classic mystery and detective stories-第3章

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house；　and　was　already　half　resolved　to　take　it。　　So；　after

breakfast；　I　got　the　keys　from　Perkins's　brother…in…law　（a　whip　and

harness　maker；　who　keeps　the　Post　Office；　and　is　under　submission

to　a　most　rigorous　wife　of　the　Doubly　Seceding　Little　Emmanuel

persuasion）；　and　went　up　to　the　house；　attended　by　my　landlord　and

by　Ikey。



Within；　I　found　it；　as　I　had　expected；　transcendently　dismal。　　The

slowly　changing　shadows　waved　on　it　from　the　heavy　trees；　were

doleful　in　the　last　degree；　the　house　was　ill…placed；　ill…built；

ill…planned；　and　ill…fitted。　　It　was　damp；　it　was　not　free　from　dry

rot；　there　was　a　flavor　of　rats　in　it；　and　it　was　the　gloomy　victim

of　that　indescribable　decay　which　settles　on　all　the　work　of　man's

hands　whenever　it's　not　turned　to　man's　account。　　The　kitchens　and

offices　were　too　large；　and　too　remote　from　each　other。　　Above

stairs　and　below；　waste　tracts　of　passage　intervened　between

patches　of　fertility　represented　by　rooms；　and　there　was　a　mouldy

old　well　with　a　green　growth　upon　it；　hiding　like　a　murderous　trap；

near　the　bottom　of　the　back…stairs；　under　the　double　row　of　bells。

One　of　these　bells　was　labelled；　on　a　black　ground　in　faded　white

letters；　MASTER　B。　　This；　they　told　me；　was　the　bell　that　rang　the

most。



〃Who　was　Master　B。？〃　I　asked。　　〃Is　it　known　what　he　did　while　the

owl　hooted？〃



〃Rang　the　bell；〃　said　Ikey。



I　was　rather　struck　by　the　prompt　dexterity　with　which　this　young

man　pitched　his　fur　cap　at　the　bell；　and　rang　it　himself。　　It　was　a

loud；　unpleasant　bell；　and　made　a　very　disagreeable　sound。　　The

other　bells　were　inscribed　according　to　the　names　of　the　rooms　to

which　their　wires　were　conducted：　as　〃Picture　Room；〃　〃Double　Room；〃

〃Clock　Room；〃　and　the　like。　　Following　Master　B。's　bell　to　its

source　I　found　that　young　gentleman　to　have　had　but　indifferent

third…class　accommodation　in　a　triangular　cabin　under　the　cock…

loft；　with　a　corner　fireplace　which　Master　B。　must　have　been

exceedingly　small　if　he　were　ever　able　to　warm　himself　at；　and　a

corner　chimney…piece　like　a　pyramidal　staircase　to　the　ceiling　for

Tom　Thumb。　　The　papering　of　one　side　of　the　room　had　dropped　down

bodily；　with　fragments　of　plaster　adhering　to　it；　and　almost

blocked　up　the　door。　It　appeared　that　Master　B。；　in　his　spiritual

condition；　always　made　a　point　of　pulling　the　paper　down。　　Neither

the　landlord　nor　Ikey　could　suggest　why　he　made　such　a　fool　of

himself。



Except　that　the　house　had　an　immensely　large　rambling　loft　at　top；

I　made　no　other　discoveries。　　It　was　moderately　well　furnished；　but

sparely。　　Some　of　the　furnituresay；　a　thirdwas　as　old　as　the

house；　the　rest　was　of　various　periods　within　the　last　half…

century。　I　was　referred　to　a　corn…chandler　in　the　market…place　of

the　county　town　to　treat　for　the　house。　　I　went　that　day；　and　I

took　it　for　six　months。



It　was　just　the　middle　of　October　when　I　moved　in　with　my　maiden

sister　（I　venture　to　call　her　eight…and…thirty；　she　is　so　very

handsome；　sensible；　and　engaging）。　　We　took　with　us；　a　deaf　stable…

man；　my　bloodhound　Turk；　two　women　servants；　and　a　young　person

called　an　Odd　Girl。　　I　have　reason　to　record　of　the　attendant　last

enumerated；　who　was　one　of　the　Saint　Lawrence's　Union　Female

Orphans；　that　she　was　a　fatal　mistake　and　a　disastrous　engagement。



The　year　was　dying　early；　the　leaves　were　falling　fast；　it　was　a

raw　cold　day　when　we　took　possession；　and　the　gloom　of　the　house

was　most　depressing。　　The　cook　（an　amiable　woman；　but　of　a　weak

turn　of　intellect）　burst　into　tears　on　beholding　the　kitchen；　and

requested　that　her　silver　watch　might　be　delivered　over　to　her

sister　（2　Tuppintock's　Gardens；　Liggs's　Walk；　Clapham　Rise）；　in　the

event　of　anything　happening　to　her　from　the　damp。　　Streaker；　the

housemaid；　feigned　cheerfulness；　but　was　the　greater　martyr。　　The

Odd　Girl；　who　had　never　been　in　the　country；　alone　was　pleased；　and

