classic mystery and detective stories-第14章

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held　letters；the　very　letters　over　which　I　had　seen　THE　Hand

close；　and　behind　her　I　heard　a　footstep。　　She　turned　round　as　if

to　listen；　and　then　she　opened　the　letters　and　seemed　to　read；　and

over　her　shoulder　I　saw　a　livid　face；　the　face　as　of　a　man　long

drowned；bloated；　bleached；　seaweed　tangled　in　its　dripping　hair；

and　at　her　feet　lay　a　form　as　of　a　corpse；　and　beside　the　corpse

there　cowered　a　child；　a　miserable；　squalid　child；　with　famine　in

its　cheeks　and　fear　in　its　eyes。　　And　as　I　looked　in　the　old

woman's　face；　the　wrinkles　and　lines　vanished；　and　it　became　a　face

of　youth；hard…eyed；　stony；　but　still　youth；　and　the　Shadow　darted

forth；　and　darkened　over　these　phantoms　as　it　had　darkened　over　the

last。



Nothing　now　was　left　but　the　Shadow；　and　on　that　my　eyes　were

intently　fixed；　till　again　eyes　grew　out　of　the　Shadow；malignant；

serpent　eyes。　　And　the　bubbles　of　light　again　rose　and　fell；　and　in

their　disordered；　irregular；　turbulent　maze；　mingled　with　the　wan

moonlight。　　And　now　from　these　globules　themselves；　as　from　the

shell　of　an　egg；　monstrous　things　burst　out；　the　air　grew　filled

with　them：　larvae　so　bloodless　and　so　hideous　that　I　can　in　no　way

describe　them　except　to　remind　the　reader　of　the　swarming　life

which　the　solar　microscope　brings　before　his　eyes　in　a　drop　of

water；things　transparent；　supple；　agile；　chasing　each　other；

devouring　each　other；　forms　like　naught　ever　beheld　by　the　naked

eye。　　As　the　shapes　were　without　symmetry；　so　their　movements　were

without　order。　　In　their　very　vagrancies　there　was　no　sport；　they

came　round　me　and　round；　thicker　and　faster　and　swifter；　swarming

over　my　head；　crawling　over　my　right　arm；　which　was　outstretched　in

involuntary　command　against　all　evil　beings。　　Sometimes　I　felt

myself　touched；　but　not　by　them；　invisible　hands　touched　me。　　Once

I　felt　the　clutch　as　of　cold；　soft　fingers　at　my　throat。　　I　was

still　equally　conscious　that　if　I　gave　way　to　fear　I　should　be　in

bodily　peril；　and　I　concentered　all　my　faculties　in　the　single

focus　of　resisting　stubborn　will。　　And　I　turned　my　sight　from　the

Shadow；　above　all；　from　those　strange　serpent　eyes；eyes　that　had

now　become　distinctly　visible。　　For　there；　though　in　naught　else

around　me；　I　was　aware　that　there　was　a　WILL；　and　will　of　intense；

creative；　working　evil；　which　might　crush　down　my　own。



The　pale　atmosphere　in　the　room　began　now　to　redden　as　if　in　the

air　of　some　near　conflagration。　　The　larvae　grew　lurid　as　things

that　live　in　fire。　　Again　the　room　vibrated；　again　were　heard　the

three　measured　knocks；　and　again　all　things　were　swallowed　up　in

the　darkness　of　the　dark　Shadow；　as　if　out　of　that　darkness　all　had

come；　into　that　darkness　all　returned。



As　the　gloom　receded；　the　Shadow　was　wholly　gone。　　Slowly；　as　it

had　been　withdrawn；　the　flame　grew　again　into　the　candles　on　the

table；　again　into　the　fuel　in　the　grate。　　The　whole　room　came　once

more　calmly；　healthfully　into　sight。



The　two　doors　were　still　closed；　the　door　communicating　with　the

servant's　room　still　locked。　　In　the　corner　of　the　wall；　into　which

he　had　so　convulsively　niched　himself；　lay　the　dog。　　I　called　to

him；no　movement；　I　approached；the　animal　was　dead：　his　eyes

protruded；　his　tongue　out　of　his　mouth；　the　froth　gathered　round

his　jaws。　　I　took　him　in　my　arms；　I　brought　him　to　the　fire。　　I

felt　acute　grief　for　the　loss　of　my　poor　favorite；acute　self…

reproach；　I　accused　myself　of　his　death；　I　imagined　he　had　died　of

fright。　　But　what　was　my　surprise　on　finding　that　his　neck　was

actually　broken。　　Had　this　been　done　in　the　dark？　　Must　it　not　have

been　by　a　hand　human　as　mine；　must　there　not　have　been　a　human

agency　all　the　while　in　that　room？　　Good　cause　to　suspect　it。　　I

cannot　tell。　　I　cannot　do　more　than　state　the　fact　fairly；　the

reader　may　draw　his　own　inference。



Another　surprising　circumstance；my　watch　was　restored　to　the

table　from　which　it　had　been　so　mysteriously　withdrawn；　but　it　had

stopped　at　the　very　moment　it　was　so　withdrawn；　nor；　despite　all

the　skill　of　the　watchmaker；　has　it　ever　gone　since；that　is；　it

will　go　in　a　strange；　erratic　way　for　a　few　hours；　and　then　come　to

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