；　had　very　rarely
been　known　in　America。　I　mean　to　say；　that　between　Doctor　Templeton
and　Bedloe　there　had　grown　up；　little　by　little；　a　very　distinct　and
strongly　marked　rapport；　or　magnetic　relation。　I　am　not　prepared　to
assert；　however；　that　this　rapport　extended　beyond　the　limits　of　the
simple　sleep…producing　power；　but　this　power　itself　had　attained
great　intensity。　At　the　first　attempt　to　induce　the　magnetic
somnolency；　the　mesmerist　entirely　failed。　In　the　fifth　or　sixth　he
succeeded　very　partially；　and　after　long　continued　effort。　Only　at
the　twelfth　was　the　triumph　complete。　After　this　the　will　of　the
patient　succumbed　rapidly　to　that　of　the　physician；　so　that；　when　I
first　became　acquainted　with　the　two；　sleep　was　brought　about　almost
instantaneously　by　the　mere　volition　of　the　operator；　even　when　the
invalid　was　unaware　of　his　presence。　It　is　only　now；　in　the　year
1845；　when　similar　miracles　are　witnessed　daily　by　thousands；　that　I
dare　venture　to　record　this　apparent　impossibility　as　a　matter　of
serious　fact。

The　temperature　of　Bedloe　was；　in　the　highest　degree　sensitive；
excitable；　enthusiastic。　His　imagination　was　singularly　vigorous　and
creative；　and　no　doubt　it　derived　additional　force　from　the　habitual
use　of　morphine；　which　he　swallowed　in　great　quantity；　and　without
which　he　would　have　found　it　impossible　to　exist。　It　was　his　practice
to　take　a　very　large　dose　of　it　immediately　after　breakfast　each
morning　　or；　rather；　immediately　after　a　cup　of　strong　coffee；　for
he　ate　nothing　in　the　forenoon　　and　then　set　forth　alone；　or
attended　only　by　a　dog；　upon　a　long　ramble　among　the　chain　of　wild
and　dreary　hills　that　lie　westward　and　southward　of　Charlottesville；
and　are　there　dignified　by　the　title　of　the　Ragged　Mountains。

Upon　a　dim；　warm；　misty　day；　toward　the　close　of　November；　and　during
the　strange　interregnum　of　the　seasons　which　in　America　is　termed　the
Indian　Summer；　Mr。　Bedloe　departed　as　usual　for　the　hills。　The　day
passed；　and　still　he　did　not　return。

About　eight　o'clock　at　night；　having　become　seriously　alarmed　at　his
protracted　absence；　we　were　about　setting　out　in　search　of　him；　when
he　unexpectedly　made　his　appearance；　in　health　no　worse　than　usual；
and　in　rather　more　than　ordinary　spirits。　The　account　which　he　gave
of　his　expedition；　and　of　the　events　which　had　detained　him；　was　a
singular　one　indeed。

〃You　will　remember；〃　said　he；　〃that　it　was　about　nine　in　the　morning
when　I　left　Charlottesville。　I　bent　my　steps　immediately　to　the
mountains；　and；　about　ten；　entered　a　gorge　which　was　entirely　new　to
me。　I　followed　the　windings　of　this　pass　with　much　interest。　The
scenery　which　presented　itself　on　all　sides；　although　scarcely
entitled　to　be　called　grand；　had　about　it　an　indescribable　and　to　me
a　delicious　aspect　of　dreary　desolation。　The　solitude　seemed
absolutely　virgin。　I　could　not　help　believing　that　the　green　sods　and
the　gray　rocks　upon　which　I　trod　had　been　trodden　never　before　by　the
foot　of　a　human　being。　So　entirely　secluded；　and　in　fact
inaccessible；　except　through　a　series　of　accidents；　is　the　entrance
of　the　ravine；　that　it　is　by　no　means　impossible　that　I　was　indeed
the　first　adventurer　　the　very　first　and　sole　adventurer　who　had
ever　penetrated　its　recesses。

〃The　thick　and　peculiar　mist；　or　smoke；　which　distinguishes　the
Indian　Summer；　and　which　now　hung　heavily　over　all　objects；　served；
no　doubt；　to　deepen　the　vague　impressions　which　these　objects
created。　So　dense　was　this　pleasant　fog　that　I　could　at　no　time　see
more　than　a　dozen　yards　of　the　path　before　me。　This　path　was
excessively　sinuous；　and　as　the　sun　could　not　be　seen；　I　soon　lost
all　idea　of　the　direction　in　which　I　journeyed。　In　the　meantime　the
morphine　had　its　customary　effect　　that　of　enduing　all　the　external
world　with　an　intensity　of　interest。　In　the　quivering　of　a　leaf　　in
the　hue　of　a　blade　of　grass　　in　the　shape　of　a　trefoil　　in　the
humming　of　a　bee　　in　the　gleaming　of　a　dew…drop　　in　the　breathing
of　the　wind　　in　the　faint　odors　that　came　from　the　forest　　there
came　a　whole　universe　of　suggestion　　a　gay　and　motley　train　of
rhapsodical　and　immethodical　thought。

〃Busied　in　this；　I　walked　on　for　several　hours；　during　which　the　mist
deepened　around　me　to　so　great　an　extent　that　at　length　I　was　reduced
to　an　absolute　groping　of　the　way。　And　now　an　indescribable
uneasiness　possessed　me　　a　species　of　nervous　hesitation　and
tremor。　I　feared　to　tread；　lest　I　should　be　precipitated　into　some
abyss。　I　remembered；　too；　strange　stories　told　about　these　Ragged
Hills；　and　of　the　uncouth　and　fierce　races　of　men　who　tenanted　their
groves　and　caverns。　A　thousand　vague　fancies　oppressed　and
disconcerted　me…　fancies　the　more　distressing　because　vague。　Very
suddenly　my　attention　was　arrested　by　the　loud　beating　of　a　drum。

〃My　amazement　was；　of　course；　extreme。　A　drum　in　these　hills　was　a
thing　unknown。　I　could　not　have　been　more　surprised　at　the　sound　of
the　trump　of　the　Archangel。　But　a　new　and　still　more　astounding
source　of　interest　and　perplexity　arose。　There　came　a　wild　rattling
or　jingling　sound；　as　if　of　a　bunch　of　large　keys；　and　upon　the
instant　a　dusky…visaged　and　half…naked　man　rushed　past　me　with　a
shriek。　He