made　arrangements　for　sowing　an　acorn　in　the　garden　outside　the

scullery　window；　and　rearing　an　oak。



We　went；　before　dark；　through　all　the　naturalas　opposed　to

supernaturalmiseries　incidental　to　our　state。　　Dispiriting

reports　ascended　（like　the　smoke）　from　the　basement　in　volumes；　and

descended　from　the　upper　rooms。　　There　was　no　rolling…pin；　there

was　no　salamander　（which　failed　to　surprise　me；　for　I　don't　know

what　it　is）；　there　was　nothing　in　the　house；　what　there　was；　was

broken；　the　last　people　must　have　lived　like　pigs；　what　could　the

meaning　of　the　landlord　be？　　Through　these　distresses；　the　Odd　Girl

was　cheerful　and　exemplary。　　But　within　four　hours　after　dark　we

had　got　into　a　supernatural　groove；　and　the　Odd　Girl　had　seen

〃Eyes；〃　and　was　in　hysterics。



My　sister　and　I　had　agreed　to　keep　the　haunting　strictly　to

ourselves；　and　my　impression　was；　and　still　is；　that　I　had　not　left

Ikey；　when　he　helped　to　unload　the　cart；　alone　with　the　women；　or

any　one　of　them；　for　one　minute。　　Nevertheless；　as　I　say；　the　Odd

Girl　had　〃seen　Eyes〃　（no　other　explanation　could　ever　be　drawn　from

her）；　before　nine；　and　by　ten　o'clock　had　had　as　much　vinegar

applied　to　her　as　would　pickle　a　handsome　salmon。



I　leave　a　discerning　public　to　judge　of　my　feelings；　when；　under

these　untoward　circumstances；　at　about　half…past　ten　o'clock　Master

B。's　bell　began　to　ring　in　a　most　infuriated　manner；　and　Turk

howled　until　the　house　resounded　with　his　lamentations！



I　hope　I　may　never　again　be　in　a　state　of　mind　so　unchristian　as

the　mental　frame　in　which　I　lived　for　some　weeks；　respecting　the

memory　of　Master　B。　　Whether　his　bell　was　rung　by　rats；　or　mice；　or

bats；　or　wind；　or　what　other　accidental　vibration；　or　sometimes　by

one　cause；　sometimes　another；　and　sometimes　by　collusion；　I　don't

know；　but；　certain　it　is；　that　it　did　ring　two　nights　out　of　three；

until　I　conceived　the　happy　idea　of　twisting　Master　B。's　neckin

other　words；　breaking　his　bell　short　offand　silencing　that　young

gentleman；　as　to　my　experience　and　belief；　for　ever。



But；　by　that　time；　the　Odd　Girl　had　developed　such　improving　powers

of　catalepsy；　that　she　had　become　a　shining　example　of　that　very


inconvenient　disorder。　　She　would　stiffen；　like　a　Guy　Fawkes

endowed　with　unreason；　on　the　most　irrelevant　occasions。　　I　would

address　the　servants　in　a　lucid　manner；　pointing　out　to　them　that　I

had　painted　Master　B。's　room　and　balked　the　paper；　and　taken　Master

B。's　bell　away　and　balked　the　ringing；　and　if　they　could　suppose

that　that　confounded　boy　had　lived　and　died；　to　clothe　himself　with

no　better　behavior　than　would　most　unquestionably　have　brought　him

and　the　sharpest　particles　of　a　birch…broom　into　close　acquaintance

in　the　present　imperfect　state　of　existence；　could　they　also

suppose　a　mere　poor　human　being；　such　as　I　was；　capable　by　those

contemptible　means　of　counteracting　and　limiting　the　powers　of　the

disembodied　spirits　of　the　dead；　or　of　any　spirits？I　say　I　would

become　emphatic　and　cogent；　not　to　say　rather　complacent；　in　such

an　address；　when　it　would　all　go　for　nothing　by　reason　of　the　Odd

Girl's　suddenly　stiffening　from　the　toes　upward；　and　glaring　among

us　like　a　parochial　petrifaction。



Streaker；　the　housemaid；　too；　had　an　attribute　of　a　most

discomfiting　nature。　　I　am　unable　to　say　whether　she　was　of　an

usually　lymphatic　temperament；　or　what　else　was　the　matter　with

her；　but　this　young　woman　became　a　mere　Distillery　for　the

production　of　the　largest　and　most　transparent　tears　I　ever　met

with。　　Combined　with　these　characteristics；　was　a　peculiar　tenacity

of　hold　in　those　specimens；　so　that　they　didn't　fall；　but　hung　upon

her　face　and　nose。　　In　this　condition；　and　mildly　and　deplorably

shaking　her　head；　her　silence　would　throw　me　more　heavily　than　the

Admirable　Crichton　could　have　done　in　a　verbal　disputation　for　a

purse　of　money。　　Cook；　likewise；　always　covered　me　with　confusion

as　with　a　garment；　by　neatly　winding　up　the　session　with　the

protest　that　th