classic mystery and detective stories-第17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！


hazel。　　Whatever　the　cause　of　this　odor；　it　produced　a　material

effect　on　the　nerves。　　We　all　felt　it；　even　the　two　workmen　who

were　in　the　room；a　creeping；　tingling　sensation　from　the　tips　of

the　fingers　to　the　roots　of　the　hair。　　Impatient　to　examine　the

tablet；　I　removed　the　saucer。　　As　I　did　so　the　needle　of　the

compass　went　round　and　round　with　exceeding　swiftness；　and　I　felt　a

shock　that　ran　through　my　whole　frame；　so　that　I　dropped　the　saucer

on　the　floor。　　The　liquid　was　spilled；　the　saucer　was　broken；　the

compass　rolled　to　the　end　of　the　room；　and　at　that　instant　the

walls　shook　to　and　fro；　as　if　a　giant　had　swayed　and　rocked　them。



The　two　workmen　were　so　frightened　that　they　ran　up　the　ladder　by

which　we　had　descended　from　the　trapdoor；　but　seeing　that　nothing

more　happened；　they　were　easily　induced　to　return。



Meanwhile　I　had　opened　the　tablet：　it　was　bound　in　plain　red

leather；　with　a　silver　clasp；　it　contained　but　one　sheet　of　thick

vellum；　and　on　that　sheet　were　inscribed；　within　a　double　pentacle；

words　in　old　monkish　Latin；　which　are　literally　to　be　translated

thus：　〃On　all　that　it　can　reach　within　these　walls；　sentient　or

inanimate；　living　or　dead；　as　moves　the　needle；　so　works　my　will！

Accursed　be　the　house；　and　restless　be　the　dwellers　therein。〃



We　found　no　more。　　Mr。　J　burned　the　tablet　and　its　anathema。

He　razed　to　the　foundations　the　part　of　the　building　containing　the

secret　room　with　the　chamber　over　it。　　He　had　then　the　courage　to

inhabit　the　house　himself　for　a　month；　and　a　quieter；　better…

conditioned　house　could　not　be　found　in　all　London。　　Subsequently

he　let　it　to　advantage；　and　his　tenant　has　made　no　complaints。







A　drowning　man　clutching　at　a　strawsuch　is　Dr。　Fenwick；　hero　of

Bulwer…Lytton's　〃Strange　Story〃　when　he　determines　to　lend　himself

to　alleged　〃magic〃　in　the　hope　of　saving　his　suffering　wife　from

the　physical　dangers　which　have　succeeded　her　mental　disease。　　The

proposition　has　been　made　to　him　by　Margrave；　a　wanderer　in　many

countries；　who　has　followed　the　Fenwicks　from　England　to　Australia。

Margrave　declares　that　he　needs　an　accomplice　to　secure　an　〃elixir

of　life〃　which　his　own　failing　strength　demands。　　His　mysterious

mesmeric　or　hypnotic　influence　over　Mrs。　Fenwick　had　in　former　days

been　marked；　and　on　the　basis　of　this　undeniable　fact；　he　has

endeavored　to　show　that　his　own　welfare　and　Mrs。　Fenwick's　are；　in

some　occult　fashion；　knit　together；　and　that　only　by　aiding　him　in

some　extraordinary　experiment　can　the　physician　snatch　his　beloved

Lilian　from　her　impending　doom。



As　the　first　chapter　opens；　Fenwick　is　learning　his　wife's

condition　from　his　friend；　Dr。　Faber。







Bulwer…Lytton





The　Incantation





I





〃I　believe　that　for　at　least　twelve　hours　there　will　be　no　change

in　her　state。　　I　believe　also　that　if　she　recover　from　it；　calm　and

refreshed；　as　from　a　sleep；　the　danger　of　death　will　have　passed

away。〃



〃And　for　twelve　hours　my　presence　would　be　hurtful？〃



〃Rather　say　fatal；　if　my　diagnosis　be　right。〃



I　wrung　my　friend's　hand；　and　we　parted。



Oh；　to　lose　her　now；　now　that　her　love　and　her　reason　had　both

returned；　each　more　vivid　than　before！　　Futile；　indeed；　might　be

Margrave's　boasted　secret；　but　at　least　in　that　secret　was　hope。

In　recognized　science　I　saw　only　despair。



And　at　that　thought　all　dread　of　this　mysterious　visitor　vanished

all　anxiety　to　question　more　of　his　attributes　or　his　history。　　His

life　itself　became　to　me　dear　and　precious。　　What　if　it　should　fail

me　in　the　steps　of　the　process；　whatever　that　was；　by　which　the

life　of　my　Lilian　might　be　saved！



The　shades　of　evening　were　now　closing　in。　　I　remembered　that　I　had

left　Margrave　without　even　food　for　many　hours。　　I　stole　round　to

the　back　of　the　house；　filled　a　basket　with　elements　more　generous

than　those　of　the　former　day；　extracted　fresh　drugs　from　my　stores；

and；　thus　laden；　hurried　back　to　the　hut。　　I　found　Margrave　in　the

room　below；　seated　on　his　mysterious　coffer；　leaning　his　face　on

his　hand。　　When　I　entered；　he　looked　up；　and　said：



〃You　have　neglected　me。　　My　strength　is　waning。　　Give　me　more　of

the　cordial；　for　we　have　work　before　us　tonight；　and　I　need

support。〃



He　took　for　granted　my　assent　to　his　wild　experiment；　and　he　was

right。



I　administered　the　cordial。　　I　placed　food　before　him；　and　this

time　he　did　not　eat　with　repugnance。　　I　poured　out　wine；　and　he

drank　it　sparingly；　but　with　ready　compliance；　saying；　〃In　perfect

health；　I　looked　upon　wine　as　poison；　now　it　is　like　a　foretaste　of

the　glorious　elixir。〃



After　he　had　thus　recruited　himself；　he　seemed　to　acquire　an　energy

that　startlingly　contrasted　with　his　languor　the　day　before；　the

effort　of　breathing　was　scarcely　perceptible；　the　color　came　back

to　his　cheeks；　his　bended　frame　rose　elastic　and　erect。



〃If　I　understood　you　rightly；〃　said　I；　〃the　experiment　you　ask　me

to　aid　can　be　accomplished　in　a　single　night？〃



〃In　a　single　nightthis　night。〃



〃Command　me。　　Why　not　begin　at　once？　　What　apparatus　or　chemical

agencies　do　you　need？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Margrave。　　〃Formerly；　how　I　was　misled！　　Formerly；　how

my　conjectures　blundered！　　I　thought；　when　I　asked　you　to　give　a

month　to　the　experiment　I　wish　to　make；　that　I　should　need　the

subtlest　skill　of　the　chemist。　　I　then　believed；　with　Van　Helmont；

that　the　principle　of　life　is　a　gas；　and　that　the　secret　was　but　in

the　mode　by　which　the　gas　might　be　rightly　administered。　　But　now；

all　that　I　need　is　contained　in　this　coffer；　save　one　very　simple

materialfuel　sufficient　for　a　steady　fire　for　six　hours。　　I　see

even　that　is　at　hand；　piled　up　in　your　outhouse。　　And　now　for　the

substance　itselfto　that　you　must　guide　me。〃



〃Explain。〃



〃Near　this　very　spot　is　there　not　goldin　mines　yet　undiscovered

and　gold　of　the　purest　metal？〃



〃There　is。　　What　then？　　Do　you；　with　the　alchemists；　blend　in　one

discovery；　gold　and　life？〃



〃No。　　But　it　is　only　where　the　chemistry　of　earth　or　of　man

produces　gold；　that　the　substance　from　which　the　great　pabulum　of

life　is　extracted　by　ferment　can　be　found。　　Possibly；　in　the

attempts　at　that　transmutation　of　metals；　which　I　think　your　own

great　chemist；　Sir　Humphry　Davy；　allowed　might　be　possible；　but

held　not　to　be　worth　the　cost　of　the　processpossibly；　in　those

attempts；　some　scanty　grains　of　this　substance　were　found　by　the

alchemists；　in　the　crucible；　with　grains　of　the　metal　as　niggardly

yielded　by　pitiful　mimicry　of　Nature's　stupendous　laboratory；　and

from　such　grains　enough　of　the　essence　might；　perhaps；　have　been

drawn　forth；　to　add　a　few　years　of　existence　to　some　feeble

graybeardgranting；　what　rests　on　no　proofs；　that　some　of　the

alchemists　reached　an　age　rarely　given　to　man。　　But　it　is　not　in

the　miserly　crucible；　it　is　in　the　matrix　of　Nature　herself；　that

we　must　seek　in　prolific　abundance　Nature's　grand　principlelife。

As　the　loadstone　is　rife　with　the　magnetic　virtue；　as　amber

contains　the　electric；　so　in　this　substance；　to　which　we　yet　want　a

name；　is　found　the　bright　life…giving　fluid。　　In　the　old　gold　mines

of　Asia　and　Europe　the　substance　exists；　but　can　rarely　be　met

with。　　The　soil　for　its　nutriment　may　there　be　well　nigh　exhausted。

It　is　here；　where　Nature　herself　is　all　vital　with　youth；　that　the

nutriment　of　youth　must　be　sought。　　Near　this　spot　is　gold；　guide

me　to　it。〃



〃You　cannot　come　with　me。　　The　place　which　I　know　as　auriferous　is

some　miles　distant；　the　way　rugged。　　You　cannot　walk　to　it。　　It　is

true　I　have　horses；　but〃



〃Do　you　think　I　have　come　this　distance　and　not　foreseen　and

forestalled　all　that　I　want　for　my　object？　　Trouble　yourself　not

with　conjectures　how　I　can　arrive　at　the　place。　　I　have　provided

the　means　to　arrive　at　and　leave　it。　　My　litter　and　its　bearers　are

in　reach　of　my　call。　　Give　me　your　arm　to　the　rising　ground；　fifty